Go Back Lover – Li Yunrui, Xu Ruohan

In 2018, Shen Xingruo won the championship of the prestigious school tour finals of the show "Zhengfen Duomiao" on Xingcheng TV. During the event, her boyfriend, Lu Xingyan, proposed to her on the spot. They had been together since they were 18, and their relationship had been stable. However, the sudden proposal caught Shen Xingruo off guard.

To her, real life isn’t a fairy tale; a proposal might not mark the beginning of a happy life but rather the end of a relationship. Fast forward to 2024, Shen Xingruo has become a producer. She is working on a dating variety show called "Goodbye, Flirting Heart. " As a producer, she must ensure the show's quality and audience satisfaction. This time, she personally went to the airport to select the guests.

The show needed one more single, high-quality male participant. At the airport, Shen Xingruo set her sights on a flight attendant, but the attendant thought they were scammers and refused her. While at the airport, the director He Ming discovered a high-quality male. It was only after they entered the waiting area that Shen Xingruo realized that the man was her former lover, Lu Xingyan. The atmosphere became quite delicate, and memories flashed through her mind like a slideshow.

They didn’t separate because they no longer loved each other; rather, they parted due to their love, which was perhaps the most painful reason. Sometimes, fate between two people is indeed mysterious. This time, Shen Xingruo and Lu Xingyan found themselves attending a friend’s wedding, serving as the maid of honor and best man, respectively. The car arranged by the bride for Shen Xingruo broke down midway, leaving her no choice but to hail a taxi.

Seeing Shen Xingruo’s phone display, Lu Xingyan guessed they had the same destination and offered her a ride in his car. Shen Xingruo initially wanted to refuse, but seeing the high taxi fare, she reluctantly agreed. Xu Chengzhou and Chen Zhu were holding a divorce ceremony. Their speeches sounded like a heated debate between two debaters. Due to traffic, Shen Xingruo and Lu Xingyan arrived late but managed to make it before the ceremony ended.

As the best man and maid of honor, they retrieved the rings. However, a mishap occurred during the video segment; instead of the intended video, Lu Xingyan's proposal to Shen Xingruo played. At that moment, Shen Xingruo had agreed to marry him, and Lu Xingyan jokingly offered her nine yuan, which was the administrative fee at the civil affairs bureau.

Shen Xingruo pointed out that the bureau no longer charged that fee, but it happened to cost nine yuan to take a taxi from the venue to the bureau. Lu Xingyan sighed in relief, fearing she would refuse him. When he placed the ring on her finger, he joyfully lifted her up, and the audience cheered. To this day, everyone is curious about the reasons behind their breakup.

Next, during the divorce ceremony, there was a segment where guests could seek revenge. They prepared pillows for everyone to hit each other with. Lu Xingyan and Shen Xingruo were no exception; having not seen each other for so many years, they could use this pillow fight to vent their pent-up feelings.

Lu Xingyan and Shen Xingruo's families have been close friends for generations. They were even born on the same day, though one was born at midnight and the other at dawn, which is why both of their names contain the character for "star. " Since Shen Xingruo is transferring schools this semester, Lu's mother arranged for her to stay at their home, specifically in Lu Xingyan's room.

Lu Xingyan was surprised to find his room occupied after being away for a few days. Lu Xingyan was invited to be a guest on a show, but Shen Xingruo was unaware of this until her boss asked her to communicate with the guest. It was then she realized the guest was Lu Xingyan. Because General Manager Yang personally ordered this, the show needed a "double star" pairing, as their proposal video had gone viral online.

Yang's daughter was also a fan of the couple, making their participation essential. As a producer, Shen Xingruo felt it was inappropriate for her to appear on the show, and there was no precedent for such involvement. She thought Lu Xingyan wouldn't agree either, but he turned out to be quite enthusiastic. Knowing the company was struggling financially and under pressure from creditors, Shen Xingruo decided to approach Lu Xingyan. Securing his participation could provide a lifeline for the company.

However, during their first work-related conversation, Lu Xingyan was taken aback that Shen Xingruo would invite him for publicity, suggesting she had completely moved on from their past. Upset, he stated he wouldn't participate and asked her not to bring it up again before leaving. Shen Xingruo and her boss hurried downstairs to catch him but witnessed him in a close moment with Lawyer Zhai.

