496 Dressed Like This, One Can’t Help But Look
If Li Jinfan were told that the reward for first place was to date Shi Xi, he would definitely be the most motivated contestant.
On the way back to the practice room, the two of them heard the sound of an argument coming from the corridor.
They didn’t want to cause any trouble. After all, there were many cases of bullying the weak and fearing the strong in the industry.
Bai Cangyang recalled Shi Xi’s words and went over to take a look.
As expected, someone was bullying the trainees.
A few girls were bullying a female trainee.
However, the person who was being bullied was not Mu Zhao.
It was a beautiful female trainee from another country.
When she first stepped onto the stage, this girl’s performance was very eye-catching, and she received unanimous praise from the instructors.
Bai Cangyang and Li Jinfan could not remember the name of the girl who was bullied. They only knew that she was a Cherry Blossom Girl, and her name was very complicated and difficult to remember.
However, both of them knew the girl who was leading the bullying.
It was Felomina, who had reached the Top in the first episode.
Seeing that someone was coming, Felomina didn’t care at all that she was being seen bullying others. Instead, she warned, “Don’t meddle in other people’s business. Be careful or you’ll be beaten up as well.”
Li Jinfan looked at her arrogant look and frowned. “I don’t hit women.”
“The Festival Group will be here to film soon, so you guys better finish up as soon as possible,” Bai Cangyang said calmly.
In the domestic talent shows, there were cameras everywhere, even in the corridors.
Other than the washroom.
The selection of the five countries was obviously not as rigorous. Even the cameras in the practice room would not be turned on all the time.
When she heard that the recording was about to start, Felomina kicked the bullied Cherry Blossom Girl and said, “I’ll let you off today, but be careful with your words in the future!”
The bullied Cherry Blossom Girl’s eyes were filled with tears, and she repeatedly apologized.
Felomina was very satisfied. She beckoned to her friends and asked them to accompany her back to the practice room.
The bullied Cherry Blossom Girl heaved a sigh of relief and hurriedly tidied up her hair. She kept bowing to Bai Cangyang and Li Jinfan to thank them.
However, they didn’t understand each other’s language. The Cherry Blossom Girl didn’t know Chinese and stammered in English. She could only thank and apologize.
Other than that, Bai Cangyang could not understand a single word she was saying.
Even if he wanted to ask if Mu Zhao had been bullied, he did not know where to start.
He could only give up.
Everyone returned to their practice rooms.
After a while, the Festival Group continued recording.
The mentors came over to play games and teach them.
Shi Xi was the only one who didn’t come.
*
At that moment, Shi Xi received a notice from the Festival Group that she didn’t have any scenes to shoot in the afternoon.
Thinking that the recording time had been changed, Shi Xi did not suspect them and prepared to head back.
At the thought of Shi Chen’s instructions, Shi Xi took out her phone and wanted to give him a call.
However, seeing that it was just past noon, Shi Chen must still be working. Hence, Shi Xi decided to walk around and pass the afternoon by. She would look for Shi Chen after work at night.
It was broad daylight, so there shouldn’t be any danger on the streets, right?
Shi Xi thought for a moment and felt that she was overthinking things.
It wasn’t like she didn’t have the ability to protect herself.
With that thought in mind, Shi Xi walked out of the recording building.
Just as she was about to call a cab and leave, she caught sight of a flashy green Ferrari parked across the street.
The green Ferrari was indeed very attractive.
What was even more eye-catching was that the owner of the car had blonde hair and short hair. He was wearing a green shirt, brown tights, and black sunglasses as he leaned against the side of the car.
No one would be able to resist looking at him when he was dressed like this, right?
Shi Xi took a few more glances.
However, with just one glance, Shi Xi recognized that this person was her Second Brother’s friend, Ron.
~
497 You Can’t Just Reject Everyone Who Wants To Pursue You, Can You?
Ron was standing next to the car, looking at the recording building from time to time.
Their gazes met, and Ron immediately put away his phone and walked toward Shi Xi.
He walked straight toward Shi Xi, so she had no choice but to stop and greet him with a smile. “What a coincidence. Do you work here?”
Ron smiled brightly and said, “No, I specially came here to wait for you.”
