Chapter 45

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Chapter 45: Title

The confrontation’s outcome was clear—Gong Yu had been thoroughly defeated. Pale-faced, he retreated to his seat, clinging to the belief that his modest fanbase could salvage his reputation.

Unbeknownst to him, Song Yutian’s social media followers had surpassed his that very morning. Though new followers didn’t guarantee loyalty, her engagement metrics now rivaled his.

The livestream chat exploded with support:

[YASSS SONG! Gong’s toxic masculinity is showing!]

[Sis Song speaking for all of us! Shut him DOWN!]

[How dare Gong criticize Zhong Yueli? Check your own cakeface first!]

[Thank god for Sister Song! Almost threw my phone!]

Notably, most supportive bullet comments bore fan badges for Zhong Yueli, Su Moying, and Wei Yao rather than Song Yutian’s own.

After concluding the remaining challenges, the director announced the results: Song Yutian and Zhong Yueli tied for first with fifteen red flowers each. Wei Yao and Shen Xi followed with twelve, while others trailed with around ten.

The next phase would occur at an actual kindergarten. En route, via coach bus, the director conducted a lottery to determine group assignments.

"Each team will spend forty minutes with two classes," he explained. "After lunch, the children will award red flowers to their favorite contestants."

As discussions erupted, Qin Yuanzhuo immediately began strategizing: "Children are brutally honest. We need to win them over with pure charisma. Agreed, Yutian?"

Accustomed to teammates’ admiration after his pronouncements, Qin found Song Yutian’s simple "Makes sense" less satisfying than Su Moying’s usual fawning praise—though equally predictable.

Unexpectedly, Song Yutian continued, asking, "Then what about the concrete methods?"

Qin Yuanzhuo slightly furrowed his brows: "What?"

Song Yutian said, "How exactly do you plan to make them feel your personal charm?"

In the past, after Qin Yuanzhuo finished speaking and Su Moying expressed agreement, that would be the end of the discussion.

Thus, Qin Yuanzhuo seemed unprepared for his teammate’s follow-up questions. After pondering a moment, he replied, "I believe we should treat the children with genuine care, letting them feel our sincerity and love so they’ll naturally grow fond of us."

Song Yutian pressed further, "How do we make them feel loved?"

Qin Yuanzhuo’s brows tightened, a fleeting trace of impatience flashing through his eyes. "It’s… about treating them with authentic kindness and influencing them through our personal charisma. Understand now, Yutian?"

Qin Yuanzhuo felt increasingly irritated. He’d already explained so much—why was Song Yutian still questioning him?

Song Yutian sighed: "Alright, I get your point now."

Hearing this, Qin Yuanzhuo nodded in satisfaction.

Though Song Yutian didn’t pursue the matter further, many viewers immediately caught her underlying message.

[Song Yutian’s questioning really exposes how empty Qin Yuanzhuo’s words are]

[This conversation is hilarious! Total communication breakdown!]

[Qin Yuanzhuo keeps regurgitating the same platitudes—sounds profound but actually meaningless]

[Noticed this ages ago! He’s always spouting clichés, just like when paired with Moying before]

Twenty minutes later, the ten contestants, accompanied by numerous program staff members, arrived en masse at a nearby kindergarten.

Per the rules, each team needed to visit different classes based on their lottery results.

Song Yutian and Qin Yuanzhuo drew the "Strawberry Class" for younger children. Entering the classroom together, they found three original teachers who had prepared the children before the program group’s arrival.

As they entered, one teacher announced, "These are the new big brother and sister I mentioned earlier. Let’s all clap to welcome them!"

Only a handful of children complied with earnest applause, while most stared curiously at the strangers.

The teacher instructed, "Please introduce yourselves first, then you can briefly interact with the children."

Qin Yuanzhuo began: "Hello, children. I’m Qin Yuanzhuo, an actor hoping to befriend you all. Does anyone here want to become an actor when they grow up?"

The expected applause never came. The children remained shyly silent, unfamiliar with the term "actor." Noticing Qin Yuanzhuo’s discomfort, the teacher reminded them, "Remember what we practiced? We clap after introductions!"

Scattered applause finally emerged.

When it was Song Yutian’s turn: "Hello, everyone! I’m Song Yutian—you can call me Sister Yutian. Who knows what ‘sweet’ means?"

After several seconds, a bold girl raised her hand.

"What’s your name?" Song Yutian prompted.

"Sun Jiahua!"

"Does Jiahua want to answer?"

The girl nodded vigorously: "Sweet is candy’s taste!"

"Excellent answer! Thank you, Jiahua! Any other takers?"

…

The classroom erupted with diverse responses. Though some answers seemed unrelated, Song Yutian earnestly engaged with each child’s unique perspective.

Within five minutes, the initial shyness had dissolved into boisterous enthusiasm, maintained in an orderly fashion only by the three teachers’ supervision.

During regular free-play time after introductions, children scattered to various activities—block-building, clay-molding, picture-book browsing. Due to filming circumstances, several brave kids clustered around "Sister Tiantian," the nickname naturally evolving from their pronunciation struggles with "Yutian."

Observing this, Qin Yuanzhuo approached a picture-book-reading girl: "What are you reading? May I see?"

The shy child handed over her book but immediately grabbed another, leaving Qin Yuanzhuo awkwardly holding the first one while surreptitiously scanning for better prospects.

Noticing a squabble between two distant children over a toy car, Qin Yuanzhuo seized this potential filming opportunity: "What’s happening here?"

When he saw Qin Yuanzhuo, the boy immediately complained loudly, "Brother, Chen Yuxuan is snatching the car from me!"

The girl retorted without backing down, "I grabbed it first!"

