Joining A Dating Show With Five Exes - Chapter 40

Chapter 40: Call me Mommy

This kind of recuperation was ultimately too exhausting.

Mainly, it was a bit exhausting for Cheng Shiyuan.

When she woke up around ten o’clock the next day, still feeling tired, she realized something was wrong.

Fortunately, the treatment plans she had asked people to look into yesterday had yielded some news. She leaned lazily against the headboard, ate a spoonful of congee fed to her by Xie Zhiqing as the first patient to recover in the room, and proposed:

“Your injuries are all different. I consulted a few specialists.”

“Xia Zhiran, although you were very restrained and didn’t damage your hand nerves, it will be difficult for your skin to fully recover here. Little Moon’s gunshot wound on her leg could be treated here, but getting it healed and getting it healed without leaving a scar are two different things.”

“And Sister, you—”

She was already thinking about how to charter private planes and arrange the most suitable treatment for each of them.

After all, the best treatment in each field wasn’t at the same hospital, or even in the same city.

However, her words were abruptly interrupted again.

Xia Zhiran glanced over from the side: “Little Moon? Sister? When it comes to me, it’s my full name?”

Cheng Shiyuan: “?”

She asked: “Is that the point?”

Xia Zhiran paused, then obligingly changed her statement: “Oh. The point is, I disagree.”

Although recovering here meant coexisting with these irritating people at all times.

It was also clear that once they were all transferred to different hospitals and countries, Cheng Shiyuan was only one person. They couldn’t tear her into pieces and carry one piece each. If they couldn’t see her, what was the point of treating the illness?

If Cheng Shiyuan wasn’t looking, what was the use of having beautiful hands?

So what if they healed completely? She wouldn’t pick up a paintbrush for a second person.

Chen Chuxing smiled, raising her hands to cover her ears.

Childishly conveying a message: ‘Not listening, not listening~ Hour-long lecture~’

Wangshu across from her readily wore a heartbroken expression, staring at her in shock: “Cheng-Cheng, you really dislike that I’m not pretty now, don’t you? You’re actually so eager to send me away?”

Her eyes were filled with the hurt expression of, “I knew you were just哄騙 (coaxing and deceiving) me yesterday.”

Cheng Shiyuan: “…”

Only Xie Zhiqing, who was slowly blowing on the congee and thoroughly enjoying caring for her patient, calmly echoed: “Not a bad idea.”

She looked indifferently at these people, who would absolutely not recover quietly and would harass their fellow patients, and thoughtfully offered a suggestion:

“No need to ask for their opinions. Give each of them a sleeping pill at night. They’re guaranteed to wake up in a new hospital room.”

She seemed to have gained some useful experience from the incident of knocking out Xia Zhiran last time.

She even thoughtfully considered an area for improvement, believing that handcuffs were too easy for people to escape. Bundling them all up like hairy crabs with restraints should prevent any further accidents.

Cheng Shiyuan looked at her with a horrified expression.

She felt that recent events seemed to be set on darkening her childhood crush—

So, she raised her hand to pinch Xie Zhiqing’s lips and corrected her sternly: “You are not allowed to do such things that disrespect others’ personal freedom.”

Xie Zhiqing vaguely understood her biggest taboo from her expression.

A moment later, she smiled and pecked her fingertip: “I was just scaring them.”

However.

The startled few clearly didn’t take the malice from their rival lightly.

The moment food and drink left their sight, or were temporarily obscured by the caregiver’s body, they wouldn’t put it in their mouths. Even when the doctor came to change their dressing, they would ask a few extra questions about what the medications were.

For a time.

Everyone was suspicious, as if they had contracted ‘persecutory delusion.’

Cheng Shiyuan went out in the morning to call her agent. Taking advantage of the program’s halt to specially ask for a few more days off, she turned around and saw the person standing behind her, who had been practically inseparable from her during this time.

She raised her hands, looped them around the woman’s neck, and, as before, pulled her close.

“Why are you scaring them?”

