[Pfft hahaha! No way, he’s actually daring to talk back?]

[Zhang Song, you little brat. Don’t cry later.]

[LMAO! Brother Ye has bulldozed his way through life, but he probably never imagined he’d keep getting outplayed by this kid!]

[Hurry! I can’t wait to see Brother Ye and God Zhou teach Zhang Song a lesson!]

Shao Yuye’s temper flared the moment he saw Zhang Song acting so smug.

—That little brat really is trouble!

But this time, Qi Luozhou didn’t even need to remind him. He immediately pulled out all four Running Cards.

“Perfect. We just finished eating, so we’ve got plenty of energy for a run!”

[Hahaha! Zhang Song: Repeatedly stomping all over Brother Ye’s biggest trigger is so much fun!]

[Zhang Song: Brother Ye, I’m sorry. Brother Ye… I’ll do it again next time!]

[Ahhh, Shen Wanwan is seriously life’s biggest winner! Zhang Song and Brother Ye are both fighting over her! I’m so jealous I’m tired of saying it!]

Holding his milk tea, Zhang Song turned toward Shen Wanwan with an aggrieved expression.

“Sister… Twenty minutes of running will kill me~”

Shao Yuye hadn’t expected him to pull that move.

Now he looked like the petty one who was nitpicking over every little thing. Afraid his sister might dislike him for it, he suddenly didn’t know what to do.

Meanwhile, Zhang Song kept fanning the flames.

“Sister, do you have any cards that can cancel the punishment? You’re the nicest! Please help me!”

Shao Yuye let out a cold snort.

—Heh.
—As if my sister would help this little brat.
—You’re not family. Who do you think you are?

To his surprise, Shen Wanwan answered the very next second.

“Sure.”

She even smiled at Zhang Song.

As expected, she was all bark and no bite.

Zhang Song released his straw and beamed sweetly before throwing Shao Yuye a triumphant look.

He didn’t say a word.

But his eyes clearly spelled out several smug words, “Hehe. See that? Sister is going to save me~”

Sitting beside him, Qi Luozhou curled his lips into a smile as well.

Whenever Shen Wanwan wore that expression, it meant she was about to dig someone into a pit.

Unfortunately, the livestream audience assumed he was simply enjoying Shao Yuye’s misfortune.

After all, the instant Shen Wanwan said, “Sure,” the grin stretching nearly to the back of Shao Yuye’s head froze solid.

[Hahaha! I feel bad for Brother Ye for one second! How did his little sister get stolen away so quickly by this green-tea little brother?]

[My sister! My precious little sister!! Zhang Song, you’re dead!]

[I’m dying! A world where only Brother Ye gets hurt has officially been achieved!]

Under Zhang Song’s hopeful gaze, Shen Wanwan pulled out two Running Cards.

“If you don’t like twenty minutes… then let’s make it a nice round half hour.”

Everyone froze.

Only the smile on Qi Luozhou’s lips widened.

At that instant, both Zhang Song’s and Shao Yuye’s expressions became priceless.

This time, the one bursting into triumphant laughter was Shao Yuye.

“Hahahahahaha!”

He knew it!

There was no way his sister would help this infuriating little brat!

Meanwhile, Zhang Song stared at Shen Wanwan in complete disbelief. His mouth drooped into a pout, looking genuinely wronged.

“Sister!”

The comments exploded with laughter.

[Hahaha! Kid, maybe think about whose brother you offended!]

[That’s her brother! You picked the wrong person to use your green-tea act on!]

[I’m crying from laughter. What is this? A little green-tea’s spectacular backfire?]

[Hahaha, he’s so adorable! I love watching him provoke Brother Ye only to get put in his place!]

Shen Wanwan raised an eyebrow, her tone turning icy, “Or… would you prefer forty minutes instead?”

Zhang Song immediately panicked.

“No, no, no! Thirty is enough!”

Realizing that Shen Wanwan’s heart was as hard as iron, and that acting cute would probably only make things worse, Zhang Song reluctantly got to his feet.

Before heading off to run, he shot Shao Yuye a resentful glare.

Shao Yuye answered with an exaggerated eye roll.

Their mutual hostility amused everyone present, and another wave of laughter erupted.

[I’m starting to think Brother Ye’s most hated person isn’t God Zhou anymore, but Xiao Song.]

[Girl, you can drop the ‘starting to think.’ That’s definitely the case!]

[Brother Ye probably thinks God Zhou isn’t so bad now. After all, God Zhou helped him teach that brat a lesson today! Damn it, I’m shipping these ‘Rivals’ CP again!]

By the time Zhang Song finished his thirty-minute run, the other guests had already finished tidying up.

The director then began explaining how to upgrade the villa and its facilities.

Although this was a deserted island, a major wilderness romance reality show had developed the island two years earlier, building a small plaza and several villas.

As a result, one side of the island remained untouched wilderness, while the other was fully equipped with facilities and even various activity areas for the guests to enjoy.

Since the island had originally been designed for a dating show, its overall style leaned toward beauty and romance.

After all, this wasn’t a true wilderness survival program, they weren’t expected to build their own shelters.

So while the production team had provided everyone with a villa, it was completely unfurnished.

There wasn’t even something as basic as a bed.

“How are we supposed to sleep tonight?”

Zhang Yiran stared at the eight completely empty bedrooms in disbelief.

“Director… don’t tell me you’re expecting us to sleep on the floor?”

The director shook his head mysteriously and signaled the staff to hand everyone a map.

Every piece of furniture was marked at different challenge locations.

“If you want something, clear the levels and earn it. Good luck!”

“Damn it! We have to get a bed this afternoon! Otherwise we’re literally sleeping on the floor tonight!”

Zhang Yiran looked at the map, ready to curse.

“You’re way too ruthless! We’re over here, but the bed challenge is all the way on the other side of the island! Why don’t you just send us into space while you’re at it?”

The director smiled smugly and produced the latest purchase catalog.

“You can always buy one.”

Beds were indeed listed.

The only problem…

The price was absurdly expensive.

“Seriously? Seriously? You actually think this price is funny?”

Zhang Yiran laughed out of sheer frustration.

Standing beside him, Jiang Yuan sighed quietly.

“Has it occurred to anyone… that the 888 price tag might actually mean ‘bye-bye-bye’? As in… you’re not worthy?”¹

Zhang Yiran: “…My apologies.”

[Damn, the director is such a jerk! This episode doesn’t even give out any Speed Tokens, and he still raised the prices! I’m seriously convinced he’s just trying to drain everyone’s wallets of every last Speed Tokens!]

[Exactly! If one team gets unlucky and can’t win a bed today, won’t they have to pay that ridiculous price?]

[Hahaha, the director is so evil!]

Normally, everyone could at least take a break in their rooms after lunch.

But now, staring at completely empty rooms…

How the heck were they supposed to rest?!

Zhang Yiran shoved Jiang Yuan.

“Hurry up already! Why are you still standing there? Go get us a bed!!”

“O-Okay!”

Snapping out of his daze, Jiang Yuan hurried after him as the two rushed toward the bed challenge.

Bai Ling, having eaten lunch by herself, finally had an excuse to rejoin the group. After thinking it over, she decided to let bygones be bygones.

“Shao Yuye, should we get going too?”

Time waited for no one. They couldn’t afford to delay any longer.

Shao Yuye glanced at Shen Wanwan. Seeing no objection on her face, he nodded.

“Yeah. Let’s move.”

As the two left, Jin Xiaoyu started feeling anxious.

Qi Luozhou was still calmly studying the map, looking completely unhurried.

Unable to hold back, Jin Xiaoyu called out, “God Zhou?!”

After a brief moment of thought, Qi Luozhou pointed to a location in the middle of the map.

“Let’s go here first.”

Jin Xiaoyu followed the direction of his finger.

He was pointing… to the lamp.

[Difficulty: ★★★★★]

The bed challenge was only ★☆☆☆☆!

Sure, they could survive a night without lights…

But they definitely couldn’t survive without beds!

“God Zhou… are you serious?”

She made one last attempt to persuade him.

“Mhm.”

Qi Luozhou curved his lips into a faint smile. His gaze drifted past her shoulder and rested briefly on Shen Wanwan for just a second.

“Let’s go.”

Since he looked so confident, Jin Xiaoyu didn’t argue anymore.

“…Alright.”

That left only Shen Wanwan and Zhang Song.

Having just finished running, Zhang Song stood there with his hands on his hips, still trying to catch his breath.

The viewers felt sorry for him and flooded the chat with advice, telling him to stop showing off and provoking Shao Yuye and Shen Wanwan.

That pair of siblings was not someone he could afford to mess with!

As Shen Wanwan studied the map, Zhang Song leaned over.

“Sister, where are we going?”

[Where will Wanwan go?]

[I don’t think she’ll go for the bed. She always comes up with something unexpected.]

[She and God Zhou are always on the same wavelength. Is she choosing the lamp too?]

Just as everyone was making guesses, Shen Wanwan suddenly took out a Broadcast Blocking Card.

It was another SSS-rank prop card.

If there was something they didn’t want the livestream audience to see, they could use it to block the broadcast for thirty minutes.

[Hey! Don’t manufacture suspense like this!]

[Damn it! The director was already bad enough, and now you guys too…]

[Aaaah! Thirty minutes without seeing Wanwan?! I’m going to lose my mind!!]

The livestream screen immediately went black.

Shen Wanwan and Zhang Song walked forward together.

Zhang Song had no idea why she had blocked the livestream. After all, although the audience couldn’t see anything anymore, the cameramen on-site were still filming the two of them.

Still smiling brightly, he stayed beside her and acted spoiled.

“Sister, you’re so mean. You actually teamed up with your brother to bully me earlier!”

“Zhang Song.”
When Shen Wanwan called his name, her voice was exceptionally gentle, “You’ve really improved a lot.”

Zhang Song froze.

He felt as though there was another meaning behind her words, yet convinced himself it must be his imagination.

His smile remained bright.

“Wow, Sister praised me!”

The very next second, her cool, crystal-clear voice shattered the fake smile on his face.

“—But you shouldn’t have used my Brother as your stepping stone.”

“Sister… what are you talking about…?”
A trace of panic flashed across Zhang Song’s eyes before he quickly composed himself.
“I… don’t understand what you mean…”

“Do you really not understand?
“Or are you pretending not to?”
Shen Wanwan smiled. But the smile never reached her eyes.
“You know how to create sensational topics.
“I know how to deal with them, too…”

She deliberately stopped there.

She didn’t finish the sentence.

Leaving it unsaid was already her way of showing him mercy.

She ended the conversation there.

The young man opposite her clearly understood exactly what she meant.

If he angered her…

The huge wave of attention he had stirred up earlier would rebound against him, turning his own scheme into his downfall.

He would only have himself to blame.

Zhang Song rubbed the back of his head in frustration.

