I have a persona specifically for acting.

The afternoon sunlight gently bathed the grass.

The well-trimmed lawn was gilded with a layer of gold, beautiful like an oil painting. And Tong Zhao, wearing a straw hat and well-applied sunscreen, was the main character of this oil painting. She was also very aware of her role, and after tasting each of the hot dishes, salads, and desserts her friend had prepared, she began to give her feedback:

“This sweet and sour spareribs and potato-braised beef brisket are quite good, though the spareribs could be a bit sweeter.”

Chang Xiaonian coolly remarked, “If you want it sweeter, you can make it yourself.”

“But mine doesn’t taste as good as Muxi’s,” Tong Zhao said, speaking very kindly to the well-trained butler number two, Zhong Muxi. With a soft voice and clasped hands, she pleaded, “Muxi’s cooking is the best. My hands hurt, so I can’t hold the pot, and I’ve never learned to cook. Thankfully, you’re here. I wouldn’t know what to do without you.”

…

Your hands hurting my foot!

Chang Xiaonian felt sick just looking at her.

But with such a pleasant attitude and flattery in every sentence, Zhong Muxi, who had a thin skin, blushed with embarrassment and looked quite pleased. Chang Xiaonian couldn’t say anything more and had to console herself – at least Tong Zhao knew not to be pushy about getting a free ride.

Chang Xiaonian was still naïve.

When the relationship became truly familiar, the imperial consort could show off with an air of authority.

Tong Zhao: [The training of a butler is subtle and imperceptible, like a silent influence.]

Tong Zhao: [At first, they just prepared my portion and received compliments. Then, they were asked to make dishes according to my preferences, and now they know my tastes without me saying anything… Not bad!]

[I suddenly understand how my cat pua-ed me.]

[This litter-scooping officer is crying.]

[Congratulations to Miss Muxi for getting a cat master!]

[The only sane and normal person on the scene might be Miss Chang…]

Blushing from the compliments, Zhong Muxi hurriedly lowered her head and said quietly, “If you like it, I’ll add more sugar next time.”

Humans are social animals.

Zhong Muxi was not a cold and solitary type. After being abandoned by a man and resisting male company, she craved a sense of security in friendships more than most girls. The pain of being dumped largely comes from being rejected and betrayed by those closest to you, with original hopes and plans torn up and thrown away, leaving the abandoned party helplessly facing memories.

Tong Zhao provided her with generous and affirming recognition.

Chang Xiaonian watched her and felt silently sick.

“Ah, I’m done drinking.” After finishing the last sip of mango juice, Tong Zhao looked dejected.

“Would you like more mango juice, or should we try something else?”

Han Zhi and Zhong Muxi had made many freshly squeezed fruit juices and put them in the fridge.

Tong Zhao: “I’m getting a bit tired of mango juice; I want watermelon juice.”

Chang Xiaonian took the empty cup to the kitchen to rinse it and set it aside to dry. Then, she took out the watermelon juice from the fridge and, the moment she placed it in front of Tong Zhao, it felt like a jolt in her brain — [Oh no, what am I doing!!!]

[I can’t be complicit in this!!]

[Why am I listening to her??? Does she have no hands or feet???]

“Thank you.”

Tong Zhao took the watermelon juice with both hands and smiled sweetly at her.

……

To be honest, Chang Xiaonian was straightforward and only liked men.

She liked reading romance novels and watching idol dramas.

When Tong Zhao was cold towards them, Chang Xiaonian had a negative impression of her.

However, when Tong Zhao used her tactics for dealing with men to charm and act cute with her —

The inner voice couldn’t lie: [It’s so annoying. Why does someone have to be so cute when they smile?]

[……I retract my statement about Miss Chang being the only sane person.]

[Why hate on “green tea”? It’s because the “green tea” isn’t aimed at you. /doge]

Chang Xiaonian sat down with a wooden expression, struggling to accept her own behavior of switching sides.

It must have just been a momentary lapse; it doesn’t mean anything…!

※

It seemed Zhong Muxi’s emotional state had been improving day by day.

The injuries on her hands had decreased but left varying shades of scars, so she only wore long-sleeved clothes to hide them, even wearing a dark-colored coat when swimming. When alone, she often stared at the wounds on her hands and regretted self-harm.

