Chapter 36.1

The three teams stood in rows, trainees turning their heads to see who was in each team.

“Little Pearl and Xin Nuo aren’t in the same team?”

“Little Pearl sang 《Play》 and Xin Nuo sang 《Astonishing Beauty》Sigh… Why does everyone look so intimidating to me? Why am I here? Do I really have to compete against these people?” Someone nervously rubbed their hands together.

“I understand Team One and Team Two, but why are Tan Yutong and Sister Yueyin in Team Three?” Jiang Qiong was like an excited meerkat, pressing against Haya’s shoulder and stretching her neck.

Xu Heran pointed her finger and tapped her waist. Like all the other trainees, she wore a pink shirt vest on her upper body. She liked loose-fitting clothes. The original outfit had deliberately been made one size larger, and now it hung on her slim figure. It was a bit loose, but the length was just right.

Xin Nuo turned her head, her gaze falling on the slender waist that Xu Heran pinched. At first glance, Xu Heran was tall and slender. During this period, she had grown even taller, like a wheat seedling that had soaked up water. She had become thinner than before. Yet, this seemingly delicate girl had effortlessly lifted her onto her shoulders two weeks ago.

“What are you looking at?” Xu Heran noticed Xin Nuo’s gaze and smiled.

Xin Nuo’s eyes brightened slightly. She reached out her hand and deliberately placed it on Xu Heran’s stomach.

“I’ll touch and see, is it hard? Do you have abs?”

“Muscles are soft!” Xu Heran muttered softly, “Abs aren’t that easy to train.”

She turned around, her back facing the camera, and smirked at Xin Nuo. Suddenly, she lifted the hem of her shirt and spoke with a mischievous tone, sounding like a pervert, “Let me show you the treasure.”

The pink fabric lifted, revealing fair skin. The young girl’s flat and firm abdomen faintly displayed traces of muscles, with two slightly deeper vest lines marking long streaks.

“How about that!” Xu Heran said proudly, “I think I’ll have a six-pack in two more months!”

Her hand pressed against the junction of her waist and hips, a little higher, and her sleek body curves suddenly deepened. Xin Nuo stared at her waist, an inexplicable phrase popped into her mind, “Tight and tender, truly a good piggy.”

“Xu Heran!” Xin Nuo’s ears grew warm. She suddenly reached out and yanked Xu Heran’s clothes down, saying, “Could you not act like such a pervert!”

She acted two seconds too late. Behind and beside Xin Nuo, many trainees saw Xu Heran’s showcased abs. Their eyes widened, and they shouted, “Ah, ah, ah,” exclaiming, “Little Pearl, showing off for some while ignoring others! Quickly let us see too!”

“Xin Nuo doesn’t want to see, I want to see! Let Sister take a look!”

“Some people secretly work hard to exercise without showing us, my goodness, how can there be such a stingy Little Pearl!” someone said with a teasing tone.

Xu Heran raised her chin and brushed away non-existent dust from her shoulder. “Small scene.”

She turned to the girl with a teasing tone and said, “Do you also want to be as outstanding as me?”

Jiang Qiong, who believed in living life leisurely, replied, “No, thank you.”

Xin Nuo sighed and lowered her head.

“Pearl, you dropped something.”

Without any doubt about Xin Nuo, Xu Heran quickly lowered her head. “Huh, what did I drop?”

“Your shame.” Xin Nuo’s tone was cold.

Xu Heran: “…”

Jiang Qiong: “…”

“Hahaha!” Haya stepped forward with her long legs, “Is this what you call outstanding?”

She imitated Xu Heran, lifting her shirt to reveal a neatly arranged set of four-pack ab lines. Haya’s muscle lines, shaped from years of street dancing, were very attractive. She was the only trainee in the training camp who went to the gym with Xu Heran every day.

Xin Nuo calmly commented, “Not bad.”

After she finished, she cast a sidelong glance at Xu Heran.

A certain Pearl pouted and turned her head.

As long as I don’t look, I won’t see it!

Not seeing means it doesn’t exist~

“Narrow-minded.” Xin Nuo chuckled and gently patted Xu Heran’s buttocks with her hand, “Keep practicing, Little Pearl.”

Amid Haya’s laughter, Xu Heran twisted her wrist and stuck out her tongue.

After the camera crew changed the tapes and took a short break, Ning Yunfei resumed hosting.

“With the three teams now selected, we will decide the performance order next. Although there are only three teams, the performance order is equally important,” Ning Yunfei said with a smile. “The sequence of the three teams’ performances will be determined through a mini-game.”

