During the Q&A segment of our dating reality show, the producer asked me: "Have you dated before?" I gave a polite, reserved answer: "Yes, but our personalities didn't match, so we broke up." Next, they interviewed the A-list actor, Liam Sterling. He answered: "Yes. My ex-girlfriend is actually on this dating show right now." The production crew, smelling the drama, excitedly pressed: "Care to share which dating show?" The A-list actor smiled faintly at the camera: "The one we're filming right now." The internet exploded that very day. Netizens turned into detectives, trying to hunt down which female cast member was the actor's ex. Meanwhile, I quietly backed away from him on set, hoping to distance myself as much as humanly possible. 1 Love Signals was a celebrity dating reality show that generated massive hype before it even aired. The highest buzz was surrounding the "Ice & Fire" pairing: A-list actor Liam Sterling and the rising pop star/actress, Chloe Vance. They had just finished airing a wildly popular fantasy drama where they played star-crossed, enemies-to-lovers. When Chloe made her entrance, the live chat went absolutely wild— "Ahhh Chloe is here! She's so gorgeous!" "Chloe and Liam! Are they coming on this show to officially announce their relationship?!" "I'm shipping them so hard, the Ice & Fire ship is too sweet!" My reception was vastly different. When I stepped onto the screen, the live chat was flooded with boos— "Why did the show invite Maya Lin? She makes me sick!" "Maya is such a clout-chaser. She's obviously just here to leech off the Ice & Fire ship." "Bad publicity is still publicity, I guess. Some people have no shame." This show utilized a live-stream format. Every weekend, an edited highlight reel would be uploaded to major streaming platforms like Netflix and Hulu. I was the first to enter the "Heartbeat Villa" set up by the production team. I chose the most secluded seat in the corner and sat down. The second person to walk in was Liam Sterling. My ex-boyfriend. 2 I shifted in my seat, subtly trying to put more distance between us. He raised an eyebrow. Before he could even say hello, a bright, giggling voice echoed from the grand entrance. "Oh my gosh, you guys are already here!" "Maya, long time no see!" "Liam, we meet again!" Chloe Vance was wearing a cute crop top and a denim skirt, looking incredibly youthful and bubbly. As soon as she walked in, she acted like she owned the place, plopping down right next to Liam and happily chatting him up. The production team had purposefully set up a large screen showing the live chat. I glanced at it— "Wow wow wow! The Ice & Fire ship is feeding us!" "So sweet! The way Liam looks at Chloe is pure fire!" "Please just announce it already, I've got my wedding gift money ready!" Ten minutes later, all eight cast members—four men and four women—had arrived. Half were celebrities, and half were elites from other industries. The producers had everyone take turns answering one question: Have you ever dated before? Chloe looked at Liam with a shy, coy smile and answered: "No, but I do have a type that I really admire." The chat started shipping them aggressively again. When it was my turn, I gave a reserved answer: "Yes, but our personalities didn't match, so we broke up." The chat immediately found a way to insult me— "Lmao, 'personalities didn't match.' More like she has a terrible personality, the guy couldn't stand her, and he dumped her!" Then it was Liam's turn to answer. Everyone waited in anticipation. His beautifully shaped lips curled up slightly, and he said in a slow, deliberate tone: "Yes. My ex-girlfriend is actually on this dating show right now." 3 His answer was like dropping a bomb. Not only did the live chat explode, but even the show's director couldn't hide his excitement. The director pressed: "Care to share which dating show?" Liam's gaze brushed over me, almost imperceptibly. I pretended I didn't see a thing. Ahem. What is this guy playing at? Is he trying to drag me down to generate hype for his new rumored relationship? Dream on! I'm not cooperating. The director, itching for the scoop, asked again: "Can't you tell us?" Liam let out a light chuckle, acting as if it were a joke: "The one we're filming right now." The live chat instantly melted down! "Is Liam telling the truth???" "Chloe must be Liam's ex, right? No wonder their chemistry in that drama was so insane." "Did Liam come on this dating show just to win back his old love?" "This is the most beautiful love story ever, I'm shipping them so hard!" 4 The show had its viral moment. The director was thrilled. But I was incredibly unthrilled. Taking advantage of a bathroom break, I texted Liam on WhatsApp: "Is your brain malfunctioning?" Liam: "Yeah, there's water in it." Me: "???" Liam didn't reply again. The show was still filming, so I couldn't stay away too long. I washed my hands and stepped out. Just in time for the room selection segment. I absolutely did not want to share a room with Chloe, but she intimately linked her arm through mine. "Maya, let's share a room! It's been so long since we caught up. We can stay up all night talking!" I pulled my arm away and said calmly: "We're supposed to draw lots. Let's stick to the rules of the game." Why is she pretending we're besties? We were on a variety show together before. She used me as a stepping stone, establishing her "gentle best friend" persona, then paid off the editors to maliciously cut my footage, causing me to get cyberbullied by the entire internet. Does she really think the same trick will work twice? "What is Maya's problem?" "Chloe is being so nice, why is Maya being such an ungrateful bitch!" "Chloe, ignore her, she's not worth it!" I didn't care what the chat was saying. I stepped forward and drew a card first. Oh wow. Blessed by the RNG gods. I drew a single room. "Let's help the girls carry their luggage upstairs, right?" One of the male cast members suggested. Seeing Liam walking toward my side of the room, I quickly grabbed my suitcase and sprinted up the stairs like an Olympic athlete. 