Some comments criticized her for not taking care of herself.

Others showed understanding.

As an amateur, Zhong Muxi’s solo clips had very few views.

After all, her life wasn’t very interesting; the only highlight was her interactions with Han Zhi. Han Zhi’s fans might as well watch his solo clips instead.

However, the popular comments under Zhong Muxi’s solo clips received a lot of approval:

[This is what heartbreak is like. You come to terms with it yesterday, but today you can’t handle it. When you’ve accepted it, you’re as regretful and angry with yourself as you are now. But when overwhelmed by emotions, even breathing feels like a luxury. Even if you no longer love that man, you can’t face the fact that you weren’t chosen.]

NetEase Cloud has been mocked as “Net Depression Cloud,” marking the onset of depression.

Yet, the large amount of breakup literature and melancholic captions on Douyin proves that there is a corresponding market demand.

The production team of “Sea King Killer” noticed this and edited some segments of Zhong Muxi with sad background music, promoting them on many marketing accounts and Douyin influencers. This helped the variety show gain more fans. Since other guests continued to show kindness towards her, it healed many viewers, and this positive sentiment also extended to the other guests.

Except for He Shun, everyone benefited.

“Romantic Reality Show with Both Drama and Warmth: ‘Sea King Killer'”

“If I had these friends during my breakup, I wouldn’t have collapsed every night.”

“Collapse later; first, make Tong Zhao a plate of sweet and sour ribs.”

The last post is from a short video:

Zhong Muxi had insomnia and subconsciously went to the kitchen to harm herself, but she ran into Tong Zhao, who was out for a walk. Tong Zhao ordered her to make a late-night snack — cooking in the middle of the night, with oil smoke everywhere, who would want to do that? However, her attitude was so casual, and Zhong Muxi was in a particularly vulnerable state, so she really put down the fruit knife and made the snack…

Tong Zhao couldn’t finish it alone, so she pulled Zhong Muxi to sit down and ate a big bowl of rice with sweet and sour ribs.

The carbs were overwhelming.

Zhong Muxi ended up with a full belly, dazedly being escorted back to her room.

When Chang Xiaonian was awakened by the noise, she was still half-asleep. Tong Zhao’s meaningful comment, “Take care of your friend,” startled her awake. She quickly pulled Zhong Muxi to wash her face, brush her teeth, and get into bed, making sure to tuck in the corners of the blanket securely before feeling at ease.

Only the omniscient viewers knew that Tong Zhao was truly a light sleeper.

Since the little dog incident, she had even moved the sofa to behind the door, sleeping directly behind the door to not miss any noise, determined to catch that dog. The audience was charmed by her relentless spirit, crowning her as the 999th generation leader of the Beggar’s Sect, mastering the art of dog-beating.

Unfortunately, the little dog never appeared.

Tong Zhao was increasingly frustrated and more determined.

In the manor with six people, the five who were grouped together made the one left out feel even worse.

Previously, He Shun was distant from others, believing he was above them and unable to relate to women and children. It was his choice. But now, others ignored him; even when their eyes met in passing, they would immediately look away. This feeling…

Was utterly terrible!

He had exposed Tong Zhao’s true nature under the public eye.

He didn’t expect that not only was she not ostracized, but her relationships with others also improved — Tong Zhao had previously relied only on him. Observing silently, his mentality began to collapse. He Shun couldn’t accept that he was a failure, a loser in this game. He had not only lost in love but also lost the respect of others.

And all of this was thanks to Tong Zhao.

He Shun couldn’t understand more and more, and he really wanted to find someone to voice his grievances.

Men wouldn’t understand; they were all Tong Zhao’s sycophants.

Chang Xiaonian was too blunt to empathize with a man’s difficulties.

That left Zhong Muxi, who was weak and easy to talk to.

His thoughts were laid bare under the AI scan, and they deeply disgusted the audience.

[Picking on the weak and fearing the strong, what a real man / like/like]

[Get lost. What kind of ability is it to target the soft Zhong Muxi? If you have guts, go after Tong Zhao.]

