The Academic God Becomes an Internet Sensation After Joining a Dating Show - C33 - Seven Times in One Night

For a brief moment, the air seemed to freeze over.

[Hahahahahahahaha]

[Ahhh, I have to record this—no, I must! Congratulations on your wedding, ShenLin Couple!]

[Nanyin-jie, I love you! This is gold! You’re really serving the content!]

“This isn’t hard, right? Feelings need time to grow, but words are always the most direct way to express love.” Zhang Nanyin said, smiling.

“Hey, baby, saying it ten times in a row feels too simple. By the fourth or fifth time, it loses impact,” Liu Xin clapped his hands. “How about this instead—say it once in the morning, once at noon, and once at night. That way, it becomes a full love ritual.”

“Mm, that’s true. You’re so smart, hubby.” With an indulgent smile, Zhang Nanyin looped her arms around his.

Qing Lin: “…”

These two really knew how variety shows worked.

It was no surprise—they were veterans. No one understood the art of feeding the cameras better than Zhang Nanyin and Liu Xin. In the earlier segment, Bai Wenle had carried the show’s momentum, but now, against seasoned players, Qing Lin truly felt out of his depth.

“Why don’t you give it a try?” Liu Xin suddenly suggested. His tone was light, but his hand gave Shen Xuzhi a playful nudge toward Qing Lin.

Qing Lin froze, staring blankly, still trying to process the situation.

Shen Xuzhi, however, showed no resistance. If anything, he seemed… pleased. His expression remained as cool as ever, yet it felt as though faint pink bubbles were drifting around him.

He casually hooked his little finger around Qing Lin’s and, instead of appearing shy, said with genuine delight, “Wife, I love you.”

[Xu-ge, aren’t you way too happy about this? Hahaha]

[That sounded so natural, I’m swooning already.]

[Shen Xuzhi (wagging tail): Wife, wife, I could say ‘I love you’ ten thousand times if you want.]

The touch at his fingertips sharpened Qing Lin’s senses, even his hearing seemed heightened. He thought to himself, Shen Xuzhi really did have some acting talent—looking at them now, they truly resembled a couple deeply in love.

Yet strangely, though Qing Lin believed he could say those words without the slightest ripple in his heart, when the words reached his lips, a wave of embarrassment washed over him.

His ears grew warm, his voice faltered and broke, until in the end, only Shen Xuzhi could hear him clearly. “Hu… husband, I love you too…”

By the time he regained his composure, his hand was already tightly clasped in Shen Xuzhi’s. Shen Xuzhi’s gaze was brimming with tenderness, as though silently praising Qing Lin for doing well.

Zhang Nanyin’s eyes curved. “Oh, this shy, youthful kind of love has its charm. But remember, you’re not just dating anymore, you’re married husbands.”

Qing Lin: “…………”

They hadn’t even dated in the first place!

Before he could respond, the production crew stepped forward, handing them a mission card.

Shen Xuzhi accepted it and read aloud, his voice calm:

“Travel Initial Funds Acquisition Task.”

[Travel Initial Funds Acquisition (Southbound Group): The two couples are tasked with infiltrating a mainland Chinese variety show currently being filmed in Argentina, joining as supporting participants in the games. Successfully completing the mission will earn the group 28,888 pesos as their initial funds. Failure, however, means not only losing the funds but also facing a penalty.]

The director arranged for two cars to take both couples to the recording site. The weather in Argentina was dazzling, sunlight spilling across cool air, the kind that brushed against the skin like silk.

Shen Xuzhi and Qing Lin sat together in the car, which was not being recorded at the moment.

“Are you getting used to it?” Shen Xuzhi asked.

Qing Lin knew he was referring to the fake marriage act. “Mm, it’s fine.”

“Relax a little,” Shen Xuzhi said. “If calling me ‘husband’ feels awkward, you can practice saying it a few more times.”

Qing Lin: “.”

…Wasn’t he just taking advantage of this?

But honestly, at this point, it was hard to tell who was taking advantage of whom.

