Vol 3 – Chapter 39 (2)

The audience erupted in disbelief.

Audience Member 1: “This guy is seriously shameless!”

Audience Member 2: “Does his family own a gold mine or something? Does he think he’s some kind of emperor? What’s next—someone feeding him his meals?”

Audience Member 3: “He wants a woman who’s financially independent, but also expects her to prioritize the household? How convenient for him!”

Audience Member 4: “Is he here to find a partner or hire a maid? And not just any maid, one that brings home a paycheck too!”

……

The moment the audience heard his so-called love declaration, the last two lights on stage dimmed. The “heartbreak” music played—a signal that the male guest had failed the matchmaking process and would have to leave the show alone.

With an apologetic smile, the host, Zhuo Jin, said, “I’m sorry, Guest Number One. Since none of the female guests kept their lights on for you, this means your matchmaking attempt has been unsuccessful. Please walk alone toward the Gate of Love.”

As soon as he realized all the lights had gone out, Yu Sicong’s expression turned dark and sour. He stiffly said goodbye to Zhuo Jin and stormed off the stage with a gloomy, scowling face. But neither the guests nor the audience seemed to care about his departure. On the contrary—many were relieved. The sooner he left, the sooner the next guest could come on stage.

And sure enough, the second male guest—the one everyone was waiting for—finally made his appearance. Zhuo Jin walked behind the wall to check which female guest the new male guest had chosen, and when he returned to center stage, he teased, “Our second male guest is quite the looker!”

He gave the ten female guests a playful glance and added, “Ladies who care about looks, this might be your moment.”

Female Guest Number Six, Wang Yun, chimed in: “Zhuo Jin, are you serious? If he turns out not to be handsome, you owe me a good-looking one!”

Zhuo Jin grinned: “You want me to make up for it with the next guest?”

Wang Yun: “Only if he’s hot!”

Female Guest Number Seven, Quan Xiaoyu, chimed in, “Brother Jin, I want one too! Don’t forget about me!”

Zhuo Jin laughed, “Alright, alright, I’ve got you all covered.” Then he turned back to the crowd and announced, “Let’s give a warm welcome to our second male guest!”

The intro music kicked in.

“Hello everyone, I’m Guest Number Two. My name is Wu Xingxue, and I’m from Dalian.”

He had delicate features, stood over 1.8 meters tall, wore a crisp white shirt, and his fair skin glowed under the lights. When he smiled, it felt like a fresh spring breeze. Mu Fu found him charming—though not quite heart-fluttering, he definitely caught her attention.

Once Wu Xingxue came closer, Brother Jin looked over at the female guests and asked, “So what do you think, ladies? Is Guest Number 2 handsome or what?”

The audience responded in unison with a loud, “Handsome!”

Satisfied, Brother Jin turned to Wu Xingxue and teased, “Looks like everyone has high hopes for you.”

Wu Xingxue shifted a little, a bashful smile on his face. Though clearly nervous, he still bowed politely and said, “Thank you, everyone.” His boyish charm and youthful energy were impossible to miss.

Brother Jin continued, “Alright, let’s hear a little self-introduction from our second guest.”

Wu Xingxue gave a small wave. “Hi everyone, my name is Wu Xingxue. I’m 26 years old, from Dalian, and I currently work as a kindergarten teacher—and I’m also the director of the school. Thank you all.” His voice was soft, but clear and bright. After speaking, he gave another polite bow.

Mu Fu was surprised—she hadn’t expected him to be a teacher, let alone someone who worked with little kids. No wonder he still had such a youthful aura, practically indistinguishable from a college student.

Brother Jin seemed intrigued and asked, “So you’re a teacher and the head of the kindergarten?”

Wu Xingxue smiled, “Yes, that’s right.”

“Isn’t that a lot to handle? I mean, don’t the kids get super naughty sometimes?”

“No, not really,” Wu Xingxue replied. “I mostly play a supporting role. At our school, the main responsibility lies with the other teachers.”

Zhuo Jin gave a long, thoughtful “Ohhh” and asked, “So basically, you help out from time to time?”

Wu Xingxue nodded. “Yes, that’s pretty much it.”

“Alright then,” Zhuo Jin continued, “what’s your declaration of love?”

Unlike the first male guest, Wu Xingxue never once looked over at the ladies’ seats. His nervousness was palpable. “My love declaration is: I hope that every morning when I wake up, the first thing I see is your beautiful sleeping face.”

Zhuo Jin chuckled, “So you’re planning to have your partner stay in bed with her eyes closed until you wake up?”

Wu Xingxue waved his hands frantically, his face turning bright red. “No, no! That’s not what I meant. I meant… I just hope she’s the first person I see every morning.”

Noticing his embarrassment, Zhuo Jin quickly lightened the mood with a few kind words to ease the tension. He glanced at the cue sheet and said, “Alright, let’s see how many lights are still on.”

All ten lights were still shining—none had gone out.

Zhuo Jin teased, “Well, well, our second male guest is clearly quite popular with the ladies.” After a short pause, he added, “Now let’s give him a moment to get ready for his talent performance. Xiao Wu, do you need any props?”

“Thank you, Brother Jin,” Wu Xingxue replied. “I’ll be singing a song, so I don’t need anything else.”

