Joining A Dating Show With Five Exes - Chapter 47

Chapter 47: End of Main Story

Cheng Shiyuan finally heard the words she had most wanted to hear when she broke up with Chen Chuxing all those years ago.

This time, there was no need for kind lies, no need for one-sided effort or sacrifice. If love resided in their hearts, it didn’t need to be exposed—it would simply flow out elsewhere.

Hand in hand, they listened to the evening breeze, walking through the trees and courtyard.

Chen Chuxing unconsciously hummed a tune. Cheng Shiyuan recognized which of her singles it was and, at the chorus, lightly joined her in singing.

The ethereal and the rich, husky vocal lines blended together.

Like the collision of a new wine and aged tea.

It still had a unique flavor.

It wasn’t until Cheng Shiyuan saw Shen Lingxi’s secretary in front of the villa that she slowly let go of Chen Chuxing’s hand, smiled, and wished her a “good night” and sweet dreams.

Despite gaining her freedom, Chen Chuxing still couldn’t feel at ease about Cheng Shiyuan meeting Shen Lingxi alone. She tried to offer to go with her.

But Cheng Shiyuan shook her head.

“Don’t worry.”

She said lightly, as if certain of the outcome: “I can go by myself.”

No longer restricted by the life-extending system, she was like the freest creature under heaven, bound by no cage. She followed the secretary into a black executive car.

The car stopped in front of the private, special-care ward at a downtown hospital.

The familiar maid opened the door for her, politely changing her address:

“Miss Cheng.”

She walked into the quiet reception hall and immediately saw the woman by the window, wearing a jacket and sipping hot tea.

“Not staying in the hospital, and not resting this late. Are you completely recovered?” Cheng Shiyuan asked.

Shen Lingxi set down the exquisite Guan ware teacup, which had been brought back from some auction, and curved her lips into a slight smile: “Don’t you know I hate places like that?”

Oh.

Cheng Shiyuan belatedly recalled that was true.

It was likely because Shen Lingxi’s father was a lunatic, especially regarding the cultivation of his heirs, seeking countless women to birth one child after another.

He enjoyed watching them tear each other apart and loved experimenting on them in their youth with strange health regimes—some were force-fed traditional Chinese medicine, others were given massive doses of vitamins.

Consequently, the weaker children were frequent visitors to the hospital.

It was a family of immense wealth, yet its rules were more brutal than an uncivilized jungle.

Because the one who devoured his children was their own father.

When Shen Lingxi finished telling that story, she also told Cheng Shiyuan that because she hated those cold places and couldn’t sleep well, she loved sleeping with warm her.

“Wife will always be with me, right? Otherwise, I’m afraid I’ll have one more insomnia condition.”

Words intended to elicit pity.

Now, years later, they seemed to have become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Cheng Shiyuan walked toward her, pulled out an elaborate wooden chair opposite her—inlaid with mother-of-pearl and set with beautiful jade discs—and sat down, her tone casual:

“Your words are a mix of truth and falsehood. I can’t distinguish them, so I just decided not to believe any of them.”

The tea master, who had been waiting in the shadows nearby, was about to approach and pour Cheng Shiyuan a cup of tea, but Shen Lingxi tapped her little finger on the table, and the master silently retreated from the area.

Shen Lingxi personally picked up the teapot and poured her a cup.

She even thoughtfully reminded her that it was ripe Pu-erh tea, so a few sips wouldn’t keep her awake at night.

Cheng Shiyuan replied with a half-joke: “What I should be more worried about is whether I’ll be able to leave this place tonight after taking a sip.”

Shen Lingxi rested her chin on her hand, tilting her head to look at her:

“Frequent ingestion of those kinds of drugs, though they can be metabolized, is ultimately bad for your health.”

She’s suddenly so concerned about my health now—

Cheng Shiyuan thought.

The next second, she realized Shen Lingxi’s words had a deeper meaning. She paused, then smiled slightly to herself.

“Others have reason to criticize you, dislike you, and hate you. But I, alone, have no standing.”

She knew she shouldn’t be so harsh toward Shen Lingxi.

From the moment Cheng Shiyuan entered the dating show, or even earlier, during her search for medical help, the ability to coincidentally find channels to consult famous doctors both domestically and internationally was probably all thanks to Shen Lingxi’s connections.

And this person, from the moment she reappeared in front of her, had a clear objective in every step she took.

Shen Lingxi genuinely wanted her rivals to retreat, or to unfortunately perish.

But she was also helping Cheng Shiyuan to survive, no matter the cost.

If Shen Lingxi held ninety-nine parts of falsehood for the world, the one part of truth left was given to Cheng Shiyuan.

“But you still don’t like the methods I used, do you?”

Shen Lingxi gazed fixedly at her.

“You hate others making decisions for you on their own authority, and you hate my style of work and my methods.”

Shen Lingxi had always been very clear about this.

Yet, their roles seemed to have been reversed tonight.

