Chapter 2: Saving the Green Tea Female Supporting Character in a Love Variety Show World (2)

Song Lingshu smiled as she sat back down at her dressing table. While removing her makeup, she confirmed one thing with the System.

【Song Lingshu: After I complete all the missions, can my wish really come true?】

【System: Yes.】

Song Lingshu had been living perfectly fine in her own world. At twenty-three, she became the most talented Best Actress ever. Off-screen, she loved all kinds of exciting sports, had specifically learned many skills, and made friends in various fields, making her life fulfilling.

The media called her the most hardworking genius actress.

Then, right after an awards ceremony, she was in a car accident that left her in a vegetative state. She was still lying in the hospital.

Yet her soul somehow drifted into a mysterious space. The System told her she had been chosen as a new member of the Time and Space Administration, assigned to the After-Sales Team.

In every world, the protagonists loved each other and got their happy endings. But some supporting characters were left with lifelong regrets. Their resentment became too powerful and started affecting the normal operation of the worlds.

Her new job was to save these resentful supporting female characters. However, she couldn’t alter the story’s direction, especially the emotions between the male and female leads. Those couldn’t be changed.

Song Lingshu: 【Any wish? Like if I want to win all the awards?】

System: 【Possible.】

Song Lingshu: 【What if I want to become the richest person in the world and then retire in peace? That okay?】

System: 【OK.】

Song Lingshu: 【Wow… what if I want to bring someone back to life?】

System: 【No problem.】

Song Lingshu: 【Tell me, what other missions are there!】

System: 【Current side quest: Go to Zheng Haonan and badmouth the Female Lead 1. Complete it to earn 10 points.】

Song Lingshu understood. This scene also appeared in the original novel. Yu Qin had gone to find Zheng Haonan late at night to talk heart-to-heart, pitifully mentioning that the Female Lead 1 seemed to be deliberately ignoring her, and she didn’t know what to do.

After this episode aired, that moment directly solidified Yu Qin’s reputation as a green tea bitch, and the internet was flooded with curses.

Now, asking her to complete this mission was just a way to push the male and female leads’ relationship forward. Because Zheng Haonan had noticed her green tea behavior and didn’t respond to her; instead, he found the Female Lead 1 even more innocent and pure, otherworldly. As a result, netizens praised him as a bitch-spotting expert.

The bathroom door opened from inside. Guan Yue had calmed her emotions, thinking she must have been blinded by stupidity. How could she believe such stupid nonsense? After confirming with her parents that an illegitimate little sister was impossible, she became even more curious about how Song Lingshu knew everything about her.

She walked out of the bathroom and saw the other humming a tune, ready to head out. She asked, “Yu Qin, where are you going?”

“To find Zheng Haonan. I have something to say to him,” Song Lingshu replied.

“What do you need to say so late?” Guan Yue frowned slightly. The improved impression she had just gained instantly fell away. Besides, there were cameras everywhere. If this aired, she’d definitely get roasted. “Don’t go. Let’s continue playing chess. Were you just trying to escape because you were about to lose?”

Song Lingshu froze.

In the original text, Guan Yue hadn’t stopped Yu Qin’s behavior at all. She had always acted like an observer, staying aloof from everything. When others flirted on dates, she stared at the camera and looked at reports. When others cried and hugged in the dead of night, she stared at the camera and looked at reports. When others had parties and birthday celebrations, she stared at the camera and looked at reports. Because she was always detached from the main group, netizens jokingly called her the “most clear-headed girl boss,” and her object of affection was the spreadsheet.

But now, Guan Yue seemed to show her a shred of concern, which surprised her.

“Come on, let’s keep playing chess.” Guan Yue pointed at the unfinished game.

“You’re a nice person.” Having said that, Song Lingshu went out to do her mission with a beaming smile.

“…?”

Had she just been given a nice guy card? Guan Yue stood dumbfounded for a moment, then shook her head. Don’t be fooled by her act. She just wants to escape the chess game.

Guan Yue thought it over and still didn’t want that girl to get flamed by everyone. So she searched around the villa and finally spotted two figures on the top floor. Then she heard a pitiful voice say, “I don’t know if it’s my imagination, but I feel like A Ya might not like me. I want to be good friends with her, but she seems a bit distant. She sits far from me at meals, and she always calls me last for activities. I don’t know what to do, Haonan. Do you have any advice?”

Zheng Haonan looked at her with a complicated expression. He could hear the veiled accusations in her words and grew impatient. “It’s your imagination.”

Guan Yue frowned deeply. She was about to step forward and pull Yu Qin back when she heard the girl suddenly brighten up and laugh, “Oh, so it’s just my imagination! Then I’m fine. I’m off. Bye!”

Zheng Haonan: “?”

Guan Yue: “?” Was she really that easily comforted?

As soon as Song Lingshu turned around, she saw Guan Yue. Grinning, she grabbed Guan Yue’s arm and headed downstairs. Back in the room, she sat down at the chess table on her own. “Come on, come on, let’s keep playing.”

Guan Yue glanced down at her arm. The air conditioner in the room was set low, so her skin felt a little warm where they’d touched. She unconsciously rubbed that spot, then acted as if nothing had happened and sat down to play chess.

