The first filming location for season five of "Love Mailbox" was a small tourist island in the southeast, where the eight guests would spend a week.
The dating show was currently in its first stage, with all the guests staying together in one villa. As the show progressed, they would move elsewhere and split into separate cottages in pairs.
"Congratulations, host! You have completed your first task ahead of schedule-attract the second male lead's attention. Your reward is taking effect. Please check it shortly." The system suddenly spoke after a long silence.
Before Jiang Yumiao could figure out how he had somehow completed a task, the system continued, "Your second task is now being issued. Please make physical contact with the second male lead within half an hour."
Jiang Yumiao wondered if he had misheard. He had only just met the second male lead, who probably didn't even know who he was. Wasn't this task pushing things a little too fast? Wouldn't he be taken for a lunatic...?
Jiang Yumiao thought for a moment. Since the system was unreliable, he would find a compromise himself. With that in mind, he asked, "This physical contact... can it be with any part of his body?"
The system replied, "Since you have only just met your target, the system has temporarily reduced the difficulty. There are currently no restrictions on body parts."
Jiang Yumiao let out a long breath and looked up at Ning Chunchi and the others.
Qin Yuan and Lin Xu had moved aside to sort through some of the supplies they had bought, while Ning Chunchi went into the kitchen to put away the groceries.
Jiang Yumiao realized that if he wanted to complete the task, this was his best chance to approach the second male lead. Once everyone went back to their rooms for an afternoon nap, the task would expire.
He gritted his teeth and walked over to Ning Chunchi. "Mr... President Ning, let me help you."
Ning Chunchi paused and looked at Jiang Yumiao, his eyes full of scrutiny. After a few seconds, he said quietly, "All right. Sorry for the trouble."
Jiang Yumiao hurriedly waved his hands. "It's no trouble! You've already worked hard doing the shopping. It's only right that I help with this."
He understood that look in Ning Chunchi's eyes perfectly. He was clearly thinking, So this guy really is interested in me!
But since Ning Chunchi hadn't said it outright, Jiang Yumiao couldn't explain himself. Besides, he wasn't entirely indifferent to the second male lead. The man fit his ideal type perfectly from head to toe. Faced with such beauty, he would endure it.
They sorted the groceries into the fridge. Although they stood close together, they still kept enough distance between them to leave Jiang Yumiao no opening.
No, I'll never finish the task at this rate. I have to make a move.
Jiang Yumiao inched toward the second male lead.
Ning Chunchi's movements faltered slightly, and his gaze grew even deeper.
Jiang Yumiao swept his peripheral vision over the second male lead. True to his refined, restrained image, the only skin exposed below his neck was on his hands.
After considering it, Jiang Yumiao decided that touching Ning Chunchi's hand really would be the easiest option.
Jiang Yumiao cleared his throat softly and lowered his gaze to the second male lead's hands.
They were large, clean hands with long fingers. As Ning Chunchi sorted the groceries, prominent veins showed beneath his skin, making his hands look defined and strong. The platinum watch on his wrist gleamed with a cool, unmistakably expensive light.
Jiang Yumiao had intended to compliment the second male lead's watch and use that as an excuse to touch his hand. But as he stared, the words slipped straight out.
"President Ning, your hands are really beautiful. Can I touch one?"
The instant he finished speaking, those hands stopped moving. Their owner's eyes were dark as ink, but a closer look revealed a trace of shock deep within those pool-like depths.
At that moment, comments were racing across the "Love Mailbox" livestream on the Fat Duck Video App.
[...]
[???????]
[What is this guy with the glasses saying?]
[Does anyone know this guest? He's the only one of the eight I've never even heard of.]
[It's only the first day and he's already doing this? Is this seriously not harassment?]
[Poor President Ning. Some nobody of a clout leech has already set his sights on him on day one.]
[You don't have to be so nasty. This is a dating show, and they only have a month. If you like someone, of course you have to make a move!]
[Don't be so sure. What if President Ning likes this type?]
[A top-tier A like President Ning should be with a gorgeous O. Average Os, back off!!!]
Jiang Yumiao had no idea how fiercely the viewers were arguing. All he wanted now was to find a crack in the floor and crawl into it. The public humiliation simply never ended.
Jiang Yumiao hurried to explain. "No! I meant your watch is really beautiful! It really was just a slip of the tongue..."
