The CEO's Reality Show Romance

Jasper Welch was a big shot in the business world, and many interviews couldn't even get him scheduled.

But he suddenly appeared on a little-known variety show and even called out during the program.

"I came here specifically for one person."

The ambiguous response from rising star Eleanor Smith sent the entire internet into a frenzy.

"The domineering CEO goes straight for love. I'm all for it."

"There's mutual affection here. I sense something unusual."

"The couple seemed to have confirmed it. Let's ship them."

What they didn't know was that this variety show was something Jasper begged me to join.

"Mr. Welch, we all know that you are relatively low-key. Could you share with the audience your reason for coming on the show?"

Having seen it all, Jasper relaxed on the show as if he were at home, even propping his leg up.

"Well, I came specifically for one person."

The show was live-streamed, and I caught a glimpse of the barrage of comments going wild with excitement.

"The domineering CEO goes straight for love. I'm all for it."

"Isn't Eleanor quite popular lately? She's also on this show. Could it be for her?"

"The cold and serious guy is earnestly chasing love. Let's ship them."

It was clear that Eleanor also saw these comments. She shyly glanced at Jasper.

Then she said, "Everyone, please don't speculate. We are a serious travel program, not a matchmaking show."

The audience got excited again.

"There's mutual affection here. I sense something unusual."

"The couple seemed to have confirmed it. Let's ship them."

"A rising star paired with a cool, distant CEO. It's so interesting!"

Suddenly, Jasper turned his head to look at me. I panicked and fanned myself, avoiding his gaze.

Last time, I got criticized for posting a photo with my brother and ended up trending for riding on the toptier star's coattails.

I couldn't let them accuse me of seducing Jasper again this time. Otherwise, I'd probably be rumored to be his sugar baby.

Then, Jasper's gaze settled back on Eleanor.

"It's fine. I'm not here for you."

I couldn't help but laugh, but the next moment I froze.

There were only two female guests present. How much clearer could he be?

We had clearly agreed at home to pretend we didn't know each other, but Jasper went back on his word.

While playing games, I was always in the same team with Jasper.

I asked him how it could be so coincidental.

He looked at me like I was an idiot and casually replied, "Because I sponsored the show."

When he wore casual clothes, I always subconsciously forgot that he was the big player in the business world.

For such a small show, he was treated like royalty.

That evening, Jasper went home. He only signed on for one episode.

As soon as Jasper stepped out the door, he sent me a message.

"I'm staying at the Hyatt Hotel tonight, 23rd floor."

I quickly replied, "Oh, I'm not going."

"Alright, then I'll just create a Twitter account and say you're my girlfriend."

Huh? Capitalists had their tricks down to a science.

Fully geared up, I sneaked over and knocked on Jasper's hotel room door.

The door opened from the inside, and Jasper appeared, freshly showered with droplets still in his hair.

"You're pretty punctual. Not bad."

I had also showered, and when I came out, he was on a video conference.

As soon as I approached, he closed his laptop and started to dry my hair.

The sound of the hairdryer buzzed in my ears, lulling me into a sleepy state, but I heard Jasper's sigh.

"I'm going to be gone for half a month to discuss the acquisition."

I had a bad feeling. He usually wouldn't share such things with me.

Sure enough, the next second, he began to play tricks.

"I'll miss you. Come with me."

I just started to gain some traction in my career, and I didn't want to give up my job for Jasper.

"I'm joining a film crew next week. I've got a supporting role, and I can't leave."

Jasper silently dried my hair, hugging me from behind and muttering, "You are so heartless."

I couldn't help but feel indignant.

"Then why don't you stay for me? Aren't we both responsible for our own work?"

Jasper suddenly fell silent, and I felt irritated, so I went to the bathroom to change.

"Let's cool down for a bit; we can talk when you come back. I won't see you off tomorrow."

Both Jasper and I were stubborn, neither willing to back down.

In the end, I slammed the door and went back to my hotel to sleep.

I waited until I started filming, but Jasper hadn't sent me a single message. I was so angry that I blocked him.

While on set, I ran into Eleanor again. She also played a role in this film.

As soon as she saw me, she took a jab at me for no reason.

"Charlotte, did you also ride on Jasper's coattails to get this role? Or can you even pass the audition with your acting skills?"

Last time, when Jasper had glanced at me from the variety show, I ended up trending.

Bad publicity was still publicity. I got thousands of negative comments but also some brand deals.

But I got this role from auditioning on my own.

"I'm not as good as your exceptional skills, but I graduated from a professional acting school. I've studied all basic courses. You don't need to worry about me."

Eleanor transitioned from being an internet celebrity. Previously, netizens criticized her for her surgically changed face and lack of acting skills. Now that Eleanor had gained some popularity, she had become arrogant.

I just couldn't stand her attitude and had to take a jab at her.

Her face turned dark, and she walked away, but during filming, she tried to sabotage me.

