Chapter 40

“Ah?!”

“I just had an accident! I couldn’t control it, I didn’t mean to interrupt you!”

Ximen Sabi hurriedly explained before Jin Keyang could get angry. He really didn’t do it on purpose. Who could have known that his buttocks would itch at that exact moment? It wasn’t early, nor late, just at that moment. He squatted down, pretending to scratch his butt, but lost his balance and fell—then—

Qiao Chuchu, who had seen the entire scene, laughed joyfully.

【Ahahaha, so funny! Big thanks to Ximen Sabi for this move. Thanks to his contribution of scratching his itchy butt, he successfully sabotaged his own teammate.】

【Poor Qin Zhongsong though, he almost got turned into a target by Jin Keyang. That was too dangerous.】

“Pfft—”

A burst of laughter came from the crowd, and then it was like opening a magic box, more people couldn’t hold it in and laughed out loud. Afterward, they couldn’t help but check on Qin Zhongsong, the unlucky guy who almost got shot.

Live Comments:

【What the hell! What’s Jin Keyang doing?! Can’t he be a bit more careful?!】

【Ahhh! If Jin Keyang dares to hurt my Brother Qin, I’ll kill him!】

【What is this? Didn’t Jin Keyang say he was good at archery? How could he miss so ridiculously? How could he still claim he’s accurate? How embarrassing!】

【We can’t really blame our Yangyang. I saw his friend push him, and that’s why this happened…】

—

The crowd asked, “Senior Qin, are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” Qin Zhongsong shook his head, looking at Qiao Cen beside him, smiling. “Xiao Qiao, thank you for pulling me away just now. If you hadn’t, I would have been in trouble.”

Yes, when Jin Keyang’s arrow flew toward him earlier, it was Qiao Cen’s quick reaction in pulling him away that prevented the accident.

Qiao Cen waved his hand. “Senior Qin, you’re too polite. My reaction was actually a bit slow. It almost hit you.”

He and Qin Zhongsong had been sitting together, watching Jin Keyang’s every move. Unexpectedly, in the middle of it, the arrow veered off course and shot straight toward Qin Zhongsong. Without thinking, Qiao Cen instinctively pulled him away.

His movement might have been a little rough, but he hoped Qin Zhongsong didn’t mind.

“It wasn’t slow, just right.” Qin Zhongsong smiled. “This young man is not bad.”

Live Comments:

【Thank you, Qiao Cen, for pulling my old brother Qin away and saving his life. You saved me, too! If you ever need help in the future, just tell me, I’ll help you!】

【Okay, starting today, Qiao Cen is my second idol. If anyone dares to insult him, I won’t be nice!】

【No need to thank, thank you for saving Senior Qin. Our Xiao Qiao just moved a bit faster. As long as Senior Qin is fine, everything is good—happy~】

【Okay, okay! Welcome to the Qiao Cen family! We’re all one family now, no need for formalities, don’t be shy.】

The fans online were harmonious and united.

—

Jin Keyang realized he had almost caused a disaster. If he had accidentally injured someone on a variety show, even his father, no matter how much he spoiled him, would have taught him a lesson.

He glared fiercely at Ximen Sabi. He shouldn’t have brought this idiot onto the variety show. Not only did he make him lose face, but he almost caused him to commit a crime!

“You okay? It was all his fault for pushing me. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have missed the shot!”

What made him even angrier and more frustrated was that Qiao Cen had gained a huge advantage—and it was at his expense. How could that not give him a heart attack?

Qiao Chuchu was speechless.

