Chapter 23

Song Sangyue’s sharp comeback struck right at the hearts of netizens.

[Pfft, hahahahaha!]

[You’re the best, Sister Yue! Your roasting skills are top-tier!]

[I’m dying of laughter! No wonder she’s the ‘Queen of Claps Backs’ in the entertainment industry. Love it!]

[Since when did Ruan Miaorui become so passive-aggressive? So disgusting.]

[Ugh, all my goodwill toward her is gone.]

[Yeah, there’s a difference. My girl Zhizhi is doing live streams to help farmers, while you’re becoming the queen of the sewage village.]

Ruan Miaorui’s face turned red with anger, but since she was on camera, she had to swallow her frustration and pretend to ignore it.

The atmosphere in the living room was tense, like a fight could break out at any moment. Just then, a door upstairs clicked open.

Everyone turned to look.

And then, the three mothers froze.

Especially Ruan Miaorui—her face was full of disbelief.

Ruan… Ruan Xizhi just walked out of a room in this luxury villa?!

A bold suspicion crept into her mind.

Could it be…? No way…

Su Tongtong jumped off the sofa and waved toward the upstairs. “Guoguo!”

Gu Chengcheng followed closely behind. “Good morning, brother.”

Xing Xiaochi waved back at them. “Good morning.”

Then, he tugged at a yawning Ruan Xizhi, dragging her down the stairs.

This stepmother of his was way too lazy—even getting out of bed required his help.

She was even worse than him, a kid!

Ruan Xizhi, still drowsy and clearly not fully awake, finally snapped to her senses when she saw the three mothers downstairs. She followed Xing Xiaochi down.

Ruan Miaorui was questioning reality.

She did nothing yesterday, so why was Ruan Xizhi living in such a fancy villa?

How was this fair?!

Fuming, she was about to complain to the director when she saw a familiar old lady approaching the villa, carrying a bag of fruits and cooked eggs.

It was the elderly woman who was borrowing her room.

So kind and hospitable—village folks truly treated guests like family.

Knowing they hadn’t eaten yet, she came all this way to bring them food.

“Grandma, you really don’t have to—” Ruan Miaorui reached out to take the bag, but the old lady walked right past her and went straight to Ruan Xizhi.

The grandma grabbed Ruan Xizhi’s hand. “We heard from the village chief. Someone’s buying our abandoned village, and it’s all thanks to you, little girl! We finally have hope for our future.”

Tears welled up in her eyes.

Ruan Xizhi was instantly wide awake. She waved a hand. “It’s nothing, really, just a small effort.”

“We don’t have much to give in return.” The grandma stuffed the bag into Ruan Xizhi’s arms. “These oranges came from my yard—ours is the only house in the abandoned village that grows them. And some eggs, too. Please take them.”

Ruan Xizhi knew it would be rude to refuse, so she accepted them. “Alright, thank you, Grandma.”

Grandma beamed. “No need to thank me! We should be the ones thanking you.”

“Yes! We should be thanking you!”

More and more villagers arrived, bringing eggs, chickens, ducks, geese, and all sorts of vegetables and fruits.

The amount of food was enough to feed the entire show crew.

The three little ones were also surrounded by grandpas and grandmas—some hugging them, some giving them candies. The scene was heartwarmingly wholesome.

Meanwhile, the other three mothers were pushed to the sidelines, stunned by the overwhelming display of gratitude.

What exactly did Ruan Xizhi do?!

Why were the villagers so overjoyed?

[Aww, the villagers are so sweet!]

[Sister Zhi is amazing! She’s actually doing something meaningful. This is both helping the farmers and giving us organic fruit to eat.]

[I hereby declare Sister Zhi my goddess.]

[Hahahaha, am I the only one laughing at the other three guests? Look at their dumbfounded expressions.]

Song Sangyue was the first to react. She glanced at Ruan Miaorui and suddenly let out a sneer. “Living in a mud hut? Just a livestream? Ha.”

“…” Ruan Miaorui was completely speechless.

Seizing the lively atmosphere, the director walked over with a smile.

“I have an announcement to make. There are a lot of investors interested in purchasing the abandoned village.”

“So now, the challenge falls to us. The investors have placed bets on you guests. They want you and the villagers to compete in a sports tournament. The winning team gets to claim the purchase rights for the village.”

“I should also mention, the highest bid is three hundred million, and the lowest is two hundred thirty million.”

The villagers were dumbfounded.

They had no idea their village was in such high demand.

Even the lowest bid was a huge deal!

“And one more thing,” the director continued. “Whoever wins this challenge will automatically become the brand ambassador for the island.”

That made things even more enticing.

Everyone was determined to win—except Ruan Xizhi.

As soon as she heard “sports tournament,” her face scrunched up.

She already didn’t have much free time to laze around, and now they wanted her to move?

They might as well kill her.

The director ignored her reluctance and held out a stack of cards. “Come draw your event.”

Once the guests picked their cards, the director read them out loud.

Song Sangyue went first. “I got jump rope.”

Zhong Qianwen followed. “Mine is fruit-picking.”

Ruan Miaorui, being an idol trained in physical fitness, was confident in winning.

She had to secure this multimillion-dollar project.

“The event I got is a 3-kilometer run.”

Finally, it was Ruan Xizhi’s turn.

Ruan Miaorui glanced at her, smirking.

She knew Ruan Xizhi hated sports the most—she’d rather die than exercise.

Her mother once told her that Ruan Xizhi had been lazy since childhood, always messing things up.

There was even a time in kindergarten when she face-planted during a 50-meter dash, humiliating their entire family.

Ruan Xizhi unfolded her card. “Shooting.”

