The Movie Queen And Her Rival Just Went Public! - Chapter 48

Chapter 48

Standing on the skywalk hundreds of meters high, Su Cancan looked down, and her body couldn’t help but tremble. The scenery below was no longer distinct, blurring into a mass of green. The flat ground beneath her feet felt jagged, and as the wind caught the hem of her clothes, her thin figure looked as if it might topple over at any moment.

This useless woman only drags others down!

Did they invite her to the show just to see a spoiled princess throw fits?

Su Cancan, is this really what you want? Is this how you repay the fans who love you?

She desperately wanted to give up. But the more she retreated, the more chaotic the voices in her head became. Those condemnations and criticisms pounded in her ears one by one, as if her hesitation had given them an opening to shatter her at her weakest point.

The doubt made the inner voices more violent and arrogant. Su Cancan took a deep breath, her heart in her throat. “I’m not giving up. Let’s go.”

How could Shen Luoyan not see through her pretense of strength? Su Cancan said she was going, but a slightly stronger gust of wind looked ready to knock her over.

Shen Luoyan knew she was stubborn, but she hadn’t expected her to endure this much. Shen Luoyan’s jaw tightened; she gritted her teeth and strode in front of her. Ignoring Su Cancan’s dazed hesitation, she pulled Su Cancan’s hand to rest on her own arm and used her other hand to gently cover Su Cancan’s eyes. Feeling the soft eyelashes sweep against her palm, Shen Luoyan ignored the ambiguity of the moment; her mind was entirely focused on Su Cancan’s state.

Su Cancan used to think being in the dark would bring boundless fear. But right now, with her eyes shielded by Shen Luoyan at a height of a hundred meters, her restless heart suddenly found peace. The fear was carried away, replaced by an indescribable calm.

“Follow me and walk slowly, okay? If you feel uncomfortable, just pull me.”

Shen Luoyan’s voice was gentle, carrying a certain magic. Su Cancan nodded as if under a spell.

Led by Shen Luoyan, Su Cancan walked in sync with her for a long distance. However, as they moved further from the start, the distance between the glass and the vegetation below grew. Shen Luoyan saw the trees below turning into tiny dots and her footsteps paused for a fraction of a second.

The rhythm they had maintained was broken. Su Cancan panicked. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. It’s just a bit high. Don’t open your eyes to look.” Shen Luoyan felt Su Cancan’s grip tighten on her sleeve and spoke up to comfort her.

It was indeed high—hundreds of meters up, like walking on air. Even their cameraman was struggling to keep his hands from shaking.

Su Cancan had watched Youyou, Zhouzhou, and the others cross. She made a quick judgment in her mind and localized her position on the skywalk. Below was an abyss. Suddenly, her legs felt like they were filled with lead, unable to move.

Her voice trembled. “I’m sorry. I want to keep going, but… I can’t do it.”

The surroundings were quiet, save for the howling wind.

While bracing for Shen Luoyan’s reprimand, tears of guilt welled in Su Cancan’s eyes. Feeling the moisture on her palm, Shen Luoyan moved her hand away from the girl’s eyes and used her thumb to gently wipe away the fear.

Without the cover, even with her eyes closed, Su Cancan saw a flash of red. Her knees went weak and her eyelids fluttered. Just before she opened her eyes, she felt a sudden weightlessness.

Shen Luoyan had placed Su Cancan’s hands on her own shoulders and scooped her up in a horizontal princess carry.

A gust of wind swirled past her ears. Su Cancan couldn’t control herself and opened her eyes. After one glance, she did something rare—she actively wrapped her arms around Shen Luoyan’s neck, fingers interlocking tightly at the nape. She buried her head in Shen Luoyan’s neck, hiding herself completely.

The bun on top of her head pressed against Shen Luoyan’s chin. Shen Luoyan’s lips curved slightly, but she suddenly felt a wave of moist heat on her collarbone. “Can you carry me? I haven’t been watching my weight lately,” Su Cancan whispered.

The skin on her neck tingled. Shen Luoyan felt a jolt of electricity travel from the base of her spine through her whole body. She felt briefly weak, but fearing Su Cancan might fall, she adjusted her grip and hoisted her higher, holding her more firmly.

“Mm. It does feel a bit heavier than the last time I held you.”

Su Cancan was embarrassed and annoyed. She peeked out with red cheeks to argue, but after a dizzying look down, she quickly retreated and said softly, “I get it. I’ll diet when we get back.”

Shen Luoyan was already walking. Su Cancan could feel the rhythmic rise and fall of her gait.

As they passed the most dangerous corner, in a spot the cameras couldn’t catch, Shen Luoyan whispered in Su Cancan’s ear while holding her: “No need. Even if you gain another 10kg—no, 20kg—I can still carry you.”

Su Cancan didn’t respond. She had heard similar lines in scripts and other variety shows. She used to think they were greasy.

Of course, she still thought so.

When she didn’t answer, Shen Luoyan didn’t press further.

Waiting for the finish line in her arms, Su Cancan heard a steady, powerful heartbeat. After listening carefully, she realized it wasn’t just Shen Luoyan’s; her own heart was also thumping wildly.

