The Scumbag A Really Doesn't Want to Become Famous [Entertainment Circle] - Chapter 30

[????]

[Ahhhhh why! Why do I feel like Jiang Musheng and Yu Youqing actually have this weird CP chemistry?!]

[Nooo! Musheng, don’t get so close to her!]

[No, don’t just throw around the “CP chemistry” thing, okay? Teacher Jiang is just being professional.]

[I get the logic, but who wouldn’t want to be Yu Youqing right now?!]

[Uh, just saying, Yu Youqing seems oddly nice to Teacher Jiang?]

[It’s all an act, isn’t that just standard professionalism for a dating show?]

[Come on, I think the guests here are pretty genuine.]

[I also want to try Teacher Jiang’s hand-brewed coffee.]

Yu Youqing thought her excuse was perfectly reasonable, but for some reason, the moment she said it, the atmosphere seemed to freeze for a second.

Then, Cheng Shunzhu’s face lit up with an “I knew it” expression. “Got it, got it. That makes sense.”

With that, he quickly dragged Ji Fuzao away, clearly not wanting to be a glaring third wheel. Before leaving, he even gave Yu Youqing a thumbs-up, as if to say, Nice move.

Yu Youqing: “?”

What was that supposed to mean?

She didn’t get it.

Jiang Musheng handed her a tissue. “How is it?”

“It’s good.” Yu Youqing snapped out of her thoughts and realized she had already drunk most of the coffee without noticing. Having a warm drink like this in winter was pure bliss, so she closed her eyes contentedly. “Thank you.”

Jiang Musheng’s lips curved slightly as she moved back to Yu Youqing’s side.

She was well aware that she and Yu Youqing were supposed to be playing a couple, even if they had less than a minute left.

“Why thank me?” Jiang Musheng said. “You’ll get used to it.”

Yu Youqing felt the distance between them shrink again. Her first instinct was to pull away, but when she glanced at the staff’s timer outside the frame, she saw they only had forty seconds left.

Could she be greedy for just this short while?

Jiang Musheng’s light, pleasant scent drifted closer, and Yu Youqing’s heartbeat, which had been racing wildly, gradually steadied. She pretended to take another sip of coffee, but her gaze flickered up, landing on Jiang Musheng’s profile.

It really was a face that could make anyone fall for her instantly, Yu Youqing couldn’t deny that.

She knew Jiang Musheng had probably noticed her attempts to keep her distance, which was why she hadn’t chosen her earlier.

Whether the audience believed it or not, the show had no script.

Sometimes, things just worked out this way the first task had still paired her with Jiang Musheng.

Yu Youqing was aware that she always lost her composure around Jiang Musheng alone. The fans watching might not catch it right away, but Jiang Musheng, standing right in front of her, definitely would.

The more she realized Jiang Musheng could see through her, the more flustered she became.

And the bigger reason she wanted to avoid Jiang Musheng was precisely because she knew she had little resistance to Jiang Musheng’s charm.

So keeping her distance was for the best.

Time passed bit by bit, and Yu Youqing naturally had no mind to see how the others were doing. Her attention was entirely focused on Jiang Musheng.

Jiang Musheng suddenly said, “If you like it, I can make it for you anytime in the future.”

“Mhm.” This time, Yu Youqing answered naturally, pretending she could still be Jiang Musheng’s girlfriend for another thirty seconds. She took another small sip and said, “Happy.”

“Do you usually drink it in the morning?”

Yu Youqing nodded.

Jiang Musheng took the now-empty cup from her hands and said, “Then I’ll prepare it for you every morning from now on.”

Yu Youqing agreed, “Sure, Jiang!”

Jiang Musheng glanced at her, a faint smirk playing on her lips. “Still not changing how you address me now that we’re together?”

“It’s just a little unfamiliar,” Yu Youqing said, pausing for a few seconds under Jiang Musheng’s gaze. The flush on her ears deepened, but for the first time, she boldly held Jiang Musheng’s gaze without looking away, her amber eyes sparkling with life. “Jiang Musheng.”

Jiang Musheng raised her hand, as if about to reach out and touch Yu Youqing’s hair.

But at that moment, Yu Youqing saw the timer hit zero. She tilted her head slightly to avoid Jiang Musheng’s hand and immediately took half a step back. “I overstepped, I overstepped. Please don’t mind me, Teacher Jiang.”

She quickly tidied everything on the table, while Jiang Musheng’s expression returned to its usual cool detachment. Her hand dropped, and she merely responded with a faint acknowledgment.

