I have a persona specifically for acting.

What to do, what to do, what to do!

Since it had shrunk, everything seemed like a game from the perspective of Wei Zekai. It could almost feel a huge flashing red “Danger” character above its head… Right in front of it, Tong Zhao was towering over, staring at it. The little tail that had been wagging so happily froze, slowly drooped, and tucked itself between its legs.

Nervous.

Maybe it should turn around and run. How could a mere human catch it!

Unfortunately, by the time Wei Zekai thought of this, it was too late.

Tong Zhao had already walked up to it, bent down, and grabbed the loose skin on the back of its neck: “Why is there a dog here?”

She had been living here for quite some time and had seen plenty of koi fish in the garden, but not a single small animal. Even the guard dog was nowhere to be seen. Chang Xiaonian had sighed in relief about that, saying she was terrified of dogs and was on edge when they entered—after all, in movies, estates like this are typically guarded by a whole pack of black German Shepherds.

Tong Zhao shook the little dog in her hand: “This one doesn’t look like it could guard anything.”

…

“Woof!”

What do you mean? Feeling underestimated, Wei Zekai burst into a rage and barked at Tong Zhao.

He couldn’t stand being looked down upon.

Just like when he’s playing games—if the opponent dares to taunt him, he’ll dive into the tower and rush to the enemy’s base to trade one-for-one, no matter the risk. He always felt this was a basic move for a man of honor, a principle he sticks to, and becoming a little dog wouldn’t change that.

How about that, super fierce, right?

In that small body was hidden big energy, and Wei Zekai bared his canine teeth to scare her.

This was Wei Zekai’s point of view.

He thought he was terrifying.

However, from the audience’s third-person perspective…

[Hahaha, where did this little puppy trying to be fierce come from? Too cute!]

[Never thought the show’s mascot would be a rich kid, so adorably soft! Come home with me, little one.]

[Does he really think he’s intimidating?]

Quick-fingered netizens had already hit replay, captured GIFs, and added captions like [Roaring Tiger.gif].

Tong Zhao, of course, wasn’t scared.

But she did sense that the dog was trying to act tough towards her.

How coincidental, she’s not someone who can handle provocation well either.

Tong Zhao’s soft lips curved into a faint smile: “So fierce, huh? Are you daring enough to bite me?”

As she spoke, she extended her hand toward the dog’s mouth.

In an instinctive reaction, even pet dogs will bite.

Tong Zhao had raised dogs before, and from the way it barked, she could tell it was all bark and no bite—a harmless pet dog.

When that soft, white hand reached the dog’s mouth, Wei Zekai froze—

What are you doing!

He’s not really a dog after all; he’s still quite conscious of gender, so he quickly turned his head to the side.

“Heh.”

Tong Zhao chuckled softly, holding him by the scruff of his neck with one hand and supporting his little Dog bottom with the other, walking toward her room: “No need for a midnight snack; let’s play something else.”

Naturally, Wei Zekai wasn’t willing to be taken to the room.

It kicked its legs, struggling to break free, but didn’t dare show its claws. As a result, Tong Zhao pressed it into her arms, forcibly subduing it.

And then it quieted down.

Because where she pressed it… was soft and fragrant —

Its little tail wagged, and the entire dog gave up.

Wei Zekai swore, he never intended to use his ability to transform into a dog to take advantage of girls. And because of his integrity, the intelligent AI didn’t detect any inappropriate thoughts, so it didn’t issue any warnings… This proved that, even though the little dog’s face was pressed into an indescribable place, his thoughts were completely innocent.

But the audience wasn’t so pure.

[Let go of that dog, let me take its place!!!!]

[I can’t wait to see how awkward he’ll feel when he gets his memory back after this.]

[Wei Corgi can’t breathe / dog emoji]

[“A Blessing in Disguise”]

“You’re quite obedient.”

Tong Zhao originally thought it would struggle for a while, but unexpectedly, it quieted down as soon as she pressed it into her arms. After entering her room, she quickly shut the door, cutting off Wei Corgi’s escape route. When she finally released her hold on it, it immediately slumped against her shoulder, gasping for fresh air.

‘Phew… almost suffocated me to death.’

‘Good thing it didn’t last long, or I’d have lost my dog’s life.’