After she finished speaking, the large space previously separated by panels was now cleared, and a group of staff members appeared. They carried soft cushions on their shoulders and quickly threw them onto the floor. Another group of staff members carried boxes of Starlight milk and placed them in the center of the cushions.

Curious trainees looked around, puzzled.

“Our game is the Milk Grab! Within ten minutes, the team that grabs the most bottles of milk wins! The winning team will have the right to decide the performance order!” Ning Yunfei said with a cheerful smile.

Ah… So this is a program with advertisements? Going all out!

Many trainees sighed inwardly.

The staff members placed three baskets in different corners of the cushions. The cushions were long, and the space was wide. The trainees took off their shoes in advance and stood in their respective camps.

“Seven people go back and forth to snatch. Everyone must go out once! Physical contact is allowed. I’ll say it again, physical contact is allowed!” Ning Yunfei was excitedly raising a hand card, “You’re allowed to snatch milk from the opposing camp! But only one person can go out each time~”

Immediately, a trainee raised their hand, “Sis Yunfei, can we bite people?”

Ning Yunfei immediately put on an expression that said “You’re really going all out with this,” ambiguously replying, “You should consider that yourselves.”

“No biting! Let’s establish this rule first: no biting, no hair pulling!” Sun Lingxi raised her hand high, standing in her team, shouting.

“No hair pulling, but biting is allowed!” Sasa said immediately.

Xu Heran shook her head like crazy, looking very disdainful.

How could biting be allowed, it’s dirty.

“Well, no biting,” Xin Nuo suddenly spoke up, looking at Xu Heran.

The others’ gaze followed to Xu Heran.

Xu Heran wore an expression that said “What are you saying, I would never do such a thing,” raising her microphone, “I can only guarantee that I won’t bite anyone else.”

Xin Nuo’s face darkened, and the trainees who understood burst into laughter, holding each other’s hands.

Yes, yes, yes, that’s right, we are the others! Bite me, bite Xin Nuo!

“Xu Heran, you just wait for me,” Xin Nuo sneered.

The members of Team One and Team Two immediately organized themselves, deliberately placing Xu Heran and Xin Nuo in the front. Everyone had an excited expression on their faces, and they were just short of sticking signs that read “Fight, fight” on their foreheads.

“Xin Nuo, when kids grow up and don’t listen, if you don’t discipline them now, you won’t be able to control them in the future!” Haya elbowed Jiang Qiong and joined in to fan the flames for Team Two. They really wanted to see Xin Nuo beat up Xu Heran.

Is this “domestic violence”? No, this is fun!

Haya shook with laughter.

The game hadn’t even started yet, and some teams were already on the verge of splitting due to internal conflicts.

“Take your positions, everyone!” Ning Yunfei stood at the front, blowing her whistle, “Ten minutes on the clock, get ready, toot—”

A sharp and loud whistle sounded, and like a gust of wind, Team One swept past like a shadow.

Xu Heran took the lead, approaching the milk crates and kneeling on both knees, one knee sliding beside the milk crate. The waist-high milk crate swayed as it was hit, Xu Heran raised an eyebrow, inserted her fingers underneath, and pulled out the pink milk crate adorned with a strawberry and a black-haired girl poster.

“Wow…”

The milk crate toppled completely, and the just-arrived Team Three, led by Mu Yueliang, let out a scream and quickly squatted down to dismantle the milk crates.

As per the program’s requirements, they could only use packaged milk cartons and couldn’t use the milk crates on the field as props.

“No scissors!” Mu Yueliang shouted.

Behind her, fellow trainees shouted encouragement and advice, “Use your teeth! Scratch it open with your nails!”

“Mu Yueliang, show us the boldness you have when opening packages barehanded!” Sun Lingxi shouted.

Xin Nuo sat kneeling on the ground, and beside her, Xu Heran stretched out her long legs and had already opened a milk crate, stuffing the milk into her clothes.

“Xu Heran, give it to me,” Xin Nuo commanded.

Little Pearl turned her head, “No, I won’t!”

“Hmph.”

Watching Xu Heran about to stand up with the milk containers, the members of Team Two and Team Three exclaimed anxiously.

“Xin Nuo, quickly snatch Xu Heran’s milk!” Haya’s voice was like a thunderclap on flat ground, setting off a surge of anticipation in Xin Nuo’s heart.

At the moment Xu Heran turned around, Xin Nuo suddenly pounced, grabbing onto Xu Heran’s ankle.

Xu Heran: “!!”

