Chapter 17

With Ning Xi’s level, does she even need someone to teach her?

Qin Fengyi was in disbelief. “Didn’t Ning Xi say she hadn’t surfed in ages?!”

Of course, Ning Xi, who was far out on the water, couldn’t hear Qin Fengyi’s question.

She was already having the time of her life.

“Pigeons fly by instinct, and freedom is something etched into a person’s bones,” Shen Yibai said softly.

Qin Fengyi turned to look at Shen Yibai, only to discover that Shen Yibai’s gaze had been on Ning Xi from beginning to end.

A fleeting sense of strangeness flashed through Qin Fengyi’s mind, but it vanished before he could grasp it.

The next second, he was completely drawn in by Ning Xi out on the waves.

While surfing, Ning Xi moved with elegance and power, completely at one with the ocean.

Sunlight shimmered on the sparkling surface of the sea, and her fair skin seemed to glow with a golden radiance.

Amidst the rolling surf, Ning Xi once again rediscovered that exhilarating, liberating sense of freedom she hadn’t felt in so long.

For a moment, she forgot about being abandoned by her adoptive parents, used as a stepping stone by her company, and turned into a stranger by her fiancé of many years-all those unhappy things.

All she felt was pure excitement!

“Ahhh, she can do a backflip?! Is that board glued to her feet?!” Qin Fengyi was completely hyped.

And the Netizens in the livestream chat were even crazier than Qin Fengyi.

[Ahhh lao gong jie!!! (fan chant)]

[Ning! Xi! Can! Actually! Surf!]

[Puppy Ning! Is there anything you can’t do?!]

[I’m pregnant-take responsibility! It’s not easy for a guy like me to get pregnant.]

[The vitality and freedom bursting from her soul are absolutely captivating.]

[As a surfing fan: that backflip looked hard, and honestly, it’s not easy at all.]

[Let’s put it this way, her core is harder than my life.]

[Every time I see Ning Xi so full of life, even a corpse would feel warm. I really love Puppy Ning. Watching her, I feel like I’m lit up too, burning bright.]

After their initial shock, Ning Xi’s fans had already grown used to it.

Following Ning Xi for so long, being amazed had become an everyday thing.

The fans skillfully started recommending Ning Xi’s various legendary “tough-girl feats” in the comments:

During an outdoor variety show, she caught a snake with her bare hands.

At a haunted house with her teammates, she pretended to be a ghost and scared the NPCs to tears.

During a team-arranged livestream, she was so energetic that the fans watching fell asleep before she did.

…And so on.

She’s basically a house-wrecking Samoyed.

That’s also why Ning Xi’s true fans affectionately call her “Puppy Ning.”

Amidst all the barrage of amazement at Ning Xi’s surfing, one comment stood out from the rest.

[Kalpana! You’re finally surfing again! You’re amazing! I’m so proud of you!]

Some people noticed the unfamiliar name Kalpana and were a bit puzzled.

Until one of Ning Xi’s longtime fans pointed out:

[I remember when Ning Xi first debuted, she used the English name Kalpana, but it was hard to pronounce, so later she changed it to Ningning. That comment was probably about Ning Xi, right?]

The commenter quickly replied:

[Yes, yes, I became her fan because of Kalpana at a surfing competition in Hawaii five years ago! When she surfs, she’s like a glowing little mermaid. Unfortunately, after winning that championship, Kalpana never competed again. It wasn’t until I saw Kalpana dancing on YouTube that I realized she’d become a superstar. I’ve always been a Kalpana fan! But it’s a shame I live in Hawaii. Even when I travel to Xiangcheng, I’ve never seen Kalpana!]

[Seeing Kalpana surfing again now makes me so happy! Because I know she’s the type of person who excels at anything and will always shine.]

[I’m truly happy for Kalpana, but I feel like I’m getting farther and farther away from her…]

Netizens were cheerful reading the first two comments, but fell silent for a moment after the last line.

[Damn, I suddenly teared up. Who can understand the pain of ‘Kalpana became a superstar’?]

[It’s like that desk mate you secretly liked when you were young suddenly becomes a dazzling celebrity. You’re happy for her, but you know you’ve become people from completely different worlds, and not even basic friends anymore…]
[The exclusive, cherished white moonlight has become the sun that shines on everything [crying]]

[I’m here to browse, not to hang myself]

#Kalpana has become a superstar# shot up the trending topics.

