In the middle of winter, one of the men carrying the sedan chair was still wearing a short-sleeved shirt, revealing his muscular arms. His entire figure exuded strength and power.

Despite the cold wind howling around them, he was sweating profusely, his body radiating heat. After Lu Jingdu had settled into the sedan chair, the man let out a loud shout, “Lift the sedan!”

【Lift the sedan!】

【The bridal sedan chair ride begins!】

【Congratulations to the movie king for successfully hitching a ride.】

【Congratulations to the movie king for once again securing soft rice.】

The four sedan bearers exerted their strength in unison, steadily lifting the chair. As they moved, they chanted in perfect sync, “One, two, one, two……”

But no matter how stable the bearers’ shoulders were, those sitting inside the sedan would still feel a bit of a jolt. The comfort level of a sedan chair couldn’t compare to a car, but it was still a novel experience. The space inside was quite large, but with two adults sitting together, it still felt a bit cramped.

Outside, the cold wind howled, but inside the sedan chair, the temperature was quite comfortable. Neither of them spoke, but Ning Xiaoyu’s ears were far from quiet.

〖Love System: Wuuwuuwuu, I’m so overwhelmed with sweetness, Girl, I feel like I can’t breathe!〗

Ning Xiaoyu responded seriously, “That’s why eating too much sugar isn’t good. These days, a lot of people are quitting sugar. Less sugar, healthier life.”

〖Love System: No, my existence can only be sustained by consuming sweetness!〗

As Ning Xiaoyu chatted idly with the love system in her mind, the sedan chair had already covered quite a distance.

Just then, a lively commotion reached her ears.

Why was it suddenly so noisy?

Before she could ask, one of the sedan bearers answered her unspoken question, “Xiao Yu, do you want to come down and join in the fun?”

Ning Xiaoyu asked, “What’s happening?”

The man laughed heartily. “It’s an interactive attraction in the scenic area called ‘Throwing the Embroidered Ball for Marriage.'”

He then gave a simple explanation. The game was similar to what was often seen in historical dramas— except in those, the embroidered ball always landed in the hands of the main character or a key supporting character. In this scenic area event, the ball was thrown randomly, and whoever caught it was just an ordinary tourist.

Tourists who wanted to participate could step forward to catch the embroidered ball. If they weren’t interested, they could just watch from the sidelines.

Participation was entirely up to them.

Ning Xiaoyu gave a noncommittal “Oh.” She wasn’t particularly interested in this kind of activity, but the enthusiastic fan carrying the sedan was eager for her to join in and said, “Xiao Yu, why don’t you get out and take a look?”

The other sedan bearers chimed in as well.

“Yeah! This event only happens once a week. Every Wednesday at two in the afternoon. You guys happened to arrive at just the right time.”

“Since you’re already here, you might as well check it out.”

“It’s a rare chance, you should at least take a look.”

Ning Xiaoyu had been a transparent figure in the entertainment industry for years, and suddenly she had so many fans treating her with such warmth. She really couldn’t bring herself to reject their kindness.

So, she and Lu Jingdu got out of the sedan chair together.

The lead bearer grinned brightly. “Xiao Yu, after the show, we’ll take you where you need to go. You’re heading to the park, right? Leave it to us!”

【This guy is seriously too generous!】

【I love passionate, reliable guys like this!】

【Ahhh, so happy for Xiao Yu!】

【This is hilarious. Feels like the movie king isn’t even getting a chance to shine.】

【Movie King: Can’t get a word in.jpg】

【Movie King: Just a background character.】

Even the love system felt gratified, as if watching its family’s girl slowly grow and thrive.

Ning Xiaoyu had barely stepped out of the sedan when a female fan came rushing over, holding a set of bright red traditional attire. “Xiao Yu, do you want to go upstairs and throw the embroidered ball?”

Ning Xiaoyu: “???”

Audience: “???”

【Throw the embroidered ball?】

【Another fan? Xiao Yu really has fans everywhere now.】

【Ahhh, our salted fish queen is officially famous! Sisters, join me— Xiao Yu is truly famous now!】

【Xiao Yu is famous!】

The lead bearer recognized the woman and greeted her, “Hey, aren’t you the actress who plays the role of the embroidered ball thrower?”

The female fan beamed. “Yeah! Big Bro, you recognize me?”

The man nodded. “Of course! I work here in the scenic area too. I watch your performances whenever I have time. How could I not recognize you?”

The female fan’s smile brightened even further. After exchanging a few words with him, she turned to Ning Xiaoyu and said, “Xiao Yu, I just talked to my supervisor. He said if you’re willing, you can take my place as the lead actress today.”

Wasn’t sitting in the sedan comfortable enough?

Why would she go upstairs and stand in the cold wind just to throw an embroidered ball?

With an expression as deadpan as ever, Ning Xiaoyu waved her hand. “No need.”

The female fan had been following 《Hi, My Friend》, so she had a general understanding of Ning Xiaoyu’s personality.

She knew that the salted fish queen was truly lazy— but also truly doted on her fans.

She grabbed Ning Xiaoyu’s arm and pleaded coquettishly, “Xiao Yu, just this once! Come play and throw the embroidered ball!”

【???】

【Eh? Did she figure out that Xiao Yu gives in to soft tactics but not hard ones?】

【The salted fish queen looks indifferent to everything, but in reality, she’s a big softie when it comes to her fans.】

“Xiao Yu, pretty please? Is it okay? Is it?”

