Chapter 61: The Attention Drawn by the Premiere

The next evening at seven, the first episode of the second season of “Shall We Swap? Exes” premiered on Orange Light TV, shattering the historical peak for opening-day viewership in romance reality shows. The broadcast immediately set off a new wave of heated discussion.

Lu Zhou was trending again, but this time it wasn’t because of the “Ye Fangfei’s Ex-Boyfriend” topic. Instead, it was the scene of him practicing piano on camera that captured everyone’s attention. He played “Croatian Rhapsody” several times over, becoming more and more absorbed in the music. His sense of rhythm grew ever sharper, and he even began to improvise harmonies with abandon.

“Absolutely beautiful.”

“That piano segment was so handsome I almost had a nosebleed!”

“Mom, I think I’ve just found myself a new husband.”

“Help, his piano is so pure! The way he controls the rhythm is incredible! He’s not just imitating—he’s poured his soul into the music!”

“That bit about pouring in his soul scared me for a second.”

“Any professionals here? Can someone give an expert opinion? Is he really that good?”

“I’m Grade 10 piano. To put it simply: ‘Croatian Rhapsody’ looks impressive, but it’s not actually that hard. Still, you can tell Lu Zhou has his own interpretation. His grasp of rhythm is really impressive.”

…

Li Jiayan’s piano segment was also making the rounds online. Netizens joked that the show must have recruited its cast from the Piano Performance Association—how could so many of them be so talented?

Some even started comparing Li Jiayan and Lu Zhou, debating who was the more accomplished pianist. The experts were quick to complain about the futility of such arguments, pointing out that the pieces weren’t even the same, so there was no basis for comparison.

A new faction of fans emerged, shipping Lu Zhou and Li Jiayan as a couple, insisting the two were perfectly matched and should get together right away.

Indeed, after the episode aired, those who’d been so confident yesterday—betting on Lu Zhou and Ye Fangfei as exes—were now quietly eating their words. In the brief scene where Lu Zhou and Ye Fangfei were alone by the piano, awkwardness, unfamiliarity, and formality hung in the air. They didn’t seem at all like a couple with history—more like strangers meeting for the first time.

Audiences also got a better sense of each cast member’s personality and temperament, which only reinforced the conclusion that Lu Zhou and Ye Fangfei were not exes.

Sharp-eyed viewers began to reassess Ye Fangfei’s ex-boyfriend, and Zhang Chen’s popularity surged. A million-yuan watch, designer brands from head to toe, and an aristocratic air about him—Zhang Chen quickly became the number-one suspect in the “Ye Fangfei’s Ex” sweepstakes.

“This guy just screams money.”

“It’s him, it’s definitely him. I’ll put a hundred bucks on it.”

“Famous actress and rich guy? That pairing’s as old as showbiz itself.”

“He seems all right so far—looks like he only has eyes for Ye Fangfei and isn’t interested in the other women. But honestly, his looks… not quite on par with our Fangfei.”

“Unpleasant as it is to admit, a lot of gorgeous actresses in showbiz end up with men who aren’t lookers but have deep pockets and connections.”

…

Zhang Chen started trending as well—but the tag was “#ZhangChenSoPitiful#.”

This came from the segment where his ex-girlfriend’s audio introduction lasted only a couple of sentences. Netizens flooded the comments with jokes: “This poor guy, his ex clearly never loved him.”

“Wild theory: Ye Fangfei didn’t love Zhang Chen at all, just his money. But after getting together, maybe his wealth wasn’t as accessible as she thought, so she broke up with him?”

“Come on, do you really think Ye Fangfei, at her level, needs money that badly?”

“Classic star move—marry into wealth for status, then quietly keep a boytoy on the side!”

“Please, as if rich guys don’t have women on the side too. It’s just mutual advantage.”

“Showbiz is wild.”

…

Every time Zhang Chen went online and checked the trending topics, he nearly exploded with anger. The netizens never had a good word for him. Eventually, he stopped paying attention altogether.