【Tsk, Jin Keyang is so blindly confident. He really doesn’t have any self-awareness, always pushing the blame onto others.】

【Poor Ximen Sabi, playing with this kind of person.】

【Sigh—】

【I just realized that Ximen Sabi and Jin Keyang actually have an uncle-nephew relationship. Ximen Sabi’s sister, Ximen Saju, is Jin Keyang’s stepmother.】

【This brother and sister duo have tried so hard to please Jin Keyang behind the scenes. Unfortunately, their efforts didn’t really pay off. Jin Keyang looks down on them from the bottom of his heart, and often complains to his friends that the Ximen family is full of idiots—each one dumber than the next.】

【Jin Keyang is really no good. Not only is he arrogant and blindly confident, but he also looks down on others and has tons of bad habits.】

【He’s been stepping on girls’ feelings since he was a kid, always hopping from one girlfriend to the next. No relationship lasts more than ten days, and he breaks up faster than changing clothes.】

【His best trick is using money to control people. He even caused the class beauty in his school to commit suicide when she refused to date him. Her parents cried their eyes out, but he had his dad protecting him, so nothing happened to him. He’s a real scumbag living without consequences!】

The crowd was shocked: Wait, are we saying that Jin Keyang has blood on his hands?

Jin Keyang’s face darkened even further, but he couldn’t say anything. If he did, it would be like admitting guilt.

Ximen Sabi stared at Jin Keyang, shocked. So, he had so many secrets!

It was really surprising!

And—

Although it was his fault, Jin Keyang couldn’t just blatantly shift all the blame onto him like this. Wasn’t that just using him as a target?!

Although his name was Ximen Sabi, he wasn’t an idiot with no brains.

Especially after hearing Qiao Chuchu’s thoughts, his dissatisfaction and anger toward Jin Keyang reached a boiling point.

But he didn’t dare to confront Jin Keyang head-on. He just didn’t have the power to do so.

Ximen Sabi knew when to back down. “Senior Qin, I’m really sorry. Our Yangyang’s aim wasn’t steady, and he almost hurt you.”

Qin Zhongsong’s expression grew cold. “Young people’s skills aren’t up to par. They need more practice.”

His gaze at Jin Keyang and Ximen Sabi was unfriendly. One was too arrogant, and the other was too much of an idiot—they couldn’t be trusted to accomplish anything.

Jin Keyang’s face turned as black as the bottom of a pot. Was he implying that he was useless?!

He was so angry!

“I told you, my archery skills are excellent! It’s all because he pushed me that I missed!”

Jin Keyang still couldn’t hold back, defending himself. He wasn’t useless—he was the best!

Qin Zhongsong’s face remained solemn and unfriendly. He didn’t engage with Jin Keyang in any argument.

With his many years of experience in the entertainment industry, he could tell that a person like Jin Keyang wouldn’t get far.

Jin Keyang said angrily, “Stay away from me!”

“Oh.” Ximen Sabi was filled with frustration, but he didn’t dare to express it. He could only walk to the side, feeling aggrieved.

He had originally thought that being on a variety show would be fun and that he would get the same attention from girls as Jin Keyang. But the reality was completely different from what he had imagined.

It was so frustrating.

Jin Keyang didn’t care what he was feeling, as long as he was happy, that was all that mattered.

This time, he was ready to shoot his second arrow. He aimed carefully, and without Ximen Sabi’s interference, he successfully hit the balloon.

“Bang!”

The yellow balloon exploded, and pieces of the balloon scattered all over the place.

He straightened his back even more, and the gloomy look on his face turned into a pleased one, almost as if he was showing off.

Except for Ximen Sabi, who clapped and cheered, the other guests didn’t say anything. They just silently watched, which made him feel uncomfortable.

In a fit of anger, he started shooting his third, fourth, and fifth arrows… These shots were quite accurate, and he hit every balloon.

It was as if he was proving something to himself, humming and dancing as if putting on an impromptu performance.

“Hmph! Ha!”

“I told you, my aim is quite good. If no one disturbs me, I can hit all of them.”

Unfortunately, no one at the scene paid him any attention, not even his cheerleader, Ximen Sabi, who was busy picking up the arrows, preparing for his turn to shoot.

Qiao Chuchu’s inner thoughts came through.

