In a Survival Variety Show, My Lookalike Rival and I Got a Happy Ending - Chapter 24

Chapter 24

“Teachers, today we are going to cross the strait on the raft we built with our own hands and land at the Sun Island survival base!” the PD announced, holding a megaphone.

Qin Sijing leaned on her crutch, her entire face written with the sentiment: “When will this crappy show end?”

Jiang Xunruo stood beside her, head down, adjusting her life jacket.

Ximen Ling excitedly made a peace sign at the camera. “Family! Watch me brave the wind and waves today!”

As for Bai Qi and Song Yitong… they still couldn’t stand together; the distance between them was enough to fit the entire production crew.

They kept their heads down, checking their respective life jackets in silence.

[Bai-Song: She’s on the left, I’m on the right, we both have bright futures.]

[LMAO, a world where only Ximen is happy has been born.]

[Bai-Song and Qin-Jiang both look so awkward…]

[Sister Qin can’t even be bothered to roast the crew anymore; she’s numb.]

“Before we board the boat no, I mean the raft—let’s do a brief safety training!”

The PD pulled out a small whiteboard with a diagram drawn on it.

“Teachers, if you encounter large waves, please hold onto the ropes tightly! If you accidentally fall into the water, stay calm; the crew will have lifeguards come down to save you…”

Ximen Ling raised her hand: “PD, what if the raft falls apart?”

PD: “…Teacher Ximen, please do not make such unlucky hypotheses.”

[Ximen: I was just asking!]

[Ling-Ruo is also acting strange. Before, whatever Ximen said, Ruoruo would play along, but now she’s ignoring Ximen.]

[Could it be that all three CPs have gone BE?]

[The PD’s vision is going dark.]

Qin Sijing looked at the crude raft before her, her brow furrowing slightly.

Jiang Xunruo noticed her gaze and said softly, “I’ve checked all the knots; they are all clove hitches plus anti-slip buckles.”

Qin Sijing: “Oh.”

[They aren’t even addressing each other anymore.]

[Sister Qin, would it kill you to say one more word!]

[Ruoruo took the initiative to talk and got the cold shoulder again, woo woo.]

[Sister Qin, words are gold to you, huh?]

[Hehe, Sister Qin is doing great! That’s how you should treat a rival!]

“Alright, everyone on the raft.” The PD waved a flag. “Livestream continues, let us continue to witness this historic moment!”

The five of them boarded, and the raft sank a little.

Everyone: “…”

The PD wiped away sweat. “It’s fine, it’s fine, the buoyancy is sufficient, everyone stand spread out!”

Because of her leg injury, Qin Sijing sat in the middle position. Jiang Xunruo sat diagonally behind her.

Ximen Ling volunteered to steer at the front.

Bai Qi and Song Yitong sat at the front and back ends of the raft respectively, with Qin Sijing and Jiang Xunruo separating them.

[Bai-Song: As long as we stand far enough apart, we are still strangers.]

[The Qin-Jiang distance isn’t much better…]

[With this distance for Bai-Song, if the raft were any bigger, they’d be standing on a diagonal.]

At first, it was calm, and the raft paddled forward smoothly.

Just as Qin Sijing relaxed a bit, she felt a chill on the back of her neck. Someone had grabbed the strap of her life jacket.

She turned around and saw Jiang Xunruo with a calm face: “The strap was loose.”

Then, she naturally helped her re-fasten it.

Qin Sijing: “…?”

[?????]

[Just mutual help between teammates, don’t ship it!]

[Did these two go BE or not? PD, tell us quietly!]

[Ruoruo just has a sense of safety, don’t cue Ruoruo!]

Just then, a dark cloud drifted over, heavy and black.

The PD frowned at the cloud. “Teachers, the weather station says there might be short-term gusts, everyone hold onto the ropes!”

Not long after, the sea indeed became windy, and the raft began to shake.

“Whoa!”

Ximen Ling stumbled and almost fell, but Bai Qi grabbed her.

The waves grew larger. Qin Sijing couldn’t sit steady and wobbled as if about to fall backward—

Just when she thought she was definitely going to take a tumble, a hand firmly gripped her waist from behind.