【Tsk, tsk, tsk.】

【LMAO, even though the female fan was acting cute, she didn’t use a baby voice.】

【Of course not! Which of Xiao Yu’s fans would dare alter their voice? The last male fan who tried got shut down on the spot.】

【Yeah, yeah, thinking about that last incident still cracks me up.】

Just as the fans expected, the ever-indulgent Ning Xiaoyu did not refuse the female fan’s request. Of course, the main reason she didn’t refuse was because the fan added, “Xiao Yu, it’s not tiring at all! You just have to toss the embroidered ball, and that’s it. Super simple!”

So, under the expectant gaze of the female fan and the excited crowing of the love system, Ning Xiaoyu donned the bright red robe and followed the female fan upstairs.

Upstairs, her ‘wealthy father’ was already waiting with a beaming smile.

The actor playing the wealthy father was a middle-aged man with a beer belly, looking every bit the part of a rich landowner.

As soon as she arrived, a servant dressed in traditional garb loudly announced to the crowd below, “Today, our esteemed master is hosting an embroidered ball tossing event to choose a husband for his only daughter! Whoever catches the embroidered ball will become our master’s esteemed son-in-law! Our young lady is as beautiful as a goddess, talented in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and well-versed in etiquette and virtue. Today, she is here to find her destined match!”

The tourists played along, cheering, “Good!”

With that, the servant handed an embroidered ball to Ning Xiaoyu. She took it and casually tossed it down without a second glance.

Down below, the crowd instantly erupted into excitement.

The atmosphere was completely electrified.

A male tourist jumped up, eager to catch the ball, but unfortunately, it slipped right past his fingers.

【Let’s see who will be today’s luckiest visitor!】

【LMAO, there’s one guy who’s way too into this. He looks downright feral, like he really wants to be the wealthy lord’s live-in son-in-law!】

【Live-in son-in-law?】

【Yeah, in historical dramas, the whole embroidered ball tossing thing is usually for recruiting a live-in son-in-law. The men who participate are typically poor scholars looking for financial support from their in-laws to continue their imperial exams.】

While the live viewers were explaining the concept of a live-in son-in-law, a male tourist was intensely focused on catching the embroidered ball. His brows were tightly furrowed, and his gaze never left the airborne ball. Meanwhile, a female tourist was just as determined— not to let him get it.

The embroidered ball bounced from head to head, still uncaught.

Seeing the female tourist’s relentless effort, the servant upstairs quickly shouted, “Our master’s son-in-law must be a man! A man, okay? If a lady catches it, it doesn’t count!”

The female tourist completely ignored him, acting as if his words were just empty air, solely focused on grabbing the ball.

【Another true fan of Xiao Yu?】

【I see her determination! She wants that ball just as much as the guy next to her.】

【LMAO, it’s basically just these two battling it out now.】

【Too bad she’s a girl. The servant won’t acknowledge it.】

【Even if she catches it, it won’t count. They’ll just have to do it again.】

The servant, clearly worried about ending up with a female ‘son-in-law’, reminded everyone at least three more times that only men were eligible.

Although some audience members were frustrated, they knew the rules had always been this way since ancient times, so they had no choice but to accept it.

At this point, the battle for the embroidered ball had reached a fever pitch.

Under the eager gazes of onlookers, the heightened excitement of other tourists, and the fierce competition between the two main contenders, the female tourist ultimately proved to be the more skilled. With a swift move, she snatched the embroidered ball and grinned victoriously.

【Oh snap!】

【Wow, Sis, you’re amazing!】

【Ahhh, I can’t believe she actually got it! Impressive!】

【I feel so bad for her! This sucks!】

Just as many spectators were lamenting her wasted effort, the female tourist suddenly spun around, aimed precisely, and, from a short distance away, tossed the embroidered ball directly into Lu Jingdu’s arms.

Her aim was flawless, and the embroidered ball landed squarely in the movie king’s embrace.

【???】

【!!!】

【What kind of unexpected plot twist is this?!】

Having completed her mission, the female tourist dusted off her hands and left the stage in style.

“Hehe, I’m not just a Ning Xiaoyu solo fan— I’m a DuYu CP fan! Bet you didn’t see that coming, huh? Surprised?”

‘DuYu’ was the CP name created by fans, representing Lu Jingdu and Ning Xiaoyu as a pairing.

Neither the viewers nor the tourists at the scene had seen this coming.

So after all that effort— fighting tooth and nail, completely disregarding her image— she wasn’t even trying to win for herself? She did it just to give the embroidered ball to Lu Jingdu?

What kind of earth-shattering devotion was this?!

The female fan beamed brightly. “Movie King, I helped you get the embroidered ball! Hurry upstairs now! Don’t keep Xiao Yu waiting!”

【Damn, I feel like I just saw myself in her.】

【As a CP fan, if I were there, I’d probably be grinning even harder than her.】

【CP fans are seriously on another level. They just get it. This is top-tier dedication!】

【Movie King: So I don’t even have to catch the embroidered ball myself?】

【Movie King: So Xiao Yu’s fans have already taken care of everything for me?】

【So basically, the movie king just has to sit back and win.】

【We, Xiao Yu’s fans and DuYu CP fans, are simply too powerful!】

At that moment, one viewer hit the nail on the head, 【So Movie King = Live-in Son-in-law? Not bad!】