Today marked the premiere of the first episode of Season Three of The Heartthrob Lovers.
Because the show was filmed and edited as it progressed, there was only a one-week gap between the actual filming schedule and the broadcast.
As a result, countless viewers became hopelessly invested in the contestants’ relationships. Many of them even scoured each guest’s social media accounts for clues, trying to guess whether their favorite couples would end up together.
Zhang Xiaotao was one such shipper.
She was also a devoted viewer of the first two seasons of The Heartthrob Lovers.
The moment she heard that Season Three was about to premiere, she had gotten ready and stationed herself in front of the screen.
At exactly noon, Season Three of The Heartthrob Lovers began airing on schedule.
Zhang Xiaotao clicked on the first episode, barely able to contain her excitement.
The video opened with side-profile shots of each contestant standing amid light and shadow, followed by a short self-introduction from each of them.
Every season, Zhang Xiaotao had a favorite female contestant, so she watched particularly closely as the women introduced themselves.
The first woman stood ramrod straight and said, “I think love is like building with blocks. The foundation has to be solid.”
The second woman’s voice was sweet and her tone lively. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been in love, so I’m really hoping to date a handsome guy!”
Zhang Xiaotao couldn’t help laughing along.
That was way too honest!
The third woman stood with elegant poise. It was immediately obvious that she had dance training. Her voice was gentle as she said, “I only want to find a pure relationship in this fast-paced life. Nothing to do with identity, status, or wealth—only because of the other person’s soul.”
Zhang Xiaotao watched her for a few more seconds.
This contestant seemed like an artsy type. Maybe she studied art?
Unlike the first three, the fourth woman was sitting on a tall barstool. Her long hair fell in shadow all the way to her waist, the ends curling slightly. Even in profile, she was breathtakingly beautiful.
“My view of love is that he has to like me more than I like him. I want to be unconditionally cherished. Otherwise, what’s the point of dating?”
As soon as she finished speaking, Zhang Xiaotao saw several comments appear across the screen, cursing the fourth woman.
Her words had been far too honest, exposing those dark little thoughts people preferred to keep hidden in the sunlight.
Tsk. She really dared to say that!
Wasn’t she afraid of getting cyberbullied?
Zhang Xiaotao silently lit a candle for her in her heart.
The scene shifted.
The screen dividing the contestants was removed, and the four women’s true appearances appeared before the audience.
The first woman had short hair and wore denim overalls with thin-rimmed glasses. Her expression was stern, and she looked like someone who rarely smiled.
In a serious tone, she said, “My name is Zhang Weiyi. I’m twenty-seven years old, and I’ve never been in a relationship.”
The second woman wore a sweet blue-and-white checkered dress. She had a round face and an extremely approachable air.
With her eyes curved into crescents, she said, “My name is Wang Aitian, but everyone can call me Tiantian. I’m twenty-six. As for my relationship experience…” She raised two fingers.
The third woman wore a flowing white spaghetti-strap dress that revealed plenty of skin. Her long, straight black hair and ethereal beauty gave her the air of a goddess.
Her voice was soft and pleasant.
“I’m Liu Qingye. You can call me Qingqing or Yezi. I’m twenty-four.”
Her face flushed slightly, and she continued in a quiet voice, “I dated an upperclassman once in college. It only lasted half a month, so I’m not sure whether that counts as a relationship.”
The fourth woman wore a bright red spaghetti-strap top and denim shorts, revealing a pair of long, straight legs. Her striking features were the kind often described as intensely beautiful, and every gesture she made carried a seductive charm.
“Hello, everyone. I’m Ji Liuyue. Ji as in ‘season,’ liu as in ‘colored glaze,’ and yue as in ‘moon.’ I don’t have a nickname, so you can call me Liuyue or Yueyue.”
“I’m twenty-five, and I’ve been in four relationships. Well…”
She seemed to look directly at the camera, smiling sweetly.
“Why are you all staring at me like that? Is that considered a lot for a woman my age, or not very much? I think it’s perfectly normal for a beautiful woman my age to date a few people, don’t you?”