While Ye Fangfei, Zhang Chen, Lu Zhou, and Li Jiayan were the focus of heated debate after episode one, the other two couples—Wen Yiming and Qi Jiajia, Chu Yao and Xu Junze—generated far less buzz.

Still, Chu Yao’s level of attention remained high, thanks to her large fan base and the show’s producers strategically buying trending topics for her. However, since she didn’t cultivate a celebrity persona, her fans weren’t as devoted, nor did she play the “girlfriend” role. Her fans already knew she’d dated before and simply wished her happiness.

All in all, her fanbase was peaceful, which actually reduced the amount of discussion about her.

After the first episode aired, all the reality show participants watched the broadcast.

Back then, filming the show, you could only guess at the others’ thoughts. Now, watching the final cut, it was easy to observe everyone’s reactions—including post-interviews. Shifting from insider to outsider gave a new thrill: someone you once thought well of might reveal thoughts that made you frown, while someone who’d seemed unremarkable could shine in ways you’d never noticed.

When Li Jiayan saw Lu Zhou playing “Croatian Rhapsody” on screen, her heart fluttered all over again—just as it had when she first saw him strumming his guitar and singing years ago. She’d never known his piano playing could be so dazzling. She hadn’t realized he’d played piano the first day in the Pink Cottage, quietly hiding his talent from everyone. Even when she’d deliberately shown off her skills, he’d graciously praised her performance.

His piano skills were easily on par with hers, and his playing had its own unmistakable voice. Some netizens said he’d “poured in his soul”—she wanted to say the same.

That familiar yet unfamiliar thrum in her heart had been absent for so long. Seeing people online claim she and he were a perfect match, Li Jiayan found new thoughts stirring.

Her best friend, excited, hooked her arm and delved into relationship talk.

“I think your first love seems really great—he’s into music, you’re into music, you have so much in common.”

“I heard his song ‘First Love’—you can tell he really cared for you. After so many years, he still wrote a song about you. That’s so romantic!”

“Talented, handsome, sincere, and still single—if I had a first love like that, I’d definitely win him back.”

Li Jiayan laid her head on her friend’s shoulder, smiling.

“You can say that because you’re on the outside and you’ve seen his talent and success. If you only saw the tip of the iceberg, like I did on the show, you wouldn’t be so sure.”

Her friend nodded thoughtfully. “True, it’s easy to be blind in the thick of things. But now you’ve had a chance to see from the outside. Has your heart changed?”

Li Jiayan pressed her lips together, a shy smile playing about her mouth. “I’m keeping that to myself for now.”

“Please, with that look I already know,” her friend teased, pretending she could see right through her.

“Seriously, just a hunch, but your first love’s career is just getting started—he’ll go far. If you want to win him back, you’d better act soon, or some other woman will snatch him up.”

Her friend analyzed the situation earnestly.

“But my parents… They never supported us being together,” Li Jiayan murmured.

“They only looked down on his background and couldn’t see his potential. If he makes it big soon, I doubt they’ll object.”

Li Jiayan perked up. “So how likely do you think he is to make it?”

“At the rate he’s going, his prospects are bright. If he could write one hit song, why not another?”

“That’s not a given… Plenty of artists peak at their debut and live off one song for years…”

Her friend shrugged. “If he can live off one song, that means he was truly popular. After making enough, he could go behind the scenes, invest, maybe do even better than in the limelight.”

“Honestly, your parents want you to marry into wealth, but do you? It’s your life—you’re the only one who knows if you’re happy. With your status now, marrying into a small fortune is easy, but if it’s a major one… You know how hard that is. The social gap would be huge. Even if you got in, you’d spend your life keeping your head down.”

“Up to you—I’m just giving my opinion.”

After listening to her friend, Li Jiayan felt even more certain about her own feelings. She found herself eagerly awaiting the next shoot.

Elsewhere, Chu Yao watched the show with her assistant and then used data analysis tools to assess Lu Zhou’s social media potential, falling into deep thought.

She worked in social media and was sensitive to data. The numbers made it clear: Lu Zhou’s account had huge potential, and if he seized the opportunity, it could go far beyond this.

