Dating Show Side Character, Getting Rich by Roasting People

CHAPTER 14: The Most Awkward Date in Reality Show History

　　On the table were four cards, each showing a location: race track, ski resort, planetarium, and beach.

　　Ye Weiyang looked over them but didn’t pick right away. Instead, she asked the others, “Anyone have a place in mind?”

　　She glanced at Gao Yan with a knowing look. “You probably want to pick Jiang Yicheng, right?”

　　Last time Gao Yan came back from a date, she clearly showed interest in Male Guest No.3, Jiang Yicheng, and the other three girls didn’t seem to compete for him.

　　Ye Weiyang thought for a moment and asked, “Did he say anything about what kind of date might be planned?”

　　Gao Yan shook her head. “No, since at that time we didn’t even know what kind of date it would be. We couldn’t decide ahead of time.”

　　“Maybe it will be the race track?”

　　Ye Weiyang shared her guess. “He seems like the one who fits that vibe the most among the guys.”

　　The rest of the group didn’t really seem like the type to watch or drive race cars.

　　Gao Yan thought that made sense and quickly chose the race track.

　　With three options left, the other three girls were silent for a moment.

　　For Wen Shu and Ye Weiyang, they weren’t so much hoping to get their ideal date as they were trying to avoid a certain guy.

　　Chu Ling noticed their hesitation and asked Wen Shu straight up, “Is there anywhere you really don’t want to go?”

　　“…The ski resort.”

　　Wen Shu didn’t dare say it was because she knew Qin Shuo used to love skiing.

　　She just thought for a bit and said, “I’m not very good at sports like that.”

　　Chu Ling got the hint, raised an eyebrow, and smirked. “Then I’ll pick the ski resort.”

　　She guessed the ski resort was meant for Qin Shuo.

　　If she was right, all the better.

　　She could already imagine how furious the fans would be, how much anger there’d be, and how all that negative emotion would turn into nonstop donations coming her way.

　　Feeling pretty good about it, Chu Ling changed into some sporty, comfy clothes and took the show’s special train to the date location. (T/N: The “train” here is probably one the show rented from the ski resort for filming, maybe to avoid running into other people.)

　　But when she arrived and saw who was waiting, her face dropped for a second.

　　The other person’s expression fell even harder.

　　【Why did it have to be these two?!】

　　【Hahaha this pair is way too intense. Seriously, is this some scripted setup by the production team?】

　　【They nearly blew up during last night’s truth game, and now they have to go on a date together? This might be the most uncomfortable date in reality show history!】

　　【They just hate each other, can’t they just go home? Please, just go home, kids.】

　　【Feeling sorry for guy Male Guest No.1 already. Whoever gets stuck with Chu Ling is the unlucky one.】

　　【No way, I think whoever’s with Chu Ling is in for a wild show.】

　　【+1, I honestly can’t leave Chu Ling’s stream. Doesn’t matter if others date or not, I just wanna see what crazy stuff she pulls next.】

　　【And some guys only show their real problems when they’re with Chu Ling. Lol, is she some kind of demon-revealing mirror?】

　　Uh-oh.

　　Chu Ling thought, this is definitely the worst blind box draw.

　　These two had already started off on bad terms on day one, and last night’s truth game ended with a fight.

　　And yet, it just so happened they got paired up.

　　Forget dating — can they even finish filming this episode without exploding?

　　Chu Ling didn’t care; whoever it was, she’d just roast them.

　　But looking at Lu Shixuan’s face, which looked as dark as a burnt pan, she chuckled quietly and then pretended to be understanding. “It’s fine. If you don’t want to go on the date, we can just bail now.”

　　The production team never said how long the date had to last, right? Just showing up counts.

　　“...Nah, I’m not saying I don’t want to,” Lu Shixuan nearly gritted his teeth as he spoke. Going back now was out of the question, or he’d really lose all his screen time.

　　Even if it meant going on a date with Chu Ling, Lu Shixuan was determined to grab as much screen time and spotlight as possible to show off his charm.

　　That said, deep down, he already felt today was going to be rough.

　　And more than hate, what he felt facing Chu Ling now was a kind of dread.

　　Lu Shixuan tightened his face and said, “Let’s go inside.”

　　Chu Ling glanced at her backend page. In just a few minutes, Lu Shixuan had already contributed a ton of negative emotions to her earnings.

　　Those feelings of resentment must be suffocating him.

　　After taking a couple of steps, Lu Shixuan decided to try easing the tension between them. “About what happened yesterday… don’t read too much into it. I really didn’t mean anything by it.”

　　“Hm? What happened yesterday?” Chu Ling shot back.

　　Lu Shixuan was left speechless.

　　She really seemed not to care at all.

　　Bringing it up like that made him look petty and narrow-minded.

