Chapter Ch116.1 - The Fifth Elimination Match

translator: xiin

editors: apricot & juurensha

Wen Lin: “Little Witch and Contestant Wei have known each other… since the start of the game. So around three, four months?”

Zoe hadn’t spoken yet when Caesar came over and wrapped an arm around their shoulders.

“Are you saying that he’s fighting over women with Little Witch after only knowing him for four months? This big brother is interesting! Hardcore!”

Zoe pushed Caesar away, “I always feel like they…”

Wen Lin smiled slightly, “Having a good relationship is a good thing.”

On stage, Wu Jin had finally lost the duel but won the beauty.

The stage crew member had scrawled out Wu Jin’s name next to the goddess’s ID and had just turned back around when he found himself blocked by a terminal.

Vera asked gently, “Excuse me, can you take a group photo for me? One with both names together?”

On the duel stage.

Wei Shi had been abandoned by Vera and directly switched to his second choice, choosing the Hyacinth Show’s imperial trainee Chu Chu. The program producer was eagerly attentive as he helped him arrange the next duel.

The Red Rose beckoned, and her girlfriends came over to join her.

“Contestant Wei is pretty strong, and he has quite a few camera shots. Does he have any backing?”

“Nope!” Her girlfriends shook their heads, “I heard that he didn’t give the program group any money and didn’t get any exposure for a few matches in a row. The program producer went crazy and even asked where this person had come from! Later on, the program producer felt like he’d wasted a great resource and started compensating him with camera time, advertisements, just one thing after another.”

“So looking at this Crosson Show, it’s Wei Yan who sits in the most prominent position of the program producer’s harem… but he’s an uninteresting stubborn blockhead. Little Witch and Brother Thin are the imperial concubines who are in his good graces, but the program producer’s heart is tied to Contestant Wei! It’s said that the way to make sure a man never forgets you is to make him feel guilty. The program producer is like the amorous King Louis XIV…”

The Red Rose listened intently and couldn’t help cracking 66 melon seeds in a row.

Half past ten.

All the duels were finally over, and the fifth elimination match’s team list was out.

The Red and White Roses were paired with Thin Fire and Wu Jin, while Wei Shi and Mao Qiukui had both chosen Imperial trainees as their female companions.

And then, Contestant Wei Yan, the number one seeded player of the Crosson Show, didn’t escape the ‘bad luck’ of being randomly assigned a partner by the program producer. There was soon a shy little girl who won the lottery and stood next to Wei Yan, looking dazed by the huge surprise.

However, Wei Yan seemed to be in more of a trance than she was.

The noisy, bustling crowd finally settled.

The program producer stood on the stage and held up the loudspeaker to announce the arrangements for the week. Off-stage, Wei Shi had already finished some simple preparations, packed up his luggage, and caught a flight back to Floating City.

His female partner Chu Chu was barely able to maintain her composure, and the female trainee beside her comforted her in a low voice, “What did he tell you when he asked to form a team with you? Why did you agree so quickly?”

Chu Chu’s lips moved, “He said one sentence… He’d carry me and guarantee a win.”

At the end of the dinner that celebrated the forming of teams, Zoe purposely went to find Red and offered him a drink, “How old is Contestant Wei? I have a distant cousin who wants an introduction…”

Red, who’d been busy nibbling at an escargot, turned his head, “What? No need. Brother Wei already has a boyfriend!”

Zoe paused, thoughts crackling around like electricity.

As expected, he’d really managed to pry out some information! It turned out that Contestant Wei wasn’t a straight man!

And he was even a trainee with a family––

His palms clenched.

A scene of the White Moonlight building appeared in his mind. A muscular man with a blurred face cried and wailed as he lifted up a knife, searching for Little Witch, “Give Wei Shi back to me! Yingyingying, you bitch!”

A while later, it was a scene where Secretary Qu was admonishing earnestly, “Little Witch can’t be stolen away! Little Witch represents the wealth of the entire company!”

From beside him, Red let out an escargot-flavored burp and was equally enthusiastic as he tried to help Zoe out, “About that, the cousin you just mentioned. How old are they this year? I have… hey, don’t I have an older brother? He’s been single for over 30 years! It’s really heartbreaking! He’s absolutely reliable! Captain Zoe, how about we help them draw a line of fate together? Hey? Brother Zoe?”

Zoe stalked out of the broadcast hall.

From behind him, Red was still waving the wine bottle and shouting, “Have your cousin leave a communication number! My older brother, he––”

Zoe suddenly slammed down on the brakes.

Throughout the Crosson Show, there was nobody who had any knowledge about Wei Shi’s background. In that case, he might as well start with Red.

Zoe asked very mildly, “Your brother… is he about the same age as Contestant Wei?”

Red hurriedly leaned in, “My brother is a little older! Ah, that’s not important, not important! The two of them grew up together, and it’s like they’re from the same family! That guy is a 31 year old flower!”

