Chapter 15

Chapter 15

The other two pairs of guests also fell silent.

Are they guests? Or just background decorations?

...They are also couples, right? But why? Why does that one pair seem so sweet?

If you had to put it into words, it's like being able to make your own dog food but still finding someone else's especially appealing.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, as if they had openly embraced in the temple earlier that day, Xie Yilin slightly lowered his gaze, paused for a moment, and then opened his mouth to eat the piece of food.

He ate it.

His Highness the Crown Prince's gaze was calm, and his face showed little expression. But faintly, the chill around him softened a bit.

...Like a sudden ray of sunlight piercing through a hazy sky.

Some guests may look like guests, but in reality, they no longer feel like talking.

The staff around them: ...

Suddenly, they too felt the urge to go home and be with their loved ones.

After successfully promoting the delicious food, Bai Chen didn't forget they were recording a show. He pulled out two small, lipstick-sized items and handed them to Han Yunyun and Tang Congyun, smiling as he said, "Just a little something."

"I heard we were coming here, so I made sure to grab these."

Han Yunyun naturally took it, thanking him while asking, "What is it?"

"Something that might come in handy."

Bai Chen's lips curled into a grin as he said, "You might find it useful tonight."

Han Yunyun: ???

Sorry, she might have gotten the wrong idea.

Glancing over, Tang Congyun also wore a puzzled look.

Xin Yu leaned in to take a look, while Cheng Ziang stayed focused on his meal, eating quietly. Bai Chen pulled out another identical item from his pocket, smiling as he held it up and waved it around.

He winked at Xie Yilin, "We've got one too."

We.

The way he said those two words had a playful tone, like sharing a secret only they understood.

Xie Yilin: ...

A flicker of amusement crossed the Alpha's eyes.

He knew it couldn't be that kind of thing—Bai Chen wouldn't be so reckless. But at the same time, his curiosity was definitely sparked.

Han Yunyun had already opened the packaging and read the instructions, "Anti-itch gel... Oh, so that's what it is."

It must be said, the gift was incredibly thoughtful.

"I checked it online," Bai Chen explained with a smile. "There's a special kind of mosquito here that regular methods can't handle. That's why I got this specialized gel."

Han Yunyun burst into tears, "That's great! I'm a mosquito magnet, and I only brought the regular kind..."

Beside her, Tang Congyun also looked pleasantly surprised and thanked him sincerely.

Hearing Han Yunyun's words, Bai Chen unexpectedly laughed, "Mosquitoes are only after the sugar in your blood. So..."

He tilted his head, dimples showing, "If mosquitoes love you, you must be super sweet."

...What a knockout! How does he always have the perfect line!

Han Yunyun was so tempted to kiss him but held back because of His Highness the Crown Prince, resorting to intense eye signals instead.

After a delightful meal, everyone headed back to their rooms. Bai Chen and Xie Yilin went to their room, washed up, changed into pajamas, and found only one blanket—possibly a setup by the show.

But it was big enough for the bed.

The Omega curled up in the blanket, a tiny figure against the vast bed. His freshly washed hair was slightly damp, his face flushed, looking even cuter and sweeter from the steam.

Then, the lights went off. The Alpha climbed into bed, taking the other side.

...The room was momentarily silent.

Outside, the crew had wrapped up. Now, all was quiet, save for the endless chirp of crickets and the soft glow of the moon...

In the gentle glow of the nightlight, the Omega lay staring at the ceiling, blinking slowly.

Sleep eluded him.

He pondered whether Xie Yilin had drifted off.

He stealthily burrowed into the blanket, inching closer like a caterpillar.

Xie Yilin, of course, sensed his every move.

He'd once gone seven days without sleep, patiently waiting to ambush an enemy.

He'd braved countless challenges, traversing rugged terrain for a recon mission.

He wasn't born a general; he'd climbed the ranks from the bottom.

What's more, he was the empire's most formidable Alpha ever.

So, the Omega's quiet movements didn't escape his sharp senses.

Instinctively, his muscles tightened.

Then, the Omega painstakingly inched closer, finally reaching Xie Yilin's ear.

***

...and whispered something.

A day later, the crew pulled an all-nighter to capitalize on the Crown Prince's wedding buzz, dropping the first episode.

Big platforms were ready, shelling out top dollar for the rights. Those who missed out were kicking themselves, moaning about being set back decades.

Netizens were on the edge of their seats, eager to tune in.

...Even forming dedicated discussion groups on various websites.

Any movement from the royal family would cause a large-scale public response, let alone the Crown Prince choosing such a partner. As soon as the time came, countless netizens quickly refreshed the broadcast page, frantically typing comments. "It's here, it's here! Am I the first?"

