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Chapter 15: Who Doesn’t Like a Little Sunshine? Look Closely, Rookie!
As soon as Sheng Mingzhu spoke, Xu Ruanyuan and Qiao Li’s eyes lit up. They quickly lowered their heads further, afraid that making eye contact with Ning Qingyan might lead to a misunderstanding.
The show’s director, seeing Sheng Mingzhu’s determination, turned to Ning Qingyan and asked,
“Ning Qingyan, you’re ranked first, so you have the right to reject Sheng Mingzhu and choose another female guest. What’s your choice…?”
Before the director could finish, Ning Qingyan, his ears slightly red, responded, “I agree!”
Gu Si, standing nearby, frowned slightly. He looked at Ning Qingyan, whose grip on his arm was tight, and said with a helpless tone,
“Can you not be so nervous? Have some backbone, will you?”
Under Sheng Mingzhu’s gaze, Ning Qingyan maintained a calm expression, standing straight and steady.
“What are you talking about? I’m not nervous. You’re just jealous that the little sister picked me.”
Looking at Ning Qingyan’s pretentious face, Gu Si sneered in disdain,
“If you’re so confident, how about you let go of my arm first? You’re practically squeezing it off. Geez, don’t tell me you need me to hold your hand while you untie the knots for the female guest?”
Ning Qingyan quickly let go, coughed awkwardly, and said, “I’m just sharing some of my good luck with you.”
Gu Si replied, “Sure, I believe you.”
With the pairing confirmed, the director announced,
“Congratulations to our second temporary CP for forming!”
The female guests all clapped enthusiastically, much louder than for the first CP. Even Xu Ruanyuan and Qiao Li, who had been silent, finally lifted their heads with bright smiles.
Before Sheng Mingzhu could say anything, Ning Qingyan eagerly ran over to her. He was much more proactive than Wen Shijin and immediately started untying the knots.
The rope was indeed tied tightly and was challenging to undo. The female guests, who had been bound for a long time while answering questions, had their delicate, pale wrists rubbed red and sore.
Having untied such knots in a previous life, Ning Qingyan was familiar with the trick.
Seeing Sheng Mingzhu seated and extending her reddened wrists toward him, Ning Qingyan knelt on one knee, his ears slightly red, placed her hand gently on his knee, and carefully untied the knot.
The director was stunned: What? Did I hire a fake knot-tying expert?
The cameras on drones capturing the scene from all angles temporarily shut down again.
Sheng Mingzhu observed the boy crouching before her, examining his face closely.
His eyelashes, longer than hers, fluttered nervously. It seemed to be his first time this close to a girl. His slightly rounded ears were tinged red, his chestnut-colored short hair drooped, and his black-and-white eyes reflected her reddened wrists. His delicate features were filled with earnest concentration.
When Ning Qingyan finished and stood up, saying, “Done,” Sheng Mingzhu finally snapped out of her daze. She had been mesmerized while looking at him.
Sheng Mingzhu blinked and smiled, glancing at Wen Shijin to cover up her momentary distraction.
“Yan Yan is amazing! You’re even faster at untying knots than Wen Shijin.”
Wen Shijin, who had been watching Ning Qingyan untie the knot, nodded and replied warmly,
“Xiao Yan’s technique is indeed more efficient. I must concede.”
Holding the rope, Ning Qingyan twisted it into a knot in his hand, maintaining a composed demeanor. With an air of nonchalance, he coolly uttered, “Thank you.”
Gu Si, standing not far away, couldn’t bear to look at Ning Qingyan’s smug yet inexplicably endearing behavior. He covered his face and turned away, muttering, “I wouldn’t even dare admit she’s my apprentice in public.”
Meanwhile, Lin Qingqing, who hadn’t found a chance to talk to Wen Shijin due to her cold persona, couldn’t help chiming in,
“Wen Shijin wasn’t far behind, though. He untied the knots in just a few moves.”
Sheng Mingzhu smiled playfully. “But he took quite a while to study the knots first, didn’t he, Wen Shijin?”
Lin Qingqing frowned, just about to refute, when Wen Shijin nodded, his voice calm,
“She’s right. I did spend more time examining the knot’s structure than Xiao Yan did.”
Lin Qingqing’s words were stuck in her throat. Clenching her sleeves tightly, she gave a faint glance at Sheng Mingzhu’s bright smile, pressed her lips together, and said nothing.
After all, what could she say when Wen Shijin himself admitted it?
Sheng Mingzhu’s smile grew even more radiant.
At the same time, the director’s voice announced,
“The remaining four guests will be paired by lottery into two temporary CPs. According to the results, Xu Ruanyuan will pair with Gu Si, and Qiao Li with Huo Qi.”
Hearing this, Xu RuanRuan, sitting next to Sheng Mingzhu, brightened up. She shyly looked at Gu Si, her voice soft,
“Gu Si-ge, what a coincidence. My wrists are really sore from being tied up for so long.”
Gu Si strode over with his long legs and stopped before Xu RuanRuan. Nudging Ning Qingyan aside, he said in a deep voice,
“Watch closely, rookie.”
He then lowered his gaze to Xu RuanRuan, his devilishly handsome face wearing a roguish smile. In a lazy tone, he teased,
“I’m too tall. What should we do?”
Xu RuanRuan, who had been seated, immediately stood up and offered her chair, her cheeks flushed, her voice soft,
“Then you can sit down to untie it… That way, it’s easier.”
Ning Qingyan: … (drooling with envy).
Gu Si, ever the practical opportunist, shamelessly sat down and began untying Xu RuanRuan’s ropes.
The director, who had given up hope, wasn’t focusing the cameras on them until, midway, they realized Gu Si was struggling to untie the knot.
Meanwhile, Xu RuanRuan, standing for an extended period, was internally crying: Why was he so slow when the first two pairs untied their knots so quickly?
However, seeing Huo Qi, who was coldly and silently fumbling with Qiao Li’s knot, she felt a bit better.
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The director’s voice sounded again,
“The first temporary CP to untie their knots can follow the drones to the dinner preparation location. The dinner will be collaboratively cooked by each pair, with ingredients ranked based on their earlier performance.”
“Finally, each pair will taste the dishes and vote for the best one (excluding their own). The pair with the most votes will receive a mysterious prize and an additional bonus!”
Hearing this, Xu RuanRuan and Qiao Li, who hadn’t made much progress with their knots, felt a chill of despair.