Looking at Ning Chunchi's expressionless face, he grew less and less confident, his voice trailing lower and lower. Even he didn't quite believe his explanation.
[Holy shit... that watch costs over sixty million. How could it not look good?]
[??? Filthy rich! President Ning, do you still need someone to cling to your leg?]
Ning Chunchi pressed his thin lips together. After a brief silence, one corner of his mouth lifted in a mocking curve. It looked like a smile, but it plainly didn't reach his eyes.
He held out his hand to Jiang Yumiao.
"Go ahead."
[????? President Ning actually agreed to that ridiculous request?!]
[I heard President Ning has always hated Omegas who approach him and throw themselves at him. I thought that nobody was done for.]
[It's the first day of filming, after all. They're both guests, so he has to let him save a little face.]
[With President Ning's status, does he really need to care about this Omega's feelings? Plenty of famous Os from wealthy families like him, and I've never seen him spare their feelings.]
Jiang Yumiao hadn't expected the second male lead to agree so readily. Instead, he hesitated, but for the sake of completing the task, he eventually reached out slowly.
The Omega's face was difficult to make out clearly, but his hand was exquisite. Flawless as white jade, with a soft palm, it looked slender and small beside Ning Chunchi's large hand.
Ning Chunchi's hand seemed capable of enclosing it completely.
He lowered his gaze to the Omega cautiously touching his wrist.
Slender fingers brushed across the watch face and grazed the skin of his wrist, then hastily withdrew as though startled.
Like a timid cat.
His approach is clumsy, but if I keep him around for amusement like a pet, perhaps this month won't be quite so unbearable.
"Th-thank you, President Ning." Jiang Yumiao pulled his hand back immediately after that light touch. "I really just thought the watch was beautiful." He genuinely hadn't meant anything else!
Ning Chunchi still wore that almost-smile. He gave a quiet hum and placed the last bag of carrots in the fridge.
One look at his expression told Jiang Yumiao that he didn't believe a word of it.
Jiang Yumiao couldn't bear to stay another second. He drifted away in a daze and followed the original owner's memories upstairs to the room he had been assigned.
The moment he shut the door, Jiang Yumiao flung himself onto the bed and rolled over twice before burying his face in the pillow.
He was exhausted, but the noisy system was still talking in his head. "Congratulations on successfully completing your second task, host. Your reward has been delivered along with the reward for the first task."
"Thank you so much," Jiang Yumiao said weakly.
The system took him seriously again and rattled on. "You're welcome. It is simply the system's duty. The system's role is to help the host complete tasks more effectively, begin dating the second male lead as soon as possible, and preserve the world's order. To that end, every task issued by the system is precisely calculated to bring the host and the second male lead closer together in the shortest possible time. Please carry them out diligently..."
Jiang Yumiao's headache worsened. It had started by handing him a task like that, and now it was talking about precise calculations and getting closer as quickly as possible? More like getting him killed faster!
The system was too noisy for him to sleep, so he decided to get up and inspect himself to see exactly what rewards it had given him.
Jiang Yumiao went to the bathroom mirror and finally discovered what he looked like now.
Aaaaaah! How could anyone wear glasses this unfashionable? And this hair is a complete mess! Where did this baggy shirt even come from-
Had I seriously done all those mortifying things looking this scruffy?!
Weren't Omegas supposed to care about their looks? Why was the original owner even more careless than me?
Jiang Yumiao raised both hands shakily and slowly took off his glasses. He had already given up hope for the original owner's face. All he asked was that it not give him a fright.
With the glasses off, Jiang Yumiao stared into the mirror and froze.
Compared with a moment ago, the Omega in the mirror seemed to have become an entirely different person.
The lower half of his face was unchanged: cool, pale skin, a narrow, pointed chin, and clean, delicate contours.
But the eyes previously hidden behind those thick, bottle-bottom lenses were now fully revealed. His almond-shaped eyes were clear, framed by long, thick lashes, their amber irises glistening. As he looked into the mirror, his gaze shimmered like a thousand dreamlike stars. Anyone those eyes rested on would feel as though their soul might be stolen away at once.
This face was the same as Jiang Yumiao's original face, yet something about it was different.
After a moment's thought, Jiang Yumiao asked, "Did I always look this flirty when I looked at people?"
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