Chapter 89
Chapter 89
“Xiao Xi, Feynman…” Ning Mingyue tried one last desperate plea.
In the next second, someone grabbed her calf and ruthlessly yanked her down.
She fell flat on her back.
Qin Se, the culprit, calmly withdrew her hand. Without sparing a single glance at Ning Mingyue sprawled in the mud, she composedly climbed onto the circular platform.
The entire audience was stunned.
Since the beginning of the show, Qin Se had barely spoken. Everyone had assumed she was just cold and aloof, but it turned out she was the type who let her actions speak louder than words.
Ning Xi didn’t react at first either. Once she noticed Qin Se looking her way, she immediately adopted a sycophantic posture, reaching out to massage Qin Se’s shoulders.
“Let me give the boss a shoulder rub.”
After a few kneads, she realized Qin Se’s shoulders were now covered in her muddy handprints. Guiltily, she blinked her eyes rapidly.
However, Qin Se didn’t seem to care.
She gave Ning Xi a brief glance, then proactively stood back-to-back with her, keeping a wary eye on the guests below the platform.
[As expected, it’s more fun when the guests are old acquaintances. Ning Xi and Qin Se were teammates before, and now they’re on a variety show together. They naturally have more chemistry than the others.]
[Is it just me, or do I have an extra memory? I remember Ning Xi and Qin Se had a CP back when they were in the group?]
[The Sister-Puppy CP, Sister Se x Puppy Ning. I remember that.]
[Hahaha, Ning Xi became the most popular after debut and got along well with every member, so she has so many CPs they’re like a tangled mess. But the most famous one is still her CP with Wen Lu; those two still interact frequently. Although she has CP fans with Qin Se, there aren’t many of them because they rarely interact in public.]
[Qin Se is too cold. She rarely interacts with any of the members and reportedly never attends private gatherings. It seems her only CP is… with Ning Xi?]
[Whoa, a heart-throb top star with CPs like a tangled mess x a cold older sister who’s a woman of few words. That’s actually a vibe.]
[I knew I’d find something to ship if I watched the livestream.]
On the platform.
Xie Lanchen watched Qin Se, who had captured all of Ning Xi’s attention the moment she arrived. His lips pressed into a thin line, and his brow furrowed slightly.
Just then, Director Qin’s voice rang out, signaling the photo: “Five-four-three-”
Below the platform, Wei Xuan helped Shen Yibai break free from Fu Zhi’s grasp.
The two of them prepared to charge toward the platform together.
Ning Xi entered a combat-ready stance while grabbing Xie Lanchen’s arm beside her.
“Xiao Xie, stay close to me.”
Xie Lanchen’s previously gloomy expression instantly brightened like spring flowers in bloom.
A genuine smile spread from the corners of his mouth to his eyes.
His lips curled up involuntarily. “Okay.”
Caught in her combat-ready state, Ning Xi naturally didn’t notice these changes.
However, the Xi-Lan Flower CP fans, who were watching the livestream with magnifying glasses, were all swooning.
[Xiao Xie is happy again! ./]
[He’s probably over the moon just because his wife noticed him.]
[Xie Lanchen: Hehe, my wifey still loves me.]
[Hahahahaha, it’s the Secretly-Pleased Guy!]
[Good heavens, when will it be my turn to find a man who is handsome, doting, and so easy to coax? Oh, I forgot to add a prerequisite: one who actually knows how to use his mouth properly.]
“…Two, one! Click!”
The photo was frozen in time.
At that moment, only Ning Xi, Qin Se, and Xie Lanchen were on the circular platform.
Below the platform.
After being pushed into the mud by Qin Se, Ning Mingyue was struggling to fight the filth on her clothes.
Fu Zhi had suddenly gone mad for some reason, using his own strength to grab Wei Xuan and Shen Yibai’s pant legs a second before the photo was taken, desperately hindering their progress.
Jiang Sheshe, as usual, was hiding behind a circular platform observing the Mud Pit Battle. She looked both timid and sneaky, radiating a total sense of ‘stealth mode.’
