Chapter 71: Everyone is Jealous, Everyone is in a Love Rivalry
Jealous of a girl and a girl…

“Hahaha, Xu Ruanruan is probably going to explode with anger. Her CP got stolen by her arch-enemy!”

“Whoa! Did you guys see the latest votes for ‘Who’s the Mole’? Qiao Li is first, Lin Qingqing second, Ning Qingyan third, Sheng Mingzhu fourth, Wen Shijin fifth, and Gu Si sixth!”

“This makes no sense at all! How could Yan Yan be the mole? She’s ranked third?!”

“It’s probably those casual viewers who only focus on dramatic moments. Anyone who’s been following sincerely until the third round wouldn’t vote for Ning Qingyan, right?”

The comment section was buzzing with discussions, while Ning Qingyan’s fans were getting anxious. Their precious girl was so kind, sunny, and even brave enough to save people—how could she be a troublemaking mole ruining other CPs?!

They quickly started rallying in fan groups, calling on those who hadn’t voted yet to vote for Ning Qingyan as the “loveable heroine” and to vote out the true mole based on their own theories.

While the fans were busy, on the other side, Ning Qingyan—blindfolded and guided by staff members dressed in black—was gently helped into a seat.

Not being able to see anything, she finally let out a small sigh of relief after sitting down. But the next second, she heard Sheng Mingzhu’s nervous voice:

“Qingyan, you can take off your blindfold now.”

Hearing that, Ning Qingyan removed the blindfold, and the first thing she saw was an entire space filled with pink balloons—it was a Ferris wheel cabin.

Sheng Mingzhu was holding a huge bouquet of roses. Their eyes met, and she shyly smiled before handing the bouquet to Ning Qingyan.

The Ferris wheel was slowly ascending. Through the windows, a dense crowd could be seen gathered around other amusement park attractions, but the area beneath the Ferris wheel was completely cleared, with only a few black-clad staff members from the show standing by.

It was obvious that this was a designated venue arranged by the production team specifically for the guest who had obtained the “Forced Date” opportunity.

Ning Qingyan withdrew her gaze, looked at the roses in her hands, then at Sheng Mingzhu, whose face was flushed as she looked back at her. Her own face also started heating up, and she stammered:

“Sis… Sister, this is…”

Sheng Mingzhu shot her a glare, pouting.

“You really are so clueless! What else could this be? It’s a date!”

According to the show’s rules, confessions weren’t allowed until the final day—only flirting and dates were permitted. So, even though Sheng Mingzhu’s location choice and outfit were very straightforward, her words had to strictly stick to calling it a date.

Ning Qingyan dumbly let out an “Oh,” then, with her face still burning, stared at Sheng Mingzhu’s carefully made-up face and blurted out,

“Sister… you’re really beautiful.”

Sheng Mingzhu’s already flushed face turned even redder. She had been so nervous about using this “Forced Date” chance, afraid that Ning Qingyan actually liked one of the other female guests. Now, receiving Ning Qingyan’s compliment, she finally felt a little relieved.

From the start, she hadn’t held much hope for any of the male guests. She knew her limits and didn’t think she could win over a male lead who had remained single throughout an entire novel. Why would he suddenly fall for her?

So she had chosen Ning Qingyan—not only because he was gentle and capable, making things easier for her, but also because he was handsome and pleasing to the eye. Even if he rejected her in the end, it wouldn’t hurt as much as being rejected by the male lead.

The Ferris wheel kept rising, and the other guests scattered throughout the amusement park, busy completing their tasks, naturally noticed the cleared-out Ferris wheel, with its striking pink-ballooned cabin and the show’s black-clad staff standing guard.

“This is infuriating! Sheng Mingzhu is so shameless! Is it because she doesn’t have her own CP? How dare she force a date on someone else’s?!”

Xu Ruanruan had just completed a photo-taking task when she saw the Ferris wheel—stagnant all morning—suddenly moving. She immediately realized that Ning Qingyan must have been escorted by the production team, and the date had begun!

Beside her, Lin Qingqing bit her lip as she gazed at the rotating Ferris wheel and its distinctive pink cabin, a hint of envy flashing in her eyes.

What girl hasn’t fantasized about a sweet date with a sunny, gentle, and handsome guy?

Back then, she had been so fixated on Wen Shijin precisely because she had been drawn into his warmth. But feelings are one-sided, and when there’s no reciprocation, it eventually becomes exhausting.

Now, since the other three male guests were no longer options, the only chance at a sweet romance was with Ning Qingyan. Whether she got rejected or not, she could accept it. After all, they were all rising female stars, and dating could hurt their careers—being turned down might actually be a blessing in disguise.

Meanwhile, Gu Si, who had been painstakingly building a sandcastle for his task, finally finished creating an impressive castle. Just as he lifted his head, he saw the Ferris wheel start spinning!

Damn it! Why did the production team have to add such a ridiculous “Forced Date” mechanic?!

Feeling sour, Gu Si stared at the Ferris wheel, then clenched his fist and punched his sandcastle. A hole appeared in the wall, and the whole thing collapsed. It felt satisfying, but he had just failed his task.

Forget it! He didn’t care! He wasn’t going to give that confession gift anyway! Even if he did, the show wouldn’t air it! Trash program!

In this day and age, same-sex marriage was already legal. This dating show never explicitly stated that CPs had to be male-female pairs! There were even plenty of fans shipping female guests with each other and male guests with each other! So why couldn’t same-sex confession gifts be allowed?!

Thinking of this, Gu Si stood up and angrily kicked his destroyed sandcastle.

Nearby, a group of little kids who had been squeezed out of the sandpit by the intimidating Gu Si saw their precious sandcastle get destroyed. One of them immediately burst into tears, and soon, the rest followed suit.

A chorus of wailing filled the air.

Gu Si glanced at the crying kids, planted his foot on the crumbled sandcastle, and said in a low voice,

“If you keep crying, I’ll take you all away.”

At those words, the once-rowdy kids instantly quieted down, only sniffing in fear.

Gu Si, with his usual aloof arrogance, climbed out of the children’s play area. If only there wasn’t sand stuck to his pants, he might have looked even cooler.

Meanwhile, Wen Shijin, who had been selling helium balloons while wearing a cute bear headpiece, finally removed it, revealing slightly tousled hair. The usually composed and elegant man now had an oddly refreshing, slightly disheveled look.

Under the sun, his refined features appeared even more gentle and warm.

In an instant, business boomed.

But most of his new customers weren’t kids—they were young women and middle-aged aunties.