Little Sea Otter Became Popular Chapter 84

Chapter 84

In the early morning, a faint white mist spread over the surface of the river, creating an ethereal atmosphere. The mist shrouded the surroundings, forming a scene reminiscent of an exquisite landscape painting that cleared one’s mind and thoughts.

Sunlight penetrated through the clouds, casting a soft golden hue on the green mountains and rivers. Qiao Dai faced the wind, gazing at the rippling surface of the river. She took a deep breath and began her preparations for the day.

Qiao Dai had been here for a while now. The members of Eleven Girls were scattered across various parts of the country to gather inspiration for the intangible cultural heritage projects they represented. While it was unlikely they would become inheritors of the heritage in just a month, it didn’t hinder their understanding of the subject matter or their ability to showcase it in their promotions.

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Ckys Pyk’p nbspld rasflnv oyp vbl wdkiwl yav sq “Fszs Jyxcss Pakqvkdt,” obknb oyp jdsod yp oyvla cyzzlv kd vbl kdewpvau. Wsa vbkp, pbl oyp ynnsxrydkle cu bla kdpvawnvsa, Yldt Nkdtmk, vs vbl ckavbrzynl sq Fszs Jyxcss Pakqvkdt kd Qwkgbsw Vashkdnl qsa zlyadkdt yde qkzxkdt.

“Nkvvzl Ckys, usw’al blal ps lyazu!”

Ckys Pyk pvsse cu vbl akhlacydj, yde vbl hsknl sq bla nsynb, Yldt Nkdtmk, obs oyp caswtbv kd cu Ozlhld Qkazp’ vlyx vs twkel Ckys Pyk, alynble bla lyap. Yldt Nkdtmk oyp y zsnyz alpkeldv obs bye clld alnlkhkdt vaykdkdt pkdnl nbkzebsse yde bye yzalyeu raynvknle qsa pkmvlld ulyap.

“Zlyb, Fkpvla Nkdt, R oydvle vs raynvknl y ckv xsal.”

Qiao Dai turned around and saw her coach, Huo Lingling, approaching. She quickly hopped off the horizontally laid bamboo on the ground, steadying herself on her feet. Seeing the smile on Huo Lingling’s face grow wider, Qiao Dai took a few steps forward to gaze at the river for a moment, then turned back to Qiao Dai. “The weather is nice today. You can try going into the water again.”

Hearing Huo Lingling’s words, Qiao Dai’s eyes widened with excitement. A glimmer of joy shone in her clear and bright eyes. She blinked rapidly, ran back to the suspended bamboo used for practice, and seized the opportunity to train her balance.

Watching Qiao Dai stand gracefully on the green bamboo, Huo Lingling’s expression shifted, a mix of emotions swirling within her.

To be honest, when Eleven Girls initially approached Huo Lingling for collaboration, she didn’t have high expectations.

It wasn’t that she was prejudiced, but firstly, Solo Bamboo Drifting was popular in their region, but not everyone could master it. It had taken her sixteen years to achieve a certain level of skill. For someone without any experience, the learning curve would be even steeper. Secondly, various institutions had approached them over the years, and the local elderly population hoped for more people to understand this unique project. However, most plans fizzled out due to difficulties in learning or various considerations.

So when Eleven Girls proposed collaborating on a single that incorporated Solo Bamboo Drifting, Huo Lingling’s initial reaction was that this venture would probably start and end in haste, given that an idol group would attempt to become proficient within a month. It seemed unbelievable.

Huo Lingling had considered declining, but then she thought the outcome wouldn’t be worse than it already was. Plus, she was about to turn thirty. Solo Bamboo Drifting required physical strength and focus, and her reactions hadn’t been as sharp as before in recent years. She estimated that in a few more years, she would have to bid farewell to this beloved activity. Since that was the case, she wanted to put in as much effort as possible before saying goodbye.

“Let me make it clear from the start: I can only promise that I will do my best to teach you, but I can’t guarantee what level you’ll reach. I don’t want to hinder your plans, so you should be mentally prepared.”

Huo Lingling continued speaking, looking at Qiao Dai who had arrived with the staff, unable to resist giving her a once-over.

Qiao Dai appeared to be around eighteen or nineteen years old, petite and beautiful. She was said to be a rising new idol.

However, Huo Lingling wasn’t a fan of idols. Locally, apart from tourists, there were mostly elderly people and children. She rarely saw young people, so even though she had heard of Qiao Dai’s name, she only had a vague concept of her and thought all these idols were pretty much the same.

“Yeah, I’ll do my best.”

Although Huo Lingling had initially dampened Qiao Dai’s spirits, Qiao Dai didn’t feel disheartened. She earnestly replied to Huo Lingling.

“Alright then, let me see your balance first.”

Facing Qiao Dai’s determined gaze, Huo Lingling hesitated slightly before standing up and leading Qiao Dai to the suspended bamboo used for training in the courtyard. She asked Qiao Dai to walk across it alone.

“Huh? Isn’t this like walking on a tightrope?”

The staff who had come with Qiao Dai were all astonished, staring at the rows of suspended horizontally placed bamboo, feeling a bit apprehensive.

Performers of Solo Bamboo Drifting had to stand on a straight bamboo with a diameter of about sixteen centimeters and a length of about eight meters. They held a bamboo pole with a diameter of around six centimeters and a length of about four meters as a paddle. They maneuvered on the water’s surface like navigating a small boat or raft made of bamboo, incorporating various techniques such as forward paddling, reverse paddling, and turning. It was a highly visually appealing performance.

Thus, mastering this sport with its river-crossing charm heavily relied on balance.

