Chapter 40: Lv Ming: Say you love me! Reba (crying): I love you! [Requesting Monthly Votes]

"Brother, has anyone ever told you that you are quite pretentious?"

Lü Ming took another sip of wine: "Fearless of wind and rain upon arrival, why fear the words of others upon departure!"

"Are you sure you're going to keep talking like this?" Reba let out a soft hum.

Lü Ming slanted his eyes, his brows filled with melancholy: "When my bitter eyes are overgrown with spring, I shall recount to you the lushness I have beheld."

"Good, good, good!" Reba suddenly adopted a spoiled, babyish voice: "Bro-ther, this little one really likes your punchable look right now. Do you see clearly what this is? These are this little one's tiny hands, aren't they super cute? Guess if this little one's soft little hands will hurt when they slap your handsome face?"

Lü Ming suddenly turned his face away with a slight wave of nausea and let out a hiccup: "Ugh!"

"Bro-ther, am I pretty? Honestly tell me, do I look better or does your ex-girlfriend?"

"Bro-ther, why aren't you speaking? Are you just naturally a man of few words?"

"Yingyingying! Brother is not a good boy, brother is bad!"

"Little fists pounding your chest!"

Lü Ming, having muted his microphone, looked out the window. Clenching both fists, he put on an expression of bitter hardship. As the Ferris wheel slowly ascended, he did not utter another word, simply drinking alone in silence.

[Pfft hahahaha *hiccup*!]

[Wait, is either of these two mentally normal?]

[Their conversation used to sound like AI bots, now it sounds like psychiatric patients!]

[Is this still the Reba I know? I've been saying all along that it's no good for Reba to get too close to a Z-lister, look at that, how long has it been and she's already infected!]

[Damn it, one is handsome and the other is drop-dead gorgeous. Even if they don't speak when framed together, I find it pleasing to the eye, but the moment they open their mouths, why does it make me feel so restless inside?]

[Oh no, these two are here just to torment the audience!]

[My mute groom and my mute bride.]

...

As the Ferris wheel slowly reached its higher point, fireworks suddenly went off in the distance. Accompanied by a series of bangs, the entire sky above Happy Valley instantly became brilliant and dazzling.

"Wow!" Reba, who had been sickened and autistically silenced by Lü Ming, saw the fireworks exploding before her eyes and excitedly pulled Lü Ming to share the view: "Look quickly, fireworks!"

"So pretty!"

Lü Ming looked surprised: "The whole Happy Valley has been booked out by our show's production crew, and yet someone is still setting off fireworks? I bet it must be some filthy rich guy spending a fortune to please his goddess. Wait, how pretty must this woman be to mesmerize a tycoon like this?"

"Your words completely ruin the mood," Reba chided. "Besides, this sister of mine is also a goddess, okay? Given how you treated me earlier, while I'm still in a good mood, if you can say something nice, I might just forgive your previous presumption!"

Her spoiled, coquettish tone instantly brought a hint of ambiguity into the air.

[Oh no!]

[Are they trying to manufacture a CP ship?]

[This is only the first episode, and the production team is already forcibly pairing them up? Are they not even bothering to pretend anymore?]

Beneath Reba's expectant gaze, Lü Ming looked her up and down: "You? A goddess?"

"Is there a problem?"

Lü Ming looked disdainful: "Just look at your disheveled appearance, with a bird's nest on top of your head; where do you get the confidence to pretend to be a goddess? If goddesses all looked like this, those fireworks would die with eternal regret. Still, I suppose you could barely pull off a Cinderella cosplay!"

"Are you sick in the head?!" Reba glared angrily. "I look like this all because of you, and now you're judging me?!"

"If that's how you want to think about it, there's nothing I can do." Lü Ming gave a helpless shrug.

The ambiguous atmosphere that had just begun to brew against the backdrop of the sky full of fireworks instantly vanished into thin air.

The cabin fell silent.

Lü Ming gazed out the window, drinking. Before long, a prompt for 'moderate intoxication' sounded in his ear. Good luck, it was basic acting proficiency. He figured that once he finished the wine in his flask and let the alcohol take effect for a bit, he would probably reach the threshold of deep intoxication.

Reba, having her mood ruined by Lü Ming, completely lost the desire to enjoy the fireworks. She instantly transformed from a slightly childish young girl into a dignified, powerful heroine, and the two sat in mutual silence.

[Do the Alices still think the production team wants to push a CP?]

[You deserve to be single, Z-lister! Damn it, an opportunity like this and you still blow it!]

[Wait, when this guy was dating Sister Zheng, nine out of ten sentences were cheesy pick-up lines. Now we have fireworks + a Ferris wheel—the ultimate romantic setting. Sure, cheesy pick-up lines are cheesy, but coming from that face of yours, shouldn't you be charming Reba to death?]

[You're submissive when dating Sister Zheng, but you go full-on heavy punches when dealing with Reba. Damn it, you're eating this well and you're still acting difficult?]

