The Scummy Alpha Transmigrated into a Tragedy Novel and Went Viral! - Chapter 33

The moment she stepped onto the track, Cheng Jingling finally understood why they had to remove their shoes—and why the second half of the race was called the “Devil’s Relay.”

The smooth, flat track was nothing but bait laid out by the wicked production team. Under that thin fabric was a row of brutal acupressure spikes. Cheng Jingling’s determination to catch up instantly shattered. But the people running ahead weren’t faring any better—everyone was hopping and stumbling with every step. No matter how much they wanted to sprint, their bodies simply refused.

As she ran, she howled “Aooow! Aooow!” like a wounded beast, flailing her arms and legs in a way that made her look like a frantic gorilla. Thankfully, the four contestants in front looked no more elegant than she did. The whole group kept screaming and yelping as they ran, becoming the audience’s greatest source of joy. The spectators laughed so hard they couldn’t even shout words of encouragement anymore.

Even Ji Yufu—usually calm, cool, and composed—couldn’t hold back her laughter at Cheng Jingling’s pitiful state. A wicked line of poetry suddenly popped into her head: “The cries of monkeys on both shores never cease.” It suited the scene far too well. Apparently, the ancients really were masters of realism.

The more she thought about it, the funnier it seemed.

The race ended amid roars of laughter. Cheng Jingling failed to “defy destiny” and secured last place. Gasping for air, she fled the devil’s relay track and collapsed in the buffer zone, grateful to be alive. Ji Yufu gently handed her shoes back to her. In the second round, both Cheng Jingling and Ji Yufu came in last, scoring zero points.

The third round was another test of strength: arm wrestling. Cheng Jingling and Ji Yufu won second and third place respectively. After three rounds, their combined score placed them second overall, earning them a spacious double room. First place went to the comeback duo Xiao Chengyi and Bai Weilan. Third place was Huang Yili and Liu Ke.

When Jiang Yiyu learned he’d have to sleep in the minimalist suite, he was already full of resentment before even seeing the room. Meanwhile, Zhao Yimai and Jiao Yanting—dead last once again—accepted the result with surprising joy.

They didn’t complain at all, even saying, “Simplicity is abundance.” Their unbothered attitude earned everyone’s admiration.

After the games, the cast carried their luggage to their rooms. Cheng Jingling and Ji Yufu’s room turned out quite nice—one double bed, a simple dressing table, a power strip by the nightstand, and plenty of ethnic-style decorations on the walls. There was even a skylight overhead.

Once they unpacked, dinner was ready: lamb offal soup and beef offal soup. Everyone ate and chatted happily. Since they had already spent the whole morning traveling, the director decided not to assign additional filming that night. He told them to eat, rest early, and prepare for the next day’s early shoot.

Back in their room, Cheng Jingling and Ji Yufu were ready to wash up—only for their perfect impression of the grasslands to crumble instantly. Water was precious here, and showering on the ranch wasn’t easy at all. When Cheng Jingling realized this, she was devastated. She sniffed her clothes with disgust—though they still smelled of perfume, the idea of not showering was unacceptable.

Ji Yufu noticed her frustration and said, “Go ask the director. He should’ve made arrangements.”

That made sense. Cheng Jingling scurried off, then returned moments later beaming.

“The director said he arranged a camper van for each couple! We can wash up there!”

“That’s good.”

After a quick wash, the two changed into pajamas and lay on the bed. Cheng Jingling curiously opened the skylight—and was greeted with a surprise.

“Look!”

Ji Yufu turned her head. The night sky over the prairie glittered with countless stars, far more beautiful than any city view. The two lay there gazing upward, fully immersed in the quiet, breathtaking moment.

Cheng Jingling pulled out her phone to take photos. Ji Yufu couldn’t help recalling the first time they sat together on the grass looking at the stars—the ice cream that night, and that impulsive kiss.

“Here, look! Isn’t it pretty?” Cheng Jingling proudly showed off her photo. Ji Yufu’s drifting thoughts were cut off. Her reply came a bit too fast:

“Mm. Pretty.”

For some reason, her cheeks felt warm.

Cheng Jingling continued fiddling with her photos. Ji Yufu studied her profile—serious, focused—and her heart tightened unexpectedly. At first, she had thought Cheng Jingling had framed her, so she hated her. After learning the truth, though her resentment faded, she still resisted interacting with her. But after spending so much time together, she realized Cheng Jingling wasn’t actually that annoying. In fact, she could be funny, warm, and surprisingly easy to get along with. Simple, straightforward. Comfortable.

