Chapter 27: Fatal Magic? Two

What can dominate the entertainment industry’s headlines? Aside from celebrities committing crimes, it’s various “crackships” and “CP” (Couple) marketing.

#ZhaoXueShenXunMidnightPassionCollapsesBed

This topic was being forwarded one by one by netizens who thrived on drama. Attracted by the ambiguous video, they flooded into the Desolate Exploration live stream.

— Checking in! I’m here because of the video. Let me see what’s going on. — I didn’t expect these two to play so hard. I thought they were just ordinary colleagues (doge). — Is this what Shen Xun actually looks like? She’s gorgeous. I just searched her info, though, and it’s nothing but scandals.

When Lin Fang saw the trending topic, she almost dropped her phone. Her first instinct was to call the PR department, but then she realized she didn’t need to care about Zhao Xue that much anymore. Besides, this was a wave of traffic. However, seeing Qin Chen’s “White Moonlight” and his “Stand-in” being shipped as a couple… once the industry elites saw this, it would be the joke of the century.

Meanwhile, Wang Yiran, the head of Wang’s Media, wore a profound smile. Accompanied by his round face, the expression looked somewhat sleazy. He and Qin Chen were arch-rivals, and he had been suppressed by Qin Chen for far too long. Seeing those close to Qin Chen embarrass him was a rare treat. If handled correctly, this would be stepping directly on Qin Chen’s face.

The thought of humilating Qin Chen was pure entertainment to him. A stand-in and a white moonlight CP—it was dog-blood drama at its finest.

Since it was late, Qin Chen’s PR team might not notice immediately. He decided to amplify the noise. He wondered if Qin Chen would faint again upon waking up to this news. Hehe.

He immediately instructed his secretary, “Secretary Li, call the PR team. Have them work overtime. Make sure the impact of this news is maximized.” He forwarded the “Midnight Passion” hashtag to him.

“Understood,” Secretary Li replied. The ever-active Secretary Li was like a perfect tool. The chubby President Wang chuckled and rubbed his chin, deciding to give Li a raise next quarter.

Isolated from the world, Zhao Xue and Shen Xun knew nothing of this. Because the bed had collapsed the night before, they hadn’t slept or eaten, leaving them drained of energy.

By daylight, both had donned their masks of friendship once more. Before the cameras, they were natural-born performers.

Shen Xun inspected the ropes and found bite marks from rodents. It was likely that while they were away, an animal had gnawed on the ropes to sharpen its teeth. Shen Xun pursed her lips, glancing toward Zhao Xue. She wondered if the creature would appear again and if it would scare her.

Shen Xun tied a dead knot in the broken rope to secure the bed. The coarse rope chafed her palms. Without help, she had to use significant strength to pull the two ends together. She didn’t look back or ask for help. Even if she asked, Zhao Xue would likely only be a hindrance.

Finally having restored the bed, Shen Xun wiped the sweat from her temples. Having not eaten or slept, her stamina was depleted. They needed food and water to survive the week; the treasure hunt could wait.

As she tidied the grass on the bed, she realized Zhao Xue had disappeared. Her brow furrowed—she wasn’t worried, but she made sure her face showed deep concern for the cameras.

The live comments were flying:

— What is Zhao Xue doing? She can’t do anything, so why is she wandering off? Isn’t she just a dead weight? — Is it just me, or is Shen Xun really pampering Zhao Xue? It feels like subtle indulgence. They should be working together, but Shen Xun didn’t call her, probably because she didn’t want her to get tired. — Stop romanticizing everything. It’s just a normal task. ‘Pampering’? Hilarious. — Joke of the day: Shen Xun pampering Zhao Xue. — God, so many people came here specifically for the ship. What’s wrong with shipping them?

While the fans bickered, Shen Xun called out a few times. Receiving no response, she went to find Zhao Xue. Without electronics, she couldn’t tell the exact time, but the island sun had already risen high. Burning sunlight pierced through the dense shade, casting mottled spots on the ground like beautiful jewels. A cool sea breeze blew past Shen Xun’s frustrated face.

The viewers grew anxious:

— Shen Xun looks so angry. She hasn’t eaten since yesterday, used up her strength this morning, and now has to find a missing person. — Just me, or is the director silent? I guess she’s fine since the GPS alarms haven’t gone off.

Each guest wore a small tracker so the director could ensure their safety. Shen Xun hadn’t walked far—about five hundred meters from camp—when Zhao Xue appeared holding a large leaf.

Shen Xun let out a sigh of relief, looking fortunate. “Thank goodness, I finally found you, Senior. Please don’t leave alone next time; it’s too dangerous.”

Zhao Xue, holding the leaf, sighed inwardly. This little thing is setting the rhythm again. Saying that would make viewers think Zhao Xue was reckless and inconsiderate.