Their driver, a seasoned Argentinian local, soon pulled up to the given address. Qing Lin and Shen Xuzhi thanked him in Spanish and were about to get out when the driver stopped them, frowning and gesturing while speaking quickly.

The cameraman had already resumed filming, and the crew assistant nearby translated: “He wants you to pay the fare.”

Qing Lin blinked, “Pay? We have to cover the fare ourselves?”

The assistant nodded.

Shen Xuzhi frowned as he said, “But we don’t have any money right now.”

The assistant only shrugged. “Exactly.”

Shen Xuzhi and Qing Lin: “…”

The driver grew agitated, clearly thinking they were trying to skip out on the bill.

It was an inauspicious start. Qing Lin bit his lip and asked the assistant, “Could you lend us some money first?”

The assistant, as if expecting this, pulled out a thin stack of papers. “Of course. But if you borrow, you’ll need to sign this loan contract. The fare is 560 pesos, which the production team will cover. Interest accrues at 3% per hour.”

[Hahahaha the production team really has no mercy.]

[The couple’s broke adventure in Argentina begins.]

[Such predatory terms! If they can’t secure their initial funds, they’ll be drowning in debt haha.]

Stranded in a foreign country and completely at the mercy of the production team, Qing Lin and Shen Xuzhi had no choice but to sign the contract and pay the fare.

Only afterward did the staff lead them into the company building, where Liu Xin and Zhang Nanyin were already waiting.

Qing Lin knew it was all part of the show’s setup, but a stubborn sense of unwillingness still lingered in his chest.

“Got tricked the moment we arrived,” Shen Xuzhi said with a quiet laugh, turning his head toward him. “So, what do we do now, Qing Laoshi?”

[Qing Laoshi! Why does that sound kind of flirtatious…?]

Qing Lin’s fighting spirit flared. Straightening his back, he declared with quiet resolve, “It’s fine—this family has me.”

[Ahhhh, this family!]

[Linlin has always been strong-willed!]

When Shen Xuzhi and Qing Lin reached the studio, they were welcomed by Marco, the director. Cheerful and full of energy, the local greeted them in surprisingly fluent Chinese before wrapping them both in a big hug.

“Welcome, welcome!” Marco beamed, pressing a pair of sleek headphones into their hands. “These are simultaneous translation earpieces. With these, no need to worry about the language barrier.”

Qing Lin and Shen Xuzhi accepted them politely.

Marco beamed. “I’m really glad to be collaborating with the Chinese production team! Today’s shoot is for a lighthearted, quiz-style variety show. The segment you’ll be taking part in is called ‘Real or Fake Couples.’”

Qing Lin opened the mission card.

[Rules of the ‘Real or Fake Couples’ Game

• • You will act as a married couple throughout the game.

• • Questioners will test you with random inquiries to see if you’re genuine. Survive the entire round without being exposed.

• • You must also incorporate the following three elements into your answers:

1. 1. Shen Xuzhi’s occupation: company employee. Qing Lin’s occupation: boxing coach.

1. 1. Marriage registration date: April 1st.

1. 1. During the Q&A, you must say the line: “If it really doesn’t work out, then let’s get a divorce.”]

[This mission is so hard]

[Hahahaha Linlin as a boxing coach, and their marriage date is April 1^st. That’s April Fools’ Day! Too funny]

[The production team clearly doesn’t want to give them money, hahaha, what a trap! They’re not letting this couple have it easy!]

Shen Xuzhi’s expression remained calm as he scanned the paper, but his brow furrowed when his gaze landed on the word divorce.

[Shen Laoshi: Is ‘divorce’ really something you can just say so casually?]

[Ah Zhi’s inner monologue: I won’t say it, Not in this lifetime. No divorce!!]

“All set, my perfectly matched couple?” Marco clapped his hands, grinning. “It’s your turn to go on stage now.”

[Tch, not even a little prep time?]

[Guess it’s all about raw chemistry now.]

There was no chance to plan or rehearse. Still, for the sake of prize money and sheer survival, Qing Lin steeled himself. No matter what, we must win this.

Shen Xuzhi and Qing Lin were led onto the stage, where they stood behind a podium.

The show had reached its climax, and the guests and audience cheered enthusiastically.

