It seems you're quite interested in Bai Luochuan!

Of course, the production team had seen all the noisy arguments in the live comments.

Director Liu immediately shot the host a look.

Just as Qi Yu dished up the last dish, the host reached his side as quickly as possible.

His tone brimmed with admiration.

He said, "Mr. Qi, the fans are all curious. Haven't you spent most of your time on the battlefield? How do you handle domestic tasks like these so perfectly too?"

Comparison really did sting.

Never mind how Qi Yu's food actually tasted.

Compared with the other guests, he had already secured a solid victory.

He glanced down at the food on the plate.

Qi Yu pressed his lips together in a soft smile. "Because I met someone I like and wanted him to see a better version of me, I specifically took some lessons from our family chef. I just don't know whether he'll like it."

This was simply the perfect answer for a dating show.

After saying that, Qi Yu carried the plate over to Bai Luochuan.

He had wanted to pick up a bite and feed it to him.

But he worried that Bai Luochuan might be displeased.

So he obediently handed the chopsticks to Bai Luochuan instead, smiling as he said, "Want to try it?"

Bai Luochuan stood on no ceremony with him.

He put a piece of meat into his mouth, chewed twice, and slowly widened his eyes.

Well, would you look at that.

It really was delicious!

As he set down the chopsticks, Bai Luochuan nodded vigorously at Qi Yu.

It tasted great!

It was a perfect match for how he had imagined Qi Yu's cooking would taste!

Sensing his delight, Qi Yu's gaze grew even gentler.

He lowered his head with a smile and said, "If you like it, I can cook for you for the rest of my life."

Bai Luochuan blinked and replied stiffly, "Oh."

He couldn't act out that much flirtation.

Giving a response at all was his limit.

[Holy shit, Folks, I'm getting so invested that I'm starting to think Yu-Chuan is real!]

[Me too! I came for Chengxing, but now my eyes are glued to Yu-Chuan!]

[Brother Bai, flirt back already! Why do you always let Qi Yu take the lead? How are we Chuan-Yu shippers supposed to hold our ground?!]

Since they had quite a few dishes, Bai Luochuan and Qi Yu were the last to reach the dining room.

He Gui and Chu Zhu were still there, each clutching a bowl of rice in front of the shredded potatoes.

So were Lan Muxing and Yan Cheng, who had stir-fried two dishes themselves before choosing to let the production team handle the rest.

Before Bai Luochuan and Qi Yu arrived, Lan Muxing had been praising Yan Cheng's cooking nonstop.

But once their plates were set down and Lan Muxing turned to look, the praise caught in his throat, leaving him too embarrassed to say another word.

He might have been an actor.

But he still needed a conscience.

Telling blatant lies would only make people dislike him more easily.

Lan Muxing sheepishly chose to shut his mouth.

Yan Cheng naturally understood what he meant, and lowered his head, growing angrier with every bite.

He just couldn't understand.

What was so good about Bai Luochuan?

Did someone like Qi Yu really need to revolve around Bai Luochuan?

Could Bai Luochuan be hiding some secret he had never discovered before?

Damn it!

He's nothing but the most worthless Beta. What fucking secret could he possibly have?!

Dinner ended.

The production team brought everyone to the hall on the first floor of the villa.

It was almost time to rest.

Naturally, they also needed to explain tonight's sleeping arrangements.

Just like lunch, the accommodations came in different tiers.

This time, however, the tiers wouldn't be decided by a game.

Instead, everyone would have an individual interview and name the person they cared about most in this game. Whoever was named the most would get the best room on the third floor.

The rest would follow accordingly.

The three people whose vote totals fell in the middle could stay in the second-floor rooms.

The two with the fewest votes would stay on the first floor.

There wasn't much difference between the rooms on the first and second floors, except that the second floor had regular single rooms, while the first floor had twin rooms.

Of course, if the people with the fewest votes were of different genders, they wouldn't be forced to share a room.

It was quite a reasonable arrangement for a dating show.

After hearing the host's explanation, Lan Muxing raised his hand like a well-behaved child again. "What happens if two people have the same number of votes and both come out on top?"

"Then we'll settle it with a simple game of rock-paper-scissors," the host answered with a smile. "But I suspect... that probably won't happen."

As he said that last sentence, the host subconsciously glanced toward Qi Yu.

The look was meaningful.

Naturally, everyone understood what he meant.

According to the procedure, everyone would wait in the living room. Whenever someone's name was called, they would enter the filming room next door for individual questions broadcast live.

If they wanted to canvass for votes, now was the time.

Lan Muxing and Yan Cheng sat together on a loveseat.

Tugging at Yan Cheng's sleeve, he said nervously, "I've never stayed in a twin room before."

"Mu Xing, don't overthink it. How could you possibly come last in votes?" Yan Cheng reassured him with a smile. As if to prove it, he added, "At the very least, I'll choose you. I won't let you down."

Lan Muxing immediately brightened.

The affection in his eyes deepened.

The order in which they entered the little room was decided by drawing lots.

The first person picked was Yan Cheng.

Since he had already given Lan Muxing his assurance, Yan Cheng walked straight into the room. Before asking any questions, a staff member gave him a wristband and told him to put it on before they moved on to the next part.

Yan Cheng didn't understand what it was for.

He put on the wristband.

Then footage from their filming that day began playing on the large screen in front of him.

Lan Muxing came first.

Yan Cheng watched with a smile.

He looked as though he really were watching his lover.

His smile was tender and earnest.

Then came Chu Zhu, He Gui, and Qi Yu. Everything remained normal.

He didn't understand what the production team was trying to do.

But Yan Cheng cooperated throughout.

Until the end of the video.

Bai Luochuan's face appeared on the screen.

His occasional smiles, the sight of him running in the sunshine.

And the sight of him jumping into the river, splashing water reflecting flecks of golden light around him.

One look was all it took.

The wristband on Yan Cheng's wrist began beeping nonstop.

Yan Cheng: ???

The staff member explained with a smile, "Oh, this wristband measures your heart rate. Just now, when you saw the footage of Bai Luochuan, your heart rate changed noticeably."

"Of course, this is only for reference."

"If you believe there's someone else you care about more, you can tell us."

Yan Cheng: ...

Stupid production team.

Who are you taking digs at?!

You should have told me what this wristband was for beforehand!

If I'd had a little time to prepare myself, at least I wouldn't have given myself away so blatantly, would I?!

Anger burned inside him.

The wristband on Yan Cheng's wrist beeped even louder.

The staff member said, "Wow, it seems you're really quite pleased with Mr. Bai Luochuan!"

Yan Cheng took a deep breath. "I'm a little afraid of him, that's all. After all, he used to lurk outside my home, and on the show he seems a little..."

Yan Cheng paused strategically.

The host immediately caught on. "So the person Mr. Yan Cheng is interested in is..."

"Lan Muxing," Yan Cheng answered quickly.

There was a hint of irritation in his tone.

With that, he promptly took off the wristband.

Setting it on the table, he said, "I've answered. I'll head out now."