"Wen Zhiyan."
The moment those three syllables were spoken, the room fell silent.
Even the constantly scrolling comments on the public screen seemed to lag, freezing for that instant.
The eight people in front of the projection exchanged looks. Xu Can clearly wanted to say something, but probably out of concern for the cameras everywhere in the villa, she opened her mouth several times without ultimately saying a word.
Lin Ziyou had clearly heard of Wen Zhiyan too. He raised an eyebrow, looking slightly surprised. "So it's the younger President Wen."
He turned toward Jiang Lan and narrowed his eyes, two dimples appearing on his face. "You were right, Lan-ge. There are still plenty of things that can surprise me."
But Jiang Lan didn't seem to hear Lin Ziyou. All his attention was fixed on the projection, his eyes locked on the man who had unconsciously shifted position when he spoke.
No one else spoke again, though their expressions varied. Clearly, they were all waiting for the person on-screen to give a definite answer.
But the person on-screen said nothing more. He merely spread his hands slightly in silent acknowledgment, then stood and moved out of the camera's view.
The projection went blank again, and a staff member's voice came over the speakers:
"Congratulations, Jiang Lan. You have earned the right to choose your bedroom first."
That single sentence provided a definite answer.
Qiao Xin swore, suddenly feeling that her hopes of finding a partner were dashed. "Bringing an alpha of this caliber onto a dating show? Is the production team kidding?"
Pei Du scratched his head and looked at Jiang Lan, joking, "Teacher Jiang, I feel like I'm going home empty-handed this time. It's up to you to take on the younger President Wen."
Jiang Lan clenched his fists and scoffed.
"The best? Says who? As long as I don't agree, he'll be the one going home empty-handed."
He had barely finished speaking when the figure who had just been sitting on the projection screen appeared at the foot of the stairs leading upstairs in the corner of the living room.
Black suit trousers and a sapphire-blue shirt, clean and neat without a single crease.
And the face that hadn't appeared on-screen slowly came into everyone's view.
Sitting on the coffee table, Jiang Lan looked at Wen Zhiyan from a distance, his memories instantly carrying him back many years.
Wen Zhiyan had only been eighteen then.
Because his secondary differentiation had yet to arrive, he wasn't as tall as he was now, and his frame had been rather slender. He had stood alone outside the dormitory, pushing a suitcase.
As a sophomore, Jiang Lan had been responsible for welcoming the freshmen.
He had just finished taking the previous group of freshmen upstairs when he stepped out of the dormitory and saw Wen Zhiyan standing backlit in the sunshine.
Foxlike eyes, a tiny mole to the left of his nose like a light dot from a pen tip, and thin lips that looked a little pale, probably because the weather was too hot.
His somewhat long hair had been casually tied into a little knot at the back of his head, and a fine sheen of sweat covered his exposed, full forehead.
Because his skin was so fair, Jiang Lan thought Wen Zhiyan looked almost translucent and unreal against the light, too beautiful to be a real person.
Standing at the entrance to the teaching building, he stared at Wen Zhiyan for a long time before pointing at the dormitory building opposite and saying:
"This is the alpha dormitory. The omega dormitory is over there. You're in the wrong place."
As for how Wen Zhiyan had answered him then, those memories had already grown somewhat hazy for Jiang Lan in his dreams over the past seven years.
But now, with Wen Zhiyan standing before him again, that scene from the past resurfaced clearly in Jiang Lan's mind.
Back then, Wen Zhiyan had looked up at Jiang Lan and said with an indifferent expression:
"Keep staring at me and I'll gouge your eyes out."
As for why he hadn't gouged them out afterward, at this moment, Jiang Lan felt he couldn't quite remember that either.
Watching Wen Zhiyan approach him step by step, looking at that face that seemed barely changed from ten years ago, he ran his tongue over his canine tooth and instinctively felt his pocket.
He wanted a cigarette.
Meanwhile, the comments on the public screen began scrolling at a frantic pace.
[Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit! It really is Wen Zhiyan!]
[Those legs are longer than my life. Step on me, handsome!]
[Does anyone get it? A top-tier alpha's body and a top-tier omega's face. What kind of divine contradiction is he?]
[I think his facial contours are still a little more masculine than an omega's, but seriously, if I ignored his body, I'd still want to drop to my knees and call him my wife...]
[Why haven't I heard about this guy before? Can someone fill me in?]
[You don't know Wen Zhiyan? You've at least heard of the Wen Corporation, right?]
An elite wealthy dynasty with a century of history.
The former chairman had only died last year. Of the three Wen brothers, two were alphas and one was an omega. Reports had previously been everywhere about the other two fighting tooth and nail, while Wen Zhiyan had broken away from the Wen family and founded the luxury jewelry brand Tu Lan, living freely and focusing on his work as a designer.
Over the past few years, he had won countless international awards, and everyone from wealthy socialites to people in entertainment and fashion flocked to Tu Lan's jewelry.
As for Wen Zhiyan himself, he had seemingly stayed out of the affair all these years, yet now that the dust had settled, he had unexpectedly emerged as the ultimate winner.
