At 9 o'clock in the morning, the camera turned on as scheduled. Amidst flying goose down, Bai Yin and Chen Huaixiao were immersed in a fierce “pillow” fight.
Bai Yin was practically sitting on top of Chen Huaixiao, ruthlessly pressing a pillow down over his head.
“Bai Yin, are you trying to murder your own husband?”
“Yeah, once you're gone, Brilliant Entertainment will be all mine.”
Chen Huaixiao looked quite angry, but didn’t resist her at all. “I’ll give it to you. It’ll go bankrupt within half a month.”
“You underestimate me too much, brother. Even Susi Entertainment didn't go bankrupt under my management. It's almost ready for an IPO.”
Bai Yin sat on Chen Huaixiao, vigorously kneading his face.
Chen Huaixiao grabbed her hands and pinned them behind her back. "Behave yourself."
The two of them fought fiercely, completely oblivious that the camera had started recording.
That early morning, they had already fed the audience quite a bit of “dog food” -
"Do the president couple not realize the camera is on?"
"Is there any staff that can remind them?!"
"Don't remind them, let it roll! I want to see them fight!"
"Will they end up doing more than just fighting?"
...
Sure enough, a director was worried they didn’t know the cameras had started filming automatically, and might end up doing something embarrassing. He quickly knocked on the door to remind them.
Bai Yin had a strong idol persona to maintain. Knowing their earlier tussle had been recorded, she promptly sat back at the vanity table to groom and put on makeup.
Chen Huaixiao sat down in front of her and slowly remarked, "It's too late to mend the fold after the sheep is lost."
Bai Yin kicked him under the table. "This is all your fault, you ruined my image!"
The audience online was dying of laughter -
"Bai Yin is too real!"
"This couple is just too cute, even their fights are adorable."
"The president couple is super down-to-earth."
...
Chen Huaixiao had an important company meeting that day which required his presence. He paused filming and drove to Brilliant Entertainment.
A TV crew followed him with cameras and reporters, arriving at Brilliant Entertainment. They wanted to interview Chen Huaixiao's employees about his marriage and relationship with Bai Yin.
Since Chen Huaixiao had agreed to be on this reality show, everything was of course intended to boost Bai Yin's popularity. He consented to filming at the company, provided it didn't disrupt normal operations.
Under Chen Huaixiao’s supervision, the employees gave very modest answers to the reporters' questions -
"The president and his wife are very respectful to each other and have a sweet, happy marriage."
"Yes, yes, the president is very caring and his wife is a great helpmate."
"They really are a fairy tale couple, so enviable."
However, as soon as Chen Huaixiao left, the employees immediately switched gears and scrambled in front of the cameras -
"You guys can blur faces, right? Come on, blur me out, I've got juicy gossip to spill!"
So the camera crew slapped a barely-there "Blur" over Shen Bin's face.
Shen Bin: "Let me tell you the tea! Pfft, what respect, as if! Our president is totally henpecked!"
Shen Bin: "No no, to be accurate, he should be called a cuckold. He acts all fierce and bossy, but as soon as the missus pouts unhappily, he flips right away!"
Shen Bin: "Principles? No way, his only principle is 'Happy Wife, Happy Life'."
Shen Bin: "A workaholic? No, no, no! Trust me, President Chen is absolutely lovesick, a total romantic!"
Shen Bin: "Oh and make sure you guys blur me, okay? I want to be really blurred out!"
The online audience was rolling on the floor laughing -
"Blurred, we blurred him!"
"Hahaha, don't worry, this blur is thicc."
"I think you're screwed, bro."
"For such an aloof president, Chen Huaixiao sure manages a bunch of comedians. LOL"
"I could tell from episode 1 that President Chen was so whipped."
"This couple monopolizes the sweetness and humor this season."
...
With Chen Huaixiao away from the mountain villa, Bai Yin finally had some quiet time without cameras constantly following her. She went to the commercial district near the scenic area and bought some groceries to make rice balls with salted pork for Chen Huaixiao as a late night snack.
Yun Moli lost face in front of Bai Yin yesterday and was now scheming to get back at her.
While Bai Yin was cooking, Yun Moli deliberately pulled Lu Shen in front of her to show off their affection.
"Shen darling, I want to eat seaweed."
Lu Shen said helplessly, "But this seaweed belongs to Bai Yin."
Yun Moli clung to his wrist coquettishly. "No fair, I just want to eat it."
Lu Shen had no choice but to ask Bai Yin, "May I please buy a pack of seaweed from you?"
Bai Yin shrugged indifferently. "Sure."
"How much? I'll transfer you the money."
"Five thousand yuan."
Lu Shen froze in astonishment, and put his phone down.
When Yun Moli heard her outrageous price, she immediately pushed Lu Shen aside and confronted Bai Yin, barely keeping her temper in check with a strained smile. "Come on, Bai Yin. It's just a pack of seaweed, and you're charging us five thousand?"
Bai Yin casually held up the seaweed pack. "Of course a single pack isn't worth much money, but it represents your husband's deep love for you! Five thousand is cheap. Even fifty thousand would be reasonable."
Yun Moli turned purple with anger and glared resentfully at Bai Yin through gritted teeth. "Lu Shen, pay up."
Lu Shen seemed hesitant. "Moli, this is..."
"It's only five thousand, what's that to us? Pay!"
Bai Yin smiled and held out her QR code. Lu Shen had no choice but to take out his phone and pay the exorbitant price for the seaweed.
