142: Chapter 142 A Step-by-Step Guide to Holding Your Breath, Xiao Long Bao Presses It Firmly

"Inhale! Exhale! Deep breath! Good, one last big gulp. Fill your lungs! Head down, into the water!"

At Lin Chen's command, Xiao Yueyue suddenly bent over and plunged his round head into the basin.

Lin Chen's hand did not leave Xiao Yueyue's back; instead, he traced down his spine, gently pressing on several key acupoints to help relax his muscles.

This trick didn't offer any real help in increasing lung capacity, but it could greatly alleviate the challenger's nervous tension.

The biggest taboo when holding one's breath is being restless and agitated.

The more nervous you are, the faster your heart beats, the higher your oxygen consumption, and it can even cause involuntary muscle spasms.

This is also why the time for "dynamic breath-holding" while splashing in water is always much shorter than "static breath-holding" while staying perfectly still.

Time ticked away second by second.

The Production Team had set up a massive electronic timer in the center of the open space, with red numbers jumping rapidly.

The other members of the Divas Hit the Road Group gathered around Xiao Yueyue, staring at his red, straining head in the water basin while anxiously watching the timer.

Thirty seconds... sixty seconds... ninety seconds...

When the timer hit one minute and thirty seconds, Xiao Yueyue clearly couldn't hold on any longer.

His shoulders began to twitch violently, and a long string of bubbles gurgled up from the basin.

"Hold on, Xiao Yueyue! Keep going!" Lei Jiayin shouted anxiously from the side.

Lin Chen raised a hand to stop him, signaling everyone to be quiet.

He leaned down slightly, close to Xiao Yueyue's ear, his voice low and steady: "You've already met the target. Every extra second you hold your breath now is helping to lighten the burden for those who come after you. Stay steady, don't panic."

Lin Chen's voice seemed to carry a certain soothing magic.

Xiao Yueyue, who had already intended to give up, forced his head down a bit further, gritting his teeth to hang on.

...

Two minutes and nine seconds.

"Splash!"

Xiao Yueyue suddenly pulled his head out of the basin, sending water splashing everywhere.

Because he came up too quickly and was severely oxygen-deprived, his vision went black, and he fell straight backward.

Lin Chen was quick-witted and agile; he grabbed Xiao Yueyue's shoulder, steadying him firmly.

"Hoo—hah—hoo—"

Xiao Yueyue was like a stranded fat fish, mouth wide open, greedily gasping for fresh air.

Once he caught his breath, his first reaction was to turn and look at the timer.

"Two minutes and nine seconds. Oh my, I'm sorry everyone. I really used every ounce of strength I had; I almost thought I was going to meet my great-grandmother."

Xiao Yueyue looked full of guilt.

Two minutes and nine seconds converts to 129 seconds.

To reach the full score of 18 minutes, the eight people needed to hold their breath for an average of 135 seconds.

In other words, as the "vanguard," not only did he fail to build up a surplus, but he was also 6 seconds in the hole.

"That's quite good! For someone of your build to hold it this long is already an extraordinary performance. Leave the rest to me." Lin Chen patted his chubby back, giving him affirmation.

Everyone also gathered around to offer encouragement.

"Exactly, Xiao Yueyue, you were much stronger than I expected!"

"What's a few seconds? When we split it among ourselves, it's less than a second per person."

A staff member handed over a dry white towel.

Xiao Yueyue wiped his face and stepped aside to rest.

The second person to go was Lei Jiayin.

Lin Chen followed the same procedure, pressing his chest and back to help him adjust his breathing rhythm.

"With my physique, don't worry, two minutes is something I can do with my eyes closed." Lei Jiayin boasted confidently.

"Shut up, stop talking nonsense." Lin Chen interrupted him mercilessly.

Lei Jiayin's challenge began.

For the first minute and a half, he was as steady as Mount Tai; he didn't even produce a single bubble, truly looking like a master.

However, just after the two-minute mark, without any warning, he "splashed" his head up and panted heavily like a dog.

When he wiped his eyes and saw the number on the timer, he was dumbfounded.

"Two minutes and three seconds?"

Xiao Yueyue immediately leaned in to start mocking: "Leizi, are you okay? Where was that arrogant energy from just now? After all that, you're not even as enduring as me, a fat guy!"

Lei Jiayin looked stunned, grabbing his wet hair and defending himself: "Is this timer broken? I was counting in my head, it was definitely two and a half minutes!"

He turned to look at the Executive Director: "Director, can you give me a chance to try again? I didn't perform well just now; I can hold my breath for longer!"

The Executive Director said professionally: "Wait until everyone has finished one round. If your total score doesn't meet the target, you can apply for a retest."

"Alright then! My fault, my fault, I underestimated the challenge!" Lei Jiayin pressed his palms together and retreated sheepishly.

After Lei Jiayin, it was Song Dandan's turn.

Lin Chen remained standing behind her to guide her.

However, this time, he only placed his hand on Song Dandan's back, while his other hand hovered in front of her, gesturing the rise and fall of her breathing.

After all, men and women should keep their distance, and one shouldn't take advantage of an elder.

"Exhale—inhale—good, into the water!"

Perhaps because of her older age, her cardiopulmonary function had declined.

Song Dandan's challenge ended very quickly.

The result was a dismal 1 minute and 30 seconds.

This immediately dragged the previous average score well below the baseline.

