READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 73 - Princess, please board
Tang Yuan decisively muted the system.
They were Kissing. Couldn’t they see the situation? This was not a work-related interaction!
Jiang Zi suppressed a smile in her eyes and kissed Tang Yuan’s lips again, lingering and reluctant to part.
【This production team is so good, secretly tilting the camera to avoid the couple. The thrill and sneakiness are off the charts.】
【Turn on voice amplification, everyone. You’ll come back to thank me later.】
【Breath mingling, saliva exchanging…】
【Where’s my wife? I want kisses too!】
An hour later, they arrived at Love Island.
“Today, we’ve prepared two activity segments. The first is a free exploration of the underwater aquarium. During the tour, you may encounter staff wearing red vests who will present you with questions. You can choose to answer or skip. If you answer, you’ll earn a shell.”
“Today’s currency is shells. Lunch will require shells for exchange. After lunch, the second segment allows guests to freely engage in heart-racing interactions. The livestream will open a voting channel, with results tallied at 4:30 p.m. Housing will be allocated based on rankings and won’t be bought with shells.”
“So, only the first segment requires shells to exchange for lunch. Pretty easy, right? Good luck, everyone!”
With the director’s explanation over, the staff guided the group into the underwater world.
The underwater aquarium was entirely built with transparent materials. Walking inside, one could see sea creatures up close.
Despite being underwater, it was vast. On foot, it would take at least three and a half hours to reach the other end. The spacious pathways were divided into pedestrian and vehicle lanes, with rentable transport cars available.
The transport cars were pricey—5,000 yuan per hour for a two-seater, supposedly for aquarium maintenance.
Seeing the price, everyone froze, turning their gazes toward the director behind the cameras.
“Guests who need transport cars will have to pay for them. This isn’t covered by the show’s budget.”
Visitors to this place were typically wealthy, so the low volume of tourists didn’t hurt revenue.
The transport cars resembled those mini Ferrari toy cars for children, with ultra-low chassis and lightweight plastic bodies. They were convertible mini race cars with only a driver’s seat and a passenger seat.
With this plastic vibe, 5,000 yuan could almost buy one outright—but here, it only rented one for an hour.
While others hesitated, Tang Yuan dashed forward and chose a pink pig-head-shaped transport car.
Jiang Zi approached a staff member and took out her phone to pay.
The staff member handed her a matching pig-head car key. “The rental fee is 5,000 yuan for an hour. If you go overtime, it’ll count as a second hour. There’s a time display screen in the car, so please keep track.”
Jiang Zi nodded, took the key, and walked toward Tang Yuan.
Tang Yuan, already in the driver’s seat, extended her palm expectantly toward Jiang Zi, her bright eyes silently urging her to hand over the key.
Jiang Zi twirled the keychain on her finger a few times, showing no intention of giving it to Tang Yuan.
When Tang Yuan didn’t get the key, she extended her hand further. “Give it to me! I want to drive. Let me play.”
Jiang Zi raised an eyebrow and stared at her without saying a word.
Tang Yuan blinked in confusion, then suddenly had a flash of inspiration. She got out of the car, walked to the other side, and opened the passenger door. “Princess, please board!”
Her exaggerated gesture drew everyone’s attention.
Jiang Zi’s expression turned slightly unnatural under the onlookers’ gazes. But she still lifted her legs and got into the passenger seat.
Jiang Zi had only hesitated to give up the key because Tang Yuan seemed so enamored with the car that she’d completely forgotten about her. But she hadn’t expected Tang Yuan to invite her in such a dramatic way.
Tang Yuan returned to the driver’s seat, grinning as she took the key from Jiang Zi.
Once the key was inserted, a countdown timer lit up on the display screen, showing one hour.
Tang Yuan turned back to Jiang Zi and leaned toward her.
Jiang Zi leaned against the seat, her dark pupils reflecting Tang Yuan’s approaching figure.
Tang Yuan grabbed the seatbelt and buckled it for her. “Buckle up! Follow traffic rules.”
Jiang Zi: …
Coming so close, she’d thought it was going to be something romantic.
After securing her own seatbelt, Tang Yuan started the car. “Let’s go! Bye-bye~”
She floored the gas pedal—and the car moved forward one meter.
Not only was it a child’s toy car, but it was also a modified slow-speed version.
Du Shuhuai, watching the car move at a pace comparable to an 800-meter jog, hesitated, then turned to her partner. “Maybe we should just walk?”
The cost really wasn’t worth it—each person would have to split 2,500 yuan.
Being new to her job, she hadn’t received her first paycheck yet, and 2,500 yuan felt like a fortune.
Jie Xin and An Zichu, standing nearby, had chosen a red heart-shaped car. Jie Xin overheard Du Shuhuai’s comment and said, “Don’t worry, Shuhuai. Luo Luo has money.”
Deng Peiluo, a popular heartthrob actor, could easily afford 5,000 yuan. He quickly caught on and said, “There’s no way I’d let a lady pay. Pick a car you like, and I’ll drive you.”
【Their dynamic was great a few days ago. Even though they’ve split, I still ship it.】
【An Zichu, how can you let her pay?】
【But An Zichu is a rookie—he’s broke too.】
When An Zichu saw Jie Xin returning with the car key, he realized she had already paid and felt embarrassed. “Let’s exchange contact info, and I’ll transfer my share to you.”
Jie Xin smiled warmly. “Sure, we can add each other. But no need to transfer the money.”
An Zichu nodded. “Okay.”
Jie Xin waved her phone with a QR code. “Here, scan it to add me.”
An Zichu obediently scanned and added her as a friend.
The moment the friend request was accepted, a message popped up:
Jie Xin: Let’s split it 50-50. Please send me 2,500 yuan. Thanks.
An Zichu: …
Oh.
So it was all for show in front of the camera. Reality hits.
He quickly transferred the 2,500 yuan and looked up at her. “I’ve sent it. Please check.”
Jie Xin paused slightly, then accepted the money and thanked him again without pretense.
While most people had left, two figures remained.
“Qing Qing, don’t you like the white cat-head car? Why not choose it?”
Meng Yao’er, holding the key to the cat-head car, waited by it for Su Qingyao. But their standoff seemed frozen.
Su Qingyao, looking uninterested, pointed to another white car beside her—a sheep-head car. “Let’s take this one. I don’t like cats anymore.”
You don’t like cats anymore.
Meng Yao’er lowered her head to hide the coldness and grievance in her eyes. She stubbornly insisted, “I want this one.”
Su Qingyao stared at her quietly. The silence between them grew almost unnerving.
Finally, Su Qingyao walked over, gently lifted Meng Yao’er’s chin with her slender fingers, and made her meet her gaze. Then she let go, her voice soft and calm. “Stop pretending to cry. I’ll ride.”