Dating Show Side Character, Getting Rich by Roasting People

CHAPTER 57: The Internet Never Forgets

　　Daytime was for dating, nighttime was for clarifying rumors.

　　By the time everything was wrapped up, it was already one in the morning.

　　“What a full day this turned out to be.”

　　Chu Ling stretched lazily and flopped down on the sofa in her room. “Good thing we cleared things up in time. If we’d waited until after a night’s sleep, I can’t imagine how badly the online trolls would’ve stirred things up.”

　　Handling PR during peak hours always worked best. In the blink of an eye, the problem was settled.

　　Wen Shu hadn’t gone back to her own room yet. She sat beside Chu Ling and said sincerely, “Thank you.”

　　Chu Ling chuckled. “Why so polite?”

　　“I’m not just being polite. I really mean it.” Wen Shu looked straight at her, emphasizing every word. “You’ve helped me so much. I know we agreed that I’d handle the livestream alone, but you still chose to step in and stand beside me.”

　　Chu Ling: “…”

　　That was only because it was the best way to make money.

　　She thought of this and quickly checked the backend numbers. Her income had actually shot past twenty million.

　　The whole thing had blown up so much that even though plenty of people supported her, there were still others who thought she sounded too sharp and cutting.

　　And Qin Shuo, all by himself, had become a bottomless well of negative energy for her to profit from.

　　Even now, he was still sending her real-time hate, each blink worth another thousand.

　　At this rate, day and night, nonstop, his liver was probably burning from rage, yet he still insisted on feeding her coffers.

　　Chu Ling almost felt touched.

　　With Qin Shuo and his fans showering her like this, she was practically on her way to a new apartment.

　　“But I know what kind of person Qin Shuo is…” Wen Shu’s voice trailed off. After hesitating for a while, she finally warned, “I don’t think he’ll let you off easily.”

　　After all, Chu Ling’s attacks tonight had been fierce.

　　Other people might not realize it, but Qin Shuo certainly did. Every single word had been aimed squarely at him.

　　Wasn’t this basically the same as dancing on his grave?

　　She had offended him down to the bone.

　　Wen Shu herself was just an ordinary person, so it didn’t matter.

　　But Chu Ling was still part of the entertainment industry. And unfortunately, Qin Shuo happened to have plenty of connections there.

　　Wen Shu worried that if he really wanted to target Chu Ling, he only needed to spread a few words and many directors or investors might refuse to work with her.

　　Thinking of how Chu Ling could lose opportunities because of her made Wen Shu’s heart feel heavy with guilt.

　　Chu Ling asked, “Is his reach really that powerful?”

　　“…Not exactly.” Wen Shu shook her head. “But his network is broad. If he wants to make trouble for you…”

　　Chu Ling let out a small laugh. “You make it sound like I actually had jobs to lose before I offended him.”

　　System: “…”

　　Wen Shu: “…”

　　Truth was, before joining Heartbeat Lab, Chu Ling had already been half unemployed for quite a while.

　　Whether Qin Shuo tried to cause trouble or not, it probably wouldn’t make much of a difference.

　　After all, the only reason she joined the industry in the first place was to make money. Now that she had found another way, lying flat with tens of millions in her pocket didn’t sound like a bad life at all.

　　Even if she left the circle entirely, her name would still linger like a legend. As long as people kept hating her, the money would keep rolling in.

　　There was a saying: hatred lasts longer than love.

　　Chu Ling honestly hoped her haters would keep their word and never let her off. Please, hold that grudge for the rest of your lives.

　　Seeing how relaxed she was, Wen Shu finally let out a small sigh of relief.

　　Then she laughed at herself. What was she doing worrying about Chu Ling? That was unnecessary, wasn’t it?

　　Someone as sharp as Chu Ling could handle whatever came her way. She didn’t need Wen Shu fretting over her.

　　Just then, Chu Ling scrolled through the backend and stumbled across a small trickle of emotion coming from Sheng Yi.

　　She suddenly sat up. “Wait, did we forget to send today’s crush message?”

　　The show had scheduled daytime dates, which meant the messages should’ve been sent long ago. But now it was already past midnight. Would it even count?

　　Sheng Yi was probably getting impatient from waiting, which explained his mood spike.

　　Wen Shu realized it too. The two of them had been so busy clearing rumors all night, they had almost let it slip completely.

　　“But honestly, I don’t have anything worth sending.”

　　Wen Shu sighed. After hesitating for a bit, she finally clicked on Qin Shuo’s name.

