The Scumbag A Really Doesn't Want to Become Famous [Entertainment Circle] - Chapter 41

Holding hands together gave the three of them some courage. They quickly navigated through the dark living room and entered one of the bedrooms, but it wasn’t the exit.

Throughout this process, Yu Youqing never let go of Jiang Musheng’s hand.

She could feel the warmth of the other person’s body heat, and by now, the fear of the environment had long been replaced by the wild pounding of her own heart, thump, thump, betraying an overwhelming restlessness in her chest.

The entire time, she listened to Jiang Musheng and Xu Liyu conversing. From the moment Xu Liyu suggested they all hold hands, and she ended up holding Jiang Musheng’s, Yu Youqing didn’t dare to speak.

She knew that if she opened her mouth, her excitement would spill out immediately.

Who would’ve ever imagined holding hands with Jiang Musheng? When she reached out, she had only lightly touched Jiang Musheng’s hand, but then Jiang Musheng had firmly grasped hers.

And the tone Jiang Musheng used when speaking to her Yu Youqing actually detected a hint of gentleness. Was she going crazy?

By the time they returned to the living room, Xu Liyu didn’t seem scared anymore and had already let go of Yu Youqing’s hand.

Yu Youqing felt like holding Jiang Musheng’s hand any longer would be taking advantage of her, so she tried to pull away. But Jiang Musheng showed no intention of letting go.

Yu Youqing whispered, “Jiang laoshi.” She wiggled her fingers slightly in Jiang Musheng’s palm.

Jiang Musheng acted as if she hadn’t heard a thing.

Xu Liyu, who seemed to have an excellent memory, had let go of Yu Youqing but walked ahead a few steps before bending down to feel around on a cabinet. “I found a flashlight.”

Yu Youqing said, “Xu-zong, I thought you had night blindness? How did you find it? Turn it on quickly.”

Xu Liyu couldn’t hold back a chuckle before stifling the rest. “I’m managing. You’re so concerned about me, Xiao Yu? Can you even see clearly yourself? Musheng, take good care of her and don’t let her get scared, got it?”

Jiang Musheng hummed in agreement. “It’s easier if I guide you.”

Yu Youqing understood this was Jiang Musheng’s way of telling her to keep holding her hand.

Why did she get the feeling that Xu Liyu wasn’t scared at all? Was it just her imagination?

[Xu Liyu: My night blindness? Totally fake.]

[So Xiao Xu-zong is definitely playing matchmaker, no doubt about it. Given how long she and Jiang laoshi have been friends, there’s no way she’d set her up with someone unsuitable. Maybe,  Yu Youqing really has changed?]

[Wait, I didn’t believe it before, but after all these analyses, I’m starting to doubt my own past judgments.]

[Jiang laoshi: ?]

[Pay attention when Xu Liyu held Yu Youqing’s hand, she only touched her wrist. But Jiang laoshi straight-up held her hand.]

[????????]

[AHHHHHHH OMG! Sister, you’re about to get a flood of screaming fangirls!]

[Is there a chance we really misjudged Yu Youqing before?]

[No way, just one show and her reputation does a complete 180?]

[I don’t want to believe it either, but Jiang laoshi held her hand, wuwuwu..]

[Little Xu-zong, please keep up the act and don’t slip up, hahaha!]

“Follow me.”

While Yu Youqing was still stunned, Jiang Musheng headed towards another room.

Yu Youqing asked, “Shouldn’t we hold onto CEO Xu a little? What if she trips.”

“Her tripping isn’t my concern,” Jiang Musheng replied before adding, “It won’t hurt.”

Xu Liyu, walking ahead, felt her temples throb at the comment.

She held it in.

“Should I turn on the flashlight?” Xu Liyu deliberately waved the flashlight in front of Jiang Musheng’s eyes, thinking, Let’s see if you’ll still have the nerve to keep holding the girl’s hand once the light’s on.

Jiang Musheng countered, “What, do you want to illuminate the ghosts and bloodstains more clearly to scare her?”

“…” Xu Liyu shot Jiang Musheng a resentful look before turning to open the door.