Zoe: “Grew up together? How did they grow up?”

“About that… they ate and drank and grew up, right!” Red paused, then narrated vaguely, “Back then, we all lived in a large courtyard. After that, we came out together to look for work and lived close by. Look at how good Brother Wei’s temperament is! My brother is cut from the same cloth too! His name sounds better than mine, too!”

Zoe nodded, “What does your brother do?”

Red: “City administration! And he raises… raises guinea pigs…”

Zoe was finally able to form an image in his mind.

The Contestant Wei who’d been born poor came to fight on the Crosson Show. He usually competed quietly in the reality show and occasionally skipped class in order to help raise guinea pigs and plant rice. His skills with weapons were 9/10, his appearance value 9/10, and he didn’t have a company behind him, but his performance was steady in the scout position, and his close combat ability was worthy of recognition. He would be very suitable if he applied to White Moonlight as a strategic substitute…

His thoughts had veered off.

A trainee like this who would run off so quickly they didn’t even leave a shadow whenever there wasn’t a competition––

If there was really something going on between these two, they would definitely be stuck together 24/7, yet Contestant Wei ran off as soon as the teams were determined! How important was his role in city administration for him to run off without even looking back? Was he the City Lord?

Even taking ten thousand steps back, Zoe was living in the same dorm as Little Witch. Wasn’t Contestant Wei right beneath his nose where he could watch him?

Zoe breathed a sigh of relief and drank another two drinks before calming down completely. He went through a page or two on the forums and rationality returned; he’d been affected by these CP fans who could turn Little Witch pregnant from a series of hiccups. How could there be so many people chasing the wind and clutching at shadows in this world!

Zoe patted Red on the shoulder, “Thanks.”

Red was amused, “What’s there to thank me for! Connecting the threads of fate for single young men and serving the people… Hey, what about your cousin’s contact information…”

The next morning.

Over 300 trainees crowded into the tiered classroom, and the pre-game instructor arranged by the Crosson Show braved the drizzle outside to finally make an appearance.

It was a young gentleman with blonde hair and blue eyes. When he entered the door, he was covered in a light layer of moisture and carried a light cedar wood fragrance. He wore a pair of gold framed glasses held in place with a retro gold chain, and held a long handled black umbrella. Half of his body had gotten a little damp, but he’d carefully protected the handouts from the rain.

After entering the classroom, he meticulously placed the long umbrella into a transparent umbrella bag, leaving no trace of water on the ground, and then smiled as he distributed his business card to the trainees seated in the front row.

Capetian Dynasty (Valois, Bourbon, Orleans, and Burgundy) Scenic Spot Recreation, Director of Operations, Xie Zuo.

The handouts were passed down from the front to the back, and the smell of ink drifted up from the paper. This seemed to be the most elaborate set of printed handouts they’d ever received in the Crosson Show, with figures, sculptures, war paintings, and other such illustrations printed on the thick pages, and gold foil on the front and back covers.

Caesar pondered over the gold foil pattern, “Why would someone print the poker card clover and spade patterns on the book? Do they not want the heart and diamond suits too?”

Wu Jin quickly explained it to him, “It’s not a clover, it’s an iris flower.”

“The iris was the emblem for the French royal family during the middle ages and was commonly seen in their coat of arms and heraldry. It was used to distinguish the Frankish knights from others. With the prosperity of the House of Bourbon, the iris became a symbol for the Kingdom of France. The sponsor for this round, the Capet Family, was the founder of the House of Bourbon…”

Wu Jin flipped the pages of the book with a rustle. What he held in his hands seemed more like a tourist travel book than a handout. The first part was a folded map of important scenic spots, including the Palace of Versailles, the Grand and Petit Trianon, the cross canal and nearby manors, and so on. Even the tour routes were carefully marked out.

To the left of Wu Jin, the White Moonlight Captain Zoe’s gaze contracted for a moment, and then he began to prepare for a rainy day and quickly picked up a pen to circle potential ambush locations in the map.

“……” Wu Jin looked at the captain with reverent eyes before continuing to flip the pages. The second part of the handout covered the historical exhibits in the scenic areas, and the third part was a brief introduction to art history of the French courts…

On the stage, Instructor Xia Zuo had finished his self introduction and turned on the main projection screen.

“French art reached its peak in the 17th century.” In the center of the screen, accompanied by strains of light court music, were marble courtyards, bronze carvings, and cascading architectural facades, followed by the King surrounded by his people. “Louis XIV.”

Xia Zuo’s eyes showed his appreciation, and his voice was like a cello, low and melodious due to his reverence, “Versailles was built by Louis XIV. Even now, almost all of the most brilliant parts of ‘French elegance’ originated from that time, and that place––the Palace of Versailles.”

“Versailles had three emperors. Louis XIV, the Sun King, who celebrated the ballet, opera, and classic writing. He spent countless years developing perfume and employed almost all the artists and sculptors of Paris and Florence. His great grandson, Louis XV, was an advocate of Rococo art. If we take the reign of Louis XV as the dividing line, it can clearly be seen that Rococo was born from the vulgar and messy Baroque style of art.”

