Mingchao: The Survival Journey of a Comedian

Chapter 62 No Early Romantic Relationships Allowed!

"Oh no... Where did Ji Yan get squeezed out of here?"

"The number of people here is completely different from what you see in the game! It's endless..."

"Does being tall make you superior? Don't discriminate against people who are only 1.6 meters tall..."

The dragon boat race arrived as scheduled. He was swept up in the surging crowd, anxiously searching for Ji Yan's figure, a wave of helpless sorrow washing over him.

They had arrived early, but before the show even started, they got separated in the crowded throng, unable to even hold each other's hands.

He stumbled out of the dense crowd and staggered to a clearing, leaning against a tree trunk to catch his breath. Looking around, he saw figures all over 1.7 meters tall, causing a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth. With a mixture of resentment and frustration, he abruptly kicked a small pebble into the bushes.

"Finally, I can free my hands to make a call... but Huo Huo should be fine here."

"I cried... Why am I only 16 meters tall at 16 years old in this world?!"

Just as he was about to take out his communicator to call, it rang first. He quickly answered, and sure enough, it was Ji Yan's voice.

"Teacher! Where are you now?"

"There are so many people here, I can't see where you got pushed around, teacher."

"well enough?"

Hearing the anxious voice on the other end of the phone, he actually felt relieved. At least from that familiar yet slightly flustered tone, he judged that the other person was safe, so he quickly replied, telling the other person to stay where they were while he went to find them.

"I'm fine too."

"Ji Yan, tell me what's around you, and I'll come find you."

A commotion came from the other end of the communication line, along with the faint sound of footsteps. After about ten seconds, the person finally spoke.

"There's a stall near me that sells pufferfish plush toys."

"There's a small truth or dare activity spot a little further nearby..."

"Hmm... there were a lot of older brothers and sisters gathered there."

Hearing this, he quickly looked up and glanced around. Although it was still packed with people, it was clear that someone was organizing things. To the west, he spotted a large group of couples showing off their affection.

"..."

The single guy was hit hard, so he decided to see if there were any stalls selling pufferfish plush toys nearby...

Very well, he had finally spotted the figure that had been troubling him for so long: the blue hair stood out conspicuously in the crowd, and the young man looked around helplessly, clearly searching for him as well.

"Ji Yan! I'm here!"

"I am coming over now!"

At this moment, Ji Yan anxiously looked around. After being separated from his group by the crowd, a sense of panic welled up inside him. However, surrounded by a sea of ​​people, his view was blocked by many tall figures. No matter how hard he stood on tiptoe and strained his eyes, he could not find that familiar figure.

After finally finding a slightly empty spot, he made a call, only to hear his teacher tell him to stay put and that the other person was coming to find him. Having no other option, he could only briefly explain his surroundings and remain where he was.

"Hey, young man, are you here alone for the dragon boat race?"

"Are you still waiting for the adults? How about we buy a pufferfish plush toy to play with?"

His thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the cries of a vendor beside him. Turning around, he saw the stall owner eagerly asking if he wanted to buy anything. A flicker of interest crossed his mind, but when he glanced up at the price tag hanging high above, he fell silent.

This amount of money is probably equivalent to half a month's salary for him!

Just as he was about to refuse, someone patted his shoulder. The familiar sensation made him tremble instantly. Turning around, he saw the figure he had been thinking about for so long.

"What are you looking at...?"

"A pufferfish?"

He pulled the somewhat flustered Ji Yan aside, and upon seeing what was being sold behind them, he instantly understood—no wonder he's a die-hard fan of Gugu Fugu!

Seeing the person next to him want it but seemed hesitant, he nodded nonchalantly, ready to buy one as a gift. But then he saw the price, and his heart sank.

"How many?"

No, if he actually bought it at that price, he'd probably be eating dirt for half a month... even though he wouldn't need to eat anything anyway.

But these prices are outrageous! He just bought a camera not long ago, and this is really going to empty his wallet!

"The dragon boat races are a rare event, so this price is very reasonable!"

"No bargaining"

"Ji Yan, let's go! I think that Truth or Dare stall over there looks pretty good."

"...I'll come back later."

Ha, judging from his judgment, the other party will be selling here for at least a while. He doesn't believe that the other party won't lower the price when they come to buy when they're about to close up shop!

One shell coin is still money!

