“You… are really fine now?” Bai Jingchen seemed a bit troubled.

The guest lineup for the reality show had long been decided.

As one of the hottest variety shows at the moment, Delicious Relationship prided itself on having no script. Everything shown on camera was the guests’ natural reactions, emphasizing authenticity.

Because of this, the selection of guests prioritized ordinary people, with at most one or two celebrities. Bai Jingchen himself, for example, was chosen as a well-known idol to bring traffic to the show.

An Leyan was a semi-professional cosplayer. Originally, the spot was supposed to go to his senior, who followed the same career path. But upon hearing that Bai Jingchen was participating, the devoted little cannon fodder pestered his senior and his agency for a whole month. He even sacrificed almost an entire year’s worth of commercial gigs just to secure a spot.

No sooner had he signed the contract with the production team than he rushed to Weibo to publicly confess his love, sparking heated discussions online.

So now, if they forced him to quit, who knew what crazy things this lunatic might do?

Bai Jingchen coughed twice to cover up the disappointment in his tone. He wanted to persuade him further, but just then, a voice faintly echoed from the entrance of the mansion:

“Young Master Fu has returned…”

At that, Bai Jingchen couldn’t even be bothered to say anything more to console him. He hastily reminded him to take care of his health and hung up the phone.

——

“Yanyan, are you really going to join that show?” Mother An hesitated as she put away the dishes. “I heard that only rich people participate in that show. Your mom has no connections… What if Young Master Bai looks down on you?”

“Don’t listen to those rumors. The show never said you had to be rich to participate.” An Leyan stood up and grabbed the insulated food container for her. “Besides… I don’t actually like Young Master Bai that much.”

“You don’t like him? Then why did you…” Mother An looked utterly confused. She dazedly washed a few more dishes before suddenly rushing back from the communal washroom.

“Yanyan, you’re not planning to date another rich guy on the show, are you? And in front of Young Master Bai, no less! If you really get together with someone else right in front of him, he—he’ll take revenge on you!”

An Leyan: …

What a joke. How could dating be more fun than watching revenge unfold? He was going to witness Cang Ge’s grand revenge and vent his frustration for both Cang Ge of that world and himself!

But seeing the deep worry and confusion in his mother’s eyes, he gently held her shoulders. “Don’t worry. That’s just how love reality shows work. Everyone is free to express their feelings, and no one confesses outright until the end of the program.”

“And besides—” He shrugged nonchalantly. “I’m just there to be a background character. I have no intention of climbing the social ladder. Young Master Bai doesn’t even like me.”

“Huh? You know that?” Mother An looked shocked.

“Of course I know.” An Leyan put on a serious expression and continued weaving his story. “Actually, I already figured it out before. I’m joining this show because I want to see, with my own eyes, how Young Master Bai falls in love with someone else. That way…”

He lowered his face, letting his thick eyelashes hide his expression. “That way, I can truly give up.”

——

Two days later, An Leyan dragged his suitcase to the address given by the production team.

Before him stood a beautiful three-story villa, its front garden blooming with vibrant flowers. A cobblestone path led him to the clean and spacious porch—right into the live broadcast camera’s view.

【Whoa, another one’s here. He’s pretty handsome!】

【Apparently, he’s a cosplayer. He’s portrayed several popular anime characters before. His bare face is decent too.】

【Well, cosplayers rely mostly on makeup. But his figure is great! He’s gotta be over 180 cm tall, right? Such long legs—slurp~ Whether he’s the top or the bottom, he’s got an alluring vibe.】

【Why say “whether he’s the top or the bottom”? Aren’t you afraid of getting it wrong?】

【Because this show never reveals who’s the 1 or the 0! We can’t guess, and neither can the guests. It’s thrilling!】

【Since it’s not revealed, the possibilities are endless. More choices mean more drama. Director Zhang is a genius!】

【Exactly! Last season, Wu Qingyu and Xie Yuan were an unsolvable mystery. Everyone thought they were both bottoms. Who knows which one would “top for love”?】

The comment section was a chaotic mess of discussions. Meanwhile, in front of the camera, An Leyan took a deep breath and pushed open the door.

