Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Because You Deserve It”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Cheng Cheng witnesses Lu Zhi comforting Shen Ranxin and becomes jealous, determined to reclaim Shen Ranxin as his lover. He attempts to use his omega pheromones to soothe Shen, but Lu Zhi dismisses them and carries Shen away.
• The haunted-house incident leaves Shen Ranxin overwhelmed by his pheromones and fear. He briefly loses consciousness after frightening an NPC so badly that the man falls and knocks out a front tooth.
• After waking, Shen discovers Lu Zhi kissing him while he sleeps. He angrily pushes Lu away and nearly slaps him, while Lu responds with shameless flirtation and vulgar teasing.
• Fang Yu explains that the injured NPC has been hospitalized and is demanding compensation. Shen, despite being confused about what happened, insists on visiting the man.
• At the hospital, the NPC demands three hundred thousand in compensation and threatens to expose Shen online, repeating rumors that Shen is a murderer.
• Shen intimidates him with dark humor, joking that he has “changed” because he came to the hospital without killing anyone.
• Lu Zhi offers to pay the requested amount, but secretly transfers six hundred thousand instead. When the NPC expresses surprise, Lu says, “Because you deserve it,” then punches him hard enough to knock out another tooth.

Character Developments

• Shen Ranxin remains sharp-tongued and intimidating, but his willingness to visit the injured NPC shows a sense of responsibility beneath his frightening reputation. His confusion about the haunted-house incident also highlights how vulnerable and disoriented he became.
• Lu Zhi is intensely protective and possessive of Shen. He mocks Cheng Cheng, defends Shen against the NPC’s accusations, indulges in shameless flirtation, and personally punishes the man for exploiting Shen.
• Cheng Cheng becomes openly jealous and determined to interfere in Lu Zhi and Shen’s relationship. His desire to reclaim Shen reveals growing obsession and resentment toward Lu.
• Fang Yu acts as a practical intermediary, explaining the consequences of Shen’s breakdown and helping keep the situation under control.
• The NPC shifts from aggressive extortionist to frightened victim after facing Shen’s menace and Lu Zhi’s retaliation.

Significant Themes

• Possessiveness and protection: Lu Zhi’s actions show that his affection for Shen is expressed through overwhelming control and fierce defense.
• Reputation versus reality: Shen is rumored to be a murderer, but the chapter contrasts his frightening public image with his willingness to accept responsibility and visit the injured worker.
• Jealousy and rivalry: Cheng Cheng’s resentment establishes a romantic conflict centered on his belief that Shen should belong to him.
• Dark humor and exaggerated revenge: The chapter repeatedly turns frightening situations into comic ones, particularly through Shen’s deadpan threats and Lu Zhi’s punishing interpretation of “compensation.”
• Blurred boundaries: Lu’s unsolicited kiss, teasing, and physical protectiveness emphasize the tension between genuine care and invasive behavior.

Character Interactions

• Cheng Cheng and Lu Zhi: Their confrontation is hostile and competitive. Cheng attempts to position himself as necessary to Shen, while Lu dismisses him and asserts dominance.
• Lu Zhi and Shen Ranxin: Their relationship is marked by flirtatious provocation, physical closeness, and mutual irritation. Shen threatens violence, while Lu deliberately teases him and protects him.
• Shen Ranxin and the NPC: Shen confronts the man’s greed and uses intimidation to expose his hypocrisy, though Lu ultimately escalates the encounter physically.
• Lu Zhi and the NPC: Lu appears generous by offering double the requested compensation, then punches the man as punishment for exploiting and insulting Shen.

Chapter Summary: “I’ll Take You Damn Rich People On”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Zhi violently intimidates a staff member who had apparently wronged Shen Ranxin. With one punch, he knocks out several of the man’s teeth and frightens him into urinating himself.
• Lu Zhi mocks the injured man, joking that each tooth is worth 300,000 because he is rich, then threatens him by asking how much his life is worth.
• The terrified staff member refuses compensation and promises to return the 600,000 he had taken, insisting that he will never spread rumors about Shen Ranxin again.
• The production team uses part of Lu Zhi’s transfer to cover the man’s medical expenses, gives him 100,000 in emotional-distress compensation, and returns the remainder to Lu Zhi.
• Outside the hospital, Shen Ranxin plans to repay Lu Zhi after the dating show ends. He believes the show’s conclusion will grant him a 100-billion prize, after which he intends to fake his death and disappear.
• Lu Zhi offers Shen Ranxin an extravagant black card usable throughout the Lu Group’s businesses. Shen initially refuses, but Lu Zhi makes clear that he intends to support Shen regardless of whether Shen accepts his help.
• A brief scene at the Lu Group reveals that Lu Zhi’s adoptive father trusts him completely. He dismisses concerns that Lu Zhi is spending too much money pursuing Shen Ranxin and insists that Lu Zhi is sincere and knows exactly what he wants.

Character Developments

• Lu Zhi: Displays a frighteningly ruthless side when defending Shen Ranxin, contrasting with his usual submissive behavior toward Shen. His wealth and power make his threats especially effective, but his actions also reveal deep devotion and protectiveness. He is determined to keep Shen close and is willing to spend nearly anything to make him happy.
• Shen Ranxin: Remains suspicious and exasperated by Lu Zhi’s wealth and behavior. He is financially desperate but proud enough to reject the black card. His plans to win the prize money, fake his death, and escape show that he still intends to regain control of his life and avoid becoming dependent on Lu Zhi.
• Shen Ranxin’s condition: Shen notices increasing gaps in his memory since transmigrating and wonders whether something is wrong with his body. He also remains frustrated by the apparently malfunctioning system.
• Lu Zhi’s father: Demonstrates confidence in Lu Zhi’s character and leadership. He views Lu Zhi as sincere rather than manipulative and supports his pursuit of Shen Ranxin.

Significant Themes

• Power backed by wealth: Lu Zhi’s money transforms violence and intimidation into something the victim cannot resist. His wealth makes even extreme actions seem manageable.
• Protection and possessiveness: Lu Zhi’s defense of Shen is both caring and controlling. He intends to remain by Shen’s side whether or not Shen wants his assistance.
• Pride versus dependence: Shen needs money but refuses Lu Zhi’s generous offer, reflecting his desire to preserve independence despite his vulnerable circumstances.
• Identity and memory: Shen’s memory problems and transmigration raise questions about his altered body, past, and the unreliable nature of his current identity.
• Sincerity behind appearances: Although Lu Zhi appears calculating and dangerous, his father believes his motives are pure. The chapter suggests that his seemingly excessive actions stem from genuine devotion.

Character Interactions

• Lu Zhi dominates the confrontation with the staff member, using physical force, wealth, and threats to make him retract his claims and return the money.
• Shen Ranxin observes Lu Zhi’s brutality with shock, recognizing that Lu Zhi may be more frightening than the persona Shen himself has been pretending to embody.
• Shen tries to repay Lu Zhi and later criticizes his reckless spending, while Lu Zhi responds by offering him even greater financial support.
• Lu Zhi’s final resolve—that Shen will remain within his protection whether he accepts it or not—highlights the growing tension between Shen’s desire to escape and Lu Zhi’s determination to keep him.

Chapter Summary: “I May Have to Offend You Again”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Director Chen returns to the production villa frustrated that Instant Heartbeat has devolved into a chaotic, scandal-driven show rather than the romantic program he envisioned.
• The assistant director points out that the show’s ratings and online popularity have skyrocketed. However, the trending topics are embarrassing and focus heavily on Lu Zhi’s provocative behavior toward Shen Ranxin.
• Alarmed by the show’s direction, Director Chen decides he must change his strategy and ensure that every couple featured receives a “happy ending.”
• That evening, Shen Ranxin plays a video game with Jiang Ye while the other cast members relax. Their close posture sparks Lu Zhi’s jealousy, despite both men being Alphas and their interaction being entirely innocent.
• Lu Zhi sends Shen Ranxin an audio message disguised as a “sleep aid,” containing suggestive sounds and his tearful voice. Shen is mortified when Jiang Ye hears it.
• Jiang Ye asks whether Shen and Lu are dating and whether Shen’s possible attraction to Lu could be connected to pheromones. He also hints that a friend may have developed feelings for an Omega.
• Lu becomes increasingly jealous when Jiang Ye leans close to Shen. He pressures Shen to return to his side and checks whether Shen carries Jiang’s scent.
• After Shen begins messaging Jiang about his earlier question, Lu covers Shen’s phone and ominously says, “I think I may have to offend you again,” implying another provocative or forceful act is about to follow.

Character Developments

• Director Chen: Becomes increasingly desperate and overwhelmed by the show’s unexpected success. Though the ratings validate his efforts, he is horrified by the scandalous content driving them and resolves to take control of the romances.
• Shen Ranxin: Remains outwardly sharp-tongued and resistant to Lu Zhi, but his embarrassment and willingness to return to Lu’s side suggest growing familiarity and emotional involvement. He also shows curiosity about Jiang Ye’s possible romantic situation.
• Lu Zhi: Displays intense jealousy and possessiveness toward Shen. His teasing, suggestive messages and emotional manipulation reveal both his shamelessness and his genuine attachment to Shen.
• Jiang Ye: Acts as a calm, serious gaming companion but becomes unexpectedly direct about Shen’s relationship with Lu. His mention of a friend attracted to an Omega hints at his own developing romantic confusion or interest.
• Cheng Cheng: Is briefly shown cooking, while the rest of the cast relaxes, reinforcing the villa’s casual group dynamic.

