I have a persona specifically for acting.

“I can’t figure it out.”

Chang Xiaonian stole a glance at Tong Zhao, who was happily eating fruit at the long dining table. “It seems like that woman really has her eyes on Teacher He, but… she hasn’t done anything at all. Why is Mr. He being so attentive to her?”

“I don’t know either.”

Zhong Muxi looked down, hiding the envy in her eyes.

He Shun’s “straight man cancer” was quite evident, and he also showed signs of looking down on women.

Just like her ex-boyfriend.

Of course, her ex had many advantages—he was a prominent figure in school, came from a well-off family, and had a smooth career path after graduation. If she hadn’t pursued him in college, she might never have encountered such an outstanding man in the workplace.

Back then, Zhong Muxi did all the laundry and cooking for her boyfriend, delivering freshly washed fruit to his dorm, and baking handmade cookies and various snacks. Because he had expressed a desire for a virtuous partner, she strived to fit the mold of his ideal companion, believing that meeting the “CHD Girlfriend Requirements” would secure the bright future he had envisioned.

Zhong Muxi had far exceeded those expectations.

She didn’t want her boyfriend to worry, so after starting work and moving in together, she took on all the household chores.

She didn’t dare to stay late at work to improve her performance because she needed to get home earlier than her boyfriend so that he could have hot meals when he arrived after working overtime.

But all she received in return was increasing impatience.

Her boyfriend told her to improve herself, but after work, she was too exhausted from cooking and doing housework to have time for the gym. He paid the rent and utilities but never cared about the cost of groceries, yet he would give her the cold shoulder if there was no meat or seafood on the table, putting down his chopsticks after only a few bites.

Eventually, because she was too ordinary and unambitious, her boyfriend ended their relationship amicably.

Zhong Muxi didn’t want an amicable breakup, but she couldn’t learn how to cry, argue, or fight.

So in the end, all her destructive impulses and hatred, like the utility knife in her hand, turned inward, with the blade pointing at herself.

She lifted her eyes to look at Tong Zhao, who had finished eating and pushed the bowl towards He Shun. Her eyes, behind her glasses, were filled with complex longing.

After everyone had their fill, the large screen TV in the living room lit up with colorful images.

The variety show had a main storyline driving the guests’ actions to increase viewer interest.

In the show, guests had to complete mandatory tasks, which varied randomly. Completing them would yield corresponding random rewards, while failure meant facing penalties.

Everyone turned their gaze to the giant screen.

“Love won’t come just by sitting around. Now, the official provides you with an opportunity to get familiar with each other. Please choose one and head to the game room!”

“1: Werewolf”

“2: Truth or Dare”

“3: King’s Game”

“Isn’t it better to quickly get acquainted by playing Honor of Kings together?” Wei Zekai was unimpressed by the official game options. The first two seemed too old-fashioned, and the third was something he had only heard of in nightclubs and bars, not a serious game.

Han Zhi said they should follow everyone’s preference.

Tong Zhao didn’t mind.

He Shun naturally took over the decision-making and chose Truth or Dare.

His internal monologue at this moment also had a personal touch: [Werewolf… this kind of brain-intensive game is no fun when half the participants are women; they think too emotionally. The King’s Game is a bit vulgar, so Truth or Dare is a better choice.]

The stage crew girl said, “I really want to hit him. What should I do?”

Other female staff members echoed her sentiments.

—

The game room was very spacious, equipped with both popular and rare board games.

As everyone walked into the room, a board labeled “Truth or Dare” was quietly placed on a round table, with chairs around it marked with their names, suggesting they should sit in an alternating gender arrangement.

Tong Zhao sat between Wei Zekai and Han Zhi.

He Shun glanced towards her and hesitated before suggesting he wanted to switch seats.

“Han Zhi…”

He had just begun to speak when Han Zhi’s piercing gaze made him feel as if his thoughts were being clearly seen through a high-powered lens. He Shun instinctively felt a bit unnerved and instead asked Wei Zekai, who, although tall, was clearly more of a big boy than a man, “Can I switch seats with you?”

Wei Zekai didn’t really care where he sat.

What difference did it make where he sat to play a game?

Just as he was about to impatiently agree, Wei Zekai suddenly recalled the unsettling scene in the kitchen last night and the heavy responsibility he had—he wasn’t here just to play; finding a partner was secondary. His main goal was to identify the “sea king” among these people.

He Shun, who seemed to have an inexplicable reason to switch seats, was highly suspicious!

Wei Zekai’s gaze suddenly became sharp.

“Why do you want to switch seats with me?” Wei Zekai asked, his tone unfriendly.

However, Wei Zekai’s arrogant and overbearing demeanor didn’t raise He Shun’s suspicions. He simply muttered inwardly about the wealthy but uncultured young master.

“I’m more familiar with Zhao Zhao and can take better care of her,” He Shun said.

He was speaking the truth.

Tong Zhao was very poor at taking care of herself.

She almost burned her hand while boiling water to cook noodles (actually, she hadn’t even touched the boiling water; she was just pretending to protect her delicate fingers). She had never washed a dish at home and was a little princess raised under strict care from her family (according to her own story). Although He Shun’s mother treated him like a prince, he still had basic life knowledge, but it depended on whether he wanted to apply it.

Since Tong Zhao had never done it, it was only right for him to handle it.

