Joining A Dating Show With Five Exes - Chapter 43

Chapter 43: It’s Truly Wonderful To Have Met You All

The production team seemed to have already anticipated the current outcome.

Immediately after the guests made their selections, they quickly announced the location for this group date: deep within a remote, secluded mountain range.

To put it romantically, the guests of this season would see the most beautiful sea and the most pristine mountains—what separates those in love is mountains and seas, but mountains and seas can be overcome.

To put it plainly—

The path through this primitive forest was truly unbearable for people to hike.

Especially when the climbing group included a guest named Shen Lingxi.

After transferring from a plane to a bus, then to motorcycles, and finally dropping this group of privileged women off at their destination, Cheng Shiyuan found herself compelled to walk closest to Shen Lingxi.

She couldn’t help it; she worried that the CEO might suddenly feel annoyed and decide to casually push a bothersome love rival off the path.

However, whenever her pace slowed, the others who were leading the way unconsciously slowed down as well.

In the end, even with a guide, the group was still two hours away from the planned rest stop by noon.

At this rate, they would never reach the mountaintop camping area within the production team’s estimated time to see the most beautiful meteor shower of the season, nor would they be able to catch the sunrise tomorrow.

Cheng Shiyuan looked at the woman beside her. Compared to her effortless climbing on Pearl Islands, she was still steady on her feet, but her complexion was clearly poor.

She would stop and cough every two steps.

So, Cheng Shiyuan frowned in confusion and asked her:

“Didn’t you choose this place yourself?”

She couldn’t understand why some CEOs enjoyed self-inflicted hardship.

To her surprise, after a coughing fit, Shen Lingxi’s flushed face prompted her to actively take a few breaths from an oxygen canister before replying:

“If I told you that I’m only responsible for investment now and can’t decide the specific program content, would you believe me?”

Cheng Shiyuan didn’t say anything, making it unclear whether she believed her or not.

Wang Shu walked over at that moment, handing her a bottle of water, then glancing at the area where a fire was being built.

She and Xie Zhiqing had the best pace in the group.

However, Wang Shu had to keep an eye on her aunt’s physical condition, while Xie Zhiqing needed to constantly communicate with the guide to adjust their group’s progress.

Chen Chuxing, showing a resilience that belied her age, walked in the middle of the group and occasionally checked in on the others. She was currently learning some wilderness survival skills from Xie Zhiqing and the guide.

Based on their initial assumptions, and the production team’s usual style, they had expected this group date to be in a place with convenient transportation and luxurious scenery.

Thus, no one had prepared extensively.

Now, having suddenly gone from luxury to austerity, their money was useless. They could only figure out how to gather materials locally to cook or rummage through their backpacks for snacks to appease their hungry stomachs.

Wang Shu sighed uncharacteristically and asked:

“What do you want to eat, Cheng Cheng?”

Cheng Shiyuan saw that Xie Zhiqing had actually pulled out dried noodles from her backpack, and a hint of a smile appeared in her eyes:

“In this situation, we’re already very lucky to have something warm to eat.”

“When we get down the mountain later, I’ll treat you all to…”

She paused.

“How about cake?”

Xia Ziran was sitting on a slightly flat rock not far away, changing the sweat-soaked bandage on her palm.

Clean, pristine white bandage was wrapped around her hand again, circle after circle. The pink scars were barely noticeable unless one looked closely, but she was still extremely self-conscious about her image.

“What kind of cake?” she asked.

Cheng Shiyuan considered it: “A celebratory cake.”

Everyone present quickly ran through their birthdays and holidays in their minds, even instinctively thinking of Cheng Shiyuan’s birthday and various major festivals.

Yet none of them matched.

Someone should have asked at this point, but only the crackling of the newly lit bonfire echoed in the clearing.

After a while, Xie Zhiqing, who was tending the branches, looked up:

“Sounds good.”

Chen Chuxing returned with the guide after picking some wild vegetables, mixing them with a few locally known, guaranteed non-toxic mushrooms, and replied with a smile:

“What flavor cake?”