Significant Themes

• Reality television versus genuine romance: Director Chen wants a conventional dating show, but the cast’s unruly interactions create more compelling—and more scandalous—entertainment.
• Jealousy and possessiveness: Lu’s reactions to Shen’s closeness with Jiang reveal how strongly he views Shen as emotionally and physically his.
• Pheromones versus authentic attraction: Jiang’s questions introduce uncertainty about whether romantic feelings arise from biology, pheromones, or genuine emotional desire.
• Public image and private intimacy: The show’s sensational online trends contrast with the more personal, awkward tension developing between the characters.
• Humor through embarrassment: Shen’s attempts to maintain dignity repeatedly fail because of Lu’s shameless behavior and suggestive messages.

Important Character Interactions

• Director Chen and the assistant director contrast the director’s artistic frustration with the assistant director’s practical focus on ratings.
• Shen and Jiang share friendly, physically close gaming interactions, though their behavior is innocent.
• Lu interprets Shen and Jiang’s closeness as a threat, sending Shen a suggestive audio message and demanding his attention.
• Jiang innocently questions Shen about Lu and pheromone-based attraction, while Shen tries to conceal the truth.
• Lu pulls Shen back to his side, checks him for another Alpha’s scent, and ends the chapter by threatening another “offense,” escalating their flirtatious and contentious relationship.

Chapter Summary: Say You Love Me

Key plot points and events

Lu Zhi deliberately takes Shen Ranxin upstairs under the pretense of searching for something, sending the cameraman away by invoking Alpha territorial instincts. Once alone, Lu Zhi corners and physically embraces Shen, marking his possessiveness and refusing to let him leave. Their intimate encounter becomes increasingly intense until Cheng Cheng arrives after dinner and discovers them upstairs. Cheng tries to open the unlocked door and demands that Lu Zhi release Shen, but Lu Zhi continues provoking him from inside. The chapter ends with Lu Zhi demanding that Shen publicly say he loves him so Cheng can hear.

Character developments

• Lu Zhi appears increasingly obsessive, possessive, and emotionally unstable. His actions reveal intense fear of losing Shen, expressed through physical control and repeated claims that Shen belongs to him. Beneath his teasing and aggression, he exposes genuine insecurity when he begs Shen not to disappear and asks him to affirm his love.
• Shen Ranxin attempts to remain calm and dismiss Lu Zhi’s behavior as temporary madness, but Lu’s advances quickly overwhelm his composure. He is embarrassed, angry, frightened of being discovered, and yet emotionally affected by Lu’s intensity. His attempts to resist and negotiate show that he has not accepted Lu’s possessive claims, though their relationship clearly exerts a powerful hold over him.
• Cheng Cheng becomes openly jealous and suspicious after noticing Shen and Lu are missing. His anger escalates when he realizes what may be happening behind the door, positioning him as Lu’s romantic rival and an immediate source of pressure.

Significant themes

• Possession versus love: Lu repeatedly equates love with ownership, insisting that Shen is “mine” and that nobody else can take him away.
• Jealousy and rivalry: Cheng’s reaction and Lu’s deliberate provocation expose the romantic competition surrounding Shen.
• Loss of control and vulnerability: Lu’s aggressive behavior contrasts with his fear of abandonment, while Shen’s outward resistance conflicts with his emotional and physical sensitivity.
• Privacy and public exposure: The secluded upstairs encounter becomes dangerous when Cheng threatens to enter, intensifying Shen’s humiliation and the tension between private desire and public revelation.

Character interactions

Lu dominates the encounter physically and verbally, teasing Shen while demanding emotional reassurance. Shen alternates between resisting, striking, pleading, and trying to calm Lu enough to prevent discovery. Cheng’s knocking and demands interrupt the encounter, creating a direct confrontation between the two men. Lu uses the situation to taunt Cheng and pressure Shen into declaring his love aloud.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Zhi continues kissing and physically restraining Shen Ranxin while Cheng Cheng angrily knocks on the door and condemns him for forcing Shen Ranxin rather than respecting him.
• Lu Zhi asks Shen Ranxin whether he feels forced, but Shen Ranxin cannot answer. He is emotionally overwhelmed, physically exhausted, and instinctively responds to Lu Zhi’s closeness.
• Lu Zhi carries Shen Ranxin into the bathroom and makes him look at himself in the mirror, pointing out his flushed appearance and the visible signs of their intimacy as evidence that Shen Ranxin desires him.
• Shen Ranxin denies wanting Lu Zhi, but the denial triggers a severe headache and confusion. Lu Zhi reveals that Shen Ranxin may have forgotten important memories involving their past relationship.
• Lu Zhi admits that he fears Shen Ranxin will suffer if he remembers, but also fears Shen Ranxin will never remember how deeply he once loved him. He begs Shen Ranxin not to get close to anyone else and insists that he can only belong to Lu Zhi.
• Shen Ranxin falls asleep from exhaustion. Lu Zhi remains beside him before opening the door to confront Cheng Cheng.
• Cheng Cheng attempts to punch Lu Zhi, but Lu Zhi easily avoids the blow and threatens him, reminding him that he promised Lu Yeshan not to harm Cheng Cheng as long as Cheng Cheng stayed away from Shen Ranxin.
• Cheng Cheng accuses Lu Zhi of being the third party who interfered in his original engagement with Shen Ranxin. Lu Zhi mockingly counters that Shen Ranxin chose him, making Cheng Cheng the “other man” instead.
• The argument is interrupted when Director Chen and the camera crew arrive. To provoke Cheng Cheng and disguise what happened, Lu Zhi shamelessly declares, “Didn’t I get off Shen Ranxin?” The crew and viewers misunderstand the statement as an explicit confession, causing the livestream comments to erupt.

Character Developments

• Shen Ranxin: Becomes increasingly conflicted between his conscious belief that he should not want Lu Zhi and his instinctive physical and emotional responses to him. His headaches and fragmented reactions suggest that his forgotten past with Lu Zhi is beginning to surface.
• Lu Zhi: Shows both possessiveness and vulnerability. Although his actions are coercive and controlling, he expresses genuine fear of losing Shen Ranxin and of returning to the painful five years they apparently spent apart. He openly prioritizes keeping Shen Ranxin beside him over whether Shen Ranxin remembers or later resents him.
• Cheng Cheng: Acts protectively toward Shen Ranxin and openly challenges Lu Zhi’s treatment of him. His anger also reveals his unresolved claim on Shen Ranxin through their former intended marriage.
• Director Chen and the viewers: Remain unaware of the full situation and interpret Lu Zhi’s final remark as evidence of a scandalous sexual encounter.

Significant Themes

• Possessive love versus consent: Lu Zhi claims Shen Ranxin wants him, but Cheng Cheng’s accusations highlight the troubling lack of respect and clear consent in Lu Zhi’s behavior.
• Memory and identity: Shen Ranxin’s amnesia prevents him from understanding his relationship with Lu Zhi, while Lu Zhi struggles between wanting him to remember and wanting to protect him from painful memories.
• Jealousy and rivalry: Lu Zhi and Cheng Cheng compete over Shen Ranxin, each framing the other as the interloper in the relationship.
• Public image versus private reality: The intimate confrontation is hidden from the cameras, but Lu Zhi’s careless joke creates a sensational public misunderstanding.

Character Interactions

• Lu Zhi alternates between tender affection and controlling possessiveness toward Shen Ranxin, using intimacy to reassure himself of Shen Ranxin’s feelings.
• Cheng Cheng directly condemns Lu Zhi and attempts to defend Shen Ranxin, while Lu Zhi responds with threats and mocking confidence.
• Lu Zhi and Cheng Cheng’s rivalry becomes a battle over who has the legitimate claim to Shen Ranxin.
• The arrival of the production crew transforms the private conflict into comic public drama when Lu Zhi’s ambiguous remark is overheard and misinterpreted.

Chapter Summary: “We Really Are a Proper Dating Show”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The livestream is temporarily suspended after Lu Zhi’s suggestive comments and his partner push-ups with Shen Ranxin are interpreted as sexually inappropriate.
• Director Chen furiously argues with the platform managers, insisting that Lu Zhi’s words were merely ambiguous and that the physical activity was innocent. His threats and frantic defense eventually succeed, and the livestream is restored.
• Director Chen announces that the dating show will move into a “brand-new environment” the next day, prompting speculation about whether the guests’ room assignments will change.
• Gu Yifei openly expresses interest in doing partner push-ups with Shen Ranxin, while Lu Zhi responds with his usual dark, suggestive humor.
• Lu Zhi ignores the housing discussion and returns upstairs to sleep beside Shen Ranxin. He embraces Shen while he sleeps and reflects on their past relationship.

