Dating Show Side Character, Getting Rich by Roasting People

CHAPTER 9: I Think He’s Totally a Masochist!

　　Chu Ling figured she wasn’t the only one wanting a partner change.

　　Lin Zirun probably wanted to switch too.

　　After all, the two of them hadn’t gotten along at all today.

　　Lin Zirun spent the whole day trying to build his image, and she tore it all down one by one. If she were him, she’d be running too.

　　But that night, Chu Ling received a ¹crush message.

　　【A chance encounter, just what I wished for. If taking solo pics of you costs extra, can I take a photo of us together next time?】

　　It was anonymous, but come on. It was obviously from Lin Zirun.

　　Chu Ling: “…”

　　She turned to the system and said, “I seriously suspect he’s a masochist.”

　　This wasn’t even a polite message.

　　The first part quoted ancient poetry to confess his feelings, and the second part straight-up asked for a couple’s pic.

　　Chu Ling couldn’t wrap her head around it.

　　Like… bro, what’s wrong with you?

　　Did you not get scolded enough today?

　　System: “Are you going to reply?”

　　Chu Ling almost replied with ‘This humble girl is unworthy,’ just based on the first line.

　　“…Nope.”

　　She locked her phone. “I already sent him a sweet message today. Hopefully, he liked it.”　

　　……

　　Lin Zirun, of course, had his own plan.

　　Sure, he got roasted by Chu Ling all day, and yeah, it was exhausting. But as part of the unspoken rules of dating shows, since they had a date today, the crush message had to go to her. That wasn’t up for debate.

　　As for what to write in it...

　　He had considered switching partners.

　　If he wanted to make a change, the early episodes were the best time. The backlash would be minimal, and it wouldn't cause a full-on public meltdown across platforms.

　　But was he really here to fall in love?

　　Absolutely not.

　　If he wanted a relationship, he could easily find tons of gorgeous girls outside of this show. He came here to build a persona, gain followers, and blow up in popularity.

　　And Chu Ling was still his best bet for that.

　　Thanks to today’s performance, some viewers were already starting to think he had scumbag potential. If he switched partners now, that’d basically confirm it—and public opinion would tear him apart.

　　No way was he going to let himself get labeled as flaky or shallow so easily.

　　On the flip side, if he stuck with Chu Ling, even if she kept treating him like she couldn’t care less, as long as he acted more sincere and careful next time, he could turn things around. With time, people would start to believe in his devoted persona.

　　Chu Ling just didn’t have that natural likability with the audience.

　　By the next date, he was sure he’d find a way to turn the tide.

　　His phone buzzed twice.

　　The crush message had arrived.

　　Chances were high it was from Chu Ling.

　　Even though their date wasn’t exactly smooth, Lin Zirun still took a deep breath and nervously opened it.

　　【Screenshot of a vinyl record player on Taobao】

　　【I've checked it for you. Not too pricey.】

　　Lin Zirun: “…”

　　What was he even hoping for just now?

　　Did she think he was broke?

　　Did he look like he couldn’t afford a record player?!

　　Did he really need her to go out of her way to find him a cheaper version!?

　　Lin Zirun ground his teeth in frustration for a long while. But in the end, in order to maintain his persona, he swallowed his pride and replied meekly:【Thank you so much. I’ll take a good look at it.】

　　Chu Ling stared at the reply, then glanced at the backend showing the negative emotional energy she’d just earned from Lin Zirun. She said to the system, “Did I lie? I’m telling you, he’s totally a closet masochist.”

　　System: “……”　　　　

　　—　　　

　　On the third-floor sofa, Wen Shu hugged a pillow, poking at her phone screen in frustration.

　　She had no idea how to write today’s text.

　　She did go on a date with Qin Shuo today, so normally, the message should go to him. But her relationship with him... made things really complicated. She edited it over and over, torn between not wanting to be too warm in case he misunderstood — after all, back when they first got married, he literally warned her, Don’t you dare fall in love with me — and not wanting to come off too cold, which might offend him. Who knows, his fans might come after her for it.

　　According to the show’s rules, you had to send your text before you were allowed to open the inbox and see if you got one. That way, no one could be influenced by the other person’s choice.

　　She had no idea what Qin Shuo might write to her, which only made her more conflicted.

　　“You still haven’t finished?”

　　Chu Ling’s voice suddenly came from behind her.

　　She had seen Wen Shu agonizing over that page even before her shower. Now she was out, all clean and dried off, and Wen Shu was still tapping away at the same screen.

　　Wen Shu jumped, instinctively flipping her phone over.

　　“Relax. I didn’t see what you were writing.”

　　Chu Ling asked, “But seriously, it’s just a message. Is it really that hard?”

　　The system mumbled, “...Well, if everyone were as fearless as you, then no, it wouldn’t be.”

　　“...Just a little hard,”

　　Wen Shu hesitated and said, “I don’t know how to hit the right tone.”

　　She glanced at the time. It was already eleven at night. The cameras on set had automatically shut off.

