The Academic God Becomes an Internet Sensation After Joining a Dating Show - C6 - Couples

As the livestream aired, hashtags related to Follow Heart quickly shot up the trending list.

#TopTierDatingShow
#ShenXuzhiBlindDate
#QingLinLogicPuzzle
#DoIDeserveToWatchThesePeopleFallInLove

The promo campaign had been well-planned, and with the help of paid trending topics, Follow Heart was receiving largely positive feedback.

That said, the heat surrounding “Qing Lin” was still full of controversy.

Director Hong Shanyue also noticed the comments. At the moment, there weren’t many fans shipping couples, most were antis or overly passionate fans posting commentary.

But this was a dating show. Without some sweetness to latch onto, what was there for the audience to root for? Could it even be called a romance show without it?

“Is Qing Lin trying to get famous through controversy? Half of the comments are criticizing him,” said Producer Feng Jian. “I looked into it, and there’s a whole bunch of bot accounts involved. Do you think he’s trying to take an unconventional route to fame?”

“Either he has someone powerful backing him, or he’s made the wrong enemies,” said Hong Shanyue.

Feng Jian nodded, then suddenly leaned down and whispered, “Hey, do you think it might be Bai Wenle?”

“The guy who’s ranked second in contribution value?” Hong Shanyue asked.

“Yeah. Didn’t he retweet our Weibo post? He sounded a little regretful, and not long after, people started attacking Qing Lin. Maybe it’s a case of a fan turning hostile, what do you think?”

“You’re really getting worked up about this? You might as well go double-check tomorrow’s filming schedule,” Hong Shanyue said calmly.

“Alright, Director Hong.” Feng Jian raised both hands and gave a helpless shrug. “But don’t underestimate Bai Wenle. I worked with him before. That man… he’s ruthless.”

Hong Shanyue watched him walk away, then turned back to the guest list, silently lost in thought.

—

The official shoot was set for the following day. After the livestream ended, the director arranged for the guests to stay at a resort hotel on the far side of the island and reminded everyone to get a good night’s rest.

Before joining the show, Qing Lin had already turned off his phone. The sudden wave of attention was too much to handle. Too many classmates and acquaintances had reached out, and he wasn’t sure how to respond.

Thankfully, the director had given him a backup phone, which came with a work WeChat account for communicating with the production team.

Back at the hotel, Qing Lin finally remembered to switch his phone back on.

The moment he did, a flood of WeChat messages filled the screen.

He scrolled through them. Thanks to the livestream, even people who hadn’t contacted him in years were now reaching out.

He responded briefly to a few familiar names, like Huang Zishun, just to let them know he was doing fine. The rest he merely glanced over.

Then, a new message appeared at the top of the screen.

[Hwie: You actually participated on a variety show?]

Qing Lin paused for a few seconds at the sight of the account name, then quickly regained his composure.

It was his younger brother, Qing Yejie.

They hadn’t spoken in quite a while, and Qing Lin was genuinely surprised to hear from him.

Although they were close in age, their relationship had always been strained. Qing Yejie had never liked his older brother much. At best, they were just distant siblings.

Qing Lin stared at the screen for a moment before typing a reply.

[Lin: How have you been lately?]

The response came back immediately.

[Hwie: Spare me the fake concern.]

Still as sharp-tongued as ever.

Qing Lin paused again, his fingers hovering over the keyboard. Even though it felt unnecessary, he decided to explain.

[Lin: I’ve been accepted for graduate studies. I’m going to Beijing.]

This time, the reply took longer.

After a while, Qing Yejie finally sent a message, his tone sarcastic as ever.

[Hwie: Of course you were. You’ve always been the campus genius. I guess the smart ones are destined for the big city.]

[Hwie: Now that you’re making real money from the show, you’ll probably end up with a celebrity and live the dream life.]

Qing Lin didn’t feel like engaging with Qing Yejie’s mocking and sarcastic remarks.

[Lin: You still haven’t answered my question.]

[Hwie: Hah, I’m doing great. I’m a popular art blogger now, with tens of thousands of followers.]

[Hwie: Maybe not as impressive as you, but at least my art has some value.]

[Hwie: Save your concern.]

[Hwie: If you really care, come back and help pay off Qing Baihu’s debts.]

The moment Qing Lin saw the name “Qing Baihu,” his brows furrowed deeply.

No matter how many times he saw that name, it never failed to make his stomach turn.

He lost all interest in continuing the conversation. After replying, “I have nothing to do with him anymore,” he deleted the chat.

What a nuisance.

Qing Lin flopped onto the hotel bed, his hair spilling across the covers, eyes blankly staring at the ceiling.

Maybe this variety show wasn’t such a bad idea after all. At least here, he was safe and didn’t have to spend summer break in that terrible rented apartment.

Just recently, he had transferred two hundred and fifty thousand yuan from his bank account. What remained was barely a few hundred.

Qing Lin rolled over, the soft mattress sinking around him, wrapping his body like a sponge.

It had been a long time since he’d slept on such a comfortable bed.

Maybe it was the comfort, but drowsiness slowly crept in, until he was finally awakened by a knock on the door.

The third knock finally made him sit up. He looked out the window. The sky outside the window had already turned dark.

Dinner had already been delivered earlier. He wasn’t sure who would be knocking at this hour.

Qing Lin walked to the door and peeked through the peephole. It was Ning Yian.

“Ah, sorry, did I wake you?” she said with a bright smile as soon as he opened the door, fiddling nervously with the hem of her skirt.