Xie Zhiqing said nothing, only raised her hand to loop around her waist, tightening and then loosening her grip. She said with dissatisfaction:

“You ate too little just now.”

Still too thin.

Her waist was thinner than it was at the Cheng family banquet. She wondered what kind of abuse she had suffered at Shen Lingxi’s hands.

Compared to the suffering Cheng Shiyuan endured, what if these people were nervous for a few days?

It would save them from being dishonest, feigning misery and obedience because of their injuries, and deceiving a certain soft-hearted person’s sympathy.

Cheng Shiyuan traced the curve of Xie Zhiqing’s nose with her own, murmuring with a low laugh:

“Are you jealous?”

The person who would usually remain silent or scold her with a harsher moral perspective.

Now, she was only quiet for two seconds, as if she had no recourse against her. When exposed, she simply admitted: “Yes.”

She didn’t even conceal it, openly displaying her displeasure towards her irritating rivals: “Who told them to bully you yesterday?”

She paused, and then, rarely, Xie Zhiqing leaned her head into her shoulder, dropping her usual powerful pretense.

It was as if she had returned to her youth, unable to maintain her cool façade in private, needing to say everything to a trusted intimate.

“Sometimes I think.”

“If I were injured too, at least I could groan a couple of times in front of you and get you to spend more time with me.”

Someone as proud as Xie Zhiqing always disdained using pity-seeking tactics.

However, seeing her rivals exploiting their injuries and disabilities for favors, she couldn’t help but despise them while also making some unrealistic assumptions in her heart.

This was all because she desired Cheng Shiyuan’s love too much.

Even sympathy, pity, or a soft-hearted glance would be better than nothing at all.

In the past, Xie Zhiqing always restrained herself, forbidding these unseemly, dark thoughts, until she saw Cheng Shiyuan taken away under her nose under the “guise of righteousness.” Only then did she realize—

Propriety and rules were all false.

She could never be the person who smiled graciously and offered blessings at Cheng Shiyuan’s wedding.

She wanted to use every possible means to ruin that wedding, making the person who was her family match since birth her truly compatible lover.

Even in the darkest corner of her heart, she harbored a subtle understanding of Shen Lingxi.

Because once you’ve been sincerely gazed upon by Cheng Shiyuan’s eyes in this lifetime, once you’ve received her unreserved affection, even for a moment, all remaining emotions are set in stone.

No one could bear the fact that Cheng Shiyuan no longer loved them.

She sighed again, and then her head was gently patted.

“What are you saying?” Cheng Shiyuan wrinkled her nose, unhappy, and countered: “Don’t say such inauspicious things. Quickly spit it out. No injuries, no injuries. Never again, do you hear me?”

“Also, I didn’t even get the chance to scold you—”

“Who allowed you to make that exchange back on the island? Did I agree? Did Auntie Xie and Uncle Xie agree? Do you want this circle to have another group of elders collectively put me on a blacklist? Is that it? Bad ZhiZhi.”

Xie Zhiqing let out a soft laugh.

She knew Cheng Shiyuan was referring to the mix-up with the Xia family years ago, which caused the Xia elders to still harbor some resentment toward her.

But she didn’t answer directly. Instead, she tilted her head slightly, looking at her fair, perfect jawline.

No matter how many times she relived that moment.

If Shen Lingxi had truly buried explosives on that island, she would willingly trade her life for Cheng Shiyuan’s.

Because her Shiyuan really, really wanted to live.

How could Xie Zhiqing disappoint her?

Thinking of the grand fireworks display on the island, a celebratory spectacle for Cheng Shiyuan’s rebirth, and the truth about the childhood friend’s insistence that she not investigate in the hospital previously.

After a long time, Xie Zhiqing slowly spoke: “Then you have to keep watching me.”

She was asking for a promise: “If you keep watching me, I’ll agree to everything you ask.”

Cheng Shiyuan waited for a long time, not expecting such words.

The former Xie Zhiqing always stood tall in front of her. Even when she occasionally lowered her head to her, Cheng Shiyuan knew it was a kind of condescending indulgence and spoiling, not always coming from Xie Zhiqing’s heart.