I’m not that fragile, Yu Youqing wanted to say, but after picturing the scenario Jiang Musheng described, she held her tongue.

She had to admit Jiang Musheng was right. Without seeing those things, she could pretend to stay calm. But if she actually saw them,

“Teacher Jiang is right,” Yu Youqing gulped, sighed, and awkwardly decided to lay her vulnerability bare. “I’m actually quite scared of these things. If the flashlight turns on and I get startled, I might even jump into Teacher Jiang’s arms. Let’s not create such a hassle.”

The bedroom inside had a dim, flickering light.

In the faint glow, Xu Liyu immediately glanced back at Jiang Musheng upon hearing Yu Youqing’s words, her eyes betraying no trace of “night blindness.”

Leading the way to the bedside lamp, Xu Liyu’s sharp vision had already spotted the staff member lurking behind the curtains, ready to pounce and scare them. She stealthily nudged the lamp’s power cord with her foot, cutting off the only light source.

“!” Yu Youqing was terrified, her fingers tightening around Jiang Musheng’s hand before she quickly loosened them, about to apologize when Jiang Musheng held on even tighter.

She heard Jiang Musheng’s voice, soft and almost coaxing, as if speaking to a child: “Don’t be afraid.”

Yu Youqing had just begun to calm down when Xu Liyu suddenly yelped, “Ouch! What’s pulling me?”

Yu Youqing recoiled, her hair standing on end.

But it didn’t end there. Whether Xu Liyu was also frightened or simply forgot their earlier agreement, she abruptly turned on the flashlight. In the sudden light, Yu Youqing saw a disheveled “ghost” charging toward her, its long, tangled hair parting as it ran to reveal a mutilated, blood-streaked face.

“Help!” Yu Youqing instinctively screamed, squeezing her eyes shut and lunging toward the person beside her. At the last moment, she remembered, No, that’s Jiang Musheng! I just said I wouldn’t jump into her arms!

But fear had already overridden her thoughts, her body tilting unmistakably toward Jiang Musheng before she could stop herself.

Yu Youqing tried to steady herself against her terror, but she ended up collapsing into a warm embrace.

Jiang Musheng securely pulled her into his embrace with one arm, never letting go of her hand for even a moment.

With agile steps, he guided her backward, effortlessly avoiding the staff member who had jumped out to scare them.

Meanwhile, Xu Liyu shrieked wildly, waving her flashlight around erratically. The beams of light flickered chaotically across every corner of the room, occasionally illuminating the disheveled hair of the staff member as it flailed wildly from one side to another.

Yu Youqing suppressed her scream, though she was terrified out of her wits. Clinging tightly to Jiang Musheng’s hand, she remained frozen in his embrace, not daring to move an inch.

Jiang Musheng’s voice sounded above her head, calm and steady: “If you’re scared, don’t look. Just bury your head down.”

His grip on her hand loosened, freeing one of his hands to gently pat her head in reassurance before pressing it against the crook of his neck.

Yu Youqing: “…”

She was genuinely terrified, unable to do anything but obey Jiang Musheng’s instructions.

She felt deeply apologetic for being utterly useless in this situation and worse, it seemed like she was taking advantage of Jiang Musheng. Her arms hung stiffly at her sides, not daring to move.

Her face pressed directly against his skin, where beneath its thin layer, she could clearly feel the steady rhythm of his pulse.

Strangely, everything else seemed to fade away.

Jiang Musheng guided her through several steps, though Yu Youqing had no idea what was happening her eyes had remained tightly shut the entire time. After what felt like an eternity, Jiang Musheng finally said, “It’s over.”

What was over?

Xu Liyu chimed in, “You’re way too ruthless, aren’t you?”

Shining her flashlight over, she caught sight of Yu Youqing still nestled securely in Jiang Musheng’s arms and burst into laughter. “Oh? Look how tightly you’re holding her!”
Yu Youqing blinked in confusion before hastily pulling away from Jiang Musheng. Their eyes met briefly her face flushed but the moment she spotted the two figures standing before Jiang Musheng, her expression paled in renewed terror: “???”

