Chapter 160: The Cobra's Night Raid

Seeing Shen Qingqing’s tears falling faster and faster, Xu Yao continued to pour fuel on the fire, "You know, Teacher Bo is really something. It’s only the first day on the island, how can he be so fickle? I wonder who Teacher Bo cast his crush vote for? Is it Film Empress Jiang or Teacher Jiang?"

"And you always said Teacher Bo has been protecting you since you were twelve years old, so how could his affection be this fragile? The people in the livestream must be laughing their heads off right now. I bet quite a few are saying you were throwing yourself at him shamelessly and overestimating your capabilities, Qingqing. I really feel so sorry for you."

"Don’t be too sad. Although it was indeed very humiliating tonight, the rest of us didn’t know each other beforehand, so failing to match is completely normal. But you and Teacher Bo came over on the same helicopter..."

"Xu Yao, can you just shut up!"

Jiang Ciyou finally couldn't stand it anymore.

Xu Yao looked at Jiang Ciyou with a provocative expression. "Teacher Jiang, I’m comforting Qingqing. Is it any of your business?"

"Do you call that comforting? You are clearly gloating over her misfortune."

Xu Yao crossed her arms and walked right up to Jiang Ciyou. "Teacher Jiang, stop playing the good guy here. Besides, everything I said is the truth. How is that gloating? Qingqing and I are friends; I am clearly comforting her."

Jiang Ciyou sat up and sneered, "Oh really? Since you and Qingqing are friends, then tell me, who did you cast your crush vote for?"

"I... I... Who I cast my crush vote for is none of your business!"

"You cast your crush vote for Bo Jinxiu. With your mouth, you call Qingqing sister this and sister that, but behind her back, you actually want to steal the man she fancies."

Xu Yao's expression changed. "Jiang Ciyou, stop framing me. How do you know my crush vote was cast for Teacher Bo?"

Jiang Ciyou said, "You forgot, I was the last one to go in. I saw everything."

"You're lying! How could you possibly see?"

"Forgot to tell you, there is a hole at the bottom of that iron box, and the cards inside can be taken out directly."

Xu Yao panicked completely.

Moreover, Jiang Ciyou spoke with a tone of absolute certainty from beginning to end, and Xu Yao knew she could no longer keep up the act.

"So what if you saw? That's right, my crush vote was cast for Teacher Bo. This is a dating variety show after all, and the rules allow us to interact with different male guests. It's my freedom to vote for Teacher Bo. Is that a crime?"

Shen Qingqing was utterly stunned.

She raised her head and looked at Xu Yao with an incredulous expression.

She never expected that a friend who kept comforting her, telling her how envious she was and how supportive she was, would actually think like this behind her back.

Jiang Ciyou looked at Shen Qingqing. "Remember this true face. Open your eyes wider in the future and don't make friends with this kind of person."

Xu Yao completely snapped. "Jiang Ciyou, what's so great about you? Then tell me, who did you cast your crush vote for? Wasn't it Teacher Bo?"

Jiang Ciyou said, "I wouldn't vote for him even if I gave my vote to anyone else!"

Xu Yao chuckled coldly. "Oh great, since you saw everyone's votes, then tell me how the others voted. I want to see who is so much more noble than whom!"

Jiang Ciyou suddenly laughed. She sat lazily on the edge of the bed like a newly awakened cat, her voice carrying a casual, carefree tone.

"Sorry, I was just lying to you earlier. The production crew isn't stupid enough to let the guests see the votes."

Xu Yao froze for a moment, then flew into a rage. "Jiang Ciyou, you played me!"

Jiang Ciyou said indifferently, "It's just that you're too stupid."

Furious to the point of collapse, Xu Yao pointed a trembling finger at Jiang Ciyou. "Don't get too smug, Jiang Ciyou. You won't come to a good end if you offend me."

Jiang Ciyou couldn't be bothered to pay attention to her. She simply lay back down and went to sleep.

Shen Qingqing sat on the bed, her body curled up.

She still couldn't quite figure it out.

Why didn't Fourth Uncle cast his crush vote for her?

Among the people on the island, weren't the two of them the closest?

Even if it were like Si Yufeng and Jiang Se—there was no romantic ambiguity between them whatsoever—purely out of friendship and because they were the most familiar with each other, they would still vote for one another.

Could it be that on this island, Fourth Uncle had already met someone who made his heart flutter?

Was it Film Empress Jiang?

Surely it couldn't be Xu Yao.

The only person Shen Qingqing did not suspect was Jiang Ciyou.

First, she could tell that the two women had a terrible relationship.

Second, it was obvious that Shen Yibai liked Jiang Ciyou; Fourth Uncle couldn't possibly be interested in his nephew's crush.

Shen Qingqing desperately wanted to go out and find Bo Jinxiu to ask for a clear explanation.

Yet she lacked the courage.

In truth, for all these years, the relationship between them wasn't quite what outsiders rumored it to be.

Fourth Uncle did look out for her.

Everyone knew she was the apple of Fourth Uncle's eye.

Only she knew the truth.

The relationship between her and Fourth Uncle hadn't reached the stage of romantic love.

In fact, she had always assumed, just like the rumors outside, that Fourth Uncle was simply waiting for her to grow up.

He was clearly so good to her.

Such a cold and distant person like him treated only her differently.

All these years, he had never been entangled in any scandals with other women.

Yet she still felt something was amiss.

There was no intimate physical contact between them.

Not even the simple gesture of holding hands.

However, she had already fallen in love with Fourth Uncle.

A very, very long time ago.

Now that she was an adult, she wanted to close the distance between them.

Shen Qingqing suddenly felt completely helpless.

The night was already deep.

Here on this island, they had no communication devices like mobile phones.

She had no idea what time it was.

Xu Yao and Jiang Ciyou had long since fallen asleep.

Yet she couldn't sleep no matter what.

Shen Qingqing decided to go outside for a walk.

But just as she was about to get up, a hissing sound suddenly echoed from the darkness.

The sound grew closer and closer, making one's hair stand on end.

A small skylight was left open on the tent.

At this moment, however, the moon was obscured by clouds.

The interior of the tent was pitch black.

Shen Qingqing had no idea what was actually going on.

She got up, intending to go over and check.

Suddenly, the moon broke out from behind the clouds.

A bright beam of moonlight shone in through the transparent small skylight at the top of the tent, landing directly in the center of the tent.

It happened to illuminate the culprit that had just been making that hissing sound.

It turned out to be a giant cobra.

Its body was a deep, dark green, with a flattened head and a striking black marking just above its eyes on both sides.

Its scales were tight and smooth, reflecting a faint glint of light.

At this moment, it was raising its head and slithering toward the side of Jiang Ciyou's bed.

In that fraction of a second, Shen Qingqing's blood froze in terror.

Her pupils dilated sharply, her limbs stiffening.

"Ah—!"

A piercing scream shattered the tranquility of the night.

"A snake! There's a snake! Sister Jiang, wake up quickly!"

Shen Qingqing had finally snapped back to her senses.

She desperately tried to warn Jiang Ciyou.

Xu Yao was also woken up by the commotion.

Hearing that there was a snake, she reacted immediately and then saw the snake raising its head by Jiang Ciyou's bedside.

At that very moment, it was only thirty centimeters away from Jiang Ciyou's face...