As a sea otter that lived in the ocean year-round, Qiao Dai’s bodily balance far surpassed that of an average person. Therefore, while others stood aside, hesitant to try, Qiao Dai had already swiftly and steadily walked across the horizontally suspended bamboo, her steps light as she returned to the ground.

“You finished so quickly?”

The staff couldn’t help but widen their eyes. They glanced at the suspended bamboo and thought that the key point wasn’t just that Qiao Dai managed to complete the entire course smoothly. It was the lightness and agility of her movements, as if she was walking on flat ground, that was truly astonishing.

Qiao Dai nodded and turned to Huo Lingling, asking with some concern, “How was it?”

Huo Lingling was initially taken aback. Like the others, she hadn’t expected Qiao Dai to complete the course so quickly.

In fact, there had been a variety show that brought guests here for recording before. The celebrities who came then, just like Qiao Dai now, tried walking on the horizontally suspended bamboo. They either fell off due to stiff movements or screamed continuously. Eventually, none of them dared to proceed. So when she saw Qiao Dai’s agile movements, Huo Lingling’s breath was momentarily taken away.

This girl has potential.

“Have you practiced acrobatics before? Your posture is quite graceful.”

Successfully walking from one end to the other on the bamboo wasn’t enough; the performer’s posture while standing on the bamboo needed to be graceful and light, like a fluttering ribbon. Qiao Dai had already achieved this.

“Well, I guess it doesn’t seem that difficult?”

Seeing things go so smoothly, the staff couldn’t help but cheer. As soon as they finished speaking, Huo Lingling glanced at them. She didn’t get angry; she just smiled and said, “Of course it’s not difficult on land. The real challenge is maintaining your balance in the water.”

Huo Lingling beckoned Qiao Dai over, gesturing for everyone to follow her to the water’s edge. Then, she pointed to a bamboo placed on the shore with one end on land and the other end floating in the water. She explained, “Later, you’ll need to walk to that bamboo, and then we’ll gently lift the end that’s on land and place it on the shore. We’ll push the other end into the water. You’ll need to find the center point of the bamboo so that it doesn’t sink.”

The staff quickly took safety measures by the water, and Qiao Dai began walking forward on the bamboo. She felt a subtle sensation under her feet, distinct from the solid feeling of walking on land. The bamboo floating on the water’s surface would sway up and down due to Qiao Dai’s movements and her own weight, giving her a sense of weightlessness. In a trance, it felt like stepping on undulating waves.

Qiao Dai’s eyebrows raised. This sensation unintentionally reminded her of when she floated on the ocean’s surface in her sea otter form. Her heart stirred, and a familiar memory spread through her body.

She took a deep breath, and a feeling of excitement gradually surged within her.

She was so familiar with this feeling.

Watching Qiao Dai, who was full of curiosity and eagerness, Huo Lingling was also momentarily stunned. But she quickly regained her focus and couldn’t help nodding in her heart.

Very good. This kind of excitement could help learners get into the groove faster, rather than hesitating or standing still due to fear.

Huo Lingling suddenly became curious about what Qiao Dai was like before coming here. She, who had never been interested in the entertainment industry, had a thought for the first time—to see how this idol had presented herself in the past. Otherwise, why would she be so surprisingly impressive now?

“Find the center point and stabilize yourself.”

The staff began trying to lower the entire bamboo into the water. Huo Lingling stood aside, watching attentively and reminding Qiao Dai of the things she needed to pay attention to. The rest of the team also took safety measures to prevent Qiao Dai from falling into the water in case of failure later on.

At the moment the bamboo raft was lifted, Qiao Dai felt as if she had lost all her support. She sensed her entire being losing its weight. The faint force transmitted by the gentle ripples suddenly magnified in an instant, as if a gust of wind could overturn her. Just slightly dazed for a few seconds, she fell into the water with a soft splash.

“Qiao Dai!”

“Are you okay?”

The staff exclaimed, and as the lifeguard was about to pull Qiao Dai out of the water, they saw that she had already swum to the shore by herself. With a slightly embarrassed smile directed at Huo Lingling, she said, “That was really difficult.”

As the cold wind by the river blew, Qiao Dai’s clothes, soaked by the water, clung tightly to her skin, sending a piercing chill that made her sneeze uncontrollably.

An assistant quickly brought a towel blanket to cover Qiao Dai, while Huo Lingling looked at her and asked, “Do you want to try again?”

The assistant was about to suggest calling it a day, but to their surprise, Qiao Dai nodded and said, “Yes!”

…

The memories of these days flashed through Huo Lingling’s mind. She looked at Qiao Dai, who could now stand in the water, and thought that if Qiao Dai had come to them to learn earlier, she might have become the heir of intangible cultural heritage by now.

The clouds gradually dispersed with the rising temperature, and the sunlight poured through the clouds and onto the sparkling blue surface of the river. Looking around, the mountains embraced the greenery, and the clear river seemed like a blue ribbon weaving through the layers of mountains, lively and profound.

Qiao Dai stood on the bamboo raft, moving slowly toward the center of the river along with the water’s gentle waves. From a distance, she resembled a fairy standing amidst the picturesque lake and mountains, ethereal and yet elusive.

Descending the stone steps from the mountains to the riverside, Cheng Su happened to witness this scene.

Behind the young girl, the morning sun burst forth, and the golden light scattered through the layers of mountains landed on Qiao Dai, outlining a dynamic charm between mountains and water, leaving onlookers entranced.

Facing the wind, treading on the waves, at this very moment, Qiao Dai gently closed her eyes, savoring the gift of nature. A sense of profound contentment filled her heart.

Then, she opened her eyes.

On the shore, Cheng Su was silently watching her.

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