Dating Show Side Character, Getting Rich by Roasting People

CHAPTER 70: Some People Really Can’t Handle Losing, Huh?

　　The trick Chu Ling came up with was surprisingly effective.

　　They cleared the compatibility test with ease. Chu Ling and Sheng Yi exchanged a glance, then high-fived.

　　Celebrating their victory through… cheating!

　　“I think this is the first time I’ve seen a couple with such perfect chemistry.”

　　Even the host was a little shocked, sighing with emotion. “As expected, chemistry has nothing to do with how long you’ve been together. It depends entirely on the two people themselves. Let’s look forward to how our next pair of guests will perform.”

　　The other guest couple, the “Sweet” CP, ended up drawing a round of couple-themed Q&A.

　　But compared to Chu Ling and Sheng Yi, their answers clearly didn’t match as well. When asked about their confession spot or their first kiss, the two hesitated for ages.　　

　　“...Honestly, I can’t really remember the exact date.”

　　“And some things aren’t really convenient to share, haha.”

　　Both tried to laugh it off with excuses.

　　Chu Ling narrowed her eyes slightly and nudged Sheng Yi with her elbow, whispering, “Don’t they seem less familiar with each other than we are?”

　　“Yeah,” Sheng Yi replied under his breath, “unlike us, who already made up our answers yesterday.”

　　When it came to pretending to be a couple, Chu Ling was truly a professional.

　　She grinned smugly. “See? Opportunities always favor those who come prepared.”

　　The system: “...Excuse me? That’s not how that phrase is supposed to work.”

　　【Why are Overbearing CP always whispering in the corner? Way too many secrets between them.】

　　【Now that I compare them... suddenly this pair doesn’t look as fake as I thought. They actually seem a lot more familiar with each other.】

　　Once the compatibility test ended, the show moved on to its first real segment.

　　“Our opening round is a two-player castle siege,” the host announced. “Each couple will form a team. The goal is to plant your flag at the designated finish point within ten minutes. When time is up, the couple whose flag remains standing at the destination will be declared the winner.”

　　“During the match, you’re free to pull out other teams’ flags, so please guard your own carefully.”

　　“There will be three rounds in total. Each winning couple will be exempt from the following round. In the end, the order of successful flag placement will determine how many points each couple receives as their reward.”

　　This variety show’s weekly challenge segments were always designed in a similar style.

　　The guests competed in different challenges, collecting reward points along the way.

　　After two days, the couple with the most accumulated points would be crowned the overall winner.

　　This round tested stamina and fighting power above all.

　　Chu Ling swept her gaze over the other teams, then quickly assessed their own.

　　Compared to the resident guests, they lacked experience and weren’t exactly the strongest in raw ability either.

　　So before the start, she tugged at Sheng Yi’s sleeve and whispered, “Don’t rush in. Just follow my lead.”

　　Sheng Yi didn’t even hesitate. He simply hummed in agreement.

　　The starting gun went off, and almost every team shot forward at once.

　　The finish line was only a few dozen meters away, and the obstacles in front weren’t difficult. Everyone cleared them quickly.

　　The real problem was the final stage: the destination was set at the top of a long inflatable slide. Just climbing it was a nightmare. A few guests tried but slid right back down after only two steps.

　　The first to arrive was the “Made for Each Other” team.

　　Yuan Tiantian carried Xia Yi on his back, then shoved her up the slide first.

　　The moment Xia Yi reached the top, she planted their flag into the ground and wrapped her arms around it, holding on with all her strength.

　　Yuan Tiantian clung to her from behind, the two of them practically glued together like Siamese twins, shielding their flag with their entire bodies.

　　【I’m dying, this is exactly the kind of clingy couple they are.】

　　【Using the game as an excuse to flaunt their love again, huh.】

　　【Still, they’re really going all out. And it does make it nearly impossible for anyone to pry them apart. To take the flag, you’d have to take down both of them.】

　　The slide itself was already hard to climb.

　　Other guests struggled to get halfway up before Yuan Tiantian kicked them down from his perch.

　　Even if someone miraculously avoided the kicks, climbing up was one thing, but prying the couple apart while balancing on the shaky inflatable slope without falling off, and then planting a new flag? Almost impossible.

　　For a while, the three active teams went back and forth, locked in a stalemate.

　　Only Chu Ling and Sheng Yi stayed at the bottom, watching for a long while, occasionally exchanging a few words, but never making a move to climb.

　　【What are these two even doing? Did they come here just to slack off?】

　　【Chu-jie’s probably thinking this looks exhausting. Whoever wants to climb, let them climb.】

　　【Or maybe they’re deliberately giving up the first round? It’s true the first round is the fiercest. Saving their strength for the next one might be smarter since there’ll only be two teams left to face.】

　　The ten-minute struggle dragged on endlessly.

　　In the end, the attackers were exhausted, and the defenders were too.

　　【Come on “Made for Each Other”! This strategy works! Just hold on!】

　　【It looks like no one else has the energy left. Victory’s practically theirs.】

　　【Not necessarily. Don’t forget the two down there sipping tea. Can’t let your guard down.】

　　【I swear, if those two wanted to make a move, they would’ve done it ages ago. They’re just here for screen time, not to play seriously.】

　　【Program team, please stop inviting deadweight like this. It makes the show so much less exciting.】

　　Meanwhile, Chu Ling checked the backend stats. The income rolling in made her more than satisfied.

　　The host announced, “One minute left.”

　　Chu Ling suddenly looked up and shot Sheng Yi a glance.

　　Just one look, and the two of them understood. They nodded and set off from different sides. Because they hadn’t wasted any strength earlier, they climbed the slide with lightning speed.

