The Protagonist Couple Refuses the Dating Show Shuraba - Chapter 2

Perhaps because the  (clash of rivals) just now left the audience wanting more, the live stream’s chat box erupted in excitement the moment they saw this scene:

“Oh my, the love rivals are about to tear each other apart!!”

“Hahaha, poor Jiao-bao caught in the middle.”

“A classic ‘sandwich’ situation!!”

However, the atmosphere on set was not as heated as in the chat. Yun Qi was the first to look away, lowering his eyes as he said flatly, “Truth.”

“Truth, huh…” Duan Xingge raised an eyebrow. Instead of immediately issuing a command, he turned to Ming Jiao. “Does Little Ming have anything he wants to ask?”

Ming Jiao was startled. When everyone else’s gaze turned toward him, he stammered in a panic, “Ah? Me? Well, um…”

He stuttered and hesitated for a long while before speaking softly. “Actually, I do… I’ve always wanted to know, A-Yun, have you… ever cried? What was the last time you cried about?”

Ming Jiao had a unique way of addressing everyone; despite Duan Xingge being younger than him, he insisted on calling him “Brother,” and even though Yun Qi was four years his senior, he called him “A-Yun.”

As soon as these words left his lips, Yun Qi remained motionless, but Duan Xingge’s expression turned strange. Fortunately, the cameras were not on him, so no one noticed his anomaly.

Under the lens, Yun Qi didn’t even flutter his eyelashes. No one knew what he was thinking after hearing the question.

Finally, the audience heard him speak: “The last time I cried was when I was eight, when I accidentally fell in the garden.”

Ming Jiao froze, then revealed an expression that was both expected and somewhat disappointed. “Is that so… I thought I’d hear a more exciting story. A-Yun is so boring!”

His tone wasn’t like a complaint, but rather more like acting spoiled, carrying a hint of adorable, feigned reproach.

Upon hearing this, Yun Qi gently lowered his eyes. “Sorry, I let you down.”

Seeing this, Duan Xingge didn’t even laugh; he even frowned, appearing as if he had more to say but, ultimately, kept silent.

The audience chimed in:

“Sigh, as expected.”

“A real man never sheds tears.”

“Xing and Yun are complete opposites. I have no doubt that Xing cried just last week, whereas your Yun would probably only cry if his wife left him.”

“A ‘crying-baby’ seme is a top-tier trope, but please don’t use ‘Xing-Yun.’ That’s a ship name that breaks up the family, thanks.”

“Emmm, doesn’t Xing’s company happen to be named ‘Xing-Yun’? No need to be so sensitive, right?”

The next round of the game continued, but as the cameras turned away, Duan Xingge looked at Yun Qi without a word, his eyes unfathomable.

When Yun Qi met his gaze, his heart skipped a beat. After composing himself, he shifted his eyes away calmly.

Both of them knew full well that this was a sign of Yun Qi’s guilt, because he had lied.

Others couldn’t tell, but Duan Xingge knew clearly why he had last shed tears.

Whether by luck or misfortune, the spinning wheel did not land on Yun Qi for the next several rounds, though Duan Xingge was chosen quite a few times.

However, in the final round, the needle slowly came to a stop in front of Yun Qi.

The person responsible for issuing the command in this round was a moderately famous male celebrity. However, as this person primarily worked in television dramas, he and Duan Xingge could only be considered half-colleagues.

The rules of the game stated that the same person could not choose the same option twice; for example, since Yun Qi chose “Truth” in the last round, he could only choose “Dare” this time.

After choosing “Dare,” Yun Qi looked up at the person who initiated the command. That person, looking to stir up trouble, pondered for a moment before his eyes lit up. “How about… could President Yun give Number 5 a kiss?”

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone’s gaze and the cameras turned toward Number 5. Duan Xingge clearly hadn’t reacted in time; the look of astonishment on his face appeared on the live stream before he could suppress it.

Seeing this, Ming Jiao’s eyes lit up. He clapped and egged them on, “Great, great! Kiss, kiss! A-Yun, it’s a dare you chose yourself you have to honor the bet!”

Duan Xingge recovered, but instead of wearing his usual smile, he pressed his lips together without a word. In a spot hidden from everyone’s view, he was gripping the armrest so hard it nearly shattered.

The audience didn’t realize Duan Xingge was so nervous his heart was jumping to his throat; they only assumed he was still very resistant to Yun Qi, and they poked fun in the chat:

“Oh my, look at Xing’s dark expression.”

“Silly Jiao-bao, why haven’t you caught on yet!”

“This is probably what it’s like to have the ship I support fall in love with me.”

“How can someone be so pretty and yet such a silly crowd-pleaser? Come here, Jiao-bao, let mommy give you a kiss!”

The audience didn’t seem worried that the two would actually kiss, and the final result turned out exactly as they expected.

Compared to Duan Xingge’s overreaction, Yun Qi’s was far calmer.

He said faintly, “No, I’ll take the penalty.”

Hearing that the other party would rather accept the penalty than complete the “Dare,” Duan Xingge paused, then finally showed his familiar smile. The audience took this as confirmation of their earlier guess, not knowing that beneath the table, someone had snapped a piece of decoration right off the armrest.

