The top floor of the Chu Group Building, the President's office. Wang Xiao pushed open the office door with a nervous heart.
"Boss... We have results on the young madam's movements over the past week." He stepped forward and carefully placed a folder on the large rosewood desk.
Chu Rong's hands immediately stopped, and he opened the folder to read carefully. However, the more he read, the tighter his brows furrowed, and a chilling aura emanated from him, making Wang Xiao feel as if he were standing in front of an air conditioner vent.
"What's going on with this An Changxian?" Chu Rong glanced coldly at Wang Xiao.
A cold sweat broke out on Wang Xiao's back. He explained, "He's a... male escort. He primarily hunts rich women of all ages and is very good at pleasing women. He can be considered a kept gigolo."
He paused and added, "The manipulative kind. The rich women who broke up with him, although they ended up losing both money and affection, none of them resented him. It was as if Zhou Yu was fighting Huang Gai, one willing to strike, the other willing to endure."
Upon hearing this, Chu Rong's expression loosened considerably. He asked indifferently, "Do you know why she approached An Changxian?"
Wang Xiao shook his head. "Not entirely clear, but the young madam seems to have a purpose. She never actively buys various luxury goods, but with this An Changxian, she was quite ruthless. On their first meeting, she spent over a hundred thousand yuan on him, and in subsequent meetings, she spent at least another five hundred thousand."
Chu Rong tapped the desk. "Keep a close eye on this An Changxian. If he makes any moves, deal with him."
Wang Xiao nodded briskly. "Understood. We're watching him at all times."
Chu Rong flipped through a few more pages, his gaze finally stopping on a photograph, his brows knitting together again.
Wang Xiao mentally counted the pages. Knowing the content, he took the initiative to explain, "The young madam and Gus seem to have met by chance. They don't have any special connection. Gus asking the young madam out for dinner seems to be out of... good impression. After all, the young madam's beauty is undeniable. Any man would find it hard not to look twice."
A cold smile played on Chu Rong's lips. "It seems he's been too bored lately. Find him something to do, so he doesn't try to seduce other people's wives."
Wang Xiao nodded in agreement, sighing inwardly. His secretary's job wasn't easy. Not only did he have to manage the boss's work, but he also had to handle the boss's private life. Sigh...
"A dating show?" Chu Rong suddenly exclaimed, pulling Wang Xiao back from his thoughts.
Wang Xiao remained silent. With An Changxian, it was clear the young madam approached him with a purpose. With Gus, it was definitely Gus being persistent. But this dating show... he didn't know what else to say.
Chu Rong continued to flip through, only asking after he finished, "Any news about the surname Guan recently?"
Wang Xiao immediately perked up, smiling. "No, the young madam doesn't see him much."
Chu Rong's brows relaxed slightly. After a moment, he said, "Send me the director's contact information."
...
Two days passed quickly. Early one morning, Quan Jiu arrived punctually at the recording site of "Heartbeat Rhythm" – a lawn in the suburbs of City A, which was the program's first scene, mainly for guest introductions.
The staff led her to the female guest room and informed her that the recording time was 8:30. Seeing there was still half an hour, Quan Jiu took out her laptop and decided to write some script.
However, she hadn't been writing for long before the other female guests started arriving. They were all ordinary people and didn't know each other, so greetings and pleasantries were inevitable upon meeting.
But after all, it was their first meeting, and young people are mostly self-centered. After greeting each other, they all took out their phones and played on their own, except for one person wearing a pale yellow puffball dress, who looked very lively and active.
After greeting everyone, she sat next to Quan Jiu, sighing with emotion, "Hello, my name is Mai Su. You're so beautiful, I thought I was pretty good-looking, but compared to you, I'm simply a ugly duckling."
Quan Jiu smiled friendly and introduced herself, saying politely, "You've all been carefully selected by the director. I'm just here to make up the numbers."
Mai Su looked curious. "I heard the male guests this time are all one in a hundred. What kind of person do you like?"
Quan Jiu thought for a moment before replying, "Mainly character."
Mai Su said "oh" and seemed about to ask more when a staff member walked in, handed the five of them a number tag, and said, "They will call you out shortly. Just enter according to your number."
Mai Su glanced at her number, which was two, then at Quan Jiu's number, which was five. She then put on a nervous expression and asked the staff, "What about the others? Are there any special instructions? Are we starting to record right away?"
The staff member nodded. "This is a reality dating show. Apart from some specific activity arrangements in sequence, everything else is free improvisation, including your entrance later, which is also free improvisation."
Mai Su asked again, "What about the activity arrangements? Can't you tell us in advance? So we can be prepared."
The staff member apologized. "Sorry, we can't reveal the activity arrangements in advance, but don't worry, we will ensure everyone's safety."
As soon as she finished speaking, they heard a voice from the microphone outside calling, "Please welcome the first female guest."
The first female guest covered her heart in surprise. "So sudden? Everyone, I'll be going first." She walked out in high heels.
Then, one by one, the guests were called. When the fifth number was called, Quan Jiu, holding her number tag, calmly walked out of the waiting room.
On the vast lawn, various equipment was set up. A square open space was cleared in the middle. The four female guests who had already entered stood side by side, looking towards the entrance with the host and the on-site staff.
A tall figure strode out, dressed in a stylish and fashionable sportswear that accentuated her curvaceous figure. Her long ponytail was tied at the back of her head, making her look energetic. Coupled with her exquisite features, she captivated everyone present. The photographer followed her closely, as if wanting to capture her from every possible angle.
The host was also momentarily stunned before snapping back to reality. He wanted to say something to express his admiration but found his mind completely blank, unable to find better words to describe her. Finally, he could only exclaim, "Wow," and jokingly said,
"In my more than ten years of work, this is the first time I've lost my composure in front of the camera. We're all workers, and earning a living isn't easy. Please edit out the previous part for me, I'm afraid I might lose my job."
The other female guests all laughed in cooperation. Quan Jiu also happened to walk onto the stage.
"Hello everyone, my name is Quan Jiu, and I'm currently a freelance scriptwriter."
Seeing that she had nothing else to say, the host proactively asked, "Do you have any expectations for the male guests this season? What kind of person are you hoping to meet?"
Quan Jiu smiled with some difficulty. "I haven't really thought about what kind of person I want to find. It's about chemistry."
"She wants someone with good character," Mai Su chimed in.
Quan Jiu nodded slightly. "Yes, I value character very much. Sincere, devoted, but these things are actually not easy to judge. As they say, time reveals a person's heart. To find the right person, for me, requires a long period of interaction."
In other words, it was basically impossible to find someone suitable among guests met temporarily on the show.
The host wasn't afraid of stirring things up and said with a smile, "It seems you're not very confident about our male guests. But I heard that the male guests this season are all industry elites, especially the fifth mystery guest, who is rumored to be the person every unmarried woman in City A wants to marry."
Mai Su immediately joked, "Are you trying to say that this mystery male guest is equivalent to five, and actually only he is enough, and the others are superfluous, right?"
The host smiled helplessly. "No, no, the others are all very good too. Please welcome the first male guest!"