Next, the production team announced that the guests could take some time to familiarize themselves with the place before heading to their rooms to rest.

It was almost noon by the time they arrived, and after all the commotion, it was just about time for everyone’s usual nap, so they each retreated to their rooms.

Back in the room, Yu Youqing ran into Wei Xi, who asked, “Was the coffee good?”

“…” Yu Youqing immediately recalled the scene of her and Jiang Musheng grinding coffee beans together. She pressed a hand to her cheek to check, not too warm before replying with relief, “Need you even ask? Teacher Jiang’s skills are top-notch. I’m so lucky.”

“Xiao Yu, actually, we all thought.” Wei Xi hesitated, her eyes carrying a strange light, as if she had much to say but held back due to the cameras. “The way you and Teacher Jiang were grinding coffee beans looked just like a real couple. You two really suit each other.”

Yu Youqing laughed. “Teacher Jiang is a powerhouse actress. She just carried me along.”

No, it wasn’t the feeling of acting.

But Wei Xi didn’t voice that thought.

Why did people online say the two of them didn’t get along? From what she’d just seen during the task, there was no sign of that at all.

Though it was time for a nap, perhaps because of the coffee earlier, Yu Youqing wasn’t sleepy at all.

She tossed and turned in bed for a while, but every time she closed her eyes, all she saw was the scene of her and Jiang Musheng in the kitchen. She wondered if she was getting a little obsessed.

When she sat up, Wei Xi peeked out from under the covers. “Xiao Yu, can’t sleep?”

“Nope. Probably because of the coffee. I think I’ll go out for a walk.” Yu Youqing decided to give up on sleeping altogether.

Wei Xi said, “I can’t sleep either. I’ll come with you.”

The two of them stepped outside the villa.

The winter afternoon sun felt pleasantly warm on their skin. Yu Youqing was strolling aimlessly with no particular destination in mind. However, Wei Xi noticed that Yu Youqing seemed quite familiar with the area, even leading her to another entrance of the villa district that was close to the nearby forest park’s main gate.

The gate looked brand new, as if it had been recently built.

Wei Xi asked, “Xiao Yu, since you’re from Songcheng, did you used to live here? You seem to know this place well.”

“I’ve been here before,” Yu Youqing murmured, her gaze fixed on the forest park now right before them, her thoughts drifting far away. “This wasn’t a forest park back then.”

That was from when she was very young, but the memory was so vivid that she could never forget it even after growing up.

It was a pity, the situation that day had been too chaotic, so much so that she hadn’t even had the chance to exchange contact information with that person, nor had they properly met.

Wei Xi said, “What a coincidence, isn’t Teacher Jiang also from Songcheng? Could you two have heard of each other before?”

Throughout Jiang Musheng’s long career, her family background had never been exposed. Yet, whether it was her demeanor or her overall presence, Jiang Musheng clearly carried an air of someone raised in privilege.

Most children from elite families were well-known within their circles, so if they moved in the same social spheres, they would likely have heard of each other.

As Wei Xi finished speaking, the cameraman curiously focused the lens on Yu Youqing, probably eager to see if she would reveal anything related to Jiang Musheng.

Yu Youqing nodded and said, “The only coincidence between Teacher Jiang and me is that we’re both from Songcheng. Naturally, we’ve never met before.”

It was now almost 3 p.m., and since no one had eaten lunch upon arrival, Yu Youqing suggested to Wei Xi that they buy some snacks to bring back for everyone.

Earlier, everyone had just gotten acquainted, so no one had bothered to cook. But according to the production team’s instructions, dinner would have to be prepared by them, with ingredients already stocked in the fridge.

Wei Xi’s fondness for Yu Youqing was rapidly growing. She even began to think that Yu Youqing hadn’t just been unable to sleep, perhaps she had used that as an excuse to go out and buy food for everyone. How thoughtful!

Inside the villa district, there was a supermarket with few customers. They went to the deli section and bought some ready-to-eat marinated dishes, then picked up some vegetable salads. Finally, they stopped by a bakery to get assorted sandwiches to accommodate everyone’s tastes.

Wei Xi had practically become Yu Youqing’s little follower, trailing behind her cheerfully.

Though she hadn’t spent much time with Yu Youqing, she trusted her first impression, Yu Youqing didn’t seem at all like the difficult person the rumors made her out to be.

As soon as Yu Youqing and Wei Xi stepped inside, they heard Cheng Shunzhu exclaim, “I’m so hungry. Huh? When did you two go out? Wow! You bought all this food?”