It was a misunderstanding, as Lawyer Zhai was merely brushing a lash off Lu Xingyan's face, leading to the impression he wasn't single. Shen Xingruo felt a mix of emotions, recalling a time when Lu Xingyan answered a call from another girl, wondering if this was why he refused to join the show. Living with Chen Zhu and Shi Qin, Shen Xingruo returned home and shared her frustration over the day’s events.

With Lu Xingyan being their only option for the show, she knew she had to face him. When she visited Lu Xingyan's home, his mother warmly welcomed her and pulled at her heartstrings, encouraging Shen Xingruo to stay and keep her company. Surprisingly, Lu Xingyan returned home that evening, which he usually only did for holidays. While chatting with Lu's mother, Shen Xingruo confirmed that Lu Xingyan was still single.

It turned out Lu's mother had intentionally messaged him, claiming there was an emergency, to lure him home without further replies. Lu's mother created an opportunity for them by arranging for Lu Xingyan to drive Shen Xingruo home. Though reluctant, he complied. In his car, Shen Xingruo noticed a pair of women's sneakers, feeling a pang of jealousy until Lu Xingyan caught up with her and helped her put them on.

It then dawned on her that these were the shoes she had left at his house, believing him when he said he would throw them away. Shen Xingruo continued to advocate for Lu Xingyan to be a guest on the show, but he felt heartbroken, realizing she only contacted him for work. Xu Chengzhou, Lu Xingyan's close friend, understood him well. Ever since Lu Xingyan reconnected with Shen Xingruo, something felt off. Lu Xingyan admitted he was happy she reached out, but it seemed she had no intention of rekindling their past relationship.

Lu Xingyan decided to consider it, while Shen Xingruo was still waiting for his response. Chen Zhu asked Shen Xingruo if she wanted Lu Xingyan to join the show. Shen Xingruo admitted that she actually didn't, given the delicate nature of their relationship. Since they had already broken up, Shen Xingruo had never thought about rekindling their romance. Shen Xingruo contacted Zhang Xu to discuss the guest lineup.

If Lu Xingyan decided not to participate, they would have to go with the backup choices she had prepared. However, on the other end of the line, she heard a doctor’s voice. Shen Xingruo immediately looked up information based on what the doctor said and found out that Zhang Xu had suffered a stomach bleed.

Zhang Xu had intended to keep it a secret, but Shen Xingruo didn’t believe him and asked which hospital he was in, then rushed over to see him. From Zhang Xu, Shen Xingruo learned that the investor planned to reduce the budget. Zhang Xu had been drinking with General Manager Yang to fight for an opportunity, but the heavy drinking caused his stomach bleed.

Now, they were facing a cut of 6 million yuan in funding, a serious blow, as they needed to pay the second phase soon. Without payment, the project couldn't continue. Shen Xingruo decided to use her family home as collateral, essentially investing in the project herself. Zhang Xu offered to use his own house, but Shen Xingruo refused, knowing that Zhang Xu had a wife and children, and the risk was too great.

Zhang Xu was deeply moved by her gesture, never expecting Shen Xingruo to make such a sacrifice. Zhang Xu personally approached Lu Xingyan again, hoping he would agree to participate in the show. Inadvertently, he mentioned Shen Xingruo's plan to mortgage her house. Hearing this, Lu Xingyan felt a pang of concern. He learned that they were 6 million yuan short, a significant amount, and he wasn’t sure he could help.

He told Zhang Xu he would consider joining the show and would give a prompt reply, whether or not he participated. Then, he contacted his team to inquire about the remaining promotional budget. When Xu Chengzhou learned about Lu Xingyan’s intentions, he was immediately against it. He felt that Lu Xingyan was acting impulsively and had lost his judgment because of Shen Xingruo. However, he underestimated Lu Xingyan.

Lu had already made careful plans and weighed the pros and cons before making his decision. Upon seeing Lu Xingyan's proposal, Xu Chengzhou realized he had thought things through quite thoroughly, so he didn't oppose the idea as strongly as before. After finalizing his decision, Lu Xingyan met with Shen Xingruo.

He revealed that he would join the show as a title sponsor, investing 6 million yuan, but on the condition that the show fully cooperate with his resort's promotional plan. Shen Xingruo thought at first that he was acting on impulse, but after hearing his professional analysis as an investor and learning about the background check he had done on her team, she realized she had been overthinking it. Lu Xingyan emphasized that this time, they were purely business partners.

