Chapter 1

“Did you guys see the trailer for season four of The Red and Blue Signal? Is the competition in variety shows this intense now? Starting off with something this explosive?!”

“Are these people really filming a love variety show? Are we sure this isn't reverse marketing?”

“It's trending, of course. Good, this love show has successfully grabbed my attention. I'm gonna watch it!”

The Red and Blue Signal was a 'male socializing' variety show jointly launched by Star Sea Satellite TV and its Star Sea Network. Among the countless dating shows, it exploded online for its BL-drama-like romantic scenes and its high-value guests. It stayed hot for three seasons straight, topping the ratings and viewership charts for variety shows every year.

The Production Team, probably wanting to protect its legendary ratings and fearing viewer fatigue, had held off on this fourth season for nearly two years. They claimed this season would be a comprehensive upgrade, destined to become the absolute ceiling for shows of its kind!

The trailer released two days before the premiere kicked off with behind-the-scenes pre-interviews with the guests. In a somewhat documentary-style lens, several guests made their appearances one by one. This roughly two-minute trailer instantly set the internet on fire.

What shocked netizens wasn't the guests' identities, but the dazzling array of high-end luxuries, mansions, and luxury cars, as well as the 'honesty' from a few male guests in the clips that left everyone speechless.

Production Team: 'Why did you think of coming on our show?'

Aloof Guy #1: 'Returning a favor.'

Rough-and-tumble Guy #2: 'I didn't think of it. The Production Team came to persuade me multiple times. I thought it over later and felt they had a point. Being on this show could indeed further promote our company. Our product's target audience does overlap a lot with the love show's audience.'

Asceticism Guy #3: 'My company sent me. Said I had no choice but to take it.'

For example, the Production Team also asked them: 'Do you expect to find true love during this one-month recording period?'

Aloof Guy #1 [deadpan face]: 'I already said. I'm just here to return a favor.'

Rough-and-tumble Guy #2 [smiling]: 'I personally don't put much stock in these dating shows, but if you give me a script, I'll try my best to cooperate.'

Asceticism Guy #3 [diplomatic]: 'One month? Hmm... I might be a bit of a slow burn...'

Once this trailer dropped, its unexpected content quickly went viral across the internet. The Red and Blue Signal's fourth season had gotten off to a flying start.

[Reverse marketing! They deliberately cut these eye-grabbing clips. It's definitely gonna be a 'slap in the face, then they'll love it' route straight to the crematorium!]

[The Production Team's little scheme is so transparent to us!]

[It's cliché, but I'm genuinely hooked. The 'slap face, then love it' trope is the GOAT!]

[Eek, who can resist the drama of 'slap face, love it, crematorium'! Can't wait to see their 'love it' moments!]

Zhai Xingchen sat in the taxi. The screen went dark, reflecting his smiling, crescent-moon eyes.

He thought it was all a setup too. Definitely gonna be 'slap face, love it, crematorium' later!

As a long-time JJ fan, he was all too familiar with these tricks.

The novel he transmigrated into was called The Red and Blue Signal. It was a sweet, satisfying love variety show novel that dominated the three major sites—JJ, DJ, and HJ—and its buzz was off the charts. One reason was that this novel was a tri-site crossover.

Under the same framework and character settings, the author wrote three different novels from the perspectives of three different male leads on three different websites.

For example, their number one male guest, Pei Xu, 25 years old, 188cm tall. His stepfather was the head of the Zhou Family's commercial empire, his mother the famous movie queen Pei Huahong. In wealthy circles, he was known as the ceiling for second-gen looks and for his cold face and bad temper. He won the national math olympiad in middle school, graduated from Columbia Business School, currently worked in finance, practically a heaven-sent rising star in the financial world, known in the industry as Master Pei.

Clearly modeled after a JJ male lead. One word: 'Su'!

