Gu Ran was practicing archery at the range, cramming at the last minute, when she found out she had won the daily fan charging leaderboard for Idol Sports Day.
Ding Ze was so excited on the phone that he nearly stuttered: "Holy—holy crap! Do you know how much someone just dropped for you on that fan charging leaderboard?!"
"Five hundred and eighty thousand!"
"You're in first place!"
Gu Ran frowned, put down her bow, pulled out her phone, and checked the Idol Sports Day fan charging leaderboard.
First place: Cat’s Paw’s #1 Beauty.
Top fan supporter: wdlpml.
Contribution: 580,000 charging points.
The thought "Who’s bold enough to do this without fear of being exposed as a fake fan?" flashed through Gu Ran’s mind—until she saw the ID "wdlpml" below. Instantly, she was speechless.
Meanwhile, Gu Ran’s fan group chat, Ran Ran’s Fish Pond, had exploded.
This wdlpml had been exposed as an undercover anti-fan before and was kicked out of the group. After that, they disappeared without a trace. Just when everyone thought they’d silently faded away, they suddenly made a comeback—flamboyant and audacious, with a whopping 580,000 charging points.
Back then, they were labeled an undercover anti-fan mainly because their profile only followed Gu Ran, while their homepage liked posts spreading the already-debunked rumors about Gu Ran and the CEO of Xinbo. Their anti-fan status was crystal clear.
But now, at this very moment, everyone stared at those 580,000 charging points.
Doubt crept in.
The certainty of wdlpml being an undercover anti-fan began to waver in everyone’s minds.
If this was an anti-fan, the cost of being one was way too high.
And as an idol, you’d wish all your so-called "anti-fans" were like this.
[What the hell is going on?] someone quietly asked in the group.
[No idea, but Ran Ran’s in first place now.]
[Damn, that’s some serious money.]
[This undercover anti-fan with no profile pic is loaded?]
[I don’t think they’re an anti. If all antis were like this, I’d take it.]
[Definitely not an anti! Have you ever seen an anti drop 580k just to hate? There must’ve been a misunderstanding before—maybe they misclicked. Congrats to Ran Ran for topping the leaderboard and getting tomorrow’s homepage feature!]
[Can we add them back to the Fish Pond group?]
[Are you kidding? Ran Ran said no vote manipulation—violators get kicked. This person broke the rules, and you want to let them back in?]
[But they dropped 580k alone…]
Everyone sucked in a breath at the mention of that number.
Gu Ran immediately called Ji Shiyu.
Clearly, he hadn’t blocked her—her call went through without a hitch.
"What’s your problem?!" she snapped as soon as he picked up.
Ji Shiyu paused at her tone, then replied calmly, "Is there an issue?"
Gu Ran gritted her teeth. "What’s the point of throwing money at my leaderboard, Mr. Ji? What exactly is our relationship now? I explicitly said no vote manipulation!"
Ji Shiyu sounded genuinely puzzled. "You did?"
Gu Ran froze, then suddenly remembered—she’d said it in her fan group.
But Ji Shiyu wasn’t in her fan group.
"…"
No wonder.
She muttered a curse under her breath, suddenly at a loss for words.
"Do whatever you want," she finally spat out before hanging up.
Then, using her alt account, Gu Ran lurked in Ran Ran’s Fish Pond and saw that after some deliberation, the group had decided to forgive wdlpml for their past "misclicks." Though they wouldn’t restore their official fan status, they were considering granting them the title of Fish Pond Honorary Member—a compromise that didn’t violate Gu Ran’s rules while still acknowledging the big spender’s contribution.
Gu Ran’s eyebrow twitched at "Fish Pond’s One and Only Honorary Member."
She tossed her phone aside, refusing to dwell on the chaos, and picked up her bow to resume practice.
Today’s competition was fierce—even if she lost, she wouldn’t go down without a fight. No amount of fan support could replace an idol’s genuine effort in the arena.
Gu Ran trained until late into the night, her left hand nearly too sore to grip the bow.