　　He sighed in relief. “It’s nothing. It’s best if you didn’t take it seriously—”

　　“Are you talking about when you said your ex-girlfriend was materialistic and I refuted you, or when you asked me about the number of my exes to dig into my private life?”

　　Chu Ling deliberately twisted the knife. “I’m not sure which one you’re apologizing for. I’ll have to think about it.”

　　Lu Shixuan just stared.

　　He’d never met someone so shamelessly bold.

　　They walked stiffly into the ski resort and, after registering, started putting on their ski gear.

　　“I asked around. This is the biggest indoor ski resort nearby,” Lu Shixuan said as he strapped on his boots. “It’s my first time too, but I roughly know that indoor ski resorts here don’t go beyond this level. The snow conditions are pretty average. The snow made by machines isn’t even in the same dimension as natural snow. Can’t help it — that’s just the reality. If you want good quality snow, you have to go outside, especially to places like Northern Europe. The snow in Hokkaido is great too. Niseko’s powder snow really left a deep impression on me...”

　　Chu Ling: “…”

　　Chu Ling couldn’t help asking, “Does speaking Chinese burn your mouth?”

　　Lu Shixuan froze for two seconds before realizing Chu Ling was mocking his mixed Chinese-English way of speaking. His face instantly flushed red, and after a moment, he snapped back, “You don’t understand?”

　　“I understand,” Chu Ling said with a sympathetic look. “I just thought maybe you’ve been abroad so long your language skills are slipping.”

　　That was an unnecessary jab.

　　Lu Shixuan held back his anger, quietly finished putting on his gear, glanced at her, and asked, “If you haven’t skied before—”

　　“I have,” Chu Ling interrupted.

　　He looked her up and down and said, “Took private lessons?”

　　Chu Ling caught a hint of subtle disdain in his tone. “You don’t believe me?”

　　“Of course not,” Lu Shixuan smiled. “I’m just not sure how well you learned. I know a lot of coaches here only care about money. They teach you to ski two laps and call it a day.”

　　His tone carried that high-and-mighty attitude typical of elites.

　　He assumed Chu Ling couldn’t understand what he was saying and had never skied abroad. To him, that barely counted as skiing—just some childish play.

　　Chu Ling hugged her snowboard and stepped out onto the empty slopes.

　　The ski resort had already cleared out early today, so the wide trails were completely empty.

　　“Oh really?” Chu Ling said. “Looks like I’m going to need some lessons from you then.”

　　She lifted her chin slightly and added, “But before that, why don’t we have a little competition first?”

　　【Wait, am I still watching a dating show?】

　　【Is Chu Ling crazy? She wants to race the Male Guest No.1? With his background, he probably started skiing as a kid. How could she possibly win?】

　　This was supposed to be a sweet, hand-holding, flirty date.

　　Now it’s turned into a competition.

　　Lu Shixuan looked at her with even more contempt. “You’re sure you want to race me?”

　　“Sure,” Chu Ling said. “First one to reach that line.”

　　He sneered. “Want me to give you a ten-second head start? Don’t want people saying I’m bullying a girl, unfair.”

　　“No need.”

　　Chu Ling wasn’t lying. She really had learned how to ski.

　　She once took a role in a drama where she played the friend of the female lead — a skier. There was a scene where she had to comfort the female lead by taking her skiing. The director insisted no stunt doubles, so she practiced for a long time.

　　Even though she found out right before filming that her role was replaced.

　　Things like this happened all the time in entertainment industry. She wasn’t sure if it was just favoritism or someone messing with her.

　　Though she lost the role, she still learned to ski.

　　She’d practiced on slopes even rougher and harder than this one, falling countless times but still mastering it.

　　Chu Ling put on her goggles and took a deep breath.

　　So who said she couldn’t win?

________________

T/N: Okay, so I just peeked at the NU page and saw some of you guys voting for this novel even though it barely has any chapters yet? Aww, you’re all way too sweet and adorable! Thanks a bunch! And if you haven’t voted yet, no worries—I’m just happy you’re here reading. ❤️

I was scrolling through the comment sections for MDCM and SEMxTFM, and LOL, some readers called me adorable? Stop it, I’m blushing over here! 🤭

But let’s be real, that’s only ‘cause you guys are so kind and sweet first! Even when I mess up sometimes or accidentally put a wrong glossary entry at MDCM (I swear it was just once! 🤣), nobody’s roasted me.

Readers: “OMG she messed up the glossary! Someone tell her!”

Me: “Uh, I Googled it and it seemed right? Maybe there’s two versions?”

Readers: “Okay, she’s a little goofy. Let’s cut her some slack and keep reading.”

A few months later...

Me: “Oops, I was totally wrong about that glossary thing! My bad!”

Readers: “Told ya! 😤 Now gimme more free chapters as punishment!”

Me: (faints dramatically) —Translator down! 😆🤣

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