“Where are we going?”

Rao Linchang still didn’t know the location of the Love Cottage, so he obediently asked the photography big brother for directions.

The photography big brother pointed in a direction, and Rao Linchang followed his guidance, seeing a winding mountain path laid under the shade of the trees.

He walked along the mountain path.

Following the path all the way to the end, Rao Linchang finally saw the house with the Love Cottage sign.

The house was a white standalone villa, with a view of cozy decorations and some string lights in the yard over the not-so-high courtyard wall.

Looking up, he could see the beautifully maintained flowers on the terraces of the second and third floors.

【Why, why, why do I, someone who rents a tiny, rundown apartment, feel disdain for this huge villa?!】

【Just finished watching Rao Linchang’s villa, and I have to admit… I’m a little bit envious. sad.jpg.】

【So, does Rao Linchang’s house need a dog or not? A well-behaved dog that knows to go to its bed when it rains and won’t rummage through the trash. Super well-behaved.jpg】

【They probably don’t need one. Rao Linchang mentioned earlier that they already have a dog.】

【Reported! Rao Linchang’s flaunting of wealth is seriously impacting the audience’s values.】

【Calling the police! The presence of these ‘anti-rich idiots’ is seriously affecting the air quality I breathe!】

【Hahaha, let’s be real, Rao Linchang’s haters can just back off. You guys can’t win against these water army sisters. (Crying with laughter)】

【We have geigei too! wink.jpg】

【Haha6】

After examining the exterior of the cottage, Rao Linchang walked towards the entrance, asking, “Do I just push the door open to go in?”

The photography big brother nodded.

Although it was Rao Linchang’s first time participating in a variety show, he was an SVIP expert who surfed among various variety shows. He was very familiar with the routines and tricks of different variety shows.

So, instead of simply pushing the door open, he cautiously nudged it open, then sneakily peeked his head in to check the situation, expecting some playful prank behind the door.

However, there was no prank waiting for him behind the door, only another camera facing him.
He blinked and waved at the camera, “Hi~”

【Oh my goodness! Shark attack on the face!!!】

【Mole, mole, mole!!! This brother has a mole on the tip of his nose!!! Ah, whose dan is it!!! Ahhh, it’s mine!!! (Screaming) (Twisting and crawling)】

【He’s so cute! I really want to super!】

【…….. Wishing peace upstairs, Amitabha.jpg】

？？？

Sorry, your account has been reported, and you are banned from speaking for 30 days.

“………”

Ugh!

Turning to an alternate account, a question is raised: 【Who reported me? How dare they ban my speech for 30 days! (Kneeling and cursing)】

【??? Is Rao Linchang’s live stream room this strict? Even the next-door Lian Xi is getting bombarded by the barrage and nothing is happening?】

【Don’t ask, the answer is the green platform, green speech. (Smiling)】

【………】

The photography big brother behind the door nodded, signaling Rao Linchang to continue walking inside.

Rao Linchang didn’t hesitate, lifting his foot and proceeding in the direction indicated by the photography big brother.

Instead of going inside the house, he circled around to the backyard.

The backyard featured a lush green lawn with a small pavilion set up, where three young men were seated underneath.

Upon hearing Rao Linchang approaching, the three men turned their heads towards him.

“Hey, Changchang is here. Come over and sit.”

Out of the three men, only Lian Xi knew Rao Linchang. While the others simply stood up to greet him, Lian Xi quickly ran over, looping his arm around Rao Linchang’s, affectionately leading him towards the pavilion.

Rao Linchang glanced disdainfully at the hand on his arm, then looked up at the dark camera.

Though the camera didn’t appear intimidating to others, in Rao Linchang’s eyes, it felt like his older sister giving him a killer glare.

Therefore, he silently repeated “scold and twist ears” three times, took a deep breath, and pulled off a smile even more affectionate than Lian Xi’s, looping his arm around Lian Xi’s in return.

“Wow, Xi Ge, you’re here too! If I had known you were here, I would have come earlier.”

Lian Xi: “……..”

Is this guy on the wrong medication?

Lian Xi leaned in, intending to provoke Rao Linchang, known for his bad temper, to scold him. Then he would act pitiful, garnering sympathy from the audience and stirring fans’ empathy. Subsequently, he planned to amplify Rao Linchang’s image of being ill-mannered and bad-tempered, prompting netizens to criticize him.