“Wow—”

Haya, who enjoyed watching the excitement, burst into laughter and high-fived Jiang Qiong.

“It’s Xin Nuo pouncing on Little Pearl, not Little Pearl pouncing on Xin Nuo?” The trainees exclaimed in surprise, indeed, living longer allows you to see all sorts of things.

“Sister, even if you grab me, I won’t give it to you.” Xu Heran laughed mischievously, bending down and even taking two bottles from the scattered milk cartons around Xin Nuo. However, when she bent over, the milk cartons in her arms fell down, hitting Xin Nuo’s stomach.

“Ah!” Xin Nuo held onto her stomach.

Xu Heran was startled and quickly squatted down, “Did it hit you? I’m sorry, Nuo Nuo, let me see.”

She let go, and the milk cartons in her arms scattered on the ground. As her hand touched Xin Nuo’s shoulder, the girl who had been lying on the ground biting her lip immediately rolled to the side, a smile lighting up her pitch-black eyes.

“Fool, I was tricking you!”

Xin Nuo raised her hand, swept all the milk cartons on the ground into her arms, and then ran away holding them.

“Hahaha!”

“Look at Little Pearl’s expression, it’s killing me with laughter!”

“Innocent Little Pearl, didn’t mama tell you? You can’t trust pretty women!”

Xu Heran returned grumpily, holding the remaining milk.

Haya dashed out for the second leg.

“First, dismantle all the milk cartons! We’re responsible for snatching!” The trainees who hadn’t entered the scene yet commanded.

The three trainees on the field brightened their eyes and began to dismantle the milk cartons.

“How’s it going?” Jiang Qiong asked Xu Heran, who seemed disenchanted, with a playful smile.

“Life is full of deception, where should a kind pearl go!” Xu Heran sighed deeply, dismantling the straw, inserting it into the milk carton. Human hearts are complex, she needed a sip of milk to calm down.

“Plth— It’s water!” Xu Heran looked at the milk carton in her hand in astonishment.

“Can it be like this?” Jiang Qiong leaned over and was equally surprised, “Did the program deliberately set it up for the game?”

Xu Heran’s raised hair fell down unhappily. At this moment, a staff member beside her handed her a box of real milk, and Little Pearl instantly brightened up.

“Starlight Strawberry Milk, sweet and nutritious, a delightful taste~” Xu Heran placed the milk carton next to her face, her pink hair as a prop, and she extended her hand, pointing at the smiling little figure on the milk carton, “Recognize this girl~”

The director raised a megaphone, “Attention, the milk cartons that are opened do not count towards the quantity!”

Xu Heran’s expression, which was still smiling at the camera, cracked, and she was teased relentlessly by Jiang Qiong.

“Whimper, whimper.” Little Pearl drank her milk in a pitiful manner.

She hadn’t managed to snatch many cartons!

“It’s okay, you still have a chance, a chance for revenge!” Jiang Qiong wiped away tears of laughter and comforted her, “Keep going!”

How do I take revenge?

Xu Heran, holding a straw in her mouth, glanced at Team Two a few meters away.

Xin Nuo was retying her hair. She stood at the back, chatting with Lin Weining, her brows and eyes curved, in a good mood.

“Of course Nuo Nuo is in a good mood!” Xu Heran was annoyed. “She snatched my milk, deceived my emotions, and now she’s not even looking at me!”

She sneakily glanced at Xin Nuo. In the distance, the girl who seemed to have sensed her resentment put down her hand, turned her head, and locked eyes with Xu Heran.

“Mm-hmm.” Xin Nuo chuckled lightly, suddenly raised her hand, and waved the purple-packaged milk carton that she had been holding in her hand at Xu Heran.

“Thanks, Little Pearl~” Xin Nuo shouted.

Damn it.

Xu Heran bit her lip and smiled, gulping down the strawberry milk in one sip, pretending to roll up her sleeves.

Don’t rush, there’s still time.

On the field, the trainees who had swapped positions several times were in chaos. The scene was extraordinarily lively, with laughter and noise mixing together. In the midst of snatching, several milk cartons were accidentally stepped on or sat on, and the water inside the cartons spilled all over the ground. Several trainees stepped in it, and there were “plop” sounds as they fell on their backsides.

“Hahaha!”

“Hahahaha!”

Jiang Qiong got up from the ground, laughing as she climbed on top of Jian Yueyin’s legs, “You’re not allowed to leave! Hand over the milk!”

“We can’t let her go, their team has snatched the most milk!” Jiang Qiong sought help.

