Shen Wanwan casually added one more word.
“Oh, and sincerity.”
The two biggest stars right now—whether it was Qi Luozhou or Shao Yuye—never deliberately tried to create ‘highlight moments.’
It wasn’t because they didn’t need them.
It was because they considered it beneath them.
They simply presented their real personalities to the audience, and as a result, the fans they attracted were genuine people who truly liked them.
“I understand now, Sister.”
Zhang Song lowered his head. The cloyingly sweet tone he had been using suddenly became much more solemn.
He stopped speaking in that deliberately cutesy voice.
It was as though he had genuinely reflected on his mistakes and accepted her lesson.
Shen Wanwan quietly looked away.
Perched on her shoulder, 001 was still completely bewildered.
{What are you two talking about? I don’t understand a single thing!}
Wasn’t Zhang Song pretty adorable?
He had even helped its host slap the original heroine in the face.
Why was its host criticizing him like this?
“You didn’t notice? Ever since this show began, everything he’s done has been about creating highlight moments.”
Zhang Song’s objective was obvious.
Popularity.
He had only arrived for one day.
Yet in that single day, his name had climbed onto the trending searches over a dozen times in different ways. The persona he displayed on the variety show had rapidly won over fans, sending both his popularity and discussion levels soaring.
From the moment he appeared, every step had been carefully planned.
Hooking onto her arm.
Intentionally getting close to her to provoke her Brother.
Arguing with Bai Ling.
Every move had been calculated to make himself more likable.
Of course, confronting Bai Ling would earn him some dislike from casual viewers.
But that hardly mattered.
The number of people who liked him would far exceed the number who disliked him.
001 clicked its tongue in amazement.
{Good grief… How can a kid have so many schemes?}
If Wanwan hadn’t explained it step by step, it never would have noticed.
At most, it had only felt Zhang Song lacked a little sense of personal boundaries.
But that flaw seemed insignificant compared to everything else. After all, his interactions with Shao Yuye had been incredibly entertaining.
Shen Wanwan neither agreed nor disagreed.
Of course, the kid might genuinely have wanted to curry favor with her.
But he should never have chosen to make her Brother unhappy in order to achieve that goal.
Half an hour later, Shen Wanwan and Zhang Song’s livestream resumed.
Zhang Song was still as energetic as ever, though he seemed noticeably calmer than before.
Shen Wanwan, meanwhile, remained as indifferent as always.
However, everyone’s attention was quickly drawn to the stage they were heading toward.
[Is Shen Wanwan here for the lamp too? Her route looks pretty similar to God Zhou’s.]
[I don’t think so, but it should be nearby.]
[Wait… Shen Wanwan doesn’t want a bed, doesn’t want a lamp, she’s heading straight for the mystery stage?]
Jin Xiaoyu and Qi Luozhou had already been at this challenge for over forty minutes.
Although the ‘Lamp’ challenge was rated five stars in difficulty, its rules were simple.
Light up every lamp inside the gallery at the same time.
When Jin Xiaoyu first heard it, she confidently declared,
“Isn’t that easy?
“Just flip on every switch!”
But once they actually started, they realized how difficult it was.
The gallery’s lights were divided into four colors—red, yellow, blue, and green.
Each color served a different function.
Whenever they activated certain switches, lamps that had previously been lit would turn off again.
They also had to operate the control panels beside the switches, adjusting each lamp to the correct color combinations.
Jin Xiaoyu knew she couldn’t contribute much to this challenge.
Her only role was cheering him on.
The whole thing depended on God Zhou.
After walking around the abandoned gallery several times, Jin Xiaoyu was exhausted.
She had already been worn out all morning.
She hadn’t gotten any rest at noon.
The weather was freezing.
Every breath came out as a puff of white vapor, and even taking a single step felt physically draining.
Qi Luozhou noticed her fatigue.
When they passed a small resting area, he asked her to sit down while he continued searching for the remaining switches himself.
“God Zhou, that’s too embarrassing!”
Jin Xiaoyu said so… while firmly planting herself in the chair.
Good heavens.
She genuinely couldn’t walk another step.
Qi Luozhou smiled softly.
“It’s fine.
“I chose this challenge.
“So naturally, it’s my responsibility.”
He always made people feel comfortable around him.
Jin Xiaoyu instantly transformed into a fangirl, screaming internally.
—Zhou-shen isn’t cold at all!
—You can actually chat with him while teaming up.
—He’s so easy to get along with… and such a gentle gentleman!
Covering half her mouth with one hand, she whispered conspiratorially toward the camera, “Guys… does anyone understand? God Zhou is just way too nice!”
The livestream chat burst into laughter.
[Xiaoyu totally looks like she’s viewing him through a fan’s perspective.]
[I’m dying. Why are you whispering?]
Tilting her head, Jin Xiaoyu sighed regretfully.
“God Zhou is such a nice guy. I really don’t get why Brother Ye is always picking on him.”
[LOL, honestly, even as one of Brother Ye’s fans, I don’t really get it either. It doesn’t feel like they’re actually mortal enemies. They seem to respect each other quite a bit.]
[Exactly! Whenever Brother Ye runs into trouble, God Zhou helps him. And when God Zhou has problems, Brother Ye mocks him first, but still helps him anyway.]
[So here’s another way to look at it: tsundere Brother Ye never found an excuse to make peace, so they’ve kept up this ‘rivalry’ for years until it’s basically become their love language. 😂]
Qi Luozhou had reached the final section.
Once he finished adjusting the lights here… they would successfully clear the challenge and claim the reward.
With the experience he’d accumulated earlier, he completed the adjustments quickly.
His long, elegant fingers danced across the control panel.