The spacious and spotless entryway already held three or four suitcases. Three pairs of men’s shoes were neatly placed by the shoe cabinet.

Classic love reality show setup.

An Leyan nodded, placed his suitcase against the wall, and changed into indoor slippers.

The first floor contained the living room, dining area, and kitchen—all empty. It seemed the others were upstairs in the common lounge.

He steadied himself and climbed the stairs.

“Looks like someone new has arrived.”

Halfway up, a man’s voice rang out from above. It was deep and smooth, with a hint of laughter lingering at the end—undeniably flirtatious.

An Leyan’s heart raced with excitement.

Mu Wei—this had to be Mu Wei! The very Mu family heir known as “Haicheng’s top dom”!

The novel had spent extensive chapters describing this wealthy young master.

The Mu family had been a powerhouse for generations. His father was a renowned real estate tycoon in Haicheng, while his mother ran a massively influential international media group. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, the very definition of a privileged elite.

From adulthood, Mu Wei had lived a flamboyant and uninhibited life. After coming out, he made his way through Haicheng’s entire circle of bottoms. Eventually, he even opened a bar in the city’s most bustling district, indulging in nightly pleasures.

Tsk, tsk, tsk—no wonder this was a top-tier dating show. They even managed to invite someone like him!

Through the spotless glass partition, An Leyan caught sight of three people in the lounge.

The man closest to the staircase had been lounging in a single-seater sofa. The moment he saw An Leyan, he stood up and smiled.

Even without smiling, he had an air of effortless charm. But when he did, it gave off a sincere and affectionate feel. Add his tall and striking figure to the mix, and it was no wonder he was hailed as the ultimate heartthrob of the gay community. Who would fall for him this time?

An Leyan’s inner gossip instincts went wild, but he worked hard to maintain a calm expression. Smiling, he introduced himself:

“Hello, I’m An Leyan.”

“I’m Mu Wei. You—”

“Please wait a moment!”

A voice suddenly interrupted Mu Wei’s welcome. In a flash of white, a figure appeared in front of An Leyan.

Silver hair, black eyes—slightly shorter than An Leyan, but with an exceptional aura. The simple white button-up he wore exuded an undeniable artistic flair.

An Leyan blinked, immediately recognizing him.

Yin Xin, the painter. Rumored to have started learning art late but progressed at an astonishing pace, quickly becoming one of the top artists in the country. A true painting fanatic.

Given time, he would surpass his peers, establishing his own school of thought and becoming a legend in the art world.

Before An Leyan could react, Yin Xin had already stepped closer and reached out to brush his forehead.

“Your eyes…”

Instinctively, An Leyan blocked him.

“Oh, sorry!” Yin Xin finally realized his abruptness. He awkwardly withdrew his hand and hesitated. “Your eyes are too beautiful. While we’re here… would you mind if I took some photos and sketched you?”

An Leyan burst into laughter.

Which one of the people here isn’t a handsome man? This dating show is practically a feast of male beauty! In the original novel, the guests of this season were even described as “a collection of the world’s most stunning faces.”

Of course, that didn’t include him—the insignificant little extra with zero presence.

And since Yin Xin was an art addict, he had definitely made the same request to both of the men present. Otherwise, why would the young man still sitting on the sofa be showing such a disgusted expression?

Turning his gaze back to Yin Xin, An Leyan nodded. “You flatter me. I don’t mind. But there are so many handsome guys here, you definitely won’t be able to take enough photos or finish sketching them all in just one month.”

His answer elicited a soft chuckle from Mu Wei, and even the man on the sofa turned his face toward him and nodded.

“Hello, I’m Nie Changxing.”

An Leyan’s eyes lit up.

Genius prodigy Nie Changxing had entered Haida Medical School at sixteen and, by twenty-two, had already earned dual doctorates in chemistry and clinical medicine. When he wasn’t in a lab conducting research, he was publishing papers in academic journals, and despite his young age, he had already accumulated a mountain of awards and patents.

If not for this dating show, he would have been nearly impossible to meet in real life!

After exchanging pleasantries, An Leyan glanced at the seating arrangement.

