The Scumbag A Really Doesn't Want to Become Famous [Entertainment Circle] - Chapter 29

[Wait, is Yu Yousheng actually trying to explain herself to us?]

[OMG OMG OMG, is she admitting that her past publicity stunts were real? Seriously?!]

[But honestly, if she’s genuinely owning up to her mistakes and moving on peacefully with our Shenshen, that actually earns some respect.]

[Are you guys seriously buying Yu Yousheng’s act? Haven’t we seen enough of her true colors over the years? I’m not falling for it.]

[Our little Bamboo is so adorable! Stop arguing in the comments!]

[Little Bamboo, can’t you just stay away from Yu Yousheng? Nothing good comes from being near her.]

[I’m cringing so hard for Yu Yousheng, I could build a mansion out of secondhand embarrassment.]

[Why isn’t the camera on Jiang Musheng?! Teacher Jiang must be looking at her with so much disdain right now!]

[Okay but when Yu Yousheng speaks with that sincere expression, I have to admit her face is kinda mesmerizing.]

[I really like Wei Xi, hahaha, she’s such a sweetheart.]

Though the barrage of comments mentioned others, most of the discussion was sparked by Yu Yousheng’s words.

Even if she remained unpopular among netizens, her notoriety undeniably kept her in the spotlight after all, infamy was still fame.

Yu Yousheng had clearly read Jiang Musheng’s lips, and her palms grew so sweaty from nerves she had to blink rapidly and avert her gaze to avoid being caught on camera again.

This misunderstanding was getting out of hand. Did Jiang Musheng think she still remembered hitting on her at the bar and now assumed she was actually into Xu Liyu?

For some reason, even though Yu Yousheng knew she should keep her distance from Jiang Musheng, she didn’t want her to misunderstand.

They were going to be colleagues on this show for a while, it’d be best not to let things get too awkward.

But should she explain herself?

While Yu Yousheng hesitated, Wei Xi and Ji Fu had already finished their introductions.

Though Wei Xi seemed shy standing in front of everyone, she struck a playful pose during her introduction and said, “I’m a photographer. If I find the right person, I’ll capture every little moment of hers in my camera.”

[Ahhh, does anyone else adore Wei Xi’s type?!]

[There’s something so romantic about a photographer saying she’ll immortalize her girlfriend in photos!]

Ji Fu followed up with, “I’m tall, I can fight, and I’ll make you feel safe.”

[PFFT, this noona is hilarious!]

[She looks so cool and aloof but gives off major goofball energy?]

[This alpha noona seems like a better match for Little Bamboo.]

[Except Bamboo only has eyes for Yu Yousheng ugh, so frustrating!]

[I feel like Bamboo prefers older women, but there’s zero chemistry between her and Yu Yousheng. Probably just a sibling vibe.]

[I’m shipping Ji Fu and Cheng Shunzhu for now!]

After Ji Fu, it was Xu Liyu’s turn.

“First of all, I’d like to thank Xiaoyu. Who wouldn’t be happy to receive praise from such a stunning beauty?” Xu Liyu thoughtfully responded to Yu Youqing before continuing, “What else could my purpose be for coming to this show? To film and fall in love, of course! Haha, making friends works too. I prefer someone who’s my equal, and I have a particular fondness for people with well-defined abs.”

She added with a laugh, “Who doesn’t love a beautiful physique?”

Xu Liyu’s striking red hair certainly made a bold statement, yet she carried it effortlessly. With an enigmatic smile, she simply stated she hadn’t decided who to partner with for the next task.

“I actually hope to interact with everyone,” she said, “except Jiang Musheng. Am I being too greedy?”

Her words lightened the atmosphere considerably.

After her, Jiang Musheng stood up.

Yu Youqing’s gaze darted nervously.

When Jiang Musheng rose, it felt as if the light outside dimmed slightly.

“I’m Jiang Musheng. I’m here because my teacher is concerned about my personal life and hopes I’ll settle down soon,” Jiang Musheng said in a down-to-earth manner. Her eyes swept across everyone present without lingering on anyone in particular before she continued, “The type I like would probably be someone who complements me.”

The speaker might have been casual, but the listener took it to heart.

To Yu Youqing, Jiang Musheng was flawless, a deity placed high upon a pedestal in her heart. If Jiang Musheng spoke of complementing, didn’t that mean perfection pairing with imperfection?

Yu Youqing glanced up uneasily, stealing a quick look at Jiang Musheng before averting her eyes again.

