The Ex-Wife of the Scumbag A Who Abandoned the Female Lead - Chapter 36

The final scores were announced, and Class E received an unexpectedly low score even lower than the initial evaluation due to one judge giving an extremely poor rating.

The audience erupted in murmurs, as no one had anticipated such a low score. Shi Nuocen herself was equally taken aback.

Speculation quickly spread that the low score must have come from Actress Ru, given her apparent dissatisfaction during the evaluation. Even if it wasn’t her, the score undoubtedly reflected her attitude.

Shi Nuocen gritted her teeth, stealing a couple of discreet glances at her ex-wife. Suppressing her anger, she retreated to her seat, thinking how much her temper had improved. In the past, she would never have tolerated such blatant unfairness.

When Ru Xi Cheng learned of the score, she was equally surprised, thinking to herself, But I gave her a high score of 92. Noticing the faint frustration in Shi Nuocen’s expression and the accusatory glances directed her way, she belatedly realized there had been a misunderstanding.

She planned to explain things to Shi Nuocen once the recording ended, but the latter left in a hurry, not waiting for her. Instead, Zhao Zhao stopped Ru Xi Cheng to ask about her mother. Since Zhao Zhao was the daughter of a family friend, it was only natural to show concern, so Ru Xi Cheng patiently chatted with her.

Just then, the heel of Ru Xi Cheng’s high heel shoe snapped, causing her to stumble. Zhao Zhao quickly reached out to steady her. Still shaken, Ru Xi Cheng thanked her and didn’t immediately pull away.

After walking some distance, Shi Nuocen reconsidered, feeling she shouldn’t jump to conclusions without asking for an explanation. But when she turned back, she saw them from afar her ex-wife and Zhao Zhao standing close, chatting happily.

A pang of discomfort struck her. Should she approach? Yet, for some reason, her feet felt rooted to the spot. As she hesitated, someone tapped her shoulder.

Turning around, Shi Nuocen was surprised to see her older sister. “What are you doing here?”

“If I weren’t here, how would I get to witness you so worked up?” Shi Fanxing twirled a strand of her hair playfully and teased, “What’s wrong? Realized you’ve fallen for Ru Xi Cheng? But it’s not like three years ago, she’s surrounded by plenty of beautiful women now.”

She cast a meaningful glance into the distance.

“There were plenty back then, too,” Shi Nuocen couldn’t help retorting. The difference was, three years ago, Ru Xi Cheng had been icy toward everyone. Those who liked her froze before they could even get close.

But now, Ru Xi Cheng seemed less cold, and her popularity had grown exponentially.

“That’s just how people are,” Shi Fanxing sighed, shaking her head. “When someone pours their heart out to you, you avoid them. Now that she doesn’t need you, you’re regretting it and thinking of chasing after her.”

“I’m not chasing after her yet,” Shi Nuocen gritted her teeth.

“Come on, tell me! How did you realize you like her?” Shi Fanxing was genuinely curious.

Some emotions had been bottled up for too long, and Shi Nuocen genuinely wanted to talk to someone. Her older sister happened to be a trustworthy person, so she began recounting her thoughts while reminiscing: “Honestly, it was quite a twist of fate. At first, Ru Xi Cheng approached me with a deal, saying she needed my help with something. But the amount of money she offered was so excessive that I suspected it might be some kind of unconventional revenge.”

“Revenge?” Shi Fanxing frowned slightly upon hearing this but quickly understood. “You mean, like making you fall in love with her first and then dumping you?”

“Exactly. After all, I always thought she disliked me. I was tricked into the marriage by my grandparents, and I assumed Ru Xi Cheng was part of that plan, conspiring with them against me. Plus, back then, we really didn’t see eye to eye, and I didn’t fulfill my duties as a wife. So, when she suddenly came to me, suspecting it was revenge seemed pretty reasonable, right?”

“Wait, if you had that suspicion, knowing your personality, you wouldn’t just do nothing, would you?” Shi Fanxing glanced at her sister and immediately pinpointed the crux of the issue.

Shi Nuocen thought her sister was truly sharp. She lowered her voice involuntarily: “While I was testing her true intentions, I also…”

After a pause, she continued, “But in the process, I realized I might have fallen for her.”

