Taking the Rival's Path

Even the crazily scrolling comments fell eerily silent for three seconds.

Then a single [???] successfully broke the dead zone.

The comments instantly began flying by like mad, most of them screaming and wailing for Shen Ranxin to stay away from Lu Zhi and Cheng Cheng.

[What's going on? Why do I feel like something's not right?]

[No, is this domineering CEO blind? Isn't his wife standing right beside him?]

[I mean, the way Lu Zhi looked at Shen Ranxin just now was practically dripping with affection, right? Did my ship sink before it even set sail?]

[No!!! I don't believe it! Lu Zhi must have been shy! He was too embarrassed to confess directly to Little Cheng, so he used Shen Ranxin as a substitute!]

[I think it's pretty good, though. Even taking a huge step back, Shen Ranxin's looks are worthy of Lu Zhi, right? The two of them standing together are a frosty beauty and an unruly young master. A state banquet!]

[Putting everything in a banquet will only ruin you!]

[Nope! That lawbreaking scumbag, back off! Don't touch President Lu!]

It was only when Director Chen called Shen Ranxin that he snapped out of it and instinctively raised a hand to touch his neck.

The cool, silky sensation of the red satin ribbon seemed to still linger there.

Shen Ranxin: "..."

If he ended up with him in the future, wouldn't he get beaten up?

His pitying gaze landed on Cheng Cheng before swiftly withdrawing.

Forget it. He should pity himself instead.

Being cannon fodder and a simp wasn't enough; he even had to serve as background scenery for the two leads!

Was he the only tool in this novel world?

If not for the hundred-billion bonus, he wouldn't put up with this!

Director Chen had someone bring him a red cord for the final game.

Shen Ranxin looked around. Following his character setting, he gave the red cord to Cheng Cheng.

Cheng Cheng held out an arm. Just as Shen Ranxin was about to tie the red cord around it, Lu Zhi suddenly said, "Teacher Shen, my arm seems to hurt a little."

Everyone's attention turned to Lu Zhi. He lightly raised his arm, revealing an innocent smile. "I think I hurt it when you pushed me in the closet earlier. I don't know if it's bruised. Teacher Shen, you have to take responsibility."

Shen Ranxin gritted his teeth. "You're an Alpha. What the hell do I need to take responsibility for? Get lost."

Lu Zhi lowered his eyes and said listlessly, "Oh."

Like an abandoned cat.

Shen Ranxin pressed his lips together and pretended not to see it, lowering his head to tie the red cord around Cheng Cheng's wrist.

Director Chen ingratiatingly had a staff member step forward to ask how Lu Zhi's arm was, and whether he needed to be sent to the hospital.

Lu Zhi spoke gently. "It's fine. I'm okay. It doesn't hurt that much. Really, it's not Teacher Shen's fault either. I must have been too close to Teacher Shen, and he wasn't used to it. At the time, there was only this much distance between us. He smelled really nice, too, and his waist..."

Cheng Cheng looked at him, his face turning green.

Lu Zhi raised his brows. This was a move to pull the rug out from under the rival—take the rival's path and leave the rival nowhere to go!

Sure enough, Shen Ranxin removed the red cord from Cheng Cheng's hand and turned to glare furiously at Lu Zhi!

Lu Zhi looked at him innocently. "What's wrong, Teacher Shen? Is that something I'm not supposed to say..."

Shen Ranxin clenched his back teeth as nameless rage surged up. He directly flung the red cord at Lu Zhi's face and said coldly, "Shut up. I'm withdrawing too!"

The end of the red cord struck the corner of Lu Zhi's eye. It looked like it had hit him hard, and a pink mark instantly appeared there.

Just a little closer, and if it had struck his eye, the consequences could have been unimaginable.

The production crew immediately panicked. Quite a few people crowded around, wanting to check Lu Zhi's injury.

Shen Ranxin froze.

He had been both anxious and angry just now, his mind filled with the outrageous things Lu Zhi had done to him in the closet.

Afraid Lu Zhi would blurt everything out, he had finally lost his patience and thrown the red cord at him. He had never expected such a light little cord to do so much damage.

Lu Zhi casually rubbed at the corner of his eye and unobtrusively pushed away the staff crowding around him. "I'm fine. It doesn't hurt much."

Shen Ranxin: "..."

