This thing's dangerous. Careful you don't hurt yourself!

The director nearly blacked out and hurriedly switched the feed to Fu Yunxi.

On camera, the handsome Alpha and beautiful Omega stood side by side, and the comment feed instantly blazed red.

He wiped away a cold sweat and felt he could keep going after all.

He Jianing stepped forward at just the right moment and gave the camera a faint, closed-lipped smile, his voice soft and delicate.

"Hello, everyone, I'm back! I hope you still remember me!"

[Aaaaah, baby Ningbao is so gorgeous! Mommy will always love you!]

[Waaah, our baby Ningbao really is beautiful inside and out. He and Film Emperor Fu look absolutely perfect together!]

[Xi Paper Wraps Ning is real, it's real! Lock this ship down!]

Fu Yunxi tilted his head toward him, his eyes brimming with tenderness.

"Your fans are still here, and so am I!"

He Jianing's cheeks flushed slightly, his eyes sparkling.

"Thank you, Yunxi!"

Just as he finished speaking, a black celebrity van slowly rolled over the gravel road and came to a steady stop in front of everyone.

The door opened, and a foot in a stiletto heel touched the ground first.

Yue Lan ducked out, casually removed her sunglasses, and curved her red lips as she gave the camera an offhand wave.

The comment feed instantly exploded!

[What kind of dream lineup does Heartbeat Time Difference have? They invited both a Best Actor and a Best Actress?]

[Getting up early to camp out in the livestream was worth it. Getting to see my queen Sister Lan is a massive win!]

[Sister Lan is such an Alpha. Love you to death!!]

[Aaaaah, I'm already lying down. Sister Lan, fuck me!]

[Girl, calm down! This is a livestream, not some lawless wasteland!]

[The person above needs to put some pants on. Sister Lan is mine!]

[LMAO, one look from Sister Lan could make all you Omegas weak in the knees. What the hell are you even fighting over?]

Watching the viewer count skyrocket, the director grinned from ear to ear.

With a smile, Fu Yunxi took the initiative to step forward and extend his hand.

"Long time no see!"

Yue Lan did not even lift her eyelids. Keeping both hands in her pockets, she merely gave a quiet hum in acknowledgment.

[What's Yue Lan's problem? So rude!]

[Sorry not sorry, Sister Lan is a three-time major-award-winning Best Actress and an A-rank Alpha. Is there a problem with her not thinking much of another Alpha?]

[Does she not even have basic social manners? No wonder everyone in the industry says she acts like a diva!]

The comments instantly dissolved into chaos, the two sides tearing each other apart.

Seeing this, He Jianing immediately moved to Fu Yunxi's side and tipped his face up, his voice light and soft.

"Yunxi, weren't we told to meet at nine? Why are three guests still missing?"

Fu Yunxi withdrew his hand from where it hung in midair, his smile unchanged.

"Something must have held them up!"

Before he finished speaking, a black celebrity van screeched to a halt in front of everyone!

Dust flew up, hitting everyone in the face!

"Cough, cough..."

He Jianing hurriedly covered his nose and mouth, coughing until the corners of his eyes reddened.

[Poor baby Ningbao. His lungs were already bad before he went abroad. Has he still not recovered?]

[Who's driving? In a hurry to get reincarnated?!]

[He Jianing's fans sure are something. You're blaming the driver for dust too? If you're that fragile, don't come on a variety show!]

The door slid open, and two men and a woman got out in succession.

Fu Yunxi's eyes lit up. Instantly fixing on one of them, he strode over.

"Tao..."

"Tao your fucking mother!"

Xie Lin flicked his wrist, producing a stun baton from somewhere. Blue sparks crackled as he shoved it straight against Fu Yunxi's chest!

"Stay right there. One more step and I'm reporting you for sexual harassment!"

[??? What's going on? They know each other?]

[Everybody knows that dog Xie is our Yunxi's simp! He's been chasing him for years!]

[You call this a fucking simp? This is what you call a simp?]

[Just playing hard to get. Classic simp tactic. Waiting for the turnaround!]

[Wait, who is this guy? Since when did Chinese entertainment have someone on this level?! That face, that presence-at least A-rank!]

As the comments continued flooding in, an intensely imposing figure appeared beside Xie Lin like a phantom.

Lu Ye caught the stun baton and effortlessly pulled it away, chuckling softly.

"Be good. This thing's dangerous. Careful you don't hurt yourself!"

Xie Lin stared at his empty palm, then whirled around in fury and kicked at him.

"What's wrong with you?"

