46 046
"So you're not married yet?"
Finally, the staff asked Jiang Ning'an what she thought of the new guests.
Jiang Ning'an gave it high praise: "Actually, I also followed last year's World Championship. Duan Ziyao's performance was outstanding, and I really like his playing style."
Wow, I didn't know Jiang Ning'an also likes playing games, and even watched the matches!
[Jiang Ning'an's die-hard fans are here! She's pretty good at gaming and has even posted her rank on Weibo. You can search for her if you're interested!]
After interviewing the four regular guests, the guest stars finally made their appearance.
Duan Ziyao was wearing a black printed T-shirt with cargo pants. He was tall and thin, which made his clothes look even looser.
His mother, Su Yun, was wearing a blue embroidered dress and looked to be around forty-five years old, with exquisite makeup on her face.
The viewers in the live chat had a good first impression of the new guest.
[My little brother is very handsome! He's tall too, but he's a bit too thin. Could he eat more?]
Boys this age are so good at eating whatever they want without gaining weight! You can see from their team's vlog that Ziyao has quite an appetite!
[Has no one praised Duan Ziyao's mother? She has such a great presence!]
As is customary, new guests first introduce themselves and then greet the other guests.
Fans familiar with Duan Ziyao in the esports circle know that he is the type of person who is ruthless and doesn't talk much in the team. In the post-match voice messages, while other teammates are talking non-stop, Duan Ziyao is always silent. Occasionally, he will say a few words to his teammates to report skills and positions.
During his usual live streams, Duan Ziyao usually operates silently and rarely interacts with the audience.
However, in esports, skill and results are paramount, and Duan Ziyao's good looks have attracted a large number of fans.
Duan Ziyao's self-introduction was very brief: "Hello everyone, I am Duan Ziyao, the mid-laner for the OCG team."
In contrast, his mother, Su Yun, seemed much more enthusiastic.
Su Yun first expressed that she was a fan of Ning Fei and Qin Man and had seen many of their movies. Then she said that she had watched every episode of the show and really liked the two girls, Ning Yuxuan and Jiang Ning'an.
She then took out the handmade woven bracelets and gave them to the four regular guests as gifts. Each bracelet had a different color and weaving technique, and each had a different meaning.
Su Yun continued enthusiastically, "Teacher Ning, this lilac bracelet perfectly suits your elegant temperament. I chose the color scheme myself. Also, this peach blossom bracelet is for your daughter..."
Compared to the previous guests, Su Yun was much more noticeable, spending a full five minutes just on her self-introduction and presenting gifts.
Wow, it seems we finally have an E-type mom on the show. She talks several times more than Duan Ziyao!
However, it seems that although this auntie is a bit talkative, she is actually a very nice person.
The staff announced that the theme of this episode is "games," which is fitting for the guest stars invited this time.
Then the staff brought out the props for the first activity of the day—
Seeing the colorful shuttlecocks laid out on the ground, the comments section was filled with "hahaha".
[Hahaha, when I heard "games," I thought everyone was going to grab their mice and keyboards and start playing, but it turns out it's about kicking shuttlecocks!]
[After all, he had to take care of Teacher Ning and Teacher Qin, who probably had never played the kind of MOBA games that Duan Ziyao played.]
[I think that makes perfect sense! Young people these days spend their childhood playing video games, but when Teacher Ning and her classmates were kids, they played shuttlecock, jump rope, hopscotch, and stuff like that!]
The staff explained the game rules: everyone would have half an hour of free practice time, followed by a one-minute timed competition.
The purpose of the final rankings will be announced after the game ends.
The production team prepared sportswear and sneakers for the guests to change into.
After changing their clothes, everyone started practicing on their own.
Ning Yuxuan remembered playing shuttlecock when she was a child. She tried it out, but found that she had almost forgotten how.
Ning Fei was also practicing nearby, and easily kicked more than a dozen times in a row.
Ning Yuxuan decisively sought help from Ning Fei: "Mom, you're so amazing! Quickly teach your daughter some of your secret techniques!"
Ning Fei was amused by her daughter: "What secrets? I just used to play with my friends a lot when I was little."
Ning Yuxuan smiled and said, "Judging from your posture, Mom, you must be the most skilled among all the children! Mom, tell me honestly, did you have the nickname 'Shuttlecock Princess' when you were little?"
Ning Fei laughed nonstop as she listened.
