The Academic God Becomes an Internet Sensation After Joining a Dating Show - C8 - Breakfast

The next morning, Qing Lin woke up early.

He had stayed up late the night before, carefully going over a detailed SWOT analysis on whether or not to become Shen Xuzhi’s contract partner.

Still, he managed to sleep well. The hotel bed was soft and comfortable, the island air was mild and pleasant, and the morning breeze that greeted him felt clean and refreshing.

Since filming hadn’t started yet, Qing Lin took the chance to go for a walk along the beach.

The morning air was cooler than he had expected. The sea sparkled quietly under the soft light, and gentle waves lapped steadily against the shore.

As he strolled along, he suddenly noticed someone walking toward him from the opposite direction.

“Good morning.”

The person stopped in front of him, pulled back the hood of their jacket, and greeted him.

It was Shen Xuzhi.

Shen Xuzhi had been on Qing Lin’s mind the entire night, and now he was the first person to appear in the morning. It almost felt like this man was haunting him.

Even so, Qing Lin responded politely. “Good morning.”

Shen Xuzhi removed his earphones and looked at him. “Did you sleep well last night?”

His voice drifted with the sea breeze, quiet and unhurried, carrying a touch of drowsy warmth.

Qing Lin replied, “Pretty well. How about you?”

“I slept fine too,” Shen Xuzhi said.

“Were you out for a run just now?” Qing Lin glanced at his clothes, noticed the light dampness at his neck and the wrist support wrapped around his arm.

Hearing that, Shen Xuzhi let out a low chuckle.

His arms were toned and lean with muscle. He tilted his head slightly, eyes resting on Qing Lin. “Yes. The weather is nice.”

The weather was indeed very nice.

Qing Lin turned to take in the stretch of blue sea and sky.

This might have been his first time seeing the ocean up close.

Shen Xuzhi, however, hadn’t taken his eyes off him. “Did you give it some thought last night?”

The question made Qing Lin stiffen slightly. He glanced around, almost instinctively.

“Don’t worry,” Shen Xuzhi said calmly. “I was just asking. There aren’t any cameras around.”

Qing Lin paused for a moment and let out a quiet sigh. “I haven’t quite made up my mind yet.”

Shen Xuzhi replied gently, “That’s alright. There’s no rush.”

“It’s getting late,” he said after checking his phone. With a faint smile, he walked over to stand beside Qing Lin. “Shall we head to the filming location together?”

Near the beach, a dining table had already been set up. The other guests had arrived and were seated, chatting casually among themselves.

The show had officially began filming, and the comment section was already filling up with live reactions.

[I’m here!]

[I rushed over as fast as I could!]

Qing Lin and Shen Xuzhi walked in side by side. Su Mingxuan spotted them from afar and called out with a teasing grin, “Whoa, did you two arrive together?”

“We just ran into each other during a morning jog,” Shen Xuzhi answered with ease. He pulled out a chair for Qing Lin and added, “Qing Lin seems to really enjoy the ocean.”

Qing Lin took his seat. He had been wondering how to respond to Su Mingxuan, but Shen Xuzhi had just given him the perfect excuse. He followed along smoothly, “Yeah, it’s beautiful. The weather’s great today, too.”

[They exercised together first thing in the morning?!]

[Did you see how Xuzhi pulled out a chair for Qing Lin? That felt surprisingly sweet.]

Director Hong Shanyue, seeing everyone had arrived, began to steer the show forward.

“Welcome to Rowan Island! This marks the beginning of our heart-fluttering romantic journey across this beautiful and mysterious island.”

“Rowan Island is located in southern China and is known for its distinct geographic landscape. The southern peninsula is bustling with commerce, while the northern half remains untouched and desolate. It was recently voted as the Top 1 ‘Annual Love Destination’ for couples, famous for its romantic streets, photo spots adored by sweethearts, and a legendary love fountain said to grant wishes.”

The cast naturally began chatting.

Ning Yian said, “I know that photo spot. Liu Xin and his wife took their wedding photos there.”