Character Developments

• Director Chen becomes increasingly exasperated and reckless while defending the show, even shouting at representatives connected to Lu Zhi’s investment. His desperation highlights how chaotic the program has become.
• Lu Zhi continues to tease others with sexually suggestive remarks, especially Gu Yifei and Director Chen, but becomes gentle and emotionally vulnerable with Shen Ranxin. His private thoughts reveal that he has long cherished Shen’s nickname for him, “Zhi Zhi,” and still associates Shen with comfort and belonging.
• Shen Ranxin remains exhausted and asleep for most of the chapter. Even in his sleep, he instinctively seeks closeness with Lu Zhi, calls him “Zhi Zhi,” and affectionately bites and sucks on his collarbone as he did in the past.
• Jiang Ye and Fang Yu grow closer. Jiang Ye has begun unconsciously adopting Fang Yu’s more gossip-oriented and suggestive way of speaking, while Fang Yu tries to protect his public image and deny responsibility.
• Gu Yifei remains curious, blunt, and morbidly humorous, showing an evident interest in Shen Ranxin and provoking Lu Zhi.
• Cheng Cheng, usually detached, becomes visibly interested when room assignments may be reshuffled, suggesting that the new arrangements matter to him.

Significant Themes

• The absurdity of the dating-show format: The program is technically a romance show, yet the guests’ behavior repeatedly creates scandals, misunderstandings, and inappropriate jokes.
• Public image versus private intimacy: The livestream audience and platform interpret Lu Zhi and Shen Ranxin’s interactions sexually, while their private scene reveals tenderness, familiarity, and emotional history.
• Humor amid emotional tension: The chapter uses exaggerated comedy—Director Chen’s shouting, Lu Zhi’s innuendo, and the viewers’ commentary—to balance the more sincere revelation of Lu Zhi’s feelings.
• Memory and lost time: Lu Zhi regrets not telling Shen earlier how much he loved being called “Zhi Zhi,” reflecting his awareness that their past relationship and the time they lost still affect him.
• Comfort and belonging: Lu Zhi’s attraction to Shen’s pheromones and his statement that Shen made him feel he had “somewhere…to go” emphasize the depth of their bond.

Character Interactions

• Director Chen clashes with the livestream platform while the guests watch, amused and largely unhelpful.
• Jiang Ye jokes about Director Chen’s ability to insult people, and Fang Yu playfully suggests comforting him before he collapses.
• Gu Yifei questions Lu Zhi about Shen Ranxin, prompting Lu Zhi to deliver increasingly outrageous innuendos until Director Chen orders him to stop.
• Fang Yu scolds Jiang Ye for repeating the word “obscene” on camera, showing their increasingly familiar, mentor-like relationship.
• Lu Zhi tenderly holds Shen Ranxin while he sleeps, recalls their shared past, and responds affectionately to Shen’s unconscious habits, ending the chapter on an intimate and nostalgic note.

Chapter Summary: The Princess, the Dragon, and the Warrior

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shen Ranxin and Lu Zhi wake up together, with Shen once again dealing with Lu’s overly clingy behavior.
• The cast is summoned downstairs by an enthusiastic announcement from the production crew. Director Chen reveals that the day’s activity will involve cosplay and warns everyone to eat well because the task will be physically demanding.
• The production crew provides an unusually lavish breakfast, raising suspicion among the guests and viewers.
• Director Chen introduces the role-playing scenario: two princesses have been kidnapped by a dragon, and warriors must rescue them.
• The guests learn that there are three roles—princesses, warriors, and dragons—with different objectives:
  • Princesses: Help the warriors escape the dragon’s lair.
  • Warriors: Defeat the dragons and rescue the princesses.
  • Dragons: Stop the princesses and defeat the warriors.
• The cast must draw role cards and wear costumes corresponding to their roles. Anyone unhappy with their assignment can spend points to exchange roles.
• At the end of the drawing, Shen Ranxin and Gu Yifei become the princesses, Cheng Cheng and Fang Yu become the warriors, and Lu Zhi and Jiang Ye become the dragons.

Character Developments

• Shen Ranxin remains sharp-tongued and composed, effortlessly handling Lu Zhi’s clinginess and jokingly rationalizing the dragon’s kidnapping duties.
• Lu Zhi continues displaying his affectionate, possessive attachment to Shen, casually staying close to him even after waking.
• Gu Yifei is portrayed as adorable, sleepy, and enthusiastic about the cosplay activity. His appearance and popularity make him especially suited to the princess role.
• Jiang Ye maintains his literal, earnest personality by questioning every part of the dragon story, prompting increasingly absurd explanations from Shen.
• Fang Yu remains sarcastic and skeptical, mocking Director Chen’s repeated references to Lover’s Island as a prize.
• Director Chen reveals his mischievous, manipulative side, clearly designing the activity to exploit the guests’ points and force some of them into costumes they may dislike.

Significant Themes

• Playful role reversal: The cast is forced into exaggerated fantasy roles, creating opportunities for humor and unexpected character dynamics.
• Control and manipulation: Although the guests can technically exchange roles, doing so requires spending valuable points, giving the production crew leverage over them.
• Affection and intimacy: Shen and Lu’s domestic closeness continues to be a source of humor and highlights their developing relationship.
• Satire of fantasy conventions: The cast humorously questions familiar fairy-tale logic, such as why dragons kidnap princesses and why they must do so during storms.
• Entertainment versus hardship: The lavish breakfast and attractive costumes disguise the fact that the cast is about to face another exhausting and competitive challenge.

Character Interactions

• Shen wakes Lu and removes his arm when Lu clings to him in bed.
• Shen and Lu later appear together downstairs, reinforcing their increasingly familiar and intimate routine.
• Jiang repeatedly questions Director Chen’s fantasy premise, while Shen gives increasingly ridiculous explanations about dragons having kidnapping quotas and no holidays.
• Gu Yifei contributes sleepy but unexpectedly funny comments, claiming that dragons kidnap princesses because they have none of their own.
• Fang Yu teases Director Chen about his apparent obsession with Lover’s Island.
• The final role assignments create an amusing setup: Shen and Gu must play princesses, Cheng and Fang must rescue them, and Lu and Jiang must act as dragons.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• During a role-playing card game, Cheng Cheng gives Shen Ranxin the princess card and makes a dramatic promise to retrieve him no matter who takes him away.
• Lu Zhi reacts competitively, takes Cheng Cheng’s card, and gives Shen Ranxin his dragon card, implying that he wants to pair with Cheng Cheng—or at least provoking Cheng Cheng and Shen Ranxin.
• Shen Ranxin realizes he cannot tolerate Lu Zhi becoming close to someone else, despite Lu Zhi’s past mistreatment of him. He questions whether his attachment resembles Stockholm syndrome.
• Because exchanging character cards costs points, Lu Zhi tries to use Shen Ranxin’s money. Shen initially refuses, insisting that Lu Zhi may hurt his feelings but must not take his money.
• Lu Zhi tempts him by offering to wear women’s clothing. Fearing that he might otherwise be forced to wear it himself, Shen Ranxin pays fifty points to exchange cards with Lu Zhi.
• Lu Zhi accepts the princess role and deliberately chooses a revealing black-and-white maid outfit. He claims that he is wearing it because someone important to him is present.
• Lu Zhi insists on changing in Shen Ranxin’s dressing room, much to Director Chen’s alarm. Shen Ranxin, unaware of Lu Zhi’s intentions, changes into a relatively modest “evil dragon” costume.
• When Shen returns to retrieve his dragon wings, Lu Zhi pulls him into the changing room and asks him to examine the shortness of the skirt. The chapter ends with a strongly suggestive interaction, whose explicit description is omitted in the source.

Character Developments

• Shen Ranxin: Becomes increasingly aware of his emotional dependence on Lu Zhi. His jealousy and inability to accept Lu Zhi’s closeness with others reveal that his feelings are deeper and more possessive than he wants to admit. Despite claiming to value his money, he spends points to protect Lu Zhi from wearing—or making him wear—a different costume.
• Lu Zhi: Displays intense possessiveness and calculated flirtation. He uses the card game and the promise of cross-dressing to manipulate Shen Ranxin, then chooses an intentionally provocative costume to tease him. His insistence on sharing the changing room shows his confidence and disregard for boundaries.
• Cheng Cheng: Expresses direct romantic protectiveness toward Shen Ranxin and challenges Lu Zhi’s interference. His dramatic declaration intensifies the rivalry between him and Lu Zhi.
• Director Chen: Serves as the anxious voice of practicality, recognizing that Lu Zhi’s behavior in the changing room could create a scandal for the show.
• The audience/commentators: Interpret the rivalry between Cheng Cheng and Lu Zhi as evidence that both men are competing for Shen Ranxin, while continuing to joke about the supposed Cheng-Zhi pairing.

Significant Themes

• Jealousy and possessive affection: Shen Ranxin’s reaction to Lu Zhi’s potential closeness with Cheng Cheng exposes feelings he has been suppressing.
• Emotional manipulation and unequal attachment: Lu Zhi repeatedly turns games, money, and costumes into opportunities to control or provoke Shen Ranxin.
• Performance versus genuine emotion: Although the characters are ostensibly only acting out roles, their behavior reveals real romantic tensions beneath the game.
• Public entertainment and private intimacy: The livestream audience treats the rivalry as amusing content, while the characters’ interactions carry more serious emotional and sexual implications.
• Money versus feelings: Shen Ranxin jokingly claims that money matters more than love, but his actions prove that his concern for Lu Zhi overrides his financial principles.

