Grab The Heroine and Run Away Ch. 77.2
Happy times are always fleeting. As the new year came to an end, just as Sister Cui had said, the eight girls were constantly on the move. Variety shows ended here, interviews continued there, and there were still ad shoots, poster shoots, various charity and commercial events, music programs…
From January to May, from down jackets to short sleeves, it was almost in the blink of an eye.
One day, Xu Heran glanced at her calendar and excitedly slapped the table.
“It’s almost my birthday!”
Xin Nuo walked by leisurely, “Almost, but not yet?”
“Oh, Ranran will turn eighteen this year,” Jian Yueyin exclaimed, “Only eighteen, youth is truly wonderful.”
“…Don’t sound like an old lady despite being so young.” Sister Cui glanced at her from behind her computer.
Jian Yueyin laughed, “My bad, Sister Cui.”
Xu Heran immediately looked at Cui Qi, “On my birthday, you won’t make me participate in activities, will you? You think Little Pearl is cute, so you’ll definitely make sure she has a good birthday, right?”
Sister Cui gave a mysterious smile, “Of course.”
Xu Heran was somewhat suspicious, but she didn’t think Sister Cui would deceive her, so she leaned against the slow-moving Xin Nuo and said, “Nuo Nuo, I’m turning eighteen this year.”
“Mhm,” Xin Nuo nodded, standing by the coffee area, getting water.
A stream of hot water rushed into a disposable cup, the girl’s head hung low, her expression unreadable, only her ears slightly red.
“I remember someone wrote me a letter, saying to wait until I’m eighteen, to do what at eighteen?” Xu Heran pretended to understand without really getting it.
Xin Nuo’s voice was slow, “Wait until you’re eighteen, happy birthday.”
Xu Heran’s movement paused for a moment, her eyes twinkled with amusement. She pressed the hot water button, and the hot water stopped immediately. A certain Pearl leaned her arm against the wall, blocking someone’s path, “With this weather, you’re only getting hot water?”
Xin Nuo’s tone was calm, “Drink more hot water, it’s good for your health.”
Xu Heran watched her glancing around, deliberately avoiding looking at herself, and raised her eyebrows in amusement.
“I won’t bully you.” She reached out her hand, pinched Xin Nuo’s ear, “I’m waiting for your gift, dear Nuo Nuo.”
After Xu Heran left, Xin Nuo slowly lifted her head and blinked her eyes.
Gift?
SGS had been busy until the end of May. On the night of the 27th, when they heard Cui Qi say that they would have a break, giving them the evening to rest well and that the next day they would be on a vacation with the group, Xu Heran breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that Sister Cui was preparing something for her birthday.
“Why do I feel something’s off? What day is it today?” Xin Nuo said.
“Friday,” Jian Yueyin checked the time, “You mean…”
“Friday’s neither 《Girl’s Game Workshop》 nor 《As You Wish》 recordings!” Jiang Qiong immediately exclaimed.
The eight girls exchanged glances. Seems like it.
This shouldn’t be happening.
They silently thought while being awakened by the familiar sound of a song.
The only silver lining was that it was 10 AM now, and Director Liu kindly let them sleep in.
“Uncle, this trick has been going on for so long, aren’t you tired?” Xu Heran leaned on the railing, “Every time, we have to be told by Sister Cui that she’s going on vacation.”
“After Little Pearl’s birthday, you can’t deceive kids anymore.” Xin Nuo’s voice was somewhat hoarse.
Xu Heran lay down laughing.
“Then let’s follow the old rule, 10 minutes?” Director Liu held up the megaphone and said cheerfully.
After 10 minutes, the eight of them put on sportswear and sneakers, receiving small backpacks from the staff, and carried them behind their backs with a bewildered look.
“Let’s welcome our guests for this episode, FYU and Sugar Comfort.”
Seven girls carrying backpacks bounced and hopped up.
Xu Heran immediately addressed the camera, “Let me explain to everyone, the meaning of ‘Sugar Comfort’ is lying comfortably on the couch, drinking juice and eating candy~”
Sugar Comfort’s captain, Sun Lingxi, grabbed her hair, “You don’t have to cue this joke, some people actually believe it!”