Over the decades she's worked in the industry, she's heard countless compliments; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she's tired of them. But hearing her daughter praise her in such varied ways, Ning Fei still couldn't help but smile.
"Alright, stop flattering me," Ning Fei said with a smile. "You kick a few times first, and I'll see how you do it."
Ning Yuxuan did as she was told and tried it in front of Ning Fei, but it fell when she kicked the third one.
Ning Fei observed her daughter's movements from the side, and after watching, she gently said, "First of all, don't use so much force, the strength should be moderate, and secondly, lift your legs a little higher..."
After giving her a few instructions, Ning Yuxuan tried again.
The effect was immediate; this time she kicked the fifth one, and almost missed the sixth.
Ning Fei smiled and encouraged her daughter, "Yes, yes, the height was just right this time, and the movements were much better than the last time."
[Haha, I see now, Teacher Ning Fei's educational philosophy is definitely encouragement-based education.]
[That's why Ning Yuxuan is so cute and confident; she's obviously been praised by her mother since she was little!]
Ning Yuxuan smiled and said, "It's all thanks to your guidance, Teacher Ning, that I've learned so well!"
Ning Fei smiled and shook her head: "You're so clever, you even manage to praise yourself while praising me."
On the other side, Qin Man was also tutoring Jiang Ning'an.
Jiang Ning'an wasn't very good at playing shuttlecock, but fortunately, she often filmed action scenes and had good body control, so she quickly got on track.
In contrast, things didn't go as smoothly for Duan Ziyao and Su Yun.
Duan Ziyao knew absolutely nothing about kicking shuttlecock, and he was always the first to kick it away.
[Haha, Duan Ziyao is acting like me. This is what happens to people who can't play shuttlecock; they can't even catch the second one.]
I think Duan Ziyao's height is limiting him; being too tall makes him unstable, haha.
After Su Yun tried teaching her son a few times and found that it wasn't effective, she began to observe the other two groups of guests.
After discovering that Ning Fei was moving the easiest, Su Yun grabbed her son and went to find her without saying a word.
“Teacher Ning,” Su Yun said with a smile, “could you share some of your experience with us? Neither Ziyao nor I are very good at this, especially Ziyao, he doesn’t know anything about it.”
Ning Fei was a little surprised.
However, she didn't really care about winning or losing, and Su Yun's attitude was good, so she nodded in agreement.
Seeing this, Su Yun patted her son on the back: "Ziyao, hurry up, go and learn from Teacher Ning."
This Aunt Su truly lives up to her reputation as a social media savage.
[That's great, this show has never had such a shrewd guest before.]
Duan Ziyao looked very embarrassed, his whole body stiff, clearly having been dragged there by his mother.
The result of his stiffness was that his movements became even more distorted than before. After letting go, he didn't even manage to kick it the first time, and the shuttlecock fell straight to the ground.
The live chat erupted in laughter once again.
Duan Ziyao's ears turned bright red instantly.
"I'm sorry, Teacher Ning, I'll go back and practice some more..."
Just as Duan Ziyao was about to run away, Su Yun pulled him back: "Hey Ziyao, don't go! Teacher Ning is about to give you some pointers! What's the rush!"
Wanting to leave but unable to, Duan Ziyao felt even more uneasy.
Help! This feels like being forcibly pulled aside by your parents during Chinese New Year and forced to awkwardly chat with relatives.
[For someone with the I trait, the scariest thing is when they want to escape a scene, but someone with the E trait holds them back and won't let them go.]
Ning Fei had a decent impression of Duan Ziyao; the young man wasn't very talkative, but he was quite polite.
She hesitated before speaking, "How about I demonstrate the movements for you first?"
Ning Fei demonstrated the kicking motion by kicking a few times, and then explained the key points of the movement to Duan Ziyao.
Su Yun nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, Ziyao, just try it like Teacher Ning said!"
Duan Ziyao tried again amidst everyone's expectant gazes, but for some unknown reason, he failed to catch anything on the first try.
audience:"……"
[Haha, Teacher Ning's teaching wasn't wrong either. How come Duan Ziyao regressed after listening to it?]
My tendency to embarrass others is starting to kick in; my toes are beginning to move.
I can understand Duan Ziyao's feelings. Being surrounded by a bunch of people like this, the more nervous he gets, the less he can learn.