[Ning Xi, Qin Se, Fu Zhi, and Xie Lanchen are absolute beasts!]
[Good heavens, what kind of fate brought these four ruthless people into one group?]
[The whole team is full of powerhouses. As a team fan, I’m loving this!]
Director Qin looked at the photo and announced, “The first round of the Round Platform Photo Contest has ended. The three people in the photo-Ning Xi, Qin Se, and Xie Lanchen-have earned 1 point for their team. The other team scored zero.”
“Yes!” Ning Xi high-fived Qin Se and Xie Lanchen excitedly.
Xie Lanchen had originally felt a wave of anxiety upon seeing the mud on his body from the game, even starting to pick at his palms. However, after the high-five with Ning Xi, the feeling quickly subsided.
It’s fine. I’m not dirty. I’m not dirty.
After the high-five, the corners of Qin Se’s lips twitched upward ever so slightly before she resumed her usual cold and aloof expression.
“Are you going to let go yet?!” Shen Yibai took a deep breath as he looked down at Fu Zhi, who was sprawled in the mud, gripping his and Wei Xuan’s pant legs with all his might.
Fu Zhi let go, gave a cheeky grin, and stood up, casually shaking the mud off his clothes.
Shen Yibai and Wei Xuan, now splattered with even more muddy water, were speechless.
[Fu Zhi is so petty (complimentary).]
[Hahaha, who else understands Shen Yibai and Wei Xuan’s expressions right now? They’re on the verge of a breakdown and want to hit him so bad but can’t.]
[As expected, this game is only fun when people really let loose.]
Director Qin took the opportunity to announce, “The second round of the Round Platform Photo Contest officially begins now!”
The upbeat music started playing again.
Ning Xi jumped off the platform and continued her Thomas Spin in the mud pit.
Spin! Spin! Spin, spin, spin!
Jiang Sheshe’s vision went dark at the sight, and she resumed her life of hiding. However, every step she took felt like an arduous trek through a swamp.
Because she was trying to move too fast, her shoe got stuck in the mud. Her foot came out, but the shoe stayed behind.
Jiang Sheshe had a meltdown. “My shoe!!!”
Just as she turned back to retrieve it, she slipped and fell. Her face, which she had barely managed to wipe clean, was once again covered in mud.
[Oh my god, how many times has Slippery Feet Sister fallen today?]
[Jiang Sheshe is killing me with laughter. She’s so pitiful and yet such a coward.]
[Jiang Sheshe: I’ve learned my lesson, please let me go.]
Misfortunes never come singly.
Just as Jiang Sheshe was having a breakdown and trying to get up to grab her shoe, she saw that Crazy Lady, Ning Xi, spinning toward her at high speed.
In the heat of the moment, Jiang Sheshe’s brain short-circuited, and she began crawling through the mud on all fours.
As Ning Xi spun past, she saw Jiang Sheshe crawling like a creature from the shadows and couldn’t help but admire her. “Heavens, what a beautiful mental state!”
She decided right then and there to have a little ‘sparring session’ with Jiang Sheshe.
On the other side, Jiang Sheshe thought she had dodged Ning Xi’s spinning attack. She was about to breathe a sigh of relief and turn back for her shoe when she was suddenly confronted by Ning Xi’s face in an ultra-wide-angle close-up.
“What~ are~ you~ do~ing~?”
Jiang Sheshe froze for a second before screaming, “AAAAHHHHHH!”
In her panicked scramble to get up, she accidentally headbutted Ning Xi.
Ning Xi misinterpreted the gesture and started playing a head-to-head game with her, taking the opportunity to smear another handful of mud onto Jiang Sheshe’s face.
Jiang Sheshe was losing it. “Stay away from me!”
Ning Xi was completely oblivious. “Life is a wilderness; respect all voices, but only be yourself.”
Then, she started splashing muddy water at Jiang Sheshe.
“Brother Xuan, save me!”
Jiang Sheshe gave up and called out to Wei Xuan for help. However, the chaotic battle on Wei Xuan’s side was actually even more intense than it was here.