“You mean Liu Xin and Zhang Nanyin? They’re totally couple goals.”

Leaning slightly closer, Shen Xuzhi asked Qing Lin in a quiet voice, “Have you heard of Rowan Island before?”

His whisper brushed lightly past Qing Lin’s ear, sending a faint tickle.

Qing Lin gave an honest reply, “A bit. It shows up a lot on high school geography exams. Questions on both physical and human geography often reference it.”

[I’m laughing so hard right now. I feel like I’m gonna throw up.]

[Same! I’ve been tested on Rowan Island three times already.]

Director Hong picked up the flow again. “Right now, we’re on the northern peninsula, which is still undeveloped and preserves its natural beauty. In just a moment, we’ll begin today’s task.”

Nan Yu suddenly realized something. “Wait—what task? No one told me anything!”

Hong Shanyue smiled gently. “Does everyone remember who they chose as their person of interest last night?”

Jiang Wen nodded. “Yeah, so what about it?”

“Our journey is divided into two paths: the romance path and the survival path. Guests who mutually selected each other will form couples, receive a date budget, and head to the southern peninsula to enjoy some time together at a luxury hotel. Those who didn’t match will enter the survival path and must complete designated challenges.”

“In other words, since there were no mutual matches among you, everyone here will be entering survival mode.”

“What?!”

The group fell silent, stunned by the announcement.

[Haha, seriously? Not a single match?]

[Wow, this is getting interesting. What are the odds?]

[Clearly, no one here is straight! Did you catch the way Qiao Weilan looked at Nan Yu? That was definitely more than just friendship.]

[Looks like we’re dealing with a love hexagon—she likes her, who likes him, who likes her, who likes her again, who likes him, and who likes him too…]

[Wait a minute, hasn’t Shen Xuzhi never been part of any dating rumors before? And just now with Qing Lin… seriously, no way, right?]

“Each time you complete a challenge, you’ll earn a set amount of gold coins. These coins can be exchanged for food, lodging, or used to unlock date rewards to spend time with someone you like.”

Qing Lin’s eyes brightened.

Survival mode.

That meant he could act independently in this show.

“This round, everyone’s choices were made blindly. So, take a guess—who will you choose?”

Glances shifted across the table as the camera zoomed in on each person’s face.

Qing Lin felt a twinge of guilt. He didn’t dare look toward Shen Xuzhi. Even though Shen Xuzhi had suggested forming a couple the day before, Qing Lin hadn’t chosen him.

His phone buzzed in his pocket. He glanced down to see a message from Shen Xuzhi.

[Shen Xuzhi: I chose you.]

Clear. Straightforward.

Qing Lin’s breath caught. After a brief pause, he quickly typed a reply while keeping his head down.

[Qing Lin: I’m sorry.]

The reply came almost instantly.

[Shen Xuzhi: You didn’t do anything wrong. There’s no need to apologize.]

[Shen Xuzhi: I just wanted you to know.]

After sending the messages, Shen Xuzhi glanced over at the person sitting beside him.

Qing Lin’s expression shifted slightly. He closed the message window as fast as he could, then tucked the phone away like nothing had happened.

So adorable.

Yet, what Qing Lin was really thinking in that moment was…I need to make money.

Nan Yu asked, “So, what’s our first task?”

Hong Shanyue said, “You all haven’t had breakfast yet, right?”

“Nope.”

“I thought we’d be eating here!”

“Rowan Island is well known for its rich cuisine, especially the local breakfast dishes. Qi Long tea, clay bowl steamed rice, osmanthus and jujube glutinous cakes, and steamed buns from traditional southern hearths are all made using age-old methods to fully bring out the natural flavors of each ingredient. Now, please come forward and draw a task card. Your challenge is to make a delicious breakfast.”

Su Mingxuan mumbled softly, “Even breakfast is something we have to make ourselves…”

One by one, everyone stepped forward to pick their cards.

Qing Lin opened his and saw the task written on it.

