After Transmigrating, I Joined a Dating Show with the Fake Heiress Actress - Chapter 3

“Seeing is believing,” Bai Man said as she walked over to the purple yoga ball. She bent down, moved it a meter to the side, and turned back, adding, “Everyone, line up in a straight line and take steps as I instructed earlier.”

Yu Man and Zhang Jiale simultaneously turned to look at Su Qingwan, seeking her approval.

Su Qingwan glanced to her left, where the opposing team was huddled in a circle about seven or eight meters away, seemingly discussing their strategy.

“Just a reminder, the competition starts in five minutes,” the Director’s voice reminded them that time was running out.

Withdrawing her gaze, she glanced at Bai Man again. The woman’s powerful aura radiated confidence.

Su Qingwan nodded slightly, signaling to Yu Man and Zhang Jiale that they should cooperate.

Bai Man noticed their subtle interaction but didn’t mind. She stopped beside Su Qingwan and, seeing everyone ready, announced, “Begin!”

The opposing team had just finished their discussion when someone spotted the four of them walking in perfect alignment.

Though their strides varied, they maintained a flawless horizontal line.

Liu Heng cleared his throat, asking his teammate uncertainly, “Do… do you think we can still win?”

Song Jie, standing closest to him, flicked him on the head. “Have you forgotten how many people are on the other team?”

The ten invited guests consisted of five men and five women. Apart from the top-tier stars Yu Meng and Su Qingwan, the others were either ordinary people like Bai Man or celebrities like Liu Heng, who had some recognition but couldn’t break through to mainstream success.

The entertainment industry was a small world, and Liu Heng had heard rumors of discord between Su Qingwan and Yu Meng, but he hadn’t paid them much attention. He trusted his own eyes more than rumors.

Now, he was certain that the rumors of conflict between Yu Meng and Su Qingwan were false, while the animosity between Yu Meng and Bai Man was very real.

Getting two people who clearly disliked each other to cooperate? That was going to be tough!

Liu Heng scratched his head, belatedly nodding in agreement. “You’re right.”

In the live stream, the chat exploded with activity after witnessing this exchange.

That Bai Man is crazy! First she picks a fight with Su Qingwan, now she’s going after Yu Meng.

Even through the screen, I can feel the tension between Bai Man and Yu Meng. I’m siding with Song Jie on this one.

Am I the only one who thinks Bai Man’s suggestion is better than Yu Meng’s? Bai Man’s plan is detailed and practical, while Yu Meng’s is just a vague outline.

The commenter above is probably a shill hired by Bai Man. My Mengmeng’s suggestion was perfectly fine, okay?

Today’s drama is overflowing! Two top actresses feuding? Turns out it was just a rumor.

Ah, Mengmeng, maybe we should just swallow our pride and listen to Bai Man for now. Let’s win the competition first. That mixed bitter gourd juice sounds absolutely disgusting.

Over there, Bai Man made a “stop” gesture and turned to Yu Meng, who stood frozen in place. “Are you satisfied with this outcome?”

Yu Meng scoffed coldly. “What does this prove?”

Bai Man shrugged and glanced sideways at Su Qingwan. “I’m getting a bit tired of communicating with her. Why don’t you answer for me?”

Su Qingwan’s thick, fan-like eyelashes trembled slightly. Why? Why does she always put me in these impossible situations?

She would rather Bai Man target her alone than drag Yu Meng into this awkward position.

She had already sided with Bai Man twice. If she aligned with Bai Man again, leaving Yu Meng with no way to save face, what would Yu Meng think of her?

She and Yu Meng had met four years ago on a film set. Yu Meng played the lead actress, while Su Qingwan played her maid. She remembered one scene where the maid made a mistake and was punished by being forced to kneel in the rain.

The scene was filmed in late autumn, and the water felt icy as it first splashed against her skin. Combined with her poor acting skills at the time, which led to multiple retakes by the Director, her hands and feet were numb by the end of the shoot.

Yu Meng noticed her discomfort and immediately took off her own coat to give to her. After Su Qingwan changed into dry clothes, Yu Meng even had her assistant bring her a cup of brown sugar water.

It was from that moment on that Su Qingwan began to pay special attention to Yu Meng.

Two years ago, she and Yu Meng reunited on a reality show. Faced with the host’s probing questions, they found themselves in complete agreement on every value except their differing views on happiness.