Combined with that exceptionally beautiful face, which occasionally appeared in the designers' seats at international fashion shows and embodied countless people's highest aesthetic ideals, this had sent Wen Zhiyan's reputation soaring, making him an almost legendary figure.
[Even TV dramas wouldn't dare write this.]
[His appearance fee is probably higher than the other eight people's combined, right?]
[Obviously. There's still an unbridgeable gulf between celebrities and the wealthiest dynasties. They're the actual money behind it all.]
[Leaving that aside, haven't you noticed? Why do I feel like Lan-ge is practically gritting his teeth as he looks at President Wen?]
[They're both top-tier alphas. Personally, I think Lan-ge's looks and physique are no worse than President Wen's, but when it comes to money, he probably really can't compete. Must be an alpha's competitive streak. Lan-ge has met a formidable rival this time.]
[If President Wen were an omega, I'd already be imagining a whole melodramatic story where sworn enemies meet and end up together.]
Wen Zhiyan walked to the center of the living room, gave everyone present a slight nod, and offered an obvious and rather perfunctory introduction:
"Wen Zhiyan."
Everyone's attention converged on Wen Zhiyan, and they smiled at him with friendliness, curiosity, or appraisal.
"President Wen, what an incredible surprise. Just looking at you is giving me an inferiority complex."
Lin Ziyou was the first to speak, greeting Wen Zhiyan in a joking tone.
Wen Zhiyan's gaze settled on Lin Ziyou too. He studied him closely for a long time, then gave a somewhat distant smile.
"I've followed your work, Lin Ziyou. Your acting is good."
Hearing Wen Zhiyan say that, Lin Ziyou couldn't help feeling awkward. Everyone knew his acting wasn't particularly good; it was simply his face that made countless fans willing to pay.
But he couldn't immediately tell whether Wen Zhiyan was being polite or sarcastic, making it difficult to respond. He merely gave a little exclamation and pretended not to mind.
"Don't make fun of me, President Wen."
Like most omegas, Xu Can usually enjoyed talking big, calling out every day for heaven to grant her an exceptionally handsome alpha. Yet when one actually appeared in front of her, she immediately became mute and socially anxious.
She ducked farther behind Ye Qiunian, wanting only to make herself as inconspicuous as possible.
Pei Du extended his right hand toward Wen Zhiyan. "Pei Du. I've heard a great deal about you, President Wen."
Wen Zhiyan politely extended his right hand as well, lightly clasping Pei Du's fingertips before quickly releasing them. "Best Actor Pei, I've seen your films."
Pei Du raised an eyebrow. "I'm honored."
A fellow alpha who had only just complained about the production team, Qiao Xin reluctantly extended her hand toward Wen Zhiyan as well. "Young Master Wen, did you come here specifically to wipe out the competition?"
Earlier, Jiang Lan had only thought Qiao Xin looked familiar, but even after thinking for a long time, he hadn't remembered any notable work of hers.
Now that she was standing with Wen Zhiyan, Jiang Lan suddenly remembered that she wasn't really part of the entertainment industry. Qiao Xin was a model and had worked with Tu Lan two years ago.
At the time, Jiang Lan had even seen a photo of her and Wen Zhiyan in the trending topics.
She was presumably an old acquaintance of Wen Zhiyan's.
Sure enough, Wen Zhiyan treated Qiao Xin with far more familiarity than the others. He didn't shake her hand, only saying:
"Don't worry. Our tastes differ. I won't be wiping out your competition."
Clearly accustomed to this behavior from Wen Zhiyan, Qiao Xin withdrew her hand without the slightest embarrassment and asked, "Help each other out?"
Wen Zhiyan gave no definite answer. "Depends on my mood."
The others weren't familiar with Wen Zhiyan and had no intention of immediately striking up a conversation. Having finally finished his round of greetings, Wen Zhiyan turned his gaze to Jiang Lan, who was sitting on the coffee table.
From head to toe, utterly unrestrained.
Jiang Lan kept his eyes lowered and didn't meet Wen Zhiyan's gaze.
But his gaze followed Wen Zhiyan's the entire time, examining himself.
Jiang Lan had already unconsciously forgotten certain things when he got out of the car and saw Wen Zhiyan's back.
Only now, looking at his baggy linen shorts, did he suddenly remember how he was dressed.
Together with Wen Zhiyan's gaze, Jiang Lan's eyes finally came to rest on his slippers, one of which was missing a corner.
He raised a hand and swept his hair back, wishing he could get up and leave on the spot.
Fortunately, his years in the industry hadn't been for nothing. Facing the impeccably dressed Wen Zhiyan, who had appeared before him so carefully groomed, Jiang Lan looked perfectly calm, even though he couldn't stop cursing inwardly.
Whatever happened, he couldn't let Wen Zhiyan discover that he had already gotten under his skin.
He hoped Wen Zhiyan could act as if he hadn't seen him and move straight on to the next segment.
He was already desperate to return to his bedroom and change into something more presentable.
But as though he had been born to thwart him, Wen Zhiyan extended his hand directly toward him. "Teacher Jiang, I've heard so much about you."
Before you continue