Romance Variety Show: The aloof and beautiful fourth female lead is always coveted.

(Note that this is an "if" scenario, not a continuation of the main story.)

(Su Yi'an's "what if" side story setting: If Bai Nianchu chose him on the day of the confession...)

"I like you, Nianchu."

"It doesn't matter who you choose today. I'm saying this just to let you know—you are wonderful and deserve to be liked and cherished by anyone."

Su Yi'an gazed at Bai Nianchu, her reflection shimmering in her eyes, her gaze gentle and focused.

In his original prediction, Bai Nianchu would not choose him.

He never imagined that... luck would come his way.

Five male guests confessed their feelings in turn. When it was the female guests' turn to choose, Bai Nianchu took Su Yi'an's hand under the watchful eyes of everyone on stage and millions of live stream viewers.

The moment their fingers intertwined, Su Yi'an froze.

This was the first time he had ever lost his composure like this in front of the camera.

His pupils contracted sharply, and his gentle and composed face lost all composure, revealing an incredulous astonishment in his eyes.

The person Nianchu ultimately chose... was him?

Su Yi'an lowered her head, staring intently at their clasped hands, speechless for a long time.

He didn't even manage to shake her hand back immediately. It was only when Bai Nianchu gently traced his palm with her fingertips that he snapped out of his daze and tightly grasped her hand.

But he dared not use force, for fear that he might accidentally shatter this unreal dream.

Bai Nianchu's usually aloof face suddenly broke into a faint smile, like ice and snow melting.

"Su Yi'an," she asked him, "was my choice of you surprising to you?"

Su Yi'an's voice was slightly hoarse: "A little."

He was neither the best nor the worst among the five male guests.

I consider myself to be average to the point of being ordinary in terms of appearance, figure, family background, and personality.

Bai Nianchu tightened her grip on his hand slightly and said to him, "Su Yi'an, what you just said is also what I wanted to say to you."

"You are wonderful, and you deserve to be liked and cherished by anyone," she said, "including me."

Su Yi'an was stunned for a long time.

He didn't realize his eyes were hot until something wet brushed against his cheek.

Su Yi'an suddenly smiled, a smile tinged with tears.

Those brown eyes were brighter than ever before.

"Nianchu," he said, "thank you for choosing me."

Su Yi'an had few tender moments in his life, and the day he confessed his love was the most precious and unforgettable moment for him.

He grew up in a quiet family environment. His father was often away on business trips, and his mother was an artist who valued freedom and would even forget to attend parent-teacher meetings. Under this laissez-faire parenting style, Su Yi'an learned to cook for himself, go to and from school by himself, and get up to pour water and take medicine when he was sick at a very young age.

He never complained, nor did he expect anything. Like a snake plant forgotten in a corner, he absorbed the occasional sunlight and lived a lonely but stubborn life, growing leaves that stood upright like swords.

So when Bai Nianchu stood in front of him, Su Yi'an had only one thought in his mind—

So this is what it feels like to be seen, cherished, and cared for.

*

Su Yi'an is a boyfriend who is far above average and can give his partner the greatest sense of security.

For example, no matter how busy he was at work, whether he had to work overtime at the company or at home, he would always put Bai Nianchu to sleep on the phone before dealing with his work; when he went on business trips to other provinces, he would video call Bai Nianchu to report his itinerary for the whole day; he would send Bai Nianchu gifts every few days, order different colors and types of flowers for her every week, and invite her to celebrate an anniversary every month...

They dated for about three months before starting to live together.

The turning point came at one of Su Yi'an's business dinners.

Around 10 p.m., Bai Nianchu received a call from Su Yi'an. A muffled voice came through the receiver: "Baby..."

The background noise was a bit loud, like it was coming from the roadside.

Su Yi'an's voice was slower than usual, with a drawn-out, hoarse tone that sounded somewhat like she was pleading, "Baby... can you come pick me up? I'm drunk and can't get home..."