“All the way until Louis XVI––where culture and art reached its peak. Queen Marie Antoinette was famed as the ‘Queen of Rococo’, and Versailles was also the birthplace for Neoclassicism.”

The projector seemed to have entered a long, extended gallery, numerous gorgeous and blurred works of art appearing one after the other. At the end of the gallery was a portrait of Queen Marie Antoinette, elegant and charming in a plain white gown.

“Neoclassicism.” Xia Zuo introduced, “Rococo was gorgeous and elaborate, while Neoclassicism had a simpler style. However, this painting was soon taken down by the royal family. The simple, modest garb that the Queen wore was regarded as ‘insulting to the dignity of the French royal family’, and Queen Marie Antoinette was required to show herself in more elaborate gowns in public. Of course, 10 years later, when the French Revolution broke out, Marie’s ‘reasonable attire’ once again became evidence of Royal extravagance and wastefulness..”

Off-stage.

The sound of notes could be heard continuously, and towards the end, even Wu Jin only had time to write down a few key words.

As soon as he stopped writing, Caesar immediately leaned over with wide eyes to scan it over.

Zoe frowned as he checked his notes against Wu Jin’s, “Three consecutive Louis numbers, court art, portraiture, murals, opera, ballet, sculpture, Sun King, perfume… is the fifth elimination match an exhibition of works from the Palace of Versailles?”

Wu Jin spread open his analysis made prior to the class, “Not only that. There’s more.” The youth’s eyes swept over the blank faces in the murals that seemed to be waiting for the players to fill in after they entered the competition, “Court role-play.”

Caesar quickly scanned through and copied over a dozen pages, then closed his notebook and slapped it on Wu Jin’s desk.

Zoe scolded him, “You think scanning is enough? Will you understand it?”

Caesar spoke empty words, “So what if I can’t understand? Everyone has the right to pursue art! …If I wasn’t fighting in survival shows, I might even have become a painter!”

On the stage, Instructor Xia Zuo gently closed the handout and projected the schedule for the next week’s course of studies.

The crowd was instantly in an uproar.

Xia Zuo gestured for everyone to quit down, and his voice was like a gorgeous aria, “The House of Bourbon was annihilated in the long river of history, and the Palace of Versailles was repaired several times. Only art is immortal.”

“When we want to learn about a lost dynasty and understand all the various people involved in that period of time, one of the simplest ways is to observe and study the works of art from that time. Remember, artistic style is a kind of temperament, and the most straightforward and true expression of artists’ emotions and experience. Over the next seven days, I will lead you all through one basic course every day…”

Monday was plaster sculpture, Tuesday was oil painting, Wednesday was fragrance and perfumes, Thursday and Friday was classical music and dance. The weekend classes held topics like fashion jewelry, architecture, and furniture.

Wu Jin and Zoe quickly exchanged glances.

The course schedule was a new clue.

However––

A few hours later.

Wu Jin’s eyes were empty as he stirred the plaster with a small stick. The smell in the entire workshop was enough to clog up his nose, and only when the instructor came over for an inspection would Wu Jin quickly pick up two handfuls of mud and paste them onto the sculpture, creating a lopsided piece of work.

Xia Zuo asked kindly, “A butterfly?”

Wu Jin shook his head.

Xia Zuo looked at it carefully for a few more seconds, “Thyroid gland?”

Wu Jin: “…Ptero-Pterosaur!”

The instructor bent down and helped Wu Jin flatten out the Pterosaur’s wings, then added a long beak for the little Pterosaur. Wu Jin thanked him quickly, then began to sprinkle plaster over the structure.

At this time, over 300 trainees were all huddled together in the workshop. Some of them had finished their sculpture, while others were still struggling with the framework. Others were like Caesar and Red, who had a lump of stucco in their arms and were simply banging them about.

Zoe spoke over the noise, “Little Witch, did you find any clues?”

Wu Jin shook his head in a trance. It wasn’t until his waist hurt and his back was tense that he handed in his sculpture, coming back with a plaster Pterosaur and a score of ‘70’. He was taken by surprise when he saw Caesar showing off his ‘85’.

Wu Jin rubbed his eyes. After Red and Caesar had finished fighting, he’d finally taken his hand out from the mud and poured the plaster water over it, forming two rough hands.

Caesar’s <Louis XIV’s Hands of Triumph> scored 85 points.

Red’s <Hands of the French Working Class> scored 86 points.

“……” Wu Jin silently hugged the 70 point Pterosaur that he had painstakingly created.

xiin: is it mean of me to find it adorable that there’s something Little Witch kinda sucks at?

also, if you’re interested in the controversial painting, here’s an article about it~ (it’s real. it’s all real @[email protected] i’ve learned more history translating this than i did in school ahhhhhh)