Wei Zekai’s inner thoughts, still filled with lingering fear, sparked outrage from the audience.

Unbelievable, this guy doesn’t know how good he has it!

Tong Zhao patted its back: “It’s boring being alone. From now on, I’m your owner.”

Dog Wei: Huh?

Dog Wei: You think you’re worthy of being my owner? Really think I’m just a dog? You’re nothing.

As he spoke, Dog Wei barked twice at her, trying to act fierce again.

For the moment, he didn’t think about jumping down, but then he saw Tong Zhao carrying him toward the bathroom.

[!!! Is she going to bathe with the dog?]

[So exciting! Is this really content they can air? Not treating us like outsiders at all, huh?]

[GKDGKDGKDGKDGKD!]

When the bathroom door closed, Dog Wei really started to panic. He jumped to the floor, frantically scratching at the door and barking loudly, clearly signaling Tong Zhao to let him out. Unfortunately, she ignored him and began filling the bathtub halfway with water. After testing the temperature and making sure it was right, she turned back to the supposedly fierce little puppy with a gentle smile.

Sensing something, Dog Wei turned around too.

Of course, Tong Zhao taking a bath wouldn’t be aired.

But bathing a little dog? No problem.

“Woof? Woof! Woof woof woof!”

Wei Zekai froze, half his body being pressed into the warm water.

He kicked and splashed wildly in the tub for a while, and when he realized that the splashing water was getting Tong Zhao’s clothes wet, he didn’t even dare to resist anymore.

The viewers weren’t happy about this.

[Come on, move a little, doggi! Just move a bit!]

[We don’t need the extra traffic, turn it up a notch, please.]

[Give it a rest. Even if her clothes do get wet, the AI would blur it with extreme pixelation before anyone can screenshot it. Don’t underestimate how well this show protects the guests’ privacy.]

With a stunned expression that could shake an entire family, Dog Wei was thoroughly scrubbed all over. It wasn’t until Tong Zhao dried his fur with a blow dryer that he snapped out of his shock, though his inner thoughts were still filled with doubts about his dog life—

Did I just get bathed by someone?

What do I do!?

…It felt kinda nice though…

As Wei Zekai’s rationality returned, he remembered that he only had one hour in this transformed state. He had to escape before the hour was up, or his identity would be exposed! But no matter how much he struggled, Tong Zhao held him tightly, leaving him utterly hopeless—

Damn it, why did he have to turn into a Dog?

If only he were a large dog, he wouldn’t be so powerless right now!

“Struggling so much… is it because you don’t want to be my dog?” Tong Zhao asked, looking down at him.

Wei Zekai, sensing a glimmer of hope, nodded frantically.

Yes, he remembered that Tong Zhao was supposed to be a gentle, sweet girl who wouldn’t make things difficult for a dog.

Just as he thought this, he saw Tong Zhao’s elegant and sweet face curl into a smirk.

Gentle and sweet?

Her usually clear, light-colored eyes were now swirling with arrogance and mischief. The malice in her gaze pierced Dog Wei’s confidence like tangible tendrils. With his keen dog hearing, he clearly caught her next two sentences:

“I like dogs that don’t like me.”

“From now on, you’re my dog.”

…

Dog Wei was baffled.

Gentle and sweet? That doesn’t exist—she was just playing with them.

Behave now, it’s time to kneel and call her master.

Tong Zhao patted his head.

In her mind, however, she thought, ‘This dog is too smart; it must belong to someone.’

She decided to keep an eye out for any missing dog posters over the next couple of days, but for now, she’d play with him before returning him to his owner.

Dog Wei kicked his back legs against her shoulder, hoping to bring back the gentle and kind girl he thought she was. However, his defiant legs were quickly caught in her hand. “You’re all clean now, time for bed,” she said as she carried the little dog toward the bed.

The audience collectively let out a sharp “hiss.”

Dog Wei began to struggle.

By this time, only five minutes remained before his transformation would wear off.

On-screen, the poor little dog was shown with its limbs restrained. Tong Zhao, slightly annoyed, grabbed his tail, saying, “I’ve got your little tail, behave.”

Dogs aren’t naturally tailless. Originally, tails were docked for cattle herding purposes, but later it became a cosmetic trend for pets.

