12 Details

Two groups faced each other on the field, cautiously observing the balloons tied to each other’s ankles and backs, waiting for the right moment to strike.

Half of their limbs were bound to another person's, making movement a true test of individual reflexes and the subtle cooperation between partners.

As the two groups drew close, they suddenly sprang into action.

Each tried desperately to pop the other’s balloons, but with half their limbs restrained, everyone’s movements twisted awkwardly.

In a flurry of fierce attempts, one failed to reach the opponent’s balloon and instead tripped over their own foot.

The four staggered clumsily, eliciting bursts of laughter from both the hosts on stage and the audience.

Once steady, Jiang Ranyun whispered to Yi Feicheng, “We can’t just move blindly. We need strategy, a method.”

Yi Feicheng nodded.

Their heads bent close as they whispered plans, just as Zhao Che and Afeng did on the other side. Zhao Che’s gaze never left the opponents, his thoughts unreadable.

After a brief break to adapt, the next round began!

Yi Feicheng charged aggressively at Zhao Che, with Jiang Ranyun cooperating but not quite matching his full force.

Yi Feicheng stretched out his left hand to reach the balloon behind Zhao Che and aimed his left foot at the balloon near Zhao Che’s ankle. His fierce advance caused Zhao Che and Afeng to instinctively block him, neglecting Jiang Ranyun behind Yi Feicheng.

Suddenly, Yi Feicheng summoned all his strength and, despite their resistance, spun around.

In that turn, his back balloon was exposed. Zhao Che froze momentarily, but Afeng reacted swiftly, urging, “Quick, quick!” The two instinctively grabbed the balloon behind Yi Feicheng and popped it.

Pop!

Then—

Pop! Pop!

The sounds rang almost simultaneously.

Zhao Che sensed something was wrong and looked up sharply. Jiang Ranyun, previously behind Yi Feicheng, had vanished!

After Yi Feicheng’s turn, the direction Jiang Ranyun could move changed, allowing her to slip behind them.

Looking down and feeling behind her, Zhao Che realized—all the balloons on him had been popped.

Afeng’s balloon on his back was gone too, leaving only one on his foot.

Each person had two balloons; a pair totaled four.

Jiang Ranyun and Yi Feicheng had taken out three balloons in one swift move, standing just a step away from victory.

Now that Zhao Che had no balloons left, he was no longer cautious. He reached out with a leg to stomp on the balloon near Yi Feicheng’s foot. Yi Feicheng dodged quickly, with Zhao Che relentlessly pursuing, filling the field with tension.

Having popped three balloons, Jiang Ranyun grew excited. She moved in sync with Yi Feicheng while keeping a close eye on the last balloon near host Afeng’s foot, pondering how to step on it.

The two groups circled each other for a while, neither able to catch the other. The audience erupted in laughter.

Then, Jiang Ranyun had an idea!

She suddenly tugged at the hand that bound her to Yi Feicheng. Because they were tied together, Yi Feicheng was always aware of her movements. When she pulled, he moved toward her, and in the next moment, Jiang Ranyun’s arms wrapped around his waist, embracing him.

The crowd’s cheers erupted, nearly shaking the roof.

Jiang Ranyun didn’t mind. Fueled by the thrill of competition, she held Yi Feicheng tightly and said, “Work with me!”

How to cooperate? Yi Feicheng focused on feeling her moves—when she moved forward, he stepped back; when she moved left, he moved right—matching her pace perfectly.

He quickly became adept.

It was a bit like acting; the more they worked together, the more familiar they became with every possible reaction.

Then Yi Feicheng understood why Jiang Ranyun had done this.

Without his back balloon, she simply used him as a shield.

With a shield, Jiang Ranyun moved fearlessly, chasing Afeng until he was cornered against the edge of the field’s fence!

With nowhere left to retreat, Afeng struggled. Zhao Che seized the chance, stomping on the balloon near Yi Feicheng’s foot. He then reached to grab Jiang Ranyun’s balloon behind her, but Yi Feicheng blocked him fiercely.

Amid their struggle, a sharp pop sounded.

The dust settled—Jiang Ranyun had popped the balloon on Afeng’s foot.

Yi Feicheng turned to her, a pleased smile spreading across his face.

For some unknown reason, Zhao Che felt a surge of inexplicable rage.

“We won!!” Jiang Ranyun shouted joyfully.

She turned to face the audience, but Yi Feicheng didn’t turn with her in time. Suddenly, the foot they were tied by stumbled, and she tumbled forward.

Yi Feicheng turned to catch her.