Shen Xingruo asked for two days to revise the plan and come up with something that would satisfy everyone. Just as she was about to leave, she ran into an old friend. Lu Xingyan had arranged to meet with the supervisor of Conte Capital, and unexpectedly, it turned out to be Evan, who had once competed with them on *Race Against Time*.

Evan and Lu Xingyan had a bit of a rivalry, so when Lu saw Evan, his expression darkened, and he wasn’t particularly friendly toward him. Evan had feelings for Shen Xingruo. When they were abroad, he had been by her side during her painful breakup. Upon learning that Lu Xingyan was investing in Shen Xingruo's show, Evan became even angrier. He assumed Lu Xingyan was using his investment to pressure Shen Xingruo into being a guest on the show.

No matter how Shen Xingruo explained it, Evan couldn’t understand. When Evan found out that Shen Xingruo was facing financial difficulties, he had offered to invest, but she had declined. Now, after all this time, she had turned to Lu Xingyan for help. Evan was perplexed, especially since Lu Xingyan’s company was also on the brink of collapse. However, Lu Xingyan didn’t back down.

It was precisely because his company was in a tough spot that he wanted to take this opportunity to turn things around—he believed in Shen Xingruo’s capabilities.

Lu Xingyan went to the bathroom to stabilize his emotions, followed closely by Evan. He was well aware that the resort was in a state of loss, and his role as a supervisor was due to the third year of the agreement. If the resort continued to lose money, the terms of the agreement could not be fulfilled. Now, with Lu Xingyan investing 6 million yuan in a variety show, the risk was enormous.

When he returned from the bathroom, Evan announced to everyone that he had contacted a renowned foreign television director and secured investment for the show, which could be filmed in Germany. Shen Xingruo only needed to bring her team along. Given such an offer, it would be a lie to say Shen Xingruo wasn't tempted, but she did not express her feelings. After dinner, Shen Xingruo felt somewhat dissatisfied with Evan's behavior.

She didn’t want to revisit the past; they were all adults, and a lot of time had passed since then. Constantly bringing it up made everyone uncomfortable. Evan expressed his apologies, admitting he hadn’t considered Shen Xingruo’s feelings and had only focused on venting his frustrations. However, he encouraged her to seriously consider his suggestion, reminding her that making a show was also about business.

Shen Xingruo wasn't alone in this; she had the entire team to think about, so it was essential to choose the best option for them. After careful consideration, Shen Xingruo decided to collaborate with Lu Xingyan. After all, the dual star combination was currently very popular, and she had no reason to miss out on this opportunity. So, she brought her revised program plan to discuss with Lu Xingyan.

She acknowledged that Evan's resources were indeed appealing, but ultimately decided to work with people she trusted. No matter what had happened between her and Lu Xingyan, they were still the ones who trusted each other the most, and she didn't want to invest time in rebuilding trust with outsiders. Lu Xingyan and Shen Xingruo were on the same page. To enhance the program's appeal, they decided to feature a divorced couple.

They both approached Chen Zhu and Xu Chengzhou to discuss this idea. As long-time friends, they understood each other well, so Shen Xingruo and Lu Xingyan knew how to persuade the couple to join the show, and it was settled quickly. In addition, Lu Xingyan suggested another candidate: their high school class monitor, He Siyue. The reason for selecting him was that he managed a highly popular public account and had recently published a well-received book.

Shen Xingruo thought his profession could bring diversity to their guest lineup and was indeed much better than her backup candidates. Since Lu Xingyan had kept in touch with him, they could invite him to try. When Shen Xingruo returned to the company and proposed the idea to her team, she explained that with the current guest invitations, the overall direction of the show could shift.

They wouldn't have to focus solely on ex-relationships; instead, it could be a show about familiar romantic dynamics, exploring the transition from campus to urban society, from naivety to maturity. This long-term combination would be much more relatable to a broader audience. Zhang Xu thought it sounded great and urged Shen Xingruo to contact He Siyue. He Siyue declined the invitation because he wasn't good at socializing and had no romantic experience.

Lu Xingyan didn’t want to pressure him but said they could reach out again if he changed his mind. Shen Xingruo had different information; she discovered that Shi Qin was He Siyue’s ambiguous crush from high school. Back then, whenever class ended, He Siyue would come to find Shen Xingruo under the pretense of studying, but during their teenage years, feelings inevitably developed. Their interactions were not overtly flirtatious, so Shen Xingruo had completely missed the signs.