Important Character Interactions

• Cheng Cheng and Shen Ranxin: Cheng Cheng’s “warrior rescuing the princess” declaration is romantic and protective, but it unsettles Shen Ranxin rather than making him happy.
• Lu Zhi and Cheng Cheng: Their card exchange becomes an indirect challenge, with Lu Zhi responding to Cheng Cheng’s declaration through provocation and competition.
• Lu Zhi and Shen Ranxin: Their banter over money reveals their complicated dynamic: Shen resists Lu Zhi verbally but repeatedly gives in emotionally. The changing-room scene heightens their flirtation and physical tension.
• Lu Zhi and Director Chen: Lu Zhi deliberately tests the director’s patience by insisting on changing with Shen Ranxin, while Director Chen worries about the show being taken off the air.
• Audience and the cast: Viewers interpret every card choice and exchange as evidence of romantic pairings, adding a layer of comedic commentary to the developing love triangle.

Chapter Summary: “Does Teacher Shen Like It?”

Key plot points and events

Lu Zhi and Shen Ranxin share an intimate moment in a changing room, with Lu Zhi allowing Shen Ranxin to take the lead. Shen suddenly realizes that he initiated their kiss and awkwardly tries to leave. Lu Zhi stops him, asking for help choosing and putting on a replacement garment because he cannot leave the room dressed provocatively without attracting suspicion. While Shen goes to find clothes, Cheng Cheng enters and mocks Lu Zhi for dressing as a woman. Lu Zhi responds defiantly, claiming that Shen likes the look, provoking Cheng Cheng into angrily leaving. Shen returns with another outfit, visibly unsettled by Cheng Cheng’s involvement and unexpectedly jealous. When he tries to leave again, Lu Zhi catches his wrist and asks him to help put on the clothes.

Character developments

• Lu Zhi acts unusually dependent and playful, deliberately giving Shen control while teasing him into staying close. Beneath his flirtatious behavior, his memories reveal severe trauma from Shen’s disappearance and a persistent fear of losing him again. He has replaced cigarettes with orange lollipops because he remembers that Shen dislikes smoke, showing that his affection is deeply tied to Shen’s preferences.
• Shen Ranxin becomes increasingly flustered by his own attraction and possessiveness. He struggles to maintain his usual composure, especially after realizing he initiated the kiss and after hearing that Cheng Cheng saw Lu Zhi dressed that way. His embarrassed protest about Lu Zhi’s clothing hints at jealousy and growing emotional investment.
• Cheng Cheng remains openly hostile toward Lu Zhi, insulting his status and appearance. His anger at Lu Zhi’s shameless confidence suggests ongoing rivalry and tension between the two men.

Significant themes

The chapter explores intimacy, vulnerability, jealousy, and the lingering effects of separation and trauma. Lu Zhi’s playful seduction contrasts with the painful memories of the fire and Shen’s apparent hatred, emphasizing how strongly the past still affects him. His switch from smoking to lollipops symbolizes his effort to change for Shen and preserve their renewed relationship. The chapter also highlights the contrast between public appearances and private desire, particularly through Lu Zhi’s feminine disguise and Shen’s concern about being seen.

Character interactions

Lu Zhi repeatedly teases and pressures Shen into remaining involved, while Shen alternates between desire, embarrassment, and attempts to escape. Cheng Cheng’s confrontation with Lu Zhi exposes their antagonism, with Lu Zhi using Shen’s supposed approval to provoke him. Shen’s reaction to Cheng Cheng’s presence reveals possessiveness, and the final moment—Lu Zhi holding his wrist and asking for help dressing—extends their flirtatious power struggle and forces Shen to remain physically close.

Chapter Summary: “Princess Rescue Plan! Activate!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The cast changes into costumes for a fantasy-themed game. Shen Ranxin plays an evil dragon, Fang Yu and Cheng Cheng are warriors, Jiang Ye is another evil dragon, and Gu Yifei and Lu Zhi become princesses.
• Lu Zhi struggles with his costume but claims he practiced wearing it specifically for Shen Ranxin. Shen Ranxin reacts flusteredly and orders him to leave if he cannot dress properly.
• Gu Yifei appears in an adorable pink princess dress and enthusiastically asks Shen Ranxin to catch him during the game. He openly favors Shen Ranxin and mocks Lu Zhi as a muscular “Alpha princess.”
• Cheng Cheng attempts to push Gu Yifei toward Lu Zhi, implying that pursuing Lu Zhi would benefit him because of Lu Zhi’s entertainment-industry connections. Gu Yifei sharply rejects the suggestion and accuses Cheng Cheng of wanting Lu Zhi for himself.
• Shen Ranxin innocently offers to help Cheng Cheng confess his supposed feelings to Lu Zhi, leaving Cheng Cheng speechless.
• Lu Zhi emerges in a black, form-fitting cheongsam that highlights both his elegance and muscular physique. His appearance strongly impresses the viewers and briefly captures Shen Ranxin’s attention, though Shen Ranxin remains embarrassed by his attraction.
• Jiang Ye complains about being placed in an oversized black dragon mascot suit while Shen Ranxin receives a much more flattering costume. Fang Yu teases him, justifying the outfit by claiming that dragons and warriors are natural enemies.
• The game begins. Shen Ranxin is suspended from a wire and sent flying into an inflatable castle, where he must shoot the princesses with a water gun. Any princess he hits will be “captured” by the evil dragon.
• Gu Yifei eagerly invites Shen Ranxin to catch him. However, just as Shen Ranxin aims at him, Lu Zhi kicks Gu Yifei aside, apparently interfering with the capture.

Character Developments

• Shen Ranxin: Continues to act blunt and easily flustered around Lu Zhi, but remains friendly and protective toward Gu Yifei. His oblivious attempt to help Cheng Cheng confess reveals his lack of awareness of the romantic tensions around him.
• Lu Zhi: Displays a playful, provocative side through his flirtatious comments and dramatic princess costume. His decision to kick Gu Yifei away suggests possessiveness or a desire to be Shen Ranxin’s chosen target.
• Gu Yifei: Fully embraces his cute princess role and openly shows affection for Shen Ranxin. He is confident, outspoken, and quick to reject Cheng Cheng’s attempts to manipulate him.
• Cheng Cheng: Shows jealousy and possible interest in Lu Zhi while disguising it as concern for Gu Yifei’s career prospects. His irritation grows when Shen Ranxin misunderstands his intentions.
• Fang Yu and Jiang Ye: Their playful antagonism becomes more apparent. Fang Yu enjoys teasing Jiang Ye, while Jiang Ye is frustrated but still engages with him.
• Fang Yu: Takes on a mischievous, teasing role, particularly toward Jiang Ye, and jokingly emphasizes their warrior-versus-dragon dynamic.

Significant Themes

• Playful romance and jealousy: The costume game exposes hidden attractions and rivalries, particularly around Shen Ranxin and Lu Zhi.
• Role reversal and performance: Strong Alphas are dressed as princesses, while others play dragons or warriors, creating humorous contrasts between appearance and personality.
• Obliviousness versus obvious attraction: Shen Ranxin remains unaware of the romantic implications of the others’ behavior, while the audience and surrounding characters readily notice them.
• Teasing as emotional expression: Many characters use jokes, insults, and playful provocation to conceal or communicate affection.
• Public image and entertainment: Cheng Cheng’s comments highlight how status and industry connections influence relationships within the dating show.

Important Character Interactions

• Shen Ranxin and Lu Zhi exchange flirtatious, tense remarks during the costume change, with Lu Zhi claiming he dressed for Shen Ranxin.
• Gu Yifei openly bonds with Shen Ranxin and asks him to favor him during the game.
• Cheng Cheng tries to separate Gu Yifei from Shen Ranxin and steer him toward Lu Zhi, but Gu Yifei angrily defends his closeness with Shen Ranxin.
• Shen Ranxin unintentionally embarrasses Cheng Cheng by offering to help him confess to Lu Zhi.
• Fang Yu teases Jiang Ye about his ridiculous dragon costume, reinforcing their playful “natural enemies” relationship.
• At the start of the game, Lu Zhi physically blocks Gu Yifei from being captured, creating a new moment of tension between the two princesses and Shen Ranxin.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• During the inflatable-castle challenge, Gu Yifei attacks Lu Zhi after Lu kicks him, but Lu effortlessly knocks him down and mocks him as a “pink flea.”
• Shen Ranxin is ordered to capture Gu Yifei with a water gun, but Lu Zhi deliberately blocks the shot and declares that he and Shen are “fated.”
• Lu Zhi then escapes with Shen, wrapping an arm around him and insisting that he is willing to follow Shen wherever he goes. When Shen hesitates, Lu removes his harness, carries him in one arm, and launches them both down a zip line from a dangerous height.
• While flying through the air, Lu tells Shen that he enjoys being the only person Shen can rely on, frightening and enraging Shen. The livestream audience reacts with alarm and amusement, dubbing the scene “the princess kidnapped the dragon.”
• After landing, Shen kicks Lu twice and calls him a pervert, while viewers interpret the physical aggression as evidence of their mutual attraction.
• Jiang Ye enters the castle to capture Gu Yifei. Gu underestimates him, but Jiang calmly shoots him in the forehead with a perfect “headshot.” He bluntly admits it was intentional, provoking Gu further.
• Fang Yu forces Jiang to apologize and then has to mediate between the furious Gu and the emotionally detached Jiang. Eventually, Fang helps Jiang remove Gu from the castle using the zip line.
• The next challenge takes place in a swimming pool. Lu Zhi and Gu Yifei are designated as princesses on a central sponge platform; Cheng Cheng and Fang Yu are warriors who must rescue them, while Shen Ranxin and Jiang Ye play dragons who must stop the warriors.
• Shen initially intends to perform minimally so filming will end quickly. However, Cheng Cheng ignores the game and grabs Shen underwater.
• Cheng secretly tells Shen to meet him that night if he wants to learn about “the system.” He then climbs onto Shen’s shoulders and moves in for a kiss, ending the chapter on a cliffhanger.

