Dating Show Side Character, Getting Rich by Roasting People

CHAPTER 65: Because Right Now, I’m Going to Confess to You

　　In the blink of an eye, it was finally the last day of recording.

　　The production team had been facing both internal and external challenges over the past few days, from public controversy to guests leaving. Pretending nothing had happened and wrapping up the show like a normal dating reality series was clearly impossible.　　

　　So they had no choice but to follow Chu Ling’s earlier suggestion. The planned confession segment was scrapped and replaced with a farewell segment instead.

　　Because the change came so suddenly, everything was kept simple. The crew decorated the villa inside and out with balloons and streamers. On the blackboard in the living room, big characters read: “Congratulations to the first graduating class of Heartbeat Lab!”

　　The male and female guests also dressed up in the school-uniform-style outfits prepared by the crew, celebrating this unusual kind of graduation together.

　　“Good thing Teacher Qin isn’t here,” Chu Ling joked. “Otherwise, him wearing a school uniform would be like painting green over an old cucumber.”

　　Wen Shu couldn’t help but laugh.

　　It was true. Among them, Qin Shuo was the only thirty-five-year-old, standing out awkwardly in a group whose average age hovered around twenty-five.

　　【He already left, do you still have to roast him?】

　　【And of all days, you pick today to roast him?】

　　【I seriously love hearing Chu Ling talk. Jiejie, can you please join more variety shows in the future!】

　　【Seconded! Please give us more of Chu Ling on variety shows!】

　　And of course, a graduation ceremony came with its own rituals.

　　First, all the guests sat together to watch a highlight reel the production team had rushed to put together at the last minute.

　　Even though it was done in a hurry, the edit was surprisingly complete. From the very first day the guests had entered the show, the footage pieced together their dates, capturing all the sweet, sour, and messy moments they had shared.

　　Chu Ling had originally thought the crew would cut out the guests who had already quit, but to her surprise, they had left them in. That felt classy of them.

　　But as she kept watching, she realized something wasn’t right.

　　Almost every shot that included the former guests was paired with Chu Ling.

　　Any longer, and she would’ve started roasting them right there.

　　【Hilarious! Even though there weren't any arguing scenes, everything was said without a word.】

　　【I’ve seen so many of Chu Ling’s roast compilations that I swear the comebacks are already on the tip of her tongue.】

　　【Editor, tell me, was this intentional or just an accident?】

　　【The production team really knows how to be shady.】

　　【Well, with how this show turned out, none of the guys can escape responsibility. Imagine working hard on a project, only for it to crash because of a few problematic men. If it were me, I’d be shady too!】

　　Chu Ling tilted her head, thoughtful. “Looking back on it now, I really did scold people a lot.”

　　In the beginning, she even scolded Wen Shu and Sheng Yi.

　　Some people broke down instantly when she called them out, some didn’t care at all, and some… seemed to even enjoy it.

　　Her gaze drifted toward Sheng Yi.

　　Everyone was in school uniforms today. Sheng Yi wore a crisp white shirt with his jacket slung casually over his arm, carrying that fresh, boyish aura. Next to him, even the real college student Zhou Yu looked older in comparison.

　　But the moment Sheng Yi met her eyes, he quickly looked away, almost as if he was nervous.

　　Chu Ling: “?”

　　What’s he guilty about?

　　Did he do something behind her back?

　　The segment where guests were supposed to hand over confession letters had also been changed into individual farewell speeches.

　　Everyone looked around. “Who’s going first?”

　　“I guess I’ll go,” Chu Ling said without hesitation.

　　If she went first, anything the others said afterward wouldn’t seem too outrageous in comparison.

　　She stepped up to the microphone with ease. “First of all, I wasn’t lying. These past few days here have actually been really fun for me.”

　　Well, she’d earned enough money to live comfortably for life. Of course she was happy.

　　“I didn’t treat this like just another job or assignment. I took it seriously.”

　　After all, she had plenty of other options for work if she wanted.

　　“These days, I’ve had a lot of new experiences, things I’ve never done before in my life. I met many interesting friends, and I was fortunate enough to gain the support of so many viewers.”