Shen Xingruo considered inviting Shi Qin to join the show as well, thinking their emotional dynamic was one of being almost lovers. However, Shi Qin felt it wasn't appropriate. Firstly, He Siyue had zero romantic experience, and she had been divorced, so there was no guarantee he could handle the situation, which could lead to awkwardness for both parties.

Furthermore, Shi Qin's ex-husband, Li Qi, had been harassing her and even showed up at her internship law firm with flowers, waiting for her at the entrance. Shi Qin was terrified of him, as he had a history of domestic violence and hadn't changed his ways. Fortunately, Shen Xingruo arrived just in time to protect Shi Qin.

Shen Xingruo warned Li Qi not to act recklessly, stating that they were in a law firm and there were cameras outside. If he dared to make a move, he would face serious consequences. Seeing this, Li Qi had no choice but to back down and leave. However, he wasn't going to give up; he planned to wait for Shi Qin in Xingcheng. Shen Xingruo and Chen Zhu never understood why Shi Qin had initially gotten together with Li Qi.

Shi Qin felt seen by him, as she had always been the unnoticed one in the crowd. Li Qi discovered her, and she thought it would be hard to find someone as good as him again, leading her to marry him quickly. But after marriage, she realized Li Qi had a different side. Shen Xingruo worried about Shi Qin's ability to cope and reminded her to contact her immediately if Li Qi harassed her again, to which Shi Qin agreed.

While cleaning at home, Shi Qin found her high school study materials and reminisced about her time with He Siyue. They were both shy and liked each other but never expressed their feelings. A knock on the door brought her back to reality; it was Li Qi. Shi Qin was shocked he had found her, as she had forgotten to switch users while shopping online, exposing her current address.

She was too scared to open the door, and soon, Li Qi jumped in through the window, going wild. Taking advantage of the chaos, Shi Qin dialed Shen Xingruo, but before she could say anything, the phone was snatched away. Fortunately, Shen Xingruo sensed something was wrong and rushed home, with Lu Xingyan offering to drive her, joined by Xu Chengzhou and He Siyue. They arrived just in time; otherwise, they didn’t know how badly Shi Qin would have been hurt.

Shen Xingruo felt guilty for being late, but Shi Qin was already touched; it was the first time someone had come to her aid during such an incident. Initially, Lu Xingyan wanted to deal with Li Qi, but Shi Qin stopped him, and Li Qi managed to escape through the window. Lu Xingyan arranged for Shi Qin and Shen Xingruo to stay at the resort since Shi Qin's home was unsafe. Shen Xingruo moving in would also provide companionship.

He Siyue wanted to escort them to their room but was politely declined by Shen Xingruo, as she knew Shi Qin didn't want him to see her in such a state. Shen Xingruo tended to Shi Qin's injuries before heading home to pack. Afterward, Shen Xingruo encountered He Siyue, who asked if they were really going to let the scoundrel Li Qi go. Shen Xingruo firmly replied that they would not.

Lu Xingyan and the others cornered Li Qi in a narrow alley, but they didn't intend to use violence; they merely wanted to intimidate him. They discovered that Li Qi had been an outstanding employee for three consecutive years at his company. However, there was a clear policy of zero tolerance for criminal behavior. Since Shen Xingruo and her team were acting within their rights to check this information, they also had the HR department's contact details.

If Li Qi continued to harass Shi Qin, they would report his actions to his company, which could ruin him. Even at this point, Li Qi was still acting shamelessly. Shi Qin presented her injury report from their marriage, which constituted intentional harm. She was ready to formally sue Li Qi, knowing the legal processes well as a lawyer herself. Shen Xingruo gave Li Qi two options: face a lawsuit or leave and never harass Shi Qin again. Ultimately, Li Qi fled in disgrace.

Back in high school, Shen Xingruo was a top student, while Lu Xingyan was the kind of student who gave teachers headaches with his grades. Eventually, they were assigned to sit together, and Shen Xingruo helped Lu Xingyan improve his studies. Their school days left them with many beautiful memories. He Siyue arranged to meet with Shi Qin. He still admired her, just as he had during their school days.

