Chapter 3: Take a Good Look—I’m Divorced

Le Xi arrived late. Shen Xiaoman had told her to remain calm in the car and wait for instructions to be the last to appear on stage—first to spark the audience’s curiosity, then to let them down hard. Let them vent their anger at Le Xi for a while, and then buy a trending topic about Le Xi being cast out by a wealthy family. The buzz would be phenomenal.

Sure enough, as soon as Le Xi stepped out, the barrage of comments was unanimous in scolding the production team.

“Are you out of your mind, inviting a married woman to a dating show? Do you just want to get cancelled?”

“You did so well with the other guests, but this one is a flop. Le Xi has been irrelevant for ages—if I weren’t feeling nostalgic and re-watching old dramas, I wouldn’t even know her.”

“I can’t stand women like her, chasing after riches and abandoning her fans.”

“Production team, don’t get cocky. Hurry up and replace her. I was finally interested in a variety show, and now if you make me watch such freaks, I’ll curse your ancestors in the square…”

Even the other guests found Le Xi an odd fit—either they didn't know her, or they were wary because of her married status. Any hint of intimacy with her wouldn’t just be controversial; it would get them blacklisted.

Only Gu Xiaomo came forward, claiming to be Le Xi’s best friend. “Xi Xi, we’re supposed to be best friends, yet you never told me you were coming on this show. We could’ve come together, you know? Or am I not your friend in your eyes? I’m so hurt.”

She knew precisely how to steer the hate towards Le Xi.

“I knew you’d be on this show, but you didn’t know I would? So is it me who isn’t your friend?” Le Xi tossed the question back at Gu Xiaomo. When Le Xi got married, she’d considered Gu Xiaomo her closest friend and handed all her resources over to her. Gu Xiaomo thanked her, congratulated her on marrying into wealth, and then turned around to badmouth her in front of Song Qi and Song Jiaolan, hoping to see her downfall.

When Song Qi and Song Jiaolan were slow to cast her out of the family, Gu Xiaomo went to Le Xi’s family to stir up trouble, saying how hard they’d worked to raise Le Xi, only for her to marry off so easily, and persuaded them to demand a huge sum from the Song family. Later, when she heard Song Qi was hitting Le Xi, she nearly burst with laughter and even said, “Beating means affection; Song Qi must love you. I’m so envious.” Such absurdities made Le Xi realize Gu Xiaomo was a frenemy.

Gu Xiaomo’s jaw dropped. When did silly Le Xi stop being so naïve? But her mind worked quickly, and she kept smiling, steering the conversation back to Le Xi. “Well, that’s because this is a dating show, and you’re married. Who would expect a married woman to participate? As your good friend, I can’t just watch you make a mistake. If you want the spotlight, I’ll pull some strings and get you a role that suits you.”

Gu Xiaomo then bowed to the other guests and the camera. “I’m so sorry, everyone. I apologize on Le Xi’s behalf. She’s not a bad person; she’s just been a housewife for too long and can’t stand the monotony. Please don’t blame her.”

As Gu Xiaomo apologized, the live chat was filled with apologies to her.

“Xiaomo, I just realized how nice you are. I used to scold you because of my useless ex-husband. I’m sorry.”

“Sister Xiaomo, you’re not at fault—Le Xi is. Why should you be the one apologizing?”

“Le Xi, have you no shame? Just get lost.”

“Poor her husband, having to marry someone like that…”

“That’s enough with the fake sympathy. Someone who says ‘beating means affection’ can’t possibly be a good person. Apologizing on my behalf? Ha.” Le Xi’s retort left Gu Xiaomo speechless.

Le Xi pulled out her divorce certificate, opened it, and held it up to the camera. “Take a good look—I’m divorced. I’m single.”

Gu Xiaomo bent halfway in embarrassment—had Le Xi lost her mind from being beaten? She called me fake? Divorce?

At first, Gu Xiaomo was furious, but soon she felt she could forgive Le Xi. She’d finally been thrown out by the wealthy family. She wanted to laugh, but it was too tragic to show it. She suppressed her urge, nearly making herself sick.

“Oh, Le Xi, is there some misunderstanding? I’ve always been genuine with you. How could I be fake?” Gu Xiaomo forced a smile.

Le Xi reached out and poked the corner of Gu Xiaomo’s eye. “Your crow’s feet betray you. Look how happy you are. Haven’t you always wanted me kicked out? Now your wish has come true. Holding back your laughter is bad for your health—if you want to laugh, just laugh.”

“What are you insinuating, Le Xi?” The urge to laugh was instantly quashed. Crow’s feet? Her endorsed eye cream was supposed to eliminate those—was Le Xi accusing her of false advertising? This was a coveted high-end endorsement.

Off to the side, Cui Meiying, like the viewers, couldn’t stand it anymore and fired back at Le Xi. “So what if you’re divorced? Three days out and you’re already on a dating show—how desperate are you for men?”

Gu Xiaomo secretly cheered—well said, keep going.

“And wearing a crop top in the dead of winter? How much do you crave attention?” Cui Meiying added.

Le Xi shot right back, and the tension on set was palpable. The director checked Weibo: the top ten trending topics were all about them—

#LeXiCastOutByWealthyFamily (explosive)

#DivorcedActressOnDatingShowAfterThreeDays (explosive)

#LeXiCallsGuXiaomoAFake

#LeXiAndGuXiaomoArePlasticFriends

#‘LetUsLoveBravely’IsAFreakShow

#LeXiAndCuiMeiyingSpar

… The show dominated the trends. The director glanced again—the live viewership had soared to twenty million and was still rising.

Now that’s what you call a viral show. The host stepped in to ease the tension, clutching his stomach and pretending to laugh heartily. “Everyone here is so witty and playful. Now that we’ve had our fun, let’s start forming teams and begin the recording.”

He picked up a lottery box handed over by the staff. “Let’s draw lots to form the pairs.”

“Host, how about we choose our own partners instead?” Gu Xiaomo suggested. Besides Cui Meiying and Wang Sisi, the male guests—Huo Hongming, Deng Jiachao, Wang Zhuorui, and Gu Junhao—all agreed.

Gu Xiaomo, Cui Meiying, and Wang Sisi were afraid of drawing Huo Hongming, a man who thrived on drama. They wanted buzz but not to get entangled with a notorious playboy and ruin their prospects.

Huo Hongming and the other men, meanwhile, dreaded ending up with Le Xi, the freshly divorced woman who even argued with her supposed best friend. Cui Meiying was a catch—they genuinely hoped to play the love game with her, and Gu Xiaomo was also a top choice. They all wanted a shot at the spotlight.

Everyone looked nervously at the host, who glanced at the director off-camera. The director shook his head. The live chat was full of calls for free pairing—they wanted to see Le Xi awkwardly left without a partner. But the director was having none of it. If you always give in to the audience, where’s the controversy?

The host announced, “That won’t do. We have to follow the rules. Let’s all draw lots.”

A collective sigh went around the room.