Huayu: Starting with Rejecting 00s Actresses on a Dating Show

Unlike William, he didn't try to build up his presence; he simply closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

When he opened his eyes again, his expression had changed.

He raised his hands, hovering them a few centimeters above the piano keys, his posture relaxed and steady.

His fingers, with a steady and elegant rhythm, landed firmly on the piano keys.

The first note sounded like a drop of water falling into a still lake, clear and melodious.

Immediately afterwards, a series of flowing notes poured out, weaving together a melody that no one had ever heard before.

It lacks the virtuosity and frenzy of "Dance of the Bumblebee," with melodies that are sometimes low and gentle, like a whisper, and sometimes lively and agile, with a sense of exploration.

Tan Wen's body swayed slightly with the music, without any exaggerated movements.

Gu Beiyu's mocking smile vanished, his gaze shifting from scrutiny to seriousness. Jiang Yi stared, mouth agape, utterly bewildered.

William stood to the side, his initial smugness completely gone. "This guy's been playing me all along? He can play the piano perfectly well, why is he pretending he can't?"

He Mi'er crossed his arms and smiled; he always managed to bring unexpected surprises.

Lu Yu was initially surprised, then confused. Didn't this guy say he couldn't play the piano last time? He lied again.

Liu Haochun listened intently. Although the song wasn't very difficult, the joy and exploration contained in the melody, progressing layer by layer, were wonderful.

The barrage of comments exploded instantly:

"Holy crap! This music!"

"An original song?! Or a hidden gem? I've never heard of it before."

"That hand speed and control of force...she's definitely practiced!"

"You said you couldn't play! You liar!"

As the last note faded, its lingering sound echoed in the small hall, lingering for a long time.

Tan Wen withdrew his hand. He didn't look at anyone, but simply lowered his eyes slightly, as if he was still immersed in the music from before.

The piece was good, and I used my magic again; Tan Wen was very satisfied.

A few seconds later, enthusiastic applause broke out.

William and the others reluctantly clapped along, with William expressing his disdain for Tan Wen's hidden piano skills.

However, what comforted him somewhat was that although the tune Tan Wen played was good, it was not very difficult and could not compare to his own skills.

The staff had been indifferent to Tan Wen until the physical fitness competition, when they began to improve their attitude towards him.

Watching Tan Wen finish playing the piano piece, he felt like he didn't recognize the person in front of him anymore.

How much talent does he still have that he hasn't shown yet? I thought he was an outgoing person, but it turns out he likes to hide his true abilities, which is rare in dating shows.

"Ahem." The staff waited until the applause subsided. "Anyone else want to come up and demonstrate?"

Apart from Sun Yike, who seemed eager to try, everyone else remained silent. Sun Yike also hoped that someone would point her out, but instead, she received a response from a staff member.

"Since no one is going to show us, we'll just give you the evaluation results." The staff member looked around and continued, "Please wait a moment."

After waiting for a while, the staff came up with a decision.

"Tan Wen's playing was very skillful, without any awkward moments; it was a perfect performance of the piece, but," the staff member paused,

"When both sides are fine, it comes down to skill, and in this respect, Williams is undoubtedly superior, so..."

Upon hearing this, William's lips curled up; he had finally won a point.

"What if it's original?" A flat tone interrupted the staff's announcement of the result.

Tan Wen once again made a startling statement.

······

Upon hearing this, William finally couldn't stand still. He had been suspicious before; the piece was quite good, so why hadn't he heard it before?

Lu Yuxiao wasn't particularly surprised. She had been hoping that Tan Wen would play an original song from the beginning, since Tan Wen had already sung three original songs for her.

The staff member was stunned for a moment: "Are you sure?"

"You can search for it."

"No wonder when we were selecting the winners, no one knew the name of this piece."

"Just one step away."

"Just one step away," the staff member whispered.

"Just One Step Away," Lu Yuxiao pondered the song title. "Our relationship seems to be just one step away. Is he implying something? Does he hope I can bravely take it a step further?"

Just a step away, He Mi'er chuckled inwardly. He seemed somewhat optimistic, but our relationship was ultimately developing in a positive direction.

The staff member said they needed to discuss it further.

Liu Haochun teased in a low voice, "Who are you just one step away from?"

"You should think about what a special date would be like first. I probably don't have time to go on a date with you."

"Oh? What are you going to do?"

"Going out."

"Then you can take me with you."

"Work is boring. If you're willing to come along, I don't mind having another secretary."

"Tch." Liu Haocun gave it a disdainful look.

The staff quickly gave the result: Tan Wensheng!

When neither of them made a mistake, originality is more important than technique, especially since Tan Wen's "One Step Away" is of a very high standard and is a relatively excellent original work.

No one could say anything about the result. William's face turned pale, but he did not refute it.

After four rounds of assessments, the final scores are as follows:

Ao Ruipeng and Lu Yuxiao: 20 points

Gu Beiyu and Sun Yike: 24 points

Tan Wen and Liu Haochun: 32 points

William & Xu Jing: 22 points

Jiang Yi and He Mier: 24 points

Ao Ruipeng and Lu Yuxiao were going to decide who should be exiled. Ao Ruipeng said that exile would be a reward for him and hoped that Lu Yuxiao would not argue with him.

Seeing how sincere he was, Lu Yu felt much less burdened.

As for the special date for winning first place, the staff said it wasn't anything special, at least not for Tan Wen.

Because he has already experienced it twice, the so-called special date is to give a day and a night, during which only the two of them are on a date.

There were no cameras or staff filming, and the expenses were within a reasonable range, so the production team reimbursed them.

This approach is indeed a bold innovation. Without the scrutiny of cameras, the relationship between the two may progress rapidly, but it may also lead to their downfall.

Lu Yu felt a little regretful. If she had tried harder from the beginning, she might have been the one on a date with Tan Wen alone.

He Mi'er glanced at Tan Wen and was satisfied to see that he didn't show any excitement.

······

It's almost noon.

The boys had little motivation to cook, and one by one they went back to their bedrooms to rest.

Seeing that Lu Yuxiao was in a low mood, Tan Wen wanted to ask her to help him prepare a few dishes.

But Liu Haochun kept asking him about his work, so he simply let Liu Haochun assist him.

"Do you often cook for everyone?" Liu Haochun asked.

"Occasionally"

"I don't want you to cook for other people anymore," Liu Haochun said, a little shy but also a little stubborn.

"So, does that mean I don't have to do your part anymore?"

"Oh, you made one for me too, thank you."

······

"Do I really have to go to work tomorrow?" Liu Haocun asked.

"Yes, this is a rare opportunity, we can't waste it."

"What should I do? This is my first date ever!"

"You can come with me."

"No, I can't disturb your work, and I want our date to be more formal."

Tan Wen suspected that she was simply too lazy to go, "Then I'll make it up to you next time."

"You have to buy me a present!"

"Okay, what do you want?"

"No, I want the one you choose."

"Okay, don't blame me if you're not satisfied."

······

Late at night, it was time to send a text message expressing his feelings. These days, messages can only be sent, not received, so he felt even less guilty and sent the message to He Mi'er.

Just as I finished sending it, there was a knock on the door. When I opened it, it was Lu Yuxiao.

"Xiao Chun said she won't be able to go with you tomorrow, so can you take me with you?"