Illicit Affair Price

Nicholas Iron Pillar calmly went outside to collect the delivery and placed it on the long dining table.

Gu Yifei still had mud on his face as he carefully leaned over for a look.

It was a huge bag full of Chinese breakfast foods—millet porridge, soy milk, fried dough sticks, tea eggs, everything imaginable, along with some fried breakfast items he had barely ever tried.

"I thought everyone's wallets had been frozen?" Jiang Ye asked. "How did you order delivery? Did the production team forget to freeze yours?"

After Shen Ranxin ordered delivery yesterday, all the guests' wallets had been frozen. With the surrounding network blocked, they could not even log into delivery apps to order food.

"How could that be? The production team even took the three yuan and twenty-six cents from my WeChat." Shen Ranxin took a deep breath and accused, "They have absolutely no humanity."

"Then how did you order delivery?" Fang Yu leaned closer, staring at the lavish spread of breakfast with envy, jealousy, and resentment.

"I ordered it the morning before yesterday, before my bank card was frozen." Shen Ranxin spoke with perfect confidence. "What? Don't you usually order delivery? Don't you know deliveries can be scheduled?"

Gu Yifei paused before asking, "So you ordered today's delivery the morning before yesterday?"

Shen Ranxin sat down. "No."

He took out the breakfast items one by one and arranged them on plates. "The morning before yesterday, I scheduled breakfast for the next month..."

Director Zheng: "..."

How was this acceptable?!

Seriously, they knew delivery platforms could schedule drop-offs, but what rich young master ordered delivery every single day?

Before coming onto this dating show, none of them had ever needed to worry about food.

Director Zheng hurriedly had a staff member bring over Shen Ranxin's phone. Sure enough, he had scheduled an entire month's worth of orders in advance!

Director Zheng completely lost it. "Shen Ranxin's actions count as a violation. The production team will cancel all remaining delivery orders!"

"But which rule of this dating show says I can't order delivery in advance?"

Director Zheng's face turned red from holding it in. "There is one now! All guests are forbidden from ordering delivery! During filming, no food delivery apps are allowed on anyone's phone!"

Shen Ranxin braced himself on the table and declared solemnly, "Then this meal should still count as mine, right?"

After all, it had already been delivered. Taking even this away would be downright shameless.

Director Zheng could only agree through gritted teeth.

Gu Yifei's eyes sparkled as he sat in his seat and said, "You ordered so much. You definitely can't finish it all by yourself..."

"Of course not. I didn't order it just for myself." Shen Ranxin tapped the tabletop with his long fingers. "Eggs, fried dough sticks, and all kinds of pastries: ten points. Noodles with gravy: twenty. Beef bone rice noodles: thirty. Soy milk, orange juice, milk, and other drinks: five points. Welcome, everyone."

Everyone: "..."

Production team: "..."

They had only just managed to save up some extra points, and Shen Ranxin was fucking earning them all back!

The production team had gone to such great lengths to reclaim the points in Shen Ranxin's hands, only for him to make a fortune again!

Director Chen took a deep breath and stretched out a trembling hand. "Bring me my Quick-Acting Heart Rescue Pills..."

Shen Ranxin had not come on a dating show to date. He had come to wreck the dating show!

Everyone obediently used points to exchange for Shen Ranxin's breakfast. Only Lu Zhi, who not only had no points but also owed the production team a hundred points, failed to get any breakfast from Shen Ranxin.

With his love rival going hungry, Cheng Cheng was naturally delighted. Holding the buns and soy milk he had exchanged with points, he practically wanted to sit right in front of Lu Zhi and eat.

Lu Zhi felt around in his pocket and discovered one overlooked plastic token. When he took it out, he saw that it was a one-point token.

One point could not even get him a breakfast bag, much less breakfast.

Lu Zhi did not particularly want breakfast, but Shen Ranxin had bought this breakfast.

He had never even eaten breakfast Shen Ranxin bought before!

Seeing Lu Zhi standing pitifully in the living room, Shen Ranxin cleared his throat. "Lu Zhi."

Lu Zhi raised his brows. "Hm?"

"You pay double."

Shen Ranxin did not look him in the eyes and muttered, "...But you can write an IOU."

Lu Zhi's lips curved into a smile. "Thank you, Teacher Shen."

Jiang Ye did not understand. Lowering his head, he asked Fang Yu beside him, "Why does Shen Ranxin charge Lu Zhi double every time, but he never gets angry? He even looks happy about it?"

Fang Yu blew on the soy milk in his bowl. "Kids shouldn't ask so many questions. Eat your breakfast."

Gu Yifei leaned over and quietly complained to Jiang Ye, "Because Shen Ranxin thinks Lu Zhi is a bastard. That's the bastard price."

Fang Yu whispered, "I think they're having an affair. This is just two scheming lovers flirting with each other."

Jiang Ye listened in a fog and nodded vaguely.

Cheng Cheng had just finished breakfast and came over to clean up. Seeing the three of them gathered together and whispering, he asked curiously, "What are you talking about?"

Gu Yifei and Fang Yu quickly separated, their expressions composed. "Nothing."