“Professor Jiang, we were wrong! We swear we won’t do it again!” The two staff members had their masks yanked off and were now cowering with their hands on their heads, not daring to breathe under Jiang Musheng’s icy glare.

They were the assigned “scare actors” for this bedroom one hiding behind the curtains, the other lying in wait on the bed. The script called for the “curtain ghost” to jump out first, startling the players, while the “bed ghost” would seize the moment of panic to rise from under the covers and ideally trap a player in a suffocating blanket cocoon. Mission accomplished, maximum terror achieved.

But who could’ve predicted that two of the three visitors tonight were anything but ordinary? Normal people wouldn’t think to extinguish their only light source, let alone pinpoint the exact location of the hidden staff member. The “curtain ghost” had barely emerged when Xu Liyu’s flashlight beam blinded him. Disoriented and stumbling, he was then effortlessly flung onto the bed by Jiang Musheng who, despite having one arm wrapped around Yu Youqing, still managed to pull off the move.

The “bed ghost,” mistaking the incoming body for a player, dutifully sprang up and wrapped his target in the blanket only to freeze at the sound of a familiar, pained yelp.

What the hell just happened?!

Then they saw Jiang Musheng’s indifferent expression and Xu Liyu’s smirk, which looked even more terrifying than the staff dressed as ghosts.

The staff: “…” These weren’t players they encountered they were two Yama Kings (deities of the underworld).

At this moment, their masks were tossed aside, the fake blood on their faces smeared into a ridiculous mess, completely losing any scare factor.

“See clearly now?” Jiang Musheng slowly stepped back behind Yu Youqing to prevent her from stumbling backward in fright again. She glanced at the two staff members, who immediately choked out, “Sorry, we were wrong!”

“?” Yu Youqing had to admit the scene was hilarious. The fear in her heart dissipated had they really been subdued so easily?

“No need to be afraid anymore,” Jiang Musheng said. “We’ll leave soon. If you’re still scared, I can hold your hand.”

“No, no, I’m fine on my own,” Yu Youqing coughed lightly, just as Xu Liyu walked up to the staff. “Hand over the exit key.”

The staff clutched their necks, on the verge of tears. How could anyone clear the level this easily? How could anyone torment NPCs like this? How could someone figure out the key was on them so quickly? This wasn’t scientific!

Xu Liyu unclasped the necklace key from one of their necks. “Hand it over.”

“You two can take your time. Follow me, it’s dark, so don’t get lost,” Xu Liyu reminded them after grabbing the key, heading straight for the door, thinking herself both considerate and efficient. After unlocking it, they still had to walk down a dimly lit corridor.

Watching Xu Liyu stride ahead confidently, Yu Youqing finally realized, “Director Xu isn’t night-blind?”

Jiang Musheng glanced over and replied, “Intermittent night blindness. No telling when it’ll act up.”

[HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA]

[OMG, who said Jiang-laoshi has no sense of humor? Who said she doesn’t know how to joke? Her jokes are just a bit dry, that’s all!]

[Who froze to death in a heated room? LOL I’m dying]

[Honestly, Yu Youqing handled it way better than I would in a haunted house. At least she tried to suppress her fear to avoid affecting the team though her teammates are both pros, haha.]

[Yu Youqing’s reactions are totally relatable, aren’t they?]

[Before they went in, I was saying Yu Youqing would definitely cling to Jiang-laoshi. After watching the whole thing, I take it back, I’d have probably wet myself at the start.]

[Before entering: “Yu Youqing, you’re just leeching off Jiang-laoshi’s fame, you’re the worst.” After entering: “I’m the worst.”]

[My footage confirms it, Jiang-laoshi hugged her first! For real!!!]

[Damn, this ship isn’t safe to sail. What’s going on? Pairing Jiang-laoshi and Yu Youqing feels like joining a cult.]

[Well, we didn’t expect it to be this addictive either.]

By now, Yu Youqing had already separated from Jiang Musheng. They successfully retrieved the key and exited. The staff at the exit praised them for being the fastest to complete the challenge recently and asked if they had any tricks or were just exceptionally brave.

Xu Liyu said with a laugh, “Who needs courage for that? Just find the staff member dressed as a ghost and give them a beating.”

