Today marked the date of the heart-fluttering blind dates, and the individual live streams for each guest had been closed, with only two dating live streams remaining open.
Xia Qingtian and the other two were in one live stream, while Qiu Xinxue and Lü Songtao were in another.
Initially, Qiu Xinxue and Lü Songtao received widespread praise as soon as they appeared.
From the thoughtful coordination of their clothing colors to the subtle hints of budding affection they deliberately cultivated, it made the viewers in the live stream exclaim, "They're so cute together!"
After all, to debut, both Qiu Xinxue and Lü Songtao were undeniably attractive.
Especially Lü Songtao's gentlemanly gestures and Qiu Xinxue's innocent yet often childlike physical interactions, which perfectly complemented each other, making them seem like a well-matched couple.
"This is the dating reality show I want to watch! What's the point of the three women next door just wandering around shopping."
"The sweetness is off the charts! Xinxue is so beautiful! How is she so adorable!"
"Lü Songtao is so gentlemanly, and that physique isn't easily achieved. He looks like a very disciplined person!"
"Seriously, Lü Songtao is so manly! Qiu Xinxue is really pretty! They're meant to be!"
"If you ask me, this is a proper dating show. The one next door is really doing everything to grab attention, not professional at all! Look at our Xinxue!"
The live stream was filled with synchronized applause, not forgetting to subtly criticize the other live stream.
This harmonious atmosphere continued until Qiu Xinxue bought a white cotton candy.
The giant ball of cotton candy made Qiu Xinxue's small, palm-sized face appear even smaller. Qiu Xinxue posed with a peace sign for the camera, looking incredibly cute.
After showcasing her cuteness, Qiu Xinxue only symbolically plucked a small piece to taste and then offered the remaining cotton candy to Lü Songtao, saying, "This is so good~ You have to try it."
"No, thank you," Lü Songtao replied, waving his hand, looking unwilling to eat it.
People who work out need to control their sugar intake, and besides, he generally disliked sweets. He never ate cotton candy like this.
"Just try it!" Qiu Xinxue enthusiastically promoted, "It's fifty yuan!"
She had to maintain her figure and protect her skin, so she couldn't eat too many sweets. Moreover, this cotton candy always had a saccharine taste, and Qiu Xinxue didn't want to eat it either.
The two of them pushed and shoved each other, back and forth, creating an awkward atmosphere even for those watching in the live stream.
"What's up with Qiu Xinxue? If you don't want to eat it, then don't buy it! Fifty yuan isn't pocket change, is it?"
"Exactly. If you buy it and don't want to eat it, you're forcing it on Lü Songtao. Lü Songtao is usually very disciplined and wouldn't eat such junk."
"Xinxue is just being polite, right?"
"This is completely beyond politeness. She just doesn't want to eat it, does she? She buys it even though she doesn't want to eat it, then shoves it at someone else. What's going on?"
"Xinxue is an actress and needs to maintain her figure. Girls just want cute things when they see them, what's wrong with that?"
"Isn't this just princess syndrome? Only considering herself and not others at all."
"Buying cotton candy is princess syndrome? How poor must your family be then?"
"Fifty yuan for cotton candy is really expensive. If you're not going to eat it, don't buy it. This is already a waste!"
"There was only a 2,000 yuan dating budget to begin with, and the entrance tickets alone cost 500 yuan each, so 1,000 yuan was gone. After entering, she bought headbands and cotton candy. That Belgian dark chocolate hazelnut ice cream earlier, she didn't even eat much of it before it [accidentally] fell on the ground. Mark my words, this cotton candy will probably also [accidentally] fall on the ground."
Perhaps to prove this point, during her back-and-forth with Lü Songtao, the cotton candy in Qiu Xinxue's hand did indeed suddenly [accidentally] fall on the ground.
This time, even the "little snowflakes" who wanted to defend Qiu Xinxue found it a bit awkward and fell silent in unison.
"Oh my! Really... oh well..." Qiu Xinxue seemed to feel she had gone too far. She let out an awkward laugh, picked up the cotton candy, threw it into the trash bin, and deliberately apologized, saying, "I don't know what's wrong with me today. I shouldn't buy these little trinkets to eat. I'm not myself today."
Lü Songtao just gave a dry laugh and made a few casual remarks to change the subject, then continued walking and queuing for activities with Qiu Xinxue.
Soon it was time for lunch. The two went to dine. Lü Songtao had many dietary restrictions, so he ordered only a salad and a steak, costing 288 yuan.
Qiu Xinxue ordered a very cute special park set meal, priced at 388 yuan.
Additionally, Lü Songtao ordered a soda, costing 24 yuan.
Lunch alone cost 700 yuan. Earlier, Qiu Xinxue had bought small items and wasted ice cream and cotton candy. Their dating fund of 2,000 yuan was significantly depleted by this point.
"I heard that dining in the castle here offers the best view of the fireworks show," Qiu Xinxue asked. "Shall we go to the castle for dinner tonight?"
"But we don't have much money left," Lü Songtao said.
"How much is left?" Qiu Xinxue asked, as if just remembering, "We only had 2,000, right?"
"Yes, we only have a little over 100 yuan left now," Lü Songtao said, glancing at his phone's balance.
"Ah? Only over 100 yuan left? Then what about dinner?" Qiu Xinxue was also dumbfounded, frowning and complaining, "The production team is too stingy, only giving 2,000 yuan, which isn't enough at all! The entrance tickets alone cost 1,000 yuan."
"Indeed," Lü Songtao nodded. "2,000 yuan doesn't get you much these days."
"Yeah, a normal person's daily expenses are probably one to two thousand yuan. For food and drinks, they only give us 2,000 yuan, and we have to cover two meals, lunch and dinner, before going back... This..." Qiu Xinxue shook her head and said, "The production team really knows how to make things difficult for people."
"Speaking of which, we artists work very hard, busy from morning till night," Qiu Xinxue sighed, naturally transitioning into the post-meal chat and heart-to-heart with Lü Songtao. "Others think we must be rich, but it's really just average. It's dangerous and tiring, and we have no privacy..."
"Yes, the other day at the gym, I was recognized while doing bench presses. There were requests for photos and autographs, so I left quickly, and my workout plan for the day was abandoned." Lü Songtao seemed to have found a point to complain about as well. Together, they started lamenting their work and lives.
"Ah~ I really don't know what we'll do for dinner. I really want to dine in the castle; it would be so romantic to dine while watching the fireworks." Qiu Xinxue appeared to be captivated, then pouted slightly in a coy manner. "Honestly, it's all the production team's fault."
"For a date for two people now, it should cost at least ten to twenty thousand yuan; that's the standard for a normal person's date."
"Yes, about that," Lü Songtao nodded, seemingly agreeing with Qiu Xinxue's words.
Their remarks left the viewers in the live stream dumbfounded.