Dating Show Side Character, Getting Rich by Roasting People

CHAPTER 25: I Swear I Didn’t Mean It

　　So, under the production team’s behind-the-scenes meddling, the guests’ date choices were finally locked in.

　　To keep them from leaking spoilers to each other, though, no one was told where their date would actually take place. They’d only get to open the “mystery box” tomorrow.

　　Wen Shu was already eighty percent sure she would end up in the same group as Qin Shuo.

　　That night, she quietly prayed that Chu Ling would somehow get placed with her.

　　Chu Ling couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of her so devoutly praying. “What, can’t survive without me now?”

　　Hands pressed together, Wen Shu didn’t get angry. She even nodded with a straight face.

　　That caught Chu Ling off guard.

　　Ever since she was little, she was used to being disliked and resented by everyone.

　　So when someone openly admitted they needed her, it actually left her a bit unprepared.

　　“…Don’t exaggerate like that.”

　　She rubbed her nose with her fingers, pretending to shiver. “I didn't do anything”

　　“You did.”

　　Wen Shu said seriously, “If you hadn’t helped me the last two times, I’d probably already be tied to Qin Shuo by now, the kind you can’t escape no matter what.”

　　By now, plenty of CP fans were shipping her with Qin Shuo online. Every time Chu Ling pulled a wild stunt, they scolded her for it, which only made her feel guiltier toward Chu Ling.

　　Even though Chu Ling always told her it was fine, that the harsher the insults the better, Wen Shu knew deep down that no one actually wanted to be scolded like that. Chu Ling just acted too tough, which made it seem like she didn’t care.

　　Chu Ling joked, “So Qin Shuo is really that awful, huh?”

　　That was dangerous territory.

　　Wen Shu double-checked that Chu Ling hadn’t turned on her room camera. Only then did she quietly say, “He’ll find someone better.”

　　Chu Ling nodded. “Better, but not as good as our Wen Shu.”

　　Wen Shu glanced at her and couldn’t help but smile.

　　Chu Ling added, “Alright then, since you were praying so devoutly, I’ll make a wish too. That we’ll be in the same group tomorrow. Or at least that you won’t end up in the worst possible scenario.”

　　“What’s the worst possible scenario?” Wen Shu asked.

　　Chu Ling said, “Being grouped with three male guests.”

　　Love and Wen-Xiao-Shu.

　　Honestly, it had explosive potential.

　　The only question was whether the production team would actually dare go that far for ratings.

　　Wen Shu, introverted as she was, nearly wanted to die just from imagining that scene.

　　“It’s fine, I’ll pray with you. Worst case, we can sacrifice something in exchange.”

　　Chu Ling thought about it, then said casually, “Let’s just sacrifice a bit of Qin Shuo’s luck. He’s had way too smooth of a life anyway.”

　　System: “???”

　　What kind of cannon-fodder side character casually talks about sacrificing the male lead’s luck!

　　—　

　　That morning, the eight guests got ready to head out to their respective date locations.

　　Two minibuses were parked outside the villa, one in the front and one in the back for Route A and Route B. The production team would send out messages one by one, telling the guests when to leave so they’d board separately.

　　【Please, please let my CP end up in the same group!】

　　【Please, please let there be a messy love triangle, I want some drama!】

　　【Please, please let Chu Ling be grouped with three male guests.】

　　【? What’s wrong with the person above, are you a Chu Ling fan?】(T/N: Bwahahahhaha 🤣)

　　【Misunderstanding. I’m just here for the entertainment of watching Chu Ling roast people.】

　　【Friend, I get you. Watching her roast male guests is pure joy hahaha. Doesn’t matter if they’re greasy, pretentious, fake, or acting all innocent, she cuts them down all the same.】

　　【Who would’ve thought the highlight of a dating show for me isn’t who ends up together, but who Chu Ling adds to her kill list next.】

　　With everyone watching in anticipation, Chu Ling was indeed the first to appear.

　　The temperature had suddenly shot up that day, like summer had arrived overnight.

　　Guessing she’d probably be headed to the amusement park, she wore a simple, breezy blue camisole dress with a light sun jacket over it. After stepping onto the minibus parked out front, she chose a window seat.

　　【Chu Ling is here!】

　　【Okay, place your bets. Which lucky (unlucky) guy is going to be stuck with her today?】

　　【But seriously, she looks gorgeous today. No wonder she’s a celeb. Her face and figure are still top-tier.】

　　【And she didn’t even go heavy on the makeup today. Even with a light touch she’s stunning.】

　　Leaning against the window, Chu Ling glanced back at the little villa. She actually felt a bit nervous.

　　After all, considering the strange way she had played things before, if the production team wanted to hype up the Qin-Wen CP, it wouldn’t be impossible for them to deliberately stick her in another group this time.

　　About three minutes later, someone else finally walked out of the house.

　　Through the glass, Chu Ling stared for a while. Once she saw it was a guy, she propped her chin on her hand, her expression sinking.

　　When Sheng Yi got on the bus, the first thing he saw was Chu Ling. His brows lifted slightly without him realizing.