2. Character Developments

• Lu Zhi becomes even more openly possessive and flirtatious toward Shen Ranxin. He turns the game into an excuse to assert control, deliberately creates danger, and emphasizes Shen’s dependence on him.
• Shen Ranxin remains exasperated by Lu’s behavior, physically retaliating by kicking him, but he is visibly affected by Lu’s bold declarations and protective dominance. His shock at Cheng Cheng’s revelation suggests the system remains a major concern.
• Gu Yifei is portrayed as impulsive, prideful, and easily provoked. He repeatedly attacks stronger opponents, suffers public humiliation, and reacts dramatically when others dismiss or mock him.
• Jiang Ye displays exceptional precision and an emotionless, literal personality. He follows Fang Yu’s instructions but answers honestly—even when his bluntness worsens the situation.
• Fang Yu acts as a mediator and caretaker, repeatedly managing the volatile Gu Yifei and the socially awkward Jiang Ye.
• Cheng Cheng reveals that he possesses knowledge about the mysterious system and uses Shen’s curiosity to draw him into a private meeting. His physical advances also suggest a more direct and potentially manipulative interest in Shen.

3. Significant Themes

• Role reversal and subverted expectations: The “princess,” “dragon,” and “warrior” roles are repeatedly inverted, especially when Lu, as the princess, kidnaps Shen, the dragon.
• Possession and dependence: Lu’s declaration that Shen is safest when he can rely only on Lu highlights the chapter’s recurring tension between romance, control, and emotional dependence.
• Public performance versus private desire: Although the characters are participating in a scripted game show, Lu and Cheng use the activities to express genuine attraction and pursue personal agendas.
• Humor through contrast: Gu’s exaggerated emotional reactions contrast with Jiang’s deadpan bluntness, while Shen’s irritation contrasts with Lu’s shameless affection.
• Mystery and suspense: Cheng’s mention of the “system” introduces a serious plot thread beneath the comedic competition and creates the chapter’s cliffhanger.

4. Character Interactions

• Lu Zhi and Gu Yifei: Their interaction is openly antagonistic and comedic, with Lu effortlessly overpowering and taunting Gu.
• Lu Zhi and Shen Ranxin: Their relationship is the chapter’s emotional center. Lu is bold, possessive, and physically intimate, while Shen protests but remains caught in Lu’s control.
• Jiang Ye and Gu Yifei: Gu’s dramatic hostility clashes with Jiang’s calm, literal responses, creating a comic mismatch.
• Jiang Ye and Fang Yu: Fang guides and disciplines Jiang, while Jiang obediently follows him despite not fully understanding the social situation.
• Cheng Cheng and Shen Ranxin: Cheng abandons the game’s rules to approach Shen, reveals possible information about the system, and attempts to kiss him, intensifying the romantic and suspenseful conflict.

Chapter Summary: “Ultimate Gift Pack”

Key Plot Points and Events

• During the pool challenge, Cheng Cheng deliberately tries to provoke Shen Ranxin by nearly kissing him and implying that he knows about Shen’s mysterious “system.”
• Lu Zhi reacts aggressively, throwing a high-heeled shoe at Cheng Cheng and warning him not to touch or harass Shen Ranxin.
• Cheng Cheng retreats but believes he has successfully planted doubt in Shen’s mind. Shen becomes overwhelmed by the mention of the system and experiences another brief vision of a white sphere in a dark void, suggesting forgotten memories or hidden information.
• Cheng Cheng attempts to climb onto the floating mat, but Lu Zhi repeatedly shoves him back into the water before hauling him up and issuing a final warning.
• Lu Zhi then rescues Shen Ranxin, obsessively wipes Cheng Cheng’s kiss from Shen’s face, and bites Shen’s cheek, declaring, “Mine.” Shen is embarrassed and furious, while Lu Zhi openly admires the resulting bite marks.
• Elsewhere, Jiang Ye and Fang Yu remain underwater for an unusually long time during their own rescue challenge. When they emerge, Fang Yu appears flushed and swollen-lipped, while Jiang Ye seems evasive and visibly affected by their encounter.
• Both teams successfully complete the rescue mission. Their reward is revealed to be an “ultimate gift pack”: seven days of filming on a deserted island.

Character Developments

• Shen Ranxin: Becomes increasingly troubled by Cheng Cheng’s knowledge of the system. His recurring vision indicates that important memories or truths may be resurfacing. He is also frustrated by Lu Zhi’s possessiveness, though their physical closeness continues to reveal the intensity of their relationship.
• Lu Zhi: Displays extreme jealousy and territorial behavior. He openly threatens Cheng Cheng, protects Shen, cleanses the kiss from Shen’s cheek, and marks Shen by biting him. His possessiveness is both protective and comically overbearing.
• Cheng Cheng: Proves manipulative and strategic. Rather than fighting Lu Zhi directly, he focuses on planting information in Shen’s mind and exploiting Shen’s confusion about the system.
• Jiang Ye and Fang Yu: Their underwater struggle develops an unmistakably intimate undertone. Jiang Ye appears shaken and attracted, while Fang Yu’s physical state suggests that their interaction may have gone beyond a simple rescue.
• Gu Yifei: Serves as an amused observer of the chaotic and suggestive events, nearly assuming Jiang Ye and Fang Yu have drowned.

Significant Themes

• Jealousy and possessiveness: Lu Zhi treats Shen Ranxin as his territory, turning romantic rivalry into both conflict and comedy.
• Hidden identities and lost memories: Cheng Cheng’s reference to the system and Shen’s vision of the white sphere suggest deeper secrets and unresolved history.
• Performance versus genuine emotion: Although the events occur during a filmed dating-show challenge, the contestants’ reactions—especially Lu Zhi’s jealousy and Jiang Ye’s attraction—appear increasingly genuine.
• Romantic tension and physical intimacy: The pool challenge creates opportunities for accidental and deliberate closeness, blurring the line between staged entertainment and real desire.
• Comedic contrast: Dramatic threats, romantic possessiveness, and suggestive encounters are undercut by absurd details, online commentary, and the disappointing “deserted island” prize.

Character Interactions

• Cheng Cheng and Shen Ranxin: Cheng Cheng tries to kiss Shen and hints that he knows about Shen’s system, leaving Shen confused and mentally distressed.
• Cheng Cheng and Lu Zhi: They engage in an openly hostile rivalry. Lu Zhi threatens Cheng Cheng, while Cheng Cheng taunts him about Shen and his relationship with Shen’s father.
• Lu Zhi and Shen Ranxin: Lu rescues Shen, fusses over him, wipes his face, bites his cheek, and claims him as “mine.” Shen rejects the behavior angrily but remains closely entangled with Lu.
• Jiang Ye and Fang Yu: Their underwater “rescue” becomes unexpectedly intimate, leaving both visibly affected and prompting excited speculation from the audience.
• The cast and Director Chen: After the successful challenge, Director Chen reveals that the prize is not a conventional gift but an extended deserted-island recording, leaving everyone stunned.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• After a chaotic day on the dating show, Director Chen dismisses everyone and hurriedly leaves, unnerved by the crew’s ominous looks.
• Back at the villa, Gu Yifei complains that the supposedly relaxing variety show feels more like military training. Shen Ranxin is similarly exhausted and begins reconsidering his original plan to fake his death and disappear after completing the show’s storyline.
• Shen realizes that Cheng Cheng may know about the mysterious system controlling the plot, and wonders whether Lu Zhi knows as well. Concluding that he must investigate why the plot has deviated so drastically, he decides to uncover the truth.
• Jiang Ye rushes to shower because Fang Yu’s scent remains on his lips, making it difficult for him to control his Alpha impulses.
• In the kitchen, Fang Yu helps Cheng Cheng prepare dinner. Cheng Cheng cheerfully acknowledges that Fang Yu and Shen Ranxin enjoy his cooking, reinforcing his role as the villa’s indispensable cook.
• Jiang Ye enters the kitchen, clearly affected by his pheromones. After Cheng Cheng tactfully leaves to find Shen Ranxin, Jiang Ye corners Fang Yu and nervously asks if he may kiss him.
• Fang Yu teases him about already having kissed earlier, but eventually gives Jiang Ye a brief kiss on the corner of his lips. Jiang Ye is left wanting more but is too shy to press further.
• Jiang Ye privately records in his phone that he may have found his omega and that he always wants to kiss Fang Yu.
• Fang Yu is called away to meet his agent. The agent raises the possibility of officially coordinating publicity around Fang Yu and Jiang Ye’s popular pairing.
• Fang Yu rejects the idea, claiming that Jiang Ye is only a child and that their relationship is merely temporary fun. He emphasizes that the relationship will end when the dating show concludes.

