Chapter 65: Sixty-Fifth Day as a Salted Fish
Shen Xiaoshan and Meng Zi’ang’s hearts hung high in their throats, terrified that Qin Jiaojiao would fly off the handle on camera and bring up the past entanglements between the three of them.
Seeing the anxious expressions on their faces, Qin Jiaojiao leaned against Zhou Shaoli and asked in a sweet, coquettish voice, “Hubby, what do you think?”
Zhou Shaoli looked down at her and said, “I always maintain my distance from the opposite sex and never give them any opportunity to approach me. Therefore, the premise of another woman confessing her feelings to me simply doesn’t exist.”
By saying this, Zhou Shaoli was essentially declaring his devotion to his wife in front of the camera. He was a good man who strictly upheld male virtue; other women had no chance of getting near him, so no entanglements could ever form in the first place.
Back when Meng Zi’ang was Qin Jiaojiao’s nominal fiancé, he had frequently met with Shen Xiaoshan in private and developed mutual feelings for her, betraying his engagement. No matter how he tried to explain it away, it was undeniable that his moral character was utterly bankrupt.
These words stung Meng Zi’ang deeply, and he instantly struggled to maintain a composure that was rapidly turning sour.
The bullet comments found his reasoning completely solid.
【Whether you’re dating or married, as long as you don’t give the opposite sex a chance, no one can come between you.】
【President Zhou is answering Jiaojiao’s question so seriously.】
【But what if someone insists on confessing and wants to break up the marriage?】
【Even if the premise of the commenter above holds true, President Zhou will handle it properly. I’m sure he won’t let his wife suffer even a single grievance.】
Zhou Shaoli faced the camera and continued, “If a member of the opposite sex ever developed feelings for my wife and confessed to her, I would be proud of her. She is exceptional and deserves to be loved by many.”
Pausing briefly, his tone turned chilly. “However, as her husband, I would ensure that person never appears before my wife ever again.”
This domineering tone practically made the audience swoon to death.
【Hahahahaha, now THIS is a true dominant CEO statement!】
【Another day of getting my mind blown by the Yueli CP! President Zhou truly loves his wife so much!】
【Production team, stop asking these questions that drive wedges between couples! It’s interfering with our ship!】
【So sweet, so sweet! President Zhou really adores her!】
It was already past ten in the evening. After asking the three questions, the production team announced that tonight’s live broadcast recording was officially over. The guests could head off to rest, as they still had other content to film the following day.
After breaking wrap, perhaps because tonight’s questions were too sharp, Shen Xiaoshan and Meng Zi’ang felt deeply uncomfortable and immediately retreated to their room first. Qin Jiaojiao and Zhou Shaoli stayed behind to help Teacher Jin Mingzhu and her husband clean up the dining table.
Once everything was wiped down and tidy, the two couples returned to their respective rooms.
Back in their room, Qin Jiaojiao couldn’t stand the smell of hot pot clinging to her body. She grabbed her pajamas, headed straight into the bathroom, and took a quick shower. Coming out of the bathroom with her hair still damp, she saw Zhou Shaoli sitting on the sofa, tapping away at his laptop keyboard, and strolled over to sit beside him.
“Busy with work?”
Zhou Shaoli glanced at her and said, “Your hair isn’t dry yet. Be careful not to catch a cold.”
Qin Jiaojiao leaned against him. “I have too much hair. I don’t feel like blowing it dry.”
Zhou Shaoli: “I’ll help you.”
He fetched the hairdryer from the bathroom. Acting as if she were completely spineless, Qin Jiaojiao pulled him down to sit and laid her head straight on his lap.
Zhou Shaoli looked down at her, switched on the hairdryer to a gentle setting, and meticulously dried her jet-black hair.
Qin Jiaojiao stared at him without blinking, thinking to herself that this man was really absurdly handsome. Looking at Zhou Shaoli from this reclining angle, his jawline was exquisite and smooth—just like an aristocratic young master from a manga, perfectly handsome from every 360-degree angle.
The bedroom was quiet, save for the low hum of the hairdryer, making Qin Jiaojiao feel a bit drowsy.