Song Dandan wrapped herself in a towel and walked to the side with a face full of self-reproach.

Next, it was Song Zuer's turn.

"Brother Lin Chen, I will do my best!" The young girl clenched her pink fists, vowing confidently.

"Don't be nervous, just do your best. If all else fails, we'll just live in a dilapidated house." Lin Chen chuckled.

"Mhm!"

Lin Chen walked behind her, one hand supporting her slender back, while his other hand habitually hovered in front of her to gesture the rhythm.

Just then, an unexpected scene occurred.

Song Zuer suddenly reached out with her fair, tender little hand, grabbed Lin Chen's large hand that was hovering in mid-air, and then, without any hesitation, pressed it onto her own full, perky breasts.

Her little face flushed like a ripe apple, and her voice was as thin as a thread, yet it carried a boldness: "Brother Lin Chen... it's okay, press down firmly."

Lin Chen's eyes flickered slightly, but he instantly returned to an unruffled expression, acting like nothing happened, and continued to professionally guide her breathing: "Deep breath... exhale..."

In an occasion where there were countless cameras watching at any moment, the more open and honest he acted, the less likely people would think of anything inappropriate.

If he had recoiled like he'd been electrocuted, that would be a clear sign of guilt, and surely some imaginative netizens would dig up a dramatic idol drama out of it.

Of course, being calm on the surface didn't mean he didn't have ripples in his heart.

He wasn't a monk with no desires; with a bundle of warm, fragrant, soft jade in his hand, how could he really keep his heart as still as water?

One could only say that at seventeen, she truly had incomparable youthful assets.

Although not of the wildly curvaceous type, it excelled in being firm, perky, and full of elasticity; one hand gripped it, full of collagen and a girlish aura.

Visually estimated to be a firm B-cup.

The little girl was still in her developmental phase, with plenty of room for growth in the future.

Definitely a stock with potential.

...

1 minute and 58 seconds.

Song Zuer lifted her head from the basin, looking at the score on the big screen, and pouted her red lips in annoyance.

She turned to look at Lin Chen, her big, watery eyes full of requests for comfort.

Lin Chen casually rubbed her head and said with a smile: "That was great, it exceeded my expectations."

By this point, half of the main force of the Divas Hit the Road Group had finished their challenge.

But the results were really not impressive; not a single person had reached the passing line. The cumulative duration was also far worse than expected.

"How about we stop thinking about the seaside villa? I think that ethnic-style Bai courtyard also has quite a lot of character." Song Dandan, seeing the situation, began to prepare everyone for the worst.

"Right, right, staying in a local-style house is fine. Director, how many points do we need for the local-style house?" Lei Jiayin asked.

"The threshold for the local-style house is 160 points."

"That means, for our first round, we only need to get 80 points? That converts to 16 minutes. On average, each person just needs to hold their breath for two full minutes. We've got this!"

The first few challengers were actively lowering their standards, fearing they would put too much pressure on Lin Chen's family of four.

In fact, apart from Lin Chen, Liu Shishi and the other two were really feeling a bit nervous inside.

Tong Liya was the first of the three wives to go.

She nervously gripped Lin Chen's palm, which was covered in a thin layer of sweat.

Even though she knew this was just a game for a crappy variety show, and even if they lost it would just mean eating a couple of fewer meat dishes, when it came down to it, one's competitive desire was always inexplicably triggered.

Just like how some people get so angry playing Landlord that they throw their phones; even if it's meaningless, you still get nervous.

"Relax, the more nervous you are, the faster you consume oxygen. Just hold it for a bit; if the sky falls, your husband will hold it up."

Lin Chen gently wrapped his arm around Tong Liya's rounded, fragrant shoulders, lowering his head to comfort her softly in her ear.

That doting manner was a world of difference from the perfunctory attitude he had shown Song Zuer earlier.

Seeing this, Song Zuer gnashed her teeth, so jealous that tears were almost falling.

Tong Liya's challenge was uneventful.

The result settled at 1 minute and 59 seconds, just one second short of breaking the two-minute mark.

After Tong Liya, it was Liu Shishi's turn.

With Tong Liya testing the waters, her emotions calmed down a little.

Under Lin Chen's direction, she took a deep breath, puffed out her cheeks, and looked like a little goldfish blowing bubbles—incredibly cute and dazed.

Her performance was also stable: 1 minute and 51 seconds.

The last one to go was Guli Nazha.

She walked to Lin Chen's side, and as she prepared to bend over and enter the water, she suddenly leaned into Lin Chen's ear, lowered her voice, and said with a sour tone of jealousy:

"Husband, just now, did that girl Song Zuer's buns feel better to touch than ours?"

Lin Chen was amused; this little jealous jar had indeed seen it.

He kept a straight face and gave her perky peach-like buttocks a squeeze, neither too light nor too heavy: "In broad daylight, what are you talking nonsense about?"

"I'm not talking nonsense. Can her little tricks hide from my eyes? Actually, I'm a very generous person. If you really like this kind of tender grass, tonight I'll help you test the waters with the other sisters and see about bringing her into our family, how about that?"

Guli Nazha blinked her fox-like eyes, continuing to test her luck.

"Smack!"

Lin Chen increased the force this time, giving her elastic buttocks a solid, crisp slap.

Guli Nazha felt the pain, subconsciously pouted her little lips, gave him a coquettish, watery-eyed glare, and then obediently buried her head in the water.