Only Jiang Ye frowned. "I was asking Teacher Fang why Teacher Shen always charges President Lu double, but President Lu never gets angry."

Lu Zhi's gaze swept over. "You're gossiping about me first thing in the morning? What did you say about me?"

Jiang Ye loudly announced, "Teacher Fang and Gu Yifei said you and Shen Ranxin are having an affair, so that's your affair price! They also said you two are scheming—mmph mmph mmph!"

Fang Yu clapped a hand over Jiang Ye's mouth.

Shen Ranxin: "Pfft—cough cough cough cough cough—"

He nearly choked to death on soy milk. Lu Zhi raised a hand to pat his back and lifted a brow. "Well said. We should frame that and hang it on the wall someday."

Shen Ranxin glared at him, swatted Lu Zhi's hand away, then looked at Fang Yu with a smile. "Teacher Fang, you'll pay double from now on too. I'll let you have an affair as well."

Fang Yu's face instantly fell. "Teacher Shen, listen to my explanation..."

Shen Ranxin did not want to hear it.

Having proudly received the affair price, Fang Yu looked at Jiang Ye with a face full of joy.

Jiang Ye blinked and belatedly asked, "...Did I say something wrong?"

"You didn't." Fang Yu took a deep breath. "I was the one who was wrong."

Gu Yifei had narrowly escaped the affair price. Standing beside Fang Yu, he sighed. "Teacher Fang, you died a worthy death."

"...I told you not to include Jiang Ye when you whisper in the future!"

"Got it..."

After that breakfast, which had sent Director Zheng's heart racing, it was time for the even more eagerly anticipated task segment.

Today's task was for the guests to work in pairs, head to the city center, and spend the day earning money. Their earnings would then be exchanged for points at a ten-to-one rate—ten yuan for one point.

In "Instant Heart," points guaranteed the guests' quality of life. From the very beginning, the points available to them had been extremely limited, so today's task was crucial.

Director Chen glanced at Lu Zhi, then at Shen Ranxin.

Those two disasters absolutely could not end up on the same team!

Otherwise, he did not even dare imagine how unbearable that team's livestream would be!

His life was a life too. This livestream could not survive another ban!

So Director Chen stipulated that Alphas could only team up with omegas, with the teams decided by drawing lots.

Shen Ranxin was the first to go up and draw.

The production team temporarily checked the slips in the box, making sure someone had not secretly replaced every slip with his own name. Only then did they let Shen Ranxin draw.

Shen Ranxin casually reached in and pulled out a slip.

The name on it was—

Under the production team's strict watch, the box was not filled entirely with Lu Zhi's name, nor did Shen Ranxin happen to draw Cheng Cheng.

Shen Ranxin drew Gu Yifei.

When Shen Ranxin showed the name on the slip to the camera, Gu Yifei's entire gaze lit up.

"Is it me?" Gu Yifei confirmed it again and again, so excited that his whole face turned red. "It's really me, Shen Ranxin, you—"

His beautiful face was flushed with excitement. When he turned to look at Shen Ranxin, he forced himself to calm down, lifted his snowy chin, and gave a catlike huff. "Your luck isn't bad."

Shen Ranxin nodded and slipped the paper into his pocket. "It isn't."

Yes!

Not the male lead, and not the male lead's love interest.

There was no task for him in this round!

Getting off work felt amazing!!

Shen Ranxin's happiness and relaxation were obvious to the naked eye, and Gu Yifei's eyes nearly curved into crescents with his smile.

Fang Yu, that aging movie emperor and longtime single dog, was just inferior!

He had even claimed Shen Ranxin and Lu Zhi were having an affair.

Clearly, Shen Ranxin liked omegas more, didn't he?

Otherwise, why would Shen Ranxin be so happy to draw him instead of Lu Zhi?

Jiang Ye was the second to draw.

Watching his back, Fang Yu inexplicably became nervous. He hoped Jiang Ye would draw him... but perhaps he did not hope for that either.

Just as he was struggling with himself, Jiang Ye looked down at the slip in his hand, paused, tucked it into his pants pocket, and expressionlessly told the camera, "It's Teacher Fang Yu."

Fang Yu's heart jumped. His ears instantly reddened, and he pressed his lips together without saying anything.

Then the remaining pair would be—

Everyone turned to look at Lu Zhi and Cheng Cheng.

The barrage fell silent for a moment before instantly exploding.

[Grandma!!! Wake up, the couple you ship is alive again!]

[Granddaughter, loosen the dirt for me. Grandma is climbing out right now...]

[I never thought our Cheng-Zhi Couple would have a day of resurrection!]

[Have you forgotten what happened the last time your Cheng-Zhi Couple came back to life?]

[I'm dying, the Cheng-Zhi Couple fans' hanging hearts have finally died.]

[I don't care! They're in the same shot! I'm sitting up in my coffin again!]

[Your Cheng-Zhi Couple has done coffin sit-ups so many times. True love really is fitness.]

[Who shattered quietly? I won't say.]

For once, Lu Zhi did not object. After exchanging a look with Cheng Cheng, he tacitly accepted the pairing.

The groups separately took cars to the city center.

