Chapter 75 Where she was, was the stage…
Although he already knew Yu Shuling, You Jingzhou was still taken aback when she told him to go up, as if asking if she was sure. After receiving a reassuring look from Yu Shuling, the boy didn't hesitate and jumped up directly.
Yu Shuling caught him steadily.
You Jingzhou was more than half a head taller than Yu Shuling, and he looked to be over 1.8 meters tall. His frame was also not small, so he couldn't be very light. However, Yu Shuling still caught him steadily without trembling at all.
Under Yu Shuling's princess carry, You Jingzhou didn't stretch his legs out like many boys would, looking unwilling. Instead, he bent his legs and wrapped his arms around her neck, making it easier for Yu Shuling to lift him completely. The girl was very strong, so what You Jingzhou had imagined didn't happen at all.
She didn't even need to change positions throughout the entire process. Everyone was grimacing in pain on the acupressure mat, but Yu Shuling acted as if nothing was wrong and carried You Jingzhou forward without changing her expression at all.
The camera was capturing every detail, not wanting to miss a single expression from the group. Even Li Qizai, carrying Li Song on his back, wasn't having an easy time. He stared at Yu Shuling as if she were on steroids, his eyes bulging until they hurt.
"No way—"
Was it that Yu Shuling was too tolerant or You Jingzhou was too lenient? But that's unlikely, isn't it?
In reality, the obstacles set up by the production team were nothing to Yu Shuling. The acupressure mats under her feet were actually just massage tools, which were good for improving blood circulation, not like she was facing a mountain of knives or a sea of fire. When she reached the middle, there was a railing with a soft mat in front of it. Without hesitation, Yu Shuling threw it over to You Jingzhou, then gracefully vaulted over it and landed next to him, picking him up and continuing to run.
There wasn't even a pause in the middle; it was all done in one go. When they reached the finish line, everyone else was still struggling to overcome obstacles behind them, so there was no need to reduce the time.
Just one step behind them were Mu Xing and Qi Xiuxiu. As soon as they reached the finish line, Qi Xiuxiu immediately jumped off the grimacing Mu Xing:
"Thank you for your hard work, Teacher Xingxing!"
She was about to politely say that she was too heavy, but her weight of over 80 pounds and slender arms were hardly convincing, and might even be criticized by the audience as pretentious. She swallowed the words back, and then Mu Xing ran over to hug You Jingzhou first, before looking at Yu Shuling with admiration:
"Shuling, you're amazing! You must go to the gym a lot. Do you have any tips you can share?"
Mu Xing is a new actress, but she's already 26 years old this year, which isn't too young. Male actors who are over 30 and still act in idol dramas are easily ridiculed for trying to look young, and maintaining a good physique is also very important. To avoid being labeled as greasy, the path for young actors is actually quite competitive.
Many female celebrities maintain their figure by dieting, but Yu Shuling's figure looks very healthy and is thinner than normal people. After all, she needs to be on camera, but her long arms and legs and slim waist are particularly enviable, whether they are of the same or opposite sex.
Seeing that she could carry You Jingzhou and run like the wind, Mu Xing became even more curious.
"Me? Maybe it's because I'm naturally strong and have thick skin."
Yu Shuling answered him with a smile. For some reason, when Mu Xing heard the words "thick-skinned," he thought of the time Yu Shuling confronted Chen Qiyang on a dating reality show. Chen Qiyang complained about the difficulty of carrying a female guest who weighed over 100 pounds, so Yu Shuling directly carried her in a princess carry and did a few jumps on the spot in front of him, which went viral.
This led to the exposure of some typical weakling male celebrities in the entertainment industry who also liked to manipulate women, and netizens harshly criticized them.
"But if you're really curious, Mr. Mu, add me as a friend later, and I can send you my workout schedule."
Yu Shuling was just joking earlier, and is now adding the details seriously. Hearing that she also had a fitness day, Mu Xing was very interested and couldn't wait to pull out her phone and add her as a friend. Soon, the other groups arrived, and upon hearing the director announce the order, Yu Shuling's group undoubtedly deserved first place.
Yu Shuling, like a victorious general, waved her hand, directing You Jingzhou to collect their spoils. You Jingzhou seemed a bit hot; he rolled up his sleeves, revealing the subtly smooth, muscular lines of his forearms. He lowered his head, carefully examining the city map inside the departure gift bag, while his other hand directly handed the money bag to Yu Shuling for counting.
After Yu Shuling finished taking inventory, You Jingzhou had already studied the map. He quietly pulled Yu Shuling aside to discuss the plan:
“There are eight attractions in Lingguang City. We can take the subway first so we don’t have to backtrack. We can go to a popular spot like Bao’an Park to find the treasure chests, and then take a taxi to the surrounding smaller attractions to quickly finish our business. We can take the large and small routes, while everyone else should still be on their way.”
Yu Shuling didn't quite understand his analysis at first, but it seemed to make a lot of sense. She grabbed You Jingzhou's sleeve and headed towards the intersection with the subway sign, turning back to wave to the rest of them.