Shi Fanxing could only let out a cold, sarcastic laugh at this: “Good thing you’re only telling me. If Ru Xi Cheng heard this, how heartbroken would she be?”

Shi Nuocen also felt a bit embarrassed. She rubbed her temple and said softly, “I’m naturally emotionally detached. At the time, I could only rely on rationality to make judgments. Looking back from an emotional perspective, it was indeed quite hurtful.”

“As long as you’ve realized your mistake, that’s what matters. If you’re sure you’ve fallen for her, then go all out and pursue her.”

“I plan to spend a bit more time together and confess publicly at the latest during the debut night.”

Shi Fanxing looked at her in surprise. “Debut night? You just got placed in Class E, and you’re already this confident?”

“Of course.” Shi Nuocen straightened up, her expression bold and her smile radiant. “Your sister here is quite capable!”

“Alright then, I wish you success!”

The next day, the first trailer of this season’s dating show was released online. Whether they had watched the live broadcast or not, netizens were all buzzing with excitement, exclaiming how much they were looking forward to it!

That day, several hashtags soared to the top of the trending charts:

#Cooperative Bride Snatching#, #Ru Xi Cheng Lovers’ Lake#, #Ru Xi Cheng Shi Nuocen Wedding Attire#, #Actor Zong’s Change of Heart#.

Shi Nuocen also watched the trailer. The very first second of the video showed a wedding scene. A grand procession with red decorations stretching for miles, a long musical parade winding through streets and alleys. The vibrant, festive atmosphere immediately captivated the audience.

Then, the scene shifted to Shi Nuocen drawing the character role of “older husband, younger wife,” her face showing surprise. The next moment, Shi Nuocen and Actor Zong were shown whispering back-to-back to the audience, with the screen displaying the playful words “Plotting in Progress.” As the camera zoomed in, Actor Zong could be faintly heard chuckling confidently, saying, “I drew the role of princess and consort.”

The scene shifts again to Shi Nuocen dressed in middle-aged male attire, encountering the actor Zong Yingdi, who is clad in a princess gown. A close-up captures the two staring at each other in disbelief, with Zong Yingdi exclaiming, “What a terrible hidden plot!”

The screen floods with a dense barrage of “hahaha,” showing just how amused the audience is.

Next, ministers and generals forcibly drag away the emperor, who is dressed in wedding robes. Shi Nuocen, leading a group of martial arts experts provided by Zong Yingdi, charges forward with a plan to knock out and abduct the bride. But in a sudden twist, the scene changes to Shi Nuocen being pinned down on a bed, the camera freezing on her utterly shocked expression and a muted gasp.

Then, the setting shifts to the modern-day Lovers’ Lake. Shi Nuocen and Ru Xi Cheng, both in swimsuits that show off their long legs, walk side by side out of the changing room. The editors add a playful meme: “Look, there are beauties!”

The abrupt transition from ancient times to the modern era, with rippling lake waters replacing the heavy traditional costumes with light contemporary attire, energizes the audience!

The final shot features a Ferris wheel rising to its peak and a sky filled with dazzling fireworks!

Shi Nuocen thinks the editing is excellent, with a strong sense of rhythm. But just then, a comment scrolls by:

“Huh? Were Beauty Cen and Actress Ru on the Ferris wheel at that time? I was flying a drone past it.”

Seeing this, Shi Nuocen senses trouble.

Sure enough, that evening, the hashtag #Ru Xi ChengShiNuocenKiss explodes!

Weibo briefly crashes under the traffic, while CP fans go wild. The number of fanworks doubles overnight, leaving solo fans struggling to accept the news.

Netizens speculate whether the two were acting or if it was real, while others argue it might have been an accident perhaps one dropped something, and the other leaned in to help, leading to an unintentional lip touch.

Regardless, the drone footage clearly shows the two kissing, and their lips remained in contact for a noticeable duration.

Some netizens elaborate on the accident theory: “Maybe after their lips touched, they were both stunned and stayed like that for a moment.”

This comment gains widespread support, especially from viewers who have seen the girl group’s live shows or streams. They chime in: “Those claiming Beauty Cen and Actress Ru developed real feelings on set should take a hike. On the girl group variety show, Actress Ru didn’t hold back when evaluating Beauty Cen!”

