Back to Three Years Old: Crushing Scumbags on a Parenting Reality Show 246

Chapter 246

There were three wooden signs on Wei Maomao’s lunch tray.

But the bear head was so prominent that the other two, a goldfish and an ox, seemed to fade into the background.

Wei Maomao, filled with questions, couldn’t eat, she grabbed the bear head sign and wrote on the whiteboard, asking if it was a mistake.

The reply on the screen was swift, almost as if they had been waiting for her question:

[No mistake.]

No mistake, then it was a mis-vote… right, that rule about not choosing someone you’ve already dated was at the very end, it was possible to overlook it.

This explanation made sense. And she couldn’t ask too many questions on live TV, what if Yan Yan saw it and thought she was… interested?

Caution was key, Wei Maomao had been careful all these years, she would continue to be.

With unanswered questions, how could she enjoy her lunch…

But one of the two extra dishes, besides the basic rice, pickles, and soup, was stir-fried pork, with a small bear drawn on the side of the plate.

The dish Yan Yan chose… spicy stir-fried pork…

Wei Maomao, despite her doubts, finished her lunch.

This was the benefit of maintaining a safe distance, at least Yan Yan wouldn’t avoid giving her food because of the show.

Humans were adaptable, Wei Maomao was good at comforting herself.

But… Yan Yan was too careless, even if she didn’t see that rule, she shouldn’t have chosen her. It was too easy to misunderstand, thankfully, she wasn’t interested, otherwise…

So, did she accidentally drop the sign in her box while choosing the dish?

But the program team, they just watched, they didn’t even help her take it out?

Wei Maomao, not wanting to overthink it, spent her entire break analyzing the situation, without resting.

The break was short, and before Wei Maomao knew it, a new message appeared on the screen:

[A new afternoon, a new date, this time, a group date.]

[Pairings:]

[Wei Maomao – Xie Dongxing]
[Cheng Tingyan – Wang Zhiqing]
[Zhao Can – Xia Lanruo]
[Yang Yuanming – Yan Yongzhi]

[Mutual selection is important! None of you chose each other! You’ll be randomly paired!]

[The date activity will be revealed at the location. Please proceed to the first floor at 2:00 PM.]

Wei Maomao had chosen Wang Zhiqing, but Xie Dongxing was fine, just a teammate. She checked the time, 1:52 PM.

Always cutting it close.

A few minutes left, Wei Maomao, with nothing to do, sat back down, her gaze returning to the bear head sign.

But she didn’t have time to dwell on it.

There was a knock on the door.

Wei Maomao, opening the door quickly, almost got hit in the head by the person outside, who clearly wasn’t expecting such a swift response.

Wei Maomao, looking to the side, saw Wang Zhiqing grabbing Zhao Can’s arm. Although Zhao Can was her friend, sometimes, she felt like paying Wang Zhiqing to take her away wasn’t a bad idea.

Mmm, many times, actually.

As the two at the door moved aside, Wei Maomao saw Cheng Tingyan and Xia Lanruo, so she was the only one who waited patiently?

Wait…

Wei Maomao, scanning their faces, her gaze falling to the floor, had she imagined it? Was Yan Yan just looking at her? Intently?

Since she habitually avoided looking at Cheng Tingyan directly, she wasn’t sure, she might have been mistaken.

So, while Zhao Can was complaining, “You’re so slow,” “I wanted to call you through the dog door, but Wang Zhiqing wouldn’t let me,” “But she called me through the dog door!” Wei Maomao casually scanned their faces again, her gaze settling on Zhao Can.

No… she hadn’t been mistaken, Yan Yan was looking at her, intently, and… with a hint of… sadness?

Wei Maomao, confused, thought of the bear head sign.

Wait, could it be that she chose her, and she didn’t choose her in return, so… Wei Maomao made a logical assumption, then immediately dismissed it. Impossible, they weren’t filming “Where’s Baby Going” anymore, those days of always being together were long gone…

“What? Is there something on my face?” Zhao Can asked, fidgeting under Wei Maomao’s gaze.