For example, their number two male guest Huo Cheng, 28 years old, 191cm tall, with a narrow waist and defined abs, a Peking University elite, a self-made tech tycoon earning nearly nine figures a year. Drove a Rolls-Royce, a Bentley, owned a private jet, had four apartments in the Tomson Riviera, net worth over a billion. Don't look down on him now as just a small-time rich guy—in a year, he'd be world-famous!

So 'badass.' Doesn't that sound like a DJ male lead?

As for the third male guest, Yan Zhi — no need to even say it. The number one looker in the esports world, known in the scene as 'Sixth Brother,' famous for his easygoing temper. He looked like Asceticism personified, cold and detached, but the moment he started gaming he was all blood and brutality. A reserved, impeccable gentleman — shirt always buttoned to the very top, an absolute neat freak — but with a 'twisted, burning' heart underneath.

A character this 'alluring'—what else could it be but an HJ male lead?

All the other guests were also rich second-gens, covering practically every type of male lead in current danmei.

Like the passionate, flamboyant, gorgeous queen bottom.

The restrained, introverted, highly-educated, elegant bottom.

The steady, mature, dignified, graceful bottom, and so on.

After reading the guest introductions, he was so excited he was about to turn into a screaming marmot.

He hadn't finished reading this novel, only a small part. The key plot hadn't even arrived yet, so he didn't know how the story would go, but he'd always remembered the novel's synopsis.

'Romantic scenes so sweet your teeth will fall out, battlefields so thrilling they'll make you scream, a one-versus-N Ten Thousand Admirers fight, 'love it' moments and tears, hot kisses and sobs, determined to take the bittersweetness to the extreme!'

As someone who'd watched love shows from China, Japan, and Korea, he'd jumped into this pit precisely because of that synopsis.

Several people fighting over one is the GOAT! You only know how sweet the candy is after you've tasted the vinegar! The battlefield is a marmot's screaming ground!

He was also very satisfied with the person he'd transmigrated into. This cannon-fodder male side character, who looked exactly like him and had the same name, seemed tailor-made for him.

Zhai Xingchen was the least noticeable of all the male guests. He did the most work, got the least screen time, didn't receive a single text from start to finish, not one guest ever liked him, and they all loved using him as a convenient prop for their love subplots. Every other CP was tearing the world apart with their drama, and he was just standing off to the side, happily shipping them like an idiot.

Mm, perfect. He was going to maintain this character.

He turned his head to look out the window. His reflection in the glass showed his shimmering, radiant eyes.

He would definitely work diligently to be a good tool.

Whether he was the main character or not wasn't important. The spotlight wasn't on him!

“Zhai Xingchen, get ready to get off.”

A staff member's words pulled his thoughts back to reality.

Zhai Xingchen looked out the window and saw a row of luxury cars parked ahead.

Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Porsche, Ferrari, Maybach.

Ah, the air was thick with the stench of filthy money.

The car slowly came to a stop. Zhai Xingchen got out and hauled his luggage from the trunk.

“According to our rules, once you check into the Red and Blue House, your phone has to be handed in,” a staff member said.

Zhai Xingchen nodded, taking one last look at his phone.

Netizens were still hyping it up wildly on his screen:

“Wow, this explosive opening, this top-tier configuration, this show's gonna blow up, right? Right?”

“It's definitely gonna blow up. If it doesn't, I'll eat X!”

Zhai Xingchen: “...”

Bro, you really don't have to go that far.

He silently powered off his phone and handed it to the staff member beside him.

“Our show is very humane,” the staff member said, seeing his slightly flushed cheeks and thinking he was just nervous, trying to comfort him. “You just need to be yourself. We absolutely won't interfere with you guests' preferences or choices. But because we're live streaming, there are some points of caution you still need to pay special attention to.”

Zhai Xingchen nodded eagerly. “I've read the house manual many times. I remember every single rule.”

The staff member he was dealing with smiled at that. “That's good. But there's one more point of caution that isn't written down.”

Zhai Xingchen looked at him.

