The hot spring pool was divided into two distinct camps.
The Betas and Omegas were chatting animatedly on one side. With Yu He around, there never seemed to be a lull in the conversation, and bursts of cheerful laughter rang out now and then.
The Alpha side was much quieter. The four of them were still arranged in the same triangle as when they had arrived. Ning Chunchi and Qin Yuan were so quiet that even An Zhiwan felt awkward speaking too loudly.
Director Yang checked the time. It was almost noon, and they had been at the hot spring resort for nearly two hours.
He smiled faintly, deciding it was time.
Qin Yuan was the first to stand up. He had soaked long enough.
Jiang Yumiao was getting a little dizzy from the hot water and was ready to get out too. Seeing this, Leng Haiyue and the others decided to call it quits as well. Everyone climbed out of the pool and put on their bathrobes, ready to leave.
Qin Yuan walked to the door, then stopped short.
Director Yang was standing in the doorway, blocking his exit.
Qin Yuan: "..."
Best Actor Qin took a step back, his expression cold, and let Yang Qi in.
Director Yang walked in, surveyed the roomful of handsome men in bathrobes, and pulled out an iPad. "Here are our latest voting results."
Jiang Yumiao's expression stiffened. He had to hand it to an experienced variety show director-he knew exactly how to use the guests' and viewers' psychology to make the show more entertaining. If he announced the results now, any guests or viewers who were unhappy with them would have the entire afternoon to try to turn things around.
Director Yang glanced at the rankings on his tablet, then looked up and swept his gaze over the guests. Everyone he looked at felt a little uneasy.
"We'll only announce the top four. Currently in fourth place is Ning Chunchi, and in third is Qin Yuan."
The two big shots seemed to accept their rankings well, neither showing much reaction. A closer look, however, would reveal a flicker of irritation in Qin Yuan's eyes. He thought third place was dangerous. One wrong move and he could be voted into the top two. If they made him share a bed with a stranger, he would quit the show on the spot.
Jiang Yumiao watched the drama unfold from the sidelines. Given his current status as a washed-up nobody, he figured he was probably seventh or eighth in the votes. None of this concerned him.
Director Yang began announcing the top two. "In second place is... Jiang Yumiao."
Jiang Yumiao: ???
Was he hearing things? His mouth slightly open, Jiang Yumiao turned a bewildered look on Lin Xu and Yu He beside him and asked them that very question.
Holding back a laugh, Lin Xu said, "You're not hearing things. You're second, fair and square."
Jiang Yumiao nearly blacked out. His gaze drifted involuntarily toward Ning Chunchi, and that one glance made his heart go cold.
Ning Chunchi still wore the same unruffled expression, but there wasn't a trace of a smile in his eyes. His ink-black gaze was fixed directly on Jiang Yumiao.
Jiang Yumiao could clearly sense that the second male lead was very unhappy right now.
He had heard that Alphas who had established a bond were extremely possessive of their Omegas. If he shared a bed with someone else tonight, Ning Chunchi might really have his way with him.
His gland still ached faintly...
Yu He hadn't answered Jiang Yumiao's question just now. He had felt a sense of foreboding ever since hearing the names in third and fourth place, and when Director Yang announced Jiang Yumiao as second, that feeling had only grown stronger.
Sure enough, Director Yang said, "In first place is Yu He! Let's congratulate Yu He on currently holding the top spot. Just stay there, and the deluxe king room will be yours tonight!"
Yu He exploded. To hell with the deluxe king room! What I want is a deluxe king bed all to myself!!
If he hadn't still been mindful of the cameras, Yu He would have rolled his eyes at Director Yang ten times over.
But then he thought about it again. Jiang Yumiao was second. Sharing a bed with Yumiao wouldn't be so bad!
Yu He had always been good at comforting himself. His spirits lifted again, and he was just about to speak to Jiang Yumiao when he accidentally caught sight of Ning Chunchi out of the corner of his eye.
...It was the first time he had ever seen President Ning look so grim.
Yu He's thoughts were written all over his face, which went from gloomy to cheerful and back again, making everyone struggle not to laugh.
[I'm dying. Yu He's doing a whole face-changing act over here!]
[Let me translate Yu He's thought process: Why am I first, babes, didn't you promise not to vote? → Aw, sharing a bed with Yumiao wouldn't be so bad → Fuck, Ning Chunchi looks seriously pissed → There is absolutely no way I'm sleeping in that deluxe king bed.]
[Hahahahahahahahaha!]
Jiang Yumiao couldn't laugh right now, though, because he had received another damned system mission.
"Ding-dong! Time to get to work, host~ Mission six is now being issued. Please keep your own voting rank in the top two and find a way to move the second male lead up at least two places."
Ning Chunchi was currently fourth. At least two places... didn't that mean the top two?
"System, you might as well just say mission six is to make me share a bed with Ning Chunchi tonight."
"Hehe, as long as you understand what I mean, host. My programming requires me to phrase missions precisely!"
Jiang Yumiao: "..." He really couldn't see what the system had to do with the word "precisely."
As always, System 188 muted itself as soon as it finished issuing the mission, paying no attention whatsoever to Jiang Yumiao's mental complaints. It wanted to give its host plenty of room to work, so it wouldn't disturb him while he completed his mission.
188 thought it really was a wonderful system: considerate, dedicated, and loving toward its host.
Director Yang said, "The hot spring resort also has a buffet, a spa, a billiards room, a cinema, and other activity areas. You're free to explore this afternoon. If you're unhappy with the voting results, you can interact more with the livestream viewers. You might just change the outcome. We'll meet back here at five this evening to reveal the final rankings."
With that, Director Yang left, leaving the guests looking at one another.
Leng Haiyue said, "They actually haven't scheduled any activities to put us through the wringer this afternoon. We can get some proper rest."
Lin Xu nodded.
Yu He and Jiang Yumiao thought, That's because some of us are carrying the burden for everyone else!
Those who didn't care about the voting results could, of course, enjoy their afternoon. Those who did would have to spend it figuring out how to get this difficult bunch of viewers to vote, leaving them in no mood to have fun.
Ning Chunchi went off to take another call, while An Zhiwan called everyone out to lunch.
Lin Xu had already left, but he came back and hurried over to Qin Yuan, who hadn't moved, to ask whether he wanted to join them for lunch. Qin Yuan raised an eyebrow, stood up, and followed Lin Xu out at an unhurried pace.
Jiang Yumiao sighed and looked at Yu He. Although he could already tell that Yu He wasn't particularly keen on sleeping in the king room, he still needed to confirm how he felt.
"Yu He, what do you think of these voting results?"
"If I were sleeping alone, it'd be fine, but sharing with someone else is still a bit beyond me right now." Remembering Ning Chunchi's gloomy gaze, Yu He swallowed involuntarily and admitted, "Honestly, I wouldn't mind sharing a bed with you. But you didn't see the look on President Ning's face just now. It made me feel like if I slept with you tonight, I wouldn't live to see tomorrow."
Jiang Yumiao looked as though he had found a kindred spirit. So he wasn't the only one who had noticed Ning Chunchi's icy aura.
The two exchanged a look and settled on the same goal-
Get Ning Chunchi into the top two!
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