The Scumbag A Really Doesn't Want to Become Famous [Entertainment Circle] - Chapter 40

[HAHAHAHAHAHA this is absolutely hilarious]

[Just switched over from the villa camera feed to see Teacher Jiang’s utterly bewildered expression]

[Ice cream cone: Can someone please take care of me?]

[I rushed here first thing in the morning to watch the date scene lol, why did I only just realize Yu Youqing has such comedic talent?]

[A three-person date, can you believe it? The moment Young Master Xu clearly became the third wheel, I realized Yu Youqing and Teacher Jiang actually look really good together.]

[Teacher Jiang actually said she’s never been on a date with a girl! This is Teacher Jiang we’re talking about! Teacher Jiang!]

[Teacher Jiang, hurry up and buy Yu Youqing another one, she looks like she really wants it!]

Off-camera, Yu Youqing froze when she saw her ice cream cone meet its untimely demise. Her first instinct was to stare at the fallen treat on the ground before noticing the stain on Jiang Musheng’s clothes.

“Teacher Jiang, your clothes are dirty! Tissues!” Yu Youqing frantically patted her pockets but found them empty. In her panic, she instinctively reached out to wipe the stain herself.

As her hand moved, Jiang Musheng intercepted it, gently pressing Yu Youqing’s fingers down but not before a bit of melted cream smeared onto her fingertips.

“It’s just a piece of clothing. I can change later,” Jiang Musheng said casually, even using the hem of her own shirt to wipe Yu Youqing’s fingers clean. Softly, she asked, “Do you still want one? We can get another.”

“No, it’s fine.” Yu Youqing stared at her now-clean fingers, blinking slowly. The only thought in her mind was how effortlessly natural Jiang Musheng’s actions had been who knew she was this considerate?

“I still have some left. Want mine?” Xu Liyu joked, holding out her half-eaten cone before turning to Jiang Musheng. “You should go deal with your clothes first. Since you can’t change now, grab some wet wipes for now.”

Almost immediately, a staff member handed over wet wipes. Yu Youqing took them before Jiang Musheng could, pulling one out to clean the stain.

“Sorry, Teacher Jiang. I didn’t expect it to fall like that,” Yu Youqing said, her voice tinged with genuine disappointment. She really hadn’t anticipated losing the cone after only two bites, something she’d been craving for so long.

As an idol, indulging in treats like this was already a luxury. She’d just wanted to let loose a little on the show.

Jiang Musheng nearly laughed at Yu Youqing’s pitiful expression but quickly held it back.

While wiping the stain, Yu Youqing glanced at Xu Liyu, who was happily devouring her own cone now down to its last bite.

“Stop eating,” Jiang Musheng said flatly, snatching the final bite from Xu Liyu’s hand and tossing it into the trash. She then walked off to buy Yu Youqing a new one. “Just this one.”

Xu Liyu: “?”

That was my last bite! Are you even human?! Xu Liyu’s expression instantly turned aggrieved.

[I’m dying, y’all. What do we call Teacher Jiang’s move here misery loves company?]

[Throwing away the last bite is even more brutal than Yu Youqing losing the whole cone HAHAHA]

[Classic Teacher Jiang behavior]

[Young Master Xu has officially achieved peak suffering]

[Ice cream cone: First of all, I did nothing to deserve this.]

[Hiss, this is unexpectedly  kind of sweet??]

[If Teacher Jiang treated me like this, I wouldn’t mind being Yu Youqing even if I got hated on]

[Teacher Jiang scoring points wuwuwu, is this the power of a straightforward person who’s never dated girls before]

[Ahh, this is so sweet, who even needs ice cream at this point]

Yu Youqing felt the same way.

The long-anticipated ice cream cone was finally in her hands, but it didn’t taste as good as she’d imagined.

Is it true that what you can’t have is always the best?

Still, she sincerely thanked Jiang Musheng. Seeing Xu Liyu’s resentful expression, she comforted her: “Want the last bite?”

Xu Liyu: “No, no.”

She wouldn’t dare take Yu Youqing’s ice cream Jiang Musheng might smack her mouth if she did.

“Let’s go try some rides.”

Seeing Yu Youqing enjoy her ice cream put Jiang Musheng in a good mood. She glanced at the amusement park map in her hand and let the two girls pick some standard attractions gentle ones like the carousel, Ferris wheel, and shooting games.

Finally pointing at a black skull icon on the left, she said: “This one’s mandatory according to the production team.”

[Haunted house?]

[The essential thrilling activity for couples, the producers really know their dating stuff]

[Plus it might create some physical contact opportunities]

[Three people going into a haunted house together are they teasing the ghosts or getting teased by them?]

[Exactly! When Yu Youqing first mentioned who she liked, she chose Xu Liyu. Now she’s bringing Xu Liyu along on her date with Teacher Jiang clearly she prefers the young CEO]

[Wait what? Someone would choose anyone over Teacher Jiang?]

