The other three pairs of guests, who were unaware of the situation, had finished their breakfast and were waiting in the living room.

Having received a prompt from the staff, none of them mentioned Rao Linchang and Song Linxuan. Only Lian Xi, who had secretly checked the trending topics, persistently tried to steer the conversation towards Rao Linchang.

“Chang Chang is so adorable, still lounging around at this hour,” Lian Xi said with a genuinely warm smile. “I’ll go wake him up; otherwise, his breakfast will be cold.”

“Better not,” Shi Guang tried to stop Lian Xi. “If he’s not awake, let him sleep.”

“That’s not good. Skipping breakfast is bad for your health,” Lian Xi insisted, standing up from the sofa.

Xiao Zhe held him back. “Don’t bother. Chang Chang isn’t in his room.”

“How could he not be in the room?” Lian Xi’s confusion was perfectly timed. “I didn’t see him come out.”

“He had a minor disagreement with Linxuan and went out to sort it out,” Xiao Zhe explained.

At this point, the staff quickly signaled for them to stop discussing it.

Lian Xi pretended not to see: “Had a disagreement?”

He smiled indulgently. “Did Chang Chang say something to upset Linxuan again? Oh, it’s not really a big deal. Our Chang Chang is just straightforward and honest, and sometimes a bit blunt, but he’s really quite lovable otherwise.”

Rao Linchang, who had just walked to the door from outside, thought: “……..”

He must have been a shredder in his past life.

That’s why he keeps tearing things apart, one after another.

╮(╯▽╰)╭

With a melancholic sigh, Rao Linchang entered and changed his shoes.

【Ahhh! Chang Chang is finally back!】

【How is it? Is our Chang Chang really going to be pushed out of the show by Song Linxuan?】

【Noooo! I followed Chang Chang here because of his stunning beauty! How can I live if I can’t see him!】

【Same here, sisters! I have no fate with Chang Chang, but it’s all thanks to his face! Ahhh!】

【Just to be clear, if Chang Chang leaves, I’ll have to say goodbye to all of you. sad.jpg】

【Coming from trending searches, so this is the poor guest who had their kite ruined by Guest A and then faced an attempt to be harassed by Guest B?】

【Yes, yes! That’s our Chang Chang, the little poor thing!】

【Not to mention, just for daring to punch a rich second-generation capital player, I’m a fan out of respect.】

“Chang Chang! You’re back!” Lian Xi immediately spotted Rao Linchang, and his affectionate smile turned even warmer. “Are you hungry? I saved you some breakfast.”

Rao Linchang didn’t want to pay attention to Lian Xi because, after all, he was going to leave the show anyway and didn’t want to stir up more trouble for himself, especially to avoid getting scolded by Fang Mo being sharp-tongued.

But thinking about how he had the control group’s script, he found it hard not to take the chance to take a jab at the white lotus.

“Xi gege…” Rao Linchang looked at Lian Xi in the living room from a distance, his tone helpless. “I’m not a straw boat. Why does it seem like all your arrows are aimed at me?”

“Chang Chang…” Lian Xi, ever the actor, quickly switched to a look of feigned grievance. “I’m just showing concern for you. How could you say that about me…”

But inside, he was quite pleased.

Song Linxuan was one of the investors of the show Let’s Fall in Love. The fact that Rao Linchang dared to hit an investor meant he was likely to be kicked off the show.

【Who is this person? I can practically smell the tea through the screen.】

【A white lotus with a peculiar bone structure, always trying to drag our Chang Chang into drama, so annoying!】

【Whether his bone structure is peculiar or not is unclear, but he’s definitely good at acting.】

“Xi gege, if you don’t have anything to do, you should eat more preserved plums. Otherwise, I keep smelling this white lotus scent,” Rao Linchang rubbed his nose.

Lian Xi bit his lip, his eyes reddening instantly.

Seeing the white lotus act, Rao Linchang quickly furrowed his brows and looked apologetic. “Sorry, Xi gege, I didn’t mean to offend you. I’m just a bit sensitive and really can’t stand the white lotus smell. You won’t stay mad at me, will you?”

He put on an expression that could rival the white lotus in its acting prowess.

【Wow! He knows how to talk!】

【If Rao Linchang stops filming, he could switch careers to being a broadcaster and teach me how to roast people. I really need that skill. sincere.jpg】

【Got it, next time I’ll use this approach to roast a little sister in our company!】

“Little Chang, you should say less. Lian Xi is already in tears because of you,” Xiao Zhe stepped in gracefully, showing off his gentlemanly charm.

