A Milky-Orange Scented Omega Became a Sensation via a Dating Show [Entertainment Industry] - Chapter 3

Should she smile back?

As a little Baize cub, Zhong Lin suddenly felt a flicker of shyness, but she still gave Pei Yi a generous, natural smile.

Two small dimples dented the corners of her mouth as her pink lips parted slightly, revealing neat, pearly teeth. Her deep brown eyes sparkled with a clarity that was entirely untainted—innocent as a child’s.

Pei Yi blinked. She suddenly clenched her fist and then released it, feeling a moment of flustered confusion. What is this person giggling at?

Actually… she’s a bit cute??

Pei Yi quickly turned her head away, leaving only her profile visible. As her black hair swayed, it revealed a sharp, elegant jawline. Her red lips were pressed tight, her mood clearly complicated.

【 I’m dying, that eye contact! There’s something there, right? I must be blind, because I actually think that was sweet?! 】

【 Zhong Lin smiles so sweetly~ I smell a “CP” (couple) vibe. 】

【 To be fair (srds), I think the person above is overthinking. Yiyi would never like someone like her… 】

【 Cringe! Zhong Lin, just stay a flop! 】

【 Calm down everyone, the kid looks really cute when she smiles. 】

To speed up the process of the guests getting to know each other, the production crew arranged dating segments for the first three days, randomly pairing Alpha and Omega guests.

Alpha 1: Pei Yi (Female)

Alpha 2: Chu Yunze (Female)

Alpha 3: Zhu Ying (Male)

Omega 1: Zhong Lin (Female)

Omega 2: Zhou Xiaoduo (Male)

Omega 3: Liang Shan (Female)

Today was the third day of the show. On the first two days, the original “Zhong Lin” had been paired with Chu Yunze and Zhu Ying. Therefore, today’s date was with Alpha Guest No. 1—Pei Yi.

Zhong Lin lowered her gaze, her long lashes trembling. She suddenly recalled the plot of the original book—specifically, what happened in the two days before she transmigrated.

In the original story, while “Zhong Lin” was supposed to be dating the other two Alphas, she had stood them both up. Instead, she ran off to pester Pei Yi, interrupting Pei Yi’s dates with the other Omegas!

The original “Zhong Lin” even uttered the infamous line: “I’m not here to break up your date, I’m here to join it~”

While Zhou Xiaoduo (the Omega dating Pei Yi at the time) was away standing in line, “Zhong Lin” had swooped in, ditched her own date, and wrecked the male lead Omega and female lead Alpha’s day. She had even spread her arms wide and demanded “kisses, hugs, and high-fives” from Pei Yi…

The result? Pei Yi had dodged her with a face of cold indifference, leaving “Zhong Lin” to fall face-first into the dirt like a literal clown.

Thinking of this, a chill ran down her spine. Zhong Lin’s small frame shuddered. Pei Yi must absolutely loathe me right now!

“We are now entering the random A/O dating segment,” the director announced, signaling to the staff.

Zhong Lin: …Sobbing. TAT

Three white vans were parked at the entrance. Led by staff, Zhong Lin stopped next to one.

When she first transmigrated, a burst of “modern world common sense” had been implanted into her brain along with the headache. She knew very well that this white, somewhat clumsy-looking hollow metal object was a human mount—a “car.”

A staff member opened the door. Zhong Lin nodded politely and sat in the inner seat of the back row, her milky-white hands resting obediently on her knees. She turned her head toward the window, observing this world that had changed beyond recognition.

Despite the data fragments in her mind, seeing it for real made her feel both estranged and intensely curious.

There was a rustle beside her as the car seat shifted. Someone else sat down next to her. Zhong Lin continued to rest her face in her hands, looking out the window without even turning to say hello. Her head was tilted so far toward the glass her face almost touched it, clearly mesmerized by the scenery.

Outside, tall buildings rose up, square and rigid like oversized upright coffins. Humans like living in these airtight, coffin-like houses? Don’t they feel suffocated? In her era, everyone had their own territory, using the sky as a blanket and the earth as a bed, and they could go to each other’s streams for a drink (^▽^).

The car started, and the world outside began to slide backward. Zhong Lin watched the “bridges” suspended high above the ground, crisscrossed with “human mounts” moving as fast as beetles. Her light brown pupils dilated with wonder. She harbored an intense curiosity for new things, but she restrained herself. As a girl, she had to remain dignified.