　　He didn’t sit beside her though. Instead, he picked the seat in the same row but across the aisle, then turned his head to ask, “So your first choice was the amusement park?”

　　“Of course.” Chu Ling said, “You can go to an aquarium anytime, but an amusement park with no lines and completely cleared for you? That’s probably a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Obviously I had to go.”

　　【…Such a simple and down-to-earth reason.】

　　【Makes sense though. I’d pick that too. An amusement park with no lines!】

　　Chu Ling looked back out the window, a little nervous while waiting for the next person.

　　Luckily, this time it was finally Wen Shu who got on. Chu Ling let out a breath of relief, patted the seat next to her, and motioned for Wen Shu to sit down.

　　【Can I sneak a little Chu-Wen ship moment here? Like a bestie saving you a seat back in school.】

　　【Also Wen Shu’s outfit looks so much like Chu Ling’s today! Let me ship them as sisters in matching outfits.】

　　【Both in camisole dresses. Wen Shu hardly ever wears this style, but she looks really good in it.】

　　【I’m so jealous of Wen Shu’s fair skin and slim arms. She should definitely wear more dresses like this. Please wear them more often, queen!】

　　The fourth person to board was, of course, Qin Shuo.

　　The Qin-Wen CP fans who had been waiting forever practically screamed in excitement.

　　【Aaaaah it’s our Qin-Wen! Finally together again!!!】

　　【If only Chu Ling wasn’t there… I don’t even want to imagine the trouble she’ll stir up this time.】

　　But when Qin Shuo got on and saw Sheng Yi and Chu Ling already there, his face instantly dropped.

　　Why is it always you two?!

　　In contrast, Wen Shu’s expression stayed calm, probably because she was already used to it.

　　Chu Ling immediately caught the shift in Qin Shuo’s expression. “Not happy, Teacher Qin? Not the lineup you wanted?”

　　“No.”

　　Qin Shuo chose the seat in front of Wen Shu and sat down. With the professionalism of a star, he maintained a decent expression and said, “It's fine.”

　　“I just asked. Everyone here picked the amusement park.”

　　Sheng Yi glanced at him and asked, “So Teacher Qin also chose the amusement park?”

　　“Yes,” Qin Shuo replied. “What's wrong?”

　　Sheng Yi laughed and said, “Then it seems our group is going to the amusement park. It's a little hard to believe, but Teacher Qin also has a childlike heart.”

　　“Nothing wrong with it.”

　　Chu Ling let out a short laugh. “Men are boys at heart, all the way till the end.”

　　Qin Shuo: “…”

　　Why did that sound so sarcastic?

　　He turned his head to glance at Wen Shu, then frowned slightly, looking dissatisfied. He hesitated for a long moment, but in the end couldn’t hold back and said gently, “Wearing so little… won’t you feel cold later?”

　　He remembered that Wen Shu had never dressed like this before.

　　What, just because she divorced him, now her style had changed so much? She even dared to wear such a short dress? Who exactly was she trying to dress up for?

　　His gaze slowly traveled over her slender pale arms, her collarbones, her long legs. His throat tightened, and a wave of jealousy surged up before he could stop it. “I’ll have my assistant bring over a jacket later. If you feel cold, you can put it on.”

　　【Wow Qin Shuo is really thoughtful!】

　　【He’s totally the type who quietly takes care of the girl he likes. I’m shipping this.】

　　【I'm just guessing, is he jealous?】

　　【It's possible. After all, there are other people around. It's normal not to want such a beautiful Wen Shu to be seen by the other male guest. It's just a man's possessiveness.】

　　So~ consider~ate.

　　Chu Ling rolled her eyes inwardly.

　　That outfit had been picked out for Wen Shu by Chu Ling herself last night.

　　The weather had suddenly turned hot, but Wen Shu hadn’t packed much for summer. Most of her clothes were long skirts and pants. Chu Ling had found a set from her own wardrobe that matched her style and gave it to her, figuring they would look coordinated going out together.

　　Wen Shu had hesitated at first.

Chu Ling originally thought it was just because she wasn’t used to dressing like this, but looking back, maybe it was because Qin Shuo never allowed her to before.

　　Sheng Yi turned his head at that. “Wen Shu, are you cold?”

　　Wen Shu shook her head.

　　“She says she’s fine.” Sheng Yi glanced out the window. “In this weather, an extra jacket really isn’t necessary, right?”

　　“It’s still not good to dress like that.” Qin Shuo gave what sounded like a snort before looking at Wen Shu. “I’m not the kind of man who wants you to wear less just to please my eyes.”

　　【Exactly! Older guys are the best, they actually care about you.】

　　【Team older man, for sure. Dad-type boyfriends are the most reliable.】

　　【So he’s definitely jealous, right? Qin-Wen couple is real!!!】

　　Sheng Yi: “?”

　　Excuse me? Was that shade thrown at him?

　　Fine, if this guy wants to play dad, whatever, but don’t drag him down in the process.

