Chapter 4: This Show Is Just Too Comprehensive

The penalty for last place was like a mad dog chasing them from behind, forcing Shang Que and Ji Jingchuan’s boat to sprint wildly across the water. Their paddles splashed waves into the air, and the inflatable boat was being rowed with the intensity of a speedboat.

When the other teams turned their heads and saw them charging forward with such force, they panicked and started paddling frantically as well.

The increase in speed made steering difficult, and what was originally a straightforward route to the finish line turned into a chaotic mess, with boats zigzagging uncontrollably across the lake.

As the distance between the boats shrank rapidly and a collision seemed inevitable, Lu Zhixu and Shang Que shouted at the same time:

“Ning Sheng, watch out!”

“Ji Jingchuan, stop!”

Before their words even finished, two inflatable boats crashed into each other with a loud bang, tipping over to opposite sides.

Plop, plop!

Four people plunged into the lake like dumplings being dropped into boiling water, sending up massive splashes.

The other group, being farther away, managed to escape disaster. However, when Jiang Yizhe saw Shang Que falling into the water, he immediately stood up, ready to jump in and rescue her.

“What are you doing?!”

His sudden movement destabilized the small boat, and in Lin Jinyi’s shocked cry, both of them toppled over into the water as well.

—【They’re all falling in!】

—【Little Brother Jiang, I get that your intentions are good, but maybe don’t act on them so fast.】

—【At this point, it’s basically a swimming competition now.】

—【Wait, do they all actually know how to swim? I hope no one gets into trouble.】

—【Shang Que, Lu, Ning, and Jiang definitely know how. We’ve seen them swim before, especially Shang Que—she’s incredibly fast. Lin Jinyi, on the other hand, is known as the “Little Swan of Dry Land” because she just can’t float in the water. As for Ji Jingchuan… not sure.】

—【Didn’t he just say he won a swimming competition in elementary school?】

—【Yeah, right. He’s the same guy who wouldn’t even get into the kiddie pool at the Celebrity Sports Meet.】

—【So what if he can’t swim? He’s already so talented, God had to close at least one window for him.】

—【…Take off your fan tag. Ji Jingchuan fans are recognizable just by how they talk—no need for fake neutrality.】

Chaos erupted in an instant. Shang Que was the first to react, surfacing quickly and wiping the water from her face. She was just about to swim to shore when she suddenly heard someone calling her name.

Turning around, she saw Ji Jingchuan, still wearing his life vest, bobbing up and down like an orange buoy. Bubbles came out of his mouth as he called out, “Help… glub glub… Shang Que… glub glub… Shang Que, save me… glub glub…”

Shang Que furrowed her brows and swam back to him, grabbing his collar and pulling him upward with a clenched jaw. “Useless. How have you still not learned to swim after all these years?”

Finally getting his head above water, Ji Jingchuan coughed violently, choking on the lake water. His wet hair drooped over his forehead, softening the usual sharpness of his features. His red-rimmed eyes, coupled with his delicate face, gave off an unexpectedly fragile look.

—【Oh my god, I just realized how stunning Ji Jingchuan’s face actually is.】

—【Why do you think someone with his attitude still has so many fans?】

—【Ji Jingchuan has a terrible personality, but his face is so good-looking that even his arrogance has a unique charm. ^^】

—【I’m doomed—I’m about to go from anti-fan to casual fan.】

—【? Might as well add me on QQ or Weibo while you’re at it.】

As Shang Que dragged Ji Jingchuan toward the rescue boat, she suddenly felt a strong force pulling her back, nearly dragging her under. When she turned around, she saw Ji Jingchuan kicking frantically in the water.

Her temple throbbed. “I was wondering where the lake ghost was. If you keep causing trouble, I’ll drown you myself.”

Ji Jingchuan immediately froze. Then, with an air of forced righteousness, he defended himself, “I was just trying to make things easier for you. You’re so ungrateful!”

“Shut your mouth. Say one more word, and you can swim back on your own.”

Ji Jingchuan instantly fell silent. He gripped her arm tightly with both hands, using his last bit of strength to yell, “Shang Que, swim to the finish line—I don’t want to eat dry bread!”

“Got it. Now shut up!”

The others gradually surfaced as well. Hearing Ji Jingchuan’s words, they all frantically started swimming toward the shore. In an instant, the rowing competition had transformed into an all-out swimming race.

Fortunately, they had fallen near the finish line, so before they were completely exhausted, Shang Que managed to drag Ji Jingchuan to the shore. Staff members pulled them out of the water. Ji Jingchuan, mindful of his image, moved to an area off-camera before bracing his hands on his knees and coughing out the water he had swallowed.

Before long, the other teams made it to shore as well. Ji Jingchuan immediately wiped his mouth, put on his usual smug expression, and deliberately raised his voice, “Director, can we get the final results now?”

