At the recording venue.
Starting with the female guests, they went onstage one after another for interviews.
The first to appear was a short-haired young woman dressed in a crisp, professional style.
Her name was Cheng Qin, and she was a freelance screenwriter.
"My criteria for a partner are regular features, filial devotion to his parents, and dedication to his family."
She had been little more than a backdrop in the original post, and nothing she said was particularly explosive, so she sparked little discussion among the viewers.
Next came Fang Nuonuo, the ordinary girl recently hailed as a goddess.
She had gone viral because of a video.
A man had crashed into her car, and she had said good-naturedly, "It's all right. You don't have to pay. You have it hard too."
Someone had uploaded her gentle demeanor online, and that video had received tens of millions of likes!
She had shot to fame overnight, gaining ten million followers.
Dressed in white, her long hair reaching her waist, Fang Nuonuo gazed gently into the camera.
"My criteria for a partner? Hmm... nothing much, really."
"I actually think men can have all sorts of dreams too, but once they grow up, all their dreams become buying houses and cars for girls. It's really unfair to them."
"But I'm actually someone without wants or desires. I wouldn't insist that my partner buy me anything."
"With love, even water fills your belly~"
[I love what my goddess said. Such sound values! She moved this forty-five-year-old big boy to buckets of tears!]
[Goddess, don't go on a dating show. Marry me instead, okay?]
[Nobody deserves my goddess!]
There were also a few dissenting voices:
[This is so uncomfortable to hear. What do you mean, buying houses and cars for girls? So the man won't live there after they get married?]
But the fans quickly buried those comments, and no one paid them any attention.
At last, it was Su Mian's turn.
"I only have one criterion for a partner: money!"
The barrage was just about to start cursing her out.
Then they heard her say:
"For a man without money, money comes first, and loving me comes second."
"But I only want a man's love if I come first!"
"So a money-loving woman like me is still fundamentally hoping for a man's love. I'm the true love-brain!"
The barrage went empty for a few seconds.
[Redefining love-brain...]
[That logic has me going in circles, but it actually kind of makes sense?]
[Who does she think she is, wanting to marry a rich man? She even said she's a singer and actress? Never heard of her. With values that twisted, no wonder she's such a flop!]
[She looks so bright and sweet. I thought she was a cute, soft girl. Who knew she was like this?]
Behind the camera, Lu Zhou gripped the edges of his chair.
Su Mian, even now, you haven't shown the slightest desire to repent. You still don't know you were wrong!
You're so greedy for money, yet instead of feeling ashamed, you take pride in it!
Fine. I'll wait for the day you cry your heart out!
After delivering that speech, Su Mian immediately checked the male guests' Disgust Points.
Only two male guests had arrived so far.
The Disgust Points of Lin Xi, the financial big shot claiming to be a deliveryman, had risen from 0 to 32.
The Disgust Points of Gu Yichen, the doctor and hospital director claiming to be a porter, had risen from 0 to 41.
Su Mian was thrilled!
Disgust Points really were much easier to farm!
In her previous life, when she farmed the emperor's Affection Points, they only ever ticked up one point at a time!
When had it ever jumped by dozens in one go?
At this rate, she could max out both of them in just a few days!
The two male guests also went onstage in turn to introduce themselves.
Gu Yichen liked gentle, understanding women.
Lin Xi liked women who could have fun with him.
The third male guest, that crown prince of Beijing's elite, still had not appeared.
Just as everyone was growing impatient.
The studio door suddenly opened.
Everyone turned to look in unison.
The man at the door was actually wearing ancient clothing!
He was tall and powerfully built, with sharply defined, untamed features. Dressed in black brocade adorned with golden dragons, he held a sword, his entire presence steeped in a murderous chill that made people afraid to meet his eyes!
[Aaaaah, this is the anime otaku from the introduction? How is he so handsome! How does he stand so straight! His bearing is so proper. Is he a professional historical drama actor?]
[The character he's cosplaying seems to be that infamous tyrant from history, Northern Liang's emperor, Duan Xuanyu! I've seen that dragon robe in history books. Northern Liang revered black and gold, and the Dragon's Cry Sword in his hand, carved with nine dragons, was Duan Xuanyu's signature weapon too!]