Bai Nianchu heard someone speaking on the other end: "Manager Su, do you need me to call you a taxi?"

"No need... thank you," Su Yi'an said slowly. "My girlfriend will come to pick me up."

When Bai Nian first arrived, Su Yi'an was leaning against a lamppost, her suit jacket draped over her arm, and several buttons of her shirt undone.

Su Yi'an, who had been drinking, had a thin layer of water on her eyes. The moment she saw her, her brown eyes curved into two crescent moons.

"Baby...you're here."

Bai Nianchu went over to help him up. "Su Yi'an, how much did you drink?"

As soon as she reached out, Su Yi'an immediately wrapped her arms around her waist like vines, and her head also leaned in to rest against her shoulder.

"A little bit……"

After Bai Nianchu took him home, she made him a cup of honey water to help him sober up.

Su Yi'an is very obedient; he does whatever he's asked to do, except for not letting his girlfriend out of his sight.

"The liquor we drank tonight was a bit strong, and I took a few drinks for my boss... I guess I drank it too fast, that's why I'm like this." Su Yi'an said, rubbing her temples. "My head is so dizzy... Baby, can you come closer? I want to lean on you for a while..."

Bai Nianchu had been talking to him for months, couldn't she see through his little scheme?

She saw through him in a second: "Just say you want me to stay."

The air fell silent for a moment.

Su Yi'an raised her head, her eyelashes fluttering slowly.

There was no trace of drunkenness in those eyes; they were clearly perfectly sober.

Su Yi'an suddenly smiled, her eyes curving into two slits like a fox's.

"You can't hide it from the baby after all."

He nodded and said, "That's right, I want the baby to stay with me."

Not only that, Su Yi'an added a sentence in a natural tone.

"Also, I want to do it with the baby."

Bai Nianchu: "..."

Bai Nianchu flicked his forehead with her finger.

She thought, "He's a male fox demon who only uses yin to replenish yang."

Su Yi'an pretended to be in pain, letting out a very soft "ah," her eyes sparkling as if filled with spring water.

He knew exactly what made his girlfriend soft-hearted, so he deliberately acted pitiful and vulnerable.

Bai Nianchu did not leave that night.

Su Yi'an works out regularly and is the type who looks slim in clothes but has a muscular physique underneath. Her abdominal muscles are well-defined but not exaggerated, her waist is narrow and strong, and her V-line runs diagonally across her waist and disappears at the edge of her pants.

His hands are the most expressive feature.

Su Yi'an has large palms, long fingers with distinct knuckles, and when she exerts force, blue veins and bulging blood vessels appear on the back of her hands, making her look slightly fierce.

He could even hold her waist with just one hand.

Doing anything else is also easy—whether it's holding her or lifting her up.

When he applied force with his fingertips, Bai Nianchu could feel the veins on the back of his hand.

When he was aroused, Su Yi'an would even reach out and grab her ankle, pulling her slightly into his arms.

He wouldn't let her escape his offensive.

When it can no longer conceal its true nature, the cunning fox transforms into a large, drooling, and unbearably thirsty dog.

But when kissing, Su Yi'an is extremely gentle.

Their noses brushed gently, their warm breaths mingling silently. He placed a series of soft, delicate kisses on her brows, eyes, and lips, his movements tender and affectionate, his eyes brimming with unconcealed tenderness.

When he kissed her earlobe, Su Yi'an asked softly:

"Can we do it a few more times tonight?"

He spoke in a very obedient tone, earnestly seeking consent.

Bai Nianchu: "?"

Bai Nianchu remained silent, so Su Yi'an waited patiently.

He kissed her while waiting, his fingertips gently stroking the back of her neck. Only when she let out a soft "Mmm" between her breaths did Su Yi'an's eyes crinkle, and he continued to deepen the wet and lingering kiss.

"Okay," he said. "I heard you, no take-backs."