A Milky-Orange Scented Omega Became a Sensation via a Dating Show [Entertainment Industry] - Chapter 2

The girl opposite her stumbled as she fell, bracing her palms against the ground just in time to avoid landing hard on her backside.

Almost by instinct, a split second before the wooden crate could smash into the girl’s face, Zhong Lin didn’t hesitate. She quickly thrust out her other forearm to block the weight of the box.

Her arm burned with a sharp sting. Zhong Lin let out a soft “Sss—”

It hurts…

The corner of the crate had slammed into her slender, fair forearm, leaving a large pink bruise dotted with tiny crimson beads of blood.

The girl opposite her managed to steady her footing. She stood up, patting the dust off her clothes, and looked down at Zhong Lin’s injured arm. Had Zhong Lin not reacted in time, that crate would have smashed directly into her; at this very moment, it would have been her own face and neck covered in abrasions.

Zhong Lin had indeed been incredibly annoying the past two days—a strange, rude, and clingy pest. Why would she suddenly…?

The girl’s voice held a hint of confusion. “You…”

Before she could ask, the group of guests standing nearby came running over.

Zhou Xiaoduo led the charge, rushing to Pei Yi’s side. As Zhong Lin’s supposedly “best friend,” he didn’t check on the bleeding scrapes on Zhong Lin’s arm first. Instead, he leaned in toward the perfectly unharmed Pei Yi and asked, “Pei Yi, are you okay?”

“Lin-lin wasn’t watching where she was going just now. Please don’t blame her.”

“I’ll apologize on her behalf first.”

Zhou Xiaoduo was a very smooth talker. His words downplayed the gravity of the situation while pointing out that Zhong Lin hadn’t been looking where she was going. It made him look kind—proactively making excuses for his “best friend.” What a wonderful, pure boy~

Most importantly, he neatly hid the root cause: Zhong Lin hadn’t been looking because he had been talking to her. He was a master at shifting blame.

Only after saying all that did Zhou Xiaoduo turn to Zhong Lin. “Lin-lin, are you okay?”

Zhong Lin was still stuck on his previous sentence. This cute, Japanese-style male Omega was called “Xiaoduo.” In other words, this was the male protagonist of the book—Zhou Xiaoduo.

Her eyelid twitched involuntarily. Zhong Lin suddenly felt a sense of unease. Her instincts as a divine beast and her understanding of the novel told her that this “best friend” wasn’t as good as the original host thought. He wasn’t nearly as kind as he appeared on the surface.

As for the girl she almost hit? Pei Yi.

That was the female lead Alpha of this book!

She remembered that this female lead was incredibly powerful. Later in the story, it would be revealed that she was the heiress of the Fanghong Group and ranked in the top five of the “Hot Celebrity” charts. She was also the youngest Best Actress in history, having won a Golden Elephant Award at nineteen. No one knew why she had been silent for nearly three years.

Zhong Lin mused to herself: given the female lead’s background and future, an 18th-tier internet flop like “Zhong Lin” was a total mismatch. They would look ridiculous standing together.

Zhong Lin knew her place. Pei Yi was too dazzling, too far out of reach.

What no one knew was that the Fanghong Group was the biggest sponsor of 31-Day Heartbeat Challenge. Part of the reason for this show was to pave the way for Pei Yi’s comeback.

Pei Yi already had a massive fan base called the “E-Fans.” Though some had left during her hiatus, those who remained were hardcore, die-hard supporters. When the “E-Fans” saw Pei Yi was joining a dating show, the internet was filled with wails of complaint:

Why is a Best Actress lowering herself to be bundled with a bunch of flops for clout?

Is she short on money? Let’s start a crowdfund for our Queen!!

In the original book, “Zhong Lin” had obsessively chased Pei Yi, ignoring the other guests. In the end, she was blacklisted, doxxed, and reached her “Bad Ending.” The fandom described her as: “She brought it on herself.”

To the original Zhong Lin, the female lead Alpha Pei Yi was a dream—something to be desired but never touched.

The most critical thing was that she had almost disfigured the female lead just now. If that had happened, wouldn’t the internet storm hit her even faster, stronger, and more miserably?

Zhong Lin let out a soft sigh. “Sigh~”

So scary… A Baize cub’s future life is truly difficult.

Zhong Lin’s injured arm trembled slightly, and a small milk bottle slipped from the edge of the wooden crate, rolling across the floor.