“I’m sorry.”

Shen Wanwan wasn’t moved in the slightest.

With an indifferent expression, she replied, “Apologize to my Brother.”

He’d been irritated by Zhang Song all day.

Her Brother was probably feeling miserable by now.

Zhang Song had never imagined that his carefully concealed intentions would be seen through so easily.

Regret and panic welled up inside him.

The carefree, composed young man who had effortlessly handled everything all morning finally showed the confusion and anxiety fitting someone his age.

Looking at Shen Wanwan, he hurriedly added,

“But, Sister… that one thing, I wasn’t lying to you.
“I was genuinely grateful.”

When someone who has already broken another person’s trust tells the truth…

Even the truth sounds like a lie.

Shen Wanwan didn’t believe him.

She merely looked at him with a faint smile.

The smile was gentle… yet ice-cold.

“Do you know why, despite all your hard work, you’ve always been stuck as a second-tier celebrity and never managed to break through?”

“W-Why?”

Zhang Song turned toward her urgently.

“Awareness².”

She answered with just one understated word.

Yet that one word completely shattered the carefully built confidence inside him.

He stood there, stunned.

The cold wind roared past, leaving his hair in disarray.

His eyes remained fixed on Shen Wanwan.

She was still as ethereally beautiful as ever.

It was as if she possessed some special kind of power—

Even the howling wind seemed to soften and lose some of its force by the time it reached her.

---

1. In Chinese internet slang, “88” is often used for “bye-bye” because the numbers sound similar. Jiang Yuan is jokingly interpreting “888” as a triple “bye-bye” to imply that the people involved are being dismissed or are not “worthy” of staying. ↩︎
2. 格局 (géjú) literally means pattern/structure. When used to describe someone’s character, it refers to a person’s perspective, breadth of mind, or “big-picture” awareness. It is essentially a measure of someone’s emotional and intellectual “capacity.” A person with a large géjú isn’t easily rattled by small setbacks and considers the long-term impact of their actions. ↩︎

---

Although, to be fair, things weren’t exactly luxurious on the other side either.

Aside from Shen Wanwan and Jin Xiaoyu, who could sit on the small sofa Shen Wanwan had bought earlier, all the men had to sit directly on the ground.

Zhang Yiran, meanwhile, had his eye on Shen Wanwan’s sofa and wanted to buy one from the production team.

The director waved him off listlessly and pointed at the words [Sold Out] on the purchase list.

“Can’t buy it anymore!
“This is a deserted island. We’re not Doraemon. We can’t just pull one out of thin air.”

He was already regretting creating the rule that once contestants bought an item, they could keep using it forever, with the production team responsible for storing and transporting it between stops.

Shen Wanwan’s sofa, her tricycle, and all sorts of other odds and ends. They were exhausting to haul around at every location!

And the worst part was that Shen Wanwan wasn’t even grateful. Every time the staff complained, she’d reply matter-of-factly, “If you can’t even handle something this simple, how are you making a variety show?”

That single sentence left the director speechless.

In the end, all he could do was keep carrying her stuff.

---

Before long, the hot pot came to a rolling boil.

Everyone gathered around to eat in the cold wind. The steaming broth warmed both their bodies and the atmosphere. Despite the howling breeze, it no longer felt nearly as cold.

The two girls sat together on one side, while the five boys formed the other half of the circle.

As they waited for the ingredients to cook, they chatted casually.

Jin Xiaoyu suggested, “Want to play a game?”

Jiang Yuan asked, “What game?”

“‘I’ve Done It, You Haven’t.’
“The rules are simple. You say something you’ve experienced. If someone else here has had the same experience, nothing happens. If nobody has, you keep your point. Everyone gets ten chances. Whenever someone matches your experience, they have to share that experience too. The last person with chances remaining wins.”

“Sounds good.”

Zhang Yiran’s eyes lit up.

“I’ve got plenty of unique life experiences. Just wait, you guys are going down.”

Everyone agreed.

“Alright! I’ll go first!
“I have a tractor driver’s license!”
Jin Xiaoyu proudly declared it, looking around triumphantly, “Bet none of you have one, right?!”

It should have been an impressive revelation.

Instead…

No one paid her any attention.

Because at that exact second—

The hot pot finished cooking.

Her eyes, which had been narrowed arrogantly while surveying the crowd, instantly flew open as everyone lunged toward the pot.

She screamed, “Holy crap! Why are you all grabbing food so fast?! Leave some for me!!
“Wanwan! Hurry up and grab some too!!!”

The livestream chat was in stitches.

[HAHAHAHAHAHA!]

[So… nobody actually cares about the game?]

[A whole group of food addicts, I’m dying of laughter!]

[Xiaoyu, your concern is kind of unnecessary. Wanwan has her brother, remember…]

While everyone else fought desperately over the food in the pot, Shen Wanwan remained peacefully seated on her sofa.

The bowl in front of her was already being steadily filled with food.

Shao Yuye kept picking things out of the pot while muttering to himself, “My little sister likes this.
“Oh, she likes this too!”

His chopsticks moved so quickly they almost left afterimages.

Having spent a year in a seven-member idol group, Shao Yuye knew all too well how terrifying men became once food was served.

If you were even one second too slow, the dishes you wanted would disappear.

He was so focused on fishing food out of the pot that he didn’t notice Zhang Song watching him the entire time.

Qi Luozhou, meanwhile, quietly observed everything Shao Yuye picked up.

As for Shen Wanwan, she simply stared calmly at the bubbling hot pot, seemingly lost in thought.

While Jin Xiaoyu was still suffering from repeatedly coming up with empty chopsticks and hadn’t managed to eat a single bite…

Shao Yuye had already picked up a slice of fatty beef.

He held it in the wind for a moment to cool it, then placed one hand underneath to catch any dripping oil so it wouldn’t stain Shen Wanwan’s clothes before bringing it to her lips.

“Take your time. It’s hot.”

The wind was cold.

But the food was warm.

Shen Wanwan immediately snapped out of her thoughts and obediently opened her mouth.

Shao Yuye smiled.

“Is it good?”

“Mmm! It’s delicious!”
Her eyes curved into crescents. Her cheeks puffed out slightly as she chewed the beef roll, making her voice sweeter than ever, “Thank you, Brother!”

The livestream exploded.

[AHHHHH! Brother Ye is SO thoughtful!!!]

[If I didn’t know Wanwan was his sister, I’d seriously be jealous! Like, insanely jealous!!]

[I knew it! Ever since they made their relationship public, he’s finally free to spoil his little sister anytime, anywhere! Hah!]

Beside them, Zhang Yiran shivered dramatically from the ‘cheesiness’.

He also picked up a slice of fatty beef, pinched his voice into a cutesy tone, and held it out to Jiang Yuan.

“My little sister likes this~”
Then he grabbed a piece of lettuce, “My little sister likes this too~
“Tsk.
“Isn’t that unbearably mushy?”

The moment he finished speaking, Shen Wanwan took out a card.

In a cool, emotionless voice, she said, “Director. I’m using a card.
“Target: Zhang Yiran.”

Zhang Yiran’s eyes widened.

“What the hell?! A gentleman settles things with words, not violence! How can you use cheat items?!”

The director announced, “From this moment, Zhang Yiran is forbidden from speaking for five minutes.”

Shen Wanwan looked at him calmly.

Then she arrogantly lifted her chin.

The comments erupted.

[HAHAHAHA! This is what you get for making fun of Brother Ye! Mocking Wanwan gets you the exact same result! Zhang Yiran, you deserved it!]

[LMAO! Look at Brother Ye’s smug expression! If he had a tail, it’d be spinning like a helicopter rotor right now!]

Zhang Yiran: “…”

He pursed his lips and tried to communicate through ventriloquism.

“!@#￥%……&*（）”

The director said, “Violation detected during the penalty period. An additional five-minute penalty has been added.”

Zhang Yiran: “…”

The comments were relentless.

[HAHAHAHA! That’s what you get for running your mouth!]

[I’m crying with laughter! Zhang Yiran, why do you keep provoking those two? Didn’t last time teach you your lesson?]

[Hahaha! You can always count on the ‘Petty Revenge Duo’. They’re absolutely ruthless when it comes to getting even!]

Shao Yuye couldn’t have looked prouder.

He didn’t even spare Zhang Yiran a glance and happily went back to picking food for his sister.

As if that still wasn’t enough, Shen Wanwan suddenly said, “I have a Brother who takes good care of me and loves me.
“Do any of you?”

Everyone froze.

Only then did they realize she was continuing the ‘I’ve Done It, You Haven’t’ game from earlier.

“…”

Every single person lost another chance at once.

Seriously, was there no justice left in the world?

How much longer were this brother-and-sister duo going to keep making everyone else jealous?!

Meanwhile, on the other side, Bai Ling was squatting alone on the ground, eating a self-heating hotpot.

Facing the camera trained solely on her, she tried to encourage herself and said resolutely, “It’s okay.”

She believed that the more independent she appeared now, the more the audience would sympathize with her.

After all, in any group, the person who gets isolated is always the easiest to pity.

Now that she’d calmed down, she realized she’d made a terrible decision earlier.

Why had she gotten into a spat with a kid?

She’d simply been so angry at Zhang Song that she’d lost her head.

Now all she could do was listen to the laughter and cheerful chatter coming from the other side. She was dying of envy inside, but still had to put on a brave face for the camera.

“This meatball is pretty tasty.
“The kelp’s good too…”

The more indifferent Bai Ling acted on the outside, the more miserable she felt inside.

She really had been far too impulsive.

Soon, however, something caught the corner of her eye—a tall, elegant figure.

…It was God Zhou!

She didn’t even need to turn her head. Just one vague glimpse of his silhouette was enough for her to recognize him.

Her heart instantly began pounding.

Was he here to comfort her?

Or…to persuade her?

Countless thoughts flashed through her mind in an instant.

She listened as his footsteps drew closer…

Her heartbeat became faster than ever before.

Very soon, the man stopped beside her. He seemed to be wondering how to comfort her, lingering there in silence for a moment.

Bai Ling wiped at the corners of her eyes, where there weren’t even any tears, and pretended to be strong.

“God Zhou! Don’t try to persuade me anymore. I’m already full!”

Her voice even trembled slightly.

Qi Luozhou froze for a moment, clearly not expecting her to suddenly say that.

“…Okay.”

Bai Ling: “…”

It suddenly dawned on her that Zhou Shen hadn’t come for her at all.

The livestream comments exploded with laughter.

[HAHAHAHA my toes have already dug an entire magical castle into the ground from secondhand embarrassment!]

[God Zhou : I wasn’t planning to persuade you anyway?]

[Bai Ling is so dramatic, LOL. She actually wants to join them too, doesn’t she?]

[I seriously don’t get why she’s being so stubborn. Everyone invited her over, but she’s the one who keeps adding scenes to her own drama.]

