With questions like these that had so many parts to the answer, guests were most likely to forget one, but Chu Ci clearly and fully listed all thirteen classics that made up the "Thirteen Classics."
At this point, the viewers finally realized something was off.
[You could explain the first two answers as "luck," but surely this one couldn't be luck too?]
[...Wait, has Chu Ci been studying behind our backs?]
[I've never even heard of the "Thirteen Classics" [shocked][shocked][shocked]]
[Huh? Huh?? Huh??? Has he been possessed?]
The director found it unbelievable too.
Just half an hour ago, Chu Ci hadn't known the answer to anything. How had he suddenly turned into a genius?
"The fourth question..."
The director flipped through the question bank and picked another question. "What are China's eight major cuisines?"
Chu Ci replied calmly, "Shandong, Sichuan, Cantonese, Huaiyang, Zhejiang, Fujian, Hunan, and Anhui cuisine."
[...Who called him an airhead?]
[If Chu Ci is an ignorant slacker, what does that make me?]
[To the two viewers who said they'd wash their hair upside down and call him Daddy: I took screenshots. Looking forward to your performances~]
[This is incredible. I never saw that twist coming.]
[Don't you think Chu Ci looks really handsome when he answers questions? He has this air of having everything under control. I'm becoming a fan...]
The tide of the livestream's bullet comments shifted.
What viewers hated were celebrities who had no ability but still loved showing off. But Chu Ci had demonstrated his ability through the director's questions, so viewers were no longer so averse to his behavior.
Besides, Chu Ci had an incomparably handsome face.
Chu Ci's skin was very fair, or, as the popular online expression went, "so fair he glowed." His eyes were classic phoenix eyes, sharp and intensely aggressive. Especially when his eyelids lowered slightly, they easily brought the phrase "commanding without anger" to mind. Yet his lips happened to be beautifully shaped, thin and as pink and lovely as peach blossoms in March. That color softened his distinctive sharpness.
"The final question."
The director hadn't expected Chu Ci to answer so quickly and accurately either. For some reason, Ye Qingzhou's words flashed through his mind: "You haven't asked Teacher Chu yet." He had assumed Ye Qingzhou had only said that to be thorough, but now... had Ye Qingzhou already guessed that Chu Ci could answer all these questions?
"What are the ten famous teas?"
"The ten famous teas are West Lake Longjing, Biluochun, Xinyang Maojian, Duyun Maojian, Junshan Yinzhen, Lu'an Guapian, Huangshan Maofeng, Keemun black tea, Wuyi rock tea, and Anxi Tieguanyin."
Silence.
For the third time, the entire set fell silent.
Watching everyone's astonishment, Ye Qingzhou's beautiful peach-blossom eyes flashed with amusement, and he was the first to applaud.
Seeing this, the other guests joined Ye Qingzhou in applauding.
"Congratulations, Chu Ci. That's correct. Five points."
The applause brought the director back to reality, and he announced warmly, "Teacher Ye and Teacher Chu are tied for first place. According to the show's rules, there will be a buzzer round in five minutes."
The director's form of address had changed from "Chu Ci" to "Teacher Chu."
[...Chu Ci actually won?]
[Oh my god, what an incredible twist.]
[Did the production team really not prepare a script beforehand? Why does it feel like everything suddenly clicked for Chu Ci?]
[Hey, the guy who said he'd give everyone here a hundred if Chu Ci won, are you still around?]
[...There's still the buzzer round, isn't there? What's the rush?]
Meanwhile, Let's Fall in Love was drawing more and more attention.
The hashtag #Chu Ci and Ye Qingzhou's buzzer round# made Weibo's trending searches, growing so popular that it was even showing signs of reaching the top three.
"We'll give you another five minutes to read..."
Before the director could finish, the two men interrupted him.
"No need."
"No need."
Chu Ci and Ye Qingzhou answered in unison.
Looking at Chu Ci's handsome face, the amusement in Ye Qingzhou's eyes deepened. He explained leisurely, "There's no need to waste time. Teacher Chu and I are ready. Am I right?"
His voice rose at the end, making it a question.
Chu Ci nodded earnestly. "That's right."
He had already memorized the questions and answers in the book. There was no need to waste more time reviewing them.
"All right."
Since Chu Ci and Ye Qingzhou agreed, the director didn't insist. He gestured for a nearby staff member to bring over the buzzers. "Once I finish saying 'the buzzer round begins,' you can buzz in. If the red light comes on, it means you've successfully buzzed in, and you can answer. To save filming time, a single question will decide the winner."
Ultimately, Let's Fall in Love was a dating variety show. Rather than watching the guests answer questions, viewers wanted to see sparks of romance fly between them during filming, so this buzzer round would be decided by a single question.
"Do you both understand?"
Chu Ci and Ye Qingzhou nodded at the same time.
[Is it just me? They're so in sync...]
[Why do I feel like Chu Ci nods a bit like Ye Qingzhou? Has Chu Ci been secretly following Ye Qingzhou in private?]
[Don't you think the atmosphere between them is really harmonious? I'm even getting the illusion that they've known each other for ages.]
[...Oh no, why do I feel like they're kind of sweet together?]
[Don't be ridiculous, commenter above. They're both men.]
[But the way Ye Qingzhou looks at Chu Ci is so gentle.]
The bullet comments gradually veered off course, with everyone's attention shifting from "who will win" to "do Chu Ci and Ye Qingzhou have chemistry as a couple?"
As times changed, viewers had become increasingly accepting of same-sex relationships. In most people's eyes, as long as two people genuinely loved each other, gender shouldn't be a reason to keep them apart.
In this environment, more and more viewers had begun shipping same-sex couples. They would even secretly write fanfiction to satisfy themselves.
At the filming location.
The director casually flipped through the thick book.
By this point, he already understood Chu Ci's and Ye Qingzhou's abilities. On the surface, this buzzer round appeared to "test the guests' knowledge and cultural literacy," but what it actually tested was how fast their hands were.
With that in mind, the director picked an easy question.
"Listen to the question. What were the five notes of the ancient pentatonic scale?"
Chu Ci instinctively placed his fingers on the red buzzer.
"The buzzer round officially begins!"
The instant the director finished speaking, Chu Ci pressed the buzzer.
"Chu Ci, please answer."
"Gong, shang, jue, zhi, yu."