Do you know where they went on their date?

With things spelled out this far, Ye Qiunian would have to be an idiot not to hear that Jiang Lan definitely had someone specific in mind.

He glanced at the camera in the car. "I think you're hinting at someone."

Jiang Lan knew there was a camera above his head, but he didn't particularly care. "I'll be thirty after the New Year. Having a clear idea of my type isn't unreasonable, is it?"

Ye Qiunian turned his head, looking at the endless sea beside the coastal road. "That's perfectly normal. But what you described wasn't a specific type you liked. It was a specific person you liked."

He asked Jiang Lan, "You came on this show with a particular target in mind, didn't you?"

Jiang Lan didn't answer Ye Qiunian's question directly. He only said, "Not really. The guest list was confidential before we came, after all. I didn't know who else would be here."

Ye Qiunian knew that very well. Before coming here, he hadn't known who he would meet either.

He turned back to look at Jiang Lan's profile. "So the production team gave you a pleasant surprise."

Jiang Lan laughed at that. "More like a shock."

He glanced at Ye Qiunian. "What about you? Did Actor Pei leave a good impression?"

Ye Qiunian shook his head. "So far, he seems like a raging alpha chauvinist. I'll keep watching for now."

Jiang Lan understood. "So he's on your watch list?"

Ye Qiunian didn't deny it. "President Wen is on my watch list too. Right now, I have a better impression of President Wen."

On a show like this, everyone concealed their true nature to some degree. Even if they were checking out everyone, or even casting a wide net in hopes of becoming the center of attention, no one would say so outright.

More people preferred to pretend to be indifferent early on, then play the devoted, faithful lover once they had settled on someone.

It was a show, after all. They still had to establish their personas and seize the chance to gain some attention and favorable reviews. Whether they could keep it up later depended entirely on character and luck.

Someone like Ye Qiunian, who openly admitted he was considering several people at once, was a rare sight.

At that, Jiang Lan couldn't help clenching his back teeth. He raised a hand to sweep back his wind-tousled hair, then said with feigned composure:

"Forget President Wen. Pei Du is better."

Ye Qiunian sounded puzzled. "Really? How so?"

Jiang Lan let out an "ah." He had intended to thoroughly bad-mouth Wen Zhiyan to keep Ye Qiunian from setting his sights on him, but on second thought, he decided to forget it.

Otherwise, he would end up with a reputation beyond the livestream as a gossip who talked behind people's backs. Jiang Lan himself didn't care, but Ji Wanxing would definitely take him to task again.

So he only said, "President Wen is too outstanding. He's hard to please and hard to handle. Wealthy families have too much going on. You're too innocent. He isn't right for you."

Ye Qiunian understood what Jiang Lan meant. Wealthy families really did have plenty of scandals and disputes. Wen Corporation was constantly making headlines and trending online, and who knew how much trouble there was behind the scenes.

Besides, although Ye Qiunian considered himself a good catch in every respect, he really didn't measure up beside Wen Zhiyan.

For an alpha like Wen Zhiyan, finding a partner wasn't just about liking someone. A matching family background was essential too.

It had occurred to Ye Qiunian that Wen Zhiyan might have come on this variety show merely for fun, or perhaps with some other purpose. With Jiang Lan pointing it out now, he found it even easier to let go.

He seemed quite receptive to advice, looking enlightened and agreeable, then knowingly drove a knife straight into Jiang Lan's heart.

He said:

"In that case, Lin Ziyou should be quite a good match for President Wen. They happen to have quite a connection too. I wonder if they'll make any progress today."

Jiang Lan: "..."

Ye Qiunian had no idea he had stabbed Jiang Lan in the heart. When Jiang Lan stayed silent, he even asked another question:

"Do you know where they went on their date?"

In the public chat:

[With all due respect, I really think Lan-ge and Little Ye are... it's like they bad-mouthed someone, but also didn't quite.]

[It seems deliberate, but also seems heartfelt.]