[Going against expectations makes for better variety show content, no?]

Yu Youqing looked: “Haunted house?”

Jiang Musheng nodded: “Is that okay?”

“No problem for me.” Yu Youqing had never been to a haunted house alone and wasn’t sure how scary it would be, but figured it’d be fine with company.

Xu Liyu: “If you two are going, I’m in too.”

With the map in hand, Jiang Musheng led the way while Yu Youqing and Xu Liyu walked side by side behind her.

Watching Yu Youqing eat her ice cream, Xu Liyu’s gaze kept shifting between the two women, growing increasingly convinced there was potential.

She struck up conversation: “Little Yu, ice cream good? That Jiang Musheng is truly inhuman only acts normal around you.”

Yu Youqing: “Really?”

“Mhm, she’s very straightforward. You only see her little tsundere side with people she’s close to.” Xu Liyu deliberately shared more about Jiang Musheng: “We grew up together, I know all her stories.”

Though curious about Jiang Musheng’s childhood antics, Yu Youqing resisted asking, instead inquiring: “What about you, CEO Xu? With this recording almost over, who’s caught your interest more now?”

Xu Liyu laughed: “Look at you, the person walking ahead is Jiang Musheng! The comments are full of people calling her their ideal type, yet you’re different, acting like you’re genuinely not into her.”

Jiang Musheng wasn’t too far ahead of them. When faint murmurs of conversation drifted over, Yu Youqing didn’t turn around, only unconsciously tightening her grip on the edge of the guide map.

“Actually, I share the same mindset as the fans. Teacher Jiang is undoubtedly the ideal type, but I’d never delude myself into thinking something could happen with someone held in such high regard. I’d only admire from afar, never approach.” Yu Youqing answered Xu Liyu’s question earnestly before redirecting, “Why are we talking about Teacher Jiang again? I was asking about you, President Xu.”

Xu Liyu tapped her chin thoughtfully: “Are you interested in me? Back when—”

Catching herself before mentioning anything inappropriate for cameras, she leaned close to Yu Youqing’s ear, whispering: “When you came to chat with me at the bar, I thought you had ulterior motives, knowing Musheng had already arranged to meet me there.”

Yu Youqing shook her head, that familiar awkwardness resurfacing: “I genuinely didn’t know about that.”

“There’s another confession recording tonight. Since I haven’t interacted much with others and you seem so attentive toward me, maybe I’ll leave mine for you?” Xu Liyu said casually. “Ultimately, idols are human too. The reason people put them on pedestals is because they’ve assigned that position in their hearts or perhaps placed themselves lower subconsciously. What’s truly impossible? Wasn’t Musheng literally sent here to date?”

Straightening up, Xu Liyu resumed her normal speaking volume.

Yu Youqing’s initial relief at Xu Liyu’s offer vanished with her subsequent words.

After a pensive pause, Yu Youqing said, “Please don’t say such things, President Xu. You know there were misunderstandings between Teacher Jiang and me before. People really don’t want to see us together. I don’t harbor those unrealistic hopes, if Teacher Jiang and I actually paired up, that would be the truly illogical outcome.”

“Clearly you’ve never been in love,” Xu Liyu chuckled, delivering her next line with breezy nonchalance: “Romance follows no rules, defies logic, and thrives on absurdity because it creates infinite possibilities. What if Musheng’s heart fluttered for you? What if she gave you her confession? Why is that impossible?”

Yu Youqing stood stunned, realizing she couldn’t actually refute Xu Liyu’s argument.

With a mysterious smile, Xu Liyu leaned in again: “Just wait. I’ll test it tonight, I’ll still record my message for you, then we’ll see if Musheng comes after me. Oh, check the timestamp on my Touchbo post from yesterday too, connect the dots.”

[What are they whispering about?! Treating us VIP members like outsiders huh??]

[Two secret conversations with COMPLETE audio cuts, we get NOTHING!!!!]

[Is Yu Youqing some universal pairing? Why does she have insane chemistry with President Xu too??]

[President Xu’s take on love hit me deep that was fucking profound]

[+1. After hearing that, even Yu Youqing/Jiang Musheng suddenly makes sense mind blown]

[The art of conversation this is something Director Xu could actually figure out on her own? I thought she was just here for laughs.]

[You’re going to a haunted house! A haunted house! How did the atmosphere get so flirtatious?!]

[What exactly is Director Xu’s role here? Is she a wingman hoping to get Shengsheng and Yu Youqing together, or does she also like Yu Youqing? I can’t figure it out.]

[Teacher Jiang is all alone up front can she hear them?]

Jiang Musheng suddenly turned around.