“Not at all,” Qing Lin replied politely. “Is there something you need?”

Ning Yian quickly pulled a signed photo from behind her back and handed it to him. “I came to give you this,” she said. “You asked for one during the show, remember?”

Qing Lin accepted the photo. It was a stage shot of Ning Yian with her signature elegantly scrawled across the corner.

“What’s your friend’s name? I can personalize it for him,” she offered.

Qing Lin hadn’t expected her to actually remember, let alone come deliver it herself.

“His name is Huang Zishun,” Qing Lin replied with a faint smile. “Thank you on his behalf.”

His deep-set eyes curved perfectly when he smiled, shimmering with a gentle brightness. There was an unspoken charm beneath his purity.

During the show, Qing Lin had always kept a neutral expression or rather, no expression at all. His refined features made him look like a porcelain doll. So, when Ning Yian saw him smile for the first time, she blurted out.

“Has anyone ever told you… your smile is really beautiful…”

“Yian!”

A sudden voice called out from behind, making Ning Yian flinch slightly.

She turned around and saw Su Mingxuan and Shen Xuzhi walking toward them.

“Yian, what are you doing over here?” Su Mingxuan asked her with a friendly smile. When he spotted Qing Lin standing behind her, he added, “Oh, hey, Top Student. You two were chatting?”

Ning Yian was usually a little reserved in private. She glanced back at Qing Lin and gave a small nod.

“Hi, I’m Su Mingxuan. We didn’t really get a chance to talk during the show, so I thought I’d say hello now.” His tone was casual and approachable as he extended a hand toward Qing Lin.

Qing Lin had grown used to hearing the nickname ‘Top Student,’ though it still felt a bit odd to be called that on a variety show.

Even so, since they would be working together and were all part of the entertainment world, he reached out to shake hands.

But before their hands could meet, another hand suddenly cut in, snatching the handshake from Qing Lin.

A large, warm hand wrapped around Qing Lin’s instead, fingers dry and firm, completely intercepting the handshake.

Qing Lin blinked in surprise and looked up, only to meet Shen Xuzhi’s eyes.

“Hi. Shen Xuzhi.” His voice was steady, his expression as indifferent as ever.

Still, there was a weight behind the grip that was hard to ignore.

Qing Lin’s eyes briefly dropped to Shen Xuzhi’s hand. His wrist bones were sharp, his fingers long and distinct, and the veins beneath his skin were faintly visible.

They were… elegant hands.

Su Mingxuan didn’t seem to notice anything unusual. He chuckled and joked, “Looks like you two are already old friends.”

Only then did Qing Lin realize he might’ve stared at Shen Xuzhi’s hand for a bit too long. He quickly pulled his hand back.

Shen Xuzhi’s face remained neutral, though he glanced sideways at Su Mingxuan.

Why does this guy talk so much?

“Oh, right, Ah Zhi. I’ll send those files to your email later. Make sure you check it,” Su Mingxuan said.

“Email?” Ning Yian echoed, sounding surprised. “People still use email these days?”

Su Mingxuan caught her reaction and explained, “Ah Zhi doesn’t usually add people on WeChat. Most people reach him through his assistant’s email.”

Qing Lin also turned to look at Shen Xuzhi.

Su Mingxuan continued the conversation for a while longer, then leaned closer to Ning Yian and said something quietly as he handed her a keycard.

The hallway was quiet enough that Qing Lin could hear him clearly. “Yian, remember to come to my room later, okay?”

The soft amber light cast a gentle glow around them, but for some reason, the mood in the air suddenly shifted. It felt a little too suggestive.

Qing Lin noticed the subtle change in Ning Yian. Her shoulders stiffened slightly before she gave a small nod.

Wait a second…

Did he just overhear something he shouldn’t have?

A room key. An invitation to someone’s room.

Su Mingxuan didn’t stay long. He said goodbye to Qing Lin, and Ning Yian followed with a brief farewell.

The two of them walked away together.

But…

Qing Lin stayed where he was, glancing up at Shen Xuzhi, who, for some reason, had not moved and was still standing directly in front of him.

Shen Xuzhi was tall, his features sharp and cold, almost like they had been sculpted from ice. He looked down at Qing Lin with a thoughtful expression.

Qing Lin could feel the weight of that gaze. It was intense, almost searing. He hesitated for a moment, about to ask if something was wrong.

Before he could speak, Shen Xuzhi said, “They’re a contract couple for the show. They were just discussing the next segment.”

Qing Lin froze for a moment. His hand instinctively rose to touch his ear. “Oh…”

This was… kind of embarrassing.

He had clearly jumped to conclusions, thinking he had just witnessed something shady.

But Shen Xuzhi had seen right through him.

Noticing the subtle shift in Qing Lin’s expression, Shen Xuzhi added in a calm voice, “The industry can be complicated, but not everyone is like that.”

Qing Lin slowly gave a nod.

A contract couple.

So, dating shows were staged after all. All those couples that seemed real on screen… were not.

Qing Lin said, “Sorry, I read too much into it…”

Shen Xuzhi responded with a quiet “Mm.”

Even after clearing things up, he didn’t walk away.

Qing Lin bit his lip, feeling the tension linger. Now that there was no misunderstanding about anything shady… why was Shen Xuzhi still standing there?

Just as he was about to break the silence and excuse himself to head back to his room, Shen Xuzhi suddenly leaned in and spoke.

“What do you think… should we give it a try?”