In a Survival Variety Show, My Lookalike Rival and I Got a Happy Ending - Chapter 14
Chapter 14
Time was up.
The PD shook the slips of paper in her hand and announced excitedly, “All five teachers have written down their answers. Now is the moment of revelation!”
The first to be announced was Ximen Ling’s choice.
“Teacher Ximen chose Teacher Jiang!” The PD displayed Ximen Ling’s note to the camera.
The lens immediately cut back and forth between Ximen Ling and Jiang Xunruo. Ximen Ling looked a bit embarrassed, her smile exceptionally shy.
“Because Teacher Jiang is very gentle, and I think she’s very meticulous when it comes to wilderness survival. Being with her would make me feel very at ease.”
The PD immediately started teasing, “Wow! Teacher Ximen has a very high opinion of Teacher Jiang!”
Jiang Xunruo maintained a proper smile. “Thank you, Teacher Ximen, you flatter me. I think Teacher Ximen is very reliable and a great teammate.” Ximen Ling’s face grew redder by the second.
[My LingRuo heart! Ahhhh!] [Ximen is so in love!!!] [It’s just professional mutual praise, why ship this?]
Second were the choices of Bai Qi and Song Yitong.
The PD unfolded the papers, and for a moment, nearly forgot to manage her expression. “…Both teachers chose Teacher Ximen?”
A subtle silence fell over the scene. Ximen Ling was stunned, pointing at herself. “Me? Me?”
Bai Qi faced the camera expressionlessly. “I think Teacher Ximen is quite good. Yeah, that’s it.”
Song Yitong gave Ximen Ling a gentle smile. “To me, Teacher Ximen is an ideal teammate.”
Ximen Ling: ??? She stared wide-eyed, a shocked “what did I do to deserve this” expression on her face.
[Ximen Ling: Suddenly the most popular person here?] [Bai & Song, do you even have to choose the same person to avoid choosing each other…] [Even when they hate each other this much, they still make the same choice. This chemistry, ahhhh!]
Third was Qin Sijing’s choice.
The PD unfolded the paper and arched her eyebrows. “Wa—oh! Teacher Qin also chose Teacher Ximen?”
Ximen Ling: ???
Qin Sijing looked like it was the most natural thing in the world. Choosing Bai Qi or Song Yitong would be too awkward (KY), and choosing Jiang Xunruo… felt a bit strange. “Teacher Ximen has strong abilities and would be a great teammate for island survival.”
[Is Qin throwing shade at Jiang?] [Barf! She’s totally implying Ruo is a burden! Barf!]
[Can Jiang fans stop looking for drama? Which word of Qin mentioned your sister?]
Ximen Ling was completely dazed. “Am I… that popular?”
The PD stifled a laugh. “It seems Teacher Ximen is the ‘Best Teammate’ of this survival trip! Alright, finally, let’s reveal Teacher Jiang’s choice!”
The camera started cutting rapidly between Jiang Xunruo, Ximen Ling, and Qin Sijing.
[This camera work is so wicked ahhhh!] [Jiang has such a high EQ, she definitely chose Ximen!] [I just hope Ruo didn’t choose her…]
Ximen Ling and Qin Sijing sat up straight, both instinctively looking at Jiang Xunruo. The PD took a deep breath and slowly unfolded the paper.
The next second, the PD: ???
The camera cut to a close-up of the PD’s face. Her expression shifted from confusion to gossip, finally settling into a wicked grin.
“Teacher Jiang’s choice is—”
The PD paused intentionally, turning the paper to the camera. The close-up was crystal clear. Written there was: Qin Sijing.
The whole world went quiet.
[Ahhhh your solo-fan prayers were answered again ^ω^] [Scripted! It must be a script!] [Is Qin going to say anything?!]
Qin Sijing blinked, almost doubting her own eyes. She nearly pointed at herself. Me? Me?
The camera briefly caught Ximen Ling; a flash of disappointment crossed her eyes before she immediately adjusted back to a bright, sunny expression.
The PD, looking mischievous, couldn’t wait to shove the mic toward Jiang Xunruo. “Teacher Jiang! May I ask why you chose Teacher Qin?”
