"Sunny, what are you laughing at?" Qiu Xinxue asked, noticing Xia Qingtian's suppressed smile. "Is something fun happening?"
"It's nothing, I was just thinking Tong Nianze is younger than Meina, right?" Xia Qingtian said, looking at Tong Nianze. "And he debuted a bit later than Meina, too."
"That's right! He's three years younger than me!" Ji Meina held up three fingers. "He should call me older sister!"
"I won't," Tong Nianze refused directly. "Looking at your face, I can't bring myself to say it."
"You! You're going too far!" Ji Meina instantly bristled.
Seeing that Ji Meina seemed about to argue with Tong Nianze, even heading towards a physical altercation, the others immediately reached out to intervene, playfully diffusing the situation.
Only Xia Qingtian remained silent, watching quietly from her seat, the curve of her lips lifting into an even more subtle arc: A younger man who refuses to call you older sister definitely has ulterior motives!
When Tong Nianze met Xia Qingtian's smile, he felt a guilty sensation of his secrets being seen through, and immediately shifted his gaze away.
At this moment, the comments in Ji Meina and Tong Nianze's live stream were becoming even more vicious.
【What's going on! Am I the only one who sees Xia Qingtian deliberately sowing discord?】
【I see it too! This is too much! She's making Meina and Young Master Tong argue, and then she's giggling to herself! How can she be so low?】
【Xia Qingtian definitely has a crush on Young Master Tong. For the heart-matching event in five days, if she doesn't pick Young Master Tong, I'll do a headstand while washing my hair on stream! Damn it!】
【I'm so sick of her! Get lost already!】
【I declare, today I officially join the Xia Qingtian Hater Committee!】
【Me too! Damn it! I hate these green tea bitches the most!】
【Young Master Tong, run! Stay away from such a manipulative bitch!】
【Don't worry! Our Young Master Tong has always been aloof, and he hates manipulative bitches the most! Don't you remember? Young Master Tong used to have the nickname 'Variety Show Bitch Detector'!】
At this point, everyone remembered that when Young Master Tong's team first became popular, many manipulative actresses had tried to gain attention by creating fan pairings, only to be directly confronted by Young Master Tong.
Young Master Tong was famously a "cold-faced demon," and even if his targets were women, he would ruthlessly confront anyone trying to use him. Moreover, he was known for being fierce and speaking little, his words often hitting the core of the matter. This behavior had also garnered him quite a few fans. After all, everyone wants to follow an idol who stays clear-headed in the face of drama, avoiding getting entangled in strange rumors and saving fans the trouble of defending them.
【Exactly! Just watch, this time Young Master Tong will definitely make Xia Qingtian lose face to her grandmother!】
【Waiting for Young Master Tong to confront Xia Qingtian!】
Just as the fans were anticipating the arrival of the "Bitch Detector" Young Master Tong to directly confront Xia Qingtian, Young Master Tong, having finished his meal, did something that surprised everyone by actively seeking out Xia Qingtian for a private chat!
"Xia Qingtian, come to the private chat room so we can talk alone for a bit," Tong Nianze said, hands in his pockets, standing coolly by the table.
"Alright," Xia Qingtian nodded, slightly surprised.
"Hey, hey, hey, what are you looking for Qingtian for? She's my good friend! Don't you dare bully her!" Ji Meina, sitting next to Xia Qingtian, immediately bared her teeth and warned in a fierce, yet cute, tone.
"Pfft." Seeing this, Tong Nianze couldn't help but let out a smile of unknown meaning.
Upon seeing this, Ji Meina became even more agitated.
"It's okay, it's okay." Xia Qingtian quickly soothed Ji Meina, casually slipping a cup of small cake into Ji Meina's hand. "You guys talk first, I'll be back soon."
"Okay." Qiu Xinxue blinked her eyes, unable to understand how Xia Qingtian had become so familiar with Tong Nianze right under her nose. Was it because Tong Nianze liked Xia Qingtian's looks and demeanor? But it was only the first day, the treasure hunt game hadn't even officially started, and he was already launching an offensive... Was that really okay?
Lin Yirou shrugged indifferently, twirling a strand of her curly hair with her fingertips, smiling casually yet exuding a captivating charm.
Although "First Step to Heartbeat" was broadcast live 24 hours a day, there was a room in the villa that was free of any cameras or surveillance—the Heartbeat Private Chat Room. Any guest could invite the person they admired to the Heartbeat Private Chat Room for a chat, with a time limit of 30 minutes. These 30 minutes were completely private, fueling endless speculation. Even the production team didn't expect a guest to want to use the private chat room so soon.
After the private chat room was opened, Xia Qingtian and Tong Nianze entered one after another. As soon as the door closed, Xia Qingtian and Tong Nianze immediately turned off their audio recording devices.
"What did Young Master Tong want to talk to me about?" Xia Qingtian pulled over a chair and sat down directly.
"What do you know," Tong Nianze didn't intend to beat around the bush with Xia Qingtian. He leaned against the table with his arms crossed, looking down at Xia Qingtian from above.
"Officer, are you trying to interrogate me?" Xia Qingtian countered, propping her chin with one hand and raising an eyebrow.
Tong Nianze then realized his behavior was indeed like interrogating someone. He cleared his throat, pulled out the chair opposite Xia Qingtian, and sat down so their eye levels were even. "Can you tell me now?"
"I only know that the way to bully someone you like is like a primary school student," Xia Qingtian said, tilting her head to look at Tong Nianze.
"I wasn't bullying her," Tong Nianze paused, then coughed lightly before saying, "It's just, it's just that sometimes I can't help myself."
"Brother, we're adults. You're three years older than me. Can we be more mature?" Xia Qingtian said speechlessly. "You entered the entertainment industry for Meina, you joined this dating show for Meina. You've liked her for three years. You need to let her know. If you're like a porcupine, she's bound to be scared away."
"How do you know that?" Tong Nianze's brow furrowed, his eyes narrowing dangerously. He had never told anyone these things. From the age of 19, when he started liking Ji Meina, he had kept it a secret.
"Uh..." Xia Qingtian blinked. Of course, she knew this from reading fanfiction in her past life. But she couldn't say that now. "This is how it usually happens in romance novels," she said, deadpan. "Things like 'The Domineering Younger Man Falls for Me,' 'The Younger Wolf Dog is a Little Wild,' 'Sister Love Me Again'..." Xia Qingtian spouted nonsense with a serious expression.
"What are you talking about?" Tong Nianze's frown deepened.
"In short, I support you guys," Xia Qingtian said, giving a double thumbs-up. "I wish you a century of harmony and many happy returns."
"Shut up." Tong Nianze's face turned red. "Living in harmony with Ji Meina... having children together..." Even thinking about it felt embarrassing.