While Bai Ling stood there in awkward silence, Qi Luozhou simply walked past her.

A few meters away, he stopped at the ingredients table and picked up two trays of sliced beef.

Then, without even glancing at her, he walked straight back.

…So he’d only come over to get more beef.

Lowering her eyes, Bai Ling felt even more dejected.

Jiang Yuan’s face was flushed red from the spicy food. Seeing Qi Luozhou return with the beef, he was touched.

“I thought there was only one tray.”

Having finally regained the chance to speak, Zhang Yiran chimed in, “Quick, quick! Shao Yuye almost fished out all the beef just now. This time we’ve got to grab some!”

Shao Yuye let out a cold snort.

“Too slow.”

Qi Luozhou put both trays of beef into the bubbling pot.

The slices rolled around in the broth and were cooked in no time.

Shao Yuye immediately picked out several slices and placed them into Shen Wanwan’s bowl.

At that moment, Zhang Song, who had been quietly eating the whole time, suddenly looked at Shen Wanwan. Using an intentionally cute, sugary voice, he asked, “Sister… I kind of want some milk tea. Could you buy me a cup?”

The livestream comments immediately erupted.

[BUY IT! Sister, buy him whatever he wants!]

[Please! The kid just wants a cup of milk tea!]

Most of the morning’s challenges had been completed almost entirely by Zhang Song alone.

Since he was her new partner, and one she was planning to replace soon, Shen Wanwan nodded almost without hesitation.

“Sure.”

Zhang Song immediately broke into a sweet smile.

“Sister, you’re the best!”

The comments filled once again with people screaming over how adorable he was.

To encourage everyone to complete more challenges during this level area, the production team had raised the prices of the ingredients.

Jiang Yuan hesitated.

“Milk tea costs 100 Tokens, doesn’t it?”

One hundred Speed Tokens.

That wasn’t cheap.

Yet Shen Wanwan paid without even blinking.

—That generous?

For some reason, everyone held their breath and instinctively turned to look at Shao Yuye.

—Good grief… wasn’t this the ultimate battlefield?

Would a siscon like Brother Ye get angry?

Among everyone present, only Qi Luozhou and Shao Yuye had their eyes on Zhang Song.

It was as though Zhang Song was completely oblivious to everything happening around him.

His entire attention was focused on the milk tea he’d just gotten.

He lowered his head and took a sip.

The warm, sweet drink spread across his lips and tongue.

Zhang Song contentedly narrowed his eyes.

Then, with a mischievous grin, he turned toward Shao Yuye and deliberately waved the cup of milk tea in his hand.

“Hehe.
“Sister bought this milk tea for me~”

“It’s okay, you guys keep them and eat them yourselves.”

At that moment, Shen Wanwan finally spoke up considerately.

Bai Ling had suffered at Shen Wanwan’s hands before. Remembering the lesson of the Hot Spring Pass incident, she didn’t dare beat around the bush this time and agreed immediately.

“Alright then. I’m really sorry, Wanwan.”

Shao Yuye froze for a moment and turned to look at Bai Ling.

When Bai Ling had said she was willing to give it to them earlier, he’d thought she genuinely meant it.

The livestream comments immediately started buzzing about Bai Ling’s behavior.

[If you didn’t want to give it away, you could’ve just refused from the start… Why say you’re willing and then act so reluctant?]

[Exactly! I hate dealing with people like Bai Ling. She always says the polite thing, but you never know what’s real and what’s just for show. I’d rather people be straightforward. if you want to give it, give it. If you don’t, then don’t. Nobody’s going to blame you.]

[I don’t think Bai Ling did anything wrong. She never planned on giving away her self-heating hot pot in the first place. She’s not a saint who doesn’t need to eat. If she and Shao Yuye gave it away, what would they eat? Zhang Song is the one with no sense of boundaries! Someone offers him something and he still nitpicks. That’s so annoying.]

The comments instantly split into two camps and began arguing.

Since that was Bai Ling’s attitude, Shao Yuye didn’t say anything else. Instead, he turned toward the production crew.

“Can we buy lunch?”

The director shook his head.

“No.”

Shao Yuye glanced at Jiang Yuan and Zhang Yiran. Their ingredients weren’t plentiful either, not even enough to satisfy two young men’s appetites.

Among everyone present, only Qi Luozhou and Jin Xiaoyu were truly well-stocked…

[If I’m guessing right, is Brother Ye about to ask God Zhou to lend them some ingredients?]

[For his little sister, Brother Ye is willing to go this far… I’m declaring it now! He’s the best Brother in the world, and I won’t accept any objections!]

[Hahaha, Wanwan, hurry up and tell your brother the truth!]

Just as Shao Yuye was about to speak to Qi Luozhou, Shen Wanwan suddenly said, “Let’s eat together.”

Shao Yuye nodded as though it were only natural.

Bai Ling, however, felt her heart sink. Something didn’t seem right.

From the very beginning, Shen Wanwan had been unusually calm, showing no concern whatsoever about going hungry.

Could that mean… she had plenty of ingredients herself?

Countless thoughts raced through Bai Ling’s mind when she heard Shen Wanwan continue,

“Bai Ling, you should join us too.”

Assuming Shen Wanwan really had lots of food, Bai Ling accepted without hesitation.

“Sure.” She set down the self-heating hot pot in her hands and rubbed them together awkwardly, “I hope I won’t be troubling you…”

Standing nearby with his arms folded, Zhang Song remarked dryly, “If you think it’ll be a bother, then don’t.”

Bai Ling’s face immediately turned green with embarrassment, and she froze where she stood.

The livestream comments exploded once again.

[Seriously? What’s wrong with Zhang Song? Bai Ling only took back her self-heating hot pot. Why is he being so petty?]

[Zhang Song is such a turn-off. Ugh!]

[Xiao Song isn’t usually like this. Did Bai Ling have some kind of conflict with him before?]

[Yeah! Shen Wanwan only said a few words to Xiao Song before, and he’s still grateful for it now. He must have some history with Bai Ling for him to act like this.]

[Even so… every time Zhang Song roasts Bai Ling, it’s so satisfying.]

[Every time Bai Ling acts concerned about someone, she always makes a point of describing how pitiful their situation is first. Just now, when she brought Wanwan fruit, she specifically said they had nothing before offering it, as if she wanted to emphasize how kind she was.]

[Come on, are we policing every word people say now? Then how should she have phrased it? “Please, I’m begging you, eat these fruits”?]

Apparently stung by Zhang Song’s words, Bai Ling bit her lip and said dejectedly, “Wanwan, thank you for your kindness, but… I’ll just eat my self-heating hot pot.”

Shen Wanwan remained expressionless and simply confirmed, “Really?”

At that very moment, several staff members finally wheeled over the ingredients Shen Wanwan and Zhang Song had won—

An entire tricycle cart was piled to the brim.

There were fruits, fresh ingredients, even a cooking pot and firewood.

[That much?! Were Shen Wanwan and Zhang Song messing with Bai Ling? They had so many ingredients, yet they still accepted Bai Ling’s self-heating hot pot?]

[But Wanwan kept saying she didn’t want it. And she even invited Bai Ling to eat with them. How are people still trying to criticize her?]

Bai Ling silently swallowed.

Pretending to stay strong, she replied, “…Really.”

Originally, she’d assumed Shen Wanwan would persuade her a little longer.

Normally, anyone who noticed she was upset would comfort her a few more times, giving her the perfect opportunity to gracefully accept the invitation.

But before that could happen, Jin Xiaoyu excitedly exclaimed, “Oh my gosh, Wanwan! You guys won so many ingredients! How did you manage that?”

Shen Wanwan’s attention shifted instantly.

“Double Card.”

Jin Xiaoyu sounded even more excited.

“Ah! Just like God Zhou!”

The reason they had ended up with such an abundance of ingredients was because God Zhou had also used a Double Card.

“You two are so in sync!”

The ‘WanZhou’ shippers immediately erupted.

[Jin Xiaoyu just said exactly what I was thinking!]

[I’m shipping them so hard! Even on different teams, they’re unbelievably in sync!!]

“Really?”

As Shen Wanwan looked up at Qi Luozhou, he looked back at her.

His peach blossom eyes curved into a smile that wasn’t quite a smile.

Utterly captivating.

“Yeah.”

Facing the camera without the slightest hesitation, he answered with a warm smile.

The CP fans in the comments were practically celebrating.

[They’re so adorable together! Please let them become teammates again!]

[The way God Zhou-ge is looking at her… there’s so much chemistry!]

Just as the ‘WanZhou’ shippers were enjoying themselves, an abrupt voice cut in.

“It’s just standard practice. I wouldn’t call that chemistry.”

The camera swept over to reveal Shao Yuye’s stone-cold face.

His expression screamed six words: “Stay away from my little sister!”

[Pfft hahaha! I knew it, Brother Ye is stubborn to the core!]

[No, he’s a brother who’s devoted to protecting his sister for life!]

[If it’s such a standard move, Brother Ye, why didn’t you use your card? 🤣]

[Hahaha, has it occurred to you that he wanted to, but couldn’t? They’re all fruit! Besides, didn’t he use up all his Double Cards at the last stop?]

[Pfft hahaha, thanks for reminding me how miserable Brother Ye was last time. orz]

Seeing Shao Yuye about to butt heads with Qi Luozhou again, the ever-peacekeeping Jiang Yuan stepped in to smooth things over.

“Why don’t we all eat together?
“It’s freezing. How about hot pot?”

The moment Jin Xiaoyu heard hot pot, she lit up.

“Yes! Yes!”

Hot pot was her absolute favorite.

“God Zhou, are we having hot pot together too?”

“Sure.”

Qi Luozhou agreed with a smile.

Jin Xiaoyu stared blankly at his smile for a moment.

Maybe it was because she occasionally watched those fan-made ‘WanZhou’ CP edits.

God Zhou smiled at her too.

In fact, he smiled at everyone.

But somehow…

She felt that when he smiled at Shen Wanwan, it was different.

She couldn’t quite explain how it was different.

In the end, she chalked it up to her imagination.

The hot pot proposal was practically approved unanimously.

Everyone immediately got to work setting everything up.

Only Bai Ling was left standing awkwardly off to the side, unsure whether to sit or stand.

She regretted it so much her intestines were turning green.

If she’d known everyone was eating together, she never would have refused earlier!

If Shen Wanwan would just give her an opening now, she’d immediately—

“Bai Ling, are you really not coming?”

While pouring water into the pot, Jin Xiaoyu called out to her.

Bai Ling immediately looked at Shen Wanwan with a pitiful expression.

Only to discover that Shen Wanwan wasn’t looking at her at all.

The little sofa she’d bought earlier was being put to use again. A staff member from the production crew was carefully carrying it over to Shen Wanwan across the uneven ground.

