After Transmigrating, I Joined a Dating Show with the Fake Heiress Actress - Chapter 16

Bai Man stepped away from the rock and turned to Yu Meng. “Your words have actually reminded me—I can use legal means to protect my reputation.”

Yu Meng hadn’t expected Bai Man to be so fearless, and her expression darkened further.

Su Qingwan, who had been watching Yu Meng closely, didn’t miss her subtle reaction. She let out a bitter laugh and turned to the photographer’s assistant. “Please escort her down the mountain.”

The assistant immediately stepped forward and helped Liu Yue leave.

Liu Yue felt a bitter frustration she couldn’t voice. While her performance had been partly an act, the bruises on her body were real. The script hadn’t called for any injuries, but in her eagerness to trick Bai Man into carrying her down the mountain, she had misjudged the angle, and her ankle now throbbed faintly.

Worse still, Yu Meng was dissatisfied with her performance. She…

Su Qingwan averted her gaze and righted the fallen basket. “Bai Man, let’s continue looking for mushrooms!”

Yu Meng’s actions had undoubtedly disappointed her, but she couldn’t forget the clothes and water Yu Meng had given her when she was on the verge of freezing.

System 388: Detected a 10-point decrease in Su Qingwan’s favorability toward Yu Meng. Remaining total favorability: 25. Host, keep up the good work!

Logically, Bai Man should have been thrilled by this outcome, but instead, her heart felt heavy.

Especially when she saw Su Qingwan’s desolate figure, she seemed to glimpse the tragic ending of the Su Qingwan from the novel. Her once light steps gradually grew heavy.

Yu Meng, still by the river, also noticed this change. An inexplicable panic rose within her, driving her to chase after them. She overtook Bai Man and reached Su Qingwan’s side, reaching out to grab her arm. “Qingwan, listen to me.”

Sensing Yu Meng’s intentions, Su Qingwan subtly dodged her hand and retreated two steps, widening the distance between them. “Yu Meng, don’t make me regret… regretting ever thinking we shared the same ideals.”

She didn’t voice the last part, but she trusted that Yu Meng’s intelligence would allow her to understand.

Yu Meng froze in place, stunned. She knew Su Qingwan had harbored feelings for her, and she had always relished that affection. After all, Su Qingwan was not only gentle and beautiful but also remarkably resilient.

Now, she sensed Su Qingwan’s affection fading, and it was all because of Bai Man.

With this thought, she immediately turned to look at Bai Man.

Bai Man’s expression remained indifferent, not even sparing her a glance. She moved to Su Qingwan’s right side, took her hand, and led her forward.

The stark contrast between Su Qingwan’s cooperation with Bai Man and her earlier resistance toward Yu Meng fueled Yu Meng’s anger and jealousy. She wanted to chase after them, but reason told her this wasn’t the right moment. To regain Su Qingwan’s favor, she needed to devise a long-term plan.

Her decision not to follow played right into Bai Man’s hands.

The mushrooms they had gathered earlier had been mostly destroyed by Liu Yue. To avoid going hungry, Bai Man and Su Qingwan needed to gather more.

When people focus intently on a task, they lose track of time. Before they knew it, it was already noon.

Su Qingwan and Bai Man glanced at the mushrooms in their baskets—only about a third full—and tacitly agreed not to return to the cabin just yet.

The cameraman, likely anticipating this, had planted his stabilizer tripod in the ground, facing them, while he stepped aside to munch on a sandwich.

Bai Man hadn’t felt hungry before, but when a gentle breeze carried the aroma of the sandwich her way, her stomach began to protest.

“Rest here for now. I’ll go look around for wild berries,” Bai Man said, getting to her feet and striding off.

Su Qingwan, feeling uneasy, rose to follow. “I’ll come with you.”

With both protagonists gone, the cameraman had no choice but to follow. He hastily stuffed a piece of bread into his mouth, grabbed his stabilizer, and hurried after them.

After walking about seven or eight hundred meters to the right, Bai Man’s eyes fell upon a thorny tree. More precisely, it was the bright red-orange raspberries hanging from its branches that caught her attention.

A few meters away, another patch of raspberry bushes grew, their berries ranging from crimson red to golden orange.

She approached cautiously, avoiding the thorns, and, despite Su Qingwan’s hesitant expression, plucked a golden orange raspberry and popped it into her mouth. The berry burst with a sweet-tart flavor, its tiny seeds adding a pleasant crunch.

Noticing Su Qingwan’s worried glance, Bai Man explained, “Axida said these wild berries are edible.” She picked a handful of golden orange raspberries and offered them to Su Qingwan, gesturing with her eyes for her to try one.

Su Qingwan picked up a berry and popped it into her mouth. The sweet-and-sour, refreshing flavor filled her mouth. It was her first time trying this wild fruit, and the novel sensation made her eyes curve into a slight smile.

Her satisfaction and enjoyment infected Bai Man, whose lips unconsciously turned upward. She turned and walked toward the patch of raspberry bushes.