Shi Xi was surprised. “Waiting for me? How did you know that I’m about to get off work?”
“I knew you were recording here, so I’ve been waiting for you,” Ron said.
Shi Xi thought to herself, ‘If this were in China, he would be a paparazzi!’
Or a secret fan.
Thinking about it this way, it was really a little scary.
“Shall we have a meal together?” Ron asked.
Shi Xi rejected his suggestion and said, “I’ve already eaten.”
as soon as she finished speaking, Shi Xi heard a gurgling sound.
Shi Xi looked at Ron.
Ron touched his stomach and said in embarrassment, “I’ve been waiting for you. I haven’t eaten yet.”
“How long have you been waiting?” Shi Xi asked.
It was only noon.
It couldn’t be that his stomach was growling from hunger, right?
“I’ve been waiting since this morning. I didn’t eat breakfast either,” Ron added.
“You go eat,” Shi Xi sighed. “I’m going back.”
“I’ll send you back,” Ron said pitifully.
“No need,” Shi Xi replied.
Ron said, “It’s hard to get a taxi here. I’ll give you a ride.”
“You don’t have to be so wary of me. I’m Shi Chen’s friend.”
“If you’re not willing, I won’t do anything out of line to you.”
“You can’t just reject everyone who wants to pursue you, right?”
Shi Xi thought to herself, ‘I can really reject him.’
Just as the two of them were talking, Shi Xi realized that there were quite a few people staring at them from the side of the recording building.
Thinking of the scandal of Shi Chen driving her here and her getting out of a luxury car in the morning, Shi Xi didn’t want to cause any more trouble, so she said, “Let’s get in the car.”
Shi Xi was really worried that she would be tugging at a man’s arm.
She was worried that she would be rumored to be in a scandal twice a day.
And this car was really ugly.
‘Anyway, let’s leave this place first.’
Ron thought that his tactic was effective, so he happily opened the car door for Shi Xi and said, “I’ll send you home first.”
“I’ll send you to lunch first,” Shi Xi said.
Hearing Ron’s hungry sounds, Shi Xi was worried that Ron would not starve to death on the way.
“It’s okay, I’m not hungry,” Ron said.
As soon as he finished speaking, Shi Xi heard his stomach growling again.
“It’s okay,” Ron said awkwardly. “It’s no big deal to starve for a while.”
Shi Xi was a person who could be persuaded by reason but not cowed by force. “Let’s go eat. I’ll eat a little more too.”
She didn’t have anything to do in the afternoon anyway.
When Shi Xi nodded, Ron brought her to the dining room.
Ron ordered a table full of food and even ice cream for Shi Xi.
Sitting at the dining table, Shi Xi scooped up some ice cream and ate it slowly.
After they were done eating, Ron did not pester her any further and sent Shi Xi back to Shi Chen’s villa.
This made Shi Xi heave a sigh of relief.
Xiao Tian’s visa was stuck, so she had not arrived yet. She usually took a taxi when she went out.
She was supposed to take the Festival Group’s car, but it seemed like she would have to rent a car herself if she were to move out of the hotel.
This was what Shi Xi thought.
When they returned to Shi Chen’s villa, Shi Xi saw a row of cars in the garage.
Shi Xi: “…”
Forget it, she would just rent an ordinary car.
Don’t be so ostentatious.
The next few days were even stranger.
Shi Xi had almost nothing to do, so the Festival Group rarely let her record.
And when they asked her to record, it was always late at night.
They suddenly called her and asked her to go to the practice room.
When Shi Xi arrived, the photographers had already gotten off work, so they couldn’t record.
Seeing this, Shi Xi couldn’t say anything and could only teach the other trainees in the practice room.
Anyway, no matter what time it was, there was no shortage of trainees in the practice room.
*
Shi Xi didn’t expect that they would continue recording when she wasn’t around.
The trailer for the second episode was released very quickly.
At the beginning of the trailer, Shi Xi was teaching the students how to dance.
Even though she was very sleepy, Shi Xi still perked up to teach.
In the middle, there were also warnings of other trainees, such as breaking down and crying from too much pressure, or if they didn’t practice well and worked hard to climb up.