---
The next day, the video platform’s homepage featured yesterday’s fan charging leaderboard champion: Cat’s Paw’s #1 Beauty.
Women’s archery remained Idol Sports Day’s most anticipated event, with fans flooding the livestream half an hour before it began.
The most noticeable among them were the rival factions of Zhou Yufei and Cat’s Paw’s #1 Beauty.
Everyone knew Zhou Yufei’s fans had been poised to win yesterday’s charging battle—until, in the last ten minutes, an unknown lurker with no fan credentials suddenly dropped 580,000 points and stole the top spot.
Zhou Yufei’s fans initially refused to believe it, accusing the platform of hacking or glitches. But after an investigation, the site confirmed it was legitimate—one person had single-handedly contributed 580,000.
No crowdfunding, no hype, not even a fan badge—just one mysterious user and an insane amount of cash.
The legend of wdlpml spread like wildfire, leaving the entire fandom in awe. Other fanbases could only seethe with envy—why didn’t their idols have such a generous patron?
Today, Cat’s Paw’s #1 Beauty’s fans held their heads high, spamming the chat with "Rooting for Ran Ran!" before the match even started.
Zhou Yufei’s fans, still bitter from yesterday’s loss, fired back with sarcasm:
[Rooting for last place?]
[Can’t wait to see the flop.]
[Yufei’s taking the crown.]
Ignoring the taunts, Gu Ran’s supporters kept cheering. Amid the bickering, the women’s archery finals finally began.
The ten finalists entered one by one.
Leading the pack was Zhou Yufei, the preliminary round’s top scorer.
She had swapped yesterday’s elf princess aesthetic for a forest goddess vibe today—emerald-green eyeshadow, flowing hair woven with colorful ribbons, and an ethereal aura.
Her fans erupted:
[Goddess!!]
[Yufei’s too stunning T_T]
[How is her hair so thick?!]
[She’s always had insane volume, some just can’t compete lol]
[Yufei once said her biggest struggle is having TOO much hair hahaha]
...
With fewer contestants, each received more screen time. Gu Ran, walking at the end, waved at the camera when it panned to her.
Her face appeared on the venue’s big screen and the livestream—fresh and barefaced, her hair in a simple bun, wearing the event’s standard T-shirt with almost no makeup.
Everyone suddenly felt their eyes light up.
After seeing the first nine contestants with their various elaborate styles, no matter how beautiful they were, it was inevitable to feel a bit overwhelmed and aesthetically fatigued. At this moment, seeing something so simple and fresh was truly a feast for the eyes.
Even the commentators in the studio couldn’t help but remark, "We can see that contestant number ten, the 'Most Beautiful Girl of Cat Paw,' has a very different style today—exceptionally simple and fresh, more like a serious athlete here to compete. It’s said she often streams bare-faced on her live broadcasts, which shows she’s very confident in her natural looks. I wonder what kind of performance she’ll deliver in today’s competition?"
Fans of "Little Fish" flooded the bullet comments with messages like, "Go, Ran Ran!"
At the competition venue, the referee announced the start of the match.
The first round began with Zhou Yufei. While waiting for her turn, Gu Ran gripped her bow, glanced at the ground, and took a deep breath.
Last night, the archery coach had reviewed the footage with her. The skill levels of the contestants weren’t too far apart—most had only practiced for two or three days before competing. The only one slightly better was the defending champion, Zhou Yufei.
Winning this competition would come down to a combination of skill and luck. There was no need to be afraid—on the field, anything was possible.
After mentally preparing herself, Gu Ran lifted her head when it was her turn, aimed at the bullseye, and released her first arrow…
This year’s "Idol Sports Festival" women’s archery competition was more intense and thrilling than any previous edition.
First, last year’s runner-up was shockingly eliminated in the first round of the finals. Then, the "Most Beautiful Girl of Cat Paw," who had barely scraped through the preliminaries, steadily advanced all the way to the final round, competing against last year’s defending champion, Zhou Yufei, for the gold medal.