Led onto the stage, the two stood behind a podium, greeted by roaring cheers. The host, an afro-haired man with a booming, playful voice, announced, “Now, our most classic segment—‘Real or Fake Couples!’ Today, joining us is a pair of Chinese same-sex married couple. Let’s welcome them!”

Qing Lin, unaccustomed to the world of entertainment, was momentarily dazzled as the spotlight struck and the stage lights flared. Across from him sat four foreign celebrities, each dressed in extravagant fashion.

“Wow, a same-sex couple!” exclaimed the curvy female celebrity in the middle, whose placard read Catherine. “You two are so handsome!”

“Oh my gosh, what a perfect match.” The woman with dreadlocks crossed her legs, spread her hands, and laughed. “Alright, I already think they’re real.”

The simultaneous translator relayed the Spanish in Qing Lin’s ear. He instinctively shifted closer to Shen Xuzhi, angling his body toward him to appear more intimate.

Maybe this wouldn’t be so hard after all.

“Eh, eh, eh, that’s not how it works, Martina.” The mustached man leaned forward, eyeing Shen Xuzhi, “You’re too handsome. Are you a celebrity?”

Shen Xuzhi slipped on the pair of glasses he always kept in his pocket and replied with polite composure, “No, I’m not. I’m a company employee.”

“So charming.” Catherine rested her chin in her hand, sending him a playful, flirty look. “I might just fall for you.”

Without the slightest ripple, Shen Xuzhi draped an arm around Qing Lin’s shoulders and said evenly, “Please don’t. Three months ago, on the very first day of the month, my beloved and I registered our marriage. We’re deeply in love, and I treasure my wife.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Qing Lin caught a green light flickering on the studio backdrop. Confirming that one mission requirement had just been fulfilled.

[Ahhh that was fast! Ah Zhi is amazing!]

[He slid April Fools’ Day into that so smoothly. If you don’t think about it, you’d never notice.]

Qing Lin secretly gave him a mental thumbs-up. As expected, Shen Laoshi was amazing.

The mustached man pressed on. “Newlyweds then? Here in Argentina for honeymoon? Is your wife a colleague of yours?”

Qing Lin responded calmly, “No, we’re not colleagues. I’m a boxing coach.”

The stage immediately erupted in laughter.

“You’re a boxing coach!?”

“That’s too cute—he said he’s a boxing coach, but he looks so soft.”

“I thought you studied dance. Hasn’t anyone ever told you you look like a ballet doll?”

Exactly the reaction Qing Lin anticipated. Still, he held his ground, deadpan. “I’m actually pretty fierce.”

[Linlin (charging forward): Small body, big energy!]

[Hahahahaha, so cute! Coach, please come train me! pant pant drool]

Martina turned to her fellow panelist. “Hey, Ox, haven’t you trained in boxing before?”

“Right.” Ox leaned forward with a grin. “Coach, then answer this: how many weight classes are there in professional boxing?”

The live chat exploded with worry. If Qing Lin gave the wrong answer, they’d be in serious trouble.

Qing Lin thought for a moment before answering, “Seventeen weight classes.”

“Is that correct?” Catherine asked.

Ox scratched his chin, laughing. “Hahaha honestly, I’m not sure either.”

The production team checked, and the backdrop flashed with a huge Bingo.

[Ahhhh, he got it right! Incredible, what a knowledge base!]

[Linlin is amazing—he actually knew that!]

Catherine nodded, impressed. “So, he really is a coach. Just like your Chinese saying—don’t judge a book by its cover.”

Having cleared this hurdle, Qing Lin added in a showy way, “My beloved is actually my most outstanding student.”

Shen Xuzhi picked up the cue with ease. “All thanks to Qing Laoshi’s excellent teaching.”

The audience whooped and jeered, stirring the atmosphere even more.

But then Ox suddenly asked, “Hey coach, since boxers are supposed to have stamina… how many times can you two have sex in one night?”

The lively Qing Lin froze into silence.

…Could they even ask that? Were foreigners really this open?

