Chapter 49: You’re Just Holding Up My Idol Chasing
Chi Qian maintained that pose while moving forward for seven or eight meters before lowering her leg.
Then she switched to the other leg.
She even leapt into the air, split her legs into a full split midair, and landed steadily back on the bamboo pole.
She felt great after the exercise. Meanwhile, the livestream viewers were absolutely dumbfounded.
The scrolling comments came so fast they glitched into gibberish.
Very quickly, the hashtag “Chi Qian Rowing” hit the hot search.
Passerby A: Chi Qian rowing? Doesn’t she row every day? …Wait, oh—you didn’t mean that kind of rowing?? I’m a fan, I’m a fan!!
*
Fuguang City.
Shi Jianchen and his friends had a late-night gathering and didn’t go home.
The next morning, as they were heading downstairs, he heard his friends shouting at their phones: “Damn!” “Unreal!” “Balance must have personally acknowledged her as its chosen one!”
Three consecutive exclamations of shock.
Shi Jianchen walked over. “What the hell are you screaming about?”
“Brother Chen, you have to see this. It’s insane!” His friend turned the phone around. “Look at this girl—she looks two years younger than me, but she’s ridiculously amazing!”
Shi Jianchen gave it a casual glance.
And then his face froze.
He snatched the phone out of his friend’s hands, eyes locked on the girl onscreen.
Yes, she’d saved him—half his lifesaver, in fact—but every time he thought of that day, irritation welled up again.
Still, tides turn, fortunes change. Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west. Don’t look down on a poor young man…
Shi Aotian (as he styled himself) would definitely settle that score one day.
“You know her?” Shi Jianchen asked.
“Don’t you? She’s been popular in our circle lately, especially with pet owners. Whenever her variety show comes on, pets act like they’ve just seen their soulmate—going wild and kissing the screen nonstop.”
His friend slapped his thigh. “Even my fat orange cat’s obsessed with her. The guy’s practically stopped paying attention to me.”
That “fat orange” was his cat—totally unfaithful, only loyal to food.
Shi Jianchen snorted. “That’s just because your cat’s pathetic. My Mala Xiangguo would never abandon his owner for a pretty face.” (TN: Mala Xiangguo = Spicy Mala Hotpot)
Just then, a snow-white ragdoll cat pranced over, meowing.
Shi Jianchen picked it up. “Mala Xiangguo, right? Tell him you’d never do that.”
Mala Xiangguo ignored him completely, snatched the phone out of his hands, jumped down, and ran off.
This useless human! Always blocking it from chasing its idol!
Shi Jianchen: “…”
His friend: “HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”
*
On the island.
Chi Qian was carrying a bucket full of seafood back when she passed by Gu Hua’s camp.
Their tent was half submerged, only the triangular tip poking out above water.
Gu Hua and her group were huddled in a tree nearby, drenched to the bone, hair plastered to their faces and scalps—miserable didn’t even begin to describe it.
Chi Qian lazily rowed past on her bamboo, looked up at them, and said,
“Oh my, what a fine tree. The sight instantly stirs my poetic soul.”
“Ten years of life and death, two vast and hazy—Pleasant Goat, Big Big Wolf.”
“Drawing a bow as full as the moon—this tree is riddled with sores.”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk.”
The tree-bound group: “…”
Don’t think we can’t tell you’re mocking us!
Was this really necessary—kicking us when we’re already down?!
But they were shivering too hard, their brains frozen, and by the time they thought of a comeback, Chi Qian was already drifting away unhurriedly.
“How on earth does she balance on that bamboo?” Ling Qian muttered. Had Chi Qian always been able to do that?
No. Never.
She used to be just an arrogant heiress—well, she still was, even more so now.
Luo Zichuan pushed up his glasses. “It’s about leverage. Standing on the bamboo requires using its buoyancy. The pole in her hand helps her correct balance whenever her body tilts. Moving forward or backward also relies on using that pole to generate counter-force against the water. But knowing the principle isn’t enough—you need extraordinary skill and constant practice.”
