Chapter 12: How Much Longer Will You Lean in My Arms

The production team was definitely up to something, otherwise why would they prepare such straightforward questions? Fortunately, Su Nian only paused for a brief moment before regaining her professional composure. As long as she treated all the production team's provocations as part of her job, the awkwardness would fall on others, not her.

After collecting herself, Su Nian parted her lips. "May I ask, when was your first kiss?"

As soon as the question was out, the online viewers erupted in excitement.

"My goodness, the production team is really going for it. Who asks such personal questions on a proper first date?"

"I bet Mr. Song is going to change his expression—he might even storm off. The last person who asked him something like that got transferred."

"What's the gossip here?"

"There was a female reporter who once asked him a personal question during an interview. He immediately shut it down with a cold face, and the higher-ups transferred her. No one’s dared since."

"Wow! The production team is stirring the pot through the ex-girlfriend. Three seconds of sympathy for her."

"Come on, if she really thought it was unreasonable, she could have refused to ask. The fact that she did means she’s curious herself."

"The storm is about to hit the battlefield—"

When Su Nian finished her question, Song Wang’s smile faded. His expression became unusually serious, his gaze dark and unfathomable as he stared at her. Sensing his reluctance, Su Nian parted her lips to move on, but before she could, Song Wang’s cold voice, tinged with amusement, broke the silence.

"Are you curious?"

Su Nian was momentarily stunned, meeting his unreadable gaze. She answered honestly, "I’m not curious."

As expected, but a trace of disappointment flickered in Song Wang’s heart. In the next instant, he resumed his usual nonchalance, leaning back in his chair.

"Then I refuse to answer the question."

Because you’re not curious, I refuse to answer.

No one noticed Song Wang’s subtle maneuvering directed at Su Nian. Even Su Nian herself assumed he was simply guarding his privacy. She nodded and moved on to the second question.

"Is there a female contestant here who makes your heart skip a beat?"

Her tone was as businesslike as before, even slightly rushed.

Song Wang merely looked at her, a faint, enigmatic smile at his lips, saying nothing. The prolonged silence made viewers start to wonder.

Was it because of Su Nian’s first question that Song Wang was now displeased?

Su Nian, losing patience, prepared to ask the final question. At that moment, Song Wang suddenly spoke.

"I suppose there is, yes."

His feelings for her were far deeper than a mere flutter of the heart—such words were too shallow. His lazy, almost joking admission left viewers in shock.

"Wait, is this for real? He actually has a crush on someone on the show?"

"It’s probably just mild interest, right? He only said ‘I suppose there is.’"

"Could it be the ex-girlfriend?"

"Use your brains—if it was really her, why was the first question so awkward?"

"From now on, I’m keeping an eye on him. I have to figure out which contestant he likes!"

The viewers had launched into a guessing game. Meanwhile, Su Nian asked her final question.

"If an interested but not unlikable person were to pursue you, would you accept or reject them?"

This question was more conventional.

Song Wang answered without hesitation, "For me, it’s black or white. I either like someone or I don’t—there’s no middle ground."

His answer carried a certain arrogance: only those he liked would be considered, all others were out of the question.

Su Nian hadn’t expected this reply. After all, most men wouldn’t outright reject advances from someone they didn’t dislike.

"Miss Su, it’s my turn to ask you now."

Su Nian nodded and gestured for him to proceed.

"Did you enjoy dinner tonight?"

The viewers: ?

The production team: ?

"Seriously? I’m here for drama, not small talk!"

"A match made in heaven—an iron-willed woman and a steel-hearted man."

"Is the production team really running out of material?"

The director, feeling wronged, coughed awkwardly and glanced sharply at the staff member responsible for handing Song Wang his question cards. The director himself had crafted those questions, hoping to unearth as much as possible about Su Nian for entertainment value.

But this ‘Did you enjoy dinner?’—what was that?

"Um, Mr. Song, could you please stick to the questions on your card?" the director reminded him politely over the loudspeaker.

Song Wang curled his lips into a cryptic smile toward the director’s direction, then turned back to Su Nian and changed the question.

"Are you happy tonight?"

He’d changed the form but not the substance, nearly causing the director to spit blood in frustration. Truly the most difficult and uncooperative guest in the show’s history. Yet, given his status, the director had no choice but to appease him.

While the director was running around in circles, Su Nian showed no extra reaction. She answered simply and honestly, "It was alright."

Song Wang replied immediately, "Same here. It’s been a lovely evening."

Su Nian raised an eyebrow in response.

Thus, the original three questions were reduced to one by Song Wang’s own design, and the segment ended abruptly.

Afterward, the two of them left the restaurant together.

On the way back, the road seemed much more difficult than before—whether it was truly because of the darkness or the production team’s deliberate interference was unclear. The path back to the Heartbeat House was completely unlit, save for distant flickers of fishing boats.

"Is it just me, or is the production team so broke they can’t even afford a lamp?"

"Honestly, with this atmosphere—a man and a woman alone—it’s perfect for something to happen."

"Go ahead, pour out all your wild imaginings."

"Do you think the ex-girlfriend will suddenly fake a fall and end up in his arms?"

As if on cue, just as the comment rolled in, viewers saw on their screens a shadow lurch toward another in the darkness.

"No way! She really did it. How shameless—throwing herself at him like that. My precious Song Wang’s innocence is at stake!"

"Get your hands off that man—let me take his place!"

"I want to experience that overwhelmingly masculine embrace."

Viewers cursed Su Nian while fantasizing about Song Wang, until suddenly, a cold and merciless voice sounded from the screen.

"Mr. Song, how long do you plan on leaning in my arms?"