After the trailer was released, the fans were very excited.
Among the teachers, Shi Xi had the loudest cheers.
Among the students, Felomina was the most popular, followed by the other two male trainees who were fighting for the Top.
Under the anticipation of the audience, the second episode of [The Top] was broadcast.
On the cover was a big picture of Shi Xi.
The fans happily clicked on the video and saw Shi Xi teaching late at night.
Then, it was the other people’s shots.
The fans thought, “It’s okay. There are so many people here. Everyone needs to have a camera.”
However, after watching the video, they realized that Shi Xi had only been in the first few seconds of the video!
[I’m so angry that I’m laughing. I originally ordered takeaway and was going to eat and watch variety shows. In the end, I’m so angry that I couldn’t even eat the takeaway!]
[Isn’t that so? When I first saw Xi Xi, I thought she had a lot of scenes, but I didn’t expect the first few seconds to be all of her scenes for this episode!]
The fans were furious.
[If you don’t want to show Shi Xi, then don’t show her in the trailer. Why do you have to be so hypocritical?]
[Just say it if you don’t need the views from fans like us. There’s no need to keep us hanging with the trailer while not giving us any shots in the actual film.]
There were a lot of comments on the internet, and most of the fans were very angry.
Many people had come to watch the show to watch Shi Xi.
In the end, they didn’t even give Shi Xi a shot?
What followed was a drop in this episode’s good reviews, as well as the overall rating.
Some people even sent bullet comments at the beginning of the video, reminding others that Shi Xi from this episode only had a few seconds of footage, and that they could leave after watching it.
Some of the fans did not believe it, and after watching it, they expressed their opinions passionately.
[I thought it was just a joke. I didn’t expect that after watching it, it would really only be the first few seconds of the scene!]
The topic of Shi Xi’s lack of screen time immediately became a hot search.
It wasn’t just in China. Even the netizens overseas felt that Shi Xi had too few scenes this episode and protested. They even expressed that if she still had so few scenes in the next episode, they wouldn’t watch it anymore.
Shi Xi’s fans were so excited that it caused dissatisfaction among the other fans.
Most of them were Felomina’s fans.
[This is a talent show, not a variety show. If you want to see your mentor, why come to a talent show?]
[I really don’t know what these fans are thinking. If they have the ability, why don’t they ask the director to shoot a variety show for them? Since you’re here as a mentor, you have to be prepared to set others off.]
[There are more than 50 people in total. How can they film Shi Xi every day? The Chinese fans seem to have that big illness.]
Where there were people, there would be jianghu, and all kinds of comments emerged.
Shi Xi’s fans naturally disagreed with such comments.
~
498 Third Place in the City-Wide Fencing Competition
[What a joke. Shi Xi didn’t film any local movies and went out to be a mentor just to suffer this grievance?]
How many people were watching this variety show because of Shi Xi? Who had the most views in the first episode?
[Who was on the trailer? Doesn’t the Festival Group know that?]
[Since you don’t want to show Shi Xi in the episode, then don’t show her on the trailer!]
[They want views but don’t want to give Shi Xi any shots. They’re really self-righteous and upright.]
The fans couldn’t stand being wronged.
They wanted to see Shi Xi become a mentor, but they didn’t want her to become a stepping stone for others.
She was outside for three months and only had a few seconds of screen time in each episode?
Then she might as well not film this variety show!
Before Shi Xi could watch the second episode, she received a greeting from her good friend, Tao Yuxuan.
She clicked on the second episode and found that it was really just a few seconds.
Shi Xi had not expected the director to be so petty.
There were almost no scenes of her in the second episode.
Only a few seconds of footage was shown at the beginning, and after that, there were no more scenes for her in the second episode.
Shi Xi was a little angry when she thought about how she didn’t get any shots at such a strange time.
Tao Yuxuan consoled her, [Don’t worry, foreigners are xenophobic.]
[…]
It was probably because she had offended the director.
Just because she didn’t drink!
Was there a need to?
She didn’t believe that she could be left out of the screen forever!
Shi Xi took a look at the internet and realized that [The Top] had received a lot of bad reviews after the second episode of the show was broadcast.
