I Turned a Competitive Variety Show into a Dating Show - Chapter 41

Jian Zhi paused, realizing what Shi Xu meant by “taste.” She silently turned over, only to be pulled back into Shi Xu’s embrace.

“Really not going to try it?” Shi Xu blinked at her, her eyes sparkling like a puppy showing off its toy to its master. Beneath her thick lashes lay a pair of pure, glass-like irises.

Jian Zhi averted her gaze. “Go to sleep,” she said. “It’s getting late.”

“Okay, good night,” Shi Xu replied obediently.

Jian Zhi had expected more resistance, but Shi Xu’s sudden compliance left her momentarily disoriented.

She stared at the “puppy” in her arms, mesmerized by her exquisite features. Without thinking, she brushed her fingers against Shi Xu’s raven-feather lashes. Shi Xu’s eyes snapped open, and she pecked Jian Zhi’s lips without warning.

“Looks like Sister does want a taste.”

“I didn’t—”

Shi Xu pecked her again. “How was it? Delicious?”

She’s not even tasting it properly. She just wants an excuse to kiss me, Jian Zhi thought, her feelings shifting subtly. Sensing an unknown danger, she decided it would be safer to sleep with her back to Shi Xu.

“It’s a bit warm. Don’t hug me so tightly.”

“Warm? I’ll lower the air conditioning a bit.”

Shi Xu reached for the remote beside the pillow and tapped it a few times, setting the temperature to 20 degrees Celsius. Jian Zhi stared in silence, wondering how they could possibly sleep through the night without catching a cold.

And where did that remote even come from? She had hoped to use Shi Xu’s trip to adjust the air conditioning as an opportunity to escape her bear hug, but she had clearly underestimated her.

“Is it cooler now?” Shi Xu asked, smiling proudly.

Jian Zhi sighed. “Set it to 26 degrees,” she said. “Otherwise, we’ll wake up with headaches and stuffy noses. It’ll be miserable.”

Shi Xu immediately adjusted the temperature to 26 degrees as instructed. She then tucked the remote into Jian Zhi’s arms and nestled against her chest, falling asleep contentedly. Jian Zhi reluctantly conceded, her hand tightening slightly around Shi Xu’s waist.

Jian Zhi couldn’t fall asleep right away, her only hope being that Shi Xu wouldn’t notice her racing heartbeat.

After about five minutes, the puppy in her arms lifted its head and gazed up at her with pleading eyes.

“?”

“You still haven’t told me if it’s delicious.”

Jian Zhi: “……”

Eager to end the conversation, she gave a dismissive reply: “Delicious, delicious. Now go to sleep.”

“Sister, you’re being so dismissive! How can you know it’s delicious if you haven’t even tasted it?” Shi Xu’s fox-like eyes fluttered, her dejected tone transforming her into a pitiful little puppy.

Refusing to soften, Jian Zhi averted her gaze and said coolly, “Stop dwelling on this. If you don’t sleep now, you won’t be able to wake up tomorrow.”

“Hmph,” Shi Xu huffed, making a sound like a little piglet.

Jian Zhi glanced at her and asked, “Then what do you want me to do?”

Shi Xu parted her lips slightly and said, “Sister, you’ll know if it’s good once you taste it.”

Jian Zhi nearly fell for the trap, but at the last moment, she restrained herself. She pried Shi Xu’s hand off her, turned her back, and closed her eyes to conceal her emotions.

“Sleep now. Good night.”

Shi Xu dared not be reckless again. She carefully wrapped her arms around Jian Zhi from behind, burying her face in the nape of her neck and controlling her breathing to be as light as possible.

Whether it was the chicken soup or not, her body felt strangely hot and restless, her heart racing. But she had been utterly exhausted during the day, and the moment she relaxed, drowsiness overwhelmed her. She soon drifted into a light sleep.

Just as she was about to fall completely asleep, Jian Zhi suddenly said, “Shi Xu, behave yourself.”

Shi Xu, still half-asleep, misunderstood and thought Jian Zhi was telling her to be quiet. She mumbled, “Is my heartbeat disturbing you?”

Jian Zhi glanced at the hand resting across her chest, momentarily at a loss for words.

Shi Xu roused slightly and forcibly pulled Jian Zhi closer, pressing her against her own body. “Is this better? I’ll try to control myself. Sleep well, Sister.”

She pressed Jian Zhi’s head against her right br3ast and gently patted her back, as if soothing a child to sleep.

This only made it harder for Jian Zhi to sleep.

“Let’s sleep separately. This is really uncomfortable.”

