[I'm losing my mind. Is something wrong with me, or with this show? Is the fox guy really Qi Yu himself?]
[I can't believe it either, but if it isn't really him, no show would dare get a guest to play Qi Yu, right...]
[He's an imperial hero, after all. I don't think the production team would have the guts.]
[I'm young. Can someone fill me in?]
[Qi Yu, the light of the Empire, the youngest general, the only supreme-grade Alpha, the god of war. He spent ten years on the battlefield starting in his teens, without ever leaving.]
[Because no Omega had more than 5% compatibility with him and could regulate his pheromones, his pheromones have been in constant disorder for years. You could say he's been hovering on the brink of death all this time.]
[He was awarded the highest honor after the war ended, but was forced to retire behind the scenes because of his health. Apparently, besides being the imperial military's supreme commander behind the scenes, he's also a low-profile tycoon now.]
[So what on earth did this production team do to deserve this? How did they get Qi Yu to come!?]
[Maybe Qi Yu wanted to find a date...?]
[You're kidding, bestie. With his status, does he need matchmaking?]
[Even if he did, he wouldn't come on a trashy show like this!]
[Wait... Folks, I just remembered something... didn't Qi Yu offer Bai Luochuan a ring earlier...?]
[Thank goodness Bai Luochuan didn't take it!!! That universally hated guy had better not disgrace our idol!!!]
The live comments were still speculating wildly.
Qi Yu, meanwhile, looked coldly at Yan Cheng.
His tone was indifferent. "I don't think there's any difference between Betas and Omegas, or Alphas, for that matter. The Empire has always upheld gender equality. Making discriminatory remarks in public-do you want to be sued?"
If anyone else had threatened to sue, the people present, given their status, would have had no need to take it seriously.
But the person saying it was Qi Yu.
It wasn't just Yan Cheng.
Even Chu Zhu, who had just returned after touching up his makeup, was so frightened his legs went weak. He hurriedly tried to explain, "That's not what I meant. I'm sorry, I..."
He didn't finish.
Qi Yu had already turned his attention back to Bai Luochuan.
Realizing the other man was looking at him,
Bai Luochuan turned to meet his gaze.
Once again, he marveled.
This cosplayer really was a perfect match!
Qi Yu curled his lips.
His pointed canine teeth peeked through.
This was the smile Qi Yu most often gave Bai Luochuan.
He said, "My name is Qi Yu."
Bai Luochuan nodded. "Oh. I'm Bai Luochuan. I just said that."
His tone was calm.
It was an official commission, after all.
Using the name "Qi Yu" too was perfectly normal!
Yet even after he answered, the other man kept staring at him.
Bai Luochuan frowned.
He liked Qi Yu, but wasn't particularly fond of real-life cosplay. After all, in his eyes, his husband was a one-of-a-kind existence inside his phone.
He didn't need anyone else to play him.
So a little irritation crept into his voice.
Bai Luochuan said, "Thanks for earlier, but I'm not into real-life cosplay. I'm strictly a self-shipper, and I don't share my fave. Let's stop talking."
Qi Yu: ...?
A question mark slowly formed in his head.
Although Qi Yu had previously spent all his time on the battlefield, he had been using the internet normally since coming back.
But now, he increasingly felt as though he and his wife weren't using the same internet.
Watching his wife turn away and ignore him after saying that, Qi Yu felt a little wronged amid his confusion.
Fortunately, the host stepped forward in time.
He smoothed things over for everyone, saying that the introductions were over and they could get straight into the next activity.
This was a dating show, after all.
Having one unpopular guy like Bai Luochuan to generate discussion was enough. If the other guests started acting like enemies too...
What the hell kind of dating show could they make!?
So the host changed the subject and explained the next arrangements.
Whatever their individual thoughts, everyone could only turn their attention back to the host now.
Only Qi Yu was different.
After all, his sole reason for joining this show was to find his wife here.
Naturally, he couldn't spare anyone else even a fraction of his attention.
His burning gaze stayed fixed on Bai Luochuan.
If looks could take physical form, Bai Luochuan thought his body would probably already be riddled with holes.
The cosplayer might be a very good match.
But he was also very rude.
Even if the earlier segment about his hobbies had exposed him as a rabid Qi Yu fan,
hadn't he also made it clear that he was a die-hard fan who refused to share?
Why was he still staring at him?
Did he have absolutely no sense of personal boundaries?
He was way too OOC. His husband would never act like this!
While Bai Luochuan grumbled inwardly, the host finished announcing the next activity.
The dating show required them to pair up.
Since the ring-giving segment had failed to produce any pairs, this game would essentially force them to team up.
Put simply, it was multiplayer hide-and-seek.
They would draw lots to choose three seekers and three hiders.
Each seeker would team up with the first person they found to complete the activities that followed.
"But what if an Alpha finds an Alpha, or an Omega finds an Omega?"
After hearing the host's explanation, Lan Muxing raised his hand to ask.
The host smiled. "Then of course you'll pair up in that combination. We said from the start that this show supports all kinds of love.
But don't worry, these pairings aren't permanent.
You only need to stay paired up until the next activity ends. If there's someone you're interested in, you'll still have a chance to switch."
At that, Lan Muxing let out an exaggerated sigh of relief.
The others all glanced toward Bai Luochuan and Qi Yu to varying degrees.
No one wanted to team up with Bai Luochuan.
But everyone wanted to team up with Qi Yu.
Even Yan Cheng, an Alpha, and He Gui, a Beta, were no different.
After all, they would only be working together for one activity.
The production team certainly wouldn't force them to act out an Alpha-Alpha romance.
But Qi Yu meant views.
Whoever teamed up with him could ride that wave to popularity!
The drawing of lots went quickly.
The hiders were Lan Muxing, He Gui, and Qi Yu.
When he realized he was on the same side as Qi Yu, a flash of disappointment crossed Lan Muxing's eyes.
As the three of them left with the staff to prepare to hide, Yan Cheng, who was waiting here, stepped closer to Bai Luochuan and lightly bumped his arm.
Bai Luochuan raised an eyebrow.
He turned to look at him.
But Yan Cheng spoke first.
His voice was very quiet.
Amid the surrounding noise and commotion, it was so low that only the two of them could hear clearly.
But the disgust in it was already unmistakable.
He said, "Didn't I tell you to stay away from me? And you still came on this show? So you're not honoring a single bit of that agreement we made back then?"
Before you continue