Part of the controversy was about her lack of screen time.
But more people were discussing the variety show itself.
In the second episode, Felomina had received too many followers and was under too much pressure, so she cried out of grievance.
She was beautiful to begin with, and when she cried, her tears fell drop by drop, making one’s heart ache.
[My baby, don’t cry. I’ll give you all the tickets.]
[Mina, don’t cry. You’re the best!]
[Ah, my heart aches for my Mina. I really want to hug her.]
[…]
[Why are you all surrounding Felomina? I know that she’s the Top of the first episode, but there’s no need to spend one hour of the two hours talking about her, right?]
[Mina got the Top spot in the first episode, is there a problem with having more screen time?]
[You were just saying that this was a 50-person talent show, and now you’re saying that Mina’s first shot is no problem.]
[M Country’s players have a lot of screen time. Is this a nationality preference?]
[Sigh, sigh, I wouldn’t dare to say such words.]
[…]
Not only that, but someone even calculated everyone’s shots in the first and second episodes.
The first episode was the first stage, and everyone had a stage and a self-introduction, so it was not clear.
However, with such statistics, it was easy to see who had more shots.
Felomina.
However, Felomina, who was crying because of her injury, had already attracted many fans.
…
The internet was in chaos.
Meanwhile, Shi Xi was lying in the villa, wasting her time.
The door of the villa was opened, and Ron came in.
“I’ll drive.” When Ron saw that Shi Xi was home, he said in surprise, “Don’t you have to record this afternoon?”
“No need,” Shi Xi replied.
Ron’s eyes lit up. “Why don’t I send you to Shi Chen’s company?” he suggested.
Shi Xi thought for a moment. ‘Forget it. I won’t disturb him.’
“Tell me where I can go shopping here, and I’ll just find a place to go shopping.”
“Then I’ll go with you,” Ron said immediately. “I know all the shops here.”
“This…” Shi Xi hesitated, thinking about how to reject Ron.
When Ron saw Shi Xi’s indifferent expression and lack of interest, he said, “You’re Shi Chen’s younger sister. Just based on this, I’ll treat you well. You don’t have to think too badly of me.”
Having her secret exposed, Shi Xi smiled awkwardly. “No, I’m just not used to shopping with unfamiliar people.”
Ron thought for a moment and said, “If you don’t want to go shopping, how about we go somewhere else? Do you want to watch fencing?”
“You know how to fence?” Shi Xi was stunned.
Speaking of this, Ron’s face was filled with pride as he said, “I’ve trained for a while, and I’m third place in the city-wide fencing competition.”
“That’s very powerful.” Shi Xi was a little interested and said, “I haven’t been to a live fencing match before!”
When it came to his field of expertise, Ron smiled confidently and said, “I’m free in the afternoon, so I’ll take you there to watch. You can watch my fencing practice and I can teach you some simple moves.”
“Sure!” Shi Xi nodded.
She was actually very interested in Western fencing, but she had never had the chance to come into contact with it.
She wondered how similar it was to the swordsmanship in ancient martial arts.
After the meal, Ron brought Shi Xi to the fencing practice hall.
Shi Xi had learned ancient martial arts before, so she had naturally come into contact with sword techniques.
However, it was different from fencing overseas.
After a long period of evolution, fencing had become a traditional sport.
After entering the fencing practice hall, Ron led Shi Xi to a change of clothes with ease. He picked out a sword for Shi Xi and said, “I can teach you a little. Just follow my practice.”
It had been a long time since Shi Xi had held a sword. When she saw the sword in her hand, she felt a little emotional.
Although it was different from the one she had used before, she couldn’t help but want to wave it around.
After changing into their equipment, the two of them went to a separate training room.
“I’ll teach you a few simple moves,” Ron said. follow me.
Shi Xi humbly asked for advice while carefully observing Ron’s movements.
Unlike traditional Chinese swordsmanship, in fencing, the Baroque sword and epee were completely piercing weapons. Only the tip of the sword was effective, and the horizontal strike of the sword pole was ineffective.
That was why Ron taught Shi Xi to stab forward and retreat to dodge.
However, the advantage of this sword was that it was very light.
