After Joining a Dating Show, My Silly Ex Got Jealous - Chapter 3

Of the eight guests, seven had arrived. Once everyone was settled, a small loudspeaker mounted on the ceiling suddenly crackled to life.

“Hello, my dear guests!”

“Holy…!” Qin Zheng flinched so hard he practically jumped, instinctively twisting sideways to pull Ji Xiting into a tight embrace, burying his face in the other man’s neck.

Ji Xiting, held in that iron grip, felt like he had never been quite so frail; he actually couldn’t break free from the man’s arms. The other guests looked over, their expressions laden with hidden meaning.

Gu Pei turned a calm gaze toward Ji Xiting. “Your ex is taking advantage of you. Want me to break his legs?”

Seeing that cold demeanor and the heartless suggestion, Zheng Jingren shot him a complicated look. Why did he feel like this man in the wheelchair wasn’t quite right in the head?

“Is that allowed? Would it be too brutal?” Ji Xiting asked, seemingly seeking genuine advice.

Zheng Jingren whipped his head around to stare at him in horror. Wait, is this one not normal either?

Gu Pei replied nonchalantly, “It’s fine. I’ve already prepared a wheelchair for him. It’s automatic. It was very thoughtful.”

Ji Xiting considered it seriously. “Hmm…”

Qin Zheng lifted his head from Ji Xiting’s shoulder, staring at him with a look of deep resentment. “A day as a couple brings a hundred days of grace.”

“Oh, then I’ll wait a hundred days before I make my move,” Ji Xiting remarked as he finally peeled the man off him.

At the very least, a live-broadcast tragedy had been averted, and Zheng Jingren let out a silent sigh of relief.

The loudspeaker spoke again, sounding quite cheerful. “The eighth guest will be making a surprise entrance later! For now, feel free to explore the house and assign your rooms.”

Adding a new guest to disrupt the flow once everyone had grown comfortable was a classic trope in dating shows. Since they no longer had to wait around, everyone stood up to tour the villa.

Shen Ruan and Si Wen, having arrived early, had already explored most of the place, so they stepped up as “tour guides” for the group.

“The first floor has the living room, gym, open kitchen, and dining area. The second floor has two single rooms and three double suites, plus a small lounge and a terrace. The third floor has a theater, a KTV room, and a gaming room.”

The double suites weren’t just one room with two beds, but rather two separate small bedrooms sharing a common sitting area which essentially a private two-bedroom apartment.

Zheng Jingren smiled. “I think I saw a basketball court in the backyard when I was coming in.”

“I saw it too!” Zhen Jiankang said excitedly. “Let’s play a few rounds later. I’m only 188.2 cm, but I can dunk like a pro. I can teach you guys.”

Qin Zheng gave a light scoff. “What a coincidence. I’m 188.5 cm, and dunking is a breeze for me.”

Gu Pei offered a devilish smirk. “Mature men like us at 188.1 cm don’t play at dunking. The three-pointer is where it’s at.”

Zheng Jingren looked pained. “We get it, you’re all over 188 cm. But is it really necessary to be that precise with the decimals?”

“I’m 180.5 cm. What about you?” Ji Xiting asked him.

Zheng Jingren replied, “I’m 187.6 cm.”

Wait, why was he being precise with the decimals now too?!

Seeing everyone exchanging their heights so “amicably,” Si Wen gave a gentle smile. “I’m an even 182 cm.”

Everyone turned toward Shen Ruan, the only one who hadn’t self-reported. Looking up at this group of giants, he said sheepishly, “I’m 173 cm.”

“Point what?”

Shen Ruan was mortified. “I’m not even 180! Does the decimal point even matter at this stage?!”

“Fair point,” the group agreed, finally dropping the subject.