How narcissistic of me, she thought. There’s no way Jiang Musheng could be referring to me.

After a pause, Jiang Musheng reached the point where she had to choose her partner for the next task.

This choice essentially allowed the guests to indicate who they were initially interested in and felt drawn to. Unsurprisingly, everyone paid extra attention to Jiang Musheng’s response.

Among the previous responses, no one had chosen Jiang Musheng.

The audience could understand this hesitation, perhaps everyone wanted to choose her but didn’t dare.

Sensing the tension, Jiang Musheng chuckled softly. “Can I choose freely?”

Xu Liyu urged, “Just go ahead and pick whoever catches your eye the most. You’ve had a whole round to observe everyone.”

Jiang Musheng’s gaze landed in Yu Youqing’s direction.

To Yu Youqing, those few seconds felt like an eternity. Cheng Shunzhu whispered beside her, “Teacher Jiang is looking our way! Oh no, she wouldn’t say I’m her type, would she? That can’t be, that can’t be.”

Distracted by Cheng Shunzhu’s chatter, Yu Youqing finally looked up, only to find Jiang Musheng’s gaze had already shifted away. Instead, Jiang Musheng was looking directly at Ji Fu in front of her and said, “I choose Xiao Ji.”

Ji Fu blinked in surprise for just a moment before responding, “What an honor.”

Cheng Shunzhu muttered under his breath, “So that’s Teacher Jiang’s type? But I still think Sister Youqing is the most beautiful!”

“The production team never said we had to pick someone we like, don’t misrepresent things.” After saying this, Yu Youqing realized her words could be misinterpreted, so she quickly added, “Teacher Jiang isn’t the type to judge people by appearances.”

Cheng Shunzhu responded with an “Oh, right.”

Once everyone had introduced themselves, a staff member announced, “Before officially moving in, to help everyone get acquainted quickly, we’ve prepared a little game called Love Simulation. You’ll pair up and engage in scripted dialogues based on scenarios we provide. The method for choosing partners was already decided earlier.”

“While you were downstairs getting water, each cup had a colored dot underneath. Those with matching colors will form a team. Let’s see if it matches who you initially invited!”

At this, everyone immediately checked the bottom of their cups.

Cheng Shunzhu was the first to speak up: “Mine’s blue!”

“Ah, Zaozao’s is blue too,” Wei Xi said before adding, “Mine’s yellow.”

Xu Liyu shook her cup with a laugh, “The production team’s tricks run deep, huh? Mine’s yellow too, which means the remaining pair must be—”

Her words cut off abruptly as her gaze landed on Yu Youqing and Jiang Musheng.

Yu Youqing hadn’t checked her cup yet; her heartbeat was pounding so hard it felt like it might burst out of her chest. She knew perfectly well that since the other two pairs had already matched, there was no need to even check her cup’s color would inevitably match Jiang Musheng’s.

After a moment of silence, Jiang Musheng’s voice broke through: “Mine’s green.”

[OMG! Teacher Jiang and Yu Youqing actually got paired together!!!]

[No way! The production team’s doing this on purpose for first-episode drama, aren’t they?]

[Someone get me the producer, they need to answer for this!]

[At this point, if anyone says there’s no script, I won’t believe them. They KNOW Musheng and Youqing shouldn’t be together, okay??]

[Chill out, everyone. Maybe there really is no script, which is exactly why these two ended up together.]

[It’s just a variety show, why so serious? None of you are actually dating Jiang Musheng, so stop making her look bad.]

[Enough with the hate. It’s a dating show, anything can happen. If fans can’t handle it, maybe they shouldn’t watch.]

[Call me rebellious, but I actually think Yu Youqing’s pretty great~ Her chemistry with Wei Xi earlier showed real warmth.]

[If you’re going to spout nonsense about stanning Yu Youqing, you might as well admit you’ve lost your mind.]

[LMAO Low EQ: “You’re insane” High EQ: “You actually like Yu Youqing?”]

Meanwhile, before Yu Youqing could even speak, Cheng Shunzhu blurted out in shock, “What are the odds?!”

Now all eyes were fixed directly on them.

Yu Youqing felt her face burning up. The only thing keeping her composed was years of professional training as an entertainer. Under everyone’s intense scrutiny, she finally managed to voice her answer: “I… mine’s green too.”