[Duan Xuanyu? He was truly brutal! He flayed and dismembered more than twenty siblings to take the throne. He left no descendants either, because he steamed all his children. Whenever he conquered a city, he slaughtered every civilian in it... a true king of singles.]
[Of all the people he could cosplay, why choose this universally despised tyrant!]
[Although legend says he loved his empress deeply and was one of history's rare monogamous emperors, why would he kill their children if he truly loved her?]
[I've always thought the historical accounts of him were contradictory! Maybe historical figures had all sorts of hidden circumstances modern people don't know about!]
The guests at the venue were stunned by his imposing, domineering presence.
Only Su Mian was scared witless.
Wasn't this the emperor she had conquered in her previous life!
She hurriedly asked in her mind, "System! So the bug you mentioned was Duan Xuanyu transmigrating here with me?"
[Yes... once you max out his Disgust Points, he'll automatically go back, and you'll return to your own place too.]
Su Mian hurriedly glanced at his panel.
Disgust Points: 0. Affection Points: 100.
She had thought this mission would be easy.
So this was where the difficulty lay!
She had just finished farming his Affection Points, and now she had to farm his Disgust Points!
Was this a joke!
At that moment, the director came back to his senses.
"Let's welcome our third guest..."
As he spoke, the smart camera automatically moved toward Duan Xuanyu.
Duan Xuanyu stared at the thing with a black head and a black body that could move on its own.
A demonic beast!
Duan Xuanyu abruptly drew his sword and cleaved the camera apart with one strike!
The livestream cut out.
Everyone at the venue was dumbfounded again.
The production team knew that this crown prince of Beijing's elite, freshly returned from overseas, had been assigned the persona of an otaku who liked cosplay for the first episode.
But he didn't have to get this immersed in the role!
Su Mian covered her forehead.
Judging by his reaction, he had probably just transmigrated here and still knew nothing about this place.
While the production team was inspecting the livestream equipment and the other guests were chatting.
Su Mian hurriedly dashed over and shoved Duan Xuanyu into the deserted backstage area!
The instant Duan Xuanyu saw her, his murderous chill abruptly vanished, and intense joy burst into his eyes.
He caught Su Mian around the waist as she pushed him, his gaze deep. "Empress, you truly are here? Hurry back with Us."
Su Mian removed his hand, her expression serious. "This isn't Great Liang anymore. This is a place with military strength hundreds, even thousands of times greater than Great Liang's."
"Also, don't call yourself 'We.' Say 'I.'"
"You absolutely cannot reveal that you're Great Liang's emperor, or you'll be arrested and subjected to the ultimate punishment!"
Duan Xuanyu frowned slightly. "Truly?"
Su Mian said, "Of course. When have I ever lied to you?"
Duan Xuanyu pressed his lips together without a word.
Su Mian said, "From now on, the production team..."
Su Mian pointed outside. "That means the director with the full beard, and the host who's always smiling. Whatever they ask you to do, do it if you understand. If you don't, pretend you didn't hear."
"Speak as little as possible. If you don't have to open your mouth, don't. You mustn't let anyone spot anything wrong!"
Duan Xuanyu neither agreed nor disagreed, burying his face deep against her neck, sounding a little aggrieved. "Then when will you return with Us, Empress? You vanished without a word. You made Us search so hard."
He was like a clingy puppy.
He really was only nineteen.
Back in ancient times, whenever Su Mian thought about running off once she finished farming him, she had felt terribly guilty. After all, she was deceiving an innocent college-aged guy with eight-pack abs.
Fortunately, she had also helped him ascend the throne, so their arrangement had been mutually beneficial.
She sighed inwardly. "Once I've finished what I need to do..."
We'll each go back where we belong.
Once they finished talking, the two of them came out from backstage.
The production team had replaced the camera with a new one.
They would ask Duan Xuanyu to pay for the destroyed camera after filming ended.
The host addressed the camera. "Sorry, there was a little mishap with the livestream just now. Let's welcome our final male guest!"
Everyone turned to look at Duan Xuanyu in unison.