Disappointed, Bai Ling withdrew her gaze and was just about to speak when Zhang Song shot her a sharp look, lifting an eyebrow at her provocatively.

It was targeted.

Completely undisguised.

Bai Ling had enjoyed smooth sailing for years and always prided herself on having a good temper.

This was the first time she’d ever been angered by a brat.

If she couldn’t win the steamed bun, she’d at least fight for her dignity.

She immediately shook her head with an injured expression and refused again.

“No, it’s fine. I’ll just eat my self-heating hot pot.”

Then she looked at Zhang Song in confusion.

“Xiao Song, as far as I remember, we’ve never met before. But it feels like you have a pretty big problem with me. Could you tell me what I’ve done to upset you?”

The livestream comments immediately filled with people speaking up for her.

[Yeah! That’s too much!]

[Even passersby can tell he’s targeting her!]

Hearing that, Zhang Song looked back at her just as puzzled.

“Huh? Sister Bai Ling, I was just saying whatever came to mind. You’re not actually mad, are you?”

Without anyone noticing, he’d effortlessly kicked the ball right back into her court.

His youthful features hadn’t completely faded yet, making him look only about fifteen or sixteen years old.

His fans immediately rushed to defend him.

[Zhang Song was just telling the truth! If it’s troublesome, then don’t trouble people. Why does she always have to act so fake?]

[At least Zhang Song said what I was thinking. I seriously can’t stand Bai Ling always rambling on and on. It’s exhausting to listen to, and then everyone has to comfort and praise her afterward!]

Bai Ling was so angry her teeth itched.

This was the first time she’d ever met a male green tea.

But the age gap between them was so large that if she seriously argued with a teenage boy, she’d only look petty.

So she swallowed her anger and spoke gently.

“As long as you don’t have anything against me. I believe we’ll definitely get along happily from now on.”

Zhang Song smiled brightly.

“I’m glad you’re not angry. Have you opened your self-heating hot pot yet? I’ll help you scoop some hot water so it can heat up.”

With that single sentence, he completely cut off any possibility of Bai Ling joining the group for hot pot.

The muscles on Bai Ling’s face twitched.

She almost couldn’t keep up her smile anymore.

“…Alright. Thank you, Xiao Song.”

Zhang Song filled it with hot water for her.

“You’re welcome!”

The rich, spicy aroma of the hot pot drifted over from the other side.

Zhang Song turned around and left.

“Sister Bai Ling, take your time eating! I’m going back to dinner too!”

Bai Ling: “…”

She looked at the pitiful little one-person self-heating hot pot in front of her.

There wasn’t even a table.

Most likely she’d have to either stand there holding the bowl while eating… or put the hot pot on the ground and squat beside it.

—Damn it!

Bai Ling cursed inwardly.

---

The livestream chat was on the verge of tears after hearing the story.

[Waaah… Xiao Song had it so hard back then! ]

[It’s true. Back then, so many people demanded that Xiao Song leave the group. Seriously, people throw out hurtful comments so casually without realizing they can completely destroy a kid’s life. Thank goodness Xiao Song met Shen Wanwan back then!]

[I know which performance that was! My God, Xiao Song was only thirteen. The people who said those things were absolutely awful.]

[So Wanwan was eighteen back then? An eighteen-year-old Wanwan already had that much charisma?! AHHH!]

Shen Wanwan, however, still had no recollection of it.

Her response remained calm, “Mm.”

Zhang Song slowly clenched the fingers he had spread open and said solemnly, “Sister… this time, I won’t let you forget me again.”

Meanwhile, the trending topics had completely exploded:

#Shao Yuye and Qi Luozhou’s ‘Rivals’ CP#

#The Big Gift Two Top Superstars Gave Zhang Song#

#Zhang Song Chooses Shen Wanwan, Shao Yuye’s World Collapses#

#The Story Between Zhang Song and Shen Wanwan#

The livestream comments continued flooding across the screen.

At home, Su Tingxuan sat on his sofa watching everything unfold on television. Jealousy practically overflowed from his face.

He hadn’t withdrawn from the show voluntarily at all!

It was Zhang Song, that little brat, who had forced him out!

The kid looked innocent and harmless on the outside, but inside he was downright ruthless.

Only eighteen years old, yet he had spoken with astonishing confidence:

“So, are you going to withdraw with your dignity intact? Or should I expose all your dirty secrets and let the whole internet curse you until you’re forced to quit?”

Su Tingxuan ground his teeth in fury.

But there was nothing he could do.

Zhang Song had a whole stack of photos proving he had been living off rich women, as well as pictures of him kneeling before Shen Wanwan.

His family’s finances were in serious trouble. He desperately needed to make money through his fame in the entertainment industry. If those scandals came out, his last chance to turn things around would disappear completely.

In the end, he could only grit his teeth and withdraw from the competition.

Originally, he could have been partnered with Shen Wanwan.

What a perfect opportunity that would have been.

He knew what she was like.

She looked cold and unyielding, but deep down she was the softest-hearted person.

But there was no point dwelling on it now.

With a helpless sigh, Su Tingxuan opened Bai Ling and Shao Yuye’s exclusive livestream.

Shao Yuye was still full of fighting spirit, determined to clear the stages as quickly as possible so he could swap Zhang Song out.

Bai Ling, meanwhile, quietly stayed by his side, doing her best to show only her good side.

After her previous public embarrassment, she had finally realized that she needed to rebuild her positive image.

There was no rushing this.

She knew victory was Shao Yuye’s top priority, so she settled into a supporting role and worked alongside him.

She had never cultivated a delicate, helpless persona.

The first level was collecting flags on trampolines.

Shao Yuye immediately stepped forward. He usually handled tasks like this himself.

But Bai Ling stopped him.

“How about I do it?”

Shao Yuye glanced at her slender frame.

“You sure you can?”

“Mhm.” She smiled, “I’m a tomboy.”

The staff helped her put on the safety gear and finished the adjustments.

Standing on the trampoline, Bai Ling pushed off hard with both feet, launching herself high into the air.

Shao Yuye watched from below as she repeatedly jumped for the red flags. Whenever she missed one, she didn’t get discouraged. She simply kept trying until she had collected all the flags around her.

They cleared the stage.

The comments immediately filled with praise.

[Wow, Bai Ling’s actually pretty capable!]

[She may look gentle and refined, but she’s definitely not playing the weak-girl role!]

When she stepped off the trampoline, the rebound force threw her slightly off balance.

Shao Yuye instinctively reached out to steady her.

“Careful.”

Before the audience could start criticizing them, Bai Ling quickly pushed his hand away.

“I’m fine.”

Shao Yuye didn’t think much of it and casually stepped back.

As a result, he failed to notice the slight frown on her face or the quiet hiss of pain that escaped her lips.

She hadn’t finished acting yet.

But Shao Yuye had already walked over to the giant spinning wheel challenge.

Bai Ling: “…” Is there something wrong with him?

Just because she said she was fine, he believed her?

Shouldn’t he have looked closer? Noticed the subtle expression on her face? Seen through her brave facade and realized she was enduring the pain?

Shao Yuye was such a blockhead!

Forget it.

The priority now was restoring her reputation.

During the second and third challenges, Bai Ling used the same strategy.

Whenever she couldn’t participate directly, she cheered Shao Yuye on from the sidelines.

And every time he won with overwhelming speed, she praised him generously.

After all, no one disliked being complimented.

Although Shao Yuye had previously been dissatisfied with her, as the saying goes, you don’t slap a smiling face. He merely gave a cool nod.

“Let’s go.”

Judging from his attitude, Bai Ling knew he was beginning to soften toward her.

—There was still plenty of time ahead.

Bai Ling had a feeling that, in just a few more days, the reputation she had lost would gradually recover.

By the end of the morning, the audience’s opinion of her had indeed begun to improve.

Her agency’s paid commenters also seized the opportunity to help rehabilitate her image:

[Maybe Bai Ling really didn’t do it on purpose before.]

[She seems so gentle, like the kind of person who comforts others, but maybe she’s carrying a lot of pain inside that she can’t talk about.]

[To be fair, if Bai Ling really wasn’t acting intentionally last time, she and Brother Ye actually look pretty good together…]

Of course, the ‘Yu Yu’s immediately snuffed that idea out.

[Don’t drag our Brother Ye into shipping if you’re trying to clear her name, okay?! ]

[Our idol is single. Don’t cue him. We’ll sink every CP ship that comes our way!]

[If Miss Bai just wants to be normal partners, we’ll happily watch. But if she’s still thinking about CP, she’d better give up now!]

Bai Ling’s manager: …Damn it.
These fans are completely impossible to sway!

---

This episode’s prize wheel no longer gave out Speed Tokens or prop cards.

Instead, every slot contained different ingredients.

Their team had cleared the challenges the fastest, so by lunchtime they had collected very few staple foods but quite a lot of fruit.

At that moment, the director announced, “Your lunch will be whatever ingredients you’ve collected. You’ll have to prepare it yourselves!”

Bai Ling looked at the pile of fruit she and Shao Yuye were holding.

The only thing that could actually fill their stomachs was a single self-heating hot pot.

Meanwhile, the richest team by far was Qi Luozhou and Jin Xiaoyu’s.

Their hands were full of proper cooking ingredients.

Jiang Yuan and Zhang Yiran had a fairly even mix of fruit and vegetables.

As for Shen Wanwan and Zhang Song… they had no ingredients at all.

The moment Shao Yuye saw the two of them empty-handed, he immediately became anxious.

—Damn it!
—That brat Zhang Song… don’t tell me he’s going to let my little sister go hungry and miserable!

Jin Xiaoyu quietly asked, “God Zhou, we have the most ingredients. Should we give Shen Wanwan some?”

After all, they were on a deserted island, where survival conditions were much harsher than usual.

Everyone should help each other out.

Unexpectedly, Qi Luozhou shook his head.

He didn’t even glance in Shen Wanwan’s direction.

A faint smile rested on his lips.

“She doesn’t need our charity.”

Jin Xiaoyu looked at him in confusion.

—What’s with that?
—Why does God Zhou sound… proud? Even admiring?

They had only been partners for a single episode.

Did he already have that much confidence in Shen Wanwan?

Meanwhile, viewers who hadn’t watched Shen Wanwan and Zhang Song’s entire challenge were equally confused.

[Wait… don’t tell me they didn’t clear a single stage?]

[Is Shen Wanwan going to go hungry?]

Those who had watched the whole thing merely smiled knowingly.

[Of course not!]

[You’re seriously underestimating this team. She’s Shen Wanwan, after all!]

---

Completely unaware of all this, Bai Ling secretly rejoiced.

She immediately picked up her fruit and walked over to Shen Wanwan and Zhang Song.

“Wanwan, I saw you two didn’t get anything. Here, have these fruits. At least they’ll fill your stomachs.”

