The venue for the sports competition was held in Yuquan Village.
This was the only condition requested by the Lu Group's Ren Wo You project, which would sponsor 5 million yuan for the development of the winning village.
The production team had no reason to refuse.
Director Zheng Mingchang made a grand gesture by hiring three large buses for that day.
Not only did he have the five guests and their cameramen board the buses, but he also brought along every available villager from Hengshan Village to travel to Yuquan Village, over 40 kilometres away.
Yuquan1, lived up to its name.
Unlike Hengshan2, which was surrounded by mountain landscapes, Yuquan's main feature was its springs.
As early as two years ago, Yuquan Village had sought to join in tourism development to boost the village’s income.
They no longer wanted to rely solely on agriculture for their livelihood.
So, in addition to their natural springs, they specifically dug artificial hot spring pools.
Although not yet fully developed, the village was already seeing a steady stream of visitors from nearby areas coming for vacations during holidays.
This time, the Lu Group's investment in Yuquan's tourism project had the whole village, young and old, bursting with joy.
News of the 150 million yuan investment spread like wildfire from household to household.
Everyone began to imagine a future where every family could earn money through agro-tourism and charging visitors.
They would no longer have to get up before dawn to work in the fields!
"Yuquan, victory is ours!" All the villagers of Yuquan were in high spirits.
As the three buses for Chasing Dream arrived at the entrance of Yuquan Village, a resounding, orderly chant rang out.
Bao Ruanruan, who had been drowsy, was startled awake. She rubbed her sleepy eyes and looked out the window.
What she saw made her instantly wide awake.
This is terrifying.
More than twenty tanned-skinned men, wearing tank tops that exposed their muscular arms, stood in a line below.
Their faces were filled with fierce determination.
"Yuquan! Victory is ours! Victory! Victory!"
Bao Ruanruan's small mouth fell open.
Even Director Zheng Mingchang was taken aback, but he quickly turned to rally the five guests. "The enthusiasm of Yuquan's people is off the charts! Do our guests have confidence?"
Nope.
Bao Ruanruan blinked.
She chose to close her fragile eyes.
She completely ignored Zheng Mingchang's expectant gaze.
The moment he looked over, her gaze went the other way.
Zheng Mingchang: "???"
To those who didn’t know better, they might have thought she was just paddling in the water3.
Who wasn't a thousand-year-old demon4... Bah, he had watched her from Weekend to Restaurant, so he knew exactly what she was capable of... and she was even putting on an act now!
Zheng Mingchang didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
However, Baor Ranruan wasn't just putting on an act. She quickly showed everyone she was serious about paddling in the water3.
As soon as she got off the bus, she disappeared.
The assistant director announced the order of the competition, "Teacher Lan Zhi will go first... The third shooting round for Teacher Bao Ruanruan..."
When he mentioned Bao Ruanruan, he turned around to look at her.
But then he was left speechless.
Lan Zhi, Cheng Yao, Lu Wenyao, and Xiao Mengfei... After these four, there was no one else standing in line.
"Teacher Bao Ruanruan?"
"Teacher Bao Ruanruan, where are you?"
Bao Ruanruan, helpless, wriggled out a hand from under the protection of a group of elderly grandparents, "I'm here~"
Assistant director: "....."
What are you doing there!
That's the audience area for Hengshan Village!
But Bao Ruanruan felt safe under the protection of the Hengshan villagers.
After all, this was Yuquan Village's territory.
With a single shout, the man from Yuquan Village had gathered a hundred people to the venue.
Twenty men could immediately swarm and beat up one person from Hengshan Village.
"There's strength in numbers."
She wanted to be with the Hengshan villagers.
Bao Ruanruan had a point, but in the end, she was still dragged out by the assistant director.
"Teacher Bao, this small shed is the resting place for the athletes. Please don't go over to the audience."
Bao Ruanruan's expression immediately fell.
Yuquan Village had a primary school.
They temporarily requisitioned it as the competition venue.
In front of the two teaching buildings was the playground where the children did their morning exercises.
At the edge of the playground was a traditional plastic school track.
Further out was a two-storey grandstand.
At the moment, the villagers from Hengshan Village, who came in three buses to watch the fun, were all sitting on the left side of the grandstand.
The right side and the centre, on the other hand, were already occupied by the villagers of Yuquan.
Each village had sent five athletes, and a makeshift shade structure had been erected in front of the grandstand.