“Sis Yao, Jun was so affectionate with you. Are you really not going to give him another chance?” her assistant gossiped.

Chu Yao looked at him and smiled. “What do you think?”

“My opinion doesn’t matter—it’s what you want that counts.”

Chu Yao smiled wryly, but her eyes were resolute. “There’s a saying: cheating happens either zero times or countless times. I think that applies to business, too.”

“If a man is willing to put his own interests above all else and betray the person beside him, even once, there will always be a second time.”

“I won’t let that happen to me again.”

The assistant couldn’t argue but didn’t fully agree, so he changed the subject.

“At the moment, your online buzz isn’t growing much. Maybe things will improve later, but right now, the guests who showcase musical talent or have a tragic backstory are getting all the attention. Your attempt to promote products in the kitchen didn’t move the needle in sales. We need to find better strategies to boost brand confidence.”

Chu Yao sighed. “That’s my weak spot. If I want to get into livestream sales, I’ll need to break through this barrier.”

The assistant thought for a moment. “First, you have to increase your own visibility. Otherwise, the others will keep stealing the spotlight, and you won’t get the numbers. If your first attempt at product placement doesn’t work, it’ll be tough to land big partnerships later.”

Chu Yao seemed a little annoyed. “It’s only the first episode. Let’s see how the numbers play out and adjust if we need to.”

She refocused on the data, thinking over new directions.

Wen Yiming was also troubled by his lack of buzz. In the first episode, he’d deliberately shown off his physique, expecting to draw in fans, but most of the attention went to other contestants. Even Qi Jiajia received more, mainly because Wen had spoken poorly of her in the ex’s recording, earning her the sympathy of many female viewers.

It seemed that without emotional drama, netizens wouldn’t pay attention. Take Zhang Chen: he trended simply because people found him pitiful in his past relationship…

He’d miscalculated. Wen Yiming began to rethink his strategy.

Qi Jiajia, on the other hand, wasn’t worried about traffic—she was pleased just to see her follower count rise after the episode aired. She found herself drawn to Lu Zhou, having gone on a brief date with him on the show and watched him dance at the music festival. She’d felt a flutter then, and seeing him trend for his piano performance—especially with the show’s close-ups highlighting his handsomeness and elegance—only deepened the impression. Some nameless emotion began to take root in her heart.

And Xu Junze? He wasn’t concerned about his own lack of buzz. Instead, he watched from a producer’s perspective, analyzing which of the cast might become a future collaborator. He’d originally wanted to recruit Lu Zhou, but Lu was proving impossible to control—so he shifted his interest to Li Jiayan, who seemed full of potential.

At that time, Lu Zhou was paying little attention to the reality show drama. Having earned his first bit of capital, he’d rented a space to set up his studio and was busy working with designers and overseeing renovations.

But just because he wasn’t watching the show didn’t mean his parents weren’t. After watching the episode, his mother called him for a late-night video chat, her curiosity never waning.

“Your ex-girlfriend is that girl named Li Jiayan, isn’t she?”

“She clearly doesn’t want to get back together with you. Looks like she’s already set her sights on someone else! All she sees is money… You won’t be happy with someone like that! Listen to your mother—don’t let yourself get burned by this woman again!”

Lu Zhou replied, “You worry too much, Mom. I know what I’m doing.”

“I can’t help worrying! Men are impulsive, and when they are, they stop thinking straight. It’s easy to fall into the traps set by those cunning, seductive women. Don’t underestimate them…”

Seductive women… Lu Zhou couldn’t help laughing. “Are you hinting at Dad, Mom?”

At that moment, his father’s voice rang out: “You rascal! What nonsense are you spouting? Trying to ruin your old man’s reputation?”

Lu Zhou laughed even harder.

After patiently chatting with his parents and reassuring their concerns, he hung up and returned to work.

Recently, he’d set his sights on Director Chen Xiangxin’s upcoming variety show “Star 1+1” and was preparing his submission, hoping to pass the casting director’s selection.

This was a show with no back doors—he’d have to rely solely on his own abilities.