Lu Ye shifted slightly aside and swept out a long arm, gathering the bristling Omega into his embrace. His palm settled over the back of Xie Lin's neck as he coaxed him softly.

"Be good, okay? Tell me what you want to do. I'll help you get even!"

"Hiss-let go!"

"No!"

Veins throbbed at Fu Yunxi's temples, and he could not help speaking up.

"Let him go. Don't force him!"

Lu Ye lifted his eyelids, his eyes dark.

He gave a derisive laugh.

"What the fuck does it have to do with you? Are you two close?"

Fu Yunxi opened his mouth but could not say a word for a long moment.

He had known Xie Lin for ten years. They could not have been closer.

Although they were engaged, he had never made it public.

Even when the entire internet called Xie Lin a "desperate simp" and "shameless," he had merely watched coldly, letting public opinion run its course.

Was he supposed to rush over now and say, "He's my Omega"?

Wouldn't that be a slap in his own face?

Fu Yunxi stood frozen, his expression utterly ugly.

Meanwhile, Lu Ye stood at the back of the group with an arm around Xie Lin's shoulders, paying no attention to anyone else.

"If you're not close, don't run your mouth. It's pretty disgusting!"

[Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit! My CPU is fried!]

[That look on Fu Yunxi's face just now-there's definitely something between them!]

[He loves him, he loves him, he loves him?]

[Who is this newcomer? His presence blows everyone else away!]

[Am I the only one who thinks Xie Lin seems like he doesn't even know Fu Yunxi? Has his simp persona fallen apart?]

[Fallen apart, my ass! Fu Yunxi clearly has a guilty conscience! What was he about to call him? Tao? Xie Lin's surname is Xie!]

[A stand-in romance? The more you think about it, the scarier it gets...]

The camera stayed fixed on the three of them.

At the very back, Yu Zhiwei shrank into the group of guests, barely noticeable.

She had spent seven or eight years in the industry and acted in plenty of productions, but had never really taken off.

She kept her eyes lowered without saying a word, like a backdrop for the other guests.

He Jianing's eyes shifted, and he stepped forward to greet her.

"Hello, Zhiwei."

Yu Zhiwei paused for half a second, then smiled and nodded.

"Welcome back!"

"Thank you, Zhiwei!"

He Jianing's voice was cloyingly sweet, with a playful lift at the end.

Another wave of effusive praise floated through the comments.

Xie Lin rubbed his arms, goosebumps rising all over.

Catching sight of that intensely imposing figure, He Jianing immediately adjusted his expression and moved in front of Lu Ye with a shy look.

"Hello, I'm He Jianing. Since this is our first meeting, please take-"

Lu Ye did not even lift his eyelids. He walked straight past him and extended his hand to Yue Lan and Yu Zhiwei.

"Hello, ladies."

His lips curved, his voice languid with a vocal fry.

"I'm Lu Ye, chairman of Jiangzhou's Dingchi Group. A pleasure to meet you!"

Yue Lan raised an eyebrow slightly and shook his hand. "Yue Lan!"

Yu Zhiwei hurriedly reached out. "Yu Zhiwei!"

He Jianing froze in place, his hand still suspended in midair.

The Lu family of Dingchi!

That Dingchi, which controlled Jiangzhou's financial lifeblood, had overseas assets across three continents, and had every family in Jiangzhou calling it daddy?!

The chairman of a conglomerate that huge had come on a dating show?!

Had his head been caught in a door?

His thoughts raced.

This was an incredible opportunity!

Fu Yunxi, Best Actor, whatever-what the hell did any of that count for next to Dingchi?!

As long as he could latch on to him...

He Jianing took a deep breath, forcibly suppressed his embarrassment, and put on another smile.

"So you're President Lu. I hear Dingchi has operations abroad as well. Managing such an enormous business must be exhausting, right?"

Lu Ye finally turned his head and glanced at him.

"Why? Are you offering to share the load?"

[Waaah, baby Ningbao is so lovely. He cares about every guest!]

[Oh, please. The fake-sweet act is practically spilling out of the screen! I can almost smell it through the internet!]

[Why is he so nasty when he talks to baby Ningbao? Are all rich people this arrogant?]

[Well, honestly, he has the means to back it up.]

[Dingchi Group, the richest in Jiangzhou. Your baby Ningbao could brew ten more pots of fake sweetness and he still wouldn't get another glance.]

[Am I the only one who noticed Lu Ye offered to shake Yu Zhiwei's hand? I'm crying. Our nobody finally got noticed.]

[Lu Ye: He Jianing? Who?]