【Tsk tsk tsk, it’s a world where only the 173 cm guy gets hurt.】

【Proof that men over 180 are all the same, straight or gay. It’s a miracle if they don’t mention their height within three sentences.】

【Seriously though, Qin Zheng and Ting-ge are such a match. That 8 cm height difference is perfect for certain… positions.】

【Holy crap, someone just drove a truck over my face with that comment.】

The villa’s decor was simple and elegant, with a warm and clean color palette that created a perfect romantic atmosphere.

“How are we splitting the rooms?” Ji Xiting asked the group.

Qin Zheng was the first to speak. “Let’s do it based on familiarity.”

“Meaning?”

“For example, Ji Xiting and I are quite familiar, so the two of us can share a suite,” Qin Zheng said calmly.

Ji Xiting: “…”

The group: “Oh~”

“No,” Ji Xiting said with a cold face.

Qin Zheng frowned at him. “Do you already have a target in mind?” Is he eager to be roommates with someone else already?

“Yeah.” Just a second before Qin Zheng could explode, Ji Xiting added slowly, “I want to stay in a single room.”

The fire in Qin Zheng’s chest was snuffed out, leaving his face turning a bit green from the sudden emotional whiplash.

Si Wen adjusted his glasses and suggested, “Why don’t we play a game to decide? The winner gets to assign the rooms for everyone else.”

“Sure,” Zhen Jiankang said, suddenly interested. “What game? Basketball?”

Shen Ruan waved his hands frantically. “No, no, I can’t. I don’t know how to play.”

“It’s okay, I can teach you.” Zhen Jiankang flashed a brilliant smile at him. Shen Ruan, losing all his defenses, blushed and said, “Okay, then.”

Gu Pei shook his head. “No, I can’t play ball.”

“Why not?”

“I’m still in a wheelchair.”

Everyone stared at his long, perfectly functional legs, completely speechless.

“How about a board game then? Something like Werewolf?” Zheng Jingren suggested.

“That works.”

With everyone in agreement, they returned to the living room and sat in a circle. Zheng Jingren smiled and said, “I don’t mind where I stay, so you guys play. I’ll be the moderator.”

He found a piece of paper and quickly made six slips for everyone to draw. “Since there are only a few of us, we’ll have two werewolves, two villagers, one seer, and one witch.”

Ji Xiting opened his slip. He was a villager. Without a change in expression, he closed the paper and observed the others. Everyone was putting on their best poker faces.

“Everyone seen their roles?” Seeing them nod, Zheng Jingren smiled. “Alright. It is now night. Everyone, please close your eyes.”

Ji Xiting closed his eyes but kept his ears sharp.

“Werewolves, please open your eyes.”

“Who are you killing?”

“Alright, close your eyes.”

*******

After the round was over, Zheng Jingren announced, “The sun has risen. It was a peaceful night.”

“Wow,” Zhen Jiankang clapped. “Impressive.”

Ji Xiting glanced at Qin Zheng, who looked back and raised a provocative eyebrow.

“Hah, you’re a wolf,” Ji Xiting concluded.

Qin Zheng smiled slightly. “And you’re a villager.”

Holy crap, how did he know?! Ji Xiting was startled inwardly but maintained a calm smile. “Bullshit.”

Seeing the two about to bicker again, Zheng Jingren cut in. “Stop, stop. We aren’t voting yet, but does anyone want to share their thoughts first?”

“Sure,” Ji Xiting nodded. “I think Qin Zheng is a wolf.”

Shen Ruan asked innocently, “Why?”

“Does he look like a good person to you?” Ji Xiting said matter-of-factly.

Shen Ruan took a serious look at Qin Zheng, who glared back fiercely. He immediately shrank back. “Not really.”

Qin Zheng: “…You guys are using outside information.”

Si Wen analyzed rationally, “In the first round, it’s very likely a wolf tried to kill themselves to trick the witch into using the potion. The witch’s healing potion is gone now. We in the good camp must find the two wolves in the next round. Witch, don’t use the poison for now.”

Gu Pei nodded. “The seer should have checked one person this round. Check another next round, then you can come forward and give us a direction.”