The athletes sit inside and wait to be called.
As there were only five individual rounds and three team rounds, it wouldn't take long to finish.
"Teacher Bao, you can chat with the villagers after the competition is over," the assistant director urged repeatedly.
Bao Ruanruan felt a tightness in her chest.
[Hahahaha]
[Chitchatting won't earn you any points today, Bao Ruanruan. Please adjust your attitude.]
[Finally, she can't cheat! Seeing Bao Ruanruan's sad expression, I'm laughing so hard, sorry hhhh5]
[Haha, is your half-step back gesture serious?]
[Cheer for Ruanruan! I'm also looking forward to Brother Lu's performance. He was the champion of the junior equestrian competition, and he is also good at tennis, table tennis, and dancing.]
[Xiao Xiaozi, be careful today!]
[I can't wait to see which event Sister Lan Zhi will participate in.]
[I hope Brother Cheng will get new inspiration today and write a passionate sports song~]
The live-stream audience instantly got into the spirit.
The barrage flew.
Obviously, they have renewed expectations for the show, and the freshness is back.
"Please go to the school classroom to change your clothes, and we will gather in ten minutes."
The athletes in front of the camera were all given sports uniforms and shoes sponsored by Pengmai.
The girls all wore peach pink tracksuits.
The boys wore light blue.
Bao Ruanruan accepted her outfit but didn't leave right away. "Do you have any wristbands?"
[Come on, you're only doing a shooting event.]
[Hahaha, classic! ‘The worse the student, the more stationery they carry'—it's not just a myth.]
[Worse student? Sis, did you skip an episode?]
[I'm dying. Whoever called her a bad student, don't leave in an hour—I'll be interviewing you.]
[Director Team: What's a fair competition? It means making sure that Bao Ruanruan doesn't take part in any running events. Shooting? We're playing for accuracy, got it?]
One simple question from Bao Ruanruan sent the livestream chat into a frenzy.
Everyone had seen her athleticism during previous rescues, so no one doubted she had been on track and field teams from elementary school to university.
Still, when she asked, one of the staff handing out the outfits—a tall male representative of the sponsoring brand, about six feet tall and wearing a mask—paused thoughtfully before motioning her over.
"We do."
He retrieved several new wristbands from a suitcase behind him and laid them neatly on the table.
There were pink, blue, striped, black, and white wristbands.
"Pick whichever one you like."
Bao Ruanruan blinked and casually grabbed a pink one to try on her wrist.
"It's a bit loose."
She muttered as she rotated her wrist.
Her wrists were slim.
If the wristband was too big, it could easily slip off and compromise the joint protection.
She tried them one by one.
Until she found the white ones that fit perfectly.
Snug but not tight, it encircled her wrist just right, allowing full mobility while providing optimum joint support.
She grinned. "This one is great, thanks!"
The brand rep was momentarily stunned but then chuckled softly. "You're welcome."
Later, Lu Wenhao quickly picked a black one he liked, Cheng Yao chose blue, and Lan Zhi and Xiao Mengfei both opted for pink. None of them bothered to try them on; they just grabbed what they wanted and dashed off.
It was clear that Bao Ruanruan was the only one genuinely using the product.
All the others were just trying to match the colour of their outfits.
The brand rep adjusted the black-rimmed glasses on his nose and glanced at Bao Ruanruan's retreating figure.
He watched her for quite a while, only looking away when she disappeared down the corridor.
Then, he called out to someone nearby.
"Teacher Cheng Yao's size is a bit small. Switch it out for a larger one."
"And that girl surnamed Xiao—get her a smaller size."
After giving these instructions, the brand rep leaned against a wall in the corner, closed his eyes, and tuned out everything else happening on-site.
The outfit change took ten minutes.
Meanwhile, the production team switched the camera feed to the segment where they interviewed the elderlies of the two villages sitting on the grandstand.
[Why can't I, as a high-ranking VVIP, watch the outfit change segment?]
[What kind of misunderstanding do you have about me being a premium user? I want to see Brother Lu changing clothes!]
[Someone, you can cut the visuals but leave the mic on! At least let me hear what Xiao Xiao is doing.]
[Looking forward to Cheng Yao—does he still have his abs from three years ago?]
[@Director, it's so hot today; the boys don't even need to wear shirts. We're all family here after being together for so many episodes—don't be shy.]
