The Heartless Omega: I Only Want My Daughter - Chapter 21

The remaining four groups began the official competition.

All four groups were visibly nervous and eager to win. Following the show’s signature style of pursuing realistic recording effects, the production crew would absolutely not provide any secret food supplies. The competition was the only way to eat.

The children stood by, clapping and cheering for their respective mothers. Little Doubao watched the matches with a serious expression, completely ignoring her own parents for the moment.

The director picked up the megaphone while a nearby staff member readied a stopwatch. “The competition starts now!”

At the command, the four families launched fierce attacks simultaneously, aiming to win in the shortest time possible.

In the match between Gao Nianke and Li Dai, Gao Nianke and Song Mu clearly held the advantage in age and height. Their offensive was fast and aggressive. Although Zhang Yiwan was taller and younger, she had to protect Li Dai during the match to ensure she didn’t get hurt.

Li Dai did not want to be a burden to Zhang Yiwan. While she had no advantage in offense, she kept lifting her legs to dodge, ensuring her balloon wasn’t kicked. The two sides were at a stalemate.

Meanwhile, Xu Yi and Xu Jianghao, both having long limbs, held a complete advantage over the two middle-aged competitors.

Lu Zhou and Sheng Feng rarely exercised; they quickly lost their strength while retreating. Just as Sheng Feng lowered his foot to catch his breath, Xu Jianghao suddenly kicked out. The balloon burst, and they lost their first point.

After that, the two joined forces to attack Lu Zhou. Lu Zhou might have been able to dodge on her own, but she now had to face a dual assault while pulling Sheng Feng along. Before long, they were exhausted.

Xu Yi seized the opportunity with a low kick, successfully popping Lu Zhou’s balloon. The match was over.

“Yay! We won!” Xu Yi and Xu Jianghao hugged each other excitedly.

Lu Zhou and Sheng Feng stood with their hands on their hips, panting heavily. This game looked simple, but it was incredibly draining. Xu Yi bent down to untie the ropes and walked toward Xu Guo. “Guoguo, Mommy won! Let’s clap.” Xu Guo raised her hand and gave her a high-five.

As that match ended, the battle on the other side intensified. The balloons on Li Dai’s and Song Mu’s legs had already been popped; only Zhang Yiwan’s and Gao Nianke’s balloons remained.

Because the ranking depended on time as well as winning, both women were exhausted but continued to kick desperately at each other. Li Dai and Song Mu watched tensely from the side; the only way they could help now was to try their best to keep up with their partners’ steps.

As the battle on the field grew heated, Pei Zhiyun, watching from the sidelines, was so nervous she could barely breathe. The last time she had felt this anxious was during an end-of-year awards ceremony. She hadn’t expected a small competition to carry such heavy pressure.

Noticing Pei Zhiyun’s tense expression, Wen Ying reached out and gently pulled her into a hug, whispering something in her ear.

Pei Zhiyun looked up at her abruptly and asked with a hint of disbelief, “Can you really do it?”

“Trust me,” Wen Ying said.

Pei Zhiyun remained skeptical. “Okay.”

The match on the field continued. Both sides were clearly drained of energy, but as long as a winner hadn’t been declared, there was still a chance.

Zhang Yiwan steadied her mindset and looked for an opening to strike, but Gao Nianke was equally determined, dodging every attempt. However, with the back-and-forth dragging on, a result had to be reached quickly.

“Quick, attack!” Song Mu shouted suddenly while everyone was focused.

Gao Nianke kicked out instantly.

Pop!

Zhang Yiwan’s balloon burst. The match was over.

“I’m exhausted.” All four women slumped onto the ground at the same time; the exercise had consumed too much energy.

Zhang Yiwan and Li Dai sat on the ground and smiled at each other. Li Dai reached out to pull Zhang Yiwan into a gentle embrace, stroking her hair. “It’s okay, we did our best.”

“Mm.” After resting for a moment, Zhang Yiwan reached out to gently massage Li Dai’s legs.

A moment later, Gao Nianke and Song Mu helped them up, saying with a smile, “Hard work, hard work. So sorry about that.”

“It’s fine. You have another match coming up. Good luck!” The two said as they exited the field.

Gao Nianke and Song Mu turned to look at Pei Zhiyun and Wen Ying. Having just recovered their breath, they already felt tired again. “My god, there’s another match.” They wished they could just fast-forward to the end.

Once the two had rested sufficiently, Pei Zhiyun and Wen Ying walked onto the field, and the opponents approached while supporting each other. The four stood face-to-face.

It was Song Mu against Pei Zhiyun, and Gao Nianke against Wen Ying. In terms of age and height, Pei Zhiyun and Wen Ying had the advantage, but in terms of experience, Gao Nianke and Song Mu held the upper hand.

The others watched with great interest, wondering who would emerge as the victor.

The director looked at both sides and announced through the megaphone, “The match starts now!”

At the command, all four became highly alert.

But at that exact moment, Pei Zhiyun and Wen Ying moved their tied legs forward in a single step, closing the distance. Then, Wen Ying extended her left leg in a swift upward kick toward Gao Nianke’s balloon.

