After Marrying the Villain with Seven Personalities [Transmigration into a Book]) - Chapter 36

Shi Ji stood up and pulled Xu Linqiu off the plane.

Hot Spring Island lived up to its name. As soon as they stepped off the flight, a warm breeze swept over them, carrying the faint scent of fresh grass. Above them, the sky was a brilliant azure, inlaid with fluffy white clouds.

“It’s so beautiful here~” “It really is~”

Exclamations of wonder came from behind them. Shi Ji was about to turn around and have another round of arguments with those two women, but Xu Linqiu caught her hand. Xu shook her head, her face wearing a rare look of seriousness that radiated a sudden, inexplicable coldness.

Shi Ji felt a chill run down her spine and immediately turned her head back.

My goodness, she thought, Linqiu is genuinely angry. It looks like I won’t even need to lift a finger—those two women are destined to be finished on this show.

However, to their surprise, before the director could cue the next step of the process, he suddenly called out to Zhu Qinwan and Qian Yiyi.

“Ms. Zhu, due to some unfortunate news we’ve just received, we need to re-negotiate the terms of your contract immediately.”

What unfortunate news could there be? Zhu Qinwan and Qian Yiyi exchanged a confused glance, but unable to refuse, they stepped out of the camera’s frame and left with the director.

Xu Linqiu watched them walk away. Beside her, Shi Ji couldn’t hide her glee, smiling mischievously as she prodded Mu Yi for gossip. “Is there some huge scandal?”

Mu Yi merely cleared his throat and replied, “I’ll have the staff take you to Jiuheng Hotel for lunch first. The program has run into some temporary issues that need to be sorted out.”

“Are we still livestreaming this?” Shi Ji pointed at the cameras.

“Of course.”

Soon, the two were taken to the legendary Jiuheng Hotel. The cameras filmed from a distance, too far to capture their voices, and the staff presence had diminished significantly.

Without the other women there to put on an act, Xu Linqiu’s mood improved considerably. Especially when the waiter brought out plates of local specialties, the corners of her lips curled up visibly.

“I told you, coming to this show is like a vacation,” Shi Ji said, picking up her chopsticks. When she tasted the delicacies, she was over the moon. “Bikini beaches, hot springs, big feasts—just thinking about it makes me happy.”

Xu Linqiu, however, put down her chopsticks and sighed sentimentally. “Sigh, I miss Qingqing.”

“Are you… out of your mind?” Shi Ji swallowed back a curse and replaced it with a fake smile. “Don’t you find dealing with all those personalities exhausting and troublesome?”

Xu Linqiu laughed. “I think it’s interesting and exciting.”

However, she had made a vow last night: from now on, she would remain “chaste” for Qingqing’s sake.

Shi Ji fell silent for a few seconds, completely unable to comprehend Xu’s logic. She labeled her a “love-brain” in her mind and changed the subject. “Did you get any useful information last night?”

“I basically know now.” Xu Linqiu picked up her chopsticks again and looked down as she flaked some fish. Her expression turned slightly somber. “I made a bet with ‘Xiao Lü’ (Little Green), and I coaxed her into telling me how she was born.”

As Shi Ji ate and listened, Xu continued, “She said she was born because Yi Chenqing lost her sense of self while dating the person she used to love. That’s why the ‘self-loving’ personality was created.”

“So, my guess is that she cared too much about her first love, and after they left, she developed this condition.”

“Oh, please, you believe that nonsense? Dating?” Shi Ji said while chewing. “She looks like she’s been single since birth. Remember that story about getting married and being cheated on? Or being an Emperor?”

“No.” Xu Linqiu looked at her, very serious. “I think this time, it’s the truth.”

Shi Ji stopped eating and asked, “When did she date them? And when did the first love leave?”

“High school… around senior year. I don’t know when they left, only that they supposedly look a lot like me.”

Shi Ji: “…”

Good heavens, she thought, it’s literally you. She complained inwardly, unable to look at Xu Linqiu’s oblivious face, and thought seriously for a moment.

Dating in senior year… losing her sense of self… why did that sound so familiar? If only she still had the original plot script, she might find clues. Unfortunately, she had tossed it away when Linqiu was about to go abroad.

Shi Ji sighed, too lazy to think further. She put some food on Xu’s plate and urged her to eat. “Why think so much? As long as she doesn’t turn into a complete psychopath, there’s still a chance to fix it. Just take it slow.”

Xu Linqiu: “…” “True.”

In the distance, the two chatted and ate, even picking up food for each other. Even without sound, the livestream was exceptionally harmonious, with only the occasional comment popping up.

[Commenter 1]: Are there still this many people here? Isn’t anyone going to check the drama? The tea about Zhu Qinwan and the other one has exploded. Their fanbases are undergoing a total mudslide.

[Commenter 2]: What’s there to see? One was caught two-timing with multiple guys, her “pure” persona is dead. The other was a deadbeat before debut and has a “sugar daddy.” You guys act like you’ve never seen the world. They were just obscure starlets anyway; it’s normal for them to collapse. It’s not as fun as watching “Qiu-Ji” eat.

[Commenter 3]: Big news! The production team terminated their contracts! Now it’s officially a dating show. Yay!

[Commenter 4]: Keep dreaming. How can they film a show with only two guests? The official Elites account is recruiting guests online right now (facepalm).

[Commenter 5]: Just don’t bring in two more like Zhu and Qian!

[Commenter 6]: This show has had so many disasters right at the start; it probably won’t be a hit.

After lunch, Mu Yi had disappeared to parts unknown. Shi Ji tentatively asked the staff, who mysteriously told her to check the trending searches.

