Living Together Reality Show: I Have 99% Compatibility with the Aloof and Cold Female Lead - Chapter 5

The production crew’s car arrived at the seaside villa at dusk.

Jiang Yun hauled her luggage out of the car and glanced at Xu Qiansheng, who had brought almost nothing. Her feelings were complicated.

[System: “See? This is why you’re the vicious female supporting character!”]

[Jiang Yun: “Of course I know!”]

In four days, during the “Change Roommates” segment, she had to make Xu Qiansheng choose to “not continue living with her current roommate.”

Jiang Yun’s goal for the next three days was to make Xu Qiansheng hate her!

“Hey, come help me with my luggage!” Jiang Yun sneered.

Deliberately being rude by not using Xu Qiansheng’s name and demanding help in a terrible tone, she knew this would make anyone’s blood pressure skyrocket.

Jiang Yun was already looking forward to the show, eager to see how Great Heroine Xu would react to her anger.

****

“Jiang Yun is so rude! Is this the 99% match everyone’s been raving about online?”

“I don’t know if Goddess Xu is angry, but my blood pressure is through the roof!”

“I never liked this pair. I hope Xu Qiansheng chooses to room with Brother Heng in four days.”

“Hey, if you’re a Zhang Heng fan, why aren’t you watching his livestream instead of causing trouble here?”

*****

The livestream chat buzzed with chatter. Some viewers had come out of curiosity about the 99% match, but most were Xu Qiansheng’s fans, all criticizing Jiang Yun’s rudeness.

Xu Qiansheng glanced at Jiang Yun, her expression hidden behind dark sunglasses.

Whenever Xu Qiansheng stared at her like that, Jiang Yun felt deeply uneasy.

She’s definitely angry, Jiang Yun thought. She just can’t show it on camera right now!

Jiang Yun figured that if she stood her ground and waited for Xu Qiansheng to storm off, she would have successfully taken the first step toward being hated.

But Xu Qiansheng didn’t leave. Instead, she walked toward Jiang Yun.

****

No way! Is Goddess Xu really going to help this rude girl with her luggage?

It just shows how kind Goddess Xu is. That’s why she lets that nasty Jiang Yun bully her!

Aaaargh! This is so infuriating!

****

Jiang Yun was a little stunned. She’d only wanted to provoke the female lead, not actually have her carry her luggage!

Now that Xu Qiansheng was standing right in front of her, Jiang Yun felt completely flustered.

Xu Qiansheng reached out, took Jiang Yun’s hand, and led her toward the seaside villa.

The luggage was left abandoned on the ground.

“If you need anything, just tell me,” Xu Qiansheng said casually. “We can buy another set later.”

“Huh?!” Jiang Yun exclaimed in shock.

***

Hahahaha! Refusing to carry the luggage? Then just leave it!

What a power move! No coddling her! That’s Goddess Xu for you.

Hahahahaha, I’m dying of laughter!

***

In the end, Jiang Yun slunk back to retrieve her luggage herself.

Upon settling into the seaside villa, Xu Qiansheng was tidying her room. Her expression showed no sign of anger.

Jiang Yun wandered through the living room, plotting her next move.

She hadn’t expected Xu Qiansheng to defuse her first attempt so easily. She truly lives up to her title as the female lead, Jiang Yun thought.

Entering the kitchen, Jiang Yun noticed meat and vegetables in the refrigerator, provided by the production team. The ingredients were just enough for tonight’s dinner.

The devil within Jiang Yun stirred. She glided over to Xu Qiansheng, who was still organizing her room.

“I’ll cook tonight!” Jiang Yun announced.

Xu Qiansheng paused briefly before agreeing, “Okay.”

Jiang Yun’s voice brimmed with confidence, but her confidence wasn’t in her cooking skills. It was in her certainty that she could make Xu Qiansheng hate her!

Did you think Jiang Yun planned to deliberately make the food terrible?

Wrong!

Jiang Yun was simply going to…

Perform! At! Her! Usual! Cooking! Level!

Unevenly chopped meat!

Rice cooked with too much water!

Disappearing salt and oil in the stir-fries!

A disastrous color palette!

When the four dishes were finally ready, even Jiang Yun, the self-proclaimed chef, couldn’t tell which was meat and which was vegetable!

The two sat at the dining table as the camera zoomed in on the four dishes. The comments section exploded.

What the hell is that pitch-black lump?

Did some evil god descend to cook this meal?

Goddess Xu, don’t eat that! Eating that will definitely bring misfortune!

Goddess Xu picked up her chopsticks! Goddess Xu actually ate it!

Xu Qiansheng didn’t hesitate. She picked up a piece of “meat,” put it in her mouth, and chewed slowly.

How about that? Are you angry now?

