Seeing Song Qingchi didn’t respond immediately, Ji Xingzhu instantly frowned, her tone unfriendly as she questioned, “What? You’re not happy about being in a group with me?”
That proud tone made it sound like being in a group with her was some special favor, so she was particularly displeased by Song Qingchi’s “ingratitude.”
Song Qingchi’s smile remained unchanged, as if he were already accustomed to her bossy attitude. A glint of understanding flashed in his eyes as he said, “I’d be glad to. It’s my honor.”
He thought he probably understood Miss Ji’s plan. While he often felt this fiancée of his was quite impulsive, she did have some cleverness about her.
Ji Xingzhu’s initiative in inviting Song Qingchi drew everyone’s attention, making them wonder if this wealthy young lady had already taken a liking to Song Qingchi. But her bossy attitude didn’t quite seem like it…
Others were just enjoying the show, but Wen Yajun’s expression turned ugly. Her hands clenched unconsciously at her sides. After her chest heaved a few times with emotion, she finally spoke up, looking aggrieved, “Xiao Zhu, Mr. Song and I are in a group…”
Ji Xingzhu raised an eyebrow and directly turned to ask the director, “Hey, does the grouping for this game need to follow the previous pairings?”
Lu Xuguang shook his head decisively. “Of course not. We uphold the principle of voluntary choice. As long as the other party agrees, you can team up with the guest of your choice.”
Ji Xingzhu gave Wen Yajun a dismissive glance and turned away with a light snort. She didn’t say a word, but the sarcasm was unmistakable.
Wen Yajun felt a rush of blood to her head in anger. Her nails nearly drew blood from her palms as she barely managed to suppress the urge to argue back. Her eyes grew moist, and she lowered her head meekly, looking like a pitiful, bullied victim.
Wen Yajun told herself: Endure, you must endure. The more domineering and arrogant Ji Xingzhu was, the more it would highlight her own pitiful innocence. Sooner or later, she would turn public opinion around and trample that brainless Ji Xingzhu underfoot!
Apart from Ji Xingzhu and Song Qingchi, the other guests teamed up with their dates from earlier in the day.
“Love on the Journey” had invited 4 male guests and 4 female guests. Male guest #1, Jian Xingzhi, was the guest with the highest status invited by the crew. He was 28 this year but started acting at 13. At 16, he successfully won an award for Best Actor, becoming the youngest triple-crown Best Actor in the industry.
Unfortunately, Jian Xingzhi largely withdrew from the entertainment industry not long after winning the award. It had been almost 10 years since he last appeared before the audience. For him to make a comeback by joining a dating show was truly shocking and inevitably drew sighs.
The female guest Jian Xingzhi had drawn earlier was a talented actress from the industry named Cen Xuan, 26 years old, with a certain level of fame. The two chose to continue cooperating in the word-guessing game and managed to guess 5 words correctly within 3 minutes. For people who just met that day, this level of rapport was pretty good.
Ji Xingzhu temporarily took off her sunglasses and quietly observed their expressions. Cen Xuan maintained a proper smile throughout, politely applauding and cheering for other teams when it was their turn to guess, seeming to take this dating show seriously. In contrast, Jian Xingzhi’s expression was much more placid. He rarely spoke to anyone, seeming detached from everyone else and slightly melancholic.
Ji Xingzhu secretly discussed with 999, “Jian Xingzhi is a Best Actor. Even if he’s fallen out of favor now, he shouldn’t be so desperate as to join a dating show, right?”
“I checked discreetly. He practically retired for love back then, but his wife betrayed him and swindled all his money,” 999 sighed. “He’s broke now, and his old industry connections have faded. He can only follow his company’s demands to make money by doing variety shows.”
Ji Xingzhu thoughtfully rubbed her chin. “He hasn’t acted in so many years. I wonder if his acting skills have deteriorated…”
As the person and the system discussed, the next team of guests stepped up for the challenge. Male guest #2 was named Shao Rui, a rich second generation who had gained quite a reputation online for his love of flaunting wealth. During the morning draw, he had picked the popular female star Bai Zhiyi, known for her purity. They also chose to continue cooperating for the word-guessing game.
Unfortunately, their rapport was terrible. They only guessed 2 words correctly in 3 minutes, and that was only because the crew took pity and went easy on them. Upon hearing the result, Shao Rui’s face darkened. He kicked a stool away and complained irritably to Bai Zhiyi, “You’re too stupid! Couldn’t even guess such simple words.”
Bai Zhiyi had the innocent, pretty face of a first love and a thin, slender figure, looking as fragile as a little white rabbit. But her attitude was unexpectedly firm as she replied flatly, “With your level, no one could have guessed.”
“What did you say?!” Shao Rui clearly was an arrogant, conceited rich second generation. Being insulted so bluntly by a woman made him explode.
Bai Zhiyi was startled by his furious expression and unconsciously took a step back. Her face paled, she bit her lower lip tightly, and her expression was one of restraint.
“What are you yelling about? If you keep arguing, get out!” At the critical moment, a woman’s voice rang out, successfully diverting Shao Rui’s aggression.
