No Designs on You

By the time they finished dinner, it was completely dark outside.

Everyone had eaten their fill and got up to clear the table.

The production crew carried a machine into the living room, deliberately covering it with a white cloth to keep anyone from seeing it.

The crew sent the guests back to their respective rooms, explained the situation to the viewers, and paused the livestream.

The production team asked all the guests to wash up and appear in the living room in their pajamas. The livestream would resume at eight sharp.

The three pairs of guests headed upstairs to get ready, while Luo An and Lu Yiyi had to take a car back to the Red-Brick House.

The moment they were off camera, Luo An and Lu Yiyi let go of each other's hands. The atmosphere turned so cold it almost froze.

Even the staff member driving them couldn't help glancing back.

The two sat far apart, both looking grim.

"If you want to ruin yourself, don't drag me down with you! Our contract's almost up. After the second episode, I won't play along anymore." The man's voice was low, without a trace of the easy cheerfulness he showed on camera.

"Lu Yiyi, at least keep your eyes in check for these two episodes!" Luo An's voice held a warning. "Let's part on good terms."

Luo An picked up the flashlight beside him and told the driver to stop.

"Go back and shower first. I'll walk back to settle my stomach. I hope you'll be done washing up by the time I get there."

Without the slightest hesitation, he got out and briskly shut the door.

The car gradually drove away, leaving only a beam of light behind it.

Lu Yiyi's mouth fell open in shock. She thought he was being completely unreasonable.

He was a male Beta, less famous than she was, and now he actually dared to lecture her!

"Who does he think he is! Song Yunxing! Luo An! None of you Betas are any good! Once I'm famous..." Her chest heaved with anger, her pheromones spilling out uncontrollably as a sharp, sour lemon scent filled the car.

The driver in front and the assistant behind her both looked increasingly uncomfortable, but neither dared push back because of her status. They could only let her rage...

Inside the villa, the guests quickly showered, changed into their own pajamas, and came out to the living room.

Song Yunxing finished showering first and sat dazedly on the sofa in their room.

They had spent the whole day selling tangerines, singing, grocery shopping, cooking, and carving decorations. Honestly, he was already getting sleepy.

The room was lit with soft, warm light. With a full stomach, Song Yunxing sat wrapped in a cozy quilt, feeling his eyelids grow heavier and heavier.

Gradually, his vision blurred. He leaned back against the sofa, closed his eyes, and fell fast asleep.

Shen Yanci stepped out of the bathroom in black pajamas and found this scene waiting for him.

The young man wore pure white silk pajamas, the ends of his silver-white hair slightly damp. A faint pink flush showed through his clear, fresh complexion.

He sat cross-legged on the sofa, his head bobbing, looking as though he might topple off at any moment.

Shen Yanci came to stand beside him and was just about to reach out to wake him when the young man's head happened to lean against his abdomen.

Shen Yanci stiffened for a moment. His long, slender hands rose in a fluster, then froze, unsure whether to wake him or leave things as they were.

Fresh from his shower, the young man carried a faint scent of body wash, seemingly mingled with a trace of some elusive floral fragrance.

His vulnerable neck lay exposed before Shen Yanci. The flesh-colored gland patch hadn't been applied properly, and one corner had peeled up.

The man's eyes instantly darkened. His Alpha hunting instincts clamored for him to tear off the gland patch, bite into the back of the young man's neck, and mark him.

His hands trembled slightly, curling into fists as he fought to suppress a desire whose source he couldn't explain.

The windows were all shut, leaving the air stagnant. The lingering floral scent stirred the Alpha's pheromones.

In an instant, a rich liquor scent seeped out, completely overwhelming the floral fragrance.

The man's breathing grew increasingly rapid, yet the young man remained oblivious, his warm breath falling against a certain unmentionable spot. The man's body went rigid, his Adam's apple bobbing.

He immediately pulled away and placed both hands on the young man's shoulders.

He let out a long breath, his voice low, husky, and resonant. "Song Yunxing, wake up. They're about to start filming downstairs."

Still half asleep, the young man didn't even open his eyes. He instinctively wrapped his arms around the man's waist, his voice soft and sleepy. "Let me sleep a little longer."

The man froze, something seeming to churn violently in his dark eyes.

The young man seemed to sense something was wrong. He forced his eyelids open and met the man's dark gaze, utterly unguarded.

For a moment, the only sound in the quiet room was their breathing.

"...Ah!" The young man's pale face flushed bright red, and he abruptly sprang up from the sofa.

His legs had gone numb and weak from sitting cross-legged for so long. They gave out beneath him, sending him straight into the man's arms.

In his panic, he grabbed hard at the man's pajama collar, barely managing to keep his balance.

Clatter-

Clatter-

Two black buttons fell and struck the floor.

The young man squeezed his eyes shut. Only after a long moment, when he recovered his senses, did he realize what he had done!

He had forcibly pulled open the man's black pajama top, exposing broad shoulders and bulging pectorals.

The black pajama top hung off the man's powerful forearms, which were also supporting the young man's arms.

"So you've been lusting after my body all along?" Realizing what had happened, the man laughed, the low, husky sound resonating through the room.

Song Yunxing shuddered and looked up to meet his gaze.

His long black lashes trembled as they brushed the tip of the man's nose. Both of them stopped breathing for a beat.

They were so close that even their breaths mingled.

A knock at the door broke the charged atmosphere.

"Song! What's wrong? Are you feeling sick?" Lu Ran's worried voice came from outside.

As though jolted back to his senses, Song Yunxing felt as if his entire body were burning up.

He immediately shoved against the man's muscular chest and leaped three meters away from him.

His face bright red, the young man panted slightly. "I'm fine! Go downstairs first!"

Silence fell outside the door, then the footsteps gradually faded.

Once again, only the two of them remained in the quiet room.

The man stood dazed beneath the light, the lines of his honey-toned muscles sleek and powerful, like a work of human art painstakingly carved by a sculptor.

Song Yunxing's gaze accidentally swept over a certain spot, and his face flushed again. "...You! Don't flatter yourself! Th-this was all an accident! I have no designs on you!"

Song Yunxing twisted the doorknob and fled.

He was in such a hurry that he didn't even have time to put on his slippers, rushing out barefoot.

Without a care for anything else, he charged all the way downstairs.

The foot of the stairs was crowded with people. The other guests were already in their pajamas and putting on something resembling fitness trackers.

"Song! Why's your face so red? You're not wearing shoes, either." Lu Ran looked puzzled.

Song Yunxing's eyes darted around as he stammered, "I just finished showering. It was stuffy!"

Lu Ran believed him. "Oh, then hurry down and put your shoes on. The crew told us to wear these wristbands. The livestream's about to start."

Song Yunxing went downstairs to put on his shoes, and the staff nearby gathered around to fit him with a wristband.

"Mr. Song, the next segment is a heart-flutter test, something like truth or dare. Every guest has to wear a wristband that displays their heart rate, so we can tell which of your relationships are real..."

He couldn't hear anything else the staff member said. He wanted to stop them, but the wristband was already fastened securely around his wrist.

"Beep-Guest Song Yunxing, heart rate: 105."