After Joining a Dating Show, My Silly Ex Got Jealous - Chapter 9

The six-man game was split into two teams.

Ji Xiting, Shen Ruan, and Zhen Jiankang formed one squad, squaring off against the other three. A cameraman appeared out of nowhere, hoisting his gear to capture the action. Since there were no live-streaming lenses set up on the court, this footage was likely intended as a “bonus egg” to be aired after editing.

Among them, everyone except Shen Ruan was quite skilled, especially Zhen Jiankang. He truly lived up to his reputation as a seed player who practiced “air shots” all day. Qin Zheng was no slouch either; he and Zhen Jiankang were well-matched, trading points back and forth.

Ji Xiting, of course, would never admit this. To acknowledge an opponent’s strength was, in his warped logic, a roundabout way of admitting his own inadequacy. Armed with this stubborn mindset, he channeled every ounce of his focus into intercepting Qin Zheng’s plays.

The moment he charged forward, however, the aggression in Qin Zheng’s eyes vanished, and even his dribbling grew gentle. Qin Zheng was beginning to sweat, beads of moisture trailing down the bridge of his high nose. He hooked the collar of his shirt to wipe his chin and jaw, his breathing coming out in heavy, rhythmic drags.

For a second, Ji Xiting’s vision blurred as his mind overlaid the scene with a specific movie clip.

In the film, the male lead was a sunny, cheerful “campus prince” who loved basketball by day but shed his disguise at night to become a whistling, psychopathic killer. That was Qin Zheng’s debut role, the one that had swept countless “Best Newcomer” and “Film Emperor” awards and the one that had first seared his image into Ji Xiting’s memory.

After that, Qin Zheng had starred in two more major films, completing a “Grand Slam” of Best Actor awards at an incredibly young age. His fame was skyrocketing, and Ji Xiting found himself watching the man more and more.

Ultimately, at a banquet following a film festival a year ago, Ji Xiting had taken the initiative to walk up and clink glasses with him.

They say romance is just two electric waves colliding at the right frequency, sparking something uncontrollable. That tiny spark, amidst a light drizzle that night, had transformed into a violent thunderstorm, lashing against the hotel’s massive floor-to-ceiling windows and sweeping the two of them into an inseparable whirl…

Qin Zheng dribbled the ball with one hand, his eyes meeting Ji Xiting’s soft, lingering gaze. His Adam’s apple bobbed involuntarily. The rhythmic thump-thump-thump of the ball hitting the pavement grew faster and faster, mirroring their runaway heartbeats.

It was frantic, pulsing, and overwhelming just like that sudden storm a year ago, threatening to drown them once again.

As the sky dimmed, a cool breeze carried a hint of dampness, signaling rain on the horizon. Qin Zheng watched Ji Xiting’s slightly long hair flutter back, revealing a damp forehead and those seductive fox-eyes filled with an emotion he couldn’t quite decipher.

He let out a low chuckle and asked softly, “Ting-ge, you want to block me?”

Ji Xiting arched an eyebrow. “It’s not a want. It’s a must.”

“Is that so?”

Qin Zheng suddenly accelerated, his shoulder brushing lightly against Ji Xiting’s chest as he slipped past. Ji Xiting was on him in two steps. As Qin Zheng leaped for the dunk, Ji Xiting vaulted upward simultaneously.

Thud—!

The basketball hit the ground and rolled all the way to Si Wen’s feet.

He picked it up and casually tossed it toward Zhen Jiankang, smiling. “Xiting is impressive; I didn’t realize you could jump that high.”

Shen Ruan immediately started promoting his idol. “Ting-ge has been dancing since he was seven. He can do all sorts of difficult moves, like flips and somersaults are nothing to him. I heard he even won medals for the high jump back in high school.”

Ji Xiting smoothed his hair and offered a modest smile. “Keep it low-key.”

“But it’s the truth,” Shen Ruan said, knowing exactly how to please his idol.