[Production team, please interview the two male contestants! We demand to see those biceps and V-lines!]
[You're just one step away from cracking the code to wealth. You've already reached the outfit change segment... Why stop? Keep going!]
The chat was buzzing with all sorts of jokes.
Soon, two of the male contestants appeared first, along with two male athletes from Yuquan Village who had already changed into their sportswear.
From a distance, the two male contestants from Hengshan looked neat and tidy in their short-sleeved tops and long pants. The light blue sportswear made the two celebrities look like they had just stepped back into their campus senior days.
Lu Wenhao, with his indifferent expression, already had a youthful air about him.
The sportswear added a sense of innocence and vitality to him.
Cheng Yao, a typically quiet recording studio hermit, always exuded a calm presence.
Today, his soft, slightly curled bangs and black hair combined with the blue sportswear, made people want to call him ‘senior’ out loud.
[Help. I'm done for.]
[At first, I was going to complain about the long pants, but now... They look so good. I'm drooling.]
[Where did this campus senior come from? Awooo. Want to date?]
[My precious child doesn't date early. Shoo, shoo.]
The girls took a little longer to change.
They came out two minutes later than the boys.
But as soon as they appeared, the impatience of the livestream audience instantly vanished, replaced by an eruption of howls, louder than ever.
[Oh my gosh, Sister Lanzhi in pink—it's like we're back to her youthful days in Yellow Earth! I'm crying!]
[Help, Xiao Xiao! The chosen princess! Pink is your royal colour!]
[They're so cute, I can't even blink!]
[This entrance? I could watch it a hundred times!]
Lan Zhi, who had aged gracefully and was once a celebrated on-screen beauty, exuded a sense of intelligent confidence within her feminine charm.
Time had only deepened her allure.
At her age, she rarely wore pink anymore, often opting for black or white.
Today, though, her fans were thrilled to see her in pink again.
Behind her was Xiao Mengfei, at the prime age of 18—radiant and full of youthful energy. Pink was already a perfect match for her, but today, with her hair styled in two adorable buns, she was bursting with vitality and sending her fans into a frenzy.
Not just the livestream viewers but even the villagers in the stands were thoroughly enjoying the sight.
In the corner where Pengmai's brand rep stood, the man opened his eyes briefly to look at the girls.
His gaze quickly swept over Lan Zhi and Xiao Mengfei. Seeing no one else behind them, he shut his eyes again.
But just as he did, a flash of pink caught his attention.
For a moment, the scorching summer heat seemed to give way to the sweet scent of a ripe peach, forcing him to open his eyes wide.
_____
It was Bao Ruanruan who walked out.
She was wearing a peachy pink long-sleeved sports jacket over a matching pink T-shirt.
The neckline featured a specially designed creamy white stripe, about a thumb's width, which perfectly complemented her slender, swan-like neck.
The outfit was paired with a short skirt of a similar colour, the hem of which was lined with a faint white stripe that fell two to three centimetres above her slim, straight knees.
The skirt swayed slightly in the breeze as she walked.
Her legs looked long and graceful, like a deer darting out of the forest.
[This new Pengmai collection looks way too good!]
[Why does she make sportswear look like a designer brand?]
[Is this really a $100 sports outfit? Help, I'm placing an order right now!]
[I'm having trouble breathing—someone gets me oxygen!]
[I feel like something's tugging at my heartstrings!]
[Awooo, I've been holding back because my Brother Lu seems to clash with her, but I really just want to fawn over this little sister!
Her beauty keeps wrecking me again and again!
I'm losing it today—so hyped!]
[‘Losing it' is totally justified. This is her first time wearing a skirt!]
The chat instantly exploded.
It was then that the viewers realised.
Up until now, Bao Ruanruan had always worn long pants during the scorching heat of Chasing Dreams, covering herself completely.
No one had ever seen her... in a skirt.
Now that the comments section had pointed it out, everyone's gaze instinctively shifted below her slender waist.
Those long, slender, and perfectly straight legs, glowing white as if illuminated, stole the spotlight.
Her calves showed barely any extra flesh, her knees were dainty, and her delicate ankles, pale as snow, peeked out from beneath her white socks.
[These legs are taking up my phone's memory!]
[Screenshot! Screenshot!]
[Her body proportions are amazing!]
[Oh my gosh, who knew she'd look this stunning in a skirt? And those gorgeous legs have been hidden under tracksuit bottoms all this time? I'm speechless.]