While she was dazed, the weight on her arm vanished. The crate was taken from her. The cameraman, staff, and director had swarmed over. Someone took the heavy box from her hands.

“Why were you still holding the box?” The director looked at Zhong Lin and suddenly felt she looked different today. She seemed much more pure and lovely than before. Perhaps her previous heavy makeup had hidden this piece of fine jade?

The director signaled the cameraman to move in close, practically shoving the lens into Zhong Lin’s face for a dramatic close-up. He mouthed to her: Quick, talk about why you’re injured!

Zhong Lin froze. she misheard him… she thought he meant: Quick, do the commercial placement.

Looking down at the milk bottle by her feet, she hurried to pick it up. She remembered this was one of the sponsors of the show. She tilted her head slightly, pressing the milk bottle against her cheek, and began reciting the ad obediently:

“Youyiduo Acid Milk. Fresh milk, healthy milk.”

The inner side of her milky-white forearm, still holding the bottle, displayed the large, fresh abrasion. Under the lens, it was strikingly obvious. She looked like a submissive “daughter”—even though she was hurt, she didn’t cry or throw a fit. She just wanted to do her job. She wanted to be a useful person, not a lazy “brat.”

Pei Yi looked at that arm—the red abrasion against the girl’s porcelain skin—then at her face. Her almond-shaped eyes were clear, her curled lashes fluttered, and her pale pink lips were obediently reciting a commercial…

A strange feeling arose: It seems this person really is different from before?

Pei Yi turned her head slightly, her eyelid twitching. She stopped looking at the girl. This must be an illusion caused by her protecting me just now. Definitely an illusion!

The director was shocked. Why is Zhong Lin so professional? Is this the same brat I saw two days ago!!

The cameraman was also stunned. He looked at the director and whispered, “Do we cut this part out later?”

The director shook his head and whispered back, “Tell Youyiduo Acid Milk they need to pay extra for this ad placement.”

The bullet comments went wild:

【 Why is she suddenly so cute? My heart just took a direct hit!!! 】

【 Youyiduo Acid Milk, pay up! 】

【 Poor girl, she didn’t forget to work even while injured. Her arm is literally bleeding… 】

【 The brat is suddenly professional? Is she faking a ‘hardworking’ persona? I don’t believe it… she must be acting! 】

【 Brat Zhong Lin, get out of showbiz! A Drama Queen is always in the wrong! Don’t even think about clinging to our Yiyi! I’ll hate you for ten thousand years! 】

【 To be fair (U1S1), if Zhong Lin hadn’t blocked it with her arm, Yiyi would have been the one injured! 】

【 I agree, she seems changed? So pretty? Did she really not have surgery? How did I not notice this before?! 】

These few neutral comments were quickly drowned out by the professional haters.

A staff member in a pink-and-white shirt arrived. Seeing Zhong Lin, she said in surprise, “It was you?!”

“Thank you for helping me move the boxes this morning.” She opened a first-aid kit, took out alcohol, and used a cotton swab to disinfect Zhong Lin’s wound.

The cold, stinging sensation made Zhong Lin grit her teeth. Her voice was soft and sweet: “You’re welcome.”

The staff member looked up, her touch softening. She felt this guest was as sweet as a little sister. “You’re a guest… don’t interfere with this kind of work next time.” She applied a Band-Aid and stood up, her tone very gentle. “Be a good girl and listen to the director, okay?”

Being surrounded and cared for by so many people for the first time made Zhong Lin a little nervous. Her fingers curled slightly, and she awkwardly rubbed her knees, nodding her dainty chin. “Okay.”

She looked down at the Band-Aid. The pink cat pattern on it caught her eye.

Another staff member carrying a makeup bag crouched down. Having heard someone say this guest wasn’t wearing makeup, she had rushed over to “save” the situation. “Lift your head… Wait, you didn’t even put on foundation?!”

Zhong Lin: “…Foundation?”

“Then please help me put some on,” Zhong Lin requested politely.

The makeup artist stared at Zhong Lin’s face, froze for a second, and shook her head repeatedly. “No, just like this… it’s perfect.”

She rummaged through her bag and pulled out an unopened clear lip balm. “Just do your daily skincare and use this from now on.”

This guest had always worn heavy smoky eyes and cat-like eyeliner; the makeup artist never realized her original face looked like this. Her bare face had a “transparent” youthful quality. Even her lip color was just right.