Mu Wei was sitting in a single-seat sofa, facing Nie Changxing, who was on a double-seater. In between them was a long, plush sofa—but no one had taken that spot.

Yin Xin had been standing by the window earlier, seemingly studying a monstera plant behind the sofa.

There were still two more people expected to arrive, so naturally, the prime seat should be left for them.

An Leyan chose a corner of the long sofa.

This was the spot farthest from the cameras, often blocked by Nie Changxing, yet it offered the best view of all the handsome men in the room—an ideal choice for an onlooker like him, a mere extra.

Even after sitting down, the atmosphere remained awkward. Mu Wei’s gaze flickered between the three of them with a playful curiosity. Nie Changxing, seemingly annoyed by Mu Wei’s attention, shot him a subtle glare before lowering his head to fiddle with the pillow in his arms.

Meanwhile, Yin Xin was still frozen in place, staring at An Leyan from a distance.

An Leyan smiled at everyone, then lowered his head, catching his reflection in the glass coffee table.

Before coming here today, he had secretly edited his appearance to match the original host’s photos—slimming his face, subtly adjusting his eyes, and pulling down his slightly upturned outer corners to create soft, obedient-looking puppy eyes.

Having worked as a professional cosplayer for a few years, this kind of transformation was easy for him. After altering his eye shape and applying a thin layer of foundation, even someone standing right in front of him wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.

That said, he wasn’t planning to keep up the disguise forever. If he changed a little bit every day, by the end of the week, he’d be back to his original appearance.

He was just a background character anyway—no one would pay attention to him. Once he deleted his Weibo photos, by the time the second episode aired, everyone would have already forgotten what he originally looked like.

Perfect!

Just as he made up his mind, he suddenly felt the sofa sink beside him.

Yin Xin had plopped down next to him, eyes meticulously tracing the shape of his own.

An Leyan: …

“Everyone must be thirsty,” he said, standing up. “There should be some drinks in the kitchen fridge. I’ll go grab a few.”

Without waiting for a response, he nimbly stepped around the coffee table and went downstairs.

The online viewers collectively let out a sigh of relief.

【Finally, someone broke the awkward silence! They just sat there not talking after introducing themselves—I was dying inside!】

【That little coser sure knows how to handle things. Mu Gongzi was quite interested in him when he walked in, but now that he left, Mu Wei’s attention is completely elsewhere.】

【Yin Xin looks even more anxious—who knows if he’s worried about the guy or just about getting his sketch?】

【Only Nie Changxing doesn’t seem to care. But hey, geniuses are allowed to be aloof. I wonder who will be able to touch his heart.】

An Leyan quickly arrived at the kitchen.

It was bright and spacious, with every kitchen utensil shining under the sunlight.

Imagining all the handsome men working together here to cook made him involuntarily show an ‘auntie smile.’

Opening the fridge, he found ice-cold water, soft drinks, and some ingredients for dinner already prepared inside.

Recalling the novel’s details, he estimated that there would be six guests including himself. So, he grabbed six bottles.

Based on the descriptions in the book, he selected drinks accordingly, then hesitated before swapping out one bottle of mineral water—opting instead for a chocolate drink, the favorite of Cang Ge.

He never used to like this drink, always finding it too sweet.

But in the years that Cang Ge was gone, he had slowly gotten used to it.

“An Leyan? Leyan?”

A voice calling his name broke his thoughts.

Startled, he quickly shut the fridge door and walked out, arms full of drinks.

“Sorry, took a while picking drinks.” He pulled out a bottle of Vitamin Water and handed it to Yin Xin, who had come to find him. Together, they started heading back upstairs.

At that moment, the villa’s front door clicked open.

Another guest had arrived.

If the novel’s plot held true, it should be that breathtakingly stunning beauty—Chen Xi, the actor from a rival company to Bai Jingchen.

Another gorgeous face. What a visual feast today!

Smiling, An Leyan turned toward the entrance.

The door opened, revealing a pair of long legs clad in tailored dress pants.

Inside the villa, An Leyan’s smile instantly froze.

Cang Ge?!

Why was he here?!