Her already pale skin, enhanced by the pink tones of the fabric, glowed with a soft, rosy hue.
This made her large, watery eyes seem tinged with pink at the corners, giving her a fragile, endearing look from a distance.
She seemed like a delicate bird, seeking shelter.
Her swaying ponytail was tied up with a Pengmai hairband, black with embroidered pink stitching.
While her headband bore a bold word: "#Victory"
In an instant, her image shifted, radiating youthful energy—adorable and full of life.
"She's... perfect for this."
"It's like this outfit was designed just for her."
Pengmai's junior staff members couldn't help but sigh in awe.
One of them leaned over to the man in the black-rimmed glasses and mask. "Brother Yi, she really seems like a great fit as Pengmai's brand ambassador."
The man froze for a moment, adjusted his black-rimmed glasses, and a sharp glint flickered in his narrow, phoenix-like eyes.
"...Let's observe her for a bit more."
This man was Qian Hongyi, Pengmai's Brand Marketing Director.
Second in line of the direct Qian lineage.
Both in the company and at home, he had always been overshadowed by his eldest brother, Qian Hongfeng.
This time, the decision to provide outfits for the Chasing Dreams team and to invite Bao Ruanruan to do a voice-over promotion was all orchestrated by his eldest brother, Qian Hongfeng.
Why? Because their beloved younger sister, Xuezhou, had come running home in tears that day.
She trembled as she told them how she had narrowly escaped being bitten by a snake.
All thanks to Bao Ruanruan, who had saved her.
The whole Qian family was terrified at the thought of what might have happened.
After calming down, they pressed Xuezhou for details and felt overwhelming gratitude toward Bao Ruanruan.
If not for her intervention, who knew what might have happened?
Even though the snake had been defanged, it could still wrap itself around the victim and cause suffocation.
Xuezhou, panicked and frightened, could have been injured, or even worse.
But thanks to Bao Ruanruan's timely rescue, she emerged without a single scratch—not even a bruise.
All thanks to Bao Ruanruan!
The family was so grateful that they wanted to repay her.
Father Qian had originally planned to send her a gift directly.
But the eldest brother, Qian Hongfeng, suggested a different approach: using business resources to show their gratitude.
Since Bao Ruanruan was a celebrity, simply giving her a lump sum of money would be less valuable than offering her an equivalent opportunity for exposure and resources.
The family unanimously agreed with this suggestion.
Thus, Pengmai's sponsorship of Chasing Dreams and Bao Ruanruan's voiceover promotion came to be.
However—Xuezhou wasn't satisfied. She argued that a voiceover wasn't enough; she wanted Bao Ruanruan to become Pengmai's brand ambassador.
"Brothers, you didn't see it yourself. When she came to save me, she was even more incredible than Wonder Woman. She charged straight at that terrifying snake and subdued it, just like our brand's new slogan—‘I Can Do It, Without Limits!'"
"Second Brother, didn't you say you were looking for a young celebrity this year to boost our appeal to the younger market?"
Right.
That is right.
But Bao Ruanruan clearly wasn't the right person to attract the young market.
According to their research, she had reputational issues.
Hiring her as a spokesperson could damage the brand's image.
However, their younger sister wouldn't stop crying and throwing tantrums, leaving the entire family with splitting headaches.
Their eldest brother, Qian Hongfeng, was six years older than Xuezhou and an over-the-top sister-doting fanatic.
Over the years, his protectiveness had only intensified.
So when his sister cried and declared that her life wasn't worth as much as the risk of selecting a brand spokesperson, Qian Hongfeng couldn't bear it.
Nothing could compare to his sister's life.
Even if Bao Ruanruan was a risky celebrity, she was undeniably their family's lifesaver.
In the end, the eldest brother reluctantly agreed.
Three months as a brand ambassador.
If there were any negative effects, the contract would be terminated. If everything went smoothly without any bad press, they'd extend the contract to a year.
Only then did their younger sister, Qian Xuezhou, stop crying and smile.
But Qian Hongyi disagreed.
"We are a sports brand. Looking pretty isn't enough; she has this image of someone who could be swept away by just a gust of wind..."
Her presence was worlds apart from Pengmai's commitment to athletic excellence and the pursuit of limitless possibilities.
In the corner, Qian Hongyi took off his black-rimmed glasses and frowned.
As the second brother, he also doted on his younger sister.