Team Two, Song Fenghua, remained silent, but mercilessly tickled Jian Yueyin.

“Foul!” Jian Yueyin laughed so hard she trembled, as Song Fenghua snatched several cartons of milk from her.

“We agreed not to pull hair, we didn’t say anything about not tickling!” Jiang Qiong pinned down Jian Yueyin, her hands making a few marks on the ground as she wiped them on Jian Yueyin’s face, “My dear Yuetian sister, I’ll give you a face mask, moisturize you!”

Jian Yueyin resisted while shouting, hitting high notes.

“Jiang Xiaoqiong, stop your pearl-like antics!” A usually gentle girl couldn’t take it anymore, and she began splashing water on Jiang Qiong’s face and arms. The two of them even found a broken but not completely empty milk carton and flung it at her.

Xu Heran’s arm rested on Haya’s shoulder, and both of them displayed similar, learned expressions.

“Can it be done like this?” Xu Heran suddenly realized.

The grappling between the two of them had allowed Song Fenghua to almost empty the remaining milk on the field.

“Three minutes left!” Ning Yunfei reminded.

“Stop fighting! Stop fighting! Come back!” Trainees from Team One and Team Three anxiously shouted.

Jiang Qiong and Jian Yueyin, who had just ceased their skirmish, returned to their teams looking disheveled.

“Xin Nuo, it’s up to you now.” Lin Weining said with a heavy tone to Xin Nuo.

Among their team, everyone except Xin Nuo believed that in the training camp, Xin Nuo had “accumulated considerable influence.” Perhaps other trainees were reluctant to face Xin Nuo head-on due to the power of training beads.

Xin Nuo: “…”

What are you all thinking normally?

The black-haired girl smiled helplessly. Before even entering the battlefield, surprised exclamations suddenly sounded from the arena. A girl who hadn’t raised her head yet realized something and decisively looked toward Team One.

In Team One, Xu Heran raised her hand and did chest-expanding exercises, then did squats, followed by waist bends, her eyes fixed on the prize.

Xin Nuo: “…”

She immediately looked at Team Three.

In Team Three, Jian Yueyin hesitated, standing to the side. After much contemplation, she finally spread her arms, guarding the basket.

Well, there’s nothing to snatch anymore, might as well defend! Defense is the best offense!

“Xin Nuo, go snatch from Team Three! They have the most!” Team Two trainees strategized, “Don’t confront Little Pearl head-on, she looks really serious!”

“Behind Little Pearl, there’s a flame burning! Is that the fire of hatred!”

“Little Pearl sounds the horn of vengeance!”

“Are you my teammate?” Xin Nuo joked lightly, bypassing the water-stained area and getting closer to Team Three.

It seemed she wasn’t planning to confront Xu Heran.

Each team’s basket was placed in front of their respective teams, and trainees who weren’t on the field could only send one person to guard, but they couldn’t move.

“Xin Nuo, are you sure you want to snatch from me?” Jian Yueyin had a smile on her face, and her gaze flicked to the side, “Praying mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.”

Xin Nuo sighed, “I didn’t want to.”

If she had known she still had to go on later, she definitely wouldn’t have snatched from Xu Heran!

“You guys continue, I’m just passing by.” Xu Heran said leisurely.

She folded her arms, standing two meters away from Xin Nuo and Jian Yueyin, with a smiling expression.

The trainees from Team Three looked at her in shock.

What’s up with this Little Pearl, she’s a bit intimidating!

“Two minutes left!”

Ning Yunfei shouted.

“Charge, Xin Nuo, charge!”

Team Two waved their flags and shouted, “If we snatch Team Three’s milk, we’ll win!”

How to snatch!

Xin Nuo took a deep breath, her black eyes suddenly firm. She dashed towards Jian Yueyin, shouting, “Xu Heran!”

Next to them, a gust of wind swept over. Jian Yueyin soared into the air, her hands held down by Xu Heran and pulled aside.

“Little Pearl, I trusted you in vain!” Jian Yueyin laughed loudly, “Don’t you speak logically?”

“I didn’t snatch your milk~” Xu Heran chuckled mischievously, grabbing her wrist and looking to the side.

Xin Nuo crouched down, struggling to pull the basket out from under Sun Lingxi.

“Help! Someone’s snatching milk—!” Sun Lingxi’s entire body was pressed onto the basket, and she shouted with all her might. The trainees behind her who were watching the scene shouted “Don’t!” while laughing, “Hahaha.”

Because of her effort, Xin Nuo’s face reddened slightly, and her hand gripping the basket turned white. She exerted force to pull the basket back.

