XueLing would be a blatant liar if he claimed he was unbothered by at least fifteen out of twenty men practically drooling over XiShi, their eyes following her every move like she was a five-star meal and they hadn't eaten in years. It was utterly infuriating. And yet, a tiny, irritating part of him also wondered why the other five weren't looking. Shouldn't he be glad they weren't? Of course, that thought was a monument to his own hypocrisy. The man was a walking contradiction, a textbook example of lovesick obsession, probably the most possessive creature on the planet when it came to his precious XiShi. He'd tolerate pretty much anything for her. She was, after all, his entire world. He was old enough to have witnessed the rise and fall of civilizations, understood the fragile nature of life… well, except for his own, of course. Everyone seemed to agree he was pretty much invincible, and while he knew he wasn't some divine being, he also knew there'd be times when he had to leave XiShi alone. And the thought alone, oh, it made him bristle with anxiety. Considering she practically went into a state of panic over cockroaches? Absolutely not. He would never willingly leave her in the care of her so-called friends, who in his expert opinion, were far worse than a swarm of roaches.

The host, with a smile that was just a touch too bright, approached them. "Would the female like to select her partners now, or should we decide based on the results of the first round?"

XiShi considered the options, her eyes flicking to XueLing, who simply urged her silently to speak her mind. She had to admit, some of the men had caught her eye. One of them looked like a carbon copy of Gojo, that super hot anime character, and the other, the one who pointed at her? His entire vibe screamed black flag male lead from a BL manhua. Yeah, no. Okay,  maybe that was way too overboard......

"I think I'll decide after the results of the first round," she announced. Obviously. She wasn't about to juggle fifteen potential partners at once. That was, well, a tad excessive. And even if she could, how would she possibly have time to actually get to know any of them?

"You heard her," XueLing interjected, his tone laced with a possessive undertone, like he was daring anyone to challenge it.

"Very well," the host chirped, "Let the first round begin!" The dramatic pause practically oozed with artificial excitement.