But this time, he couldn't support her recklessness.
This was their family's most important brand, the legacy of multiple generations, and the result of countless artisans, researchers, and designers' hard work.
He couldn't let his sister's whims ruin it.
Qian Hongyi felt that giving Bao Ruanruan a voiceover spot was already the limit.
Therefore, he was against the ambassador deal.
As Pengmai's current Marketing Director, he had veto power!
However, he couldn't stand his younger sister's tears either.
That's why he came to the sports event on the Chasing Dreams set today—to give the one chosen by his younger sister, Bao Ruanruan, a chance to prove herself.
If Bao Ruanruan's performance during this sports event could convince him, he'd accept his sister's suggestion——to make Bao Ruanruan their spokesperson for a year.
But if she turned out to be fragile and delicate, completely incompatible with a sports image, then she could forget about it.
Qian Hongyi stood in the corner with his arms crossed.
His sharp phoenix eyes scrutinised Bao Ruanruan's every move.
At the centre of the field—
"Teachers, the competition has begun!"
"The first round is shot put!"
Under the organisation of the show’s assistant director, the first round of the competition quickly began.
The contestants took their positions.
Lan Zhi’s opponent was a woman from Yuquan Village, who was also in her forties.
The latter, accustomed to daily physical labour, was not to be underestimated in terms of strength.
The result was unsurprising.
The shot put distances were 3.5 metres and 6.6 metres respectively.
Lan Zhi suffered a crushing defeat.
Qian Hongyi shook his head and averted his gaze.
When he looked back at Bao Ruanruan, he saw her clapping joyfully.
Qian Hongyi: “...”
At least she had sportsmanship.
Friendship came first, competition second.
She even applauded her opponent's victory.
But what was the point? Losing so miserably wouldn’t help with anything.
Even sponsoring her to be the voiceover felt like a poor investment.
Qian Hongyi sighed, pulled out a chair, and sat down. Just then, the phone of the assistant who had run off earlier rang.
Excited, the assistant rushed back.
"Brother Yi, it's crazy! Our new women's jacket and skirt set is selling like crazy! All the small sizes are sold out!"
Qian Hongyi: "!"
"What?"
Because of this show?
How long had the show been aired since the contestants changed their clothes?
Qian Hongyi was stunned.
"Was it because of Teacher Lan Zhi's shot put... competition?" Qian Hongyi suddenly doubted everything he had learned about marketing at his Australian university.
The worse the performance, the better the sales?
"Brother Yi, wait, there's more!"
The assistant gasped again.
"The wristband Bao Ruanruan was wearing is sold out too!"
Qian Hongyi: "?"
The more she cheered for the opposing team, the better the sales?
He couldn't understand the logic of this generation of online shoppers.
The assistant showed him the phone screen.
"Look at the reviews on our flagship store on Taobao—"
[Here we go, here we go! You can always trust Bao Ruanruan. The jacket looks amazing, and the skirt makes it even cuter. I also bought the wristband.]
[Haha, this white wristband must be Pengmai's top model—it has Bao Ruanruan's quality endorsement after all, after she carefully picked through all the options!]
[Ever since I started following Bao Ruanruan's shopping choices, I feel like I'm living a healthier life~]
Healthier?
Qian Hongyi: "??"
"Brother Yi, the company just called. Bao Ruanruan's product endorsement ability has been rated as S-grade."
"Should we get her to wear our knee pads as well? There's a competition coming up—maybe she could try out our long pants version?"
"………?"
S-grade?
Qian Hongyi took off his black-rimmed glasses, his phoenix eyes flickering with disbelief.
He remembered that her Weibo followers hadn't even surpassed one million yet.
Her number of active fans might not even exceed ten thousand.
And yet, she was outselling Lan Zhi, a senior celebrity with forty million followers, in terms of product sales?
Qian Hongyi fell into deep thought.
Even so, Pengmai had principles.
No matter how well someone could drive sales, if he didn't fit in with the brand image, it was a no-go.
Brand integrity came first.
He frowned. "No need. No need to have her try any other styles."
Just as he finished speaking, the assistant director made an announcement:
"The shooting competition begins! Bao Ruanruan... First shot, total miss!"
Qian Hongyi let out a dry laugh.
As expected.
He was right.
Five minutes later, Bao Ruanruan walked to the centre of the field, her fair face scrunched up like a steamed bun.