However, since leaving the small island, she had never heard Xie Zhiqing mention the wedding she had half-seriously envisioned at the Cheng family old house, meant for Shen Lingxi’s ears.

She also never asked why the explosives on the island turned into fireworks.

Xie Zhiqing was perfectly willing to play deaf and dumb in front of her, even wishing to cover her eyes.

The one thing she finally asked for was this kind of assurance, with no title or definition.

She felt like she saw the Black Swan lowering her neck towards her, all the way into the dust.

When she realized what she was doing, she had already turned her head, cupped that face again, and kissed that slender neck, as if wanting to kiss her shining self-esteem.

Xie Zhiqing’s throat tightened.

But she couldn’t bring herself to use any force with her palms, not daring to succumb to her inner desire to fiercely press the person into her embrace.

She could only endure, her well-manicured nails digging into the skin of her palm. She squeezed out a suppressed reminder from between her lips:

“…Shiyuan.”

She knew Cheng Shiyuan’s body would be exceptionally sensitive these two days. So, in order to help her recover quickly, Xie Zhiqing didn’t dare to provoke her at all.

Cheng Shiyuan, however, worsened her behavior. She loved seeing her feign calmness while her dark eyes threatened to spark with hidden fire. She deliberately smiled and left a trail of very light, extremely ticklish marks on her neck.

Until Xie Zhiqing unconsciously raised her hand to steady herself, her palm hitting the glass behind her with a thud.

Cheng Shiyuan jumped in surprise.

But, like a startled rabbit, she leaped directly into her arms.

“Oops, you’re not allowed to scare me either.” A clear voice laughed in her embrace, and she kissed the corner of Xie Zhiqing’s lips, but added slyly: “And you’re not allowed to rough me up, because I’m still not well.”

Xie Zhiqing closed her eyes.

Unable to do anything about her, she reluctantly agreed: “Mm!”

With Xie Zhiqing setting an example of abstinence, coupled with her intensified, scrutinizing gaze toward the others due to her dissatisfaction, the unique multi-person room was filled with an atmosphere of purity and low desire for quite some time.

…

That day.

Cheng Shiyuan put on her headphones, listened to half of the new album Chen Chuxing had recorded previously, and then listened to the demos of the next few songs. After quietly showering her with compliments, she ran off to play a small game she found in the room with Wangshu.

When Xia Zhiran walked by, she saw the two of them each holding a small plastic hammer, seriously tapping the blue and white ice blocks around a small penguin on the board.

Her expression was subtle, with a hint of mockery: “This looks like a parent-child educational game?”

The phrase “parent-child” was pronounced with heavy emphasis.

Cheng Shiyuan didn’t look up. Although there were no defined penalties for losing, she was incredibly competitive.

She was concentrating on which block to hit so the penguin wouldn’t fall.

Wangshu, however, blinked, let out a sudden “Oh,” and said: “Then should the loser call the winner Mommy?”

Cheng Shiyuan, immersed in thought, paused.

Her ear instinctively caught Wangshu’s super cute, cat-like voice.

Her eyes lit up.

Xia Zhiran, who had intended to remind her, instantly froze with a dark expression!

She didn’t want to see these two decide a winner now. She just wanted to flip over the board of this idiotic game.

The person whose competitiveness was instantly ignited by the word “Mommy” was also shamelessly sending her a pleading look.

“Hurry and help me. I want to win—”

Her peach blossom eyes blinked repeatedly, putting on a pitiful display of weakness.

Xia Zhiran gritted her teeth, but her legs moved unbidden towards her.

As she sat down next to her, she didn’t forget to sneer: “Given my relationship with her, did you not consider that if she calls you ‘Mom,’ what should I call you?”

Cheng Shiyuan, boneless, leaned against her as if she were a backrest.

But her tone was very innocent: “You two can address me however you like. At worst, you can call me Mommy too.”

Xia Zhiran: “…”

She let out a cold laugh.

Then she raised her chin: “Right side. The third block. The white one.”