Zhang Xiaotao’s gaze immediately locked onto the third and fourth beauties.
Both of them had said such interesting things.
And they were both stunningly beautiful.
One was a white jasmine, while the other was a red peony.
They were practically the embodiment of a pure first love and an unforgettable lost love.
The production team had really outdone themselves this time!
As a devoted beauty lover, Zhang Xiaotao was thrilled.
She watched the introductions of the male contestants again. Their overall quality was quite good too.
The first man was Cen Yu, twenty-eight years old, with three relationships under his belt. He wasn’t the kind of man who dazzled at first sight, but he became more attractive the longer one looked at him.
The second man was Ji Mingtian, twenty-nine years old, with five relationships. He jokingly added that he counted his unrequited crushes too, making him a classic funny guy.
The third man was Lu Nanxun, thirty years old.
He was currently the oldest male contestant. Zhang Xiaotao had just been about to purse her lips in disappointment when he announced that he had been single since birth.
Wow!
A thirty-year-old virgin was a rare sight.
What was more, he had refined, handsome features and a deep, scholarly air. In the video, he wore a white doctor’s coat, indirectly revealing something about his profession.
Zhang Xiaotao nodded in satisfaction.
Not bad.
The fourth man was Xu Jinsi, twenty-eight years old. When asked how many relationships he had been in, he answered, “I’ve lost count.”
Uh…
Just moments ago, Zhang Xiaotao had been captivated by this handsome man’s looks. With his flirtatious eyes, even a dog would seem to receive his undivided affection.
But the moment she heard how many relationships he’d had, she instantly lost interest.
What the heck?
A womanizer?!
Just as she was thinking that, Xu Jinsi lifted his chin, his air arrogant and haughty.
He explained unhurriedly, “I’ve never counted the number of relationships I’ve had, so I can’t say how many there were. That’s my answer. Is there a problem?”
(P.S. Putting a dog-head emoji here to save my life: Xu is actually a virgin and has never dated anyone. He only said he’d lost count because he wanted to look cool.)
Oh, great!
Not only was he a womanizer, but he was arrogant too?!
The video then proceeded to the blind-selection dates.
Each of the male and female contestants wrote a short paragraph, after which the opposite sex could choose whom they wanted to meet.
The contestants could then go on a brief date with the person they selected. If someone else chose the same person, the date might become a three-person date.
Of course, if the two contestants chose each other, that would be even better.
The scene switched to a movie theater.
Wang Aitian stood by the ticket gate, glancing around at the passing crowd as she searched for the male contestants.
Just then, someone gently tapped her on the shoulder.
Wang Aitian spun around and found a tall, slender man in a white T-shirt standing beside her.
“Hello, I’m Cen Yu.” He smiled and extended his hand. “You’re one of the female contestants, right?”
Wang Aitian came back to her senses and nodded repeatedly, her cheeks turning pink.
“Yes, I’m Wang Aitian. You can call me Tiantian.”
“Um… What movie are we watching today?”
When people were nervous, they often became awkward and flustered.
Cen Yu smiled again and took out the movie tickets.
“I bought tickets for three films: an art-house movie, a romance, and a horror film. Which one would you like to watch?”
Wang Aitian’s eyes widened.
She hadn’t expected Cen Yu to be so thoughtful.
“I-I think we should watch the horror movie.”
She had heard online that watching a horror movie together was the best way for two people to spark feelings for each other.
Cen Yu smiled.
“All right.”
The scene changed again.
The two of them were sitting in the last row of the theater, while the big screen showed a female ghost suddenly lunging into view.
Wang Aitian was so frightened that she immediately turned her head, squeezed her eyes shut, and leaned to the left.
Cen Yu reached out and chivalrously steadied her.
“If you’re scared, you can hold on to my sleeve.”
“O-Okay. Thank you.”
Wang Aitian lowered her head and timidly pinched his sleeve.
An ambiguous tension began to spread silently between them.