“Nothing.” Wei Maomao said, snapping out of her daze, she pointed towards the stairs. “There’s a new sign over there.”

“Probably directions for our date, let’s go and see.” Zhao Can said, touching her face. “Are you sure there’s nothing on my face?”

Wang Zhiqing, unable to stand it any longer, said, “Yes, your smudged makeup.”

“It’s smudged because you were pulling me at the dog door!” Zhao Can retorted.

“Are you coming or not?” Wang Zhiqing asked.

The two walked ahead, bickering.

Xia Lanruo, glancing at the two who hadn’t moved, quickly caught up with the noisy but seemingly safer pair.

The short hallway, the other three hadn’t even reached the stairs yet, the atmosphere between Cheng Tingyan and Wei Maomao was already tense.

“Let me see your hand, did you change the bandage?” Wei Maomao finally said, unable to bear Cheng Tingyan’s unwavering gaze, she took a step closer.

The ointment was working, the blister was smaller now.

Wei Maomao, satisfied, asked, “Did you bring the ointment and bandages? We can change it later.”

Cheng Tingyan nodded, showing her the ointment and bandages.

“Okay, let’s go.” Wei Maomao said, carefully covering the burn with a new bandage, her head lowered.

But even without looking up, she could feel Cheng Tingyan’s gaze, that… she couldn’t describe it, but it made her heart ache.

Wei Maomao hesitated, then looked up.

Their eyes met, just as she had imagined… no, even more… heart-wrenching.

Why so sad, so… wronged?

Wei Maomao couldn’t understand the emotions in Cheng Tingyan’s eyes, but it made her heart sink.

Her mind, already overloaded, could only focus on one thing.

The other three were long gone.

Wei Maomao and Cheng Tingyan walked to the stairs, the sign pointing towards the audio-visual room on the first floor.

The arrows on the floor led them down the stairs, towards the end of the hall, then turned right.

Wei Maomao, standing at the corner, looked right, she could see several people in the audio-visual room.

To the right, the audio-visual room.

And to the left… the public restrooms.

Wei Maomao turned and met Cheng Tingyan’s gaze, filled with unspoken words.

“I need to use the restroom,” Wei Maomao said softly, walking back towards Cheng Tingyan, covering her microphone.

Cheng Tingyan, surprised by her words, hesitated, then said stiffly, “Then… go ahead.”

Wei Maomao, realizing Cheng Tingyan hadn’t understood, she couldn’t just say she wanted to go with her… it would be weird.

And what if Yan Yan didn’t want to talk to her alone? It would be a misunderstanding…

This was frustrating.

Wei Maomao bit her lip, anxious.

“I’ll just…” she started, then, seeing the glass wall in the hall, she had an idea. “Look at that wall, it’s so sparkly, like the rhinestones on that hair clip, right? I’ll just…”

Wei Maomao turned and walked towards the restrooms, avoiding Cheng Tingyan’s gaze.

After all, it was years ago, it was normal for Yan Yan not to remember something from when she was six.

But Cheng Tingyan remembered, she remembered clearly.

That year, the three-year-old Little Maomao, so she could respond to Cheng Rongrong’s gift, to avoid the cameras, had pulled her into the restroom and given her that sparkly hair clip.

That thoughtful Little Maomao… and she had been so blind.

Cheng Tingyan didn’t follow immediately, she knew the program team wouldn’t allow them to talk privately without microphones. She waited until Wei Maomao entered the restroom and removed her microphone, then she quickly followed suit.

“You still remember…” Wei Maomao said, emerging from a stall, she hadn’t heard anyone come in.

“Mmm…” Cheng Tingyan said, her mind still elsewhere. “You… called me in here because…”

Was it to ask why she didn’t choose her? Should she reveal her identity as “Moderate rain turning to heavy rain”? Could she bridge the gap between them with their past connection? Or would it ruin even that?

