Suddenly called upon, Ji Jun was quite stunned. He dazedly walked onto the stage, his eyes meeting Lin Yirou's.
The female guest seated below pouted.
This Lin Yirou was quite adept at playing little games. For the sake of exposure, she was really pulling stunts like a confession of affection.
Tong Nianze's earlier display had already made her feel incredibly awkward.
She absolutely did not believe that the blockhead straight man Tong Nianze would sincerely utter those words; it was definitely a pre-rehearsed script.
Especially Ji Meina, who was crying with fake sentimentality. She detested women who acted cute and acted innocent the most.
This dating show was so fake, so full of pretense.
What a joke.
If they had the guts, they should be real!
As the female guest pondered this, she saw Lin Yirou take a red box out of her pocket.
“I consulted the almanac long ago, and today is auspicious for marriage, so…” Lin Yirou directly opened the ring box and faced Ji Jun.
“Here are a pair of rings. The engagement ring is a one-carat diamond ring, and the groom’s ring is a style I’ve been looking at for a long time; it suits you perfectly.”
“If you like it, put it on. Once you put it on, you have to marry me.”
Lin Yirou’s words struck everyone like a bolt from the blue, leaving them dumbfounded.
This was… a dating show, right?
Wasn't the goal of a dating show simply to date?
What was the deal with settling down to marriage right then and there! This was beyond the scope!
Xia Qingtian was also taken aback. Lin Yirou truly was a player; she either made no move or unleashed a game-changing move when she did!
This was sweeter than all the sweet moments she had shipped in her past life combined!
Oh my god!
Ji Jun met Lin Yirou’s clear, resolute eyes and couldn't help but chuckle softly. He extended his hand, took out the groom's ring, and said, “I’ve never worn one, you do it for me.”
Hearing Ji Jun’s words, Lin Yirou’s eyes lit up, and the smile on her lips deepened. She nodded, took the groom’s ring, and slipped it onto Ji Jun’s finger.
Ji Jun then took the lady’s ring from the matching pair and slipped it onto Lin Yirou’s finger. “Promise me one thing.”
“What is it?” Lin Yirou looked up at Ji Jun.
“If my mom asks, tell her I proposed first,” Ji Jun said. “Otherwise… you’ll have to drag me out of the trash can again.”
Upon hearing this, Lin Yirou broke into a brilliant, radiant smile and uttered a single word: “Okay.”
This time, Xia Qingtian stood up and applauded enthusiastically, her palms turning red and slightly swollen.
The others finally snapped out of their daze and joined Xia Qingtian in clapping.
That female guest was even more stunned. How could this happen…
Was this also part of the script?
But! But this was a proposal, wasn't it!
Could it be… could it be that Lin Yirou was actually serious?
She was getting a little flustered.
The subsequent segments proceeded smoothly. During the "Heartbeat Connection," Xia Qingtian and Ling Fenghan chose not to connect.
Between an idol and a fan, whether it was liking or admiration, one had to clearly define the boundaries of their relationship.
Lv Songtao, following Song Junhan's prior arrangement, mutually selected a female guest. They would likely be marketed as a celebrity couple for a while.
Finally, everyone gathered in front of the cameras for a final group photo.
The fifth season of "First Step to Love" officially concluded!
The executive director was on the verge of tears. He had a feeling this season was a guaranteed hit!
Xia Qingtian and Ji Meina surrounded Lin Yirou, gazing at the ring on her hand with eyes full of envy and surprise.
“When I get married, you two can be my bridesmaids,” Lin Yirou said with a shy smile, her cheeks flushed pink.
“Sure!” Xia Qingtian and Ji Meina immediately agreed. Xia Qingtian also chimed in, “Let’s have Young Master Tong be the groomsman too!”
Before Ji Meina could respond, Tong Nianze preemptively refused, “I don’t want to!”
As soon as Tong Nianze finished speaking, he possessively wrapped his arm around Ji Meina’s shoulders and provocatively declared, “Perhaps we’ll get married first. Then you two can be our groomsman and bridesmaid.”
Hearing this, Ji Meina’s cheeks flushed red, making her even more bashful.
