We Really Are a Proper Dating Show

Director Chen communicated with the livestream platform's managers with a blank expression.

He had never handled this sort of thing before, but now he was practically a natural at it.

Other than Shen Ranxin, who was asleep, the guests all sat obediently in a row on the sofa, watching Director Chen pace back and forth rapidly in front of them.

"Yes, I admit what he said was ambiguous, but it was only ambiguous!"

"What do you mean our show isn't proper? What's wrong with a dating show having a little suggestive atmosphere?! I'm asking you, what! Is! Wrong! With! That!"

"Lu Zhi's words had serious sexual implications? Implications of what?! Your minds are the ones in the gutter! You say him getting off Shen Ranxin was ambiguous? What was ambiguous about it? They were doing partner push-ups! They finished! Then Lu Zhi got off Shen Ranxin! What was wrong with that?"

"What do you mean they can't do partner push-ups? Why can't they? Who says they can't?"

"I think your mind is the one that isn't clear! Before the show started, I even treated you to a foot massage! Is this how you repay me?! Hurry up and lift the ban, got it? Or I'll charge into your house and pluck out all three hairs on your head!"

Jiang Ye tilted his head back, watching Director Chen's spit fly, then silently pulled out a wet wipe and wiped his face. "Director Chen would probably be pretty good at trash-talking if he competed."

Fang Yu fell silent for a moment before saying, "Hug him. He's about to fall apart."

Only Gu Yifei, full of curiosity, tugged Cheng Cheng over. His eyes were filled with inquiry. "What were you talking about just now? What do you mean, getting off Shen Ranxin? Why were you doing partner push-ups for no reason? I want to do partner push-ups with Shen Ranxin too."

Lu Zhi cast him a smiling glance. "You'd be better off doing sit-ups in a coffin."

Gu Yifei glared at Lu Zhi. "You've got the nerve to talk? Why did Shen Ranxin go to sleep so early? Did you bully him again?"

Lu Zhi spoke lazily. "Yeah. I bullied him until his eyes were full of tears, and he even tipped his head back and told me he wanted more. What, Young Master Gu interested? I can tell you every single word..."

Director Chen, who was on the verge of losing it, pointed at Lu Zhi. "You, shut up!"

Resting his chin on his hand, Lu Zhi smiled. "How tough, Director Chen."

Director Chen: "..."

Director Chen: "Ahem, I was reminding you. After all, Lu Group invested quite a lot in Fleeting Moments. You wouldn't want it to be forced off the air, would you?"

He had truly been so angry that he lost his mind. He had even dared to yell at a sponsor!

Lu Zhi lowered the leg he had casually crossed over the other. "Watch it next time."

Director Chen let out a sigh of relief, nodded, and continued shouting at the livestream platform's representative, trying to make him understand through sheer volume that Lu Zhi had merely been talking dirty and had not actually gotten down to business.

After half an hour of shouting, the livestream finally went back online.

Director Chen drank a huge glass of water to soothe his smoking throat. "Everyone, rest tonight. Starting tomorrow, this season of our dating show will enter a brand-new environment!"

Gu Yifei looked up. "Since it's a brand-new environment, will the dorm assignments be reshuffled?"

At the mention of reshuffling the dorm assignments, Cheng Cheng's eyes, which had previously looked calm and uninterested in anything, suddenly lit up. He looked at Director Chen expectantly.

As a beta, Director Chen had never in his life been watched by two such high-quality, beautiful omegas. He became a little shy for a moment. "Well..."

Lu Zhi gave a soft scoff. "I don't really understand the rules of dating shows, but it seems like an Alpha and Omega wouldn't be assigned to the same room, right?"

Jiang Ye, sitting to the side, nodded. "Mm. Teacher Fang Yu said that would be too obscene."

Fang Yu reached over and slapped a hand over his mouth.

"Didn't I tell you not to say everything out loud?!"

Jiang Ye looked at him innocently and blinked. "Okay."

Fang Yu gave the camera an impeccable smile. "Children say whatever comes to mind. The kid was talking nonsense."

Jiang Ye hesitated, then nodded along. "Mm."

[Goddamn it, this dating show is a complete collection of every kind of poison! Shen Ranxin is violent, Lu Zhi turns everything dirty, Cheng Cheng is sarcastic, Gu Yifei arranges funerals, Fang Yu... Fang Yu, this thirtysomething Best Actor, charges straight into the frontline of gossip every day and has corrupted our little Captain Jiang too.]

[Exactly! Back then, how could our little Captain Jiang possibly have said a word as obscene as "obscene"? Now he says it without even changing expression!]

[The world where only Director Chen gets hurt has been achieved.]

[You know what, these past few days, all my attention has been drawn to Shen Ranxin. I forgot I originally came for Fang Yu!]

[Fang Yu has been really close to little Captain Jiang lately. The two stick together every day, and Fang Yu even complains with little Captain Jiang!]

[Girl, I hadn't noticed until you said it! I'm going back to watch Fang Yu and little Captain Jiang's livestream replays right now!]

[Am I the only one more concerned about the brand-new living environment Director Chen mentioned? Fleeting Moments has filmed so many seasons, but there's never been a precedent for changing locations halfway through, right?]

[Could it be that they're moving to a new mansion just so Lu Zhi and Shen Ranxin can be separated?]

Lu Zhi had no interest in Fang Yu or whatever arrangements were being made. Right now, all he wanted was to go back and sleep while holding his darling.

The moment Director Chen finished his announcement, he stood and went upstairs without hesitation.

Shen Ranxin was sleeping soundly beneath the blankets. Perhaps he had been too exhausted from all the fuss these past few days, or perhaps Lu Zhi had bullied him too hard earlier. Shen Ranxin, who usually slept lightly, did not wake even when Lu Zhi slipped in and held him.

Lu Zhi wrapped his arms around him from behind, brushing his nose against the back of Shen Ranxin's neck.

He seemed especially fond of that spot.

The faint scent of agarwood seemed to calm the mind.

Logically, he should have rejected the scent of another Alpha's pheromones.

Yet he loved the scent of Shen Ranxin's pheromones beyond measure.

Could it be because of... his father?

Shen Ranxin, in Lu Zhi's arms, seemed to feel warm. He frowned and turned over.

Lu Zhi gently stroked his back, again and again. Shen Ranxin let out a comfortable hum, seeming to mumble something under his breath.

When Lu Zhi leaned closer to listen, he realized Shen Ranxin was calling, "Zhi Zhi."

"You didn't always call me that, actually." Lu Zhi muttered, "You thought I didn't like it, so you only called me Zhi Zhi when you were especially happy. You were clearly an Alpha, yet so cute that people wanted to pin you down and bully you. Back then, I thought we still had plenty of time... I should have told you long ago that I really liked that name. Especially when you called me that. It made me feel like there was always somewhere in this world I could go."

Shen Ranxin's breathing gradually steadied. Then he opened his mouth, bit Lu Zhi's collarbone, and began happily sucking on it like a duck neck again...

"Still the same as before. Once you're asleep, you start chewing on people." Lu Zhi sighed softly and pulled Shen Ranxin completely into his arms.