You're Such a Dog

After breakfast, the production team handed out the guests' task for the first day.

A huge van drove over from the distance, carrying several saplings. A fragrant scent spread through the air.

Director Chen introduced them, "These are Paperbush saplings. Since ancient times, Paperbush has symbolized 'joyfully joining branches,' and its unique fragrance and shape have made it widely beloved."

"There are six Paperbush saplings here. Your task today is to plant all six. From now on, these Paperbush trees will be your very own love trees! During filming, each of you will receive a red string every day, representing the threads of love. You can tie it onto the Paperbush tree of the person who makes your heart flutter. Maybe one day, he'll understand your feelings!"

Cheng Cheng subconsciously glanced at Shen Ranxin.

Shen Ranxin was not moved in the slightest by the romantic atmosphere Director Chen had painted. He rolled up his sleeves, bent down to pick up a shovel beside him, and started looking for a place to plant his tree.

The other guests also picked up their tools and began choosing spots in the large open space ahead.

Shen Ranxin finally picked a patch of soft, fertile soil and quickly began digging a hole. Cheng Cheng dug a small hole beside him as well.

Everyone huffed and puffed as they dug, wanting to plant their trees as quickly as possible. The sun overhead was growing harsher by the minute, and they all worked in the entertainment industry—either actors or idols, people who made a living with their faces. Their skin could not withstand that much sun.

Only Gu Yifei seemed utterly unaware that he, too, made a living with his face. He critically selected the sapling he found most artistic out of the six, then patted Jiang Ye on the shoulder.

"Hey, dig for me."

Jiang Ye's pale skin had turned red from the sun. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and frowned. "I haven't even finished planting mine."

Gu Yifei did not dare provoke Shen Ranxin, much less Lu Zhi, but Jiang Ye, this straightforward silly Alpha, looked much easier to fool.

"Help me plant mine first. You have to plant your own anyway. You can't expect me, an omega, to dig a hole, can you?"

Jiang Ye glanced at Fang Yu and Cheng Cheng, who were both diligently digging their own holes. "Why can't omegas dig their own holes? They're doing it themselves. You can't because you don't have hands?"

"How am I the same as them? My hands are for playing musical instruments. I can't do this kind of rough work!" Gu Yifei pouted. "You're an Alpha, so you should help me. You have no manners at all. Why did you even come on a dating show? You might as well go home and play your games..."

Jiang Ye could not be bothered to keep arguing with him. He also could not look too cold in front of the cameras, so he could only lift his shovel and ask, "Where do I dig?"

Gu Yifei pointed at a spot not far away. "Here."

Jiang Ye huffed and puffed as he dug a hole more than thirty centimeters deep. Gu Yifei said unhappily, "Forget it, forget it. This patch of ground doesn't look very good. Let's change places."

Jiang Ye: "..."

Gu Yifei picked another spot, and after Jiang Ye had dug for ages, he was still dissatisfied and wanted to change places again.

Jiang Ye furrowed his brow, a hint of impatience showing through. "Last time. If you want to change places again, dig it yourself."

"Why are you so impatient? I just want to find the most suitable place for my love tree." Gu Yifei snorted. "Didn't you come on this dating show to earn money to replace your team's equipment? As long as you obediently help me work, I'll cover the money for that equipment!"

Jiang Ye pursed his lips and said nothing.

At that moment, Fang Yu's hand reached over and gripped Jiang Ye's shovel.

Jiang Ye froze for a moment, then looked up.

Fang Yu was exhausted too, but standing under the sunlight, he looked incredibly sexy.

His skin was a healthy wheat color, and sweat slid down from his neck into the collar of his white shirt, pooling in his delicate collarbones before dripping uncontrollably lower, soaking the fabric over his chest.

Jiang Ye's throat tightened. He instinctively swallowed, turned away, and rubbed at the tips of his burning ears.

So thirsty... Was it because it was too hot?