Yun Moli took the seaweed to the coffee table by the floor-to-ceiling window, grumbling angrily, "She's so petty, making a big deal over such a small amount. No class."
Lu Shen opened the pack. "I wouldn't call her low class. She owns her own company and is Chen Huaixiao's wife. Her family is much wealthier than the Yuns..."
Before he could finish, Yun Moli shot him a fierce glare. "Don't bite the hand that feeds you!"
Lu Shen promptly shut his mouth and obediently pulled out a sheet of seaweed, placing it at Yun Moli's lips.
Yun Moli finally calmed down somewhat and took the seaweed from his fingertips, deliberately showing off for the camera.
But the moment the seaweed entered her mouth, Yun Moli immediately spat it out in disgust. "What is this seaweed, it's completely tasteless and disgusting!"
Lu Shen: "Doesn't taste good?"
"Try it yourself!"
He tasted a sheet himself, and it did have a strange flavor.
Yun Moli couldn't swallow this insult. She had the cameraman turn off filming and went to the open kitchen bar, slamming the seaweed pack down in front of Bai Yin. "Bai Yin, what inferior product did you sell me? It tastes awful."
Bai Yin kept kneading rice balls with one hand while chopping vegetables with the other. "It's not an inferior product, but this seaweed is specifically for sushi rice balls. It has no flavor by itself."
"Why didn't you say so earlier!"
Bai Yin gave a cold laugh. "You were the one making a fuss about buying my stuff. I don't recall having any obligation to warn you!"
Yun Moli was speechless with anger. Lu Shen saw how furious she was and knew her spoiled temper might cause more trouble. He dragged her back to their room and spent a long time soothing and coaxing her before she finally calmed down a little.
Half an hour later, Lu Shen returned to the open kitchen looking very remorseful. He said to the busy Bai Yin, "Bai Yin, I apologize on behalf of my wife for her rude words just now."
Bai Yin washed her hands and continued prepping ingredients while responding, "No big deal. You already 'compensated' me anyway."
She was perfectly satisfied, having sold a pack of seaweed for five thousand yuan. All her anger was appeased.
Lu Shen heaved a long sigh. "Yun Moli was pampered since childhood and never learned manners or humility. She insists on getting whatever she wants. When we first met at the music festival, she took a liking to me and resorted to all kinds of schemes until I married into her family. Otherwise she threatened to block all my prospects in the industry. That's just the kind of person she is..."
Bai Yin glanced up and saw the pent-up resentment and indignation in Lu Shen's eyes.
It seemed that Lu Shen had not only come to apologize. After Bai Yin overheard their quarrel last night, he also wanted to use her as an outlet, to vent all those words that he could not say to anyone on ordinary days.
Although Bai Yin was not that kind-hearted, she still tolerated Lu Shen's confiding.
Because she knew well that in the entertainment industry...behind all that glitz and glamor, there were countless dirty secrets unknown to the public.
Without any background, it was difficult for anyone to keep their hands clean in this muddy water.
If not for Chen Huaixiao's protection along the way, she probably would not have come this far either.
Suddenly, her fingertip was pricked, and the fruit knife accidentally cut her finger, drawing blood.
Seeing this, Lu Shen hurriedly took a band-aid from the cabinet and put it on for Bai Yin, "I'm really sorry, letting you listen to me ramble distracted you."
"It's fine." Bai Yin took the band-aid and put it on herself, "You telling me all this, I can't really help you with anything."
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I was just too depressed and couldn't help wanting to find someone to confide in."
"No need to apologize." Bai Yin looked at him and said lightly, "Every man has his road to walk. If you really can't take it, you don't have to walk yours to the bitter end."
"Alright, I understand. Thank you for the advice."
Bai Yin put the finished rice balls into the fridge, then went back to her room to rest. But she did not see Yun Moli hiding around the corner on the second floor, looking at her resentfully with hands tightly clutching her clothes.
...
Late at night, Chen Huaixiao came back from work. Bai Yin reheated the rice balls and brought them to the table.
The two of them sat by the floor-to-ceiling windows, lighting romantic candles. This was a rare intimate time together since the start of the variety show filming.
"Why so quiet?" Chen Huaixiao noticed her silence, "Weren't you quite chatty before?"
"Don't know what to say."
"I see."
He also stopped talking, silently eating the rice balls. After a while, he asked again, "Did you stuff hot chili sauce in these?"
"And some pepper too. Tastes good right?"
"..."
Chen Huaixiao's cheeks flushed red, clearly from the spiciness.
Even so, he finished the entire rice ball.
The flickering candlelight illuminated his handsome features. When silent, his aloof temperament was even more prominent.
Curiously, Bai Yin asked him, "Brother, do you think we'll become one of those couples who are very intimate on camera but sleep with their backs facing each other at home in the future?"
Without thinking, Chen Huaixiao replied, "No."
"Why not?"
"Because you never act intimate with me on camera."
"..."
Bai Yin reached out and patted his head, "I wasn't joking with you."
Chen Huaixiao keenly noticed the band-aid on her left index finger and grabbed her hand, "What happened?"
"Oh, I cut my hand accidentally while cutting vegetables."
Chen Huaixiao's brows furrowed visibly, looking pained. He turned her hand over and examined it carefully, then kissed the finger gently, "Don't do it if you don't know how."
Bai Yin retracted her hand, complaining, "Giving me an oily kiss."
Chen Huaixiao's lips quirked up as he solemnly answered her previous question, "I won't end up sleeping with my back to you, because my dreams...will always be of the time I first met you at 18."
