The Gorgeous Omega Came to Seduce Me [Entertainment Industry] - Chapter 17

Early the next morning, the production team was already bustling with preparations for the live broadcast that would soon air across the internet. Staff hurriedly adjusted equipment on set, while the artists reviewed their scripts and checked their lapel and ear microphones.

Ji Liao stood in the middle of the venue, frowning intently at her phone screen, letting Wu Zi adjust her outfit and equipment from behind.

After Mu Shenshen had mentioned going to work last night, she hadn’t replied to any more messages. Ji Liao was still a little worried, so she decided to contact Zhou Xingyun.

Ji Liao: It’s about the apartment I own on Linjiang Road. Go check for me—see if the Omega living there is still around.

Zhou Xingyun: ?

Zhou Xingyun: What’s this? Did you switch careers to landlady now?

Ji Liao: No, it’s for a friend. Her sense of safety isn’t great, and I’m afraid she might do something reckless.

Zhou Xingyun: Yeah right, since when do you have Omega friends? Spill it—is this the Omega you mentioned the other day?

Ji Liao: …

Zhou Xingyun: I knew it. So why aren’t you checking yourself?

Ji Liao was about to brush it off when the director’s team called out nearby, “Everyone, get in position! We’ll do one last rehearsal!”

She quickly replied, telling Zhou Xingyun to hurry and check—and to contact her immediately if the person couldn’t be found—before handing her phone to Wu Zi. She didn’t forget to add, “Keep an eye on calls. If it’s Zhou Xingyun, you can answer. If it’s something important, let me know right away through the production team.”

Wu Zi, thinking this must be serious given Ji Liao’s tone, nodded immediately.

But Ji Liao still couldn’t shake her unease.

Mu Shenshen always acted recklessly—who knew if she might run into danger? The thought of Mu Shenshen’s carefree attitude made Ji Liao’s frown deepen.

“Ji-laoshi, you look absolutely stunning today! You’ll shock all those people talking nonsense!” Wu Zi suddenly spoke up, giving a thumbs-up. “No need to be nervous—no one could resist Ji-laoshi today!”

“Hm?” Ji Liao glanced down at Wu Zi.

Since today was a filming day, Qin Su’s team had arranged special styling for Ji Liao. Given that A Moment of Affection was just a dating show, the outfits leaned toward everyday wear—a rose-gold off-shoulder blouse, sexy yet sharp, paired with sleek black wide-leg trousers with a low slit, and strappy stiletto heels that perfectly accentuated Ji Liao’s tall, slender figure.

Her smooth black hair cascaded naturally down her back, and her makeup was bold but not gaudy. The sharp, precise eyeliner amplified Ji Liao’s innate cool demeanor, making her appear even more aloof. The long, intricate crystal earrings were the finishing touch, further emphasizing her untouchable elegance. Even the slightly flashy rose-gold hue only added a touch of brilliance to her look, unable to make her seem the least bit frivolous.

Ji Liao paused for a moment before realizing—Wu Zi must have mistaken her frown for nervousness and was trying to reassure her.

It was a kind gesture, so Ji Liao nodded lightly and replied, “Alright, got it.”

The crystal earrings swayed gently near the sharp line of Ji Liao’s jaw, and Wu Zi’s gaze inadvertently drifted to her slender neck before sliding down to the elegant curve of her collarbone…

Wu Zi’s face immediately flushed a few shades redder as she flusteredly averted her gaze, only to accidentally notice Cheng Mi shooting her a dark look from nearby, making her heart skip a beat.

Fortunately, the rehearsal was about to begin, and Cheng Mi only glanced at her briefly before looking away.

Wu Zi finally snapped out of her daze.

Oh my god… That was terrifying, Wu Zi couldn’t help but grumble internally. She’d heard before that Cheng Mi’s personality wasn’t exactly the sweet girl type, but this was way too intense.

Holding Ji Liao’s belongings, Wu Zi watched as Ji Liao entered the studio while continuing her internal monologue.

Seriously, why hasn’t the livestream started yet? I’m dying here

LMAO, I’m all ready to see what kind of trash would dare show their face after pulling that kind of disgusting stunt

+1

Hurry up hurry up hurry up

Start the stream already, don’t make me lose my mind

The official broadcast time for “A Moment of Affection” was set at 9:00 AM sharp. At 8:55 AM, the web interface opened early to accommodate incoming traffic, allowing viewers to enter and choose between different camera angles to wait for the show.