"No, you're not, you're just one of 8,731,344 firsts."

"Dang, I'm lagging. Are you guys lagging too? Why can't I see anything?"

"My internet's kinda crappy..."

"Whoa, I just saw the person above me lag out. Looks like everyone's here for the laughs."

"Ahhh, it's starting, it's starting! Is this the intro?"

Since Xie Yilin had already "officially announced" it, the show skipped the hype and just laid everything out. When the Omega sweetly mentioned being married for a week, the chat paused for a second.

"Whoa, what's going on? Why does Bai Chen seem kinda cute?"

"Imagining I had an Omega like that..."

"Wake up! You don't have one! Wake up again! That's Bai Chen!"

"Bai Chen's fine too, what's wrong with him? Good-looking, and so cute... I could even deal with him being a sea fishing king, as long as he treats me like this when he gets home."

"...Add one, as long as he comes home!"

"You guys, who let looks dictate your values, are hopeless..."

Of course, a large part of the attention was still on Xie Yilin.

"Is this His Highness the Crown Prince? I... I'm freaked out."

"His eyes are so icy, is it 'cause he's always on the battlefield?"

"Holy cow, I saw a photo of him once and couldn't sleep for three days!"

"Same, I had nightmares for days, waking up feeling like I wanted to puke."

"Especially that video of the mech drenched in blood, I'll never forget it, so terrifying, really too terrifying!"

"Looking at it this way, Bai Chen's pretty brave too. Most people might see it as an opportunity but get scared off. After all, he's an Omega."

"Omegas can be brave too. [dog emoji] Look at Bai Chen, right?"

The topic slowly shifted. After the intros, the show got into the main part of the first episode. When the camera cut from a wide shot of the high-altitude temple to the inside, the first thing that stood out was the Omega's big dimple.

"Huh? Huh??? Huh?????? I turned on the hologram!!!"

"This angle's awesome, can I use it to edit a 'Bai Chen and Me' clip? I wanna open my eyes and see a gorgeous Omega pouncing on me!"

"What are they doing? Staging a shot?"

"Wait, they're hugging!"

...Then, the audience was floored.

"This is way too sweet!"

"This is just too... too heart-fluttering!"

"Suddenly I feel like a lonely loser."

"Suddenly, my takeout doesn't seem so appetizing anymore."

"Suddenly, my single life doesn't feel so great anymore."

"Guys, I really want to fall in love!!!"

Just as the chat was flooded with the cries of lonely singles, a contrasting, standout comment appeared in the largest font and a blinding fluorescent yellow.

"Don't forget why we're here! Look closely!"

Netizens: ...Oh, yeah.

They were here to spot any cracks in this marriage.

You can tell if it's real or just an act.

"Yeah, yeah, everyone switch to HD, use the pause button wisely. I don't believe it! Let's look frame by frame! Maybe it's just clever editing making it look so sweet! Could be some montage magic!"

By now, the show had moved on to the dinner segment.

The guests gathered to hear this week's rules from the production team.

When they found out they'd have to work hard for a fancy dinner from now on, the guests showed varied expressions. Viewers quickly hit rewind, keeping a close eye on Bai Chen and Xie Yilin's reactions.

To their dismay, the two barely reacted.

"Are they really that confident? Or do they just not care?"

"Starting to worry about the director's hair—guests who don't engage much are a real headache."

"They seem stiff here, fake, probably just acting. Didn't think 'No Ta' would resort to scripted drama too. Lame."

A few users jumped at the chance to push back. But then, the camera zoomed in, closer and closer, and the sweet dimples of the Omega reappeared.

...A lot of people gasped.

"I wish a sweet Omega would feed me too..."

"Drool is literally dripping from the corner of my eye..."

"Ugh, why am I still single..."

"And Bai Chen looks so good when he smiles—those dimples are criminal..."

"Guys, stop spamming the chat, I'm trying to admire the screen!"

Amid the flood of comments, the clip of Xie Yilin eating was replayed over and over.

"He ate, he really ate. His Highness made his choice, let's move on—who are we to judge?"

"Wahhh, I'm so sweet! No wonder mosquitoes love me! I'm so happy!"

"Done for, done for, although I also attract mosquitoes, I think Bai Chen is sweeter than me wuwu..."

"I can't take it anymore, really. I came to break them up, not to ship their CP. I feel like I'm joining the cult, I need to calm down..."

"My mom is urging me to get married, I always thought it didn't matter, now I'm actually a bit tempted... Is this the power of love?"

The mid-show ads were about to come on, and finally, someone bravely sent out a second eye-catching fluorescent yellow comment.

"Guys! I've cleaned up the show's audio—I know what Bai Chen whispered under the covers!!!"