[That's Reba we're talking about! How is it that the Z-lister looks completely uninterested? If our ancestors had been as Zen-like as you back then, they would never have conquered the Western Regions.]

[Ever since his breakup, this guy seems to have developed antibodies against beautiful women!]

[Now *this* is a high-quality man!]

Alices breathed a sigh of relief; their idol at least hadn't gotten romantically entangled with the Z-lister. But for some reason, even though it was a good thing, the fans just couldn't bring themselves to be happy.

As the Ferris wheel reached its absolute peak, the brilliant fireworks continued to burst one after another, flashing with multicolored lights. Lü Ming, leaning against the window and lost in thought, left everyone with a flawless profile. Especially since he was already tipsy, this slightly flushed complexion drove countless girlfriend-fans to frantically screenshot and save the images.

...

Although the Alices looked down on the Z-lister, they had to admit that his flawless divine face seemed tailor-made to fit every single girl's aesthetic.

[Everyone says the Z-lister is a simpering bootlicker, but no one has ever called him ugly.]

[The key point of a beautiful piece of trash isn't the trash part, it's the 'beauty'! ]

[My younger sister is an anime fan who never chases stars or pays attention to the entertainment industry. She walked into my room earlier to grab something and straight-up declared that this guy must be a 2D male protagonist who broke through the dimensional barrier into reality!]

[Even as an anti-fan of Lü Ming, I feel like the Z-lister's looks at this moment infinitely approach how I look right after taking a shower.]

Yet, looking at the Z-lister's profile looking exceptionally handsome under the fireworks, they inexplicably felt a sense of unreachability.

Reba also noticed Lü Ming's profile. Illuminated by the flickering fireworks, she admitted that she couldn't quite look away. Completely oblivious, Lü Ming changed into a lounging, slanted posture. In the process of shifting, he accidentally pulled up his short-sleeved shirt, revealing four sharply defined abdominal muscles.

Reba: "?!"

Oh boy, using this to test a cadre, are we?

Which cadre could withstand a test like this?!

This sister has been pretty since childhood, who doesn't have some 'capital' of their own?

Reba pretended to nonchalantly tug at her short sleeves, then exposed her own fair, smooth shoulders. Finding that Lü Ming was watching her out of the corner of his eye, she let out a soft hum and alluringly brushed back her raven-black hair.

The next second, Lü Ming stretched and moved his arms, once again pulling his short sleeves up higher. This time, he directly revealed a well-defined eight-pack of abs.

Reba responded within a second with a light cough, pulling the collar around her graceful neck down even further to reveal her flawless, coin-resting collarbone.

[???]

[What are these two doing?!]

[Wait, is this even broadcast-safe? If you guys are going to interact like this, I'm going to report you on Weibo!]

[You report on Weibo? I'll report on Douyin!]

[Nowadays people with a little bit of physical capital are terrified others won't see it, showing off in all sorts of creative ways, huh? If you two are so capable, why don't you just kiss right here on the spot and let me watch!]

"Hah, woman, your acting is way too exaggerated!" Lü Ming sneered.

Reba mocked: "Tch, man, your tricks are pretty clumsy too!"

"Mutual!"

"You flatter me!"

Rumble!

Just then, the Ferris wheel started its descent, causing the cabin to sway rather violently. Reba let out an "ah!" and hurriedly curled up in the seat opposite Lü Ming. Casting a glance downward, her voice trembled: "It's so high!"

"Are you scared?" Lü Ming was slightly startled.

Reba nodded repeatedly, wearing a thoroughly helpless and fragile expression: "Scared!"

A Ferris wheel doesn't feel like much when going up, much like a roller coaster. But once it heads downward, anyone with a fear of heights will see their heart rate spike the moment they look at the scenery below. After all, being a hundred meters in the air, one inevitably feels a bit timid.

He could understand that much.

However, seeing Reba—who had just been acting coquettishly—now looking at him with such a pitiful expression, he immediately grew mischievous.

Lü Ming gently rocked his body, causing the cabin, already shaking violently from the descent, to sway even more wildly.

Reba: "Ah!!"

"What are you doing?!"

"My legs are a bit numb." Lü Ming suddenly stood up. While Reba was trembling with tension, he abruptly plopped back down into his chair, causing the cabin to jolt sharply.

"Ah, ah!" Reba's heart leapt into her throat: "You did that on purpose!"

"No, oh, looks like my shoelace came untied." Lü Ming leaned forward and crouched down to tie his shoe.

Reba: "Aaaaaah! Asshole, you'd better pray your flesh is made of iron, otherwise once we get down I'm definitely going to bite you to death!"

Every time Lü Ming moved, Reba would reflexively scream. After a few rounds of this, she was once again scared to the point of tear-filled eyes, pleading for mercy with a helpless expression: "Brother! Bro-ther! I really can't take this anymore, stop right now!"

"Stopping is an option, but you have to pass a Truth or Dare test. Remember, it's 'Truth'!" Lü Ming smiled brightly. "Question one: Who is the most handsome man in your eyes?"

Reba blurted out: "The Z-lister! It's the Z-lister!"