Ji Xingzhu crossed her arms, her high heels tapping rhythmically on the ground. Her swaying figure and raised chin made her look as arrogant as a queen, her tone a hundred times more domineering than Shao Rui’s. “It’s my turn to guess words. Get out of my way quickly. Don’t delay my rest.”
Shao Rui was so angry he almost laughed. He strode forward, seemingly intending to argue with Ji Xingzhu some more. However, in the next second, a tall figure blocked the space between him and Ji Xingzhu.
“Mr. Shao, please calm down.” Song Qingchi still wore his gentle, soft smile as he attempted to dissuade the enraged Shao Rui.
“Get lost!” Shao Rui, used to being domineering, instinctively pushed Song Qingchi hard without thinking.
However, when his hand landed on Song Qingchi’s shoulder, he only felt the unexpectedly solid body beneath his palm. After being pushed, it didn’t budge an inch.
In the next moment, Song Qingchi seized his wrist, earnestly trying to placate him, playing the part of a well-meaning peacemaker. “Mr. Shao, let’s discuss any issues after we complete the task.”
Song Qingchi’s attitude was gentle yet carried an underlying firmness that brooked no argument. As for Shao Rui, whose wrist was being gripped, a cold sweat broke out instantly. He let out an involuntary cry of pain and violently shook off Song Qingchi’s hand.
Song Qingchi smoothly released him, smiling as he met his gaze.
Shao Rui held his throbbing wrist, eyeing him warily. Only he knew how much force Song Qingchi had used when grabbing his wrist—it felt like his hand bones were about to shatter. But looking at the other’s polite smile, Shao Rui hesitated again—he seemed quite courteous; maybe he just accidentally used too much strength?
Shao Rui sized up Song Qingchi’s physique again—taller and more muscular than himself, the black shirt straining across his chest… Then he recalled the strength in his grip… Shao Rui decided discretion was the better part of valor.
He snorted coldly and walked away.
Ji Xingzhu couldn’t even be bothered to glance at him. She walked straight over to the guesser’s spot. Passing by Song Qingchi, she gave him a disdainful look and snorted lightly, “Nosy.”
Everyone present felt somewhat speechless. They had initially thought Ji Xingzhu couldn’t stand Shao Rui bullying a girl, but now it seemed… this young lady simply equally disliked everyone, hence her constant provocations.
[Miss Ji, well said! That Shao Rui is disgusting. He has zero respect for the female guests.]
[Shao Rui flaunts his wealth on his personal account every day and changes girlfriends every few days. Why invite such scum onto the show?]
[It’s reasonable to suspect Shao Rui joined the dating show just to pick up female celebrities.]
[Even though Ji Xingzhu is domineering, seeing things from the young lady’s perspective is really satisfying… She confronts anyone she dislikes, never has to swallow her anger. I’m so jealous, does anyone understand?!]
[As an office worker, I deeply understand… Ji Xingzhu, my spirit animal!]
[Song Qingchi protected Ji Xingzhu! He’s head over heels! I’m shipping it!]
[But Song Qingchi got scolded too… Miss Ji’s fiery temper really means she dislikes everyone equally, hahaha!]
Song Qingchi helped out but got called “nosy”—truly thankless. Yet he still smiled gently at Ji Xingzhu, appearing unsurprised by her ungrateful attitude. He merely cooperatively walked to stand opposite her, ready to start the word-guessing game.
Ji Xingzhu calling him nosy wasn’t entirely unfounded. After all… Song Qingchi glanced at the two black-clad bodyguards hidden among the crew and couldn’t help but smile knowingly.
His fiancée wasn’t stupid. She always had bodyguards with her—did she know she was too good at causing trouble?
“Hurry up and start,” Ji Xingzhu’s impatient voice came again. Song Qingchi focused his mind and began cooperating with the crew for this childish word-guessing game.
After Lu Xuguang shouted “Start!”, the crew operated the prompt board to display various words. Song Qingchi needed to do his utmost to help the headphone-wearing Ji Xingzhu correctly guess the words.
Soon, the first keyword, “subway,” appeared on the screen. Song Qingchi gestured vaguely a couple of times, not really putting in any effort.
However, Ji Xingzhu very quickly shouted out the correct answer, startling everyone. Ji Xingzhu sat in the chair with her arms crossed, slowly adjusting the sunglasses on the bridge of her nose, exuding an air of noble aloofness.
Song Qingchi smiled knowingly, completely unsurprised by Ji Xingzhu’s guessing speed, and calmly began describing the next word.
Ji Xingzhu only needed three to five seconds each time to guess the word. After guessing 8 words correctly, probably feeling confident of winning, her guessing speed slowed down again, appearing quite leisurely.
Halfway through the time, the crew switched to new words. Shortly after this change, Song Qingchi suddenly called out in his mind, “System?”
Across from him, Ji Xingzhu remained motionless, as if frozen. Song Qingchi subtly curved the corners of his lips. “I know you’re here.”
Finally, a somewhat tentative mechanical voice sounded in his mind, “You… how do you know I’m here?”
Song Qingchi feigned surprise, “You really are here? I was just testing.”