Ji Xiting beamed, and just as he was about to head over to give his little fan a friendly pat, someone grabbed his arm.

“What now?” He turned to look at Qin Zheng. “Sore loser?”

Qin Zheng chuckled. “I’m not you.”

Compared to Shen Ruan’s gold-standard praise, Qin Zheng clearly hadn’t mastered the art of flattering an ex-boyfriend. The moment the words left his mouth, Si Wen and Zheng Jingren looked pained, and even Shen Ruan winced. Only Zhen Jiankang was unfazed, as he was busy trying to pry the ball out of a crack in the fence.

Si Wen’s casual toss had, by some stroke of luck, wedged the ball perfectly into a hole in the wire netting.

Seeing the smile vanish from Ji Xiting’s face, Qin Zheng doubled down. “See? There you go again, taking it too seriously.”

“Who’s taking it too seriously?” Ji Xiting narrowed his eyes.

Qin Zheng suddenly grinned, grabbed his hand, and started running.

“Holy—! Are you crazy?” Ji Xiting’s words were a curse, but his tone was laced with a laugh.

Si Wen and Zheng Jingren exchanged a look before glancing back. Shen Ruan was squatting next to Zhen Jiankang; the two of them were huddled together over the stuck ball, looking like two little mushrooms.

In front of them was a pair of ex-lovers; behind them was a budding flirtation. The “middle-aged” duo of the Professor and the Doctor folded their hands behind their backs and followed Ji Xiting and the others with an air of stoic detachment.

When they reached the front yard, they discovered Gu Pei’s beloved wheelchair overturned at the villa entrance. Its “state of death” was quite tragic.

Qin Zheng picked up a wheel that was twisted at a ninety-degree angle and said in shock, “Did my uncle get into a drag race?” The rims were absolutely shredded.

Ji Xiting marveled at the wreckage. “Looks like he didn’t just race; he flew off the track.”

“Is he okay?” Zheng Jingren asked, catching up and looking worried. “We should go check on him.”

Old Zheng, the only one with a normal moral compass, hurried into the house. He immediately spotted Gu Pei sitting stiffly on the sofa, his face dark, radiating a “tyrant” aura.

“You okay?” Qin Zheng asked, looking him up and down.

Gu Pei shook his head.

“Are you aware your precious chariot is lying dead at the doorstep?”

Gu Pei nodded solemnly.

“Uh… want to tell us about its legendary final moments?”

The group gathered on the sofas, all ears.

Gu Pei said in a deep, brooding voice, “That old man named Wang in the villa next door looked down on me. I didn’t take it lying down, so I challenged him to a race.”

“How did he look down on you?”

Gu Pei let out a cold snort and raised his middle finger to the group. “He did this to me.”

Zheng Jingren’s face twisted into a mask of silent suffering. Old Man Wang probably just had a hand cramp; he flips off everyone he sees!

“So, who won?” Ji Xiting asked curiously.

Gu Pei: “…”

Shen Ruan walked in just then, followed by Zhen Jiankang carrying the ball. The athlete looked confused. “That Old Man Wang next door just flipped me off and said ‘to the victor go the spoils.’ He said he’s not paying for the wheelchair repairs. What’s that about?”

The group: “Sounds like a loss.”

Gu Pei was furious. “Dammit. My wheelchair wasn’t as advanced as his!” He added, “But it doesn’t matter. My new, custom-ordered, ultra-luxury variable-speed wheelchair arrives tonight. I’ll show him what’s what tomorrow.”

The group: …Whatever makes you happy.

True to his word, the wheelchair was delivered at dusk by his personal secretary. The group crowded around the shimmering gold contraption, marveling at the sight. It featured gear shifts, an accelerator, and manual brakes; it looked like a total violation of traffic safety laws.

“Is this even street legal?” Zheng Jingren asked skeptically.

Qin Zheng shook his head. “No.”

“How do you know?”

