At twelve noon that day, the second half of the first episode of Little Tricks for Love went live. It was right during lunchtime, and viewers had already ordered their takeout, waiting to click play the moment the episode was released.
In a three-story villa in Yunzhou City.
“Candy! I’m warning you!” Qi Ke ran down from the bedroom barefoot. “My wife is finally back for a visit, you’re not allowed to cling to her!”
But she fell silent the moment she reached the living room.
Her wife-Song Yushi-was hugging Candy and petting her vigorously. The adult Border Collie was large, fluffy, and docile, letting Song Yushi knead her fur. It even managed to bark twice at Qi Ke, as if showing off.
Qi Ke was speechless.
She draped herself over the back of the sofa, looking down at the girl and her dog. Just as she was about to act cute, she suddenly noticed that from this angle, she had a very nice view of Song Yushi. She licked her lips and reached out to hook Song Yushi’s collar.
Song Yushi slapped her hand away. “Stop messing around, the show is starting.”
Qi Ke asked, “What show?”
Song Yushi: “Little Tricks for Love.”
“What’s so interesting about it?” Qi Ke flipped over, wrapping her arms around Song Yushi’s waist and fidgeting restlessly. “Wen Xi and Meng Zhaozhao are a couple; the way their eyes linger on each other gave them away instantly. Yun Chu and Jian You are in the ambiguous stage; they’ll definitely get together by the end. Pei Wan is there to experience life, and Zhu Wan’er is there to advertise her photography studio. Next.”
“What is this, a game of Werewolf?” Song Yushi shot her an exasperated look. Watching Jian You on the TV filming a promotional video for Yun Chu’s pajamas, she said thoughtfully, “Jian You likes someone.”
Qi Ke let out a “wow.” “You didn’t even share this kind of gossip with me?”
Song Yushi: “…How is this gossip?”
Song Yushi and Qi Ke were once members of a girl group. After the group disbanded, Song Yushi pursued acting and had won two Best Actress awards. Although she had never starred as the female lead in one of Jian You’s films, she had made a friendly cameo.
“Who does she like?” Qi Ke said. “If she likes someone, why is she on a dating show?”
Song Yushi toyed with her hair and shook her head. “I don’t know who it is.”
It was just that once on set, she had accidentally seen Jian You scrolling through someone’s social media feed, looking through it photo by photo. She thought it was an actor being considered for a role and casually asked, “Casting?”
Jian You said, “No.”
That meant it was a private matter, so Song Yushi didn’t press further. But then Jian You suddenly said, “I like her.”
Hearing this, Qi Ke glanced at Jian You on the screen, then back at Song Yushi, forgetting all about getting handsy. “Jian You actually said that?”
Song Yushi nodded. “And she said it very seriously.”
Qi Ke clicked her tongue. “A secret crush?”
Song Yushi: “Yeah.”
Qi Ke wiped away a non-existent tear. “Ah, a secret crush. Whoever has one is bound to suffer!”
Song Yushi glanced sideways at her. “Were you suffering when you had a secret crush on me?”
Qi Ke immediately replied, “It was very sweet.”
Song Yushi smiled.
“Do you think the person Jian You likes could be Yun Chu?” Qi Ke proposed a bold theory. Her hands started getting restless again, slipping under the hem of Song Yushi’s shirt to nuzzle her neck. “I heard some people say that Jian You joined the dating show to get funding for her new movie. But even without funding, she shouldn’t be so broke that she can’t afford to make a film, right?”
Song Yushi’s breathing hitched for a moment. “You mean, she joined the show willingly?”
Qi Ke said, “The eyes don’t lie.”
Even if someone was a professionally trained actor with sublime skills, capable of looking at a telephone pole with deep affection, when they looked at the person they truly liked, their gaze held not just affection, but also cherish, and a blatant favoritism.
But Song Yushi had no time to ponder this question. Her fingers threaded into Qi Ke’s hair. “…Stop it!”
This time, it wasn’t a rejection, but an indulgence.
After the second half of the first episode went live, it sparked another round of heated discussion online. Netizens magnified and studied every detail of the six guests, finding something to ship in almost every pair.
Someone asserted: It’s basically confirmed. The Bo Yun Jian Ri ship is either scripted or Yun Chu has cast a spell on Jian You. They’ll probably be all lovey-dovey until the end, then they’ll uncouple after promoting the new movie. Ship them boldly, everyone!
…
Yun Chu saw this comment on the way to the escape room, and the corners of her mouth turned down. She closed the page and stared wistfully at the scenery flashing past the window.
So Jian You really did remember her. She knew from the very beginning. Was pretending not to know her a way of being angry with her?
For sleeping with her and running away.
Was she angry about that?
But she had clearly left her number on the back of the note. Jian You just hadn’t seen it! Yun Chu knocked her forehead against the car window, thinking, a bizarre mix-up, this is what people call a bizarre mix-up.
