I was slacking off on a dating reality show when the female guests treated me like a treasure chest.

Chapter 121 I Like Chen Nian

To be honest, Chen Nian was a little nervous at that moment.

This was his first time performing on stage with a full band, but after accompanying Liu Ting once before, he was much more relaxed in front of the stage.

He doesn't really like being in the spotlight. He's more used to and comfortable being a behind-the-scenes creator than a singer.

But going on stage once in a while is perfectly harmless.

Soon, he and the accompanying band began their first full rehearsal. In the recording studio, the melodious and magnificent accompaniment slowly rose, and Chen Nian's singing began to unfold.

The production team specially arranged for him to join a local Chinese band with a very high level of chemistry.

The musicians had read the lyrics beforehand and had some expectations, but when the instrumental melody was paired with Nian Chen's singing, everyone was still deeply shocked.

The song's overall scope and expansive imagery far exceeded their expectations.

Su Xiao sat quietly to the side, her gaze fixed on Chen Nian's profile, her eyes filled with light and excitement, eagerly anticipating the moment when the competition stage would officially begin.

Meanwhile, Sydney's Darling Harbour.

Tang Xi and Wen Jingran also ushered in their final moment. The setting sun filled the sky, and there were only two hours left before they headed to the airport.

After dinner, the two strolled slowly along the street as the lights began to twinkle. The evening breeze was gentle, the neon lights were shimmering, and the atmosphere was wonderful.

As they walked, Wen Jingran suddenly made an excuse to go to the restroom. When he returned, he had his hands behind his back, hiding a bouquet of flowers.

He walked up to Tang Xi, suddenly knelt on one knee, presented the flowers to her, his eyes serious and determined.

"Tang Xi, can you give me a chance?"

"From the first time I saw you, I couldn't get you out of my mind. For the past month, my eyes and my thoughts have only been on you. I may not be as good as others, but I am definitely the one who loves you the most."

The sudden confession instantly caused an uproar among the millions of viewers in the live stream, with the screen filled with tense anticipation and a barrage of comments.

Everyone was on tenterhooks, fearing that Wen Jingran's feelings would ultimately lead to regret.

Tang Xi was stunned on the spot, her mind went blank. A few seconds later, she slowly came back to her senses and looked at Wen Jingran, who was kneeling on one knee and looking very serious. She was at a loss for what to do.

She originally wanted to find a tactful excuse to brush it off, but when she met Wen Jingran's sincere eyes, she knew she couldn't deal with it carelessly.

Responding sincerely is a sign of respect for the other person, for the time spent together, and for one's own feelings.

Many passersby on the streets of Darling Harbour noticed this romantic scene and stopped to watch, quietly waiting for the girl's answer.

Tang Xi took a deep breath, remained silent for a long time, and then said softly, "I'm sorry, Wen Jingran. I'm very grateful that you like me so much. I'm really flattered. But I have to tell you seriously that I already have someone I like in my heart."

Wen Jingran stiffened, raised his eyes, and asked, "Is it Qi Feng, or Chen Nian?"

Tang Xi smiled slightly and answered frankly, "It's aged."

The moment those words were spoken, the live stream chat froze for two seconds before completely exploding, with a dense barrage of comments instantly filling the entire screen and almost bursting it open.

"I knew it! I noticed the details a long time ago!"

"Tang Xi actually likes Chen Nian! I never noticed!"

"Hurry, hurry, hurry! Vote! Brothers! Let's push Chen Nian Tang Xi's ranking up!"

Previously, Chen Nian and Tang Xi's CP votes were only ranked fifth, and Zhou Yu and Chen Nian's combination votes were fourth. At this moment, all the viewers who shipped this couple were instantly excited and frantically campaigned for votes to boost the rankings.

The entire live stream was completely dominated by fans of the Chen Nian and Tang Xi pairing, and the comments that originally supported Wen Jingran and Tang Xi were instantly flooded away.

In front of the camera, Wen Jingran was stunned for a long time before slowly coming back to his senses. He chuckled to himself, "That's right, it's normal. Chen Nian is excellent enough, talented, and every song he writes amazes everyone. It's not surprising that you like him."

"No." Tang Xi shook her head gently and explained seriously, "I like him not because he can write songs or is talented, but because of the little details we've shared over the years."

"Liking someone is never a momentary stunner, but rather a gradual accumulation of feelings."

Tang Xi knew very well that Su Xiao liked Chen Nian, and Zhou Yu also harbored feelings for Chen Nian. As for Xia Yao and Liu Ting, she couldn't be sure of their feelings for the time being.

All five female guests had partnered with Chen Nian, but throughout the entire partnership, Chen Nian treated them as friends and never showed any romantic feelings towards any of them.

That's why, unlike Li Tian and others, he didn't just move on to the next one if this one didn't work out; he always aimed to achieve something.

Chen Nian, however, had no feelings for any of them.

Privately, they had also secretly discussed it, and even suspected that Chen Nian might not be interested in girls, but after testing him, they were able to confirm that he was sexually normal.

He usually likes to slack off and procrastinate, always saying he's afraid of trouble, but he never refuses to help anyone who needs it.

He remembers everyone's tastes, listens patiently to everyone's troubles, and is gentle and considerate.

He's like a reliable and caring male best friend, yet he possesses an irresistible charm that makes it impossible for people to just be friends with him.

Tang Xi frankly admitted that she had indeed fallen for him and secretly hoped that Chen Nian would take the initiative to approach her. Unfortunately, she hadn't been able to get that opportunity in the previous few team-ups.