Even the "Little Fish" fans in the live stream were surprised. Ran Ran, who had barely made it into the finals, had managed to hold her ground until the very last round, going head-to-head with Zhou Yufei.
Now, only two contestants remained in the final showdown.
One was the defending champion, Zhou Yufei. The other was today’s dark horse, the "Most Beautiful Girl of Cat Paw."
With no other competitors in between, the cameras now switched back and forth between the two of them.
Many in the audience had seen the comparison posts made by Zhou Yufei’s fans the day before. But now, watching the two side by side, they realized the reality didn’t quite match the images.
No matter how exquisite Zhou Yufei’s "Forest Goddess" styling was, when the two contestants stood together, the audience’s eyes kept drifting toward the other girl—the one with minimal makeup and a simple bun.
Some people looked good because of their styling. Others were naturally beautiful, needing no embellishment—just a casual bun and light makeup to outshine everyone else.
The final round consisted of six arrows per contestant.
Gu Ran heard the referee’s signal and glanced at Zhou Yufei beside her.
Zhou Yufei seemed surprised that Gu Ran had made it this far. When she noticed Gu Ran looking at her, she flashed a confident, victorious smile.
Gu Ran knew Zhou Yufei’s skills were indeed superior to the others. She steadied herself and began.
The scorekeeper called out the results:
First arrow—Zhou Yufei: 10 points, Gu Ran: 8 points.
Second arrow—Zhou Yufei: 9 points, Gu Ran: 8 points…
By the end of the fifth arrow, Zhou Yufei’s total score was 46, while Gu Ran’s was 38—a full eight-point gap.
In the final arrow, Zhou Yufei only needed to score above 2 points to secure the win.
It seemed like an inevitable victory. Even the commentators began recapping the scores, while Zhou Yufei’s fans in the live chat were already celebrating.
[Congratulations to Fei Fei for defending her title!]
[So beautiful and so strong—the Forest Goddess is killing me!]
[Fei Fei just slapped some people and their fans right in the face with her skills, LOL!]
[Once again, I’m amazed at how thick her hair is!]
The "Little Fish" fans stayed quiet.
There was indeed a skill gap between the two, but regardless, Ran Ran had done incredibly well for her first competition, securing the silver medal.
On the field, Zhou Yufei knew she had already won. She smiled and waved at the camera.
The audience erupted in cheers: "Fei Fei is so beautiful!"
Zhou Yufei elegantly drew her bow, her voluminous wavy hair framing her petite face.
She glanced sideways at the "Most Beautiful Girl of Cat Paw," then aimed at the bullseye.
The cameras zoomed in for a close-up, ready to capture the champion’s perfect moment.
With a "whoosh," Zhou Yufei released her final arrow.
But then—
Her hair, draped over her shoulders, suddenly flew up as the bowstring snapped back.
"Ah!" Zhou Yufei clutched her head.
For a moment, everyone froze in shock at the unexpected mishap. Then they noticed something lying at Zhou Yufei’s feet.
Hair.
Or, more accurately—hair extensions?
Looking at the target, there was no arrow to be seen.
The arena fell silent. Staff rushed over to check if Zhou Yufei was injured.
Outside, the commentator quickly filled the awkward silence:
"Um, what we just witnessed was Zhou Yufei’s hair getting tangled in the bowstring during her final shot, which unfortunately affected her performance."
"Just a quick reminder—in official competitions, no matter the event, performance always comes before aesthetics. Athletes must never compete with their hair down to avoid situations like this."
"So Zhou Yufei’s score for this round is… zero points?"
The scorekeeper confirmed: Zhou Yufei’s final arrow scored 0, leaving her total at 46.
Suddenly, the commentator’s voice grew excited:
"In this final round, the 'Most Beautiful Girl of Cat Paw' only needs to score above 8 points to pull off a stunning comeback!"
"Her best score this round was 9 points—let’s see if she can surpass herself now!"
On screen, the "Most Beautiful Girl of Cat Paw" drew her bow.