"Out there you call me Z-lister and I won't argue with you, but right now it's just the two of us—what should you call me?!" Lü Ming put on a stern face.

Reba bit her lower lip: "Lü Ming, it's Lü Ming!"

"Good, I like girls who tell the truth. Question two: Who is your favorite in the entire domestic entertainment circle?"

"Lü Ming! He is my idol!" Reba ground her teeth.

"Say you like me!"

"Z-lister! Don't go too far, I'm an innocent, beautiful woman, how could I—"

The next second, the cabin shook violently.

Reba said with a crying tone: "I wash you!"

"I! CANNOT! HEAR! YOU!"

"I wash you!"

"We're not live-streaming right now, what are you afraid of? Speak louder, didn't you eat?"

"I! LIKE! YOU!"

"Good, there's one last thing." Lü Ming crossed his legs arrogantly, sitting in his chair as he said: "Please issue a sincere, well-attitude, and heartfelt apology of no less than three hundred words for your earlier act of biting the hand that fed you!"

Reba: "... You'd better have nine lives!"

"You know me, I don't like saying the same thing twice."

With teary eyes and a humiliated expression, Reba stammered: "Brother, I was wrong. I shouldn't have bitten the hand that fed me, biting you was my fault..."

[I am dying of laughter, is the Z-lister even human?!]

[Normally, asking my girlfriend to apologize to me feels like a sci-fi story, and now I actually get to see a goddess crying as she apologizes to a Z-lister! The gap between people is just too huge. Look at this big celebrity, she can even shed tears while apologizing—she must truly realize her mistake from the bottom of her heart.]

[Realize your sister's, if you don't need your eyes you can donate them!]

[There's not a shred of remorse in Reba's eyes, only the grievance of being threatened.]

[Someone told me the Simp Ming was bootlicking Reba in the live broadcast, so I eagerly rushed over to mock him. But the moment I step in, this is what you show me? Is this the bootlicking Z-lister from my imagination?!]

[Wait? How on earth could he have the heart to torment my goddess like this?!]

[This world is too crazy, mice acting as bridesmaids for cats!]

[It's always guys begging girls for a confession; forcing a respectable woman to confess to him is a first! Emmn, this plot is fresh, I must keep watching!]

[Reba's emotional stability is impressive!]

[Damn, I'm pissing my pants laughing! Whoever invented the Z-lister is a total genius! As long as this kid is in the domestic entertainment industry, millions of depression patients are saved!]

...

...

On the ground, Deng Chao's group, seeing that the Z-lister was temporarily uncatchable, immediately targeted Wang Baoqiang, who was in the same group. Chen Chichu and the Big Black Bull of the Yellow Team also came to help, and the four of them immediately surrounded Wang Baoqiang, who had the number one giant nametag on his back.

"Wait, how can you guys do this? I have no grudges with you, how can you four actually bring yourselves to gang up on one person?"

"Unfair!"

"Let's do a one-on-one if you dare!"

Realizing he couldn't escape, Wang Baoqiang immediately tried to negotiate terms.

Deng Chao stepped forward triumphantly, gloating as he made a continuous grabbing gesture toward Wang Baoqiang, speaking in a sleazy tone:

"One-on-one? Oh ho, of course you can! Tell me, Baoqiang, do you want to take on all four of us by yourself, or would you prefer the four of us to take you on? Wuhahaha, *siiiip*! Baoqiang, since all your teammates ran away and left you here all by yourself, you might as well just accept your fate in front of brother!"

Wang Baoqiang felt his whole body go numb listening to that infuriating voice: "Chao, you know I actually know some kung fu—the kind that can beat people to death!"

"Woah, Kung Fu Baoqiang, I'm so scared, I'm so terribly scared! Please beat me to death, okay? Please give me a fierce beating with your kung fu! My skin is so itchy!" Deng Chao turned around and flashed his nametag, then bent over and stuck his rear end out to taunt Wang Baoqiang.

Wang Baoqiang's fists hardened.

His fists really hardened!

Seeing that Deng Chao's attention was entirely focused on Wang Baoqiang, Chen Chichi kept winking at Baby in the distance. The latter caught on immediately and pretended to step forward to help, but actually took the opportunity while Chaoge wasn't looking to reach behind his back.

Rip!!!

"???" The smile on Deng Chao's face vanished instantly.

[Deng Chao! OUT!]

[Deng Chao! OUT!]

Deng Chao stared in disbelief at Baby holding his nametag. His brain stalled for a full second, his eyes widening: "Baby! Huh? Baby, we're teammates, I'm your captain! What's the deal?!"

"Sorry啦, Uncle Deng!" Baby giggled, shaking the nametag in her hand.

"Why?!" Deng Chao looked at his own hands in disbelief. "Wasn't Ming'er the only double agent? Why?!"

...

The author is experiencing writer's block today, the fifth chapter was a bit slow, still typing away right now. Won't sleep until it's finished, will definitely be up before two o'clock. Thank you for your support, senior readers.