Dating Show Side Character, Getting Rich by Roasting People

CHAPTER 22: Just Not Interested in You

　　Wen Shu froze for a moment.

　　It was exactly like Chu Ling said.

　　Qin Shuo was way too controlling, always sticking his nose into everything, until she almost lost all her freedom and her own thoughts.

　　Because she was his wife, she had to keep a low profile. She hardly ever went out, always afraid that some paparazzi might catch her and hurt his career.

　　Meanwhile, he could go out and stir up dating rumors with other actresses.

　　But if she so much as stayed in touch with an old male classmate, Qin Shuo would interrogate her—claiming it wasn’t because he loved her, only that he was “protecting their marriage.”

　　Yet when she finally chose to leave, Qin Shuo came chasing after her, leaving his real intentions a mystery.

　　Wen Shu had doubted, hesitated, and even struggled to let go of the feelings she once had.

　　But Chu Ling was right.

　　Even back when Qin Shuo swore he didn’t love her, he was already that controlling.

　　So what about now?

　　Would he really change?

　　Just the thought of going back to that kind of life made Wen Shu shiver.

　　Meanwhile, the livestream comments were blowing up.

　　Some joked that Chu Ling was basically a prophet, calling Qin Shuo out.

　　Others started questioning Qin Shuo’s behavior.

　　Of course, his fans were still jumping in to defend him.

　　【Do you guys just believe whatever Chu Ling says? Can’t you think for yourselves? I’ve followed Qin Shuo for years, I know he’s not that kind of person!】

　　【So what if Qin Shuo got a little jealous, does Chu Ling really need to blow it up like that? She’s got a ton of problems herself but doesn’t mention those. Strict with others, easy on herself, huh?】

　　【If you put your faith in Chu Ling, you’re done for life. Even if Chu Ling crashes, Qin Shuo will never go down!】

　　【Lu Shixuan deserved to get exposed, but Chu Ling is just making stuff up, right? Didn’t she say the Male Guest No.2 had issues too? He seems just fine now.】

　　Sigh, Qin Shuo’s fans really were the most generous.

　　After reaping some of the negative emotions, Chu Ling felt satisfied. She turned to Wen Shu and said, “Want to check out the little theater downstairs?”

　　“Hm?” Wen Shu made a small sound.

　　“You already agreed to Sheng Yi’s invitation, didn’t you?”

　　“Oh.”

　　Wen Shu responded but then hesitated. “I know, but…”

　　The truth was, when she agreed earlier, it was partly to dodge Qin Shuo. If she accepted Sheng Yi’s invite, she wouldn’t have time to accept Qin Shuo’s. It felt like choosing the lesser of two evils.

　　Besides, Sheng Yi’s invitation had been polite, and she couldn’t think of a reason to refuse at the time.

　　But now, the idea of being alone with Sheng Yi still made her nervous.

　　After all, he had only just joined the show yesterday.

　　She barely knew anything about him, or why he would even want to invite her.

　　“So… could you come with me?”

　　After thinking it over, Wen Shu looked at Chu Ling with pleading eyes.

　　“Sure, I can.”

　　Chu Ling said, “But didn’t he invite you, not me?”

　　After all, this was a dating show, and what the audience wanted most was seeing two people flirting.

　　Wen Shu thought back to Sheng Yi's words, and it felt like she'd found a lifeline. “But he said I could bring a friend along!”

　　Chu Ling almost laughed. She wanted to tell Wen Shu that Sheng Yi had probably only said that because he was worried the introverted Wen Shu would flat-out refuse otherwise.

　　But before speaking, she glanced at the live comments.

　　【Please, Chu Ling, don’t go be a third wheel! We’re dying to ship this new CP!】

　　Chu Ling instantly changed her words. “Alright, I’ll go.”

　　Purely out of defiance.

　　Tell her not to do something and she’d do it on purpose, just to annoy them!

　　And if she could dig up some dirt on Sheng Yi halfway through, all the better. She could help Wen Shu dodge a bullet. Two birds, one stone.

　　Lifting her chin, Chu Ling said, “Let’s go then.”　

　　—

　　Inside the cruise ship’s mini theater.

　　When Chu Ling and Wen Shu walked in, Sheng Yi was sitting on the stage with his guitar in his arms, a pick between his teeth, plucking at the strings like he was testing the sound.　　