Moreover, seeing the adoring and dependent look in the young girl’s eyes, He Shun couldn’t resist and quickly became her tool.

“Do we really need to take care of each other while playing a game?” Hearing this poor excuse, Wei Zekai’s gaze became even sharper. Although their conversation was quiet, it gradually drew the attention of others. He Shun, feeling embarrassed, said, “Forget it, it’s nothing.” He then returned to his original seat.

Chang Xiaonian, who was seated next to He Shun as arranged by the production team, clearly heard everything, and her previous delight at sitting next to Wei Zekai had vanished.

What’s up with this He guy?

Is it really such a burden for him to sit next to a girl?

Does Tong Zhao really need all that special care? Is she like a modern-day princess with her older knight?

Han Zhi picked up the “Truth or Dare” cards and began shuffling. He held the cards with three fingers, smoothly fanned them with his thumb, first displaying them and then pressing and flipping them in a fluid, pleasing manner.

Han Zhi said, “The rules are simple: you can’t choose ‘Truth’ or ‘Dare’ consecutively.”

The game room also had a large screen.

A mechanical synthesized voice explained the rules: “For those who choose ‘Dare,’ the task will be randomly selected by the official and shown on the screen. For ‘Truth,’ the player who draws the smallest numbered card will decide whether to answer their own question or one selected by the screen. If a player lies during ‘Truth,’ the lie detector here will sound.”

“Questions that are prohibited include:

– Restricted or offensive questions.
– Questions about the identity cards drawn by others.
– Players can choose to refuse to answer and directly accept a punishment task.”

It sounded like choosing ‘Truth’ was relatively easier.

In the first round, Han Zhi drew the ghost card.

“It seems like I’m having bad luck today,” Han Zhi said helplessly, shaking the ghost card in his hand. “I’ll go with ‘Truth.'”

The player who drew the smallest number card was Wei Zekai.

What should he ask?

Wei Zekai had a sudden idea, realizing this was a great opportunity to probe—although he couldn’t directly ask if the person was a playboy, he could indirectly gather the truth and infer the result. The truth was singular, and at this moment, he was like Detective Conan’s grandfather!

After a moment of contemplation, he cautiously asked, “Could you elaborate on your views on relationships?”

In Wei Zekai’s limited understanding of emotional intelligence, a playboy was necessarily detestable and had a distorted worldview.

…

From Han Zhi’s perspective, which was unaffected by any identity card, romantic relationships were not within his realm of consideration.

As a top celebrity carrying the dreams of countless young girls, if he fell in love with someone, it would shatter the dreams of those girls. Before joining the reality show, Tong Zhao thought that his lack of romantic experience made him suitable for the task because…

He was very skilled at making others fall in love with him.

Of course, after entering the show, Han Zhi’s mind had been filled with a large number of “exes” that matched his views on relationships.

Wei Zekai’s expression was intense and probing when he asked, not like he was playing a game.

He was very serious in his mind.

And this was also the reason why, in his past life, Wei Zekai and Tong Zhao grew further apart. Wei Zekai, who had no concept of being smooth or diplomatic, interacted with people in a very raw manner. He could turn good intentions into something annoying and bothersome. If he weren’t so good-looking, he would indeed be more suited to play a comic villain in a comedy.

“Well,”

Han Zhi glanced at him with surprise, seemingly not expecting a man to be interested in his views on relationships.

His aesthetic preferences were only for women, but if Wei Zekai was dressed as a girl…

He imagined it in his mind and thought, it might not be so bad.

This image was vividly captured by the AI, comparable to the fantasy of Snape in a dress from the wizarding world.

The director immediately decided to include this scene in the highlight preview.

Han Zhi briefly pondered, then his lips and eyes curved into a gentle smile. Even such a playful question from a rich, rebellious young man was taken seriously by him. Everyone heard him say: “It should be about bringing happiness to those who like me. I would want her to know that in my eyes, she is unique and shining.”

He had a deep, mellow voice.

Even though he was speaking very normal things and not affecting his tone, his words seemed to penetrate the eardrums, causing a tingling sensation. The other two female guests couldn’t help but have their hearts race and faces flush.

It’s not scary if a playboy is handsome; it’s frightening if a playboy is also a warm-hearted man.

Only Tong Zhao raised her hand and scratched her ear, giving him a very harsh label:

“Pure desire has become a demon, this is something else.”

Tong Zhao immediately knew he was downplaying the issue.

The lie detector didn’t go off, most likely because he truly thought that way.

She had a keen eye for people, and Han Zhi was definitely not superficial.

But others didn’t see it that way.

Especially Wei Zekai—

He was moved!

How could someone with such pure thoughts possibly be a playboy?

Even if he drew the special identity card of a playboy, he surely wouldn’t harm girls!

Detective Wei Zekai first ruled out one correct answer and categorized Han Zhi into the safe group in his mind.

Tong Zhao laughed sarcastically in her mind, not expecting that in the next round she would draw “Dare.”

“Dare: Please have the ‘Ghost King’ and the person who drew the smallest number come to Room 2 at 8 PM tonight and mold a pair of ceramic couple cups.”

He Shun immediately looked at his card.

Unfortunately, he drew a rather large number, so he had little hope.

“Ah.”

The old enchantress sitting next to Tong Zhao, who was both pure and seductive, gently shook her square two cards.