Talented and with values so similar to mine—how could I not admire her?

To her surprise, the media seized on their differing opinions, sensationalizing the conflict for clicks.

When she tried to clarify, her manager stopped her, calling her foolish and insisting she could ride Yu Meng’s popularity to even greater heights.

Refusing to exploit Yu Meng, she privately approached her, suggesting a joint press conference to set the record straight. Yu Meng, after hearing her out, simply smiled and said it wasn’t necessary, urging her to relax.

One of the reasons she agreed to join the variety show Love Knock Knock Knock was the generous compensation offered by the production team. The other reason was the rumor that Yu Meng would be participating.

Remembering Yu Meng’s past kindness, she had a plan. She met Bai Man’s round eyes directly. “Yu Meng’s concerns are valid. Your proposed stride length and pace might reduce the chances of dropping the ball during movement, but they can’t eliminate the risk entirely.”

As she spoke, she glanced at her watch and shifted her gaze to Yu Meng. “We have less than a minute until we start. Let’s try Bai Man’s suggestion first. If we encounter any issues mid-performance, we can switch to your formation plan. What do you think?”

Yin Xiao caught Yu Meng’s glance and quickly chimed in, “I think this is a great idea.” Seeing Yu Meng remained unmoved, she quickly adopted a pitiful expression. “My mouth still tastes bitter.”

Zhang Jiale nodded in agreement. “Mine too.”

Yu Meng finally relented. “Remember, if you spot any problems, adjust the formation immediately.” She glanced at Bai Man. “Don’t let one person drag everyone down.”

Remembering how her mistake had cost the team the previous round, Su Qingwan’s expression turned uneasy.

Bai Man noticed this and let out a soft scoff.

Though barely audible, the sound seemed amplified in Su Qingwan’s ears.

Was Bai Man mocking her?

“Time’s up! Guests, please bring your balls and come over here,” the Director announced, urging them forward.

Bai Man turned to see a red silk ribbon stretched flat against the grass beside the Director. Thirty meters away, another red silk ribbon hung horizontally in the air, with several 50-centimeter-long blue ribbons tied to it for added visibility.

A summer breeze, carrying the scent of earth and fresh grass, swept through, causing the silk ribbon to flutter irregularly, as if cheering for the upcoming competition.

Bai Man turned her gaze back to the group. Zhang Jiale had already picked up a yoga ball, so she walked to the starting line empty-handed.

Following her earlier plan, everyone except Yu Meng had already taken their positions, standing back-to-back with a yoga ball sandwiched between them.

Considering the yoga balls’ elasticity, she reminded them, “You can apply a little more pressure. This will further reduce the chances of dropping the ball.”

“Okay,” they replied in unison.

The three participants adjusted their stances, compressing the round yoga balls into distorted shapes.

Seeing this, Yu Meng chuckled softly and approached Bai Man. “You go over there. I’ll stay here.”

She wanted to be next to Su Qingwan.

Was that even possible?

Bai Man flatly refused. “First come, first served.”

“Given your previous hostility toward Qingwan, I have reason to suspect you might sabotage her during the competition.”

Bai Man laughed. “What authority are you speaking from now? Are you a police officer?”

To Bai Man’s right, Su Qingwan’s heart fluttered again at Yu Meng’s words. Yu Meng is so considerate.

System 388: Friendly reminder! Su Qingwan’s affection points for Yu Meng have increased by 1, bringing the total to 49. Host, if you don’t step up your game soon, Su Qingwan’s affection for Yu Meng will evolve into love!

People always hold a special place in their hearts for their first love. So, Host, are you aiming for the highest difficulty?

Bai Man narrowed her eyes. Su Qingwan had actually developed a favorable impression of Yu Meng because of her meaningless remark.

When questioned, Yu Meng remained composed, her face betraying no emotion. “As a friend who would never harm Qingwan, would that be acceptable?”

Before Bai Man could utter the word “no,” a loud clap echoed through the room, followed by the Director’s voice: “Ten-second countdown! Remember, you’re a five-person team. Without special circumstances, losing a member means losing the game.”

Hearing this, Liu Heng, standing directly across from Bai Man, turned to Song Jie and whispered, “Do you think Yu Meng will cooperate?”

