Chapter 38: Does Chen Sisi know that Xu Zhaozhao is bad luck for her?

"Knock, knock, knock!"

Xu Zhaozhao was jolted awake by the sound of someone rapping on the door. She blinked her drowsy eyes open, only to realize that the sun had already set and the yard lights were blazing. Glancing at the bed next to her, she saw Chen Sisi still fast asleep, so she gave her a couple of sharp kicks.

Someone was knocking; it had to be an invitation to dinner. Since she hadn't joined the group, the summons was certainly meant for Chen Sisi. After their argument earlier, Xu Zhaozhao had simply laid down and fallen asleep. Having been exploited for five years, the moment her contract ended and the tension in her nerves slackened, she felt an constant, overwhelming urge to lie down and sleep. That, and she had spent the entire morning digging potatoes. Although she hadn't actually dug many, pretending to be weak and frail while doing so required a fair amount of effort.

As for Chen Sisi, she was genuinely exhausted. She had been seething with resentment ever since the movie star chose Xu Zhaozhao over her, and her frustration was only compounded by being paired with Shen Mu. Truth be told, she hadn't wanted to team up with Shen Mu either, but no other male guest had chosen her, and none of the other women had picked him. They were simply the leftovers who had been forced into a partnership by default. It wasn't that she looked down on Shen Mu’s looks; it was his personality she despised. For a man with a bad attitude, being handsome was a sin—it was an insult to that good-looking face of his.

To prove herself and make the movie star realize his mistake in not choosing her, she had worked like a woman possessed, digging potatoes against the clock. Her performance was a far cry from the pampered young heiress persona she had maintained when paired with Sun Yu. It was thanks to her vigorous efforts that she and Shen Mu had taken first place. Of course, it came at a price: her soft hands were covered in blisters, and her slender waist ached terribly. After Xu Zhaozhao had gone to bed, Chen Sisi had lain down in a fit of pique and fallen asleep in a state of fury.

Just as Chen Sisi was dreaming of a cozy, comfortable spa, she felt a heavy kick to her backside. She opened her eyes, dazed for a moment, before realizing what was happening and reaching out to pinch Xu Zhaozhao.

"Xu Zhaozhao, you—"

Before she could finish, Xu Zhaozhao pressed a foot against her chest, preventing her from getting any closer.

[Honestly, Xu Zhaozhao is quite flexible. Could she have a background in dance?]

[This scene is hilarious, no matter how you look at it.]

[Chen Sisi’s life is a total disaster, and every bit of it is Xu Zhaozhao’s doing. She must not have checked their compatibility before asking Xu Zhaozhao to be her foil; Xu Zhaozhao is clearly her nemesis!]

"Someone is at the door asking you to eat. Don't let outsiders see you making a fool of yourself!"

With that, Xu Zhaozhao leisurely withdrew her foot and rolled over comfortably. Chen Sisi was terrified of letting outsiders see her vicious side. When the knocking started again, she had no choice but to smooth her hair and open the door.

She approached the door full of anticipation, hoping it was Ke Hao coming to call her for dinner. After all, Ke Hao had chosen Xu Zhaozhao over her today, but by winning first place, she had proven her worth. She figured he might be coming to apologize, looking guilty. When she opened the door, however, she saw Song Qing standing there instead. Her expression immediately cooled, and her tone turned icy. "What is it?"

Song Qing was a bit oblivious and didn't notice the shift in Chen Sisi's mood. "Sisi, dinner is ready. Come bring Zhaozhao and join us!"

Chen Sisi frowned. "Why call Xu Zhaozhao? Her money isn't pooled with ours. Why bring her to dinner?"

"Well, the production team just sent over the potatoes we dug, and Zhaozhao contributed to that effort as well."

"Hmph," Chen Sisi scoffed. "She barely dug any potatoes. Isn't this just freeloading?"

"Regardless of how many, she did contribute. The senior's idea is that she deserves a share, and she did help us cook the fish last night."

Upon hearing it was Ke Hao’s idea, Chen Sisi’s tone softened slightly. "She cooked the fish, but she ate it too!" If things kept going like this, she wouldn't have to spend a single cent to survive until the end of the dating show. She wasn't about to let Xu Zhaozhao get a free meal.

"Did you hear that?" she snapped, turning toward the bed. "Even though you didn't help the movie star win first place, he’s still thinking of you and wants you to come eat with everyone!"

Xu Zhaozhao had been planning to settle for the cup noodles she hadn't gotten around to making that morning, intending to avoid them altogether. But hearing Chen Sisi’s sarcasm, she promptly got up.

"Song Qing, thank you for letting me know. Let’s go have dinner!"

With that, she took Song Qing’s arm and headed toward the yard, leaving Chen Sisi fuming in silence.

[I used to think Chen Sisi was the little angel of this show, but now I think it’s Song Qing.]

[No wonder the movie star was so impressed by her at school. He chose her for his team during the warm-up task immediately. Song Qing is truly sincere and kind.]

[But does Chen Sisi know we heard everything she said to Xu Zhaozhao at noon?]

[How could she know? If she did, that scene at noon never would have happened.]

[Chen Sisi and Xu Zhaozhao are regulars on the trending lists now, and the show is a massive hit. How is that not a win-win?]

[Once the show ends and she finds out her reputation has collapsed, she’ll definitely wish it had lasted longer.]

[By the way, where are Chen Sisi’s paid trolls from yesterday? Why aren't they out defending her anymore?]

***

Seeing these comments, Liu Li clutched her head in her hands. Having not slept for two days, the veins in her temples were throbbing as if they might burst at any second. Zhao Xin walked over cautiously, adding fuel to the fire. "Sister Liu, should we keep sending the trolls out?"

Liu Li raised her bloodshot eyes. "Send what? If we keep sending them, we’ll become a complete laughingstock!"

She had only just managed to placate the various partners and had secretly prayed for Chen Sisi to stop running her mouth. Who could have imagined that after only one night of silence, she’d be at it again? She truly wanted to march in there and sew Chen Sisi's mouth shut.

"Sister Liu, you can't blame Sisi. She didn't know the bedroom microphones were that sensitive. They were speaking very quietly!"

As she said this, Zhao Xin was inwardly overjoyed. *Chen Sisi, keep it up—good days are coming for Zhaozhao!*

Liu Li glanced at her. "Stop kicking people while they're down. Don't think I don't see that you're siding with Xu Zhaozhao. You two are always close."

"Sister Liu, I’m close to Zhaozhao because she’s an artist at our company, under your management." Zhao Xin reminded her, "If you don't handle it, I have to be the one to liaise with her."

"You... you're right. Zhaozhao is one of my artists too..."

Inspired by Zhao Xin’s words, a different light flickered in Liu Li’s eyes.