Xu Linqiu quickly opened her phone. When she saw the entire trending page was filled with contract termination news, she understood.

“They went down that fast?” Shi Ji clicked on the top search, suppressed a gloating smile, and pulled Xu Linqiu outside for a stroll. “Looks like we’ve got some waiting to do.” “Yeah.”

At 4:00 PM, the two were recalled by the production team and returned to the island’s airport. As they stood waiting, the cabin door opened, and a slender figure stepped out first.

Wearing black high heels, a V-neck dress, and a long white suit jacket, the woman’s exquisite makeup and friendly smile were dazzling under the sun. At first, Shi Ji thought Xu Linqiu had somehow gotten back on the plane, but a closer look revealed it was Yu Shu.

A sense of foreboding rose in her heart. Sure enough, as Yu Shu took two steps down, Xu Judong poked her head out from behind. Dressed in athletic wear with a high ponytail, her almond eyes lit up the moment she saw Xu Linqiu.

Xu Linqiu was surprised for only an instant before smiling and waving at her. Xu Judong hurried down the steps, but frustrated by Yu Shu’s slow pace, she glared at Yu Shu’s back.

Shi Ji felt like her perfect vacation was about to go up in smoke. Thinking about the secret she overheard while swiping at mosquitoes that night gave her a headache. She couldn’t help but look at the “instigator”—obviously, the female lead and the supporting actress had come for Linqiu.

The oblivious Xu Linqiu had already run over and naturally hugged Xu Judong. “Why are you here?”

“Sister Tan said I’ve been too tired lately and told me to join a variety show to relax.” “That’s good.”

The atmosphere between them was harmonious. Yu Shu, while still wearing a smile, clearly looked a bit off. Then, Xu Judong pulled Xu Linqiu closer, gathered her courage, and whispered in her ear: “Sister, did you really marry Sister Chenqing just because of her illness?”

Just as the last word fell and Xu Linqiu was about to answer, a sudden gust of wind swept by, blowing their hair wild. Everyone’s attention was drawn to the source: a helicopter that had just landed nearby.

The cabin opened, and Yi Chenqing stepped down, wearing a navy blue suit and trousers. Her long black hair was neatly tucked behind her ears. Her small heels hit the ground, and she seemed to walk with a literal aura of power. One might mistake her for a high-level corporate mogul on an official business trip.

She looked over casually with a cold expression, her gaze lingering on Xu Linqiu for an extra few seconds. Behind her, Yi Yanbai was much more low-profile, wearing a white shirt and a casual light trench coat, carrying a small suitcase. Her height advantage was obvious; following Yi Chenqing, her long legs made her look like a debutante model trailing her boss.

The assistant still on the plane scrambled down with a suitcase, catching up to Yi Chenqing and breaking her majestic aura. “President, you were too excited; you forgot your luggage!”

Yi Chenqing gave him a look, snatched the luggage, and continued walking toward the group. Xu Linqiu’s eyes curved into crescents, her good mood obvious. Shi Ji, however, felt like her soul had left her body. As the only person who truly understood the situation, she felt like she was in for a rough three days.

Once everyone was within camera range, the director spoke: “Due to special circumstances, the guest lineup has changed, but it is now finalized. We’ve lost quite a bit of time, so I won’t waste words. I’ll give a brief introduction.”

“We didn’t invite you here just to play. We want you to share your career stories or interesting life anecdotes. You should communicate more and get to know each other.”

“Director,” Shi Ji raised her hand. “We basically all live in the same neighborhood. There’s nothing to ‘get to know’.” So please let us separate.

“Director,” Yu Shu glanced at Shi Ji and added, “I don’t live in the same neighborhood, but we did go to the same high school. We all know each other.”

Director: “…” He cleared his throat and changed the subject, waving at the staff. “Fine. Let’s move to the next segment.”

Staff members brought out a table with a large tablet connected to the livestream screen. The director explained, “For these three days and two nights, you cannot bring anything except a change of clothes. As for daily necessities, food, and sleeping arrangements, the production team will not provide them directly. You must earn them yourselves.”

“The way to earn them is through these cards.” The director held up three different colored cards labeled A, B, and C. “Each card grants different levels of items. Three C-cards can be traded for one B-card; two B-cards can be traded for one A-card. The tablet shows what you can redeem.”

“To get the cards, you must find them. Our staff has hidden them throughout the island’s ‘Exploration Forest’.”

“Additionally, there is a special rule: you cannot sleep in any hotel or guesthouse on the island. you must undergo wilderness survival…”

“What? Wilderness survival?” Shi Ji couldn’t help but interrupt, frowning. “But it’s already late. We still have to go look for cards?”

“Since it’s late due to today’s emergencies, we’ve added a temporary task to ensure you get a good night’s sleep.” The director smiled.

Before they could speak, he continued, “The new task is: for every ‘honor’ or achievement you can name from your past—no matter how big or small—you will receive one C-card.”

What an old fox, thought the group. This was a way to squeeze professional details and achievements out of the guests to create viral “highlights” for the show.

But it did seem fun. Xu Linqiu nudged closer to Yi Chenqing and smiled at her. “The honors of President Yi alone should be enough to support all of us, right?”

Yi Chenqing met her eyes and gave a slight nod. “As long as the director doesn’t play dirty.”

Director: “…”

Hearing this, Shi Ji let out a massive sigh of relief. What a trashy show, she thought. She had wanted bikinis and hot springs, but at least these people were the “elite among elites.” As long as she followed them, she wouldn’t starve.