5 Nighttime. It was time for the anonymous "Heartbeat Text" segment. I thought about it and sent an encouraging text to Noah Grant, a young actor who was just as unpopular as I was: "The weather was beautiful today. Hope you're happy." Ding! Someone sent me a Heartbeat Text. It read: "The water in my brain is the tears you cried yesterday." I knew instantly it was from Liam. What a psycho. The live chat was guessing— "Who sent Maya a Heartbeat Text?" "Well, it definitely wasn't Liam." "Chloe got a text saying she looked beautiful today. That was 100% Liam." "Is the Heartbeat Text just someone telling Maya her brain is full of water? Hahaha I'm dead!" 6 The next morning, I woke up naturally. Downstairs, Chloe was serving Liam breakfast. "Liam, I know you have a sensitive stomach, so I made you some oatmeal." Liam looked up, glanced at me standing at the top of the stairs, and said flatly: "My stomach is fine." Chloe's smile faltered for a second before she recovered: "When we were on set before, you had a stomach ache once that really scared me! I'm just glad you're all better now." Liam didn't respond. I figured I'd avoid them and started to head back to my room. "Aren't you going to eat breakfast?" Liam called out to me. "I'll eat later, thanks." I replied politely. Chloe walked over to me with a beaming smile: "Skipping breakfast is a bad habit! I made a whole pot of oatmeal for Liam, but he can't finish it all by himself. Why don't you have a bowl?" She sounded exactly like his girlfriend. Her fans ate it right up. Even early in the morning, people were watching the stream— "Having a girlfriend like Chloe is such a blessing! Liam better cherish her!" "Liam said his stomach was fine because he didn't want Chloe to worry. It's a two-way street of love!" "Maya needs to leave, she's ruining the shot. So unnecessary!" 7 I had nowhere to hide, so I decided to just cook some noodles myself. I inherited my cooking skills from my grandmother; it's not something to scoff at. Back when Liam and I were still dating, he would always hold me and beg: "Baby, let's go on a date to the farmer's market today, please?" I'd laugh and push him away: "Is it a date, or are you just craving food?" He'd flip over, pin me down, and stare at me with those deep, dark eyes: "If you won't let me crave good food, then I guess I'll just have to crave you." I could never say no to him. We'd wear disguises to look ugly and hold hands as we went to the market to buy groceries. The Heartbeat Villa didn't have a ton of ingredients, so I decided to make a simple, traditional Hangzhou-style noodle soup. The savory aroma of the broth began to drift through the air. Noah, who had just come downstairs, let out a howl: "Who is seducing my stomach right now?!" I replied politely: "Noah, you haven't eaten yet, right? I made a small pot, enough for two." Before Noah could even walk over, Liam beat him to it. Liam's "electric" eyes—as his fans called them—currently looked like a wet puppy's as he stared at the pot: "Can I have some?" I silently backed away a bit: "Sorry, I already promised Noah." The chat scoffed at me— "It's just a bowl of noodles, what's the big deal? Liam, let Chloe cook for you!" "Chloe is a great cook, she's such a hidden gem!" Chloe must have seen the comments scrolling on the big screen. She winked playfully at me: "I'll cook some noodles too! Let's have a competition, Maya. Let's see whose noodles taste better!" 8 The kitchen had two stoves. Chloe started her performance. Her movements were very elegant. I took one look. Oh, it's because her French manicure is too long, making it hard to wash the vegetables. No wonder she's slow. "Liam, could you help me tie the apron strings?" Chloe held up an apron, looking at Liam with pleading eyes. Coincidentally, Liam was also holding up a pink, women's apron, as if he had anticipated this. Noah and I stood to the side, basically eating popcorn. Noah winked at me and whispered his gossip: "I already placed my bet. Five bags of spicy strips on guessing who Liam's ex is." I was surprised: "Where are you betting?" Noah: "You don't know? The internet is going crazy. There's a massive online poll guessing who Liam's ex-girlfriend is. Chloe is currently at 99%." Curious, I whispered: "How many votes do I have?" Noah gave me a look of pure pity: "0.008%." Me: ... Suddenly, Chloe let out a surprised gasp: "Liam?" Liam was holding the pink apron, but he was walking toward me. The guy moved too fast. Before I could dodge, he slipped the apron over my head. His cool fingertips brushed against the back of my neck, making me shiver involuntarily. He didn't seem to notice. He seriously and tightly tied the strings behind my back. "Maya, do your best in the competition. I'll be waiting for your noodles." He took a step back, the corners of his mouth curling into a faint smile. 