[How can this crazy man Ling Jiuxiao push his wife into a mud pit? Is he worried that his wife is not annoyed enough with him yet?]
[You are grinning widely while pushing your wife into a mud pit. You will be in deep trouble later.]
[Ling Jiuxiao and Luo Yuan are playing out a love-hate script. I love it, and I want more!]
[Ling Jiuxiao loses major points.]
[Little Tangyuan looks so small huddled on Ling Jiuxiao. They look like a perfect match! I am going crazy shipping them.]
Ling Jiuxiao fell backward into the mud pit, and Luo Yuan landed on top of him. At the moment of the impact, Luo Yuan’s soft lips pressed against his.
Lip against lip. Perfectly sealed.
Ling Jiuxiao’s heart skipped a beat. This was his first kiss. So, this is what it felt like. Luo Yuan’s lips were cool, soft like pudding, and carried a trace of milky sweetness. It was the scent of Lace Gold dew, which was Luo Yuan’s pheromones.
Ling Jiuxiao’s throat tightened, and his breathing became shallow. Damn it! Does this little fool not know how to control his pheromones? It is not just Omegas who are controlled by Alpha pheromones; Alphas can be just as easily affected by Omega pheromones.
Ling Jiuxiao’s breathing was erratic, and his heart raced. His reason was spiraling toward the edge of control. No! If this continues, something terrible will happen. Ling Jiuxiao struggled to raise his hand and tapped the rigid body in his arms.
Luo Yuan jolted awake. Realizing what had just happened, he scrambled off Ling Jiuxiao in a panic, trying to climb out of the mud pit. How did I just kiss Ling Jiuxiao? Ahhh! I cannot live like this anymore! That was my first kiss!
Luo Yuan desperately wanted to hammer Ling Jiuxiao into the ground, but because they were live-streaming, he had to keep his words and actions in check. Too ashamed and furious, his whole body was shaking, and he failed to climb out of the mud pit several times.
A pair of strong hands supported his body and gave him a push. Luo Yuan landed easily on solid ground. Turning back, he saw Ling Jiuxiao hop out of the pit with a graceful, dashing movement. Seeing Luo Yuan’s gaze, he raised his eyebrows and smiled.
Why are you smiling? Luo Yuan glared at him and turned away.
Ling Jiuxiao leaned over and removed the audio microphone that had been dirtied by the mud. “Little Tangyuan, are you angry?”
Luo Yuan ignored him.
“Let me tell you a secret: that was my first kiss too. So, you did not lose out on this deal.”
Luo Yuan was even more furious. Ling Jiuxiao’s tone made it sound like he had gained something. “I do not care about your kiss at all.”
Ling Jiuxiao examined Luo Yuan’s expression, noting his flushed cheeks and eyes filled with shame and anger, and seemed to understand something. “Was that your first kiss too?”
Luo Yuan bit his lower lip and stayed silent, which was clearly an admission. Ling Jiuxiao’s eyes lit up. “Then we are even now.”
“Who is even with you? It was you who…” Luo Yuan wanted to scold him, but when an assistant came over to deliver towels, he had to swallow the curses on the tip of his tongue.
“Alright, do not be angry! If you are really that upset, you can kiss me back.” Ling Jiuxiao took the towel and, instead of wiping the mud off himself, draped it directly over Luo Yuan’s head. “Wipe your little dirty face. Once it is clean, you will be a beautiful Little Tangyuan again.”
The fans shipping the couple in the live stream were celebrating as if it were New Year’s Day, howling and setting off imaginary fireworks.
[I knew Ling Jiuxiao and Luo Yuan were the real deal.]
[Ling Jiuxiao earns major points this time. He is so gentle and considerate; he deserves to have a wife.]
[I am dying, today’s sugar intake is way over the limit.]
[Little Tangyuan looks so cute blushing. Awoo, let me bite those little cheeks.]
After Ling Jiuxiao and Luo Yuan finished wiping their faces and were fitted with new microphones, Director Zhao began announcing the game rules. “This round is the Mud Pit Competition. The Alpha and Omega guests will enter the mud pit for a confrontation match. One side answers questions to win the serve, while the other side launches attacks in the mud pit.”