Shen Ranxin took Gu Yifei and wandered around the shopping mall downtown first.

Gu Yifei could never sit still. After spending several days in the little villa for the dating show, he was like a restless bird set loose, flying everywhere.

"Shen Ranxin, I want ice cream!" Gu Yifei stared at the ice cream in the display window, his eyes shining with craving.

Shen Ranxin looked around.

This was a large mall with plenty of foot traffic, but there were basically no job opportunities...

There was a flyer-distribution job downstairs, but it paid far too little. Converted into points, it would be even less.

Shen Ranxin raised a brow. "You want ice cream?"

"Mhm, mhm. Will you buy it for me?" Gu Yifei clasped his hands together, blinking his beautiful eyes. "I haven't had any in forever. My agent won't let me eat it. She says I'll gain weight. Don't you think she's being too much?"

Shen Ranxin nodded. "It should be fine once in a while."

Gu Yifei said, "It would be fine even if I ate it often. I don't make a living off my face anyway... I'm a rising star in the music world, a genius little Chopin. As long as I show off my singing voice a little, then—"

Shen Ranxin pinched his mouth shut. "Enough. Please put away your singing voice. Actually, your agent is doing it for your own good."

As he spoke, he suddenly paused. Looking at Gu Yifei, his gaze became unfathomable. "There are so many people here. If you can show off your singing voice here, your music's reach will surely rise to another level. We can make money from your songs too. What do you think?"

Gu Yifei said unwillingly, "No. I'm expensive."

Through the glass, Shen Ranxin pointed at the various ice creams in the display. "Two servings. Get the large ones."

Gu Yifei, who would not yield to force or poverty, voiced his protest. "Three!"

Shen Ranxin said, "Deal. Go downstairs first. I'll borrow some equipment."

[Shen Ranxin isn't planning to make Gu Yifei busk for money, is he?]

[Then he's really lost his mind...]

[Selling Gu Yifei to a nightclub would be more reliable than having him sing!]

[You know what, you're right. With Little Gu's face, he'd become famous overnight and leave behind an unforgettable legend in the nightclub world.]

[Where is he selling? I'll come support him!]

[Enough, stop talking! The production team's lives matter too!]

[If the livestream gets banned again, I don't dare imagine how many expressions Director Chen's face will go through.]

[No, I just feel like, with Shen Ranxin's wild moves, this can't be so simple.]

On camera, Shen Ranxin calmly entered a household goods store in the mall. Less than half an hour later, he came out empty-handed, without the equipment Gu Yifei needed.

He visited four or five stores in a row, making the rounds through every large and small household goods shop in the mall. More than two hours later, he dragged a crude set of equipment out of the mall's broadcasting room and found Gu Yifei wandering around on the first floor.

"Why did you take so long?" Gu Yifei complained. "I've been waiting here forever."

If Fang Yu was an omega like an Alpha, and Cheng Cheng was a sweet-looking but dark-hearted omega, then Gu Yifei was a textbook omega.

Delicate, refined, fond of acting spoiled, and effortlessly able to display the advantages of being an omega around anyone. So even when he was a little willful, people could not bring themselves to dislike him.

"This is so shabby." Gu Yifei wrinkled his little nose. "I've never sung with equipment this shabby before."

Shen Ranxin placed the equipment before him. "I couldn't find anything better. Make do with it."

Gu Yifei pursed his lips. For the sake of three large servings of ice cream, he reluctantly convinced himself and crouched down to arrange the equipment.

Shen Ranxin turned around. While Gu Yifei fiddled with the equipment, he waved upstairs.

The household goods stores he had just visited promptly put up enormous neon signs—

"Today's Special: Earplugs, 19.9 yuan a pair!"

[Good, good, good. I knew Shen Ranxin would never do something as self-destructive as moths flying into a flame.]

[I understand reverse thinking, but this is way too reverse...]

[Nobody can withstand Gu Yifei's torment for more than three minutes. I said what I said.]

[I think I need those earplugs too.]

[I've already turned my volume to zero. Tell me when Gu Yifei finishes singing.]

[Are you insane? Earplugs normally cost 9.9 yuan a pair! Shen Ranxin, you scammer, doubled the price and still dared call it a special!]

[Enough! Us Fei fans need dignity too! Who says our baby can't sing? (puts in earplugs) Our baby is the best! (puts in the other one)]

In the livestream, Gu Yifei tested the microphone and took a deep breath. Then music began playing from the outdated equipment—

The already suffocating music became even more unbearable after being mangled by the equipment.

Everyone in the mall jolted and turned to look in his direction.

Gu Yifei sang with complete abandon, utterly oblivious to the changes in everyone's expressions.

But given his fame, quite a few people in the mall recognized him.

Shen Ranxin had anticipated this long ago and arranged for security personnel to protect Gu Yifei.

The stores advertising discounted earplugs were instantly packed.

Although the earplugs cost more than their usual price, people still bought them without complaint.

Some of them had to stay because they worked at the mall, while others simply wanted to take photos or videos but truly could not endure Gu Yifei's vocal devastation, so they had no choice but to pay for earplugs...