　　His temper flared. He was just about to fire back when someone else beat him to it.

　　“How thoughtful of you, Teacher Qin.”

　　Chu Ling deliberately put on a syrupy tone. “Even if you weren’t an actor, you’d be perfect for another job.”

　　“Like becoming a high school discipline officer. You’d be amazing at catching students for dress code violations.”

　　Qin Shuo: “?”

　　“It’s true students shouldn’t dress this way, but we’re adults. Shouldn’t we have some freedom in what we wear?” Chu Ling looked at him up and down. “Besides, the weather isn’t cold. You’re in short sleeves too.”

　　Qin Shuo answered without thinking. “I’m a man, so it doesn’t matter how I dress. But you… girls, if you wear so little, you’ll catch a chill. It’s bad for your health.”

　　“We’re worried about you catching a chill too.” Chu Ling spoke with exaggerated sincerity. “After all, we’re young, our bodies can handle it. You’re the one who needs to take care of your health, Teacher Qin.”

　　This time she went completely over the line.

　　Sheng Yi couldn’t hold back a laugh.

　　Age had always been Qin Shuo’s sore spot.

　　He nearly spat blood, but forced himself to grit out, “There are so many rides at an amusement park. Wearing something like that is dangerous. What if there’s an accident, or something slips? I’m only saying this for your own good!”

　　“For our own good,” Chu Ling echoed, then added, “That’s exactly what my dad would say.”

　　Sheng Yi chimed in like a comedy partner, “Even my dad doesn’t nag like that anymore. I thought you’d just stepped out of the feudal era.”

　　“First, we’re all wearing safety shorts, so no need to worry about wardrobe malfunctions.”

　　“Second, she’s not dressing for you.”

　　Chu Ling leaned back. “If you don’t like looking at her, Teacher Qin, then don’t look.”

　　Sheng Yi cooperated and made a gesture of scratching his eyeballs.

　　After getting hit on several sore spots by the two of them in a row, Qin Shuo finally shut his mouth.

　　The ride was quiet after that, and soon the group arrived at an amusement park on the outskirts of the city.

　　Once they got off the bus, Chu Ling was the first to ask, “So, what do you want to play?”

　　“I’m fine with anything,” Wen Shu replied.

　　Sheng Yi casually grabbed a map, looked it over, and said, “Anyone up for the roller coaster?”

　　“She’s afraid of heights.”

　　Qin Shuo immediately cut in, like he’d just scored a win, and looked straight at Sheng Yi.

　　You didn’t know that, did you?

　　【She’s afraid of heights! Qin Shuo remembered!】

　　【He cares so much. He notices everything about her.】

　　Qin Shuo had once pulled the suspension bridge effect with a hot air balloon, but he’d never allow anyone else to try the same trick.

　　Sheng Yi quickly said, “Oh, sorry.”

　　“It’s fine,” Wen Shu said. “If you guys want to ride it, I can stay down here and watch the bags.”

　　“No way, not when we’ve already come all this way.”

　　Sheng Yi looked at the map, feeling a bit conflicted.

　　So all the high and risky rides were out. No Ferris wheel, no roller coaster, no pirate ship… what a shame.

　　There were quite a few things he wanted to try.

　　Chu Ling said, “After crossing everything off, don’t tell me we’ll end up on the merry-go-round.”

　　She herself didn’t really care, but imagining the usually calm and serious Qin Shuo riding a carousel was kind of hilarious.

　　Sheng Yi pointed to the nearest spot on the map. “Then let’s start with bumper cars. That should work, right?”

　　A little childish, maybe, but easy and a good warm-up ride.

　　Since no one objected, the four of them headed over to the bumper car arena together.

　　The staff greeted them warmly with a big smile. “Welcome to Passion Bumper Cars! Each car can seat two people.”

　　Qin Shuo naturally said, “Then we can split into pairs—”

　　“Looks pretty empty today!”

　　Chu Ling cut him off and asked, “Since it’s just the four of us, that means there should be four cars, right?”

　　The staff hesitated for a second. “…Yes.”

　　“Perfect.”

　　Chu Ling clapped her hands. “Bumper cars are only fun when everyone drives their own. Otherwise, whoever doesn’t get the wheel just ends up being dead weight.”

　　She immediately picked one out. “I’m taking that yellow one.”

　　Qin Shuo: “…”

　　A little displeased, he said, “But what if someone doesn’t know the proper techniques for bumper cars…”

　　Sheng Yi looked baffled. “What techniques? What, do you need a bumper car license now?”

　　Even kids could play this game.

　　“You can’t say that, it actually does take some skill,” Chu Ling agreed with Qin Shuo for once. Then she turned to the camera and added, “Like me, for example. My driving skills aren’t great. So if I end up offending anyone, Teacher Qin’s fans, please don’t get mad. It’s just a game. I really do respect Teacher Qin in real life, so I’d never do it on purpose.”

　　Qin Shuo: “…”

　　Why did he suddenly get such a bad feeling?

Previous Chapter | Table of Contents | Next Chapter