Wei Zekai’s dog, who still had his tail, now had his weakness held in Tong Zhao’s hands.

‘Crap! Let me go, let me go, let me go!’

Dog Wei’s inner thoughts were a complete mess.

Tong Zhao knew exactly how to handle small dogs. Although she had him firmly under control, it didn’t hurt him. His mind was completely blank.

Finally, with three minutes left, Wei Zekai managed to brush against a ticklish spot on Tong Zhao’s waist. As she loosened her grip from the tickling, he rolled off the bed, sprang up, and used his front paws to press down on the door handle, slipping out through the gap in the door. By the time Tong Zhao rushed out after him, she saw the little corgi scrambling and rolling in a series of tactical maneuvers, running straight into Wei Zekai’s room.

Moments later, the door closed behind him.

Tong Zhao: ‘Huh? So this dog belongs to Wei Zekai?’

Tong Zhao: ‘Come to think of it, they do seem alike.’

Tong Zhao: ‘But I’ve never seen him walk a dog… And after all that noise just now, he didn’t come looking for it, which is kind of weird. Though I was the second-to-last one to arrive at the manor, so maybe he settled in earlier. Hmph, if he owns a dog, Chang Xiaonian’s dream of marrying into a rich family might be shattered, since she’s afraid of dogs.’

Without a dog to cuddle anymore, and feeling a bit tired after all the commotion, Tong Zhao regretfully got ready for bed.

At the same time, Wei Zekai, now back in human form, swore he would never turn into a dog again!

That was way too terrifying!

He locked the door from the inside and threw himself onto the soft bed, his heart pounding wildly.

“Damn it, stop thinking about it, just pull up the blanket and sleep!”

According to the Polar Bear Law, the more you try not to think about something, the more vividly it comes to mind. The brain, it seems, is everyone’s biggest traitor. Wei Zekai was now facing this very dilemma—

He hadn’t realized it when he was barking, but just now… where had his face been buried on Tong Zhao?

Crap?

That night, some slept soundly, while one “dog” struggled to sleep at all.

※

The next day at noon, while out for a group activity, Wei Zekai was approached by Tong Zhao.

Casually, she asked, “Do you have a dog? Last night I saw one running into your room.”

“No!” Wei Zekai denied it in an instant. “You must’ve seen wrong.”

“…”

Tong Zhao had only asked offhandedly.

But Wei Zekai’s reaction was way too strong—so strong that it was suspicious. She was sure she hadn’t seen wrong. The dog had definitely run into his room, and the door had only closed after the dog went inside, which meant someone had been in there. She lowered her eyes and didn’t press further. “Hmm, I guess I must have been mistaken.”

She was so easygoing, it was like she wasn’t the same mischievous girl from last night.

Wei Zekai couldn’t help himself and kept sneaking glances at her face.

Her side profile was just as flawless as her full face, with her nose and lips shaped perfectly. When she looked at someone, she often smiled before speaking, which made her seem especially sweet.

So why was she so unfriendly to dogs?

Recalling last night’s ordeal, Wei Zekai still felt lingering fear.

It was the first time he had been grabbed by the scruff of his neck, had his tail pulled, and then been dunked into a bathtub like that.

His intense reaction caught Tong Zhao’s attention—

Wei Zekai had already been her second target to pursue, so she had been watching his every move closely.

Tong Zhao thought to herself: There’s definitely something strange about that dog.

Tong Zhao’s thoughts:

“The door was only ajar and got pushed open by that little corgi. When a dog is panicking, why didn’t it run down the stairs? Obviously, Wei Zekai’s room made it feel safer. Wei Zekai is lying… With his personality, if he didn’t want me near his dog, he would’ve said so directly instead of lying.”

One suspicious point after another surfaced.

Viewers sighed:

[Give it up, Young Master Wei, you can’t outsmart her.]

Though the idea of someone turning into a dog seemed too far-fetched, Tong Zhao was still heading in the right direction.

After all, anyone with the “Judge” identity card would have special abilities.

Maybe the official gave him a well-trained dog to spy on other players’ moves, which would explain why he lied to cover it up. Otherwise, why would he hide the dog? If Wei Zekai was the Judge, she would need to be extra cautious. At the very least…

She couldn’t let him suspect that she was the “Sea King.”