　　The moment he saw them, he raised his brows and removed the pick. “You’re here.”

　　He pointed to the seats in the front row, closest to the stage. “Sit here.”

　　“Sorry.” Wen Shu asked, “Have you been waiting long?”

　　“Not really,” Sheng Yi said. “Just since after breakfast.”

　　That meant almost two hours.

　　And Wen Shu had originally agreed to meet him in the afternoon.

　　Chu Ling asked curiously, “So if we hadn’t shown up, you would’ve just sat here all day?”

　　Waiting like a hunter at a rabbit hole.

　　Sheng Yi pushed himself up from the stage floor with one hand and gave a little laugh. “But you did come, didn’t you?”

　　After a pause, he added, “If you really hadn’t, it wouldn’t matter. I’d just take it as extra practice.”

　　“So…” Wen Shu asked nervously, “What exactly did you invite me… us here for?”

　　“I tested the place out yesterday and realized the acoustics here are really good.”

　　As he slung the guitar properly over his shoulder and adjusted the mic stand beside him, Sheng Yi said, “We just met yesterday, and I came in a bit rushed, so I didn’t prepare any gifts. I thought I’d give you a song instead.”

　　Ohhh—

　　Chu Ling immediately understood.

　　She had seen plenty of guys like this back in school. Show off a little talent in front of girls, and they’d win instant admiration.

　　Especially the ones in bands.

　　Get on stage, let the atmosphere build up, and suddenly the girls were screaming like crazy. Just standing under the spotlight made them glow with a filter. Even if the guy was a total nobody, he’d look better than average in that moment.

　　And he claimed he’d never dated?

　　Chu Ling curled her lip slightly. Please, wasn’t this guy clearly experienced?

　　Only two or three lights lit up the stage.

　　The spotlight fell on Sheng Yi. He was dressed in simple black casual clothes today, which only highlighted his natural vibe even more.

　　After strumming the strings a few times, he lowered his head and began to play.

　　The moment he started singing, the carefree smile he usually wore faded, replaced with a touch of seriousness between his brows.

　　That kind of presence felt like it could cut straight through the camera and reach beyond the screen.

　　The live chat was completely caught off guard.

　　【I knew the Male Guest No.5 was handsome, but not this handsome, who can understand me right now?!】

　　【This is live? This is live! I didn’t mishear, right? His voice is so stable!】

　　【Where’s morality, where’s the bottom line, and where’s my ticket to the next music festival?!】

　　【Wait what song is this, I’ve never heard it before… It’s good though, really good, just the style is so strong. Hope it doesn’t scare Wen Shu, haha.】

　　“This is something our band wrote ourselves.”

　　When the performance ended, Sheng Yi hopped off the stage and walked up to them. “So, what do you think? Any feedback?”

　　Wen Shu wasn’t used to listening to band music, and honestly found the style a little hard to get into. Still, she politely clapped twice, gave him some face, and said, “It was really good.”

　　Sheng Yi then turned to Chu Ling. “And you, Miss Chu Ling?”

　　“…”

　　Chu Ling admitted that before he started, she had been ready to pick it apart.

　　She had a natural bias against rock musicians. That circle was notoriously messy, and even just from what she had heard, there were more than enough scandals to make her roll her eyes. So when Sheng Yi used his performance as a way to win a girl’s favor, she had already prepared her lines to roast him.

　　But once she started listening, the music drew her in.

　　The song… was genuinely well-written.

　　She thought he’d choose something popular to show off his skills, or at least some love song he had written himself. But he didn’t.

　　This song was definitely not fit for a dating show. It wasn’t tender, it wasn’t romantic, the style was even a little niche. Hardly the kind of thing you’d use to flirt with a girl.

　　Its only strength was that it was good.

　　Just the guitar and his voice alone were already enough to sound amazing. Chu Ling couldn’t help but imagine how incredible it would sound with a full band behind him.

　　For once, she didn’t feel like nitpicking.

　　But that wouldn’t do.

　　After thinking and thinking, all she could manage was a playful jab: “You’re just using this as a chance to promote your song, aren’t you?”

　　Then she glanced toward the backend page.

　　Eh, he wasn’t even mad.

　　“…”

　　Because that really was his plan.

　　Having his true feelings exposed, Sheng Yi chuckled and dodged the question, simply asking, “So, was it good?”