9 I never had any intention of competing with Chloe over cooking noodles. I was just about to take the apron off when I heard Chloe cry out in pain: "Ah! It burns!" She had lifted the pot lid and was probably hit by the steam. Chloe bit her lower lip, looking like she was on the verge of tears: "Liam... could you help me get some burn ointment? It's in my suitcase in my room." The fans in the live stream were heartbroken— "Oh my god, Chloe got burned! It must hurt so much!" "Liam, hurry up and help her apply the ointment! Go get it!" "Is Liam so heartbroken he froze? Why is he just standing there?" I couldn't help but look at Liam. He smiled slightly, looking completely harmless, and said in a slow, deliberate tone: "I'm a guy. It's not appropriate for me to go into the women's bedrooms." "Chloe, your legs are fine, right?" "Why don't you go up to your room and get the ointment yourself? I'm afraid if you don't hurry, the burn will heal itself." I almost couldn't hold back my laughter. This guy actually exposed his toxic, sharp-tongued nature on camera! I looked at Chloe's hand. There was absolutely nothing wrong with it; it was just red from her rubbing it herself. But she acted like she was in agony, inhaling sharply and whining weakly: "Liam, you're still joking around! Fine, fine, I know you respect boundaries. I'll just go back to my room and apply it myself." She stomped her foot and ran upstairs. The chat was thrilled— "Wow wow wow! Chloe said Liam respects boundaries, they are 100% a confirmed couple!" "No need to guess anymore, Liam's ex is definitely Chloe." "I'm calling her sister-in-law early!" "Liam, hurry up and win her back! My Ice & Fire ship can never sink!" 10 After breakfast, it was time for the blind date segment. According to the rules, the female cast members would draw lots. Unfortunately, I drew Liam. And Chloe drew Noah. The chat started raging immediately— "Is the production team trying to torture us on purpose?" "Watching Liam go on a date with Maya is worse than eating a hundred flies!" "Maya, you better know your place and swap with Chloe right now, or I'll curse out your entire family!" The insults got uglier and uglier. Which only triggered my rebellious side. I originally wanted to swap with Chloe, but now I absolutely wasn't going to. I smiled slightly at Liam: "Liam, I'll be in your care today." Liam returned his signature calm smile: "Don't say that, Maya. The honor is all mine." The date location the show had set up was a haunted house. Thanks a lot. I had been to a haunted house with Liam before. He looks cold and composed on the outside, but he's actually terrified of ghosts. Last time, he was so scared by a female ghost NPC that he howled and clung to me for dear life. If that happened on camera, I wouldn't just be getting my family cursed out. "You better act brave later!" Taking advantage of a gap before entering, when the cameras weren't rolling, I warned Liam in a low voice. "Don't jump on me." Liam looked completely innocent: "Fear of ghosts is a psychological condition. I can't control it." I threatened him: "If you 'can't control it,' I'll leak all your embarrassing secrets." Liam actually looked intrigued: "What embarrassing secrets do I have? Tell me." I lowered my voice even more: "The aloof A-list actor is actually a massive simp behind closed doors. He sleeps hugging a plushie, and his mental age is exactly nine years old!" Liam raised an eyebrow and laughed: "Why does that sound kind of cute?" Me: ... Narcissist! 11 The haunted house was chilling and pitch black. A bloody head swung from the ceiling. I felt Liam practically pressing against my back. I said loudly: "Liam, don't be scared, it's all fake!" Liam hissed: "It feels very real." Just as he finished speaking, a horrifying NPC lunged out from a corner! Liam let out a howl and grabbed my wrist: "Maya! Where are you?!" I laughed out of sheer frustration. Where am I? In your demonic clutches! I tried to stay calm: "Liam, if you're really scared, grab my jacket, and I'll lead you out." Liam didn't hold back; he directly grabbed my hand. The night-vision cameras were rolling. Even though it wasn't perfectly clear, it was enough for the audience to see. I decided to just embrace the chaos, dragging Liam in a dead sprint, talking absolute nonsense: "Liam, run! As long as you run faster than the ghosts, you'll be fine!" Liam actually seemed amused by me. He squeezed my hand. I squeezed back, hard. Liam laughed again, whispering extremely quietly: "I'll let you vent." When we exited the haunted house, I noticed the production crew's expressions were very colorful. There was a faint trace of the joy of eating drama. Me: ??? The makeup artist gestured for me to look at the live chat. I took a glance at her phone. "Am I deaf?! What did I just hear?!" "Liam called Maya 'Maya'!" "Liam held Maya's hand! He was holding it so tight!" "Everyone stay calm! We all know Liam is terrified of ghosts. It was just a subconscious action out of fear."
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