Prepare clay bowl steamed rice by hand. Completing this task earns ten gold coins.

“Those who draw the same dish will form a team.”

[So, they’re grouping them randomly this round?]

[Please, heavenly gods, let Su Mingxuan and Ning Yian be in the same team! They give off total dumb-couple vibes.]

[I can’t believe I actually want to see Xu-ge and Qing Lin together. Am I losing my mind?]

When Qing Lin looked down at the card in his hand, an uneasy feeling crept over him.

Sure enough, as he lifted his head, Shen Xuzhi was already standing in front of him.

“I’m clay-pot rice. What about you?” Shen Xuzhi asked.

Qing Lin sighed inwardly, accepting his fate. The task came first, after all. “Same here.”

Shen Xuzhi looked quite pleased. “Then, please take care of me.”

The teams were finalized. Qing Lin and Shen Xuzhi were assigned to “Clay Pot Rice.” Jiang Wen and Su Mingxuan got “Qi Long Tea.” Ning Yian and Nan Yu were tasked with “Osmanthus and Jujube Glutinous Cake.” Qiao Weilan and Xu Jing would be making “Steamed Buns from the Southern Hearth.”

“But how are we supposed to cook anything? We don’t even have ingredients or tools,” Jiang Wen said, clearly at a loss as he looked around the empty beach.

“To recreate the authentic taste of Rowan Island’s local breakfast,” Director Hong explained, “you’ll be using the most traditional methods.”

“What you need to do first is—”

“Start a fire!”

Everyone was dumbstruck.

[Hahaha I’m going to die laughing.]

[This show is just an excuse to make people fall in love. Cooking is one thing, now they even have to start a fire by themselves.]

[Are we sure this is a romance program? Because it’s giving survival reality vibes.]

[Sister Wenwen looks like she’s one spark away from a breakdown, HAHAHAHA.]

“Alright, stop standing around like statues. One person from each team, step up and draw lots. The number you get matches a box of fire-starting tools. Some are easy, some are… not. Let’s see what you end up with. Good luck.”

Shen Xuzhi tilted his head slightly and asked in a soft voice, “Do you want to draw, or should I?”

Qing Lin thought for a moment. “You do it.”

Shen Xuzhi said, “I don’t have much luck. If I end up drawing a bad one, don’t blame me.”

Without thinking, Qing Lin blurted out, “Why would I ever blame you?”

Only after saying it did he realize it sounded a little too intimate. Sure enough, Shen Xuzhi gave him a meaningful smile.

[Why does this feel like couple energy? Can someone explain? Is this a hidden powerhouse trope or the queen-and-her-loyal-dog combo?]

[Ah Zhi suddenly acting all obedient.]

[I’m not saying anything, but the way those two stand next to each other is a little too charged. Is Shen Xuzhi even straight or what? This show is getting spicy.]

[No no no, someone keep Qing Lin away from him. Xu-ge shines just fine on his own, thanks.]

[Hey, you two! Quit chatting! Other teams have already finished picking their lots!]

Shen Xuzhi stepped forward and drew a lot. Their number was ‘Box Three’.
They carried it over to their designated spot.

“We have to get the fire going before we can gather ingredients, right?” Qing Lin asked for confirmation.

Shen Xuzhi nodded. “Hmmmm.”

“Then let’s get started. The sooner we finish, the sooner everyone gets to eat,” Qing Lin said as he opened the box.

The moment he saw what was inside, he paused.

Curious about Qing Lin’s reaction, Shen Xuzhi leaned over to take a look and fell silent too.
After a moment of silence, the two of them slowly pulled out a wooden stick and a fire-starting board.

“…”

“…”

To make things worse, the sound of other teams pulling out matches and lighters reached their ears. Nothing could be more outrageous.

Seriously?

Qing Lin couldn’t help but mutter, “…making fire by rubbing sticks together…”

He turned his head to look at Shen Xuzhi.

With an innocent look and a trace of helplessness, he quietly said, “You said you wouldn’t blame me.”