After finishing with her hair, Zhou Shaoli scooped her up and placed her onto the bed. Qin Jiaojiao hooked her arms around his neck, pulled him down, and lightly nipped at his chin.
“Zhou Shaoli.”
“Mm.” Resting his arms on the mattress, he lowered his head and gazed down at her.
Qin Jiaojiao looked up at him with watery, glistening eyes. “You’re so good to me.”
Unable to resist her alluring pull, Zhou Shaoli lowered his head and kissed her lips, parting her teeth to entwine her soft, tender tongue. Tilting his head slightly, he drove deep into her mouth, delivering an extraordinarily deep kiss.
Qin Jiaojiao’s heart raced uncontrollably. Her hands hooked around his long neck slowly rubbed against the burning skin at the back of his neck.
Zhou Shaoli’s breathing grew ragged, heavy, and hot as he drank in the sweetness of her lips and tongue even more intensely.
Where the tips of their wet tongues touched and their lips intertwined, a numbing, electric sensation surged through her.
Qin Jiaojiao’s chest burned, her limbs went limp, and her hands dropped onto his chest, pressing lightly against his firm, powerful torso in a subtle attempt to push him back.
No, if this continued, the heat in her body would spiral out of control. There were surveillance cameras inside the bedroom; she couldn’t stage an 18+ restricted performance for the production crew to watch.
Sensing her resistance, Zhou Shaoli raised his head and released her glistening red lips, his eyes reflecting an intense, undeniable desire.
Qin Jiaojiao’s cheeks flushed with a delicate rose tint, her glistening eyes carrying a hint of shyness. “We still have to film the show tomorrow. Let’s go to sleep early.”
“Mm.” Zhou Shaoli’s voice was slightly raspy. Suppressing the fiery urge in his body, he got up, grabbed his clothes, and went to the bathroom to take a cold shower.
Qin Jiaojiao rubbed her burning cheeks and picked up her phone to scroll through social media. Opening Weibo’s trending topics, she saw that tonight’s live broadcast of Romantic Lovers Season 2 had made it onto the hot searches, with two topics in the top ten directly related to her:
#MaxingOutHisCard#
#TurningAshesIntoARing#
Clicking into these two topics, netizens were engaged in heated discussions:
【Maxing out her husband’s card is totally fine by me!】
【Hahahahaha, this wealthy CEO trope is way too fun!】
【Turning your lover’s corpse into ashes… Qin Jiaojiao is so twisted, that honestly sounds terrifying.】
【A healthy romance is important, sure, but a dysfunctional romance is definitely the best to ship!】
【Those online rumors saying Qin Jiaojiao and Zhou Shaoli had a bad relationship just got slapped in the face, didn’t they? This couple is 100% true love.】
【The more I ship this pair, the more addicted I get. The only problem is the production team gives them way too little screentime!】
Only half the show had been filmed, yet the response online to her and Zhou Shaoli as a couple CP was overwhelmingly positive, veering completely off course from the original plot line.
Among the hot searches bought for the official Romantic Lovers Season 2 livestream, many show fans were criticizing Shen Xiaoshan’s behavior of snatching the C-position tonight. They felt Shen Xiaoshan was extremely rude; the seniors had worked hard all day, yet this young couple just sat there without helping out, even snatching the center spot. It was truly aggravating.
Shen Xiaoshan’s fans argued fiercely back, claiming that Shen Xiaoshan and Meng Zi’ang were originally the main C-position guests of this season, so they naturally belonged in the middle.
The brainless comments from Shan-Meng CP fans enraged the variety show fans. What do you mean by “C-position guests”? Whichever couple the audience and fans love to watch is the true popularity C-position! The production team needs to be fair!
The variety show fans and Shen Xiaoshan’s CP fans engaged in a total flame war online.
After reading through the gossip for a bit, Qin Jiaojiao chose a photo of a desert sunset with camels walking along the crest of a dune, attaching a night-night caption for her fans.
