I have a persona specifically for acting.

Chang Xiaonian mumbled, “… Oh.”

He Shun sighed in relief, “Do you understand now?”

Chang Xiaonian didn’t really understand.

If it were one of her close friends, even if the confession was rejected by a man and she knew everyone had the right to refuse, she would still help her friend by cursing out the guy to let off steam, and only after she calmed down would she offer advice.

But He Shun…

He’s someone she has no real connection with!

Moreover, didn’t He Shun seem quite confident last time? He told her to be clear-headed, saying that if a girl wants to find a partner, she needs to learn to actively do housework, otherwise, no one would want her, and then he eagerly went to be a tool for Tong Zhao. And now he got rejected? Serves him right for being so narrow-minded!

Chang Xiaonian had no intention of defending him.

Zhong Muxi didn’t catch on as quickly; she seemed a bit slow and continued to be puzzled, “Why is getting rejected a sign of being a sea king? Maybe she just doesn’t like you?”

“She was leading me on and misleading me!”

Zhong Muxi asked, “What specific actions misled you?”

Chang Xiaonian suddenly remembered that this friend of hers was a science prodigy and also a bit rigid.

He Shun argued indignantly, “Whatever I did, she praised me and would blush when talking to me.”

Chang Xiaonian: [Blushing, what a sophisticated fishing tactic!]

“Teacher He,” Zhong Muxi asked with even more confusion, “I remember you were tutoring her. Isn’t it normal for a student to praise the teacher? As for blushing, that’s just blushing. Is there any more convincing evidence? With the way you spoke just now, I thought she at least mentioned liking you or something similar.”

[Don’t ask anymore, He Shun is getting anxious.]

[Is this the power of a straight woman?]

[I’m already starting to feel embarrassed for He Shun. I hope his business partners don’t see this episode.]

Zhong Muxi sighed, “If there’s no verbal evidence, do you have any actual progress in your relationship? Have you hugged, held hands, or kissed?”

“No, but…”

He Shun opened his mouth to argue.

However, under the barrage of questioning, he not only stuttered but also suddenly realized deep down—

Yes, Tong Zhao had never made any promises to him.

Why had he always been so sure that she was interested in him? Moreover, with his experience, he knew that attraction between men and women before establishing a relationship is unreliable; you might be into each other one day and indifferent the next.

[The empress knows how to see through people’s intentions.]

[Her previous analysis of He Shun was spot on.]

Noticing the shift in the comments, the special effects team timely inserted a previous psychological analysis by Tong Zhao regarding He Shun:

[He Shun is a man overflowing with confidence who looks down on women, believing that women are naturally inferior to him in terms of physiology, psychology, and intelligence. It’s easy to handle someone with this mindset. People who treat others as fools in interpersonal relationships are the most likely to end up with a big fall.]

[He’s arrogant, so he magnified the feelings I showed.]

[He looks down on women, so he thinks I can’t escape his grasp.]

[It would be best if he develops a complex about women and stops putting on a show in front of them.]

The last comment had the audience in stitches.

At this moment, Han Zhi hurriedly walked into the living room and asked, “Where’s the first aid kit?”

Chang Xiaonian stood up, “I’ll get it for you. What happened?”

He Shun’s irritation flared up.

Just now, when he was talking to Chang Xiaonian, she was cold and indifferent.

He Shun thought Chang Xiaonian was just pretending to be aloof, as she acted the same way with all men. But then she was so attentive to Han Zhi…

Recalling how Tong Zhao had shown off behind Han Zhi, He Shun was consumed with jealousy: “Now you’re just her lapdog? I’m telling you, that woman isn’t so simple. Don’t let yourself be used without even realizing it.”

[Although you’re confident when pointing fingers at girls, your powerless rage looks really pathetic.]

[I love the literary genius of the comments.]

[Handsome men and beautiful women are a match made in heaven, and it’s ridiculous for you to oppose it!]

