The break given by the production team was very short. Two days later, the second stop of <Extreme Challenge> officially started.
Meanwhile, the full version of the first stop—long awaited by the audience—was finally released.
To boost public engagement, the production team launched a “Guess the Pick” segment.
Viewers who correctly guessed all the team choices through the official mini-program stood a chance to win a random gift from the show.
Everyone who had watched the livestream was most curious about the final selection segment. The moment the video went online, viewers rushed to the ending. But when the final picks were revealed, everyone was shocked—
[WTF, Li Yan actually picked Shen Wanwan?]
[Why did Jiang Yuan also choose Shen Wanwan? He ignored God Zhou to choose her?!]
[Wait… Brother Ye… why did Brother Ye also pick Shen Wanwan?!]
[Seriously, the show must think we’re idiots! What kind of trashy Mary Sue plot is this?! With Shen Wanwan’s personality, how could three people choose her!!!]
[Looks like that previous rumor was true. Shen Wanwan really paid her way into a “beloved-by-all” storyline.]
At the same time, the director was going over the final rankings from the previous round with all the guests.
Each person’s completed challenges from the previous episode had been converted into points.
Qi Luozhou and Jiang Yuan scored 30 points each, placing them first with a total of 60 points. Their reward: 6 spins of the prize wheel.
Zhang Yiran got 27 points, Jin Xiaoyu 23, totaling 50 points and placing them second. They were awarded 3 spins.
Li Yan got 27, Jiang Qianfan 16, totaling 43 points and ranking third. Their reward: 2 spins.
Shen Wanwan and Shao Yuye had 40 points, narrowly beating Bai Ling and Su Tingxuan, who had 39. They placed fourth.
Fourth place came with neither penalties nor rewards.
Fifth place, however, meant a 30-minute time penalty at the start of the next challenge.
Jiang Qianfan had originally been at the bottom, but thanks to teaming up with Li Yan, she skyrocketed to third place. She was so excited that she slapped Li Yan’s shoulder.
“You’re actually pretty reliable!”
Li Yan confidently brushed back his nonexistent bangs. “Told you I’ve got skills.”
“Yeah, way better than my last partner.”
She said this loudly and unapologetically, openly throwing Su Tingxuan under the bus.
Su Tingxuan’s face darkened. He wanted to argue, but being in front of both Bai Ling and the camera, he held back for a long moment—and still didn’t say a word.
He turned awkwardly to Bai Ling. “Sorry, Bai Ling. I dragged down your score.”
Bai Ling had originally been in third place, but was pulled down to last by Su Tingxuan. Though she felt some resentment, she still wore her usual understanding smile. “It’s okay, Tingxuan. Falling behind now doesn’t mean we’ll always be behind. I believe we’ll catch up.”
This stop was set in Zhucheng.
Zhucheng was mountainous. The first level was a climb. Contestants had to scale 1,000 steps to reach the mountaintop and obtain the clue for the second level.
Though the guests retained the Speed Tokens they had earned in the last episode—and Shen Wanwan and Shao Yuye had enough to skip multiple stages—the production team had stipulated that Speed Tokens and item cards could not be used in the first level.
That meant…
All teams had to climb the 1,000 steps on foot. And the last group had to climb just by themselves.
Zhang Yiran looked up at the peak and said easily, “It’s just a thousand steps. Piece of cake. People with decent stamina can reach the top in ten minutes.”
He nudged his partner Jin Xiaoyu. “Hey, think you can keep up with me?”
Jin Xiaoyu swung a fist at him. “Who are you looking down on?! Just wait! I’ll show you a ‘White Crane Spreads Its Wings!’1”
The comment section burst out in laughter.
Climbing a thousand stairs might seem like nothing to many people.
But for Shen Wanwan, it was a different story.
The bullet screen was full of wails.
[It’s over. I have a bad feeling—Shen Wanwan is definitely going to act up again.]
[Well, she is a spoiled rich girl. Just a few steps and she’ll be crying about foot pain!]
[I seriously feel bad for Brother Ye now. What did he do to deserve this? Why is Shen Wanwan always clinging to him?! ]
Once the director blew the whistle, the second stage officially began.
All the teams dashed forward—except Bai Ling and Su Tingxuan, who had to stay in place for 30 minutes due to their penalty.
Bai Ling watched longingly as everyone rushed ahead.
Su Tingxuan, worried she might be anxious, tried to reassure her.
If it had been a challenge requiring precision or skill, he might not have dared make any assumptions.
But this was a mountain climb.
Shen Wanwan was pampered—she wouldn’t last long before complaining of sore feet.
“Don’t worry. Shen Wanwan won’t be able to keep up. We’ll definitely catch up to them.”
But Bai Ling wasn’t worried at all.
She covered the mic with one hand and her mouth with the other, softly asking Su Tingxuan, “Did you notice that Shao Yuye kept secretly watching Shen Wanwan today?”
Su Tingxuan didn’t pay much attention, and replied gloatingly, “Maybe he’s regretting why he ever picked Shen Wanwan.”
Someone so famously prideful choosing such a pampered girl who can’t lift a finger—isn’t that just asking for trouble?
Bai Ling’s eyes flickered, but she said nothing more.
She couldn’t shake the feeling that wasn’t it.
Shao Yuye seemed to have developed… a different kind of feeling for Shen Wanwan.
Meanwhile, Shao Yuye and Shen Wanwan had already walked up a hundred steps. Their pace wasn’t fast, so for now, it was still relatively easy.
However, the distance had widened. Jiang Qianfan and Li Yan’s team had already climbed nearly three hundred steps.