Ning Fei was also a little unsure of what to do, so she could only encourage her, "It's okay, try a few more times."
Ning Yuxuan suddenly spoke up: "Why don't we all stop standing here and watch? Mom, you can give him some individual guidance. Aunt Su, let's go rest for a while."
Duan Ziyao gave Ning Yuxuan a grateful look.
Su Yun paused for a moment, then nodded: "Okay, Ziyao, you should learn well from Teacher Ning!"
"That kid is really something..." Su Yun complained to Ning Yuxuan as they walked, "You know, he wasn't nervous at all during his world competition, but he gets nervous just playing shuttlecock? Oh, by the way, Yuxuan, Auntie hasn't asked you yet, what's your zodiac sign?"
Ning Yuxuan blinked: "Born in the Year of the Pig."
Su Yun beamed, "Oh, being born in the Year of the Pig is auspicious! Girls born in the Year of the Pig are all so kind-hearted, no wonder you're so likable. Xuanxuan, you must have just graduated from university not long ago, right? Which school did you attend?"
Ning Yuxuan: "Big A."
Su Yun clapped her hands: "Wow, that's a great school! So many people want to get in but can't! What's the major?"
...
[Help! This Aunt Su is so talkative, she's hallucinating the old lady downstairs!]
Sometimes you really have to marvel at the wonder of genetics. How could someone like Aunt Su give birth to such a quiet and reserved son as Duan Ziyao?
[If you look at it from another angle, maybe it's because he grew up with such a talkative mother that Duan Ziyao is so quiet.]
With fewer people surrounding him, Duan Ziyao's condition improved significantly.
Although it was just a game segment, Duan Ziyao still felt embarrassed to take up too much of Ning Fei's time.
After grasping the basics, Duan Ziyao said, "Teacher Ning, thank you. I can practice the rest on my own."
Ning Fei smiled and said, "Okay."
With just over twenty minutes left before the program's allotted time, Ning Yuxuan filled two glasses with water and handed one to Ning Fei.
After drinking, Ning Yuxuan practiced with Ning Fei for a while.
After the practice session ended, the production team called the guests together and announced the official start of the competition.
The six people drew lots and took turns competing in a one-minute time trial.
Ning Fei and Qin Man were clearly the best shuttlecock players among the six, and the two of them won first and second place with a significant advantage, with only two players separating them in the end.
I'm totally shipping these two award-winning actresses again! A good on-screen couple is only truly enjoyable when they're evenly matched!
[So when are you two going to collaborate on a new movie? I'll definitely be there to contribute to the box office!]
Of the remaining people, apart from Duan Ziyao, the other three were all of similar skill level, with Jiang Ning'an taking third place by a narrow margin.
Duan Ziyao's last place was no surprise, but he did show some improvement compared to his initial situation.
The live stream started at 10 a.m. and it's now time to prepare lunch.
The production team announced that the four guests ranked last would be responsible for everyone's lunch.
The top two guests can enjoy the massage provided by the production team while waiting for lunch to be ready.
After the rules were announced, Ning Fei and Qin Man exchanged a glance, both seeing helplessness in each other's eyes.
[Hahaha, I bet both teachers think the same thing: if they had known it would turn out like this, they would have been better off letting the team win.]
The production team must have known this, which is why they waited until the end of the game to announce the rules.
I wonder how good Duan Ziyao and his mother's cooking skills are? Could they possibly save Ning Yuxuan and Jiang Ning'an?
The production team has prepared the ingredients, and the guests can discuss and decide what dishes to prepare.
When Duan Ziyao was training with the team, he always ate the food cooked by the aunties at the training base and rarely went into the kitchen.
After discussing it, the group decided to make Su Yun the head chef, with the other three assisting her.
Su Yun was very proactive. She first went to the kitchen to see what ingredients were available, and then asked Qin Man and Ning Fei what they wanted to eat.
Qin Man and Ning Fei were very polite, saying that Su Yun had worked hard and that they could eat whatever they wanted.
Su Yun then asked Ning Yuxuan and Jiang Ning'an what they wanted to eat.
Jiang Ning'an: "Auntie, I'm fine with anything. Whatever is convenient for you."
Only Ning Yuxuan thought seriously for a moment: "Auntie, what dishes are you good at?"
[Haha, Ning Yuxuan, you're really something, you don't hold back at all!]
