Because of the limitations of his perspective, the memories Jiang Yumiao could access from the original owner were restricted to events related to the novel. And in the novel, the original owner had always been an utterly forgettable extra, so aside from his occupation, Jiang Yumiao knew practically nothing about him.
As for the original owner looking exactly like him, Jiang Yumiao had read enough transmigration novels to take that in stride.
But when Jiang Yumiao furrowed his brows slightly and put on an angry expression, the young man in the mirror frowned back at him, yet those watery, affectionate eyes made even his frown look like a coy pout.
"..." Jiang Yumiao suddenly understood. "System, don't tell me this is the reward."
"You figured it out, host! The reward for the first mission is the sparkle of 'eyes that look lovestruck even at a dog'!"
No wonder his gaze looked so strange now! Jiang Yumiao tried making all sorts of miserable expressions-sadness, distress, jealousy-but no matter how he contorted his face, those eyes kept gazing coyly ahead, as though they were flirting every second.
After a moment of silence, Jiang Yumiao quietly put his glasses back on.
The original owner was severely nearsighted anyway, and there wasn't an optician on this little island. He would make do for now.
"What's the second reward?"
"Please let your hair down to claim your second reward-'gorgeous long, straight black hair'!"
Other people who transmigrated into novels got all sorts of cheats from their systems: otherworldly spaces, top-tier spiritual roots, and overpowered skills. All he got was a bunch of random, bizarre stuff.
Still, people really were remarkably adaptable. Jiang Yumiao was already starting to get used to this peculiar system that seemed completely useless.
He had long since lost patience with the original owner's messy ponytail, so at that, he untied his hair.
Black strands tumbled down to his waist, soft and dark as fine silk.
Not expecting his hair to be so long, Jiang Yumiao couldn't resist lifting a lock to touch it.
The smooth strands slipped through his fingertips. They felt so nice!
He had worn his hair long before, though never this long, only down to his shoulders. And he had only grown it out because he didn't have time for a haircut, or didn't want to leave home.
Judging by its previous texture and style, the original owner hadn't taken particular care of his hair either. He had probably grown it out for much the same reasons.
After claiming his rewards from the system, Jiang Yumiao looked around the bedroom and spotted a twenty-four-inch suitcase.
He opened it to find only three or four changes of clothes, all of them baggy white shirts.
"..."
Jiang Yumiao decided it was time to put clothes shopping on his agenda.
He took his phone out of his trouser pocket and checked his bank balance, only to discover a pitiful four-digit sum.
"..."
Then he opened the Red Persimmon Novels app on his phone, the platform the original owner was signed with. After a quick look through the author dashboard, he fell into thought at the sight of the ten yuan in daily royalties.
How had the original owner survived? On ten yuan a day?
Jiang Yumiao decided that returning to his old line of work to support himself also needed to go on the agenda.
He had to pursue the second male lead and build a career. He certainly had his work cut out for him.
Jiang Yumiao lay down on the bed, planning to take a short afternoon nap. The director had just notified the guests in their group chat that they would gather on the beach that evening.
That morning, everyone had simply arrived at the house and briefly met. They hadn't even formally introduced themselves yet. The main event would come that evening.
The Dating Reality Show's main storyline was finally about to begin in earnest.
In the original novel, the sunset's lingering glow cast an almost impossibly beautiful filter over the bright, youthful boy, drawing everyone's attention to Lin Xu and officially kicking off the Dating Reality Show's romantic battlefield.
But that had little to do with Jiang Yumiao. Right now, his mind was occupied solely by the second male lead, who held his life in his hands.
At five that afternoon, all eight guests of Love Mailbox's fifth season gathered on the beach.
The sunlight was no longer as fierce as it had been at noon, falling gently over the golden sand. Seabirds called now and then, and the ocean breeze drifted past, leisurely and pleasant.
Jiang Yumiao wasn't feeling nearly so relaxed. He had almost overslept and sprinted to the beach at the very last minute. By then, the other seven guests were already there.
The out-of-shape Omega stood off to one side, catching his breath before straightening up, only to be instantly captivated by the sight before him.