Shi Xi gestured a few times and started to miss her old sword.
But on second thought, it was difficult for her to even lift her sword back then, so she stopped thinking about it.
After Ron taught Shi Xi a few moves, he realized that she was able to grasp them very quickly. He could not help but praise her, “You’ve mastered it very quickly, and your movements are very standard!”
“I’ve practiced a little before, so I’m able to master it rather quickly,” Shi Xi said with a smile.
“Why don’t we try fighting?” Ron suggested.
Shi Xi nodded happily. “Of course. Is it okay to stab the body with the tip of the sword?”
“Yes, the flower sword is a weapon that can be used for stabbing. It is only effective if the sword tip pierces through it. The sword shaft is ineffective. The effective part of the attack is the torso, which is where I wear the metal suit. This is an electronic device,” Ron explained to Shi Xi. “It can distinguish between effective and ineffective hits.”
“So, when the sword pierces your hand and leg, it is an ineffective attack?” Shi Xi asked thoughtfully.
“In the Baroque sword, it’s like this,” Ron said.
“That would be boring.” Shi Xi blinked her eyes and said, “You have to hit the wrist of the other party. That’s the fastest way to balance the other party!”
~
499 Swordsmanship Genes In Their Bones
Hearing Shi Xi’s words, Ron felt a chill down his spine. “What if you accidentally stab the other party’s wrist and he can no longer hold a sword?”
“If you’re not as good as him, then there’s no need to use the sword anymore. I’m just joking,” Shi Xi replied with a smile.
Ron heaved a sigh of relief.
Shi Xi had probably watched too many movies and TV series.
Ron then introduced, “Other than the flower sword, there are also heavy swords and side swords. These two can hit the arm.”
“If you’re interested, we can try it next time.”
“Alright.” Shi Xi’s eyes curved.
Fencing was divided into flower swords, heavy swords, and sabers.
However, Ron was more skilled in the flower sword.
After connecting the metal suit to the circuit, the two of them stood on both sides.
The electronic device next to him cleared.
In the beginning, Shi Xi had already prepared herself and waited for Ron’s attack.
Ron wanted to show off in front of Shi Xi and make her happy, so he had been on the defense and waiting for her to attack.
The two of them were in a stalemate for a while. When Shi Xi saw that he wasn’t moving, she had no choice but to take the initiative.
Ron had wanted to let Shi Xi hit him on purpose to make her happy.
His vision blurred, and he didn’t know where to dodge. His chest was pierced.
Ron was stunned.
However, in this situation, he couldn’t afford to be in a daze.
Following that, he was completely unable to defend against Shi Xi’s attacks. His chest and abdomen were stabbed by Shi Xi more than ten times!
“Don’t always give in to me,” Shi Xi said helplessly as she took a few steps back.
This was not fun.
“Alright,” Ron said. “Then I won’t give in.”
After saying this, he felt a little guilty.
After getting into position for the match, Ron became even more focused on the match.
He no longer treated Shi Xi as an ordinary newcomer, but as a real opponent.
As the third place in the city-wide fencing competition, Ron did have some skills.
He aimed at the direction of the attack and began his performance.
However, Shi Xi was able to defend against his attacks every single time.
Shi Xi’s steps were light as if she knew what he was going to do and had deliberately avoided his attack.
Ron’s initial contempt for the test had now turned into impatience.
When Shi Xi saw that his swordsmanship was in a mess, she could roughly figure out Ron’s skills.
Even though it couldn’t pierce her, it was still considered pretty good for an ordinary person.
After all, there were too few people who practiced the sword nowadays.
Shi Xi had deliberately revealed a flaw so that Ron could stab her.
Ron’s competitive heart was finally satisfied when he stabbed Shi Xi.
He was the third place in fencing!
He could finally stab this Shi Xi who had just learned how to fence!
After the stab, Ron realized that he had been playing with Shi Xi for almost an hour.
“Let’s rest for a while,” he said as he took off his helmet.
Shi Xi wasn’t tired. She gestured a few times with her sword and asked, “Are there any other swords?”
This flower sword was light to hold, but it wasn’t very suitable for slashing.
Moreover, it was too light for Shi Xi.
