After Joining a Dating Show, My Silly Ex Got Jealous - Chapter 4

After everyone had carried their luggage to their respective rooms and finished a quick tidying up, they headed back downstairs.

Zheng Jingren took a lap around the kitchen and remarked, “There’s only some fruit in the fridge. How are we going to handle dinner?”

Qin Zheng pulled out his phone. “I’ll order takeout.”

The little loudspeaker on the ceiling immediately crackled to life. “Takeout is not allowed in the house!”

Qin Zheng flinched and looked up at the speaker. His face remained expressionless, but he was radiating a murderous aura. The dark energy swirling around him made it clear that he was entertaining dark thoughts of “silencing the speaker” permanently.

He ground his teeth and said, “What if I order a delivery of groceries? Raw vegetables!”

“Dead ones aren’t allowed either,” the loudspeaker continued to provoke him.

Qin Zheng immediately turned around to look for a weapon, intent on destroying all evidence of the speaker’s existence.

Ji Xiting, however, knew the routine all too well. On a dating show, going to the supermarket together, cooking together, and then having a “kitchen showdown” involving tying aprons or fighting over who washes the dishes were all classic ways to spark romance or ignite a bit of drama.

This Qin Zheng really understood nothing. What a blockhead.

Ji Xiting glanced at the pacing Qin Zheng and said, “Let’s just go to the supermarket and buy some. Does anyone want to come with me?”

“I’ll go. I’ll show off my skills a bit tonight,” Zheng Jingren said with a gentle smile.

Truly the reliable chef standard of a dating show, Ji Xiting thought, giving himself a mental pat on the back for his sharp judgment. But he couldn’t get cocky just yet.

An alarm bell went off in Qin Zheng’s head. “I’m going too.”

“What are you going for? Can you even tell the difference between a cucumber and a cabbage?” Ji Xiting shot him down.

“Of course I can. One is yellow and one is white. I’m not colorblind.”

The group: “…” Yellow?

Ji Xiting ignored him and asked, “Anyone else?”

The big boss in the electric wheelchair rolled past him and said calmly, “It’s not convenient for me.”

Ji Xiting looked at Shen Ruan. “Are you coming?”

“Sure,” Shen Ruan nodded, then looked at Zhen Jiankang standing beside him and whispered, “Um, are you going?”

Zhen Jiankang replied, “If you need help carrying things…”

“We don’t,” Qin Zheng rejected him coldly.

“Then I’m not going. I’ll go play ball.” Zhen Jiankang mimicked a shot toward the “basket” on the ceiling again; by the looks of it, it was a swish.

Shen Ruan paused and looked at Ji Xiting. “Ting-ge, maybe I won’t go either. I’ll go next time.”

【Oh, little Ruan, your intentions are as clear as day.】

【I can hear the sound of his gears turning all the way from abroad.】

【The gears are practically flying into my face, but it seems classmate Xiao Kang hasn’t noticed a thing.】

Ji Xiting turned to Si Wen, who smiled and said, “I have a document to handle. I can help with the cooking when you get back.”

“Alright then,” Ji Xiting said regretfully.

Zheng Jingren thought for a moment. It seemed he was about to go out on the street with two people who had just broken up…

“Actually, maybe I should—mph!”

Ji Xiting covered his mouth and offered a “kindly” smile. “No, you cannot.”

Qin Zheng’s face darkened as he yanked Ji Xiting’s hand away, saying with disgust, “You’ve got his spit on you now. It’s stinky.”

“Shut up.” Ji Xiting felt like he might need to amputate this hand.

Zheng Jingren’s brow twitched. “It’s fine if you insult me, but why must you insult my saliva?”

He didn’t smoke, didn’t drink, had no stomach issues or ulcers. How could his spit be stinky?

Ji Xiting proved with his actions that he wasn’t just going to insult it; he was going to humiliate it. Under Zheng Jingren’s resentful gaze, he went to wash his hands, scrubbing them thoroughly with soap.

Qin Zheng stood by with his arms crossed, supervising. “Scrub harder. Don’t you feel his saliva molecules penetrating your skin?”

“Qin Zheng!” Ji Xiting turned back to kick him, but the man nimbly dodged.

Ji Xiting snatched a disposable paper towel and wiped his hands aggressively, wishing he could use Qin Zheng’s clothes instead…

Wait, why can’t I?