After hearing Tang Xi's honest words, Wen Jingran felt completely relieved.

He stood up, smiled, and said, "Now I can finally let go of everything. I've done my best in everything I should have done and fought for, so I have no regrets. I can end this journey with a clear conscience."

"Thank you. I wish you find your true love," Tang Xi smiled faintly, then glanced at her watch. "It's getting late. Let's go back to the hotel to get our luggage and get ready to go to the airport."

On the way back, Wen Jingran suddenly asked, "Aren't you worried that Su Xiao will beat you to it? After all, she's partnered with Chen Nian now, so she has a lot more opportunities than you."

Tang Xi nodded frankly, her eyes exceptionally firm: "Of course I'm worried, but worrying is useless. As long as it's not officially announced, I still have a chance. Besides, even if it is, I can still pursue her openly and honestly, right?"

Wen Jingran was stunned on the spot, never expecting that the gentle and reserved Tang Xi would say such bold and straightforward words.

Fortunately, the live stream had already been shut down; otherwise, if viewers had heard it, it would have likely caused another uproar.

He reminded you helplessly, "You must never say such things in public again, it's easy to attract criticism."

Tang Xi just chuckled. She knew what she was doing and naturally wouldn't speak so frankly in front of the camera.

With this, the journey of the second group of guests has officially come to an end.

On the other side, Lin Ran watched the entire live broadcast of Wen Jingran and Tang Xi's confession. She was quite surprised when she heard Tang Xi say that she liked Chen Nian.

She had vaguely sensed that the girls' attitudes toward Chen Nian were off, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Now she finally understood—it turns out that several of the female guests liked this guy!

She then opened Chen Nian and Su Xiao's live stream. The background of the recording studio was still visible, and the two of them did not appear on screen.

Even at 10 p.m., when the live broadcast ended on time, the audience still hadn't heard the highly anticipated new song, and their curiosity about what kind of song Chen Nian had written grew even stronger.

Shortly after the live broadcast ended, Chen Nian and Su Xiao finally walked out of the recording studio.

Chen Nian sincerely thanked the band members. Thanks to their professional cooperation, the song achieved its best effect after a whole day of rehearsals.

After saying goodbye to the band members, Chen Nian and Su Xiao hailed a taxi and returned to the hotel.

In the car, Chen Nian suddenly realized something and muttered to himself, "By now, Wen Jingran and Tang Xi should have finished their mission, right? I wonder how their confessions went."

In his opinion, Wen Jingran and Tang Xi get along well and there is a high probability that they will become a couple.

Su Xi tilted her head and thought for a moment, then said softly, "It probably didn't work out."

Chen Nian asked, somewhat puzzled, "How can you be so sure?"

"I can't really explain it, it's just a gut feeling." Su Xiao scratched her head, then playfully asked, "Can you tell who Tang Xi likes?"

Chen Nian looked blank: "I can't tell."

Upon hearing this, Su Xiao smiled and said, "I can't tell either."

Straight men really don't notice anything.

Soon, the two returned to the hotel. As soon as they entered the lobby, they saw Lin Zai sitting in the lounge waiting.

Seeing them return, Lin Zai immediately waved and stood up, quickly walking forward: "Chen Nian, I just found a fantastic bar nearby. Come on, I'll treat you two to drinks!"

Chen Nian rolled his eyes at her and retorted, "You came all the way from China to Sydney just to hang out in bars? Don't you have a job? And what time did you even get out of bed today?"

The series of questions surprised Su Xiao, who was standing beside him.

Lin Ran, however, didn't care at all. She dropped her playful smile and said seriously, "I'm your sister, how dare you talk to me like that? Stop talking nonsense and hurry up, or I'll beat you to death if there's no room!"

"I'm sleepy!"

"Sleep for no reason. There will be plenty of time to sleep after you die."

Without saying a word, Lin Ran turned around and walked forward, gesturing for the two to follow.

Su Xiao blinked as she looked at Lin Ran, secretly marveling at how unconventional this director's personality was in private. She was a completely different person from the calm, capable, and decisive Director Lin at the company.

The three quickly arrived at a nearby bar. The streets were brightly lit with neon lights and bustling with people after nightfall.

Lin then walked to the bar, showed his reservation, and then chose a seat in the outdoor corridor with a great view.

Chen Nian sighed helplessly and turned to Su Xiao, saying, "If you're sleepy, go back and rest first. I'll wake you up tomorrow morning."

Su Xiao's eyes darted around hesitantly as she asked in a low voice, "Can I—can I drink with you guys too?"

"Of course! It's my treat tonight, drink whatever you want." Lin Ran said with a smile, raising her hand to order several specialty cocktails.

Seeing this, Chen Nian no longer stood on ceremony and took the menu to order casually.

Before long, seven or eight exquisitely colored cocktails were served.

Chen Nian and Lin Zai exchanged a glance, then raised their glasses to drink, showing that they were of one mind when it came to drinking.

In a sense, Chen Nian's drinking capacity was developed under Lin Ran's guidance.

Lin Ran drank half a cup in one gulp, feeling refreshed. After hesitating for a long time, she finally suppressed her desire to spoil the plot.

She chose to remain an observer and watch the show quietly as Tang Xi confessed his feelings.

A moment later, she turned her gaze slightly, brushed a stray hair from her forehead, and looked at Su Xiao, who was sitting quietly to the side.

"I heard that there's a confession segment after this mission? Are you two planning to confess to each other then?"