When Yu Youqing came out, she realized an entire hour had passed, she hadn’t noticed how long they’d been inside.

Naturally, she and Jiang Musheng weren’t holding hands anymore.

On the way back, Jiang Musheng walked beside her. Perhaps sensing the silence between them, she tried to make conversation, saying, “If you don’t like these kinds of arrangements in the future, just skip them. No need to force yourself into an uncomfortable situation.”

Yu Youqing smiled. “It wasn’t uncomfortable. I’m just naturally a bit of a scaredy-cat. But looking back after finishing the challenge, it wasn’t so bad. Besides, it was fun playing with you and CEO Xu.”

Xu Liyu teased, “Oh? Then let’s get into it was it fun because of me, or because of Jiang Musheng?”

The question stumped Yu Youqing. She didn’t know how to answer. They were on camera, and whatever she said had to be considerate of everyone’s feelings otherwise, it might end up as another piece of ammunition against her.

Jiang Musheng cut in, “Don’t you think you talk too much?”

Yu Youqing knew Jiang Musheng was trying to ease her dilemma. It seemed that whenever she was with Jiang Musheng, those awkward moments were effortlessly smoothed over without her having to worry.

Xu Liyu, fully aware of Jiang Musheng’s intentions, deliberately provoked her. “Who talks more, me or you? You were never this chatty with me before.”

Jiang Musheng: “…”

“Stop arguing,” Yu Youqing interjected, realizing these two were true friends who never held back when bickering. “I’m honored to have gone with both of you. Let’s not fight, didn’t we have a great time today?”

“I smell something sour,” Xu Liyu remarked, especially recalling how Jiang Musheng’s gaze had lingered whenever she and Yu Youqing chatted or went shopping together even when Jiang Musheng walked ahead alone.

Yu Youqing was oblivious to this, but Xu Liyu had noticed it all.

Jiang Musheng fell silent.

By the time they returned from the amusement park, it was already late afternoon. When Yu Youqing entered, she saw the others had come back earlier, and Ji Fu had taken charge of the kitchen for the day.

After dinner and recording their heart-to-heart messages, they listened to them together, officially wrapping up the first episode’s filming.

Back at the house, Yu Youqing intended to help in the kitchen, but Ji Fu insisted that since she’d handled it the past two days, it was someone else’s turn to shine, shooing Yu Youqing off to the living room to chat with the others.

Cheng Shunzhu asked, “So the three of you went together today? How was the amusement park?”

“We went to the haunted house,” Xu Liyu said, cracking sunflower seeds. She grinned at Yu Youqing across from her. “Right, Xiao Yu? Was it fun?”

Jiang Musheng sat not far from Yu Youqing. When asked, Yu Youqing’s mind blanked on every other attraction they’d visited all she could remember was the moment Jiang Musheng had held her.

Cheng Shunzhu even asked excitedly, “Wow, a haunted house? Isn’t that where couples love to go? Any particularly memorable moments? Come on, share with us!”

Yu Youqing: “…”

She couldn’t bring herself to say it.

Jiang Musheng calmly spoke up, “We beat up two ghosts.”

Cheng Shunzhu: “…” If it weren’t for knowing it was Jiang Musheng speaking, he would have thought this was a joke.

“I don’t think I’ll visit haunted houses again,” Yu Youqing said. Though it didn’t really affect her, after experiencing it once, she deeply felt it wasn’t her thing.

However, if she didn’t think about the ghost aspect, the experience of going out with Jiang Musheng was actually very enjoyable, though she couldn’t say that out loud in this setting.

Ji Fu’s cooking was also quite delicious, and everyone enjoyed it. Wei Xi, who was usually the quietest among them, unexpectedly couldn’t stop praising the food during dinner and ate with great enthusiasm.

Yu Youqing happened to be seated between Xu Liyu and Cheng Shunzhu. While serving herself food, she noticed Wei Xi smiling and complimenting Ji Fu, muttering, “How strange. Just one outing, and they’ve gotten so close?”

But Yu Youqing remembered, Wei Xi had voted for Ji Fu from the very beginning. Her feelings for Ji Fu had been evident all along and hadn’t changed these past two days.