“If you were in her position, would you?” Song Jie retorted.

Simultaneously, a barrage of comments flooded the live stream:

What do we do? I don’t think Yu Meng will cooperate. Does that mean our Wanwan has to drink bitter gourd juice again? Waaah, my heart aches for Wanwan for three seconds.

What’s wrong with Bai Man? Even at this critical moment, she’s still holding a grudge against Yu Meng. Why can’t she just give Yu Meng a break?

Am I the only one who thinks Bai Man and Yu Meng are just fighting over jealousy?

Upstairs, you’re delusional! According to reliable sources, Bai Man has targeted Su Qingwan more than once. There’s genuine hatred between them.

Ah… So what’s actually going on here?

On set, Su Qingwan turned her head, watching the two women locked in a silent battle of wills, feeling both anxious and helpless.

“You think causing her to be punished by the production team isn’t harm?” Bai Man scoffed. “Or do you plan to drink her share of the bitter gourd juice when she’s punished? Ask the Director if he’ll allow that.”

At the start of the show, the Director had explicitly stated the rules: no guest could take another’s punishment.

This rule had been announced publicly to all guests and recorded on camera. Changing it mid-show would not only damage the production team’s credibility but also undermine Bai Man’s own position.

Realizing this, Yu Meng glared at Bai Man for a second before striding to the empty spot to Yin Xiao’s right and taking her position.

“If you don’t want to lose, move strictly according to the stride length and pace I just demonstrated.”

Bai Man had barely finished speaking when the Director shouted, “Begin!”

Because Yu Meng hadn’t mastered the stride length and pace, the yoga ball resting against their backs slipped down two centimeters.

Zhang Jiale, Yin Xiao, and Su Qingwan tensed up, their bodies rigid with tension.

Knowing that tension leads to mistakes, Bai Man immediately called out, “Relax! Don’t focus so intently on the yoga ball.”

The expected criticism didn’t come, which only made Yu Meng’s ears flush.

She tried lengthening her stride and increasing her pace slightly.

Sure enough, the yoga ball on her back stopped sliding down.

Across from them, Liu Heng, who had been facing Bai Man, watched helplessly as Bai Man’s group moved forward effortlessly at a steady pace. Meanwhile, on his team, the yoga ball had already slipped down three or four centimeters and showed no signs of stopping.

“Don’t panic,” Wen Yi, who had been silent until now, said reassuringly. “We still have a chance to turn things around before they reach the finish line.”

Song Jie took over, adding, “Wen Yi’s right. Let’s slow down our pace and try to accommodate Liu Yue as much as possible.”

After Yu Meng left, Song Jie had become the group’s de facto leader.

Hearing Song Jie’s words, the male contestants all shortened their strides and slowed their pace.

Sensing that they were genuinely accommodating her, Liu Yue, the only female contestant on the team, felt an indescribable sense of triumph. With her chin held high and seizing the initiative, she began to close the gap with Bai Man’s group.

Watching the two teams draw closer, Zhang Jiale grew increasingly anxious. “What do we do? They’re catching up!”

Bai Man glanced sideways and saw Liu Yue striding purposefully, determined to overtake them.

She also noticed that Liu Yue and her team’s yoga balls had slipped down to their waists. Given that the male contestants averaged 180 cm in height, Liu Yue’s shorter stature already put her at a disadvantage.

Liu Yue’s waist corresponded to the male contestants’ hips. If the yoga balls slipped any further, they would reach the men’s thighs. The curvature between the thighs and hips would likely cause the men to lose more than half their control over the balls.

Therefore, there was a 70% chance that Liu Yue and her team’s yoga balls would fall to the ground.

Seeing this, Bai Man withdrew her gaze. “Let’s maintain our current pace. They won’t catch up to us easily.”

“Hmph, I don’t know where you get your confidence,” Yu Meng retorted.

“Sometimes using your brain isn’t a bad thing.”

“You—”

Hearing the two were about to argue again, Su Qingwan sighed inwardly and quickly interjected, “We can’t see what’s happening with the other team, Bai Man. Could you give us a brief overview of the situation? Just so we all have a better understanding.”

As she spoke, Su Qingwan felt a flicker of anxiety.

It wasn’t that she feared Bai Man would ignore her, but rather that she might provoke Bai Man into quitting altogether.