The more Ji Yufu recalled her good points, the longer the list grew. A warning bell suddenly rang in her mind. She shook her head, pushing away those strange thoughts.

She reminded herself: this was nothing more than a love game built on mutual benefit. She must not fall into it.

Tired, she closed her eyes. Her thoughts were a tangled mess, impossible to sort out. Better to sleep and work well tomorrow.

But the next second.

“Awooo.”

A sharp howl shattered the peaceful night.

Ji Yufu’s eyes flew open. She and Cheng Jingling stared at each other.

“What was that?” Cheng Jingling’s voice trembled.

“Awooo.”

“Eek! It’s a wolf!” Cheng Jingling shrank into her blanket faster than lightning. Ji Yufu couldn’t help wanting to tease her.

“You get this scared from one wolf howl? And you said you’d protect me?”

Cheng Jingling stared at her, eyes blinking rapidly. After swallowing hard, she sighed in resignation.

“If a wolf really comes, I’ll pull you with me and run for our lives!”

Ji Yufu continued teasing:

“But two legs can’t outrun four.”

Cheng Jingling: “……”

“Then, then it can eat me first. If it eats me, it won’t eat you.”

Her voice was small and shaky, but she was serious. Ji Yufu looked at her expression—and her heart softened. A strange guilt rose inside her.

Something unspoken spread quietly in the small room.

“Miss Ji? Miss Cheng? Are you awake?”

A sudden knock shattered the moment. It was the producer. The two stuck their heads out toward the door.

“What’s wrong?”

“You heard the wolf just now, right?”

“We heard it!”

“Oh, don’t worry. Wolves on the grasslands are normal. The ranch has fences, and we’ve placed security guards around the perimeter. Wolves can’t get in. Rest easy!”

“Okay, thank you!”

Cheng Jingling finally relaxed and poked her head out from the blanket again.

“But do make sure you close all windows before sleeping!”

Hearing that, Cheng Jingling shrank back down. Ji Yufu looked at her with an amused expression.

“Let’s close the window.”

The Next Morning

Wang Yumin gathered everyone early for filming. The schedule today was tight—he planned to compress two days of shooting into one so they could move to the next location sooner. The previous night, Jiang Yiyu and several others had complained about the inconvenient bathing situation and begged to leave immediately. Wang Yumin barely managed to convince them to stay, promising they’d depart as soon as possible.

His plan: film the game in the morning, then film punishments for losing couples in the afternoon. What was originally a week of content would now be finished in three to four days.

Today’s game was simple: each celebrity couple had to herd 100 sheep. No area limits. They had five hours. Their score depended on how much weight the flock gained—more weight, more points. But losing sheep meant deductions.

After applying sunscreen, each couple grabbed the dry rations provided by the show and set off with their flock. Everyone had a walkie-talkie for safety. Cheng Jingling and Ji Yufu each held a whip, guiding the sheep toward fresh grass.

Cheng Jingling, who had never done anything like this before, was delighted and confident. Ji Yufu scanned the terrain and kept watch to prevent strays.

Since there were no restricted zones, each couple chose a spot they believed had the richest grass. Herding required no skill—just vigilant supervision. Cheng Jingling sat in the grass, quickly becoming bored. She opened her backpack.

Inside were a thermos of cooked beef, dipping sauce, flatbread, milk tea, and bottled water. She sneaked a piece of beef—it was delicious.

She wanted to try it with the sauce when Ji Yufu’s voice crackled through the walkie-talkie:

“Ms. Cheng, please stop snacking. Focus on the sheep.”

Cheng Jingling stiffened.

“Yes, ma’am!”

She put everything away and stood guard, unmoving.

After a torturous five hours, they herded the sheep back. The production team had splurged on a large weighing platform to measure weight changes. Cheng Jingling and Ji Yufu’s flock had gained the most weight—and not a single sheep was missing. Second place: Xiao Chengyi and Bai Weilan. Third: Zhao Yimai and Jiao Yanting.

Jiang Yiyu and Wang Zicheng had spent their time flirting instead of herding. Out of 100 sheep, only 86 returned—an astonishing failure. Huang Yili and Liu Ke also lost one, but thankfully the camera footage helped recover all missing sheep.

Once weighing was complete, the host announced the rewards:

First place: an entire beef feast.

Instantly, everyone gasped with envy.

Second place: a full lamb feast.

Third place: grilled steak.

The last two teams’ punishment: collecting cow dung and sheep dung.

Upon hearing the reward, Cheng Jingling practically exploded with joy, dragging Ji Yufu into a celebratory dance. Jiang Yiyu, on the other hand, fainted on the spot at the mention of dung.