—【Dude, you literally did nothing to contribute. Why do you look so proud?】

—【Ji Jingchuan’s life motto: The process doesn’t matter—winning is winning.】

—【Ji Jingchuan: Successfully conquered the artificial lake. Proof available.】

Despite the unexpected swimming detour, the results were clear.

Even while dragging a deadweight, Shang Que was the first to reach the finish line.

Lu Zhixu and Ning Sheng came in second, while Lin Jinyi, who couldn’t swim at all, had to be pulled along by Jiang Yizhe. After nearly drowning a few times, she eventually gave up and let the production crew’s rescue boat take her back.

When the final rankings were announced, Ji Jingchuan cockily raised an eyebrow and declared loudly, “Shang Que, we’re first!”

He turned to her proudly, only to find that she was still crouched by the shore, seemingly too exhausted to stand. A medic had already come over to check on her.

“I’m fine,” Shang Que said, taking a towel and wiping her face. When she lowered it, a black suitcase suddenly appeared in her line of sight.

She blinked in surprise and looked up to see Ji Jingchuan standing there. His damp hair clung to his forehead, making his dark eyes shine even more intensely. He patted the suitcase grandly and gestured for her to sit on it. “Hop on. This young master will graciously push you back.”

Shang Que’s calves were still cramping, which was why she couldn’t stand. Since the culprit was right in front of her, she didn’t hesitate at all—she plopped down and ordered, “Steady now. If I fall, you’re not getting dinner.”

“As if I’d let that happen!” Ji Jingchuan braced his knee against the suitcase, grabbed the handle, and pushed it backward. “Hold on tight! Ready for takeoff!”

With that, he sprinted down the road, whooping, “Let’s go eat dinner!”

—【Who the hell is this guy?! Get off Ji Jingchuan’s body! I refuse to believe he and Shang Que can actually get along this well.】

—【Shang Que literally saved his life just now. Ji Jingchuan may be foul-mouthed, but he’s not heartless.】

—【Is this show really going to turn them from enemies to friends? If so, I’m officially naming the director the entertainment industry’s Saint of Reconciliation.】

The golden, crispy baked king crab, the arm-sized fortune prawns, and the plump, tender abalone and shellfish were all exquisitely arranged, with the sashimi platter meticulously presented. Even Ji Jingchuan, who was usually picky, had no complaints for once. The live chat was flooded with two main sentiments—viewers either wishing they could take his place or sighing over the stark contrast between the three teams’ meals.

【I thought Lu Zhixu’s team’s foie gras and steak were already impressive, but I never expected the first-place meal to be even more luxurious!!!】

【Compared to this, Lin Jinyi and Jiang Yizhe are really down bad. They’re just gnawing on plain steamed buns.】

【Forget about Lin Jinyi being picky—I’d have trouble swallowing that bun too. The show didn’t even provide a bowl of soy milk.】

【I just came back from their stream. Honestly, as long as little Jiang is there, they won’t suffer too much.】

【Even if he carves flowers into that bun, it still won’t turn into seafood.】

Just then, there was a knock at the banquet hall door. Shang Que turned around and saw Jiang Yizhe peeking in with an envious expression.

“Shang Que-jie, your team is eating so well!” he exclaimed in amazement.

He was holding a steamed bun with two bites taken out of it, which looked particularly pitiful in contrast to the lavish seafood feast on the table. Seeing his eager gaze, Shang Que naturally extended an invitation.

“Want to join us?”

Ji Jingchuan frowned, clearly displeased. “Why should he? He didn’t win first place.”

“There’s way too much food for just the two of us. Can you stop being so possessive over your food?” Shang Que shot him a glare before turning back to the doorway. “Ignore him.”

Ji Jingchuan pursed his lips but didn’t say anything else.

Jiang Yizhe immediately flashed a grateful smile. “Shang Que-jie, you two are lifesavers!”

“You… two?”

“Yeah, Lin Jinyi is here too.” Jiang Yizhe stepped aside, revealing Lin Jinyi, who was standing behind him with a reluctant expression.

Shang Que raised an eyebrow. “Oh? So you’re my fan?”

Lin Jinyi instantly bristled. “Who’s your—”

“If you’re my fan, of course, you can eat with us,” Shang Que said with a teasing smile, her eyes crinkling into crescents.

“I—” Lin Jinyi clenched her fists, her words catching in her throat. It was like she could see that mischievous grin of a devil flashing before her eyes again.

Jiang Yizhe, oblivious to the tension between them, happily said, “See? I told you Shang Que-jie would let us join!”

Lin Jinyi shot him a glare but took a deep breath, turning back to Shang Que. Then, as if the words burned her tongue, she quickly blurted out, “Yes, I’m your fan.”

“I know, I know. You already said that when we first met. No need to repeat yourself.” Sensing that she was about to storm off, Shang Que decided to ease up. “Come eat. We happen to have two extra sets of utensils.”

