After Transmigrating, I Joined a Dating Show with the Fake Heiress Actress - Chapter 2

Bai Man narrowed her eyes slightly. “You think I’ll just cooperate because you want me to?”

Yu Meng’s expression flickered, but as a seasoned actress, she quickly masked her reaction. She strode toward Su Qingwan, raising her voice slightly. “My group has a harmonious atmosphere,” she said, turning to look at Bai Man. “No one stirs up trouble. It’s much better suited for you.”

Everyone present understood Yu Meng’s veiled jab, and Bai Man was no exception.

But she remained calm, waiting for Su Qingwan’s response.

She wanted to gauge Su Qingwan’s current attitude toward her—no, toward the original Bai Man.

Su Qingwan glanced at Bai Man out of the corner of her eye, then quickly averted her gaze when their eyes met. Her voice was soft as she replied, “Our group is quite good too. Everyone has been very accommodating.”

Rejected twice in a row, Yu Meng seethed with frustration.

“How about I switch with you?” Wen Yi, the male guest in Bai Man’s group, stepped forward. Meeting the puzzled looks of Yin Xiao and another male guest, Zhang Jiale, he awkwardly explained, “I don’t mean anything by it. I just think this would be better.”

With a ladder offered so conveniently, Yu Meng had no reason to refuse.

Yu Meng responded decisively, “Great!” She turned to Bai Man, who stood motionless with a blank expression. “Anyone else want to switch teams? If not, let’s get started!”

The Director nodded and took over, “The indoor space is limited. To ensure everyone has room to perform, please move to the outdoor area.”

Yu Meng led the way outside, followed closely by the others. Su Qingwan and Bai Man, being farthest from the door, brought up the rear.

Beyond the simple wooden fence lay an endless expanse of grassland. The flat horizon was occasionally punctuated by small, gently rounded mounds. Upon closer inspection, one could spot cattle and sheep scattered across the plains, their heads bowed as they grazed on the tender green grass, tails swishing rhythmically.

A gentle breeze carried the earthy scent of fresh air, swirling past their noses and filling them with a sense of tranquility.

Bai Man withdrew her gaze and followed Su Qingwan, stopping beside the purple yoga ball.

“Everyone’s here,” Yu Meng said, circling around Zhang Jiale to stand on Su Qingwan’s left. “I’ve estimated the distance from start to finish to be about 30 meters. It’s not too far. If we coordinate well, we’re sure to win.”

Before anyone could respond, Yu Meng continued, “You three will stay in the back, while Qingwan and I will steer at the front. Remember, keep your pace steady and don’t fall behind.”

Bai Man scoffed. “What’s the point of saying that? It’s like you said nothing at all.”

Yu Meng’s brow furrowed at the challenge. “As long as you don’t fall behind, I’m ninety percent certain we’ll win.”

“Everyone has different stride lengths,” Bai Man said, sizing Yu Meng up and down. “Take you, for example. How can you be sure your short legs can keep up with my pace? Are you planning to run?”

“You—!”

Yu Meng’s short legs had always been a sore spot. Having it publicly pointed out now caused her face to twist beyond a mere change in expression.

Ignoring the anger in Yu Meng’s eyes, Bai Man tilted her head toward Su Qingwan. “What do you think?”

She had noticed earlier that Su Qingwan’s refusal to switch teams with Yu Meng wasn’t because she genuinely didn’t want to switch, but because she feared angering Yu Meng.

Why would she be so afraid, even enduring the original Bai Man’s constant provocations?

Bai Man didn’t delve into the reasons. She only knew she could exploit this fear to turn Su Qingwan to her side and further provoke Yu Meng.

Just like now.

When Su Qingwan met Yu Meng’s gaze, she lowered her eyes.

During her punishment indoors, she had already sensed something was off with Bai Man. As Bai Man had pointed out earlier, their team had been leading by two points based on their previous ring scores. However, because she had only thrown five rings, she had squandered a winning hand, ultimately losing to Yu Meng’s team by a single point.