Su Yun rattled off a long list of dishes and asked Ning Yuxuan if there was anything she liked.
After thinking for a moment, Ning Yuxuan said, "Stir-fried pork with chili peppers and braised eggplant, is that alright, Auntie?"
Su Yun readily agreed, "Sure, no problem! My Ziyao also likes these two dishes, so I'll make extra for both of you!"
Although the three young people weren't very good at cooking themselves, they were quite efficient at washing and chopping vegetables and helping Su Yun.
With the combined efforts of the four people, lunch for six people was successfully prepared.
The games in the morning were very tiring, and everyone was hungry by now, so they couldn't wait to start eating.
Ning Yuxuan had her eye on the stir-fried pork with chili peppers on the table long ago; she had loved this dish since she was a child.
She reached out with her chopsticks to pick it up, and almost collided with a pair of chopsticks coming from another direction.
Ning Yuxuan raised her head and met Duan Ziyao's gaze.
Duan Ziyao paused for a moment, his ears turning slightly red, and quickly put away his chopsticks.
This wouldn't have been a problem, as everyone else was eating their own meals.
However, Su Yun witnessed this scene.
Su Yun immediately chimed in, "Xuanxuan, let me tell you, my Ziyao also really loves stir-fried pork with chili peppers. When he's home, he always pesters me to make this dish for him. Isn't that a coincidence—"
Duan Ziyao cleared his throat: "Mom."
Su Yun was interrupted and glanced at her son: "Oh, it's nothing. I just said it casually because you two have such similar tastes."
"Come on, Xuanxuan." Su Yun pointed to the braised eggplant in front of her. "Auntie remembers you said you liked this dish earlier. Try it and see if it's good."
Ning Yuxuan picked up a piece of eggplant with her chopsticks and took a bite.
"Delicious." Ning Yuxuan never hesitated to praise food. "Auntie, your cooking is really good."
Su Yun smiled and nodded: "It's good that it's delicious, then you should eat more!"
The more she looked at this girl, the more pleasing she became; she was beautiful and had a good personality.
While she was cooking in the kitchen, she noticed that Ning Yuxuan was quite efficient at her work.
After thinking for a moment, Su Yun covered her mouth with her hand and quietly said to her son beside her, "Ziyao, what do you think of Xuanxuan?"
Su Yun has not participated in many variety show recordings, and she is not used to the fact that her words can be recorded at any time.
She forgot that even if she spoke in a low voice, the microphone clipped to her clothes could still transmit every word she said to the viewers in the live stream.
This statement immediately sparked a huge discussion.
What's going on? Is Duan Ziyao's mother interested in Ning Yuxuan and wants her to be her son's girlfriend?
[Speaking of which, Ning Yuxuan and Duan Ziyao actually look quite good together, don't they? But their ages seem incompatible, I remember this guy is only under twenty?]
I checked, Duan Ziyao will turn 20 at the end of the year, and the two are about five years apart! I think it's okay, a relationship between an older woman and a younger man is also very appealing!
[Hey, how did you guys start shipping this couple so quickly? That's a bit too fast!]
[It's not illegal to casually ship them! Besides, if they actually become a couple, we'll be among the first CP fans!]
Some people also expressed dissatisfaction with Su Yun's behavior.
[Aunt Su, that's not quite right. Ning Yuxuan is just a simple and polite person. Don't try to play matchmaker.]
However, Su Yun only talked about it privately with her son and didn't do anything excessive, so not many people disliked her.
Most viewers were just there for the spectacle.
Upon hearing his mother's question, Duan Ziyao's body stiffened.
"Mom!" Duan Ziyao said in a low voice, "What nonsense are you talking about!"
Su Yun waved her hand: "Oh, I was just asking casually. Let's eat."
After lunch, the afternoon activities began.
The prop that the production team brought up this time was a two-player joystick game console.
[This game console has such a retro design, it looks like something from the last century. Where did the production team find it?]
[It looks like the kind of machine I used to play at arcades ten years ago; kids these days probably haven't even seen it.]
The production team plugged in the game console, and it immediately started playing very retro music.
Judging from the screen on the game console, the production team had the guests play a two-player fighting game.
Both players have eight buttons to control actions such as punching, kicking, and defending, which can be combined to create various combos.
Two staff members from the production team went on stage first to demonstrate how to play to the guests.
