Why make me do something so humiliating?

The director sat on a little folding stool, waving a palm-leaf fan and grinning deviously.

After this reshuffling of the groups, the guests would surely realize who they had feelings for. The segments that followed were guaranteed to be explosively sweet!

"Hehehehe~"

The assistant director turned his head away and sighed.

"How can you still laugh? Yue Lan and Fu Yunxi are practically beating smoke out of each other."

"That's perfectly normal. What else would two alphas do together besides fight? If they actually went on a date, we'd be the ones crying."

Just then, Fu Yunxi came in with a bruised, swollen face.

Yue Lan followed lazily behind him, both hands in her pockets.

"Don't be mad. Be good, I'll go easier on you next time!"

"You've still got the fucking nerve to say that!"

Xie Lin, who followed them in, froze for a moment before bursting into laughter and pounding the doorframe.

"Pfft, hahahaha! How did Film Emperor Fu's face get swollen up like a pig's head again? Who did it?"

Yue Lan raised an eyebrow and spread her hands.

"I couldn't help it either. He insisted on yelling, 'Hit me again, I dare you.'"

She shrugged.

"Never heard a request like that before. Had to oblige."

Fu Yunxi covered his face, so aggrieved he was on the verge of tears.

He Jianing had just stepped out of the car, his legs still trembling. He looked up and immediately cried out in shock.

"Oh my god, Yunxi, what happened to you? Did Xie Lin beat you up again?"

[See? This is how rumors start!]

[Isn't it because Xie Lin's a violent maniac? He beats up our Yunxi every day!]

Before Xie Lin could speak, Fu Yunxi roared, his face livid.

"It wasn't him!"

By comparison, getting beaten up by an alpha at least sounded a little more respectable.

Though he had already lost every last shred of dignity.

Dinner had been prepared by the production team, and it was lavish.

Absurdly lavish, like the Last Supper.

Xie Lin looked puzzled.

"Director, are we disbanding after this meal?"

The director's eyes widened.

"Take that back! This is only our first day on air. We've got ages to go!"

Then he waved a hand.

"Thanks for all your hard work today, everyone. The livestream is off, so eat and drink as much as you like, then get some rest!"

The viewers watching the livestream saw a few lines of small text appear on the screen:

What will the guests' true selves look like when they're drunk?

[Wow, I can't wait!]

[Isn't this a bit wrong? Everyone knows celebrities act differently in public and in private. Doesn't this count as invading their privacy?]

[Then tell me, does Fu Yunxi have any privacy left at this point? He's already been beaten up like that.]

[Seriously, ever since he joined this dating show, his face has barely had a good day.]

Once everyone heard that the livestream was off, they immediately relaxed.

Xie Lin's gaze casually swept over a pile of books nearby.

The cameraman instantly tensed, his heart in his throat-had he been caught?

But that gaze drifted away again, landing instead on Fu Yunxi, two people away, as the corners of Xie Lin's mouth lifted slightly.

He poured himself a glass of juice.

"Film Emperor Fu, care for a drink?"

Fu Yunxi immediately perked up from his dejected state, then frowned.

"You're drinking juice with me?"

"You're an alpha. Do you really have to be so fussy with an omega like me?"

"..."

Was that the issue here?

Had he forgotten straddling him and beating the hell out of him?

Yue Lan glanced at him.

"I suppose Film Emperor Fu can only compete with omegas."

"Says who?!"

Fu Yunxi stiffened his neck, threw his brains away, and slammed his glass onto the table!

"Fine, let's drink!"

Lu Ye stood up and gently squeezed Xie Lin's shoulder twice.

"Take your time. I'll get you some skewers."

"Okay!"

Watching Xie Lin beam at Lu Ye, Fu Yunxi felt his pent-up frustration surge and couldn't help tipping his head back to down another glass.

"Taotao, stop messing around. Once we finish filming this show, let's go home and get married, okay?"

Xie Lin sprayed out a mouthful of juice, dumbstruck.

"He's drunk already? He's even started talking in his sleep?"

Fu Yunxi's eyes reddened.

"When you've had enough fun out there, come home!"

Ignoring that bruised, purple face swollen like a steamed bun, the film emperor did look rather devoted at that moment.

Unfortunately, it was impossible to ignore.

Xie Lin looked disgusted.

"Do you even fucking know what 'belated devotion is worth less than weeds' means?"

Fu Yunxi opened his mouth wide.

"Wildfire can't burn them all away; they grow again with the spring breeze!"

Lu Ye returned with a handful of skewers and snorted at that.

"A decent ex should act like he's dead. Better yet, drop the 'act like'!"

"Heh, President Lu, you clearly don't understand. A dead ex will live in his heart forever, and then you'll never beat me. Hic-"

Looking at Fu Yunxi's brain-damaged grin, Lu Ye found, for once, that his words actually made some sense.

He rubbed his chin, then his eyes lit up.

"Got it. I'll just kill you and not tell him. Problem solved."

"...Are you serious?"

Lu Ye smirked and reached out to haul him outside.

Terror was written all over Fu Yunxi's face. He jumped to his feet and ran into the villa.

After running for a while and realizing nobody was chasing him, he stopped and looked back.

Lu Ye took a step forward, and Fu Yunxi was frightened into running again...

Xie Lin laughed, slapping the table.

"It's like fucking chasing a dog!"

Lu Ye immediately played along, bending over.

"Hey, where's my brick?"

His face flushed, He Jianing propped his cheek on one hand and looked at Xie Lin.

"Xie Lin, aren't you going to stop him?"

"No need. Lu Ye knows what he's doing!"

"Heh, I really envy you. They both revolve around you. The rest of us are just your backdrop."

Yue Lan, who had just made Yu Zhiwei laugh, spared a moment to raise her hand.

"Being the backdrop is great, being the backdrop is grand! No beatings to take, no burdens to bear. Kicking back and watching the drama is the healthiest way!"

Yu Zhiwei even added a "Yeah!" The two laughed and high-fived, then went back to their game.

He Jianing had been maintaining his cultivated, gentle persona, but after holding himself back for so long, he had also drunk quite a bit.

Now that he was being mocked, his face alternated between white and livid with anger.

In a fit of rage... he raged for a moment...

He glanced at the hidden camera among the books, his eyes reddening, his expression full of grievance.

"I just feel bad for Yunxi. You two were clearly made for each other, but because of a misunderstanding..."

"Stop, stop, stop!"

Xie Lin frowned and raised a hand to interrupt him.

"Why make me do something so humiliating? As I recall, you're Fu Yunxi's unattainable first love. Why don't you get together with him?"

He Jianing choked.

He had almost forgotten the persona he had deliberately crafted before returning to the country!

Seeing his bewildered face, Xie Lin sneered repeatedly.

"What, did you forget about that?"

"No, please don't misunderstand. Yunxi and I really are just good friends."

He Jianing hurried to deny it. Fortunately, he had never admitted to it in the first place.

He secretly congratulated himself.

"Actually, I knew long ago that Yunxi was engaged. How could I possibly do anything to ruin someone else's relationship?"

Xie Lin was actually a little puzzled.

According to the book, these two's feelings should have gradually deepened during the show's second season.

But now this plot had veered miles off course.

Not only had their feelings not deepened, but He Jianing was avoiding him like the plague, repeatedly stating on the show that there was nothing between them.

Could it be because-

Fu Yunxi had lasted only five minutes that time they "played poker"?

...That did seem to be the only possible reason.

After all, who wouldn't want an alpha with stamina who could go the distance?