Xia Qingtian’s lips twitched. Tong Nianze’s stubborn competitiveness was incurable in this lifetime.
“At least for now, we’ve already proposed, so we’re far ahead of you,” Ji Jun naturally sided with Lin Yirou.
“Heh, it's just a proposal. I won't be embarrassed to have Meina propose to me then!” Tong Nianze scoffed.
“…” Ji Jun didn’t respond but merely raised an eyebrow.
“…” Tong Nianze tilted his chin up, his gaze challenging.
Seeing this, Ji Meina and Lin Yirou exchanged glances with Xia Qingtian. All three sighed with helpless resignation at the same time: *Heh, men.*
After the recording concluded, the executive director invited the guests and hardworking staff to a dinner. Everyone attended except for Lv Songtao, who had to return to L City.
During a lull in the meal, Ji Jun went to the restroom. As he was leaving, he was intercepted by the female guest.
“Ji Jun, I really like you, I’m your fan~” the female guest said with a beaming smile. “I especially love watching your dramas; I’ve watched them so many times.”
“Oh, and congratulations to you and Yirou Jie too.” The female guest tilted her head, her expression one of pure innocence. “But to force a marriage in front of so many people… Yirou Jie is so bold. If it were me, I’d be too embarrassed.”
“But then again, only by taking the initiative can one pursue true love. I really should learn from Yirou Jie.”
“It’s just that I still feel it’s not good to put too much pressure on men. If possible, could I exchange contact information with you?”
“I’m still a newcomer, and there are many things I don’t understand. I hope Teacher Ji can guide me a lot.” The female guest tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, deliberately pushing her ample cleavage forward with her arm.
“I fear I won’t be able to guide you,” Ji Jun said, wearing a gentle, scholarly smile, but his words were laced with barbs. “I can’t compare to your rather famous godfather in the film industry.”
Upon hearing Ji Jun’s words, the female guest’s smile froze on her face.
“Although I’ve only played the male lead a few times, none of them were particularly popular hit dramas. My platform fans are less than ten million, and I don’t know many people in the industry. But it so happens that my uncle is a high-level executive at a certain streaming platform. Given my years in this circle, many people believe what I say.”
“However, time is the most worthless thing in this circle, isn’t it?” Ji Jun’s smile remained undiminished as he watched the female guest’s face darken completely.
“It’s… it’s Lin Yirou who said something nonsensical to you, right? I didn’t mean that. She misunderstood me!” the female guest hurriedly explained. “Don’t believe her!”
“You want me to disbelieve my childhood sweetheart and believe you instead?” Ji Jun’s smile widened. “Oh, that’s right.”
“You! You guys!” Hearing Ji Jun’s words, the female guest was completely dumbfounded. How could she have known these two were childhood sweethearts! She instinctively wanted to use her sugar daddy to intimidate Ji Jun, to let him know she wasn't to be trifled with. After all, her new drama was about to premiere, and her glorious future was just ahead!
“I inquired with my uncle. The platform he manages happens to be the one that bought the copyright for your drama,” Ji Jun’s smile never reached his eyes. “Just to inform you, that drama won’t be scheduled for broadcast anytime soon. Take your time waiting, anyway… time is the most worthless thing, isn’t it?”
“You! What right do you have to treat me like this!” The female guest suddenly jolted, her eyes wide open.
“There’s nothing I can do. Who asked you to try and ruin my childhood sweetheart?” Ji Jun looked at the female guest’s pale face. “If she wants to look down on you, then just honestly let her look down on you.”
“By the way, your godfather is surnamed Huo, right?” Ji Jun walked past the female guest, turning his head to say coldly, “Just a reminder, that Mr. Huo is a man who lives off women. His wife, however, is quite fierce.”
After saying this, Ji Jun paid no further attention to the female guest and returned to his seat. As he sat down next to Lin Yirou, he noticed a hint of weariness in her eyes. Ji Jun then put his arm around Lin Yirou’s shoulder and said, “If you’re tired, lean on my shoulder and sleep for a while.”
“Okay~” Lin Yirou didn’t stand on ceremony. She laid her head down and fell asleep. Ji Jun only woke her up when the dinner was completely over. They left together.
Their intertwined figures alone drew countless envious glances.