Beside her, Pei Yi was on high alert. She felt an extreme aversion to Zhong Lin. She sat bolt upright, her body stiff and leaning as far away from Zhong Lin as possible. She stared straight at the back of the front seat, terrified that this “bratty Omega” would pull another stunt—demanding kisses or hugs or making some other horrifying request.

Pei Yi hadn’t expected that since getting in the car, Zhong Lin hadn’t spared her a single glance. It was as if the road conditions were more attractive than her. Has my value to Zhong Lin plummeted overnight? Is it an illusion?

After ten minutes of vigilance, Pei Yi saw that Zhong Lin was still glued to the window. The tension in her body slowly bled away. She leaned back against the leather seat, feeling a weight lift. Good. If she doesn’t bother me, I’m happy for the peace.

The rules of the show forbade phones during filming, so the atmosphere was awkward—though peaceful, there was zero interaction. One looked at the window, the other looked forward. They were colder than strangers.

Half an hour into the drive, neither had said a word. The livestream comments were getting restless:

【 Just passing through… am I doing this wrong? This is a dating show?! Where’s the romance? Where’s the sugar? Has the crew given up? It’s not sweet at all! 】

【 Change the room number, OP. This room shows the pair with the least ‘CP’ chemistry. The other two rooms are actually sweet. 】

【 Yiyi is so beautiful. Even sitting still she looks so ‘royal.’ That jawline is so sharp. So Alpha~ 】

【 Slurp~ Licking my screen at Yiyi’s beauty~~ 】

【 The brat Zhong Lin actually isn’t causing trouble?? I was waiting for Yiyi to tear her apart… 】

【 Don’t start a war! Zhong Lin is so obediently staring at the road today. I want her as my daughter~ 】

【 I don’t care, I’m here to hate on this clout-chaser! Zhong Lin, get out!! 】

The director and cameraman were getting anxious. This wouldn’t do! A dating show without romance is like chili stir-fry without the meat—boring! The director let out a loud, forced cough.

Zhong Lin immediately turned her head. As a divine beast, she was sensitive enough to realize the “Director” was a very important figure whose words must be heeded. Hidden behind the camera, the director pointed toward Pei Yi, signaling Zhong Lin to be proactive and interact.

Zhong Lin followed the director’s finger—

Her gaze swept past Pei Yi to the cup holders in front of her. There were two bottles of water there, provided by a sponsor. However, they were a bit far from Zhong Lin. She was buckled in, making it inconvenient to reach them.

Zhong Lin looked at Pei Yi with hesitation…

Seeing this, the director raised his arm and gave a “fighting” gesture. Zhong Lin understood instantly: If it’s for a commercial placement, it’s okay to trouble Pei Yi!

Her slender arm reached out cautiously toward Pei Yi.

Pei Yi’s gaze had been vacant, lost in thought, when she felt a small hand tugging at the edge of her white blazer. She turned, tucking her hair behind her ear, her brow furrowing. Zhong Lin was leaning over while still buckled, her legs bent as she grabbed her clothes.

Zhong Lin’s white shirt had a simple V-neck, which had shifted slightly to reveal her fair, slender neck and the faint line of her collarbones.

Pei Yi’s eyes moved up to meet a pair of watery hazel eyes looking at her with pure expectation. Any normal person would find it impossible to refuse such a cute, “moe” Omega.

Pei Yi was not a normal person.

She shot Zhong Lin a cold look and unpicked the soft fingers from her blazer one by one, tossing the small hand aside.

“Zhong Lin, I hope you can have some self-awareness,” Pei Yi said, her voice icy. She pulled a tissue from her pocket and meticulously wiped the hand that had just touched Zhong Lin. “Stop pestering me. It doesn’t look good on you.” Her voice was distant and restrained, but she couldn’t hide her disgust. “Did no one ever teach you—”

—teach you to be dignified?

Before she could finish, the hand she had tossed aside retracted immediately. Zhong Lin sat up straight. Though she looked a bit deflated and disappointed, she didn’t forget the director’s instruction.

“I won’t pester you like that anymore…” Zhong Lin’s voice was low, sweet, and soft. Her eyes were innocent, making her look like a wronged, pitiful little cub.

She looked so pathetic.

She was faking it. (:з)∠)

Pei Yi had never seen Zhong Lin like this. Her heart softened for a split second. But it was only a second. Her tone remained stiff and heartless: “What do you want?”

“I want…”

“I want to drink Changbai Mountain Manor Mineral Water. The water tastes a bit sweet.” Zhong Lin blinked and pointed at the two bottles in the holder in front of Pei Yi.

Pei Yi: ??