Qin Zheng pulled an instruction manual out of nowhere. It was a single page, concise and clear, with only one line of text: Please avoid the sight of traffic police during use.

“Crap, this is an illegal product! I’m reporting this,” Zheng Jingren said, reaching for his phone.

Qin Zheng slowly flipped the page over to show him the back. There was another line: For use in private gardens only; keep off public roads.

Zheng Jingren grabbed the manual and paced by the window with his phone, likely filing a report anyway.

“What are these?” Ji Xiting asked, pointing to two small flags standing on the back of the chair. They were gold with black lettering. The left one read Gu, and the right one read Pei. It was quite an intimidating sight.

Qin Zheng clapped. “With the two most dominant surnames guarding you, Uncle, you’re bound to win.”

Gu Pei gave a wicked grin. “Naturally.” He handed a “challenge letter” he’d prepared to his secretary to deliver to Old Man Wang, setting the rematch for 6:00 PM the next day.

The secretary returned quickly. “Boss, Old Man Wang has accepted. However, he has a few friends—other elderly neighbors—who also have wheelchairs and want to join the race.”

“Hmph,” Gu Pei scoffed. “He’s trying to overwhelm me with numbers. I’m not afraid.”

“I’ll let him know,” the secretary said professionally.

“Go.”

The secretary ran out again and returned moments later. “Boss, we have a consensus.”

“Good. You’re dismissed.”

As the secretary left, the “Big Boss” gave an enigmatic smile. The weather is getting cold; time for Old Man Wang’s wheelchair to go bust.

*****

【What a dedicated secretary!】

【Before I watched this show, I never expected to see a wheelchair race on a dating show.】

*****

Shen Ruan whispered, “Tomorrow is the first date. Will Mr. Gu be back in time for the race?”

“Six o’clock isn’t that early,” Si Wen noted. “A date shouldn’t take all day, anyway.”

Zhen Jiankang, spinning the basketball on his fingertip, chimed in casually, “If the conversation is good, they might not come back at all.”

Shen Ruan’s face turned scarlet instantly.

“Wow,” Ji Xiting and Qin Zheng applauded in unison. “The kid has big dreams.” Mostly dreams that didn’t involve paying a breach-of-contract fee.

Zhen Jiankang froze for a second before his neck turned as red as his face. He scrambled to explain, “No, no! I just have a big mouth! I didn’t mean we wouldn’t come back!”

“Ooooh~”

Utterly humiliated, Zhen Jiankang used the basketball to hide his face and fled upstairs. The others chatted for a bit longer before retreating to their own rooms.

Of course, some people “returned” to their rooms in name only, only to sneak out and knock on someone else’s door to set up a date for the morning. Others didn’t even bother knocking. They just walked right in to hijack a bed.

Ji Xiting sat on his bed, watching coldly as Qin Zheng locked the door, checked that the camera was covered, and then swaggered over to crawl under the covers. He even had the audacity to wrap his arms around Ji Xiting’s waist.

Don’t get angry, Ji Xiting told himself. Life is like a silent play; only your fists can do the talking!

He kicked at him. “Who are you? Did I give you permission to be in this bed?”

*****

【What! Someone is hijacking Ting-ge’s bed?! Little Qin, get over there!】

【Um… is it possible that the ‘Little Qin’ you’re talking about is the one doing the hijacking?】

【How could a puppy sleep without cuddling his brother? I’m crying.】

*****

Qin Zheng played dead.

“I’m counting to three. If you don’t let go, I’m screaming.” Ji Xiting narrowed his eyes. If the other guests saw Qin Zheng stubbornly clinging to his ex-boyfriend in the middle of the night, no one would ever pick him again. He didn’t believe Qin Zheng could be that thick-skinned.

Qin Zheng let out a loud, healthy huff. “Go ahead! Scream! Let everyone see how you just throw people away when you’re done with them!”

