From the Dating Show

It was sometime in the afternoon, at least after five. You could tell from the angle of the sunlight slanting through the floor-to-ceiling windows, reaching just the corner of the L-shaped sofa.

Tang Zhi Chu happened to be sitting in that corner, right in the sunlight.

He sat with his arms folded. From a psychological perspective, this was probably a defensive posture in social situations.

Zhou Yun simply watched him with a smile. She felt that if she wanted to approach a man like this, she had to wait for him to speak first.

When more than two people were together and neither of them spoke, they both felt a sense of responsibility to rescue the silence, didn't they? Especially when they were under the cameras?

Zhou Yun thought all she had to do was wait for someone else to step forward and break the silence, then follow his lead in the conversation. It would feel natural and harmonious. In her view, this strategy would make for a successful social opening.

Five minutes later, Zhou Yun sighed softly. "Are you from around here?"

Tang Zhi Chu glanced at Zhou Yun and said, "I haven't eaten."

Even Zhou Yun, with her easygoing nature, could only manage an awkward laugh. He'd actually zoned out.

The door to the Small Villa opened again. Zhou Yun took the opportunity to stand up, no longer paying attention to Tang Zhi Chu. She even felt as if she'd been rescued. Another female guest had just arrived.

Zhou Yun's eyes lit up, and the words came out before she could think. "Wow, you're gorgeous!"

The newcomer straightened from her slight bow. Reminding herself that she was the third person to arrive at the Small Villa, she smiled and replied politely, "Thank you. You're gorgeous, too!"

Of course, they were both beautiful. This was a Dating Show, and they were all male and female guests selected by the production team.

What was a Dating Show?

It was a program where a group of young men and women lived together for over a month. The show didn't interfere with their lives during the day, but every night, they had to return to the Small Villa.

It was like a special kind of matchmaking event.

"By the way, I'm Zhou Yun. You can call me Xiao Yun."

"Xiao Yun, got it. I'm Jiang Lan." After introducing herself, Jiang Lan's gaze passed over Zhou Yun and landed on Tang Zhi Chu, who was still sitting on the sofa. She greeted him first. "Hello, I'm Jiang Lan."

Only then did Tang Zhi Chu stand up and reply, "Hello, I'm Tang Zhi Chu."

In fact, this was when Tang Zhi Chu finally came to his senses and began taking in his surroundings.

Looking more closely, Tang Zhi Chu really did feel that this world was somewhat different from his own.

It wasn't the surroundings that were different. It was that his perception had changed slightly.

After being used to a five-foot-seven body, he suddenly had a six-foot-two one. Even standing and talking to people felt unfamiliar.

That was right. Tang Zhi Chu had come from another world.

What was it like to wake up inside a Dating Show?

Tang Zhi Chu glanced at the female guests and thought, A Dating Show. Well, a Dating Show it is.

After living through two lifetimes, it felt more like fate playing tricks on him. He still hadn't managed to leave this circle behind.

The pity was that in his own world, his company had only just made it into the top tier—and then it was all over.

He'd spent half his life struggling. He'd debuted as a singer, but his voice gave out in less than three years. Unable to sing anymore, he'd turned his attention to money. As long as someone paid, he'd take any job, even making appearances for internet celebrities and streamers.

He made money in a declining market, and was worn down by that same market. In the end, even some random streamer could mock him, and he was completely shut out of both the music and entertainment industries.

After some soul-searching, Tang Zhi Chu started his own studio. He signed a large number of so-called internet-famous musicians, then eventually went all in and founded an influencer company.

As far as the entertainment industry was concerned, it was like a rebellion from below.

He'd developed his own method for commercial songwriting. Starting with the music charts of the eighties, both domestic and international, he analyzed every hit song, then cut, rearranged, and transposed the pieces. In just three days, he could write a complete commercial song.

Thanks to this creative method, Tang Zhi Chu's studio quickly took off and expanded. Its hit rate reached over eighty-five percent, and it made a fortune, even building connections with major investors.

So even when he was hit by a transmigration and rebirth as unlikely as winning the lottery, it took Tang Zhi Chu a long time to convince himself to accept it.

"Hello, I'm Yang Jia Xing. What should I call you?"

Tang Zhi Chu's thoughts were interrupted again. He looked up and smiled. "Hello, I'm Tang Zhi Chu."

Zhou Yun gestured invitingly to Yang Jia Xing. "Have a seat. Let's chat."

Yang Jia Xing nodded, but didn't sit down. Instead, he poured some water, filling the cups in front of the two female guests before pouring one for himself.

Tang Zhi Chu's cup was already full. He hadn't touched it.

Zhou Yun raised her eyebrows slightly, thinking that this was more like it. Compared to Tang Zhi Chu, Yang Jia Xing was much more outgoing. She felt this was how a young man ought to act in a social setting.

"I feel like you're probably pretty young," Zhou Yun said again.

Yang Jia Xing gave a small nod, then smiled. "I feel like we're probably about the same age."

"I feel like I'm probably younger than you!" Zhou Yun said, sounding more cheerful.

"Then I'll have to give my age by the traditional reckoning."

A smile appeared on Zhou Yun's face, and she cut him off. "I'll go first. I was born in 2000."

After saying that, Zhou Yun stared at Yang Jia Xing with her big, watery eyes, her expression practically saying, You can figure out the rest yourself.

Yang Jia Xing played along. "You really are younger than me. I was born in '98."

There were only two male guests so far. Zhou Yun unconsciously turned her gaze back to Tang Zhi Chu, and her earlier sense of frustration faded.

Yang Jia Xing broadened the conversation from age to star signs. He chatted back and forth with Zhou Yun while also keeping an eye on the other female guest out of the corner of his eye.

Zhou Yun was very beautiful, with a somewhat round face, but she had a radiant, captivating charm.

Jiang Lan was different. She had a quiet, intellectual beauty, with the air of a strong career woman.

Before he knew it, Yang Jia Xing was looking forward to the next month or so together. As for his other "rival," Tang Zhi Chu? Yang Jia Xing wasn't paying him the slightest attention.

Before long, the third male guest arrived. He was dressed in a suit, looked at least twenty-seven or twenty-eight, and carried himself with an imposing air. His name was Huang Ze Jun.

Tang Zhi Chu was still being led around by a jumble of memories, some familiar and some strange.

One moment, he was lost in recollection; the next, he was exploring another set of memories.

While chatting, Zhou Yun's gaze moved among the three male guests. Her social instincts gave strangers first-impression labels. Yang Jia Xing, for example—

The label she gave Yang Jia Xing was outgoing and gentlemanly. He wouldn't let the conversation stall, and he kept finding ways to engage the female guests.

The first-impression label she gave Huang Ze Jun was composed, calm, and purposeful. Why? Because even in their brief conversation, he didn't waste words. He was either trying to figure out everyone's professions or focusing on one female guest for a one-on-one conversation.

As for Tang Zhi Chu? Zhou Yun labeled him aloof and reserved, maybe even a little withdrawn.

Don't underestimate these labels. They were also part of Zhou Yun's overall way of evaluating people socially.

Take Yang Jia Xing, for example. His label suggested that he had high emotional intelligence and broad experience. It also indirectly suggested that he came from a well-off family. And Huang Ze Jun? He was the typical career-focused man, probably the kind who had started his own business.

As for Tang Zhi Chu, Zhou Yun couldn't make a direct judgment. With that kind of personality and behavior, he was either being forced to join the show or simply unable to fit in.

Either way, Tang Zhi Chu didn't seem to have much going for him on paper.

(PS: Multiple female leads. Readers who only want a single female lead should steer clear.)