Chapter 101 – Extra (Romance Reality Show #1)
Constantly Thrilled is a long-running reality dating show that invites two married couples and two dating pairs to participate each season.
This season made waves from the moment the guest lineup was announced, as the show invited none other than the married couple Gu Xingshi and Wen Yue.
Back when they had first announced their engagement, the news practically broke Weibo.
Curious fans had dug into the details of their romance, and even managed to interview an insider named Sun, who shared the couple’s love story across the internet.
However, after their marriage, both were busy with their careers, and appearances together in public were rare.
Every now and then, there were rumors that their relationship was cooling down. If not for the strong collaboration between Wen Corporation and LeShi Entertainment, people might have even suspected a breakup.
Now, with the two of them set to appear on a dating show, netizens were going wild.
[Aaaaaahhh!!! My favorite couple is officially on air!! Living long enough, I’ve truly seen it all!]
[Nothing will stop me from watching this show!! Showrunners, please hurry up! If I don’t see this show soon, I might die!]
[Hahaha, I just saw that Cheng Xin is one of the commentators. Wonder if he’ll be as sharp-tongued when he comments on his own boss?]
Online discussions surged, and the excitement continued all the way to the show’s premiere day.
The show would be broadcast live.
The observation guests were already seated in the studio.
The first three pairs of guests arrived, and after a few polite exchanges, they couldn’t wait to bring up Gu Xingshi and Wen Yue.
After all, it wasn’t only the viewers who were curious—they were too.
Especially one female guest, Fang Yue, who worked at Xingyao Media, where Wen was her top-level boss.
Fang Yue waved her hands defensively. “Our Xingyao Media isn’t located in the same building as Wen Corp’s headquarters, so I wouldn’t really know…”
Right, like she’d dare say anything about her ultimate boss? When she first heard President Wen and President Gu would be on the show, she’d nearly thought of breaking her contract and paying the penalty to get out of it.
In the studio, another guest turned to Cheng Xin and asked curiously, “Brother Xin, you’re signed under President Gu—do you know anything?”
Cheng Xin had mixed feelings about the whole affair.
Although Gu Xingshi and Wen Yue were already married, he had explained countless times that he and Wen Yue had never broken up, nor was there any dramatic betrayal. But grudges were what they were; they disliked Wen Yue, and Wen Yue wasn’t fond of them either.
Especially since the marriage, they felt Wen Yue’s possessiveness over Gu Xingshi was overbearing, even showing up at LeShi’s events to get involved. Wen Yue, on the other hand, thought they ran to President Gu for every trivial thing, like they couldn’t manage without him.
This time, originally, President Gu and Cheng Xin were set to be studio commentators. But somehow Wen Yue caught wind of it and, after some maneuvering, managed to get himself in as a formal participant alongside President Gu.
Growing more irritated the more he thought about it, Cheng Xin replied curtly, “All I know is that President Gu is very handsome. That’s it.”
The guest: “…”
[Hahahaha, Brother Xin never disappoints—his disdain for President Wen is practically spilling over!]
[I get it! I feel the same about my bestie’s boyfriend, hahahah!]
[According to sources, after Gu and Wen Yue’s breakup, Brother Xin and the others thought Wen Yue wasn’t good enough for Gu. So, when Wen Yue tried to get back together, they threw all sorts of obstacles in his way. It’s both old grudges and new feuds…]
While the group was chatting, Gu Xingshi and Wen Yue arrived.
The two entered hand-in-hand, Gu Xingshi’s face aglow, his eyes sparkling.
Wen Yue’s expression was somewhat reserved, but his gaze softened every time he looked at Gu Xingshi.
[President Gu is so handsome!! And President Wen!! They’re my wife and husband!!]
[Whoever’s spreading rumors about trouble in paradise better check their eyes! When has President Wen ever looked so smitten?]
They greeted the other guests, although most of the talking was done by Gu Xingshi, with Wen Yue merely nodding along.