He was especially impressed with how well she handled the confrontation with Li Qi, remarking that she had become so formidable after all these years. During the meeting, He Siyue took the initiative, encouraging Shi Qin to participate in Shen Xingruo's show, saying it would help boost the Double Star couple's image. He even volunteered to tell the show's producers that he had secretly liked Shi Qin all along.

Since they were all friends, there wouldn’t be any pressure between them. Shi Qin felt both surprised and happy, realizing that the two people who had missed their chance back then had now reconnected. When Chen Zhu and Shen Xingruo found out, they were both thrilled for Shi Qin, but Shen Xingruo was even happier that Shi Qin had decided to join the show. President Yang arranged for his daughter, Jiao Jiao, to work with Shen Xingruo's team.

Jiao Jiao was overjoyed, as she was a devoted fan of the Double Star couple, hoping that they would reconcile soon. However, Shen Xingruo, despite knowing Jiao Jiao was President Yang's daughter, treated her no differently. She was as serious as ever, reminding Jiao Jiao that she was there to work, not to fan-girl or obsess over the couple. Jiao Jiao, rather than being upset by Shen Xingruo’s strictness, liked her even more.

At the resort, Jiao Jiao ran into Lu Xingyan and was ecstatic. She stopped him, bombarding him with questions about his relationship with Shen Xingruo. However, Lu Xingyan was in a hurry to find Shen Xingruo and didn’t have time to engage in a lengthy conversation. When he learned that Shen Xingruo had gone alone to the building materials market, he became concerned and immediately called her to ask for her location.

Shen Xingruo, trying to negotiate a better deal with the vendor, lied and said she was buying materials for their "wedding home" and that her "husband" had only given her 5,000 yuan, warning her not to overspend. Right on cue, Lu Xingyan arrived, and the two of them put on an act in front of the vendor. Lu Xingyan couldn’t help but smile when he heard her call him “husband” for the first time.

Since Lu Xingyan had personally purchased the materials for the resort, he had plenty of experience. The two continued shopping together, with Lu Xingyan—despite being a big boss—haggling with the vendors to save Shen Xingruo money. But Shen Xingruo still felt everything was too expensive, so Lu Xingyan, understanding her signals, kept negotiating persistently. However, with only a 15,000 yuan budget and the vendor refusing to lower prices, they decided to shop around and compare.

After leaving the store, Lu Xingyan suddenly picked up Shen Xingruo and placed her in a cart, pushing her around so she could relax a bit. They looked like a newlywed couple strolling through the building materials market. In an attempt to spend more time with her, Lu Xingyan playfully acted cute in front of the vendors, and Shen Xingruo had no choice but to go along with the act.

As they ate, they reminisced about their school days, both realizing how different they were from their younger selves. The atmosphere between them became subtly charged, and as Lu Xingyan gazed at Shen Xingruo, he wanted to suggest starting over. But as the words reached his lips, he hesitated, with memories of their arguments and breakup flooding his mind.

Lu Xingyan still couldn’t bring himself to say the words about starting over. He wasn’t sure if saying it would actually push them further apart, so he changed the topic by suggesting they buy more potatoes, claiming he wasn’t full. After finishing their meal, they returned to the resort and found that the workers had already started. Shen Xingruo was furious and demanded to know who had given the order. Jiao Jiao stepped forward, admitting it was her decision.

Shen Xingruo didn’t hold back at all. She told Jiao Jiao that setting up the site was the producer’s responsibility, and as an intern director, Jiao Jiao had no business interfering in production matters. Even though Jiao Jiao was the daughter of one of the investors, Shen Xingruo showed no mercy, telling her in front of everyone to pack her things and leave. From that moment, a seed of resentment was planted in Jiao Jiao’s heart.

She vowed to slowly deal with Shen Xingruo in the future. Lu Xingyan was also a bit worried that Shen Xingruo’s treatment of Jiao Jiao would cause trouble down the line, but Shen Xingruo had her reasons. She believed that if she didn’t take a stand today, no one would respect the producer’s authority in the future.

Shen Xingruo recalled her first job as a producer, where no one listened to her, and she was under so much pressure that she woke up one morning to find a patch of her hair had fallen out. She stood in front of the mirror, crying her heart out, but it was useless—people only saw her as someone who couldn’t handle stress. Hearing this, Lu Xingyan felt a pang of sympathy for her.