After finding the first aid kit, Han Zhi finally looked at He Shun, his eyes cold and frosty:

“Just because she rejected your confession, you want to resort to violence? If helping her find medicine is exploitation, then I’m willing to do it.”

Wei Zekai, who had just finished playing a game and came out to watch, heard this and asked, “Who got hurt?”

“I saw He Shun confessing to Tong Zhao in the hallway. After she rejected him, he wouldn’t let her leave, and her wrist ended up with a large bruise.”

Han Zhi spoke clearly and logically. He generally got along well with everyone, and even Zhong Muxi, who was most resistant to men, thought he was a good man. When he spoke, the scales of reason naturally tipped in his favor.

“I didn’t lay a hand on her!”

He Shun denied it.

As soon as he finished speaking, a pale-faced Tong Zhao walked out from the hallway leading to the game room.

It was unclear how she managed to make her face look so pale.

Earlier, when she had been mocking He Shun, her complexion was rosy and healthy, as if she had had a little to drink.

Han Zhi ignored his explanation. After Tong Zhao sat down on the sofa farthest from He Shun, he took out some ointment and applied it to her. Everyone could clearly see that there was a red mark on Tong Zhao’s wrist, evidently caused by someone grabbing her too hard.

He Shun’s face instantly turned dark.

He had indeed held her hand for a while…

But was it really that hard?

He wasn’t sure.

Tong Zhao, who looked delicate and used to pretending to be pitiful, now sat quietly on the sofa with her long lashes casting shadows over her bright eyes. She lowered her head, exposing a slender, pale neck that, like her arms and legs, seemed fragile and easy to break. Honestly, when she was quiet, she fit the straight male fantasy of pure and weak, easily controllable.

She was so beautiful and delicate, like a porcelain doll, that it evoked a flood of sympathy from the audience who were fans of attractive people.

Even Chang Xiaonian, who generally had a neutral opinion of Tong Zhao, couldn’t hold back: “Acting out after a failed confession, you’re the one revealing your true colors!”

He Shun’s lack of communication skills was glaringly exposed.

The director displayed the approval panel; He Shun’s approval rating had dropped to only 10.

It was roughly at the level of “if something bad happened to him, people might still send flowers in sympathy, but they don’t want to interact with him any further and find him annoying.”

He Shun’s disdain for others didn’t mean he wanted to be a public figure.

Feeling the strange looks from everyone, he anxiously explained, “I was just so angry at the time, and I didn’t hit her. I was just afraid she would run away and not listen to me properly. It wasn’t that serious! Right, it must be fake, like with blush or lipstick…”

[Next, He Shun will perform a segment of “The More You Explain, The Worse It Gets.”]

[Will he really find a girlfriend after this show airs? Just asking.]

[Maybe. I’ve heard he’s quite wealthy and not bad-looking among rich people.]

Han Zhi glanced at him, poured more ointment, and applied it to the wound.

There was no sign of the bruise spreading.

Chang Xiaonian: [His understanding of women is shockingly shallow and stereotypical.]

Zhong Muxi: [I need to stay away from him in the future.]

“Did you hurt your hand? Is it serious?” Wei Zekai ran down the stairs from the second floor, squatted beside Tong Zhao, and examined her injury with concern. This action surprised the audience, especially the two playboys and added weight to the notion that “Tong Zhao genuinely likes him,” which annoyed Han Zhi a bit.

[Wei Zekai is awakening? The Wei-Zhao faction is ecstatic!]

[Not bad, the younger brother is making progress.]

However, the AI’s analysis quickly shattered the audience’s illusions:

Wei Zekai: [Injured your hand? Will it affect your performance? Damn, He’s caused a lot of harm.]

[………]

[……………]

The comments were filled with ellipses.

Wei Zekai, a man who silenced the comments!

Seeing his malicious assumptions crumble on their own, He Shun became increasingly flustered in his defense: “Why are you all looking at me like that? I didn’t do it on purpose. How was I supposed to know she was so fragile? I swear I really didn’t mean to hurt her. If I had intended to, it wouldn’t just be a bruise on her wrist. Can I just apologize? I’m sorry!”