“She’s… pretty amazing.”
Luo Fan’s mouth twitched. “Yeah, you didn’t need to add that last part.”
Complimenting the opponent was killing their own morale.
Luo Zichuan shrugged indifferently and fell silent.
Meanwhile, Chi Qian brought her bucket of seafood back to camp.
As the tide receded, Chi Fengxiao and Shen Jing quickly set up the pot to prepare breakfast.
After rowing all morning, Chi Qian finally got to sit down, pulling out her thermos to recharge.
“Sis Qian, what are you drinking? Is it tasty?” Shen Jiashu had been curious about her thermos for ages.
Last episode, he often saw her sipping from it.
Chi Qian sighed. “It’s herbal medicine. Not tasty at all—bitter as hell.”
Shen Jiashu’s curiosity immediately shrank back.
But then Chi Fengxiao accidentally bumped Chi Qian’s arm, spilling a bit of the liquid from her thermos.
Sizzle—
The dark-brown sweet liquid was still fizzing with tiny bubbles, two goji berries floating lazily on the surface.
Shen Jiashu leaned closer and sniffed. “It smells like… Coke!!”
Chi Fengxiao immediately pressed down on Chi Qian’s head. “Unbelievable. I just told you last time to drink less Coke—it’s bad for your teeth. And here you are sneaking it again, huh?”
“This is medicine!” Chi Qian hugged the thermos tightly, stubborn as ever. “There are goji berries inside!”
“You think tossing a couple of goji berries into Coke magically makes it healthy?”
“Goji berries are for health! So if I put them in Coke, that still counts as healthy, doesn’t it?”
Chi Fengxiao grabbed her by the back of her collar. “Eating three meals a day is eating, eating one meal is also eating. So by your logic, you could just shove three meals into one and call it a day?”
Chi Qian hugged her head. Not listening, not listening, uncle chanting scriptures.
[I actually believed she had real medicine in that thermos and even felt sorry for her for a second—smack, instant slap in the face.]
[LMAO who taught her that trick? Classic self-deception.]
[Why’d Film Emperor Chi confiscate her happy water? He should’ve poured it out, otherwise she’ll sneak sips when no one’s looking!]
[You’re all heartless! How could you do this to sister Qian? I’m reporting that she’s also hiding chocolate and lollipops in her pockets!]
Chi Qian was devastated after her thermos was confiscated.
Chi Fengxiao showed no mercy. Carbonated drinks cause cavities the fastest—if he didn’t stop her now, she’d pay for it later.
After breakfast, Chi Fengxiao turned to Shen Jing, “Brother Shen, didn’t you work in construction before? Do you know how to build a simple wooden hut? …Not for me, for Qian Qian. She said her back hurt this morning—probably not used to sleeping in the tent.”
Hearing that, Shen Jing straightened his face. “Qian Qian’s a girl. She really shouldn’t be sleeping in such rough conditions.”
“In that case, I’ll go find materials later. I can build a hut during the day and make her a bed, too…”
Shen Jiashu’s eyes lit up. “Dad, I want to sleep in a bed too!”
“You’re a boy. You can endure.”
Shen Jiashu was dumbfounded. Being a boy… was such a disadvantage? Was it too late to switch to being a girl now?
If Shen Jing knew what his son was thinking, he’d probably serve him a good old-fashioned stir-fry of bamboo shoots with meat (a.k.a. a beating with a stick).
They split into two groups. The adults stayed at camp to build the hut, while the kids went out to pick up trash.
Shen Jiashu had already mastered the art of being a little brother. He dutifully carried all the tools, not letting Chi Qian lift a finger.
Chi Qian strolled with her hands in her pockets, leading her little follower away.
They arrived at the place where they’d struck gold yesterday, only to find Gu Hua’s group had beaten them to it.