Wang Shu said: “Cheng Cheng likes to try new flavors, right? The seasonal Longjing Green Grape flavor from a brand I know is quite good.”

Shen Lingxi squinted at them, and after a while, she answered slowly:

“If you like it, I can have someone make any flavor.”

Cheng Shiyuan glared at her distinct reply: “The others will get to eat this cake. You, not necessarily.”

Shen Lingxi, who was being singled out, just chuckled lightly.

Knowing full well what she meant, she still deliberately pushed for an answer:

“Why? Did I not contribute to this momentous celebration? Am I not worthy of this cake?”

Cheng Shiyuan didn’t blink: “What I mean is, for CEO Shen to share a single cake with us, how undignified would that be? I’ll order you one separately.”

Shen Lingxi agreed with half of her statement.

“I definitely don’t want to share with anyone else, but if the person I’m sharing with is you, then that would be my honor.”

—Sycophant.

In the group, Xia Ziran very rudely rolled her eyes.

Xie Zhiqing was more direct: “Shiyuan. Come and taste this for me, is the seasoning right?”

“Coming!”

Before leaving, Cheng Shiyuan didn’t forget to pull Chen Chuxing and Wang Shu along.

It was noon, yet the weather was dull and overcast. Shen Lingxi, standing alone in the distance, seemed as out of place as the mist that constantly enveloped the mountain but could not settle into the valley.

Even the spot where she stood felt cold.

She didn’t curiously approach to see what the lunch, whose savory scent wafted from the pot, was. She just stood there leaning on her cane, chewing on a dry piece of bread from her bag.

The lunch break ended when the guide urged them repeatedly to ascend the mountain quickly, or the path would become even harder if heavy rain started.

In the damp forest, even wearing long-sleeved windbreakers and tightening their trouser cuffs, the chilling moisture still felt like it was seeping into their skin everywhere.

The higher the altitude, the lower the temperature.

And just as the guide had predicted, by four in the afternoon, the sky had completely darkened, and a drizzling rain began to fall.

Each drop that landed felt like a condensed ice needle.

Cheng Shiyuan heard Xia Ziran cursing up ahead; she seemed to have stumbled and almost fell.

Wang Shu’s light-colored eyes kept turning back, looking worriedly in their direction.

Finally, Xie Zhiqing stopped and said something to them up ahead, and then they saw her agile figure backtrack all the way to the rear.

She relayed the guide’s message: “A downpour is about to hit. There’s no shelter nearby. I’ll stay with you in case visibility drops too low and you get lost.”

At the same time.

Wang Shu, who had been leading the way with Xia Ziran, and Chen Chuxing, who always worriedly looked back at them, disappeared from sight in the gradually blurring rain curtain, following the guide.

Unconsciously, amidst the pitter-patter of the downpour, it felt as though the world was left with only the three of them.

Cheng Shiyuan unknowingly reached a section of broken slope and was stunned.

“From… from here?”

She wasn’t sure.

The people ahead had walked too fast; she could only rely on her recent memory and ask Xie Zhiqing beside her.

As she spoke, some碎stones mixed with yellow mud were washed down the steep slope by the rainwater.

Xie Zhiqing couldn’t hear her clearly and could only vaguely make out her lip movements.

The three of them delayed for a moment longer.

Then they saw the cloth strips, which the guide had agreed upon with them beforehand to indicate direction, tied to a tree high above.

Cheng Shiyuan was the first to climb up, and as she looked up, the splashing rain hit her face directly.

She was wearing a waterproof rain jacket, but she couldn’t open her eyes.

Worse still, all the way up the slope, the dirt under her fingertips and feet constantly loosened as she grabbed and stepped on it.

A supporting force came from behind her.

After Cheng Shiyuan finally got up the slope, she looked back at the steep area and couldn’t help but gasp.

She found a safe, gentle incline, laid down unceremoniously, and reached out her hand—

She couldn’t help but curse silently at the ridiculous production team for choosing such a location. Even the camera operators carrying heavy equipment had been swapped out several times.

