The last group of guests had yet to make their appearance.
Xiao Wenqiang was driven by a program vehicle for nearly an hour. Initially, the cameraman interviewed her in the car, expressing her anticipation for the male guest she would be paired with. Eventually, conversation ran dry, and the cameraman turned off the equipment, and they both closed their eyes to rest.
Finally, they arrived at a villa. The cameras remained off until they reached the main entrance, where they were turned on and pointed at her. Xiao Wenqiang knew this was the real start. She tidied her hair slightly and knocked three times.
The door slowly opened, revealing a handsome and familiar face. Seeing her, he was also surprised, "Su Ling? It's you!" The final male guest was none other than Situ Chen. The screen paused, and a personal profile of Situ Chen appeared on the left, his works so numerous that they nearly filled the page.
Sharing the same sentiment as the frantic comments from viewers, Xiao Wenqiang, upon seeing him, exclaimed in surprise, "Brother Chen, how could it be you?"
Situ Chen, dressed in black loungewear, welcomed Xiao Wenqiang and the cameraman into the living room. He then poured her a glass of lemon water before replying, "You're surprised to see me?"
"Uh... a little. I thought you were still on set!" Xiao Wenqiang stated honestly. "And I didn't expect you to take on this show..."
"I just finished filming two days ago," Situ Chen said, smiling warmly, a rare sight. He countered, "Why wouldn't I take on this show? I don't have a partner either, and isn't this show open to singles of both genders?"
"No... it's just that I thought you wouldn't need to... With your popularity, would you have trouble finding a girlfriend?" Xiao Wenqiang was a bit speechless.
"But I can't find one, that's why I'm trying this show!" Seeing her disbelieving expression, Situ Chen finally admitted the truth, "Alright, jokes aside, I owe Director Zhou a favor, and I'm here to repay it! But I am genuinely single, and if I can find true love on this show, it would be the best of both worlds."
"Heh heh..." Xiao Wenqiang gave him a look that said, "Do you really expect me to believe that?"
Situ Chen shook his head with amusement. "Do you have anywhere you'd like to go later?"
"Isn't it a home date?" Xiao Wenqiang couldn't help but retort.
"Yes, I originally planned to stay home and read something, but seeing it was you, I changed my mind."
"What do you mean? You don't think I can sit still?" Xiao Wenqiang asked, a little confused.
"Haha, of course not!" Situ Chen's eyes twinkled with amusement. "I was just thinking, since it's our first date, staying at home might not be quite suitable for you, so it's better to go out."
Xiao Wenqiang nodded then inquired, "Actually, I don't know of anywhere fun. How about... we go to a cat cafe!"
"Sounds good!" Situ Chen stood up. "Wait for me a moment, I'll go change."
By now, the barrage of comments had nearly obscured the screen. Many viewers who wanted to watch the show seriously had to turn off the comments, but that didn't quell their excitement.
〈OMG, the last guest is the movie king Situ Chen!!! Ahhhhhh～〉
〈Director Zhou is amazing, he even managed to invite Situ Chen. I'm hooked on this show now!〉
〈I'm going crazy, who is worthy of our Chen Bao? Absolutely no one!〉
〈Wuwuwu~ Chen Bao, Mom doesn't allow you to date!〉
〈Don't claim to be Situ Chen's fans, those of us who are true fans are embarrassed!〉
〈Why does this Su Ling seem so familiar with the movie king?〉
〈For those of you who asked, do you remember the news from a few months ago? The incident where Su Ling got out of Situ Chen's RV was quite big, wasn't it?〉
〈OMG, there was such a thing! I didn't get the full scoop, can someone fill me in?〉
〈Here you go, all the context, you're welcome!〉 A netizen dropped a link.
〈I remember this Su Ling is in the same company as the movie king now... maybe her company pushed her to participate in this show...〉
〈Mentoring new talent? Then Su Ling is really lucky!〉
〈Didn't you hear what the movie king himself said? He's here to repay a favor to the director...〉
〈That puts my mind at ease. I was wondering how our Chen Bao would come to this kind of show to find a girlfriend.〉
〈Can you guys stop chatting in the comments? It's really interfering with my viewing experience~〉
The camera then shifted to the first pair of guests, Wei Yizhou and Wei Yutong, who were already working on composing a song together.
Wei Yizhou looked at Wei Yutong encouragingly, "Yutong, you just write the lyrics, I think yours are great!"
"I've never written lyrics before, only essays in school, and my grades weren't that good!" Wei Yutong said shyly.
"The first few lines you've written already rhyme well, don't be shy, keep going!" Wei Yizhou strummed his guitar. "I'll think of a melody too, let's work hard together!"
Meanwhile, Ding Xiang, upon seeing that her male guest was Kong Yunshan, finally broke into a genuine smile. "So it was you inside the cartoon mascot. What a romantic entrance!"
"Haha, romantic it may be, but it was also quite hot," Kong Yunshan brushed his damp bangs, wiped his hands, and then extended them to her. "Hello, allow me to formally introduce myself, I am Kong Yunshan."
Ding Xiang also extended her hand to shake his. "Hello, I'm Ding Xiang."
"I've seen your shows, you're a great actress!" Kong Yunshan complimented.
"Thank you, I've also watched your hosting programs, they're excellent!"
The two, after exchanging pleasantries, began to earnestly enjoy their time at the amusement park, though an awkward atmosphere seemed to linger.
When the camera cut to the third pair, Xiao Wenqiang and Situ Chen, they had already arrived at a cat cafe. The production team seemed to have arranged for the place to be cleared in advance, as no other customers were visible. The first things that caught their eye were several expensive breeds of cats, incredibly fluffy and adorable.
Xiao Wenqiang drank her coffee and continuously petted the cats, her face beaming with happiness, seemingly forgetting the handsome man sitting across from her.
Situ Chen also petted a cat while looking at the woman in front of him, his gaze gentle.
The camera pulled back as the credits began to roll, signaling the end of the first episode.
The comment section erupted once more.
〈It's over? So suddenly?〉
〈Why do I feel like the time was so short~〉
〈Why was Su Ling and Situ Chen's segment so short? The cat cafe date was too brief!〉
〈I ship them, I feel like Situ Chen's look at Su Ling at the end was so gentle~〉
〈Don't get your hopes up, that was just a senior looking at a junior~〉
〈But when has Situ Chen ever been so close to another woman before? I feel like something's up!〉
〈I suspect he was forced by the company to bring a newcomer, this Su Ling is not simple~〉
〈Situ Chen himself is a shareholder of Chenshi Entertainment, who could force him?〉
〈Don't forget they are both actors, nothing is believable. Let's focus on the other two pairs~〉
〈I want to ask, didn't they say the choices were random at the beginning? Will these pairings change?〉
〈It's possible, but it depends on how the director's team arranges things...〉
〈I can't wait for the second episode, another week of waiting, I want to cry~〉
〈Looking forward to it +1〉
...
〈Looking forward to it +1000000〉
...
Director Zhou and the production crew, looking at the initial viewership numbers on various platforms and the online discussions, finally breathed a sigh of relief. It was indeed worth calling in the favor from Situ Chen. "Let's Fall in Love," this move, had finally been the right one.
Speaking of that favor, when Situ Chen first debuted, it was Director Jing Zhou who recognized his potential and had him film his first commercial. Although Situ Chen didn't become famous under his guidance, he had always remembered that favor. Director Zhou was deeply grateful for this.