She needed a convincing reason to get closer to Wei Zekai.

Tong Zhao: “Even though I don’t really want to use this method…”

From her tone, the viewers could tell she was genuinely reluctant.

But what method was she thinking of?

[Seduction! Seduction! Seduction!]

[Wake up, those of you chanting for seduction! Do you really think that’s going to work on the last clean soul in our rich kids’ circle? No way.]

The director aptly cued in a heavy, suspenseful beat as background music.

Tong Zhao leaned in slightly and extended a very crucial invitation:

“Wanna duo later?”

For someone of her caliber, using gaming skills to lure a guy was a bit of a downfall.

But this was exactly the bait Wei Zekai would fall for.

Playing with a skilled partner who could work well with him was too much fun, and a look of hesitation immediately appeared on his handsome face. After a brief struggle, he nodded reluctantly:

“Alright!”

Damn it, he couldn’t resist the temptation of a duo match!

Not far away, He Shun, noticing the two of them chatting animatedly, started to feel uneasy. However, when he saw that they were just playing a popular mobile game, he felt relieved:

He Shun: “Oh, they’re just gaming.”

He Shun didn’t realize that playing games together, especially in a duo, was an excellent way to strengthen emotional bonds.

Viewers who were into pure love found it amusing.

After seeing a lot of flirting, a dose of wholesome interaction wasn’t bad for a change.

However…

These two really were *just* playing the game.

Tong Zhao, multitasking, tried to steer the conversation toward relationships, sometimes intentionally, sometimes not:

“You’re pretty good at this game. Do you often carry girls?”

“Women only slow down my sword speed!”

[……]

“So, you’ve never dated anyone?”

“Never dated, doesn’t matter,” Wei Zekai said with a smile after securing the first kill in the game. “Love isn’t a necessity. If I had to say, I’m more interested in protecting other people’s love right now.”

Even though he didn’t want to turn into a dog again, Wei Zekai still remembered his duties as the Judge.

And that night, the scene of Zhong Muxi self-harming in the kitchen…

That was someone unrelated to him, but he really didn’t want to see another tragedy.

[Alright, that’s quite pure.]

[If it weren’t for the fact that instinctive variety shows can’t fake things, I’d suspect this is a rich kid playing a character.]

[Wuwuwu, the cold and ruthless swordsman just wants to protect others’ love. Is this setting making you ship him?]

The director zoomed in on Tong Zhao.

You could see her lips twitch slightly after hearing that, on the verge of smiling but also a bit shocked.

Clearly, she was unimpressed by such idealistic talk about “protecting others’ love.”

As viewers watched, they realized that the down-to-earth Tong Zhao was a bit mischievous.

Somewhat unkind but not over the top.

Far more interesting than the flat, clichéd characters in traditional variety shows.

After an afternoon of gaming, the two of them had become an unbeatable team and collected many stars. However, Tong Zhao felt that advancing her strategy with Wei Zekai was still a long way off. The director appropriately revealed the affection ratings between them:

Wei Zekai’s affection for Tong Zhao was at 70%, with the note: “He already considers you a reliable ally!”

Tong Zhao’s affection for Wei Zekai had dropped to 30%, with the note: “An incomprehensible single-celled organism, should stay single forever.”

The viewers were in stitches.

It seemed even the “Sea King” had hit a snag!

[The feelings are there, but if you ask what kind of feelings, I’d say it’s a friendship bond.]

[Hahaha, poor Tong Zhao, I want to see how the strategy with Han Zhi is progressing.]

There wasn’t much eye-catching progress on Han Zhi’s side.

However, his solo cut had the highest purchase rate among the six guests, even surpassing Tong Zhao.

The reason was simple: he was accompanying Chang Xiaonian in playing a romance game.

As long as fans paid to become premium members and got Chang Xiaonian’s first-person perspective, it was practically like dating Han Zhi. No female fan could resist this kind of temptation! Except for kissing, everything else was included—hand-holding, hugging, and Han Zhi always found new ways to make her happy, fulfilling all her romantic fantasies from romance novels.

Han Zhi didn’t require her to keep their relationship a secret, but she still kept quiet about it.

She didn’t want him to dislike her or cause him any trouble.