Now, as they walked, they had lost communication; she didn’t know how much those staff members were paid to risk their lives like this.

Boom.

As the rain washed away the loose dirt, even the stones embedded in the steep slope were washed loose and fell.

One large one rolled directly toward Shen Lingxi’s head, right within Cheng Shiyuan’s line of sight.

“Watch out!!!”

Cheng Shiyuan couldn’t help but shout.

Pale lightning flashed across the sky.

Shen Lingxi was already aware before she looked up, but the terrain was narrow, and there wasn’t much room for her to dodge.

The rock grazed her temple as it tumbled past.

A deep line of red blood oozed out.

Immediately, that trace of red, which hadn’t had time to spread, was washed away by the terrifying downpour, swallowed relentlessly by the curtain of rain.

Shen Lingxi, perfectly composed, smiled at her.

Her cane was already tucked away in her bag.

The moment she grasped Cheng Shiyuan’s palm, Shen Lingxi felt a pang of regret. Why hadn’t she changed her gloves to a fingerless design for easier climbing?

If she had—

She could have touched her more.

It had been a very long time since she had felt Cheng Shiyuan’s warmth.

Just as this thought crossed her mind, the foothold her boot was resting on suddenly began to slip.

Shen Lingxi reacted instantly, calmly attempting to find a new spot to place her foot.

But.

The steep slope, tested by the weight of both her and Cheng Shiyuan, had little left in the way of stable footholds after the downpour.

As she released the rock she was holding, she vaguely heard a faint grunt from behind her.

In a flash of lightning—

Shen Lingxi’s leg was suddenly grabbed from behind.

She paused and instinctively looked down, following the force.

It was the unlucky Xie Zhiqing, who was bringing up the rear.

Stunned by the rock that Shen Lingxi had let go of, which hit her head, she momentarily mistook a rock for a stable handhold, grabbed the wrong one, and began to fall backward.

In a moment of desperation, she grabbed Shen Lingxi’s ankle.

How…

She wasn’t sure if it was bad luck or good fortune.

The moment the thought arose, she heard a tense shout from above:

“Shen Lingxi!!”

Even though she was so anxious, she still called her name so nicely—

Shen Lingxi sighed softly.

Precisely because she knew Cheng Shiyuan’s beautiful voice was meant to warn her and show concern for the other person behind her.

That’s why she was unhappy.

Looking up again, she saw the panic and helplessness in those beautiful, peach-blossom eyes.

For a moment, it made Shen Lingxi recall the broken look in her eyes as she stood on the cliff of that small island, begging her and willing to jump into the sea with her so Xie Zhiqing could live.

Annoying. So annoying.

Why did she always show that look because of someone else in front of her?

Shen Lingxi felt a strange dullness in her chest. She lowered her eyes again, looking at the calm woman below who was desperately gripping her, her dark eyes utterly composed.

This calmness was a provocation.

Shen Lingxi only needed to make a simple movement to kick her off without hesitation.

The narrow path they had taken, which only allowed single-file travel, was now largely washed away by the rain, and the falling rocks had punched a gap in it.

…Falling from here would probably result in a broken, shattered mess.

Shen Lingxi thought with malice, confirming that Xie Zhiqing had clearly seen the intent in her eyes.

In that brief moment of eye contact, they both understood each other.

‘I really want to kill you here.’

‘Do you dare?’

Shen Lingxi scoffed softly.

In the end, she could only continue climbing up without relying on more of Cheng Shiyuan’s strength.

Xie Zhiqing, who was able to regain her balance with Shen Lingxi’s help, quickly found a new leverage point. She scaled the slope and climbed up almost immediately after Shen Lingxi had reached a stable stance.

The three reunited in the rain.

Cheng Shiyuan heavily exhaled, watching Xie Zhiqing move her lips toward Shen Lingxi and utter a calm:

“Thank you.”

Afterward, Xie Zhiqing smiled gently at her, signaling that she was fine.

It was Shen Lingxi who, after getting soaked and walking that difficult path, started coughing more severely as she reached the rendezvous point with the others ahead.

