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

Before dinner, the production team sent a message informing them that the staff had hidden the key to the second night date and they could start looking for it.

This time, Ling Yan put all his effort into finding it.

His personality meant that he was not as straightforward and articulate as Chen Yuze and Xu Muyang.

But ever since that special kiss, all the deep-seated thoughts in his heart have been ignited and suddenly become burning hot.

When he actually found the key in the hidden compartment of the board game room on the second floor of the cabin, his fingertips were trembling.

Somewhat unexpectedly, he really was the first one to find it.

The other men arrived a step too late; either they had already searched the area but didn't see anything, or they hadn't searched the area yet.

At 8 p.m., Ling Yan took Bai Nianchu to a DIY baking shop to make cookies.

She also took the opportunity to give away the gift she had prepared for a long time.

He bought the Bulgari platinum snake ring with part of his savings from part-time work and study.

This ring costs 30,000 yuan. He originally wanted to buy the platinum snake bracelet from the same series, but the bracelet is much more expensive—330,000 yuan. He can't afford it for now and can only wait until he graduates and starts working to complete the purchase.

The bakery was filled with the warm, sweet aroma of butter and icing sugar.

Ling Yan knew that Bai Nianchu liked sweet and quiet things, and was worried that she would feel physically and mentally exhausted after a day of work and then going on a date, so he chose this easy and leisurely handicraft job that only required sitting.

When choosing the mold, he stood silently half a step away from Bai Nianchu, his gaze occasionally falling on her lowered eyelashes.

Bai Nianchu's preferences are quite obvious—the molds she chooses are all of cats and dogs.

"Not choosing?"

She asked a question, and Ling Yan suddenly looked away, looking down as he rummaged through the pile of molds.

He didn't have any particular shape in mind, and without exception, all the shapes he picked out were cats and dogs.

Flour, butter, and powdered sugar were mixed in a bowl, and Ling Yan was in charge of stirring, his arms slightly tense from the effort. Bai Nianchu slowly added the egg liquid, and he adjusted his posture, stirring in circles until it was evenly mixed and kneaded into a dough.

Next, roll the dough into a thin, even sheet, press it down with a mold, and you'll get the cookie shape you want.

This was Ling Yan's first time here, and she was inevitably a bit clumsy and prone to making mistakes when it came to the step of making the cookie shapes: either they were made haphazardly, or they were missing edges or corners.

After ruining several attempts with the mold, Bai Nianchu suddenly said to him, "Make something you want to make."

The slight unease in Ling Yan's heart was suddenly soothed by those words.

The baking tray gradually filled with his creations: an overly wavy dachshund, a cow cat decorated with chocolate spots, and a small dog with a face that looked like a car seat... Of course, there were also beautiful cats and dogs made by Bai Nianchu, which were placed together in a harmonious way.

While waiting for the food to bake, they sat on high stools by the window and chatted.

Ling Yan clutched his apron, his heart pounding uncontrollably, making his chest tighten.

"Nianchu," he suddenly spoke, his voice lower than usual.

"?" Bai Nianchu turned her head to look at him.

The words rolled on Ling Yan's tongue a few times before he managed to utter them with difficulty: "Except for me..."

"Do you also have feelings for other people?"

After asking the question, Ling Yan immediately turned back and stared at the cookies in the oven that were gradually expanding and changing color, as if it were some kind of research topic that required extreme concentration.

Only he knew that his heart was hanging in mid-air inside his chest.

The air went silent for a few seconds.

Ling Yan began to regret his rashness.

He can actually sense some of the answers himself.

I just wanted to hear the other person say it with my own ears, so that my last bit of hope would finally be put to rest.

"Yes," Bai Nianchu said.

Her answer was neither hesitant nor embellished.

Ling Yan's breath hitched for a moment.

really……

He had actually anticipated this long ago.

The special magnetic field between her and Chen Yuze, the occasional doting gaze she gave Xu Muyang, and the tacit tranquility when she was alone with Su Yi'an... She was like an unbound moon, casting its light across everyone's night sky, while he was just a shadow briefly illuminated within it.

Without her, he would never be discovered or seen by anyone.

This was the answer I expected, but when I actually heard it...

My heart still felt like it had been gently squeezed.

The feeling wasn't sharp pain, but more like a slightly bittersweet sense of loss.

Ling Yan never dared to hope to be the only one.

He didn't have the confidence to hope that Bai Nianchu would only like him.

He even felt that being included in her "list of people she likes" was already a kind of miraculous luck.

As long as he's in it.

As long as he holds a place in her heart.

Even if it's just a tiny little corner.

He was already content.

"Not going to ask anymore?" Bai Nianchu looked at him with clear, sharp eyes.

"...Hmm." Ling Yan finally responded with a low murmur.

They didn't ask who was on the "list of people they liked" or their order of preference.

Ling Yan was composed, but some viewers in the live stream broke down in tears:

[Although I really like the fourth female guest's looks, isn't she a bit of a player? She's flirting with several male guests at the same time, hooking up with this one and that one, making the other girls barely get any screen time!]

[The fourth female lead is such a player, I can't stand it anymore! I really feel sorry for the fourth male lead, I was actually quite into that couple.]

[Haha, it's not like without the fourth female lead, the other girls would have developed romantic storylines with the guys. As for screen time, the production team will just film whichever guest has the most viewership. Otherwise, how would they make money? Are you going to pay their salaries?]

[Some people go all in, some have feelings for multiple people at the same time, and only make a choice later. That's all normal, right? There's no need to judge right or wrong. Aren't these the men who actively pursue and fawn over others? If saying a few words or having some physical contact with the fourth woman makes her a player, then you're absolutely right.]

[The fourth female lead doesn't even need to be seduced; plenty of men are chasing after her and fawning over her, okay?]

[Other dating reality shows feature players who are adept at playing both sides, constantly providing emotional value to their targets, manipulating their needs and preferences, teasing one and pulling another to get what they want. If the fourth female lead could do that, it would be no wonder they get caught in her trap.]

[Stop idolizing men, okay? If it weren't for the fourth female lead, this dating reality show would have absolutely no entertainment value, and who would watch it?]

[You guys are insane! A bunch of dream girls are busy whitewashing the Queen of the Sea, how disgusting!]

[There are guys watching, so even if the fourth woman is trying to hook me, I'd be happy. Why are you so angry? Has your life been really tough lately?]

[Damn it, they're really eating the meat and then cursing the cook. So what if we love watching a love triangle? We love these ambiguous plots that only reveal themselves at the very end. I support keeping these guys hooked until they're dead!]

[Feeling sorry for the fourth guy... that's hilarious. If it weren't for the fourth woman, that sullen guy would probably still be squatting in some corner counting mushrooms. Which of these five guys only got their popularity because of their interactions with the fourth woman? Now that the fourth woman is ignoring him, you guys who love men are going to start complaining about why the production team isn't giving him screen time. This is just asking for trouble.]

[Yes, so what if she caught it? If she did, you men still have to put up with it. If you can't take it, then get out.]