“Huh, is it not true?” Jian Yueyin said in confusion.
Others chimed in, “Isn’t that how it is?”
Sun Lingxi shrugged her shoulders, “Whatever, ugh.”
She didn’t want to explain anymore.
Because she also felt it was easier to remember this way than the original meaning!
After Director Liu and others exchanged greetings, he raised the megaphone, “Everyone knows, our youngest member of SGS, Xu Heran’s birthday is coming up soon. She strongly requested to set aside a day to celebrate her birthday. However, life is unpredictable, and things don’t always go as planned, right?”
Except for Xu Heran, Xin Nuo Song Fenghua, and the smiling Jian Yueyin, the rest echoed, “Right!”
They shouted quite loudly.
Xu Heran began pointing at people.
The girls who had experienced multiple confrontations with Pearl’s power were scared and burst into laughter.
Mu Yueliang said to Xu Heran, “Please don’t do this. We are all members of the Pearl Family!”
Pearl Family is the nickname fans online gave to the Universal Girls, the universal girl group. Some fans discovered that the trainees who received pearl pendants from Xu Heran during the “《Starlight Girls》” program all ended up signing contracts with Universal Entertainment! While fans were surprised, they named it the mysterious Pearl Power.
“Be nice to me.” Xu Heran said with her hands on her hips.
Her height finally stopped growing this year, which disappointed Haya. She thought Xu Heran would surpass her, but in the end, they were evenly matched.
As the tall girl stood there, her face scanning the people around her, she received many admiring glances.
“So, the theme for this episode, let’s not go to work — it’s the Hotpot Showdown.” Director Liu said slowly, “The winning team of this episode will receive a ten-day vacation.”
“Ten days?” everyone exclaimed, wide-eyed in surprise.
So generous?
“Of course, the two losing teams will have to make up for these ten days of work with the other teams. I’ve already discussed with your managers and secured an invitation for a magical adventure. The losing teams will participate in the recording of the ‘Magical Journey’.” Director Liu smiled warmly.
The seventeen members from the three girl groups: “…”
If there’s no misunderstanding, the “Magical Journey” is that variety show that sends people into the mountains, deserted islands, and all sorts of strange places for wilderness survival…
“I’m scared of bugs!” Sang Shiyi whispered.
“…Who isn’t? Big spiders!”
Jiang Qiong immediately said, “Scuttle scuttle, big cockroaches, sneaky big rats. In this weather, trees are crawling with big hairy caterpillars!”
Laurel covered Jiang Qiong’s mouth with her hand.
“Shut up.”
Bugs brought back unpleasant memories for Laurel. The place she used to live in wasn’t great, and there were often problems with rats.
To avoid angering Her Majesty Flower, everyone showed gentle smiles.
“Director, since it’s three teams competing, the Seven Fairies have eight members!” Mu Yueliang raised her hand.
Lin Ran immediately pulled Lin Weining into her team and said, “Fairy is with us.”
Haya glanced at Lin Weining but didn’t say anything.
“So that makes seven.”
Director Liu said, “Since it’s the Hotpot Showdown, first, there will be two people from SGS serving as the pot base, and the rest will be ingredients.”
“As the pot base, you’ll enjoy special treatment in this competition. In this game, apart from the pot base, everyone else draws a card to determine their role, which will be an ingredient. However, apart from yourselves, no one else knows your role.”
“In addition to the 15 role cards prepared by the production team, various locations contain other ingredients and seasonings. Each person’s role hint is also hidden. Every team must collect five types of ingredients and find the final hotpot table to arrange the ingredients and achieve victory!”
“Please note that within the team, each person can’t have more than three instances of the same ingredient; any extras must be discarded,” Director Liu said. “Not more than three, but it can be up to three.”
Everyone nodded.
Xu Heran raised her hand, “What’s the benefit of being the pot base?”
“As the pot base, if you individually collect ten different non-repeating ingredients and find the hotpot table, you can achieve individual victory. You can send everyone else except yourself on a magical adventure! The two pot bases can collaborate, but they must collect a total of fifteen different non-repeating ingredients.”