“Provided the seer doesn’t get killed,” Zhen Jiankang noted.

Gu Pei nodded with a wicked smirk. Noticing that unruly smile, Shen Ruan immediately felt the man was likely a wolf. Why else would he smile so eerily?

【God, these people are such good actors.】

【If I hadn’t seen the whole thing, I’d really think they were all innocent.】

“Alright, second round. It is night, please close your eyes,” Zheng Jingren said.

After another round, Zheng Jingren gave a mysterious smile. “Someone died tonight. And that person is…”

Ji Xiting felt a bit nervous. It wasn’t him, was it?

“Si Wen!”

Si Wen was stunned, then sighed and shook his head. Since he was dead, he was silenced and couldn’t say a word. Before anyone could speak, Zheng Jingren clapped his hands excitedly. “And Gu Pei!”

The group: “!”

“What? Two people died?” Ji Xiting was shocked. “Did the witch use the poison?”

Zheng Jingren nodded. “Yes, two are dead.”

“Whoa! This is getting exciting!” Zhen Jiankang rubbed his hands together.

Shen Ruan asked, “With only four of us left, is the game still on?”

“It continues.”

“That means either Brother Si Wen or Mr. Gu was a wolf,” Shen Ruan analyzed.

Ji Xiting nodded, then suddenly declared, “I’m the witch. I saved Xiao Kang in the first round.”

Zhen Jiankang was surprised. “Really?”

“What?” Qin Zheng grabbed Ji Xiting’s arm. “What did you call him?”

Ji Xiting turned to glare at him. “Are you sick? What’s wrong with calling him Xiao Kang?”

“You always call me by my full name!” Qin Zheng was fuming.

Ji Xiting took a deep breath. “I should have poisoned you in the first round just to shut you up.”

The two glared at each other, neither willing to back down. The atmosphere grew tense as everyone else watched carefully. After a moment, Qin Zheng suddenly looked away, his ears turning red. “Fine, call him whatever you want,” he muttered. Why did he have to look at me like that? It’s kind of alluring.

“Freak,” Ji Xiting muttered, looking away as well.

Zhen Jiankang, leaning on his “strong masculine aura,” whispered, “So… are we still playing?”

“Playing what? You’re a wolf,” Qin Zheng said crossly.

Zhen Jiankang got defensive. “Do you have proof? You’re just biting people at random. I think you’re the wolf.”

“I’m the seer,” Qin Zheng huffed. “I checked my uncle in the first round and you in the second. Both of you are wolves.”

Shen Ruan was amazed. “For real?”

“Of course it’s real.”

“I don’t believe it. You didn’t check me?” Ji Xiting remained skeptical.

Qin Zheng chuckled. “You’re definitely not a wolf, and you’re not the witch either. If you were either one, I wouldn’t have survived the first night.”

The group realized he had a very good point!

“So you can only be a villager.” Qin Zheng turned to Shen Ruan. “I bet you’re the witch, right?”

Shen Ruan’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Zhen Jiankang tried to kill himself the first night and you saved him,” Qin Zheng analyzed. “Then Si Wen said a wolf might have self-killed, so you panicked. You thought you might be the target tonight, so you decided to take someone suspicious down with you and poisoned my uncle.”

“A pure lucky guess.”

Shen Ruan gave an awkward smile; he really had guessed correctly.

Zhen Jiankang stewed for a moment before squeezing out, “…Then why did you check me first?”

“Because I don’t like the look of you,” Qin Zheng said honestly.

Zhen Jiankang: “You’ve convinced me.”

The results were clear. They voted Zhen Jiankang out—even the athlete himself voted for his own exit.

【Movie King Qin is amazing! As expected of a top student!】

【I suspect he has an omniscient view; how else could he guess so accurately?】

【I don’t care, I don’t care! Movie King Qin better stay in the same suite as Ting-ge!】

【My CP has to sleep together, sob sob.】

Zheng Jingren clapped. “Movie King Qin is indeed impressive. Any objections to letting him assign the rooms?”