Cheng Shiyuan looked at her with suspicion: “If I hit that one, won’t it fall?”

Xia Zhiran raised an eyebrow, not answering, just looking back at her calmly.

Cheng Shiyuan quickly convinced herself to accept the top student’s answer. With one hundred percent trust, she picked up the small hammer and tapped the white ice block gently, little by little.

Thump.

The little penguin trembled.

She held her breath, steadied her wrist, thought it was her fault, and tapped down gently again.

“Thump—”

This time.

The little penguin fell directly in front of her, symbolizing a game failure.

Cheng Shiyuan: “…”

Cheng Shiyuan: “?”

She widened her eyes and turned back to look at Xia Zhiran: “Didn’t you say hitting this one was fine?”

Xia Zhiran replied leisurely: “Yeah, I told you to hit this one. I didn’t say it would guarantee you a win. Hurry up and call me Mommy. I want to hear it a little nasally, a little cuter.”

Wangshu was laughing across the table, holding her small hammer.

Her light-colored, beautiful eyes were also full of anticipation and delight: “Cheng-Cheng~ That’s a shame, you lost~”

Cheng Shiyuan felt like she had been set up by the capitalist Xia family.

She turned to run but was anticipated by Xia Zhiran, who trapped her in her arms with her hands.

She even threateningly shook her injured palm, indicating that Cheng Shiyuan shouldn’t move, or she would worsen her injuries.

“Hurry up. A bet is a bet, Little Bird Cheng. Don’t renege. I’m generous. Since two people are listening, you only need to call me once.”

“I’m not betting anymore, never again, please let me go back on my word—”

Cheng Shiyuan opened her mouth several times but couldn’t bring herself to call out such an embarrassing address in front of Wangshu’s face.

She could only beg desperately, her face red.

Xia Zhiran saw her crimson earlobes, narrowed her eyes, and for a moment, had the urge to lean in and bite them.

Just then, the phone rang.

Cheng Shiyuan felt greatly relieved, quickly urging her to answer the call. She wondered what she and Xie Zhiqing had been so busy with lately, constantly having video conferences and work calls every day.

They were busy, yet they both refused to mention returning home, intending to stick around in this small hospital room.

She very eagerly took out the phone for CEO Xia and held it to her ear.

“CEO Xia, the news has already been released. Shen Group’s internal situation has already…”

Only fragments of the conversation reached her ears.

Cheng Shiyuan’s expression stiffened.

She hadn’t heard that surname in days, feeling as though her marriage to Shen Lingxi happened in a past life.

Seeing both of their expressions change, Wangshu, who had been waiting for the game reward at the small table, immediately raised her hand and pulled Cheng Shiyuan toward her.

Xia Zhiran looked at her suddenly empty arms but showed no change in expression. She naturally took the phone with her bandaged hands and walked outside.

Cheng Shiyuan watched her departing back, but the word “Shen” echoed in her ears.

Everyone had avoided the past events these days, so she had intentionally or unintentionally avoided thinking about Shen Lingxi. Only now was she forced to confront a reality—

Was Shen Lingxi still alive?

If she was dead, would the spoils she had fought for so hard, again and again, with her life from her siblings, now become resources for newcomers to fight over, like a whale fall?

A finger suddenly stroked her eyelashes.

Her attention was pulled back by Wangshu.

“Cheng-Cheng, are you unhappy?” The person willing to play a childish educational game with her was now also willing to coax her like a child.

She lowered her eyes.

And saw the gauze on Wangshu’s knee.

And across from her, Chen Chuxing was applying new medicine to her scabbed knee wound.

Although she couldn’t participate in their game from a distance just now, Chen Chuxing had been quietly staring at them the entire time. Now, she looked at her with a hint of uncertainty, as if waiting for her answer.

Cheng Shiyuan wasn’t so forgetful as to quickly forget what Shen Lingxi had done to them.

Their injuries hadn’t healed. No one had the right to forgive Shen Lingxi for them, except themselves.

