Rich Side Character Goes Viral for Gossiping on a Laid-Back Reality Show Ch. 41

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[Stop shipping, please. My man's focused on his career right now. He's got talent and skills—he doesn't need some fake couple hype.]

[Thanks but no thanks. Don't pull my Mubai into this mess!]

[Focus on your own idol. Pretty sure that girl doesn't need to be glued to some male celeb either.]

Meanwhile, Song Mubai was helping prep the frozen chicken breast with care. He even flipped through Ruan Zhiyao's recipe guide, boiled the meat, and shredded it into rough strips.

"You're really good at this. Do you cook often?" Ruan Zhiyao asked, the smile never leaving her face.

Song Mubai gave a sheepish smile. "I'm on the road a lot for shoots. Got tired of takeout every day, so I started messing around in the kitchen. After a while, I just kinda got the hang of it."

Ruan Zhiyao looked down, her voice going soft and a little flustered. "That's... actually really impressive."

His hand froze mid-movement. That tone of hers sent a tingle right to his ears. "I mean... it's not that impressive," he mumbled.

Yu Qianxia, meanwhile, was busy cooking her stewed noodles. She glanced toward the two of them, her eyes thoughtful. She muttered under her breath, "Halfway through the drama and the signal cuts—what a cliffhanger."

With Song Mubai's help, Ruan Zhiyao was the first to finish her dish: shredded chicken noodles.

Director Qian stepped out to announce, "Congrats to Ruan Zhiyao for taking first place! She'll be enjoying the best accommodations tonight—Z City's finest star-rated hotel."

Ruan Zhiyao's lips curled into a smile, pride swelling in her chest.

With Song Mubai hyping her up and winning first place, she was sure to outshine Yan Zhirou this episode.

Feeling good, Ruan Zhiyao strutted over to Yu Qianxia and asked with a bright smile, "Sister Qianxia, need any help?"

"Thanks, but no." Yu Qianxia shot her down, ice-cold.

Ruan Zhiyao's face faltered, her voice turning all pitiful, "Sister Qianxia... you're not gonna stay mad at me forever, right?"

Yu Qianxia narrowed her gaze. "Why? Not satisfied with the Zha Yanrong scandal? Want another scandal to go with it?"

Ruan Zhiyao's smile stiffened. This woman was impossible! She'd even tried being nice and offering a way out—and Yu Qianxia wouldn't take it?

She forced a calm tone, though her eyes burned. "Sister Qianxia, there's nothing between me and President Zha. He already cleared things up online. Please don't keep making things up."

Yu Qianxia lifted a brow, mock-surprised. "Oh, right. Of course Zha Yanrong wouldn't expose himself. Gotta scrub that connection squeaky clean and protect his own reputation."

She—she really dared to say anything!

Ruan Zhiyao stood there stunned, a strange unease creeping in.

Something about this felt really wrong.

Then Yu Qianxia smiled sweetly—too sweet. "But I wonder... does your precious President Zha know you've already cheated on him? One moment you're all lovey-dovey with him, the next you're sneaking around with your rich second-gen boyfriend. Living off President Zha's connections and resources and soaking up the attention of some obsessed heir? Gotta admit, riding two boats must be a pretty fun cruise..."

In that instant, Ruan Zhiyao's expression cracked. Her eyes flew open in shock.

[!!!!]

[AHHHHH it's happening—another juicy bomb just dropped!!]

[Sister Qianxia, my queen! Tell us, who's the rich boyfriend?!]

[This plot twist?? 10/10. Sister Qianxia never lets us down. I'm glued to the screen.]

Ruan Zhiyao's mind was spinning. Her ears buzzed and her thoughts blurred.

Who was Yu Qianxia?! How did she even know about that?!

Her eyes flickered in panic and instinctively darted toward someone—but only for a second, before she quickly looked away.

Yu Qianxia didn't miss that tiny, subconscious move. Her eyes narrowed slightly, a theory quietly clicking into place.

Ruan Zhiyao swallowed her dry throat, carefully picking her words before speaking. "Sister Qianxia, I've never wronged you, have I? Why do you keep slandering me like this?"

"I don't even have a boyfriend, let alone two! If you don't believe the clarification President Zha posted, then fine, I can't force you. But now you're saying I've got two boyfriends? That's completely ridiculous!"

Yu Qianxia gave her a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Oh really? Then why's your rich second-gen boyfriend standing right here on set?"

There were four female guests this episode, and only two male ones. Ji Minghan had already been disqualified and wasn't even present.

That left just one option.

[Wait WHAT?! Is she talking about Song Mubai??]

[No way. There's actually something going on between them??]

[AHHH THIS IS A HUGE BOMBSHELL. Song Mubai's dating Ruan Zhiyao?!]

All eyes swung over in sync. Song Mubai paused ever so slightly, his gaze flickering toward Ruan Zhiyao. For the briefest moment, their eyes met.

Then he looked away calmly, turning to face Yu Qianxia's icy stare. His voice was steady as he spoke. "It's not me. I don't have a girlfriend."

Ruan Zhiyao quickly chimed in, "It's literally my first time meeting Song Mubai. We barely know each other—we're not involved!"

Song Mubai nodded in agreement, voice firm. "Right. We're not close. There's nothing between us."

Yu Qianxia raised a brow, her gaze still fixed on him, lips curving up slightly. "Your girlfriend's cheating on you and you're cool with that? Wow. That's some tolerance."

Song Mubai's brow furrowed slightly. Ruan Zhiyao's heart dropped into her stomach.

Her whole body was cold with panic when Song Mubai pressed his lips into a tight line and replied, "I don't know what you're trying to say. I have no relationship with Ruan Zhiyao."

"And as for Ruan Zhiyao and President Zha," he added, tone steady but sharp, "I believe she's not the kind of person who plays around. Miss Yu, as a fellow woman, you should understand how damaging these kinds of rumors can be. Please don't make up stories and spread lies."

Ruan Zhiyao's eyes shimmered with emotion, rimmed red with tears. She looked at Song Mubai and whispered, "Thank you for believing me."

Song Mubai shook his head softly. There was a fleeting trace of tenderness in his eyes as he said, "It's nothing."

With Song Mubai's firm denial and Ruan Zhiyao playing the sympathy card, public opinion quickly began to shift again.

A lot of viewers started to believe there really was nothing going on.

[So all of Yu Qianxia's "melon" turned out to be fake... what a letdown.]

All credit goes to the original author
Feel free to pinpoint us if there are any grammar error or typos
Please don't use Guazi's translations to re-translate in other languages

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