The “penalty” prepared by the production team was a glass of juice that was extremely bitter but highly nutritious.

While others might not have been able to handle the bitter, astringent taste of the juice, Yun Qi was indifferent to it.

For him, as long as it wasn’t an alcoholic beverage, he could probably drink the bitterest Chinese medicine without changing his expression.

Once Yun Qi finished the juice in one gulp, the day’s game came to an end.

There was still some time left before dinner, and normally, this gap was meant for the guests to build rapport.

Perhaps because the juice was truly unbearable, or perhaps because some memories that shouldn’t have been stirred up were causing a distraction, Yun Qi was the first to stand up after the game. Ignoring the gazes behind him, he endured the discomfort in his stomach and turned toward his room.

Looking out at the sea, the vibrant colors of the sunset spread from the horizon to the ocean surface, and the sound of waves crashed continuously. Yet, Yun Qi always felt as if there was a layer of indescribable gauze separating him from the world around him the scenery was beautiful, but it had nothing to do with him.

Withdrawing his gaze, he pushed the door open and returned inside. After taking off his gloves and splashing water on his face, that indescribable emotion finally subsided a little.

When he was alone, it was as if a crack had formed in his shell, and those emotions began to overflow like a tide, felt only in retrospect.

Emotions are a formless poison, and even the body is destined to become its slave.

Without warning, his body began to heat up so hot that his hands lost their strength, and his phone hit the ground.

When the heat, mixed with an itching sensation, washed over him, Yun Qi managed to lift his head slightly from the boundless sea of emotions. The searing, familiar burning sensation finally made him realize something was wrong this was the precursor to an alcohol allergy.

…Someone had put alcohol in that juice.

Yun Qi supported his dizzy head and tried to stand up, his breathing becoming increasingly rapid, his heartbeat so fast it nearly drowned out his hearing.

The production team had explicitly announced that the juice contained no alcohol. How could there be alcohol in the one he had just drunk?

Yun Qi didn’t have time to think; he reached into the drawer to feel for his allergy medication, but his hand found nothing.

He should have felt cold or fear, but it was a pity that Yun Qi seemed naturally to lack those types of emotions. Instead, he felt a sense of “as expected” in his heart someone had stolen his medicine, so the alcohol in the juice was no accident. Everything made sense.

A conclusion was on the verge of being reached, but the heat had already climbed to his brain. To alleviate the symptoms, Yun Qi bit his lower lip and unbuttoned his shirt. In the mirror across from the bed, the red marks on his fair neck were shocking.

He took a deep breath, preparing to take off his shirt and rinse off with cold water. He slowly slipped off one side of his shirt, but before the fabric could fully fall to the floor, at that exact moment, the door was knocked.

Yun Qi’s breath hitched. When he tried to speak, he realized he was trembling. He took a deep breath and, in a tone that was nearly indistinguishable from his usual voice, said, “Who is it?”

Yun Qi feigned composure flawlessly, and since he only spoke one word, even a doctor would have been hard-pressed to notice his current state.

However, the person outside the door obviously paused for a moment after hearing him, then asked, “What’s wrong?”

Like a malfunctioning machine, Yun Qi reacted after three seconds, and his mind exploded into chaos.

…This was the last person he wanted to meet right now.

Outside the camera’s view, this person hadn’t called him “Brother” in a long time.

But even if he didn’t say it, Yun Qi could easily distinguish the other person’s identity.

Yun Qi couldn’t help but close his eyes, biting his lower lip without making a sound.

But in the next second, the door lock clicked from the outside. Yun Qi was stunned; it was already too late to put the shirt back on.

A fair shoulder marked with red blotches was completely exposed to the other person’s line of sight.

Then, the approaching footsteps stopped firmly at the doorway.

Duan Xingge stood in the doorway against the light, his eyes dark. It was hard to describe in words everything he saw from his perspective, as well as his current state of mind.

Yun Qi pursed his lips and looked back, colliding head-on with Duan Xingge’s bottomless gaze.

The air froze at that moment.

Yun Qi didn’t ask how the other party got in; Duan Xingge had never been a well-behaved child, and picking locks was as easy as breathing for him.

When they were young, this brat had picked the lock to Yun Qi’s bedroom more times than he could count, just to sleep with him.

Duan Xingge’s fans in the entertainment industry would likely never guess that the young, handsome, and gentle idol they saw was so skilled at picking someone’s lock behind closed doors.

After three seconds of stagnation, the two spoke almost simultaneously:

“…Get out.”

“Did you drink?”

Hearing Yun Qi’s command, Duan Xingge’s expression grew increasingly dark and obscure in the shadows.

And when Yun Qi heard the other person’s interrogation, he was momentarily taken aback how did Duan Xingge know he was allergic to alcohol?

But before Yun Qi could think it through, footsteps suddenly sounded from outside the door. He came to his senses abruptly, and without time to think about anything else, he bit his teeth and, enduring the weakness in his wrists, used the fastest speed possible to put his shirt back on.