Qing Lin decided to just pretend he hadn’t heard it, but then he saw the recording booth hold up a sign: “Please answer the question.”

Qing Lin hesitated. How was he supposed to respond to something like that? And even if he did, would it even make it into the broadcast?

But the truth was… he didn’t actually know. He had never done it.

Whatever—just do it. It’s for the money.

With a straight face, Qing Lin blurted out, “Seven times in one night.”

Shen Xuzhi: “?”

Qing Lin’s expression stayed perfectly calm and righteous, lying through his teeth without the slightest blink. The funniest part was that everyone believed him and the studio instantly erupted in chaos.

“What an impressive man!”

“Such stamina, no wonder he’s a boxing coach!”

“Unbelievable!”

The mustached man even shot Shen Xuzhi a thumbs-up. “Chinese youth truly boast impressive physiques!”

Shen Xuzhi had no choice but to say, “Thank you.”

Inwardly, though, he could already picture the trending hashtag: #SevenTimesInOneNight. Congratulations to Qing Lin for inching closer to his KPI.

Qing Lin, utterly unfazed, rested one hand on Shen Xuzhi’s shoulder while the other went to rub at his waist amid the thunderous cheers.

He had to admit. This acting gig was starting to feel a little addictive.

Then, with perfect seriousness, Qing Lin added, “My waist still hurts right now. I told you to hold back, but you wouldn’t listen. If it really doesn’t work out, then let’s just divorce.”

The moment the words left his lips, the final green light flared to life.

All tasks completed.

[Ahhhhhhh Linlin is so delicate and coy!! Damn, is this about to get real?!]

[Wow, I’ve never seen anyone handle a task so cleverly—he turned what sounded like a fight into flirty banter. I’m crying, he’s too good.]

[QL completely threw away his shame for this—charging straight ahead for the mission hahahaha]

[Alright, I’ve decided. My next fanfic will be titled: ‘Seven Times in One Night, Honey Please Go Easy.’]

[Hand the writer above a pen! Mommy, I’m starving—feed me fanfic!!]

Seeing all the lights turn on, Qing Lin finally exhaled in relief. All that was left was to endure until time was up without being exposed.

But then, his waist was suddenly seized, his whole body pulled into Shen Xuzhi’s embrace, enveloped in steady warmth.

Shen Xuzhi chuckled lowly, his voice brushing against Qing Lin’s ear. “My fault. Next time I’ll be gentler.”

Qing Lin’s heart gave a violent squeeze, and a delayed rush of heat surged to his cheeks, leaving his face burning.

That… sounded dangerously close to: “Holding back is impossible.”

[Ahhhh I’m dying!! Can he really just say things like that?!]

[Shen Laoshi feels secretly super experienced. Poor Linlin hahaha]

[I don’t feel bad at all.  Go ahead and play as much as you want (/// spicy face ///)]

“I think they’re definitely real.” Catherine spoke with conviction, eyes gleaming with intrigue. “Honey, who fell in love first?”

Qing Lin relaxed. He knew this one. He’d read countless fan essays online about Shen Xuzhi’s supposed love confessions. All he had to do was borrow one and…

“It was me.”

The voice came from right beside him.

Qing Lin froze. He hadn’t expected Shen Xuzhi to answer first.

“I was the one who had a crush,” Shen Xuzhi said gently. “I secretly liked him for many years, and it took me a long time to finally win him over.”

As he spoke, he looked straight at Qing Lin, his tone calm yet full of sincerity. It sounded as if an entire story lay hidden between the lines.

The entire studio instantly sank into a soft, tender atmosphere.

“Oh my god, a secret crush. That’s so romantic!”

“So happy, they must stay together forever!”

“No wonder they can go seven times a night. The love runs that deep!”

Qing Lin: “……”

Enough. Please, just stop talking.

The Q&A session was nearly over, and the guests began discussing whether the two were truly a couple.

“They’re definitely real. That feeling… they feel more like an old married couple than newlyweds.”

“I agree, I vote real.”

No one doubted them. Everything was going smoothly. Qing Lin was certain they had this in the bag.

But then Ox suddenly said, “Wait a minute… three months ago, the first day of the month… wasn’t that April Fools’ Day?”