Wait-Yun Chu sat up straight, suddenly realizing something: since Jian You was angry with her, why would she still join the dating show? Would Jian You really be willing to put on a show with someone she disliked, or even hated, just for the investment?
Humans die for wealth as birds die for food. It seemed plausible enough.
This realization made Yun Chu feel dejected. She slumped back in her seat, her head bumping against the glass with the car’s movements. It sounded painful just to listen to. Meanwhile, her date for the day, Wen Xi, was engrossed in a chat with someone, showing no intention of paying her any mind.
Xiao Lan and Wen Xi’s follow PD sat across from them, professionally filming the two women, each lost in their own thoughts. They exchanged a look, seeing the helplessness in each other’s eyes.
For people with no chemistry, you could lock them in the same room and still not a single spark would fly.
After they arrived at the escape room, they found out the scenario they chose was for four people. There weren’t many people on a weekday afternoon, so they had to wait. Seeing this, Yun Chu spoke to Xiao Lan. “I have something I want to discuss with Wen Xi alone. Can you not film us?”
Xiao Lan looked troubled. “Is that really okay?”
Wen Xi was also surprised. “What is it? Something you have to discuss privately?”
She doesn’t think I’m madly in love with Jian You and wants to negotiate with me, does she? Love isn’t something you can get through negotiation! I firmly refuse this kind of private settlement!
…But Yun Chu had such slender arms and legs, she probably wouldn’t hit her, right?
Yun Chu pressed her palms together, pleading, “Please!”
Xiao Lan said, “Let me ask the director.”
Xiao Lan urgently contacted the director. At first, he was against it, but then he heard from Xiao Lan that Yun Chu and Wen Xi had zero chemistry. Making them wait and engage in awkward small talk was worse than letting them go off to a quiet corner. This way, the post-production team would have an easier time editing the story. So, with a wave of his hand, he agreed.
Yun Chu said to Wen Xi, “I’ll buy you a coffee.”
Wen Xi: “I don’t want coffee, I want bubble tea.”
That was fine by Yun Chu; what they drank didn’t matter. She walked straight into a bubble tea shop, ordered the new seasonal special, and sat down across from Wen Xi. The moment Wen Xi got her drink, her face lit up. “Yun Chu, what did you want to talk to me about? Are you asking me to give Jian You up to you?”
Yun Chu: “No-”
“It’s fine,” Wen Xi said. “Since you bought me bubble tea, I won’t fight you for Jian You.”
Yun Chu: “???”
So Jian You was worth less than a bubble tea?
She stuck a straw into her drink and said, “That’s not what I wanted to talk about.”
“Then what is it?”
“Well…” Yun Chu hesitated for a moment. “It’s about a friend of mine.”
“This friend of yours… is it you?”
“No!”
“…Okay.” Wen Xi clearly didn’t believe her but didn’t expose her either. “What’s wrong with your friend? Were you banging your head against the window in the car just now because you were worried about your friend?”
“I wasn’t banging my head against the window!”
“Alright, alright,” Wen Xi softened her tone. “You weren’t. So what’s up with your friend? Tell me about it.”
Yun Chu thought it over. She couldn’t just brood on her own; an outsider’s perspective would be clearer. But it wasn’t realistic to find Zhou Zhitao right now, so she had to rely on who was closest-Wen Xi.
Besides, Wen Xi didn’t want to be on a date with her anyway. Playing relationship counselor was better than forcing conversation.
And so, under Wen Xi’s expectant gaze, Yun Chu gave a rough account of what had happened between her and Jian You, including the secret crush, the one-night stand, the years of separation, and their reunion.
Wen Xi: “Wow.”
Yun Chu: “…Just ‘wow’?”
Wen Xi: “Wow!”
Yun Chu: “Changing the tone doesn’t change the fact that it’s still ‘wow’!”
Wen Xi: “Wow?”
Yun Chu: “I’m leaving.”
“No, no, no.” Wen Xi quickly grabbed Yun Chu. Outside the bubble tea shop, Xiao Lan was still diligently filming them through the window. Although she couldn’t hear what they were saying, the sight of them grabbing at each other was enough. Wen Xi said, “Sit down.”
Yun Chu sat back down. “No more ‘wow’s!”
“You can’t blame me, blame Meng Zhaozhao. She said that when you’re so surprised you don’t know what to say, you should just say ‘Wow!’ But she’s seriously crazy. The second time I met her, she face-planted, and I said ‘wow.’ She blocked me on WeChat.”
“I would have too,” Yun Chu said kindly.
“…” Wen Xi changed the subject. “You said she remembers you?”
“She remembers my friend!” Not admitting it was her was Yun Chu’s last shred of defiance.
Wen Xi glanced at her and nodded perfunctorily. “Right, right, your friend.” She asked Yun Chu, “She never saw the note your friend left, she didn’t know your friend before, and she was drunk that night. So how does she remember your friend?”
