After Transmigrating, I Joined a Dating Show with the Fake Heiress Actress - Chapter 10

Bai Man lowered her gaze. If she were alone, she would have been absolutely confident. Before transmigrating into this novel, she had learned that CEO Wang, a potential investor who could save her family’s company from bankruptcy, was an avid polo player. She had dedicated herself to mastering the sport, even enduring multiple falls from her horse in her relentless pursuit of rapid progress.

To avoid further falls, she meticulously analyzed each mistake and learned from her experiences.

After just over a month of intense training, she had mastered polo and successfully met CEO Wang at his regular polo club.

Their match had been exhilarating, and she had secured the opportunity to negotiate with him.

Hearing no response, Su Qingwan’s eyes flickered with disappointment.

Bai Man noticed this fleeting expression and sighed inwardly, “If you cooperate with me, we can pass this.”

Yu Meng chuckled derisively. “Big talk is easy,” she said, striding forward. “If you fail, you’ll have to drink Qingwan’s juice too.”

Su Qingwan shook her head slightly at Yu Meng. “There’s no need for that.”

Bai Man watched the two women exchange glances before coldly demanding, “What’s your wager, Yu Meng?”

Yu Meng wasn’t fooled. “If you pass, you don’t have to drink the juice.” Anticipating Bai Man’s response, she quickly raised her hand. “And don’t think it’s unfair. Absolute fairness doesn’t exist in this world.”

On the way back, Yu Meng grew increasingly uneasy. She suspected Bai Man had ulterior motives toward Su Qingwan.

She couldn’t let Bai Man succeed, nor would she allow her to harm Su Qingwan.

Therefore, she needed to make Bai Man withdraw from the show voluntarily, denying her any chance to approach Su Qingwan.

As for outside the show, she would warn Su Qingwan to be wary of Bai Man.

Bai Man nodded and turned to go upstairs.

Watching Bai Man’s retreating figure, Su Qingwan felt a complex mix of emotions stirring in her chest. She glanced alternately at Bai Man and Yu Meng beside her.

For some reason, she sensed that the Yu Meng standing before her was different from the Yu Meng she thought she knew.

The Yu Meng she knew would never have spoken those words earlier.

Yet Yu Meng had not only said them but had also adopted an aloof, superior tone.

Upstairs, Bai Man accepted the phone from a staff member and pushed open her room door. Immediately, System 388’s voice rang out:

Detected: Su Qingwan’s favorability toward Yu Meng has decreased by 3 points. Current total favorability: 45.

Bai Man paused briefly, then resumed her normal pace, switching on her phone as she walked over to the single sofa and sat down.

Ding…

Her phone, which she had casually tossed onto the coffee table, began to chime repeatedly, the incessant notifications making Bai Man frown.

Just as she was about to turn it off again, the notifications stopped. She picked up the phone and scrolled through the messages.

Most of them were from Xu Mengjie, the mother of this body.

Mianmian, are you settling in okay over there? The temperature fluctuates a lot between day and night, so remember to turn up the air conditioning at night.

Mianmian, if you’re ever mistreated there, just come home.

Mianmian, please reply to your mom when you see this, okay?

I saw you riding a horse on the livestream. You ride so well! Your mom is so proud of you.

Mianmian, I’m sorry. I haven’t been a good mother, and that’s why you’ve suffered so much.

Mianmian, I’m begging you, please tell Mom and Dad if anything happens. We’ll always be your support.

Bai Man stopped reading there, tossing the phone back onto the coffee table in frustration. She clasped her hands together and turned to gaze out the window.

The care and cautiousness conveyed between the lines lingered in her mind.

She told herself: This concern is for the original Bai Man, not for me, the imposter.

Thinking of something, she mentally asked System 388: Where did the original Bai Man go?

Naturally, she’s inside your body.

When I go back, will she be able to return?

Theoretically, yes.

Hearing this, the complex emotions that had been weighing on Bai Man’s heart instantly vanished.

The next day, having experienced the sun’s scorching intensity, the guests all wore sun-protective clothing. Liu Yue went even further, donning a wide-brimmed sun hat first thing in the morning.

“The arena is ready. If you lack confidence, you may raise your hand to withdraw,” Director Xu announced, his tone shifting. “However, to ensure fairness, any guest who chooses not to participate will be considered to have automatically conceded and must accept the program’s penalty.”

If the first sentence had given the guests hope, the second sentence was like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing that hope entirely.

The field Director Xu mentioned was located 500 meters away, where a prefabricated goal had been installed. To enhance its stability, the production team had secured it with iron stakes around the perimeter.

The goal was just over a meter wide, while the ball was only slightly larger than a baseball. With no defenders, guests who maintained their balance could easily score with a moderate swing.

The production team required two members to work together, aiming to foster trust and teamwork. The person in front controlled the horse, preventing it from moving erratically, while the person behind was responsible for hitting the ball.

Any misstep in this process could lead to safety risks, ranging from a clumsy fall to serious injury.

To mitigate these risks, the production team had invited several local herders skilled in horse training to stand by. Their expertise would help minimize danger should a horse lose control.

Though the guests hesitated, none chose to withdraw. The foul-tasting juice was a minor inconvenience compared to the potential loss of face.

Yu Meng took the lead, stepping forward with Liu Yue. Liu Yue controlled the horse, while Yu Meng handled the ball.