Ji Xiting shook his head, and the others followed suit.

“Where are you sleeping?” Qin Zheng asked Ji Xiting.

Ji Xiting scoffed. “Single room.”

Qin Zheng hesitated, clearly wanting to put him in a double suite with himself.

“If you put me in a double suite, I’ll sleep in the living room,” Ji Xiting threatened.

Qin Zheng looked at him, wanting to just drag him upstairs regardless, but he didn’t quite dare. Fine—even if Ji Xiting wouldn’t sleep with him, a single room was better than him sharing a suite with someone else.

“Fine, you take a single room.”

Qin Zheng glanced at the ceiling, still feeling a bit of a chill down his spine. He was conflicted; he could stay in a single room himself, but whether he could actually fall asleep at night was another story. Yet staying with someone else didn’t feel right either.

He paused, his gaze landing on Gu Pei. “Uncle, how about we…”

Gu Pei frowned, seemingly in deep thought. “Nephew and Uncle—”

“Stop right there! That’s not allowed!” Ji Xiting interrupted quickly.

Gu Pei realized his slip. “Ah, right.”

Zheng Jingren was reaching his breaking point. That was never allowed at any time! What on earth are these people talking about?!

After weighing the pros and cons, Qin Zheng finally decided. “Then I’ll stay in a single room too.”

Although all five bedrooms were on the second floor, the two single rooms faced each other on the east side of the small lounge, while the three double suites were on the west side. This meant the two single rooms had a bit of a private corridor to themselves.

Qin Zheng turned to Shen Ruan. “Who do you want to stay with?”

Shen Ruan was stunned, his face flushing crimson as he stammered, unable to speak.

Wait, Ji Xiting thought, glancing at Qin Zheng.

Why did it seem like Qin Zheng was being quite attentive toward Shen Ruan? Was it because Shen Ruan satisfied his “dominant” ego? It made sense—a sweet, petite kid like Shen Ruan would naturally trigger a protective instinct in someone like Qin Zheng.

Ji Xiting gave a soft hum, feeling a twinge of annoyance, though he’d never admit it. Qin Zheng caught the reaction out of the corner of his eye. Seeing that the man was actually annoyed made him feel instantly refreshed. It seemed his Ting-ge still cared about him; he was just being a bit stubborn.

Qin Zheng couldn’t help but grin, and his smile became so uncontrollable that everyone else looked at him in confusion.

Ji Xiting: “…” Is he that amused by Shen Ruan’s blushing face? They say “interest” is the start of a relationship; was Qin Zheng starting to find Shen Ruan interesting? Ji Xiting hadn’t even set his sights on anyone yet, and Qin Zheng dared to be interested in someone else first?

“What are you laughing at?” Ji Xiting said crossly.

Qin Zheng’s grin widened even further. “Yes, yes, I’m laughing at nothing.”

The group collectively looked at Shen Ruan. His face turned even redder. He covered his face with his hands and said in shame, “Does my face look like a monkey’s butt?”

Ji Xiting paused, then said gently, “No, no, it’s very cute. Like a little apple.”

Qin Zheng: “…” Suddenly, he couldn’t laugh anymore.

He immediately put on a cold face. “Shen Ruan will stay with Zhen Jiankang. Si Wen will stay with my uncle. Zheng Jingren can wait for the new guest. Any problems?”

Shen Ruan stole a glance at Zhen Jiankang, his neck turning red this time. Zhen Jiankang laughed heartily. “Sure, sounds good.”

Si Wen was silent for a moment before saying, “Maybe I should stay with Zheng Jingren instead?” He wasn’t sure he could handle that “imperial aura.”

Gu Pei gave a light chuckle. “Are you trying to catch my attention?”

Si Wen: “…”

The group: “…” He’s probably terrified of catching your attention.

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