At this moment, the groupings were set: she and Jiang Musheng in one team, Xu Liyu and Wei Xi in another, while Ji Fu paired with Cheng Shunzhu. After the color assignments were announced, the director signaled them to rearrange their seating on the sofa according to their teams. Yu Youqing felt as if her butt was glued to the couch, it was Jiang Musheng who first walked over and sat down beside her.

Yu Youqing forced a smile. “Teacher Jiang.”

At least in front of the cameras, they had to maintain a cordial relationship.

“Mhm.”

But after Jiang Musheng’s brief acknowledgment, Yu Youqing couldn’t think of anything else to say. The silence between them turned delicate and awkward.

Though Cheng Shunzhu had changed seats, his gaze remained fixed on Yu Youqing.

From across the room, he could now clearly sense the unusual tension between Yu Youqing and Jiang Musheng.

While Yu Youqing looked visibly uncomfortable, Jiang Musheng appeared completely at ease.

Recalling Yu Youqing’s odd behavior from the moment they entered the show until now, a bold speculation formed in Cheng Shunzhu’s mind.

Could it be that his sister has a crush on Teacher Jiang?

“You like Yu Youqing that much?” Cheng Shunzhu’s obvious attention caught Ji Fu’s notice beside him. She curled her lips in disdain.

“No, no, she’s just my sister. Don’t jump to conclusions,” Cheng Shunzhu muttered, keeping his voice low. He and Ji Fu had never quite gotten along.

Ji Fu scoffed and ignored him.

Yu Youqing and Jiang Musheng sat on the same sofa, but a safe personal distance remained between them. Yu Youqing naturally didn’t dare inch closer.

Jiang Musheng suddenly spoke. “You don’t have to be so afraid of me.”

Yu Youqing thought to herself, I don’t want to be, but Teacher Jiang, do you realize that just us appearing together could set the internet on fire at any moment?

Besides, Yu Youqing was here to boost her KPI. Though she had already been dragged through the mud in the past, she wasn’t the same reckless person anymore. She genuinely hoped to meet the company’s expectations for her participation in this show to turn public opinion around and salvage her reputation.

Even if it was an uphill battle.

“Understood, Teacher Jiang,” she replied.

Jiang Musheng turned her head slightly to look at Yu Youqing.

From this angle, she could just make out the faint reddening of Yu Youqing’s ears, hidden beneath her hair. Even if the cameras wouldn’t catch it, she saw it clearly.

When speaking to her, the girl’s tone was soft and obedient, completely unlike how she interacted with others.

With Cheng Shunzhu, Yu Youqing was lively and at ease. In contrast, the version of Yu Youqing sitting beside her now could only be described as stiff.

Was it because she wasn’t being warm enough?

Back when she used to hang out with friends, Lin Xuqiao had once told her that her neutral expression made her seem cold and distant, like an unapproachable iceberg.

Thinking of this, Jiang Musheng deliberately softened her tone and allowed a faint smile to touch her lips. To reinforce the change, she even closed the distance between them slightly, shifting closer to Yu Youqing.

Only to realize, Yu Youqing seemed even more tense. Her shoulders stiffened the moment Jiang Musheng moved, her entire posture resembling a startled kitten with its fur standing on end.

Jiang Musheng: “…”

When it came to figuring out how to interact with Yu Youqing, she was completely at a loss.

“The mission for the Green Team is—”

The production team announced this bombshell: “Jiang Musheng and Yu Youqing’s simulated dating task is to act as a newly confessed couple who want to drink coffee together. You’ve just arrived in the kitchen the rest is up to you. Three minutes.”

“The Yellow Team, you’re a couple on the verge of confessing. Now is the time for your love confession.”

“The Blue Team, you’re a bickering pair who haven’t confessed yet. This time, the girlfriend gets jealous.”

“After choosing a suitable scenario, you can begin your task. Once completed, you’ll officially start your three-day cohabitation. New missions will be announced as they come, but otherwise, you’re free to move around or team up.”

At first, Yu Youqing thought her task with Jiang Musheng was difficult. But after hearing the other two teams’ assignments, she felt slightly better.

Since Jiang Musheng and Yu Youqing’s task explicitly mentioned the kitchen, the two headed there.

However, all they found in the kitchen was a bag of coffee beans and a manual coffee grinder.

There was no way Yu Youqing would let Jiang Musheng grind the beans such a labor-intensive task shouldn’t fall on the beloved Teacher Jiang. She swiftly grabbed the coffee canister. “I’ll do it!”

