In a Survival Variety Show, My Lookalike Rival and I Got a Happy Ending - Chapter 13

Chapter 13

“Good morning, teachers!”

Five pairs of world-weary eyes stared in unison at the PD’s brilliant smile.

“After yesterday’s adjustment period, I believe everyone has adapted to this roommate mode! To help you build better chemistry and deepen your understanding of each other, we have specially arranged two light and pleasant little games today!”

[Hahahaha, I’m dying. Everyone’s expression says ‘I want to die.’] [A world where only the PD is smiling has been born.] [Here she comes again, back with her wicked ideas.] [Production Team: What adjustment? We’re only here for the chaos!] [The distance between Bai and Song is exaggerated… Look at the seating: Bai Qin/Jiang/PD   Ximen Song. Hahaha, Bai/Song, is there something on your mind?] [You could fit a whole galaxy between Bai and Song, hahahaha.]

“Today’s games are very simple! Relax, teachers!”

As soon as the PD finished speaking, staff members brought out several large boxes. Qin Sijing had a bad feeling. “What wicked game is it this time?”

[Sister Qin, hahahahahaha!] [Sister Qin really says what’s on her mind!] [I love it!!! Hurry up and fight!!!!]

Once the props were in place, the PD’s eyes gleamed with a mischievous glint. “Ahem, the first game—Blindfolded Teammate Identification! The rules are simple: the five teachers must be blindfolded and identify their teammate solely by touching hands! A correct guess earns 2 survival points; a wrong guess earns a penalty!”

[Touching hands??? The show is playing for high stakes.] [Is this something I can watch without paying?] [Evil production team!!! Haven’t you had enough?!!! Please let Ruo be unique.]

“The second game Scent of a Woman!” The PD couldn’t help but laugh while reading the title. “The team has prepared personal items used by each teacher. Teachers must be blindfolded and find their teammate’s item. This difficulty level is very high!”

[Scent of what?] [So wicked hahahaha, I love it!!! Hurry up.] [Ximen doesn’t have a teammate, what now? Poor Ximen, neglected again.]

“We’ll draw lots to decide the order, just like before!” The PD expertly brought out the drawing box. The order appeared on the big screen:

Bai & Song

Qin & Jiang

Ximen x PD

[?? Starting with a nuclear bomb??] [Poor Ximen has to play with the PD hahahaha.] [Gosh, Bai Qi’s face is so cold.]

“Next, please have our first pair, Bai & Song, come up for the game!”

The air froze instantly. Bai Qi remained silent, her face cold as she put on the blindfold. The other four teachers placed their hands into boxes, waiting for Bai Qi to identify her teammate. Song Yitong happened to be standing at the first box.

Bai Qi reached into the first box; her fingertips brushed the hand inside. She was too familiar with it; she recognized Song Yitong’s hand instantly. After two seconds of silence, she said, “I don’t know.”

[????? Bai Qi, you…] [How could Bai Qi not recognize it? You’ve held that hand eight hundred times!!!] [She’s definitely doing it on purpose…] [Song Yitong’s eyes look so disappointed…] [Bai Qi only touched it for a second before pulling away. Is there that much hate?]

The PD bit the bullet. “Teacher Bai, are you sure you don’t know whose hand that is?”

“I don’t know,” Bai Qi said. “Is it Teacher Jiang?”

“Incorrect.” The PD guided Bai Qi to remove her blindfold. Upon seeing Song Yitong standing before her, Bai Qi’s face darkened further.

Next was Song Yitong’s turn to guess. She lightly touched the hands in all five boxes, finally stopping at the last one.

[Ahhh, did Sister Song recognize Bai Qi? (That’s a rhetorical question.)]

Song Yitong hesitated, then asked softly, “…Is it Teacher Ximen?”

Bai Qi froze for a second, then pulled her hand out with a black expression.

[?????? Are you two battling?] [Help!! Are these two just hurting each other?] [So much drama ahhhhhhh!] [Look!! Qin, Jiang, and Ximen’s expressions are gold hahahaha, eating popcorn in real-time.]

The PD’s back was nearly soaked with sweat. She wiped her forehead and continued to control the room. “The Bai-Song team missed both. Next up, Teacher Qin and Teacher Jiang!”

The bullet comments began to boil.

[Qin Sijing definitely won’t recognize Jiang Xunruo’s hand!!!] [Hahaha, so exciting!!!!]

Qin Sijing put on the blindfold. Everything was pitch black. She had only held Jiang Xunruo’s hand once; how could she recognize it? With a “whatever” attitude, she reached into the second box and froze.

This hand was slender, the skin delicate. More importantly, Qin Sijing heard her own heartbeat.

“…Jiang Xunruo?” Qin Sijing didn’t know why that name blurted out of her mouth.

The PD asked in an exaggerated tone, “Teacher Qin, are you sure? Are you certain this is your teammate Teacher Jiang’s hand?”

“I’m sure.”