Shi Xu remained silent for a long moment. When Jian Zhi looked up, she saw the puppy-like girl with tears welling in her eyes, her lips trembling in a pitiful pout.

Jian Zhi was shocked and quickly asked, “Why are you crying?”

Shi Xu replied weakly, “Is it really that uncomfortable sleeping with me? So, all that before… I understand. I’ll get down right away.”

Looking utterly dejected, she lifted Jian Zhi and gently placed her beside her before throwing back the covers and pretending to get out of bed.

Jian Zhi knew Shi Xu was acting deliberately, but she willingly fell for the act. She grabbed Shi Xu’s arm, cupped the back of her head, and pulled her into a kiss.

The moment their lips met, Shi Xu seized control. Her tongue pried open Jian Zhi’s teeth, swirling through her mouth and leaving her scent everywhere. Their lips and teeth intertwined, their breathing grew ragged, and the wet, smacking sounds made the night even more sensual.

Jian Zhi tasted the peach flavor in Shi Xu’s mouth. She wanted to end the kiss that was making her dizzy, but while she had initiated it, she couldn’t end it.

Shi Xu kept her eyes open, her narrow gaze fixed on Jian Zhi’s enraptured face. Her heart pounded faster than before, making Jian Zhi’s chest feel numb.

It wasn’t until Jian Zhi, gasping for air, began pounding on Shi Xu’s shoulder that they finally broke apart, leaving Jian Zhi a breathless, drenched mess.

Their lips parted, severing a strand of saliva that hung from their chins. Shi Xu leaned down again to lick away the moisture from Jian Zhi’s mouth.

A misty haze clouded Jian Zhi’s eyes. She slowly lifted her gaze to meet Shi Xu’s, her peach-blossom eyes shimmering with a clear, captivating light.

“Was it good, hmm?”

The question hummed through Shi Xu’s nose, like a lazy afternoon purr from a kitten. It sent shivers down Jian Zhi’s spine, nearly shattering her self-control.

“Mmm-hmm, it was your sister’s.”

Shi Xu immediately lay down beside her, her chest heaving with rapid breaths, proving she was just as shaken.

Jian Zhi turned to look at her. “Not going to hug me anymore?”

She had meant to clarify Shi Xu’s intentions, wanting to avoid future excuses. But the moment the words left her lips, Shi Xu flipped over and pulled her into a tight embrace, crushing her against her chest.

Jian Zhi didn’t resist. She simply lacked the energy to play with this overly energetic puppy.

“Are you really going to sleep this time?”

“Really, really! Trust me!” Shi Xu nodded vigorously.

Jian Zhi closed her eyes, drifting toward sleep. Before she could fully drift off, Shi Xu was already snoring. Though “snoring” wasn’t quite accurate—it was more like heavy breathing, like a kitten or puppy, strangely endearing.

For the first time, Jian Zhi saw Shi Xu’s sleeping face up close. Asleep, Shi Xu exuded a soft, endearing charm that seemed foreign to her usual demeanor, as if she had shed all her defenses, revealing her most vulnerable side.

Jian Zhi only gazed at her for a few seconds before withdrawing her gaze, burying her face in the crook of Shi Xu’s neck, and forcing herself to sleep.

I’m already in too deep. If I let myself be further bewitched…

Jian Zhi’s heart sank slightly, but the scent of Shi Xu’s skin gradually made her eyelids heavy. Ever since meeting Shi Xu, falling asleep had become effortless.

Originally, there was supposed to be a live broadcast segment. However, after Shi Xu’s previous live broadcast on Jian Zhi’s behalf went viral and drew criticism, this part of the show was canceled.

Instead of adding Hype Points to the teams’ scores, online voting now determined the priority for song selection.

Zhu Ying, focused primarily on her film career, rarely participated in variety shows. Combined with her older fan base, which had weaker online engagement compared to younger idols, her team ended up with the most challenging song of all. Several members had already cried from the difficulty of the choreography.

Although Shi Xu had mastered the routine early on, her teammates struggled to grasp the steps. As a result, she had to not only perfect her own performance but also help her teammates refine their movements, leaving her exhausted every day.

“I’m never doing a show like this again! They’re treating me like some little Japanese girl, waaaah!”

That night, Shi Xu buried her face in Jian Zhi’s arms, complaining bitterly. Jian Zhi stroked her head, smoothing her hair. “You’re going on stage the day after tomorrow. Just hang in there a little longer.”

“Sister, let’s stay together for the next performance, okay?”

Jian Zhi remembered how Shi Xu had ignored her during the team selection, and a pang of discomfort stirred in her heart. Feigning indifference, she said, “Forget it. You’ve got so many people fighting over you. Go join their teams.”

