The Academic God Becomes an Internet Sensation After Joining a Dating Show - C46 - Five Kisses

That evening, the production team collected everyone’s handwritten reflections on love. The show’s official account releases one participant’s reflection each day. Viewers can vote online for who they want to see next, and the contestant with the most votes will be featured the following day.

After spending the day with Renaldo and Heather, everyone had gained fresh insights, small revelations about life, love, and the quiet joys that made days meaningful.

To the production team’s surprise, Qing Lin had written the least. On his pristine sheet lay a single, elegant line:

“Tranquil days.”

“Thank you, Grandpa Renaldo and Grandma Heather. Today was a wonderful day!”

With the cameras packed away, the crew and guests bade farewell to the two elders, parting with smiles and gratitude.

The El Chaltén schedule lasted only a single day. To keep filming on track, everyone would return to El Calafate that night, preparing for the morning shoot at Perito Moreno Glacier.

On the way, the production team began explaining the next day’s plans. “Tomorrow, we’ll be visiting Perito Moreno Glacier for sightseeing. We’d like to discuss the itinerary options with both couples.”

“There are three ways to experience Moreno Glacier,” the production crew continued. “First, a boat tour, the Safari Nautico, a relaxed, scenic option. Second, Mini-Trekking, a gentle glacier hike of low difficulty, taking roughly three hours. Third, Big Ice Trekking, a more immersive route that truly showcases the glacier’s grandeur but requires stamina and lasts six to seven hours.”

[Ah, this sounds so exciting!]

[Seven hours? That’s way too long!]

The assistant handed the itinerary details to the four participants. “Laoshi, please decide which option you want tonight, as reservations are required.”

Zhang Nanyin leaned forward. “I read in the encyclopedia that the Moreno Glacier is one of the few glaciers worldwide that has stayed stable or even grown a little.”

Liu Xin chimed in, “Then we should hike. Hmm… but Big Ice is seven hours. Won’t that be too tiring for you, dear?”

“A little, but I can manage Mini,” Zhang Nanyin replied with a smile. Then she turned to the assistant. “Can we really choose freely? Any option we want?”

The assistant shook his head, “Well… not exactly.”

“Once you choose, we’ll collect payment tomorrow morning.” The assistant added.

Liu Xin and Zhang Nanyin exchanged glances.

[I knew it, it’s all a setup.]

[Haha, looks like it’s Nan Yin and Liu Xin’s turn to run short on cash.]

After completing today’s task, everyone had received a pre-reward of fifty thousand pesos. Extra rewards would be distributed later, depending on the number of Weibo likes.

Shen Xuzhi turned to Qing Lin, “Which one do you want to try?”

“If possible,” Qing Lin replied, “I’d like to attempt the Big Ice Trek. If I get the chance to walk on the glacier, those seven hours will become a memory I’ll treasure for a lifetime.”

Zhang Nanyin leaned over the sheet. “Roughly how much does that cost?”

The assistant explained, “Each option has a different price; you can use this as a reference.”

Zhang Nanyin’s eyes widened as she scanned the sheet and exclaimed. “Eighty thousand pesos per person for Big Ice?!”

[So expensive!]

The assistant explained, “Big Ice is a major excursion whereas Mini is a gentler, more budget friendly option.”

Liu Xin scanned the sheet and murmured, “No wonder they gave us 150,000 for the tango competition… turns out it would all be spent here. Mini still costs forty thousand per person.”

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “The boat is only eight thousand, but somehow, it doesn’t feel as satisfying.”

Suddenly remembering something, Zhang Nanyin asked, “Can we borrow money from the production team?”

The assistant nodded. “Yes, the team can cover it, but there’s a three percent interest per hour afterward.”

Liu Xin began counting on his fingers. “If we borrow thirty thousand… how much would we end up paying back? This feels like a trap.”

At that moment, Qing Lin spoke up gently, “Nan Yin, we can lend you the money.”

Zhang Nanyin looked at Qing Lin, her eyes lighting up with gratitude. “Really, Lin Lin?!”

“Mm.” Qing Lin picked up a pen and began calculating on the paper. “If the production team charges three percent per hour, assuming ten hours without earnings, the compounded interest comes to 10,317.5 pesos.”

