Zhong Ruanxing nodded her head. With this, things would be much easier to handle. Ran Ting had already discussed it with the production team, and they sent the contract over after replying. Zhong Ruanxing signed her name, officially acquiring this resource.
The filming start time was set for the eighth day of the Lunar New Year, very humanely letting everyone relax and enjoy the New Year before getting to work.
Including Zhong Ruanxing, this survival dating show called "Love's Instinct" now had four celebrity guest stars lined up. According to what Ran Ting had found out, all would be finalized before the end of the year.
Aside from the two civilian contestants, there were only two spots left for celebrity guests, so competition to get this opportunity would be fierce.
Although filming wouldn't start for over a month, "Love's Instinct" had already begun generating hype online. As Ran Ting expected, as soon as word of this show's concept came out, netizens were calling it interesting. Whether it was island survival, dating shows, or the hidden real-life couple - everything gave this program ample talking points.
Mango TV opened pre-orders for "Love's Instinct", and within one day, pre-orders reached 500,000 and were still climbing.
However, the guest list wasn't announced yet. Only silhouettes of the four confirmed celebrity guests were released, leaving everyone guessing who was who. For a while, "Love's Instinct" dominated the trending charts before even airing, surpassing other variety shows.
Zhong Ruanxing didn't pay much attention to all this. "Ballad of the Drifters" was entering its final filming stages, and she knew she had to treat each scene seriously, whether retaking shots or filming supplemental footage. This was the first female lead role of her career, so naturally she hoped for perfection from start to finish.
Due to her extremely high standards, the initial wrap date was pushed back a week. Song Shuling was a little disappointed to hear this: "I thought you'd make it back to attend the Song family banquet. I even prepared a gown for you."
Zhong Ruanxing never intended to attend that upper crust elite social event for the Song family, as she belonged to neither high society nor the elite class. No matter how she attended, it would be awkward. She had only agreed earlier to indulge Song Shuling's plea, so now she was secretly relieved to have a legitimate excuse.
"Be good, you go play and take lots of nice photos for me."
Song Shuling sighed. "Alright."
The Song family held a grand annual banquet every year. Song Grandpa, long retired behind the scenes, only made public appearances at the yearly banquet. All the powerful families in the capital considered it an honor to be invited.
Learning from Song Shuling that Zhong Ruanxing was delaying her return, Song JinXing silently struck his plan to bring her as his guest and introduce her to Grandpa and Grandma.
In past years, Song Shuling always attended the banquet with Song Jiawei. This year, her arrival on the arm of her brother finally made the long forgotten third young miss of the Song family a focus of public attention.
For a time, Song Shuling eclipsed even Song Jiawei in popularity, leaving Song Jiawei incredibly aggrieved. But Song Shuling evaded her too nimbly, never giving her a chance to make snide remarks. Song Jiawei was so angry she gnashed her teeth.
The Song Shuling of the past always tried blending in with the other rich ladies, as if gaining their acceptance was vital to her survival. Now, she happily flitted around the venue, eating cake and snaping photos to share with Zhong Ruanxing far away. Being independent also made her happy.
Independence was the foundation of confidence. Looking back now, when they pretended to be siblings, Zhong Ruanxing had constantly nurtured her independent personality.
She taught Song Shuling to love herself, and to love the world.
Thinking of this, Song Shuling was moved again. She finished the cake in her hands in two bites, then turned to point her phone camera at Song JinXing lingering nearby with Grandpa. She rapidly snapped over a dozen photos and sent them to Zhong Ruanxing.
- Sister, look at my brother, handsome right?
If only Sister could really join the family, that would be wonderful!
Who knew if his looks still attracted her, since they had swapped bodies. That was practically her own body, after all. Did people feel attraction toward their own bodies?
Oh well, first try the hot guy strategy.
So that night, over half of Song Shuling's banquet photos she shared with Zhong Ruanxing were solo shots of Song JinXing. Truly comprehensive 360 degree coverage, perfectly displaying his godly looks from every angle with no bad shots.
Meanwhile, after filming, when Zhong Ruanxing checked her phone she was shocked motionless by the hundreds of messages.
Until the images slowly loaded...
He's still...quite attractively handsome.
Zhong Ruanxing eagerly appreciated the hot guy. Framed against the banquet backdrop, wine and champagne everywhere, the photos presented the young master's elite temperament uniquely.
Zhong Ruanxing saved every original high res photo Song Shuling sent. After a while she came to her senses, feeling somewhat annoyed. Just as she was about to delete them, she couldn't bear to part with them either. Finally she made a private album to secretly store all the photos.
Perfect.
While Song Shuling was busily sneaking shots of her brother, there was another person whose attention was also fixed on Song JinXing.
The Bai family received an invitation to the Song banquet every year. Bai Yinyue knew she would see Song JinXing tonight. She had already mentally prepared herself that if they met, she would boldly greet him openly. She was frank and aboveboard, with nothing to avoid.
But the moment Bai Yinyue saw Song JinXing, the casual smile she had worn all night wavered.
Objectively the same person, yet in the span of a few months, his temperament had changed enormously. In a tailored suit, his reserve rendered his handsomeness lofty and distant.
When Song Grandpa brought him over to greet Father Bai, Bai Yinyue stood right beside Father Bai.
Song JinXing's eyes glanced over her in less than half a second, without the slightest pause. A person's temperament and looks may change, but his eyes would not. Those eyes used to be warm, and Bai Yinyue had lost herself countless times in their tenderness.
But when his eyes skimmed past her now, she only felt them cold and unfamiliar.
Bai Yinyue could hardly trust her own eyes.
Who the hell was this ice cube face?
Where was her warm, gentle, handsome guy? Where on earth had her wonderful handsome gentleman gone???
The entire night, Bai Yinyue was in no mood to socialize. Holding a wine glass, she stood in a corner and stared at Song JinXing, frowning.
No matter how she looked, he was completely inconsistent with the Song JinXing she knew before.
Heartbreak was already painful enough. More painful still, was finding the man she once adored had become someone she now detested.
The corner of Bai Yinyue's mouth twitched and she took a huge gulp of champagne.
Had she been blind, or was he just that good of an actor? Or had something unknown transpired?
Damn it all, whoever wanted to fall for this ice cube face was welcome to him. She was thoroughly cured of her feelings!