Normally, Yu Youqing was just a coffee buyer, but pouring beans into a grinder and turning the handle required no skill even a fool could do it. She pushed the two coffee cups on the counter toward Jiang Musheng with one hand. “Teacher Jiang, you can just wash the cups.”

Jiang Musheng watched as Yu Youqing handled the grinder. Clearly, she wasn’t familiar with it, she had poured in far too many beans, nearly overflowing the chamber.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to do it?”

“No need! How could I trouble Teacher Jiang with this? You handle the delicate task of washing cups, leave the rough work to me.” Confident, Yu Youqing got to work, gripping the grinder’s handle and pushing hard.

But it didn’t budge.

Yu Youqing: “?”

The director reminded them, “Remember, you’re a newly confessed couple. Isn’t this a bit too distant?”

The implication was obvious. Newly confessed couples should be all over each other not acting like buddies doing separate chores.

Jiang Musheng set down what she was doing and carefully turned off the faucet.

She stepped behind Yu Youqing, reaching over to take the grinder from her hands. Her warm, pleasant voice brushed against Yu Youqing’s ear as she exhaled softly, “Let me show you.”

“The grinder’s chamber has limited capacity too many beans will make it hard to turn.” Following the director’s cue, Jiang Musheng stood unusually close. From the side camera’s angle, she was practically pressed against Yu Youqing. Since she was slightly taller, she had to tilt her head down slightly while demonstrating, her jawline softening with gentleness.

Yu Youqing was too focused on learning how to use the grinder to notice. Besides, Jiang Musheng wasn’t actually touching her back, so she didn’t realize just how close they had gotten.

After Jiang Musheng took out the coffee beans, Yu Youqing watched in amazement as the task that seemed completely immobile in her own hands was effortlessly handled by Jiang Musheng without any difficulty.

Moreover, Jiang Musheng’s movements were incredibly skilled.

By the time Yu Youqing snapped out of her daze, she turned her head and nearly brushed against Jiang Musheng’s ear. Startled, she instinctively tried to move away, but Jiang Musheng said, “Have you forgotten the scenario the production team gave us? Right now, we’re a couple who just confessed and got together.”

Yu Youqing froze in place.

She couldn’t help but admire how effortlessly Jiang Musheng handled these situations truly, a great actor was a great actor.

Jiang Musheng finished grinding the coffee beans and only turned around when she went to brew them in the Moka pot. Yu Youqing had just let out a sigh of relief when Jiang Musheng took milk from the fridge and made her a latte.

Yu Youqing’s personal preference was lattes. As she accepted the cup, she noticed Jiang Musheng brewing another cup, an Americano, filled halfway with ice.

So, Jiang Musheng preferred iced Americanos. But how had she known Yu Youqing wanted a latte without even asking?

Maybe it was just a coincidence, Yu Youqing thought as she held her coffee cup.

“I think I know why you’ve been staring at them.”

In the distance, Ji Fu was watching the kitchen area with Cheng Shunzhu.

Cheng Shunzhu teased, “Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for my sister? No way, haven’t you seen that Youqing-jie is already paired up with Teacher Jiang?”

“No,” Ji Fu admitted honestly. “It’s just that the two of them look so harmonious together. It’s mesmerizing, you can’t help but keep watching.”

Cheng Shunzhu was stunned for a second before grinning. “Well, you’ve got taste. Now I want coffee too.”

His feet carried him toward the kitchen almost involuntarily, with Ji Fu following behind.

“Me too!” Cheng Shunzhu pleaded as he reached the edge of the kitchen. Seeing that there was enough ground coffee left in Jiang Musheng’s grinder for two more cups, and noticing the satisfied look on Yu Youqing’s face, he guessed that Jiang Musheng’s brewing skills must be top-notch. He turned to her and asked, “Teacher Jiang, would you mind making us a couple of cups too?”

But making two more cups would mean washing more mugs, how could they trouble Teacher Jiang with that? And washing mugs meant touching cold water!

A surge of protective instinct for her idol rose in Yu Youqing’s heart. “No,” she said firmly.

After a moment’s thought, she came up with what she believed was a flawless excuse: “This coffee was made for my girlfriend. If you want some, have your girlfriend make it for you.”

Since they were still role-playing, Yu Youqing naturally used the “girlfriend” label as her defense.

Jiang Musheng’s sharp ears caught those three words. Her gaze lingered briefly on Yu Youqing’s lips, her dark eyes glinting with amusement.

She stepped closer to Yu Youqing, her voice soft. “Alright. I’ll listen to you.”

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