Yun Chu was speechless. “She…”
“There’s only one truth.” Wen Xi held up one finger in front of her, leaned forward, and said, “After she went back, she found your… friend’s contact information through other means.”
Yun Chu murmured, “Is that it?”
Wen Xi took a sip of her bubble tea, rolling a pearl between her lips and tongue before biting down on it. She nodded. “As for why she hasn’t contacted your friend all these years, you can go ask her.”
Yun Chu corrected her, “You mean, have my friend ask her.”
Wen Xi gave her an indescribable look. “…Right.”
Yun Chu lowered her head and thought for a moment. The idea seemed plausible. She gave Wen Xi a grateful look and said, “From now until the end of the show’s recording, I’ll cover all your bubble tea!”
Wen Xi’s eyes widened slightly. “I still won’t fall in love with you!”
Yun Chu: “…I don’t want your love either.”
Wen Xi: “Now I’m so hurt.”
Yun Chu burst out laughing. She asked, “Has Meng Zhaozhao ever told you?”
Wen Xi: “What?”
Yun Chu said, “You’re really cute.”
Wen Xi blinked. “Well, has Jian You ever told you?”
Yun Chu: “Hm?”
Wen Xi pinched her cheek. “You’re even cuter than me!”
Yun Chu: “…”
Someone just took liberties with her!
Yun Chu never expected that while waiting for the other two players for their four-person scenario, they would end up waiting for Jian You and Zhu Wan’er. Then again, she was the one who had told Jian You the address of the escape room. Did that mean Jian You had come for her…?
A small thrill went through Yun Chu, but then she had another thought: maybe the script required Jian You to come find her.
With that in mind, even the escape room lost its appeal. The scenario wasn’t as scary as she had imagined, and she wasn’t easily frightened. Aside from being occasionally startled by Wen Xi next to her, she breezed through it.
Until an NPC appeared and required Jian You’s character to go on a solo mission.
Wen Xi hid behind Yun Chu, trembling. “Tea-cher-Jian-fare-well!”
Yun Chu: “…Stop hiding behind me! You look like a ghost! You’re scarier than the NPC next to us!”
The NPC: “…”
That was true.
Since they were dating in pairs, even though their two groups were exploring as one team, they were kept clearly separate for filming purposes, each following their own path and discussing their own puzzles. So when the NPC told Jian You she could bring one person with her, Yun Chu never expected Jian You to name her. “Yun Chu will come with me.”
Yun Chu froze. “Me?”
Wen Xi gave her a push from behind. “Yes, you.”
Yun Chu stumbled, and Jian You steadied her, grabbing her wrist and leading her forward. “Let’s go.”
Xiao Lan was timid and followed them, trembling as she filmed. Just as she was thinking about asking to switch with someone else, Jian You suddenly turned around and blocked her lens. “Xiao Lan.”
“Teacher Jian!”
“Stop filming for now.”
Xiao Lan: “???”
This was the second time today. Xiao Lan felt her professional career was under attack. Before joining this show, a colleague had told her that dating shows always had some scenes that weren’t suitable for filming, but she never thought it would happen this early, during only the second recording session!
Jian You: “My new film is looking for a cinematographer.”
Xiao Lan turned off the camera. “Okay, Teacher Jian.”
Jian You smiled at her, her grip on Yun Chu’s hand tightening slightly as she led her into the corridor for the solo mission. They had to retrieve a letter at the end of the passage.
The emergency lights in the corridor cast a ghastly green glow. On the silent path, the only sounds were their footsteps, walking very close. When they moved, the fabric of their clothes would brush lightly, hiding a heartbeat that was about to burst forth.
Yun Chu grew inexplicably nervous.
Jian You had something to say to her.
She was sure of it.
What would she say? Would she continue their conversation from the morning? Actually, later on-
What happened later on?
“Yun Chu,” Jian You said abruptly.
Yun Chu let out a reflexive “ah” and looked at Jian You.
Jian You was holding a lantern, the candlelight flickering inside. She didn’t look at Yun Chu, focusing only on lighting the path. After a long moment, she finally said, “I lied to you this morning.”
Yun Chu’s heart sank. “What?”
“I said I lied to you.” Jian You turned her head to look at Yun Chu, her gaze penetrating deep into her eyes. “About some of the things I said this morning.”
Yun Chu swallowed. Her throat was dry, and her words came out stiffly. “You actually saw the number I left, didn’t you?”
Jian You shook her head. “No.”
After a pause, she said, “I didn’t see it, but I had someone get it for me.”
Jian You felt that self-esteem was a mysterious thing. It came and went, always strongest when it was least needed, and vanishing when it was most required. That morning was a perfect example; no amount of self-esteem could have stood up to that instantaneous attraction and desire.
She had read those eleven words a hundred times, not to desensitize herself, but because she was actually thinking-
This girl has nice handwriting.