This would not only show how considerate she was, but also appeal to Shao Yuye’s siscon nature.

Before Shen Wanwan could respond, Zhang Song spoke first.

“Sister Bai Ling, it’s so cold today. If we eat such cold fruit… won’t we get diarrhea?”

Shen Wanwan shot him an amused glance.

Bai Ling froze.

“…I don’t think so?”

With a completely serious expression, Zhang Song replied, “My stomach isn’t very good. I can’t eat raw food.”

As he spoke, his eyes landed on the self-heating hot pot Bai Ling had deliberately kept.

He immediately pointed at it.

“Sister Bai Ling, if you really want to help us… I’d like that one.”

Bai Ling: “!”

—You really know how to pick, don’t you?!
—If I give you that, what are we supposed to eat?

She instantly found herself in an impossible position.

“Xiao Song…”

“Sister Bai Ling, it’s okay if you don’t want to.”

Zhang Song fiddled with his fingers.

“It’s really fine. You don’t have to give us the fruit either. We have something to eat.”

Bai Ling wore an awkward expression.

She absolutely didn’t want to give it away.

She clutched the self-heating hot pot, hesitating for a long while.

“No, Xiao Song. Of course I’d like to give it to you…”

Before she could utter the inevitable “but…”

Shao Yuye had already swiftly snatched the self-heating hot pot from her hands and tossed it into Zhang Song’s arms.

“Take it, take it!”

—Your Brother is treating you!

Even though he couldn’t stand the kid… he couldn’t let his little sister go hungry.

Bai Ling: “!”

—Then what about us?!
—Are we supposed to starve?
—If eating cold fruit upsets his stomach, ours won’t?!

She stared at Shao Yuye in disbelief.

…Shao Yuye stood there in the wind, looking utterly righteous.

He genuinely looked like a man who was perfectly willing to survive on nothing but air, as long as it meant his little sister wouldn’t go hungry.

---

[Hahaha! Zhang Song, you little brat, are you trying to get yourself killed? You actually dared to link arms with Shen Wanwan?!]

[Brother Ye: I hate clueless kids with no sense of personal boundaries! Let go of her arm already!]

[Though honestly, Zhang Song really should be a bit more careful.]

[LMAO, Director, hurry and switch to Brother Ye’s camera!]

Everyone was eagerly waiting to see Shao Yuye’s reaction.

And Shao Yuye certainly didn’t disappoint. The moment the director cut the camera to his face, he vividly demonstrated one universal truth…

When someone wants to murder another person, it’s written all over their face.

Glaring fiercely at Zhang Song, Shao Yuye barked, “Take your hand off her!”

That was his little sister.

Even he hadn’t gotten to link arms with her on the show yet!

Didn’t this kid know what ‘proper boundaries between men and women’ meant?

Hearing that, Zhang Song only hugged Shen Wanwan’s arm even tighter.

“Nope. Not letting go.”

*Bleh*~

Shao Yuye: “…”

Damn it.

Where the hell had this little punk come from?

Shao Yuye genuinely disliked the brat, but there wasn’t much he could do.

He was seven years older than Zhang Song. If he seriously argued with a kid, it’d just make him look petty.

At that moment, Qi Luozhou, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly took out an item card.

“I want to use a prop card.”

[The game’s not even starting yet. Why’s God Zhou using a card?]

[Is he trying to get more supplies?]

[If God Zhou’s using a card, there has to be a reason. Maybe he noticed something.]

Everyone on the set turned to look at Qi Luozhou.

Between his fingers was a card that clearly read—

Running Card.

The Running Card was a targeted item card.

The designated player had to immediately stop whatever they were doing and start running for five minutes.

[A Running Card?]

[Isn’t that a debuff? Why’s God Zhou suddenly using one?]

“God Zhou, did you grab the wrong card?”

His partner, Jin Xiaoyu, quietly reminded him.

“No.”

Qi Luozhou looked calmly at Zhang Song.

“I designate Zhang Song.”

Zhang Song froze.

“God Zhou…”

Qi Luozhou was a senior he deeply respected and someone he hoped to become like one day.

Why was he suddenly using this card on him?

Shen Wanwan, however, burst into laughter almost instantly.

Qi Luozhou’s gaze shifted from Zhang Song to her.

Their eyes met in midair.

She silently raised an eyebrow.

—“What’s this?
—“Jealous?
—“That’s not my fault.
—“He was the one who linked arms with me.”

The smile on Qi Luozhou’s lips widened. His voice remained as pleasant as ever, but what came out of his mouth was downright devilish.

“Welcome to <Extreme Challenge>.”

The livestream chat exploded.

[?]

[HAHAHAHA! Zhang Song: This is how you’re welcoming me?!]

[I’m laughing to death! Black-bellied God Zhou strikes again!]

[That stunned little expression on Zhang Song’s face is so adorable!]

Even Shao Yuye couldn’t hold back a laugh.

“Pfft.”

This sly fox.

He was actually pretty entertaining.

Silently, Shao Yuye shot him a grateful look.

Qi Luozhou’s expression remained calm, smiling with almost no warmth.

—*Tsk.*

What a fox.

But Shao Yuye had to admit.

At this moment…

He felt incredibly satisfied.

Exceptionally satisfied.

He promptly pulled out two identical cards of his own.

During the previous stop, he’d been desperately clearing challenges with Jiang Yuan just to try getting his sister back, so he’d accumulated quite a collection of cards.

Holding up two Running Cards, he grinned.

“Since you’re new here, let’s start you off with a pair.”

Zhang Song: “Are you guys insane?!”

Jiang Yuan chuckled beside him.

“You brought this on yourself. Why’d you have to provoke him?”

If not for Zhang Song being so young, Shao Yuye would’ve probably thrown a whole stack of bomb cards at him first.

Shao Yuye sneered.

“Let go of my sister, and I’ll spare you.”

Zhang Song’s expression immediately became a masterpiece of conflicting emotions.

He already had one five-minute running penalty from Qi Luozhou!

Another ten minutes wasn’t something to joke about!

His face changed in an instant.

He obediently released Shen Wanwan’s arm.

“Brother Ye, I was wrong.”

Just moments ago, he’d been smirking arrogantly, completely unfazed by Shao Yuye’s threats.

Now he behaved like a little boy who’d just been thoroughly disciplined.

He even folded both hands neatly in front of himself and gave Shao Yuye a deep, respectful bow.

[HAHAHAHA! Seriously, why’d you have to provoke him? Brother Ye didn’t earn the title of ultimate siscon by accident!]

[I’m crying with laughter. Experience beats youth. You’re just a kid, how were you supposed to outplay these seasoned veterans? Take this as a lesson learned!]

[Brother Ye’s smug little expression gets me every single time. God Zhou’s move really made his day!]

At this point, the shipping fans spotted even more material.

[AHHHH! This ‘Rivals’ CP energy! I’m eating it up!]

[“You’re only allowed to find me annoying. No one else.” (joking)]

[God Zhou, you spoil him way too much!]

[The ‘WanZhou’ shippers got fed too!!]

[Someone’s jealous… but I won’t say who~]

Only then did Shao Yuye, satisfied at last, put the two Running Cards away.

Zhang Song had barely joined the show, yet he’d almost won himself a fifteen-minute running penalty.

His fans found the whole thing both exasperating and hilarious, flooding the livestream with pleas for the two superstar celebrities to go easy on him.

[He’s still just a kid! Q_AQ]

[Brother Ye, God Zhou, we’re sorry! Song Song knows he was wrong!]

[Please, just give him another chance! We’ll make sure to discipline this brat. How many peanuts did he eat before coming here to get this cocky? He actually dared to challenge Brother Ye! This little rascal really deserves a spanking!]

Of course, Shao Yuye wasn’t really trying to make things difficult for Zhang Song.

After all, Zhang Song was on the same team as his little sister.

What if the debuff card delayed their progress?

Thinking of that, he turned to look at his sister.

Shen Wanwan was smiling at him sweetly.

“Thank you for showing mercy, Brother.”

Damn.

Who could possibly resist a smile like that?

Pretending to stay composed, Shao Yuye casually waved a hand.

“No problem, no problem.”

The comments instantly exploded.

[Hahaha, Brother Ye, are you blushing?]

[So vicious in front of everyone else, but an absolute sweetheart in front of his little sister!]

[Brother Ye is just too adorable! I’m laughing to death! Hahaha!]

---

As punishment, Zhang Song had to run for five minutes.

The others headed off to tackle the levels first, leaving only Shen Wanwan behind to wait for him.

When Zhang Song finally came back after his five-minute run, he was panting heavily. A thin layer of sweat covered his forehead, and the cold wind had turned his youthful face bright red.

Shen Wanwan kept staring at him.

Curious, Zhang Song touched his cheek.

“Sister, is there something on my face?”

“No.”

As Shen Wanwan withdrew her gaze, she noticed him about to hook his arm around hers again. Without drawing attention to it, she quietly stepped to the side.

“We don’t seem to be that close.”

The meaning behind her words was obvious.

His behavior had crossed the line.

A flicker of hurt flashed through Zhang Song’s eyes.

“Sister… don’t you remember me?”

The unexpected question caught Shen Wanwan off guard.

The livestream comments immediately became curious as well.

[Huh? Did Song Song and Wanwan know each other before?]

[The way Song Song says it… it sounds like they have some kind of history!]

[Don’t tell me Song Song is actually Wanwan and Brother Ye’s long-lost little brother? (joking)]

The audience thought they were about to witness an emotional reunion.

Instead, Shen Wanwan remained expressionless.

“I don’t.”

Zhang Song: “…”

Too real.

He choked on his words for a moment.

But he quickly continued, “It’s normal that you don’t remember me.
“A few years ago, you encouraged me. You helped me so much. You were the one who helped me find my direction!”

Shen Wanwan raised an eyebrow.

“Really?” As Zhang Song nodded enthusiastically, she replied coolly, “Sorry. I don’t remember.”

Her indifference did nothing to dampen Zhang Song’s enthusiasm.

Excitedly, he continued, “Sister, do you know? To me, you’re practically a god.
“Ever since I listened to what you said… I’ve climbed all the way to Top 1.”

Although Shen Wanwan had absolutely no recollection of him, that didn’t stop Zhang Song from telling the story with great excitement.

---

He had been discovered as a trainee child star and debuted together with three teammates as part of the idol group III.

When they first debuted, he was by far the least noticeable member of the group.

Even though his singing, dancing, and acting were all the best among the four.

The fans simply liked his teammates more.

Teammate A had a baby face and had been adorable ever since he was little. Fans absolutely adored him, praising him every day for being irresistibly cute.

Teammate B, despite his young age, had an exceptionally cool and aloof personality. Fans loved that too. Whenever he smiled in front of the camera, they celebrated as if it were New Year’s.