【Oh, look at how pleased he is. He hit four balloons, and now his ego is about to soar.】

【Jin Keyang is good at archery, but his proudest achievements in singing and dancing are only because people give way to him out of respect for his status. Even his top-tier popularity was bought with his father’s money. Otherwise, someone like him could never be on the same level as Brother Qiao in terms of popularity. Watching him dance makes me feel embarrassed.】

—

Jin Keyang’s smile froze on his face. He glared at Qiao Chuchu. What was she babbling about?!

He had debuted as the number one pick in the talent show!

He was the legitimate winner of the talent competition chosen by the public!

“Excuse me,” Qin Zhongsong said, standing up and slowly walking over. “Director, can I try shooting? It’s been a while.”

The director responded, “Of course, go ahead.”

Qin Zhongsong wanted to try shooting balloons, and the director was more than happy to oblige. After all, this was a major traffic point, and it might create a buzz at the scene.

The staff quickly set up the balloons and left the stage for him.

Qin Zhongsong’s archery skills were far superior to Jin Keyang’s. He took an arrow, aimed at a target, and released it. The arrow pierced through a line of balloons.

“Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang——”

Five balloons exploded in quick succession, shocking everyone in the room. The entire crowd erupted in applause.

“Holy crap, Senior Qin, you’re amazing!”

“This is real shooting!”

The bullet screen was full of praise.

【This is so exciting! My brother Qin is amazing!】

【Hey Jin, take a good look. With your little skill, how dare you talk about archery!】

【Haha, old Qin is still so petty, slapping the young ones in public. I’m dying laughing.】

—

Qin Zhongsong smiled, “It’s been a long time since I played, so I’m a little out of practice.”

His words struck Jin Keyang like a hammer, slapping him right in the face. Jin Keyang’s expression darkened — Qin Zhongsong must have done it on purpose, right? He did it to embarrass him! How petty was he?

Qiao Chuchu couldn’t help but clap.

【Big Brother Qin, that was amazing! He showed off just enough to make Jin Keyang realize what real skill looks like. Let’s see if he dares to act so cocky again.】

Jin Keyang’s face stayed dark, everything was against him!

She scrolled down the comments again.

【Haha, I see now, Qin Zhongsong is famously petty. He’s someone who always gets back at those he dislikes. Jin Keyang almost hurt him, and he didn’t even lose his temper on the spot.】

【Although Qin Zhongsong is petty, he’s fiercely protective of those he cares about. He’s such a ‘daughter slave’—he treats his daughter like a princess, willing to give her the stars and the moon. But his daughter feels suffocated by all the attention, and it’s driving her to rebel. She secretly started dating someone Qin Zhongsong absolutely disapproves of. Tsk, teenage rebellion is really hard to deal with…】

Qin Zhongsong’s smile gradually faded, and he looked at Qiao Chuchu in shock. How did she know all this?

He quickly shifted his gaze, deciding not to act on it in this situation. He would deal with it after the variety show.

The crowd, too, enjoyed the gossip and gained a whole new understanding of Qin Zhongsong. They treated him with even more respect, especially considering he was a big shot and a bit petty—definitely not someone to offend.

—

“Yangyang, give me the bow.”

Ximen Sabi pointed at the bow and arrow in Jin Keyang’s hands. However, Jin Keyang didn’t immediately hand it over because he didn’t want Ximen Sabi to shoot the balloons.

As though she could read his mind, Qiao Chuchu commented, “Oh? Someone isn’t going to follow the rules of the game again, huh?”

“Damn!!!” Jin Keyang glared at Qiao Cen, then threw the bow and arrow at Ximen Sabi. Ximen Sabi almost dropped it and ended up stumbling. He muttered, “Yangyang, can you be a little gentler? Girls don’t like it when you’re this rough.”

Jin Keyang shot him a sideways glance. “Mind your own business, just shoot already!”

He added, “Make sure you aim properly!”

To Ximen Sabi, those words sounded like a threat, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t hit the target. The first arrow didn’t even touch the balloon and fell halfway.

Jin Keyang was so frustrated he almost wanted to punch him.

“Can you even do this?”

“I can do it, of course!”

But the results proved otherwise. From the second to the fifth arrow, none of them hit the target.

