In a Survival Variety Show, My Lookalike Rival and I Got a Happy Ending - Chapter 20

Chapter 20

As night fell, the five sat around the crackling campfire.

This time, the production team was generous enough to move one to tears. Not only did they clean all the seafood, but they also provided seasonings.

“This is a special seasoning blend made by our team!” the PD bragged proudly. “You couldn’t buy this outside for any amount of money!”

Qin Sijing’s leg was fixed in a brace, forcing her to sit with her foot sticking straight out. Her face was as black as the bottom of a pot. Jiang Xunruo sat beside her, head down, seriously grilling a fish. Ximen Ling sat on Jiang Xunruo’s other side, chatting away while she grilled.

Bai Qi and Song Yitong sat opposite them with an empty space between them, originally intended for the PD. However, the PD was scurrying around with a branch, checking on Qin Sijing one moment and inviting fans to “eat virtual grilled fish” through the camera the next, with no intention of sitting down.

“Come, come! How can a campfire dinner exist without a game!” The PD smiled wickedly. “Let’s play something relaxing! Truth or Dare! We’ll spin this empty water bottle; whoever it points to chooses Truth or Dare!”

[Hahahaha I love to see it! Ask something spicy!] [I bet someone will have a ‘social death’ moment tonight.] [Is the gap between Bai and Song big enough? If you didn’t know it was for the PD, you’d think it was a parking space.]

The bottle spun for the first time and stopped right in front of Ximen Ling.

“I choose Dare!” Ximen Ling was fearless. Anything was better than Truth; who knew what wicked questions the team would dig up?

The PD chuckled. “Okay, the dare is: say the most sincere compliment to the person on your left. It must be sincere!”

To her left? Ximen Ling looked at Jiang Xunruo and gave a shy smile.

“Teacher Jiang, you are the most gentle and reliable teammate I’ve ever met. Being with you makes me feel especially at ease, so at ease that I wouldn’t even hide food to eat alone behind your back!”

Jiang Xunruo’s eyes crinkled. “Thank you, Teacher Ximen. You are also the most sunshiny and energetic teammate I’ve ever met.”

[Ling-Ruo is so real~!!!] [Is the fish in Sister Qin’s hand burnt? The smell of jealousy is so strong she can’t even focus on grilling.]

Qin Sijing expressionlessly flipped her fish. Great. One side was already charred. The other side was well on its way.

The bottle spun a second time and stopped at Qin Sijing.

Qin Sijing raised an eyelid. “Truth.”

The PD leaned back tactically, but her desire to cause chaos burned brightly. “Teacher Qin, if you had to choose one teammate to co-star in a drama not survival, a real acting project—who would you choose and why?”

The camera cut to Qin Sijing, catching Jiang Xunruo in the frame beside her.

[PD, tell me secretly, are you shipping Qin-Jiang too?] [Official shipping confirmed.]

Qin Sijing fell silent. Her gaze swept over everyone. Bai Qi was in her “do not disturb” barrier. Song Yitong was coughing slightly, pale in the firelight. Ximen Ling looked at her with a “Captain, choose me!” expression. Jiang Xunruo looked at her calmly with that flawless smile.

“…Jiang Xunruo,” Qin Sijing heard herself say.

[??? Sister Qin, blink if you’ve been kidnapped.] [Qin-Jiang fans are having a feast today ahhh!]

Jiang Xunruo looked up at her. Qin Sijing averted her eyes and added a reason tonelessly. “I don’t mean the other teachers aren’t good; this is just my personal thought. I think Teacher Jiang is very meticulous and would be a good partner to work with.”

The bottle spun a third time. As if remote-controlled by the PD, it slowed down and stopped at Jiang Xunruo.

Jiang Xunruo smiled. “I choose Truth.”

“Teacher Jiang,” the PD rubbed her hands together. “If the production team gave you a special mission where you had to choose one teammate to spend seven days and seven nights alone with on a deserted island to complete an ‘Absolute Chemistry’ challenge, who would you choose?”

[This is good! I bet Jiang chooses Sister Qin.] [Seven days and nights? PD, you really know how to ask a truth question hahahaha.]

Jiang Xunruo went silent for a few seconds. She remembered that during this period, Ximen Ling had been constantly inviting her to be a partner. Ximen was looking at her right now, full of expectation. She… shouldn’t reject her again. At least not for this Truth.

“I choose…” Jiang Xunruo looked at Ximen Ling. The camera followed her gaze, cutting to a close-up of Ximen’s face. “Teacher Ximen.”

Ximen Ling let out an “Ah!” and almost stood up in surprise. “Me? Teacher Jiang chose me?”

The half-grilled fish in Qin Sijing’s hand fell into the fire with a thud, sending up a small spray of sparks. Even Bai Qi and Song Yitong looked at her simultaneously.

[??????????] [Ruo chose Ximen?] [Ling-Ruo fans are rejoicing! This is a seven-day cohabitation! Jiang-Jiang, are you issuing a cohabitation invite?] [Sister Qin dropped her fish.] [Eh, she just didn’t hold it tight, why stare at her? Is Sister Qin part of your Ling-Ruo play?]