Zhao Xue looked innocent, holding the leaf up to Shen Xun’s face. “I’m sorry for making you worry,” she said softly. “I saw how hard you were working and felt I couldn’t help, so I went to find water. This is dew I collected; drink it quickly.”

Shen Xun looked down. The large leaf held a small puddle of clear water. Her lashes fluttered, and she put on a touched expression. “Senior, you’re so kind.”

She reached out to take it, “accidentally” brushing against Zhao Xue’s hand—feeling that cool, soft touch. Shen Xun lowered her eyes and took a shallow sip, leaving half. She returned the leaf to Zhao Xue with a shy smile. “Senior, you drink too.” Disgust yourself to death.

Unaware of Shen Xun’s internal malice, the viewers only saw her looking straight at Zhao Xue with eyes bright as stars. The atmosphere was so beautiful that the drone’s high-definition feed sent the “shipping” experts into a frenzy.

— Holy cow, even with these HD cameras, their skin is flawless. Their visuals are insane. — Look at the stars in Shen Xun’s eyes! So sweet! — They’re sharing a leaf—that’s basically an indirect kiss! (doge)

Zhao Xue smiled and took the leaf. She seemingly “carelessly” pressed her lips to the exact spot Shen Xun’s lips had touched and drank the rest. “Shen Xun, let’s go check the traps you set yesterday.”

Watching the discarded leaf on the ground, the scene flashed through Shen Xun’s mind. She admitted it: when it came to being disgusting, Zhao Xue was superior.

“Let’s go, Senior,” she said, her face unchanging. “But you must tell me next time you leave.” She turned to lead the way, but her arm was suddenly grabbed.

“What is it, Senior?” Shen Xun asked, turning back with a puzzled look.

Zhao Xue’s brow knit slightly. “I don’t have any strength left. Can you lead me by the hand?”

Their gazes met. Hidden in their eyes was a mutual disgust and disdain known only to them. An invisible smoke of war filled the air. Shen Xun reached out and grabbed Zhao Xue’s hand with surprising force. “Of course. Let’s go, Senior.”

Zhao Xue gripped back just as hard. Despite the pain in their hands, they held on tight, waiting to see who would cave and let go first.

To the audience, however, the frame was filled with pink bubbles:

— I admit it, they’re cute. — They’re grown-ups and they’re still holding hands~ — Zhao Xue: ‘I have no strength, I need Shen Xun to lead me.’

They reached the traps. To their luck, they had caught two wild rabbits—they finally had food. But a new problem arose: Zhao Xue didn’t know how to prepare them. She just looked at Shen Xun expectantly.

Shen Xun glanced at her, then with a swift “hand-down-knife-fall” motion, she killed the rabbits and began cleaning them. Her movements were as efficient as a professional’s. Zhao Xue’s eyes widened; she clearly hadn’t expected Shen Xun to have this skill.

Shen Xun didn’t throw away the innards; she wrapped them in leaves. While processing the rabbits, a small smudge of blood got onto her face, but she didn’t wipe it off. She sheathed the bloody dagger and smiled at Zhao Xue. “Senior, let’s find a water source. We need to wash up.”

She looked straight into Zhao Xue’s eyes and, unsurprisingly, saw a flash of panic. Coward, she sneered internally. Zhao Xue’s eyes flickered, and she didn’t offer to carry one. She seemed truly shocked by Shen Xun’s ruthlessness.

As Zhao Xue hesitated, opening her mouth to say something, Shen Xun’s eyes suddenly sharpened. Her hand blurred as she drew the dagger from her waist and hurled it toward Zhao Xue.

The sharp blade flew straight at her. Zhao Xue’s pupils contracted—she didn’t even have time to react. The silver flash of the bloody blade sped toward her, whistling past her ear.

The dagger thudded into a target behind her. Seeing Zhao Xue’s terrified state, Shen Xun let out an imperceptible chuckle. She brushed past Zhao Xue and picked up the prey the dagger had hit.

It was another rabbit.

Zhao Xue turned her head stiffly, playing the “frozen in fear” role to perfection. In the System space, the System paused its TV show to check on the host. It couldn’t help but marvel: The host is a genius performer. That terrified expression is flawless.

The System then looked at the Female Lead. Compared to the host, the Female Lead’s acting was slightly lacking; if one looked closely, there was a flash of fleeting satisfaction in her eyes. She had done it on purpose.

The comments were stunned by Shen Xun’s move:

— No way! She threw a dagger and hit a running rabbit? Shen Xun is OP! — That scared me to death, I thought she was attacking Zhao Xue. — God, how much strength do you need to impale a rabbit with a thrown knife? I’m sold. I’m calling Shen Xun ‘Daddy’ from now on!