　　“A lot of people have asked me, how do I spot scumbags so quickly?” Chu Ling paused, then smiled. “All I can say is, life will never run out of scumbags. What’s rare is having the eyes to see them for what they are. Thank you, everyone!”

　　【Chu-jie, you’re killing me hahaha】

　　【I thought this ceremony would be emotional, but nope, I was overthinking.】

　　【Asking Chu-jie to be sentimental? Impossible, not in this lifetime. Let’s just pray she doesn’t decide to stir up chaos instead.】

　　【This joker is only here for the new entertainment she’ll bring us today.】

　　One by one, the rest of the guests took the stage to share their “graduation” thoughts.

　　Most gave the usual thanks to the crew and fellow cast members.

　　Lin Zirun even slipped in a last-minute plug for his new book.

　　Chu Ling was speechless for a while, then just shook her head.

　　Forget it. Everyone comes on this show with some kind of goal.

　　Lin Zirun had been pushing his book since day one. To keep it up until the very end… well, that’s one way of staying true to himself.

　　The only speech that caught her off guard was Sheng Yi’s.

　　Not because he said anything shocking, but because he said so little.

　　Chu Ling thought he’d at least promote his band, but he only tossed in a single line about seeing them on stage in the future. The rest of his words were half-hearted, with long pauses in between.

　　And he never mentioned her.

　　Chu Ling knew it was petty to dwell on that. She didn’t think everyone’s speech had to include her name. When Wen Shu’s speech ended up half about her, she even covered her ears and laughed, signaling for Wen Shu to stop.

　　But for some reason, her rational mind told her to brush it off, yet her heart still felt an odd, sour twinge.

　　She thought she and Sheng Yi could at least be considered friends.

　　After all, when she was at her lowest, Sheng Yi had risked his own reputation to stand by her.

　　But now, it seemed like… maybe it had only been a fleeting bond born of the show.

　　Once it ended, she and Sheng Yi would be nothing at all.

　　When the formalities wrapped up, the program moved into the free activity segment.

　　The girls gathered together, chatting while snacking.

　　“I remember the original plan for the confession segment was for everyone to prepare a gift for the person they liked, then give it to them on confession day,” Ye Weiyang said. “I don’t really have anyone I want to confess to, but… I still prepared a little something for each of you.”

　　Gao Yan cupped her face dramatically, teasing, “Really, Weiyang-jie? That means you’re in love with so many people.”

　　Chu Ling suddenly recalled, “Wait, I remember when you first joined the show, you gave us all a little welcome gift too.”

　　Ye Weiyang nodded.

　　“So thoughtful from beginning to end.”

　　Wen Shu smiled gently as she accepted the gift with both hands. “Thank you.”

　　Chu Ling also took the flat little box Ye Weiyang handed her. Curious, she opened it, only to find that inside wasn’t the usual kind of present but a colorful fashion sketch.

　　Blinking, she tilted her head. “This is…?”

　　“Don’t forget, I’m a fashion designer,” Ye Weiyang explained with a smile. “Since I’ve been away from work these days, I got a little restless. And with three gorgeous models right here, I couldn’t resist. So I designed a dress for each of you, based on your personality and figure. I hope you’ll like them.”

　　She pressed her hands together, smiling earnestly. “And of course, these aren’t just ordinary sketches. In the future, you can come find me with this sketch, and I’ll make you the real dress. I promise, my team and I will put one hundred percent into bringing this ‘gift’ to life.”

　　Chu Ling froze for a moment.

　　Maybe this was also a form of advertising, but compared to Lin Zirun bluntly plugging his book, this felt so much warmer and more genuine.

　　“Oh wow.”

　　Even Gao Yan was touched. “Weiyang-jie, you’re honestly amazing.”

　　Chu Ling looked down at the sketch in her hands.

　　It was a glamorous golden fishtail gown, the flowing lines perfectly outlining its silhouette. Just from the draft alone, she could tell it would bring out her figure and aura beautifully.

　　As expected of a renowned designer, Ye Weiyang’s work was exquisite enough that the real dress could already be imagined from just the sketch.

