Love Variety Show: The despised me exploded in popularity

She could hear her own heartbeat, exploding in her ears like muffled thunder. Her blood raced, making her touch hyper-sensitive, and then her hands were suddenly grasped again.

"Try... try what?" Pei Muchan's voice trembled slightly.

"Nothing, I was just talking off the cuff," Xu Qingyan said without changing his expression, slowly withdrawing his hand, "to try to buy a lottery ticket, see if I could win the jackpot."

Pei Muchan hadn't expected Xu Qingyan to test her so directly, not leaving her any time to prepare. Now she either had to agree, since one can't date alone,

or take it as a joke, but with his personality, who knows when there would be another chance. In that instant, her mind was a mess, yet she had to make a decision immediately.

Buzz! He lightly pressed on the gas pedal, gradually increasing the speed.

Suddenly, Xu Qingyan felt his hand being seized, which made him pause briefly. Then the speed slowly decreased again until the car came to a complete stop by the roadside with the hazard lights flashing.

He looked down at the delicate white hand covering his, then up at Pei Muchan. There wasn't the anticipated joy, but rather a sense of unwillingness to cause her distress.

At that moment, the usually poised woman looked like a little dog abandoned on a rainy day, her eyes brimming with tears as she looked at him.

Using such an almost cheating method to force Pei Muchan into compromise seemed somewhat immoral. No... not exactly immoral.

He had always been despicable, not a good person by any means.

To Pei Muchan's surprise, Xu Qingyan pushed her hand away. She froze, seemingly never having considered that Xu Qingyan would reject her hand.

"These things aren't like scratching a lottery ticket, where you know the answer immediately upon selection," he glanced at Pei Muchan, meeting her gaze squarely.

He then chuckled and said,

"I'm really joking. There's no exam in the world that issues the 'end test' order right after the questions are handed out. Even if there were, you shouldn't scribble down answers just because others have started turning in their test papers."

Having said this, he tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, appearing contemplative. Returning to Xinghai was just an excuse; it didn't matter which direction the car drove.

The destination had been set from the start, merely roaming over her pent-up emotions.

As Xu Qingyan had said, the test paper had just been refreshed. He had merely kindly reminded Pei Muchan to answer the questions, not expecting her to write down the answers right away.

In this materialistic age, some fall in love at first sight, others in the whispering winds. Some people just move slower and haven't yet reached that point in time.

It wasn't about whether she was willing to try or not, but that the feelings hadn't reached that level. Adults experiencing their first true love tend to confirm their feelings bit by bit.

Pei Muchan's hand hung by her side, her chest rising and falling slightly as the night deepened with a dense rain.

"Mhm."

"I need a bit of time, you've been too kind to me," she said, lowering her gaze, finally revealing her hand that she had kept hidden all evening, laying it out before him.

"I want to go to work with you every day and appear in the studio. I was happy during that time... I don't know how things will turn out in the future, I'm afraid it'll just..."

"It's fine, I was just playing," Xu Qingyan nodded, jokingly commenting, "And you've been pretty good to me too, huh? The house, the car, take whatever you like, I feel almost like I'm being kept."

At this, Pei Muchan seemed a bit more at ease and slightly reproachful.

"Didn't you go out to rent a place to live? No one stays in that apartment of mine all year round, my parents won't come to Xinghai, and I basically only go home for the New Year."

"It's not quite the same with these things, you care more about what you lack," Xu Qingyan said, "I've really never been kept by anyone, and suddenly being given such a large and ample 'meal' to enjoy..."
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"I'm renting a place outside... uh, let's not talk about this anymore. In the end, it doesn't mean anything else; everyone's thoughts are related to their family upbringing and local culture."

"It's difficult to truly agree with this kind of thing, but I'm explaining it to you because I don't want you to misunderstand. It really is a trifling matter, where to live is not important."

"Mhm." A warm current flowed through Pei Muchan's heart; she could tell he cared about her thoughts.

Some things became much lighter once they were talked out.

He reached out to touch the back of Pei Muchan's hand and, in a soft voice, asked, "Were you upset when I rented a place to live? What about now, do you still brood over it?"

The car was silent, except for the raindrops pattering on the roof. At some point, the rain had grown heavier. Continuous thin threads shrouded the windows, making them appear frosted.

The question was quite intimate, and Pei Muchan, still with her eyes downcast, quietly affirmed with a hum. It was rare to see her so open, and it made her seem vulnerable.

Honestly, Xu Qingyan thought of Pei Muchan as someone quite strong.

At least she seemed that way, a calm and collected woman who could endure anything no matter how hard or dark the days became.

But sometimes, he could glimpse Pei Muchan's extremely vulnerable side.

Xu Qingyan reached out and caught her soft hand, gently squeezing it with an unusual seriousness.

"It's okay, take your time. I will always be with you, not letting anyone bully you. Until you, until I figure things out, there's no rush for this matter."

"It's my first time too, and there's a lot I don't understand. I think there's no need to overthink, there are too many things to do right now, I'll do the things you haven't managed to."

"To see a bigger world, to meet more people, what's Ji Chen compared to that? Whether it's the TV show crew or the film crew, they are nothing, just give me a little time..."

Pei Muchan stared into his eyes, slightly stunned.