Dating Show Side Character, Getting Rich by Roasting People

CHAPTER 72: Someone Said He Wouldn’t Let Me Lose

　　Because they fell so quickly, Chu Ling didn’t even have time to react before the sponge balls around them swallowed her whole.

　　In the chaos, she only registered that at the very last second, Sheng Yi twisted his body and pulled her tightly into his chest, shielding her head with his hand and turning himself into a human cushion.

　　Now, buried against his neck, her cheek pressed against the artery at his throat. It almost felt like she could hear his heartbeat pounding.

　　Or maybe it was her own.

　　“You okay?”

　　Chu Ling had just asked when she realized they had spoken at the exact same time.

　　She laughed first. “Of course I’m fine.”

　　Then she reached out, gently touching his head. “You didn’t hit anything, right?”

　　Sheng Yi was still blindfolded, so in that pitch-black world, all he could feel was the girl he liked sitting on him, her soft hands brushing over his hair, then his neck.

　　“..…”

　　If she kept this up, something was definitely going to happen.

　　He quickly caught her hand and pulled her up with him. “I’m fine, I’m fine. Come on, we can’t waste time or they’ll overtake us.”

　　Luckily, the “Perfect Match” team had only made it a couple of steps before tumbling into the sponge pit themselves.

　　“I told you to be careful, but you didn’t listen!”

　　“I can’t see! Try it yourself and see how hard it is.”

　　The two of them lay tangled in the sponge pit, snapping at each other without thinking.

　　【Wait… this isn’t what I expected.】

　　【I thought Overbearing CP would be the type of couple to bicker first thing. Didn’t expect their first reaction would be to check if the other was okay.】

　　【Told you already, Overbearing CP are sharp-tongued to everyone else, but total softies when it comes to each other. Double-standard lovebirds!】

　　【Also, did anyone catch that? Sheng Yi twisted around mid-fall just to shield Chu Ling, using himself as a cushion… even though it’s just a sponge pit!】

　　【That kind of instinct can’t be faked! In that one second, his first thought was to protect her. I’m dying with happiness over here!】

　　【Oh my god. I’m starting to believe these two aren’t just manufactured sweetness.】

　　【Whatever else is fake, Overbearing CP’s reactions aren’t. No one can act that fast!】

　　The host reminded them, “After a fall, you’ll need to start again from the balance bridge.”

　　“I know.”

　　Sheng Yi adjusted his blindfold, squatted down, and let Chu Ling climb onto his back again.

　　Chu Ling hopped on easily, this time wrapping her arms even tighter around him, her body pressed more closely against his. Through the fabric, she could feel that his muscles tense even more than before.

　　He was nervous.

　　“Don’t be afraid. Lower your center of gravity.”

　　Her face was close to his, her voice brushing against his ear. It was steady, soothing, and full of reassurance. “This time we’ll go slowly. Don’t worry about anyone else. Just follow my rhythm.”

　　She raised her hand and tapped lightly against his back, like beating out the tempo of a drum.

　　“One, two. One, two. One, two.”

　　Sheng Yi’s nerves gradually settled. He followed the rhythm Chu Ling tapped out and began to move forward.

　　Step by step, his footing grew steadier, until walking across the narrow bridge felt no different from walking on flat ground.

　　At last, they made it across.

　　“Perfect!” Chu Ling grinned. “Come on, third stage. Let’s go get that treasure chest.”

　　But the “Perfect Match” team, after a quick recovery and relying on their prior variety show experience, soon caught up.

　　The third stage required them to grab a treasure chest placed on a constantly rotating turntable.

　　Normally, the girl would direct the guy onto the platform, and he would have to run in rhythm with the spin to chase the chest. But with Sheng Yi blindfolded, the challenge grew much harder. One misstep could send them both crashing down.

　　Sheng Yi drew in a deep breath, steadying himself. “Just tell me when to go.”

　　“No rush. Leave it to me.” Chu Ling said lightly. “Just turn your back to the platform and crouch down a little.”