The person speaking on Shen Lingxi’s behalf was Cheng Shiyuan: “Perhaps, at other times I could righteously blame you, but not this time.”

If she and Shen Lingxi swapped places—

She wouldn’t be able to do any better than Shen Lingxi.

It was her unwillingness to trust Shen Lingxi, and a former wife who wasn’t privy to information, that ultimately forced Shen Lingxi to resort to such extreme measures to help her complete the task.

Moreover, if it weren’t for Shen Lingxi’s manipulations, Cheng Shiyuan would have been exhausted trying to secure a hundred points of pure affection on her own.

She could almost see herself frantically working day and night, constantly igniting conflicts between the various targets and then personally trying to extinguish the flames.

By all rights, she should be thanking Shen Lingxi.

Shen Lingxi raised an eyebrow. The person before her was no longer angry at her over those trivial rivals.

But this composed, peaceful demeanor made her feel that something was worse.

It seemed…

It was harder to hold onto this person now.

So, she very awkwardly imitated what she had learned from her competitors these past few days.

“But I could have done better, couldn’t I?”

If she hadn’t agreed to the divorce back then, if she had shown sincerity when Cheng Shiyuan was completely disillusioned with her, and tried everything to win her back.

Wouldn’t it be—

That she would have been the one by Cheng Shiyuan’s side when she was in her deepest despair, quietly waiting for death, the one who gave her the miraculous chance at rebirth?

Or perhaps.

If they hadn’t divorced, Cheng Shiyuan wouldn’t have had to wait step-by-step for the darkest moment to arrive.

Shen Lingxi could have been her beloved’s sole salvation.

She was the one who voluntarily gave up the chance, using the schemes she was accustomed to and proud of, pushing Cheng Shiyuan farther and farther away, yet still fantasizing about snatching her back.

Shen Lingxi once believed that as long as she kept Cheng Shiyuan by her side, that cold heart would eventually warm up again.

But on the Pearl Islands, seeing Cheng Shiyuan’s melancholy, her forced compliance, and the deliberate suppression of her temper, she suddenly understood.

If she persisted on that wrong path, she would lose even more.

Cheng Shiyuan watched her rare moment of being lost in thought while staring at her, simply lowering her eyes without answering.

Because life has too many “what ifs,” but ultimately, the path she walked was the only reality.

Shen Lingxi waited for a long time, receiving only the silent air, and vaguely understood.

She chuckled softly.

Then she abruptly spoke, saying a few seemingly unrelated things:

“Humans tend to make irrational, highly emotional mistaken decisions at night.”

“Therefore, major decisions are usually not suitable for the evening.”

“Also, sunk costs should not be a factor in major decisions.”

Shen Lingxi closed her eyes, pressing her temples, as if talking to herself.

She paused for several seconds.

She forced herself to fight the rationality in her body, repeating a sentence in her throat multiple times before finally speaking:

“But I think I should do a wrong thing now, something I never liked doing before.”

“Because my mistaken decision seems to benefit you, doesn’t it?”

Just like when Shen Lingxi agreed to that most regrettable request for divorce.

But from their separation until their reunion, she hadn’t seen a hint of attachment or regret from Cheng Shiyuan.

The person she loved would rather wait for destiny to descend in desperate circumstances than ever entertain the thought of coming back to her.

So Shen Lingxi understood.

Her side was the hell that Cheng Shiyuan had finally escaped.

Perhaps, Cheng Shiyuan would countless times celebrate how easily she had nodded to the divorce since they met again.

If Shen Lingxi truly held that single remaining shred of goodwill for this person, she should make her second mistaken decision now.

Her breathing became inaudible.

Almost masochistically, she forced herself to hear the words she was speaking clearly:

“You can go.”

Shen Lingxi lowered her eyes, looking at the cup of tea in front of Cheng Shiyuan, which had gone from hot to cold, and remained untouched.

“I will remove everyone around you and will never spy on your life again.”

“You should also never step foot in Hong Kong again—because if I see you once more, I might regret it, and I might impulsively do many things that you despise.”

But only at this very moment.

My love for you outweighs my selfish nature and overrides the successful methods I’ve always relied on. With you, I am willing to frankly admit defeat.

This time, Shen Lingxi finally stopped using the old address that Cheng Shiyuan hated.

When she opened her eyes, she looked directly at the person who was still as vibrant and full of life as the first time they met.

“Cheng Shiyuan.”

Her tongue curled against her teeth, and she slowly smiled: “Don’t be caught by anyone again.”

Congratulations on finally escaping this relationship, which may be the most detested of your life, and perhaps your only failed marriage.

Turn back into that beautiful, free little bird that everyone looks up to.

Soaring in your own sky.

From now on, no hunter will be able to break your wings and confine you to a cage.

Although she was saying goodbye, Cheng Shiyuan looked at her now.

She recalled a story snippet she had seen on a cruise ship during her trip.

It was about an injured wolf in the wild, kindly rescued by a human. At first, it howled wildly and showed its claws, but during the healing process, it gradually realized the human’s goodwill.