He looked up at Qin Zheng and gave a slight smile.

Qin Zheng felt a chill down his neck and immediately turned to flee, but Ji Xiting grabbed him by the hem of his shirt.

“What are you doing?” Qin Zheng covered his chest. “Don’t be a pervert in broad daylight.”

Ji Xiting rolled his eyes. “In your dreams.”

He wiped his hands on the five-figure luxury fabric and, satisfied, called out to Zheng Jingren, “Let’s go, Old Zheng. Time to buy groceries.”

Zheng Jingren followed him resentfully, like a ghost. But after a few steps, he—the ghost was elbowed aside by another tall shadow following behind.

Play with anyone, but never play with a couple!

Especially a couple that just broke up!

******

There was a large chain supermarket nearby. The three of them, followed by several cameramen, strolled past groups of elderly shoppers.

“Oh my, what handsome young men,” an auntie wearing a pink silk scarf said, her eyes lighting up as she squeezed in front of Ji Xiting. “Dear child, you look just like a big star.”

Ji Xiting said modestly, “You flatter me, Auntie. I’m merely a top-tier idol.”

“Oh, top tier, bottom tier, whatever it is, Auntie thinks you look very trendy!”

“Whoa, Auntie, you even know about being ‘trendy’?” Qin Zheng interjected.

The auntie glanced at him, then raised her hand to cover her mouth, whispering to Ji Xiting, “Young man, I see this friend of yours is handsome, but he doesn’t look like a good person. He hasn’t been bullying you, has he?”

Qin Zheng: “…” 

He knew he should have done fewer of those psycho-killer roles!

Ji Xiting couldn’t stop laughing. “Auntie, he hasn’t killed anyone. I mean, he hasn’t bullied anyone.”

The auntie still didn’t seem convinced. She pulled Ji Xiting a few steps away and smiled again. “Young man, with your looks, you must still be single, right?”

“Ah, I just became single three days ago.”

Qin Zheng’s ears perked up, and he immediately moved closer, standing behind the auntie to eavesdrop.

Ji Xiting caught his eye, then heard the auntie say, “Then how about Auntie introduces a girlfriend to you? There are many high-achieving, beautiful girls. You’ll definitely find one you like.”

The more Qin Zheng heard, the darker his face became. He watched Ji Xiting with narrowed eyes. Could this man go anywhere without attracting peach blossoms?

Ji Xiting curled his lips and asked, “Then Auntie, what kind of girl do you think I could find?”

Qin Zheng ground his teeth.

“I see you’re so handsome and polite, and you’re wearing an ‘Ail-Vee’ (LV) suit, so you’re definitely not short of money,” the auntie rambled on.

Ji Xiting was amazed. “Auntie, you even know about LV?”

“Well, an auntie has to keep up with the times to be a matchmaker.” She opened her WeChat. “Add me, and if I find a good match, I’ll introduce you. With your qualifications, you could find a girlfriend who graduated from a Top 2 university.”

Zheng Jingren leaned in and was shocked to hear her. “You even know English! You even know about Top 2!”

The auntie gave him an impatient glance, but then her eyes lit up again. She grabbed Zheng Jingren’s arm. “Oh, this young man is quite handsome too! Do you have a girlfriend?”

“I… I don’t.”

“Then add me on WeChat too, Auntie will find you a girlfriend.”

Zheng Jingren said awkwardly, “Auntie, I like men.”

The auntie paused. Zheng Jingren breathed a sigh of relief and was about to make a run for it when she grabbed his arm again.

She said happily, “Boyfriends are fine too! Auntie has plenty of young men in my contacts!”

“Isn’t that a bit too reckless?! Have you even asked what they’re looking for?” Zheng Jingren was stunned.

Ji Xiting’s stomach hurt from holding back his laughter. Suddenly, he felt a tighten around his waist as he was pulled toward the supermarket interior by Qin Zheng.

“Hey, you guys…” Zheng Jingren reached out in terror, but the auntie grabbed his hand and yanked him back.

“Young man, tell me, do you like being on the bottom or the top? Auntie needs to know so I can match you correctly.”

“You even know about that?!” Zheng Jingren was collapsing. Had BL dramas invaded even the local auntie’s worldview?

Qin Zheng half-carried, half-dragged Ji Xiting to the snack aisle, escaping the pack of predatory aunties.