【Why does it feel like there’s something off between Shang Que and Lin Jinyi?】

【That’s just how the rich heiress acts. Admitting she likes someone is harder than death for her.】

【She seems like a tough person to get along with. I still prefer someone like Little Chick Mao, who wears his emotions on his sleeve.】

Jiang Yizhe, for example, was now ecstatically raising his steamed bun in the air. “Thank you, Shang Que-jie! Long live Jie!”

Something about that word seemed to trigger Ji Jingchuan. His face suddenly darkened, and he sulked, “Fine, eat all you want. Take my share too.”

Jiang Yizhe, not catching the sarcastic tone, quickly waved his hands. “No need, no need! There’s plenty. Let’s all eat together!”

“Ji Jingchuan,” Shang Que frowned at him, signaling him to stop causing trouble.

“What?” Ji Jingchuan looked straight at her, enunciating every word clearly. “I. Am. Not. Eating.”

Shang Que found his sudden tantrum baffling. She had finally had enough. “Eat if you want. If not, get lost.”

Ji Jingchuan clenched his jaw, his face twitching slightly. After a moment of silence, he suddenly said, “Fine. I’ll go.”

With that, he stood up, kicked his chair aside, and left the banquet hall without looking back.

【I was worried that if Ji Jingchuan and Shang Que made peace, I’d have nowhere to learn creative insults. Clearly, I was overthinking it.】

【Ji Jingchuan is so selfish. There’s too much food anyway, so why not share?】

【But this meal was the first-place reward. If Shang Que lets them eat, doesn’t that defeat the whole purpose of the competition?】

【It’s just a variety show, relax. Without Shang Que, Ji Jingchuan would be eating steamed buns right now—no, he’d probably be in the hospital already. She won this entire meal by herself. She can share it however she wants.】

【But Ji Jingchuan was clearly fine with Jiang Yizhe and Lin Jinyi eating at first. Why did he suddenly get mad?】

【That’s just his unpredictable personality. One moment, he’s pushing Shang Que in a suitcase, the next, he’s throwing tantrums and kicking chairs. If this weren’t live, I’d think he was about to start swinging.】

【…Stop spreading rumors. Ji Jingchuan has never hit anyone.】

【Yeah, and when Shang Que told him to get lost, he actually left. Kinda obedient, don’t you think?】

JiJingchuanThrowsATantrumOnVarietyShow#

ShangQueToldHimToLeaveAndHeActuallyLeft#

These two topics quickly shot up the trending list. While opinions varied slightly, the general consensus was that Ji Jingchuan had a terrible temper and a bad attitude.

Meanwhile, the person at the center of the controversy was in his room, holding his phone in the same position for over twenty minutes, silently reading post after post criticizing him.

His system couldn’t hold back anymore. 【Host, don’t take it too personally.】

“Who’s taking it personally? I don’t care about Shang Que at all!” Ji Jingchuan suddenly snapped, throwing his phone onto the bed and pacing angrily around the room. As he walked, he muttered resentfully, “She’s a liar! She promised to call me when she went abroad, but she never did! She swore I was her only little brother, but now she’s calling that broom-head the best little brother in the world.”

“What’s so great about him anyway? He’s not as talented as me, not as handsome as me, and personality-wise… well, I’m still more handsome,” Ji Jingchuan stopped in front of the mirror, visibly proud of his own reflection. He scoffed, “And she actually told me to get lost over him?”

“Fine! I’ll leave! I’m great at leaving. I’ll leave so far that when she wants me back, it’ll be too late!”

【…】

The system wanted to remind him that it never mentioned Shang Que in the first place. It had only tried to comfort him about the internet backlash. But seeing him so worked up, it decided against clarifying.

Ji Jingchuan then redirected his anger to Jiang Yizhe. “Sister this, sister that. Is she even your sister? You just throw around that title. And ‘long live Jie’? You bootlicker, how about ‘one year old, two years old, all the way to one hundred’?”

“Always clout-chasing Shang Que. She’s just gullible enough to fall for it.”

He was referring to the trending topic #JiangYizhe: With Jie Here, No Need to Eat Steamed Buns#.

He had accidentally caught sight of the headline, then mistakenly clicked on it, then accidentally read through the trending Weibo post, and then, completely unintentionally, skimmed through the comments praising their sibling-like bond—before grinding his teeth in frustration.

Friendship Boat broke records on its premiere day, dominating social media trends. And among the various headlines, Lin Jinyi, who had just returned to her room, spotted something that made her fume.

Someone had written a fanfic about her and Shang Que.

Ridiculous! Absurd! Laughable! Completely nonsensical!

She would never like a scheming woman like Shang Que! And now people were saying she intentionally liked posts about Lu Zhixu and Ning Sheng’s fanfic just to get attention? As if she’d slip up like that!

Just as she was about to exit the page in frustration, she glanced at her screen—

Somehow, she had just liked the “Bright and Beautiful Actress x Tsundere Drama Queen” fanfic post.

Lin Jinyi: !!!

That one was actually a slip of the finger!