Chapter 4: The First Stirring of the Heart

Su Nian was silent for three seconds.

She smiled faintly. “I’ll go find a sanitation worker.”

The host asked sincerely, “To support environmental protection?”

“No, to have them recommend the largest toxic waste incineration plant.”

The host: “……”

Ruthless… but, it seemed like a good idea.

[Brilliant, brilliant—next time my ex begs to get back together, I’ll slap him with this line.]

[Just send him straight to the crematorium. This lady is tough; I’m getting more excited to see the sparks between her and her ex.]

[I bet a keyboard that with this lady’s mindset, her ex will definitely be outmatched first.]

…

Unlike the quirky tone of Su Nian’s answers, the other six guests responded in fairly conventional ways, nothing that could be faulted.

Thus, Su Nian’s standout response was swiftly sent trending.

#SuNianOrdinaryGirl#

#SuNianMentalState#

#SuNianCriteria: A Man Who’s Alive with Two Legs#

But soon, several trending topics about the mysterious guest began to match Su Nian’s popularity.

His answers were unexpectedly similar in style to Su Nian’s.

#HeartbeatMysteryGuestCriteria#

#NotGreenNotFakeNotWhiteLotus#

[Blind guess—the mystery guest is the Iron Man of the straight male world, perfectly avoiding all types men typically like.]

[Maybe he’s saying the opposite; some people are just quietly mischievous.]

[The mysterious guest’s four priorities are identical to Su Nian’s—he discarded three, leaving only career.]

[The ex part is even more unbelievable; he claims to have no exes. At twenty-seven, never dated—how unattractive must he be?]

[I thought the show had reserved an ace, but perhaps it’s just a frog.]

[Hahaha, the ex-girlfriend and the mystery guy—suddenly, I find this CP intriguing.]

[Advice to think twice; shipping everything will only make you more unhinged.]

…

With the heartbeat Q&A finished, the production team sorted the guests’ answers into “heartbeat cards,” designed like anime character cards and distributed to their heartbeat phones.

Each female guest received four male heartbeat cards. Based on the card’s self-description and Q&A responses, she would pick an initial heartbeat target.

The same applied to the male guests.

[There’s a self-portrait? Doesn’t that basically reveal who’s who?]

Viewers worried that the portraits would spoil the mystery and fun.

Until they saw the wildly abstract self-portraits.

[Whoa, Ultraman? Warrior Pretty Girl? Why is Vegetable Dog here, too?]

[Are we sure these are portraits and not a cartoon character battle royale?]

[Blind guess: Vegetable Dog is my Zifan. There’s a mobile game collaboration, and Zifan loves the salted egg Vegetable Dog skin.]

[Whoa, the Parada She-Devil is here. Are we about to see a workplace makeover on a dating show?]

[Wait, someone’s portrait is just a question mark. That’s just showing off.]

After the “heartbeat card” avatars were released, netizens launched into heated debate and speculation.

Once the guessing ended, the live broadcast switched from the avatars back to the guests.

This time, the guests had to call their chosen initial heartbeat target using the corresponding card.

They had five minutes and twenty seconds, adding to the atmosphere.

The other six guests, including the mysterious unseen guest, had already made their selections.

Su Nian, however, frowned deeply, staring at the four cards in contemplation.

[She still hasn’t chosen? Is she really milking the drama?]

[I finished my instant noodles—this isn’t choosing a consort, just pick someone already.]

[I suddenly wonder if the ex-girlfriend will choose the ex-boyfriend, since their couple synergy means they’ll recognize each other quickly.]

…

As viewers guessed, Su Nian, thanks to inherited memories from the original owner, immediately identified the card with the Shin-chan avatar as her scumbag ex, Li Ming’en.

He had just dumped his girlfriend, and now he was on a dating show.

What a shameless man—wherever she went, he blocked her path.

Su Nian had been pulled onto the show at the last minute, unaware Li Ming’en was among the previously announced guests.

She frowned in thought for a moment, then reached toward Li Ming’en’s heartbeat card.

[Whoa, Shin-chan’s owner—Brother En’s favorite cartoon is Shin-chan. The ex-girlfriend definitely recognized him.]

Li Ming’en’s fans immediately formed a group to watch and mock.

[I knew she couldn’t let go of Brother En. They’ve broken up; can’t they part peacefully?]

[She fawned before dating, and still fawns after breaking up. As a woman, I despise Su Nian.]

[A woman who doesn’t respect herself is like a rotten lettuce leaf.]

Just as Li Ming’en’s fans ridiculed Su Nian for clinging to their idol, the next second, Su Nian raised her hand high and, with a swift motion, slid Li Ming’en’s heartbeat card straight into the trash.

“Filthy thing.”

Unfazed, Su Nian completed the act and then chose the Question Mark Guy’s heartbeat card from the remaining options.

So far, only this Question Mark Guy piqued her slight interest.

They both loved their careers—surely there would be shared topics.

Perhaps he was a colleague, and they could exchange ideas.

After making her choice, Su Nian acted efficiently, dialing the Question Mark Guy’s number.

Her unconventional series of actions left everyone stunned.

Li Ming’en’s fans were left humiliated.

[Hahaha, looks like the ex-girlfriend is fully awake. Li Ming’en’s fans, stop dreaming.]

[Love it. If the ex-girlfriend turns over a new leaf and stands tall, I’ll gladly follow her again.]

[Come on, Su Nian is putting on a show. Reliable sources say she only joined the dating show for Li Ming’en. Don’t believe it? Wait for the real scoop.]

[Hold on, signing up for the ride. Waiting for the drama—when’s the next episode?]

[Same here.]

[Waiting.]

The live chat’s direction instantly shifted.

#SuNianChasingLoveOnDatingShow#

This topic silently climbed the trending list again.

But this time, it was clearly manipulated behind the scenes.

It overtook other famous guests, shooting to the top three.

The most direct result: strangers curious about the gossip despised Su Nian as a woman without dignity and wondered just how handsome Li Ming’en must be.

Consequently, Li Ming’en’s tags, piggybacking on Su Nian, quickly gained over ten thousand daily active views.

The fever spread like a contagion—until, in the next moment, all related trending topics were abruptly removed.

Even the blogger who first posted was banned.

The whole internet erupted in speculation, wondering if Su Nian had some powerful backer.

Indeed, she did have a formidable father—and this was precisely Comrade Old Su’s doing.

But at this moment, Su Nian’s focus was solely on the task of calling the Question Mark Guy, oblivious to the online storm.

She dialed several times, but no one answered.

Finally, the call connected; she adjusted her tone and greeted, “Hello.”

The next second, the call was abruptly hung up.

Su Nian: “……”