“Yes, I’ll take you to pick some later.” Ron sat on the ground and took a few sips of water.
When Ron saw Shi Xi playing with the flower sword in her hand with ease, he was convinced.
When he was teaching Shi Xi earlier, he could tell that it was her first time fencing.
After all, Shi Xi didn’t even know the basics of fencing.
However, he saw that Shi Xi had picked it up so quickly and wasn’t even tired after practicing for an hour.
Ron felt that Shi Xi was really gifted.
Or perhaps, the swordsmanship genes in the bones of the Chinese?
~
500 Like a Doll
As he thought about this, Ron had already finished a bottle of water. He stood up and said, “There’s also a heavy sword and a sword. I’ll take you to change.”
“Or you can tell me where to change and I’ll go by myself.”
“It’s okay, I can help you.” Ron led Shi Xi outside.
On the way, Ron could not help but ask, “Is this really your first time fencing?”
He felt like he had suffered a blow.
Shi Xi chuckled. “I’ve told you before. I’ve learned a little swordsmanship in the past. However, it’s a Chinese swordsmanship. It’s completely different from the Western swordsmanship.”
“is it the Taichi sword?” Ron had a little understanding of Chinese swordsmanship.
“The Taichi sword is one of the techniques I know. If you want to see it, I can practice it for you later,” Shi Xi said.
“Then what’s the difference between the Tai Chi sword and the Baroque sword?” Ron asked.
“There are many differences. The body and hilt of the sword are all different. Moreover, there’s no such competition in Chinese swordsmanship. It’s gradually declining. Why don’t you introduce the heavy sword?” Shi Xi asked after a pause. “Are they very aggressive?”
The heavy sword’s foreign word was ‘dueling swords,’ which meant a sword of duel.
It sounded very aggressive.
Ron explained, “The heavy sword is also a completely piercing weapon. Only the tip of the sword is effective. The horizontal strike of the sword body is ineffective.”
“However, it can hit a lot of effective parts, such as the torso, legs, arms, and helmet.”
“Moreover, the most vulnerable part of a heavy sword is the hand.”
After saying that, Ron glanced at Shi Xi.
He hadn’t forgotten what Shi Xi had just said.
“If it’s a sword fight, the fastest and most effective way is to hit the opponent’s hand,” Shi Xi said.
The fencing hall provided many swords, including flower swords, heavy swords, and accompanying swords.
However, these swords were very light.
At least, it was relatively easy for Shi Xi.
Even if it was a heavy sword, Shi Xi could still pick it up easily.
When they were choosing swords, Shi Xi saw a pretty good sword and wanted to reach out for it.
In the end, another person reached out and took the sword away.
The heavy sword didn’t look light, because the person holding it lifted it a few times and then put it back.
Shi Xi didn’t mind and reached out to pick up the sword.
It was indeed heavier than what she had just tried.
“Wait, I haven’t decided which one to choose. Put the swords back. Stop!” The girl who had just picked the sword stopped Shi Xi.
Shi Xi looked over.
The girl was wearing a one-piece dress and her long brown hair was tied into two ponytails. Her makeup was exquisite like a doll and she looked harmless.
At the very least, it had nothing to do with a sport like fencing.
Shi Xi glanced at the doll and said, “The flower sword at the side is more suitable for you.”
The doll-like girl was furious, “I know what sword is suitable for me!”
“As for a newbie like you, since you don’t know how to use it, you shouldn’t have chosen such a difficult heavy sword!”
“Also, you’re not allowed to take this sword away before I’ve picked it!”
Shi Xi had picked a heavier sword with much difficulty. Now that she was being provoked, she smiled and asked, “Is this sword yours?”
“These swords are provided by the fencing hall,” Ron said. “First come, first served.”
The doll’s face was red, and it seemed that very few people would go against her wishes.
“I don’t care! I’m a senior member here. Do you believe I’ll call the manager over?” The doll lost her temper.
“What a coincidence,” Ron said. “I’m also a senior member. Should I call the manager over and let him judge?”
Shi Xi didn’t want to cause any more trouble, so she put the sword back and said, “It doesn’t matter, you can pick first.”