Forced to Act out a Strange Script with a Rival - Chapter 53

The eerie blue light, like a fluid dream, steeped the space in mystery and tranquility. A massive circular fish tank stood tall, with countless transparent or faintly glowing jellyfish silently drifting within.

“Why do you like jellyfish?”

Li Ting, off-camera, seemed to let out a light chuckle, so soft it was almost drowned out by the sound of the water.

“Because they…” Her voice paused, as if searching for the right words, carrying a near-poetic ethereality and a sense of detachment from the world: “…have no heart, so there won’t be so many bothersome pulsations, they float freely, they won’t lose control… and finally dissolve quietly into the deep sea.”

As her words fell, the entire space seemed to sink into a deeper stillness.

Her tone was very calm, even somewhat indifferent and distant, vastly different from the gentle-sister persona she typically presented to the public. Yet, it was this immense contrast that magnetically drew the attention of every listener, making them want to tear away her tender facade.

[Heaven-Sent Immortal Product]: That sounds so philosophical, I’m uncultured and don’t understand it.

[I Say Ting 1 is 1]: Sister Ting is really amazing, a rare cultured person in the circle of nine-year compulsory education dropouts. She writes the lyrics for all her songs! My Ting 666!!

[Xiao 1 Ting 0]: Her answer about jellyfish is not surprising, actually. Jellyfish are transparent, seemingly fragile and easily broken, yet they can float silently in the deepest, darkest parts of the ocean, carrying their own light or poison. Sister Ting longs for that absolute tranquility unburdened by heartbeats, directly pointing to her deep-seated fear and avoidance of strong emotions and the restlessness of life, or “losing control.” Many of her songs actually express this peculiar personality.

[Big Boss, Bring Me Along]: The commenter above is a Big Boss, please say more (^▽^).

The camera remained steadily aimed at the dreamy jellyfish, but Si Xiaoxiao’s silence spread like a physical entity.

Although her specific expression couldn’t be seen on the screen, that intense hesitation and astonishment, like a huge rock thrown into a lake, sent clear ripples through the phone receiver to the thousands of viewers.

She seemed to be pinned in place by this cold, isolated, and even slightly morbid answer.

After several seconds, Si Xiaoxiao’s voice finally sounded again, with a kind of choked difficulty, and a hint of almost imperceptible… heartache?

“It feels so lonely…” she murmured, her voice soft as if afraid to disturb the floating spirits: “Even though there are so many jellyfish gathered together…”

She seemed unable to find the right words to describe the feeling, finally relying on instinct, with a bit of stubborn directness, she muffled her conclusion: “…I don’t like those explanations of yours.”

Although the camera was still in Si Xiaoxiao’s hand and pointed at the jellyfish, her hesitation and astonishment were transmitted through the phone receiver to the ears of thousands of viewers.

She didn’t quote scriptures or provide rational analysis; she simply used the most unadorned language, relying on the “idiot’s” animalistic intuition unique to Si Xiaoxiao, accurately piercing that profound solitude.

Li Ting seemed to let out a soft chuckle, her voice light, and she countered: “Then what do you like?”

Si Xiaoxiao, off-screen, seemed momentarily stunned by the question. As the one who initially posed the question, she hadn’t considered the answer herself.

So, she moved the camera, aiming it at various other marine creatures in the aquarium. The frame swept past colorful coral reefs and schools of fish, a family of amusingly clumsy clownfish, and a slow-moving seahorse mother.

“Clownfish? No… too noisy…” she muttered softly.

“Seahorse? No good… too dorky…” The camera swayed away again.

“Shark? Too fierce…”

“Dolphin? Too ordinary…”

She was like a golden retriever lost in a labyrinth of blue, holding her phone and looking around anxiously, eager to find an answer that could “defeat” the jellyfish.

Suddenly, the camera sharply paused, and then the screen spun around!

The perspective instantly switched to selfie mode!

Si Xiaoxiao’s dazzling face, bright enough to be almost scorching, abruptly filled the entire screen. The reflected blue light hitting her face did not diminish her radiance; instead, it seemed to drape a veil of mystery over her.

She gave a mischievous wink with her right eye to the camera, a standard wink, her lips curved into a bright yet slightly smug arc. Her voice was clear and sweet: “I like myself the best!”

[Little Treasure is the Best Treasure]: Ahhh! This woman is so good! Your little cutie suddenly appears!! She really is, so beautiful!!!

[Like Like Like Everything]: Hahahahaha, Xiaoxiao is so cute! Hahahahahahaha! So confident! So narcissistic! I love it! As expected of you!

“Are you a marine creature?” Li Ting did not appear on screen, but her voice was very clear, indicating the two were very close.

“I am…” The smile on Si Xiaoxiao’s screen grew even brighter, carrying an obvious, dazzling self-confidence. She slightly lifted her chin, like a peacock proudly displaying its tail, deliberately drawing out her tone, her eyes shining astonishingly: “A mermaid, of course.”

“I see.” Li Ting’s voice was even softer, almost a whisper, with a subtle hint of teasing: “Then I won’t choose the jellyfish.”

“Huh?” Si Xiaoxiao subconsciously let out a single syllable of confusion, her beautiful cat-like eyes slightly widened.