Moreover, although she had only spent a few short years with that person, Cheng Shiyuan didn’t think there were any extenuating circumstances for Shen Lingxi’s actions—

It was true that she wanted to cure her illness.

But it was also true that she wanted to imprison her.

And if possible, it was even truer that she wanted to eliminate these troublesome competitors on the side.

The reason these people were only lying here injured and disabled now wasn’t because Shen Lingxi was merciful to her rivals, but the result of their own efforts.

“I’m not unhappy.” Cheng Shiyuan finally replied, even smiling at Wangshu.

She said: “I just suddenly remembered some people who easily cause others to be unhappy.”

Shen Lingxi reached where she was today solely through her own efforts.

So, whatever she gained or lost was a choice she made herself, and it had nothing to do with anyone else.

Wangshu, who heard her answer, exchanged a subtle glance with Chen Chuxing.

Both of them harbored some special thoughts in their hearts.

But soon, they all didn’t have time to think about Shen Lingxi.

A more important message arrived to them almost simultaneously.

Cheng Shiyuan stared at the message on her phone from Su Huai.

“My little ancestor, your vacation should be over, right? You went silent after you said you were going home for the banquet. I’ve already pushed a few of your schedules. Fortunately, that dating show also had some issues, conveniently giving you a gap in your schedule.”

“But you can’t be lazy anymore! Director Ke has already sent a message. Filming will officially resume in three days. I’ll pick you up at the airport—”

“Don’t make me buy a ticket myself and drag you back from the resort abroad, okay?”

A series of suicidal threat emojis followed.

Cheng Shiyuan flipped her phone.

Just then, Xia Zhiran and Xie Zhiqing entered from outside simultaneously.

She glanced around the room. The notification sounds from Wangshu’s and Chen Chuxing’s phones had both reached her ears, so she was absolutely certain now:

“You all received the news that the dating show is resuming filming, right?”

Some hummed, some nodded.

Xia Zhiran, however, smiled at her, her eyes searching for her emotions: “What’s wrong? You were filming before. If you hadn’t attended your cousin’s birthday banquet, filming should have continued the next day. Don’t you want to go to work now?”

Huh?

Didn’t they know that Shen Lingxi was the investor in this program?

Cheng Shiyuan instinctively thought of this.

Then she felt she was being overly suspicious. After all, she had just searched the news on her phone, and the Hong Kong news was full of stories about Shen Lingxi’s disappearance, and the group’s stock price was plummeting towards the bottom.

It seemed like the most normal development.

Moreover.

The previous halt in filming might have been because Shen Lingxi had achieved her goal and withdrew her funding mid-way, leaving the crew helpless. The fact that they could restart now might mean they had found a new investor.

Cheng Shiyuan forced herself to separate the program from Shen Lingxi.

So, she smiled and took Xia Zhiran’s bait: “Who likes going to work? Oh, except for CEOs like you who love making money.”

Xia Zhiran didn’t see any further reaction to the previous phone call.

She only raised an eyebrow at her teasing.

However, that night, Cheng Shiyuan was unusually restless and couldn’t sleep.

She kept having the illusion of smelling sweet wintersweet blossoms.

When she returned from the bathroom late at night, the light illuminated the eyes closest to her, and she realized Chen Chuxing wasn’t asleep either.

Compared to her sudden insomnia, Chen Chuxing seemed more preoccupied.

So, she climbed onto the other’s bed, carefully avoiding the woman’s knee injury. She then pressed the person into her shoulder, patted Chen Chuxing’s shoulder, and whispered:

“Sleep, Sister.”

“Don’t be afraid.”

I will protect you.

Even if Shen Lingxi was still alive, she wouldn’t allow that person to harm those around her so recklessly again.

Not a single one of them.

As if to confirm her premonition, a few days later, two private jets landed back home—

Returning to the small island where filming took place, Cheng Shiyuan realized that Ji Sheng was not among the returning guests.

The staff’s loudspeaker sounded, bringing a sense of nostalgia:

“Guest Ji Sheng has temporarily withdrawn from the program filming due to personal reasons.”

“We will be welcoming a new, mysterious guest.”