Should she tell her about their rebirth here? Was it safe? No… she couldn’t just confess everything, even her feelings from her past life, in a restroom!

This unexpected opportunity, so many thoughts collided in Cheng Tingyan’s mind.

“I… I just… thought you had something to say to me? Or… was I mistaken? Because you seemed… like you wanted to talk.” Wei Maomao said, she knew this was risky, but she couldn’t bear that gaze any longer, her heart ached, she added quickly, “If I was wrong, then we’ll just… you know…”

Wei Maomao was still trying to backpedal when Cheng Tingyan spoke.

“Did you see my wooden sign? The one with the bear head…” Cheng Tingyan asked, choosing the safest topic.

She knew she was asking the obvious, she knew, based on their current relationship, Maomao not choosing her was normal, she knew she had no right to ask, she knew she was being too eager.

A thousand reasons not to ask, but she asked anyway… because it hurt, not being chosen!

Cheng Tingyan’s soft question hit Wei Maomao like a thunderbolt.

“I saw it, it came with my lunch. And the stir-fried pork, with the little bear drawing, you chose that for me, right? And the wooden sign… you must have accidentally dropped it in my box.” Wei Maomao said carefully, giving Cheng Tingyan a way out, assuring her that there were no misunderstandings.

But Cheng Tingyan didn’t take it.

“I didn’t make a mistake.” She said, each word precise, a hint of resentment in her voice.

Hearing the word “mistake,” a wave of sadness washed over her, she had been trying to suppress her tears, she hadn’t realized how harsh her tone sounded.

Then she heard Wei Maomao’s reply.

“You made a mistake.”

The same four words, not harsh, but firm, certain.

A certainty that stemmed from the belief that she wouldn’t do such a thing, a certainty that was… the consequence of Cheng Tingyan’s own actions.

Cheng Tingyan’s heart sank even deeper, too deep for resentment, only self-mockery remained.

“I didn’t…” she said, looking down.

Wei Maomao’s heart, meanwhile, was pounding, her confusion growing.

Even though she tried not to overthink it, she was now almost certain that Cheng Tingyan’s strange behavior was related to that wooden sign.

But…

“How could you not have made a mistake? The rule clearly states that you have to choose someone you haven’t dated yet. Didn’t we… yesterday?” Wei Maomao asked, then she saw the confusion in Cheng Tingyan’s eyes.

“You have to choose someone you haven’t dated?” Cheng Tingyan asked, her mind blank.

“Yes, it’s the last rule on the board in the greenhouse. Didn’t you see it?” Wei Maomao said, exasperated, so it was that simple, had she been seeing things in Yan Yan’s eyes?

“I didn’t…” Cheng Tingyan said, covering her face, her cheeks burning.

She had only seen the first line, about choosing a date, and her first instinct was to choose Maomao, she hadn’t even read the rest… and the program team didn’t even remind her?

No, it didn’t matter anymore.

The important thing was, Maomao couldn’t choose her, not that she didn’t.

Cheng Tingyan’s heart, slowly rising from the depths of despair, then a knock on the door.

“Ms. Cheng, Ms. Wei… the rules clearly state that you can’t use the restroom together, even if it’s a public restroom, and even if you’re the same gender!” the staff member said, her voice filled with exasperation.

“We’re leaving…” Wei Maomao started to say, then Cheng Tingyan took two steps closer, the distance between them less than an arm’s length.

“Then… when you can choose me, will you choose me?” Cheng Tingyan asked, her voice urgent, there was no time for subtlety.

“What?” Wei Maomao asked, confused.

“No private conversations, you two, I’m coming in, sorry, I’m just a lowly worker…” The staff member said, turning the doorknob.

“Choose me!” Cheng Tingyan said, grabbing Wei Maomao’s wrist, her words simple, but her eyes pleading.

Wei Maomao, her mind reeling, her heart pounding, couldn’t help but ask, “Next time?”

“Every time. Me too.” Cheng Tingyan said, just as the door opened.

Wei Maomao thought… it must be her ears that were malfunctioning hehehe.