It slowly started to imitate the large domestic dogs kept by the human, clumsily wagging its tail.

And when the human put collars on the domestic dogs and commanded them to pull sleds, the wolf walked over, nudged the human with its head, and asked for the same equipment.

Until spring—

With its wounds completely healed, it was driven away and urged to return to its forest.

It held the polished collar, the one it had worked with, in its mouth.

The vast, boundless wilderness was where it should have returned, yet the wolf, crouching by the edge of the forest, was the one who felt abandoned when the human would no longer put the collar on it.

The current Cheng Shiyuan was the one driving Shen Lingxi away, no longer attempting to put a collar on her.

But Cheng Shiyuan had gained what she wanted most.

Though her rising movement was slow, she got up, determined and resolute.

As she turned to leave, a thought bubbled up in Shen Lingxi’s mind:

If Cheng Shiyuan showed even a hint of reluctance and turned back at this moment, she would immediately renege on her promise and keep her here.

But.

Just as she understood Cheng Shiyuan, Cheng Shiyuan understood her, too.

Though her steps were unhurried, Cheng Shiyuan did not look back until she walked out of the house.

Shen Lingxi laughed again.

The surrounding maids were terrified by her laughter, bowing their heads lower and lower.

After a long while, Shen Lingxi slowly picked up the cane next to her chair.

As she stood up, one or two droplets of liquid fell onto the wooden table with a distinct sound, following her movement.

She glanced down casually, even pulling up her sleeve, thinking she had accidentally spilled some tea. But as she lowered her head, more liquid pattered onto the small table.

Like rain falling within the small house.

A gloved black hand slowly traced the liquid on the table. Shen Lingxi suddenly had a strange urge and touched her fingertip to her lips, tasting it.

Bitter, astringent.

It was the same taste as when she had kissed Cheng Shiyuan’s tears years ago.

Ah.

Very belatedly, Shen Lingxi scanned the room, confirmed everyone was far away from her, and slowly realized:

—Am I the one crying?

Cheng Shiyuan did not know that she had missed the only time Shen Lingxi would ever shed a tear.

Returning to the villa under the moonlight, she thought she had resolved her concerns and would sleep soundly, but she tossed and turned, her mind and thoughts unusually active.

Until the sky began to lighten, the production team knocked on her door.

“Teacher Cheng, the director’s team requests your presence.”

Cheng Shiyuan hadn’t expected a special procedure at this hour. After washing up, she walked over with curiosity.

Director Xiao Ke sat on a chair in the center of the room.

The person who had always watched these guests through a lens met Cheng Shiyuan’s eyes directly for the first time.

She seemed to be intently observing what kind of charisma this person, who was loved by so many excellent guests, possessed.

But no matter how hard she looked, she felt she was still looking at the person she knew.

The only answer, then, was that Cheng Shiyuan knew which people to release her charm on.

After a while, she gave Cheng Shiyuan a knowing smile:

“This season’s show content has been very unique, Teacher Cheng. According to the original schedule, the guests should begin preparing for the final confession ceremony.”

But if we did that here, Teacher Cheng would probably be exhausted running between them.

So she continued:

“Considering several factors, plus the special request of the investors, I’ve decided to add a segment.”

“These cards in front of you have the names of the other guests written on them. Only the person you choose will be eligible to initiate this unique confession ceremony with you. How about it?”

Cheng Shiyuan looked down at the cards.

She realized Director Xiao Ke hadn’t finished speaking.

Because in addition to the cards bearing the names of the other guests, there was clearly one blank card.

Catching her gaze.

Director Xiao Ke replied with a smile: “I film this dating show because I want everyone to enjoy a beautiful love story, but no one stipulated that beautiful love must have a result, right?”

“I think the person who can still firmly choose her own path after experiencing all the beautiful love is perhaps the most worthy of being loved.”

“Our dating show has no script, Teacher Cheng. Choose according to your heart—”

“Isn’t this the result they want most, too?”

No one could limit the freedom of this little bird.

Not even themselves.

Therefore, the choice Cheng Shiyuan made would be the most free one, most in line with her will.

Looking at the cards before her, Cheng Shiyuan couldn’t help but recall her initial thoughts when she first came to this dating show. At that time, she decided to deal with her ex-partners with deception, acting, and pretense.

But now.

She had exchanged lies for these five true hearts.

Cheng Shiyuan sat quietly for a moment, then smiled to herself.

“You’re right.”

She agreed with Director Xiao Ke.

The next second.

Following her original heart, she reached out for the cards on the table.

She had been compelled before, telling so many lies, hiding her true feelings beneath feigned affection. Later, owing one life after another, she felt involuntarily obligated to repay them.

But if they exchanged all their sincerity for her honesty.

Then.

Cheng Shiyuan thought, at least this one time, she should speak her truth.

She reached out—

Toward the card she most wanted to have.

She also had one truth, hidden for the longest time.

End of Main Story.