Jiang Xunruo paused. Her expression remained calm and gentle, as if she wasn’t the one who had just caused this earthquake.
“I chose Teacher Qin because, during this time, I’ve discovered many different sides to her. Our previous team-up had results that weren’t quite ideal, but I saw Teacher Qin’s persistence and tenderness. That’s why we were able to work together to take the MVP.” She paused, her lips curving up. “If I were stranded on a deserted island, I think Teacher Qin would be a very good teammate to fight side-by-side with. So, I choose Teacher Qin.”
Qin Sijing’s brain was a mess. What? I only heard the words ‘side-by-side.’
…
“It seems Teacher Jiang observes Teacher Qin very closely! Alright, the lighthearted segment is over! Next, we announce the first major team mission!”
The big screen showed a pair of twin islands separated by a strait. The Rules: The five teachers would be dropped on Moon Island. They must work together to cross the island to the coastline, then use supplies exchanged with points and resources found on the island to build a raft. They must cross the strait to reach the survival base on Sun Island. Success adds 10 survival points to everyone.
The PD’s voiceover continued: “This mission is arduous and requires strong teamwork. Therefore, we need to elect a Captain from among the five of you!”
The votes were collected:
- Ximen Ling: 2 votes (From Song Yitong, Qin Sijing)
- Jiang Xunruo: 1 vote (From Ximen Ling)
- Qin Sijing: 2 votes (From Bai Qi, Jiang Xunruo)
The world went quiet again. The PD’s mouth dropped open. “Wow! Teacher Qin and Teacher Ximen are tied!”
[Jiang, look at you choosing her again.] [What kind of spell did Qin Sijing cast on Ruo?] [The person who wants to hype the couple isn’t even hiding it, barf!]
The PD rubbed her hands. “According to the rules, the two tied candidates need to undergo two rounds of battle. The final captain will be determined by real-time voting from the staff and live-stream viewers!”
Round 1: Decision-Making. The Scenario: Your team is at the coast. A raft frame is ready, but waterproof tarps aren’t finished. Radar shows a strong gale in 3 hours that will last for 6 hours. What do you do?
Ximen Ling answered: “I would wait for the storm to pass. Forcing a crossing without a finished raft is too risky. Safety first.” The consultant gave her an 8.5.
Qin Sijing answered: “As captain, I would choose to cross. Three hours is enough to finish the raft. Waiting means camping on the coast for 9 hours. If the storm brings high tides or heavy rain, the team will be in more danger. In the wild, taking the initiative to break through a risk is sometimes safer than passive waiting.” The consultant gave her an 8.7.
Round 2: Physical/Logistics. Moving heavy supplies to a destination. Ximen Ling used three trips and finished in 3 minutes.
When it was Qin Sijing’s turn, she didn’t run immediately. She bundled all the supplies together with rope into one giant package and dragged it.
[Wait, is this even possible?] [The rope is going to tear her palms apart…]
Dragging saved time but was grueling. Qin Sijing looked up and met Jiang Xunruo’s gaze. Jiang was standing now, watching her silently. She didn’t cheer or rush her. But for some reason, a sudden thought popped into Qin Sijing’s head: I want to win.
She gritted her teeth, ignored the searing pain in her palms, and dragged the rope to the finish line. Final time: 3 minutes a tie with Ximen.
The PD announced: “The battles are over! The voting channel is open!”
When the results came out, the PD’s eyes lit up. “Wow! Teacher Qin wins!!! Congratulations to Teacher Qin, our Captain for this mission!”
Thunderous applause broke out. Qin Sijing smoothed her messy hair, her face full of unconcealed spirit. She should have been enjoying this, but when her eyes met Jiang Xunruo’s, her heart skipped a beat.
A thought she had never considered crashed into her mind. She had been sharper, stronger, and more desperate to win today than usual.
Why? Was it because of what Jiang Xunruo said that she was a teammate to “fight side-by-side” with? Was it because Jiang was watching her?
Did she… care that much about what Jiang thought?
Amidst the applause and the gaze of Jiang Xunruo, Qin Sijing felt, for the first time, a panic that bordered on embarrassment.
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