　　“If I went so far as to say that, then at least it means your song is good enough to promote.”

　　Chu Ling said, “Not bad.”　　

　　At first, she thought most of these underdog musicians without fame were just bitter cynics who felt the world owed them. She didn’t expect that Sheng Yi actually had some real skill.

　　“Really?”

　　Sheng Yi smiled again.

　　Every time Chu Ling had seen him before, his smiles were always polite or laced with subtle mockery, never reaching his eyes.

　　This time, after being complimented on his work, he seemed to smile with genuine warmth.

　　“As long as you guys like the gift, that’s all that matters.”

　　He strummed his strings again, his tone slipping back into its usual casualness. “If there’s a chance next time, I can play something else for you.”

　　Chu Ling: “…”

　　So you really just wanted to promote your music.　

　　……

　　After saying goodbye to Sheng Yi, Wen Shu, inspired by Chu Ling, invited her in the afternoon to join a small cruise activity. It was a half-hearted way of wrapping up the day’s task.

　　In no time, the sunset was approaching.

　　Although she rejected Lin Zirun, Chu Ling had never seen the sunset over the sea. Since she was already here, she thought it would be a pity to miss it.

　　Of course, she wasn’t going to look for Lin Zirun. She walked alone to the open deck at the front of the ship, climbed up to the highest point, leaned on the railing, and gazed out at the horizon.

　　The sun wasn’t fully set yet, only tinting half the sky with evening colors.

　　From where she stood, almost the entire skyline was ablaze with a brilliant orange-red. The afterglow spilled across the waves, like tens of thousands of shards of gold scattered over the sea. It was a kind of beauty that was both breathtaking and vast.

　　“Hey, so you’re here too.”

　　A voice suddenly came from behind.

　　Chu Ling turned her head and saw Sheng Yi walking over.

　　After a moment of thought, she stepped back two paces. “Should I give you this spot?”

　　Sheng Yi: “No need. Why would you?”

　　Chu Ling said, “Feels like you’d come to the bow just to stand here and shout your dreams to the world.”

　　“…That sounds way too cringe.”

　　Sheng Yi couldn’t help laughing. “What kind of misunderstanding do you have about me?”

　　“Is it a misunderstanding?”

　　Chu Ling chuckled. “I thought you guys were the type who just charge forward yelling about dreams, rock, and bonds. Turns out movies really are just lying to us.”

　　She didn’t say it mockingly, though.

　　Because from the music just now, she could tell Sheng Yi really had his own attitude.

　　If he only wanted to impress girls or craft an image, he had plenty of safer options.

　　His guitar skills were polished, his voice was nice too. Just singing some sweet little love song would have worked perfectly. But he chose to sing something he wrote himself. Maybe it was partly to show off, but it was real. And even if it was a performance, he pulled it off convincingly.

　　So why did he come on this show?

　　Was he, like her, trying to make a comeback?

　　“Not really.”

　　Sheng Yi only took two steps forward, standing at her side. He looked out over the sunset on the horizon and said casually, “The truth is, dreams can’t feed you, and just talking about them is even more pointless.”

　　Chu Ling glanced at the camera, a little surprised he would say that.

　　Usually, when people heard her say something like that, the next step would be to go on about their own dreams.

　　And for a rock musician, this kind of topic should have been second nature. If he wanted fame, it was the perfect chance to build his persona.

　　But Sheng Yi seemed unwilling to continue.

　　It threw Chu Ling off, since she had already prepared a sharp response. She looked at him, a little frustrated, and was just about to speak when another voice cut in.

　　“Chu Ling?”

　　She turned her head and saw Lin Zirun.

　　He walked over with a not-so-pleasant expression, forcing a smile. “So you two came to see the sunset too?”

　　Chu Ling had turned him down that morning, yet agreed to come here with this newcomer?!

　　For a moment, Lin Zirun couldn’t hide his annoyance at being outshone. Then he quickly adjusted, remembering the audience didn’t know yet. Putting on a slightly wounded tone, he said, “I asked you this morning and you said no. I thought you weren’t interested in sunsets—”

　　Who’s he trying to act pitiful for?

　　Chu Ling was speechless for a moment and about to answer, but Sheng Yi beside her suddenly chuckled.

　　“Don’t put it that way, man. Look on the bright side.”

　　He said, “Maybe she’s just not interested in you.”

　　

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