Rao Linchang: ?

Oh, so now you’re playing the role of the after-the-fact critic?

Rao Linchang looked at Xiao Zhe and said, “Uncle Xiao, why don’t you live a little longer?”

He looked innocent. “Xi gege is like a little fairy growing in the water. What does his tears have to do with me? Why aren’t I crying, huh?”

【That retort was great! I’ve already silently noted it down.】

【I declare that Rao Linchang is now my internet mouthpiece!! Seriously, I really hate it when people tell me to say less during arguments. I’ll say less if you can give me a kiss!】

【After watching all sorts of variety shows, I suddenly realize I actually like people who can talk like this!】

【Same here, but I’m so afraid he’ll get blacklisted.】

“You…” Xiao Zhe’s eyes flashed with anger.

But Rao Linchang was already too lazy to listen to him rant. He threw out a parting shot: “Yes, I am who I am—fireworks that you can’t compare to. Goodbye!”

Then he quickly headed toward the stairs.

After taking a couple of steps, he suddenly turned around and looked at Shi Guang, who was dressed in a wine-red suit. “Shi Guang, that outfit looks great on you.”

Tong Kaiyi and Shi Guang’s couple had garnered the highest number of retweets and likes among the four groups posted on Weibo yesterday by Let’s Fall in Love.

As per the rules, the Nefelibate outfit was naturally given to Shi Guang.

For this reason, Lian Xi had given Shi Guang a cold shoulder all morning.

“Chang Chang, you flatter me. It’s the outfit itself that’s great,” Shi Guang, who was still enjoying the gossip, blushed slightly at the compliment.

Rao Linchang smiled and said nothing more, turning to continue upstairs.

Director Gao didn’t follow him but instead addressed the guests in the living room. “Everyone, the cars outside are ready. You can now begin your romantic dates.”

Although no one knew the exact situation between Rao Linchang and Song Linxuan, the director’s announcement prompted the three couples to rise and prepare to head out.

Upstairs in the rooms.

Rao Linchang changed out of his pajamas and tossed them into the trash can, then switched into a comfortable casual outfit.

As he was about to pack his belongings, there was a knock on the door.

Rao Linchang didn’t need to guess who it was; he knew it was Director Gao, and he wasn’t in the mood to deal with him.

But adhering to the principle of “more time as a monk, more bells to ring,” he called out, “Come in.”

Upon being granted permission, Director Gao opened the door and stepped in.

Rao Linchang watched as Director Gao went straight to turn off several cameras and raised an eyebrow. “What’s up? Director Gao, are you also looking to experience Young Master Song’s pleasure?”

Director Gao, looking embarrassed, replied, “Please don’t say things like that, Mr. Rao. Otherwise, I might have trouble with the producers later.”

Rao Linchang snorted.

He thought to himself that Tan Yue, that dog, wouldn’t care about his life or death!

“So, Director Gao, why are you here?” Rao Linchang leaned against the bathroom door.

Director Gao didn’t beat around the bush. He said directly, “Mr. Rao, I haven’t taken Song Linxuan’s ten million. If you quit now, it would be considered a breach of contract.”

Rao Linchang laughed. “Does Director Gao think I can’t afford a few million in penalties?”

Director Gao replied, “…Well, what I mean is that Mr. Rao can’t withdraw from the show now.”

“Director Gao, are you really not driven mad by me?”

Rao Linchang couldn’t help but worry about Director Gao’s mental state. “I openly hit a couple’s guest on your show. The viewers must be tearing your program apart, right? You should be kicking me out to avoid bad luck, yet you’re still keeping me here?”

“Mr. Rao, that’s not how it is. I didn’t let you stay just because of Tan Yue’s face. I genuinely admire your character and personality, which is why I invited you through Fang Mo,” Director Gao clarified.

“Director Gao personally invited me?” Rao Linchang focused on that point.

Director Gao nodded. “Yes, that’s right. Why?”

“Nothing much,” Rao Linchang replied with a smile, though his eyes were filled with exasperation.

Good grief, Fang Mo must really not trust him.

Seeing that Rao Linchang was fine, Director Gao continued, “As for the online comments, Mr. Rao, you should take a look for yourself.”

With that, the director handed over his phone.

Rao Linchang took the phone, and the screen displayed Weibo’s trending search page.

The top trending topic was #ApologizeToRaoLinchangIfYouInsultedHim#, with a “boiling” character added.

The second hot topic was #RaoLinchangAssaultsMaleGuest#.

The third was #XiaoZheRuinsRaoLinchang’sKite#.