We had a scene in the water where I soaked for two hours, but Eleanor couldn't finish a single complete line.

She kept forgetting her lines and kept apologizing to the director and crew.

But I could clearly see the smug on her face. She was doing it on purpose.

We finally finished that scene as the sun set.

When I got out of the water, I felt like I was completely soaked through, and my hands had turned pale.

That night, I came down with a high fever.

I shivered, wrapped up in my covers, and realized there was no fever medicine in the room. I suddenly missed Jasper.

If he were here, he would definitely give me medicine and hold me in his arms.

But then I thought about his attitude from earlier, and my heart sank.

That jerk hadn't reached out to me at all. He probably forgot me.

The doorbell rang just then. It was probably the medicine I ordered.

I didn't open the door and yelled out for them to leave it at the door.

But the doorbell kept ringing. I thought my voice was too weak for the person outside to hear, so I got up to open the door.

Standing there was Jasper, who had been gone for half a month.

I threw myself into his arms, unable to hold back my feelings of grievance.

"Why are you so late? Did you betray me?"

He touched my forehead and put an ice pack on it. Lying in bed, watching him move around, I felt so much more at ease.

Jasper wasn't much of a talker, and he often made me mad without offering explanations.

But his thoughtful care always softened my heart in the end.

"Did you eat yet? Did you just come straight from the airport?"

He looked exhausted, like he had just gotten off the plane.

"No, I was planning to take you out for dinner."

He ordered a lot of takeout, but I could barely eat before falling asleep.

Just as I was dozing off, I suddenly felt him hug me from behind, startling me wide awake.

Jasper rested his chin on my shoulder, his voice filled with affection.

"I've missed you, Charlotte."

I felt happy, and all the gloom from the past few days vanished.

I wrapped my arms around him, my tone playful with a hint of a whine.

"Now you realize how great I am? You didn't even come find me."

To my surprise, he explained himself.

His emotional intelligence seemed to have awakened all at once.

"I wanted to handle things quickly so I could come see you. I was afraid that if I heard your voice, I wouldn't be able to wait any longer."

His chest, warmer than my own body temperature, pressed against my back, warming my whole body.

The next day, my fever was gone, though I still had a slight cough.

I went back to the set to continue filming, and the morning flew by.

After the director called "cut," I noticed that people around me seemed to be observing me.

I was puzzled and unsure of what was happening.

When I checked my phone, I was shocked to see the trending topic that popped up.

In bold, glaring letters, it read:

"Charlotte Hill's Late Night Meeting with a Sugar Daddy."

The video was crystal clear, likely taken by a professional paparazzi.

It was footage of me going to see Jasper the other night. I had disguised myself, so I hadn't expected to be recognized.

Because the room was a presidential suite, combined with the suggestive headline, many netizens were accusing me of selling my body for resources.

"I always knew she liked to ride on others' coattails. Never thought she'd have a sugar daddy. No wonder she's still thriving with so many scandals."

"So this is how the entertainment industry works-money transactions. No hope for those who actually work hard."

"She was all covered up, head to toe. Bet the sugar daddy is some fat old man she's embarrassed about."

The more I scrolled, the angrier I became. These random people didn't know the situation but their words were so hurtful.

My image had already been ruined, so why should I care about these netizens?

Frustrated, I was ready to start a verbal war with them, but just then, my agent called.

"Charlotte, don't post anything on Twitter. Bad publicity is still publicity. You've finally gained some attention, so use this opportunity to get more deals."

Fine, my agent knew my temper well. If she'd called even a minute later, I would've lost it and started fighting back online.

The trending topic stayed up all day, sitting at the top of the list, and as a result, my business deals and invitations really did increase.

"Ms. Hill, we have a variety show opportunity for you. We can create a self-deprecating persona for you, which has helped many stars regain popularity."

I thought it over for a few minutes before agreeing.

But half an hour later, all my trending topics were gone.

I was furious and started researching every name on the trending list to figure out who had bumped me off.

Who was stopping me from making money?

Frustrated, I vented to Jasper, complaining about whoever had blocked my financial windfall.

I had been ready to make a big profit, and now it was ruined.

To my surprise, Jasper calmly admitted it was his doing.

"Laurence told me you were trending with some bad topics, so I asked him to contact the media and have them removed."

It never crossed my mind that the culprit would be Jasper.

"Negative trending topics still bring attention. You should ask me next time. Otherwise, it's such a waste."

Unexpectedly, Jasper was firm about it this time, refusing to back down.

"No. You don't want me to make our relationship public, and I've respected that. But if people attack you verbally again, I'll do it again next time."

Well, we couldn't come to an agreement, and we ended up arguing again.

This time, I was participating in a reality show where all the guests were staying in one house, and the challenge was to see who could call a friend to come rescue them.

The rules of the show were to call a designated person and ask them to lend fifty thousand dollars.