Everyone else was in the living room, apparently just waking up from their naps. Cheng Shunzhu’s words successfully drew everyone’s attention to the bags in Yu Youqing and Wei Xi’s hands.

It was clear they were all starving.

Wei Xi smiled as she placed the food on the dining table. “Come and eat! Xiao Yu was really considerate, she knew we hadn’t eaten lunch, so she took me out to buy all this.”

Yu Youqing had thought everything through, knowing that celebrities and models might need to watch their figures, so she had bought salads and sandwiches.

She quickly glanced at Jiang Musheng who was also approaching and, together with Wei Xi, began setting out the food. “Come sit, everyone. Since we’ll be cooking dinner later and might eat late, I got these snacks for you to tide you over. Is that okay?”

The others gathered around the dining table. Having just woken up, they were even hungrier, and the enticing aroma made them eager to dig in.

“Yu Yu is so thoughtful,” Ji Fuzao remarked, already holding a bowl of vegetable salad and having changed her way of addressing Yu Youqing.

Xu Liyu chimed in, “Xiao Yu, didn’t you nap at noon? You went out to buy food for us. You’re making the rest of us look lazy.”

“No, I just couldn’t sleep, and Wei Xi helped me carry everything back.”

At that moment, Jiang Musheng took a seat on the dining chair next to Yu Youqing.

Cheng Shunzhu, who was nearby, casually handed a sandwich to Jiang Musheng. “Here you go, Teacher Jiang.”

Yu Youqing, who had been keeping an eye on the situation, immediately noticed the label on the sandwich Cheng Shunzhu handed over, it read “peanut butter.” Without hesitation, she snatched it away. “Wait a second!”

Jiang Musheng’s hand was already outstretched to receive it.

Yu Youqing handed her the sandwich with avocado spread instead. “Teacher Jiang, have this one.”

Thanks to her past attention to Jiang Musheng and spotting anti-allergy medication in her first-aid kit, Yu Youqing knew Jiang Musheng was allergic to peanuts.

But this was something very few people knew, only mentioned in an old interview from Jiang Musheng’s debut days, and now only remembered by some long-time fans.

Jiang Musheng hadn’t seen what was written on the label. Realizing they were filming, Yu Youqing didn’t want others to notice how well she knew Jiang Musheng, so she added, “This one tastes better. I tried one on the way back.”

Afraid Jiang Musheng might think it was touched, she clarified, “I only opened it. Didn’t take a bite.”

Jiang Musheng accepted it with a nod. “Thank you.”

Yu Youqing felt a quiet joy, thrilled to have secretly taken care of her idol.

Cheng Shunzhu whined, “You’re playing favorites! Why only unwrap Teacher Jiang’s sandwich and not mine? I want one you opened too!”

Ji Fuzao immediately threw a sandwich at him. “Don’t you have hands? Expecting your sister to baby you? Just eat.”

Though the director’s initial pairing game for the simulated dating scenario had been awkward, it had helped the guests grow closer. Ji Fuzao, a female alpha, often bickered with Cheng Shunzhu after being paired with him.

The lively chatter filled the room, while Jiang Musheng sat quietly eating her sandwich, posture impeccable, a perfect example of dining etiquette.

Xu Liyu, gnawing on a braised pork neck, sat across from Jiang Musheng. Noticing the half-eaten sandwich, she asked, “Avocado? I thought you didn’t like it.”

Huh?

Jiang Musheng doesn’t like avocado?

Yu Youqing’s ears perked up.

She knew about the peanut allergy but had no idea about the avocado aversion. Had she just stepped on another landmine?

Jiang Musheng replied calmly, “Occasionally, it’s not bad.”

!

Yu Youqing: Teacher Jiang, I feel so validated right now.

Moved.jpg

“Here, here, take some.” Yu Yousheng admired Jiang Musheng’s elegant dining manner, her happiness peaking at this moment. She tore open several more packages and handed them to the others one by one. “Eat up quickly.”

Though she hadn’t made these herself, seeing everyone enjoy the food she’d bought filled her with joy.

Meanwhile, Xu Liyu passed over another sandwich: “Then have some more, this one’s avocado too.”

Jiang Musheng watched Yu Yousheng bustling about.

She was still diligently unwrapping sandwiches for everyone, cheerfully passing them around with happy smiles leaving only her own.

Well, the back of her head.

Jiang Musheng expressionlessly pushed away the sandwich in Xu Liyu’s hand: “I’m full.”

Xu Liyu: “?”

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