After ninety-nine online romances, I finally met my ex in person when school started.

Zhu Xun Chuan calmly sat down in the middle, adjusted the microphone on his collar, and leaned back in his chair. He made no biased gestures, his aura steadily dominating the entire table.

Director Wang was a shrewd person. He immediately had a dedicated monitor installed for Gu Qinghan in a blind spot of the camera, and he thought to himself that Zhu Xunchuan's level of skill was terrifying.

Bright professional lighting illuminated the faces of the three. In the shot, Zhu Xunchuan was undoubtedly the focal point.

But beneath the table, where the camera doesn't reach, undercurrents are surging.

Gu Qinghan took off one of her high heels. Through her black stockings, she placed her toes on Zhu Xunchuan's calf and stomped on it hard, as if to punish him, warning him not to get too close to Su Mucheng.

Zhu Xun Chuan remained expressionless, pressed down with his left leg, and directly clamped her instep between his legs, rendering her unable to move.

Gu Qinghan tried to pull it out a few times but failed. A blush crept onto her cheeks, and she could only sit up straight and look at the screen in a huff.

On the large screen, the focus was on the villa's open kitchen.

This couple, a man and a woman who are not ordinary people, were once a couple on campus. The female guest, Song Chuxia, was wearing a simple apron and cutting tomatoes. She would occasionally turn her head to look at the male guest, Liu Yu, who was leaning against the bar drinking water.

Liu Yu wore a crisp shirt, his face expressionless, his eyes revealing rationality.

As Song Chuxia chopped vegetables, she made an excuse to say, "I remember you didn't used to eat cilantro, so I'll make you a separate portion in the salad later."

Liu Yu put down his water glass, his tone polite but distant: "No need to trouble yourself, I don't mind cilantro anymore. Just make it however you like."

This polite deflection is more hurtful than a direct refusal. You can almost feel the suffocating awkwardness in the kitchen, even through the screen.

Song Chuxia paused, her hand holding the knife momentarily lost focus.

"Hiss." The blade sliced ​​her index finger, and blood gushed out instantly.

Liu Yu frowned slightly. He walked to the first-aid kit, took out a band-aid, and handed it to Song Chuxia.

He didn't bandage her wound, nor did he ask if it hurt. After putting down the bandage, he turned and walked straight out of the kitchen.

The camera zooms in on Song Chuxia. She's clutching the band-aid, her eyes instantly welling up with tears. Tears well up in her eyes, but she doesn't dare let them fall; her sense of humiliation and unworthiness is palpable.

The air in the observation room fell silent.

Just as Zhu Xunchuan was about to pick up the microphone to give his comments, he suddenly felt a tightness in the hem of his shirt on the left side.

Su Mucheng stared at Song Chuxia on the big screen, her eyes also reddening. She seemed to see herself in this ordinary girl, a woman who had once been isolated and helpless, a woman struggling at the bottom of the entertainment industry, desperately trying to grasp at Zhu Xunchuan as her lifeline.

She feared that one day, Zhu Xun Chuan would also use this rational and polite attitude to hand her a band-aid, and then turn away indifferently.

Under the table, Su Mucheng's fingers were tightly gripping the hem of Zhu Xunchuan's shirt, her knuckles clenching so hard they were almost trembling.

The image on the big screen freezes.

Song Chuxia stood alone in the open kitchen. She clutched the torn bandage in her hand, drops of blood from her index finger dripping onto the countertop. Liu Yu's figure had already disappeared around the corner.

The entire observation room fell into absolute silence.

Su Mucheng stared intently at the screen, her peach blossom eyes quickly welling up with tears. She thought of herself. She had no illustrious family background, no powerful connections. All she possessed was the empty fame of tens of millions of fans.

She always felt powerless in the presence of the female billionaires and school principals around Zhu Xun Chuan. She was afraid that one day she would end up like Song Chu Xia, trying her best to please them, only to be met with a cold indifference.

"Why is it that even though I try so hard to get closer, it always feels like there's a layer of glass between us?" Su Mucheng's voice trembled slightly, and her tone was extremely low.

She wasn't just commenting on ordinary people; she was also talking about herself.

Zhu Xun Chuan turned to look at her.