Unlike the previous tense atmosphere, or the completely ignoring-each-other state at the end of the first episode, this time the two had some sparse exchanges—a kind of awkward small talk, like they wanted to get closer but didn’t know how to begin.
Shao Yuye in particular was visibly uneasy.
“I came here before with my group members. The air’s really good in Zhucheng.”
Shen Wanwan lazily replied, “Mm.”
Shao Yuye continued, trying again : “I remember there’s a signature bamboo rice dish at the mountaintop. We could try it later.”
Shen Wanwan’s flat, indifferent responses made the audience in the livestream uncomfortable.
[Wait… is Brother Ye really trying to start a conversation?!]
[You can tell he’s being forced to do this.]
[Don’t tell me he’s actually falling for the power of money?!]
The two of them continued walking up a few hundred more steps.
Shen Wanwan’s steps started to grow heavy, and a sharp pain began spreading from the tips of her toes.
At first it was just a twinge, but gradually, with each step, the tip of her foot felt like it was being stabbed with needles.
Compared to her struggle, Shao Yuye looked as if he were taking a relaxed stroll.
He noticed the slight furrow in her brow and asked nervously:
“Can you keep going?”
Shen Wanwan’s toes were still hurting.
“Not really.”
“Carry me.”
She held out her arms toward him like it was only natural.
[Here she comes! Our little princess disease has arrived!]
[Still wants Brother Ye to carry her? Dream on, girl!]
[I knew it. Shen Wanwan should just quit the show already!!]
[Pfft, can’t wait to see Shao Yuye lose it.]
[New here, just asking—are they gonna start throwing hands?]
The bullet comments were full of sarcasm and mockery.
Shao Yuye raised an eyebrow: “You say carry and I’m just supposed to do it?”
The paternity test hadn’t even come out yet.
Bullet chat lit up:
[Waiting for the drama to explode!]
[I’ve had enough of Shen Wanwan’s act for a long time!]
But the dramatic fallout they were expecting… didn’t happen.
After saying that, Shao Yuye instead took a big step toward her and crouched down.
“Get on.”
[??????????]
[Brother Ye, if you’re being held hostage by capital, just blink twice!]
[I can’t believe it! Brother Ye, what happened to you?! Did Shen Wanwan cast a spell on you?!]
[What’s wrong with this show?! Fellow ‘Yu Yu’s, if we don’t get angry at this, they’re gonna think we’re fools!]
The screen was filled with question marks.
Shao Yuye carefully helped her onto his back.
Unlike when they were kids, his back was now broad and strong.
Shen Wanwan pressed her hands against his back.
She turned off her mic and asked him in a low voice, “Weren’t you not going to carry me?
“The paternity results aren’t even out. You’ve already decided I’m your sister?”
Shao Yuye didn’t reply, just walked quickly with her on his back.
Shen Wanwan reached over and turned off the mic clipped near his collar, too.
“There. Now you can talk.”
Shao Yuye shot back : “Didn’t you say you’re my sister?”
“And you just believed me?” Shen Wanwan asked with interest, “Aren’t you afraid I’m lying to you?”
Shao Yuye pressed his lips together and didn’t answer.
Shen Wanwan really wanted to know, so she shook her legs a little to prod him.
“Come on, say it.”
Finally, Shao Yuye opened his mouth, hesitantly.
“I am.”
He paused, then added fiercely, “If you really are lying to me… I’ll make sure you regret it.”
No one was allowed to joke about his sister.
“What’s the price?”
Shen Wanwan was genuinely curious.
Shao Yuye didn’t answer, but 001 jumped out to reply in his place.
{I know, I know! I can tell you…}
Shen Wanwan motioned for it to shut up. “Your answer doesn’t matter.”
The little light orb pouted in grievance.
—{Hmph!}
It didn’t want to be nice to its host anymore!
Shen Wanwan asked again, “If I told you that I lost my memory for more than ten years, and only recently recalled everything… that my feelings for you might not be that strong… would you still want to acknowledge me?”
It was cruel, but during that long, blank period when her memories were wiped, there had been no place for her brother in her life—no memory of him at all.
Shao Yuye didn’t stop walking. It was as if what she said didn’t matter to him.
“It doesn’t matter.”
That year’s memories were too painful. Forgetting was better.
At least, during these past years, she had lived well, and had been happy.
Shen Wanwan was stunned for a moment.
In contrast, it really was the one who forgot that ended up happier.
She leaned against Shao Yuye, momentarily speechless.
Though usually quick with words, all she could manage in that moment was a dry:
“You’ve had a hard time these past years.”
In all those years when she had no memory…
In all those years when he had been left alone by Shao Hongyuan’s side…
He had still remembered her, searching tirelessly for her, guarding that memory in lonely silence.
Shao Yuye’s steps slowed for a second.
And in the next second, he heard her softly call—
“Brother.”
Shao Yuye suddenly stopped dead in his tracks.
His chest rose and fell heavily for several seconds.
He felt like something was stuck in his throat.
And in that moment… he suddenly didn’t want to know the results of the paternity test anymore.
- “White Crane Spreads its Wings” (白鶴亮翅 Báihè Liàngchì) is a movement in Taijiquan, a Chinese martial art. Based on my understanding, it seems like a posture of mimicking a white crane standing still in patience while looking for an opportunity to attack an opponent. So, I actually don’t understand why she mentioned this when asked if she could keep up in climbing (which means she shouldn’t be standing still). If there’s anyone who understands better, please help explain in the comment! ↩︎