Acting Out of Character (GL) - Chapter 16

“Black Cat Detective.”

“Transformers.”

“A cornered dog jumping over a wall.”

Song Ruyu: “??”

She pointed at the palm of her right hand.

Chen Ge said, “I know this one. Buddha’s Palm.”

Song Ruyu: “…”

Forget Song Ruyu—even everyone in the production team was too stunned to speak.

Chen Ge had guessed every answer after Song Ruyu merely made one or two random gestures.

It was as though she were using cheats. Even though Song Ruyu had deliberately caused trouble by refusing to guess or act properly, Chen Ge’s efforts alone had already secured four correct answers in a row.

She even guessed the final prompt just before time ran out.

“Gesong CP answered five questions correctly!”

The directing team kept score for them.

Luo Jingyi did not quite understand and glanced back at Feng Yunxin.

The next group had begun playing, so Feng Yunxin walked over to her.

Luo Jingyi asked, “What does ‘Gesong CP’ mean?”

“Gesong. They took one character each from Chen Ge and Song Ruyu’s names to create their CP name.”

“So that’s how it works.”

Luo Jingyi involuntarily began pulling apart her own name and combining it with Chen Ge’s.

Chenjing CP?

It sounded fairly elegant.

Luo Jingyi, who knew absolutely nothing about how present-day CP fandoms created names, silently invented one that sounded pleasant to her, would never have an opportunity to be used, and would probably be mocked as old-fashioned even if it were.

These groups of guests had been strangers only a few days earlier. Their chemistry was naturally lacking when playing charades, and none of the later teams managed to surpass Chen Ge’s record.

Chen Ge and Song Ruyu took first place, while Dong Shenghong and Ren Yan came last.

The last-place team had to drink most of a glass of pure lemon juice!

Dong Shenghong glanced at the lemon juice, and all his features twisted together. No matter what, he did not dare drink it.

At first, Ren Yan stood beside him pretending to be a timid little quail, both surprised and embarrassed.

“Oh dear, we actually came last. It seems we’ll have to work even harder!”

But after watching her partner raise the glass toward his mouth several times without drinking a single drop, Ren Yan became increasingly impatient.

“What are you dawdling for? Give it to me!”

Abandoning her delicate manner, Ren Yan snatched the lemon juice away, tilted her head back, and drained it in one gulp.

Everyone: “??”

Who are you?!

The first-place team also received a reward: an entire case of the sponsor’s yogurt, divided equally between the two of them.

Looking at the cilantro-flavored yogurt, Chen Ge began questioning her earlier heroic efforts.

Had any of this truly been worthwhile?

The first game existed entirely to fill the episode’s runtime and provide the editors with more usable footage.

The second round, however, existed purely to create sweet moments.

Who cared whether anyone would ship the couples after this miserable variety show aired? Whether the program would have any viewers at all was still unknown. They only needed to keep producing CP content.

The second round was the paper-cup water relay.

Each partner held the edge of a paper cup between their teeth. One person poured water from their cup into the other’s, and the second person transferred it into a designated container. Once again, whichever team moved the most water within the time limit would win.

Only two pairs competed in this game: Chen Ge and Song Ruyu against Sun Ruibin and Yin Yin.

The winners would receive two cases of cilantro yogurt, which was already terrifying enough. But the losers faced something even worse: they had to drink a sinister mixture of lemon juice, mustard, and vinegar.

Compared with a dark concoction that might trigger some unknown chemical reaction, the sponsor’s yogurt could at least be endured without placing their lives in danger.

Song Ruyu did not understand.

“Why do we have to play such a difficult game while the uncles and aunties get to play ‘Look This Way’? That’s unfair!”

Uncles and aunties…

Was Song Ruyu referring to Dong Shenghong’s and Luo Jingyi’s groups?

Chen Ge truly wanted to smash her palm against Song Ruyu’s stupid head.

They were only a few years older than her, yet she called them uncles and aunties.

She had already fooled around during the previous game, and now she was carelessly mocking other people’s ages.

Pretending not to hear, Chen Ge went to retrieve the cups.

Receiving no response, Song Ruyu followed her, looped both arms around Chen Ge’s neck, and rested her entire weight against her.

Luo Jingyi’s gaze drifted in their direction.

Fortunately, Chen Ge had a stable stance and immediately steadied herself. Otherwise, Song Ruyu’s thoughtless pounce would have sent both of them sprawling onto the floor.

“Stand properly,” Chen Ge said irritably.

Song Ruyu merely grinned and continued hanging from her.