"You guys take your time looking around, we're heading out now!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than You Jingzhou pulled her arm again:
"You've gone the wrong way, go that way."
That was the taxi pick-up area, different from what they had initially agreed upon. Yu Shuling paused for a moment, then realized that You Jingzhou was trying to create a smokescreen. She immediately complied and followed him furtively, causing the people behind her to constantly look at the map and speculate about where they were going.
Gold coins can be exchanged for cash at a 1:10 ratio for the activity. Their phones have already been handed in, and their cash has been confiscated. Even the first place winner will definitely have to be careful with their money. The remaining people unanimously agreed that since the two took a taxi, they must be going to a nearby location. The next group, Mu Xing and Qi Xiuxiu, decided to quickly try to disrupt and flank them to prevent their advantage from snowballing.
However, in order to put on an act, Yu Shuling and You Jingzhou actually walked to the taxi pick-up area and then quickly ran towards the subway station. You Jingzhou, who seemed shy and quiet before, was only like that in private. Since they were on a variety show, he had to ensure his screen time, and even took Yu Shuling to take a shortcut.
Yu Shuling had indeed expended a lot of energy earlier, and in the end, You Jingzhou was practically dragging her along, running until they reached the subway station in just two minutes. Panting heavily, she couldn't help but look up at You Jingzhou and ask:
"You've been here before? How did you know it's faster to go around the flower bed?"
When You Jingzhou smiled, two shallow dimples appeared on his cheeks:
"Didn't we already know the recording location? I was bored on the plane, so I kept studying the map."
Studying maps?
Looking at his serious expression, Yu Shuling could immediately picture a grown man sitting on an airplane, carefully studying a map, and the thought of him diligently studying it made her feel amused.
They boarded the subway, both wearing hats and masks, and sat at the back of the carriage. The photographer also switched to a lightweight, ultra-small camera, keeping a low profile. It was past the morning rush hour and not mealtime, so the subway wasn't crowded. After arriving at their destination, they quietly slipped out.
Bao'an Park is the largest forest park in the city, known as the "lung of Southeast China." Surrounded by verdant mountains, it remains lush and verdant even in the chilly late autumn. The production team generously booked the entire park, only placing NPCs in key areas. Their team was lucky; they received a clue from an elderly woman as soon as they entered.
A few minutes later, You Jingzhou successfully found a treasure chest with the show's logo on it in the lush green grass. He held it in his arms and weighed it in his hands; it was quite heavy, so he guessed the rewards inside wouldn't be small. However, the requirement to open the chest was a one-minute random dance challenge, which would mix together many songs. He would have to dance a section of the chorus, with a five-second break between each song. This required high reaction speed and at least some basic dance skills.
If it's a two-player challenge, the time can be reduced to 30 seconds.
Yu Jingzhou was at a loss and could only look to Yu Shuling for help.
The time was indeed halved, which was a great temptation. Yu Shuling clicked her tongue and asked the staff if she could see which dances were available first. The staff handed her an iPad directly.
Fifteen songs, each with a roughly ten-second cut, six of which were randomly selected. Some of them were songs that Yu Shuling had seen before, while others she had only heard the song titles of but had never seen performed on stage; it would take time for her to become familiar with them.
Yu Shuling turned to look at You Jingzhou: "Teacher You..."
You Jingzhou quickly waved his hands: "No, I won't—"
Before he finished speaking, Yu Shuling had already guessed his answer, and turned to walk in another direction as if to leave:
"Then, to save time..."
You Jingzhou: "Since Teacher Yu has so kindly invited me, I have no choice but to go through fire and water—"
It turns out that You Jingzhou's dance talent was probably all used for singing and composing. Tall and big, he looked like he had just tamed his limbs. Even though he tried very hard to follow her rhythm, his movements were strange and distorted. It was common for him to rush the beat and move his hands and feet together. Yu Shuling taught him, and he learned quite diligently, but agility is a talent that can only be innate and is unlikely to be taught easily.
After ten minutes of persistent effort, Yu Shuling finally understood how a teacher feels when faced with a slow learner who can't be taught. You Jingzhou, who had already started, naturally didn't want to give up easily. His eyes, filled with pitiful grievances, looked at Yu Shuling like a big white dog wagging its tail, making it impossible to bring oneself to scold him.
Yu Shuling glanced at him, and You Jingzhou immediately straightened his back, indicating that he wasn't tired at all and could continue dancing. Yu Shuling couldn't help but chuckle at his reaction.
"What, am I being mean?"
You Jingzhou thought to himself, "That look you gave me just now probably means you wanted to kill me," but he didn't dare say anything, only giving her an innocent smile. Yu Shuling was at a loss. Fortunately, she had practiced the dance quite well while teaching You Jingzhou. She tossed her hat aside, and You Jingzhou caught it for her. He saw the girl loosen her hair tie, tie her hair back into a single ponytail with a flourish, and stand still in the open space.
Wherever she is, it's like being the center of a glamorous stage.
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Author's Note: I'll be traveling for about a week, so updates will be sporadic. If I can't finish it in June, I definitely can in July.
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