The director announced, “As long as you beat the villagers, you win. If more than one of you defeats a villager, then you’ll compete against each other.”

“You can now proceed to the competition venue.”

Led by the staff, they arrived at the competition site, which was already set up, and their opponents were in place.

Ruan Xizhi changed into sportswear and came out, only to see Xing Xiaochi and Su Tongtong playing games. Suddenly, Xing Peixuan’s text message flashed through her mind. She then glanced at the shooting gun in her hand.

“Xing Xiaochi, come here,” Ruan Xizhi called out.

Although reluctant, Xing Xiaochi still walked over. “What is it?”

Bang!

Ruan Xizhi fired a shot at a straw hat on the wall, and it fell right into her hand.

Xing Xiaochi was stunned.

O.O

Just like a sharpshooter in an animated movie!

Was his stepmother actually a sharpshooter?!

“Amazing!” Xing Xiaochi’s eyes sparkled with admiration.

“Do you want to learn?”

Ruan Xizhi knew that Xing Xiaochi was eager to learn, especially when it came to cool things.

Xing Xiaochi nodded rapidly like a pecking chick. “Yes, yes, yes! Can I learn?”

“Of course.”

Ruan Xizhi’s grandfather was once a shooting champion. Whether it was genetics or something else, she had been passionate about shooting since childhood and had achieved remarkable success. If not for her family business responsibilities, her grandfather would have wanted her to join the national shooting team.

She never expected that now, teaching shooting would become a way to honor her family’s legacy.

At least, having someone to pass it on to was meaningful.

“Stand properly.”

Her goal was to make Xing Peixuan notice Xing Xiaochi, so it had to be impressive.

That meant teaching Xing Xiaochi how to shoot quickly.

Xing Xiaochi obediently stood straight.

Ruan Xizhi examined his posture—his legs were straight and strong.

It seemed that all the running around and mischief had paid off.

His arms were also strong—he was a natural talent for target shooting.

Ruan Xizhi adjusted his stance while Xing Xiaochi squirmed and giggled, “That tickles!”

She pinched his cheek. “Now, listen carefully as I explain the basics of shooting.”

The fastest way to learn was through imitation.

“Mm!” Xing Xiaochi nodded eagerly.

As he listened, Ruan Xizhi made him hold a steady stance at the same time—training and instruction simultaneously.

Xing Xiaochi was captivated by how cool she looked, behaving like a little angel, doing exactly as told.

Ruan Xizhi explained meticulously. With her extensive teaching experience from her past life, she was adept at giving clear and thorough instructions—her position required her to be articulate, after all.

Xing Xiaochi listened intently, his small face serious.

By the time she finished explaining, Ruan Xizhi didn’t expect him to absorb everything—hitting two or three shots would be enough.

Still, considering his young age, she decided to demonstrate one more time, just in case.

“I’ll show you again.”

Xing Xiaochi was beyond excited. “Yes, yes, yes!”

He got to see his stepmother in action again!

To give a clearer demonstration, Ruan Xizhi placed the hat at the farthest end of the room.

“Watch carefully,” she instructed.

Xing Xiaochi’s round eyes gleamed with anticipation. “Less talking, more shooting!”

Ruan Xizhi: “…”

Since everyone was busy preparing for the sports event, there were no cameramen following them at the moment.

She focused on the target. The room, once a warehouse, was quite spacious—about seven to eight hundred meters long.

Her peach blossom-shaped eyes narrowed slightly, her pupils locked onto the target. In an instant, her lazy demeanor vanished, replaced by a sharp and intense aura.

Xing Xiaochi held his breath, watching closely.

Whizz—

Bang!

The hat hanging on the wall dropped straight to the ground.

Xing Xiaochi clapped excitedly. “So awesome!”

From now on, as long as it involved shooting, he decided he wouldn’t dislike his stepmother anymore!

“Did you understand?”

“Yes, yes, yes!” Xing Xiaochi patted his little chest confidently. “I saw it very clearly!”

Ruan Xizhi had a feeling he was being a bit too casual about it.

To make sure he was serious, she was about to let him try when a knock came from outside.

A staff member called out, “Ms. Ruan, have you changed? The competition is about to start.”

“I’m coming.”

Well, casual or not, she couldn’t expect him to master it instantly.

When they stepped outside, the other three groups had already finished their matches.

The results were being announced.

Song Sangyue wasn’t particularly athletic, and against a local woman chosen by the villagers, the outcome was obvious.

133 points versus 201 points.

Zhong Qianwen, who was picking fruit, was also up against a local woman—short but nimble, used to harvesting fruit in the countryside.

Ruan Miaorui performed slightly better. She didn’t lose by too much in the race—just one or two seconds behind.

It was clear that the villagers had strong physical endurance from their daily labor.

“Next, we will begin the shooting competition. Contestants, please take your positions.”

Ruan Xizhi glanced at her opponent—he was a towering, burly man in a military-green jacket with a thick beard.

【This isn’t fair!】

【Why is Ruan Xizhi up against a man?】

【Damn, he looks like a professional.】

【Oh no, it’s over for the show’s crew.】

The strength difference was obvious.

At this moment, Ruan Xizhi stepped forward and asked the director, “Can we switch contestants at the last minute?”

Technically, they couldn’t, but the director, fearing an embarrassing loss, quickly agreed. “Who do you want to switch to? You can pick anyone here.”

He signaled desperately to the camera crew, hoping for a better match-up.

To everyone’s shock, Ruan Xizhi tilted her chin toward the boy beside her.

“Xing Xiaochi, you go.”

Huh???

Everyone: “……”

The opponent: “……”

The audience: “……”