Heh. Ji Xiting let out a light scoff and promptly slapped a hand over Qin Zheng’s big mouth. The “Silly Dog” really was that thick-skinned!

Qin Zheng looked up at him, meeting his massive eye-roll. “Mmph, mmph~” He rubbed his head against Ji Xiting’s waist, a few strands of hair sticking up from static. He looked like a complete idiot.

Ji Xiting met him with a cold stare. Suddenly, his palm felt damp. He jerked his hand back in shock. “Did you just drool on me?!”

Qin Zheng let out a “howl” and lunged, pinning him sideways onto the bed and rubbing against him. Damn it, he really is a dog.

Against Qin Zheng’s massive frame, Ji Xiting’s strength was useless; he could only lie there and be “mauled.” If he wasn’t worried about the camera picking up the audio, he would have cursed Qin Zheng into the next century.

The blankets rustled loudly, punctuated by Ji Xiting’s muffled groans and Qin Zheng’s low chuckles. To the listeners, this “Cat-and-Dog Power Struggle” took on a very different flavor.

*****

【Yikes, my face is turning red.】

【Is it what I think it is?! Is this what a real couple looks like?!】

【Is this the legendary ‘rivals by day, lovers by night’?】

【Most reckless couple in the history of dating shows, hands down.】

****

Then again, no previous dating show had featured a real couple who shared a bed on night one and made… noises… on night two.

Ten minutes later, a completely exhausted Ji Xiting lay sprawled out, letting his energetic ex-boyfriend press a kiss into the side of his neck, leaving a faint red mark. He glanced at the camera. If it didn’t record the act, he shouldn’t have to pay the fine, right? Besides, a kiss on the neck was nothing. If a mosquito could do it, why couldn’t Qin Zheng?

Qin Zheng propped himself up, looking down at him with irregular breathing and eyes full of laughter. “Ting-ge, don’t date anyone else tomorrow.”

Ji Xiting arched an eyebrow. “Then who should I date?”

“Don’t play dumb.”

“Shen Ruan?”

“…Then I’m dating Si Wen,” Qin Zheng said coldly.

Ji Xiting scoffed. “Then I’ll date Si Wen too. Let’s see if he picks you or me.”

Qin Zheng’s face darkened as he rolled off him, turning his back to pout.

“Lights out,” Ji Xiting said, not indulging his attitude for a second.

Qin Zheng spun around to glare at him, only to see the back of a very proud head. “Fine! Lights out!” He reached out and slammed the switch for the ceiling light.

The room fell into pitch darkness, and the air went still. The audience was stunned. One minute they were all over each other, and the next, they were bickering again.

Not even a minute of silence had passed before the rustling started again. Ji Xiting felt that familiar chest press against his back—solid and comfortable.

“What now?” Ji Xiting asked tonelessly. “We’re rivals now.”

Qin Zheng whimpered as he nudged him. “So what? Who says rivals can’t cuddle while they sleep?”

Ji Xiting took a deep breath. “And tell me, is it ethically sound for a ‘rival’ to be hugging me while standing at full attention?”

Qin Zheng played dead.

“Stupid dog,” Ji Xiting muttered, closing his eyes.

Five minutes later, Ji Xiting opened his eyes again, speechless. He didn’t understand how someone could be this “energetic” every single day. He suspected Qin Zheng was doing it on purpose, cuddling him like this to imply he wanted to have his way with him.

But as a rock-solid “Number One,” Ji Xiting was never going to allow that to happen. Having someone target his backside was strictly prohibited; it was a matter of dignity for a “Big Top”!

Ji Xiting flipped over, deciding to face Qin Zheng head-on to deny him any opportunity to “imply” anything. Qin Zheng stiffened for a second before enthusiastically pulling him into a tight, seamless embrace.

Three minutes later, Ji Xiting was practically locked in a duel. Pushed past his limit, he kicked Qin Zheng. “Go to the bathroom and handle it yourself, dammit!”

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