Within just one minute of the interface opening, millions of viewers had already flooded into the livestream, with comments and voting effects continuously scrolling across the black screen.

—To maintain sustained engagement, the production team of “A Moment of Affection” had even come up with a ‘voting’ system. ⊕

No payment was required. Each registered user entering the livestream would receive 3 free hearts per day, which could be given to their favorite guests. While this mainly served to gauge the popularity ranking of the guests, the real purpose came after giving away all 3 hearts—users would then receive a ‘Heartbeat Ticket’. Viewers could accumulate these tickets and vote for their favorite couples created by the show during the livestream. Once a couple received enough Heartbeat Tickets, the production team would design special interactive segments for them, increasing their screen time together, which would then be broadcasted to viewers.

Many viewers, eager to stir up drama, had already registered multiple accounts before the broadcast to stockpile Heartbeat Tickets.

As time passed, more viewers poured into the livestream. Amid the increasingly dense barrage of comments and voting effects, the livestream’s screen finally changed.

Ooooh here we go! San Yang! My love!

The camera slowly panned down from above, capturing San Yang’s back clearly before sliding past the show’s massive logo as an opening sequence. It even lingered silently on the sponsor’s logo for two seconds before finally settling on San Yang.

Hahahaha, alright alright, we know who your sponsor is now, hurry up and show us the actual content!

“Hello everyone, I’m San Yang. Long time no see! This time, I’ll be joining you all on this journey of love in ‘A Moment of Affection’. I hope, just like every time before, we can spend some happy moments together~”

The camera then continued to move, shifting to Zhu Linchen, followed by Qin Ming and Cheng Mi, each delivering their opening lines.

At this point, some discordant comments began appearing:

Seriously? Seriously? They said this was a production costing hundreds of millions, and this is all we get? A single camera angle? Why not just livestream from a phone at this point?

Where is that person? Where is that person! If you didn’t show them in the preview, at least show them in the main episode—this is ridiculous!

Damn! Are they really using our Xiao Mi to hype things up?

(dog.emoji) If Fruit Network dares to poke at Xiao Mi’s sore spots for clout, you’re done for, you’re done for, you’re done for!

Hey, calm down. That’s Fruit Network we’re talking about. Don’t bring Xiao Mi unnecessary hate.

Amidst the chaotic chatter, a slender waist flashed across the screen—a rose-gold top, black flowy pants, and a simple waist chain adorned with tiny diamonds accentuating the curve of the waistline. There was an air of restrained elegance mixed with an inexplicable allure, stirring the imagination.

?? Who’s that?

Production error? How could they let staff wander into the shot on such a big project?

As the barrage of comments flew by, Ji Liao walked past the pre-marked spot, her silhouette briefly appearing in the frame before she fully stepped into view. First came the long, slender legs and delicate waist, followed by graceful collarbones, shoulders, and neck… Her straight, jet-black hair cascaded down, a single strand slipping over her shoulder as her strikingly beautiful, yet cold and detached face appeared on camera.

The crystal earrings swayed gently by her ears, enhancing her serene and untouchable aura.

Who’s this beauty?

Wait, don’t sit down. Don’t sit, don’t sit, please don’t sit down, I beg you!!!

With an indifferent expression, Ji Liao took her seat on the guest sofa, her gaze as calm and cool as snow-laden pine branches resting on the camera slightly ahead. “Hello everyone, I’m Ji Liao.”

NOOOOOO! Why do you have to be Ji Liao?! I just fell in love and now my heart’s broken. Who understands? I hate this world!

Damn, with looks like that, who’d need to harass anyone? She should sleep with her eyes wide open to avoid being harassed by me!

The moment Ji Liao’s face appeared on screen; the barrage of comments froze momentarily.

Cheng Mi’s fans, who had already prepared a slew of vile remarks ready to fire, hesitated, failing to unleash their venom right away. For the first few seconds, the screen was flooded with compliments about Ji Liao’s looks from random viewers, creating an oddly harmonious scene.

Once Cheng Mi’s fans snapped out of it, they furiously began spamming the chat, trying to “educate” every passerby about Ji Liao’s alleged misdeeds.

The tone of the comments quickly took a turn for the worse.

Off-screen, Wu Zi grew anxious, fearing Ji Liao’s situation would deteriorate further. As she watched, an inexplicable anger welled up inside her.