Ji Xingzhu: “…” Really felt like cursing right now.
Sensing Ji Xingzhu’s speechlessness, Song Qingchi’s mood inexplicably lightened considerably. Soon, he deliberately adopted a serious tone, “Why did you come online at this time?”
Ji Xingzhu evaded the question, “No reason, just checking in on you.”
After saying this, as if afraid Song Qingchi would press further, she hurriedly added, “You’re busy, I’ll go offline now,” and then swiftly disappeared.
Then Song Qingchi watched as Ji Xingzhu, who had previously been so stiff she seemed frozen, immediately began subtly moving her hands and feet again before confidently shouting out the correct answer.
It was as if the earlier Ji Xingzhu was just a cold, empty shell that had suddenly been infused with a vibrant soul again.
Song Qingchi lowered his gaze slightly, his thick eyelashes trembling as they veiled his deep, dark eyes. The curve of his lips became more pronounced—a mix of knowing resignation and something between amusement and exasperation.
Ever since Ji Xingzhu proactively suggested teaming up with him, Song Qingchi knew she must be up to something.
Sure enough, in order to choose the best accommodation first, Miss Ji was using her system identity to cheat.
Once Ji Xingzhu went online, she could directly share his perspective, eliminating any need to guess the words—she could simply see all the answers. She kept switching between going online and offline, checking the answers before returning to her own body to answer. No wonder her guessing speed was so fast.
Song Qingchi’s sudden call earlier served two purposes: one, to confirm his suspicion, and two… hearing Ji Xingzhu’s forced calm voice and not-so-subtle evasion made him feel inexplicably happy, as if heavy clouds had parted, finally letting sunlight pierce his gloomy heart.
It made him unconsciously want to tease this “system” who was so keen on using her power for personal gain.
The three minutes passed quickly. Ji Xingzhu and Song Qingchi’s team, with 12 correct guesses, came out on top.
The last team consisted of the leftovers—Wen Yajun and Lin Yifei. They had zero rapport and didn’t guess a single word correctly, meaning they would choose their accommodations last.
Winning the game already made Ji Xingzhu happy. Seeing Wen Yajun’s ugly expression made the corners of her mouth practically lift to the sky. She walked over with an arrogant swagger and directly chose the best house—a two-story Western-style villa.
Male and female guests from the same team would share the same accommodation. That meant Ji Xingzhu would be living in the villa with Song Qingchi from now on.
Thinking of this, Ji Xingzhu gave a cold smile. Heh, she, the “vicious fiancée,” would definitely stick to her character and properly bully this Long Aotian!
Cannon Fodder System 999: “…” The host is scheming again.
He sighed helplessly, “Host, don’t just focus on bullying the male lead. The most important thing is to make the male lead famous, popular, and win the hearts of all the female guests!”
“Only by claiming both fame and fortune and beautiful women can he truly become the
Long Aotian!”
“And don’t forget,” 999 played his biggest card, “you invested 50 million in this dating show! Whether we make a huge profit or not… depends on whether the male lead can become as explosively popular as he did in the original novel~”
Ji Xingzhu snorted, “I know!”
Her gaze drifted, first landing on the handsome and forthright Cen Xuan, then on the pure and lovely Bai Zhiyi. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes indignantly, “That damn male lead, is he worthy?! So infuriating…”
But no matter how unwilling she was, she still had to get to work.
So, just as the guests were about to head to their accommodations with their luggage, Ji Xingzhu went online again.
“Host!” Ji Xingzhu lectured righteously, “Have you forgotten you’re on a dating show! You must work hard to win the female guests’ favor and make them fall for you! You’re being way too lax right now!”
Song Qingchi’s steps faltered slightly. He immediately glanced subtly at Ji Xingzhu, who was standing ramrod straight, completely motionless.
Song Qingchi helplessly rubbed his temples. Even if her body could maintain the posture from before she went online… she couldn’t take such a risk in public, could she?
He subtly moved to stand beside Ji Xingzhu, ensuring he could intervene in time if anything unexpected happened. Only then did he reply in his mind, “What do you want me to do?” His tone was quite resigned.
Ji Xingzhu declared confidently, “Alright, later, when we head to the accommodations, you take the initiative to help Cen Xuan and Bai Zhiyi with their suitcases. Show some gentlemanly spirit. Those two female guests are sure to be moved, and the audience will praise your good manners!”
Song Qingchi raised an eyebrow slightly and replied flatly, “I can only carry my own suitcase. Can’t carry others’.”
Ji Xingzhu: “…”
Pah! So all that boxing training was for nothing, huh?
Ji Xingzhu complained to 999 about the male lead as usual: “Can’t stand it. This male lead is so ungrateful. I’m trying to help him win over future wives, and he won’t cooperate at all!”
“Do you remember that childhood sweetheart from the book who stayed with him through his low point? The male lead has had zero interaction with her either,” 999 said gravely.
Ji Xingzhu was slightly taken aback, then thoughtfully murmured, “What could make a major harem protagonist become so disinterested in women? Could it be…”
“That damn male lead is impotent?!”
Song Qingchi’s body stiffened, and the smile on his lips froze.