Qin Shu’s words were spoken with genuine sincerity, but to the audience, they meant something entirely different.
【He sounded so convincing, I almost believed him.】
【+1! If I didn’t already know he was Song Ying’s kept boy, I’d think a domineering CEO had stepped into reality.】
【I, Long Aotian, vow to protect Liu Bo’er with my life!】
【LOL, the long-dead cringe-worthy chuunibyou style is sneak-attacking me again】
No one believed Qin Shu’s words—if he really had that kind of ability, he would have been strutting around the capital long ago. How could his name remain unheard of?
The events of the noon felt like a minor interlude, and the afternoon livestream continued as usual.
It was unclear what Shen Linzhou had done, but when everyone gathered, Jiang Yuyao’s face was flushed like peach blossoms, her lips curved into a smile as if nothing had happened.
Zhou Ruoyu was still angry with Qiao Yu, and the atmosphere between them was extremely awkward.
The Director, however, was in a good mood.
After all, in the previous two seasons, the regular guests had been too emotionally stable, and all the highlights had been concentrated on the guest stars. Although the show had gained some popularity, it still lacked the explosive momentum needed to become a massive hit.
Today was clearly different.
Song Ying’s group was a tough nut to crack, and conflicts were starting to emerge in Jiang Yuyao and Zhou Ruoyu’s groups as well. Just the trending topics alone had surged with numerous entries.
The higher-ups had just called him, saying that a major investor had watched the show and found it promising, directly transferring ten million in sponsorship. They urged him to keep up the good work and promised him a hefty year-end bonus.
When assigning tasks in the afternoon, the Director’s face was creased with smiles.
“Please, all male guests, take a step forward.”
“In my hands are four mission cards, each with a different date location and task. Please draw one at random.”
“The group that completes their task first will have the priority to choose their room.”
“Choose a room?”
Song Ying was the first to react. “Weren’t our rooms already assigned?”
One room for the female guests, one for the male guests.
That’s how it had been for the past half-month since the show started. What was there to choose?
“Ah, but you all don’t know this yet!”
The Director beamed with pride. “Starting with this season, we have a new sponsor—the high-end, classy, low-key yet luxurious, and deeply meaningful Zhiyuan Real Estate, dedicated to giving everyone far from home a place to call their own!”
“From tonight onward, guests no longer have to squeeze into shared rooms! Each couple will have their own private living space! As for the size of the room each group gets, it will be determined by the results of this afternoon’s game!”
“Let’s give another round of thanks to Zhiyuan Real Estate!”
【The ad came out of nowhere…】
【But wait, is this the Zhiyuan I know? The top real estate company, claiming to have properties in every city?!】
【This collaboration is epic! The cohabitation setup is next-level!】
【Real couples should live together! This is the kind of arrangement worthy of my premium membership!】
Among all the dating shows, this was the first to switch from shared rooms to cohabitation for couples.
Although it felt a bit abrupt, the sponsor’s offer was simply too generous, and it happened to align perfectly with the audience’s expectations, quickly reigniting excitement.
Meanwhile, at the Qin family’s old mansion.
Old Master Qin watched the livestream with satisfaction, taking a sip of hot tea.
“This is how it should be! How can I hold my grandchild if they don’t live together?”
Money was just a trivial matter.
When she heard the words “Zhiyuan Real Estate,” Song Ying instinctively glanced at Qin Shu.
The latter immediately raised both hands, signaling that he had nothing to do with it.”Then it must be Grandpa…”
Song Ying felt somewhat helpless.
The elderly man was being a bit too eager.
“Now, please have the male guests step forward to receive their mission cards!”
The Director waved the cards in his hand, interrupting their whispered conversation.
Shen Linzhou stood closest to the Director and drew the first card.
Next were Da Meng and Qiao Yu.
Qin Shu was the farthest away, and by the time he walked over, only the last card remained.
The moment he saw the mission on the card, his eyebrows lifted slightly, and his gaze toward Song Ying held an indescribable hint of amusement.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
Every time Qin Shu wore this expression, Song Ying had a bad feeling, as if a little rabbit had been spotted by a lion, destined to become prey.
“What’s our mission?” Song Ying asked.
Before Qin Shu could answer, the Director added another rule.
“Please note, our cameras will be following you the entire time. Before the mission is completed, male guests must not reveal the mission details to the female guests. Otherwise, it will be considered a violation, and you will be disqualified.”
“…” Song Ying fell silent.
“It’s fine, just follow me,” Qin Shu casually tucked the card into his pocket, walked over, and gently squeezed Song Ying’s small hand to comfort her.
The Director emphasized the rules once more, then arranged vehicles to take the guests to their respective date locations.
After Song Ying and Qin Shu got into the car, someone was already waiting for them.
This was a standard arrangement by the production team.
Regular guests had already completed basic interviews for promotional clips before the live broadcast, but each episode’s guest stars arrived unannounced, so a separate interview was needed to help the audience get to know them better.
“First of all, a very warm welcome to both of you for joining our ‘Journey of Detective Love’ program. I’m the follow-up reporter, Xiao Yuan. Since the guest list was announced, many netizens have been very curious about the story between you, Miss Song, and your boyfriend. So, we’ve selected many questions from netizen comments that everyone is interested in. Are you both ready to answer?”
“Could you wait a moment, please?”
Qin Shu proactively asked the production team for a cushion, carefully placing it behind Song Ying’s back, while explaining to the interviewer, “Sorry, her back has been a bit uncomfortable these past few days, and she’s also feeling a bit carsick. A cushion might help.”
“No problem, no problem.”
After watching the morning livestream, Xiao Yuan had initially thought Qin Shu was a troublemaker and hard to approach. But upon actually interacting with him, he wasn’t as unreasonable as she had imagined.
On the contrary, he was quite polite to others, though his rebellious appearance and gaze gave him a wild, untamed aura.
Once the car started moving, Song Ying seemed a bit listless. Qin Shu rolled down the window slightly and held her steadily in his arms. At a glance, Song Ying looked small and delicate, like a little rabbit, soft and sweet.
“Alright, teacher, please go ahead and ask,” her voice was as soft and sweet as a rabbit’s.
“The first question: How long have you two been together?”
Song Ying: “Three years.”
Qin Shu: “Three years and seventy-two days.”
“?” Song Ying turned her face to look at Qin Shu.
Leaning against Qin Shu, Song Ying had to tilt her head slightly upward, just enough to see his thick, long eyelashes.
This eyelash monster.
“Mr. Qin remembers so precisely?” Xiao Yuan was surprised.
“Yes, my memory is decent.”
Xiao Yuan: “…” This is more than just decent memory?
“So, the exact time you two got together is…”
Song Ying: “April 12, 20xx.”Qin Shu: “April 12th, three years ago.”
Exactly the same.
“Third question: What brought you two together? Introduced by friends, or…”
“Online romance turned real-life meeting.”
“Online romance turned real-life meeting.”
Xiao Yuan: …?!
Netizens: …?!
Wait, did something strange just slip in?