I was criticized on a dating reality show, but I retaliated and became an internet sensation.

The two began another beach chase around their pitiful, weathered "structure," with sand flying everywhere and screams filling the air.

Whether their "sandcastle" can survive the upcoming offensive and defensive battles is still unknown.

Defense mechanisms? They don't exist; they themselves are the greatest mechanisms.

[Hahahaha, I'm laughing so hard my head is about to fly! Is Huanhuan Youbao a comedian sent by the production team?!]

[Sandcastle: What did I do wrong...?]

[Youbao's "sneak attack," though perhaps accidental, was incredibly effective! Huanhuan's reaction was perfect!]

[These two have sandcastles... Whoever draws an attack on them next is practically winning the lottery (laughing and crying)]

Half an hour flew by in a blur of construction (demolition), cooperation (mutual sabotage), and tranquility (noise).

"Time's up!"

Director Liu's loudspeaker blare was comparable to an air raid siren:

"Everyone, stop! Leave your fortresses and assemble in the center! Prepare to draw the order of attack and defense!"

The four groups stopped what they were doing, turned around to examine their "works," and their expressions were completely different.

Looking at the medium-sized castle in front of her, which was quite well-made and even decorated with colorful seashells and starfish she had collected, Shu Zi proudly put her hands on her hips and raised her chin:

"Tsk, just like me!"

Then she turned her head, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Gu Yan with an expression that said, "Praise me!"

Gu Yan stood beside her, his shirt sleeves were wet, his trouser legs were covered in sand, and his forehead was damp with sweat.

Looking at Shu Zi's "seeking praise" expression, he couldn't completely hide the smile in his eyes.

He didn't say anything, but simply raised his hand and gently wiped away the grain of sand that hadn't fallen off the tip of her nose with the back of his fingers.

Shu Zi was taken aback and blinked.

Gu Yan had already withdrawn his hand and looked at Director Liu with a normal expression.

Shu Zi touched the tip of her nose, and the tips of her ears were burning up again, much to her dismay.

[Ahhhh, Gu Yan wiped the sand from Shu Zi's nose! I saw it!]

[Tsk tsk tsk! Mr. Gu's lips never curl up when he's with Zizi (eating melon)]

[Zizi's ears turned red again! She touched the tip of her nose! She's smitten! I'm totally shipping her!]

[Engineer Gu appeared calm, but he was actually very observant! Not even a speck of sand on the tip of his nose escaped his notice!]

Shen Yihuai and Han Jingxue's square fortress was steady and solid.

Fang Yutong and Yu Shize's European-style castle is exquisite and unique.

As for the pile of sand that Jiang Yunyou and Su Yanhuan could barely make out as something...

Jiang Yunyou stroked his chin and circled it halfway around, trying to regain some face:

"Hmm...not bad, it's full of postmodern deconstructive beauty, a return to simplicity, the ultimate truth!"

Su Yanhuan, arms crossed, sneered, "So simple it's just a puddle left, huh? I'd say 'The Great Dao Leads to Paralysis' is a bit more accurate!"

Jiang Yunyou: "..."

"What do you know! This is art! Art is never understood!"

"I didn't see any art in it, but you two certainly contributed a lot to performance art."

Shu Zi strolled over and, without any hesitation, added insult to injury, bursting into laughter at the sight of that "art":

"Whoever gets to attack you later is incredibly lucky, it's like they're getting free points."

"Zi! Zi! Sister!" Su Yanhuan lunged forward to cover her mouth, but Shu Zi dodged with a laugh.

Gu Yan stood a few steps away, his gaze sweeping over the pitiful pile of sand before turning back to his own castle.

Well, it's not the best, but it's more than enough compared to the worst.

[Youbao is still trying to save face! It's laughable!]

【"The Great Way Leads to Paralysis"—Huanhuan, you understand the new interpretation of idioms!】

[Hahahaha, Zizi, you delivered the perfect finishing blow! You're amazing!]

[The look in President Gu's eyes, hahaha, does he also think that although his "Director Shu" is a bit of a troublemaker, her results are still acceptable? (doge)]

Director Liu was holding a lottery box, shaking it loudly, with his signature mischievous smile on his face.

"Alright, masters! Now that we've admired each other's artworks, the exciting moment has arrived!"

"See this box in my hand? There are four balls inside, two red and two blue! Whoever draws the same color will be your opponent for the next two rounds!"

"Red goes first, blue goes first! After one round, the roles are reversed! Do you all understand the rules?"

"Understood—" the group replied, drawing out their voices.

Shu Zi clasped her hands together and muttered, "Please, please, draw Jiang Yunyou and Su Yanhuan, draw Su Yanhuan and Jiang Yunyou..."

Jiang Yunyou, with his sharp ears, immediately exclaimed, "Sister Zizi! That's not fair! You're just picking on the weak!"

"Why would I turn down a rock when there's a persimmon to pick?" Shu Zi said confidently.

"Ladies first! Come on, four female guests, come forward and draw lots!"

Four female guests stepped forward.

Shu Zi took a deep breath, reached into the box, closed her eyes, and groped around for a long time before finally pulling out a ball—red!

"Yay! Red! First strike!" She jumped up excitedly.

Han Jingxue's expression remained calm as she pulled it out; it was blue.

Fang Yutong looked at the ball in her hand, smiled gently, and saw it was blue.

Su Yanhuan drew the last one, opened her palm, and her face immediately fell, turning red.

"The results are in!"

Director Liu shouted:

"In the first round, the red team's Shu Zi and Gu Yan will attack the blue team's Shen Yihuai and Han Jingxue's fortress! The red team's Su Yanhuan and Jiang Yunyou will attack the blue team's Fang Yutong and Yu Shize's fortress!"

"The attacking team has three minutes to prepare, choose their water polo balls, and discuss tactics! In three minutes, listen for my whistle, and the battle will begin simultaneously!"

"Furthermore, the winner of the first round will receive an additional bonus in the second round!"

"Yay—ah?" Shu Zi's cheer was cut short.

Attack Shen Yihuai and Han Jingxue's seemingly sturdy "iron lump"?

This is much more difficult than "pinching a soft persimmon"!

Her shoulders slumped instantly, and she looked at Gu Yan with a mournful expression.

Gu Yan didn't seem surprised at all, as if it didn't matter who he drew.

He only said one sentence: "In the past, we chose water polo."

Then they headed to the area where the water balloons were stacked.

There are two types of water balloons: a regular inflatable water balloon and a weighted water balloon with some fine sand added, which is heavier when you throw it, but its parabola is also more difficult to control.

Shu Zi followed dejectedly, muttering to herself:

"Oh no, oh no! Shen Yihuai and Senior Sister's fortress looks incredibly resilient. Is our seafood feast going to be a disaster...?"

Gu Yan picked up a weighted water balloon and weighed it in his hand. Upon hearing this, he turned his head and glanced at her.

Her little face was all wrinkled up, all the pride she had felt from successfully building it was gone, and she looked like a little squirrel whose pine nuts had been stolen.

He chuckled helplessly and said, "Their fortress, the front right corner."

"Huh?" Shu Zi looked up, her face blank.

Gu Yan gestured for her to look at Shen Yihuai's fortress:

"That corner was filmed too hastily, so the sand moisture might be uneven. It's the weakest point on the entire wall, and the angle is inward, making it a blind spot and creating a defensive blind area."

Shu Zi looked carefully in the direction he pointed.