[Tong Zhao’s sarcasm is at MAX level. If he gets another round, he might never recover / doge]

Unfortunately, the audience couldn’t influence the development of the show and could only vent their frustration through comments and bullet screens. What’s worse, this episode ended with He Shun’s dark and irritable inner thoughts —

[I’m an adult; I don’t need you to prevent me from getting obsessed. I want to be obsessed!]

But it was useless. No matter how anxious he was, he had to wait for the next episode to air.

Zhong Muxi rarely had moments alone, but He Shun had too much free time. Plus, the production team deliberately arranged for them to meet — this dirty scheme was definitely kept confidential and would also increase monitoring on He Shun. If any signs of violent behavior were detected, he would be forcibly awakened before his brain could issue commands to his hands, and expelled from the holographic space.

While the variety show encouraged conflict for gimmicks, there were strict personal safety regulations to avoid leaving psychological scars on the actors and guests.

Anyway, on this morning when Zhong Muxi got up particularly early to make porridge for her friend, He Shun cornered her in the kitchen.

“Miss Zhong, I want to talk to you.”

He Shun walked up to her.

Mr. He, who usually paid great attention to his personal image and dressed immaculately, now appeared tired. Underneath his typically resolute and refined face, there was a faint bluish tint, a sign of unkempt stubble. Zhong Muxi flinched slightly: “Is there something wrong? I’m cooking…”

“Listen to me first.”

He Shun interrupted her, ignoring her fearful body language: “I remember that when you first arrived at the manor, you said you didn’t know how to cook. Why did you lie to me?”

He knew exactly how to bully people.

By pointing out the other party’s moral flaws, he made Zhong Muxi, who was prone to self-blame, feel disadvantaged in the conversation.

“At that time… I didn’t want to cook.” Zhong Muxi clenched her fingers tightly.

“Fine, I won’t hold you accountable for lying,” He Shun pretended to be magnanimous, “But isn’t it excessive how you all exclude me from everything? I was clearly deceived and hurt… I heard you’ve been through a breakup too. Why can’t you understand my feelings? By siding with Tong Zhao, you’re an accomplice.”

Caught off guard by the reopened wound, Zhong Muxi looked at him in shock.

She shook her head, tears welling up in her throat.

The audience was on the verge of a brain hemorrhage, with some irate ones calling her a pushover, but more were anxiously calling for the show’s director.

From her reaction, He Shun regained his confidence.

Although his appearance was plain, this woman did have some merits.

At least she didn’t ridicule him mercilessly like the other two women.

He continued his reasoning: “Don’t deny it, and don’t say it’s Tong Zhao who doesn’t welcome me. Half a month has passed, have you ever thought about suggesting to them to invite me along? No, in the face of passive aggression, silence and watching are complicity. I really… didn’t expect you to be this kind of person. Or did you simply not realize it? Men care about details too. My breakup was due to malicious deceit, maybe you’re just too cold and numb.”

Mr. He was particularly resentful.

Already feeling wronged, he was further ostracized.

“I didn’t, I didn’t know. Don’t talk to me about this. I don’t want to talk to you…”

Zhong Muxi usually had strong logical reasoning, but being abandoned was her sore spot. The moment the pain point was touched, her eyes welled up with tears, and she could only shake her head and deny it while trying to hold back the tears. She turned to escape, but he, being perceptive, stopped her in time. This time, he wasn’t angry at all and managed to control himself to avoid any physical contact—Mr. He disliked violence, considering it a barbaric and uncivilized act. The last time was purely a misunderstanding, and Tong Zhao was just too infuriating.

“Stop avoiding this—”

Before He Shun could finish his stern speech, he received a kick to his side.

The kick was swift and fierce, causing his body to tilt sideways and stumble several steps before he managed to steady himself.

It was technically an act of violence, but the production team deemed it self-defense as long as the kicker didn’t continue to assault him, it wouldn’t cross the line.

Clearly, Tong Zhao had no interest in continuing to beat him.

Her strength was limited, and she might even risk injuring herself without making a tough-skinned man feel much pain.

Tong Zhao was delicate—she could mock and insult, or incite others to fight, but personally taking action? A dog like him didn’t deserve it.

