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

Su Mucheng initially thought that Zhu Xunchuan was comforting her, and her cheeks had just flushed slightly when she immediately realized that something was wrong.

The touch was too soft, and it was accompanied by an extremely strong rose perfume scent, which was not the tobacco scent on Zhu Xun Chuan at all.

She turned her head away.

Pei Yanyu's peach blossom eyes, filled with a mischievous smile, were looking at her.

Pei Yanyu's lips curled into a provocative smile. Instead of retracting her foot, she intensified her actions, brazenly rubbing her toe along the edge of Su Mucheng's skirt.

Su Mucheng was so shocked she almost screamed, covering her mouth tightly with both hands, her eyes instantly reddening. She dared not utter a sound, and could only shrink back towards Zhu Xunchuan, looking wronged.

Zhu Xunchuan didn't turn his head, but he keenly noticed Su Mucheng's unusual behavior.

Gu Qinghan's left hand was still tightly holding his right hand under the table. Zhu Xun Chuan squeezed Gu Qinghan's soft palm with his own. Gu Qinghan took it as a response to his initiative, her heart skipped a beat, and her fingers unconsciously loosened slightly.

In that half-second interval, Zhu Xunchuan withdrew his right hand.

His arm shot down with lightning speed.

"Smack."

A very faint thud was masked by the large tablecloth. Zhu Xun Chuan's large hand precisely clamped down on the ankle clad in black lace stockings in mid-air.

Pei Yanyu's body trembled violently.

Zhu Xun Chuan showed no mercy whatsoever. He tightened his grip, pressing his thumb with a subtle, almost manipulative force onto the Yongquan acupoint on the sole of her foot.

A strong tingling sensation mixed with soreness instantly shot from the soles of her feet straight to the top of Pei Yanyu's head.

"Mmm..." Pei Yanyu's red lips parted slightly, letting out a soft, extremely sweet moan. She reacted quickly, swallowing the rest of the sound back, gritting her teeth and staring intently at Zhu Xunchuan.

Zhu Xun Chuan's expression remained unchanged. His right hand, like an iron clamp, firmly locked her ankle, forcibly pulling her legs apart and pressing them against the edge of his trousers. His thumb was rhythmically and heavily rubbing those sensitive acupoints.

An unnatural blush rose on Pei Yanyu's cheeks, and her peach blossom eyes shimmered with tears. She tried to pull her leg back, but found she couldn't muster any strength. This feeling of being completely suppressed by power both annoyed her and created an indescribable sense of utter despair.

"What's wrong, Teacher Pei?" Gu Qinghan, sitting on the far left, keenly noticed Pei Yanyu's unusual panting. She pushed up her gold-rimmed glasses, her tone cool with a hint of scrutiny.

"It's nothing." Pei Yanyu took a deep breath, sat up straight, and regained her movie queen charm as her eyes sparkled. "I accidentally kicked the table leg, and it hurts a little."

"Please be mindful of your demeanor during the recording of this program," Gu Qinghan said casually, then looked back at the big screen.

Su Mucheng breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Zhu Xunchuan gratefully. Zhu Xunchuan's left hand was still holding hers, giving her a great sense of security.

The images on the big screen are changing.

The third pair of non-celebrity guests made their appearance. By the sunny poolside, a hot female guest wearing a bikini emerged from the water.

The ruggedly handsome male guest handed over a towel, casually grasped the female guest's wrist, and even wiped the water droplets from her shoulders. The two were extremely close, and the air was thick with the scent of hormones.

"Wow!" the host interjected at the opportune moment, "Is this kind of bold physical contact the most effective way to advance a relationship? What do the teachers in the observation group think?"

Gu Qinghan held up her pen and tapped lightly on the script: "A purposeful attempt to cross boundaries only seems cheap. True attraction comes from mystery and a sense of boundaries. Easily breaking down barriers is tantamount to giving up the initiative in the game."

"Professor Gu, that's too conservative." Pei Yanyu leaned back in her chair, her aura undiminished even though her ankle was still being held by Zhu Xun Chuan. "If you don't even dare to test the waters, you can only watch others feast. Love is inherently about plunder; once you've set your sights on someone, you just go for it. Boundaries? That's just a fig leaf for insecure people."

One is cold, the other hot; they are locked in a fierce confrontation.

Director Wang was rubbing his hands excitedly behind the monitor. The clash of these two queens is practically a cash cow for ratings.

"Great!" Director Wang, holding a megaphone, switched directly to the recording set, "The teachers' viewpoints are all brilliant! To allow the audience to more directly experience the psychological game in relationships, the production team has decided to add a special interactive segment!"

The staff brought out an exquisite transparent glass blind box.

"Please, the four members of the observation panel, take out your pens and paper and write down anonymously what you most want to say to 'a certain person' right now," Director Wang announced loudly. "After you've written it, put it in a blind box, and the host will randomly select one to read aloud. Everyone is welcome to speak freely, regardless of their identity!"