She smiled. “What did you all do today?”

“Just strolled in the park, ate, hiked, and did some tasks assigned by the production team nothing else,” Cheng Shunzhu recalled. “I was basically the dutiful pack mule for the two princesses. They had all the fun, while I found it completely boring.”

“Isn’t that just the self-awareness a third wheel should have?” Xu Liyu teased Cheng Shunzhu. “I get you, little bamboo. Take my advice next time, skip these kinds of dates.”

Cheng Shunzhu wanted to cry in frustration. “I originally wanted to go with my sister, but then I found out it was her and Teacher Jiang’s private date! Who knew you’d tag along, President Xu? They didn’t invite me, or I would’ve chosen the haunted house too.”

Xu Liyu happily continued eating, ignoring Cheng Shunzhu’s lament.

Cheng Shunzhu pressed on, “So, who are you all planning to choose tonight? I heard from the director that starting tonight, we won’t be recording messages anymore, we’ll just gather and say it face-to-face.”

“Face-to-face.” Yu Youqing’s chopsticks paused mid-air.

Still oblivious to her discomfort, Cheng Shunzhu laughed. “I’m choosing my sister, hahaha! Or maybe Ji Fu. She cooked for us tonight, so I should thank her.”

“What’s wrong with you? I’ve noticed your standard for choosing a crush is just whether they cooked dinner or not,” Xu Liyu chimed in. “Oh, I get it! You’re being so casual are you the special free agent?”

Cheng Shunzhu sighed. “Seriously? I told you I’m the Hunter. Why won’t you believe me?”

Jiang Musheng ate in silence. This time, Xu Liyu wasn’t sitting beside her to liven up the atmosphere, making the meal even more quiet. Unlike others who ate boisterously, her movements were graceful and unhurried. She didn’t finish quickly to spoil the mood either, but rather put down her chopsticks around the same time as everyone else.

Yu Youqing stole several glances at Jiang Musheng. She had to admit that even just sitting there eating, Jiang Musheng looked like a painting come to life. Each time she peeked, she made sure it was brief, swiftly averting her gaze before Jiang Musheng could look up. Yu Youqing had mastered this skill effortlessly, never once getting caught.

After the meal, as usual, Jiang Musheng went to wash the dishes, startling Ji Fu so much that she frantically waved her hands, insisting there was no need for Jiang Musheng to do it.

Xu Liyu, overhearing this, chimed in teasingly, “What’s the big deal? The other day when Xiaoyu was cooking, Musheng was just as eager to wash the dishes! She treats everyone equally.”

Xu Liyu tried to push Jiang Musheng into the kitchen, but Jiang Musheng gave her a look, seeming to have something stuck in her throat that she couldn’t quite voice.

“What is it? Want to say your enthusiasm is actually for someone else, or that you don’t treat everyone equally?” Xu Liyu leaned in with a grin, whispering so only Jiang Musheng could hear, “Take my advice and stay quiet. I’m helping you out here.”

Hearing her name mentioned, Yu Youqing also carried her bowl to the kitchen. She had just finished clearing the remaining dishes from the table. “I’ll wash them. That’s the rule, the one who cooks doesn’t have to wash the dishes.”

Just as she was about to take the dishes from Jiang Musheng’s hands, Xu Liyu intercepted, snatching Yu Youqing’s bowl away.

“Wash the dishes? No way! You’ve been the chef for two days straight, and today you even got scared in the haunted house. You don’t need to lift a finger, leave it to Musheng.” With that, Xu Liyu stacked Yu Youqing’s bowl onto the pile Jiang Musheng was holding. “Helping Xiaoyu out is fine. That’s the right thing to do. Go on, off to the dishes with you.”

As Yu Youqing tried to say something, Xu Liyu pulled her away. “Come on, I need to ask you something.”

“Huh?” Yu Youqing was dragged off, still glancing worriedly back at Jiang Musheng, while Xu Liyu turned to give Jiang Musheng instructions: “Wash them properly, so our Xiaoyu can rest easy. And don’t come bothering us.”

Jiang Musheng: “…”

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