Dating Show Side Character, Getting Rich by Roasting People

CHAPTER 82: I Want To Withdraw Cash!!

　　Chu Ling froze for half a second.

　　Then she immediately sprang up from the sofa and rushed to open the door.

　　Outside, Sheng Yi, wearing a cap, raised an eyebrow and opened his arms. “Teacher Chu, you’re pretty fast.”

　　Chu Ling felt her chest warm, a rush of joy exploding from her heart.

　　She stepped forward, wrapped her arms around Sheng Yi, and lifted her face to kiss him.

　　When it came to showing affection, she never held back. Just like now, if she wanted to kiss him, she would do it directly, no hesitation, which caught Sheng Yi completely off guard.

　　He froze for a second, then clasped her waist and returned the kiss.

　　The two beginners kept bumping noses as they kissed, and soon they were laughing at themselves mid-kiss.

　　Sheng Yi lowered his head slightly, pressing his face closer to hers and whispered, “Teacher Chu, you missed me too, didn’t you?”

　　“Of course I did.”

　　Chu Ling hugged him tighter. “Even though we’ve only been apart for a little over half a month.”

　　“Half a month!”

　　“Feels like forever!”

　　Sheng Yi emphasized with a hint of mock grievance, then nuzzled her like a little puppy. “If I hadn’t come, you wouldn’t even know when we’d meet next.”

　　He pinched her fingers lightly. “I think if we don't meet again, you'll be kidnapped by those young, good-looking trainees.”

　　“How could that happen?”

　　Chu Ling poked his cheek with two fingers and laughed. “They’re not as young or good-looking as you.”

　　She wasn’t even trying to flatter him.

　　She was just stating the truth.

　　Those trainees might be future idols, but none of them were as attractive as Sheng Yi, the lead singer of a band.

　　She suggested, “Honestly, the entertainment scene isn’t doing so well these days. Maybe you should just switch to being a band idol.”

　　“Really?”

　　Sheng Yi smiled, playing along. “So if I joined your show, what grade would Teacher Chu give me?”

　　Chu Ling, being both biased and unreasonable, said, “Of course an A.”

　　“Not only that, I’d put you straight into the A class, and I’d use all my connections to make sure you debut. Don’t worry, it’ll work out perfectly.”

　　“Sounds like a pretty good deal,” Sheng Yi said.

　　“Mm-hmm.”

　　“But I still think it’s better the way things are now.”

　　Sheng Yi smiled. “Because if I became an idol, I wouldn’t be able to date you.”

　　Of course, he didn’t actually think Chu Ling would ever fall for someone else.

　　So today, he wasn’t really jealous, he just wanted to see her.

　　Chu Ling smiled too, then pulled him inside. She glanced at his empty back and asked, “Where’s your guitar?”

　　“I didn’t bring it,” Sheng Yi replied.

　　“But you promised to play your new song for me?”

　　Chu Ling laughed. “That was just an excuse, wasn’t it?”

　　“Not really,” Sheng Yi said. “We did write a new song. I didn’t bring the guitar, but I did bring a recording.”

　　They sat down together, and after putting headphones on Chu Ling, he played the audio from today’s band practice.

　　Chu Ling rested her chin on her hand and listened carefully.

　　The song didn’t have lyrics yet. She didn’t hear Sheng Yi’s singing, so this was the instrumental version.

　　The instrumental version highlighted the style of the music itself. Unlike their previous band pieces, this one was brighter, more lively, with a catchy melody.

　　When it finished, Sheng Yi said, “Teacher Chu, your feedback please.”

　　He added, “Don’t worry about hurting my feelings. Our band’s used to hearing harsh critiques, we won’t cry.”

　　“Hmm…”

　　Chu Ling pretended to ponder seriously for a couple of seconds, as if preparing some big move, then said, “It’s really quite nice.”

　　Sheng Yi: “Really?”

　　Chu Ling: “Really.”

　　Sheng Yi chuckled. “Isn't it just because my wife likes me and I like her?”

　　“……”

　　Chu Ling gave Sheng Yi a playful punch on the shoulder.

　　“Actually, the first time I started taking an interest in you, it was because of your music.”

　　She said, “It kind of… broke some of my prejudice against unknown, small-time bands.”

　　So when she complimented him now, it was completely sincere.

　　If Sheng Yi hadn’t actually had a little talent, they might not even be together now.

　　“That’s funny,” Sheng Yi said, “back then I thought any female celebrity who could appreciate our band’s music must have good taste.”

　　He asked again, “So you really liked this song?”

　　Chu Ling nodded. “Yeah, it’s really good. If you write proper lyrics for it, I think it could be a hit.”

　　When she said that, Sheng Yi’s face lit up with a happy smile. “That’s great to hear.”

　　“Oh, by the way, I brought you something this time.”

　　He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of penguins.

　　Chu Ling blinked. “What’s this?”

　　“You remember, back when we were filming the Heartbeat Lab, one day Ye Weiyang came from the aquarium and brought us gifts to pick from. We both picked this pair of penguins, but back then… you seemed a little upset with me and said you didn’t want to pick the same one as me.”

　　Sheng Yi never really knew why Chu Ling had been annoyed with him those few days, but fortunately, they had reconciled on the rooftop not long after.

　　Chu Ling paused, remembering.

　　Back then she was annoyed because she thought Sheng Yi secretly disliked her. Those days he had indeed given her a lot of reasons to misunderstand.

