Chapter 2

【Look at Xie Sinian’s eyes—he’s jealous!】

【These two have such couple vibes. I’m shipping them first!】

【I have a friend in the industry. Don’t ship these two—their relationship is complicated. That’s all I can say. Do not ship them!】

【I’ll ship them anyway. What are you going to do about it?】

【I’m contrarian by nature. The more you tell me not to ship them, the harder I ship them!】

After the interview, the show moved on to the next segment.

It was the usual cliché game: whoever lost had to draw a Truth or Dare card.

My brother and I fought through three rounds and lost miserably.

Still bickering and cursing at each other, we went to draw a card.

We got… the Pocky Challenge.

“Tell me, why did you have to join the same show as me?!”

I grabbed my head and yelled.

“If I hadn’t joined, who were you going to do this with?!”

Xie Sinian clutched his head too, completely breaking down.

In the end, I crossed my eyes to the left and he crossed his to the right.

Two deformed, cross-eyed creatures bit down on the same chocolate stick.

The livestream comments filled with laughter.

【Why did they suddenly start acting crazy?!】

【This image is getting a little much. Is this a zombie show?】

【So what if they’re zombies? Zombies need love too!】

【So Xie Sinian joined the dating show for Lu Yumian, hehe. I knew it! I found another ship!】

The next second, a familiar voice sounded behind me.

“Yumian, who’s he?”

I shuddered and bit through the chocolate stick.

I turned around.

Shen Qi’an stood there, looking exhausted from the journey. The sun was blazing, yet his face was pale, and he looked a little disheveled.

I gave an awkward explanation.

“Listen, it’s not what you think. He… he’s actually my older brother.”

The rims of Shen Qi’an’s eyes turned red again.

“How many other ‘older brothers’ do you have?”

No!

Not that kind of “older brother”!

Before I could say anything else, Xie Sinian pulled me behind him.

He curled his lips into a provocative smile.

“Sorry, but she’s mine.”

I crumpled inwardly.

No, big brother.

You’re good enough at acting to win Best Actor. Why are you doing this to me?!

The comments exploded.

【Wait, is Lu Yumian dating two guys at once? Damn, girl, you’ve been keeping all this to yourself?】

【It’s five guys, actually! Shen Qi’an is number five. Who knows what number Xie Sinian is?】

【Isn’t this cheating? Disgusting.】

【Shut up! Shen Qi’an himself hasn’t said anything. What’s it to you? What’s wrong with a modern woman dating a few people?】

【Honestly, Shen Qi’an and Xie Sinian both seem perfectly willing.】

【This is too good. Sis, please let me play a role for a minute!】

【Only a love-triangle battlefield this chaotic could be this exciting! I order all three of you to kiss!】

6

Shen Qi’an’s lashes trembled. His dark eyes fixed on me.

“Yumian, is he telling the truth?”

I…

I lowered my head and said nothing.

In my heart, I silently apologized:

Sorry, Shen Qi’an.

The future brother-in-law trial is a rite of passage.

Shen Qi’an looked away, rolled up his sleeves, and smiled arrogantly at Xie Sinian.

“You might not know this, but Yumian and I met a long time ago.”

Xie Sinian smiled too.

“Is that so? I held her when she was a newborn.”

There was a sharp crack.

Shen Qi’an had snapped off his cufflink.

Someone seemed to be quietly falling apart.

After that little scene ended, the game continued.

The only difference was that Shen Qi’an had joined in.

Since the teams for the game had already been set, Shen Qi’an had to play alone, making him the lone wolf on the dating show.

The rules were simple: players had to put on a blindfold, spin five times, then feed their partner a piece of watermelon from ten paces away. The first team to finish won.

The winner could make the loser draw a Truth or Dare card.

Since Shen Qi’an had no partner, all he had to do was touch a post and feed himself the watermelon.

The difficulty level of this game had plummeted.

I complained silently, but didn’t dare say it aloud.

I was afraid he’d cry.

Sure enough, while I was still smacking my brother in the face with the watermelon, Shen Qi’an quietly finished the game all by himself.

【I’m dying. Xie Sinian got smacked so hard he can’t even talk.】

【Shen Qi’an eating watermelon alone looks kind of pitiful. Sister Lu, please spoil him a little!】

【Come on! Make them draw Truth or Dare! Anything they get would be exciting at this point!】

【But if Xie Sinian and Lu Yumian do a dare, won’t Shen Qi’an be the one falling apart? Didn’t expect that, did you? You started eating your popcorn too early.】

I took off my blindfold and looked at Shen Qi’an.

He raised his brows slightly. His voice was calm, but it sounded as if he were holding something back.

“I’m not making those two draw.”

Xie Sinian raised a brow in confusion. “Then what do you want?”

Shen Qi’an stared at me.

“Lu Yumian, I want you to come over here.”

For a moment, some nameless feeling spread through my heart like a fast-growing vine.

I’d seen Shen Qi’an act like he didn’t know how to value himself so many times.

It was rare to see him now, with his desire written so plainly across his face.