With a raised chin, Tong Zhao locked eyes with the astonished He Shun. She curled her lips into a smirk, her tone slow and firm, carrying an air of pride and condescension: “Bullying a woman you can’t defeat, so you go after weaker women? Very well, you’ve learned something.”

“You—”

“Shut up, did I give you permission to speak?!”

With the smile gone, Tong Zhao’s expression turned cold. Still dressed in her immaculate white dress, her imposing aura left He Shun speechless.

“You don’t need to ask her. I just dislike you. You annoy me. You’re not allowed at any gatherings, and if you have any objections, come to me directly. Don’t whine to others…”

Tong Zhao slowly tilted her chin towards Zhong Muxi, indicating for her to stay behind her.

She followed Tong Zhao closely like a dog that had found its owner.

“First, it shows you’re picking on the weak and fearing the strong.”

“Second, it’s useless to confront them. I’m the one with the decision-making power. Understand? They don’t matter.”

Deserving of both praise and criticism, Empress Chen never liked using her subordinates as shields.

However, she didn’t consider this as protection.

She only believed in evaluating dogs based on their owners.

He Shun’s action of bypassing her to cause trouble for Zhong Muxi completely crossed her boundaries, making her feel deeply embarrassed. She had to regain her dignity and vent her frustration with a harsh rebuke.

“And also, you were criticizing the reason for their breakup? According to your logic, the one who dumps can evaluate the one who’s dumped. Fine, listen carefully,”

Tong Zhao, with Zhong Muxi tightly holding her arm, briefly frowned but tolerated the action as if it were a gift. She channeled her slight irritation onto Mr. He, scrutinizing him from head to toe with her bright apricot eyes, and then shook her head.

While Zhong Muxi’s head shake made him feel powerful, Tong Zhao’s shake of the head made him feel defeated and humiliated, as if he were being treated like a fool:

“I rejected your confession because I look down on you, loathe you from head to toe, and find you annoying. If anyone can kneel and perform a kiss-hand gesture for me, you’re not even worthy to lick my shoes while lying on the ground.”

She was both arrogant and delighted, genuinely happy to demean her enemy.

He Shun was stunned by the insult.

The audience was also impressed by Tong Zhao’s spontaneous, flowing arrogance.

[One person desperately asks Tong Zhao to start a teaching class!!!]

[Tears, why can’t I insult people as effectively as she does?]

[Tong Zhao is not just green tea; she’s a fighter jet in the red tea realm, maybe Keemun black tea… People who argue with such confidence are unbeatable. It’s a skill you can’t learn.]

There were also some off-topic comments.

Curious passersby wondered how Tong Zhao’s fans must be, given how effectively she could curse. Her fans shook their heads and waved their hands, clarifying that it wasn’t true. Since her debut, she had always been friendly and had never caused conflicts with others. In fact, there was almost a confrontation with Han Zhi’s fans, but as it turned out, they were all one big family, so it ended up being resolved.

Tong Zhao had no intention of staying to argue with him.

Did he deserve it?

She said everything she wanted to say and felt relieved. She didn’t care how others felt; she was a woman who took arrogance to the extreme. Turning off the stove, she led Zhong Muxi out of the kitchen and upstairs. Zhong Muxi hesitated and said, “You mentioned last night that you wanted to have conpoy porridge…”

[……]

[……So it was your doing, Tong Zhao!]

[No wonder she appeared so timely; she was here to supervise, hahaha……]

“Wait, I’ll let Han Zhi make it. The kitchen is too unlucky right now, and living people shouldn’t enter.” Recently, she had picked up some jargon from playing with Wei Zekai.

Zhong Muxi whispered, “Is Brother Zhi a ghost?”

“Hmm, he’s quite ghostly.”

Han Zhi’s reputation suffered.

He Shun couldn’t stand it any longer and applied to leave the event early.

After receiving approval from the production team and a vote from VIP viewers, He Shun was removed from the holographic space.

What awaited him was the sympathetic gaze of the production staff…

He Shun smiled politely, “Thank you for your hard work. I have a bit of a headache, so I’ll go rest for a while.” He decided to wait until his memory recovered to see the show’s replay and understand why others looked at him strangely.

And now, back to the reality show.