“Who? Who’s fighting over me?” Shi Xu sat up straight, looking at her.

“You know perfectly well,” Jian Zhi said, glancing at her before turning away, leaving only her back visible.

Shi Xu leaned closer, putting on a pitiful act. “Sister, don’t be like that. Turn around so we can talk properly.”

“There’s nothing to talk about. I’m tired,” Jian Zhi replied coldly.

She hadn’t been angry at first, but seeing Shi Xu play dumb ignited an inexplicable fury. Who’s fighting over you? she thought. All those seniors with their rumors and scandals—aren’t they all chasing after you like moths to a flame?

Shi Xu didn’t know what she had done wrong, but if her sister was angry, it must be her fault. She needed to coax her properly.

“Sister, look at me! I can’t comfort you if you keep ignoring me.”

“Stop bothering me. I want to sleep.”

Shi Xu quietly replied with an “Oh” and fell silent. The silence stretched, making Jian Zhi’s mood even worse. She didn’t know what she wanted, but a heavy weight pressed on her chest, suffocating her.

After a while, the blanket at her feet was lifted, and a “worm” wriggled its way up to her, poking its head out to peck her cheek.

“If I leave you alone, you’ll overthink all night. Let’s not leave problems for tomorrow, okay?”

Jian Zhi’s heart jolted. The suffocating weight on her chest seemed to lighten considerably.

“Do you have some misunderstanding about me and Shu Yueyao?”

Caught off guard, Jian Zhi felt a mix of embarrassment and annoyance. She pulled the blanket over her head. “No, I don’t care what you two do.”

“Then why are you angry?”

“Who’s angry?”

Shi Xu pulled the blanket off Jian Zhi’s head, her eyes burning with intensity as she stared at her. “You are. You’re angry.”

Jian Zhi frowned slightly, avoiding her gaze. “Stop talking nonsense and go to sleep.”

Shi Xu was now even more convinced. Every time she brought it up, Jian Zhi brushed it off with “sleep,” but Shi Xu knew she had hit a nerve. She didn’t dare speculate too wildly, thinking Jian Zhi might be jealous of her friendship with Shu Yueyao. But even if it was just possessiveness toward a roommate and teammate, it was enough to make her giddy with joy.

“When I went to see her that day, it was just to ask her to deal with the marketing accounts and online trolls her company had hired. Since we still had several episodes left to film, I didn’t want to make things too awkward between us. My sister doesn’t want me getting entangled with people, and if she personally intervened, she’d ruin Shu Yueyao’s career.”

Second Sister was manageable, but if Big Sister got involved, she might even take down Shu Yueyao’s entire agency.

Aside from being a bit scheming, Shu Yueyao hadn’t done anything truly egregious. Shi Xu didn’t want to ruin someone’s life over this.

Jian Zhi recalled their conversation that day and couldn’t believe it had been about such serious matters.

“I told her I had someone I liked and that I was participating in the show for that person. I asked her to focus her energy on more productive pursuits. She should restrain herself now.”

“You don’t need to tell me this. I don’t care…”

“But I do,” Shi Xu interrupted, looking at her earnestly. “I don’t mind if others misunderstand me, but I can’t bear the thought of you misunderstanding me.”

Jian Zhi nearly blurted out “Why?” but she knew what Shi Xu would say, and she couldn’t bear that answer.

“Alright, I understand. Let’s drop this topic,” she quickly changed the subject.

Shi Xu widened her fox-like eyes, asking in a small voice, “Sister isn’t angry anymore, right?”

Jian Zhi nodded, her mind racing. As expected, someone as mild-mannered as me is helpless against someone with such a vivid personality and burning emotions.

She was like a precarious piece of ice, able to survive only on bitterly cold, overcast days. The moment the sun’s rays grew too intense, she would be scorched.

Could she truly approach Shi Xu, this little sun? Wouldn’t they both end up burned and broken?

Shi Xu, unaware of Jian Zhi’s inner turmoil, felt only that she had grown closer to her sister. Secretly delighted, she asked eagerly, “Then can I sleep in your arms, Sister?”

Jian Zhi couldn’t be cold to her, nor could she ignore the sincerity in Shi Xu’s eyes. In this moment, emotion outweighed reason.

She opened her arms to Shi Xu and said, “Come here.”

Sister will hold me while I sleep? Shi Xu burrowed into Jian Zhi’s embrace, feeling like the happiest person in the world.

Jian Zhi rested her chin on Shi Xu’s head, her thick lashes veiling the emotions in her eyes.

Just this once, she told herself, allow yourself to be alive, to break the rules you’ve always set for yourself.