As he spoke, He Shun became more agitated.

He genuinely believed he was in the right.

The mistake was misjudging Tong Zhao; he didn’t expect her to be such a malicious woman.

He merely held someone’s hand while talking for a moment, and now it’s his fault that her wrist is bruised? He feels incredibly unlucky.

He was innocent but fell victim to a bad woman. It’s truly unfortunate.

People who are arrogant can’t hide their emotions, and his insincere apology only further diminished any goodwill.

Tong Zhao’s injury was not serious; if He Shun had apologized with a good attitude, people would have calmed down and understood it objectively. But instead, he made things worse by exposing his problematic mindset while trying to explain.

He genuinely believed that injuring a wrist didn’t count as hitting someone.

Tong Zhao should be thankful that he didn’t actually intend to hit her.

Chang Xiaonian was fuming.

But she felt that her relationship with Tong Zhao wasn’t close enough to defend her.

Wei Zekai, however, couldn’t listen any longer.

“Are you done yet? Why should Tong Zhao listen to you? If she doesn’t want to hear what you have to say, maybe you should reflect on whether you’re just talking nonsense. Ok, if you want an answer, she rejected you! It’s straightforward and clear. Or do you not understand human language? Do we need to send you a dream to explain it? Fine, if that’s what it takes, people from the underworld can handle such things.”

Wei Zekai was a young master known for his prowess in various online games.

Han Zhi didn’t have the face to scold him, but Wei Zekai did so without hesitation.

If it weren’t for the invisible force (the system tries to prevent guests from saying restricted lines) holding him back, He Shun’s family tree might have already started facing trouble.

After being berated by someone he viewed as just a pampered kid from a wealthy family, He Shun angrily retorted, “What’s it to you!”

“You injured her hand, so of course it concerns me!”

He Shun yelled, but Wei Zekai yelled even louder.

Han Zhi glanced at Tong Zhao.

Tong Zhao already suspected about 50% of the reason behind Wei Zekai’s fury, but to keep up the act, she still showed Han Zhi a somewhat smug smile, resembling a pampered little princess.

Wei Zekai’s mind was as quick as his speech: [Damn it, Tong Zhao’s hand shouldn’t be hurt. That’s the hand used to coordinate with me to take down the opponents!]

“What did I say wrong? Are you angry because your confession failed? Didn’t you injure her hand?”

He Shun thought about it and realized that the young master was probably right.

“I’m not angry because of embarrassment; I’ve seen through her true nature. I didn’t expect all of you to be deceived by her,” He Shun said with deep disappointment, looking at the two girls. The two men had become nothing more than Tong Zhao’s lapdogs in his eyes. He added another gem of wisdom: “If you want to maintain your dignity, you shouldn’t be on her side. Good girls should draw a clear line from that kind of person!”

This was clearly stirring up trouble.

But it was also He Shun’s honest opinion.

He wasn’t a woman-hater; in fact, he liked and needed women very much.

But what he liked were good women.

Tong Zhao had previously been seen by He Shun as the ideal obedient girl, while Chang Xiaonian and Zhong Muxi were too lacking in femininity and didn’t satisfy a man’s sense of self-esteem. However, it now seemed that Tong Zhao was the most unforgivable bad woman!

He hoped the two girls would wake up and realize that they shouldn’t blindly support their own gender.

Just like those women who say, “Although I’m a woman too, I think blabla…”—that’s the kind of clear-headed and sensible girl in his eyes.

Such a classic idea that can provoke gender conflicts was fully displayed to the audience.

Reality shows are just this authentic.

The more controversial the topic, the fewer celebrities are willing to appear on the show.

The same goes for ordinary people.

Fortunately, there are many people in China, so with such a large pool, it’s always possible to find suitable guests.

He Shun thought his subconscious must be as mature and wise as he is, full of male charm.

He didn’t think he would cause any public relations crisis—

After all, his views and thoughts are in line with mainstream society.

