Although Jiang Yumiao had no idea that this one glance had already convinced Ning Chunchi he was hopelessly in love with him, he could clearly feel the oppressive air around the Alpha beside him suddenly ease.
Why was the second male lead's mood like a roller coaster, fine one moment and bad the next? Powerful men really were temperamental.
Ning Chunchi disliked the greasiness of barbecue, so he stopped after a couple of casual bites.
The other three had already eaten their fill, too, so everyone headed back to the house.
After all that running around, they could finally put the games aside and enjoy the island's beautiful beach scenery.
Just as on the way there, Ning Chunchi and Jiang Yumiao brought up the rear.
The sun sank westward, leaving the lingering glow of sunset.
When Ning Chunchi turned to look at the setting sun, now almost touching the edge of the sea, his gaze met the Omega's.
Noticing the second male lead looking over, Jiang Yumiao gave him a gentle smile.
Sunlight fell over Jiang Yumiao, gilding his hair with a soft golden sheen.
That scene etched itself into Ning Chunchi's heart, and he remembered it for the rest of his life.
Back at the house, everyone was tired after the long day and went to their own rooms to rest.
Jiang Yumiao finally relaxed completely, too. He had been through far too much that day.
First, he had accepted the reality that he had transmigrated here. Then there was the useless system he could barely bring himself to complain about, followed by a battle of wits with the second male lead.
All of it had left Jiang Yumiao exhausted, but the island's sticky air drove him to hurry into the shower.
Only after showering did Jiang Yumiao feel alive again.
Beautiful as his long hair was, it took Jiang Yumiao ages to blow-dry it, which made him consider getting it cut once filming at this stop was over and he went home. He felt its silky texture in his hand, then felt a pang of regret, reluctant to cut it off.
Knock, knock-
Jiang Yumiao had just put down the hair dryer when a sudden knock came at the door.
Puzzled, he went to open it, only to find no one outside.
Looking more closely, he saw a pink envelope decorated with a heart lying on the carpet in front of his door.
Only then did Jiang Yumiao remember the Dating Reality Show's rules.
As its name suggested, "Love Mailbox" was bound to involve letters.
On the first and last nights of each stop, the guests had to write letters to the person they were interested in.
To give it a sense of occasion, the show specifically used traditional handwritten letters rather than electronic messages.
After writing their letters, the guests had to hand them to their assigned follow PD, the producer who followed them during filming. The PDs would place the letters in the little mailboxes beside each guest's room during a designated time slot. The guests could check the following morning to see whether they had received a handwritten letter.
There were rules for the letters' contents, too. Before the Dating Reality Show ended, the guests could not express feelings such as affection or love too directly, and related words were strictly forbidden.
That was really for the sake of the show, too. If they confessed outright in their letters, what would be the point of the final confession segment on the Dating Reality Show?
Jiang Yumiao bent down to pick up the envelope, closed the door, and returned to his room to sit at the desk.
Inside the envelope was a blank sheet of pale pink stationery that matched its design, with a faint heart printed on it.
"Ding-dong-your fourth mission is now being issued. Please write the second male lead a letter expressing your love."
Jiang Yumiao: "..."
A 'letter expressing your love'? Why not just tell me to write Ning Chunchi a love letter?
"The Dating Reality Show has rules against mentioning words like 'love'!" Jiang Yumiao said helplessly.
"The system believes that, as a writer, you have ten thousand ways to express affection without mentioning 'love'~"
Of course he knew there were plenty of ways. The problem was that this was only the first day, and normally everyone's letters would be fairly polite. Wouldn't writing Ning Chunchi a love letter right off the bat make him seem even less reserved?
Jiang Yumiao was speechless. Once he sent this letter, everyone would take his feelings for the second male lead as an established fact. All the mortifying things he had done earlier to complete his missions would also be firmly branded as little ploys to attract Ning Chunchi's attention.
The system was clever. Whenever Jiang Yumiao protested, it muted itself and played dead.
Jiang Yumiao could only resign himself to his fate. He picked up his pen and began to brainstorm, but after nearly half an hour, he still had no idea what to write.
He picked up his phone again and searched for "how to write a subtle love letter." The results were all classical poetry.
The poets of old had written beautifully, but the feelings in those verses ran too deep to be appropriate for the first day of the Dating Reality Show.
Jiang Yumiao let out a long sigh. He would have to do it himself after all.
He closed his eyes, and scenes of his time with Ning Chunchi flashed through his mind like a film.
That breathtaking glimpse when they first met, those large hands with their well-defined knuckles, that contradictory air of warmth and distance, the low voice saying his name, the effortless fluency when answering questions about him...
For some reason, his heart began racing again.
Jiang Yumiao thought he knew what to write.
He picked up his pen and solemnly wrote down a single sentence.
Then he slipped the letter into the envelope, checked the work group on WeChat to confirm who his follow PD was, opened their chat, and asked him to come collect it.
The PD, Xiao Wu, soon knocked on his door and took the letter away.
After tidying everything up, Jiang Yumiao climbed into bed and wrapped himself in the covers, a faint blush on his face.
How would Ning Chunchi react when he received the letter?
Disgust? Surprise? Or... would he be just a little happy?
Normally, no one should be unhappy to receive a letter, but Ning Chunchi's temperament was unpredictable, and Jiang Yumiao truly could not figure him out.
As the moon sank lower, he drifted into sleep with the exhaustion of the day.
The second-floor rooms had been assigned to the Betas and Omegas, while the Alphas all stayed on the first floor.
Ning Chunchi glanced at his phone. It was two in the morning.
He had already gone to sleep, but rustling outside his door had woken him.
The staff were putting letters into the mailboxes.
It was not that they were making much noise. Ning Chunchi was simply a light sleeper to begin with, and being in an unfamiliar place added another layer of vigilance born of his past experiences.
Ning Chunchi had only come on the Dating Reality Show because Yang Qi had been his classmate for years, from elementary school through high school. During those hardest, most destitute years of his youth, the Yang Family had helped him a great deal. Yang Mother had been especially fond of him, sometimes treating him even more affectionately than she treated Yang Qi.
With "Love Mailbox" changing direction this season, Yang Qi had been chosen as its director and entrusted with restoring the show to its former glory. Eager to make it a success, he had thought of Ning Chunchi.
Ning Chunchi was no longer the frail, powerless boy he had once been, but a distinguished, polished leader in the business world and the Ning Family's strongest contender for succession. He was practically a perfect match for the kind of guest their Dating Reality Show wanted, so Yang Qi had immediately invited his friend.
On top of that, President Ning had been single for years, and Yang Mother had also urged him to find someone he liked soon. Taking all those factors into account, Ning Chunchi had finally decided to participate.
The footsteps faded into the distance as the staff left.
Ning Chunchi closed his eyes and tried for a while, but when he found he could not sleep, he simply got up.
He decided to read his letter now.
Ning Chunchi was confident the little guy would definitely have written to him.
Given how he blushed whenever their eyes met, the contents would probably just express his gratitude for Ning Chunchi helping him through today's games.
Ning Chunchi opened his mailbox. Sure enough, a letter lay inside.
He gave a quiet scoff, took out the letter, and opened the envelope, ready to see just how long a thank-you letter Jiang Yumiao had written.
The next second, as he read its contents, Ning Chunchi's pupils abruptly contracted.
Jiang Yumiao's handwriting was elegant and graceful, like drifting clouds settling onto paper, and seemed rather at odds with his shy, bashful personality.
The letter was short, just a single sentence.
"The world is lovely, but I want to touch the moon."
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