In a Survival Variety Show, My Lookalike Rival and I Got a Happy Ending - Chapter 19

Chapter 19

“Good morning, teachers!”

The PD’s voice blared through the megaphone, sounding exceptionally loud against the sea breeze.

“Since our team currently has two ‘disabled’ members, in order to keep the show on schedule, we have carefully planned the Three-Person Extreme Survival Challenge!”

Qin Sijing, leaning on crutches, sat side-by-side with Song Yitong, whose fever had just broken and whose face was still pale. Both of them wore expressions of synchronized despair.

Ximen Ling blinked. “Three people?”

“That’s right! Teacher Jiang, Teacher Bai, and Teacher Ximen the three of you will have three hours to hunt and fish within the boundaries of Moon Island. Rankings will be determined by the weight of your harvest!”

The PD then turned to Qin Sijing and Song Yitong with a plan already mapped out. “As for Teacher Qin and Teacher Song, you will serve as the hosts and commentators for this challenge!”

Qin Sijing: ???

Song Yitong: ???

“PD, wait,” Qin Sijing interjected, “you’re making me a host?”

Song Yitong, wrapped in a blanket, gave a polite smile to the camera but said nothing.

“Oh, it’s all for the team!” The PD wore a ‘look how thoughtful I am’ expression. “Your legs may be hindered, but your wisdom remains. Plus, you get a front-row seat to your teammates’ heroic efforts. Isn’t that great?”

The bullet-chat exploded instantly.

[??????????]

[PD, you’re so sharp!]

[Making the one with the broken leg a host? And the one with the fever is a commentator? You guys are truly wicked!]

[Hahaha, ‘making the most of every resource’ the production team really understands that.]

[Captain Qin transformed into Host Qin? Sister Tong transformed into a Commentator Song?]

…

Qin Sijing and Song Yitong exchanged a look, reading the same hopelessness in each other’s eyes.

“Fine,” Qin Sijing took the microphone from the PD. “What are the rules?”

“The rules are simple. Each person fights for themselves. You can use basic tools like spears, gathering nets, whatever. Weigh-in is in three hours!” The PD cleared her throat, revealing her trademark ‘I know I’m wicked’ smile. “The rewards or punishments are divided into three tiers!”

A bad premonition washed over the group.

“Third Place will receive the ‘Seafood Processing Master’ package! Meaning, you have to help clean and prepare all the seafood caught by everyone!”

“Second Place will be assigned the ‘Team Mediator’ task. During tonight’s campfire dinner, you must get the two teammates with the most awkward relationship to maintain eye contact for over five seconds and complete three sentences of dialogue.”

The gaze of everyone present instinctively shifted to Bai Qi and Song Yitong.

Bai & Song: ???

[The ‘most awkward relationship’… PD, you might as well just say Bai and Song’s names!]

[Oh my god, this is so much drama, I’m dying.]

[This mission is 10,000 times harder than fishing! It’d be easier to just quit the show!]

“As for First Place, you will gain the right to distribute tonight’s dinner! You decide the portions and the seating arrangement!”

“Alright! The rewards have been announced! The challenge BEGINS!” The PD pressed the timer.

…

The three contestants scattered toward the sea. Qin Sijing and Song Yitong sat together, staring at the monitor.

Song Yitong gave a weak cough. “Ahem, hello everyone, I am today’s commentator, Song Yitong.”

Qin Sijing sat expressionless. “I am Qin Sijing.”

Because the “wicked” rewards were known, the audience was hooked. When they saw Bai Qi skillfully catching fish, the chat cheered: [Sister Bai, go! If you win, you can choose where you sit!]

Then, the camera cut to Ximen Ling and Jiang Xunruo. The two stood together in perfect harmony. Ximen Ling seemed to have no competitive drive at all, moving slowly and even reminding Jiang Xunruo to watch her step.

[Ximen, pay attention!!! Third place has to clean all that fish!]

[It feels like Ximen is going easy on Ruo. Remember how she wanted to beat Sister Qin? Against Ruo, her competitive spirit drops to zero.]

[Ahhh LingRuo is so sweet! The atmosphere is totally different…]

Qin Sijing stared at the comments, her face growing darker. But she had a microphone in her hand.

“Uh… we can see Teacher Jiang and Teacher Ximen picking up shells, chatting and laughing. They seem to be… cooperating well.” She put a strange emphasis on those last two words.

In truth, it was more than just “well.” Ximen Ling was chatting away while working, and Jiang Xunruo kept that flawless, gentle smile, nodding and responding. The sun, the sand, and two beautiful women laughing it looked like a tourism commercial.

[Is Sister Qin’s commentary… a bit salty?]