But there was one thing…

“Han Zhi, your remaining tasks should be pursuing Xiao Xi and Tong Zhao, right?” Chang Xiaonian asked out of the blue while playing board games in the game room. She actually knew the answer but still wanted to ask.

Perhaps immersed in the sweet and happy atmosphere, Chang Xiaonian no longer referred to Tong Zhao as “that woman.”

She seemed to have lost her previous resentment towards others.

Even though she knew that her relationship with Han Zhi was temporary and had a time limit, she didn’t grow to love him more. Instead, she felt better about herself. Han Zhi looked at her with admiration—if such a handsome guy thought she was great, why should anyone else think otherwise? She believed she would meet the right person and deserved all the tenderness.

In the past, Chang Xiaonian’s view of others was very black and white, like in those face-slapping novels.

Showing various favors to men was seen as being a green tea bitch.

He Shun was a typical straight man.

Wei Zekai was an arrogant, overbearing rich second-generation.

Han Zhi? He must be the kind of guy who knows how to play the game well and is a scumbag everyone should avoid.

When Chang Xiaonian first spent time alone with Han Zhi, she had placed herself in a very low position…

But now things were different.

“Hmm,” Han Zhi said, grabbing her hand as she was shuffling the cards. “Since you keep bringing up other girls, I’ll punish you by holding my hand for a minute.”

Chang Xiaonian smiled brightly, intertwining her fingers with his, and said with a tone of concern, “If you keep talking about other girls, you could increase the punishment. How about holding hands for half an hour? I don’t know Tong Zhao well, so I’m not worried about her. As for Xiao Xi, she was dumped by a scumbag before, and… I saw an old scar on her wrist, which might indicate she has a tendency for self-harm. I’m not good at comforting people, and we only see each other occasionally at events. If you’re interested in pursuing her, could you be a bit nicer to her? I think you could make her happy.”

She was very clear that a man like Han Zhi was beyond her control.

Having a period of time with good memories was already a blessing.

Moreover, she did indeed hope for a genuine romantic relationship.

“Let’s end our relationship here. I can’t wait to use the methods you taught me to love someone else,” Chang Xiaonian said frankly, treating him as a tool.

Han Zhi wasn’t annoyed. In fact, he was quite pleased that she was speaking openly to him.

However…

The dynamics of dominance and submission still needed to be managed carefully.

He gently lifted their clasped hands, placed a kiss on her wrist, and glanced at her, his perfectly sculpted nose brushing against the back of her hand. “Don’t you want me anymore?”

“……”

The young woman was immediately flustered and overwhelmed.

After her face reddened and she calmed down a bit, it was half an hour later.

Chang Xiaonian, having made her decision, left with a big smile, making Han Zhi feel even more like junk food—something not to be overindulged in but which brings a smile when consumed. As he thought this, he began to clean up the remnants of their game.

Just as he was tidying up the board game toys, he heard the sound of the door opening behind him.

“How surprising,”

came Tong Zhao’s lazy voice. “She didn’t cry and run away?”

“I don’t like making girls cry.”

Han Zhi didn’t turn around, knowing she would approach.

Sure enough, he heard the footsteps getting closer.

“Wow, a scumbag who doesn’t like making girls cry, sounds like you have some principles,” Tong Zhao sneered and walked up behind him, seeing the board game “Operation Code” on the table, revealing a bored expression. “Is this what you bring girls on dates to play?”

“There are other games. Do you want to try? There’s a queue.” Han Zhi still didn’t turn around, his tone a bit indifferent.

As soon as he finished speaking, a pair of slightly cool, soft hands wrapped around his neck from behind, lifting his chin to make him face her directly.

“I have things I dislike doing and things I enjoy doing,”

She said, her charming face holding up under this hellish angle. Han Zhi saw her eyes crescent-shaped with mischievousness, clearly a bad woman. His expression remained neutral, but his usually warm face turned unusually cold and distant, indicating that Tong Zhao’s mention of other girls had touched a sensitive spot.

However, Tong Zhao didn’t care at all.

Not only did she want to step on his sensitive spot, but she also wanted to dance on it with unrestrained joy.

“First, I hate waiting in line, so I’m going to cut the queue.”

“Second, unlike you, I actually enjoy making men cry.”