Chapter 23

The Arranged Marriage CP was thrown until they were dizzy and disoriented, but the Breakup CP was even more dedicated to the task.

Fu Anzhi was a total novice at Taekwondo and nearly suffered a fracture at the hands of Xia Qing.

The viewers in the bullet comments watched through gritted teeth.

[Holy crap, is someone going to get hurt? Fu Anzhi is actually bleeding.]

[Hiss, I stepped out to double-check—I am indeed watching a romance show.]

[Stop fighting, stop fighting! If you want to fight, do it back in your cabins!]

[This time I’m really shipping the Rival CP. Si Xia is so gentle, who wouldn’t love her!]

Once the three pairs had finished their shoulder throw demonstrations, a poll appeared on the livestream screen: Which group do you think performed the best?

A. Rival CP

B. Arranged Marriage CP

C. Breakup CP

While waiting for the results, Ming Ruixue took a bottle of mineral water and handed it to Si Xia. “Thirsty?”

The guests were taking a short break, and the cameras weren’t zoomed in on them.

Si Xia didn’t take it. “Ming Ruixue, there are no cameras here.”

Inside the lens, they were a fake “business” couple; outside the lens, they were still rivals.

Si Xia’s ability to switch attitudes so freely made Ming Ruixue freeze for a moment. She felt like she had been over-affectionate; the Omega had only pretended to care about her for the sake of the show. Ming Ruixue had almost taken it seriously.

Ming Ruixue awkwardly unscrewed the cap herself and took several gulps of water, feeling an inexplicable bitterness in her heart.

The voting results came out quickly. Ming Ruixue and Si Xia’s pair took first place by a landslide.

Ning Yu was incredibly depressed. “I clearly worked so hard too, why did it end up like this? What are the audience’s judging criteria?!”

Not only Ning Yu, but Xia Qing had the same question.

Director Ye opened the private audio to all the guests. “Ning Yu, Xia Qing, you two almost beat people into the hospital! Who’s going to take responsibility if a guest gets hurt on set?!”

Ban Yun and Fu Anzhi sat to the side, rubbing their bruised arms and legs while treating their injuries. “…”

They weren’t quite hospital-bound, but they’d be sore for a few days.

In comparison, the Rival CP’s way of interacting was much softer. Ming Ruixue looked at Si Xia; so, she really was just putting on an act for the hype.

Two out of the three Alpha guests were honorably injured, so they couldn’t participate in the next game. Instead, the three Omega guests would represent their pairs.

Given that the previous scene was too chaotic, the production team received complaints and switched the event. They moved from the Taekwondo hall to an elliptical track.

The track was large. After three laps around the field, the guest who reached the finish line first would get a popularity reward, but the last-place guest would have to complete a “Sweet Punishment” with their partner.

Both “sweet” and a “punishment.”

The process wasn’t important; the production team wanted to use the sweet punishment to win back the viewers they were losing.

The fans in the comments began to flood the screen.

[Production team, bless us! I hope it’s Ming Ruixue and Si Xia, I really want to know what the punishment is!]

[+1 Si Xia will definitely be last.]

[Why? Si Xia has strong explosive power; she won’t be last even if she tries. It’s more likely to be the physically weaker Ning Yu or Xia Qing.]

[Are you sure Ning Yu and Xia Qing are weak?]

[What’s the use of explosive power? Animals at the bottom of the food chain run for their lives when they see her!]

The three Omega guests stood at the starting line. Currently, none of them wanted the sweet punishment, so they were prepared to run for their lives. Running was much safer than a “sweet punishment.”

Si Xia stretched her muscles and ran five meters in place, which reflexively scared Ning Yu and Xia Qing into running ten meters away.

Si Xia was dazed. Why do I feel like I can’t outrun them?

Ming Ruixue licked her lips and instructed Si Xia, “Safety first.”

Si Xia nodded, only to hear Fu Anzhi and Ban Yun discussing in the rest area.

Fu Anzhi: “I saw it. The sweet punishments on the cards are various types of hugs and kisses.”

Ban Yun got excited. “Si Xia, Xia Qing, you must do your best!”

Fu Anzhi heard this and disagreed. “Si Xia, Ning Yu, first and second place belong to you two!”

Ming Ruixue paused. “…Actually, Si Xia, you don’t have to work that hard.”

Si Xia replied bluntly, “I have to get first.”

With a popularity reward on the line and a sweet punishment to avoid, first place was obviously the best.

Warm-ups were over. The three Omega guests prepared at their designated lanes. Si Xia was in the innermost lane, with Ning Yu and Xia Qing to her front-right.

The whistle blew. The moment Si Xia took off, two gusts of wind had already swept past her right side.

Ning Yu and Xia Qing were neck-and-neck, their faces filled with terror. “Don’t chase us! We hate the feeling of being chased the most!!!”

How are they so fast?

Si Xia gave chase, widening her stride. She didn’t want to be last. However, the faster she went, the faster Ning Yu and Xia Qing ran.

No matter how she chased, she couldn’t catch up.

After three laps, Ning Yu and Xia Qing’s scalps were tingling from being chased; running had become an instinctive survival reflex.

Si Xia stopped and held her knees, panting heavily. “You… why did you run so fast?”

Ning Yu patted her chest to calm down. “It’s because you were chasing us!”

Si Xia tilted her head. “Huh?”

Fu Anzhi and Ban Yun piteously brought bottles of water to their partners. Ning Yu’s mouth opened and closed like a fish as she gulped down water; Xia Qing held her bottle and sipped in tiny gulps like a little hamster.

Si Xia: “…” I underestimated my enemies. Both of them would run at the sight of a cat.

The host began the next segment. A table stood at the finish line, covered in punishment cards. There were as many as a deck of playing cards, all in the shape of pink hearts.

Si Xia’s face was expressionless, but her heart was already crumbling.

Ming Ruixue looked at Si Xia, her expression complex. “How about we don’t play? Don’t force yourself.”

But losing was losing. Avoiding it would make her seem like a sore loser.

“No, I’ll play.” Si Xia closed her eyes and drew a card. The envious Fu Anzhi took it and read it out word by word: “Push-ups while requiring the CP to kiss through a piece of tissue paper.”

Si Xia: “…”

Ming Ruixue: “…”

Ban Yun: “So jealous.”

Fu Anzhi: “So jealous.”

Ban Yun and Fu Anzhi: “Director, we protest!!!”