Chapter Forty-Five: A Conversation with DY (TikTok)

On the balcony, Huang Zejun and Yang Jiaxing had shared several drinks together.

Yang Jiaxing shook his head and said, "Brother Jun, in the end, the ones who'll have headaches might not be us."

In Yang Jiaxing's view, the real headache belonged to the production team.

At this point, Tang Zhichu did seem like the biggest winner, but could he and Chen Siyang really end up together? Yang Jiaxing wasn't so sure.

So what was the highlight of this season's dating show? What if not a single couple made it? With that thought, Yang Jiaxing felt less troubled.

Even if Tang Zhichu and Chen Siyang did end up together, would it last? Hard to say. Even now, Yang Jiaxing felt there was simply too much of a gap between them.

Huang Zejun raised the bottle again, and just as Yang Jiaxing was about to protest, he caught sight of Zhou Yun’s car.

It was parked not far away in the open-air lot. The door opened, and Tang Zhichu stepped out.

Yang Jiaxing lifted his bottle, "Come on, Brother Jun, have another with me!"

...

Even before Tang Zhichu entered the house, he heard the sound of the piano from inside.

Entering, he saw Chen Siyang sitting at the piano, her fingers gently dancing across the keys.

Tang Zhichu didn’t interrupt—instead, he put a finger to his lips and gestured for quiet to Zhou Yun behind him.

Zhou Yun peered inside, then silently pumped a fist at Tang Zhichu, making no sound.

With her headphones and cap on, Chen Siyang probably hadn’t noticed their return.

When the piece ended, Chen Siyang turned and saw Tang Zhichu.

"Oh, you’re back?"

She looked a bit surprised. Checking her phone, she saw it was only a little after eight, but there was a smile on her face.

Tang Zhichu leaned against the sofa, a blanket thrown over him, and said languidly, "I’m back. That was beautiful—play another, would you?"

Chen Siyang had just stood up, but at his words, she sat back down. After a moment’s thought, her fingers returned to the keys, and a gentle melody flowed like water.

Tang Zhichu watched her back, and after a while, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Chen Siyang played only half the piece before going upstairs.

A moment later, she returned with another blanket, draping it over Tang Zhichu’s legs where the first hadn’t covered. She moved quietly, only nodding with satisfaction when he was tucked in snugly. Then, she pulled a script from under her arm.

She sat on the floor, leaning against the sofa beside Tang Zhichu, and began reading her script.

...

Behind the villa, a large production van was parked. The chief director of Heart’s Stir, Li Hongzhou, sat before several screens.

Arms folded, he appeared deep in thought.

On one of the monitors, a young man lay on the sofa while a young woman sat quietly at his side—a tranquil, beautiful scene, exactly the kind the production team longed for.

"We’ve communicated with Tianhe. Whether Chen Siyang and Tang Zhichu end up together or not, they won’t interfere," someone whispered.

Li Hongzhou curled his lip. "Of course not. After all, Tang Zhichu was sent to us by DY. For them, either outcome has its merits."

"But..."

Li Hongzhou turned, "But what?"

"Douyin actually doesn’t want Tang Zhichu to succeed—or at least, not with Chen Siyang."

Li Hongzhou paused, then stepped out of the van with his phone.

As soon as he left, the other producers quietly sighed in relief. Li Hongzhou was well-known for his fiery temper, and this show was his brainchild; he ran it with a certain dictatorship. But with his talent, there was little anyone could do.

Outside, Li Hongzhou dialed a number.

The call connected quickly—a mature, pleasant female voice answered.

"Director Li?"

"Yes, it’s me. I heard you have other plans for Tang Zhichu?"

There was a brief silence on the other end before she replied, "We don’t mean to cause you trouble. Honestly, we’re surprised and curious ourselves—how did Tang Zhichu and Chen Siyang end up together?"

Li Hongzhou glanced back at the villa before speaking. "You’re not the only ones. I’m curious too. I’ve been making this show for seven seasons. At first, I thought Chen Siyang would be the most difficult. But by the second day, sparks had already flown between her and Tang Zhichu. What’s even more absurd is that the other two female contestants also chose him. In the second phase, he had three dates lined up—and the other two male contestants were so frustrated, they started drinking together. Where did you find this guy? He looks so quiet and unassuming—does he really have that much charm?"

"Ah..." The woman on the other end coughed, as if something had caught in her throat. "Sorry, Director Li, are you joking?"

"Would I joke about this?"

"But...from what I know, he’s a total homebody. He barely talks to strangers and has never even dated."

She paused, considering, before continuing, "The reason I sent him to a dating show? I played his singing for a renowned music professor who praised him highly, but said his only flaw was emotional expression. The professor said that takes life experience and maturity. Since he’s such a recluse, if I sent him to a music competition, he’d never survive the social aspect. Your program happened to need someone, so I sent him over."

Li Hongzhou frowned. He’d read Tang Zhichu’s profile, which did mention his extreme introversion. But judging from his performance on the show, while introverted, he wasn’t quite as withdrawn as described.

Could it be his family background? The production team had done their research and knew some circumstances.

But Li Hongzhou sensed a hidden meaning in the woman’s words.

"It might be because of his family’s situation. His father’s illness seems to be worsening, so it’s natural he’d change a bit. Don’t worry, we’ve been hinting for him to showcase his musical talent on the show—but it hasn’t gone very smoothly."

"Not smoothly? What do you mean?" Li Hongzhou sounded frustrated. "Three female contestants—a celebrity, a gym owner, and a businesswoman—all interested in him. In this environment, what’s there left for him to show? He’s got no motivation! Never mind, there’s still a group activity coming up. We’ll arrange something then."

The woman fell silent, as if the situation had strayed far from her original intentions, though it wasn’t exactly a bad thing.

"Well, we won’t interfere anymore. Let’s leave it to fate," she finally said.

Li Hongzhou nodded, "Don’t worry. Tang Zhichu is my biggest card right now. With the material we’ve shot so far, we already have a creative direction and a solid storyline. Of course, we’ll need some cooperation from your end, since the show is about to air."

He valued this call—otherwise, he wouldn’t have said so much.

Tang Zhichu was, after all, associated with DY, and the production team needed DY’s traffic. It was a win-win.

The woman seemed particularly concerned about Tang Zhichu. Did she not want him and Chen Siyang together because she was afraid he’d suffer? Or did she fear Tianhe would pull some tricks?

Either way, it showed how much she valued Tang Zhichu—a good sign for Li Hongzhou.

"Alright, keep in touch. Thank you, Director Li."