The audience was laughing their heads off, while Jin Keyang was about to lose it.

“Hahahahaha.” Qiao Cen couldn’t hold back his laughter. “Ah, I just thought of something funny.”

The other guests laughed as well.

Qiao Chuchu was also very happy.

【Hahahaha, although Ximen Sabi is a bit greasy, he really did a great job this time, dragging his teammate down. The shooting world needs people like you.】

Ximen Sabi: I’m not greasy! I’m handsome Sabi!

—

The other three groups of guests were very polite, each taking turns shooting. Ting Yu and Lei Yan went first, and their performance was decent, hitting eight arrows in total.

Qi Nian and Huang Xiangyu managed to hit nine arrows.

Finally, it was Qiao Chuchu and Bai Yun’s turn. Bai Yun wasn’t sure if Qiao Chuchu could shoot, but she herself was decent at it, so she asked, “Chuchu, do you want to go first or should I?”

“You go first?”

Qiao Chuchu wanted to see how she shot, and Bai Yun nodded in agreement.

Bai Yun often practiced shooting in her free time, though not with balloons. This was much simpler and easier to hit.

She shot all five arrows and hit all five balloons.

Qiao Chuchu clapped. “Great job!”

“Thanks.” Bai Yun smiled as she handed the bow and arrow to her. “Here, go ahead and try.”

She didn’t care about winning or losing, because their refrigerator was stocked with the best ingredients. Even without the special guest’s fridge, they could still make a delicious dinner.

Qiao Chuchu nodded, stood in her position, and aimed at the distant target balloons. She placed the arrow but aimed at the spot beside the balloons.

Jin Keyang glanced at her and sneered, “Such bad eyesight? Can you even do this?”

His sneer froze on his face as he watched Qiao Chuchu’s arrow curve mid-flight and horizontally pass through a row of balloons.

“Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!”

All five balloons in the row exploded like fireworks, and the pieces scattered everywhere.

Jin Keyang was stunned. How is that possible?!

Another shot—“Bang! Bang! Bang!”—all the balloons exploded.

Another one—

“Bang! Bang! Bang!”

In total, Qiao Chuchu shot only four arrows, but she managed to destroy all the balloons on the target. Her impressive move shocked everyone on set.

Qiao Cen was the first to react, clapping with all his might. “Clap clap clap! Ahhh! Sis, you’re so awesome!”

The other guests followed suit, clapping, their faces filled with awe. How did she shoot so accurately? She’s really amazing! Oh my god!

Bullet screen:

【Ahhh! Sis is the best! Sis is so cool!】

【Wow, sis is amazing! I really like her!】

【Just like Old Qin’s technique, you two must be from the same school of thought!】

—

Qiao Chuchu put away her bow and arrow. There was no need to shoot the last arrow, they had already won.

There were twenty-five balloons on the target. Bai Yun hit five, and Qiao Chuchu hit the remaining twenty. Together, they completed a perfect shot.

Bai Yun was absolutely stunned by Qiao Chuchu’s performance. How is she so amazing? Oh my god!

“Chuchu, you’re too awesome!”

Qiao Chuchu smiled, “You’re amazing too.”

【I’m so embarrassed. That move was actually me copying Qin Zhongsong’s technique that I just learned. I’m thankful for all those times I used to stand under a tree with a slingshot to shoot fruit when I was a kid. That precision must have been practiced then.】

The crowd: Impressive! Learned it on the spot!

In the balloon shooting, Qiao Chuchu and Bai Yun won first place.

For the remaining three games, everyone gave their best effort. Unsurprisingly, Qiao Chuchu and Bai Yun took first place and were the first to snatch Qiao Cen away.

Qiao Cen grinned, “I knew it, I belong to my sister. No one can take me away.”

The others were taken aback and almost choked on his bitterness.

Qi Nian and his friend Huang Xiangyu took second place and took Qin Zhongsong, saving their not-so-luxurious fridge.

Ting Yu and Lei Yan were disappointed, but accepted the harsh reality. Even without the special guest’s fridge, they still had enough ingredients to make six dishes.