The sudden downpour had already lessened considerably in this short time.

As if it had come specifically to test this group of lovers on their ascent.

Shen Lingxi reached out and gently tugged the corner of Cheng Shiyuan’s rain jacket.

It was a rare gesture of weakness.

Her usually hollow eyes, having been drenched by so much rain today, were strangely wet.

It made her look exceptionally unfamiliar.

Cheng Shiyuan hadn’t planned to stop, but remembering how Shen Lingxi had held firm to ensure Xie Zhiqing’s safe ascent just moments ago, she turned back to her.

She thought for a moment, pursed her lips, and finally uttered:

“You today…”

Before she could finish—

The person in front of her collapsed straight into her arms.

Cheng Shiyuan’s instinct to catch people, honed in the hospital on Pearl Islands, took over. Before she could react, she had already caught the person steadily.

Under the wide eyes of the others, she belatedly looked down at the increasingly flushed face of the person in her arms after the climb. Realizing something, she lowered her head.

A few seconds after their foreheads touched.

Through the cold skin, she felt a scorching heat, one that felt like it could melt bone.

Shen Lingxi had a high fever!

“Medicine, did anyone bring medicine?” she immediately looked up and asked.

The program staff carrying equipment had fallen behind. What was supposed to be a relaxing, outing-like climb had turned into a survival situation due to the downpour, and none of them had carried much in terms of supplies.

Even for tents, only Wang Shu’s bag contained one.

Fortunately, Chen Chuxing’s bag contained all the necessary medicines for everyone, and anti-inflammatory drugs were naturally included.

As the drizzle started again and they confirmed the thunder had stopped, Xie Zhiqing skillfully worked with the guide to quickly set up the tent in a safe area.

The patient, Shen Lingxi, became the first to enjoy the warm tent.

The person who had easily driven the others to desperation on Pearl Islands was now the most vulnerable existence in the group, seemingly capable of being robbed of more life force by the high fever at any moment—

It instantly made everyone realize that Shen Lingxi was also just a mortal human being of flesh and blood.

However.

Xia Ziran and the others were not afraid of her previous dominant demeanor; they had even prepared to continue their head-on confrontation with her.

Yet, she chose this moment to show weakness.

How despicable.

Xia Ziran was warming her hands by the lit bonfire, her gaze dark. She happened to meet the eyes of Cheng Shiyuan, who had just emerged from the tent.

She raised a hand to block her path and pulled the soaking wet, freezing person to her side:

“Change out of your wet outer layer first. What’s the rush?”

“The production team won’t let their investor die here, will they?”

Only then did Cheng Shiyuan realize how low her own body temperature was.

Even Xia Ziran’s dry palm felt warm to her.

She “hmm’d.” Although she guessed there was a one-in-ten chance that Shen Lingxi was intentionally risking her life, she couldn’t pretend she hadn’t seen what happened on that dangerous slope.

A warm fingertip tapped her forehead.

“What are you worrying about?” Xia Ziran took the thermos of ginger-brown sugar hot tea that Wang Shu offered and put it in her hand: “You shouldn’t be making that face.”

“—I hate you people who are always trying to risk your lives.”

Cheng Shiyuan took a sip without warning and was scalded by the amount of ginger inside.

Her eyes teared up instinctively: “You… didn’t you know I don’t like ginger?”

Xia Ziran laughed out loud and deliberately asked: “It’s okay if Xie Zhiqing gives you ginger, but not mine?”

Seeing Cheng Shiyuan about to hand the thermos back, Xia Ziran slowly coaxed: “Alright, there’s a filter inside, you won’t eat the ginger. Drink more, lest you catch a cold from certain people…”

“The way she’s coughing, let’s hope it’s not pneumonia.”

Cheng Shiyuan reached out and pinched her mouth: “Can’t you say something nice?”

Xia Ziran glanced at her nonchalantly: “Nice things are only for you to hear.”

As for these annoying love rivals, who have strength and tactics.