“One correct answer wins one serve. The group that hits their opponent the most wins.”
“Let the four Alphas go first, and the Omega partners will answer the questions. It is a duel of two pairs. Will the four Alphas please draw lots to select their opponents.”
A dark look flashed in Qin Ruizhe’s eyes. He had already bribed the staff to rig the drawing bucket. This duel was his chance to trample Xu Zhiyan under his feet. After the draw, the groups were determined: Ling Jiuxiao versus Ni Wentian, and Qin Ruizhe versus Xu Zhiyan.
[Wow, haha! This is exciting!]
[Is Xu Zhiyan an S-rank? That makes it a duel between two S-ranks.]
[Ni Wentian and Ling Jiuxiao are both A-ranks, right.]
[A-ranks are divided into many types. Ling Jiuxiao seems to be an A3, and Ni Wentian is an A5.]
B, A, and S ranks are each divided into 5 levels, and the differences between levels can be significant. Sometimes, even a one-level gap shows a major disparity.
Ling Jiuxiao walked up to Luo Yuan and said, “Little Tangyuan, you will win me the serve, right?”
“I am very slow; I am not good at answering questions.”
Luo Yuan’s reply made Ling Jiuxiao’s heart sink. “No way! Are you planning to settle a personal grudge?”
Ni Wentian added, “Jiuxiao, do not worry! I will go easy on you.”
“That is not necessary! I might not lose.” Ling Jiuxiao looked at him, his gaze devoid of the playfulness he showed Luo Yuan. It was cold and sharp.
Ni Wentian felt a bit awkward. “Then let us each rely on our own skills!”
The two jumped into the mud pit, and the glass at the edge of the pit rose automatically, forming a transparent enclosure. It is inevitable that Alpha duels lead to pheromone leakage, which could affect nearby Omegas. The glass enclosure was there to isolate the pheromones.
Luo Yuan and Cui Qinglan stood at the table, their hands hovering over the buzzers. The big screen lit up. The first question appeared: [Name your partner’s favorite food.]
Luo Yuan: ?!!! Cui Qinglan: ?!!!
Ling Jiuxiao and Ni Wentian noticed both of them standing there completely dumbfounded, their eyes filled with confusion. Ling Jiuxiao asked from behind the glass, “Little Tangyuan, answer the question!”
Luo Yuan: “I do not know.”
Ling Jiuxiao: “None.”
Cui Qinglan looked at Director Zhao. “Director, we do not know the answers to these. Can we change to a more daily-life question?”
Director Zhao replied quite seriously, “This is a dating show. We want the audience to see the loving interaction between the compatible partners. We gave you three hours at noon. Did you think that was for sleeping? That was for you to connect!”
Cui Qinglan: “None.”
Unable to refuse the questions, Cui Qinglan simply started guessing randomly. If he answers enough, he might get one right. Luo Yuan simply gave up.
Ling Jiuxiao was dying of anxiety, pounding on the glass. “Little Tangyuan, at least try to answer one!”
Luo Yuan put his hand to his ear. “What are you saying? I cannot hear you!”
Ling Jiuxiao was speechless. With Cui Qinglan’s unremitting efforts, he actually guessed one right. Ni Wentian won the serve. He weighed the mud ball in his hand and gave Ling Jiuxiao a malicious smile. “Jiuxiao, I am sorry!”
Ling Jiuxiao: “You might not be able to hit me.”
Ni Wentian looked at Director Zhao. “Director, is he allowed to dodge?”
Director Zhao smiled ruthlessly. “No.”
Ling Jiuxiao gritted his teeth. “You are making me sit here and be a passive target?”
Director Zhao: “I told you not to bully Little Tangyuan. Look at you now! This is retribution.”
Ling Jiuxiao: “None.”
The comment section was filled with laughter.
[Look at that! Bullying your wife has consequences.]
[Hurry up and say some sweet things to your wife; maybe you will still have a chance for a comeback.]
Seeing the cautionary tale, Xu Zhiyan walked up to Jiang Xu. “Xuxu, I know you will not treat me like that.”
Jiang Xu replied, “Actually, I quite want to see S-rank Alphas killing each other.”