Qin Sijing crashed into an embrace smelling of coconut, followed by a muffled thud near her ear as Jiang Xunruo’s back slammed hard against the wood at the edge of the raft.

The wave passed.

Qin Sijing realized she was being circled in Jiang Xunruo’s arms, held very tightly.

She looked up and met Jiang Xunruo’s eyes.

In those eyes that were always gently smiling, there was now a panic that hadn’t been tucked away in time.

Was she really… worried for a moment that she would fall into the sea?

No, probably not.

Qin Sijing stared at her for two seconds, then they let go of each other. Neither spoke.

[Actually, Ruoruo, you were very worried about Sister Qin too, right?]

[Jiang Xunruo’s hand is shaking, was she really scared?]

[Just a faker, she only grabbed Sister Qin to build a persona.]

[Can we stop with the conspiracy theories? I feel like Ruoruo’s was a genuine instinctual reaction.]

For the rest of the voyage, everyone was very silent. Even the usually chatty Ximen Ling didn’t make a sound.

When the raft finally approached the beach of Sun Island, the five of them looked as if they had been fished out of the water half cold sweat, half seawater.

“Congratulations to the five teachers for successfully landing on Sun Island!” The PD ran over excitedly. “To celebrate this great feat, the crew has specially prepared a surprise!”

Qin Sijing: “It couldn’t be making us swim back and land again, could it?”

“Teacher Qin, what kind of misunderstanding do you have about our crew?” The PD beckoned mysteriously. “It’s a good thing! A great thing! Everyone follow me!”

The five followed the PD through a small grove, and the view suddenly opened up.

A campsite was set up on the beach with two spacious tents, a small dining table in the middle, and even a string of twinkling fairy lights hanging on the tents.

[? Has the production crew been hacked?]

[????? What is this?]

[This setup is a bit romantic.]

[Is it prepared for Ling-Ruo? [Expectant]]

[Please give it to Qin-Jiang! I beg you!]

“This is the Best Partners Romantic Camp!” the PD announced. “So the question is, who will be checking in today?”

The camera specifically cuts back and forth between the three CPs: Bai Qi and Song Yitong, Qin Sijing and Jiang Xunruo, and Jiang Xunruo and Ximen Ling.

Bai Qi and Song Yitong lowered their heads, looking as if it had nothing to do with them.

Qin Sijing stared straight at the live camera, her face expressionless.

She had long ago figured out the PD’s routine; this reward would definitely be given to Jiang Xunruo and Ximen Ling.

The PD gave a wicked smile and drawled, “After careful consideration by the crew this reward is to be given to those who showed the spirit of selfless mutual assistance during the crossing just now…”

She paused. The camera swept across everyone’s faces, finally freezing on Qin Sijing and Jiang Xunruo.

“Teacher Qin! Teacher Jiang!”

Qin Sijing: “???”

She seriously suspected the PD was trolling her.

[Ahhh PD I will be your fan for life!]

[Qin-Jiang CP fans win big ahhh!]

[???????]

[Why not give it to Bai Qi and Ximen! Didn’t they just help each other too!]

[Probably because Bai Qi and Ximen’s roles overlapped…]

[Qin-Jiang! It’s Qin-Jiang! Production crew, I’ll love you forever!]

[Bai-Song: Thankfully it wasn’t us, dodged a bullet.]

Qin Sijing looked at the PD, then at Jiang Xunruo. “Me? With her?”

PD: “Teacher Qin, this is a reward, just accept it with a smile!”

Jiang Xunruo stepped forward and nodded to the PD. “Thank you for the arrangement.”

Then she looked at Qin Sijing. “Teacher Qin, your leg is inconvenient; how about I help you rest?”

“No need.” Qin Sijing stubbornly leaned on her crutch and walked ahead without looking back.

[??? Sister Qin might as well have said ‘Stay away from me’ out loud.]

[They really fought, huh… then… PD still dares to arrange for them to sleep together?]

[Used to it, it’s not the first time the PD has been so stubborn.]

[She just likes forced relationships.]

Opening the tent flap, Qin Sijing sat down.

This tent was much more comfortable than the one on Moon Island; the moisture-proof mat was thick, and there were two sleeping bags placed side-by-side.