Not that anyone dared complain.
Once everyone had been introduced, the production team announced the rules for the dating show.
Over the next two days, the guests would complete the remaining activities in four different locations assigned by the show.
The four locations included a luxurious villa with a pool, a cozy forest cabin, a pink-themed love hotel, and tents.
Gu Xingshi almost took psychic damage at the mention of the pink-themed hotel. He tugged Wen Yue’s sleeve. “Let’s make sure we don’t get that one!”
Wen Yue’s gaze lingered on the love hotel for a moment before he absentmindedly nodded.
Gu Xingshi glanced at Wen Yue in confusion, but before he could ask anything, the production team continued explaining the rules.
In a moment, each pair would be separated and enter a dual maze. Each room in the maze had four doors, representing four choices. The correct choice would allow them to proceed, but for them to meet, both had to choose correctly at each stage. In other words, there was only one path they could both take to meet each other.
The order in which they’d select accommodations would be based on how quickly they completed the maze together. The production team even opened up a voting system for the viewers to guess which couple would reunite the fastest.
[Lulu and Brother Ke have been married for over a decade, so they should know each other best. I think they’ll be the fastest!]
[Not necessarily. Xiaoshan and Lian Chen have also been dating for years, and they’re famously in sync. I think they’ll win!]
[I’m choosing Wen Yue and Gu Xingshi!! I just binge-watched their love story last night and cried my eyes out!]
[True! Isn’t it said they’ve been in love for years, with all those breakups and reconciliations? They must have so many unforgettable memories together!]
[Oh, you all don’t get how the production team operates. This type of segment is bound to be full of distractions. Sometimes, the longer you’ve been together, the harder it can be to decide on each choice.]
[Good point. Then I’ll go with Team Xing Yue!]
Meanwhile, the observation room buzzed with conversation, and someone asked Cheng Xin what he thought.
Even though Cheng Xin wasn’t fond of Wen Yue, at this moment, he loyally chose their team, adding in his usual tsundere manner, “Mainly because I have confidence in President Gu!”
Then he saw Gu Xingshi get stumped by the very first question.
Cheng Xin: “…”
Before today’s recording, the production team had each guest fill out a questionnaire, and the maze questions were based on their answers.
The first question Gu Xingshi faced was: “What was your partner’s first impression of you?”
He had four options in front of him: an orange, milk, cake, or a rose.
Gu Xingshi had never actually asked Wen Yue this question.
More importantly, Wen Yue had used each of these words in intimate moments, so even cheating was off the table.
Gu Xingshi was stumped.
Fortunately, he had already studied the rules thoroughly before entering. Since time was the final factor, and mistakes would just lead him back, all he had to do was keep a quick pace and try again if he got it wrong.
With that in mind, he picked a random answer and walked through, only to hit a dead end after a few steps and retraced his way back.
As he backtracked, Gu Xingshi thought over his and Wen Yue’s first meeting, though the memory had grown a bit fuzzy. He decided to call on the System for a thorough refresher.
Unfortunately, nothing useful came to mind, so he randomly chose “orange” this time.
Luckily, it seemed to be the right answer, as he proceeded through several rooms without encountering another dead end, and soon reached the second question.
The moment Gu Xingshi saw it, both he and the System fell silent.
The question was: “What do you think is the biggest obstacle in your relationship?”
The four options were: phone, contract, melon (gossip) , and a photo of Cheng Xin.
In the observation room, Cheng Xin shot to his feet. “Whose idea was this question? I’m protesting!”
[Hahahaha, Cheng Xin’s reaction is priceless! A certified relationship obstacle for his boss!]
[What’s the melon about? That doesn’t even fit in!]
[Watermelon? Could it be referring to #10086?]
Gu Xingshi thought back to all the times he’d left Wen Yue on the sidelines to chase some juicy gossip, scratching his face a bit sheepishly.
For the sake of victory, however, he chose melon without hesitation.
As expected, the path was clear, and he reached the third question without issue.