[It's way too hot today. Our baby Jiang Ye has been roasted into a red-tailed shrimp.]

[Remember to put on sunscreen! Little Jiang Captain is so pale, he'll burn so easily!]

[Gu Yifei, please let our Little Jiang Captain go. He's practically about to peel from sunburn!]

[Gu Yifei's persona has always been that of a high-maintenance beauty, but this is too much. Little Jiang Captain hasn't even planted his own tree, and he's already huffed and puffed through four or five holes for him!]

[Movie Emperor Fang, please save our Little Jiang Captain! He's still young and doesn't know how to refuse!]

Fang Yu smiled and said, "I've already planted my tree. How about I help you dig, and Little Jiang can go finish planting his own?"

Gu Yifei whined, "Then you'd better dig properly. You're an omega—what if you can't manage it?"

Fang Yu gave Jiang Ye a push, telling him to finish his own task first. Then he picked up the shovel and began digging the hole Jiang Ye had left unfinished.

Jiang Ye took two steps, then stubbornly came back and said, "I'll do it. You go rest."

Fang Yu waved a hand. "Oh, no need. I work out regularly. This amount of work is nothing to me..."

*

While they were arguing over there, Shen Ranxin and the other two stood leaning on their shovels before a rectangular pit three meters long, one meter wide, and fifty centimeters deep, lost in thought.

After a long while, Shen Ranxin said, "I told you to dig holes to plant trees, not graves. Who are you planning to bury alive in this pit?"

Shen Ranxin had originally been digging just fine on his own, but Lu Zhi and Cheng Cheng insisted on digging beside him. As they kept digging, the three holes connected into one, forming this pit that looked fit for a burial.

They had already dug it, so they might as well bury someone in it... no, plant the trees in it.

Thus, three trees were planted side by side in that pit. Once they finished, the three turned around and discovered the argument over here.

Shen Ranxin carried his shovel over.

The moment Gu Yifei saw Shen Ranxin, he broke out in a cold sweat despite the scorching heat. "Y-you, what are you coming over for?"

Shen Ranxin said, "We're done. I came to see whether you need any help."

"No, no!" Gu Yifei immediately said. "There's nothing we need your help with!"

Shen Ranxin nodded. "Little Jiang Captain, then let's go."

Jiang Ye tugged Fang Yu along, and the group turned toward a patch of shade in the distance.

Gu Yifei wanted to call them back, but he was too afraid to. Shen Ranxin from last night had left him with quite a psychological shadow, one that would probably take several days to digest. So he could only hold back his tears and dig by himself.

But after only two digs, his shovel suddenly struck something hard, numbing his arm from the impact.

He looked down and saw what seemed to be a black jar.

Gu Yifei hurriedly called out to Fang Yu, "F-Fang, come take a look! I think I dug up something!"

The people walking ahead heard Gu Yifei's voice and all came back.

"He really dug something up." Cheng Cheng looked at the jar. "What is this?"

"It's probably the kind of jar farmers use to pickle vegetables. It got buried in the soil," Jiang Ye guessed.

Fang Yu suddenly said, "You mean... it's old-jar pickled mustard greens?"

Everyone: "..."

A gust of cold wind swept past, and Shen Ranxin said faintly, "Shh. You can't say that kind of thing carelessly."

"W-why?" Gu Yifei's face turned deathly pale, as if he had thought of another kind of thing kept in jars.

"Because..." Shen Ranxin lowered his voice even further, somehow making the hottest days of summer feel bone-chillingly cold.

Gu Yifei's legs went weak, and he collapsed onto the ground. His fingers touched the black earthenware jar, and he instantly screamed, frightening himself into fainting on the spot!

"Because old-jar pickled mustard greens didn't pay for advertising." Shen Ranxin blinked and looked at the unconscious Gu Yifei in confusion. "Look how tired the kid is. He fell asleep right in the field. Being young is great—you can fall asleep the moment your head hits the ground."

Everyone: "..."

You're really such a dog!