Whatever.

If we sleep together, we sleep together; just treat her as air.

Just as Qin Sijing was about to lie down, Jiang Xunruo opened the flap and entered.

She took a package out of her backpack, then sat down and looked at Qin Sijing.

Qin Sijing: “???”

What did she want to do now?

“Teacher Qin, do you want to open it and see?”

Qin Sijing didn’t understand. “Teacher Jiang, what do you mean by this?”

Jiang Xunruo lowered her eyes. “This is a gift for you.”

“I haven’t earned it, I don’t need it.” Qin Sijing understood immediately. Was she trying to make up for the bear incident yesterday?

Unnecessary, truly unnecessary.

There was no need for compensation between them, no need for apologies, and certainly no need for reconciliation; they could just remain in this standoff.

The tent was silent for a few more seconds.

Then, Qin Sijing heard Jiang Xunruo let out a very soft sigh.

“Teacher Qin, I know whatever I say sounds like an excuse. We’ve had many unpleasant moments, and I don’t dare to lightly say we should just let it all go…”

“But, I never wanted to build any kind of persona, nor did I want to create hype with anyone. Including the previous promo video and the PD’s arrangements—many things were not like that.”

She looked up and stared directly into Qin Sijing’s eyes. “About the bear, I’ve already cleared things up with Teacher Ximen. If you mind it very much, I apologize to you again.”

Qin Sijing’s eyelashes fluttered.

“Sorry, these words might be a bit abrupt,” Jiang Xunruo said softly. “But I don’t want to beat around the bush anymore.”

“These days, seeing you not wanting to talk to me, my heart… feels very bad.”

She pointed at the package. “I know I can’t change our past, but I want you to know that when I said I wanted to get to know each other anew, it was always true.”

Qin Sijing’s throat felt tight; she couldn’t say a word.

Jiang Xunruo waited for a while. Seeing no reaction, she personally unwrapped the package.

There were two things inside.

The first was a top-tier outdoor survival tool set. It was much more exquisite than the crude ones provided by the crew.

Most special was the main knife; the handle was set with a yellow diamond, gleaming with a luxurious luster in the dim tent.

This was more than just practical; it was an artwork approaching collector’s grade.

The second item was a hand-bound cowhide notebook.

Jiang Xunruo picked up the notebook and handed it to Qin Sijing. “Open it and look.”

Qin Sijing took the notebook; it was thick and quite heavy.

She flipped to the first page. On the page was a hand-drawn botanical map; Jiang Xunruo had noted names and precautions underneath each.

She flipped further; behind that were topographical sketches of Sun Island, marking water sources, safe zones, and dangerous areas.

The entire notebook was packed with hand-written and hand-drawn content.

Doing this must have taken a lot of time.

She flipped to the very end.

On the flyleaf, there was only one line of text in Jiang Xunruo’s handwriting: [To the most reliable captain. I hope this information can help you walk a bit safer and easier anywhere in the future. Jiang Xunruo]

Qin Sijing stared at that line of text for a long time.

It was so quiet in the tent that they could hear each other’s breathing.

Finally, she looked up and found her heart had softened significantly.

She had originally wanted to be ten thousand miles away from her, wanting never to meet again in this life once the show ended, but now she had softened.

“…Why did you give me this?”

Jiang Xunruo looked at her quietly. Because they were both sitting, their gazes were level; they could clearly see themselves in each other’s pupils.

“To coax you.”

Qin Sijing’s heart skipped a beat.

“I know an apology or a gift can’t make up for the past,” Jiang Xunruo said. “But what I can do is give you the best things I have, the best I can give.”

Qin Sijing pursed her lips and didn’t speak.

“This notebook is something I’ve been organizing since the day we landed on Moon Island. I thought, if… if we aren’t teammates in the future, and you are alone somewhere else, this information might be useful.”

Having said that, Jiang Xunruo lowered her head. “So, we…”

Qin Sijing finally moved her lips. “Who wanted you to coax me? I didn’t.”

Jiang Xunruo was stunned, but seeing that she was still holding the notebook and hadn’t let go, she understood.

She smiled, her voice very, very soft: “Mm, it was my own initiative.”