I Turned a Competitive Variety Show into a Dating Show - Chapter 4

Xue Qing, who had been dozing on the floor, was jolted awake by the vibrating floor. Opening her eyes, she witnessed this explosive scene.

Wow, they’re going all out?

Did Senior Sister’s contract include a clause about boosting viewership ratings? Otherwise, why would she kiss someone… wait, did they really kiss?

Xue Qing wriggled like a maggot, stubbornly maneuvering between the frozen pair for a closer look.

Jian Zhi’s long, wavy hair hung over her chest, partially obscuring the view, but after careful analysis, Xue Qing concluded that their lips had definitely touched.

…It’s just a matter of how deeply.

Xue Qing frantically snapped several photos with her phone. The camera flash startled the petrified duo, who immediately shoved each other away.

Shi Xu’s phoenix eyes widened into almond-shaped orbs, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it would burst from her throat. She clenched her fists so tightly her nails dug into her palms, yet she couldn’t suppress her excitement.

Heat flushed from her earlobes to her cheeks and neck, her eyes burning with a crimson tinge. A blush crept from the corners of her eyes to her temples, making her look on the verge of tears.

Jian Zhi, seeing Shi Xu’s aggrieved expression, pursed her lips. She glared at Xia Li, who merely shrugged with a mischievous grin, showing no remorse for her actions.

Shi Xu appeared dazed, but her bl00d was boiling. The soft sensation lingered on her lips, and despite trying to maintain a composed facade, she couldn’t resist licking them.

Xia Li noticed her gesture, a dark glint flashing in her eyes as a lewd smirk curled her lips. She had initially assumed Shi Xu’s reddened eyes were from nervousness or resentment, but now it seemed otherwise.

I knew it, she thought. No one could possibly resist the human masterpiece that is Jian Zhi.

“Let’s continue,” Xia Li said. “The official performance is just around the corner. You don’t want to end up at the bottom, do you?”

Xue Qing thought, I don’t care, but for the sake of getting a close-up view of the couple, she decided to practice diligently.

“Senior Sister, hurry over! You and Shi Xu need to work on your dance routine. If you really end up at the bottom, the haters will have a field day.”

Xia Li immediately chimed in, “Exactly! You two have zero chemistry right now. It’s like watching robots dance. You definitely won’t get many popularity points like this.”

Jian Zhi glanced at Shi Xu again, noticing she was still frozen in place, her eyes even redder than before. For some reason, her mood plummeted.

Was a simple kiss so upsetting? Jian Zhi felt wronged too—this was her first kiss outside of acting.

Thinking this, Jian Zhi reached up to touch her lips, then quickly withdrew her hand, startled by the sudden realization.

Her expression grew even more strained, and Shi Xu, who happened to see it, instantly calmed down from her earlier excitement.

Such a disgusted look! And this was my first kiss!

Shi Xu felt like crying, but no tears came.

Lost in their own thoughts, the rest of the practice session went even worse than before. Far from improving their coordination, Shi Xu moved stiffly, as if her limbs hadn’t fully learned how to move together.

After the eighteenth failed attempt at the same move, Xia Li finally snapped.

“I swear, even two pigs could learn this with enough repetition! Just go home, okay? Just go home.”

With that, she grabbed her bag and stormed out. Xue Qing, sensing the tension, decided it was time to leave too. Though she’d wanted to stay and play third wheel, the atmosphere had become too oppressive.

After they left, the practice room fell into dead silence. Jian Zhi radiated such a palpable aura of anger that Shi Xu didn’t dare approach her.

“Se… Senior…”

Jian Zhi turned to look at her, her gaze distant and indifferent. Shi Xu’s words caught in her throat.

Waiting for her to continue, Jian Zhi grew slightly irritated—a rare emotion for her.

Why am I annoyed? she wondered, unable to understand her own reaction.

She usually ignored people she didn’t care about, completely unaffected by their presence.

Before she could delve deeper into her thoughts, Shi Xu spoke.

“Senior, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”

Jian Zhi narrowed her eyes slightly. “What are you apologizing for?”