Finding it awkward to hold the berries in her hands, she moved to the side and plucked several large leaves, stacking them together. She then carefully placed the harvested raspberries on top, quickly forming a small mountain.

Without hesitation, she handed the leaf-wrapped pile of berries to Su Qingwan. “Don’t come over here—there are thorns.” She had pricked herself several times while picking.

“Then you shouldn’t pick any more. This is enough for us.”

“Okay, I’ll stop.” As Bai Man turned, she spotted a yellow, pointed shape in the grass. Suspecting it might be a mushroom, she changed direction and walked over.

Parting the weeds with her hands, she revealed several mushrooms. Instead of immediately picking them, she cleared away the surrounding grass.

As she had suspected, mushrooms were indeed hidden beneath the weeds. They weren’t large, but there were plenty of them.

Bai Man stood up to retrieve her basket when she saw Su Qingwan approaching with the basket on her back, a fresh scratch bleeding on her hand from the raspberry thorns.

Su Qingwan’s fair skin made the bl00d stand out starkly in the sunlight.

Bai Man carefully removed the basket from Su Qingwan’s back. “These mushrooms are yours. I’ll go check ahead.”

Su Qingwan nodded. “Okay.”

As Bai Man moved forward, she kept her eyes on the ground, but when she spotted mushrooms, she didn’t stop, continuing onward.

Viewers watching the live stream nearly jumped out of their seats.

What is Bai Man doing? Those are mushrooms! And so many of them!

Could it be that finding mushrooms is just an excuse? I bet a pack of spicy noodles she’s actually looking for medicinal herbs for Wanwan.

Medicinal herbs? Does Bai Man even know any?

I know this one! Axida mentioned some medicinal herbs on the mountain. Did you guys notice the dried herbs stuffed in their window? Bai Man probably saw them too.

But by the time Bai Man finds the herbs, Wanwan’s hand wound will already have scabbed over, right?

The netizens’ speculation was quickly confirmed. Bai Man indeed stopped in front of a medicinal herb, carefully dug it up, and returned to the raspberry bush. She found a rock and crushed the herb. “Extend your arm,” she instructed.

Having already guessed Bai Man’s intention, Su Qingwan felt a warmth spread through her heart, her cheeks flushing slightly. “It’s not necessary, is it? It’s just a scratch.”

“Hurry,” Bai Man urged.

Su Qingwan cautiously extended her hand, allowing Bai Man to apply the crushed herb to her wound.

The close proximity allowed her to clearly feel Bai Man’s breath, the warm, humid air brushing against her arm and spreading rapidly, making her ears and face burn.

Afraid Bai Man would notice her reaction, she lowered her head slightly, but her gaze kept drifting back to Bai Man.

She could clearly see the fine down on Bai Man’s face, the focused intensity in her eyes, and the slight furrow in her brow.

She wanted to reach out and smooth away that furrow.

After applying the herb to Su Qingwan’s wound, Bai Man noticed Su Qingwan’s hand hovering in mid-air. “This medicine is specifically for external injuries and is non-toxic,” she explained.

Su Qingwan recoiled in alarm, her face flushing crimson. “I… I didn’t mean it that way,” she stammered.

Hearing no response from Bai Man, she added, “Really, I know you wouldn’t hurt me.”

The words startled even herself.

Remembering that the original owner would return once her mission was complete, Bai Man suppressed the complex emotions churning within her and turned to Su Qingwan. “You’re wrong. You shouldn’t trust me so easily. Don’t forget those eighteen irreparable years.”

With that, she bent down to pick up her basket and moved ahead to gather mushrooms.

The sudden silence left the cameraman at a loss, unsure whether to stay and film Su Qingwan or follow Bai Man with his camera.

In the end, he chose to follow Bai Man.

As the two women departed, Su Qingwan remained alone, rooted to the spot, her pink lips pressed into a tight line.

Yes, how could she have forgotten those eighteen years? How many eighteen-year periods does one get in a lifetime? Bai Man had every right to hate her.

In the end, she had been too greedy, foolishly fantasizing that Bai Man would forgive her.

Su Qingwan, wake up! Don’t forget how Bai Man accused you at the start of the show. Yu Meng was right—Bai Man came here to sabotage you.

Bai Man could guess some of Su Qingwan’s thoughts, but she wasn’t worried.

System 388: Host, was that even human language you just spoke? And admit it—you like Su Qingwan. Otherwise, why would you go to such lengths to find medicinal herbs for her injury?

Bai Man paused her mushroom-picking, replying telepathically: She’s lowered her guard now. Once the real culprit returns, their scheme will succeed. As for the herbs, I’m repaying her for the dried meat last night, and I don’t want to give Yu Meng a chance to curry favor with her.

System 388: ……

Having finished picking mushrooms, Bai Man’s basket was full. She glanced at the time on her wrist—it was already past 2 PM.

Returning to the raspberry patch, she found Su Qingwan missing.

She looked around, calling Su Qingwan’s name, but there was no response.

Though the journey had been relatively safe, unavoidable dangers still lurked. The thought of what might have happened made Bai Man’s heart race as she frantically searched for Su Qingwan.