[Stop imagining things! Sister Qin is just in a bad mood because her leg hurts!]

[Hahaha, Sister Qin, your black face is way too obvious.]

Suddenly, Ximen Ling almost slipped. Jiang Xunruo instinctively caught her, her voice laced with concern. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, I’m fine. Thank you, Teacher Jiang.”

Qin Sijing’s commentary suddenly stuttered. “Uh, mhm, the seaside is indeed slippery. Everyone must stay safe!”

…

Three hours passed. The weigh-in results: 1st: Bai Qi, 2nd: Jiang Xunruo, 3rd: Ximen Ling.

The PD rubbed her hands. “First, Teacher Ximen! Here is your plastic apron and a knife. Please begin processing the seafood!”

Ximen Ling took the knife with a laugh. “Sure thing, PD!”

Jiang Xunruo felt a bit guilty. If Ximen Ling hadn’t held back, Jiang would have been third. She stepped forward. “I’ll help you.”

“No, no! Teacher Jiang, you have a much more difficult task ahead. You don’t need to help me!” Ximen Ling waved her off.

The PD walked over. “Correct! Teacher Jiang, your task is to get the two most awkward teammates to maintain eye contact for five seconds and exchange three sentences!”

Bai Qi and Song Yitong immediately lowered their heads, wearing “don’t look at me” expressions. The air froze.

Jiang Xunruo: “…”

[If she completes this mission, I’ll eat my monitor.]

[Sister Jiang: If I knew, I would have aimed for third place too…]

Jiang Xunruo sighed internally and walked over to Bai and Song, donning her most gentle, tension-diffusing smile. “Teacher Bai, Teacher Song… the PD’s mission requires five seconds of eye contact and three sentences. Do you think… we could try?”

Bai Qi said nothing. Song Yitong gave a sorry smile. “Teacher Jiang, I’m really sorry.”

Jiang Xunruo tried to find an opening. “Teacher Bai’s fishing was very efficient earlier; you caught the most.”

“Mhm, thank you,” Bai Qi responded.

Song Yitong, not wanting to see Jiang Xunruo struggle, uncharacteristically joined in. “She is very capable.”

Bai Qi still didn’t look at Song Yitong. “…It’s because everyone else was being modest.”

[This dialogue is more polite than total strangers. It hurts to watch, boohoo.]

[That’s one sentence! One-third done!]

“Um, then… Can you look at each other?” Jiang Xunruo asked tentatively.

Bai Qi finally raised her head to look at Song Yitong. Song Yitong also looked up. Their gazes met for a single second before snapping away. Bai Qi looked down, a sudden urge to cry hitting her. If she looked into those eyes any longer, if she remembered the familiarity of the past, she wouldn’t be able to hold it back.

Song Yitong also looked down, silent. The air froze again.

[Eye contact failed!]

[Are their eyes the same poles of a magnet?]

[Ruo: I tried! I really tried!]

Jiang Xunruo looked at them and sighed. The history between these two was more complex than her own history with Qin Sijing. How could an outsider interfere? She gave the PD an apologetic smile. “PD, does this count as half-finished?”

The PD saw the pained expressions on Bai and Song and felt a bit bad herself. “It counts! But since the reward is halved, your punishment is to help Ximen process the seafood tonight!”

Jiang Xunruo: “Deal.”

…

She turned to go help Ximen Ling, but her eyes caught Qin Sijing’s gaze in the distance. Qin Sijing had been sitting in the rest area due to her leg, watching them for who knows how long. Her face was blank, but her eyes were complex, a mix of sadness and something else.

It was the first time Jiang had seen her look like that. Jiang’s heart sank slightly. She walked over to Qin. “Teacher Qin, does your leg still hurt?”

Qin Sijing didn’t speak. Jiang looked at her for two seconds and realized she was staring at the distant, separated figures of Bai Qi and Song Yitong. Jiang lowered her voice, making it even softer than usual.

“Teacher Qin, I’m sorry. I couldn’t finish the mission. The issues between Teacher Bai and Teacher Song are harder to mediate than I thought. I tried, but I think I just made them sadder. It was wrong of me to make them remember painful things.”

Qin Sijing listened quietly. The sour feeling in her chest was becoming clearer. She finally understood. She understood why seeing Jiang Xunruo laughing with Ximen Ling made her heart ache.

Because Jiang Xunruo was just that kind of person.

She cared about Ximen Ling, she cared about Bai Qi and Song Yitong, and she even cared about… her, despite their past grievances.

Her tenderness was like moonlight spread evenly over everyone.

Qin Sijing was just one of many.

She lowered her eyes, the bitterness swirling more violently. She looked back up at Jiang Xunruo.

“Are you… this good to everyone?”