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

As night fell, the ordinary men and women in the villa returned to their rooms. According to the program's rules, each of them had only one chance per day to send an anonymous text message to the person they were most attracted to that day.

The screen was divided into eight sub-screens, each person holding a phone with a different expression.

Song Chuxia sat on the edge of the bed, biting her lip. Her fingers hesitated on the screen for a long time before she finally typed a message and sent it. The camera zoomed in on Liu Yu's phone, and the screen lit up: "Thank you for the band-aid for chopping vegetables today."

It was still a humble attempt to please.

Meanwhile, a hot and straightforward female guest texted the most popular and rugged male guest in the villa: "Anyone free to go surfing tomorrow?"

"Professor Gu, what do you think of this kind of probing text message with different styles?" Director Wang brought up the topic at the right time.

Gu Qinghan looked at the screen, her tone cool and professional: "Song Chuxia's text message was a low-key emotional request, which could easily put pressure on the other person. A direct invitation, on the other hand, demonstrates strong confidence and a desire for control. In the game of the sexes, men are often psychologically more attracted to women who are uncontrollable and challenging."

When she said the words "out of control," she glanced at Zhu Xunchuan out of the corner of her eye, seemingly unintentionally.

Beneath the table, Gu Qinghan's left foot, clad in black stockings, silently reached out again. This time, she didn't step on him, but instead used the toe of her high heel to slowly slide upwards along Zhu Xunchuan's shinbone, a gesture that was both deadly provocation and tugging.

Zhu Xun Chuan remained as steady as a mountain. He didn't even lower his head, but instead picked up the microphone and replied in a lazy voice, "Professor Gu is right. However, the most skilled hunters often appear as prey. True control is not about forcefully demanding, but about making the other party willingly hand over their cards."

As he spoke, his left hand, concealed by the tablecloth, naturally grasped Su Mucheng's hand, enveloping her soft palm in his own, his thumb gently stroking the web between her thumb and index finger.

Su Mucheng had felt somewhat uncertain after hearing Gu Qinghan's analysis, but now that he was holding her hand, she instantly felt safe. She turned her head and looked at Zhu Xunchuan's sharply defined profile, her eyes filled with admiration and infatuation.

At this moment, the atmosphere in the observation room reached a strange balance.

On the big screen, ordinary people's tentative and awkward attempts to explore each other were playing out. Meanwhile, off the screen, Zhu Xun Chuan was simultaneously manipulating a cold and intellectual female professor and a pure and charming female celebrity, pushing the ambiguity of the chaotic situation to the extreme.

"bite."

On the big screen, Liu Yu's phone rang.

"Ding-dong."

The female guest's phone also rang.

The text message sending session reached its climax, with everyone's phones vibrating incessantly.

Just then.

Zhu Xunchuan, who was sitting in the middle, suddenly received a short, abrupt vibration from his personal cell phone, which was in his trouser pocket.

"Buzz".

The sound wasn't loud in the quiet observation room, but because it was right next to them, Su Mucheng and Gu Qinghan noticed it at the same time.

Su Mucheng lowered her head, pretending to look at the script, but her eyes darted to his pocket.

Gu Qinghan also stopped what she was doing, her gaze behind her gold-rimmed glasses becoming slightly focused.

Who would send a text message at this time?

Zhu Xun Chuan made no attempt to hide anything; he didn't even look at the two women's reactions. He put one hand in his pocket, unlocked the phone with his fingerprint, and opened the text message directly in the shadow of the tablecloth.

It was only a very short sentence, but it exuded a chilling sense of danger.

"Little liar, are you having fun looking at the sea?"

These few words, unsigned, exuded an extreme sense of danger. Zhu Xun Chuan's gaze lingered on the screen for half a second, his expression unchanged. The woman who had flirted and acted crazy with him through the screen two years ago never played by the rules.

The area surrounding the Hai Zhi Ya Resort had been sealed off by the Tianjin Military Region's Mengshi off-road vehicles, which Shen Tianxi had dispatched; not even a fly could get in. But this text message proved that Pei Yanyu not only knew he had come to Tianjin, but also knew perfectly well that he was at the seaside.

Zhu Xun Chuan tapped his thumb and dialed the unfamiliar number back.

"Sorry, the number you dialed is not in service..."

The mechanical female voice coming from the receiver brought a faint smile to Zhu Xun Chuan's lips. He calmly pressed the hang-up button and placed the phone face down on the table.

The number was invalid. That was certainly a professional tactic, consistent with the style of that Grand Slam Best Actress winner. This meant she had arrived and was nearby.

Zhu Xun Chuan did not remind Shen Tian hope to be more vigilant. There was no escaping this situation.

"Attention all departments, switch to camera number two, the second pair of amateur guests is coming in." Director Wang's voice echoed throughout the venue through the headset.

The large screen then switched to the villa's open kitchen.

The moment the male and female guests appeared, the live chat exploded with comments. The male guest, Jiang Ze, wore a simple white T-shirt and exuded a sunny and clean-cut vibe; the female guest, Lin Wanyu, had long, flowing hair and a gentle, intellectual air. They were the only former couple on the show who had "once been in love and then peacefully broke up."

In the video, the two work together with remarkable coordination. Jiang Ze skillfully rolls up his sleeves to wash and drain the vegetables, while Lin Wanyu cuts tomatoes, hands him plates and seasonings. Throughout the process, the two don't exchange many words, but every movement is perfectly synchronized, exuding the familiarity of a long-married couple.

"Um... put less chili in, I remember you've had stomach problems lately," Lin Wanyu said softly, her tone natural and without any aggression.

"Yes, I know." Jiang Ze smiled and deftly put the vegetables into the pot.

Just then, Jiang Ze's phone, which was on the marble countertop, suddenly lit up. The notification sound wasn't loud amidst the roar of the range hood, but Lin Wanyu's hand, which was cutting tomatoes, paused noticeably in mid-air for half a second.

In that split second, her gaze involuntarily drifted to the glowing screen. Although she quickly looked away and continued chopping vegetables, the warm and harmonious atmosphere in the kitchen instantly became extremely frozen.

Jiang Ze wiped his hands, picked up his phone, glanced at it, and couldn't help but smile. Clearly, it was a text message from another straightforward female guest with whom he had interacted very well during the day, expressing her goodwill.

After replying to the message, Jiang Ze turned to Lin Wanyu and asked, "Is it ready?"

Lin Wanyu's expression remained completely calm, even displaying a generous and appropriate smile: "It's all cut. I saw you chatting quite well with Chu Xia; that young lady is quite lively."

"It's alright, we're just chatting casually."

After the two-minute kitchen clip finished playing, the atmosphere in the observation room became quite delicate.

Su Mucheng sat to Zhu Xunchuan's left, looking at the screen, her peach blossom eyes sparkling with innocent longing. She was so close to Zhu Xunchuan that she could almost smell the faint scent of tobacco on him and the sea breeze she had just picked up.

"They're so dignified," Su Mucheng said softly, holding the microphone. "Even though they've been apart, they can still care for each other like good friends after reuniting and give each other space. Sister Wanyu is really generous; this mature way of handling relationships is quite enviable."

Director Wang nodded repeatedly, preparing to steer the conversation towards this "adult decorum," but Zhu Xun Chuan suddenly reached out and pulled the microphone in front of him.

"A dignified breakup?" Zhu Xun Chuan's voice was languid, his deep gaze fixed on Lin Wan Yu's frozen smile on the screen. "There is no such thing as a truly dignified and peaceful breakup in this world. If there is, it's only because the bargaining chips aren't enough."