Why do we have to shoot?
Why do we have to do something so dangerous?
"We've already lost this round!"
Lu Wenhao summed up bitterly.
After Lan Zhi's defeat, Xiao Mengfei also lost the 50-metre sprint to an 18-year-old girl from the village.
Yuquan: 100 points vs. Hengshan: 0 points.
Cheng Yao, a typical homebody with little muscle on him, was clearly bound to lose.
Lu Wenhao looked at Bao Ruanruan and shook his head.
"If you don't step up, we're definitely done for."
"The director said friendship comes first," Bao Ruanruan replied, blinking innocently.
Lu Wenhao: "..."
Even though the 5 million yuan prize would go to Yuquan Village, which his elder brother had invested in, and that would make his brother happy, he hadn't expected Yuquan Village to win so easily.
At first, he had been restless, debating whether deliberately throwing the match to let Yuquan win would be considered betraying his team and would make him feel guilty later.
But now... he didn't even need to throw the match!
In fact, his competitive spirit was starting to stir. He just hoped their Hengshan team wouldn't lose too miserably.
Out of the five rounds of competition, they couldn't lose all of them, could they?
At the very least, they had to win one round.
For Bao Ruanruan's shooting match, Lu Wenhao was both nervous and eager.
"And now, for the shooting competition, representing Yuquan Village, we have contestant Wang Dazhuang!"
"He's fifty years old and used to run a balloon shooting stall when he was younger!"
The assistant director chimed in.
Lu Wenhao's mouth twitched.
While the comment section erupted in laughter.
[I'm dying of laughter! A balloon shooting stall, of all things!]
[I knew it! There's no way the production team are getting real guns. Turns out they're toy guns!]
[LOL, the sports channel just turned into a kids' channel.]
[This reminds me of my childhood playing balloon shooting games and winning prizes.]
The staff brought in the props for the match.
It was a plastic board covered with fifty pink balloons.
They were arranged in an extravagant Chasing Dreams pattern. Each balloon was spaced ten centimetres apart.
"The rules for this round are simple: whoever pops the most balloons wins."
"Each contestant gets 30 shots."
When the 'guns' were handed out— it turned out they were just paintball guns.
Bao Ruanruan froze for a moment.
She suddenly felt... a bit more confident.
At first, she had thought they were real firearms.
Even though the balloon shooting stands seemed harmless, they were actually dangerous.
After all, any weapon capable of bursting the surface of a balloon used compressed air to fire, and the muzzle energy had to exceed 1.8 joules per square centimetre.
If this critical value was exceeded, a shot to the eyes at close range could cause irreversible blindness.
It was extremely dangerous and absolutely not a toy.
Previously, Bao Ruanruan had been completely opposed to participating.
But with paintball guns… she could do it.
For once, the production team showed some decency.
A sweet smile immediately bloomed on Bao Ruanruan's face.
The paintball gun was loaded with blue paint. As long as a balloon was hit, it would be marked with the paint colour.
"Alright, let the match begin!" the assistant director announced.
Bao Ruanruan cheerfully stepped forward and stood daintily next to the imposing uncle from Yuquan Village.
Just as the uncle was about to fire, Bao Ruanruan spoke up.
"Uncle, please don't point the gun at me, okay? I'll get scared. If the paint gets in my eyes, it'll hurt too!"
The uncle was briefly thrown off by her interruption, and his paintball gun went off course.
Lu Wenhao clenched his fist.
D*rn!
Finally, Bao Ruanruan's underhanded tactics came in handy!
He looked at her with newfound hope.
——Maybe it wasn't so bad to have her as a teammate.
——Even his moral standards seemed to have dropped a little (not that he'd admit it)!
Lu Wenhao's eye twitched.
But in the next moment, he froze.
The 'sneaky and manipulative' Bao Ruanruan he had imagined had taken the weapon from the staff...
And her whole demeanour changed.
What had been a delicate figure, swaying in the wind like a slender sapling, now stood tall and firm, like a white poplar rising from the ground.
Her back was straight and proud.
Her feet were placed naturally, shoulder-width apart.
Her presence was commanding and undeniable.
Then, she raised her snow-white right hand as she gripped the gun.
Her movement was so fluid and so precise as if she were slipping into a perfectly fitted glove.
It was seamless, confident, and shockingly adept—nothing like someone handling a gun for the first time.