Ji Yan breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that his teacher hadn't made any impulsive purchases; after all, the teacher's salary wasn't much higher than his own. Not to mention that most of the money was spent on upgrading the soldiers' equipment…

His teacher always easily forgets himself

"Huh? It's rare to see two boys using this booth!"

"Underage? Huh? No... they've gone this far?"

"Hiss... to raise...?"

To divert attention, he dragged Ji Yan to this stall, only to realize that they were now in a romantic relationship.

The fact that two minors were inside did seem rather out of place.

"Um... I'm his teacher, but we're not in that kind of relationship!"

"Oh, I get it, I get it, teacher-student relationship, I've seen that."

"..."

Looking at the woman before him, whose smile grew even wider, he and those around him simultaneously wore speechless expressions. They felt a sense of helplessness akin to a widow caught in a web of fabricated rumors.

Keep in mind that he and everyone around him are minors! His student is only 10 years old!

Seeing that the other person was about to rush up and argue with him, the stall owner quickly covered half of his face with his fan and smiled. He hurriedly explained...

"Okay, okay... I misunderstood, I misunderstood."

"However, since you two aren't in that kind of relationship... then your coming to my stall must have some other reason."

"Isn't this just a truth or dare game booth? What else could it be?"

The stall owner, squinting at the oblivious person before him, knew this was their first time there. Without saying anything, he moved the instrument resembling a little yellow duck from his table, revealing a covered text message.

Are you still suffering because you've been away from your loved one for too long and can't get closer to them?

Are you troubled because you don't understand your loved one's true feelings?

Come on! Technology at your service! The Little Yellow Duck lie detector, a masterpiece from a research institute!

[Guaranteed accurate testing, decades of dedicated service, solving countless couples' problems! Hundreds of professionally verified cases!]

[Includes a cute little interactive element!]

"..."

"Oh dear, you two look quite confused~"

"My stall has been here since the early days of the dragon boat race... It's specifically for helping those soldiers who have been stationed at the border for too long and can't be with their loved ones when they return home at night..."

"I understand that this gentleman doesn't seem to understand, after all, this is the first time I've seen you."

"But the person next to you... I saw him last year!"

Silently, he turned his gaze to Ji Yan, who was clutching his clothes tightly. Seeing the other's head bowed, staring intently at the ground, as if deep in thought, he slowly narrowed his eyes. Then, without hesitation, he reached out and gently tapped Ji Yan's forehead.

"Avoid fire..."

Avoid inflammation: (due to a weak heart)

Why didn't you remind me of this? This stall isn't suitable for a 10-year-old like you!

"Come back when you're an adult...and..."

The other person's gaze seemed to pierce right through him, as if they had realized something. He trembled instantly, unsure how to react.

Has something been discovered?

Minors are not allowed to date!

"That's not love, it's just the hazy infatuation of adolescence... You're not capable of taking responsibility for him right now..."

"You can become a better version of yourself for that person, but you can't hold yourself and that person back..."

Good news: Wood is starting to understand.

Bad news: Not much, and the direction is wrong.

He tidied his hair, which had been ruffled by the other man, and looked up at Mo Wunian, who had already taken his hand and was about to lead him away. A strange feeling, rarely felt, stirred within him: the dead-eyed duck on the table seemed to have made a decision.

"Avoid flames?"

"Teacher...please play with me for a bit."

His pupils dilated suddenly, and he nearly stumbled and fell. His body swayed involuntarily, and he reached up to touch his forehead, looking at the stubborn child before him, his voice trembling slightly.

"No...you're only ten years old this year, aren't you?"

"You've already sensed it so early?!"

"No! Teacher, I didn't... I just..."

"Don't explain anymore. I knew you'd been acting strange lately. Well... so that's what happened."

"If you really dare to delay them, I'll break your legs myself!"

Seeing the person before him so helpless, on the verge of tears again, he didn't soften this time. Instead, he became even more certain of his thoughts:

My well-behaved, sensible, polite student with a bright future is already having thoughts of early romance!

This is truly his fault as a teacher! He failed to educate his students properly!

To be honest, he was a little envious of the person who was chosen.

Meanwhile, the stall owner, an outsider, sighed silently as he watched the two struggling: a duel between a piece of wood and a piece of steel was truly boring to watch!

One was interested but too young to be sure, while the other was completely unaware and even guessed the wrong direction...

