1:30 PM. Taotao TV App had already set up a dedicated column for Fantasy Couple.
Below the column, there was only a pitifully lone teaser released that morning and a link to schedule a reminder for the livestream. Yet, the heat index had already reached a staggering 10.57 million. The comment section was scrolling up a hundred new posts with every refresh.
At 2:00 PM sharp, Fantasy Couple went live.
A flood of traffic surged into the livestream. The image of Director Zheng on screen froze for a full two seconds, his nostrils stuck in mid-frame, before the picture finally stabilized.
The guests hadn’t even appeared yet, but the first wave of comments from the live audience had already flooded the screen.
…Is the production team trying to ward off evil spirits by showing us this in the middle of the day?
Hahahahaha
I’ve learned something today. Low EQ: Ugly. High EQ: Warding off evil spirits.
What’s going on between Lu Pengci and Lin Ye??? If the production team doesn’t explain this within three minutes, I… I’ll die of anger, just watch me!!
It’s a livestream!! Why are you filming the guests’ and the director’s faces like this?
Just then, the camera panned right, and Zhou Zichuan appeared on screen. HOWL’s fans immediately spammed the chat.
The reason was simple: Zhou Zichuan had changed into a three-piece brown tweed suit. With his slightly tanned skin and a handsome, sunny smile directed at the camera, not just HOWL’s fans, but even many passersby started praising his looks.
Zhou Zichuan himself took charge of the flow, asking, “Is the livestream on? The director had us change clothes.”
A smirk tugged at the corners of his lips as he stood up and struck a few poses. “What do you all think? Don’t I look handsome? Don’t I look like a sophisticated rogue?”
Hahaha, he’s definitely handsome, but how does ZZC even know what a ‘sophisticated rogue’ is?
Don’t underestimate our team’s intelligence, hahaha!
Why are you the only one here? Where is everyone else?
Zhou Zichuan scratched his cheek and laughed. “I guess everyone’s waiting for Teacher Yin, haha.”
“Anyway, I’m the only one who came down first. The other teachers haven’t finished changing yet. Let me tell you, we took a helicopter today, a Bell 42…”
Before he could even finish his sentence, a sound suddenly came from upstairs,
Zhou Zichuan instinctively looked up and froze.
The bullet chat, just like Zhou Zichuan, was suddenly flooded with a massive wave of shocked exclamation marks.
OMG… So beautiful… I’m speechless.
Showing us a female celebrity, are you? The production team wins.
On the oak staircase, Rao Mengmeng held the railing and slowly descended.
Her long hair was pinned up under a white silk hat, with a few straight black strands framing her face. The short pearl earrings at her ears glowed with a soft luster.
She wore a white tulle Peter Pan collar dress, matching white mesh short gloves, a short pearl necklace, white glass socks, and thin-strapped shoes. She walked over in pure, immaculate white, radiating an unbearable purity.
Zhou Zichuan stared, transfixed. Only when Rao Mengmeng smiled, tucked a lock of black hair behind her ear, and greeted him gently did he snap back to his senses.
Forget Zhou Zichuan, this is the first time I’ve ever been stunned by Rao Mengmeng.
+10086
What a beautiful dress, sob sob sob. Being a celebrity is so great.
Before anyone could fully recover, Xu Qingqing also came downstairs.
Unlike Rao Mengmeng’s slow movements, Xu Qingqing held up her skirt slightly, walking down the stairs with a fast, steady pace.
She wore a long-waisted dress made of deep gold silk. A beige silk flower adorned her left shoulder, and the waist featured embroidered patchwork. The hem of the skirt was an irregular cut, a trend from the last century.
Her gloves extended past her elbows, a pale champagne gold that shimmered as brilliantly as the jeweled headband adorning her forehead. A diamond necklace wrapped several times around her neck before cascading down, exuding an air of noble, unattainable elegance.
Xu Qingqing descended the stairs, but instead of greeting the other two, she merely tilted her chin up.
“Where’s Yin Beilin?”
Rao Mengmeng offered a faint smile. “Teacher Yin isn’t finished changing yet. It’s just Zichuan and me here.”
At this, Xu Qingqing frowned and settled into a nearby plush chair, her expression far from pleased.
The moment Xu Qingqing appeared, the bullet comments flooded the screen, nearly causing the video to lag.
Anyone else would look tacky in that much gold, but on her, it’s not the least bit gaudy.
What the hell? Rao Mengmeng calls him Teacher Yin, but she just calls him Yin Beilin. Is she doing that on purpose?
She really gives off the vibe of a countess. She looked so elegant walking down the stairs.
Sigh, I’m so jealous. Rich and beautiful… she’s a perfect match for Lin Ye.
Why isn’t she sitting with Zhou Zichuan and Rao Mengmeng? She’s ignoring them. So rude. She’s such a loner.
I’m waiting for Jiu’er. She’ll be the grand finale and definitely outshine everyone!
…Outshine them again? Ugh, can’t they just be beautiful in different styles?
“You’ve all changed so quickly,” Luo Jiuge said, arriving late. She stood on the second floor, leaning against the railing as she looked down, her eyebrow slightly arched. “Am I late?”
As she spoke, her black velvet-gloved hand rested on the railing, and she descended the stairs with a graceful, swaying gait.
Her skin was snow-white, and the obsidian hairnet on her head shimmered with a subtle, luxurious glow. Long black earrings swayed as she leaned forward. Sunlight streamed through the arched glass windows, making the black sequins on her lamé fabric gown sparkle. She was as elegant and beautiful as a black swan.