Ximen Sabi hesitantly asked, “Yangyang, what should we do for lunch?”

“Cold dishes!” Jin Keyang, full of frustration, was ready to leave, but since they were still live-streaming, he held back from storming off.

Ximen Sabi: “…”

Ugh, why is he being so fierce?

It was already eleven o’clock by the time the game ended, and they were just starting to cook. Qiao Chuchu, Bai Yun, and their guest Qiao Cen helped, so they worked more quickly.

They discussed everyone’s tastes and decided what to make. The show required six dishes: three meat dishes, two vegetarian, and one soup. They had the freedom to choose.

In the end, they made six dishes: braised pork, steamed bass, farmer’s stir-fried pork, stir-fried yam and broccoli, lettuce scrambled with eggs, and clear pork rib soup.

The whole room was filled with the delicious aroma. Ting Yu, drawn by the smell, came over in surprise. “Wow, Yunyun, your lunch is so lavish! It smells amazing! Can I sneak some food later?”

Bai Yun handed the credit to Qiao Chuchu, “This is all Chuchu’s doing. You should ask her if you can have some.”

“Chuchu, can I have some food?” Ting Yu exaggerated his gesture, “It smells so good! If I don’t get a bite today, I won’t be able to sleep tonight!”

“Hehe, you’re exaggerating too much.” Qiao Chuchu smiled, “There’s plenty, just help yourself.”

Ting Yu happily left. “Wow, Chuchu is really amazing!”

The other teams also had hearty lunches, except for Jin Keyang and Ximen Sabi. Their ingredients were scarce, and they didn’t know how to cook, almost burning the pot halfway through.

Bullet screen.

【How come Jin Keyang can’t do anything right? And he still dares to act so arrogant.】

【What are they doing? That’s not how you cook! Almost burned the pot! Do they want to send everyone home?】

【Our Yangyang can’t cook, okay? And who says you have to know how to cook?】

—

The director couldn’t stand it anymore and spoke up, “Since everyone’s gathered together today, why not eat together and chat a bit?”

In the end, they all ate together, but Qiao Cen wasn’t satisfied. “Sigh, some people can’t do anything right, but they’re first in eating.”

“Qiao Cen! What are you saying—” Jin Keyang slammed his chopsticks down. “I’m not eating anymore!”

Ximen Sabi quickly stopped him, whispering, “Yangyang, what’s wrong with you? We’re live-streaming!”

Bullet screen:

【Wow, wow, wow, the exciting moment is here, fight, fight!】

【Of course, when two rivals are together, something’s bound to happen. No one can stand anyone else.】

【Qiao Cen talks too much. No one else said anything, but he’s the one complaining.】

【Oh, oh, what did our Xiao Qiao say? He didn’t mention Jin Keyang. Jin Keyang is the one who’s insecure, thinking he’s bad at everything but eating.】

—

Eventually, Ximen Sabi managed to calm Jin Keyang down. At least he was still a top idol and needed to pay attention to his public image.

Jin Keyang snorted, “You can eat, so why can’t I?”

The other guests knew what kind of person he was and ignored him. The meal ended with everyone laughing and having fun.

Qiao Chuchu and Bai Yun lived up to expectations and became the highest-scoring team, earning the reward from the director’s group.

Under their name, they donated 500,000 yuan to the mountainous area. Not only that, but Bai Yun also received an advertising deal to endorse a new chocolate brand.

After the show ended, Qiao Chuchu and Qiao Cen were about to leave when Qin Zhongsong stopped them.

“Qiao Cen, Qiao Chuchu, wait a moment.”

Seeing it was Qin Zhongsong, Qiao Cen nodded politely. “Mr. Qin, did you need something from me?”

Qiao Chuchu also nodded and greeted him.

But inside, she was wondering:

【Strange, why is Qin Zhongsong calling us? We shouldn’t have offended him during the show, right? So he’s probably not here to cause trouble. Maybe he’s just bored, and I can see what melons he has.】

Qin Zhongsong: “……”