Chapter 85: The Hated Miss of the Dating Show (34)

**Chapter 85: The Dating Show’s Least Popular Rich Girl (34)**

"I can't stop laughing! How did Mi Yang even pull that off—like, how did he grab Tang Qing like that?"

"OMG, the looks on Xiang Xiuran and Su Chengwen's faces were priceless! Straight-up wife-stealing right there, hahaha!"

"Wen Yixuan looked totally shell-shocked. Wow, the production team really knows how to stir things up! 10/10 for this drama!"

The male guests sat there, wide-eyed and silent, any interest in the movie long gone.

The system piped up with an update in her mind, "Tang Qing, all three male leads just had their Love Points increase! Mi Yang is now at 56."

"Xiang Xiuran is at 69, Su Chengwen at 67. We're already over 50% on the meter!" The voice was giddy with excitement, especially after witnessing that epic showdown.

Tang Qing was right—it really is better to let them fight for her attention!

Finally, the movie ended. As soon as Tang Qing stepped out, she bumped into Xiang Xiuran.

He must have been waiting for her. As always, Dr. Xiang wore a crisp white shirt and gold-rimmed glasses, exuding clean-cut sophistication.

"Here," he said, placing a piece of candy in her hand. "Horror movies are scary. Sugar gives you a happy boost."

"Sleep tight."

Still the same gentle, thoughtful Dr. Xiang, who now locked eyes with her with quiet intensity.

His gaze held nothing but her.

Suddenly, an annoying voice butted in from the side. "Xiang Xiuran, *I* was the one who got scared tonight. Why didn’t *I* get any candy?"

It was Mi Yang.

Despite being the first one out the door, he’d doubled back for some reason—and caught the two in what looked like a flirty exchange.

Mi Yang glared at the candy in Tang Qing’s hand, his irritation practically radiating off him.

"Xiang Xiuran, you really know how to care..." His tone oozed sarcasm. "I want one too."

Xiang Xiuran didn’t change expression. His warm tone turned cold in an instant. "All gone."

"Pfft, so it's favoritism then!"

"Why does she get one and I don't?"

Mi Yang needled him, annoyed at being left out of their little moment. He pouted like the squirrel he'd once given Tang Qing, eyes narrowed and lips pursed.

After a pause, Xiang Xiuran finally replied, calm and clear, "Yes. I only play favorites with one person."

"One piece of candy. One person."

Wait, what?

Did Xiang Xiuran just say that?

Normally dense Mi Yang almost couldn't believe his ears. Was that basically a low-key confession?

Almost immediately, Mi Yang whipped his head around to check Tang Qing’s expression. The woman looked clueless, as if she hadn’t caught what Xiang Xiuran had just said.

“Hey! Spouting crap like that for no reason is just asking for trouble!” In that moment, Mi Yang looked like a mother hen defending her chicks, shoving himself between Tang Qing and Xiang Xiuran.

Standing at nearly the same height, Mi Yang glared fiercely at Xiang Xiuran. “Quit the BS. It’s just a damn candy, not some stupid love token.”

“Candy’s handed out, Doc. Time to hit the hay, no?”

Locked in a stare, each sizing the other up, Xiang Xiuran spoke first. “Why so wound up?”

“Salty ‘cause you didn’t get the candy?”

Xiang Xiuran’s usual softness was gone, replaced by a natural bite in his tone.

Mi Yang realized—Xiang Xiuran was a straight-up two-faced snake! All sweetness and light with Tang Qing, but the moment he turned to Mi Yang, he became a prickly bastard.

“I don’t even like sweets! Some guys think handing out candy makes ‘em Prince Charming. Well, they should see if anyone even buys it.”

His pointed words carried no surrender. Mi Yang even tried to glare harder, determined to look more furious than Xiang Xiuran.

Maybe thinking Mi Yang wasn’t worth the effort, Xiang Xiuran gave up on their staring contest. He stepped back, flipping back into his fake-nice act. “Goodnight.”

Even after Xiang Xiuran disappeared completely, Mi Yang was still fired up.

He stayed in fight-mode for a while until Tang Qing patted his shoulder. “He’s gone. Still staring?”

“What, playing lovesick puppy now?”

Her mocking tone only made him angrier. He snapped around to face Tang Qing’s smiling face. “You even know—”

He cut himself off mid-sentence, clearly unwilling to continue.

Tang Qing tilted her head. “Know what?”

*Get what he was hinting at just now? Get that he likes you?*

The words should’ve flown out easily, but suddenly Mi Yang felt like his mouth got zipped shut. How damn stupid would he look, spelling it out for Xiang Xiuran?

Looking away awkwardly, he huffed, still fuming. “Tch. Midnight candy? Enjoy your dentist visit.”

“Night!” (he huffed)

He stormed off angrily, but after a few steps, Tang Qing watched in surprise as he stopped again. “What now?”

“I said goodnight to you.”

Tang Qing: “And?”

“Dammit! Say it back!”

“Why won’t you say goodnight to me?”

Totally exasperated, Tang Qing sometimes couldn’t wrap her head around this kid's brain logic. She muttered reluctantly, “Goodnight.”

Still not satisfied, Mi Yang grumbled under his breath, “Ugh, all cozy with everyone else…”

“But with me, it’s just this lame-ass reply.”

His bitterness was strong enough to feel from meters away. Tang Qing rolled her eyes so hard it hurt, muttering to the system, “Is this how all simps act?”

Tang Qing suddenly found herself missing the days when Mi Yang used to clash with her—he at least acted normal back then.

The system was ecstatic, hovering near Tang Qing’s ear and announcing the latest Love Points updates: Mi Yang had risen to 59, while Xiang Xiuran stood at 71.

"Hehehe, that’s the power of a love rival!" It had thought the day's surge in Love Points had reached its peak, but meeting the rival had sparked just a little more.

The system was thoroughly pleased, especially with Mi Yang.

The young master had a fiery temper and narrow-minded outlook—like a catfish, the kind that churns up still water and stirs everything into chaos...

"Tang Qing, Xiang Xiuran currently has the highest Love Points, but you two have never actually gone on a date..." Flipping through the Love Point records, the system even felt a twinge of pity for the second male lead, who still hadn’t had an official moment alone with Tang Qing.

The femme fatale glanced at the candy resting in her palm, a slow smile curling her lips as she spoke, "He’ll invite me."

Xiang Xiuran had already lost control of his emotions multiple times. With the added provocation from Mi Yang and Su Chengwen, he was about to snap.