Who would have thought that today this person wouldn’t stick to the script and act even better than expected.

Lian Xi was so annoyed that he almost couldn’t control his facial expression.

【Haha, using magic to defeat magic!】

【I really wonder… if Rao Linchang’s water army is still around?】

【Daddies are online 24 hours a day, giving you kisses~ Shy.jpg】

【That’s right, sweetie. For those who want to curse, we suggest feeding your tongue to the dog~ Shy.jpg】

【Pinch? (No harmful intent in the literal meaning)】

【Your mom exploded. (No harmful intent in the literal meaning) Submissive.jpg】

【……..】

“It’s okay, Changchang, you’re not late. We didn’t wait long.” Lian Xi pulled Rao Linchang to sit beside him, then craftily occupied the camera, saying, “Let me introduce two guests to Changchang. This is Ming Nan, the first to arrive, and this is Shi Guang, the third.”

He then turned to introduce Rao Linchang to the two amateur guests.

Rao Linchang, taking the initiative, raised his hand to stop Lian Xi’s chatter, and in his clear and gentle voice, he said, “Hello, I’m Rao Linchang. Nice to meet you.”

The two guests shook hands with Rao Linchang in turn.

Lian Xi: “……..”

【Really? Both of these amateur guests have such nice-sounding names.】

【And they both look good too.】

【Ming Nan and Shi Guang are from the live broadcast room for real. The production staff confirmed it earlier.】

【Their looks are unquestionable, right? Director Gao started with idol dramas. When did his show ever have guests who weren’t stunning? They’re always gorgeous, aren’t they?】

【Am I the only one who noticed that Ming Nan seems a bit introverted?】

【Remove the ‘seems’, Ming Nan is socially anxious.】

After Rao Linchang and the two amateur guests finished their introductions, the director’s voice came through the loudspeaker, “Congratulations to the four guests for gathering at the Love Cottage. Welcome everyone to the first domestic celebrity dating show ‘Let’s Date Together.’ I’m the director, Gao Cang, pleased to meet you all.”

As his voice faded, the four guests applauded at the right moment.

After the applause, Director Gao first thanked a long list of sponsors, then continued, “From now on, the live broadcast rooms of each guest will open up a tipping channel. The daily tipping limit for each ID is 100 RMB. This program does not accept tips from minors. Parents and netizens, please supervise accordingly.”

【I’m an adult, and I want to financially support Changchang, my baby~ [Dive deep into the water torpedo and walk away】

【You support me, I’ll support you~ [Dive deep into the water torpedo and walk away]】

【Upstairs supports me, I support you too~ [Dive deep into the water torpedo and walk away]】

【If you all support, then count me in too~ [Dive deep into the water torpedo and walk away]】

【…….? Wait, does Rao Linchang’s fan base also engage in reverse tipping?】

【No way, really? Other artists’ fan bases don’t do that? Oh, that’s too pitiful. Feeling sorry for the brother.jpg】

【……….】

“In addition, the portion of the guests’ earnings during the program recording will be donated to charity. At the end of this phase, there will be a prize-guessing segment where the prize money raised will be fully paid by Ailin Entertainment to charity. The specific guessing process will be revealed at the end of this phase. For viewers who want to contribute to charity, please stay tuned to the ‘Love’ official blog and Ailin Entertainment official blog.”

【What kind of setup is this?】

【Using viewers’ tips for charity? Isn’t that a bit sketchy?】

【Funny, how much can viewers tip anyway? I’ve never tipped before (broke)】

【I know this, the prize money for the first season was over 180, and Ailin’s dad donated over 800 in the prize-guessing segment. In the second season, the prize money was 360, and Ailin’s dad donated nearly 2000.】

【6】

【So, is the prize-guessing segment funded by viewers too?】

【No, that segment is actually a voting process. Each vote costs a dollar, and each person has ten votes. If you vote correctly, Ailin’s dad will pay.】

【You can contribute to charity without spending your own money! Great!】

“Alright then…” After Director Gao explained the program flow, he continued, “Next, we will kick off the first segment of this love journey – unveiling the identities of the simulated lovers.”