Character Developments

• Shen Ranxin: Moves from passive self-preservation to active investigation. He realizes that understanding the broken plot and the secrets surrounding Cheng Cheng and Lu Zhi may be necessary for his survival.
• Jiang Ye: Becomes increasingly emotionally and physically attached to Fang Yu. Although inexperienced and shy, he shows growing boldness by initiating intimacy and privately recognizing Fang Yu as his possible mate.
• Fang Yu: Continues to tease and indulge Jiang Ye, but remains emotionally guarded. His refusal to publicize the relationship suggests concern for Jiang Ye’s esports career, though he disguises this concern by dismissing their connection as casual.
• Cheng Cheng: Maintains his cheerful, capable image as the villa’s cook while hinting that he may possess important knowledge about the supernatural or system-related circumstances affecting the plot.
• Gu Yifei: Provides comic relief through his dramatic complaints about the exhausting show.
• Director Chen: Appears increasingly overwhelmed by the consequences of the show’s chaotic events.

Significant Themes

• Love versus self-protection: Shen Ranxin’s instinct to remain uninvolved conflicts with the need to investigate the truth, while Fang Yu suppresses his relationship with Jiang Ye to protect both their futures.
• Power and manipulation: The dating show appears to be controlled by forces beyond the contestants’ understanding, with the plot deviating from its intended course.
• Age and experience: Jiang Ye’s youth and inexperience contrast with Fang Yu’s maturity and established career, creating both tenderness and an imbalance in their relationship.
• Hidden feelings and emotional denial: Jiang Ye openly longs for Fang Yu, while Fang Yu minimizes their connection despite indulging his affection.
• Public image versus private intimacy: The agent’s discussion of fan interest and publicity highlights the difference between the couple’s popular public image and Fang Yu’s decision to keep the relationship private.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Ye and Fang Yu: Their flirtatious kitchen encounter deepens their bond. Jiang Ye nervously seeks permission to kiss Fang Yu, while Fang Yu responds with teasing affection and a restrained kiss.
• Fang Yu and his agent: The agent suggests capitalizing on the pair’s popularity, but Fang Yu refuses, citing Jiang Ye’s age and vulnerable career stage.
• Fang Yu and Cheng Cheng: Their kitchen partnership reflects Cheng Cheng’s importance to the household, while Cheng Cheng’s comment that Shen Ranxin also likes his cooking subtly reinforces the connections among the contestants.
• Shen Ranxin and the larger mystery: Though he does not directly interact with the others in the chapter, his growing suspicion about Cheng Cheng and Lu Zhi shifts the story toward uncovering the hidden system and the cause of the altered plot.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gu Yifei notices that Jiang Ye nearly lets Cheng Cheng’s fish soup boil dry. He saves it and receives an extra bowl from Shen Ranxin as a reward, proudly teasing Jiang Ye.
• Lu Zhi complains that Shen Ranxin does not serve him soup, but Shen ignores him because Lu recklessly mishandled the Wire Rig earlier that day.
• During the household chores, Jiang Ye tries to help Fang Yu wash the dishes. Fang Yu repeatedly refuses, leaving Jiang Ye confused by his inconsistent attitude. Nevertheless, Jiang Ye follows him into the kitchen, driven by his instinct to care for his omega.
• At bedtime, Lu Zhi once again climbs into Shen Ranxin’s bed. Shen allows it without protest, surprising Lu Zhi, though he still maintains his usual sharp attitude.
• Shen asks why Gu Yifei looked devastated after speaking with Lu Zhi. Lu reveals that he mocked Gu’s poor album sales, claiming he personally bought two million copies to preserve its reputation.
• Lu Zhi then explains that Cheng Cheng is his half-brother in name, though they are not blood-related. Lu was an orphan whose omega mother had been exploited in the slave market. After her death, Lu Yeshan bought Lu Zhi at sixteen, adopted him, and gave him an important task originally intended for Cheng Cheng.
• Lu refuses to reveal the nature of the task, turning the revelation into a teasing “bedtime story” and using it as an excuse to stay in Shen’s bed.
• After Lu falls asleep, Shen secretly leaves the room and calls Cheng Cheng. He confronts Cheng about hiding the truth and claims that Lu has already told him everything.
• Cheng Cheng immediately becomes tense and accuses Shen of trying to trick him, leaving the chapter on a cliffhanger.

Character Developments

• Shen Ranxin remains outwardly calm and sarcastic, but his concern about Lu Zhi’s past and Cheng Cheng’s secrets reveals growing emotional investment and mistrust.
• Lu Zhi continues acting shameless and playful around Shen, but briefly exposes a deeply painful history involving exploitation, abandonment, and manipulation by Lu Yeshan. He still conceals the most important part of his story.
• Jiang Ye shows strong domestic instincts and genuine concern for Fang Yu, despite being unable to understand Fang Yu’s fluctuating feelings.
• Fang Yu remains emotionally guarded and inconsistent, accepting intimacy from Jiang Ye at times but rejecting his help at others.
• Cheng Cheng becomes visibly defensive when Shen confronts him, suggesting that the secret surrounding Lu Zhi’s task is serious and that Cheng may be implicated in it.
• Gu Yifei is shown to be sensitive beneath his confident exterior, suffering a major blow to his pride after Lu’s cruel teasing.

Significant Themes

• Hidden identities and buried secrets: Lu Zhi’s origins, Cheng Cheng’s connection to the Lu family, and the mysterious task drive the chapter’s central tension.
• Trauma and exploitation: Lu’s childhood reflects the abuse of omegas and the way powerful families manipulate vulnerable people.
• Trust and deception: Shen must decide whether to believe Lu Zhi’s partial confession or force Cheng Cheng to provide another explanation.
• Affection expressed through domesticity: Cooking, serving food, washing dishes, and sharing a bed become indirect expressions of care and romantic interest.
• Humor masking pain: Lu’s jokes and flirtation conceal profound suffering, while Shen uses sarcasm to manage emotional discomfort.

Important Character Interactions

• Shen rewards Gu Yifei with extra soup while ignoring Lu Zhi, provoking Lu’s jealousy.
• Jiang Ye insists on helping Fang Yu with the dishes, demonstrating his devotion despite Fang Yu’s refusal.
• Lu and Shen share a teasing but intimate bedtime exchange, with Lu repeatedly using flirtation to avoid vulnerability.
• Lu confides in Shen about his tragic past, marking a significant increase in emotional intimacy.
• Shen secretly contacts Cheng Cheng and confronts him, shifting the conflict from playful suspicion to direct investigation.

Chapter Summary

Shen Ranxin interrogates Cheng Cheng about what Lu Zhi may have concealed from him. Cheng Cheng claims that Lu Zhi deliberately approached Shen Ranxin with ulterior motives and warns that Lu Zhi and Lu Yeshan are hypocrites targeting the Shen family’s “treasure.” Before Cheng Cheng can explain further, Lu Zhi enters the bathroom and catches Shen Ranxin speaking with him.
Embarrassed and guilty, Shen Ranxin tries to end the conversation, but Cheng Cheng urges him to distrust Lu Zhi. When Shen Ranxin considers going to Cheng Cheng’s dorm to continue talking, Lu Zhi abruptly silences him with a kiss, takes away his phone, and puts it on speaker. Cheng Cheng continues warning Shen Ranxin while Lu Zhi deliberately distracts and physically overwhelms him, eventually hanging up the call.
Lu Zhi carries Shen Ranxin to the bedroom and demands the “reward” Shen Ranxin implicitly promised in exchange for cooperation. Shen Ranxin protests that the earlier kiss should be sufficient, but Lu Zhi insists it is not. Although Shen Ranxin is embarrassed, conflicted, and visibly distressed, Lu Zhi continues to restrain and tease him. He tells Shen Ranxin that he knows Shen does not trust him and promises to reveal everything eventually—but only after ensuring that no one can take Shen away from him.
The chapter ends with Lu Zhi tying Shen Ranxin’s hands to the headboard. Shen Ranxin panics and begs him not to mark him, making clear that the encounter has crossed into a serious conflict over consent, trust, and control.

Character Developments

• Shen Ranxin: Becomes increasingly suspicious of Lu Zhi after Cheng Cheng’s accusations. He wants answers but remains emotionally and physically vulnerable around Lu Zhi. His embarrassment, resistance, and fear reveal that he does not yet feel secure or fully trusting in the relationship.
• Lu Zhi: Displays jealousy, possessiveness, and a need to control the situation. He prevents Shen Ranxin from hearing more of Cheng Cheng’s warning and uses intimacy to assert dominance. At the same time, he admits that Shen’s distrust is justified and promises eventual honesty, suggesting that he has secrets he is deliberately withholding.
• Cheng Cheng: Acts as a warning voice, attempting to expose Lu Zhi’s motives and protect Shen Ranxin. His claims deepen the mystery surrounding Lu Zhi and the Shen family.