As the sunlight bathed her fair, delicate face in a soft golden glow, it added an extra layer of solemnity and grace to her serious, focused expression.
This was a side of Bao Ruanruan that Lu Wenhao had never seen before.
He was stunned.
However... "Bao Ruanruan's first shot: a miss."
Lu Wenhao: "!"
What a paper tiger!
He had almost been fooled.
For a moment, he actually thought she might be a sharpshooting genius.
But nope… she was just faking it!
When he glanced at the balloon board which showed the results for both sides, he almost fainted.
The uncle she had distracted? His first shot missed a balloon by just one centimetre.
And Bao Ruanruan? Her first shot hit the bottom-left corner of the wooden board!
The distance between her shot and the nearest balloon? It might as well have been the other end of the world.
Lu Wenhao must have been drunk.
What had he been hoping for?
"Don't worry, Xiao Bao, do your best on the second shot!"
"Bao Bao, it's okay if you miss the second shot, you still have 28 more chances!"
Lan Zhi and Xiao Mengfei cheered enthusiastically.
Lu Wenhao: "..."
His teammates were probably monkeys in disguise.
This was hopeless.
Everything was going exactly as his elder brother had predicted.
Yuquan Village was destined to win.
The 5 million yuan prize money would be used to fund Yuquan Village's first development project.
Big Brother, as expected, your prediction was spot on.
Even the competitive fire in Lu Wenhao, the hope of losing with some dignity, had been completely extinguished.
He gave up.
But then—
"Bao Ruanruan's second shot: 1 point!"
Lu Wenhao: "?"
"Bao Ruanruan's third shot: 1 point!"
"Fourth shot... 1 point!"
"1 point!"
"Bao Ruanruan scores another 1 point, 1 point, 1. 1…"
Lu Wenhao: "???"
??
?
He instinctively reached for his ears.
He wasn't wearing headphones.
For a moment, he thought it was a glitch in his music… like when the signal cuts out!
He jerked his head up and looked at the assistant director acting as referee, only to see him holding up two hands:
"Bao Ruanruan, total score: 29!"
"Only the first shot missed!!"
Lu Wenhao: "Pfft..."
The ginger water in his mouth… sprayed out immediately.
He couldn't believe his eyes as he stared at the balloon board!
Sharing the same expression as him—so shocked that he even took off his black-rimmed glasses—was Peng Mai's second young master, Qian Hongyi!
In that brief moment, the two men seemed to be silently pondering the same philosophical question:
——
Thanks for the invitation, but nope.
Why not?
Because... there's Bao Ruanruan.
Shooting Competition
Bao Ruanruan hadn't even planned on winning.
To be honest, this statement could be said to be as genuine as a pearl.
But the moment she picked up the paintball gun, memories from her days in the game were instantly activated.
In the game 'How Many Days Can a Female Celebrity Survive?', her unlucky avatar—a struggling actress—had not only been shot at on set; she'd also been ambushed by robbers while filming in the Sahara.
Even though the player controlling her had managed to acquire the most advanced firearms in the game and had practised shooting beforehand, she still couldn't make it out of the ambush.
Game Over. Over and over again.
Even with her eyes closed, she could still vividly recall the nightmarish sound of the game's notification echoing in her head:
[Shooting proficiency 0.1%↑]
[Shooting proficiency 1.2%↑]
[Shooting proficiency 4.4%↑]
...
[Shooting proficiency 99.99%↑]
It took her nearly a hundred deaths before she finally mastered the shooting mechanics. Only then could she aim at the enemy under the player's guidance without losing accuracy and complete the level in one shot!
Bao Ruanruan took a deep breath.
She gripped the paintball gun.
Her body instinctively went into level one alert mode, as if she were back in the game.
Her muscles and bones tightened.
Her eyes locked on the 'enemy' in front of her.
She raised the gun. Then she aimed.
The rear sight notch, the front sight post, and the target aligned in a straight line.
She sensed a slight northbound crosswind, weak but present.
She adjusted her aim. She lowered the trajectory by 0.02mm.
Then she squeezed the trigger.
Fire!
"Bao Ruanruan, first shot—missed!"
Bao Ruanruan: "???"
She snapped back to reality, blinking in confusion.
She looked at the blue paint splatter dripping out of the gun barrel.
".….."
She had forgotten that this was a paintball gun.
She had forgotten that this was a peaceful world.