Next, the staff brought out a box for drawing lots, allowing the guests to determine the order of their matches by drawing lots.
Ning Yuxuan and Duan Ziyao both drew number one and were the first to go on stage.
The two sat side by side on chairs in front of the game console.
Before the official battle began, the production team allowed the guests to try it out a few times to familiarize themselves with the key bindings.
To be fair, the match will officially begin only after both sides have indicated they are ready.
For the first attempt, both sides chose their own roles.
Ning Yuxuan rarely played these kinds of arcade games with joysticks, so her movements were rather clumsy.
Whether Duan Ziyao had played similar machines before or was born with a talent for gaming, he immediately adopted a more professional stance.
After the first round of battle began, Ning Yuxuan's character was quickly knocked down, and her health dropped significantly.
Just when the audience thought Duan Ziyao was about to take the opportunity to unleash a combo, Duan Ziyao stopped what he was doing.
Duan Ziyao asked softly, "Did you not completely memorize the functions of these buttons?"
Ning Yuxuan admitted, "A little."
In front of her were eight buttons, besides the joystick, all the same color and shape, with no text descriptions on them.
If you suddenly let her operate it, it is indeed difficult for her to remember what each button does.
Duan Ziyao stood up from his chair and walked to Ning Yuxuan's side.
“If you wanted to counter my move just now, you could have pressed these keys…” Duan Ziyao said, pointing out the corresponding keys to Ning Yuxuan.
Duan Ziyao's movements were very measured; he kept a half-step distance from Ning Yuxuan and did not touch her body.
However, Su Yun watched from behind, her eyes shining.
She knew it; her son definitely had feelings for Ning Yuxuan!
Su Yun knows her son's personality best. When faced with someone he doesn't like, he wants to stay as far away from that person as possible and would never take the initiative to teach them.
Over the years, what Su Yun was most dissatisfied with about her son was that his personality was just like his father's. He was a quiet, reserved person who neither liked studying nor making friends from a young age, and only liked playing games.
Two years ago, her son was selected by some e-sports club and was asked to try out. At first, Su Yun refused.
Later, the coach said that as long as she passed the trial, she could earn more than 10,000 yuan a month, and Su Yun finally agreed.
Later, her son joined a team whose name she couldn't even pronounce. Su Yun made a special inquiry and found that the team was all boys and there wasn't a single girl.
Su Yun was extremely worried. Her son didn't like interacting with girls to begin with. What if he stayed in that team for several years?
Seeing her son interacting with Ning Yuxuan, Su Yun's mind started to wander.
The more she looked at this girl, the more she liked her; her personal and family circumstances were both excellent.
Although she is a few years older than her son, as the saying goes: "A woman three years older is like holding a gold brick; a woman six years older is more than enough to make you happy!"
After Duan Ziyao finished teaching Ning Yuxuan, he returned to his seat.
The two continued practicing for a while until Ning Yuxuan said she was almost familiar with the key bindings and could officially start the competition.
As the game officially began, the sound of various buttons being pressed immediately filled the living room.
The battle looked extremely intense, and in the end, Ning Yuxuan was left with only a sliver of health, narrowly winning the battle.
The staff announced: "Congratulations to Ning Yuxuan for winning the first game!"
The viewers in the live stream noticed something.
[Huh? Did Ziyao let Ning Yuxuan win? He didn't use his most damaging combo the whole time.]
[It seems so? Could it be that my younger brother really has those feelings too?]
[Looks pretty good so far, I'll take a small sip!]
After the first match ended, Ning Yuxuan and Duan Ziyao left the arena, and Jiang Ning'an and Ning Fei took their place.
Duan Ziyao remained silent. After saying "Congratulations" to Ning Yuxuan, he quietly retreated to the side to watch the game.
Su Yun, however, couldn't wait to walk over to Ning Yuxuan and pull her aside to chat.
"Xuanxuan, come here." Su Yun's face was full of joy. "Auntie remembers that you were born in the Year of the Pig, right? Our Ziyao was born in the Year of the Rabbit. The Rabbit is the auspicious animal for those born in the Year of the Pig. They are a perfect match!"
Ning Yuxuan had never heard of any "benefactor," but she understood the meaning of the last few words.
After thinking for a moment, Ning Yuxuan said, "Auntie, I have a boyfriend."
Su Yun was taken aback.
"Boyfriend?" Su Yun asked. "So you're not married yet?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