　　Thinking back now…

　　So he had liked her that early on, enough to lose sleep over it.

　　Chu Ling couldn’t help but curve her lips in a smile. “So you’re giving it to me now?”

　　“Not exactly,” Sheng Yi said. “Back then you said we weren’t a couple yet, so having a pair would have been weird. But now… we really are a couple.”

　　He opened his palm to show the penguins. “So we each take one.”

　　Just like that, their love could last long, just like these two penguins.

　　Chu Ling picked up the female penguin and tapped it against the one in Sheng Yi’s hand. “Okay.”

　　…

　　That night, Sheng Yi naturally stayed over at Chu Ling’s place.

　　In the past few years, Chu Ling had been struggling as a low-tier celebrity, barely getting any work and even paying some penalties for breaking contracts. Of course, she hadn’t made much money, so her apartment was small. The guest room existed, but she mostly used it as a storage space.

　　She could have tidied it up for him, but decided it was easier to just have Sheng Yi sleep with her.

　　“…I don’t mind sleeping on the sofa, really,” Sheng Yi said, trying to be polite. “I’m used to it anyway.”

　　Chu Ling tilted her head at him. “Aren’t we dating?”

　　“Of course.”

　　“Then why are you even talking?”

　　Chu Ling said, “Come here.”

　　When the queen speaks, obedience is mandatory.

　　Sheng Yi wagged his tail happily and slid in beside her.

　　But when he came over today, he hadn’t thought this far, so he hadn’t prepared anything.

　　He felt a little annoyed at himself.

　　He’d only been thinking about seeing Chu Ling, and nothing else. He hadn’t been careful at all.

　　Could he still prepare something now?

　　Would Chu Ling think he was being careless?

　　Or maybe she didn’t even mean it that way, and if he overthought it, would it make him seem childish?

　　But if she did mean it that way, and he didn’t take the initiative, would she think he wasn’t capable?

　　Sheng Yi had never been in a relationship before. He only knew bits and pieces about how things worked, and he had no clue when something was supposed to happen naturally. He also couldn’t just ask someone else for advice.

　　His thoughts gradually got messy, tangled up in a jumble of confusion.

　　“What’s wrong?”

　　Chu Ling noticed Sheng Yi stiffen. She waved her hand in front of him, teasingly, “Oh, so you really don’t want to spend time with me?”

　　She pretended to sigh, “Alright, I’ll just say it—nobody in this world likes—”

　　Before she could even finish saying the “I,” her face was cupped and kissed.

　　This time, Sheng Yi kissed a little fiercely, as if scolding her for talking nonsense.

　　Chu Ling grabbed at his collar randomly, letting out a low hum as she was kissed again.

　　Somehow, they ended up on the bed, still kissing. Sheng Yi rubbed against her neck, then suddenly realized something and pulled back a few inches.

　　“..…”

　　His Adam’s apple bobbed as he got up. “I’m going to take another shower.”

　　Chu Ling held him back, puzzled by the abrupt stop. “Why?”

　　“…I can’t continue.”

　　His ears were burning as he gestured a little to Chu Ling before admitting, “I… didn’t prepare.”

　　Chu Ling blinked.

　　Oh, she hadn’t either.

　　They both paused at this moment, looked at each other, and found it a little funny.

　　“…Sorry,” Sheng Yi said.

　　“It’s fine,” Chu Ling said, leaning her head against his. “Honestly, tonight I wasn’t thinking about anything else. I just wanted to be in the same space as you. No rush for anything else.”

　　She paused, then added, “…Of course, if the moment comes, we can hurry.”

　　Sheng Yi couldn’t help but smile and kissed her again. “I know.”

　　That night, nothing else happened, but they spent it peacefully and comfortably.

　　The next morning, when Chu Ling was seeing Sheng Yi off, she asked a little reluctantly, “Have you thought about moving in with me?”

　　“…..”

　　Sheng Yi paused for a second, then smiled. “Isn’t that too fast?”

　　“Too fast?”

　　Chu Ling counted on her fingers, “We’ve been together for a few months already, right?”

　　Sheng Yi felt something was off. “…Wait, from which day are you counting?”

　　Chu Ling said confidently, “Of course, from the day you confessed to me on Heartbeat Lab. The fans think the same way. We can’t get it wrong, so let’s just go by that date.”

　　“..…”

　　And just like that, two extra months were added to their relationship out of nowhere.

　　It was a little fast for counting time, but if you measured by emotional intensity… Sheng Yi didn’t think it was unreasonable.

　　He had originally worried that wanting to see Chu Ling all the time was clingy and weird, but since she invited him, he didn’t hesitate. “I can always be ready.”

　　The thought of waking up every day and seeing Chu Ling made him feel like he could burst from happiness.

　　Perfect timing.

　　Chu Ling thought about it too. She had rented this apartment for so long, it was probably time to move.

　　She had picked it when she first entered the industry as an eighteen-line star. The rent was cheap, so she had never bothered to move all these years.

　　But now things were different!

　　She glanced at her backend earnings.

　　Just from the money she’d made playing the role of the strict, disliked judge, she had over eighty million!!

　　On top of that, there were the earnings from her recent variety show appearances and events. Even in the expensive North City, that was enough to buy a very nice place.

　　And her income wasn’t stopping there.

　　She declared to the system, “I’ve worked hard for so long! I’m cashing out!”

　　Time to get a bigger place!

　　Time to live like a top-tier!

　　Time to finally live the life she had dreamed of since entering the industry!

 

   

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