“We’re a CP, remember? Have you forgotten what Sister Si told us before we joined the production? She told me to guide you more. I’m willing to help you, but you need to obediently cooperate.”

Chen Ge grabbed a paper cup and shoved it directly into her mouth.

“You collect the water and pass it to me. I’ll pour it into the container.”

Song Ruyu snorted. “Why are you being so fierce?”

Chen Ge instructed her seriously, “Even if it’s only an ordinary game, take it seriously. I don’t want to lose.”

Song Ruyu raised her brows. “Oh, you’re that competitive? I heard people with a strong desire to win are also strong in that area. Are you?”

Chen Ge: “…”

Could someone give me a pair of ears that had never heard such obscene nonsense?

The two different games were filmed separately on opposite sides of the room.

Luo Jingyi stood on the other side, facing Qian Yu with an inflatable hammer in her hand. From time to time, she lightly tapped it against her aching lower back.

She had seen Chen Ge and Song Ruyu clinging together earlier. Now they were discussing something, though she could not hear clearly.

Song Ruyu appeared to be teasing Chen Ge, deliberately trying to provoke a reaction from her.

Even Luo Jingyi felt frustrated on Chen Ge’s behalf.

She clearly already had someone she liked, yet because of work arrangements, she was forced to promote a CP with such a brainless girl.

This truly was difficult for the child.

Before the paper-cup relay began, Song Ruyu compared their heights and said:

“You’re so much taller than me. You’ll need to crouch down before I can pour the water into your cup.”

Chen Ge said, “Then let’s switch. I’ll pour, and you receive it.”

“No. I’m afraid you’ll dump it on my face.”

“…”

“Besides, don’t you think it’ll be adorable if you crouch down to accommodate my height?”

Chen Ge asked in confusion, “What’s adorable about that?”

The assistant director happened to pass by and strongly agreed with Song Ruyu.

“In films and television dramas, doesn’t a tall male lead spread his legs to lower himself for the female lead? That’s the adorable part! Come on, we’re starting! Get ready—”

At 172 centimeters, Chen Ge had never needed anyone to accommodate her height. She prepared to settle into a firm horse stance.

She regularly performed squats and had a stable lower body. As long as Song Ruyu put in some effort and did not waste time, Chen Ge could maintain the stance until the game ended.

After hearing their conversation, Yin Yin and Sun Ruibin also thought this promotional method sounded workable. Yin Yin would scoop up the water and pass it to Sun Ruibin, while Sun Ruibin crouched in a horse stance to receive it.

The competition began.

Song Ruyu and Yin Yin scooped up water together, turned around, and rushed toward their respective partners.

The production staff shouted loudly to create a lively, tense atmosphere.

Like a panicked duck, Song Ruyu stumbled toward Chen Ge while the paper cup in her mouth swung wildly.

Chen Ge bit down on her own cup, her brows already furrowing.

What was Song Ruyu doing? Why was she swaying like that?

Had Chen Ge not been standing there herself, she would have thought Song Ruyu was struggling across the deck of a ship amid raging waves.

“Steady, steady!” Chen Ge reminded her indistinctly.

Song Ruyu reached her, stood on tiptoe, and tried to pour the water into Chen Ge’s cup.

She tilted her head, dumping the entire cup of water onto Chen Ge’s face without getting a single drop into the other cup.

Chen Ge: “…”

Song Ruyu removed the cup from her mouth, giggled, and grabbed Chen Ge.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Chen Ge! I didn’t do it deliberately!”

Had so many cameras not been filming them, Chen Ge might genuinely have hit her.

The assistant director also laughed.

“Hahaha! Good! Xiao Song designed that moment well. It was very entertaining!”

Chen Ge: “…”

Song Ruyu gave a delicate laugh and struck the assistant director’s arm with her little fist.

“Of course I’m entertaining!”

Had she not signed a contract with the production team and already accepted the money, Chen Ge truly would have abandoned everything and left.

This program existed solely to humiliate people.

Her face burned. She remained silent for a while before thinking about her unpaid rent and her dream of continuing to act.

She clenched her teeth, then slowly forced herself to relax.

“Could you please give me a tissue?” Chen Ge asked the assistant director.

He handed one over. Chen Ge lowered her head and wiped the water from her face.

Feng Yunxin saw the entire scene.

She also felt that they had gone too far. Just as she prepared to step forward and intervene, Luo Jingyi stopped her.