System: [??? What’s the meaning of this? I’m protesting too!]
Gu Xingshi: “…”
While he was busy appeasing the System, Wen Yue on his side of the maze also found himself stumped.
His question read: “According to your partner, which gift you gave them was most to their liking?”
The four options were: a phone, a contract, an orange diamond brooch, and a diamond ring.
[Hahahaha, what’s up with the first two options? Were the obstacles in their relationship just things you gifted him?!]
[I mean, that’s gotta be a CEO’s gift list—practical to the point of absurdity!]
[So which one is it? Knowing President Gu, I think any of them could be possible!]
Wen Yue hesitated between the orange diamond brooch and the diamond ring.
Wen Yue ultimately chose the diamond ring.
After all, it was what he’d given Gu Xingshi on their proposal day—it should’ve been the gift he cherished most, right?
Then he hit a dead end.
Next, he picked the orange diamond brooch, and once again found himself at a dead end.
Wen Yue: “!!!”
In the observation room, Cheng Xin wasted no time mocking him. “It has to be the contract! Our President Gu is destined to be with a CEO! When it comes to his career, the rest of us are irrelevant!”
Comment:
[Cheng Xin, this is why you’re the person people most want silenced in the industry!]
[Can you shut it, please! The only reason Wen Yue hasn’t taken you out is because of President Gu!]
With a sullen expression, Wen Yue selected the contract and, sure enough, advanced to the next question.
He glanced back at his path, his fingers curling slightly. Great—another reason to be jealous.
After a series of missteps, the two of them finally met up.
Though the journey was admittedly bumpy, they had both unexpectedly discovered new, hidden sides of each other.
As soon as Gu Xingshi saw Wen Yue, he asked, “Why was your first impression of me ‘orange’?”
Wen Yue raised an eyebrow, then replied evenly, “You had an orange-like scent.”
Gu Xingshi was caught off guard, instinctively smelling himself but catching no hint of orange.
“Are you serious?” he asked suspiciously.
“Of course.” Wen Yue leaned close, covering their microphones, and whispered something softly in his ear.
Gu Xingshi’s face immediately turned bright red.
The comments section exploded.
[Wait, what did he say?!]
[Ahhhh, what could President Wen possibly have whispered?!]
[Why is this kept from us VIP viewers?!]
After he finished whispering, Wen Yue released the microphone and signaled to the production team, “Let’s move on to the next segment.”
The production team had initially planned to ask about what they’d just whispered to spice things up, but under Wen Yue’s intense gaze, they quickly chickened out.
“Alright then, let’s announce the times each couple reunited: Lulu and Brother Ke, 5 minutes and 29 seconds; Xiaoshan and Lian Chen, 5 minutes and 12 seconds; Yue Yue and Qian Yu, 7 minutes and 33 seconds; President Gu and President Wen, 8 minutes and 18 seconds.”
Comment:
[!!! President Gu and President Wen took the longest time?!]
[Seems like they might have a few misunderstandings about each other, hahahaha!]
[Hahahaha, of course the biggest obstacle in their relationship was gossip (kidding)]
When it was time to pick accommodations, the first two pairs quickly selected the luxury villa with a pool and the cozy forest cabin.
When it was Fang Yue and Song Qian Yu’s turn, Fang Yue, thinking of her career, immediately chose the tent, moving so fast that Gu Xingshi didn’t even have time to stop her.
That evening, Gu Xingshi and Wen Yue stood outside the entrance of the pink-themed love hotel, each holding a key.
Gu Xingshi frowned and glanced at Wen Yue. “Why do I get the feeling you’re pretty satisfied with this result?”
“How could that be?” Wen Yue replied calmly, “There are cameras around, so I certainly won’t do anything.”
Remembering what Wen Yue had whispered in his ear earlier, Gu Xingshi couldn’t help but blush again.
So that cold, abstinent CEO image he’d held onto—it was definitely his biggest misunderstanding about Wen Yue!