“If you borrow from us, we’ll calculate using simple interest at two percent. You’d save 4,317.5 pesos that way.” He pushed the paper toward them with a small, confident smile.

“Isn’t that a better deal than the production team’s?”

The production team: “……?”

The production team went silent.

[Hahaha, I’m dying laughing! Linlin really spotted a business opportunity.]

[Wow, no wonder he’s a top student—first time I’ve seen someone outsmart the production team.]

[Linlin: making over four thousand for free!]

Zhang Nanyin and Liu Xin exchanged knowing glances, silently reaching the same conclusion.

This kid was quite clever.

But after all, money doesn’t grow on trees, and over four thousand pesos is still a significant amount, so it’s better to save a little wherever possible.

Zhang Nanyin made her decision instantly, shaking hands with Qing Lin. “Alright, Linlin, we’ll borrow from you!”

Qing Lin’s smile was bright, effortless. “A pleasure doing business.”

Assistant: “……”

The assistant went speechless. With nothing else he could do, he cleared his throat and continued, “So… has everyone decided which activity they’ll choose?”

[Looks like Nanyin and Liu Xin are going for Mini Trekking.]

[I bet ShenLin is doing Big Ice.]

“We’ll do Big Ice,” Shen Xuzhi said.

“We’ll go Mini then.” Liu Xin added.

With the arrangements settled, the day’s filming wrapped up. Since the production team had pre-booked all hotels due to location and schedule changes, no one had to pay out of pocket.

After showering, Qing Lin lay in bed and checked his daily “Shen Lin Qijing” data collection.

After showering, Qing Lin lay in bed, scrolling through his daily “Shen Lin Qijing” data collection. The CP super topic and discussion posts were trending well. Switching to his Orphic account to check fan art feedback, he noticed a private message repeatedly popping up as soon as he logged in.

He stared at the name for a moment, then clicked to open the message.

[Dearest Ou: Ta-ta-ta-ta! I’m your loyal fan! Sorry for being so forward, but I just had to ask. Do you really have a fan group?]

[Dearest Ou: I joined a fan group before but got kicked out. From what I remember, you wouldn’t just open a fan group casually, right? I don’t know if that one was yours QAQ.]

[Dearest Ou: Is there any chance I could get your contact info? I’ve liked you for so long QAQ.]

The ID looked familiar. Qing Lin flipped through his logs and realized that this “Dearest Ou” had been following and supporting him since his earliest blogging days, even sending private messages along the way.

After a moment’s thought, he replied.

[Orphic: [QQ ID]]

Seconds later, a red notification popped up on his small account. As soon as the contact was added, the fan erupted in a flurry of excited messages.

[Ou’s Little Sweetheart: Aaaahhhh!]

[Ou’s Little Sweetheart: Ta!! I can’t believe you actually sent it!]

[Ou’s Little Sweetheart: I knew the group admin wasn’t you!]

[Ou’s Little Sweetheart: Your style is similar, but they just didn’t have the same vibe!!]

[Ou’s Little Sweetheart: I’ll send you that fan group! Go deal with it!]

Amusingly, the QQ name was “Ou’s Little Sweetheart,” the same person who had been kicked out the other day. Qing Lin typed back calmly.

[~: Don’t worry, I’m already in there]

Silence followed. Five minutes later, a question mark appeared.

[Ou’s Little Sweetheart: ?]

[Ou’s Little Sweetheart: You’re in there? How? Just watching the drama unfold?]

[~: It’s actually quite interesting]

[Ou’s Little Sweetheart: ……]

Qing Lin wasn’t lying. Qing Yejie’s messages in the group were genuinely entertaining. Yet this only made Little Sweetheart grow anxious again.

[Ou’s Little Sweetheart: But that person is impersonating you!]

[~: I’ve never encountered this kind of thing before, and honestly, it’s kind of amazing.]

[~: Also, I checked the chat records. Some of the painting techniques he mentioned were actually quite accurate.]

[~: At the moment, I haven’t done anything out of the ordinary]

[~: Let’s wait a little longer and see what happens.]

The other side went quiet once more. After some time had passed, a single message came through.

[Ou’s Little Sweetheart: Ta, you have such a big heart]

Qing Lin put down his phone.