While Bai Man was berating her, Yin Xiao, one of her studio employees, accidentally tripped Bai Man to the ground. As the boss, she felt obligated to step in and soothe Bai Man.

She had braced herself for another round of Bai Man’s finger-pointing and verbal abuse.

To her surprise, Bai Man not only refrained from scolding her but calmly accepted the bitter melon juice presented to her on the show.

Such an abnormal reaction immediately made her suspect that Bai Man might have suffered a brain injury from the fall.

It wasn’t until Bai Man firmly rejected Yu Meng’s suggestion to switch teams that she belatedly realized Bai Man hadn’t suffered a brain injury at all—she had simply changed her tactics.

Her mother had told her that because their family’s income was limited, they couldn’t afford to fulfill many of Bai Man’s desires, such as buying the latest sneakers or trendy dresses. Mother Xu, on the other hand, always provided these things for Bai Man. Every season change, Mother Xu would even discard unworn clothes from Bai Man’s closet, justifying it as “outdated.”

Therefore, she could understand why Bai Man targeted her.

Bai Man shouldn’t have taken her anger out on Yu Meng, who was an outsider to their conflict.

To avoid involving Yu Meng, Qingwan had rejected her kindness.

She hadn’t expected this alone to dissuade Bai Man, but she never imagined Bai Man would so recklessly turn her hostility toward Yu Meng.

Yu Meng had always been clever. If she claimed to be confident of winning, she would undoubtedly succeed.

Yet Bai Man’s skepticism wasn’t entirely unfounded. Leg length could indeed affect stride length.

If this issue remained unresolved, frequent ball drops during the competition could cost valuable time—time spent retrieving the ball and resuming forward progress.

In those crucial moments, the opposing team could seize the advantage.

It was this realization that made Qingwan unable to meet Yu Meng’s gaze.

Yu Meng, so proud, must feel deeply humiliated by these repeated doubts, perhaps even harboring resentment toward Qingwan.

Should I side with Yu Meng?

No, she couldn’t bring herself to say something so unfair.

The already tense atmosphere grew even more strained under her silence.

“Don’t worry,” Yu Meng said, her eyes fixed on Bai Man, icy with contempt. “With me here, she won’t dare insult you again.”

This open display of protection struck Su Qingwan’s heart like a thunderbolt.

System: Warning! Su Qingwan’s favorability toward Yu Meng has increased by 3 points. Total score: 48!

Hearing this, Bai Man remained unfazed. She had made her intentions so clear; Su Qingwan couldn’t possibly misunderstand the impact of inconsistent stride lengths.

“They say you’ve always been practical and pragmatic,” Bai Man said, turning to face Su Qingwan. “But now, I’m not so sure.”

She was provoking Su Qingwan, trying to make her slap Yu Meng down.

Su Qingwan pressed her lips into a thin line and turned to Yu Meng. “Inconsistent stride lengths increase the likelihood of the ball dropping, which puts us at a disadvantage.”

Yu Meng, who was wearing only light makeup, flushed visibly, her expression confused. “You…”

Bai Man was highly satisfied with Su Qingwan’s response. She took two steps forward and fixed Zhang Jiale with a stern gaze. “Reduce your stride length to 40 centimeters and slow your pace by one-third.”

Seeing Zhang Jiale nod, she turned to Yin Xiao. “You and Su Qingwan don’t need to adjust your strides or pace. Just walk normally. As for Yu Meng,” she glanced at Yu Meng’s legs, “increase both your stride length and speed by one-quarter.”

“The formation will be led by the two who don’t need to adjust their strides or pace. The rest of you will coordinate with them. Understand?”

Su Qingwan, standing opposite her, couldn’t help but steal another glance at Bai Man. Was this really the Bai Man she knew?

The unbidden display of dominance and commanding presence was something the old Bai Man had never shown.

As Su Qingwan pondered this, Yu Meng spoke up. “Why should we listen to you?”