Zhong Muxi was a bit overwhelmed by being yelled at by a man and moved closer to her friend.

Chang Xiaonian glanced at him disdainfully: “Crazy.”

After saying that, she dragged her friend upstairs, clearly unwilling to get involved.

With Young Master Wei Zekai protecting her, there was no need for them to rush to defend Tong Zhao. However, He Shun’s irritating nature was fully displayed. They decided to avoid him in the future to prevent him from “accidentally” bruising someone’s hand because he wanted them to stop and listen to him.

After He Shun threw his tantrum and was ignored, he left in a huff.

Han Zhi finished applying the ointment, confirmed that Tong Zhao didn’t need anything else, and then left.

Wei Zekai felt sorry for his teammate and sat down next to her to comfort her: “Does your hand still hurt?”

Tong Zhao lowered her eyes and spoke softly: “A little.”

“I see,” Wei Zekai said with great concern, “Does that mean you can’t play games?”

Tong Zhao: “…”

She had guessed correctly.

So the guy’s anger earlier was because his duo queue partner was out of commission.

If Tong Zhao were a guy, she’d be fine now, but his heart would be aching.

Who wouldn’t have a tough time trying to win over Wei Zekai’s heart?

Tong Zhao: [Retreating in the face of difficulty doesn’t fit my aesthetics. Go for it, Tong Zhao!]

Tong Zhao pouted: “You only care about the game, and I’m not important at all?”

“How could that be?”

Wei Zekai couldn’t stand being misunderstood.

He suddenly placed his hands on her shoulders, looked intently into her eyes, and said:

“You’re an important teammate to me!”

Tong Zhao: [……]

Tong Zhao: [I can’t keep this up. Just let it be destroyed!]

Tong Zhao steadied herself and gathered her thoughts.

Wei Zekai, being a young guy, needed a gradual approach. She couldn’t be too hasty: “You can play games. It doesn’t affect anything. Do you want to play now? We can go to your room.”

“My room?” Wei Zekai was puzzled.

“I’m afraid of seeing him.”

Tong Zhao lowered her head, looking like an adorable, aggrieved little thing.

Wei Zekai understood and accepted the suggestion to go to his room, and he patted his chest, reassuring her: “Don’t worry, with me around, that old man wouldn’t dare lay a finger on you!”

Tong Zhao realized he wasn’t impressed by being admired, so she skipped the grateful look.

This fool, it’s already good enough that she didn’t give him a disdainful glance.

※

When they arrived at the estate, Wei Zekai, the super-rich second-generation who had criticized the shabby estate, had no qualms about choosing the best suite. Although Tong Zhao didn’t look around, she had quietly observed with her peripheral vision and indeed noticed some clues.

The dog hair left on the floor was clearly from that little dog.

“Your room seems bigger than mine. Is the bedroom the same?”

“Why don’t you go check?”

Each suite had its own small living room, bathroom, and bedroom.

With the owner’s permission, Tong Zhao glanced into the bedroom and indeed found noticeable golden-brown dog hair on the white bed sheets.

“I’ll go wash my face and clear my head,” Tong Zhao said.

Wei Zekai, sprawling out on the living room sofa, nodded to show he heard her.

The bathroom also had traces of dog hair.

Not having a dog was indeed a lie from Wei Zekai.

But there were no sounds of dogs in the room—

Unless specially trained, it’s rare for dogs not to bark when a stranger enters the room. At least for small dogs, their tolerance in this aspect… maybe it’s Tong Zhao’s prejudice, but having been barked at by Pomeranians and Chihuahuas before, she thought corgis couldn’t control themselves.

An immature idea gradually took shape in Tong Zhao’s mind.

As usual, she played games with Kai Wei, but her frequency of speaking was much higher than before.

“Where is their jungler?”

“He should be taking his own red buff.”

“What skills did the enemy use in the last team fight?”

“The ADC used Cleanse.”

……

Tong Zhao’s questions weren’t complicated, some were simple enough to answer without much thought.