The fourth was #Let’sFallInLove’sBoldMoves#.

Rao Linchang ignored the hottest trending topic and went straight to the second one.

As expected, there were many comments insulting him.

But more notably, there were the hired commenters and… fans(?) fiercely defending him.

I have to admit, the hired commenters that Tan Yue employed are indeed quite formidable; their responses are very well-organized.

He quietly noted down a few things to use the next time he needs to respond.

Then he returned the phone to Director Gao.

“Did you watch carefully?” Director Gao asked, stunned.

Rao Linchang didn’t respond directly to that question; instead, he said, “It’s no problem if I stay.”

After all, his earlier reluctance to stay was simply to avoid drawing negative attention to the show.

Since Director Gao insisted on keeping him and the online criticism wasn’t as severe as he had imagined,

he was still quite willing to stay and compete with white lotus for the resources from the big sponsors.

Director Gao was unaware of Rao Linchang’s hidden motives and immediately beamed with a smile as bright as a chrysanthemum upon hearing that he wanted to stay.

However, he did not overlook the underlying meaning in Rao Linchang’s words despite his happiness.

Even coming up with such an outrageous lie to keep him around was a sign of that.

So he asked, “But what about…?”

Director Gao thought to himself that as long as it wasn’t too difficult, he would agree to whatever the sponsor’s wishes were!

But then Rao Linchang said, “But I no longer have a couple guest.”

In other words, this meant that Song Linxuan was to be dismissed.

Director Gao understood immediately.

He breathed a sigh of relief and quickly said, “That’s easy to handle! I have backup guests available!”

“Let’s make this clear first!” Rao Linchang looked at him and said, “Although I don’t pick the guests, if your backup guests are the same as Song Linxuan, I’ll still beat him up!”

“Don’t worry, sponsor!” Director Gao said with a smile, “I guarantee that won’t be the case!”

“Then get ready to head out, and I’ll contact the backup guests for you right away!”

With that, he dashed out.

Rao Linchang, however, was left speechless.

Who’s the sponsor here?

I’m just a humble worker!

…….

After tidying up and heading downstairs, Rao Linchang went to the kitchen to have some cold bread and milk to fill his stomach.

Taking advantage of this, Director Gao announced in Rao Linchang’s live stream, “We regret to inform everyone that Song Linxuan is unable to continue participating in the show due to personal reasons. Therefore, Mr. Rao will be paired with a new guest as the couple for this stage of the show.”

“What kind of sparks will our new guest and Mr. Rao create on their first date? Let’s stay tuned to find out.”

【? So Song Linxuan left but Rao Linchang is still here??】

【6, Rao Linchang really is something else】

【Tell me, are you guys mad or not? Can’t beat him up, can’t scold him, [Deep Water Dog]】

After finishing breakfast, Rao Linchang got into the car arranged by the show’s team and set off to meet the backup guest at the location he had prepared for the date.

With nothing to do on the way, Rao Linchang decided to check his phone.

As soon as he looked, a brilliant and captivating smile suddenly spread across his face, which had been gloomy all morning with a bunch of worries.

He lifted the corners of his mouth, unlocked his phone, and a few messages from a familiar number appeared in his smiling eyes.

01:36

[Just finished my busy work, now heading home to be alone. Sad.jpg]

01:39

[Next time before you go to sleep, please cover the camera; otherwise, I’ll get anxious seeing green. Jealous Green.jpg]

Accompanied by a screenshot of Rao Linchang’s live stream while he was sleeping.

The screenshot was filled with 【Chang Chang’s husband kisses】.

02:47

[Good night, to the unfaithful stranger. Smile.jpg]

07:12

[Don’t worry, Chen Yan has already left.]

【Wow!! My Chang Chang baby finally smiled!! So beautiful, so beautiful!! [Deep Water Licking Screen]】

【So, Chang Chang baby really wasn’t pushed out by Song Linxuan, right?】

【Song Linxuan is nothing! He can’t possibly push out our Changh Cang princess!!! [Deep Water Remove Bad Luck]】

【That’s good, that’s good. I was so afraid of not seeing Chang Chang baby. Sigh of relief.jpg】

【So what’s making my Chang Chang baby smile? Tell us about it (putting up an ear)】

Seeing that the comments were all asking what made Chang Chang baby smile, the cameraman, being very perceptive, asked, “Mr. Rao, what’s making you smile? Is something making you happy?”

Realizing he was smiling too obviously, Rao Linchang quickly put away his phone and casually replied, “It’s nothing, just looking forward to the new couple guest Director Gao is going to assign to me.”