Upon arriving on the second floor, Zhong Muxi thanked Tong Zhao, her voice full of tears.

Tong Zhao wondered, ‘Should I be comforting her right now?’

‘I can’t do that. I only know how to curse, mock…… and act spoiled……’

The noble lady was troubled.

Soon, her tiny bit of conscience and sympathy was depleted by her thinking, and she accepted Zhong Muxi’s thanks with composure, saying, “If you’re grateful, I want tea-marinated chicken wings and squirrel-shaped mandarin fish for dinner.”

“Okay, I’ll make them all for you.”

Preparing the squirrel-shaped mandarin fish is quite troublesome in home cooking—it requires deboning the fish, scoring it, and deep-frying it.

Viewers were excited to witness the birth of the first tool.

[Comforting people? Tong Zhao doesn’t know how. Just order some food for the cleaning staff.]

[Learned the art of ordering food as comfort.]

[I also want to be protected by a little kitty, sob sob sob……]

Tong Zhao was satisfied.

After Zhong Muxi calmed down, she couldn’t hold back her tears and quietly cried while holding onto Tong Zhao’s sleeve, making her a bit uncomfortable.

So, leading the crying and indecisive Zhong Muxi, Tong Zhao knocked on Han Zhi’s door. When he came out in slippers, she pushed her inside and briefly explained the situation: “I’m going to take a nap. I hope to have conpoy porridge by eleven.”

[It’s time for my favorite segment where Tong Zhao orders food!]

This comment was highlighted and bolded by other users.

After saying this, Tong Zhao simply left.

She believed that Han Zhi wouldn’t do something as low as taking advantage of a vulnerable girl; it was beneath his standards. Even if pressured, he likely wouldn’t act that way. When she woke up right on time at eleven, Zhong Muxi was already at the door with steaming conpoy porridge.

The viewers on the barrage had reached a level of frustration so high that they lost the will to express it.

Tong Zhao, how many caretakers’ lives have you ruined!

By evening, everyone received an official notice—player He Shun had decided to withdraw from the game due to personal reasons. His previous selections would be retained, but other players could no longer choose him as their object of affection.

Chang Xiaonian spat, “Even if he were the only man left in the world, I wouldn’t choose him.”

“Well said.”

Tong Zhao happily enjoyed the squirrel-shaped mandarin fish made specially for her.

Seeing her savoring it, Chang Xiaonian also tried a bit: “It’s so sweet. How did you make it so sweet?”

Zhong Muxi quickly looked away after glancing at Tong Zhao with embarrassment.

Tong Zhao loved sweets and preferred a sweeter approach even for hot dishes.

Chang Xiaonian immediately understood: “…Xiao Xi, you just indulge her!”

The laughter and chatter around the dinner table temporarily lifted the gloom from her heart.

However, as night fell and everything grew silent, Zhong Muxi still couldn’t sleep, thinking about what Mr. He had said to her. She couldn’t control herself from recalling that failed relationship; someone she genuinely liked didn’t even give her a proper closure and left her impatiently.

She didn’t cry or make a fuss during the breakup; letting go wasn’t difficult.

What was difficult was the endless questioning of why he wasn’t willing to stay.

Each time, she felt that she was inadequate—otherwise, why couldn’t she keep the person closest to her? Reflecting on every painful detail, she wondered if noticing and doing better at that moment might have salvaged the relationship.

…

Unconsciously, Zhong Muxi found herself moving like a zombie, getting out of bed and stepping into the hallway.

She stood there, crying for a while, overwhelmed by negative emotions again.

Tonight, there are two people unable to rest peacefully.

One is Han Zhi.

The other is Wei Zekai.

When Han Zhi opened his door and didn’t see anyone in the hallway, he went downstairs. Wei Zekai, moving even more slowly, hesitated repeatedly, thinking about that tearful face, which then turned into the image of a small dog.

Another person who stays up particularly late and has light sleep is Tong Zhao.

Tong Zhao wasn’t worried about Zhong Muxi.

She was here to catch the dog.

Feeling burdened with the responsibility of being a righteous avenger, Wei Zekai, the dog, encountered Tong Zhao, who was holding a blanket and acting as the dog-catching team leader, once again in the hallway.

Wei Zekai: [……]