Chapter √040000

Lin Ran was just about to start when Luo Yao stopped him.

"Ran, let me do it."

Lin Ran knew Luo Yao intended to give the production team a hard time, and a sly grin spread across his face.

"Then I'll assist you. Just follow my instructions."

"Alright."

The host watched and commented simultaneously.

"We can see Miss Luo Yao has taken out a rolling pin. It looks like they’re preparing to make the simplest noodle dish. Now, Miss Luo Yao is using the rolling pin to... mercilessly beat a fish to death?"

The host’s voice was laced with disbelief.

"Mr. Lin’s fish-cleaning technique is so professional—clearly, he’s done this often. Who would’ve thought someone as successful as him could also cook? Truly a domestic god."

"Alright, Mr. Lin has handed the fish to President Luo, who’s now pouring oil into the pan..."

"The fish is now stewing. As we can see, President Luo is also preparing a pot of mushroom soup. The slight curl of his lips suggests this might be the most delicious mushroom soup in the world—because it’s made with love."

Lin Ran chuckled inwardly. Just wait till they find out how cruel the world can be.

"Meow—"

A cat’s meow made Lin Ran pause. Sure enough, a pair of eyes peered through the flower bushes outside the kitchen window.

[Little Black: "I come back only to find you two plotting murder."]

[Lin Ran: "Must you phrase it so harshly? I believe Yao Yao will do just fine this time."]

[Little Black: "Let’s hope so."]

[Lin Ran: "Want me to save you a fish head or something later?"]

[Little Black: "If Luo Yao made it, I wouldn’t dare eat it."]

[Lin Ran: "Come on in and say that to my wife’s face."]

[Little Black: "They can’t see or hear me."]

Lin Ran was taken aback—he hadn’t known Little Black had this ability.

The rest of the process went smoothly—exploding pans, frying fish, adding water—followed by a period of waiting.

Miss Luo Yao, Mr. Lin Ran, how about a little game of unspoken understanding while we wait?

Lin Ran and Luo Yao exchanged glances.

Synergy—did they even have that?

Probably not.

"Sure," Luo Yao replied. She was curious to see if they shared any unspoken understanding at all.

So, Lin Ran and Luo Yao sat back-to-back on two chairs.

Luo Yao leaned against Lin Ran, feeling an overwhelming sense of security.

Just like before—she leaned on him, and he on her.

Here's how it works: I'll ask some questions, you'll write down your answers, and we'll see how well they match. Some couples have great synergy, others not so much—but it doesn't reflect their relationship," the host explained.

"First question: Where did you first meet?"

A bombshell right from the start.

Lin Ran and Luo Yao wrote simultaneously, then raised their boards.

Lin Ran/Luo Yao: [Woods/Forest]

[Damn, that’s bold! First meeting and they went straight into the woods?]

[Couldn’t it just mean they met in a forest...? Okay, fine, not doing anything there would be a waste.]

The host finally smiled. This segment wasn’t a disaster—in fact, it was going well.

[Little Black: "Oho, the woods, huh?"]

Host: "Ah, I see. Second question: What was the most meaningful thing you did when you first met?"

[Damn, Liu Yishou, you’ve got guts asking that.]

[Sis Liu, you’re literally speaking for the entire internet.]

Lin Ran and Luo Yao wrote without hesitation and raised their boards.

Lin Ran: [Watched the stars] / Luo Yao: [Watched the stars]

[They remember it so clearly—who dares say they’re not in love?]

[Was this ‘star-watching’... wholesome?]

[Host, quick—ask when they first met!]

The host was surprised too. They remembered it so vividly—it couldn’t have been too long ago. So, she obliged with the third question.

"Since you both remember so clearly, it must be a recent memory. Third question: When did you first meet?"

Lin Ran hesitated. This question was tricky.

Saying he met Luo Yao at twenty wasn’t wrong, but neither was saying they’d known each other since childhood.

While Lin Ran pondered, Luo Yao had already written her answer.

"Mr. Lin?" the host prompted, worried he might not answer. If Luo Yao got upset, it could turn into a live broadcast disaster.

After all, she’d spent all of yesterday researching Luo Yao’s temperament.

Lin Ran finally wrote his answer, and they raised their boards together.

Lin Ran: [Childhood]

Luo Yao: [When we were kids]

The internet exploded.

[Wait, I thought this was some sugar daddy drama—turns out they’re childhood sweethearts?!]

[So Lin Ran wasn’t being kept—they’re the real deal.]

[I admit, my mind went straight to the gutter.]

[Childhood love is the most enviable kind. Ugh, so sweet.]

Meanwhile, aside from netizens, many people who knew them personally were also watching the livestream.

Including Wu Zhishang, Lin Tianba, Liu Yuemei, Lin Jian, Ye Lingling, Zhao Miaomiao, Zhang Xiaolong, Zhang Xiaonuan, Lv Jian, Shen Jingbing, Chen Xiao, Chen Qingtian, Chen Nianshi, Chen Nianlun, Chen Zhima, Su Jianguo, You Qingnan, Yi Siyin, Yi Buhao, Shi Nanci, Pei Qianqian, Zhang Xinyan, Brother Dao, and more (this isn’t filler—just a refresher on the characters).

The Lin Tianba household was stunned.

Liu Yuemei: "Honey, did Lin Ran know Luo Yao since they were kids?"

Lin Tianba: "How would I know? That brat kept something this huge from me?!"

Lin Tianba was furious. If Lin Ran had told him earlier about knowing Luo Yao, Suran Group would’ve climbed even higher. He could’ve broken into the upper echelons of society!

Instead, they were practically homeless now.

Lin Jian stood frozen, his face twisted with envy and hatred.

Finally, he realized why he’d lost—Lin Ran’s deception.

Lin Ran had played the weakling all along, when in truth, he’d known Luo Yao for years. He’d just never revealed it.

He was too good at pretending. What a hypocrite—no familial loyalty at all.

In the underground entertainment city, the program played on a giant screen. All the guests watched, including the Liu family’s three troublemakers.

"That little bastard Lin Ran—what kind of luck does he have? Childhood sweethearts with Luo Yao?!"

"So our plan to make Lin Ran marry Ruxue..."

"Actually, it’s not impossible. If we’re talking childhood connections, Ruxue has the upper hand. Luo Yao can’t compete."

The family had now reached a dead end, with Liu Yuemei no longer caring about them. After enduring the harsh blows of society, they began to think of Lin Ran—the one who could also pull them out of their misery.

"What are you three doing here? Shouldn’t you be scrubbing the toilets?"

Liu Ritian: "The toilets are already polished to a shine."