Within seconds of posting, the comment section exploded with over a thousand replies, the fans showing immense enthusiasm:
【Goodnight, JieJie!】
【JieJie, serve us more sugar with Brother-in-Law on the show! We love to see it!】
【The desert is so pretty! The Yueli CP must have a super fun time!】
【Will there be a livestream tomorrow?】
【It’s time for Little Moon to sleep! Daughter, cover yourself properly with the blanket!】
Qin Jiaojiao picked a few comments to reply with a “goodnight,” a smile gracing her lips as she turned off her phone.
When she first started recording the show, her goal was to be a salted fish—not fighting, not snatching, and avoiding becoming the female lead’s comparison group. Now, she didn’t need to worry about that at all.
She might have been written as a vicious female supporting character in someone else’s story, but she was the female lead of her own life, and she was going to live her days to the fullest.
Zhou Shaoli took a rather long shower today. When he came out of the bathroom, carrying the faint, clean scent of shower gel, he lifted the blanket, climbed into bed from the other side, and pulled her into his arms.
Exhausted after a long day of travel and evening filming, they chatted for a few moments before turning off the light and drifting off to sleep.
The next morning.
The morning sun rose in the east, casting scorching rays across the desert and illuminating the vast land. The light spilled into the room through the cracks in the inn’s window, accompanied by the crisp sound of wind chimes.
Qin Jiaojiao woke up in Zhou Shaoli’s arms, nuzzling deeper into his warm embrace.
Zhou Shaoli picked up his phone to check the time, then leaned down to kiss Qin Jiaojiao’s cheek, saying, “Jiaojiao, time to get up.”
“Mmgh…” A soft hum escaped Qin Jiaojiao’s nose.
Helpless, Zhou Shaoli had no choice but to get up first to wash and change in the bathroom. Coming back out, he scooped Qin Jiaojiao out of her blanket and carried her to the bathroom so she could freshen up.
Forced to reboot, Qin Jiaojiao brushed her teeth with her eyes half-closed, went through her skincare routine, applied her makeup, and only then went downstairs.
Jin Mingzhu had a habit of waking up early to practice her vocal warmups, her voice flowing as melodiously as a lark’s, while Chen Feihong practiced Tai Chi beside her—a harmonious and lovely picture.
Zhou Shaoli had gone downstairs while Qin Jiaojiao was putting on her makeup. He was currently in the kitchen making breakfast. Qin Jiaojiao jogged over and hugged his waist from behind.
“Smells so good! What are you making for breakfast?”
Zhou Shaoli glanced back at her and said, “Vegetable and lean pork porridge.”
Qin Jiaojiao’s stomach grumbled loudly, causing a faint blush to creep onto her face. “I’m hungry.”
Zhou Shaoli turned around and took her into his arms. “Do you want to eat some fruit first? The porridge will take a little longer.”
Having finished their morning exercises, Jin Mingzhu and Chen Feihong saw the young couple cuddling in the kitchen. Exchanging glances, they both let out warm smiles. When they were first married, they had been just like Qin Jiaojiao and Zhou Shaoli, wanting to stick together twenty-four hours a day.
Noticing Jin Mingzhu and her husband walking over, Qin Jiaojiao quickly slipped out of Zhou Shaoli’s embrace and stood up straight.
“Teacher Jin, have you two had breakfast yet?” she asked.
Jin Mingzhu replied, “We’ve eaten. The filming starts soon, so we’re going back upstairs to change clothes first.”
“See you in a bit then,” Qin Jiaojiao said with a smile.
At around nine in the morning, the production team dispatched cars to take the guests into the desert. Today, the guests were scheduled to participate in various game challenges in the desert, completing tasks to earn extra rewards from the production crew.
Before setting off for the shoot, Qin Jiaojiao put on a long-sleeved sun-protective jacket, wrapped a red gauze scarf around her head, and wore a pair of sunglasses, looking every bit like an exotic desert princess.
Once the three guest couples gathered, the director held a megaphone and announced, “Today, we will test the marital bonds between our guests in the desert. The couple that wins first place will receive extra screentime and dedicated commercial ad slots from the production team…”
Shen Xiaoshan’s expression flashed with excitement.
Regardless of whether there were extra rewards, she was determined to become the most popular guest couple of this episode to gain more traffic and fan attention.
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