Episode 5
928 Words
The livestream chat exploded with "Press 1" comments, flooding the screen and drowning out all the hate messages directed at Linda.
Until someone on set gasped loudly.
"Mr. Thompson?" Emily covered her mouth in shock. "Jason Thompson, is that you?"
[THOMPSON?! Holy s**t!! THE mysterious billionaire Thompson?!]
[Jason Thompson—the enigmatic philanthropist who's donated over 300 separate charitable gifts in recent years, each one at least eight figures! Nobody knows his actual net worth!]
[I always pictured Thompson as some old geezer. Never imagined he'd be a young hottie!!]
[Even Jason Thompson is on a dating show now? What kind of production budget are we talking about here?!]
Jason Thompson was a legendary philanthropist whose charitable works were known worldwide. From eighty-year-old grandparents to three-year-old children, everyone knew of his humanitarian efforts.
He was already practically untouchable in the public eye, and now people discovered he was ridiculously handsome too.
The collective adoration intensified.
#JasonThompsonOnDatingShow
#JasonThompsonFaceReveal
These hashtags sent shockwaves through social media. Even people who never watched livestreams rushed to see what was happening.
And what did they find?
The mysterious billionaire resting weakly in Linda's arms.
Wait, what kind of pairing was this?
[Linda is so thirsty! Throwing herself at every man she sees. Thompson is obviously interested in Bailey!]
[Um, since when was Thompson interested in Bailey?]
[Panda Guy clearly wasn't into Bailey during their dinner, and he rejected her afterward. Why do Bailey's fans keep fantasizing that he likes her? I don't get it.]
The name Jason Thompson meant nothing to Linda.
This character hadn't existed in the original novel, where the sixth contestant should have been Jacob Wilson, the athlete she was supposed to end up with.
But Linda didn't dwell on this detail.
It seemed impolite to think about another man while holding such a beautiful one in her arms.
Perhaps the "Press 1" actually worked, because Jason slowly opened his eyes—revealing mesmerizing pupils that could capture anyone's soul.
"Did you hit me with your car?" he asked.
Even his voice was enchanting.
Linda was spellbound.
"Yes, I did."
The man in her arms smiled even more charmingly.
"Good. Then you owe me compensation."
Linda's smile instantly vanished.
Damn it.
A scam artist after all!
...
The chaotic opening segment finally wrapped up, and the six contestants split into three pairs before heading to the villa.
Unsurprisingly, Linda was paired with Jason Thompson.
But her earlier infatuation had completely evaporated—money talk was such a mood killer.
"So you want compensation? We can discuss the details in the car," Linda politely invited him inside.
Seemingly surprised by her cooperation, Jason got in without hesitation.
"Sounds good."
Just as he reached for his seatbelt, Linda suddenly slammed the gas pedal then hit the brakes hard!
THUD—!
Jason's head smacked against the windshield, knocking him unconscious.
Linda made a heart shape with her fingers at the passed-out Jason. "Now we don't need to discuss anything."
That's what you get for trying to scam her.
[?!!?!!!!]
[WHAT!!]
[I thought Linda was just pretending to be crazy, but now I get it—she's actually insane]
[NO?? WHAT?? This is THE Jason Thompson—rich AND gorgeous! What are you DOING? What on earth are you DOING??]
Everyone thought Linda had struck gold being paired with Jason Thompson. Instead of seizing the opportunity, she'd done... whatever this was.
[I figured it out!]
The self-proclaimed expert had arrived.
[It's because Linda is Mike's obsessed fangirl! She can't see other men. She's probably doing this deliberately to show Mike how loyal she is to him]
Oh—
Viewers had their collective "aha" moment.
So it was intentional—she was establishing her character.
But what unfolded next gradually strayed from the audience's theories.
...
After arriving at the villa, the six contestants gathered in the living room for their first icebreaker game: Finger Folding.
The rules were simple: Everyone starts with five extended fingers. Taking turns, each person shares a personal experience. If others haven't had the same experience, they must fold down one finger. Lose all five fingers and you lose the game.
The first two people to lose would become tonight's chefs responsible for preparing dinner.
"Oh my, Mr. Thompson, what happened to your forehead?"
Bailey suddenly exclaimed, pulling out a handkerchief as she moved toward Jason. "That looks serious. If you don't get to a hospital soon, it might—"
"—heal on its own," Jason interrupted with a meaningful smile. "No thanks. If it heals, how will I claim my compensation?"
Linda, who had been munching on a snack, nearly choked. "What?"
Who exactly was he planning to scam?
Bailey appeared momentarily embarrassed, but with her excellent composure, she quickly smiled again. "I see you two are getting along well. That's wonderful."
"Don't be so sure about that," Linda jumped in, professional troublemaker that she was. "We're definitely going to fight later."
"You want to do me?" Jason asked in mock surprise, lowering his head with a coy smile. "I wouldn't mind."
"What the hell?!"
Linda lunged forward, grabbing his collar. "Get your filthy mind out of the gutter!"
SLAM—!
Mike suddenly brought his glass down hard on the table, the sound loud enough to draw everyone's attention.
His lips were pressed into a thin line, his expression dark, though he managed to force a smile. "Let's stop fooling around. The director is cueing us to start the game."
Director Johnson, who had been thoroughly enjoying the drama: "Huh?"
Wait.
He hadn't cued anything.
- Writer
