Chapter 119: A Blushing, Heart-Pounding Confession

Because of the recent events, Chu Muyun agreed to participate in several television programs. He even accepted a role as a regular guest on one of them.

Whether intentional or coincidental, the two of them always seemed to run into each other. If they hadn't wanted this, they could have easily requested a schedule change from the production team. However, Bai Chenxi felt that since she had nothing to hide and her conscience was clear, she never brought it up. As for Chu Muyun, harboring his own ulterior motives, he naturally remained silent as well.

Seeing that neither of them avoided the other, the production team certainly wouldn't let such a rare opportunity slip by. For several episodes in a row, they ended up appearing on the same shows.

Because Chu Muyun had also made a guest appearance on "Love Exercises," he would help promote it whenever they met. Eventually, the fans almost thought they were appearing together specifically to promote the drama.

In the words of Jiang Jize: "It's all in-house content anyway; might as well give you a chance to date on the company's dime while adding some heat to 'Love Exercises'."

Consequently, the fans discovered that the "ship" they were rooting for had "broken up" even more thoroughly.

Backstage, Chu Muyun had just finished recording another segment and hurried over. Looking at his expression, Bai Chenxi noticed he looked quite exhausted; he must not have had a proper rest in a long time.

Chu Muyun greeted everyone and walked straight over, squatting down to ask, "Is your leg feeling any better?"

Seeing the suggestive looks from those around them—and Lan Tian incessantly winking at her—Bai Chenxi felt a bit awkward and replied, "Much better."

Chu Muyun also noticed the gossiping gazes, so he didn't say anything more. After confirming the script with the host, he went to a corner to snatch some time for a nap.

Watching Chu Muyun’s furrowed brow even while asleep, Bai Chenxi felt a pang of worry: he must have accumulated so much work because he had been taking care of her.

Her worried gaze, however, was misinterpreted by onlookers. Several of the hosts clearly sensed something going on between the two.

Since they were there to promote the drama, the theme of this episode was "Back to Student Days." The hosts and guests all wore school uniforms. When Chu Muyun walked out, even the host teased, "This is truly the 'senior student' everyone dreams of."

Chu Muyun walked up to Bai Chenxi and snapped his fingers, "What, are you stunned?"

"Brother Chu, you look so handsome!" Bai Chenxi praised him sincerely.

Based on her many years of experience as a self-proclaimed connoisseur of beauty, Bai Chenxi could guarantee that Chu Muyun was at the "campus heartthrob" level in this outfit.

Hearing her words, the corners of Chu Muyun's mouth curled up slightly. Looking at Bai Chenxi’s mesmerized expression, it was the first time he felt that being handsome was actually useful—for instance, in pursuing the woman he loved.

No matter how tired he was, Chu Muyun maintained his best state once the cameras started rolling, drawing constant screams from the audience.

The host, well-versed in audience psychology, specifically cued Chu Muyun and Lan Tian to do a runway walk, calling it the "Campus Hunk Show." When the two stepped out together, the screams from the female fans nearly blew the roof off.

Standing to the side, Bai Chenxi’s expression... seemed even more excited than the audience. Seeing two such handsome men standing together was truly a feast for the eyes.

After the walk, the host went on stage and asked, "Tell me, are they handsome?"

The audience roared, "Yes!"

"But, I just noticed, our Chenxi seems quite excited too!"

The camera suddenly turned to Bai Chenxi, and she blurted out, "So handsome!"

The host and the audience burst into laughter. The host seized the moment and asked, "Since Chenxi has said so, I have to ask: between Muyun and Lan Tian, who do you think is the handsomest?"

The moment this was asked, the audience erupted. The hosts also wore expressions of eager anticipation.

If this were in the past, Bai Chenxi would have chosen Chu Muyun without hesitation, but with him standing right there, she found it difficult to say.

She could only reply, "Both are handsome! Each in their own way. Lan Tian is sunny and handsome, while Brother Chu is mature and steady."

