Chapter 3: You Don't Want Us to Become a PR Couple, Do You? (Please bookmark and keep up with the updates)

The situation reached a stalemate.

Just as the two were staring each other down, a voice drifted over from the side. "Hi, uh, you two are..."

Hearing the voice, they both turned their heads in unison. It was Wang Chuanjun, looking at them with a very peculiar expression.

"Is that Teacher Chuanjun? I'm Meng Ziyi, I really love your film *Dying to Survive*."

"Thank you, thank you," Wang Chuanjun said, pressing his palms together in gratitude.

Xu Xiu glanced at Meng Ziyi with some surprise. He had watched the first season of the show and knew that Meng Ziyi often spoke without thinking; he hadn't expected her to actually use her brain this time. The fact that she didn't bring up *iPartment* showed she had made some progress over the year.

Xu Xiu knew Wang Chuanjun, of course; he had watched *iPartment* plenty of times. It was well-known that *iPartment* was a label Wang Chuanjun desperately wanted to tear off. He wanted to be a real actor, though his methods had been somewhat extreme. Because of those actions, the production team and his fellow cast members had drifted apart from him—it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they had completely cut ties.

Xu Xiu hadn't expected Wang Chuanjun to show up on a variety show. He remembered Wang Chuanjun saying he would never record one, so why the sudden change of heart? The Wang Chuanjun standing there now looked incredibly socially anxious, a far cry from the high-spirited person he was during the *iPartment* days.

"Teacher Chuanjun, could you help me with my suitcase? It's too heavy; I can't lift it myself."

"No problem. You don't need to touch it; I can get it into the trunk myself."

"Thank you, I'm really putting you out."

"Don't mention it, it's no trouble at all."

Soon, Wang Chuanjun had helped Meng Ziyi put her suitcase in the trunk.

"Who's driving?" Wang Chuanjun asked with a sheepish grin.

"I'm an average driver, a bit slow," Xu Xiu replied truthfully. This concerned all three of their lives; he didn't dare joke about it. If they ended up in a ditch, that wouldn't be fun at all.

*Shock! ...* Nobody wanted to be the subject of a headline like that.

"I know a little bit, but I'm afraid you guys wouldn't dare ride with me," Meng Ziyi said with a playful flick of her tongue.

"Forget it then. You, sit down. Teacher Chuanjun, you drive."

Xu Xiu's words immediately made Meng Ziyi roll her eyes. Not only did he not help her with her luggage, but now he was mocking her. So annoying!

Wang Chuanjun shrugged. "Guess that's the only way. Luckily, I've had my license for ten years."

"Wow, ten years? I didn't expect Teacher Chuanjun to be such a veteran driver. Does that mean you're used to driving... fast?" Meng Ziyi asked, puzzled.

Xu Xiu started coughing violently at these words, and even Wang Chuanjun looked embarrassed, offering a helpless smile toward the camera. Meng Ziyi was baffled by their reactions. She thought for a moment and asked, "Did I say something wrong again? That's just how I am. I used to get scolded all the time for saying the wrong thing. I don't mean to—my mouth just moves faster than my brain."

Wang Chuanjun waved a hand to show he didn't mind. At his age, being a father, such things were trivial to him. He didn't mind, but the audience started buzzing.

"As expected of Sister Meng! When you say things like that, it always feels a bit... off."

"Wait, what? Is this appropriate? Why are we talking about 'driving' already? I want to get off! This isn't the bus to kindergarten! /blush"

"This season is going to be interesting. Someone who can actually roast Sister Meng has arrived!"

"Wait! You guys are taking this too far! Is this 'roast' you're talking about... innocent?"

"Exactly, which 'aspect' are we roasting? You should elaborate, maybe write a 5,000-word essay. I have a friend who loves reading that stuff!"

The car started. The three fell into silence again, the air thick with awkwardness. Oh, and the sound of Xu Xiu "munching" on his melon.

"By the way, where are you guys from?" Meng Ziyi broke the ice. As a returning cast member from the first season, she felt it was her duty to bridge the gap with the new arrivals. She didn't want to prove how great she was, but rather show everyone she wasn't completely useless.

"I'm from Shanghai."

"Oh? Brother Jun, you're a Shanghainese? A 'new' Shanghainese or a 'native' one?"

"New." Wang Chuanjun’s answers were concise, just like the person he was now.

Meng Ziyi turned her gaze to Xu Xiu, wondering where he was from.

"What are you staring at me for? I'm from the Northeast!"

"What if I am staring? I'm from the Northeast, too! Which part?"

Xu Xiu paused. He hadn't expected the dainty-sounding Meng Ziyi to be a fellow Northeasterner. After watching the show yesterday and interacting with her today, he couldn't associate her with the typical image of a Northeasterner. There was a saying: "Out of the ten measures of gentleness in Northeastern women, Chen Xiaoxu took twelve, leaving the rest of us in debt by two!"

"Where in the Northeast?" they both asked in unison.

"I'm from Chuncheng!" they shouted together. It was a total coincidence!

"I'm from the Erdao District."

"I'm from the Nanguan District."

"Fellow townsman! We’re real hometown buddies! Since that's the case, I'll look out for you on the show!" Meng Ziyi patted her chest. Because of the motion, her chest bounced rhythmically.

"What are you doing? Are you trying to 'ship' us as a couple? If you do that, I'm going to have to be on guard against you!" Xu Xiu shifted toward the car door, clutching his melon tighter.

This comment made Wang Chuanjun, driving in the front, laugh out loud. He felt Meng Ziyi's words were just a friendly greeting between fellow hometown folks, never expecting Xu Xiu to jump straight to the idea of a "showmance." This guy was crazy!

Meng Ziyi, however, pulled a long face. Xu Xiu was using her own lines against her! And not only did he steal her lines, was that physical recoil of his for real?

"What do you mean? Why are you looking at me with such disgust? If—and I mean if—you could be in a 'ship' with me, wouldn't you feel proud and excited?"

"Why would I be proud or excited? What kind of sane person would want to be in a 'ship' with a Northeastern tigress? Unless I have a death wish, and I still want to live for a few more years."

Meng Ziyi: "???"

When Meng Ziyi made her "question mark face," the audience exploded.

"Holy cow! This is wild! If PDD gets pregnant, all of you asking for 'CPDD' are responsible!"

"What is this? Why are we talking about showmances already? I didn't sign up for a dating show! Why the hell are you 'shipping' people?"

"Don't panic, guys. Xu Xiu is actually quoting Sister Meng's own words back to her."

"I'm dying! Sister Meng actually said that line to someone else before. I admit I was too harsh on her earlier—Xu Xiu, keep it up!"