Xie Yuan toyed with his phone. "How did you know that, Teacher Su?"
Regret crossed Su Wanyue's face, and she hurried to explain, "Brother Yanzhou told me."
"You used to love clinging to Brother Yanzhou and weren't interested in any of these games."
Hearing this, Su Wanyue's fans in the live chat seemed to have found an angle of attack.
[Where does Xie Dog get the nerve? He clearly can't play, yet he pretends to love gaming. Is he trying to ride Zhang Jue's coattails?]
[See? This is Xie Dog's true face. Gaming fans, keep your eyes open. Don't let him latch onto you.]
[I was wondering why Xie Dog suddenly agreed to help with the drawing. So this was what he was after.]
[Poor Zhang Jue. He's a perfectly good skill-based gaming streamer, and now even his reputation is being ruined.]
Naturally, some people couldn't stand those comments.
[Seriously, you Su Whatever fans are being ridiculous. They're just playing a game, and you're making it sound like espionage.]
[Riding his coattails? Hilarious. Never mind that Young Master Xie isn't in showbiz-his mouth alone gets more attention than anything.]
[So bad players aren't allowed to play games? You act like you were born knowing how.]
Xie Yuan looked at Gu Yanzhou. "President Gu, is that how it happened?"
"How come I remember you coming to my house to see my sister, then pestering me because she didn't have time for you?"
"Why do you make it sound like we were so close that I absolutely had to play with you?"
"With all those lies coming out of your mouth, President Gu, do you use them in the Gu Corporation's business dealings too?"
Su Wanyue's heart lurched, and she had a bad feeling.
Gu Yanzhou frowned and snapped, "Xie Yuan, what nonsense are you spouting?"
"The Gu Corporation has always been built on integrity. We would never engage in business fraud."
Xie Yuan yawned. "Who knows? None of us have seen it, anyway."
"Whether it's true or not, isn't that entirely up to you to say?"
Just as Gu Yanzhou was about to lose his temper, Teacher He suddenly stepped forward. "Everyone, it's getting late. The next pair should start cooking."
"Is it our turn?" Tan Yaya and Zhang Jue stood and headed to the kitchen.
In the living room, Gu Yanzhou and Su Wanyue sat on a sofa to one side and said nothing more.
But every so often, Gu Yanzhou looked at Xie Yuan with a complicated expression.
Recent events made him feel that this younger boy who had once been his neighbor had changed.
Seeing that Xie Yuan was bored, Mu Ze suggested, "Want to take a look at the places for tonight's dinner date?"
"Sure."
Led by a staff member, Xie Yuan and Mu Ze went to look at the locations.
The production team had prepared four locations in all.
The gazebo in the villa's garden, the villa's rooftop terrace, the outdoor poolside, and the indoor screening room.
The production team had already decorated all these places.
Each had been decorated romantically, turning it into an ideal spot for couples' dates.
After looking at all four locations, the two returned to the living room.
Zhang Jue and Tan Yaya had finished cooking and come out, and Liu Yan was now using the kitchen.
As a rich second-generation heir, Wang Zihua had never set foot in a kitchen, so he was waiting in the living room as a matter of course.
Seeing the two return, Wang Zihua asked, "Well? Which place is better?"
Xie Yuan and Mu Ze settled onto the sofa.
After thinking for a moment, Xie Yuan said, "Any of them would work. The production team put a lot of thought into them."
Wang Zihua frowned slightly. "Young Master Xie, that's not very fair of you."
"What kind of description is 'all right'? There must be one you like better."
Gu Yanzhou cut in then. "Don't be upset, Young Master Wang. That's just how Xie Yuan is."
He turned to Xie Yuan. "Xie Yuan, just tell the truth. No one's going to steal the spot you have your eye on."
At those words, Tan Yaya and Zhang Jue both frowned slightly.
Xie Yuan was just about to speak when Teacher He said, "Speaking of locations, it's time for everyone to choose."
"Based on the rankings, Teacher Su and President Gu get first pick."
As Teacher He finished speaking, pictures appeared on the enormous television in the living room.
"These are the location photos taken by the production team. Rest assured, every location has been beautifully decorated. Each pair can choose whichever they like."
At once, all the guests turned their attention to the screen.
Xie Yuan glanced in Gu Yanzhou's direction and didn't pursue the matter.
Each location had been photographed from various angles, with a thirty-second video at the end.
As the photos appeared, the guests occasionally discussed them with their partners.
When the photos reached the second location, Liu Yan came out of the kitchen and joined the others watching.
Quiet discussions rose from time to time in the living room.
That made the silent pair, Xie Yuan and Mu Ze, rather conspicuous.
At a signal from the director backstage, Teacher He approached the two and asked quietly, "Young Master Xie, Teacher Mu Ze, have you already decided on a location?"
Mu Ze said, "Teacher Xie can decide. As long as he likes it."
Teacher He seized the opportunity to ask, "Have you taken a liking to Young Master Xie, Teacher Mu Ze? Or are you not planning to get to know him, so you think anywhere will do?"
Mu Ze glanced at Teacher He. "I quite like Teacher Xie. As for the location, anywhere is fine as long as he likes it."
Teacher He looked surprised. "Does this count as a confession, Teacher Mu Ze?"
As he asked, Teacher He stole a glance at Xie Yuan's reaction.
Mu Ze's gaze lingered on Xie Yuan for a moment. "I'm expressing my interest."
"A confession would be too hasty. Teacher Xie deserves better."
This was practically an indirect declaration that he liked Xie Yuan, and that Xie Yuan held a special place in his heart.
Teacher He was impressed. Mu Ze was truly brave. "Are you always this forward, Teacher Mu Ze?"
"No." Mu Ze shook his head. "Only with Teacher Xie. He's the first person I've been attracted to."
"Really?" Teacher He was astonished. "You seem very accomplished, Teacher Mu Ze. Surely you have no shortage of admirers."
Mu Ze said, "Just because someone likes me, does that mean I have to like them back?"
Teacher He was about to ask something else when the director's voice came through his earpiece.
He turned to Xie Yuan. "What about you, Teacher Xie? What do you think?"
Xie Yuan's nose twitched. "Mu Ze smells wonderful. It's the scent I like."
Huh?
A scent? What scent? Perfume?
Teacher He sniffed but couldn't detect any particular scent. "What perfume are you wearing, Teacher Mu Ze?"
"None." Mu Ze shook his head. "I generally don't wear perfume."
Teacher He was a little confused, but he could confirm that Xie Yuan and Mu Ze were interested in each other.
While Teacher He was quietly interviewing Xie Yuan and Mu Ze, the viewers in the livestream also saw the four date locations.
[Wow, the production team really put thought into this. Every place looks beautiful, perfect for a dinner date.]
[I prefer the garden gazebo. Pink gauze curtains, blooming flowers, and warm lighting-the atmosphere is incredible.]
[The rooftop terrace is nice too. A swing chair, flowering vines overhead, and a wall of beautifully blooming climbing roses. The lighting is just right, and the view is wide open.]
[The poolside is pretty too. There were already flowers, and the production team carefully prepared pink balloons. With the shimmering pool water, it looks lovely.]
[The screening room is a little less impressive, but the advantage is that you can watch a movie. The candlelight is nice too, and with those vases of flowers, the atmosphere is pretty good. It has that candlelit dinner feel.]
[Did you notice? The production team also prepared a huge bouquet of roses for each of the four pairs.]
Before you continue