With the continuous high frequency of questions, Wei Zekai gradually developed a reflexive response.

Finally, when the timing seemed right, Tong Zhao asked, “What about that little dog?”
“It’s playing the game with you.”
……

[Psychology Master, I bow to your wisdom!]

[Seriously? This works? Is Wei Zekai’s IQ all used up for playing games?]

[Impressed by the devotion, haha]

Tong Zhao subconsciously felt that this tactic was effective on him.

It definitely wouldn’t work on Han Zhi.

After hearing the answer, Tong Zhao fell silent.

Realizing what he had said, Wei Zekai’s hand shook, not only did he misfire his ultimate, but he also inadvertently punished the ADC’s cannon, receiving a frustrated question mark from the ADC: “Damn, I didn’t hear clearly just now. What dog? I don’t know… Hey, can you control the enemy mid-laner? They keep messing around in my jungle!”

Tong Zhao didn’t press the issue any further.

She had a premonition that, given Wei Zekai’s thought process, the real reason behind things might be much stranger than she imagined.

For this private gathering, Tong Zhao’s progress: She reached six stars in the game.

Meanwhile, Chang Xiaonian and Zhong Muxi were discussing the afternoon’s incident with a sigh.

“Even if Tong Zhao really is a sea king… I suspect she has a lot to do with it. After all, Xiao Xi, you’re not, and I’m not, so it must be her!” Chang Xiaonian analyzed confidently, “Anyway, it’s not our business. That guy He Shun’s behavior is just too ugly. He deserves to be played around with; hitting a woman is simply unforgivable!”

Zhong Muxi, hugging a pillow, softly agreed: “I don’t like He Shun.”

Seeing Han Zhi defend Tong Zhao made Chang Xiaonian feel a bit uncomfortable.

But then she realized it was just part of the official task.

Zhong Muxi worriedly asked her: “By the way, are you okay? It seems like Wei Zekai has a good relationship with Tong Zhao…”

She knew her close friend had always been fond of Wei Zekai.

Whether it was for money or if she was materialistic was not something she considered.

She was concerned about her friend’s feelings.

Chang Xiaonian was taken aback but then waved her hand: “I’ve long stopped liking him! This time I’m not getting involved in the activity, but I’m quite happy.”

Even though she hadn’t found a suitable partner, she had experienced a sweet and dreamy romance.

She was very satisfied!

“That’s good.” Zhong Muxi felt relieved.

Chang Xiaonian looked at her friend intently.

In theory, she should remind her that Han Zhi is that sea king.

But considering Zhong Muxi’s many old injuries…

Recently, she had been keeping a close eye on her, eating and sleeping together. When Xiao Xi lost control of her emotions, she would cry on her shoulder, which helped control her self-harming urges. But she couldn’t be with her forever… Maybe Han Zhi could do what she couldn’t.

Forget it, let’s observe for now.

Han Zhi and Zhong Muxi were like parallel lines; aside from being forced together during a game of Truth or Dare, they had no intersecting points.

Chang Xiaonian was quite curious about how he would make his move.

But he seemed unaffected.

And in this estate, there was someone else who was also concerned about Zhong Muxi.

It wasn’t Han Zhi, it was Wei Zekai.

He had vowed to stop being a lapdog, but he continued to pay attention to the crying, self-harming girl. He thought if something similar happened again, he’d swoop in and take away her fruit knife—he had practiced jumping many times in his room for this, truly an elite among dogs.

After He Shun was isolated, the atmosphere in the estate became a bit strange.

People with sensitive and fragile mental states are most easily affected. Although it wasn’t Zhong Muxi’s fault, her condition continued to deteriorate day by day. Chang Xiaonian couldn’t do much about it and had to leave it to Han Zhi to figure out a solution.

Han Zhi was surprised: “You’re creating opportunities for me to pursue your friend?”

“To make her happy,” Chang Xiaonian corrected him, “I’m involved too, so don’t mess things up.”