Unexpectedly, someone reacted even faster than him. Duan Xingge, who a second ago had been staring at him like a statue, snapped back to reality upon hearing the noise outside. He grabbed the door handle and slammed it shut with a deafening thud.

The only flaw was that the door had been closed from the inside, which meant—Duan Xingge had locked himself in with Yun Qi.

The moment the lock clicked, the room went dead silent.

The overly familiar atmosphere caused both of their breathing to hitch, and combined with that ill-timed game of Truth or Dare… they both inevitably remembered certain memories that should have been sealed away.

Yun Qi subconsciously sat up straight, while Duan Xingge couldn’t help but twist his wrist.

These were all aftereffects from that period of time.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. It had been a long time since they had been in such a silent standoff, but they were both aware of each other’s feigned composure and attempt to gloss over the past.

In the past, Duan Xingge would have been the first to break under this kind of atmosphere, but things were different now. Yun Qi, tormented by the itching to the point that his scalp was tingling, could only take a deep breath, and his words even sounded hot: “How did you know I’m allergic to alcohol?”

The other party, however, remained noncommittal and instead took the initiative to interrogate: “Where is your medicine?”

His tone was dangerous and carried a hint of suppressed displeasure, which Yun Qi found baffling he was the one having an allergic reaction; why was the other guy being unpleasant?

In truth, the fact that Duan Xingge appeared here whether considering his ability to freely enter and leave the room or his knowledge of the allergy made him incredibly suspicious.

Moreover, whether looking at their past, where they had a falling out, or their current identity as “love rivals,” Duan Xingge had every motive.

Yet, bizarrely, Yun Qi couldn’t muster the necessary vigilance. Instead, he remained silent for three seconds and said, “…The medicine was taken.”

After he finished, he added, “The situation isn’t very serious; it won’t reach the point of shock.”

The implication was that he could endure it without medicine and would heal on his own after a while.

Duan Xingge, hearing this, saw his already unpleasant expression sink further. After three seconds, he was almost so angry he laughed. “You”

But with the words on the tip of his tongue, Duan Xingge seemed to suddenly remember that he no longer had the standing to be angry in front of Yun Qi, so he forcefully cut himself off, remaining silent for a full three seconds before barely regaining his composure.

“The production team’s infirmary should have allergy medication.” Duan Xingge turned around with a dark face. “You wait here; I’ll be right back. Don’t open the door for anyone.”

Gone was the smile from under the camera’s gaze; his handsome brows were now suffused with an indescribable, sharp hostility.

He had seemingly come to find Yun Qi for something, but in this moment, those matters were thrown to the back of his mind.

Since the start of this reality show, this was the first time they had been alone like this.

Even though his body was still burning, Yun Qi thought, with a sense of inappropriateness, that this brat really had grown up.

Seeing Yun Qi staring at him, Duan Xingge misunderstood his meaning. He paused in his tracks and laughed with a hint of mockery: “I know you want your little friend to bring you… but it can’t be helped, just bear with it.”

It was unclear who his laughter was actually mocking.

Yun Qi came back to his senses and didn’t respond, only lowered his eyes and repeated his previous question: “How did you know I’m allergic to alcohol?”

Duan Xingge paused, met his gaze for three seconds, and suddenly raised an eyebrow: “So, President Yun still has things he’s curious about?”

Hearing his sarcastic, mocking tone, Yun Qi couldn’t help but frown.

Duan Xingge, seeing this, felt his mood improve for some reason. He turned to push the door open, his back to Yun Qi, and said, “Then I trouble President Yun to think about it carefully. I’ll tell you when I get back.”

“Oh right, here’s a hint…” Duan Xingge tilted his face, his words vague. “That time you passed out, I was the one who fed you the medicine. But there’s no need to thank me.”

Yun Qi’s brow twitched, expecting him to say more nonsense about how they were even.

Unexpectedly, Duan Xingge paused, turned his head to look at him with darkened eyes, and curled his lips. “Because there were no outsiders at that time, I was the one who changed your clothes.”

Yun Qi was stunned. When he came to his senses, his pupils contracted sharply: “You”

But before he could reply, Duan Xingge turned and walked out, closing the door behind him.

As the sound of the lock clicked, peace returned to the room.

Yun Qi, however, felt as if he were burning, and he couldn’t tell if it was because the allergic reaction had worsened or because of someone’s words.

His overheated brain had burned away half of his reason. He thought he was spinning rapidly, but in reality, it took him over ten minutes to remember the time he had accidentally sipped a cocktail at a jewelry salon and ended up waking up at home with a blank memory.

When he woke up that time, the corners of his mouth hurt, as if they were torn; his throat was so dry he couldn’t speak, and his thighs felt sore. At the time, he had attributed it to the aftereffects of the allergy, but now that he thought about it.

Yun Qi clenched his jaw, nearly wrinkling his pillow. If Duan Xingge were here right now, that pillow would have likely been slapped across the other man’s face.

Just as Yun Qi was feeling ashamed and angry over Duan Xingge’s words, a sound of something heavy falling into water suddenly rang out outside the door, and a scream immediately yanked all of Yun Qi’s thoughts back:

“Someone, someone has fallen into the water!”