　　Maybe it was because Chu Ling ordered takeout for her earlier tonight, but Wen Shu felt a little more comfortable around her now. After some hesitation, she lowered her voice and asked, “So how do you guys usually write these kinds of texts?”

　　She had only signed up for the dating show out of spite after the divorce, and had never watched any other shows like this before. She really had no clue what kind of message would come across the right way.　　

　　System: “?”

　　Of all the people to copy, you had to pick her?

　　You’re just looking for trouble!

　　Chu Ling barely held back the real answer. After thinking for a moment, she replied tactfully, “Just pick the moment from today’s date where you felt like expressing something the most, and tell him that.”

　　Wen Shu nodded thoughtfully.

　　System: “…”

　　You two are really something. One actually dared to ask, and the other really dared to answer.

　　Chu Ling went ahead and sat down next to her, asking, “Or how about I start by asking you this—did you have fun today?”

　　Wen Shu blinked.

　　Chu Ling said, “Be honest.”

　　Wen Shu hesitated. “It was… alright, I guess.”

　　Chu Ling wasn’t a fan of vague answers. “What’s ‘alright’? Either you liked it or you didn’t.”

　　“Qin Shuo…”

　　Wen Shu seemed to realize something and quickly corrected herself. “Teacher Qin’s plans were definitely fun and romantic. But… he kind of forgot—or maybe he didn’t know—that I’m actually afraid of heights.”

　　As the hot air balloon started rising, she felt terrified every single second.

　　That was also why, when Qin Shuo grabbed her hand, she didn’t pull away. In that moment, she instinctively needed something to hold on to.

　　Chu Ling asked, a little confused, “Didn’t you tell him you were afraid of heights beforehand?”

　　“Mm…”

　　Wen Shu hesitated, then shook her head. “He had already planned everything out by the time we got there. It didn’t feel right to turn him down last minute and ruin the mood.”

　　Chu Ling almost choked.

　　Okay, now she finally understood why Wen Shu was the female lead.

　　If it had been her? And the guy took her on a hot air balloon ride despite her fear of heights? She would’ve flipped out before they even got on.

　　Since she had nothing better to do right now anyway, Chu Ling raised an eyebrow. Maybe she could poke at Wen Shu a little, stir up some bad vibes, and make a bit of easy cash from the system.

　　“Are you a pushover or what?”

　　Chu Ling cut straight to the point. “You didn’t like it but still went along with it. Were you on a date or just there to provide emotional support?”

　　She gave a light snort. “He took you on a hot air balloon ride, right? Even if you weren’t afraid of heights, I bet he was trying to shortcut his way into your heart using the suspension bridge effect. You said it yourself, he grabbed your hand halfway through without asking. And you're still here worrying about sparing his feelings? Please. You're not just a pushover, you're an idiot.”

　　“Right now, this second, just write it directly. Tell him you didn’t like today’s date activity.”

　　Wen Shu pouted and mumbled, “Does it have to be that direct? He did put effort into planning it. Wouldn’t that be too harsh?”

　　Chu Ling curled her fingers and flicked her on the forehead. “If he really cared, he would’ve asked first. Did he ever think about whether it might scare you or not?”

　　“If you don't speak up now, what if he gets encouraged and takes you bungee jumping, skydiving, or on a roller coaster next time?”

　　Wen Shu imagined it for a second and couldn't help shuddering.

　　“Okay.”

　　She made up her mind and slowly started typing:【Thank you. I had a good time today, but there’s something I’d like to—】

　　“Why so much nonsense?”

　　Chu Ling made a show of being annoyed. “If you can’t do it, I’ll write it for you. Something like: ‘You ever heard of research before planning a date?’ or ‘Asking me first wouldn't kill you’ or ‘If your hand can’t behave, should I cut it off?’”

　　The system quickly jumped in. “Hey! Don’t go corrupting the female lead!”

　　Chu Ling turned and asked, “So? Is she annoyed with me yet?”

　　At this point, Wen Shu should be feeling like Chu Ling was butting in and trying to stir things up between her and Qin Shuo. She ought to be irritated by the unsolicited advice.

　　The system paused. “Doesn’t seem like it?”

　　Chu Ling glanced at her phone. Sure enough, she hadn’t received even a single drop of negative emotion from Wen Shu.

　　The system speculated, “Maybe the original heroine was just kind, tolerant, and broad-minded?”

　　Chu Ling looked at Wen Shu, only to see her finishing up a revised version of the message. Then she turned to Chu Ling. “Chu Ling.”

　　Chu Ling: “Hm?”

　　Wen Shu’s gaze was clear and filled with gratitude. “Thank you for helping me come up with ideas.”

　　“…That’s not it.” Chu Ling said to the system, “She’s just a real idiot.”

　　

________________　

Glossary:

¹“Heartthrob message” and “crush message” can mean similar things, but they’re not exactly the same:

Heartthrob message — implies the sender is someone people swoon over, like a celebrity or very attractive person. It sounds a bit dramatic or like it’s from a romance novel.

Crush message — simply means a message you send to someone you have a crush on, or a message from your crush. It’s more casual and straightforward.

T/N: I'll use crush message from now on.　

　

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