Jiang Xunruo’s voice remained very gentle. “Teacher Ximen is very bright and lively, and her communication is direct. In a mission requiring high chemistry, communication efficiency is vital. Plus, she has strong adaptability; I believe seven days wouldn’t be too hard for her.”

Ximen Ling was moved to tears. “Thank you for the recognition! What’s seven days? I could do seven hundred or seven thousand days!”

Qin Sijing silently picked up a new skewer and threaded a new fish, acting as if the surrounding fuss had nothing to do with her. But how could the PD let her off?

“What about Teacher Qin?” the PD added, stoking the fire. “Teacher Qin chose you in the acting segment just now! And haven’t you two been partners all along?”

Jiang Xunruo looked at Qin Sijing, her smile still warm. “Teacher Qin’s leg is injured and needs rest. Such a high-intensity challenge would be too much of a physical burden for her.” She paused, her voice softening. “Besides, Teacher Qin is very competitive. If I chose her, she might ignore her injury for the sake of the mission, which wouldn’t be good for her recovery.”

[Ruo is so thoughtful.] [But why is Sister Qin’s face even darker now?] [Sister Qin: So it’s my fault my leg is broken?]

…

Finally, the campfire dinner ended. The crowd dispersed. Qin Sijing limped back to her tent on her crutches.

“Are you… this good to everyone?” The question she asked today echoed in her mind. Yes, she was good to everyone, good enough to be distributed equally to every person in the world. Qin Sijing lay down irritably. Thinking more would only make the bitterness surge. She closed her eyes, trying to solve the problem with sleep.

But her brain wouldn’t listen. It kept replaying every interaction between Jiang Xunruo and Ximen Ling today. The more it replayed, the sadder she felt.

So annoying.

Qin Sijing opened her eyes. Suddenly, a rustling sound came from outside the tent, followed by Jiang Xunruo’s gentle voice. “Teacher Qin, are you asleep?”

“…No.”

The flap was lifted, and Jiang Xunruo bent over and crawled in with her sleeping bag, acting as naturally as if she were entering her own home.

Qin Sijing: “…?”

Jiang Xunruo laid out her gear. “The PD said my tent is a bit drafty, so I’m squeezing in with you.”

“Your tent was fine yesterday. It wasn’t drafty.”

Jiang Xunruo paused and looked up at her. “Mhm,” her voice was soft, like sharing a secret. “But I was worried your leg would hurt at night and it would be inconvenient for you alone. I happen to have a bit of insomnia, so I can look after you.”

Qin Sijing remained silent. Jiang Xunruo lay down beside her, less than half a meter away. Qin could even smell that clean, sweet coconut scent.

“You are very good to Teacher Ximen,” Qin Sijing said, her voice sounding dejected even to her own ears.

Jiang Xunruo turned her face toward her. “Teacher Ximen is sunny and easy to get along with.”

“You care about Teacher Bai and Teacher Song too.”

“There are misunderstandings between them; it makes me a bit sad to watch.”

“…You’re even good to the PD.”

“The PD works hard, even if her ideas are sometimes… unique.”

Qin Sijing went silent and closed her eyes. She didn’t even know what she was angry about. Jiang Xunruo watched her quietly. “Teacher Qin, are you angry?”

“No,” she said stiffly. “What do I have to be angry about?”

She closed her eyes and began a serious performance of “I am asleep, do not disturb.” Surprisingly, she drifted off quickly due to emotional exhaustion.

Then, she began to dream. She was on this same beach, but she was alone. She called Jiang Xunruo’s name, but no one answered. She checked the camp, the shore—she was nowhere to be found. In the dream, she panicked and tried to run, but her leg felt like it was being pierced by needles. She fell hard onto the sand, unable to get up.

“Jiang Xunruo—!”

Qin Sijing bolted upright, breathing heavily. The tent was dark, lit only by the faint glow of a small nightlight. She instinctively reached out and touched Jiang Xunruo’s hand.

Jiang Xunruo was lying on her side, watching her quietly. The faint light danced in her eyes, as gentle as moonlight on the sea. “Did you have a nightmare?”

Qin Sijing’s chest heaved. The panic from the dream lingered. Looking at Jiang Xunruo’s face so close to her, she heard herself say: “I dreamed you were gone.”

The words left her stunned. Jiang Xunruo was stunned too. The tent was terrifyingly quiet. Jiang Xunruo propped herself up.

Qin Sijing looked at her face, her eyes, her trembling eyelashes. She suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to hug her to confirm she was real, that she wouldn’t disappear like in the dream. But the thought was absurd. What was their relationship? Rivals? Teammates? Whatever it was, they didn’t have a reason to hug.

Just as the internal struggle was about to tear her apart, Jiang Xunruo spoke. Her voice was gentler than before, almost indulgent.

“If you want to hug, then hug, Teacher Qin.”