As they continued talking, they realized that being friends was the best way for them to interact, though admitting it left a sense of sadness and heartache. With the show about to start filming, everyone was feeling a mix of nervousness and excitement, eager to pour all their energy into this long-anticipated project. As expected, Jiao Jiao began causing trouble.

Since Shen Xingruo was the producer, she needed to understand the content and approve the work reports from the directors, but this compromised the authenticity of the reality show. Shen Xingruo had already considered this and assigned the planning and directing work to another director, while she focused solely on overseeing the schedule and expenses.

Shen Xingruo was well aware of Jiao Jiao’s scheming, but even though Jiao Jiao was part of her directing team, she wasn’t too worried, confident that she could handle her. When the show began filming, the group finally reunited. Each couple had their own distinct style. The divorced couples bickered as soon as they met, while Lu Xingyan and Shen Xingruo behaved quite normally, and the couples who hadn’t fully admitted their feelings were shy and awkward.

As they ate, they unknowingly began reminiscing about their time after the college entrance exams, when they had gathered for a similar meal. Back then, they had just turned 18, and they all went to a karaoke bar to drink. Lu Xingyan had accidentally dropped some food on Shen Xingruo’s clothes, and she went to the bathroom to clean it off. Lu Xingyan followed her out. It was on that day that Lu Xingyan confessed his feelings to Shen Xingruo.

Xu Chengzhou couldn’t believe that after all these years, he was hearing about this for the first time. During a break in filming, Xu Chengzhou pulled Lu Xingyan aside, scolding him for hiding such important information from his best friend all these years. Xu Chengzhou kept teasing him about it, while Shen Xingruo, feeling a sense of déjà vu, thought Lu Xingyan really did seem like that same boy from over a decade ago.

On the second day of filming, according to the show's plan, each pair of guests was supposed to go on a date at a designated location. Shi Qin and He Siyue were especially shy, and their discomfort in front of the cameras was a bit of a headache for the directors. Lu Xingyan and Shen Xingruo’s situation was more challenging, as Jiao Jiao deliberately caused trouble for Shen Xingruo.

The driver dropped Shen Xingruo off in a forest with no signal, which seemed odd to her—why would they choose such a remote place? Unable to contact anyone, Shen Xingruo wandered around while Jiao Jiao was at the correct location, interviewing Lu Xingyan. Meanwhile, Xu Chengzhou and Chen Zhu were arguing, ignoring the directors' instructions. Shen Xingruo got lost in the forest and couldn’t find a way out even by nightfall.

Sensing something was wrong, Lu Xingyan asked to see the location Jiao Jiao had sent to Shen Xingruo, and realized that Jiao Jiao had provided the wrong address. He hurriedly went to search for her, leaving with a stern warning to Jiao Jiao, saying that if something happened to Shen Xingruo, she would pay for it. Fortunately, Lu Xingyan found Shen Xingruo, but he twisted his ankle in the process.

Shen Xingruo helped him, and after learning what had happened, she decisively returned to the set to confront Jiao Jiao. Jiao Jiao played the victim, acting pitiful, and Zhang Xu tried to defend her. Although everyone knew what had really happened, no one could say much since Jiao Jiao was the investor's daughter.

Shen Xingruo wasn’t having any of it though—she sarcastically called Jiao Jiao out in front of everyone, making it clear that she wasn’t someone to be easily bullied. However, Shen Xingruo magnanimously decided that as long as Jiao Jiao’s antics didn’t affect the show's progress, she wouldn’t bother with her. Later, Lu Xingyan and Shen Xingruo continued filming under the night sky. Shen Xingruo even cooked steak for Lu Xingyan to thank him for rescuing her earlier.

This experience brought the two closer, and Shen Xingruo took the initiative to talk about starting over. Lu Xingyan was surprised, but this sweet moment was captured by the production crew, who were all rooting for the couple to reconcile. During post-filming interviews, everyone could sense the subtle sweetness between He Siyue and Shi Qin, even though they weren’t as outwardly expressive as the other pairs.

In her interview, Shen Xingruo admitted that her desire to start over with Lu Xingyan was genuine. Ever since the planning for the show began, Lu Xingyan had been by her side. When he came to rescue her in the forest, she was deeply moved, which led her to say what she did in the heat of the moment. However, after calming down, she felt that maintaining their current friendship was the best choice.