Qin Sijing hadn’t been that certain, but she felt the hand in the second box lightly squeeze her fingertips back. Was she giving her a hint?

“Wow! Wow! Congratulations, Teacher Qin got it right!!!” the PD cheered.

[Why is this kind of sweet…] [Jiang Xunruo is too good at this!!! She squeezed back, I’m shipping it ahhhh.] [Sister Qin, go wash your hands with sanitizer immediately!!!]

Next was Jiang Xunruo’s turn to guess. Qin Sijing stood at the first box and obediently held out her hand. Jiang Xunruo cradled the hand, touching it lightly. As if confirming something, she lingered for a long time, her fingers tracing Qin Sijing’s knuckles slowly. Qin Sijing was stunned.

The movements were light, even gentle. But why was she touching her for so long? Qin Sijing felt her ears getting hotter and hotter.

[??? Wait, are Qin’s ears red?] [Is Qin this innocent…]

Qin Sijing tried to pull her hand back, but Jiang Xunruo held on, refusing to let go. “It’s Teacher Qin’s hand,” Jiang Xunruo said with a smile in her voice.

The PD was dumbfounded. Where did this chemistry come from?

“Teacher Jiang, are you sure?”

“It’s Teacher Qin’s hand,” Jiang Xunruo repeated, then removed her blindfold.

Qin Sijing: “…”

…

The game quickly moved to the next segment: Scent of a Woman. A staff member pushed out a cart with five small baskets covered in cloth, each containing a personal item from the teachers.

Bai Qi and Song Yitong went first. Bai Qi, blindfolded, smelled a tissue with a faint citrus scent. Her expression froze for two seconds.

“…Song Yitong.”

[???? Not pretending to be strangers this time?]

Bai Qi and Song Yitong each correctly identified the other’s items. Next were Qin Sijing and Jiang Xunruo. Qin Sijing leaned in to smell the baskets one by one. The fifth basket had a faint coconut scent, mixed with the clean smell of sun-dried clothes. It was different from any perfume she knew.

This was a total freebie! Qin Sijing said confidently, “Teacher Jiang’s!”

The PD cheered, “Correct!!”

Jiang Xunruo smiled tenderly. “Teacher Qin remembers my scent?”

Qin Sijing stammered, “…It’s just a very unique scent.”

[Who can handle Jiang Xunruo asking that? Ahhhh!] [What is this ambiguous dialogue!! This is definitely a dating show!!!]

Then it was Jiang Xunruo’s turn. Qin Sijing’s item was easy to guess—she liked cool, crisp fragrances. Jiang Xunruo guessed it instantly. The PD gossiped, “Wow, how did Teacher Jiang guess?”

“I smelled it when we were close last time,” Jiang Xunruo replied after a serious thought.

[??? Jiang Xunruo, what are you saying? Ahhhhh!] [When you were close? Like when you slept together at night? (No)]

“The game segment is over! Congratulations to the Qin-Jiang team for taking first place! Each gets 4 survival points! Ximen gets 4, and the Bai-Song team gets 2 each!”

“The penalty is taking charge of tonight’s dinner for the guests!!!”

Ximen led the applause. “Yay!” Bai & Song: “…”

“Next is the audience Q&A session! We will randomly select questions from viewers for the five teachers to answer!”

The PD pulled out her phone. The first question was from a user named Did Qin/Jiang Get Married Today: “Teacher Qin, Teacher Jiang, after spending this time together, has your view of each other changed? If so, what is the biggest change?”

Qin Sijing took the microphone, glanced at the gently smiling Jiang Xunruo, and chose her words carefully: “There’s a change. I think Teacher Jiang is a very resilient person and someone who takes good care of others.”

Jiang Xunruo took the mic. “Teacher Qin is different from what I thought. She looks very strong and assertive, but she is actually very gentle and cute.”

[??? Cute?? Gentle?? Jiang Xunruo, you…] [Gentle? What kind of filter do you have on Qin Sijing!!]

The second question was for Did Bai/Song Remarry: “Teacher Bai, Teacher Song, if you had to choose one teammate to spend the rest of your life with on a deserted island, would you choose each other?”

The temperature in the room dropped instantly. Bai Qi said coldly without thinking: “No.”

Song Yitong smoothed her hair, trying to look calm. She smiled at the camera. “That… depends on the situation.” They both stared at the lens, not moving an inch.

The third question: “What do you want to complain about most regarding the production team?”

The atmosphere lightened. Qin Sijing: “The team is too wicked.” Jiang Xunruo: “The team always has unexpected ‘program effects.'” Bai Qi: “Everything deserves a complaint.” Ximen: “I think it’s okay, just the food is a bit simple. Sorry, PD!”

The final question: “If you had to choose one person among the other four teachers to be stranded on a deserted island with, who would you choose and why?”

The PD enthusiastically handed out paper and pens. “Come, come! Teachers, write down your answers, and I’ll announce them to our dear audience shortly!”