Significant Themes

• Trust versus secrecy: Both Lu Zhi and Cheng Cheng accuse the other side of hiding the truth, leaving Shen Ranxin caught between competing narratives.
• Possession and control: Lu Zhi frames his actions as protecting Shen Ranxin from being taken away, but his behavior is also controlling and coercive.
• Consent and emotional vulnerability: Shen Ranxin’s repeated protests and fear contrast sharply with Lu Zhi’s insistence that he will eventually enjoy the situation, creating a troubling imbalance of power.
• Jealousy and manipulation: Lu Zhi interrupts the conversation and uses physical intimacy to prevent Shen from learning more, showing how jealousy influences his actions.
• Unresolved motives: The chapter reinforces that Lu Zhi approached Shen Ranxin for a reason, but the truth behind his intentions remains concealed.

Key Character Interactions

• Shen Ranxin and Cheng Cheng: A tense, secretive conversation in which Cheng Cheng warns Shen not to trust Lu Zhi and hints at a larger conspiracy involving the Shen family.
• Shen Ranxin and Lu Zhi: Their interaction shifts from suspicion and embarrassment to a struggle over control and consent. Lu Zhi promises eventual honesty, while Shen’s fear and resistance show that their relationship remains deeply unstable.
• Lu Zhi and Cheng Cheng: Though they do not directly confront each other, Lu Zhi effectively shuts Cheng Cheng out by taking Shen’s phone and ending the call, reinforcing their antagonistic dynamic.

Chapter Summary: “Truth”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Zhi’s loss of control worsens, and Shen Ranxin becomes genuinely frightened that Lu Zhi may completely break down.
• Lu Zhi’s pheromones and unstable state overwhelm Shen Ranxin. When several sedatives fail, Lu Zhi prepares to inject a fourth dose, but Shen Ranxin stops him.
• Lu Zhi obeys Shen Ranxin, covers him with a blanket, removes the tie restraining his wrists, and retreats to the bathroom to control his pheromones.
• After Lu Zhi leaves the room, Shen Ranxin checks his phone. Cheng Cheng has sent information about Shen Ranxin’s father, Shen Ziqing—a brilliant, high-ranking Alpha and mental-health researcher.
• Shen Ziqing’s research involved a highly classified project that was abruptly terminated. Three years later, he died in a fire, coinciding with the year Shen Ranxin left the entertainment industry.
• Reading the résumé triggers fragmented, inaccessible memories in Shen Ranxin, suggesting a connection between his past, his father, and the mysterious research project.
• Lu Zhi calls while still struggling to control himself. He asks Shen Ranxin to keep talking to him, so Shen Ranxin reads Shen Ziqing’s résumé aloud to distract and calm him.
• Lu Zhi asks Shen Ranxin to call him “Zhizhi,” a familiar nickname he misses. Shen Ranxin reluctantly complies.
• After regaining control, Lu Zhi tells Shen Ranxin he has gone outside to disperse the pheromone scent. Shen Ranxin ends the call, reminding him that they have filming the next day.

Character Developments

• Shen Ranxin: His fear of Lu Zhi’s instability is clear, but so is his concern for Lu Zhi’s health. Despite insisting that Lu Zhi’s condition is not his responsibility, he stops him from taking another sedative and helps him recover. The discovery of his father’s history begins to awaken suppressed memories and raises serious questions about Shen Ranxin’s own past.
• Lu Zhi: His condition is becoming increasingly dangerous, with repeated loss of control, excessive pheromone production, and reliance on sedatives. However, he remains responsive to Shen Ranxin’s words and trusts him enough to stop taking medication. His request to be called “Zhizhi” reveals a vulnerable, affectionate side beneath his domineering exterior.
• Shen Ziqing: Though absent, he becomes increasingly important. His exceptional background, classified research, unexplained death, and possible connection to Shen Ranxin’s lost memories establish him as central to the larger mystery.

Significant Themes

• Fear and emotional vulnerability: Shen Ranxin’s fear clashes with his instinctive concern for Lu Zhi, showing that their relationship is emotionally complicated rather than simply antagonistic.
• Control and dependence: Lu Zhi struggles to control his body and pheromones, while Shen Ranxin becomes one of the few people capable of calming him.
• Repressed memories and hidden truth: The information about Shen Ziqing triggers fragmented recollections, suggesting that Shen Ranxin’s past has been deliberately obscured or psychologically suppressed.
• Care beneath hostility: Although Shen Ranxin remains sarcastic and defensive, his actions demonstrate genuine concern for Lu Zhi.
• The consequences of medical intervention: Lu Zhi’s repeated use of sedatives hints at the physical and mental damage caused by attempting to suppress his condition.

Significant Character Interactions

• Shen Ranxin stops Lu Zhi from taking a fourth sedative, revealing concern despite his fear.
• Lu Zhi follows Shen Ranxin’s request, covers him, frees his wrists, and withdraws to protect him from the pheromones.
• During their phone call, Lu Zhi asks Shen Ranxin to talk so he can maintain control. Shen Ranxin reads his father’s résumé aloud, turning a personal mystery into an improvised means of helping Lu Zhi.
• Lu Zhi asks to be called “Zhizhi,” and Shen Ranxin’s use of the nickname briefly restores intimacy between them.
• Their exchange remains marked by teasing and emotional distance, but the underlying trust and attachment between them become increasingly apparent.

Chapter Summary: “Zhi Zhi’s Evening Story Hour Goes Live”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After a disturbing episode, Lu Zhi returns to Shen Ranxin’s room and keeps his distance, waiting until Shen Ranxin is no longer afraid of him.
• Lu Zhi offers to tell Shen Ranxin the story of their past in exchange for an answer about whether Shen Ranxin likes him.
• Shen Ranxin refuses to directly confess his feelings, though his embarrassed response reveals that he is emotionally affected by Lu Zhi and remembers their physical intimacy.
• Lu Zhi begins explaining his origins, revealing that he was born to a slave and grew up in an underground slave market.
• He recounts that he first met Shen Ranxin at the age of six, when Shen Ranxin’s father, Shen Ziqing, brought him to the market to choose a child companion.
• Young Shen Ranxin rejects Lu Zhi because he appears silent, dull, and unable to entertain him. Instead, he chooses another slave-born child who claims he can talk and tell stories.
• The chapter ends with Lu Zhi being left behind in the slave market, establishing the painful beginning of his connection with Shen Ranxin.

Character Developments

• Lu Zhi: Despite his earlier instability, he shows vulnerability and a strong desire for reassurance. He fears Shen Ranxin’s rejection and seeks confirmation that he can be loved even when he is not “crazy.” His childhood memories reveal that he endured poverty, abuse, and dehumanization, yet was already capable of restraint and responding to kindness.
• Shen Ranxin: He remains defensive and unwilling to verbally admit affection, particularly because of his past experiences with Alphas. However, he is clearly concerned about hurting Lu Zhi and cannot bear to see him appear genuinely wounded. His childhood self is revealed as spoiled, proud, and superficial, but not entirely cruel: he objects when Lu Zhi is injured and instinctively recognizes that Lu Zhi did not intend to attack him.
• Shen Ziqing: He is introduced as Shen Ranxin’s refined but detached father. His decision to take his young son to a slave market highlights the privileged and morally compromised environment in which Shen Ranxin was raised.
• The traffickers: They treat the children as merchandise, emphasizing the brutality and dehumanization of the underground slave market.

Significant Themes

• Trauma and vulnerability: Lu Zhi’s instability and need for reassurance are connected to his traumatic childhood and fear of abandonment.
• Love versus verbal confession: Shen Ranxin’s actions reveal affection even though he refuses to say “I like you,” suggesting that emotional truth may exist beyond spoken declarations.
• Class inequality and exploitation: The contrast between Shen Ranxin’s privileged upbringing and Lu Zhi’s treatment as a commodity exposes the cruelty of the social system.
• Identity and naming: Shen Ranxin’s attempt to name Lu Zhi, even casually and incorrectly, becomes an early act of recognition in a place where Lu Zhi is denied individuality.
• Memory and destiny: The chapter reframes the characters’ relationship by showing that their bond began in childhood, though it was shaped by misunderstanding, privilege, and missed recognition.

Character Interactions

• Lu Zhi and Shen Ranxin share a tense but intimate conversation in which Lu Zhi presses for emotional honesty while Shen Ranxin responds with embarrassment and avoidance.
• Lu Zhi uses teasing, physical closeness, and a deliberately pitiful expression to coax Shen Ranxin into acknowledging his feelings.
• In the flashback, young Shen Ranxin examines Lu Zhi with curiosity but rejects him for being quiet and unable to entertain him.
• Lu Zhi remains silent and passive despite being placed in a vulnerable, potentially violent situation, while Shen Ranxin briefly shows concern over the trafficker’s harsh treatment of him.
• Shen Ranxin ultimately chooses another child, creating the emotional wound and separation that likely shape Lu Zhi’s later attachment to him.

