Chapter Fifty-One: Defeated

Shen Jin and Lu Wenchuan pressed the buzzer almost at the same instant, but who was actually faster would be up to the system to decide.

The host watched as the red lights flashed, and in the end, it was Lu Wenchuan’s team’s red light that lit up.

“My goodness, it was only a difference of 0.01 seconds!” the host exclaimed at their reflexes. “But unfortunately, Shen Jin’s team doesn’t get the chance to answer this time.”

“However, if Sang Yijia answers incorrectly, the point goes to Lan Qing,” the host added. “Now, let’s have Sang Yijia answer the question!” The atmosphere was at its peak, and the camera followed the host’s words to focus on Sang Yijia.

“There are five flavors: red bean, peanut, sesame, green tea, and matcha.” Sang Yijia looked calmly and steadily at the camera, which was almost in her face.

“So, is this answer correct or not?” The host didn’t announce it directly but let the system determine.

The red and green lights on the table began to blink back and forth, and finally, the green light shone!

“Congratulations, Sang Yijia, you answered correctly!” The host smiled, his gaze tightening slightly as it fell on Lan Qing, before continuing, “Now let’s move on to the second question.”

“How many years of history does Qingyao Ancient Town have?”

“Please answer!”

With two crisp dings, the race to answer ended.

This time, Lan Qing got to answer.

“Two thousand five hundred years of history.” Lan Qing replied confidently to the camera.

The host was visibly excited. “Let’s check the answer.”

“All right, congratulations to Lan Qing, you answered correctly!” The host checked the scores. “It’s now tied one to one. How many questions are left?”

“Who will be the final winner?” the host looked into the camera. “Let’s wait and see!”

“Third question: What is the total length of Scholar Street?”

Shen Jin was fastest on the buzzer again, and Lan Qing answered, “It’s just over five hundred meters.”

This was the answer Jian Hong had prepared; all the questions matched the outline. As long as Shen Jin kept winning the buzzer, Lan Qing was sure to win this round.

The host checked the answer sheet, then suddenly asked Lan Qing, “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.” The answer on the document was just over five hundred meters; Lan Qing remembered it.

“I’m sorry, but that’s incorrect,” the host shook his head, his gaze shifting to Sang Yijia. “Now your team has a chance to answer. What is the correct answer?”

“The total length is five hundred and six meters,” Sang Yijia replied without hesitation.

[????]
[Is there really a difference?]
[Over five hundred meters is right too.]
[Is there something going on behind the scenes?]
[How does Sang Yijia know such a precise number?]

The host received a prompt from the staff behind the scenes and curved his lips toward Sang Yijia. “May I ask, how do you know the exact number?”

“At the entrance to Scholar Street, next to the stone statue, there’s a stele that records detailed information about the street, including its total length of five hundred and six meters, and an area of about fifteen thousand square meters.”

For a moment, the host was stunned; no one had noticed this detail, but Sang Yijia had seen it and remembered it.

[That can’t be real.]
[I don’t believe it!]

“I can confirm that,” Lu Wenchuan lifted his eyelids, his gaze deep as he looked at the host. “Jiajia and I saw it together.”

“We even took a photo.”

The host turned to the director for guidance.

Director Chen drew in a sharp breath—since the audience was already doubting the authenticity, it was essential to clarify things.

The host understood. “Let’s take a look, then.”

Lu Wenchuan produced the photo, and sure enough, the inscription matched the answer exactly.

“Jiajia’s memory is impressive. She remembered it after just one glance.” Lan Qing forced a smile, but beneath the table, her hand dug into her palm. She berated Jian Hong inwardly for missing such a detail.

“Unlike me. I didn’t even see the stele, just remembered what I’d read in a book,” Lan Qing said with a strained smile.

“Let’s move on to the next round.” Shen Jin cast a sidelong glance, quietly resolving not to let Lu Wenchuan win the buzzer again.

[Qingqing is amazing!]
[She must have read that back in college, to still remember it now is impressive.]
[Go Qingqing!]

The barrage of comments in the livestream all cheered for Lan Qing; no one paid much attention to Sang Yijia. Her fans remained quiet.

Qi Yue and her roommate were watching the livestream too, just in time to see this scene. Her roommate clucked her tongue. “Sang Yijia is really lucky.”

“To think she’d come across that.”

“The next question might not be so easy.” Her roommate didn’t notice Qi Yue’s slight frown and kept talking, “Lan Qing is really impressive, her knowledge is so broad.”

“If it were me, I’d forget everything in three days.”

Qi Yue glanced at her. “How do you manage during finals?”

“...” The roommate fell silent, then glared back, “Can you not talk about exams when we’re relaxing?”

“And it’s only the beginning of the semester.” The roommate looked as though she might cry.

Qi Yue said nothing more and focused on the livestream.

The host began to ask more questions.

What do ostriches do when frightened or threatened?
What is the world’s deepest depression?
Why do people swing their arms when walking?
What is the circumference of a standard football field?
Which geographic regions do not experience earthquakes?
...

After several questions, Sang Yijia noticed the questions were getting off track and increasingly odd—the kind that would ask what kind of plant bamboo is.

“I think these must be Yan Ningsi and Bian He’s questions,” Lu Wenchuan, having won the buzzer for more than a dozen questions, noted as the score began to pull ahead.

Sang Yijia guessed as much, and felt a bit speechless.

On the other side, Lan Qing had only been given fifteen questions; now, the questions were beyond the outline, and what was worse, they were all random and unrelated.

Shen Jin had no idea Lan Qing was anxious—he was too caught up competing with Lu Wenchuan.

Now, the host was reading out the final question, but the score was no longer important.

Sang Yijia had already taken a commanding lead.

The host cleared his throat and glanced at Lan Qing, whose face was as dark as the bottom of a pot. But what could be done?

It was Yan Ningsi who, after seeing the question set, volunteered to prepare additional questions. With the livestream audience watching, the production team had no choice but to let her do it.

The host cleared his throat, “Please, what is the next line after ‘A swallow returns, as if once familiar?’”

With a ding, Shen Jin won the buzzer.

Lan Qing’s mind went blank for a moment, then she murmured, “A swallow returns, as if once familiar…” “The flowers fall helplessly.”

“I’m sorry, that’s incorrect,” the host said with a sigh and a gentle shake of his head. “The question asked for the next line.”

When the camera turned to Sang Yijia, she replied calmly, “In the little garden, I wander alone along the fragrant path.”