As for Teammate C, there was even less to say. He was a refined young heir from a wealthy family. Every word and gesture radiated elegance, earning him the nickname of the ‘Little Gentleman.’

Only Zhang Song… had very few fans, and even fewer people talking about him.

Some group fans even bluntly declared: “This group would be just fine without Zhang Song.”

Hearing that vicious comment completely shattered him.

He remembered it clearly.

It was after one of their performances.

The audience below the stage was passionately cheering for his teammates.

He, too, stood beneath the spotlight, yet he felt completely invisible.

The young boy hid alone in the backstage dressing room, crying in secret.

Until a lazy female voice spoke up.

“You’re being noisy.”

Zhang Song fell silent instantly.

He bit down hard on his lower lip. His upper lip trembled violently as he struggled to hold himself together, but tears continued streaming uncontrollably from the corners of his eyes.

He sobbed quietly, every grievance he’d been bottling up reaching its limit.

He managed to stay quiet for only a second.

Then he completely lost control and burst into loud sobs.

“I know everyone hates me… Nobody likes me… I’ll quit… I’ll leave the group…”

The little boy wanted nothing more than to cry his heart out.

He hadn’t even cried for two seconds before someone stuffed a cookie into his mouth.

It was sweet.

Through blurry, tear-filled eyes, he looked up, and saw a woman of breathtaking beauty.

Her delicate brows were tightly knitted together, clearly annoyed by all the noise he was making.

“Why are you crying?
“If you want people to like you, then keep working hard.”

Still sniffling, Zhang Song replied, “But… in this industry… what’s the point of working hard?”

“Who said hard work is useless?”

Shen Wanwan’s tone turned unexpectedly sharp.

“The problem is that you haven’t worked hard enough.”

Zhang Song protested, “But all my skills are already maxed out within our group! My dancing even competed in world-class competitions…”

Before he could finish, Shen Wanwan had already lost interest and casually waved a dismissive hand, “You don’t have to tell me all that.”

Zhang Song froze.

Then he heard her cold, emotionless voice: “We’ve already been talking for thirty seconds.
“But I have no memory of you.
“I can’t even remember your name. How do you expect me to notice all your hard work?”

It was the plain truth.

And it cut incredibly deep.

A single sentence struck right at the heart.

He stared at her blankly, so stunned that he even forgot to cry. The cookie was still tucked in his mouth.

Finding his reaction a little amusing, Shen Wanwan stuffed the box of cookies into his hands. Before leaving, she gave him one last piece of advice, “Think carefully about how to make people remember you.”

Zhang Song wasn’t stupid.

Because of that one sentence, his popularity quickly caught up with the other members of his group. Before long, he surpassed them all, becoming the group’s undisputed No. 1 member and main ace.

It wasn’t until much, much later that he learned the woman who had shown him the way that day was Shen Wanwan.

She had a breathtakingly beautiful face, one glance was enough to make anyone remember her forever.

Shen Wanwan.

He engraved those three words firmly into his heart.

---

As the director explained the situation, he watched Shao Yuye making trip after trip to unload suitcases from the yacht.

He lined them up one after another.

There were well over a dozen.

And Shao Yuye was still running back for more.

The director’s mouth twitched.

“A reminder for everyone, you’re only allowed to keep two suitcases.”

Shao Yuye froze, suitcase in hand.

“…What did you just say?!”

Then what was the point of bringing all these suitcases?!

The director couldn’t help laughing.

“Two per person. So you’ll need to decide which suitcases you’re keeping.”

Now everyone already knew that Shao Yuye and Shen Wanwan were biological siblings. After watching Shao Yuye’s siscon behavior over the past few days, they all had a pretty good idea of what to expect from him.

But twenty suitcases?!

Jin Xiaoyu couldn’t help exclaiming, “Brother Ye, are you here for a vacation?!”

Zhang Yiran laughed, “With this much stuff, he’d have no problem surviving in the wilderness!”

Even the ever-kind Jiang Yuan couldn’t resist commenting, “Isn’t this a bit too much?”

Shao Yuye shot everyone a glare over his shoulder, “What do you know? It’s so cold. What if my sister catches a chill?”

Everyone: “…”

—Damn siscon.
—Will you shut up already?!

Only Shen Wanwan was smiling.

The sea breeze was strong. Her long hair flowed behind her, lifted by the wind, making her look especially quiet and gentle.

But she immediately shattered that illusion herself, replying without the slightest embarrassment, “Exactly. What if I get cold?”

Bullet comments:

[You two siblings are really unbelievable!]

[HAHAHA! Brother Ye: “It’s my little sister, of course I’m going to spoil her to death!” Wanwan: “My Brother cares so much about me. Of course I’ll back him up!”]

[Another day of being moved by this heartwarming sibling bond!]

---

While Shao Yuye was still agonizing over which suitcases to keep, the final two arrivals finally reached the island—the new guest and Qi Luozhou.

The new guest stepped in front of the camera first.

He was a lively young man whose eyes curved into crescents whenever he smiled, revealing two adorable little tiger teeth.

The livestream exploded.

[Wow! It’s Zhang Song!]

[Thank goodness Su Tingxuan dropped out! Zhang Song is so cute!]

“Hi, everyone! Hello, all my Sisters! I’m Zhang Song!”

The newly turned eighteen-year-old radiated youthful energy.

He was handsome, had a sweet voice, and his cheerful ‘Sisters’ nearly made countless viewers lose their minds.

[AHHHH, Zhang Song! Whatever you want, this Sister will bankrupt herself to buy it for you!]

[Please take good care of the newcomer, our Xiao Song!]

Zhang Song had debuted as a child actor, so audiences had practically watched him grow up. He was like everyone’s little brother and enjoyed tremendous goodwill from viewers.

Jin Xiaoyu clutched her chest.

“Awww! Song Song is so adorable!”

—I really want to be on the same team as him!
—Even if we finish dead last and have to stay in a rundown house, it’d be worth it!

Just then, Qi Luozhou stepped off the boat as well.

With that, every guest had officially arrived.

The director called out loudly,

“Now, let’s announce the team pairings from the previous stop.”

Bullet comments:

[AHHH! Finally!]

[We’ve waited forever for the pairings!]

---

This time, the director started with Jiang Yuan, who had been announced last the previous round.

“Jiang Yuan.”

Jiang Yuan stepped forward.

The director grinned.

“Do you think you’ll finally be paired with a female guest this time?”

Jiang Yuan glanced at Bai Ling.

“I think… probably?”

Bai Ling was usually pretty considerate. After hearing him complain for so many episodes, surely she’d assigned him a female teammate this time.

The director struggled not to laugh.

“Jiang Yuan, congratulations. You’ll be teaming up with Zhang Yiran.”

Bai Ling awkwardly looked up at the sky.

Jiang Yuan: “…?”

He slowly turned toward Zhang Yiran.

“Five episodes…
“A full five episodes…
“And I still haven’t been paired with a single female guest!”

The livestream was flooded with laughter.

Zhang Yiran dramatically brushed back his nonexistent hair.

“Being my partner, don’t feel inferior.”

Jiang Yuan smiled faintly and prayed, “I just hope you won’t be the worst man I’ve ever been partnered with.”

Bullet comments:

[HAHAHAHA!]

[That roast was absolutely savage!]

[I’m dying! Zhang Yiran: ‘Now you’re ranking us too?!’]

---

The director then called Bai Ling’s name.

“Bai Ling, who did you choose?”

Her expression stiffened.

If she could turn back time, she’d rather never have been the lucky guest who got to choose the partner assignments.

The audience was also extremely curious about her choice.

Especially the ‘Yu Yu’s.

[Miss Bai, if you picked Brother Ye, don’t blame us for criticizing you.]

[Anyone else is fine, but if you chose Brother Ye… it’s going to look like you threw yourself into his arms on purpose.]

Before the fans even finished typing their warnings…

Bai Ling had already walked over to Shao Yuye, her cheeks flushed bright red.

“Shao Yuye…”

Bullet comments:

[Hah, everyone actually guessed right? Pairing yourself with Brother Ye? Bai Ling really has no shame.]

[The more you think about it, the scarier it gets. If Brother Ye hadn’t also been photographed entering and leaving with Wanwan, wouldn’t Bai Ling have started a dating rumor the moment last episode ended?]

[What a clever scheme. First she ‘accidentally’ falls into Brother Ye’s arms to gain attention, then claims it wasn’t intentional, and afterward she deliberately picks him as her teammate. She should just change her name to Bai Lian¹ already.]

Shao Yuye looked at her expressionlessly.

Ever since those photos of Bai Ling falling into his arms had surfaced, he’d had a bad feeling.

This time, he probably wouldn’t be able to stay on the same team as his sister again.

He just hadn’t expected that prediction to come true so quickly.

A faint sheen of tears appeared in Bai Ling’s eyes.

She looked as though she was about to cry.

“About what happened before… I really didn’t do it on purpose.”

Back when she made her choice, the person she’d actually wanted most was God Zhou.

Qi Luozhou was wonderful.

He was her ideal type.

The man she’d secretly admired for a long time.

But he was simply too emotionally distant.

Unlike Shao Yuye, whose likes and dislikes were unmistakable and whose emotions were intense.

With Shao Yuye, fans could instantly tell exactly how he felt about someone.

Whether he liked them…

Or hated them.

He had disliked Shen Wanwan so much before…

Yet later, they’d gotten along so well.

Back then, how could she possibly have known they were actually brother and sister?

Shao Yuye kept both hands in his pockets and didn’t respond.

He was already thinking about how to get back to his little sister somehow.

001 lay on Shen Wanwan’s shoulder, looking worried.

{Now that the heroine is standing beside your brother, the glow around her has become a little brighter again.}

Shen Wanwan’s indifferent gaze swept lightly across the two of them before she nodded.

“Looks like we’ll have to find a way to separate them.”

Her brother looked hot-tempered and stubborn…

But in reality, his heart was unbelievably soft.

Previously, Bai Ling had been at odds with Shen Wanwan and disliked her so much. Yet after Shen Wanwan treated her kindly for a few days, Bai Ling had been able to let go of her grudge.

Shen Wanwan actually didn’t mind Bai Ling being paired with her Brother.

It was just that Bai Ling’s actions before and after made it impossible for anyone to stay calm about it.

As for her Brother… there was no counting on his terrible luck when it came to drawing lots.

Next, she’d have to find a way to get a Partner Swap Card as well.

At this point, only Jin Xiaoyu, Qi Luozhou, Zhang Song, and Shen Wanwan remained on the field.

Jin Xiaoyu was overjoyed.

Bai Ling had divided the teams so well!

No matter who she ended up with, it would be a good outcome!

Just then, the director called Shen Wanwan’s name.

“Shen Wanwan.
“Your partner is a boy.
“Who do you think it’ll be?”

The livestream chat instantly flooded with [God Zhou!].