The makeup artist felt this “maidenly face” was perfect for a dating show. A fresh, natural beauty with “deer-like” eyes was a very rare type of Omega guest.

Zhong Lin hesitated, repeating Zhou Xiaoduo’s earlier words: “But we’re on a show. Being barefaced is… actually not very good, right?”

The makeup artist was excited. “It’s good! Great! Perfect! Listen to me, you can’t go wrong!”

Most celebrities she saw were overworked, with dull skin or blemishes when barefaced. She had almost never seen skin this delicate and fair—like a ripening peach, milky white with a hint of pink. It was simply adorable (#^-^#)~

Zhong Lin looked at the director for approval. Stared at by those bright, deer-like eyes, the director suddenly felt like he had gained a daughter. Where was the brat who used to stir up trouble?

Director: “…” How did she suddenly become so cute!?

The director nodded awkwardly. “Uh, yeah… it’s fine. Listen to the makeup artist. You don’t need heavy makeup like before.” His tone was like he was coaxing his own child.

Zhou Xiaoduo, wearing his “calculated” no-makeup look, could still see faint acne scars on his chin. His brow twitched, and a chill ran through his heart. I don’t believe it! This scheming girl must be using some secret high-end skincare… It’s infuriating!

Another female Omega guest, Liang Shan, dressed in a white dress, frowned imperceptibly. She used to think Zhong Lin was just a tacky internet celebrity, but her bare face was unexpectedly formidable.

Liang Shan felt a pang of tension. The competition just got harder. She glanced toward Pei Yi. The highest quality Alpha requires the highest level of technique.

Pei Yi disliked over-enthusiasm and stalking. Zhong Lin’s previous behavior was “cheap” and only earned Pei Yi’s disgust. Liang Shan had been playing it cool, trying to build a presence in front of Pei Yi without being annoying. She thought her only rival was the “Green Tea” Zhou Xiaoduo, but she didn’t expect Zhong Lin to look so pure.

Moreover, she had a strange feeling—Zhong Lin seemed better looking, less of a brat, and not stupid at all. Liang Shan sensed a potential crisis.

The netizens were also blindsided by Zhong Lin’s sudden natural look. For a moment, they didn’t even realize this pure girl was her.

【 My god? Is she really barefaced? She didn’t get surgery?! 】

【 Suddenly I feel Zhong Lin is… so cute!!! 】

【 I’m dying, why is she so cute? I want her to be my daughter! 】

【 She suddenly became so obedient~ 】

【 Wait (srds), did you all forget what kind of person she is?! 】

【 What’s with the ‘cute’ act? She must be doing it to get Yiyi’s attention. Still chasing clout! Acting pitiful! 】

【 Zhong Lin get out of showbiz! 】

Meanwhile, Pei Yi stood by the sofa, her hand resting on the backrest, watching coldly. Her eyes darkened as they lingered on Zhong Lin’s face for a few seconds. She finally understood why things felt “off”—it was because Zhong Lin was barefaced today.

And barefaced, she was indeed somewhat good-looking.

But so what? This was still Zhong Lin—the strange, overly enthusiastic clout-chaser. She probably just changed tactics. Pei Yi despised Omegas who had no dignity and would do anything for resources.

Pei Yi adjusted her white blazer and turned away. Her gaze no longer lingered on Zhong Lin.

Everyone had a goal for being on this show. Pei Yi was here for her family business and to stabilize her fan base for her comeback. No one’s motives were pure. Especially Zhong Lin, whose aggressive “attacks” over the past two days showed her ambition to ride Pei Yi’s coattails.

Pei Yi stood with her back turned, her slender legs visible under her black satin skirt. She tucked a stray hair behind her ear, a faint gloom flickering in her eyes. She glanced back at the seemingly naive girl on the sofa.

A cold, superficial smile touched the corners of Pei Yi’s crimson lips, though her expression remained chilly. A doubt rose in her heart: Has the clingy brat suddenly changed her script?

She wanted to see what tricks this person had left.

Zhong Lin stood up at that moment and looked up, meeting Pei Yi’s gaze.

Pei Yi was looking at her with a cold, mocking smile.

Their eyes met. Zhong Lin blinked, feeling a bit dazed. She didn’t seem to notice the sarcasm in the smile. All she knew was:

The female lead Alpha… is smiling at me?

This… feels a bit embarrassing. (/ω＼)