No excessive styling, no obstructive hair—not even the distraction of Zhou Yufei’s zero-point mishap could shake her focus.
With the same steady composure as before, Gu Ran aimed at the bullseye and released her final arrow.
She didn’t dwell on Zhou Yufei’s blunder or the hair extensions. She simply steadied her breathing, took aim, and let go.
For a moment, the entire venue held its breath.
Then—
A perfect bullseye.
The arrow struck dead center—an indisputable, textbook-perfect 10 points.
The commentator nearly screamed:
"Ten points! Unbelievable! The 'Most Beautiful Girl of Cat Paw' has just delivered her personal best in the final round—a flawless 10! A last-minute reversal! With a total score of 48, she takes the gold in this archery competition!"
Gu Ran finally exhaled in relief when she heard her score announced. She smiled at the camera, the pressure finally lifting.
The live stream audience was stunned by the dramatic turn of events in the final moments.
Zhou Yufei’s hair got tangled in the bowstring, causing her last wig clip to fall off—not to mention the arrow she shot veered completely off the target. Seizing the opportunity, Cat’s Paw’s most beautiful anchor staged a stunning comeback, even scoring a perfect 10 in the final round.
When the audience saw the relaxed smile of the new top-ranked competitor on the screen, it finally dawned on them: this match carried profound significance.
A competition is a competition. Focusing solely on meticulous grooming, letting hair flow freely for the sake of beauty—putting the cart before the horse—resulted not only in a wig clip being yanked off by the bowstring but also in the decisive arrow missing the target entirely.
Meanwhile, the steady and composed opponent landed a flawless 10 in the final round, securing first place in a dramatic turnaround.
Fans of Gu Ran, who had been eagerly watching the livestream, had already prepared to celebrate her second-place finish. But now, it wasn’t second place—it was first.
The gold medal.
The fans went wild with excitement:
["HOLY SHT I TOLD YOU GU RAN IS THE BEST!!"]
["I’m literally crying tears of joy"]
["So proud! My queen shines brightest when she takes the competition seriously!"]
["From now on, can certain people whose wig clips fell off—and their fans—stop pushing the ‘naturally thick hair’ narrative? Thanks!"]
["LMAOOOO ‘struggling with too much hair volume’ my ss"]
["See that? Some of y’all better take notes! This is what it looks like when skill and attitude slap you right in the face!"]
Even casual viewers in the livestream were won over by Cat’s Paw’s top beauty’s composed and determined performance:
["She was amazing. If you’re gonna compete, respect the competition. This is a sports event, not a beauty pageant."]
["Zhou Yufei’s loss was well-deserved."]
["A perfect 10 on the last shot—her mental game is next-level."]
["Whispering here… but I think she looked even more beautiful because she wasn’t trying to. First time I’ve seen a female actress outshone by a livestreamer."]
["Quietly agreeing +1"]
…
After the match ended, Gu Ran exchanged a polite hug with Zhou Yufei, handed her bow to the staff, and took a moment to steady her nerves. The more she processed her victory, the more her excitement bubbled up—until she suddenly jumped in place.
"YES!"
The cameras naturally focused on the champion. Seeing Gu Ran’s spontaneous leap of joy, everyone watching could feel her happiness radiating through the screen:
["She’s so adorable!"]
["This is the Gu Ran I know! She was so cool during the match, it almost felt unfamiliar LOL"]
Yet, as fans watched Gu Ran celebrating alone, their joy was tinged with regret:
["Ughhh it’s such a shame no fans were there to cheer her on in person!"]
["Damn it! I should’ve gone to see it live. Gu Ran never lets us attend her events."]
["This is heartbreaking…"]
Just as everyone lamented missing this historic moment, someone suddenly remembered:
Yesterday’s top fan on the recharge leaderboard—aside from receiving a signed photo—was also awarded a ticket to the Idol Sports Day finals.
So… did that former D-list wildcard fan, now an unofficial member of the Gu Ran fanbase known as "wdlpml," actually go?