The reason he hadn’t intervened yet was simple. Out of curiosity, he wanted to see what Qing Yejie would do next. For now, all he could do was wait and watch, wondering how badly he might mess things up.

______________________________________________________________________________

The next day, after a night’s rest in El Calafate, everyone boarded a bus to Perito Moreno Glacier in the National Park.

The Perito Moreno Glacier is one of the few glaciers accessible for close-up viewing, standing nearly 20 stories tall, stretching 30 kilometers, and over 200,000 years old.

As closer the bus drove to the glacier, the more you could feel the crisp coolness of the ice. When it finally stopped, lifting their eyes revealed the glacier in its full glory, gleaming proudly in the distance.

[What a crystal-clear blue! The close-up shots are absolutely breathtaking!!]

[Wow, this is incredible, such magnificent view]

“Are you from the Follow Heart crew?” A heavily bundled Argentinian man greeted them, after they got off the bus. “We’re the guides for the glacier activities. Which two signed up for Big Ice Trekking?”

“Over here,” Qing Lin raised his hand.

Today he wore a blue-themed windbreaker paired with a white knit hat that made his skin appear even fairer. His expression remained neutral, but his neat, composed appearance stood out in the crowd.

[Aaaahh, baby!]

[Lin-baby is looking gorgeous today!]

Shen Xuzhi’s outfit had been provided by the production team as part of the linked costume set. Since the trek would involve crawling over ice, the clothes were thin and flexible for ease of movement rather than warmth.

“Oh, okay, okay. My name’s Dylan. Nice to meet you both,” the man said with a friendly smile, extending his hand to them and glancing between them. “Are you guys friends?”

“No,” Shen Xuzhi replied firmly. “We’re husbands.”

“Ah, right. This is that dating show, isn’t it? Sorry, you two look really compatible,” Dylan said.

[Shen Laoshi (firm reply): We are husbands, real married couple.]

[Oh no! They’re going to deduct money!]

Sure enough, a staff member came over and said, “Qing Laoshi, remember to pay us 3,000 pesos when you’re done.”

Qing Lin: “…”

“The guide for the Mini Trekking is this gentleman,” Dylan said. “First, we’ll have an hour of free time exploration. You can walk through the tunnels. Then we’ll take a boat to the dock, get your climbing ropes, and after that the Mini and Big Ice groups will go their separate ways.”

“It’s getting late, let’s get moving!” Dylan added.

Zhang Nanyin flipped down her collar, stretched her neck for a breath of fresh air, and laughed. “Ah, these newlywed husbands. How could anyone mistake you for just friends? Well, I suppose that’s worth 3,000 pesos.”

Qing Lin wasn’t sure either. Was it because he was about to climb a glacier and his fighting spirit was just too strong?

“Yeah, you two look like people who won’t rest until you’ve conquered the glacier,” Liu Xin said, wrapping an arm around Zhang Nanyin.

Zhang Nanyin suddenly looked up and said, “Hey honey, hasn’t it been a while since we assigned a ‘daily intimacy-boosting task’ to Linlin and Xuzhi?”

“Right,” Liu Xin agreed. “We can’t just have them seriously climb a glacier, can we? This is a dating show, after all.”

She shot a knowing smile at Shen Xuzhi, then leaned close to Liu Xin and whispered something into his ear.

“All right, we’ve decided!” Liu Xin said. “This time’s ‘Daily Intimacy-Boosting Task’ is—five kisses! You can choose any spot on the body you like!”

Five… kisses?!

Qing Lin froze, visibly stunned.

[Ahahaha, as expected from you two! Kissing maniacs!! I love it!!]

[Oh my! Lips! Kiss until they’re swollen!]

[I want to see the intimate parts! I didn’t say anything, okay? Totally innocent, but you know what I mean, sisters!]

[Keep your pants on, everyone!]

“If you can’t decide who should initiate the kiss, I’ll decide for you,” Zhang Nanyin said, tapping her chin and glancing at Shen Xuzhi. “Then Qing Lin, you’ll be the one to take the initiative for all five!”

Qing Lin: “!!”

Zhang Nanyin and Liu Xin smiled sweetly.

Liu Xin-ge and Zhang Nanyin-jie.

Shen Xuzhi, though expressionless as ever, gave a quiet thumbs-up in his heart.

Well done.