She wouldn’t give them any good graces.

So, thinking of this, she smiled again, rubbed Cheng Shiyuan’s cheek, and asked:

“What nice things do you want to hear?”

Cheng Shiyuan was originally holding the thermos, planning to leave to trick the two little dummies into drinking some for her, but as soon as she moved, Wang Shu, who was helping her dry her jacket, held her down.

A warmth was placed against the back of her neck.

Someone who had been cold in the rain for too long, upon suddenly feeling this warmth, felt their bones turn to mush.

She narrowed her eyes, mysteriously losing the energy to get up.

She was thus forced to listen to Xia Ziran’s meaningful reminder:

“Bad little bird.”

“If you only ever look at the injured one, you’ll give the wrong signals.”

If all the children in a kindergarten only got candy by crying, then the children would frantically use crying to express all their needs.

And they wouldn’t stop until they were satisfied.

Xia Ziran thought of Wang Shu’s initial reluctance to apply new medicine when her hand was injured. Although she was luckily able to avoid the same situation as her, Xia Ziran clearly knew what kind of game Wang Shu was playing.

“I know.”

Cheng Shiyuan replied, lowering her eyes.

This was also why she hadn’t entered the tent again after giving Shen Lingxi medicine and confirming that the program staff had arrived and her assistant had followed.

However.

She couldn’t explain that her previous care for Shen Lingxi was actually providing Shen Lingxi with positive reinforcement.

It wasn’t because Shen Lingxi played the victim that she turned back—

It was because Shen Lingxi had been willing to suppress her wicked thoughts and let Xie Zhiqing climb up safely that she was willing to offer Shen Lingxi a little kindness.

Cheng Shiyuan used to constantly wonder if she had taught this monster, who seemed out of place with ordinary people, how to behave more like a normal human being when she met Shen Lingxi.

Later, after Shen Lingxi became the sole winner of the Shen family’s gu-style education and developed the Shen Corporation into the behemoth it is today.

Whenever she heard bad rumors, Cheng Shiyuan always wondered if it was her fault.

And this faint sense of guilt.

It reached its peak on Pearl Islands, when she saw the people she cared about go above and beyond her expectations to rescue her, only to fall into Shen Lingxi’s trap.

Therefore.

Cheng Shiyuan desperately wanted to chain this runaway, uncaged beast with the shackles of morality once more.

Xia Ziran looked at her, seemingly having made up her mind, and wanted to say something more.

But she saw Wang Shu, who was standing behind her, shake her head at her.

Immediately after.

Chen Chuxing, who had planned to go and help Xie Zhiqing, listened for a while nearby. First, she glanced toward Shen Lingxi’s tent, then calmly walked toward the two Xia family members.

—This Xia girl always pushes too hard inadvertently; that’s not good.

Of course, being too relaxed, like Xie Zhiqing, wasn’t good either.

“Xiaoshi.”

She called out brightly, over the crackling of the bonfire.

As Cheng Shiyuan turned to look at her, Chen Chuxing smiled, walked to her side, and slowly crouched down. Looking up at her, she asked:

“Do you want to eat cake after we get down the mountain to celebrate an unprecedentedly great event?”

Cheng Shiyuan’s eyes shifted, seemingly wanting to look away, but she forced herself to hold still.

Since these people left the hospital room, she had been mentally prepared to be questioned about her many past abnormalities.

Yet she waited and waited.

She waited until she had conceived dozens of plans in her mind, and even the option of fully revealing the truth would quietly surface late at night.

Now that she finally heard Chen Chuxing ask, her first reaction was actually relief.

“Yes.”

She heard herself answer without hesitation.

Facing Cheng Shiyuan’s fervent gaze, Chen Chuxing smiled sweetly and offered her palm:

“Then, congratulations on having such a great cause for celebration.”

Cheng Shiyuan looked at the pristine white palm.

After a long while, she couldn’t help but chuckle softly. She also raised her own hand and clapped it against the palm of this first well-wisher—

To gain new life, and to meet you all on this show.

It was truly wonderful!