Su Ziming really was a little stunned. He asked again to make sure, "You really have more songs?"
"Yes. What kind do you want?" He couldn't promise much else, but he had songs to spare. Every style imaginable-Su Ziming could take his pick like an emperor choosing a consort.
"I can even request a specific type?"
"Sure. Tell me whenever you've decided."
Su Ziming nodded. "You're not quite what I imagined."
"What did you think I was like?"
Su Ziming tilted his head back and thought for a moment. "We didn't interact much before, but spending time with you up close on this show, I've realized you're actually funny, carefree, uninhibited, and very talented."
Yu Xiuyuan laughed. "Aren't you a little too good-natured? Are you really that easy to push around?"
"What do you mean?"
"In all these days of filming, you haven't given me any trouble. At most, you ignored me. Now you're even complimenting me. Don't you hold any grudges? Are you secretly a soft little bunny?"
Su Ziming flushed a little at his words and explained quietly, "Actually, even back then, I didn't think you were the one who leaked the video."
"Why?" Yu Xiuyuan didn't understand.
"Uh... your personality back then was a little straightforward..."
Yu Xiuyuan raised his right hand to stop him. "Hold it. I get it. You're saying I was stupid. If I'd wanted to leak it, I would've just done it openly." He knew Su Ziming was talking about the original owner of his body, but it was still a little embarrassing.
"I never said you were stupid. You said that yourself."
"Well, well. This little bunny has some sharp teeth."
With business settled, Yu Xiuyuan got up to leave.
At the door, he remembered the confession letters and turned back to Su Ziming. "Don't wait for my confession letter. I was just worried you wouldn't talk to me, and I wanted to give you the song. Now you can focus on finding love."
Before Su Ziming could answer, he was already gone.
Su Ziming had joined the dating reality show because he was in an awkward position career-wise. He hadn't released a high-quality new song in a long time, and his popularity was declining, so he had come on the show to get some exposure.
Focus on finding love? With whom?
Wen Lin had already been picked up and taken away.
Fang Yi seemed a little off after having his heart broken.
Yu Xiuyuan was determined to retire.
Best Actress Lin was intent on pursuing God Yun.
God Yun... was impossible to figure out.
Lin Xi and Li Rou wanted front-row seats to every bit of drama.
Who was he supposed to date?
Su Ziming couldn't think of anyone to give his confession letter to.
Neither could Director Liu.
But I never said there'd be a confession-letter segment tonight, did I?
Why had they all taken it for granted?
The live chat was already predicting the results of the letter exchange.
He was speechless.
With no other choice, he had to roll with it and announce that any guests who chose each other through tonight's confession letters would become partners until filming for this episode ended.
With a great sense of ceremony, the director handed out envelopes patterned with subtle roses. Yu Xiuyuan took his and immediately held it out to Yun Chuan. "Here, take it."
Yun Chuan didn't accept it. He took a moment to choose his words, then said, "You should still write something."
Yu Xiuyuan cocked his head at him, his eyes darting from side to side. Write what? Were they supposed to see the act through?
"All right."
Yun Chuan watched the lock of hair that had flicked up when Yu Xiuyuan tilted his head. He rubbed his fingers together, feeling an itch deep inside.
After filming ended last week, he had looked into Yu Xiuyuan's background.
The information said he was deeply in love with a man named Lu Jinming, whom he pursued relentlessly, clinging to him without any limits.
A few days before filming the dating reality show, he had even visited Lu Jinming's set and bought milk tea for the entire crew, only to wait all day without so much as seeing him.
Lu Jinming accepted every gift but rejected the man himself. He even forbade anyone from mentioning their names together.
Things like that had happened countless times.
Holding those documents, Yun Chuan imagined Yu Xiuyuan looking at Lu Jinming with those sparkling eyes. His chest tightened, making it hard to breathe.
He wanted to confront him. Why join a dating reality show if you already had someone you liked?
Why look at me with those sparkling eyes if you already had someone you liked?
Why wear matching outfits with me if you already had someone you liked?
Why play hard to get with me if you already had someone you liked?
But he didn't even have him on WeChat.
His chest had felt tight for a long time. He didn't understand what was wrong with him.
All he knew was that he suddenly hated that stranger named Lu Jinming.
Had he ever worked with that man on a production before?
Apparently not. Not just anyone could get into his productions.
When filming for the second episode began, he hadn't wanted to come.
He had only joined the dating reality show to appease his family in the first place.
Initially, he had planned to use Yu Xiuyuan to scare his family off. After all, someone that ugly was a rare find.
But he hadn't expected him to transform into someone so beautiful just by changing his clothes. His personality had become more likable, too.
With his plan to scare off his family ruined, there was even less reason to go back.
But his chest still felt tight.
In the end, he had come anyway. He simply didn't want to get close to him again.
He had thought Yu Xiuyuan would be upset if he suddenly ignored him, but it turned out the man didn't need his attention at all. He could be given the cold shoulder ten thousand times and still be fine.
When Yun Chuan kept his distance, Yu Xiuyuan didn't care in the slightest. Of course he didn't. Yun Chuan wasn't the one he liked.
And now he was going to confess to someone else?
Did he no longer love Lu Jinming?
Even if he didn't love Lu Jinming anymore, why Su Ziming?
He didn't know how he had made it upstairs. He only heard the urgency in his own voice as he asked the question that had troubled him for days.
Didn't you already have someone you liked? Why come on a dating reality show?
He was angry. He rarely got angry, but alongside that anger, there seemed to be another emotion he couldn't identify.
All he knew was that he wanted to hear Yu Xiuyuan say something.
Then he heard it. Yu Xiuyuan said that was all in the past. He no longer liked Lu Jinming; in fact, he hated him.
The tightness that had gripped his chest for days suddenly eased.
He thought he finally knew what that unfamiliar emotion was.
It was anticipation.
He had been waiting for Yu Xiuyuan to say he no longer liked anyone else.
For years, he had been seeing a therapist.
Though he himself didn't think he needed one.
He was simply aloof by nature, calm in the face of problems, and uninterested in meaningless things.
He was perfectly at peace with that. It didn't affect his life.
But in their efforts to cure him, his family often did things he found baffling.
They even sent inexplicable snacks or toys to his film sets, leading people to mistakenly believe he still loved strawberry yogurt at twenty-seven.
For the sake of some peace and quiet, he had gone to see a therapist.
The diagnosis said he was emotionally detached, lacked emotional resonance, and couldn't form connections with people or things.
In short, he would eventually cast everything aside, ascend to immortality, and dissolve into the universe.
After that, he had been forced to undergo a series of treatments, but he knew they were useless.
To return to his former peace and quiet as quickly as possible, he had diligently studied the emotions corresponding to human expressions and body language, along with the responses people expected.
His studies proved quite effective. At last, he had obtained the peace and quiet he wanted.
He had initially become an actor to practice performing appropriate emotional responses, too.
He learned to be gentlemanly, considerate, gentle, and beyond reproach.
Later, he realized he only needed to put effort into dealing with his family. No one else had the right to disturb his peace.
As luck would have it, he did genuinely develop some interest in acting.
His family was delighted and supported him unconditionally.
Although his acting had always been good, those close to him could still discover the truth.
His family hoped to truly cure him, to let him experience genuine emotions. They hoped he could have someone to love.
With no other choice, he had joined the dating reality show.
Now he felt that perhaps coming here had been the right decision.
For what seemed like the first time, he had something to look forward to in the world.
Not in the world, but in Yu Xiuyuan alone. He had something to look forward to.
Before you continue