Let her, being a kind person, investigate these two people!

"Ahem... Why don't you two have some fun first?"

"While this is more geared towards couples, other people can also enjoy it!"

After inwardly groaning that his own cabbage had inadvertently roamed over other cabbages, he finally gave in, seeing the other's still unyielding gaze.

Looking up at the sky, powerless, sighing, bowing one's head, looking at people, patting one's head, giving instructions.

"Alright, avoid fire."

"I don't care about anything else."

"But you absolutely must not influence the other person before you are an adult, especially when it comes to confessing your feelings!"

"Absolutely not!"

It's alright. Anyone chosen by a student he raised shouldn't be too bad off. They shouldn't be so blind as to be indiscriminate in their tastes... Just don't be like that general who was content with nothing.

And he was also very curious about who could be chosen by the other party, since the game's storyline didn't point to it at all!

My gaze slowly shifted to the duck that looked a bit silly. I wasn't sure how accurate the lie detector was, but giving it a try shouldn't hurt.

Sitting down at the stall, silently gazing at the clever-looking little yellow duck in front of me, I suddenly regretted it: This thing doesn't look reliable, and it can easily affect the trust between people!

"Don't stare like that~ This is a product from the research department with an accuracy rate of 99%!"

"There are many success stories. Look over there, they successfully got a couple to know each other inside and out..."

Looking in the direction the other person was pointing, you could indeed see... a couple who might have been lovers arguing.

"Gu Yuchen! Between me and her, who do you choose?"

"I...I choose Cha Cha."

"Tea...Tea!"

"You love her that much?!"

After a long silence, he abruptly turned Ji Yan's face back. Then, he covered the other's ears with both hands, his lowered eyes meeting those questioning golden pupils. Faced with such a gaze, he could only offer an awkward smile.

"...Minors should not listen to or watch this."

"It has a negative impact"

Ignoring the confused looks on the faces of those around him, he quickly gestured for them to explain the rules and began.

The stall owner, observing the flustered yet concerned expression on the other person's face, smiled faintly. He took out a bamboo tube and a pair of dice from behind his back, placed them in front of him, and briefly explained the rules.

"It's simple, just bet on dice, bet on big or small."

"There are 12 points in total. Anything below 6 is considered 'small,' and anything above 6 is considered 'big.'"

"The two of you can bet on the size or the big bet based on your gut feeling."

"If the side that bets on the higher stakes wins, they can let the other side draw a 'Dare' card from the box."

"If the side that bets less wins, they draw a truth card from the box."

"Of course, if neither side bets correctly, then each person draws one card."

"If the person telling the truth lies, they'll have to draw a penalty card!"

"Don't worry, it's all just... oops, it's not excessive!"

Seeing the other person's hesitant expression, clearly implying something more, he knew things weren't simple. But seeing the eager look on the faces of those around him, he could only go along with it.

Anyway, the whole point of coming out today is to play along with their antics!

"Let's start the betting!"

Although he wasn't very lucky, he still managed to win so many revival matches!

"I'll bet big!" "I'll bet small."

With a small hand outstretched, the bamboo tube slowly opened.

We lost by 5 points, precisely at the crucial moment.

"...quite a coincidence."

"Oh dear... it seems this gentleman's luck with gambling isn't very good."

"Come on, little one, draw a slip of paper and ask your dear teacher a question!"

Watching the other person slowly reach into the box to pull out a slip of paper, he shook his head helplessly and immediately started to give up: he had already seen this kind of thing happen in his past life—gambling until you have nothing left, losing everything.

He'd accepted the loss, that was fine. He wasn't someone who couldn't take a loss lightly. As long as it wasn't a particularly sensitive issue, he was willing to tell the other party.

After all, he had already revealed almost all of his secrets.

"Teacher, who is the person you like?"

"I don't have anyone I like."

"Gah! You're lying! ↗↗↗"

The duck on the table suddenly quacked, its voice arrogant and disdainful, and its dead fish eyes stared at him, filled with distrust.

"..."

"..."

"Oh~"

He felt like a bunch of grass mud horses were running through his mind. Although his mental age was already over 20, his physical body was only 16!

One moment you're lecturing your students against early relationships, and the next you're doing the same thing yourself?

But he really doesn't have anyone he likes!

Damn artificial stupidity!