Gu Qinghan, on the right, leaned back in her leather chair. Her legs were crossed, and the lines of her legs, encased in black stockings, were exquisite. She observed coldly, watching the large screen, then glancing at the two people on her left. She understood Su Mucheng's unspoken message.

Gu Qinghan wanted to see how Zhu Xunchuan would respond.

Director Wang stood behind the monitor, frantically gesturing to Zhu Xunchuan. The emotion in that scene was so perfect; if the mentors' comments followed, it would definitely become a trending topic.

Zhu Xunchuan reached out and pulled the microphone from the table.

He adjusted his posture, leaning slightly forward. His broad shoulders supported his white linen shirt.

"This relationship was unbalanced from the very beginning." Zhu Xun Chuan's voice was steady and carried an undeniable force. "One party was endlessly trying to please the other, while the other took it for granted. This isn't love; it's self-indulgence."

Su Mucheng was stunned.

Zhu Xun Chuan looked at the camera, but spoke to the people around him.

"Because humbling yourself won't earn you favor. True love isn't about begging, but about attraction between equals. My girl doesn't need to be subservient."

As soon as he finished speaking, the staff outside the observation room gasped.

Several female directors covered their mouths. This statement was incredibly damaging. It's foreseeable that once the program airs, this remark will absolutely ignite a frenzy of online comments and become the year's most memorable emotional quote.

Su Mucheng's heart suddenly raced.

"My girl doesn't need to be humble." These words struck her heart directly. She knew that her brother was backing her up.

Director Wang was so excited that he slapped his thigh and immediately signaled for the camera to move up.

Zhu Xun Chuan turned his head to look to his right: "Professor Gu, what's your perspective from an academic standpoint?"

Gu Qinghan remained expressionless, adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, and picked up the microphone.

"From a behavioral psychology perspective, what Song Chuxia offered was not just concern, but also the accumulation of sunk costs." Gu Qinghan's tone was icy, revealing her high level of professionalism. "When a relationship needs to be maintained by one-sided efforts, the weaker party will experience a strong sense of being deprived. Mr. Zhu is right; being evenly matched is the foundation for a long-term game."

The two worked together seamlessly.

Listening to this high-IQ conversation, Su Mucheng felt completely unable to get a word in edgewise. Her hands clenched even tighter under the table, her knuckles turning bluish-white.

Just then, in the blind spot under the tablecloth.

Zhu Xun Chuan's left hand slid down his thigh. He precisely located Su Mu Cheng's hand, which was tightly gripping the hem of her clothes.

His large, well-defined hand covered hers. He enveloped her cold, trembling hand in his palm, his fingers spread and forcefully interlocking with hers. His rough thumb gently caressed the soft back of her hand.

Su Mucheng trembled, and a blush instantly crept onto her cheeks. She immediately looked down at the script, trying to hide the joy in her eyes.

Her brother did not neglect her.

On the other side, Zhu Xunchuan's right leg also shifted to the right without making a sound.

The sound of fabric rubbing together is extremely subtle.

His right thigh pressed precisely against Gu Qinghan's left leg, which was crossed over his. Through the fabric of his trousers, he could clearly feel the smooth texture and warmth of the black stockings.

Gu Qinghan's body tensed abruptly. Her fingers, which were turning the page, froze in mid-air.

In front of the camera, she is a cool and aloof specially appointed psychology expert.

In the footage, within a large blind spot of the table, Zhu Xun Chuan is simultaneously holding hands with a top female star and clinging to an aloof professor.

Gu Qinghan turned her head, her gaze behind her gold-rimmed glasses meeting Zhu Xunchuan's. She understood the second layer of meaning in that romantic remark: an attraction between equals. Wasn't that describing herself? She didn't need to be subservient; she had enough leverage to compete with him.

Gu Qinghan's lips curled into a cold and arrogant smile.

She didn't dodge the leg that pressed against her. Instead, she turned her ankle, and her black stiletto heel lightly scraped along the seam of Zhu Xun Chuan's trousers.

The toe of the shoe scraped against the shinbone.

Once, twice.

It carries a sense of punishment, yet also a hidden response.

Zhu Xun Chuan remained expressionless, picked up a pen with his right hand, drew a circle on the script, and continued to discuss the next steps with Director Wang.

"Okay! Stop!" Director Wang picked up the walkie-talkie. "All departments, take a ten-minute break and prepare the second segment of footage!"