She saw Xu Yiyu and Yu Youqing whispering to each other, but her expression remained unchanged. She simply urged them in a calm tone, “Keep up. If you get lost, I’ll have to come looking for you.”

Xu Yiyu immediately stepped away from Yu Youqing after finishing her whisper, giving Yu Youqing a light, playful pat on the back. “Come on, let’s go. Someone might complain that we’re too slow and she can’t hear us talking back here.”

Yu Youqing followed in a daze.

She was still thinking about what Xu Yiyu had just said. Had she missed something?

Xu Yiyu walked forward with her, joining Jiang Musheng. Whether intentionally or not, she positioned Yu Youqing right between the two of them.

In her peripheral vision, Yu Youqing caught sight of Jiang Musheng’s profile, reminding her of yesterday in the garden when she had seen Jiang Musheng and Xu Yiyu talking.

What had they been discussing?

Jiang Musheng seemed to be asking Xu Yiyu for help.

And afterward, what had Xu Yiyu done when she returned to the living room?

She had bought peanuts, taken a photo, and handed them out to everyone in front of the group.

Then, once again, Yu Youqing had intercepted the peanuts Cheng Shunzhu tried to give Jiang Musheng just like the day before.

Xu Yiyu had explained in front of everyone, and Jiang Musheng had thanked her openly, effortlessly resolving Yu Youqing’s dilemma.

It was Jiang Musheng.

Yu Youqing abruptly turned to look at Jiang Musheng, emotions surging uncontrollably in her eyes.

Noticing her gaze, Jiang Musheng tilted her head slightly. “What’s wrong?”

Yu Youqing’s throat felt as if it were clogged with lead. Her lips moved, but no words came out.

She couldn’t say anything now.

Nor could she blurt out something like, “Teacher Jiang, thank you.”

Now she understood why Xu Yiyu had said those things to her.

Jiang Musheng knew all the difficulties she faced, knew she had taken those things because she was aware of Jiang Musheng’s peanut allergy, and understood that Yu Youqing couldn’t step forward immediately. So, she had privately asked Xu Yiyu for help.

And after doing all this, Jiang Musheng hadn’t let Yu Youqing know a single thing about it.

Realizing this, Yu Youqing fell silent for the rest of the way.

They soon arrived at the entrance of the haunted house. Jiang Musheng noticed Yu Youqing’s expression wasn’t as relaxed as before and asked softly, “What’s wrong? Did Yiyu say something to you just now?”

“No,” Yu Youqing shook her head.

There weren’t many people in line for the haunted house, mostly couples. The guys were all comforting their girlfriends, promising to protect them no matter what.

“Are you scared to go in?” Jiang Musheng thought for a moment, then stepped slightly in front of Yu Youqing, blocking her view of the entrance. “If you’re really too afraid, I can tell the production team we won’t go. Don’t force yourself.”

“It’s not that I don’t want to go.” Yu Yousheng felt extremely conflicted about Jiang Musheng’s caring behavior it was the kind of consideration that was impossible to resist. She clearly understood why she was feeling this way now.

“Did Xu Liyu say something you didn’t like?” Jiang Musheng was remarkably perceptive of Yu Yousheng’s emotional shifts. Seeing Yu Yousheng remain silent, her frown deepened, clearly troubled. “Or maybe—”

“I’m fine, Teacher Jiang.” Yu Yousheng reached out and tugged lightly at Jiang Musheng’s sleeve.

Jiang Musheng fell silent.

By the time they entered, their group was the only one left. Xu Liyu said, “I’m scared. You two go ahead, I’ll hide behind you.”

Yu Yousheng and Jiang Musheng exchanged a glance and, without hesitation, stepped in first.

Inside was pitch black, with no eerie background music yet this very absence made it all the more unsettling. There was no telling where something terrifying might suddenly jump out.

This was a themed haunted house, similar to a completely dark escape room. After entering the designated themed suite, they had to navigate through it, find the correct exit room, and only then could they leave.

Yu Yousheng had some prior knowledge about this. She knew the “ghosts” inside were staff members in costume, so there might be frightening actions like hands reaching out to touch them, often enough to scare the couples who came here out of their wits.

The room was extremely dark. Even with mental preparation, Yu Yousheng still felt uneasy once inside.

Instinctively, she glanced beside her. She knew Jiang Musheng was right next to her, but her nerves refused to settle.

The silence was deafening. She could hear Jiang Musheng’s breathing.

Xu Liyu called from behind, “Where are you guys? I can’t see anything. Can’t we just turn on a light?”

All personal light sources were prohibited. The room would have flashlights, but they had to find them first and the fear of accidentally touching something else while searching only added to the tension.

Xu Liyu exclaimed again, “Wow! Aren’t you two scared? I’m terrified!!”

“Find a flashlight,” Jiang Musheng’s voice sounded beside Yu Yousheng’s ear. Yu Yousheng hadn’t realized they were standing so close.

