After returning to the Heartbeat Cabin, everyone said their goodnights and went back to their rooms.
Before going to bed, Liu Lang checked the system and was surprised to find that his reputation had unknowingly surpassed 60,000.
Even though the show wasn’t airing live at the moment, the number kept rising.
Curious, he did a little digging.
It turned out that several news stories about him had gone viral online.
One of them, riding the wave of today’s episode’s popularity, was his song—which had drawn massive attention and heated discussion among netizens:
“Amazing! He performed a hit original song live. This guy isn’t just a regular contestant—he’s clearly a hidden master playing dumb!”
“This song is genuinely good. In the era of internet traffic, good music is getting rarer. Just look at the music charts—most of them are dominated by Korean pop. This song, filled with youthful energy and romantic emotions, is like a refreshing spring in the stagnant waters of our domestic music scene.”
“……”
Following that, the production team officially uploaded an edited version of the scene where the theme song was changed, which received massive praise and approval from viewers.
At the same time, the crew of Koala Lovers officially announced the decision on the theme song.
The combined effect of all these news pieces created an explosive wave of popularity.
That day, almost all the entertainment headlines were dominated by these three sources.
Naturally, Liu Lang was in a great mood.
Fame and money were coming in together, pushing him another step closer to leveling up.
Having tasted the benefits, Liu Lang’s mindset began to shift.
He realized that he couldn’t just slack off on this show—he needed to take it seriously.
However, not everyone was happy that night.
At the very least, Liu Tianxian’s mood was quite complicated.
The show had gone viral, and all the guests’ popularity had risen significantly.
Among the female guests, she received the most attention.
But the events of the day had also brought her a lot of trouble.
First of all, because of her choices, her fan community was in turmoil:
“The sky is falling—Tianxian actually confessed her feelings to a male contestant. I feel like I can’t love anymore.”
“It’s over! The cool and aloof goddess image has totally collapsed!”
“I thought she was just acting, but she’s actually serious. I don’t get it. Even if she wants to date, why go for a no-name rookie? Is this what they call desperation?”
There was a lot of noise. Even though many fans tried to remain rational and mediate the situation, quite a few people unfollowed her, which significantly affected her popularity.
To make matters worse, deep into the night, her mother gave her a call with some bad news—
“The lead female role in Megashark Abyss has been finalized—it’s going to be Li Bing.”
“……” Liu Tianxian fell silent.
This was the first truly major co-invested commercial film between China and Hollywood.
The male lead was none other than the global superstar, Gordon Statham. If she could land this film, her career in cinema would skyrocket.
But now…
“Didn’t they say they were fighting for me?” she asked coldly.
“You know the reason. This is a warning.”
“I’m not going to be his girlfriend!”
“That’s why I pushed you to join the show. But clearly, you didn’t understand my intentions… You’re not supposed to actually fall in love—unless you choose the right person.”
“It’s just a variety show.” Liu Tianxian paused, then added, “Besides, how do you know I didn’t choose the right one?”
“I’m not blind!” her mother snapped.
“Are you sure?” Liu Tianxian chuckled. “Then tell me, how exactly should I choose?”
“I don’t know, but it’s definitely not him. Maybe one of the guys in Building B, or maybe someone who hasn’t even arrived yet. Why do you think Yu Shuxi didn’t choose Building A? Among the four of you, she’s the only one who didn’t get a formal invitation—her family forced her in.”
“……” Liu Tianxian was speechless. She paused, then sneered:
“Maybe you should go on the show instead. You’re so beautiful and smart—clearly more qualified than me.”
“Don’t be ridiculous! Talk properly!”
Her mother blew up on the spot.
After receiving a solid round of scolding, Liu Tianxian hung up the phone and sighed, lying sideways on the bed and staring out the window.
Her mind was a mess.
She didn’t know what to do anymore.
Should she continue… or quit?
She could no longer tell if Liu Lang was that person.
In fact, she wasn’t even sure whether she wanted him to be or not.
Her thoughts spiraled endlessly until, suddenly, she sat up.
She picked up her phone and played the song that had been written for her…
Early the next morning, the guests started waking up one by one.
The live broadcast of the Heartbeat show resumed.
Hua Chenxue came downstairs from the second floor and was immediately drawn by the scene in the open-concept kitchen.
Yang Mi, Reba, and Liu Tianxian were all busy preparing breakfast.
His eyes lit up, and he quickly approached:
“Need any help?”
“No, thank you. We didn’t make much anyway,” Yang Mi said with a smile.
“……” Hua Chenxue froze.
He quickly realized that she was right—Yang Mi and Reba had only prepared enough for the two of them.
Feeling awkward, he turned and saw Liu Tianxian had made quite a bit.
Porridge, vegetables—nutritious and varied.
Delighted, he stepped forward with a compliment:
“Tianxian-jie, your cooking skills are amazing! If only I could get a taste…”
“Sure. Meal fee: 20. No credit,” Liu Tianxian replied with a sweet smile.
“(￣ー￣*|||” Hua Chenxue’s eye twitched.
Seeing this, the live chat immediately exploded with comments:
“No way! Only 20 for a breakfast made by Tianxian-jie herself? I’ll take as many as she’s got!”
“Dream on! They’re not allowed to use personal money on the show. And the task hasn’t started yet—everyone’s still broke. How would they even pay?”
“Exactly! To encourage potential romance, the show has a rule—unless two guests have mutual interest or are already teamed up, everyone must fend for themselves.”
“No wonder Mi and Reba only made a little.”
“Then what about Liu Tianxian? Why did she make so much?”
“Wait a minute… could it be!!??”
While viewers speculated wildly, Liu Lang walked into the dining room yawning.
Sniffing the air, he made his way to the kitchen:
“What’s cooking? Smells good.”
“(￢_￢) Serve yourself!” Liu Tianxian said.
“??” Liu Lang paused. I was just asking…
“Fine, don’t eat then!”
No way—only a fool would pass that up.
Without another word, Liu Lang grabbed a plate and helped himself.
Boom! The chat room went wild:
“Holy sh*t! It’s true…”
“You’ve got to be kidding! Why him?!”
“They’re teammates! You think that Follow Card was for decoration?”
“Damn it! Tianxian-jie made that meal with love! Liu Lang, you lucky bastard!”
“I swear, if anyone votes for this guy again, I’ll unfriend you!”
“Savage…”
The chatroom was in chaos.
Yang Mi and Reba ate their breakfast while sneaking amused glances at the two.
Hua Chenxue, red in the face, gave a dry cough:
“Ahem, lovely weather today. Perfect for a morning walk.”
“……” No one responded.
Awkwardly, he turned and left.
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