Did he really like him that much?

Yun Chuan came back to his senses first. The admiration faded, leaving an expression that was somewhat... inscrutable.

He looked down at his own trouser legs and curled his lips.

So this was what he looked like without makeup? Pretty good-looking.

And did he really like me that much?

But it didn't matter. He was nobody important.

Wen Lin, meanwhile, stared for a long time before finally recognizing him. It had been ages since he had seen Yu Xiuyuan without makeup.

He had gone to such lengths to get Yu Xiuyuan to plaster that heavy makeup onto his face that he had almost forgotten what he actually looked like. Why had he suddenly washed it off?

Only after a long while did Wen Lin stand up to greet him, his tone so affectionate that no one would have guessed they had just argued:

"You've changed so much, Xiao Yu. I almost didn't recognize you."

Then he glanced back at award-winning actor Yun Chuan, in what he apparently thought was a discreet manner, and continued:

"What made you suddenly change your style? It looks pretty good. I remember you didn't bring any clothes like these. Did you ask your manager to deliver them at the last minute? You really put some thought into it. I've never seen you dress like this before. It'll take some getting used to."

At those words, the admiration in the others' eyes quickly faded, replaced by a hint of mockery.

Only after seeing their reactions did Yu Xiuyuan understand. So that was it.

No wonder my manager told me not to go overboard.

He had been so busy looking at Yun Chuan's face that he hadn't noticed his well-fitted suit: a white shirt and black trousers, looking every inch the handsome man he was.

So now he had become the shameless pest forcing a matching couple's outfit on Yun Chuan.

Whatever. The original owner of this body already had plenty of scandals. One more wouldn't hurt.

Matching outfits with an award-winning actor wasn't bad, either.

But just now, after Yun Chuan recovered from his surprise, had a trace of regret flashed through his eyes?

What was he regretting?

The loss of that ugly outfit?

Impossible. I probably imagined it.

Yu Xiuyuan tilted his head to look at Wen Lin. This guy really never missed a chance to put him down.

Whoever started it was the asshole. It would be rude not to hit back.

Feeling a little hot and stuffy, Yu Xiuyuan raised a hand to undo a button and said lazily, "No particular reason. You told me that style looked good and suited me, so I..."

"Thanks for spending the whole day shopping with me for those clothes a couple of days ago. I just really couldn't get used to wearing them, so I borrowed an outfit from my manager to tide me over."

With that, he chose the seat farthest from Yun Chuan and sat down.

Yun Chuan glanced at him, though it was unclear what he was looking at, then looked away again without much expression.

The moment Wen Lin heard that, he knew he was in trouble.

They had been photographed shopping together a few days ago, and it had even briefly made the trending list. There was no denying it.

He could only grit his teeth and explain, "I said it suited you because you really seemed to like that style. Everyone wants their tastes validated, after all."

Yu Xiuyuan quietly listened to his explanation, finding his stubborn refusal to admit anything rather amusing.

Playing innocent? I could do a bit of that too. "I liked it? Weren't you the one who kept strongly recommending it, saying it gave me a laid-back, effortless look?"

He paused, lowered his head slightly, and explained with an apologetic expression, "I believe you genuinely thought I looked good dressed like that. It's my fault for letting your thoughtfulness go to waste."

He felt great. The live chat exploded.

"That's Yu Xiuyuan??"

"No way! Absolutely no way!"

"Yu Dog, get lost! You even deliberately changed into matching outfits. Stay away from our Yun Chuan! Don't go anywhere near him!"

"Shameless!! He was just calling himself the goalkeeper, but clearly he wants to steal what he's guarding. With a face like that, how is our god Yun safe at all?!!"

"So sneaky. He was just lying to us earlier."

"Couldn't he undo one more button? Asking for a friend."

"To be fair, Yu Dog is actually gorgeous! His waist is so slim! You could probably wrap both hands around it?"

"With a face like that... I'm sold."

"Yu Dog fans up there, get lost! There are actually people who stan Yu Dog? He looks so different. Obviously he had plastic surgery!"

"He went upstairs and got plastic surgery in half an hour? Where can you get that done? Please recommend the place!"

"That giant sack suited Yu Xiuyuan? And looked good? Uh... that's downright malicious."

"Hater above, stop pretending you're a random viewer! Our Lin is gentle and kind. He was supporting Yu Xiuyuan's taste in clothes. He's so thoughtful!"

"Yu Dog must be lying, right? Is Wen Lin really that nasty?"

"Ooh, fight! Fight! I love this!"

"Yu Dog is bullying a newcomer! Blacklist him!"

"Oh, so Yu has a sugar daddy and still came on a dating show? What happened? Did his sugar daddy get bored of him?"

"Sneaky bastard! How dare he share a room with Yun Chuan and deliberately change into a matching outfit! Go die!"

The live chat dissolved into a shouting match, completely unbeknownst to Yu Xiuyuan.

After snapping back at Wen Lin, he had started zoning out.

A few more minutes passed. Once all the guests had arrived, the director appeared with a small megaphone and began the proceedings.

"Welcome, everyone, to our show, Come On, Let’s Date!"

"Next, please introduce yourselves so you can get to know one another! Let's start with Yun Chuan!" The director gestured toward him.

"Hello, everyone. I'm Yun Chuan." Relaxed in his bearing, Yun Chuan gave a slight nod and said nothing more after that brief introduction.

Even so, the live chat filled with meaningless strings of "Aaaah..." and "Woooow..."

Occasionally, comments appeared from fans having meltdowns over why the Best Actor would join a Dating Reality Show, insisting that nobody was good enough for him.

Wen Lin sat beside Yun Chuan, subtly leaning his upper body toward him. He tilted his head and waved gently. "Hello, everyone. I'm Wen Lin. It's a great honor to be on this show and meet such outstanding seniors in the industry. I hope you'll all like me."

Next was a man with a glossy, slicked-back hairstyle, his head raised as he looked down his nose at everyone.

He looked at Wen Lin and spoke in a booming bass, as though there were a toad lodged in his throat.

The toad croaked tenderly, "I'm Fang Yi. I came here for one person."

Wen Lin shyly lowered his head, and his fans seized the opportunity to tell everyone in the live chat how irresistible he was.

What was there to be proud of about being liked by a toad?

Oh, maybe it was because this toad was rich.

Yu Xiuyuan went over the original novel's plot in his mind before remembering that this man was Fang Yi, Wen Lin's number-one lapdog and the son of a wealthy family.

He had followed Wen Lin into the entertainment industry, showering him with money and opportunities. He came whenever called and attacked whoever Wen Lin pointed him at, solving plenty of problems for him.

Yet Wen Lin only kept him dangling as a backup.

In the end, even after Wen Lin married into a wealthy family, Fang Yi continued quietly wishing him well and protecting him from behind the scenes.

Fang Yi had arranged for Wen Lin to join this Dating Reality Show. The original owner had been bundled into the deal because Wen Lin thought he made a useful stepping stone.

The headlining guest was award-winning actress Lin Qingnuan, who had starred alongside Yun Chuan in a smash-hit drama. The two had plenty of fans who shipped them.

She glanced at Yun Chuan, then turned to the camera and said with a smile, "I'm Lin Qingnuan. I also came here for one person."

This time, the live chat went wild.

"Aaaah!!! I knew Qingnuan and Yun Chuan were real!!"

"Is this an official announcement?"

"He hasn't even reacted. What are you all getting so excited about?"

A chorus of shrieks and howls ensued.