Ji Liao never did any of those things! These people spew such hateful words without knowing anything—how utterly despicable!

But Ji Liao herself had no interest in wasting time on the barrage. The production team had given her a simple directive, just be herself.

So Ji Liao did exactly that. After her brief introduction, she lowered her head to skim through the script in her hands, sparing the camera no further attention.

Meanwhile, the live broadcast’s visuals began to shift.

All celebrity guests took their positions as the camera pulled back to frame everyone—including the host, San Yang. Additional cameras in the studio activated one by one, each accompanied by a new spotlight, creating a breathtaking—and undeniably expensive—panoramic view.

Standing center stage, host San Yang beamed. “And now, our collective live-streaming journey officially begins! Welcome, everyone, to…”

“A Moment of Affection!”

The pre-arranged staff followed San Yang’s lead and shouted along, creating a lively and grand effect in the live stream.

Wow, wow, this is so cool!

Other angles are available now too, and the quality is so clear. Okay, Fruit Network, I admit this is a big production.

Quick, let me switch to the composer’s angle. Oh my, her face is so flawless, not a single flaw to be found.

Ji Liao kept her eyes lowered on the script, completely unaware that viewers were already fawning over her looks through their screens.

Wuwu, look at her! She’s so aloof, not even trying to find the camera. The way she lowers her gaze is just too mesmerizing—like a cold deity looking down on the mortal world!

The person above is so poetic. I can totally picture it. I want her to step on me.

Pick me, pick me, pick me!

Get in line, everyone!

Seeing that the barrage of comments from Ji Liao’s angle was relatively positive, Wu Zi breathed a slight sigh of relief. At least Ji Liao’s public appeal was holding up—after all, she was genuinely beautiful and talented. Over the years, even under a microscope, the only blemish on her record was that one incident involving Cheng Mi. It wasn’t like she was some irredeemable, morally bankrupt person.

Unfortunately, Wu Zi’s relief didn’t last long.

…Cheng Mi’s fans were never going to let Ji Liao off so easily.

Are you all insane? This is a sexual harasser, and you’re all hyping her up?

Here come Cheng Mi’s fans.

Kind of scary how good they are at throwing shade.

What’s going on?? Are we really praising the perpetrator and putting down the victim now?

To the person above: the harassment accusation was never proven. Even your side’s press releases only called it “inappropriate behavior.” The truth is still unclear, but slander and defamation are things we can document right now.

Front row with the facts.

Facts.

…

The five people in the studio had no idea about the chaos unfolding in the comments.

San Yang continued with the program, sitting on the central couch and glancing around with a smile. “Our audience should already be very familiar with our Love Consultants. Though Teacher Ji has never shown her face before, everyone must be familiar with the songs she’s written.”

Cheng Mi’s face suddenly paled.

Ji Liao was also a little surprised that San Yang had singled her out, but she merely lifted her eyes and gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.

Unfazed, San Yang continued cheerfully, “Now, let’s move on to the next segment. Please welcome our civilian guests, who are about to embark on their journey to find love!”

The large screen opposite the celebrity guests lit up on cue, displaying a bright and sunny seaside view. A sleek black van, stationed outside, slowly rolled into the frame upon receiving the signal.

Ji Liao watched the screen with an indifferent expression, but her thoughts involuntarily drifted to City C. She frowned unconsciously and tapped her fingers on the script.

Had Zhou Xingyun found Mu Shenshen yet? That Omega wouldn’t really have gone off to cause trouble, would she?

Was Zhou Xingyun even reliable? Why hadn’t there been any updates?

While everyone was focused on the big screen, with no distractions, Cheng Mi glanced at Ji Liao, who was clearly lost in thought, and lightly bit her lip.

San Yang’s actions weren’t what they had agreed upon.

As a singing-and-dancing female idol, Cheng Mi had agreed to participate in this live-streamed “high-risk” show solely to solidify her public image. The production team had promised to help her maintain the persona of a naive and innocent Omega.

Although San Yang’s words just now didn’t reveal much—seemingly just introducing Ji Liao—merely mentioning Ji Liao’s accomplishments was already a form of bias. It would remind the audience of Ji Liao’s talent and everything Ji Liao had done for her, inevitably shifting public opinion.

No one understood better than Cheng Mi how laughable and easily refutable her accusations against Ji Liao were.

…She couldn’t stay passive any longer. It was time to take the initiative.