Han Zhi was a bit surprised, then touched her head: “Why does it seem like you’re doing better and better after leaving me?”

“It’s always been this way; it’s too late to regret now.”

Chang Xiaonian accepted his praise calmly and hummed a happy tune.

Under her matchmaking, the three of them frequently spent time together.

He Shun saw this and felt he had once again misjudged— not only was Tong Zhao a schemer, but even Han Zhi, who he had thought well of before, was just another pretty boy spinning around women. And those two girls were even more foolish.

Chang Xiaonian was surprised that Han Zhi didn’t enjoy having two women accompany him as much as He Shun imagined.

He came up with some entertainment activities but invited Wei Zekai and Tong Zhao to join.

Under the condition of “mutual support,” Tong Zhao reluctantly attended.

Han Zhi’s strategy was effective; Zhong Muxi’s smile gradually increased.

One time, after swimming in the pool and feeling tired, the three girls sat by the poolside, sipping on the frozen juice Han Zhi had prepared in advance, and chatted idly. Zhong Muxi said enviously, “Han Zhi is amazing, he has everything prepared. I’m almost embarrassed.”

“What’s there to be embarrassed about?”

The favored concubine, who saw all men as tools, looked at her in confusion.

Since distancing herself from He Shun’s male chauvinism, Tong Zhao had increasingly revealed her true nature in front of everyone. Her hand, which would never heal, was taken care of by Wei Zekai, who accepted that girls were more delicate and helped her with tea and water, after all, she was an injured comrade, and it was right to take care of her!

After several gatherings, Chang Xiaonian had a good understanding of what Tong Zhao was like.

She was basically a princess with a disorder.

The green tea act was fake, and she didn’t like to speak ill of other girls.

She looked at Tong Zhao with considerable patience.

At this point, Tong Zhao belatedly remembered her mission as a supporting role and reluctantly added, “If you’re embarrassed, next time you can prepare things together with him.”

Chang Xiaonian questioned, “What about you?”

Tong Zhao replied very calmly, “I have a hand injury.”

After saying that, Tong Zhao flashed a delicate smile.

Tong Zhao’s smile was beautiful, but Chang Xiaonian read the underlying message from it—

“Expect me to do the work? Not gonna happen.”

How could someone use such a beautiful face to maintain this “I’m too delicate to handle hard work” attitude!

Chang Xiaonian was stunned by her shamelessness.

For a moment, she was speechless, losing her ability to talk.

Zhong Muxi didn’t notice the underlying tension in their conversation; she thought Tong Zhao had a point.

Although she didn’t want to be a caretaker for men, she was willing to join in on the preparations. She vaguely sensed that these gatherings were arranged for her, and she felt grateful but also wanted to contribute something for everyone.

[Oh no, Xiao Xi is such a good girl, Brother Zhi, go save her!]

[So obedient…]

[To spoil the mood, this kind of thinking can easily lead to the favored concubine bossing her around…]

The audience before the live broadcast fell silent for a moment.

Everyone has a dark side; even saints acknowledge actions over intentions.

Instinctive variety shows are all about intentions, so the public is generally more forgiving of guests’ performances as long as they are interesting and engaging! Even in instinctive films, Xu Zhu was criticized not for her selfish nature but for her inability to secure a role and almost derailing the plot by causing a key character’s death. She wasn’t condemned to leave the entertainment industry just because of her inherent flaws.

Tong Zhao’s princess syndrome was similarly accepted.

Of course, some people disliked it, but others found it endearing.

Anyway, the audience wasn’t the ones being used as tools!

There were also male viewers willing to be the tool for the beautiful sister.

And some people even felt vicariously pleased.

The variety of opinions played out on the screen.

Before the next gathering, Zhong Muxi indeed proposed joining in on the preparation work, and Han Zhi gladly agreed.

He also slowly built rapport with Zhong Muxi in his own way—

Zhong Muxi was like a shy little hedgehog, even more so than Chang Xiaonian, requiring patience.

He had to take it slow, being a patient hunter.