When she said this, Bai Chenxi wasn't really sure where Chu Muyun was "mature and steady"—he was more of a tsundere with a hidden agenda. However, she didn't dare say that part out loud.

Lan Tian put on a touched expression, "Have I finally made it into your heart?" Everyone laughed heartily at his antics.

Returning to the campus theme naturally involved discussing those fluttery, naive feelings from school days. Before the recording, they had filled out questionnaires covering such topics.

Bai Chenxi had expected these to come up during the show and was ready to "eat some melon" (gossip). Instead, the whole episode skipped those questions and opted for some heart-pounding games.

Bai Chenxi and Lan Tian were naturally on one team, while Chu Muyun was on the other.

The game required them to use specific words given by the production team during a confession. The person being confessed to had to wear a heart-rate monitor, and the team with the higher heart rate after one minute would lose.

To promote the drama, Lan Tian and Bai Chenxi went first, performing lines from the show. Lan Tian’s soulful confession charmed the audience below. Bai Chenxi thought that if they were wearing monitors, their heart rates would definitely have gone off the charts.

Yet, after hearing Lan Tian’s heartfelt confession, Bai Chenxi’s heart rate actually dropped instead of rising.

Bai Chenxi took the microphone: "I remembered the biting cold wind on the day of the confession; it chilled my heart."

Lan Tian immediately ad-libbed: "Then why did you reject me? If you had agreed, I could have held you and put my coat around you."

Bai Chenxi had a sudden realization: "True! Maybe my brain was frozen solid at the time!"

The day before the recording, this exact scene from the drama—where Bai Chenxi rejected Lan Tian—had aired, causing a bit of "angst." After their banter on the show, the comments section was filled with:

"Don't listen to her, she was frozen stupid."
"Silly son, she was cold! Next time, choose a better place to confess!"
"Just put your coat on her, she’d have said yes if her brain had heated up."

The comments were incredibly joyous; netizens declared that "angst" was non-existent.

When Lan Tian saw Chu Muyun step up, he recommended Bai Chenxi without hesitation. Seeing the words provided: "Slippers," "Stupid," and "Breakup."

Lan Tian looked confident, certain he would win. As for Brother Chu, the ultimate "straight man," he would be lucky if he could just manage to say the words; romance or heart-pounding moments were out of the question.

Bai Chenxi put on the monitor and, as soon as she looked up at Chu Muyun, her heart couldn't stop racing: He is truly handsome!

The audience below screamed, and Lan Tian covered his face: "I was wrong, I shouldn't have let her go up there."

The surrounding screams made Bai Chenxi realize her heart rate was spiking, and she quickly tried to calm down, silently recalling Chu Muyun’s nasty attitude when they first met. The trick worked, and her heart rate soon dropped.

Chu Muyun raised an eyebrow: "So fast?"

Glancing at the words, Chu Muyun said directly, "Bai Chenxi, do you know how stupid you are?"

Bai Chenxi was stunned: "What?" Although she knew he was just reading the script, she hadn't expected him to be so blunt.

"The reason I bought these slippers is that I want to spend a lifetime with you."

Chu Muyun looked at Bai Chenxi with his usual expressionless face, but Bai Chenxi caught a look of genuine sincerity in his eyes.

"So, are you ready to have a relationship with me that will never end in a breakup?"

Even though Bai Chenxi kept emphasizing in her heart, "It's all fake," she still felt her heart flutter. She couldn't help it; even if it was fake, it was still incredibly charming!

She wasn't the only one whose heart was racing; the audience below was, too.

The host came up to tease them: "Our Chenxi’s heart rate must be off the charts by now!"

Bai Chenxi tried hard to steady her emotions, coming out with the widely circulating "three questions": "Who am I? Where am I? What just happened?"

[Bonus Scene]
The director originally wanted them to talk about their first loves. The result...

Bai Chenxi: (Shyly) I don't have a first love.
Chu Muyun: (Indifferently) First love? Doesn't exist.
Lan Tian: (Excitedly) I do, I do! When I was in school, so many girls wrote me love letters.
Director: Scrap this segment.