Opinions online are split; half believe it was genuine, half think it was accidental fueling even more hype around the dating show!

Shi Nuocen asks her ex-wife how to handle the situation.

Ru Xi Cheng glances at her and replies calmly, “I’ve already had someone release a statement explaining it was an accident.”

Shi Nuocen checks online and finds the statement essentially downplays the incident as a coincidence. She feels a pang of discomfort, sensing that her ex-wife doesn’t want their relationship public. But then she reconsidered perhaps going public would harm her ex-wife’s career so she tactfully drops the subject. Besides, she isn’t even sure how to define their current relationship.

Ru Xi Cheng was waiting for Shi Nuocen to ask another question, mentally organizing her words to explain how failing to address the public now would severely impact the other’s career.

But after a long wait, Shi Nuocen never asked again. When she looked up, she realized the other had already left at some point.

Ru Xi Cheng felt a pang of frustration. Coupled with the issue of the mentor’s score, she sensed the misunderstanding between them had deepened even further.

Yet, rather than explaining that she wasn’t the one who gave the low score, Ru Xi Cheng thought it might be better to have the program team publicly display each mentor’s scores next time. Moreover, she reflected that, regardless, the unfair treatment Shi Nuocen faced on the group variety stage was indeed connected to her own attitude during the evaluation.

An’an was the first to notice the change in the relationship between Auntie Orange and Sister Cen. It seemed as if they had suddenly grown less close.

The little girl felt anxious. By chance, she overheard the servants discussing the child-rearing variety show, and a small idea began to form in her mind. Though she was still prone to nervousness and fear, she was willing to take this step to help the two adults reconcile.

Later, while playing with An’an, Shi Nuocen sensed that the child seemed preoccupied. But no matter how much she probed, she couldn’t uncover the reason, leaving her somewhat troubled.

When the dating show resumed filming, Zong Yingdi also keenly noticed the strained atmosphere between the two. Unlike before, their casual interactions now lacked the previous subtle intimacy.

“Hello, everyone! Good to see you again!” The dating show host struck a dazzling pose as the guests applauded in response.

“This morning’s activity is simple: based on your rankings, you can choose the menu for lunch and dinner. In other words, what you eat for lunch depends entirely on your performance.”

Bei Yi smiled, adopting a noble lady’s demeanor as she gestured to the host, “Let me see what’s on the menu.”

But when she took the eight cards and looked, her expression immediately changed. “No way! Honestly, the luxurious menu is tempting, but I could resist it. But these menus… they’re just…”

Shi Nuocen leaned over to look and saw the specially selected, meager menus. One of them listed just four steamed buns, clearly meant to be lunch and dinner for two.

Zong Yingdi couldn’t help commenting, “I don’t mind steamed buns, but at least give us some chili sauce! Otherwise, they’re just bland!”

Once someone started, the other guests joined in with their own complaints.

“And this instant noodles—just the noodles, not even a seasoning packet!”

“Is this just one cabbage? Are you testing our cooking skills to see how many dishes we can make out of it?”

The host’s smile stiffened, and he quickly cut in, “Everyone, don’t just focus on these menus! There are luxurious ones waiting for you too. A little contrast gives you motivation!”

“That’s true,” Ru Xi Cheng responded. “So, what exactly is this morning’s activity?”

The host teased, “The destination is somewhere in the amusement park. Care to guess what it is?”

At the mention of the amusement park, Shi Nuocen had a sudden flash of insight and blurted out, “It couldn’t be the haunted house, could it?”

“Bingo! That’s correct! But no prize.” The host made an exaggerated expression. “The activity is quite simple: we’ll see which couple can last the longest in the haunted house. I believe that amidst the thrills and screams, your relationships will be strengthened.”

“But…” Bei Yi said expressionlessly, “I’ve heard that many couples break up right after leaving the haunted house because they feel their partner lacks reliability or something.”

“Ah?” The host awkwardly rubbed the back of his head but quickly flashed a confident smile. “I believe our guests here are definitely different.”

Actor Zong also looked at him with a blank expression. “Although you have faith in us, honestly, none of us can be sure whether we’d abandon our partner and run when faced with extreme fright.”

The host: “…”