Two worlds

Yang Qi said, "From now on, you have five hours to prepare." He deliberately found a camera and addressed it. "Everyone watching, we'll see you in the livestream at six this evening!"

"As for the performance order, you can draw lots in the WeChat group shortly. You need to decide on your acts within an hour. Don't worry about copyright; the production team can handle that for you."

Director Yang sounded like he had money to burn, but he was simply stating a fact. Securing music rights was hardly a challenge for a smash-hit variety show watched nationwide.

The yacht had three decks, eight large guest cabins, and four crew cabins. There were so many rooms that Jiang Yumiao thought it was practically a cruise ship.

Once they were dismissed, everyone went off to find somewhere to practice.

The production team had cleared out several rooms and turned them into rehearsal spaces, furnishing them with pianos, violins, cellos, guitars, guqins, guzhengs, pipas, and all sorts of other Chinese and Western instruments. They even had a drum kit.

Unfortunately, Jiang Yumiao couldn't play a single instrument. Those were things children from well-off families had access to. Staying alive alone had taken everything he had; where would he have found the time or money to learn an instrument?

Jiang Yumiao entered a rehearsal room and touched the Fuxi Guqin in the corner, genuine affection and envy hidden in his eyes. Sometimes, he truly envied people whose parents were both alive, who could grow up happy and surrounded by love.

Leaning against the doorway, Ning Chunchi saw it all. He watched the Omega bend down and lightly touch the guqin as though it were a treasure, then quickly withdraw his hand, straighten up, and step aside.

Jiang Yumiao considered his options. Since he couldn't play an instrument, he would have to sing. Stand-up comedy and the like were beyond him. Fortunately, he could carry a tune, which should be good enough for singing at a party.

But what should I sing...

He turned as he pondered, only to spot Ning Chunchi by the door.

The second male lead always appeared without a sound. Did he make no noise when he walked? He'd nearly scared a scream out of me!

Jiang Yumiao patted his chest to calm himself and looked at Ning Chunchi. Curious about what the second male lead would perform, he asked, "President Ning, have you decided on your act?"

Instead of answering, Ning Chunchi asked, "Do you like the guqin?"

Realizing Ning Chunchi had seen what he had done, Jiang Yumiao lowered his eyes. "Yes. The guqin has such a tranquil, lingering sound. Listening to it calms me down. I really like it."

Ning Chunchi nodded thoughtfully, then asked, "Are you going to play this later?"

Jiang Yumiao shook his head and answered honestly, "I don't know how. I've wanted to learn, but I never had the chance. The instrument is expensive, and I couldn't afford lessons either."

Ning Chunchi pressed his thin lips together. Looking at the slender Omega, who seemed a little dejected, he felt an unfamiliar emotion stir within him. For the first time, he wanted to learn about Jiang Yumiao's past.

What kind of life had his Omega led, that he couldn't even afford to learn an instrument?

If he hadn't come on this dating show, their paths might never have crossed in their entire lives.

They belonged to two different worlds to begin with.

Jiang Yumiao thought so too, though they defined "two different worlds" differently. Ning Chunchi drew the distinction along class lines, while Jiang Yumiao's "two different worlds" transcended dimensions.

For that very reason, Jiang Yumiao knew that meeting the second male lead was nothing short of a miracle, and he treasured every moment he spent with Ning Chunchi all the more. He soon composed himself and returned to his usual gentle, optimistic manner.

"I'm going to sing. Is there anything you'd like to hear, President Ning? I can see if I know it," Jiang Yumiao offered.

The Omega's eyes were clear and bright, filled entirely with his reflection. Meeting those eyes, Ning Chunchi suddenly felt his heart beat a little faster.

Ning Chunchi suppressed the flutter in his chest. "Anything is fine. Sing whatever you want." He added, "I'll be playing the violin."

Jiang Yumiao's eyes brightened further. He couldn't wait for the second male lead's act! This was a domineering CEO giving a performance in person. He would probably only get to see something like this once in his life.

An hour passed, and most of the guests had made their choices. They posted their acts in the WeChat group, then drew lots.

Lin Xu drew first place, and Yu He drew second. Yu He even sent a voice message to wail about it. Lin Xu was from the Conservatory of Music; this was his specialty. With him going first, the pressure on the guests who followed would be immense.

Yu He even considered switching to stand-up comedy if all else failed. At least that would spare him a devastating comparison with Lin Xu.

The dating show in the original novel had done a great deal to pave the way for Lin Xu to become everyone's darling. Almost all the activities played to his strengths. Today, for instance, even the party aboard the yacht had to have a music theme rather than a sports or dance theme.

The remaining guests' order was revealed as well. Qin Yuan was third, Jiang Yumiao fourth, An Zhiwan fifth, and Leng Haiyue sixth. Ning Chunchi would give the penultimate performance, and Mu Yunzhi would close the show.

The guests all had impressive backgrounds, and playing an instrument was no challenge for them. Still, this was a public, livestreamed performance, so they took it seriously and spent the afternoon practicing separately.

Jiang Yumiao had worried that the songs on his playlist might not exist in this world, but to his surprise, he could find most of them. It seemed the original author hadn't changed much about the setting apart from making it an ABO world.

After thinking it over for a long time, he finally decided to sing a song he had loved before transmigrating, called "Dreaming of Mountains and Seas."

Whenever he wrote late at night, this song helped him quickly immerse himself in the world of his novel. More importantly, its lyrics closely matched his current state of mind.

Jiang Yumiao practiced a few times and felt he was about ready. He stood up and took a sip of water, then suddenly heard a knock at the door.

"Come in," Jiang Yumiao called.

A female stylist wearing a beret and meticulously applied makeup poked her head inside.

"Amelia! What brings you here?" Jiang Yumiao asked, pleasantly surprised.

"You were out this morning, and I was a little worried about your styling, so I came to check." Amelia walked in with a smile and looked him up and down. When she saw his hair, she said in surprise, "Oh? You didn't do this yourself, did you?"

Jiang Yumiao chuckled. "Of course not. I'm too clumsy to manage anything this intricate. President Ning's friend, Zion, made it for me."

Hearing the name, Amelia was stunned. "Zion? Just to make sure, is his Chinese name Tang Zi?"

Jiang Yumiao nodded and gave Amelia a puzzled look.

Amelia rubbed her hands together excitedly and circled him twice, carefully studying his hairstyle as she spoke. "Zion is one of the top stylists in the entertainment industry, even in the fashion world. Plenty of A-list celebrities and luxury brands beg him to style for them, and he still might turn them down."

Jiang Yumiao was startled too. He hadn't expected the warm, outgoing Alpha from that morning to be so accomplished... There really were hidden talents everywhere. Ning Chunchi's friends shone just as brightly as he did. Only Jiang Yumiao himself was utterly unsuited to Ning Chunchi...

Jiang Yumiao lowered his lashes, hiding the inferiority and uncertainty that had suddenly welled up within him.

Amelia didn't notice Jiang Yumiao's mood. She checked the Omega's styling again and found it perfect, with nothing that needed changing. She simply tidied his hair, wished him luck with his performance, and left.

The spacious room fell quiet again.

Jiang Yumiao looked down at the lyrics in his hand, his eyes shadowed and unreadable.