【I’m really looking forward to the other two amateur guests A!】

【The amateur guests A from the previous seasons were super charming! Hope they won’t disappoint this time. Please, please.】

【Kindly assign the most handsome one to my baby Changchang!! [Dive deep into the water torpedo, kiss Changchang]】

【The resignation letter from upstairs must be ready by now.】

【I don’t care, I’m good at kneeling, confidently with hands on hips.】

“How will the unveiling be done?” Lian Xi blinked and asked first.

Director Gao glanced upward and gestured for them to look behind them.

During the gap after their self-introductions, four exquisitely crafted pink gift boxes had been set up on the lawn behind them.

“You have four pink boxes behind you. Each of you can go and open a box in the order you arrived. Inside the box is a token, representing your mutual commitment with the guest from side A. This stage will automatically pair you as couple guests.”

“What if there’s no token or multiple tokens in a box?” Lian Xi asked, with a smirk and a sense of smugness in his voice.

As if already anticipating that Rao Linchang would end up with no one choosing him and himself about to become the heartthrob.

Director Gao replied, “There are solutions for everything. Now, please go and open your gifts in order.”

【Here we go, Director Gao is bringing his tricks. Excitedly rubbing hands.】

【Incredible, the opening this time is actually unwrapping gifts…】

【Seems a bit old-fashioned, not sure if I should continue watching.】

During the interval of audience commentary in the barrage, the four guests had already approached their respective pink gift boxes in sequence, ready for the director to cue the next step.

“You can unwrap your gifts now,” Director Gao said with a smile.

Upon receiving the instruction, the four guests exchanged glances before starting to untie the bows on their boxes.

Director Gao, known for his expertise in spicing up dating shows, with just a glance, had the staff switch all the cameras in the live room to close-ups of Rao Linchang.

After observing, he noted that Rao Linchang’s hands were the most aesthetically pleasing and suitable for capturing some indescribable footage.

His keen eye for detail proved to be spot-on.

In the close-up shot, a pair of slender, well-defined hands with clean, pale skin were slowly untying the deliberately knotted bow.

Due to the slight pressure, the veins on the back of his hand were slightly visible, while his fingertips appeared translucent under the sunlight.

It was as if they were stained with something.

Unbelievably sexy.

【Oh my god! Director Gao is already in the zone?】

【These hands… They’re so provocative! Quickly bring them to my mouth so I can suck on them!】

【(Just arrived) (Tripped over my pants) (Dusting myself off) (Genuine expression) (Scratching my head and asking) What’s the process for watching this dating show? Do we just take off our pants?】

【Pants on your face.jpg Don’t take off your pants! Be careful, you’ll get banned for thirty days! (I’m a water army, I can do this) (Hehe) (Hehe)】

【I’m a water army, I can too (panting) Give Changchang, my baby, a kiss (so fragrant, so fragrant) Another kiss (ah, I’ve been knocked unconscious)】

【Carry him away! Let me see who dares to kiss him! (Sneaking a kiss first) (Wiping my mouth pretending nothing happened)】

【……. Stealing from the guard?】

【Is it still not too late to join the water army? I’m good at kissing, and it’s free. (Sincere expression)】

【Rejected! You guys didn’t care about Changchang before, but now he’s beyond your reach! [Dive deep into the water torpedo and pay for support]】

Just as Rao Linchang was still struggling with the tightly knotted bow, Director Gao, holding a loudspeaker, announced, “Congratulations to Shi Guang for receiving one guest from side A. Mutual commitment, automatically forming a couple.”

【?? Gentlemen, welcome our distinguished guest?】

【Haha, the upstairs comment is on point!】

【What did Shi Guang get? A keychain??】

Two seconds later, the director’s voice echoed again, “Congratulations to Lian Xi for receiving one guest from side A. Mutual commitment, automatically forming a couple.”

【Congratulations, gentlemen, another distinguished guest has arrived.】

【Wow, what did Lian Xi get? The box looks so exquisite!】

【Congratulations to Xi Bao for mutual commitment! [Landmine support]】

However, Lian Xi didn’t show any sign of happiness on his face. Instead, he subtly furrowed his brow.

As if annoyed that only one person chose him!

But he quickly suppressed his displeasure and turned to Rao Linchang.

He only had one person choose him. He didn’t believe Rao Linchang could have multiple people choosing him!

And the next second.

Rao Linchang, who had been struggling with the stubborn bow for a long time, finally untied it.

He opened the box and saw…

……… A box of loneliness sent by the guest from side A.