Turning the corner from the entryway, one had to walk through a gallery before reaching the living room.
No one was in the living room, but the guests' luggage was all piled up there. After making their way up and down the three-story villa, they finally spotted everyone in the backyard, gazing out at the sea.
Access to the back yard was through the kitchen, with several tables and wicker loungers set upon the wooden flooring. The entire villa's decor featured a liberal use of wicker and solid wood furniture.
Moreover, glass doors and air passages were found throughout, allowing for bright, well-ventilated spaces from north to south.
Live off the mountain, or live off the sea.
The guesthouse's biggest selling point was, indeed, the sea view from the backyard. Xu Qingyan and Pei Muchan stood on the glass balcony of the third floor, looking down at the others who were chatting over tea.
Chen Feiyu was in a blue shirt paired with dress pants, sporting a meticulous Korean-style middle-parted hairstyle, and was still dazzlingly hovering around the glamorous Song Enya.
Song Enya was dressed today in a pink houndstooth knitted short sleeve top with a pair of white pants, her neck adorned with the same string of pearl collarbone necklace as yesterday.
Quite different from the hot and sexy vibe of yesterday, today's Song Enya opted for an elegant and sweet style.
The other two female guests were not to be outdone. Nian Shuyu wore a sheer white chiffon dress, her wavy long hair shining, her skin glowing white.
With a cream-white bag in hand, her snow-white arms peeked through the long chiffon sleeves, adding an extra layer of allure, reminiscent of Snow White stepping out from a fairy tale.
Shen Jinyue was even more meticulous with her attire, donning a sensuous blue strappy tank top, ample and generous, perfectly wrapping her figure, paired with a pair of snug jeans.
Coupled with her naturally naïve face, she surprisingly had the beauty of a youthful deer.
The male guests, too, pulled out all the stops for the first day of the show, each one finely dressed. Bai Jinze wore a brown crew-neck shirt with tailored trousers, You Zijun was even more meticulous, dressed head to toe in black, all high-end brands.
Liu Renzhi even changed into a smart casual suit, only a tie short of complete, and paired with his tall frame, he was indeed able to attract a wave of female fans.
These seven people standing together made the ordinarily mundane chatter seem like a high-end cocktail party, each one exuding elegance, with every frame of the scene worthy of being captured and savored slowly.
The backyard afforded a wide view, the salty sea breeze rushing in, meeting the eyes with an endless expanse of the sea.
"What are you doing on the rooftop?" Shen Jinyue caught a glimpse of the crew's shadows upstairs and consequently noticed the two standing on the edge of the third-floor balcony.
Xu Qingyan was still dressed casually, a white short-sleeved shirt with jeans, handsome and intimidating.
His shoulders were broad and straight, his frame lean but not thin, his whole tall and daunting figure standing there, his lines fluid, radiating an aura of youthful vigor.
If You Zijun radiated a cultivated air of nobility, then Xu Qingyan had a clean, common touch, like the crisp and refreshing collision of ice-cold beer at a summer barbecue.
Pei Muchan, dressed in a classic black long dress, smiled softly and intelligently as the sea breeze tugged at her hem, outlining an irresistibly alluring figure.
"We've just arrived. We couldn't find you, so we decided to come up for a better view," Xu Qingyan replied. "What are you all doing down there?"
"Killing time drinking tea. You guys took too long!" Shen Jinyue complained.
"How can an electric cart not be slow?" he said.
"It was you guys who got delayed watching the excavator by the road, right? The production team said they won't assign our rooms until everyone's here," Song Enya said, laughing as she looked up.
Everyone present knew all too well that very few actually came to a romance show to find love. Everyone had their own agenda for participating. It was either for fame or for profit.
Song Enya was no exception, but to become famous, merely surpassing Nian Shuyu was not enough. She needed to conquer a seemingly insurmountable mountain.
She looked up at the woman upstairs, with a smile on her face, but her heart was already ablaze with a strong fighting spirit.
"Sorry, then we should go down first." Pei Muchan also smiled, and after speaking, she even gave Xu Qingyan a tug, asking with her eyes if he wanted to join them in heading down.
The nine guests arrived in the living room one after the other and took seats at a long table. Under the guidance of the staff, the male guests sat on one side, and the female guests on the other.
At the head of the table was a large screen, which remained off throughout.
After a tense wait, the show's crew signaled that the male and female guests could reveal their professions and share what their ideal partner looked like.
However, everyone was informed that the Gold Digger could choose to disguise their identity.
"Oh, there's a Gold Digger too, almost forgot about that," Shen Jinyue slapped her forehead and stuck out her tongue, "I'll start then. My name is Shen Jinyue, and I'm a singing blogger."
"My ideal type... um, probably has a face like Xu Qingyan's, then a little bit shorter, with a better sense of fashion, more mature and steady, someone who can take care of people..."
"Stop! Cut it out!" Xu Qingyan, speechless, stared across the table at that silly girl, "Babe, did I offend you in some way?"
As soon as he said this, Pei Muchan and You Zijun could not help but laugh, while the others looked somewhat confused.
Seeing this, You Zijun took the initiative to explain with a smile.
"Last night, a few of us arrived early, and Xu Qingyan recognized her. She asked him if he's a fan of hers. He said yes, but then turned around and asked what she does for a living."
No sooner had he finished speaking than Song Enya let out a snort of laughter, unable to hold it back.
"It seems you've really offended her quite a bit!"
"Yeah, Sister Moon is a big internet celebrity, with a high level of fame," Bai Jinze said with a smile, showing no signs of the setback he had endured that morning, and did not forget to tease Xu Qingyan with his words.
"Why don't you apologize to her? After all, she is a girl."
Upon hearing this, Xu Qingyan was somewhat at a loss for words.
This guy was too petty. Pei Muchan chose to interact with him and rejected Bai Jinze, so just because he couldn't compete, he started to stir the pot?
Bai Jinze acted like a spoiled kid—only those high school girls in campus settings would like this kind of "warm man," college students no longer fancy cute-looking guys like him.
Moreover, his approach of treating girls with excessive deference and compliments might work as Prince Charming to Mary Sue high school girls, but clearly wouldn't fool more experienced women.
What the hell, he plays the game poorly and now he holds a grudge against me?
"Hmmph, you fake fan!" Shen Jinyue, dull-witted, hadn't realized that Bai Jinze was using her words to make Xu Qingyan lose face.
Song Enya kept silent with a smile, but her eyes turned towards Pei Muchan, as if waiting for her to speak.
Chen Feiyu, the Queen's loyal dog, also kept silent, enjoying the spectacle. Xu Qingyan was in a tough spot, which was exactly the scene he wanted to see, even though his target had always been the rich heiress, Song Enya.
His own struggle might be hard, but seeing his peers succeed was even more painful.
That was Pei Muchan, after all—even if her popularity had been declining, she was still a once-famous singing diva.