“You must be very careful about the boundaries of conversation and physical contact.”

Hearing that, Zhai Xingchen laughed. His smile made the other man freeze on the spot.

Even though they'd chosen Zhai Xingchen, who was still in college, precisely for his looks, after interacting with him these past few days, he couldn't help but marvel.

This boy named Zhai Xingchen was just too damn pretty.

You rarely describe a boy as pretty. Zhai Xingchen lived up to his name — beautiful in a way that felt pure and luminous. His eyes were something else entirely, like Baby's Breath scattered across a whole river of stars, every last one of them living in his pupils. Standing there, his whole presence radiated brilliant, effortless warmth; one look and you just felt happy.

The Production Team had found him purely by chance. At the time, they were looking for a complete civilian, with two main requirements: first, his family background should be a bit worse, ideally forming a contrast with the other rich second-gens; second, he had to be good-looking, the more beautiful the better. They'd searched high and low but hadn't found anyone suitable. Finally, a young woman on their Production Team said the guy next door to her family might fit their requirements.

The girl took out her phone and showed them a short clip.

The video was only five or six seconds long. A dilapidated tube building, messy cables, mottled, dark red brick walls, a somewhat gloomy day. A boy in a white T-shirt leaned on a railing. Everything was messy and dirty, except for the boy and the two pots of vibrant, upright orchids beside him, fresh and out of place, yet stunning everyone.

The boy noticed her camera, turned his head, startled, then smiled.

That smile got unanimous approval from the Production Team.

He alone could hold up the fragrant splendor of an entire spring.

Later, when they contacted Zhai Xingchen himself, they found his personality was also excellent.

Sweet guy, even sweeter mouth. These days, a sunny, youthful, sweet top was rare!

“Don't worry, on this show I'll definitely be the model of male virtue. I absolutely won't have any contact with the guests that crosses the line!” Zhai Xingchen said.

He could guarantee that.

He had zero desire to date!

“Go on,” the staff member he was dealing with grinned excitedly. “Enjoy your last moments as a civilian. Soon you and our show are gonna blow up together!”

Compared to other love shows, The Red and Blue Signal's biggest difference was its recording format. They would spend a month recording in four different cities. Their first stop was South City. It was already winter, but the weather in South City was still quite warm. Zhai Xingchen thanked the staff, pushed his suitcase forward, and a white two-story house appeared before him.

He glanced up at the building. The glossy walls on either side of the door faintly reflected his slender figure. He took one last look back at the staff. They stood quietly in the distance, signaling for him to go in.

He looked at the cameras on either side of the door, then pushed the door open and went inside, changing into slippers in the entryway.

Having watched too many love shows, he knew the drill.

The moment he appeared, the live stream chat immediately lit up: [Another one!]

[Wow, this one's so good-looking too? Where does the Production Team keep finding so many handsome guys?]

[This face is really unfamiliar. Does anyone know which family's young master he is?]

[Apparently his family background is pretty ordinary. He's still a student, not a rich second-gen.]

[A real civilian? Oh no, looks like he's just gonna be a background character. This season's main focus is clearly a rich second-gen love show.]

[Whatever, him being a pretty background character is fine. The spotlight's not on him anyway.]

Yeah, yeah. The spotlight's not on him.

He was just a tool.

They were going by the order from the trailer. He was Blue Side male guest number four, probably the last batch to arrive.

He'd just stood up when he heard a male voice say, “Seems like someone's here.”

He'd only taken two steps with his suitcase, rounding a pot of lush green monstera over a meter tall, when he saw a living room full of beautiful men.

They stood or sat, arms crossed or hands in pockets, some bewitching, some pure. A dazzling array of stunning looks, more luxurious and brilliant than a movie poster, a proper fragrant feast of male beauty.

A scene of decadent luxury and dazzling splendor.

The group all turned to look at him in unison.

Zhai Xingchen gave a slight bow. “Hello, my name is Zhai Xingchen!”