“Just now… when…” Shi Xu touched her lips, her face flushing crimson. “I didn’t expect Teacher Xia to suddenly… Anyway, I’m sorry. I hope you don’t hate me.”

Too late, Jian Zhi thought. I already do.

“If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going.”

Jian Zhi gathered her things and left. Shi Xu followed a beat later, keeping a respectful distance behind her.

As Shi Xu stared at Jian Zhi’s tall, slender back, she wondered how to fatten her up a little. Meanwhile, Jian Zhi, catching Shi Xu’s reflection in the glass, thought she looked like an abandoned puppy.

Jian Zhi unconsciously slowed her pace, and Shi Xu quickly caught up.

Noticing her subtle change, Shi Xu, who had been trailing a step behind, steeled her resolve and stepped forward to walk beside her. The gentle breeze carried Jian Zhi’s faint, refreshing scent, and Shi Xu couldn’t suppress the corners of her lips from twitching upward.

The car ride was silent. When they returned to the dormitory, early arrivals were gathered in the common area, chatting and enjoying late-night snacks. Someone teased them, and soon everyone was joking about them being a bickering couple.

Shi Xu didn’t say anything, but her heart was bursting with joy. However, when she saw Jian Zhi’s expression back in their room, her wide grin vanished.

So Jian Zhi really hates being teased like that… How much does she despise me?

Shi Xu stubbornly refused to dwell on it, but she still felt wronged. I haven’t done anything wrong. Why does she hate me so much?

After showering, Shi Xu found Xue Qing still there, relentlessly trying to persuade Jian Zhi to join her for a late-night snack. When Jian Zhi refused, Xue Qing dragged Shi Xu along instead.

The door closed, leaving Jian Zhi alone in the empty room. She recalled everyone’s teasing earlier and covered her face with a bitter laugh.

“How could I ever deserve a girlfriend? I only… bring misfortune to those around me.”

With a sigh, she slumped down, her entire being radiating exhaustion and listlessness, like a frost-bitten rose stripped of all vitality.

Shi Xu never ate after dark to maintain her figure. She couldn’t understand why Xue Qing had insisted on dragging her out. Just as she was about to speak, Xue Qing sat down with a solemn expression and let out another sigh.

“Even if you don’t want to eat with me, please stay here for a while.”

Shi Xu: “?”

Xue Qing grabbed a skewer of grilled meat and bit into it fiercely, chewing with excessive force as if venting her anger.

“Senior Sister will definitely want to be alone these next few days. So please, aside from practice, don’t bother her.”

Xue Qing had only remembered “that time of year” after returning. The guilt gnawed at her—she who had previously been so gleefully shipping the couple—and she was determined to create private space for Jian Zhi.

Sensing the unspoken meaning in her words, Shi Xu asked, “Why would she want to be alone? Is something wrong?”

Xue Qing sighed again. “I’m not entirely sure. Ever since I met Senior Sister, she’s always been emotionally down around this time of year. She locks herself away and refuses to see anyone. This year, she’s only managing to hold it together because of work.”

Shi Xu had only returned from abroad two years ago and wasn’t very familiar with the domestic entertainment industry. She racked her brain but couldn’t think of anything that might be upsetting Jian Zhi at this particular time.

But she knew that when people are feeling vulnerable, they crave support. Even just being there for her, without saying a word, would be better than leaving her to suffer alone.

“I’m taking this. I’ll buy you another one tomorrow.”

Shi Xu swiped Xue Qing’s beauty-enhancing pigeon and yam soup and headed straight for the dorm, leaving Xue Qing’s furious shouts echoing behind her.

“I told you not to bother her! What are you doing?! Hey!”

Shi Xu opened the door, carrying the pigeon soup. Jian Zhi stood by the window, turning sharply at the sound, her face still streaked with tears.

Seeing her so fragile, Shi Xu’s heart clenched, as if pricked by a needle.

Jian Zhi hadn’t expected her to return so quickly, and her expression momentarily panicked. Shi Xu walked toward her, her smile as warm as the sun.

“Senior, I brought you a late-night snack.”