Some netizens who hadn’t watched the livestream clicked in, confused, and then each began crying over their own graves.

[I had a crush on the most handsome guy in our high school for years. Two years ago, he debuted as an actor, but didn’t get any roles. This year, he finally got famous thanks to a low-budget web drama. I’m truly happy for him. He’ll probably never know that someone liked him so much back when he was still unknown.]

[From now on, any feelings I have will only be the love of a fan for an idol, because the distance between us is just getting wider.]

[Once, I was blown away by a beautiful woman at the airport. Later, I realized she was actually a top idol, and that’s how I fell into the stanning pit.]

[I’m different. Four years ago, I watched a talent show called “Debut! Trainees,” and at a glance, I knew that little runt Ning Xi was my future wife [doge]]

On the other side, on the yacht.

Ning Xi’s phone, left in her bag, wouldn’t stop buzzing.

Shen Yibai glanced down and saw Ning Xi’s lock screen repeatedly lighting up with:

“Where’s the Simp” has mentioned you in the “Youai” group chat.

“Where’s the Simp” has mentioned you in the “Youai” group chat.

…

“Who is it?” Qin Fengyi asked casually, hearing the endless beeping.

“Not important.”

Shen Yibai lowered his lashes and calmly put Ning Xi’s phone on silent.

Qin Fengyi just said “oh,” then turned his gaze back to Ning Xi, who was surfing, and cheered her on.

Shen Yibai, meanwhile, just gazed at the sea with a distant look, lost in thought.

At this moment, in the “Youai [heart]” group:

Where’s the Simp: “I’m paired up with Jiang Sheshe. What about everyone else?”

Where’s the Simp: “Who are you all going on dates with today?”

Where’s the Simp: “Anyone there?”

Where’s the Simp: “@Cause Trouble to Society”

A few minutes later.

Where’s the Simp: “Busy, everyone’s busy. Great, keep being busy. No need to reply, don’t disturb @Cause Trouble to Society”

“Sure, sure, you all have time to go on dates, but no time to reply to messages.”

Fu Zhi stared at his string of one-sided messages, gritting his teeth.

Jiang Sheshe watched Fu Zhi, who looked like someone whose wife had been stolen – completely bewildered:

“Why do you care who Ning Xi is paired with? Are you two that close?”

“I don’t care about her. Who does?”

Fu Zhi strode out of the shop, annoyed.

Today, they were headed for a horror escape room built inside a mall.

Jiang Sheshe watched Fu Zhi’s back, even more confused: If you didn’t know, you’d think you and Ning Xi were really close…

But Fu Zhi had noticed a display of Little Pufferfish plushies at the door of the shop next to the escape room.

“This Little Pufferfish, all puffed up, really looks like Ning Xi.”

Fu Zhi muttered to himself.

Thinking about that brat being too busy dating to reply to his messages, Fu Zhi squeezed the pufferfish fiercely.

He looked fierce, but his hands were actually gentle.

“Why do you keep bringing up Ning Xi?” Jiang Sheshe followed after him, puzzled.

Fu Zhi froze at her words, then instinctively retorted, “I don’t!”

“Ever since we met up today, you’ve been asking about who Ning Xi is dating. Now you see a plush toy and think of her. Don’t tell me you-”

Fu Zhi’s eyelid twitched.

“You’re being way too obvious,” Jiang Sheshe lowered her voice.

Fu Zhi’s breathing grew heavier. “So you’ve noticed…”

“You hate her way too obviously! How are you supposed to get her to cooperate with your livestream and persuade her to give up on Shen Yibai if you act like this?”

Jiang Sheshe looked completely disapproving.

Fu Zhi’s expression shifted several times before finally settling into silent resignation.

At the same time, the stone in his heart fell heavily.

Looks like he’d hidden his feelings pretty well – no one had noticed a thing.

Meanwhile, Fu Zhi noticed Jiang Sheshe was standing too close and looked at her with disdain:

“Can’t you just talk? Why are you standing so close? Move away!”

“Fu Zhi, are you nuts?”

Jiang Sheshe’s temper flared up as well.

Fu Zhi turned away, looking every bit the mischief-maker, clearly not in the mood to deal with Jiang Sheshe.

[So it turns out Fu Zhi doesn’t just roast Ning Xi, he roasts everyone equally]

[But there’s a difference – Fu Zhi is always the first to pick a fight with Ning Xi, like he’s just looking for trouble hahaha]
Just at that moment, a staff member came over to inform them that the escape room was about to start, and the two could go in to get ready.