“Then I choose the mermaid.” Li Ting added: “I want to keep my mermaid in my fish tank, accompanying me every day and singing for me.”

The camera suddenly shook, and the view instantly switched from selfie mode back to shooting mode.

“Oh, where is the mermaid? I didn’t find one.” Si Xiaoxiao aimed at the fish swimming in the aquarium, completely playing dumb.

And Li Ting expressed agreement, her tone full of the amusement of teasing a big puppy: “Mhm, right, where is my mermaid after all?”

“You! Scoundrel!” Si Xiaoxiao finally completely broke character, her gritting-teeth sound transmitted through the camera, filled with the humiliation of being manipulated.

Although the camera wasn’t focused on her, the audience could almost see her appearance through the screen: she must have started performing her human-made pufferfish imitation, her cheeks all puffed up.

“Mermaids wouldn’t like you! Go like a big sea turtle instead!”

The camera shook violently, accompanied by Si Xiaoxiao’s clearly “mortified” huff. The frame zeroed in on a giant green sea turtle slowly gliding along the nearby glass, as if silently accusing Li Ting of her “vile behavior.”

Li Ting’s voice carried a hint of imperceptible laughter, so faint, yet like a feather lightly tickling the listeners’ nerves: “Oh? Is that so? What a pity.”

[Shipped to Death]: Ahhhh! Sister Ting, you’ve learned bad habits! Who taught you this subtle art of flirting! That “pity” makes me lose it! So jiejie (older sister), who can refuse an older sister like this!!

[I Say Ting 1 is 1]: Did you see that! Did you see that! Who said Sister Ting is a 0! This control! This effortless teasing! Sister is A-MAX!

[Heaven-Sent Immortal Product]: Help… who is this photographer? It’s my Xiao, then never mind, why won’t you let me see their expressions!! Darn it… this atmosphere, so shippable.

[Just Love Shipping Love-Hate]: Isn’t this getting a bit too much like marketing?

Si Xiaoxiao didn’t reply again, but the camera’s moving speed noticeably quickened, carrying a hint of “fleeing in panic.”

Holding her phone, she hurried through the eerie blue light and shadows. The camera swept past colorful coral reefs, schools of clownfish, oddly shaped lionfish… yet those magnificent sights seemed no longer able to capture her full attention. She always hastily moved past, as if searching for something.

Occasionally, Li Ting’s figure would be captured at the edge of the frame, but Si Xiaoxiao would quickly move the camera away.

Of course, she would occasionally switch to selfie mode to spoil her fans, but most of the time the camera focused on the aquarium scenery.

[Sister Ting is Slaying]: Heh, it’s crystal clear who loves whom. Sister Ting’s camera is all Xiaoxiao, but Xiaoxiao’s camera is all scenery! Unrequited love is a person’s frantic chaos; my heart aches for my Ting.

As soon as this comment appeared, the thread below was flooded with phrases like “Unrequited love is a person’s frantic chaos,” and “Sister Ting is a love maniac.”

Among CP fans, not everyone can maintain a perfect balance and view the two equally; many fans still have preferences. After a group of fans who lean towards Ting came out to bubble, fans who lean towards Xiao also started to emerge.

[Xiao 1’s Flag Will Never Fall]: Nonsense! Our Xiaoxiao is just being tsundere and shy. The nianxia (younger one) just can’t hide her little thoughts. Look, every time she sees something, she immediately looks for Ting. Every time she bickers with her jiejie, she loses, but still provokes her. If that’s not love, what is it!!

[Xiao Bao Xiao Bao Mama’s Baby]: Exactly, exactly!! Our Xiaoxiao really loves in such a humble way!!

A group of Xiao-biased CP fans started to agree, and the two sides entered a mixed battle.

Wen Xiuzhen noticed the argument in the group chat, felt a bit helpless, sighed, and silenced everyone for one minute. After the silence ended, she tossed ten red packets into the group.

The fight immediately stopped, everyone turned their weapons into gifts of jade and silk, forming a united front, and started posting “Thank you, Boss.”

Afterward, the conversation between Si Xiaoxiao and Li Ting continued to be whimsical. Although the visuals mostly landed on various marine creatures, only their voices could be heard—teasing, bickering, or occasionally falling silent.

However, this state of “hearing only their voices and not seeing the people” was like being separated by a veil, making it even more provocative and stimulating the audience’s infinite imagination.

What were they looking at? What were their expressions? How close were they to each other?

Every blurry scene sketched out by their voices made people incredibly curious and full of the desire to explore.

Finally, at the exit of the aquarium, the two were lucky enough to bump into a fan.

The fan was thrilled to learn they were filming a VLOG and was practically jumping for joy. Ultimately, at the fan’s special request, this aquarium trip concluded with a photo of the two of them.

In the picture, Si Xiaoxiao’s smile was bright, confident, and flamboyant as always, every gesture radiating the aura of a big star. Standing beside her, Li Ting’s lips held an extremely faint yet utterly genuine curve, her eyes appearing exceptionally deep and gentle in the sunset.

The eerie blue aquarium became the blurred and dreamy backdrop behind them.

The screen switched, and text popped up: Next Stop, the Planetarium!

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