Chapter Summary

• Backstory and naming: Shen Ranxin and Lu Zhi reminisce about their childhood meeting. Shen had originally given Lu Zhi his name, joking that his poor literacy prevented him from naming him “Squeaky.” Lu Zhi reveals that he had wanted to go home with Shen but was too quiet to say so. He explains that he became more flirtatious and lively because Shen once said he liked that side of him.
• Lu Zhi’s childhood: Lu Zhi recounts his past as a trafficked slave. His unusually high pheromone level allowed him to suppress the trafficker, though the trafficker never paid for testing to discover its true strength. At sixteen, Lu Yeshan recognized Lu Zhi’s potential, took him in, and asked his name. Lu Zhi answered “Zhi,” but Lu Yeshan misunderstood or failed to hear clearly and gave him the full name Lu Zhi, making him his son.
• Emotional intimacy: Shen explains that asking someone’s name is a way of beginning a relationship and recognizing their personhood. This deeply affects Lu Zhi, who treasures even small gestures from Shen, such as holding his finger. Their conversation highlights the emotional significance of Shen’s early kindness and Lu Zhi’s lasting attachment to him.
• Morning and work preparations: Their late-night conversation continues until dawn, when Shen must leave for work. The production crew gathers the cast at six in the morning, dressed for a mountain expedition. Director Chen announces a supposedly exciting new phase of Instant Heartbeat, but the exhausted guests clearly see it as more labor than romance.
• Cross-country challenge: Shen mocks the show’s relentless schedule, comparing the participants to overworked animals. Lu Zhi immediately joins in with a suggestive joke, reinforcing their playful chemistry. When Gu Yifei points out that rain is expected, Director Chen reveals the next challenge: a ten-kilometer cross-country run through the wilderness, regardless of the weather. The cast reacts with disbelief, and Cheng Cheng jokes that Shen’s complaints have finally driven the director insane.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Shen Ranxin appears affectionate and curious about Lu Zhi’s past, while continuing to use humor to cope with exhaustion and unreasonable work demands.
• Lu Zhi reveals more of his traumatic history and shows how strongly Shen’s childhood acceptance shaped his personality and feelings. He is openly devoted, playful, and flirtatious with Shen.
• Lu Yeshan is established as the person who rescued or claimed Lu Zhi from slavery and gave him his family name, though their relationship is presented with Lu Zhi’s dry, sarcastic humor.
• Director Chen becomes increasingly determined to create dramatic, physically demanding entertainment, seemingly in retaliation for the cast’s complaints.
• The other cast members bond through shared exhaustion and resentment, supporting Shen’s observation that the program has become brutal labor rather than a conventional dating show.

Significant Themes

• Names and identity: Being asked for and given a name symbolizes recognition, personhood, and the beginning of meaningful relationships.
• Trauma and healing: Lu Zhi’s painful childhood contrasts with the warmth and acceptance he associates with Shen.
• Love expressed through memory: Small past actions—giving a name, expressing a preference, offering companionship—continue to shape Lu Zhi’s present emotions.
• Work versus romance: The dating show increasingly resembles forced labor, creating comic tension between its romantic premise and harsh reality.
• Humor as intimacy and resistance: Shen and Lu Zhi use teasing and suggestive jokes to strengthen their bond while collectively mocking the unreasonable production demands.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The production team equips the three Alphas—Shen Ranxin, Lu Zhi, and Jiang Ye—with forty-pound backpacks containing supplies for all six guests during a six-day wilderness challenge.
• Shen Ranxin struggles with the backpack and complains that the dating show feels more like military training. Fang Yu reassures him that omegas are not required to carry the heavy packs.
• After hiking ten kilometers through the mountains, the group reaches a forest clearing beside a stream. They discover that the production team will provide no food and that they must hunt or gather food themselves.
• Director Chen explains that the guests can no longer use their accumulated points for food, though the points will later be converted into star coins. Shen Ranxin is briefly appeased by the financial reward.
• The six guests are divided into mixed Alpha-omega teams for safety:
  • Shen Ranxin and Lu Zhi search for food together.
  • Jiang Ye and Fang Yu form the second search team.
  • Cheng Cheng and Gu Yifei remain at camp to unpack equipment and set up tents.
• While searching the forest with Shen Ranxin, Lu Zhi notices a cave and provocatively asks whether Shen Ranxin wants to “try cave play,” ending the chapter on a suggestive cliffhanger.

Character Developments

• Shen Ranxin remains sarcastic, outspoken, and easily flustered. He complains about the challenge but demonstrates determination by carrying the heavy pack. His attraction to Lu Zhi is evident through his embarrassed reactions to Lu Zhi’s flirtation.
• Lu Zhi continues to behave confidently and possessively toward Shen Ranxin. He openly compliments Shen Ranxin’s appearance in camouflage and insists on partnering with him, showing both romantic interest and a strong protective or controlling streak.
• Jiang Ye becomes self-conscious about his height after discovering that he is slightly shorter than Fang Yu. He insists that he is still growing and vows to become taller than both Fang Yu and Shen Ranxin, revealing youthful competitiveness and a desire to appear mature.
• Fang Yu acts as a calm, teasing mediator. He jokes about Jiang Ye’s height but also helps organize the teams and makes practical decisions for the group.
• Gu Yifei grows increasingly comical and frustrated in his attempts to stay close to Shen Ranxin. His jealousy of Lu Zhi is obvious, but Lu Zhi easily overpowers and humiliates him by lifting him off the ground.
• Cheng Cheng takes a pragmatic approach, suggesting that the group pair Alphas and omegas for safety, though the final arrangement is determined by others.

Significant Themes

• Romantic tension and flirtation: Lu Zhi’s overt advances toward Shen Ranxin contrast with Shen’s embarrassed resistance, reinforcing their developing attraction.
• Jealousy and unrequited feelings: Gu Yifei’s distress highlights the emotional complications of the relationships, particularly his apparent affection for Shen Ranxin.
• Masculinity and competition: The backpack challenge and Jiang Ye’s concern over his height emphasize physical strength, maturity, and Alpha expectations.
• Reality-show absurdity: The chapter satirizes dating-show conventions by combining romance with extreme survival tasks, exaggerated production decisions, and humorous livestream commentary.
• Teamwork and survival: Despite interpersonal conflict, the characters must cooperate, divide responsibilities, and rely on one another to survive in the wilderness.

Character Interactions

• Shen Ranxin and Fang Yu exchange friendly teasing over the backpacks and Jiang Ye’s height.
• Jiang Ye competes playfully with Shen Ranxin and seeks Fang Yu’s acknowledgment while insisting he will eventually grow taller.
• Lu Zhi flirts with Shen Ranxin about his camouflage uniform, while Shen tries to censor him and maintain decorum on camera.
• Gu Yifei interrupts their interaction out of jealousy, prompting Lu Zhi to lift him off the ground and Shen Ranxin to intervene.
• The final pairing of Shen Ranxin and Lu Zhi creates an intimate setting for further romantic tension, culminating in Lu Zhi’s provocative cave suggestion.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shen Ranxin and Lu Zhi continue their chaotic search for food in the forest.
• Lu Zhi playfully corners Shen against a tree and proposes a bargain: for every piece of prey he catches, Shen must let him kiss him for one minute. Shen agrees, believing Lu Zhi will find little or nothing.
• Lu Zhi uses a radio to imitate chicken calls, attracting a large flock of wild pheasants. He kills fifty-three of them with remarkable precision using pebbles and a compound bow.
• Shen Ranxin realizes that his careless agreement has left him owing Lu Zhi fifty-three minutes of kisses, much to his annoyance.
• The pair return triumphantly to camp with the pheasants. They find Gu Yifei struggling to assemble the tent while Cheng Cheng, Jiang Ye, and Fang Yu are at the stream.
• Jiang Ye has gathered mushrooms, Fang Yu has collected wild fruit, and Cheng Cheng is washing his shoes after stepping in animal feces.

Character Developments

• Lu Zhi remains shameless, flirtatious, and mischievous, but also demonstrates impressive hunting skill, resourcefulness, and confidence.
• Shen Ranxin continues to resist Lu Zhi’s advances verbally and physically, yet he willingly accepts the wager and is forced to acknowledge Lu Zhi’s competence. His irritation is mixed with reluctant amusement and awareness of their growing intimacy.
• Gu Yifei appears hardworking but overwhelmed while trying to construct the tent.
• Jiang Ye and Fang Yu contribute practical food supplies through foraging.
• Cheng Cheng provides comic relief through his unfortunate encounter with animal droppings.

Significant Themes

• Flirtation and romantic tension: Lu Zhi turns the survival task into an excuse for physical affection, while Shen Ranxin protests but still participates in the game.
• Competition and manipulation: Shen’s wager is based on his assumption that Lu Zhi will fail, but Lu Zhi cleverly exploits the rules to gain an advantage.
• Comedy amid hardship: Hunting, camping, and gathering food are presented through exaggerated antics and misunderstandings.
• Resourcefulness and teamwork: Each character contributes differently to the group’s survival, from hunting and foraging to building camp.

Character Interactions

• Lu Zhi repeatedly teases and kisses Shen Ranxin, while Shen responds with insults, punches, and reluctant compliance.
• Their banter reveals a familiar, increasingly intimate dynamic beneath the constant arguments.
• The camp members exchange reports on their collected supplies, creating a humorous contrast between successful foraging and Cheng Cheng’s embarrassing cleanup task.