On one side of the beach were cameras and crew members, while the guests stood on the other.
All these guests together were an absolute feast for anyone who loved a pretty face!
Aside from the second male lead, Ning Chunchi, the main love interest, Qin Yuan, and the universally adored protagonist, Lin Xu, whom he had met that morning, the other four each had their own distinctive appeal.
Among the Alphas, Mu Yunzhi had phoenix eyes and thin lips, exuding a rakish, bewitching charm. As expected of a world-renowned designer, his outfit was exquisitely chosen, complemented by an assortment of delicate accessories.
An Zhiwan was the only one dressed to suit the beach, in a floral shirt and shorts. With his chestnut curls and the pointed canines that showed when he smiled, he looked sweet and boyish, but his tall, imposing build constantly reminded everyone that he was an Alpha.
The two Betas were anything but ordinary, too. Leng Haiyue had the scholarly air of a highly educated intellectual. His well-fitted white shirt stood in stark contrast to Jiang Yumiao's cheap one. He didn't look like a music video director at all, more like a university professor who had wandered onto the wrong set.
As a former idol whose debut had fallen through and a current variety show regular, Yu He wore an outrageously flashy outfit, yet somehow pulled it off. At the very least, he looked more like an Omega than Jiang Yumiao did.
Forget filming a Dating Reality Show—even if this group did absolutely nothing, plenty of viewers would still camp out in the livestream.
Jiang Yumiao glanced down at himself: the baggy shirt he had hastily thrown on after oversleeping, the messy ponytail he had tied barely any better than the original owner, not to mention those thick, heavy glasses.
Suddenly, he didn't really want to go over.
But everyone had already spotted him, so Jiang Yumiao had no choice but to slowly shuffle toward them.
Ning Chunchi stood at the far left of the group, closest to Jiang Yumiao. He watched the Omega walk over to his side, clutching the hem of his shirt and looking somewhat ill at ease.
Scared now that there were more people around? He'd been bold enough when he was provoking me, but now he'd lost his nerve.
"All right! Now that everyone's here, let's officially start filming." Director Yang raised a megaphone and gave a mysterious smile. "Today is the first day of the Dating Reality Show. Does anyone know what we should be doing now?"
Yu He jumped in. "Finding someone who catches our eye!"
[I'm dying. Yu He never disappoints.]
[His blunt, airheaded beauty persona is holding strong.]
[By the time this Dating Reality Show ends, we'll probably have enough material for another collection of Yu He's greatest quotes.]
Director Yang cleared his throat twice, then said, "You're not wrong, but before someone catches your eye, shouldn't you get to know each other better?"
Yu He said, "Nah, no need to get to know them. A pretty face is enough." He even finished with a wink.
Director Yang: "..."
[Hahahahahahaha!]
[He's left Director Yang speechless. That's my baby for you.]
Lin Xu and An Zhiwan couldn't hold back a few chuckles, and Jiang Yumiao nearly laughed aloud too. Leng Haiyue looked at the speechless Director Yang without much change in his expression, but amusement gradually crept into his eyes as well.
Yu He had a real knack for variety shows. His words were ridiculous, yet he looked perfectly serious. That sort of straight-faced nonsense was impossible not to laugh at.
An experienced director who knew how to handle people, Director Yang quickly recovered. "Two kilometers ahead, the production team has thoughtfully prepared a delicious self-service seafood barbecue for everyone."
Jiang Yumiao's eyes lit up, and his hands curled into fists. He was genuinely hungry. The mental shock of transmigrating into a novel and the physical exhaustion of sprinting over had drained far too much of his energy. He urgently needed something to eat to replenish it.
Ning Chunchi cast a brief glance at the Omega's little fists beside him and felt an inexplicable itch in his heart.
"But not every guest will get to enjoy it." Director Yang gave another mysterious smile. "Starting now, please walk to the barbecue site. Along the way, feel free to chat and gather information about your fellow guests."
"Once you arrive at the designated location, the production team will ask you questions about each guest's personal information. You can choose whichever guest you think you know best and answer questions about him. There will be ten questions in total, and only guests who answer at least six correctly will get to enjoy the food!"
Before you continue