“Additionally, at the end, we will provide food based on the ingredients everyone collects, following the non-repeating rule. You must all eat it!”
Xu Heran’s eyes lit up, and she looked at Xin Nuo under the wary gazes of the others, making a gesture.
“Me and you?”
“Report! Xu Heran wants to team up with Xin Nuo!” Jiang Qiong immediately reported.
“Two people? Think it through,” everyone advised Xin Nuo one after another, not to ally with the tricky Little Pearl. No one wants to deal with that troublesome Pearl. Besides her, there’s also Haya, and these two have won more victories.
Xin Nuo said helplessly, “But if we dont team up, then Pearl and Haya will unite.”
Jian Yueyin blinked, suppressing a laugh.
“Oh right, then go ahead,” Jiang Qiong quickly said. But only after pushing Xin Nuo out did she realize that it doesn’t have to be Xin Nuo, it could be someone else too! There are several other people in the team, apart from Haya!
“…” Jiang Qiong, feeling like she’d appear dumb if she said it out loud, fell silent, and everyone patted her head while laughing.
“Never mind, Ranran’s birthday is coming up, so let her have it,” Jian Yueyn said with a smile.
“Fine,” Jiang Qiong sighed, giving in to the romance of the Woof Woof Team.
This time, the variety show wasn’t taking place in this park. Everyone got on a sightseeing bus and headed towards the other side of the park under the early summer sun.
“It’s so beautiful…”
As they admired the scenery of the park, they exclaimed.
“Please, Luo Xi, get off the bus,” a staff member said.
Luo Xi got off the bus, waved at everyone, and waited until the bus left. The staff member turned her around and placed three colorful round balls in her backpack. “These are the ingredients you currently possess.”
Luo Xi picked up one of the balls and whispered to the camera, “I am coriander.”
The tour bus placed the seventeen individuals in different locations. The farther they went, the closer they got to the edge of the park. There was a downhill path leading to the beach at the back gate of the park, and during the daytime, the sea was vast and blue.
The tour bus placed the seventeen individuals in different locations. The farther they went, the closer they got to the edge of the park. There was a downhill path leading to the beach at the back gate of the park, and during the daytime, the sea was vast and blue.
“It’s the sea! It looks so nice!” everyone shouted.
“I want to go on a yacht,” Song Fenghua said, looking at the sea.
“Come on, as long as we win, we’ll have a ten-day vacation!” Xu Heran raised her hand, but everyone dismissed her.
“Go away, you pot base. You’re not in our team!”
“I’ll cook you all~” Xu Heran laughed.
Ten minutes later, with the sound of “the game begins,” the seventeen girls all started moving simultaneously, first looking for their teammates.
Xu Heran was the last one to be put down. She remembered Xin Nuo’s location and quickly ran in her direction. Halfway there, she suddenly saw the colorful balls hidden in the grass.
“This game doesn’t feel difficult.” Xu Heran happily put the ball into her backpack. “Oh right, I’m the butter pot base.”
On another path, Xin Nuo strolled leisurely, observing both sides of the road while searching for clues and the hidden ingredient balls.
“No need to hurry. It’s just the beginning now. Later, when everyone’s found almost everything, it will be our team’s chance to act.” The pretty girl smiled gently at the camera. “We have Xu Heran in our team.”
The photographer remained silent, pursing their lips.
Scary… so scary!
The photographer and the accompanying director followed Xin Nuo for a while. Suddenly, they saw someone squatting in the grass not far away, burying something. The photographer and the accompanying director squatting beside them had smiles on their faces, similar to those of the girls.
Xin Nuo: “…What are you doing?”
Xu Heran paused in her actions, and upon hearing the newcomer’s voice, she immediately relaxed. She looked up and smiled. “I found the pot base ball. The current pot base is just the two of us, right? I hid the ball so others can’t find it, and we won’t be able to collect everything.”
“Even if you collect everything, you’ll just end up with a plain water pot.”
Xin Nuo blinked and patted Xu Heran’s head. “Awesome.”
Xu Heran raised her hand, grabbed Xin Nuo’s wrist, and smiled. “Thank you.”