　　Yuan Tiantian, who had finally let his guard down, instantly tensed up again when he saw movement. He was ready to kick Sheng Yi off the moment he got close.

　　But Sheng Yi was too fast. He shot up, grabbed Yuan Tiantian in a firm hold, then gave the slide a strong kick, throwing himself backward. Using his own weight, he dragged Yuan Tiantian down with him.

　　The other guests who climbed up all tried to pry his hands apart or tug him away by pulling one person to each side.

　　But this move of “if I go down, you’re coming with me” was clearly something Yuan Tiantian never saw coming.

　　Sheng Yi kicked hard, using his own weight to drag both of them down the slide.

　　The flag nearly toppled with them, and Yuan Tiantian had no choice but to let go on instinct. He and Sheng Yi went tumbling down together.

　　That left Xia Yi stunned in place.

　　Before she even realized what was happening, Chu Ling had already scaled the slide.

　　Xia Yi instinctively threw herself over the flag to protect it, but Chu Ling simply yanked flag and girl together right out of her hold.

　　“You’re too light.”

　　Chu Ling glanced at the petite girl, barely one-sixty tall and maybe eighty pounds at most, and smiled. “Maybe you should eat a little more.”

　　On such a pretty face, that smile looked nothing short of devilish.

　　Xia Yi froze, her mind going blank.

　　The host’s countdown rang out. “Five, four…”

　　Without hesitation, Chu Ling shoved her—flag and all—down the slope, then pulled out her own team’s flag and planted it at the final second.

　　Down below, Sheng Yi pinned two people to the ground with both hands and his back pressed against another, holding the line until the timer ended.

　　“One!”

　　“Time’s up!”

　　“Congratulations to the Yellow Team, Overbearing CP, for a successful flag capture!”

　　The livestream chat exploded.

　　【So… was that thrilling enough for everyone now?】

　　【I’m speechless. The last minute flipped everything upside down.】

　　【Wait, that counts? Just waiting until everyone else is out of strength and then swooping in?】

　　【Not exactly luck, though. The two of them were still strong, just saving all their energy for a last-minute kill. And they didn’t go easy on anyone. Brutal.】

　　【I feel bad for the “Made for Each Other” couple. They defended so hard only to be robbed at the very end.】

　　【Does Chu Ling always play games like this? That was too much. If it were me, I’d be furious.】

　　【Sorry, but our villain couple has always been like this! If you don’t know, go rewatch “Heartbeat Lab’s Amusement Park Day.” These two never show mercy when they’re teamed up.】

　　【Why else do you think they’re called Overbearing CP?】

　　Chu Ling thought to herself, this is exactly how games are meant to be played.

　　She had noticed from the start that being on defense would be exhausting, costing way too much energy while the flag could easily change hands. For the “Made for Each Other” couple to hold on that long was already impressive.

　　So her strategy was simple. Let everyone else wear themselves out, then strike in one decisive wave.

　　Sheng Yi’s “semi-suicidal” tactic had been something they came up with while observing from below.

　　Most guests tried to drag their opponents away, but standing on that inflatable slope was so unstable that they’d only end up slipping off themselves.

　　Since falling was inevitable, why not drag someone down with you?

　　In the end, the “Made for Each Other” CP had their victory stolen right from under them, nearly choking on their frustration.

　　Yuan Tiantian couldn’t swallow it. He glanced at the camera, then clutched his neck with a wince.

　　“Ow…”

　　“What’s wrong, Tiantian?” Xia Yi hurried to him. “Are you okay?”

　　Yuan Tiantian made a pained expression and pointed to his neck. “Right here. I think I twisted something when I fell just now.”

　　Chu Ling looked over and asked, “Are you hurt? Do you need the doctor to check?”

　　“I should be fine.”

　　Yuan Tiantian glanced at Sheng Yi and added, “I just didn’t expect him to be that strong. When we fell together earlier, I wasn’t paying attention and it felt like I got pressed on a bit.”

　　Sheng Yi: “…”

　　First of all, he hadn’t even aimed anywhere near the neck. 

　　Second, when they fell, he was underneath and had cushioned Yuan Tiantian’s fall. The inflatable slide was soft enough that even he wasn’t hurt, so there was no way Yuan Tiantian was injured.

　　Chu Ling could see it clearly. She sneered inwardly but kept her face full of concern. “Better get it checked by a doctor just in case. If there really is a problem, delaying the show is one thing, but your health is more important.”

　　She added with a gentle smile, “Do you want to go to the hospital? I can call emergency for you right now.”

　　Yuan Tiantian panicked. “No, no, that’s not necessary.”

　　He rubbed his neck and quickly said, “I’m already feeling much better… really, it’s fine now.”

　　Xia Yi still looked worried. “You’re sure you’re okay?”

　　“Really okay.”

　　Yuan Tiantian pulled her into his arms and soothed her softly. “I just feel bad for you. We guarded the flag for so long, and in the end I still failed. It’s my fault.”

　　“It’s not your fault.”

　　Xia Yi reached up to rub his neck for him, then cast a look at Sheng Yi. “If there’s blame, it’s just the game’s fault. But don’t you think some people went a little too far? Winning isn’t worth that kind of move.”

　　【Wife-protector Xia Yi online again!】

　　【Winning or losing doesn’t matter, what matters is standing up for your man right away!】

　　【Exactly. I also feel like Overbearing CP went too far here. At the very least, they should apologize.】

　　Sheng Yi: “?”

　　He was about to speak when Chu Ling cut in first.

　　She asked the host calmly, “Did we break any rules?”

　　The host hesitated before answering, “…No.”

　　“Then that settles it.”

　　Chu Ling smiled faintly. “If it’s just a game, shouldn’t everyone play it like one? Or are some people simply too sore about losing?”

 

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