“Great. Then the stage is all yours.” With no props needed, Zhuo Jin stepped aside. Soon, Wu Xingxue was ready. After a quick sound check, he began his performance:

“This is a simple little love song

Singing of the curves and turns of the heart

I think I’m truly happy

When I can feel your warmth

The air around my feet shifts…

This is a simple little love song

Singing of the white dove in our hearts

…”

The second male guest had a uniquely ethereal voice, full of clarity and emotional depth. His singing wasn’t just technically good—it carried genuine feeling, as if the song were telling his own story. When the song ended, the audience broke into warm, enthusiastic applause.

“Thank you, everyone,” Wu Xingxue said with a slight bow.

Then Brother Jin asked, “Xiao Wu, your voice is beautiful. Listening to you sing, it felt like we could glimpse into your emotional past. Have you ever had your heart broken?”

Wu Xingxue nodded. “Yes. My ex and I broke up due to… certain reasons. I really tried to save the relationship, but in the end, she still chose to leave.”

As soon as he finished speaking, four lights from the female panel went dark in quick succession.

“I see…” Brother Jin paused. Seeing that a few women had turned off their lights, the host decided not to press further—if his questions ended up causing all the lights to go out, he’d feel terrible. He genuinely liked this contestant.

“Let’s move on and take a look at the VCR prepared by our second male guest,” Brother Jin said, steering the mood.

Moments later, the big screen lit up with a close-up of Wu Xingxue’s face. “Ah… that’s me,” he said, chuckling shyly. He fumbled with the camera at first, clearly unfamiliar with filming. But soon, he got it set up.

“Hi everyone, I’m Wu Xingxue, 26 years old, from Dalian. Today, I’ll be showing you a little glimpse into a day in my life. Hope you enjoy it!”

Though it was a Sunday, he still stopped by the kindergarten to check in on things. After that, he met up with a couple of friends and headed out to the seaside to dig for shellfish. They found a few small shells—not much, but enough. Later, they stopped by a seafood market to pick up some extra ingredients. When he returned home, the video showed a tidy and well-kept room—it looked like he lived alone. Just then, the voiceover began again.

“Usually, it’s just me at home,” he said with a bright, sunny smile. “So I cook for myself—and not to brag, but I’m actually a pretty good cook.” In the video, he seemed like someone who really knows how to enjoy life. His days might be simple, but it was clear he took great pleasure in his routine. He added, “Hopefully, one day I’ll get the chance to cook for her.” The video froze on that scene.

Wu Xingxue’s face turned bright red.

Brother Jin chuckled. “So, any ladies here curious about what our Number Two’s cooking tastes like?”

“Yes, me!” Female Guest Number Six, Wang Yun, answered with great enthusiasm. Maybe she had her eye on him? She was only twenty-three and also worked in education. Honestly, they seemed like a pretty good match.

Seeing how quick she was to speak up, Brother Jin asked, “Wang Yun, are you maybe a little interested in our Guest Number Two? You’re being pretty bold today.” In previous episodes, Wang Yun wasn’t usually this interactive.

Wang Yun replied, “I’m just curious about his cooking! Didn’t he say in the video he was a good cook?”

Then Female Guest Number Three, Ping Qiongshi, chimed in, “Are you sure you’re not into him, Wang Yun? Because if you’re not, I’m going for it.”

“What do you mean going for it?” Wang Yun asked, instantly on alert.

With a sweet smile, Ping Qiongshi replied softly, “I think I might be interested in him.”

In a flash, Wang Yun slammed the red ‘Heartthrob Alert’ button. Special effects lit up the stage—bright red roses bloomed across the digital screen, accompanied by a signature sound effect.

Ping Qiongshi smiled at her, completely unfazed, showing no sign of annoyance for being beaten to the punch.

It was only then that Wang Yun realized—she’d fallen for Ping Qiongshi’s reverse psychology trap!

Still, Wang Yun didn’t mind what Ping Qiongshi had done. In fact, she was kind of grateful. If it hadn’t been for that little nudge, she probably would’ve still been hesitating, unable to make up her mind.

The audience gasped as soon as the Heartthrob Button lit up. “Whoa!” Even the host, Brother Jin, was caught off guard by the sudden flurry of red rose effects onstage. Then he broke into a delighted grin and said, “Looks like someone just lit up for our Number Two gentleman! Let’s find out who it is!”

The camera followed his gaze, scanning across the screens in front of all ten female guests—one by one—until it stopped on Female Guest Number Six. “It’s Wang Yun, our Female Guest Number Six!”

Mu Fu hadn’t expected that. Just a second ago, she’d been thinking how well Wang Yun and Female Guest Number Two seemed to match—and boom, the button was pressed.

Brother Jin turned to Wu Xingxue and asked, “So, Xiao Wu, what do you think of our Number Six female guest?” His eyes crinkled with a playful smile. If tonight ended with a successful match between a man and the woman who lit up for him, his ratings would soar—and his bonus would be secured! He was more than happy to play matchmaker for the two. And honestly, they did seem like a great match.

Guest Number Two scratched his head a little, blushing. “She’s very pretty, and she has a lovely aura.”

Across from him, Wang Yun blushed instantly—like a girl face-to-face with her crush.

Mu Fu thought to herself, Looks like there’s a really good chance they’ll leave the stage hand in hand tonight.


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