After the two of them regrouped, they strolled together like they were wandering in the park. They weren’t in a hurry, leisurely walking along the path. The surrounding trees were lush, creating a quiet and cool atmosphere. Everything was green, and in the distance, the sea was a beautiful shade of blue.
“It’s so nice,” Xu Heran hadn’t felt such tranquility in a long time, especially with Xin Nuo by her side. “We must win.”
Xin Nuo whispered, “Mhm.”
Perhaps due to playing games for a long time, everyone began to learn a series of skills, like hiding things or stealing things.
During lunch in the afternoon, the program crew spread out blankets on the ground. The group gathered around as if on a picnic, and after eating, someone started shouting, “My ball is missing!”
“Ah, mine is missing too!”
Xu Heran sat nearby and clicked her tongue. “Tsk tsk, you can’t do this.”
Immediately, someone asked her, “Was it you?”
Xu Heran pulled out her small backpack, which contained only two different-colored balls—one was hers, and the other was Xin Nuo’s.
“…”
“Where are your other balls?”
The program crew had clearly given everyone three balls each, and they hadn’t even dared to engage with Xu Heran yet, so they hadn’t taken her balls.
“Guess,” Xu Heran’s mouth curved into a smirk.
Shu Yuemeng immediately turned her head, recalling the fear of being crushed by Xu Heran in the past.
“We have to deal with her together.”
“But she doesn’t have any balls.”
“Damn it, this Pearl is so wicked. She definitely hid them!”
In the afternoon, the search intensified, and everyone’s identities gradually became clear.
“I’m beef roll!” Jiang Qiong said to the others. “Protect me, I’m definitely a target!”
“Your balls are gone, our beef rolls are useless,” Jian Yueyin shook her head. “Let them go.”
“Let’s snatch them back.”
Xu Heran walked by, holding a red ball in her hand. “Jiang Xiaoqiong, can your hiding skills get any better? Come on.”
Jiang Xiaoqiong widened her eyes. “My ball!”
“Quick, chase her!”
Several people immediately chased after Xu Heran. Haya took the lead, while Jiang Xiaoqiong lagged behind. Xin Nuo, who had emerged from behind a tree, caught Jiang Xiaoqiong’s backpack, took out two balls, and ran away.
“Ah—Nuo Nuo!”
“Why are you doing this to me?” Jiang Xiaoqiong shouted after Xin Nuo’s retreating figure.
When Xu Heran and Xin Nuo joined up, they high-fived and smiled at their increasingly filled backpacks.
“Go catch Sister Ning Ning,” Xu Heran changed her target.
“But Ning Ning is a fish ball,” Xin Nuo chuckled, “a delicious one.”
An hour later, Lin Weining’s voice echoed, “Stop snatching from me, I only have one ball left.”
The game that was initially thought to end quickly continued into the afternoon. Everyone was snatching and chasing, hiding and throwing, making it impossible to gather the balls.
A gentle female voice came over the broadcast.
“The gate to the hotpot table has been opened. Please find the path to the hotpot table and compete for the final victory. From now on, hiding food balls is prohibited.”
Xu Heran checked the contents of her backpack and her eyes lit up. “Let’s go, we have enough.”
Xin Nuo felt very at ease with Xu Heran. The two of them started searching for the path indicated in the clue. As they walked down, Xin Nuo exclaimed, “Hey, there’s a boat over there.”
Xu Heran looked up and saw a cruise ship parked on the sea in the distance.
“Probably just passing by—wait!” Xu Heran excitedly pointed to the brightly lit coastline beyond the railing. “There!”
The two exchanged a glance, thinking of the back door they had encountered before.
“Let’s hurry!”
Except for the two of them, some of the other girls also realized something was off below and quickly descended.
“We haven’t gathered everything yet!” someone said.
“Let’s go and snatch on the way!”
For a moment, more than a dozen figures rushed downward. When they reached the lower area, they saw two tall silhouettes.
“Hi~” Xu Heran waved with a smile. “Unity is strength, my friends.”
Haya wiped her sweat and approached. “Have you gathered them?”
Xu Heran made space for her. On the specially prepared table by the production team, there was a ball in each bowl. Haya looked around and nodded.