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the observation room instantly became extremely delicate.

Su Mucheng was stunned. Gu Qinghan frowned slightly. Pei Yanyu raised her eyebrows, a hint of excitement flashing in her eyes.

Zhu Xun Chuan finally released his grip on Pei Yan Yu's ankle.

Pei Yanyu quickly withdrew her leg and put on her high heels under the table. She picked up the pen on the table, looked at Zhu Xun Chuan, and a dangerous smile appeared on her lips.

The four of them lowered their heads and wrote.

Gu Qinghan wrote extremely quickly, her pen drawing sharp lines on the paper. After finishing, she folded the paper twice and stuffed it into the blind box.

Su Mucheng bit the end of her pen. Her mind was filled with the promise Zhu Xunchuan had made to her in the RV yesterday. She hesitated for a long time before finally writing down a line, stroke by stroke.

Pei Yanyu finished writing in a flourish, without even folding the paper, and casually tossed it in.

Zhu Xun Chuan remained calm. He took the notepad, quickly wrote a few words, and then tucked the note into his palm.

"Alright! Time's up." The host stepped forward and shook the blind box a few times. "Let's see what the teachers are really thinking on this ambiguous night."

The entire room fell silent. All cameras were pointed at the host.

The host reached into the blind box and pulled out the first neatly folded strip of paper.

Unfold.

The host's expression visibly stiffened for a moment, then he coughed and read aloud, "The leave request is not in compliance with regulations. After recording the program, go back to your office and write a 5,000-word practice report."

As soon as he finished speaking, the staff on site looked at each other in bewilderment.

What kind of message is this? It looks exactly like a counselor checking up on students in their dorms.

Gu Qinghan sat upright in her chair, her face aloof, her gaze behind her gold-rimmed glasses utterly calm. But only she knew that her ears were already burning red. This was the most subtle test she could muster, the last shred of dignity she maintained as a counselor.

The host quickly pulled out a second slip of paper. The handwriting on this slip was very delicate, revealing a young girl's anticipation.

"How I wish there were an island in this world where it's just the two of us. No cameras, no outsiders, just you."

As soon as these words were read aloud, the entire studio was instantly filled with a bittersweet atmosphere of pure love.

Su Mucheng lowered her head, her hands tightly clasped together. She dared not look at Zhu Xunchuan, nor at the other two women. This was a true reflection of her inner thoughts. Faced with these formidable rivals, she could only yield, only yearn for a utopia without competitors.

Gu Qinghan frowned slightly.

Pei Yanyu let out a cold laugh.

The host sensed the escalating tension in the air. He swallowed hard and pulled out the last unfolded slip of paper.

Upon seeing the words above, the host's hand trembled slightly.

This isn't a message; it's a blatant threat.

"If you run again, I'll break your legs. Wash yourself clean and wait for me."

After the host finished reading those nine words, the entire observation room fell into a deathly silence.

Crazy, possessive to an extreme, and undisguisedly arrogant.

This style is too obvious.

The staff collectively gasped. Although it was anonymous, who among them couldn't tell who wrote it?

Three slips of paper.

One is austere and cold, another is humble and soft, and yet another is crazy and domineering.

Gu Qinghan turned her head and looked at Zhu Xunchuan.

Su Mucheng raised her head and looked at Zhu Xunchuan with a wronged expression.

Pei Yanyu rested her chin on her hand, her peach blossom eyes fixed intently on Zhu Xunchuan.

Three distinct yet equally fervent gazes converged on Zhu Xun Chuan as if they were physical objects.

Everyone thought it was a scripted game arranged by the production team, but only Zhu Xun Chuan, who was at the center of the storm, knew that these three notes had pushed the originally hidden four-way relationship to the brink of semi-publicity.

Any careless answer could trigger an irreversible disaster on this seaside night.

Director Wang wiped away cold sweat behind the camera. The rhythm was completely out of control.

However, Zhu Xun Chuan remained completely calm.

He sat upright in his chair, like an emperor reviewing memorials. He raised his hand and casually adjusted the cuffs of his linen shirt before picking up the microphone in front of him.

"Director Wang," Zhu Xun Chuan's voice was deep and magnetic, carrying an air of composure as if he controlled the entire situation, "this segment was well-designed. However, it seems there's a note missing from the blind box."

Everyone was stunned.

Zhu Xun Chuan turned the sticky note he had been holding in his palm over and placed it on the table. He pressed the edge with his index and middle fingers and slowly pushed it toward the host.

"Since everyone's been so frank," Zhu Xun Chuan said with a smug smile, his deep gaze slowly sweeping over the three women beside him, "why don't you read mine out too?"

He paused for half a second, and his powerful aura instantly suppressed the entire scene.

"This is my unified answer to these three paragraphs."