What the hell was wrong with this male lead Alpha?

Why did he keep seducing him?!

As a straight man, why did he think that pink mark at the corner of Lu Zhi's eye looked so suggestive and sexy?!!

Nope!! Don't do this to me!!!

A stampede of alpacas tore through Teacher Shen's heart, but he still maintained the composure expected of a frosty beauty. Without changing expression, he pinched his palm and retreated to his original spot.

Only after confirming again and again that Lu Zhi was fine did filming continue.

The six games had ended. Based on the results, Fang Yu, who had taken only three seconds, naturally came first among the omegas. He clasped his hands jokingly. "Thanks for going easy on me, little brothers. Then this big brother will humbly accept. Good night, everyone!"

With that, he picked up the suitcase left downstairs and went up to the second floor.

Gu Yifei and Cheng Cheng exchanged a glance, then could only carry their own suitcases into their room together.

Among the Alphas, since both Lu Zhi and Shen Ranxin had withdrawn, Jiang Ye earned the right to stay in the single room.

Jiang Ye frowned. After a long while, he finally asked, "Did you withdraw just to let me have it?"

Shen Ranxin narrowed his eyes with a smile. "What do you think?"

Jiang Ye stared blankly at the camera. Two seconds later, he turned back to Shen Ranxin and seriously said, "The comments say I'm just one part of the play between you and Lu Zhi. What kind of play are you two playing?"

Shen Ranxin: "Cough, cough, cough, cough, cough—"

Shen Ranxin barely managed to put on the smile of someone who had been there before. "Be good. They're talking nonsense. Go play, you little brat."

Jiang Ye: "...I'm nineteen."

Shen Ranxin: "Oh."

Jiang Ye: "I'm not a child."

Shen Ranxin: "Got it, Captain Jiang."

Jiang Ye nodded and left carrying his suitcase.

Resigned to his fate, Shen Ranxin entered the same room as Lu Zhi.

Fortunately, the production crew had not been completely heartless. Though it was one room, there were still two beds.

The room was fairly spacious and fully equipped, except—

With a dark expression, Shen Ranxin pointed at the translucent glass before him and asked, "Can you explain what's going on with this bathroom?"

"Ahem." Director Chen said, "This villa is rented too, so we have no control over the interior design. But don't worry, there's only one camera in the room. You can just cover it with something when you sleep or shower."

After making his bed, Shen Ranxin sat on the sofa with a sour expression, looking at his phone.

Lu Zhi appeared behind him. That familiar scent enveloped him, and Shen Ranxin jumped to the other end of the sofa in alarm, staring defensively at the man before him. "What are you doing?"

"I just wanted to ask whether Teacher Shen was going to shower." Lu Zhi looked at him with lowered, innocent eyes. "If you're not, then I'll go first? I'm really too tired, Teacher Shen."

Shen Ranxin glanced at the translucent glass, the tips of his ears quietly flushing with a suspicious hint of red.

"Y-you go first."

Lu Zhi nodded without saying anything more. He walked over and casually used some clothes to cover the camera.

The livestream for Lu Zhi and Shen Ranxin's room instantly became a black screen.

[What does this mean? Are you treating us sisters like outsiders?]

[Shen Ranxin! Bro! You're my real brother! I swear I'll never insult you again. Turn the camera back on, I want to watch my husband shower!]

[Turn the camera on! Your sister can afford it!]

[Without realizing it, we've reached the point where it's time to spend this money. Shen Ranxin, turn on the camera and I'll send you a hundred carnivals!]

Holding his phone, Shen Ranxin saw that comment.

He turned to look at the silhouette behind the translucent glass. Even though it was a blurry shadow impossible to make out clearly, it was enough to vaguely reveal the man's hormone-packed physique.

Those legs looked longer than Shen Ranxin's life. Broad shoulders, narrow waist, perky ass.

Shen Ranxin instinctively swallowed, hurriedly turning his head back. He recited the Heart-Clearing Mantra a few times, then fell back onto the sofa and closed his eyes, suppressing the tide surging through his body.

Before he could fully calm down, Lu Zhi's steam-roughened voice came from the bathroom, husky and magnetic. "Teacher Shen..."

Shen Ranxin took a deep breath and answered in an icy tone, "What?"

"I'm a little dizzy," Lu Zhi said. "Can you come in and help me?"