Qin Yuanzhuo crouched beside the two children and said, "Good children should compromise. Whoever is the better-behaved one should let the other play with the toy, okay?"

To his surprise, the boy instantly declared, "I’m not a good child! I want the car!"

Qin Yuanzhuo looked awkwardly at the girl.

She stubbornly insisted, "I was here first! The car’s mine!"

Seeing neither child would yield, Qin Yuanzhuo asked the girl, "Are you Chen Yuxuan?"

The girl nodded warily.

Adopting his most soothing tone, Qin Yuanzhuo suggested, "Let’s give the car to him. I’ll get you a doll that you’ll love instead, okay?"

Confident in his charm, he smiled expectantly at her.

Instead of agreeing, the girl shouted louder, "I don’t want dolls! I want the car!"

Her eyes reddened with unshed tears that shimmered like morning dew. Clenching her jaw stubbornly, she tightened her grip on the toy car.

This unexpected resistance flustered Qin Yuanzhuo. "Don’t cry… Dolls are nice too. Girls should—"

The live audience watched the entire exchange unfold.

[Is he saying girls can’t play with cars?]

[Lost some respect for Yuanzhuo with that comment]

[Stop overreacting! He’s just solving the conflict]

[Why twist his words? Protect our kind Yuanzhuo!]

Song Yutian and a teacher approached the commotion.

The teacher demanded, "Zhang Zihao! Are you bullying again?"

"NO!" The boy pointed accusingly. "Chen Yuxuan started it! That brother said cars are for boys and dolls for girls!"

Qin Yuanzhuo gave a brief explanation nearby.

"Cars for boys?" Song Yutian repeated softly, locking eyes with him.

He mumbled defensively, "I just wanted to stop their fighting."

The teacher lectured the troublemaker, "Zihao! Didn’t I teach boys to yield to girls?"

The cunning child turned to Song Yutian. "Sister Tiantian! Why should boys always give in?"

During earlier interactions, this boy had eagerly participated while the quiet girl remained unnoticed. Now, he gambled on preferential treatment.

Chen Yuxuan watched Song Yutian warily, knuckles whitening around her prize.

"Boys shouldn’t have to automatically yield," Song Yutian began.

The girl’s tears trembled precariously as the boy brightened.

"But cars aren’t just for boys." Song Yutian continued firmly, "All toys belong to everyone."

Both children looked perplexed by her neutrality.

"Let’s have a fair contest." She produced building blocks. "Whoever makes the car go farthest plays first."

"Okay!" The girl agreed instantly.

After a brief hesitation, the boy nodded.

Song Yutian assembled a starting line. "Release your cars here. Yuanzhuo will measure the distance."

As curious children gathered, she explained the friction-powered toy’s rules. They played rock-paper-scissors to determine turns.

The losing boy rubbed his car meticulously before launching it 40 cm. Qin Yuanzhuo reluctantly marked the distance with a block.

When Chen Yuxuan’s turn came, she studied her car intently. Unlike the boy’s prolonged rubbing, she gave five swift friction strokes—each faster than the last.

Then she placed the toy car on the floor and quickly released it.

This time, though the car’s trajectory was slightly more off-course than the boy’s, its speed was much greater. It finally stopped nearly a meter away—more than double the boy’s distance.

Seeing this result, the little girl smiled for the first time.

The surrounding children gasped in awe, and several who might be her friends shouted, "Chen Yuxuan is awesome!"

"Alright," Song Yutian said with a smile, retrieving the car and placing it in the girl’s hands. "As per the rules, this toy will temporarily go to Chen Yuxuan."

The little girl finally relaxed completely and chirped, "Thank you, Sister Tiantian!"

Meanwhile, both the teacher and Qin Yuanzhuo glanced worriedly at the boy, fearing he might protest.

To their surprise, the boy merely pursed his lips and declared, "Don’t get cocky, Chen Yuxuan! I’ve figured it out now—I’ll definitely win next time!"

He seemed to accept the outcome with unexpected ease.

The girl retorted confidently, "Bring it on!"

The conflict appeared resolved perfectly. Even the tense onlookers exhaled in relief.

[Song Yutian’s method worked wonders—both kids are happy!]

[She’s got a real gift for teaching preschoolers. The children adore her!]

[Yutian’s the best! So wise and quick-thinking!]

A few dissenters emerged but were swiftly countered:

[What’s so special? This solution seems obvious.]

[Try it yourself! Quick thinking plus getting kids to cooperate? That’s skill.]

Among the spectators, a girl suddenly told a boy nearby, "Last time Teacher Wu said model cars are for boys, so I let you play. Next time we’re competing!"

The boy nodded. "Deal! We’ll ask Teacher Wu to referee like Sister Tiantian."

Forty minutes vanished like smoke. Time to move to another class.

When the teacher announced their departure, the children swarmed around, chattering farewells:

"Bye, Sister Tiantian!"

"Come play with us again, Sister Tiantian!"

Every single child called for "Sister Tiantian"—none mentioned Qin Yuanzhuo.

Song Yutian waved continuously, buoyed by their enthusiasm. She noticed the toy car champion waving most vigorously, her small arm never tiring.

Per the draw results, Song Yutian and Qin Yuanzhuo headed to the senior class where Wei Yao and Zhong Yueli had just been.

At the doorway, they encountered the departing pair.

Wei Yao brightened upon seeing them. "Yutian! Better bring your A-game—the kids loved Sister Yaoyao and Brother Yueli!"

Song Yutian grinned. "We’ll see who collects more red flowers."

Qin Yuanzhuo and Zhong Yueli exchanged nods nearby.

As usual, Song Yutian gave Zhong Yueli her standard brief nod. Expecting his typical silent response, she was startled when he spoke: "Yutian. See you shortly."

She hesitated momentarily before smiling. "Sure."