“Give up already!” Sun Lingxi stubbornly resisted, being dragged forward for a distance. “Even if I die, I won’t let go of the basket!”

“Is that so?” Xin Nuo was a bit annoyed. She subconsciously looked to the side, where a certain spectator, Little Pearl with blue-purple eyes, was smiling with narrowed eyes, even brighter than the lights on the ceiling.

“Xu Heran,” Xin Nuo whispered, “Come… help me!”

Holding down Jian Yueyin, Xu Heran tilted her head.

Xin Nuo couldn’t pull out the basket. She let go and stood upright, taking a slow breath. Three seconds later, she straightened her body and softened her tone, “Could you please help me pull out Team Three’s basket, Xu Heran?”

“Mm.” Xu Heran deliberately asked, “How should I help?”

She lowered her head, glanced at Jian Yueyin, implying that she was already helping her by holding Jian Yueyin down.

Xin Nuo let out a soft hum, pursing her lips slightly. In the distance, Haya suddenly placed her hand near her mouth like a megaphone.

“Xin Nuo, quickly act cute with Xu Heran!”

“Think about how Xu Heran usually acts cute with you! Beg her to help you!” Haya shouted loudly.

Act cute?

Xin Nuo was stunned.

Xu Heran was also stunned.

The onlooking trainees all gasped. What nonsense was Haya saying? That was Xin Nuo! Making Xin Nuo act cute was practically a fairy tale!

Many shook their heads, sighed deeply, then looked up, unable to hide their excitement.

“Yeah! Act cute! Beg her quickly!” someone’s voice was nearly cracking, “Beg her, she’ll give you her life!”

“Hahaha, what nonsense!”

Xu Heran’s eyes brightened little by little as she fixed her gaze on Xin Nuo’s face.

The dark-haired girl’s face blushed slightly.

Jian Yueyin was astonished, “Xu Heran, you’re from Team One, get a hold of yourself!”

However, as her voice fell, a girl not far away took a deep breath.

Xin Nuo slowly raised both hands, cupping them beneath her chin and facing Xu Heran’s direction, “Help me, Sister, Pearl.”

“Hmm?”

The girl’s eyebrows slightly furrowed, her pitch-black pupils reflecting the light in the hall. Xin Nuo pursed her lips, and the face in her hands followed Xu Heran’s lead, blinking twice. She softly said, “Please help me.”

“Wow!!!”

“Ah ah ah ah Xin Nuo’s acting cute!”

“Help! Xin Nuo’s acting cute towards Xu Heran!!”

Jian Yueyin took a light breath, unable to believe it.

Xin Nuo, you’ve changed. Since when did winning or losing in this game become so important to you!

As this thought circulated in her mind, Jian Yueyin felt someone grip her hand, and suddenly she was gently pushed aside.

Kneeling on the mat, Jian Yueyin pondered.

“…”

“Come here, quickly!” Xin Nuo beckoned Xu Heran over, grabbing the basket again. Sun Lingxi was so frightened she let out a yelp.

“Little Pearl, I can do it too! I can act cute! I can act cute towards you all day long! Don’t come over—”

Xu Heran strode over, embracing Xin Nuo’s waist tightly, forcefully pulling her out. Sun Lingxi’s eyes widened in shock. Before she could react, she was flipped onto the soft mat, and the milk their team had snatched tumbled to the ground with a splash.

“Xu Heran!” Sun Lingxi and Jian Yueyin were so angry that they pounded the floor. Kneeling down, they hurriedly tried to gather the spilled milk into their baskets.

Xin Nuo used up her milk and just discarded it. She warned Xu Heran in a stern tone, “You’re not allowed to snatch. These are all mine!”

“Mm mm mm.” Xu Heran crossed her arms, still smiling. It was as if flowers and bubbles were floating above her head.

“One minute!” Ning Yunfei raised the megaphone.

Xin Nuo saw that the situation was favorable, so she quickly propped Team Three’s basket on her head and turned to run. Her hair tie fell loose, and her jet-black hair cascaded down like ink, brushing against Xu Heran’s shoulder as she lifted it.

Her joyful expression bloomed on her face. Just as she returned to Team Two, she promptly put down the basket and poured the boxed milk into her own basket.

“Quickly,” Xin Nuo whispered, picking up the milk carton that had accidentally fallen outside. Before she could raise her hand, the expression on Song Fenghua’s face suddenly changed.

Xin Nuo froze, without thinking, she scolded, “Xu Heran!”

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Translator: Glariosa
Editor: Sinensis

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