“Not bad, a good mix of meat and vegetables.”
“As the winners, you will enjoy a ten-day vacation. Now, please take the cruise tickets in your hands and embark on your upcoming wonderful journey,” a staff member standing by the sea handed cruise tickets to Xu Heran and Xin Nuo.
“Huh?” Xu Heran widened her eyes in surprise. “Didn’t we win?”
The staff member didn’t explain and gestured behind them. “Please.”
Just as Xu Heran and Xin Nuo turned around, two staff members approached, helping them put on safety vests.
“Are we going on that cruise ship?” Xin Nuo said in surprise.
Guided by the staff, the two of them boarded a small boat and headed out to the sea. This area was a seaside amusement park where they had played games before.
“Where are Ranran and Nuo Nuo going?” Jian Yueyin, who had just arrived, asked.
The remaining five members of SGS gathered, and the staff immediately helped them put on life jackets. The same happened with the other teams. In a state of confusion, the seventeen girls were sent to the cruise ship one by one.
The cruise ship didn’t look that big from a distance, but as they got closer, it appeared larger and larger. The silver-white hull lay on the calm sea, resembling a quiet hill.
“Wow—” Jiang Qiong said to Song Fenghua, “Congratulations, you went from a yacht to a cruise ship today.”
Song Fenghua: “…Thank you.”
“Pearl Cruise?” In the darkness, someone shouted toward the waves, “It’s the Pearl Cruise!”
“What!“
Sea water splashed on Xu Heran’s face. She said in shock, “The production team!”
Xin Nuo looked at the cruise ship, then at Xu Heran, feeling that something was amiss.
As they stepped onto the cruise ship, they found that several tables were already set up on the deck. Hotpot pots and ingredients were prepared on the side, and elegantly dressed cruise ship staff smiled at them.
And Director Liu, along with other staff members of the production team, had been waiting here.
“What is it? You’re scheming behind my back again!” Xu Heran looked around in confusion. “Where’s my grandpa?”
“Your grandpa?” Xin Nuo said in confusion.
Director Liu gestured for them to wait, so Xu Heran had no choice but to sit down with Xin Nuo. When all seventeen girls arrived at the same time, they looked at Director Liu with excitement.
“What’s this big surprise?”
“Is this the real reward? The wonderful journey?”
Director Liu smiled and said, “To reward everyone’s hard work this year, Universal Entertainment specially arranged this vacation activity. We will embark on a ten-day wonderful journey. And here, let’s welcome the owner of this cruise.”
Everyone cheered and applauded eagerly.
From the cabin on the deck, two men walked out, one in front and one behind. The older man in front had a spirited demeanor despite his age, while the man behind him wore a captain’s uniform.
“Grandpa!” Xu Heran shouted loudly.
Everyone, except for Xin Nuo, exclaimed in surprise, “Grandpa?”
“Hello, children.” Despite his white hair, his tall and vigorous figure exuded an exceptional aura. The mild-mannered man smiled and waved at everyone.
“Welcome aboard the Pearl Cruise. I am the owner of this cruise and also a good friend of yours, the grandfather of little Xu Heran. My name is Xu Shan.”
Xu Heran walked forward and hugged Xu Shan.
“A surprise?” Xu Heran whispered softly.
Xu Shan patted her back with a smile. “A surprise.”
“Dear friends, I am the captain of this cruise. This journey will last for two days and three nights. Our destination is the Blue Nation, and we will arrive there at 5:00 AM on May 31st.”
“I hope that everyone will have a pleasant experience during this journey.”
To the Blue Nation?
Xu Heran was momentarily stunned, then her eyes curved as she looked at Xin Nuo, who stood among the crowd with a slightly open mouth and a slightly bewildered expression. The sweetness of a smile lingered in the depths of her eyes.
Well, she had traveled back and forth between Huaguo and Blue Nation multiple times, but this time would certainly be the most enjoyable.
The author has something to say:
August 15th: Auspicious for weddings, groundbreaking, moving, and entering a new house.
(Hehe)
Translator: Glariosa
Editor: Sinensis
Proofreader: Ruu
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