The photographer hurried toward her, clearly intending to take a close-up shot.
Seeing the stunned and awestruck expressions of the people below, Luo Jiuge’s face remained impassive, but she smiled inwardly, just as she had expected.
…It was worth waiting until the last moment to come out.
Good. Let the audience see… whether it’s Princess Xu or some pure-and-innocent starlet, in the face of absolute beauty, they aren’t even worth a,
Thump!
The photographer rushed right past her, moving so quickly that his camera bumped slightly against the wall.
Watching the photographer’s retreating back, Luo Jiuge was left speechless. “…?”
She turned around, only to find Lu Ren and Yin Beilin standing right behind her.
Luo Jiuge: “……………………”
Luo Jiuge: “…”
Lu Ren was completely oblivious to her presence on the stairs below.
His face was flushed as Yin Beilin gripped his wrist, guiding him down the stairs one limping step at a time.
The blush had barely faded after Yin Beilin’s earlier nonsense, and now with the camera nearly shoved in his face, Lu Ren’s “sprained ankle” felt even more like a guilty lie. His face burned a deeper shade of red.
…Goddammit! No wonder Yin Beilin offered him ten thousand yuan to just be a good boy for once. This money is way harder to earn than it looks! Help!
Lu Ren roared inwardly. If he hadn’t pushed the door open so quickly, the male lead would have practically carried him out!
Just thinking about that almost-princess-carry made Lu Ren’s face burn even more. Yet Yin Beilin acted like nothing was wrong, still holding his hand.
And he had the nerve to ask questions! …What a piece of work!
“So you sprained your ankle. Why is your face so red?”
The magnetic voice carried a hint of teasing.
Lu Ren’s face felt like it was on fire. He couldn’t help but cover it with his hand. “It’s… not that red.”
Yin Beilin shrugged noncommittally. “Then why are you covering your face?”
…Seriously, can’t you just be quiet for a second, Male Lead?
Lu Ren glared at Yin Beilin through the gaps in his fingers.
Yin Beilin met his gaze with a faint, knowing smile. The moment their eyes locked, Lu Ren’s fingers snapped shut with a soft thwip, and he lowered his head, too furious to dare speak.
“I-I’m just hot,” Lu Ren stammered. “When I’m hot, my face gets flushed…”
Yin Beilin, still gripping his wrist, raised an eyebrow. “Is that so?”
Two seconds later, a thunderclap seemed to strike out of nowhere.
“My mistake,” Yin Beilin mused after a brief pause. “I thought it was because of the clothes change.”
Lu Ren: “…”
Three seconds later, the heat radiating from Lu Ren’s face was so intense it could have powered a steam locomotive.
“Teacher Yin…” Lu Ren groaned, his vision swimming as he pressed his hands harder against his face, which was now hot enough to fry an egg. “Stop joking around…”
On the live stream, the boy in the suspender-and-shirt outfit hung his head in embarrassment. Sunlight filtered through the stained glass of the arched window, painting vibrant, multicolored patterns across his smooth black hair and crisp white shirt.
His face remained buried in his hands, revealing only his slender fingers, their tips glowing with a translucent pink hue in the light. His exposed ears, needless to say, were crimson as cherries.
Beside him, the incredibly handsome man in a deep black suit firmly grasped the boy’s wrist, which was still covering his face. The mother-of-pearl cufflinks gleamed in the light, as fair and dazzling as the boy’s skin.
It should have looked like a perfectly normal scene of mutual aid, a friendly, helpful interaction.
Yet, the bullet chat fell silent for a full half-minute.
Only after a dozen or so seconds did a single, tentative comment trickle past.
H… Hello everyone. Am I hallucinating?
After that, whoosh, a torrential flood of messages blanketed the screen. The bullet chat loaded so fast that the technical team had to scramble to keep the stream from crashing.
Stunned
Speechless
Silence speaks louder than words right now. Dddd!
I just screamed out loud, and my landlord asked if I was slaughtering a pig in my room.
My goodness, when did Lu Ren ever get this… this… this… this… Damn! I’m out of words!
I get it, I totally get it. I just decided that if Lu Ren always looks like this, I’m surrendering right now. I’ll pack my bags, jump the wall, and become a heartless face-fan.
Wait, Beidou Star Blood Recommends Xuanyuan, can someone just tell me what the hell is actually happening?
Woman’s intuition: something’s going on between Yin Beilin and Lu Ren.
[To put it simply: I’ve joined a cult.]
[How about it… should we ship them for a bit?]
[A poem suddenly flashed through my mind: “The mother sewed the stitches close, before the traveler set out.” If you don’t know, just ask, can we call this CP “The Traveler’s Song”?]
[Shipped already? What’s wrong with you people? You don’t even know what’s going on and you’re already pairing Lin Ye with someone??]
[I object. I’m going to call them “Heading North All the Way.”]
[Heading North All the Way works.]
[Please, be rational. He’s just helping her down the stairs. Why do you assume there’s BL tension just because two men are standing together?]
[Screenshot this! Hahaha, Luo Jiuge is right there in front of them. Such a shura field, heeheeheehee. This is exactly what I love, give me more, more!]
[Is this just “standing together”? Look at what Lin Ye is doing! Have you ever seen him grab anyone else like that?]
[I don’t believe it… But Lin Ye’s tone just now? Never mind if it’s BL or not… wasn’t that a bit too intimate?]
[Is this some kind of celebrity dating show? I’m genuinely shocked. [kneels]]