　　Chu Ling frowned. “You’re still going to send one? What are you writing?”

　　Wen Shu sent him a song link.

　　“Decent”.

　　Chu Ling chuckled. “I get it. You’re trying to say a breakup should be handled with dignity?”

　　“Not just that.” Wen Shu shook her head. “More than anything, I want him to be a decent person. To stop playing dirty tricks that make everyone look bad.”

　　Chu Ling, meanwhile, thought back to her own day. She and Sheng Yi had gone to visit his practice room, watched a performance, and he had even taught her to play the drums.

　　Just remembering it swept away the heaviness of the night. Her mood instantly lifted.

　　She glanced at the time.

　　It was already late. Sheng Yi had probably gone to bed without getting her message.

　　No time to hesitate—she quickly typed one out.

　　【Drumming is exhausting. Next time, I’ll learn again.】

　　Send.

　　Success!

　　She let out a breath of relief. Just in time.

　　Chu Ling opened her inbox to check what she had received. Sure enough, a few hours ago, Sheng Yi had sent one.

　　【You said you’ll come watch us perform again. I’m holding you to it. No backing out.】

　　Leaning against the sofa cushions, she stared at the words for a few seconds, her lips curving without her even realizing.

　　Wen Shu caught the look on her face and asked, “What did you get? Something that makes you smile like that?”

　　“…Did I?”

　　Chu Ling touched her face in surprise. She really had been smiling.

　　She forced her expression back to neutral. “It wasn’t the message. I was just looking at something else.”

　　Wen Shu gave her a doubtful “oh” and let it go.

　　Just as Chu Ling was wondering how to reply, her phone buzzed with an instant response.

　　【Drumming is fun. Next time, I’ll teach you again.】

　　Chu Ling froze.

　　What time was it now?

　　Sheng Yi wasn’t asleep yet?

　　After thinking about it, Chu Ling realized it made sense. Musicians were notorious for having irregular schedules anyway.

　　On the other side, Sheng Yi was lying in bed, staring at his phone and rereading that message over and over.

　　He had waited all night. For a while, he was convinced Chu Ling wasn’t going to text him at all. He had even been on the verge of calling his bandmates one by one to interrogate them—had they done something wrong today that upset her without him knowing?

　　So he clutched his phone, anxiously replaying that video of their practice again and again, worrying over whether he had slipped up somewhere. Before he knew it, midnight had come and gone.

　　Thankfully, she had texted.

　　Thankfully, he hadn’t gone to sleep yet.

　　Thankfully, Chu Ling didn’t hate him after all.

　　Sheng Yi rolled over, and out of nowhere, a thought popped into his head.

　　Maybe he should start taking drumming lessons more seriously again?

　　—

　　When Wen Shu got up the next morning and went downstairs, she could feel the people in the dining room quietly watching her expression.

　　She froze for a moment, then thought it made sense.

　　After all, yesterday’s incident had blown up.

　　Even though she eventually faced the cameras herself and explained everything in a way that brought some closure, the fact remained that she carried the label of “divorced.” In a dating show like this, it was normal for the others to feel awkward about it.

　　“It’s fine.”

　　Wen Shu picked up a slice of bread, sat at the table, and said calmly, “If you want to ask me anything, go ahead.”

　　“No, no, no!”

　　Gao Yan quickly waved her hands. “I just think… you’re amazing. Honestly, I couldn’t even tell you were divorced. Wait, is it okay to say that?”

　　Wen Shu smiled. “Of course. It’s in the past. There’s nothing I can’t talk about.”

　　She added, “I was too young back then, so I didn’t think things through. Later, once I figured it out, I decided to leave.”

　　Ye Weiyang nodded. “Applause for you.”

　　Chu Ling chimed in right away. “That’s right, applause for you!”

　　Sheng Yi put down his chopsticks and started clapping without hesitation.

　　Surrounded like that, Wen Shu lowered her head with a shy smile. “There’s no need. It’s not something that impressive.”

　　“I actually overheard a bit last night,” Zhou Yu spoke from the other side of the table. “It was a brave choice. But…”

　　He turned to Chu Ling. “You were amazing too, you know. Facing the haters head-on? You’re seriously cool!”

　　Chu Ling: “?”

　　How did the praise suddenly land on her?

　　“Thanks,” Chu Ling said as she cut into her fried egg. “But I think Wen Shu being able to say all of this openly in front of everyone is way braver than what I did.”

　　At most, she was just fanning the flames from the side.