Jiang Yun felt a flicker of anticipation, almost wishing Xu Qiansheng would slam her chopsticks down, point at her face, and storm out.

But Xu Qiansheng simply swallowed the meat and moved on to the next dish.

Huh?

Jiang Yun was stunned again. No reaction at all?

Everyone who had eaten her cooking before had reacted quite differently!

Noticing Jiang Yun staring, Xu Qiansheng assumed she wanted feedback. “Too much dark soy sauce,” she said. “Not enough salt or oil. It tastes bitter, but it’s edible.”

Jiang Yun: ? What’s dark soy sauce? Isn’t that dark stuff in the bottle just soy sauce?

“Let me cook from now on,” Xu Qiansheng said.

With a casual remark, the conversation ended. The two women finished their meal in silence.

Another plan… failed!

By midnight, the production team had stopped filming and gone home.

Jiang Yun threw a pillow at the bed in frustration. How can Xu Qiansheng be so impossible to anger? Is she even human?!

System: Host, calm down! What does the female lead hate?!

What did Xu Qiansheng hate?

Jiang Yun remembered Xu Qiansheng’s answer to the question about her ideal environment: “Quiet.”

The night wasn’t over yet. She couldn’t give up now!

Returning to the living room, she found Xu Qiansheng reading by the window.

One glance was enough to captivate Jiang Yun.

The sight of Xu Qiansheng sitting in the wooden chair, clutching the book tightly as she read with such focus, was mesmerizing.

Bathed in moonlight and the dim glow of the lamp, Xu Qiansheng seemed veiled in an ethereal aura, radiating an inexplicable charm.

Whenever someone approached, Xu Qiansheng would politely close her book.

“Is there something you need?” Xu Qiansheng asked.

Jiang Yun snapped out of her daze and quickly replied, “No, nothing. Just keep reading!”

She had come to annoy Xu Qiansheng, yet she found herself captivated by her instead.

I must stay focused! Don’t let her distract me from my goal!

Xu Qiansheng was puzzled by Jiang Yun’s behavior when she suddenly heard the hum of the TV coming from the living room.

Jiang Yun had turned on the TV and cranked the volume all the way up with the remote.

So you like peace and quiet, huh?!

I’m going to make so much noise you can’t stand it! Let’s see how long you can take it!

After tuning to her favorite show, Jiang Yun sprawled contentedly on the sofa.

Sure enough, it wasn’t long before Xu Qiansheng closed her book, returned it to the bookshelf, and walked over to her.

She’s getting impatient! She’s angry!

Jiang Yun straightened up, eagerly anticipating the female lead’s scolding and insults, culminating in a dramatic declaration: “I absolutely won’t live with you after four days!”

Lost in her delightful fantasy, Jiang Yun waited for the expected tirade. But instead, she realized Xu Qiansheng had actually sat down beside her.

What the heck?!

Xu Qiansheng was watching the TV with an expression of intense concentration, her posture identical to when she was reading.

Jiang Yun maintained her upright posture and stared at the screen as well.

And so, the two women sat in unspoken agreement, silently watching the TV for half an hour.

System: Host, you weren’t here to watch TV!

Jiang Yun: I know that! So what am I supposed to do?!

I need to make her angry! I need to make her hate me!

That’s it!

Jiang Yun thought of the show playing on TV, a prank show she’d loved for years.

The pranks were so bizarre that most people didn’t get the humor. Her friends didn’t like it much either, often teasing her about her unusual taste.

But today, this solitary interest might actually come in handy!

“So, do you like it?” Jiang Yun asked, her smile mischievous.

If Xu Qiansheng said she didn’t like it, Jiang Yun could immediately adopt a superior attitude and mock her relentlessly. Even a saint would be annoyed by such unwarranted arrogance!

“It’s actually pretty good,” Xu Qiansheng replied.

This answer was exactly what Jiang Yun had expected. “Really? What do you like about it?” she pressed.

In Jiang Yun’s mind, Xu Qiansheng was just trying to act tough. The show itself had a high barrier to entry for new viewers and wasn’t exactly mainstream. Xu Qiansheng was clearly just saying “pretty good” to avoid looking clueless!

“It’s the continuity, right? The actor picks up a rice spoon, and the scene misleads you into thinking he’s about to eat in the cafeteria. Then, in the next shot, he’s suddenly in prison. Turns out, the spoon was for escaping…”

Xu Qiansheng then earnestly analyzed the humor, praising the actor’s outstanding performance and the overall contrast created by the staging.

“The extreme contrast between the props and settings, combined with the actor’s exaggerated performance, makes for a really good viewing experience.”

When Xu Qiansheng finished, she noticed Jiang Yun’s dazed expression and asked, “Am I wrong about something?”

“No…!”

“?”