“Let go,” Ji Xiting pried his hands off and straightened his clothes. “Is it appropriate to be pulling and tugging like this in public?”

“Is it appropriate to be planning a blind date only three days after breaking up?” Qin Zheng countered.

Ji Xiting laughed and looked him over with his arms crossed.

Qin Zheng felt uneasy under his gaze. “What are you doing?”

“Do you even know what you’re saying?” Ji Xiting pointed to the side and asked, “Do you see that?”

Qin Zheng looked over hesitantly. “The cameraman?”

“It’s the show’s logo. Have you forgotten what kind of show Nineteen Days of Enchantment is?”

They were already on a matchmaking show, yet he was talking about “planning a blind date.” Hilarious.

Ji Xiting gave a light scoff and turned to look at the snacks on the shelves.

Qin Zheng curled his lip and muttered under his breath, “It’s a variety show, how could I forget?”

He pushed the shopping cart and followed Ji Xiting, picking up several boxes of jelly and pudding; things Ji Xiting liked to eat. Ji Xiting grabbed several bags of potato chips and tossed them into the cart.

“Want chocolate?”

“Yes.”

“Spicy strips?”

“Get a few more.”

The two went back and forth, and before long, the cart was filled with snacks.

【I mean, Ting-ge loves sweet and spicy food so much, how is his skin still so good?】

【Am I the only one shipping them? Everything from their height to their looks to their temperaments is a perfect match!】

【Temperament? One is a powder keg and the other lives in a vinegar jar. Honestly, the breakup wasn’t a surprise.】

【Shh! They won’t stay apart! They clearly love each other!】

Zheng Jingren finally managed to escape the auntie’s clutches. When he arrived, he saw the cart overflowing with snacks. He said with a complicated expression, “Are you two planning to have this for dinner?”

“Why not?” Ji Xiting asked.

Zheng Jingren: “…”

Qin Zheng said, “Don’t listen to him. Let’s go buy groceries now.”

“But isn’t this too many snacks?”

“Don’t worry,” Qin Zheng tilted his chin toward Ji Xiting, who was walking ahead. “If no one cooks, he’s the type who would eat these as a meal.”

Ji Xiting turned back to glare at him. “Don’t talk behind my back, I can hear you.”

“What am I saying behind your back? Isn’t it the truth?”

“Of course not. You’re just afraid Old Zheng will fall for me, so you’re intentionally smearing my image.”

Qin Zheng walked faster to catch up. “What do you mean? You actually want him to fall for you?”

“Movie King Qin, this is a dating show. It’s perfectly normal for people to fall for each other, okay?”

“Then what if someone falls for me? You wouldn’t care either?” Qin Zheng’s eyebrows were tied in a knot.

Ji Xiting glanced at him and smiled without saying a word, the mockery reaching peak levels. Qin Zheng exploded instantly, pushing the shopping cart forward with a loud clatter, looking like a foolish wolf in a fit of impotent rage.

Zheng Jingren walked behind them, his face void of emotion.

【Tsk, Old Zheng is already numb.】

【I feel for him. Poor Brother Zheng. What did he do wrong to have to sleep alone and eat dog food?】

【The only sane person in the house. Everyone, please be kind to him, sob sob.】

Two hours later, the three of them finally returned to the villa. Qin Zheng and Zheng Jingren each carried two large bags, and Ji Xiting carried one.

Only Gu Pei was in the living room, patrolling his domain in his electric wheelchair while listening to financial news on his phone… wait, it was entertainment gossip.

“Where are the others?” Qin Zheng placed one bag on Gu Pei’s lap and then turned to take the bag from Ji Xiting’s hand.

Gu Pei held the bag and controlled his wheelchair to follow them into the kitchen. His back looked quite resilient. It was a moving sight.

“Shen Ruan and Zhen Jiankang went to play ball. Si Wen is still working.”

Zheng Jingren took all the bags and placed them on the counter. “Alright, I’ll go upstairs to change and then come back down to cook.”

Qin Zheng looked at Ji Xiting. “Are you going?”

Ji Xiting was still wearing his suit and had been feeling uncomfortable for a while. However, he maintained his dignity as a top idol and gave a reserved nod.

Ji Xiting returned to his bedroom. As soon as the door closed, he took off his jacket and hung it over the camera.

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