[Let the little brother team up with Jin Xiaoyu! Xiaoyu’s eyes lit up the moment she saw Xiao Song just now!]

[Aaaah, Bai Ling! Be kind, please! Anyone who breaks up my CP deserves death!]

At that moment, a loud snort echoed through the livestream.

Shao Yuye spoke arrogantly from the side.

“As long as it’s not me, no guy who teams up with my sister is going to interest her, okay?”

[Hahaha! ‘Siscon’ Brother Ye has appeared again!]

[I seriously suspect that line was directed at God Zhou…]

Knowing exactly what the audience wanted, the camera switched to Qi Luozhou.

His expression remained unchanged, as indifferent and detached as ever, as though nothing in the world could stir him.

As if echoing her Brother’s words, Shen Wanwan replied leisurely,

“Anyone is fine.”

After all, she was going to swap her Brother back onto her team.

That meant whoever her current partner was would inevitably be switched over to Bai Ling’s side.

If she were being a little selfish…

She actually hoped that partner wouldn’t be Qi Luozhou.

But Qi Luozhou had no idea what she was thinking.

Hearing her words, the corners of his lips tightened almost imperceptibly.

The chat sighed collectively.

[Damn, today’s ‘WanZhou’ content is filled with sugar!]

[What do I do? I still think they’re so shippable. When Wanwan said “anyone is fine,” God Zhou was obviously a tiny bit disappointed!]

[They were partners for an entire episode, and she still says “anyone is fine.” Woman, you’ve caught my attention. 🐶]

Seeing that Shen Wanwan wasn’t giving him any dramatic reactions to work with, the director hurriedly announced, “Shen Wanwan, you’re teamed up with Zhang Song.”

[Huh? Wasn’t Zhang Song replacing Su Tingxuan?]

[So Bai Ling originally assigned Wanwan to Su Tingxuan?!]

[I didn’t complain when Bai Ling picked Shao Yuye because that’s normal, who wouldn’t want to be on Brother Ye’s team? But assigning Wanwan to Su Tingxuan? What was that supposed to mean? She was obviously setting Su Tingxuan up to drag Wanwan down!]

[Thank goodness it’s Zhang Song now. If it had really been Su Tingxuan, I’d be cursing Bai Ling!]

Since Shen Wanwan was paired with Zhang Song…

Jin Xiaoyu’s eyes sparkled as she looked at God Zhou.

Oh my god!

She was teamed up with God Zhou!

This was amazing!!!

She quickly pressed her palms together and promised Qi Luozhou, “God Zhou, I’ll do my best not to hold you back!”

“Okay.”

Qi Luozhou nodded calmly.

Yet, despite himself, his gaze drifted toward Shen Wanwan and Zhang Song.

Zhang Song happily trotted over carrying the gift he’d brought and held it out in front of Shen Wanwan. “Sister, this is the gift I picked out for you. I hope we’ll have a great time working together this episode!”

The eighteen-year-old’s smile was bright, sweet, and incredibly infectious.

On such a cold day, just looking at him made people feel warm.

Even someone as aloof as Shen Wanwan couldn’t help curling her lips into a small smile.

“Thank you.”

Standing beside Bai Ling, Shao Yuye hadn’t taken his eyes off Shen Wanwan for even a moment.

And he didn’t like the look of Zhang Song either.

This little brat kept calling her ‘Sister’ over and over.

Just looking at him, he knew the kid was up to no good!

“Now that you’ve accepted my gift, we’re friends!” Zhang Song naturally slipped his arm around Shen Wanwan’s, his face full of innocent sincerity, “Sister, let’s go do the mission together!”

The movement was simply too quick.

Too smooth.

So quick that even Shen Wanwan didn’t react in time.

And in that very instant—

Two burning gazes from completely different directions landed simultaneously on the arm wrapped around Shen Wanwan’s, staring at it intensely.

---

1. 白莲(bái lián) from 白莲花 (bái lián huā) which means White Lotus, is Chinese internet slang used as a sarcastic remark for a person who feigns innocence, purity, and moral superiority. ↩︎

---

[It’s the middle of the night, and Brother Ye is seriously killing me with laughter!]

[Hahaha! @AiliAili, please, take that video down already! Otherwise Brother Ye won’t be able to sleep tonight!]

[What did he even do wrong? He just doesn’t want anyone stealing his little sister away. 😂 Brother, why don’t you go fall in love instead?]

@ShaoYuye : [Fall in love? Not happening in this lifetime. And if you people are going to date, keep your eyes open. Don’t go picking up just any swamp goblin.]

[HAHAHA! Help! Brother Ye, you’re really not afraid of offending people, are you?]

[Waaah! Brother Ye, I’m crying. Forget it, I hereby declare myself your little sister for tonight!]

Even though Shao Yuye spent a while going on a rant, the short video on AiliAili still wasn’t taken down.

Instead, thanks to his strong reaction, it only became even more popular.

The uploader, @Qingwa, took the opportunity to post on Weibo:

[Never thought my video would actually be seen by the future brother-in-law. 🐶🌹
Next video, I’m giving Wanwan a full-on love battlefield—how about N men competing for one woman?]

The comments below were filled with laughter.

[You can tell Teacher Qingwa is Brother Ye’s anti-fan.]

[Darn it! They must’ve been sent by his enemy!]

[Brother Ye, don’t look! It’s a hate comment!]

Shao Yuye was so angry he almost puffed up like a blowfish.

The ‘Yu Yu’s sighed.

Ah well.

When it’s your own idol, you comfort him yourself.

That very night, a fan edit titled:

#What Did He Do Wrong? He Only Made the Same Mistake Every Siscon in the World Makes!#

shot up the trending charts.

The video opened with Shao Yuye swaggering out of a car in the coolest way imaginable. His handsome face was expressionless, sunglasses resting on the bridge of his nose.

Then he solemnly declared:

“Hello, everyone. I’m a top-tier siscon.
“This is my little sister, Shen Wanwan.”

The camera cut to Shen Wanwan.

Her breathtaking looks rivaled Shao Yuye’s—beautiful, cool, elegant, and flawless.

“My little sister is this adorable. How could I possibly let my guard down?
“Whenever a woman tries to get close to me—”

The edit inserted footage from the earlier game where Shao Yuye shoved Bai Ling away during the chair-grabbing challenge.

“Get away from me~!
“Whenever a man tries to get close to my little sister—”

Shao Yuye struck again.

“Keep walking!!”

The finale featured a transformation effect.

Using one of Shao Yuye’s signature poses from his competition days—raising his left hand high—the uploader even added a classic transformation sound effect.

He transformed into the righteous Ultraman.

“My little sister! I’ll protect her!”

The entire video radiated chaotic, joyful energy.

Countless ‘Yu Yu’s and viewers laughed so hard they nearly lost it.

[HAHAHA! Quick, tag Brother Ye so he sees this!]

[I’m dying. That Ultraman ending is the absolute highlight!]

[HAHAHAHAHAHA! Ultraman, don’t look! It’s a hate comment!]

---

Meanwhile, the production team of <Extreme Challenge> finally completed their full test of the next filming location and officially informed the guests that shooting would resume.

This stop would take all eight guests to a deserted island.

It would be freezing.

The temperature would plummet day and night until every breath turned into frost. Once night fell, icy winds would howl across the island, and the guests would have to do everything they could to obtain items that could keep them warm.

It would also be pitch-black.

Without earning a camping lantern before nightfall, they wouldn’t even be able to see their own hands.

The crashing waves against the reefs sounded like the mournful wails of wandering ghosts.

Even survival itself would be a challenge.

Every meal would have to be cooked from scratch, and race rewards would no longer be Speed Tokens—they would be ingredients instead.

Watching the team finish simulating every stage of the island, the director’s eyes sparkled.

—I can’t wait…
—What kind of surprise is Shen Wanwan going to bring us this time?

Meanwhile, completely unaware of the production team’s plans, the guests calmly prepared to set off from home.

Now that Shen Wanwan and Shao Yuye had been revealed as real siblings, there was no way the show would miss the opportunity to capitalize on the buzz.

In previous seasons, the livestream always began after the guests had already arrived on location.

This time, however, filming would begin from the moment they departed.

The production team had even instructed everyone not to pack in advance so they could capture footage of the packing process.

[WAAAAAAH! It’s finally here!!!]

[Brother Ye and Wanwan are living together now! Yay!]

Between Shao Yuye’s and Shen Wanwan’s luggage, there were over twenty suitcases.

They were all piled together, making it impossible to tell whose was whose.

Though everyone knew the answer.

Most of them had to belong to Shen Wanwan.

Staff member Xiao Jin stared in stunned silence.

They had expected Shen Wanwan to bring a lot of luggage.

Just…

Not this much.

He asked in disbelief, “Brother Ye… you’re bringing this many suitcases?”

“Of course.”

As Shao Yuye directed his assistants to carry them downstairs, he replied matter-of-factly,

“We’re going to an island this time. It doesn’t matter if I suffer—but what if my little sister has to?”

[Did you see that smug little expression on Brother Ye’s face? I’m dying. He finally gets to show his siscon nature openly!]

[Hahaha, exactly! What if our Wanwan has to suffer? By the way, where is Wanwan?]

Almost as soon as that comment appeared, Shen Wanwan walked out of her room.

She was wearing an off-white sweater, which softened the cold, distant aura she usually gave off.

A chilly breeze swept in through the open doorway, gently lifting her thin bangs.

She raised her eyes ever so slightly toward the camera.

Those calm, clear eyes instantly sent the livestream chat into a frenzy.

[AAAAAH! Wanwan is so beautiful, my daughter!!]

[I’m so jealous of Brother Ye. Living with Wanwan must be absolute heaven!]

[LOL, just look at Brother Ye’s priceless expression, you can tell he’s enjoying every second of it!]

“Well?” she asked.

Shao Yuye proudly showed Shen Wanwan the results of all his preparations.

The livestream comments were dying of laughter.

[Hahaha! Why does Brother Ye give off this vibe of… “Look, little sister, this is the empire your Brother has built for you!”]

[More than twenty suitcases is seriously over the top!]

“You don’t need to bring that much.”

This stop was on a deserted island, and it was obvious that the production team wanted to create survival-themed entertainment.

Shen Wanwan expected the directors to place restrictions on what they could bring.

[Hahaha! Brother Ye has gone so overboard that even Wanwan can’t take it anymore?]

[I’m dying. Wanwan: Are you going on vacation or filming a variety show?]

[But this is a deserted island! Better be cautious and bring everything! It’s practically wilderness survival!]

Shao Yuye insisted.

“It’s better to be overprepared than caught off guard.”

Since he was so determined, Shen Wanwan didn’t press the issue.

---

Meanwhile, in Qi Luozhou’s livestream, everyone was also watching him pack.

He had very few belongings.

Aside from a few essential changes of clothes, he packed nothing else.