Zhao Che, who had been gripping Yi Feicheng’s arm to limit his movement, finally let go.

Without support, Yi Feicheng lost balance and fell with Jiang Ranyun.

Instantly, Zhao Che regretted it.

Jiang Ranyun landed on the soft mat without pain, only letting out a muffled groan as if she were about to cough up blood because Yi Feicheng fell on top of her!

Yi Feicheng felt it too, instinctively wrapping his arms around Jiang Ranyun and rolling over.

They flipped, switching positions so Jiang Ranyun was on top, avoiding being crushed beneath him.

Zhao Che: “...” He hadn’t come here to see that, thank you very much.

Jiang Ranyun paused briefly, torn between laughter and helplessness. She quietly reached out, gently stroked Yi Feicheng’s head, and whispered near his ear, “Maybe you could just get up on your own?”

Yi Feicheng: “.”

A faint blush colored his ear.

Her breath brushed softly against his ear.

“All right, all right.” The hosts hurried over to pull them up, announcing their victory for the round.

The next rounds featured other pairs competing, while the rest watched.

After the balloon-popping game ended, the music guessing game began.

The pairs remained the same: one wore headphones listening to music and acted out the lyrics, while the other guessed.

Jiang Ranyun changed three songs in a row, dancing and gesturing with all her might, but Yi Feicheng didn’t guess a single one.

Host: “Time’s up! The Ranyun-Feicheng team scores zero!”

Jiang Ranyun stormed over to Yi Feicheng and gave him a playful thump.

Yi Feicheng: “...Sorry.”

Jiang Ranyun: “Don’t you listen to any pop music at all?”

Yi Feicheng: “Not really...”

Jiang Ranyun quickly composed herself. At this point, blaming him was pointless. She watched the other teams’ results eagerly, hoping for another zero so they could have a rematch.

But there wasn’t one.

The host announced, “For this round, Ranyun and Feicheng must face the water balloon penalty. But first, there’s a quiz: answer correctly and you can avoid the punishment.”

“All right.” Jiang Ranyun braced herself.

The host glanced at the cue card: “First, a question for Feicheng. Please listen carefully!”

Yi Feicheng nodded.

Host: “In the film ‘Distant Mountains, Endless Roads,’ what did Su Xiaoyuan, played by Jiang Ranyun, eat for lunch before meeting her father?”

Jiang Ranyun: “?”

Who could possibly know that?

“Cold tossed oat noodles.”

Yi Feicheng answered instantly.

Jiang Ranyun: “???”

Host: “Correct!”

Jiang Ranyun looked at Yi Feicheng in astonishment.

‘Distant Mountains, Endless Roads’ was the film she starred in four years ago, released three years back. By then, she and Yi Feicheng had deliberately avoided working together, never mentioning each other in interviews or sitting close at ceremonies.

That was when they were at their most distant.

They had no real issues, simply pursuing their own careers. Being linked together wasn’t beneficial. And yet, he answered so easily...

Host: “Next, Ranyun, your question. In the film ‘Operation Amata,’ during the chaos of war, who hit Li Wei, played by Yi Feicheng, in the shoulder?”

Jiang Ranyun: “?”

She froze.

‘Operation Amata’ was a wartime action movie, filmed and released around the same time as ‘Distant Mountains, Endless Roads.’ She had watched it, but it had been so long... How could she remember such details?

How could Yi Feicheng possibly remember that? Did he have some photographic memory superpower?

“Time’s up,” the host announced regretfully. “Ranyun didn’t answer, so the penalty stands.”

Jiang Ranyun raised her hand, “Can you tell me the correct answer?”

Host: “He was hit in the left shoulder by the villain Azvado.”

That jogged her memory, but it was too late.

The staff prepared the water balloons.

Yi Feicheng glanced up at the heavy, water-filled balloons, then looked at Jiang Ranyun.

He said, “We’re a team. It doesn’t matter if the punishment falls on her or me. Besides, it was my failure to guess the songs that caused our loss.”

Host: “You mean you want to take the penalty for Ranyun?”

Yi Feicheng: “Yes.”

Host: “Of course!”

This was a crowd-pleaser.

Jiang Ranyun tugged at Yi Feicheng’s arm, “Are you serious? After this, I’ll have to redo my makeup, blow-dry my hair, change clothes... It’s a hassle. And those things are heavy; getting hit will hurt.”

“So I should be the one,” Yi Feicheng smiled, raising his hand to gently touch her cheek with the back of his fingers—light as a feather, barely there. “I’m not afraid of trouble or pain.”