“It’s absolutely fantastic! I’ve always thought so!”

Jiang Yun’s eyes sparkled like stars as she leaned in close, clasping Xu Qiansheng’s hands tightly.

“This show is amazing, right? Right!”

System: Host, maintain your vicious female supporting character persona!

The System’s words were like a bucket of cold water, instantly dousing the flame that had ignited in Jiang Yun’s heart.

Right, I’m the vicious female supporting character. I need to maintain my image!

My goal is to make the female lead hate me!

“Ahem, sorry about that. I got a little carried away just now.”

Jiang Yun had impulsively grabbed the female lead’s soft, delicate hand, and now she reluctantly let go.

“This is all just theory!” Jiang Yun crossed her arms. “To really understand it, you need to…”

Whoa!

She had been trying to focus on the TV program to analyze what to say next, but suddenly a scary face popped up on the screen.

It was late and quiet, and Jiang Yun was deeply focused on her thoughts. The sudden scare startled her badly.

A simple jump scare wouldn’t have been so bad, but Jiang Yun instinctively grabbed the first thing she thought was safe to hold onto.

Which turned out to be Xu Qiansheng.

A faint awkwardness hung in the air as Jiang Yun realized what a foolish thing she had done.

She tried to pull away, but Xu Qiansheng had already wrapped her arm around Jiang Yun’s, making it impossible to withdraw her hand.

Jiang Yun: ??????

“If you’re scared, this might make you feel a little safer,” Xu Qiansheng said.

Jiang Yun racked her brain, trying to figure out how to make Xu Qiansheng dislike her. But the current situation made it impossible to speak up.

“This episode’s almost over,” Xu Qiansheng said again. “Let’s finish it and go to bed.”

Jiang Yun glanced at the progress bar. Only about ten minutes remained.

Not enough time to do anything now, she thought, giving up. I might as well just rest and get ready for bed, like Xu Qiansheng said.

Resigning herself to fate, Jiang Yun leaned against Xu Qiansheng.

Just as the plot reached its climax, the funniest part of the episode, Xu Qiansheng chuckled softly beside her.

Xu Qiansheng was an actress, and would one day become a top film star. But Jiang Yun could tell this wasn’t acting. It was a genuine, heartfelt laugh.

This was the first time someone had watched TV with her, especially one of her favorite shows.

This feeling… it’s so strange…

Ten minutes passed, and the episode ended.

“Jiang Yun, let’s go to bed…”

Xu Qiansheng froze. Jiang Yun had already fallen asleep, leaning against her.

Was she really that tired today?

Xu Qiansheng carefully reached for the remote, contorting herself into an awkward position to avoid waking Jiang Yun, and turned off the TV.

What should I do now?

Wake up this sleepyhead beside me?

Instead of waking Jiang Yun, Xu Qiansheng slowly shifted her body, letting Jiang Yun lie comfortably on the sofa, still lost in her dream.

I can’t just leave her sleeping here, Xu Qiansheng thought, feeling a bit troubled.

Under the dim light, Jiang Yun’s brow furrowed slightly as the warmth of Xu Qiansheng’s body disappeared, her small frame unconsciously curling in on itself.

She’s in good shape and quite cute, Xu Qiansheng thought, giving Jiang Yun a fair assessment after a quick glance.

Xu Qiansheng reached out and pinched Jiang Yun’s cheek, hesitating for a moment before deciding not to squeeze too hard.

Jiang Yun’s room isn’t far from here. Should I carry her back?

As an actress, Xu Qiansheng naturally kept herself in good physical condition, but she’d never actually carried anyone before.

Hesitating is just wasting time, Xu Qiansheng thought, bending down to figure out the best way to lift Jiang Yun.

In the movies she’d seen, a princess carry seemed to involve…

On one side, reaching an arm around the waist and clasping the outer arm.

On the other, looping an arm behind the inner thigh to cradle the legs tightly together.

Then, resting the other person’s head against her shoulder.

That was roughly it. Xu Qiansheng took a deep breath, braced herself, and lifted Jiang Yun into her arms.

“Mmm…” Jiang Yun stirred in her arms.

The movement woke Jiang Yun. She opened her eyes to find Xu Qiansheng’s face inches from her own.

Jiang Yun: Huh?

Still groggy from sleep, Jiang Yun’s mind was a blur. She couldn’t quite grasp what was happening, but Xu Qiansheng’s expression seemed… a little angry?

Then Jiang Yun was unceremoniously dumped onto the sofa.

“Since you’re awake, go back to bed,” Xu Qiansheng said before striding back to her own room.

Jiang Yun: System, was the female lead angry just now?

System: Sleeping. Do not disturb.

Back in her room, Xu Qiansheng bit her lip and muttered, “Next time, I’ll just wake her up directly.”

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