“Hmph.” Jiang Sheshe snorted and stormed off angrily.

Fu Zhi rolled his eyes.

But his previously aggressive demeanor finally crumbled into quiet, utter despair when he saw the pitch-black entrance to the escape room.

On the other side, in Ning Xi and Shen Yibai’s livestream room.

Ning Xi played for a while and then stopped, waving to the people on the yacht:

“Who wants to give it a try?”

Qin Fengyi smiled and looked at Shen Yibai. “Yibai, go on, show the Fans in the livestream what you’ve got.”

But Shen Yibai frowned, staring at the messages from Wei Xuan and Ning Mingyue in the group chat on his phone:

Wei Xuan: “Mingyue seems to have caught a bit of a cold. I’ll take her to the hospital first. Don’t wait for us for dinner.”

Like Little Dog: “Which hospital?”

Mingyue: “It’s just a bit of dizziness, nothing serious. Don’t let me interrupt your date with Xiao Xi.”

Shen Yibai looked at the cameraman. “Can this Switch Dating segment end early?”

Qin Fengyi was confused. “Huh?”

The cameraman was also stunned. “Uh? Don’t you and Ning Xi want to get to know each other a bit more? This Switch Dating might be your only chance to get to know the other Female Guest one-on-one. If you give it up, then…”

“So, that means it can end early.” Shen Yibai concluded.

Qin Fengyi and the cameraman both fell silent.

Just then, Ning Xi was about to board the yacht.

Qin Fengyi hurried to help her.

“Careful!”

Ning Xi greeted the camera with a relaxed tone and even made a heart gesture.

She looked to be in a great mood.

But she noticed that both Qin Fengyi and the cameraman looked a bit odd.

Ning Xi laughed. “Why do you two look so constipated?”

Qin Fengyi stammered, “Um, do you still want to play? Or, maybe, I-I can play with you later…”

Qin Fengyi simply couldn’t imagine how Ning Xi would react after hearing that Shen Yibai wanted to leave early.

Imagine: the male guest you’re paired with is distracted the whole time, and even wants to leave after just a short date to go find another Female Guest…

With Ning Xi’s current popularity, she’d definitely get roasted by haters to the moon and back.

“Ouch!”

Ning Xi, not paying attention, slipped.

Qin Fengyi shut up and rushed to steady her.

Luckily, Ning Xi managed to keep her balance herself. She laughed and said, “Probably just slipped because my foot was wet. I’m fine, I’ve got experience. By the way, what were you about to say?”

Qin Fengyi: “Uh…”

“Let me say it.”

From a distance, Shen Yibai spoke up, his pupils dark as ink.

Ning Xi’s gaze landed on Shen Yibai’s face, and the smile at the corner of her mouth vanished instantly.

“Mingyue isn’t feeling well. I’m going to see her.”

Shen Yibai’s voice was soft and faint, as if coming from far away.

Ning Xi froze.

[Ahhh, Ning Mingyue already said it’s nothing, why does Shen Yibai still insist on going? The Program Team and Ning Xi are both going to be in a tough spot now.]

[I still wanted to watch Ning Xi surfing! Shen Yibai is really acting like a diva.]

[Now Ning Xi will have to livestream alone. Poor thing, sob sob sob sob sob.]

However, none of the reactions everyone expected appeared.

Ning Xi was even more anxious than Shen Yibai: “What?! Mingyue isn’t feeling well? And you didn’t say so earlier! If something happens to her, can you take responsibility?”

Ning Xi was flustered.

Such a good chance to win the Female Lead’s favor, and she only just found out!

Wouldn’t someone else get ahead of her?

Thinking of this, Ning Xi looked at Shen Yibai with a hint of reproach.

Qin Fengyi was stunned by this bizarre scene. “Huh? Huhhh?”

“Forget playing! Seeing Mingyue is more important!”

Ning Xi hurriedly told the captain to take the yacht back to shore.

The cameraman followed Ning Xi the whole way.

In a corner out of the camera’s view, Shen Yibai quietly curled and uncurled his hand.

Shen Yibai lowered his eyes and gave a self-mocking smile.

Luckily, the camera didn’t catch him. That way, no one would notice how, just now when Ning Xi almost slipped, he was more nervous and lost composure than anyone else.

Luckily. Luckily.