During practice, Liu Yue had been too focused on ingratiating herself with Yu Meng to properly learn how to control the horse. She simply mimicked her acting technique from film sets, lightly tugging the reins with one hand.

Behind her, Yu Meng aimed at the conspicuous white ball on the grass. Just as she swung her mallet, the horse suddenly bolted, throwing her sideways.

In a panic, she grabbed the saddle and leaned back as far as possible, regaining her balance just in time.

The near-disaster left everyone breathless with relief.

Having witnessed Liu Yue’s recklessness, Yu Meng dared not entrust her safety to her again. With forced patience, she handed the mallet back to Liu Yue. “Just like golf,” she instructed. “Aim at the goal over there and hit the ball straight.”

Liu Yue took the mallet, her eyes red-rimmed and her voice trembling. “I, I—”

Yu Meng’s patience snapped. Abandoning her usual gentle demeanor, she cut Liu Yue off sharply. “Hurry up.”

Liu Yue nodded stiffly, her mouth slightly agape.

Returning to the white ball, she raised the mallet with one hand as Yu Meng had instructed.

As she swung, she accidentally brushed the horse’s flank, causing it to lurch forward. Startled, she instinctively grabbed Yu Meng’s clothes and let out a shriek.

The sharp cry agitated the horse, making it restless and defiant.

Yu Meng cursed under her breath, tightening her grip on the reins in an attempt to regain control.

The more she struggled, the more fiercely the horse resisted.

Under the shade of a parasol, Bai Man couldn’t see the details of Yu Meng’s situation, but the horse’s increasingly violent kicking made it clear: the animal was about to lose its temper.

The herders guarding nearby rushed over. “Don’t fight the horse!”

Hearing this, Yu Meng loosened her grip slightly, but when she glanced sideways and saw Bai Man sitting in her chair, she tightened the reins again.

The horse continued to kick its hind legs and twist its body violently, as if trying to throw Yu Meng and Liu Yue off.

Liu Yue screamed again, her hands clutching Yu Meng’s waist tightly.

Yu Meng suppressed the urge to shake Liu Yue off and hissed, “Let go.”

Liu Yue shook her head frantically. She’d rather face Yu Meng’s anger than risk being trampled by the horse.

Meanwhile, Bai Man lowered her gaze to Su Qingwan’s hand, which had unconsciously tightened into a fist. She subtly withdrew her gaze and stared straight ahead.

Two herders had arrived in time. One grabbed the reins while the other stroked the horse’s flank.

The herders’ calming efforts quickly took effect, and the horse gradually calmed down.

Terrified, Liu Yue slid off the saddle before the herders could speak, ignoring the strands of hair sticking to her face as she clutched her chest, gasping for breath.

Once she caught her breath, she raised her hand and shouted, “Director, I quit!”

Even from a distance, Bai Man could clearly see Yu Meng’s expression stiffen at these words.

Director Xu, clutching his thermos, nodded repeatedly and waved Liu Yue over. “You and Ms. Yu come rest for a bit.”

As Liu Yue approached, Bai Man noticed her calves were still trembling. Yu Meng, seemingly displeased by Liu Yue’s abrupt withdrawal, didn’t even glance at her and strode to a nearby parasol to sit down.

Su Qingwan turned to look at Yu Meng, but Liu Heng blocked her view, forcing her to look away.

Seeing Su Qingwan rise, Bai Man stood up as well. “It’s our turn.”

Su Qingwan gazed at Yu Meng’s expressionless face, her voice filled with concern. “She—”

“Don’t forget, I’m your partner,” Bai Man said, grabbing Su Qingwan’s wrist and pulling her forward.

Behind them, the crew exchanged worried glances, silently asking Director Xu for instructions. Director Xu hesitated, torn between stopping the show and the risk of public speculation. If they halted production, netizens would inevitably assume the near-accident involving Yu Meng’s fall was due to inadequate safety measures.

While Director Xu dithered, Bai Man and Su Qingwan had already mounted their horses.

Bai Man gripped the polo mallet in one hand, swinging it casually to gauge her swing, and reassured the anxious Su Qingwan, “Relax. The grass is soft; you won’t fall too hard.”

Su Qingwan’s palms were slick with sweat as she clutched the reins. “Bai Man,” she asked uncertainly, “are you really entrusting your safety to me?”

“We’re already on the horse. Why are you asking me this?” Bai Man replied casually.

Trust Su Qingwan?

No, she didn’t trust her.

She only trusted her own analysis. Since she and Su Qingwan were riding the same horse, if she fell, Su Qingwan wouldn’t escape unscathed. Based on this alone, she was certain Su Qingwan would give her all. If Su Qingwan lost control of the horse, she could use her sturdy polo mallet to dismount swiftly, minimizing the danger.

But she couldn’t let Su Qingwan know this. Su Qingwan only needed to believe their safety rested solely in her hands.

Only then would Su Qingwan remain fully focused.

As expected, her words stirred a wave of determination in Su Qingwan’s heart. Her thick eyelashes trembled slightly as she resolved to ensure their safety.

She gently nudged the horse forward, approaching the white ball on the grass. At Bai Man’s command to “stop,” she immediately pulled the reins, halting twenty centimeters from the ball.

The moment she turned her head, she saw the white ball arcing toward the goal.

She didn’t dare blink, watching intently as the ball rebounded off the net and into the air.

Is it going to bounce out of the goal?

Su Qingwan clenched her fists, held her breath, and tracked the ball with her eyes.