Lu Xingyan believed that what Shen Xingruo said was not true because they had just agreed to be good friends, and the chances of them starting over were slim. He assured that everything he said to Shen Xingruo was sincere, and she knew that he had never lied to her. Jiao Jiao, acting as the director, sent a question for Lu Xingyan to answer: After their breakup, had he ever tried to contact Shen Xingruo?

Lu Xingyan denied it, but Jiao Jiao pressed him for the reason. Lu Xingyan recalled going to see Shen Xingruo outside her building, only to see two people kissing on the balcony, and he thought one of them was Shen Xingruo. However, he chose not to answer Jiao Jiao's question.

Later, Yu Si asked Shen Xingruo to accompany him for a stroll and to buy a pillow, and Shen Xingruo agreed, remembering that Lu Xingyan had mentioned having a stiff neck the day before. Unexpectedly, Jiao Jiao saw this and purposely brought Lu Xingyan to the furniture store to reshoot some footage. Luckily, both Lu Xingyan and Shen Xingruo were quick to clear things up. Shen Xingruo explained that the scented candle and pillow she had bought were for him.

As soon as she found out that Jiao Jiao had brought Lu Xingyan there, she knew what was going on. Thankfully, the misunderstanding was resolved. While Shen Xingruo was on a phone call, Yu Si took the opportunity to tell Lu Xingyan that he had feelings for Shen Xingruo. He admitted that he was intentionally getting close to her under the guise of friendship, but Yu Si was certain that Lu Xingyan wouldn’t tell Shen Xingruo. He believed that if Lu Xingyan said anything, Shen Xingruo would just think it was because Lu Xingyan was jealous.

After thinking it over, Lu Xingyan decided to remind Shen Xingruo that during the filming of the show, she needed to be more mindful of her behavior. Their original intention was to benefit from the "couple's popularity," and if certain things were caught on camera, it could negatively impact the show's reception and viewership. However, Shen Xingruo felt that her interactions with Yu Si were just normal social exchanges and that Lu Xingyan was overstepping.

She was angry and reminded Lu Xingyan to know his place. Regardless of their relationship, Shen Xingruo was her own person and not an accessory to Lu Xingyan. In the second week of the show, it was time for the dates, which were tailored based on the participants' performances from the previous week.

Chen Zhu and Xu Chengzhou had to control the number of things they said during their date, keeping it under ten sentences in total, with the date activities left to their own choice. He Siyue and Shi Qin, on the other hand, needed to increase their conversation, speaking at least 100 sentences throughout their date. The atmosphere between the "Double Star Couple" (Lu Xingyan and Shen Xingruo) was somewhat tense.

They were supposed to have a barbecue at the resort, but due to the previous misunderstanding, their conversations became passive-aggressive and sarcastic. During the recording, Xu Chengzhou and Chen Zhu’s relationship showed signs of warming up. Chen Zhu became furious because Xu Chengzhou had met with another woman, and she angrily questioned him on the show. She quickly used up her allotted sentences and had to ask the director for another chance.

This time, by the tenth sentence, she found out that the woman Xu Chengzhou met was actually her own mother. Her mother had met with Xu Chengzhou because she was concerned about the couple's situation and had asked him not to tell Chen Zhu. Once Chen Zhu realized she had misunderstood, she tearfully hugged Xu Chengzhou. However, when Xu Chengzhou called her “ex-wife,” the two of them started fighting again, leaving the directors helpless.

Even the show's rules couldn’t contain this couple's dynamic. He Siyue and Shi Qin, on the other hand, made significant progress. He Siyue took the initiative, deciding to approach Shi Qin through her comfort zone—her profession. He used a real-life situation that a friend had encountered to ask for Shi Qin’s legal advice. As expected, Shi Qin was in her element when discussing her expertise, passionately explaining the legal aspects to He Siyue.

In the end, they completed the task, much to the director's delight, as the two were gradually growing closer. Shi Qin mentioned that *Roman Holiday* was being re-released, and He Siyue remembered this. During a break in filming, he got two tickets from a friend and invited Shi Qin to see the movie as a way to celebrate successfully completing their task.

They went to the movie together, shared popcorn, and unintentionally held hands, though they quickly pulled away, both still shy and embarrassed. Lu Xingyan and Shen Xingruo finally opened up to each other during this round of filming. Their breakup years ago had actually been caused by a misunderstanding. Although Shen Xingruo had agreed to the proposal during the show back then, it was only to avoid embarrassing Lu Xingyan.