　　Sheng Yi didn’t quite understand, but he still obeyed.

　　The moment was right. Chu Ling bent back over his shoulders in a difficult arch, her long arms giving her the advantage. Right under the eyes of the “Perfect Match” team rushing toward the platform, she reached out and snatched the chest.

　　Xie Qing lunged to grab it but missed, throwing He Ming off balance. He lost control and tumbled headfirst onto the spinning platform.

　　【Chu Ling is amazing! Her body is so flexible!】

　　【She can even do that?! How many surprises does she still have in store?】

　　Back when Chu Ling had played a supporting role in a period drama, there had been a challenging dance sequence. The director had offered her a body double, but she insisted on learning it herself. She wasn’t at a professional level, but her basics had been drilled in well enough.

　　The host announced, “Congratulations to Overbearing CP for taking the win!”

　　“We won!”

　　Chu Ling wrapped her arms around Sheng Yi’s neck as she jumped down from his back, then reached up to take off his blindfold.

　　Light returned to his world, and the first thing he saw was Chu Ling’s sparkling eyes, her quickened breath, and her flushed cheeks.

　　Before he could react, she threw herself forward, hugging him tight around the neck. Her laughter rang clear and bright. “See? I told you we could win!”

　　Sheng Yi froze for a moment, then instinctively hugged her back. His mind, still lightheaded from the rush and shortness of breath, went momentarily blank. His heart was racing, too fast to tell if it was from exertion or something else.

　　Only one thought echoed in his head, buzzing louder than all the rest.

　　She’s adorable.

　　He Ming finally staggered upright and yanked off his blindfold, his expression dark.

　　Xie Qing, however, forced a smile. “Didn’t expect you two to be this good.”

　　“Of course,” Chu Ling lifted the treasure chest and shook it with a dazzling smile. “Someone promised I wouldn’t lose, so he had to keep his word. Sorry about that, senior.”

　　【Chu-jie really does act different when she’s in love.】

　　【Her mouth is still sharp, but… she has this spoiled, favored air about her, you know?】

　　【I get why Sheng Yi once said she was cute. I feel it too now. Tell me I’m not the only one.】

　　【It’s only natural.】

　　【Falling for Chu Ling is nothing to be ashamed of!】

　　With the second stage cleared, the third task required each team to split up and complete their missions separately.

　　The show gave each couple a map marked with various checkpoints scattered across the city. At each location, they had to complete a task, with only one chance per challenge.

　　Every small task completed was worth ten points.

　　Chu Ling had been confident at first.

　　But for some reason, this segment was going terribly.

　　Some tasks were painstakingly attempted, only to end in failure with no points awarded. Rain had delayed them in the middle, and by the time they finally reached one checkpoint, another team had already cleared it.

　　After missing three times in a row, Chu Ling squatted gloomily by the roadside.

　　“This pace is falling behind.”

　　She began to doubt herself. “Did we use up all our luck in the earlier rounds?”

　　“Eat something first.”

　　Sheng Yi sat down beside her, handing over a snack. “Aren’t you hungry?”

　　“Bought from a street stall?”

　　Chu Ling accepted the takoyaki with a laugh. “Isn’t this way too oily and salty? Did you forget I’m a celebrity?”

　　Sheng Yi blinked.

　　If he remembered correctly, back at the Heartbeat Lab, she hadn’t exactly avoided junk food.

　　Thinking she disliked it, he tried to take it back. “Then I’ll finish it for you.”

　　“No way.”

　　Chu Ling leaned away quickly, dodging him. “You gave it to me, so it’s mine. No take-backs.”

　　She skewered a piece and popped it into her mouth, her eyes lifting to the clear sky after the rain. “What if we lose?” she asked.

　　Sheng Yi wasn’t overly hung up on it. “If we gave it our best, then losing isn’t so bad.”

　　“Eh? Didn’t you say if I wanted to win, you’d never let me lose?”

　　Chu Ling shot back instantly. “So a man’s promise only lasts half a day?”

