23 – Must Win
Shi Yuan subconsciously shifted her buttocks.
This movement elicited a low, hoarse gasp.
Hearing this sound, Shi Yuan immediately froze, not daring to move another inch. She could only fix her sparkling ink-black pupils on Jiang Yu.
The others sitting at the opposite end were completely stunned.
Everyone stood up in unison, their faces filled with concern as they hurried toward Shi Yuan and Jiang Yu.
“Are you both alright? How could the lounge chair collapse like that?!”
“Shi Yuan, are you hurt?”
“Encounter God, are you two okay?!”
Before the others could reach them, Jiang Yu swiftly sat up, still holding Shi Yuan in his arms.
This adjustment made their posture appear far less ‘awkward.’
Taking advantage of the change in position, Shi Yuan quickly slid her bottom off Jiang Yu’s thigh.
She glanced somewhat awkwardly at the circle of people surrounding them.
Thankfully, Jiang Yu had reacted quickly—otherwise, their earlier posture would have definitely caused a stir!
After confirming that neither Shi Yuan nor Jiang Yu was injured, the group tidied up their belongings and left the lounge.
After all, they were all starving. If they didn’t hurry to exchange for food soon, they’d all collapse from hunger!
Once the program crew also checked in and confirmed everything was fine, Shi Yuan and Jiang Yu left the lounge and headed toward the beach.
The moment Shi Yuan recalled what she had just sat on… her face flushed with heat.
How could it be such a coincidence that she ended up sitting right there!
Fortunately, the voice-over announcement temporarily distracted her from the embarrassing incident.
“Ding dong! Less than an hour remains until the final tally! Guests, please speed up your collection—a delicious feast is waiting for you!”
By now, Shi Yuan was so hungry she felt her stomach pressing against her backbone. Just the mention of a delicious feast made her unconsciously lick her pink lips.
“Jiang Yu, where were you fishing earlier? How was the bite rate there? Maybe I should join you and fish together later!”
Jiang Yu watched Shi Yuan chattering nonstop as she walked ahead of him.
Silently, he rubbed his fingertips, as if the softness he had touched moments ago still lingered, refusing to fade…
Yang Qianqian watched the pair in the distance who had already settled onto folding stools, then walked over to Zhao Rui’s side.
Pressing her lips together into a smile, she asked, “Brother Zhao Rui, how’s the fishing going?”
Zhao Rui’s expression, however, was grim. “I don’t know what’s wrong with this stretch of sea. I’ve been sitting here for ages and only caught three fish in total.”
Hearing this, Yang Qianqian’s face stiffened instantly.
Three—only three?!
During the break earlier, she had glanced at online comments and live comments.
She’d learned about each team’s approximate seafood haul—even the lowest-performing group had managed to dig up a few scallops. Yet their team had only caught three fish!
Earlier, seeing some gossip accounts compare her looks to Shi Yuan’s had already infuriated her.
Now, finding out they only had three fish to their name, Yang Qianqian felt she couldn’t take it anymore!
Zhao Rui noticed Yang Qianqian’s displeasure and reached out to pat her head.
“Don’t worry, we still have nearly an hour left. Your Brother Zhao Rui will definitely catch a whole bunch of fish.”
But Yang Qianqian wasn’t listening.
Her mind was consumed by one thought: if they lost this round too, her Lucky Koi Persona would be completely ruined!
After a moment of deep thought, Yang Qianqian suddenly smiled.
“Mhm, Qianqian is Brother Zhao Rui’s lucky charm. With Qianqian here, I’m sure I can give Brother Zhao Rui a buff!””Exactly! With Qianqian here, things are bound to get better. After all, Qianqian is our lucky charm!”
“My Qianqian is just too adorable! How can anyone be this cute?”
“Real couples are so satisfying to watch, unlike those fake ones without even a shred of genuine sweetness, yet people still obsess over them so earnestly.”
“Wow, that’s savage! Is it really okay to expose them like that? Hahaha!”
Yang Qianqian slightly furrowed her brows.
The only way to save herself now was to have Zhao Rui catch fish consecutively within this next hour.
This way, she could not only maintain her Lucky Koi Persona but also get her agent to buy a few trending topics to boost her popularity.