Within two minutes, Song Lingshu lost.

“Another round!”

A woman who demands victory never admits defeat!

They played a few more rounds of military chess, trading wins and losses evenly. Song Lingshu looked at her appreciatively. “Commander Guan, you’re pretty good. I’ll come find you again another day.”

“No need.” Guan Yue checked her phone and saw a report from an employee. She refused to continue playing, walked over to the desk, opened her laptop, and started her fixed routine.

Song Lingshu was bored and went to take a shower, checking her points at the same time.

Song Lingshu: 【Hey Tongtong, did the points come in?】

System: 【First, I’m not… forget it. Points have arrived. You spent 2 points on the military chess. Current points: 108. You’re really sneaky.】

To prevent her from cheating like last time by speaking to someone else, the System had specifically emphasized that the target was Zheng Haonan. Who knew she would finish complaining and then end the conversation so easily?

Song Lingshu: 【But did I complete the mission? I both had the conversation and advanced the male and female leads’ relationship.】

System: 【How did you advance it?】

Song Lingshu: 【Right now, Zheng Haonan probably thinks I’m an idiot. So when he looks at the Female Lead, won’t he think she’s super smart?】

System: 【…】

It had to be admitted, there was some twisted logic there.

After showering and drying her hair, Song Lingshu opened the door, smelling nice, and almost got scared off by the white face standing there. She looked closely and saw it was just Guan Yue wearing a face mask. “Why are you standing here?”

“The program team just came by. It’s time to write tonight’s letter.”

“Oh, okay.”

According to the rules, every night guests had to write a letter to their crush and drop it into the person’s mailbox. Guests might change their crushes during the show, leading to unexpected results. So the biggest selling point of each episode was who the letter went to.

The two sat at separate desks and started writing. Guan Yue’s pen flew like it was blessed, but within a minute she sensed someone creeping closer, trying to peek at her content.

She blocked the paper with her hand and turned to glare at the sneaky person. “What are you looking at? Don’t you know how to write?”

Song Lingshu giggled. “I’m just curious what you’ll write.”

“Why?”

“I want to study it.”

“What’s there to study? Just say what’s in your heart.”

“Okay.”

After both finished writing, they went to drop their letters into the mailboxes.

Song Lingshu asked curiously, “Who did you send yours to?”

“Don’t worry, it’s not Zheng Haonan.”

“Oh. Well, aren’t you curious who I picked?”

“Who else but Zheng Haonan?”

“Oh.”

They waited in the room for a while, then the director announced it was time for everyone to retrieve their letters.

Song Lingshu wasn’t surprised to find she had gotten nothing.

This novel’s setting was that the female lead was a people magnet—gentle, virtuous, sexy, smart—and together with the equally magnetic male lead, they showered each other with sugar in the dating show. It was essentially a sweet little story made of industrial-grade candy.

So the results for everyone else were obvious. They were just foils. All the girls would vote for the male lead, and all the boys for the female lead.

There was one exception, though. Guan Yue had only voted for the male lead on the first day. By the second day, she noticed he had his eye on the female lead, so she never voted for anyone else again. Every time, she voted for herself.

Zheng Haonan opened his mailbox. He skillfully pulled it open and saw there were letters. A smile couldn’t help but spread across his lips.

The camera quickly captured his micro-expression. Later, they would edit it together with the female lead’s clips, creating a scene that made viewers scream “I ship it!”

But when he took out all the letters, he found only two. Previously, there had always been three. This time, someone was missing. Puzzled, he carried them back to his room.

Back in their room, Song Lingshu was bored and started chatting with the System.

Song Lingshu: 【Tongtong, I want to exchange points!】

System: 【Are you sure you don’t want to save up? Other hosts save up for big prizes.】

Song Lingshu: 【Cut the crap. Hurry up. I want to exchange for some clothes. The clothes Yu Qin brought are so tasteless.】

System: 【… What kind of clothes do you want? Right-click the mall and go in to exchange.】

Song Lingshu did as instructed. She tried on one outfit after another, finally settling for a sleeveless maxi dress that cost 2 points. She complained, 【Your mall is so lame. The styles are all outdated. Can’t you upgrade and update? I have so many points—how am I supposed to spend them all?】

System: 【… We are not the Miracle Liangliang game.】

[T/N: Miracle Liangliang is a play on the dress-up game Miracle Nikki (Qiji Nuannuan). ‘Liang’ means cold/doomed, replacing ‘Nuan’ which means warm.]】

Song Lingshu: 【You could be.】

System: 【…】

Not long after, Guan Yue returned with an envelope. Her face was full of worry and confusion, her eyes blank. She placed the envelope on the table.

Two envelopes.

One was her letter to herself. Who had sent the other one?

She opened that letter first to check the signature.

— Yu Qin.

Guan Yue stared wide-eyed at her roommate. Song Lingshu came out of the bathroom wearing a long dress, her fair skin and delicate collarbones on full display. A faint valley-like line disappeared from her chest into the pretty fabric. Her exquisite figure was like a work of art, with smooth curves and not a single flaw or extra bit.

“How does it look?” Song Lingshu spun around gracefully, treating Guan Yue like a camera, and elegantly threw her a confident wink.

Guan Yue: “!!”