The unanimous agreement shattered in an instant. Realization swept through the room like a cold draft.

“Right, it’s July now. Three months ago… that was April… April 1st. You registered your marriage on April Fools’ Day?”

“Who in their right mind would choose April Fools’ for a wedding?!”

Even Catherine wavered, her tone half-joking, half-convinced. “That’s a red flag! April Fools’ is all tricks and lies. You two must be faking it.”

Qing Lin hurried to defend them. “No, we’re real.”

[They’re real! If not, then I’m fake!]

[The couple admitted it with their own mouths that they’re real!!]

[I recorded it!!]

But to run into trouble at the very last moment—it was nerve-wracking.

Martina frowned. “But still… April Fools’ Day? It doesn’t add up. Though I do believe you’re real husbands… why don’t you kiss to prove it?”

Shen Xuzhi and Qing Lin: “……”

“Ding ding ding” The bell rang, cutting off the moment.

The Q&A time ended.

Thankfully the bell rang before anything could happen otherwise, who knew what they’d have done.

The four celebrity guests discussed for a while before finally concluding: “Fake couple.”

The show rang the buzzer and announced the guests’ answer was correct.

[Ahhhh nooo, they failed.]

[So close, they’re just a step away from victory.]

Qing Lin felt a bit dejected. Now this family was really in trouble. Not only did they lose money, but they were also in debt.

The two returned to join Liu Xin and Zhang Nanyin, who looked quite happy. They must have cleared their mission.

“Congratulations to Liu Xin and Zhang Nanyin for winning 28,888 pesos in travel funds! Unfortunately, Shen Xuzhi and Qing Lin failed their mission and were judged a fake couple, losing 3,000 pesos.”

“Xiao Shen, you guys didn’t make it?” Liu Xin asked.

Shen Xuzhi gave a simple nod.

The staff quickly added, “Don’t worry. There will be plenty of opportunities to earn pesos throughout the trip. We hope everyone participates enthusiastically.”

Qing Lin asked, “Can we start earning money now?”

If they didn’t hurry and pay off that debt, it would only pile up more and more.

“There is,” the staff replied. “Five kilometers down the road, there’s a city motorcycle race. Win it, and you’ll earn 4,000 pesos.”

“Motorcycles…” Qing Lin had never ridden one before, and the thought seemed daunting.

Shen Xuzhi said firmly, “Let’s go for that one.”

Qing Lin turned to him in concern. “Do you know how to ride? Won’t it be too dangerous?”

Shen Xuzhi only ruffled his hair and replied, “Don’t worry. I know how to ride one. Leave it to me.”

Something in his tone left no room for doubt, and Qing Lin found himself trusting without hesitation. After discussing, the two decided to try the motorcycle race.

Since Liu Xin also had some motorcycle experience, Shen Xuzhi and Qing Lin asked them for help and hitched a ride with them.

“Next time we take public transport, we’ll cover the fare,” Qing Lin said gratefully. “Thanks so much for this.”

[Fun fact: Taking the subway is way cheaper than a taxi]

[Hahaha thrifty housewife vibes]

With that settled, they all agreed to head together to the outdoor motorcycle race.

“There’s also an opening for an assistant referee,” Liu Xin added, glancing at the information sheet. “That pays another 1,500 pesos.”

Qing Lin never passed up a chance to earn money. “I’ll take it,” he said without hesitation.

Suddenly, production team cut in. “But before that. The couple still has a punishment to complete. To save time, we’ll weave it into the next round.”

Qing Lin and Shen Xuzhi, just about to leave, had nearly forgotten all about it.

The production team announced.

“‘Discover a Different You’—Punishment Game! A couple’s love thrives on fun, and sometimes a little dress-up can make it shine brighter. We’ve prepared cheongsams for you both. Now, show your partner your most charming side!”

The staff paused, then added, “Ah, but we only managed to buy women’s sizes. Looks like only Qing Laoshi will fit. Sorry about that. But they’re very beautiful.”

Qing Lin: “……”

So… he was supposed to wear a cheongsam and act as a race referee?