Luo Jingyi signaled with her eyes, so Feng Yunxin stepped back…

With her head lowered, Chen Ge wiped her face and took a deep breath. Only after burying the anger in her eyes did she raise her head again, revealing a smile suitable for appearing before the cameras.

Working in this industry was not easy. Before they became genuinely famous, no one cared about their feelings.

Chen Ge understood her position.

She understood why she had come here, what she wanted, and that, at present, she was still nobody.

Therefore, she could only swallow every injustice.

She felt wronged, but remained determined.

The hope within her eyes had not been stained.

There was a dried-up place inside Luo Jingyi’s heart, and a thin stream of warm water suddenly flowed into it.

It tickled and warmed her—an unfamiliar sensation she had never experienced before.

“Squeak!”

Qian Yu struck Luo Jingyi on the head with the inflatable hammer.

The trace of softness that had just arisen within Luo Jingyi’s heart instantly vanished beneath the blow.

She turned around with murderous intent.

Qian Yu met her gaze directly. Terrified, he shuddered and shrank into himself.

“S-S-Sister Luo, you lost just now…”

“Again.”

Chen Ge skillfully finished wiping her face. Her makeup had not smudged at all. Instead, the moisture gave her a delicate, alluring appearance.

Yin Yin and Sun Ruibin had already filled half their container with water, while Chen Ge and Song Ruyu had yet to cover the bottom of theirs.

Song Ruyu complained, “Chen Ge, you were far too careless!”

She scooped up another cup of water and immediately returned.

Chen Ge was prepared this time.

Song Ruyu recklessly poured downward again, clearly aiming directly at her face.

Chen Ge swiftly leaned backward. The water failed to strike her face and instead landed perfectly inside her cup.

Song Ruyu: “?!”

The assistant director exclaimed, “Whoa!”

He had not expected Chen Ge to remain so agile while holding a horse stance.

“Did we capture that shot just now?!”

The camera operator said, “We got it! We got it!”

When Chen Ge pulled away, Song Ruyu genuinely lost her balance. She screamed and lunged forward, crashing into the nearby table so violently that she felt as though her body had shattered.

The assistant director laughed again. “Wonderful, wonderful!”

Song Ruyu gritted her teeth against the pain and glared viciously at Chen Ge.

Chen Ge poured the water from her paper cup into the container without even looking at her.

You’re only an eighteenth-tier background actress, yet you dare make me embarrass myself.

Rage swept through Song Ruyu’s internal organs. She immediately turned around, scooped up another cup of water, and charged toward Chen Ge.

Chen Ge planned to repeat the same maneuver, avoiding her while completing the game and creating an entertaining moment for the program.

But Song Ruyu suddenly grabbed her and even stepped on her foot.

Pain shot through Chen Ge, and she glared angrily at Song Ruyu.

The corner of Song Ruyu’s mouth twitched.

“Run. Go on, run again!”

Just as she prepared to dump the water onto Chen Ge’s face once more, she suddenly felt a powerful force at the back of her neck.

Someone had seized the collar of her shirt…

Song Ruyu: “?”

Before she could react, the hand abruptly pulled.

Unable to control herself, Song Ruyu fell backward. The momentum sent the water from her cup directly over her mouth and nose.

“Cough, cough, cough!”

By the time the paper cup fell to the floor, barely any water remained. Half had entered Song Ruyu’s nose, and the other half had gone into her mouth.

“Who did that?!”

Song Ruyu screamed and spun around, prepared to tear apart the person who had inexplicably treated her so harshly.

But when she turned and found herself staring only at the person’s chin, half her fury instantly disappeared.

Luo Jingyi stood before her.

Her cold peach-blossom eyes were lowered, calm yet icy. She did not speak a single word, but her aura seemed capable of crushing everything before her.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at them in confusion.

What was happening? What was wrong with Sister Luo?

The atmosphere was terrifying.

Even Feng Yunxin stared in shock, the half-eaten piece of bread nearly falling from her mouth.

She had never seen Luo Jingyi do anything so outrageous before.

Luo Jingyi took out the slip of paper Song Ruyu had drawn before the game.

“This is your number?”

Song Ruyu said, “Y-Yes… I’m number six.”

“No. You’re number nine.”

Luo Jingyi turned the slip upside down, instantly transforming the six into a nine.

Song Ruyu: “…?”

Luo Jingyi took out her own slip marked “9” and flipped it over, turning it into a six.

She walked toward Chen Ge and placed the paper in her hand, then smiled gently at her.

“I’m your CP.”

Author’s Note:

Protective mode has been activated—