Then—
From the entrance of the gallery came the crisp sound of footsteps.
*Tap*.
The unexpected sound struck directly at his heart.
He looked up.
The winter wind had reddened the tip of Shen Wanwan’s nose.
A smile rose naturally to his lips.
Shen Wanwan was holding a small red brocade pouch in her hand.
Seeing him, she paused in surprise before immediately becoming wary.
“Why are you here?”
“Doing the challenge.”
This entire row of lamps had yet to be lit, leaving the gallery dimly illuminated.
Qi Luozhou lowered his head again and continued operating the control panel.
Shen Wanwan walked toward him.
As she got closer, she realized that their missions were different. Without drawing attention to herself, she quietly let out a sigh of relief.
That tiny expression naturally didn’t escape the viewers watching the livestream.
[Hahaha! Brother Ye and Wanwan really inherited the same competitiveness!]
[LOL, I thought this was going to be another ‘WanZhou’ sweet moment, but instead… Wanwan: (secretly gathering intel.jpg)]
The moment she walked over to his side—
*Click*.
Every light in the gallery came on at once.
The paintings hanging throughout the gallery were illuminated, including those coated with special pigment that could only be seen under bright light.
Revealed before everyone’s eyes was… a painting of a man and a woman sharing a kiss.
Though the lines were simple, brisk, and even a little rough, it did nothing to diminish the love conveyed through the artwork.
At the same time, Qi Luozhou lowered his gaze to Shen Wanwan.
Her bright eyes sparkled beneath long, curled lashes that fluttered with every blink.
Suddenly, his gaze paused.
“There’s an eyelash in your eye.”
“Oh.”
No wonder she’d been feeling like there was something in her eye. Blinking a few times had made it feel better, but only temporarily.
Shen Wanwan rubbed at it with her hand.
Her eye immediately turned red around the rim, and the corner of it took on a rosy tint.
She hadn’t felt much discomfort before, but after rubbing it, the foreign-body sensation became much stronger.
She shot him a slightly displeased glance.
Qi Luozhou watched for a moment before helplessly shaking his head and motioning for her to stay still.
“Don’t move.”
Shen Wanwan obediently stopped moving.
Qi Luozhou bent down, his gaze fixed intently on her eye.
The gallery’s doors and windows were all wide open, and the wind made everyone’s skin feel chilled and taut.
But his fingertips were warm.
Resting gently against her face, they felt surprisingly comforting.
Shen Wanwan tilted her head up, quietly looking at him.
Because of the irritation in her right eye, a faint sheen of tears had formed.
The two of them stood very close.
All they could smell was the familiar scent of each other.
Qi Luozhou cupped her cheek with one hand to keep her still, then gently used his thumb to wipe away the tiny tear.
The livestream chat had already exploded.
[Oh my god! If they lean just a little closer, they’ll look exactly like the couple in the painting behind them!]
[AHHHH! I’m dying from this ship!]
[“Wanzhou,” just get married already!]
[I swear it’s not my fault for shipping them! Every time they’re together, some mysterious force compels me to!]
“Done.”
Qi Luozhou carefully plucked the eyelash from the corner of Shen Wanwan’s eye before letting go of her.
She took a step back and casually asked, “Did you clear your challenge?”
“Mm.”
“What was your reward?”
“A lamp.”
Shen Wanwan looked a little surprised.
“A lamp?”
That wasn’t a choice she’d expected.
“What about you?”
Without anyone noticing, Qi Luozhou shifted slightly toward the draft, shielding Shen Wanwan from most of the wind.
“A brocade pouch. It contains hidden information about this episode.”
Shen Wanwan lightly shook the little embroidered pouch in her hand, smiling with a hint of playful cunning.
“If you pay me, I’ll consider sharing the information with you.”
A tiny fiancé discount, she supposed.
The comments instantly filled with people insisting that would never happen.
[Zhou God would never pay!]
[I love the ‘WanZhou’ ship, but God Zhou would never spend money just for a little clue pouch!]
[More importantly, Zhou God has never cared much about winning or losing. Whether he knows the hidden information or not probably doesn’t matter to him at all.]
Yet the viewers had barely finished saying that before reality slapped them in the face.
The man who had always seemed completely indifferent to victory and defeat unexpectedly followed Shen Wanwan’s train of thought and asked, “How much?”
His voice was low—like a lover’s whisper,or an offhand tease.
The comment section instantly flooded with question marks.
[Is this really the God Zhou I know?!]
[AHHHH! God Zhou, you’ve changed!]
[Well… it’s normal to ask out of curiosity, isn’t it? Wanwan’s reward came from a mystery challenge. Anyone would want to know.]
[They were teammates before anyway. It just sounds like harmless teasing. Don’t overthink it, everyone!]
For some reason, every time Shen Wanwan heard him speak in that tone now, she couldn’t help but remember that night. When he’d mischievously tricked her into kissing him first.
He had spoken to her in exactly the same voice then.
—What a vixen.
Her expression suddenly shifted into a smile, “I’m not telling you~”
Even Qi Luozhou hadn’t expected that answer.
When he smiled, light seemed to shimmer in his eyes.
The livestream comments burst into laughter again.
[HAHAHA! Brother Ye, did you see that? All the times God Zhou got the better of you over the years—your little sister just got revenge for you!]
[‘WanZhou’, team up again, please! I want to see it!]
[God Zhou, hurry up and get a Team Swap Card already!!]
As the comments screamed excitedly, Qi Luozhou’s solo camera feed ended, and the director switched to Jin Xiaoyu’s camera.
Jin Xiaoyu sat alone on a bench, staring longingly in the direction Qi Luozhou had disappeared.
“The lights have been on for ages…
“Why isn’t God Zhou back yet?”