That’s it? She just wanted a bottle of water?

Pei Yi’s hands clasped over her knees. She felt a faint sense that the “brat” beside her had changed—from the inside out, from her movements to her speech. Even her former obsession and forced proximity seemed to have evaporated overnight. Was it really an illusion?

Pei Yi was inwardly astonished, but the corners of her mouth twitched upward involuntarily. She stole a glance at Zhong Lin and suddenly felt the girl wasn’t that annoying after all—as long as she didn’t act like a crazed, terrifying stalker.

This product placement is way too forced! The director’s smile froze. Is this the effect I wanted? Where’s the romance? The intimacy?! Comrade Zhong Lin, please be professional! Bring back the passion you had two days ago!!

Cameraman: “…”

The bullet comments were a sea of 【 Hahahahahahahaha 】 and 【 233333333 】.

【 What a legendary poor soul, she gets scolded just for wanting water~~~ 】

【 Yiyi’s shocked face: Can I take back what I just said? 】

【 What’s going on? The brat turned into a commercial-obsessed freak??!! 】

【 Don’t be fooled by Zhong Lin, she’s a clout-chaser! She just wants to ride Yiyi’s fame. E-Fans, keep it up! Zhong Lin get out of showbiz!!! 】

The car reached its destination: Happy Valley Amusement Park.

After getting out, the staff distributed all-day passes. In front of the park was a large expanse of green grass (all artificial), which Zhong Lin spotted instantly. There were several oversized bronze statues and many “fake people” rolling around on the “fake lawn” in various poses.

There were quite a few tourists. Zhong Lin and Pei Yi, surrounded by camera crews, quickly drew attention. Some people peeked out and gradually approached, thinking a movie was being filmed. Tourists pulled out their phones, snapping photos and recording clips of the two girls.

In the middle of the crowd, the two girls’ fair skin almost reflected the light. The refinement of their features surpassed many trending idols. They were too eye-catching.

In recent years, “dating shows” had fewer and fewer “commoners.” Zhong Lin was an 18th-tier nobody, but Pei Yi was a Best Actress—a professional who had won the award while still a sophomore in college. She had disappeared at the height of her fame to study at Wharton Business School. During her studies, she had even published an SSCI paper as a second author with her professor—the absolute peak of academic achievement in the industry.

Just when everyone thought she had retired for good, she was back.

Pei Yi had her “E-Fans.” Zhong Lin’s Weibo also had over 800 followers—all of them haters.

At that moment, a tourist recognized them. “Fly high, Yiyi! E-Fans will follow you forever!!”

A girl standing nearby with a lowered cap and a mask held a camera in one hand while waving frantically at Zhong Lin with the other: “Stop riding our Yiyi’s coattails! You’re destined to be a flop!”

“If you keep chasing her clout, watch out or you’ll get burned!”

Zhong Lin heard it clearly. This was one of the “golden lines” from the original book. So this is where that plot point happened.

Zhong Lin: Heh, humans. How arrogant. But the Baize cub’s philosophy was: Don’t panic when scolded, just keep your head down. (:з)∠)

“Hello there~ I’ve received your support and love for 31-Day Heartbeat Challenge!”

“Thank you! Yiyi and I will film well~” Zhong Lin waved back at the E-Fan, completely ignoring the insults. Her small arm waved happily.

A ray of pale golden sunlight hit Zhong Lin’s profile, outlining the silhouette of her bright smile. Her long lashes fluttered, and her smile carried an infectious warmth. The cameraman zoomed in for a tight close-up of her laughing face.

【 I’M DYING!! I just realized today how cute Zhong Lin is. Baby, Mommy loves you~ Mwah~~ 】

【 Allow me to jump ship for half a second. For this half-second, I won’t insult Zhong Lin. She looks so good when she smiles… 】

【 Doesn’t matter how good she looks. Brat Zhong Lin, chasing Yiyi’s clout, stay a flop forever!! 】

Behind the camera, the staff gave Pei Yi a thumbs-up while inwardly marveling. How did Zhong Lin get such a high EQ? Her adaptability is amazing!!

The fan’s insults hadn’t been recorded clearly; with a little post-production editing, it would look like an enthusiastic fan greeting them. They wondered why they never noticed her being this clever before.

Meanwhile, Pei Yi looked at Zhong Lin, her eyebrows twitching. What did she just say?

“Yiyi and I will film well~”

What did Zhong Lin just call her? Yiyi?!

Pei Yi gritted her teeth slightly. This feeling… was a bit subtle.