　　The truly brave one was Wen Shu, who had faced her scars head-on.

　　【Exactly. Wen Shu is really courageous. Not every girl can be this honest about something like that.】

　　【She even shared so much about what she went through in her marriage, putting herself out there for everyone to see.】

　　【But while everyone was focusing on Wen Shu, Zhou Yu’s attention was only on Chu Ling. Isn’t that kind of a “my eyes are only on you” moment?】

　　【Is it really something to ship though? Honestly, it felt more like he was being socially clueless for bringing her up just then.】

　　【Right! He came across like he was pushing his feelings for Chu Ling a little too obviously.】　　

　　“Of course, Wen Shu-jie is amazing too.”

　　Zhou Yu noticed Chu Ling’s reaction wasn’t quite right, so he quickly switched gears and praised Wen Shu. “Being able to decisively leave a scumbag… that makes you incredible. As a male guest here, I don’t think divorce is an issue at all. You’re still young, and everyone has the right to pursue happiness. Honestly, anyone who can walk away during the divorce cooling-off period is a true warrior. We should celebrate you breaking free from your ex.”

　　Chu Ling found the last few lines oddly familiar. She smiled. “Are you quoting me?”

　　Weren’t those her exact words from yesterday?

　　“Borrowing a little,” Zhou Yu chuckled. “But every single thing you said was spot-on.”

　　【He remembers every word she said!】

　　【He’s really paying attention to her!】

　　Chu Ling: “…..”

　　To her, it just felt like Zhou Yu lacked his own opinions and only knew how to recycle hers.

　　Lin Zirun, meanwhile, chimed in with ¹a bowl of chicken soup for the soul. “Congratulations. As the saying goes, sunk costs shouldn’t affect major decisions. Luckily you chose divorce. Only by letting go of the wrong one can you meet the right one.”

　　Wen Shu could only laugh helplessly. “I get it, I get it. Thank you.”

　　Chu Ling glanced around the table, realizing someone was missing.

　　Such a dramatic moment, and he wasn’t here to witness it. What a shame.

　　So she asked, “Where’s Teacher Qin?”

　　Everyone shook their heads.

　　“Haven’t seen him.”

　　“Maybe he’s still asleep.”

　　Sheng Yi asked, “Why, are you looking for him?”

　　Even the system piped up. “Why are you asking about him?”

　　She just wanted to see his expression when he heard everyone congratulating Wen Shu for escaping her scumbag ex.

　　Especially since he couldn’t admit that the so-called scumbag was himself. He’d probably be holding it in so hard he’d give himself internal injuries.

　　No wonder he was hiding in his room today. If he had to sit there listening to everyone cheer Wen Shu on while none of them knew the truth, his face wouldn’t survive it.

　　Chu Ling thought gleefully, though her expression stayed calm. Casually, she threw another spark into the fire. “Oh, I was just thinking how everyone’s here congratulating Wen Shu, yet one person’s missing. And Teacher Qin used to be especially attentive to her too. Could it be that after hearing about this, he actually minds?”

　　Wen Shu: “…”

　　With one offhand comment, Chu Ling had painted Qin Shuo as an outdated relic.

　　【…That could be true. Qin Shuo was always so eager around Wen Shu before. Why isn’t he here to comfort her?】

　　【But she rejected him already, what’s there to comfort? And honestly, isn’t it normal if he can’t accept divorce?】

　　【Even so, as a friend—or at least as someone who knows her—he could have said something. Everyone else at the table is supporting her. If he’s avoiding it completely, then yes, he’s bothered by it. Deeply.】

　　【He’s in his thirties, sure, but the way he’s acting, you’d think he was a leftover from the Qing Dynasty.】

　　—　　

　　Since Wen Shu openly admitted to being divorced and everyone else on the show accepted it, that storm came to a close.

　　Those who had planned to keep stirring it up were quickly distracted by another piece of gossip.

　　【So Chu Ling can just wash herself clean and rebrand as a queen now, even though she climbed up using men?】

　　【Hello? The internet never forgets.】

    

________________

Glossary:

¹The sentence “a bowl of chicken soup for the soul” is an expression that means:

👉 Lin Zirun gave comforting, inspirational, or wise words — like a little pep talk or life advice meant to soothe the heart.

It comes from the famous book series Chicken Soup for the Soul, which is full of short, uplifting stories. Over time, the phrase became a metaphor for anything that’s meant to be emotionally comforting or motivating.

So in that text, it means Lin Zirun jumped in with some “inspirational advice.”

 

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