In a state of daze, Shen Luoyan’s footsteps stopped. Su Cancan poked her head out, realized they had crossed the finish line, and jumped out of her arms as if escaping. Her movement was so fast that Shen Luoyan was left standing with her arms still in a carrying position. Su Cancan retreated to what she considered a safe distance and whispered a “Thank you” that only the two of them could hear.

Shen Luoyan lowered her hands as the temporary host, Youyou, ran over.

“Wow! Sister Luoyan was so cool just now!”

Su Cancan rubbed the tip of her nose and looked around. Seeing Viky glaring at her, she childishly raised an eyebrow in return.

The staff handed over the times for the four groups. Youyou announced: “I have the rankings! I’m sure everyone has a basic idea of their time, so I won’t keep you in suspense. Last place is the ‘Roommate Team’ who didn’t participate. The score doesn’t matter; what matters is that the sisters made the choice that suited them best! You’ll surely gain something in the next projects!”

The camera panned to Xia Yue and Cheng Lewei, who were holding hands with similar, quiet smiles.

Youyou continued: “Third place is the ‘DoubleS’ team, with the coolest posture and the highest sugar levels! Their time was 17 minutes and 42 seconds.”

Su Cancan had no objection to the ranking. Their time was indeed longer than the younger couples. However, she hadn’t realized they had taken nearly twenty minutes. She stole a glance at Shen Luoyan and saw her hiding her hand behind her back, rotating it slightly. Guilt immediately flooded her heart.

While Youyou reported the scores for her own team and Viky’s, Su Cancan kept her eyes on Shen Luoyan’s shoes and lowered her voice: “For the next project, don’t worry. Leave it to me!”

Shen Luoyan’s soothing hand movements froze. Her expression stiffened, and she let out a muffled “Mm.”

She then gripped her own wrist, thinking that after the show ended, she would need to find a private trainer to build up her strength and display her “might.”

No one guessed her secret thoughts. Having learned their scores and rankings, the four couples were led by the crew to the lake for the second competition. After putting on life jackets and facing four small boats on the shore, everyone guessed it—this was a kayaking race.

The four groups started simultaneously, rounded a buoy set by the crew, and returned. The fastest team would win.

A whistle blew, and the four kayaks drifted aimlessly across the lake.

Youyou and Zhouzhou had courage but no plan, relying on brute force. Because they hadn’t mastered the sequence of paddling, their orange kayak just spun in circles. Surrounded by mountains and water with their lovers by their side, they weren’t angry, laughing brightly instead.

Shen Luoyan and Cheng Lewei, the two STEM students, relied on their solid theoretical knowledge. They quickly figured out how to keep the kayak on a straight and fast path. The two core figures shouted out a rhythm, paddling left and right, quickly pulling away from Youyou’s team.

…

Su Cancan was a woman of her word. Having promised to give it her all, she didn’t hold back while paddling. However, since she was facing away from the start, she quickly discovered something strange.

“See that pair?”

The only ones Su Cancan refused to call by name were Viky and Miky. Shen Luoyan focused on her task, but hearing this, she looked around. Seeing no sign of them, she glanced behind her.

It was also disorganized paddling, but they were almost at the center buoy. Looking at the wake behind their boat, Shen Luoyan’s eyelids twitched.

Su Cancan was disgusted by their cheating, her expression contorted.

Shen Luoyan retracted her gaze and noticed Su Cancan’s cute expression, suppressing a smile. “We won’t get first. Should we just paddle slowly?”

“No! Competition is sacred and great. They have defiled and impacted the fairness, so they don’t deserve to be ranked with us. We can’t slack off. We must get first among the remaining three groups, and then we will be the true first place,” Su Cancan declared grandly.

Five minutes later.

Su Cancan rubbed her reddened palms. “Forget it. It’s not like we must have first place. Looking at the scenery is nice too.”

Shen Luoyan laughed inwardly without exposing her. She paddled even harder. The two of them lost to the “Roommate” duo by a narrow margin, taking third place. Since Youyou and Zhouzhou truly couldn’t move forward, after the other three groups returned, the staff had to drag them back to shore.

The rankings were clear. The group finally dragged their tired bodies to the final event: Super Scooters.

“I checked the guides beforehand. 4 PM to 5 PM is the best time for this. There aren’t many clouds today; we might be able to experience a ‘Sunset Flyer’~”

Youyou read the last task card with a sigh of relief. While everyone put on their protective gear, she shared the info she had gathered. Viky looked down on her and ignored her words, but Su Cancan, a closet racer, huddled with Youyou to gossip.

After confirming everyone’s gear and scooters were fine, the park staff explained how to accelerate, decelerate, and brake, repeatedly reminding them that safety comes first.

Su Cancan got on the scooter and immediately felt at one with the machine.

Once they started, Su Cancan shot forward like an arrow from a bow, leaving a huge distance behind in the blink of an eye. She didn’t even tap the brakes at the corners. At high speed, this was no longer a competition to her; she was completely enjoying the thrill of the activity itself.

Youyou wasn’t an experienced driver but loved to play. She worked hard to keep a manageable distance from Su Cancan. Watching Su Cancan take perfect turns, she cheered non-stop as a fan girl.

A minute or two later, Shen Luoyan, who was steady in the middle, could no longer find Su Cancan in her field of vision.

She let out a look of surprise toward the GoPro.