　　“If you don’t like it, you can tell me,” Ye Weiyang said softly to Chu Ling. “I just designed it based on my first impression. It might not meet your expectations. But the moment I saw you, I thought this color suited you.”

　　Brilliant. Dazzling.

　　As if she was born to stand under the spotlight, drawing every gaze her way.

　　Chu Ling smiled, nodded, and told her, “If you really manage to make this, then next time I’ll wear it on the red carpet—assuming I still get invited, that is.”

　　Ye Weiyang laughed. “Then I’ll wish for you to walk on even greater, grander red carpets in the future.”

　　“This gift is too precious. Why didn’t I think of something like this?” Gao Yan groaned regretfully. “Next time, I’ll make it up to everyone, I promise.”

　　She thought for a moment, then turned to Chu Ling. “Chu Ling, since the show is ending and we’ll all be leaving soon, there’s something I’ve been struggling with, but I should apologize to you.”

　　Chu Ling blinked. “Hm?”

　　What, did you send hate comments about me too?

　　Gao Yan said, “Back then, because of Jiang Yicheng, my attitude toward you wasn’t very good. Sorry about that.”

　　Chu Ling: “...?”

　　She had almost forgotten about it herself. Only when Gao Yan brought it up did she recall that little conflict — the time Gao Yan hinted she should give up on Jiang Yicheng, which had led to a bit of friction between them.

　　She let out a soft laugh. “I’d long forgotten. It’s fine. At least he ended up crashing too. You’re… not upset about it anymore, right?”

　　Gao Yan shook her head, then leaned closer to whisper, “Want to know a secret? I never really liked him in the first place. So I wasn’t sad at all. But this is a show… you know~”

　　Later, she had even used Jiang Yicheng’s downfall to quietly play the victim card, winning herself a wave of audience sympathy.

　　All that teary heartbreak and love-struck act on the surface? It had just been for show.

　　Chu Ling: “.....”

　　Exactly as she thought. Anyone who wanted to survive in the entertainment industry couldn’t possibly be some naive lovestruck fool.

　　If she was being honest, Wen Shu was the one she was closest to, while she wasn’t especially familiar with the other two female guests.

　　But she knew from the start they all came on the show with their own goals. None of them were harmless little sweethearts.

　　And yet, in this moment, Chu Ling couldn’t help but genuinely appreciate their quiet ambitions.

　　She said warmly, “After the show ends, let’s keep in touch if we have the time.”

　　“Ding—dong—”

　　All of a sudden, a voice echoed through the villa, like a broadcast announcement.

　　The production team had used surround sound to simulate a PA system: “Student Chu Ling from Class 3-2, someone has invited you to meet them on the rooftop.”

　　Chu Ling froze. “Huh?”

　　She double-checked, “Just me?”

　　The director replied, “Yes.”

　　Chu Ling sighed. “Alright then.”

　　After saying goodbye to the others, she headed up to the rooftop alone, wondering to herself. Could it be that the production team had prepared some kind of surprise for her as a reward for her stellar performance?    

　　She wasn’t the type to fall for that kind of gesture. Honestly, she’d rather someone just hand her some cash.

　　When Chu Ling pushed open the rooftop door, she froze.

　　The place looked completely different from the last time she’d been here. The fairy lights, vines, and cozy tables that once set the mood had all been cleared away. Now the decorations had been replaced with shades of pink and red.

　　Standing at the center of the rooftop was a figure she knew all too well.

　　The summer wind tugged at the corner of his shirt. Tilting his head slightly, he gave her a smile. “You’re here.”

　　It was the kind of scene most people had dreamed about at least once during their teenage years.

　　Her hand, still resting on the doorknob, tightened for a split second.

　　“So serious?” she asked, stepping inside with a joking tone to ease the tension. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were about to confess to me.”

　　“That’s exactly right.”

　　Sheng Yi’s gaze locked onto hers. “Because right now, I really am confessing to you.”

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T/N: Two chapters today because Sheng Yi decided to drop a cliffhanger and make me work harder. (Gives Sheng Yi a death stare) 🙂　

 

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