Chapter 65: An Uproar Erupts

At 7 p.m. on Saturday evening, the latest episode of the second season of the reality show “Switch? Exes” was released: The Exes Revealed.

As usual, the show quickly became a hot topic online, and before long, several trending topics on Weibo were dominated by discussions about this program.

#Li Jiayan’s Baffling Behavior#
#Zhang Chen Is Seriously Simping#
#Wen Yiming’s Fishing Tactics#
#Xu Junze Has Decided to Give Up#
#The Allure of the Rich for Internet Celebrities#
#Qi Jiajia’s Struggle for Survival#
#What Is Ye Fangfei Even Doing on This Show?#

Whether it was due to rival fan groups buying haters or something else, tonight saw a particular surge in criticism toward Ye Fangfei. Her fans rushed to defend her, onlookers jumped in to spectate, and other cast members were drawn into the fray. For a while, the internet was in chaos, with everyone arguing fiercely.

[Ye Fangfei looks down on everyone and doesn’t want to give her ex another chance—what’s wrong with her? Why even go on this show? She’s just irritating to watch.]
[Get lost! If you’re so annoyed, why are you even watching? Nobody forced you. Watching just to complain—are you a masochist?]
[Heard from a little bird that Ye Fangfei didn’t want to join this show at all—her family forced her.]
[Rumor has it Zhang Chen’s background is pretty impressive. I’m guessing Ye Fangfei’s family wanted her to marry into wealth, so they pushed her to reconcile with Zhang Chen on the show. But Ye Fangfei herself refused, and only she knows why. As for Zhang Chen... I think he’s only chasing Ye Fangfei out of pride; the classic case of wanting what you can’t have! Mark my words, the day he wins her over will be the day he loses interest.]
[That analysis makes a lot of sense. I agree. Plus, I bet Zhang Chen is a player in private. Ye Fangfei’s in the entertainment industry—she’s surely heard all about his escapades, no wonder she’s avoiding him.]
[That’s just baseless slander. Accusing Zhang Chen of being a womanizer—do you have proof? Legal warning incoming.]
[Isn’t it odd for a female celebrity not to want to marry into a wealthy family?]
[Look at how proactive Chu Yao is with Zhang Chen! She knows exactly what’s good for her. Maybe Ye Fangfei is just too young and naïve, thinking her superstar status will last forever? She doesn’t realize that capital is what truly matters.]

[So Xu Junze should just run while he can—don’t even think about getting back with Chu Yao. Gold-diggers can’t be tamed unless you’re perpetually loaded.]
[Ha, Xu Junze’s only successful because of Chu Yao in the first place. Now he dares criticize her for being materialistic? Have some self-awareness.]
[Let me be fair: inviting Ye Fangfei to join the second season of “Switch? Exes” was the show’s biggest mistake! The production team must be out of their minds—having a celebrity compete with regular people, and making the exes public? It’s obvious who’s paired with whom! There’s no challenge at all. With a star in the cast, what chance do the other female contestants have? All the guys are focused on her—how’s anyone else supposed to play?]
[Hilarious! The biggest mistake? Compare the ratings for season one and season two—maybe your math teacher taught you language arts? Calling the director crazy? You’re the crazy one! The current season is raking in sponsors. How many did season one have? Ignorance is truly terrifying.]
[If there’s money to be made, let’s all make it! Why complain without watching? Anyone who’s seen the show knows not all the guys are focused on Ye Fangfei. Only her ex, Zhang Chen, is obsessed. Wen Yiming flirts with everyone, and out of the four male contestants, only Zhang Chen is fixated on Ye Fangfei. How is that “all of them”? Go back to elementary school.]
[Isn’t the concept different this season? You call Li Jiayan and Qi Jiajia “regular people,” but Chu Yao? Check her follower count on every platform before labeling her a nobody.]
[Each season has its strengths. The first was all ordinary folks, easier for viewers to relate to, but the contestants’ backgrounds were unimpressive. The second season is on a whole different level... Superstar, top influencer, heirs to fortunes, business owners—and even the only “working stiff,” Qi Jiajia, works at the country’s top foreign firm and is a bona fide elite. Check her salary and you’ll realize there’s no need to worry about their relationships. None of these people are desperate for love.]
[You’re right, but not entirely—there’s really one simple guy: Lu Zhou! Before getting popular on the show, he struggled for ten years, scraping by on a tiny salary. He even had to terminate his contract because he couldn’t make ends meet. By all accounts, he’s the true regular person.]
[Lu Zhou may be from the countryside, but rumor has it his family owns ten thousand acres of fish ponds. Maybe your idea of “poor” is off.]
[Didn’t they debunk the ten-thousand-acre story? It’s a hundred acres at most, and even that’s leased—not much money in it.]
[I keep feeling Wen Yiming’s family should be the ones running fish ponds. All he does on the show is “fish” for girls.]
[But Wen Yiming hasn’t successfully “caught” a single one! Failed fish-pond management—don’t follow his example!]
[Isn’t the point of coming on the show to interact with everyone? How else do you know who you’re most compatible with? Are you supposed to lock onto one person immediately? Wen Yiming’s approach is right—follow your heart, get to know everyone, then decide. It’s way too soon to make up your mind.]
[Even Wen Yiming has defenders? Now I understand why Qi Jiajia feels insecure.]
[Qi Jiajia really is struggling to survive on this show.]
[After watching everything, I’ve come to one conclusion: Lu Zhou truly is a good man.]

...

The internet was in an uproar, and the show’s popularity continued to skyrocket.

The latest episode was the last of the previously recorded content. To capitalize on the momentum, the production team promptly posted an announcement on their official account:

[If you like someone, would the existence of their ex stop you from moving forward?
If your heart is stirred by someone new, but your ex just won’t let go, what would you choose?
A journey with your ex is bound to be full of challenges and trials.
Eight contestants are about to embark on an unknown adventure.
Where will their relationships lead?
A live, unedited broadcast—the truest reality dating show!
If you want to follow their emotional journey, click to reserve your spot for the live simulcast of “Switch? Exes” across all platforms!]

After the announcement, netizens were floored.

[Damn, a real-time livestream! The show’s going all out!]
[Isn’t this a bit too intense? Are you sure? Aren’t you afraid it’ll crash and burn?]
[This season is so different from the first—not even the broadcast method is the same.]
[Can’t wait! Bring on the ultimate showdown!]

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