Chapter 35: 35 But he said he likes me.
Pei Muchan smiled without saying a word, while the barrage of comments was brutally sarcastic.
The show's crew had already begun to split up the groups. The male guests had stood up to invite their favorite female guests for a private dinner, yet only Xu Qingyan and Pei Muchan remained motionless.
One is the little queen of pop, the other the universally despised—hardly a match made in heaven.
"Hey, weird, how come no one is inviting you to have dinner together?" Xu Qingyan asked in a mischievously annoying tone, only to receive an eye roll from Pei Muchan.
"Asking even though you know the answer."
There was a rustling sound, the chain under the table moved slightly.
Supposing a male guest came over to invite Pei Muchan, leaving aside whether it would be successful. Even if she agreed, the guest would take a closer look and think, "Damn, it's a buy one get one free situation."
At the dinner table, it's likely that before the male guest had a chance to speak, Xu Qingyan would be holding his chopsticks, chiming in with "This dish looks dodgy. Let me taste it to see what's going on."
With this going on, who would dare entertain the idea of approaching Pei Muchan? Their face would be lost beyond recovery. It's supposed to be a movie for three, yet I don't have the right to a name.
A clown mask worn on the face, a spirit of injustice buried in the heart.
"What are we eating later?" Xu Qingyan stroked his chin, "If the show's food isn't tasty, don't blame me for going out to eat."
Director's team: ?????
The barrage couldn't stop laughing, "hahaha" filled the screen.
"The first guest to put pressure on the production crew, I'm dying of laughter. The staff behind the scenes are probably starting to feel a tingling on their scalps."
Staff: "It's so late, where can we cater a state banquet for you!"
"Hahaha, Xu Qingyan really knows how to stir things up. I strongly request that Xu Qingyan takes Pei Muchan out for food. I remember there are quite a few snacks around the island."
Police: "All right, all right, going out with chains on, very exciting, do continue."
The show's strategy had some effect; after half a day of guests interacting, they gave everyone the opportunity to freely pair up for a date.
Song Enya took the initiative to invite Bai Jinze to have dinner together, which blew up the live audience, especially since the camera perfectly captured lovelorn Chen Feiyu's expression at that moment.
Chen Feiyu blinked unconsciously, his facial muscles twitching slightly, displaying visible discomfort and pain.
"Haha!" Xu Qingyan enjoyed the spectacle from the side, looking like a heartless and amused onlooker munching on melon seeds.
Pei Muchan covered her forehead, blocking her own face.
It was the first time I realized it takes courage just to sit next to someone. Isn't it enough to just laugh about it in your heart?
"Stop laughing, they're looking over here." She said, feeling slightly embarrassed.
"What does that matter? If I make lots of friends on the show and get along with everyone, won't it be painful when we have to part ways after the show ends?"
Xu Qingyan casually dismissed common sense, beginning to spout his own twisted logic.
"On the contrary, if I manage to offend everyone, I can enjoy the happiness of seeing someone voted off every few days. By the time we all depart, this joy will peak."
Upon hearing this, Pei Muchan leaned slightly forward, her chest brushing against the edge of the table, putting weight on it the table was never meant to bear at its tender age, and asked playfully.
"So, you're looking forward to parting ways with me?"
"Of course not, I like being with you the most, isn't it just what I wished for right now?" he said, lifting the chain.
Men's words can't be trusted, not a single one.
A staff member suddenly approached, standing off-camera and asked the two idle people, "Do you want to read the bullet comments and interact with the audience for a bit?"
The two exchanged glances. With Shen Jinyue asking with his eyes, Pei Muchan nodded and agreed with a "Sure".
Before long, a big screen was brought over.
In front of the camera, Xu Qingyan wore a white short-sleeve shirt, his head slightly lowered, his eyes lingering on the screen with a somewhat lazy demeanor. His gaze was deep when he looked at people; it held a habitual pause, as if stained with ink.
Pei Muchan's features were delicate and perfect, resting her hand on the table with a relaxed expression. Her eyes slightly squinted, a faint smile curling on her lips, like the mist of an early morning.
Having two people with such stunning looks together was a feast for the eyes no matter how you looked at them.
Bullet comments surged in like a tide; the two of them watched for a while but couldn't keep up until the tech team filtered out some of the meaningless comments, which finally cleared up the screen a bit.
"Pei, won't you consider someone else? The other male guests are not bad either, much better than Xu Dog! Wuu wuu, a blood-written petition from thousands of people pleading Pei to switch!"
Pei Muchan saw the comment and then turned to look at Xu Qingyan beside her, responding with a laugh.
"I'd like to switch too, but he says he likes being with me."
Bullet comments flooded with jealousy, with cries of envy.
"Pei is too good! Even as a girl, I can't handle it! That's it, I've switched sides."
"How come Xu Dog is so lucky? Why does it have to be Xu Dog, with his terrible mouth that offends people every day, he's going to ruin Pei's career!"
Xu Qingyan, who originally didn't intend to respond, saw someone affirming his professional skills, and that made his ego grow. He straightened up, speaking with righteous indignation.
"How dare you assume that my words will definitely offend people? If I see a dog I don't like, I can't help but give it a couple of kicks as I pass by."
The bullet comments went wild with laughter interspersed with some outrageous remarks.
"666, Xu Dog's performance is stable."
"Seeing Xu Dog's mental state still abnormal, I can rest assured and keep up with the updates!"
"Go crazy for me, just got off work. I'm friendly in the office, but after work, I'm crazy about embodying Xu Dog watching romance shows! I just love seeing Xu Dog go nuts!"
Pei Muchan watched the comments line by line, her face lacking a smile. Offending people was not a good thing, after all, and she couldn't help but shoot a worried glance at Xu Qingyan.
As she worried, little did she know Xu Qingyan was grinning foolishly in Chen Feiyu's direction, clearly unbothered.
Over there, Song Enya had invited Bai Jinze, and sure enough, Chen Feiyu instantly turned into a homeless dog. You Zijun, after being backstabbed by Nian Shuyu, is now firmly pursuing the simple-minded Shen Jinyue.
Nian Shuyu originally planned to date Bai Jinze, but who knew she'd be intercepted by her best friend, Song Enya. She was almost dumbfounded as the show's dynamics exploded.
Simple-minded Shen Jinyue became the biggest winner, with three men circling around her wanting to date her.
In the morning, Shen Jinyue cried when no one picked her up. But by evening, her popularity soared, making her the undisputed queen of popularity.
Xu Qingyan had no interest in Shen Jinyue at all. Who would really fall in love on a romance reality show? Even if it was all an act, he wouldn't choose Shen Jinyue.
From what he had seen, Shen Jinyue's simplicity and naivety didn't seem feigned, likely a result of being well-protected by her family. She's a multimillion-follower internet celebrity and a naive girl.
Putting the two together, she definitely wasn't a girl from an ordinary family.
Although he was resentful and ready to clash with money, he wasn't thoughtless. Work was work, life was life; deceiving someone's cherished daughter's feelings could end up with him being beaten up on the street someday.