　　Sheng Yi turned his head, propping his chin on his hand as laughter slipped out.

　　Chu Ling lifted her chin. “What? Did I say something wrong?”

　　“No.”

　　He just couldn’t help thinking… how could someone be this cute?

　　Playing along, he nodded. “Alright, my fault. I shouldn’t give up so easily. Let me try harder. Let’s see which checkpoints we haven’t hit yet.”

　　He unfolded the map.

　　Chu Ling leaned over to look with him.

　　After checking, Sheng Yi sighed. “Looks like we’ve already hit all the reachable ones. How about I work harder tomorrow, make sure my promise lasts a little longer?”

　　Chu Ling couldn’t stop her smile.

　　“Forget it.” She waved her hand. “I’ll just supervise you tomorrow instead.”

　　Tilting her head back, she patted Sheng Yi’s arm. “Hey, look. A rainbow.”

　　He raised his eyes, and sure enough, a faint rainbow arched across the sky.

　　Chu Ling’s voice was tinged with excitement. “This might actually be the first rainbow I’ve ever seen in my life.”

　　“Same here.”

　　Sheng Yi paused, then said casually, “There are many competitions in life, but the chance to see a rainbow with someone you like is rare.”

　　More than the competition, he wanted to hold on to this moment.

　　Chu Ling’s heart gave a hard thump. She froze for a second, then quickly reminded herself they were only pretending to be a couple. Sweet words like this were just part of the act.

　　Sheng Yi’s words had come out so naturally that for a second—just for the tiniest second—Chu Ling almost misunderstood.

　　“…Right,” she murmured softly, though her heart was beating far too fast for her liking.

　　The heavy summer air after the rain was sticky and humid, as if some unspoken feeling was quietly fermenting along with it.

　　“All done.”

　　Chu Ling stood up, tossed her trash away, and without hesitation slipped her hand into Sheng Yi’s. “Let’s head back?”

　　Sheng Yi tightened his hold on her hand. “Let’s go.”

　　【It’s funny. Both of them act so composed and mature in front of everyone else, but when they’re together, they turn into the most childish pair of kids. So cute.】

　　【By the way, anyone who followed Heartbeat Lab back then—do you remember that rumor about two people sneaking back into the amusement park after filming? At the time, everyone guessed it was Qin-Wen or maybe Sheng-Wen.】

　　【I remember! Hardly anyone thought it was Sheng Yi and Chu Ling, but now… it actually makes a lot of sense.】

　　【As someone who shipped them back then, I swear, saying it was Sheng Yi and Chu Ling would get me laughed at. Us “Bully Dog” shippers could only whisper about it, never dare to treat it as real sugar!】

　　【So maybe they really were secretly together back then. No wonder their relationship suddenly felt so natural later on.】

　　【Wait… why does the more I dig, the more believable it seems? I came here expecting fake couple drama, not to end up shipping them for real!】

　　Sheng Yi and Chu Ling had only managed to complete two checkpoints in total. By the time they returned to the meeting spot, it was no surprise they ranked the lowest in points this round.

　　Luckily, thanks to their earlier lead, their total score still managed to tie with the others.

　　“Today’s recording comes to an end,” the host announced. “The competition has been fierce, with very little difference in scores. Tomorrow we’ll move on to the ultimate PK round.”

　　“And tonight, as always, we’ll have the segment that audiences look forward to the most: the couples’ live daily interaction.”

　　“As per tradition, the most popular couple of this episode will be chosen to livestream for everyone.”

　　“Now then, let’s see who it will be.”

　　Chu Ling wasn’t expecting much.

　　She had always been the “public enemy” type on variety shows, so the words “most popular” had never once seemed within reach.

　　“Let’s all congratulate…”

　　The host deliberately dragged out the suspense, then finally revealed the result. “Sheng Yi and Chu Ling, our ‘Overbearing CP,’ are this episode’s most popular couple!”

　　Chu Ling froze. “Huh?!”

　　Are you sure it’s most popular couple and not most infuriating couple?

 

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