Later, she returned the ring to him and told him that she was going to study in Germany. Lu Xingyan had been the last to know about her plans, and as her boyfriend, he felt betrayed by the lack of trust between them, leading to their bitter separation. Before Shen Xingruo left for Germany, the two managed to clear up their misunderstanding and started a long-distance relationship.

Every time Lu Xingyan visited Germany, he would record videos of their time together. But on the tenth visit, he saw two people kissing on a balcony, rushed upstairs, and punched Yu Si, thinking he was kissing Shen Xingruo. Later, it turned out to be a misunderstanding—Yu Si had been kissing his girlfriend, not Shen Xingruo. However, the incident caused Lu Xingyan to end up at the police station, and Shen Xingruo missed an important work opportunity as a result.

This time, Shen Xingruo couldn’t back down anymore. Due to her family background, she had no expectations or hopes for marriage. So when she accidentally learned that Lu Xingyan was still preparing for their wedding and a new home, she was deeply upset. Without trust in their relationship, Shen Xingruo finally decided to break up.

Shen Xingruo didn’t want to answer the question directly, but this time, Lu Xingyan hoped for some honesty. Since they were on the show, there was no point in avoiding it. Seeing this, Shen Xingruo wasn’t one to back down either, so she openly stated the reason for their breakup. She said their expectations for the future were different, and they were from two completely different worlds, so two incompatible people simply couldn’t be together.

Lu Xingyan saw this as a desecration of their ten-year relationship. Furious, he took off his microphone, stormed out, and returned to his room. Shen Xingruo was equally angry and slammed her chopsticks down. Lu Xingyan was so upset that he refused to continue filming. Zhang Xu had no choice but to ask Chen Zhu to help come up with a solution. However, Chen Zhu was at a loss too.

In the past, only Shen Xingruo could handle Lu Xingyan, but now, it seemed like no one could. Still, there was always a way out, and Chen Zhu thought of someone who might help—Lu Xingyan’s mother. Only Lu's mom could step in to solve this problem now. As expected, after hearing about Lu Xingyan’s situation, his mother rushed to the resort and gave him a stern lecture. However, Lu Xingyan was determined this time—he wasn’t going to back down.

At this critical moment, Lu’s mom took matters into her own hands. She arranged to meet with Shen Xingruo and handed her a box. This was something precious to Lu Xingyan that no one was allowed to touch, and it had taken a lot of effort for his mom to retrieve it from his locked drawer. Shen Xingruo returned to the guesthouse, where Chen Zhu called her over.

Together, they opened the box, which contained mementos from the years Lu Xingyan and Shen Xingruo had spent together—train tickets, plane tickets, and small notes with little memories. After everyone had celebrated, Shen Xingruo and Lu Xingyan had their own private time. Lu Xingyan took her to an internet café where they played games together, and then they went to a bar to fully enjoy the joy of turning 18. On that day, they officially became a couple.

Later, they even booked a hotel room, though nothing happened. When Shen Xingruo came out of the bathroom, she found Lu Xingyan already fast asleep. She wrote down her thoughts on the hotel’s notepad, doodled two little faces, and secretly slipped the note into Lu Xingyan’s jacket pocket. Thinking back on those times, it was indeed sweet. Even Shi Qin could tell that Lu Xingyan had never really gotten over Shen Xingruo all these years.

Shen Xingruo took the initiative to find Lu Xingyan. She was straightforward—she knew Lu Xingyan was angry, and she was also angry, but she wanted to see him, so she came. It seemed like the only thing left between them now was work. Lu Xingyan said that once he adjusted and took some rest, he would return to filming. Shen Xingruo told Lu Xingyan that he had been an inseparable part of her life for over ten years.

Although their romantic relationship couldn’t have a perfect ending, she still wanted to be in his life in some other way. Lu Xingyan also expressed that no matter what, he didn’t want to be strangers with Shen Xingruo. Now, they were partners with a little extra, and after their talk, they resumed filming. This time, their interactions while cooking were normal and natural, with a bit of sweetness. Meanwhile, Yang Tianjiao was up to no good again.

She suggested to the director that they should add a “challenge guest” to the show. After all, the relationships had mellowed out over the past few episodes, and bringing in a challenger could spice things up. The director agreed to Yang Tianjiao’s proposal, seeing potential in the drama between “childhood sweethearts” and the new “rival.