Chapter Five: Reaping the Wheat on a Dating Show?

After enduring the initial meeting with the guests, Yu Zhi finally understood why Xia Shuang harbored such hostility toward her.

Firstly, Yu Zhi was undoubtedly closely connected to Shen Jiayu; secondly, she was the newly signed artist at the company—the very person Jiang Weicheng blamed for the company’s ruthless treatment of Xia Shuang.

This was getting interesting. Was Jiang Weicheng intending to pit Yu Zhi against Xia Shuang on the same stage to gauge who was more worthy of the company’s investment?

Perhaps his plan was destined to fail...

The summer afternoon sun blazed fiercely. The soles of their shoes scraped against the ground, sending dust swirling before their eyes. Yu Zhi’s lips twitched involuntarily; the person who first suggested setting the dating show’s location in the countryside was nothing short of a genius…

Beneath the endless golden wheat fields, Yu Zhi and the others clutched their fisherman hats, exchanging doubtful looks. “Director, are you sure we can feel the romance while doing farm work?”

From a television drama perspective, scenes that spark romantic feelings usually take place in cafes, cinemas, amusement parks, or art galleries, don’t they?

The director, dressed casually in a vest and flip-flops, holding a megaphone, cheerfully responded to the guests' doubts, “What’s more intimate than exercising together? Our main goal with this close-contact approach is for you to discover your own pheromones through various intimate activities. Teacher Gu, do you have a better idea? Feel free to discuss it with our show’s planning team!”

Gu Qing glanced at the director’s outfit, then at her own, and reluctantly said, “Director, could you at least give us a chance to change clothes?”

“The program rules issued before filming include a dress code. If Teacher Gu insists on changing, she will lose the initial ten points,” the director replied.

Gu Qing clenched her hands at her sides. Which dating show drags its guests into wheat fields to cut grain? This was sheer madness.

Considering the circumstances, she could only agree to the director’s demand.

Yu Zhi silently thanked her stars that she hadn’t followed the assistant’s suggestion to wear something extravagant; otherwise, she would have lost the already scarce points like the others. Although her shoes were not exactly convenient, they were far better than those of Gu Qing or Xia Shuang.

Only Yu Zhi, Shen Jiayu, and Bai Fuyuan remained in place. Yu Zhi quietly edged closer to the director.

“Director, we’re on good terms, right? Can we find a backdoor? When dividing groups, can you let me avoid that bastard Shen Jiayu?”

Director Zhao Liheng, lounging in a deck chair, glanced obliquely at Yu Zhi, fanned himself vigorously but couldn’t cool the heat in his heart. “Yu Zhi, you don’t want everyone to hear what you just said, do you?”

Yu Zhi smirked, stood up, and kicked the deck chair twice. “Go ahead and bask all you want. See who’ll want you then!”

Viewers behind the camera only saw Yu Zhi smiling sweetly as she approached the director, whispering a few words before abruptly kicking the chair. They quickly condemned her disrespect toward her seniors, accusing her of lacking any manners.

#Mistaking rudeness for straightforwardness, no comment#

#Yu Zhi kicks director, utterly disrespectful#

Haters and rival fan armies took the bait, giving Yu Zhi a surge of minor attention.

Just as one wave subsided, another arose. Jiang Weicheng felt utterly drained when an uncommon visitor arrived at his office.

The assistant winked repeatedly, signaling to Jiang Weicheng that someone was behind him.

“Weicheng, busy?”

The sudden familiar voice made Jiang Weicheng flinch mid-phone call—another ancestor had arrived.

He hung up and turned with a forced smile. “President Ling, what instructions do you have?”

Ling Chen lowered his gaze, staring at the documents on Jiang Weicheng’s desk, his tone ambiguous. “Weicheng, how long have you been at Shanming?”

Jiang Weicheng sensed trouble and continued smiling. “Five years. I came with Xiao Zhi; wherever she goes, I go.”

Ling Chen chuckled, then patted Jiang Weicheng on the shoulder three times. “Weicheng, you’re smart—you should know which path is right, shouldn’t you?”

Jiang Weicheng feigned ignorance. At this moment, he dared not reveal his true feelings. “President Ling, I don’t know what you mean. Why don’t you sit down and rest for a while?”

Ling Chen paced back and forth, a hint of regret in his voice. “Look at my office—it’s full of Xiao Zhi’s things. There isn’t even a place to put my feet. Otherwise, I’d invite you for a couple of drinks after work.”

Ling Chen wasn’t surprised by Jiang Weicheng’s attitude. With one hand in his pocket, he waved dismissively. “I’m not in a hurry. Take your time to think. We’ll have plenty more chances.”

After Ling Chen’s figure disappeared, the assistant shuffled the documents awkwardly. “Brother Jiang... Did President Ling just try to poach you?”

Jiang Weicheng suppressed the emotions flickering in his eyes, tapping the folder he used to brush off Ling Chen on each person clustered around him. “What gossip? Is the mess Yu Zhi caused settled? Hurry up and contact marketing accounts to see if we can suppress Yu Zhi with some scandal about Zhou Su.”

Zhou Su—the notorious playboy of the circle. If Yu Zhi was the Sea Queen, then he was undoubtedly the Sea King, and a rather reckless one at that, taken literally.

Unlike Yu Zhi, he never pursued relationships within the industry. As a netizen remarked, being hurt by insiders is just different...

Before the assistant could make the call, everyone’s attention was seized by the news of an online post.

“Zhou Su posted!”

“He’s joining a variety show! The one with Sister Zhi...”

Jiang Weicheng bit his lip lightly and chuckled.

“No matter his motive, contact people to pull the press releases on Yu Zhi immediately.”

This unexpected stroke of luck—he hoped Yu Zhi would seize the opportunity.

Two months remained before her contract expired. If she didn’t find a good path during this time, both she and Jiang Weicheng would be left high and dry.

Meanwhile, Yu Zhi, under the area assigned by the show crew, was diligently cutting wheat.

Clear sweat trickled down from her temples. When it came to tormenting people, no one matched Zhao Liheng.

The way to earn points was to harvest more wheat than the others. Thanks to Shen Jiayu, their group needed to gather one-third more wheat than the others to win.

Grateful for the presence of genuine, hard-working locals, Yu Zhi glanced at the other groups’ progress and felt confident about securing points.

Although Xia Shuang was clumsy with the work, she made herself memorable with her sharp tongue; only Shen Jiayu was truly skilled at this task.

However, that girl was a bit scatterbrained, constantly bumping into Yu Zhi whenever the live camera wasn’t on them, nearly causing her to fall onto the sickle more than once. If the sickle grazed anyone, it would surely be Yu Zhi, the one standing near the sewing machine.

After being knocked down again, Yu Zhi casually swept her tangled hair back behind her ear, then seized the chance to pounce on Xia Shuang. They fell together, and Yu Zhi whispered mockingly in her ear, “Xia Shuang, you’re pretty skilled at settling personal scores. Consider this a warning—don’t draw attention to yourself in front of me.”

Then, lifting her head, she gently tucked the strands of hair behind Xia Shuang’s ear, her smile radiant. “Unless you want everyone to think you’re a lesbian…”