[I think Lan-ge's constipated expression just now looked like he was forcibly swallowing whatever he wanted to say to curse President Wen out.]

[What caught my attention was that Lan-ge actually had someone in mind!!!! Does anyone get it!!!! Lan-ge's secret crush is very likely one of the other eight!!!]

[He's kept that well hidden. I've never heard him mention it before, not even as a joke.]

[Let's use the process of elimination. First, rule out the other three alphas and Little Ye. That leaves Lin Ziyou, Tan Duoduo, Xu Can, and Yu Nan.]

[Of those four, the only ones we know for sure have worked with Lan-ge are Xu Can and Ziyou. Duoduo and Yu Nan don't seem to have had much contact with him, so Xu Can and Ziyou are more likely.]

[I think it's Ziyou. Sure, Ziyou's side was always pushing their ship before, but Lan-ge tacitly accepted it the whole time too. Maybe he was willing?]

[I disagree. I think Xu Can and Lan-ge are a better match.]

[It's definitely Lin Ziyou. Didn't you hear Lan-ge say it himself? He likes someone mischievous, a little diva, bad-tempered and demanding. Xu Can is an angel and doesn't fit Lan-ge's requirements.]

[Much as I hate to agree, I have to say Lin Ziyou does fit Lan-ge's own description better.]

[But I haven't noticed Lan-ge treating Lin Ziyou any differently?]

[Hard to say. The show has only just started. Maybe Lin Ziyou and Lan-ge even had something going on before, and one of them deliberately came on the show to win back an old flame.]

[One little detail: when Lin Ziyou drew President Wen earlier, Jiang Lan gave President Wen a pretty unfriendly look. I wasn't imagining that.]

Outside the camera's view, the viewers each made their unreliable guesses. Onscreen, the shot changed, landing squarely on Wen Zhiyan's impeccably handsome face.

He sat in the passenger seat, resting with his eyes closed. Lin Ziyou was driving.

"Brother Yan, I can't quite understand this navigation. Do I turn left at the next intersection?"

Keeping his eyes closed, Wen Zhiyan said mildly, "The voice guidance will let you know in advance."

Lin Ziyou turned to glance at Wen Zhiyan and said jokingly, "Brother Yan, are you not very happy with me as your date?"

At that, Wen Zhiyan opened his eyes and looked at Lin Ziyou. His lips curved into a gentle but distant smile. "Not at all. An omega as beautiful as you is rare. What would I have to be unhappy about?"

Lin Ziyou didn't say anything like, "Then why do you look unhappy with me?" or "Then why are you so distracted?"

He only smiled and said, "I got lucky. I was only wondering whether I might draw you as my partner. I didn't expect it to actually happen."

Hearing Lin Ziyou be so direct, Wen Zhiyan said with some surprise, "I thought you would have preferred to draw Jiang Lan."

Lin Ziyou pressed his lips together and shook his head. "I don't know Lan-ge well. We've only worked together once. Honestly, I don't know why there are fans shipping us online either."

Although Wen Zhiyan wasn't in the entertainment industry, he followed it closely.

He could more or less guess what went on with this sort of thing. With Lin Ziyou putting on an innocent act now, his intentions were rather too obvious.

Wen Zhiyan looked at Lin Ziyou's profile. "Who did you vote for last night?"

Lin Ziyou froze, not expecting Wen Zhiyan to ask that question so bluntly.

But he had intended to reveal a little of his feelings to Wen Zhiyan anyway, so, the tips of his ears reddening, he said tactfully:

"I already told you. I wanted to come out with you in the first place..."

The moment Wen Zhiyan heard that, he felt things had gone wrong.

He sat up and reached out to cover the camera in front of the windshield, blocking the microphone hole with his finger as well.

Startled by Wen Zhiyan's sudden movement, Lin Ziyou stepped on the brake and was just about to ask what was wrong.

Then he heard Wen Zhiyan say:

"I'm not interested in you. Please vote for someone else next time."