Bao Ruanruan let out a soft, sweet sigh, her lips curling into a light laugh.
She playfully patted her snow-white forehead.
"I really am such a fool."
[OMG, you finally realise it! That miss was hilarious, hahaha!]
[She's embarrassed, isn't she? I mean, the target is five metres away, how could she miss by that much? I'm crying with laughter.]
[I was honestly expecting her to shine again this round. Turns out, she's a track-and-field athlete, not a sharpshooter after all.]
[@production team, the celebrity team from Hengshan Village has lost three matches in a row! Are the rest even worth playing? Save us!]
The comments section was full of jokes at first. But soon, everyone started to worry about the celebrity team.
After following Chasing Dreams for so long, while the viewers liked to tease the guests, they'd grown attached to them. Compared to the unfamiliar team members from Yuquan Village, the celebrities felt like family.
They wanted the celebrity team to win!
Now that every event seemed to give points to the opposing team, the audience became increasingly anxious.
Meanwhile, in the live audience stands, villagers from both sides were in heated discussions.
Yuquan Village erupted into applause:
"Another 50 points! Old Wang is doing great—keep it up!"
"Send Hengshan Village packing!"
The Hengshan villagers weren't having any of it, and fought to keep their representative's morale up:
"Girl, adjust your aim, aim higher this time!"
But some of the elders couldn't help their nerves as they expressed their fears:
"Sigh, if we lose again, that's it. We're done for."
"Yeah, this round is critical. If we fail, it's over."
"Ah, being crushed by Yuquan Village like this… there's no hope. Let's just hope we lose with some dignity."
Done.
Over.
No hope.
Lose.
...
Bao Ruanruan had planned to take it easy.
But after hearing the villagers' words, she suddenly trembled.
Her mind tensed.
No! I can't lose!
Her hand moved instinctively!
—She adjusted her aim based on the direction of her previous miss.
—Then she realigned her horizontal line of sight.
—Adjustment complete.
—Her right hand brushed against her Victory headband.
—She raised the gun!
—Bang!
Bright blue paintballs shot out, like sharp swords slicing through the air.
They streaked toward the balloon wall five metres away!
The blue paint hit the edge of the central balloon in the "C" position!
"Phew." Bao Ruanruan let out a small sigh of relief.
[!]
[Whoa! She hit it! Is her luck finally turning?]
[At least it's not a total loss! Mom can relax now.]
[Wait, does Bao Ruanruan have mom fans now?]
[Hehe, you caught me—I am! (shy)]
[Gasp, same here! Let's shake hands. She's just so adorable! (Don't yell at me; if you do, it's your fault!)]
The live chat went completely off the rails.
What was supposed to be an intense shooting competition had suddenly turned into a fan club meeting.
After all, it was clear that Bao Ruanruan had only barely managed to hit one balloon. Her aim was still way off!
But then—
Pop.
Pop.
Pop, pop.
Pop-pop-pop-pop.
The rapid sound of paint hitting balloons echoed through the microphones, flooding the live stream.
The fan chat froze in mid-conversation.
[!]
[??]
The camera panned to reveal Bao Ruanruan's delicate and fragile face, now filled with deadly determination.
Unprecedented focus radiated from her expression, a steely resolve paired with an unmistakable intent to destroy her target. It hit viewers like a tidal wave through the screen.
On the balloon wall...
The balloons were arranged to form the words Chasing Dreams...
The 29 central balloons, one after another, had all been hit.
From left to right.
The blue paint splattered across the balloons, moving from the edges to the centre as her accuracy improved.
By the time she hit the last balloon for the character Dream (梦), the paint landed as perfectly as if it had been fired into the 10.0 ring of an Olympic shooting target.
[!]
[!!]
[???]
[Just asking quietly... Bao Ruanruan, are you sure you're not an escaped Olympic athlete?]
Author's Note:
Ruanruan: I've cleared the level!
Footnotes Full List
- yù (玉)= jade, quán (泉) = spring
- héng (横) = horizontal; transverse/, shān (山) = mountain
- Chinese phrase: (popular Internet slang) to be lazy or indolent (at work))Chinese phrase: (popular Internet slang) to be lazy or indolent (at work)
- This phrase is often used metaphorically in Chinese to describe someone as being highly experienced, cunning, or seasoned.
- stands for 哈哈哈 (hāhāhā), the Chinese equivalent of 'Laughing Out Loud'- Pandanese!
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