Startled, Gao Nianke hurriedly tried to pull her leg back to dodge, but Wen Ying’s kick was too fast. Just as Gao Nianke lifted her foot, the balloon was struck.

With a pop, it was gone.

Before Gao Nianke and Song Mu could even react, Pei Zhiyun seized the opportunity, lifting her foot to kick Song Mu’s balloon.

Song Mu was staring at the other side in shock. By the time she noticed Pei Zhiyun’s attack and tried to retreat, pop! The balloon on her foot was instantly popped. They had lost in a total blur.

The scene went silent. All the guests looked at the director in disbelief, thinking: Is this how the game is supposed to be played? It hadn’t even been a minute.

“Mommy and Mama are so amazing! Mama and Mommy are the best!” Little Doubao cheered, jumping and clapping happily.

Wen Ying knelt to untie the rope. After standing up, she pulled Pei Zhiyun into her arms, stroking the back of her head gently. “We won,” she whispered.

Pei Zhiyun hadn’t expected the victory to come so suddenly. As she was pulled into the hug, her nose bumped against the microphone on Wen Ying’s chest. She hissed in pain, which finally brought her back to her senses.

Gao Nianke and Song Mu were still dazed, standing frozen in place. “We just lost like that?”

Song Mu pressed her tongue against her cheek, looking back and forth between the director and Pei Zhiyun’s group, unable to believe the reality.

Gao Nianke pointed at Wen Ying with one hand on her hip. “I didn’t even see how Teacher Wen moved her foot before the balloon just went pop and disappeared. Director, can you replay that moment right now and send the clip to me?”

“I can do that,” the director promised.

Receiving an answer, Gao Nianke turned to Wen Ying. “Teacher Wen, do you usually play soccer? With that speed, you could play for the national team.”

Wen Ying released Pei Zhiyun and replied, “I know Cuju.”

“What? Cuju?” Gao Nianke thought she had misheard and repeated the word.

Pei Zhiyun was also stunned to hear that word and quickly cut in, “Right, she usually plays soccer. Cuju is just something she occasionally plays with Little Doubao.”

Wen Ying: Inputting ‘soccer’ information.

Wen Ying corrected herself, “Yes, I play soccer usually.”

Gao Nianke had an epiphany. “No wonder! Though, it’s the first time I’ve met a girl who likes soccer; most play basketball.”

Regardless, the three matches were over. According to the rules, the first place would be chosen between Pei Zhiyun’s and Xu Yi’s families. There was no doubt that the winner was the Pei-Wen household.

As the director announced the results, Gao Nianke turned to Wen Ying and said, “Teacher Wen, Wen Ying—you really are ‘Wen Ying’ (Always Winning)!”

The surrounding people burst into laughter. Wen Ying didn’t understand the joke and whispered to Pei Zhiyun, “What does she mean? What is ‘Always Winning’?”

Pei Zhiyun leaned over and explained the pun. Only then did Wen Ying realize her name sounded like the phrase for a guaranteed victory.

After the first place was announced, the rankings for the remaining four teams were set: Xu Yi and Xu Jianghao took second, Gao Nianke and Song Mu third, Li Dai and Zhang Yiwan fourth, and Lu Zhou and Sheng Feng fifth. Lu Zhou and Sheng Feng had the shortest survival time compared to Li Dai and Zhang Yiwan, placing them last.

With the results out, Pei Zhiyun and Wen Ying took two vegetable baskets and carried Little Doubao to the vegetable area to pick ten items. Once they were finished, staff would restock for the others, though the subsequent groups would be allowed fewer items.

Wen Ying, holding Little Doubao, said, “You choose.”

“Okay.” Pei Zhiyun walked to the meat section first and picked a black-boned chicken, a piece of pork, a crucian carp, a box of fresh shrimp, and five eggs (the maximum allowed).

With the meat chosen, she moved to the vegetables. She took three potatoes (the maximum), a head of Chinese cabbage, two carrots (the maximum), and two bunches of spinach. Onions, ginger, and garlic were counted as a single category. She counted her items; it was exactly ten.

“We’re finished.”

Wen Ying helped carry one of the two baskets.

As they left, the remaining groups went to pick their ingredients for the next two days. Lu Zhou and Sheng Feng, in fifth place, could only take two items. To help them last, the rules allowed double portions of vegetables, but not meat. Lu Zhou chose two heads of Chinese cabbage and a piece of pork; even if they ate only that, they could survive for two days.

Once everyone finished, the director said, “Now that everyone has chosen, let’s begin our second competition: the Battle for Seasonings. You can’t cook without seasonings, right?”

Everyone became tense again, listening closely.

The director continued, “For our second competition, we won’t do a physical test. We’re doing a literary test.”

A literary test?

Pei Zhiyun instinctively looked at Wen Ying. In the original book, before they were married, Wen Ying was the top scholar (Zhuangyuan) of the imperial examinations personally tested by the Empress. Unfortunately, to favor his own son, Duke Qing fabricated evidence and told the Empress that Wen Ying was secretly involved in the succession struggle, siding with a princess the Empress disliked.

Upon hearing this, the Empress’s face changed immediately. She not only stripped Wen Ying of her title but also ordered the princess to be confined. The top spot was then given to the runner-up: Duke Qing’s son and Wen Ying’s younger brother.

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