Then, her hand accidentally brushed against something warm.

“!” What the?! Yu Yousheng nearly screamed but held back, not wanting to startle the other two. Instead, she just sucked in a sharp breath.

Jiang Musheng suddenly said, “That’s my hand.”

“? How did you?” Yu Yousheng cut herself off and tried to move aside, but her feet wouldn’t cooperate.

Jiang Musheng’s voice was steady and calm, not at all like someone pretending to be composed. Standing beside her, Yu Yousheng felt an undeniable sense of security.

A moment later, Jiang Musheng gently grasped her wrist.

“Don’t be afraid. Follow me.” Jiang Musheng pulled Yu Yousheng closer, and the top of Yu Yousheng’s head lightly bumped against Jiang Musheng’s ear.

After they entered the haunted house, the live stream switched to infrared. While the guests couldn’t see a thing inside, the viewers could see everything clearly.

[I’m dying of laughter, does Little Xu look even slightly scared?]

[“Did I just see that right? A staff member dressed as a ghost tried to scare Teacher Jiang from the side, but she grabbed them and shoved them behind her. Then President Xu immediately covered their mouth, tossing them aside without letting them make a single sound.”]

[“Ghost: ????? Are you serious????? You won’t even let me speak??”]

[“The whole time, Yu Youqing wasn’t involved at all, she didn’t even notice a ghost had appeared.”]

[“When they first entered together, I thought Yu Youqing would be the fearless one. Turns out, it’s two overpowered experts dragging along one poor little soul.”]

[“Damn, I want Teacher Jiang to protect me too!!!”]

[“Teacher Jiang grabbed Yu Youqing’s wrist, why does it feel like she wanted to hold her hand but settled for this instead?”]

[“Forget the flashlight, we can see just fine anyway.”]

[“Given President Xu’s earlier comments, I think she might be trying to set up Teacher Jiang and Yu Youqing.”]

Yu Youqing’s ears burned, but she knew Jiang Musheng hadn’t meant anything by it. She couldn’t let any restlessness show. Still, when Jiang Musheng leaned in to speak, her other hand clenched tightly, all her focus drawn to the warmth against her ear.

Then, from somewhere in the darkness, came the creak of a door opening, accompanied by eerie ambient music that instantly heightened the tension.

Xu Liyu suddenly rushed over, flailing at Jiang Musheng’s side. “This is terrifying! I’m so scared! Quick, hold my hand!”

She’d already latched onto Jiang Musheng’s arm, but they weren’t the type to casually cling to each other. Jiang Musheng immediately pushed her away. “Don’t touch me.”

“Then who am I supposed to touch? If you won’t let me, I’ll go to Xiao Yu, she’s too kind to refuse me anyway.” Xu Liyu made to move toward Yu Youqing, only for Jiang Musheng to yank her back. “Don’t scare her. She’s already frightened.”

“I… I’m not that scared,” Yu Youqing protested, having heard Xu Liyu’s words. She worried Jiang Musheng had noticed her hidden fear and didn’t want to burden her, so she’d been forcing composure, determined to be a reliable teammate. She wanted to say it was fine, Xu Liyu seemed even more timid than her, so she should help.

But Jiang Musheng didn’t give her the chance.

“Why won’t you let me hold you or Xiao Yu? You’re so weird,” Xu Liyu grumbled, squeezing over to Yu Youqing’s side. “But I’m scared! It’s pitch black in here, and I’m night-blind. Can’t we just hold hands so we don’t get separated?”

“I’m not holding you! Musheng, did you hear that? I’m not holding you!” Xu Liyu called out, her smirk hidden in the dim light.

She only took Yu Youqing’s wrist.

In the suffocating darkness, Jiang Musheng’s entire body tensed inexplicably. Standing beside Yu Youqing, she’d been given the perfect opportunity to hold her hand after Xu Liyu’s remark yet she hesitated, afraid to overstep.

“Got a hold? If you’ve got it, let’s move!” Xu Liyu was still earnestly playing the wingman, shaking Yu Yousheng’s wrist. “I’ve already got Little Yu’s hand, Jiang Musheng, have you moved yet? Are you even up for this?”

If it weren’t for the fact that they were recording a show, Jiang Musheng would have wanted to cover Xu Liyu’s mouth right then and there. She never realized before just how noisy Xu Liyu could be.

The next moment, her breath hitched as she felt movement in her palm.

Because Yu Yousheng’s hand came over and intertwined with hers.

“Is this, okay?” Yu Yousheng’s voice softly sounded beside her.

After a brief moment of stiffness, Jiang Musheng regained control and awareness of her body. Without hesitation, she tightened her grip on Song Song’s loosely held hand, her voice carrying a barely detectable hint of delight:

“Hold on tight, so you don’t get lost.”

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