One suitcase was enough, simple and neat.

[Hmm… I just came over from Brother Ye and Wanwan’s stream. Suddenly God Zhou’s luggage feels so… minimal.]

[Seriously. They have over twenty suitcases over there, and God Zhou only has one.]

[Zhou Shen, pack a little more! It’s a deserted island! You’ll be there for a full five days! Five whole days!!]

Unfortunately, the comments were far too distant for Qi Luozhou to hear.

He quietly zipped up his suitcase, stood it upright, extended the handle, and said,

“Let’s go.”

The cameraman dutifully followed him out.

[Wait… Sisters, am I seeing things? Did that quick camera sweep just catch a pair of women’s slippers?]

[Whoa? I think I saw them too…]

[They even looked pretty cute…]

[Help! Could God Zhou actually be seeing someone? Remember that time he went out late at night just to buy desserts?]

[They could also belong to his mom. Anyway, let’s not make wild guesses until God Zhou says something himself.]

[Actually, I noticed it back in the living room too. There was this adorable strawberry mug on the coffee table. That definitely doesn’t look like something God Zhou would use.]

As one of the country’s biggest stars, every little thing Qi Luozhou did was watched closely.

Entertainment gossip accounts immediately caught the scent and flooded Weibo with posts.

[Something’s going on?! A strawberry mug and women’s slippers spotted in Qi Luozhou’s home—suspected romance!!]

The ‘Xiao Chuan’s hated clickbait gossip accounts the most and didn’t even bother giving them any attention.

---

At the same time, #Mystery Guest of <Extreme Challenge># shot to the top of the trending searches.

Starting from this episode, Su Tingxuan had withdrawn from the show.

A brand-new guest would take his place.

Everyone else was livestreaming, but only the mysterious guest’s footage had been pre-recorded.

That was because the production team intended to blur his face and digitally alter his voice.

The audience immediately became excited.

[Wow! Su Tingxuan is finally gone!]

[So who is the new guest?!]

[Come on, Director! Hurry up already!]

From the video, viewers could only tell that the guest was a young man who didn’t look very old.

They learned nothing else.

The mysterious guest then waved an adorable cartoon gift box in his hand.

“This is a gift I’ve prepared for the partner I’ll be teaming up with.”

[He looks pretty young!]

[He’s so cute! Totally an energetic little brother type!]

[Hurry up! I can’t wait to watch everyone in <Extreme Challenge>!]

---

After a three-hour journey, Shao Yuye and Shen Wanwan finally arrived at the deserted island designated by the production team.

At that point, only Su Tingxuan’s replacement and Qi Luozhou had yet to arrive.

Zhang Yiran asked, “Where are God Zhou and Su Tingxuan?”

The director replied, “The boat carrying him and the new guest ran into a small problem, so they’re still on the way. Please be patient a little longer.”

“The new guest?”

The director nodded, “Yes. Su Tingxuan withdrew from the competition, so we’ve found someone new to replace him.”

The moment those words were spoken, Bai Ling’s expression visibly darkened.

Something this important…

Su Tingxuan hadn’t even told her.

---

Shao Yuye rushed back to the capital overnight.

During a break, he watched the videos the students had uploaded. Hearing Shao Hongyuan call out “Ningning” again and again made his blood boil, his fists clenching tightly.

When he and Shen Wanwan had finally acknowledged each other as siblings, she had never wanted to talk about that old name.

And now Shao Hongyuan had shamelessly exposed it to the public. Rage surged through Shao Yuye, and he wished he could beat the man senseless on the spot.

If even he was this furious, then his little sister must surely be upset as well.

So as soon as filming wrapped up, he turned down the production team’s invitation to celebrate New Year’s together and hurried back to the capital without stopping.

The house was quiet.

His sister was most likely already asleep.

Just as he was about to wash up, the electronic lock at the front door beeped.

Shao Yuye turned around and found himself staring at Shen Wanwan, who had just opened the door.

She froze for a moment.

“You’re back this early?”

Shao Yuye glanced at what she was wearing. It was the same outfit she’d had on in today’s video. She had probably gone back to see Shen Mingzhen.

His feelings toward Shen Mingzhen had become rather complicated, so he chose not to ask about it. Instead, he simply said,

“I was worried about you.”

“But I told you already. I’m really not angry at all.” Shen Wanwan changed into her slippers by the entrance, “But it’s good that you’re back. We can welcome the New Year together.”

As she walked inside, Shao Yuye suddenly stepped closer.

“Wait a second.”

Shen Wanwan stopped where she was, letting her brother study her for a couple of seconds.

“What is it?”

His gaze remained fixed on her rosy lips.

“Why do they look… kind of inflamed?”

For once, Shen Wanwan was caught off guard.

“Huh?”

She instinctively touched her lips.

“Maybe a little.”

For some reason, panic welled up inside her. Casually tossing out, “I’m going to take a shower,” she quickly went to grab some clean clothes.

Meanwhile, Shao Yuye was busy searching online for foods that could reduce ‘internal heat,’ completely missing the faint blush spreading across her ears and the slight disorder in her hurried footsteps.

Shen Wanwan took her clothes into the bathroom. When she looked in the mirror, she realized her lips were startlingly red.

—We kissed for too long… They’re actually swollen…

The scene of her kiss with Qi Luozhou replayed vividly in her mind.

An indescribably strange feeling filled her heart.

Subconsciously, she licked her lips.

---

The next morning, Shao Yuye brewed her a cup of chrysanthemum tea.

“Drink this. It’ll help reduce the heat.”

Shen Wanwan obediently finished the entire large cup.

Everyone’s social media feed was filled with New Year’s greetings, and as the new year began, Shen Wanwan also received wonderful news.

Shao Hongyuan had been summoned by the police for investigation on suspicion of financial fraud.

It was obvious this was her stepfather’s doing.

Back then, Shen Rong had already wanted to deal with Shao Hongyuan, but Shen Mingzhen had only wanted to live her life peacefully. Since she had said to let it go, Shen Rong had reluctantly backed off.

But this time, the one Shao Hongyuan had provoked was his precious daughter.

Shen Rong’s game of cat and mouse officially came to an end. Over the years, he had quietly collected plenty of evidence of Shao Hongyuan’s crimes, more than enough to ensure the man would spend the rest of his life behind bars.

Shen Wanwan sent her Dad a thumbs-up emoji.

Shen Rong replied almost immediately.

It was a sticker she had made earlier using a photo she’d taken of him.

In the image, Shen Rong tilted his chin up slightly with a smug smile on his face. Across it were three decorative words:

‘Piece of cake~’

Shen Wanwan couldn’t help laughing out loud.

---

Meanwhile, the normally low-profile official Weibo account of Rongyi Group unexpectedly posted an update.

Previously, many people hadn’t been able to connect the company with Shen Wanwan.

But after everything that had happened the previous night, countless people had finally realized one undeniable fact—

Shen Wanwan was the princess of Rongyi Group.

@RongyiGroup : [The boss says it’s a new year and a fresh start. We’re picking a few lucky—well, unlucky—people to receive a free apartment. (image.jpg)]

Comments:

[A whole apartment?! Dad, look at me! I want to be one of those ‘unlucky’ people!]

[Wow! That’s insanely generous! They’re literally giving away a house!]

[Am I the only one who noticed the sticker? President Shen is actually this trendy? He’s using Shen Wanwan’s meme sticker!]

Rongyi Group soon followed up with another post:

[That’s right. Our boss is a total daughter doter, so the giveaway is only open to fans who have never bad-mouthed Shen Wanwan and who genuinely like her!]

It was obvious they were using the giveaway to thank Shen Wanwan’s fans.

The ‘Wan Feng’s was deeply touched.

[Thank you, President Shen! He really loves Wanwan!]

[This slap in the face feels amazing! Yesterday so many people were stirring up drama, claiming Wanwan wasn’t President Shen’s biological daughter and that he wouldn’t care about her. And today he’s openly showing off his daughter!]

[Exactly! I don’t get people who try to drive a wedge between them. If their relationship were bad, would he give away multiple apartments to thank her fans? Would he use his daughter’s meme stickers when chatting with employees?]

The hashtag #Rongyi Group Stands Up for Shen Wanwan# shot straight to the top of the trending searches.

As people praised the company, Rongyi Group’s stock price also surged.

Very few people online were still paying attention to Shen Wanwan’s past.

When the incident first began to gain traction, quite a few people who were just as rotten as Shao Hongyuan came out in support of him.

But it wasn’t long before clear-headed netizens fought back.

Everyone condemned Shao Hongyuan.

They also condemned irresponsible fathers who were every bit as awful as he was.

As for the mastermind behind Shao Hongyuan…

It was none other than Lin Shiran, who still refused to give up.

Apparently, the previous lesson hadn’t been painful enough.

Before long, Lin Shiran shot back onto the trending search. This time because he had been beaten up by a wealthy businessman’s legal wife after having an affair with her husband. The scandal left countless gossip lovers utterly stunned.

[What the hell?]

[A popular idol was secretly the ‘other man’ in someone else’s marriage?!]

[How did this guy even manage to keep fans?]

After the earlier scandals involving casual hookups and sleeping with fans, some die-hard supporters had still defended him, insisting that their idol was just a normal man with normal physical needs. Those people truly were the definition of brain-dead loyalists.

But this time, despite everyone roasting him nonstop, not a single fan account came out to control the narrative.

Turns out they had mostly been paid internet trolls all along.

With this mountain of black material exposed, the amateur celebrity’s career was completely over. On top of that, he would have to pay astronomical breach-of-contract penalties to every company he had partnered with.

At last, this farce finally came to an end.

Having finished their popcorn-worthy drama, netizens eagerly shifted their attention back to Qi Luozhou and Shen Wanwan.

You couldn’t really blame their curiosity.

After all, in all the years since God Zhou debuted, this was the first time there had ever been even the faintest hint of a pink romance surrounding him.

One side argued:

[God Zhou just happened to pass by and lent Shen Wanwan a hand. You’re all reading way too much into it.]

The other side insisted that there had to be something going on between Qi Luozhou and Shen Wanwan.

Ironically, it was the ‘Xiao Chuan’s, Qi Luozhou’s own fans, who were the most laid-back:

[Whatever the truth is, as long as God Zhou is happy, we’ll support him!]

That didn’t stop the ‘WanZhou’ shippers from getting a wealth of fresh material to work with.

Within just one day, another famous fan editor uploaded a brand-new CP compilation video. The moment it was posted, WanZhou rocketed straight to the No. 1 spot on the CP rankings.

[【WanZhou】Your Eyes Are a Galaxy That Never Sets
[I may one day grow tired of this horizon,
[And everything that lies upon it.
[But I will forever cherish
[The tiny universe reflected in your eyes.]

As a devoted Wanzhou shipper, Xiao Le clicked on the video the instant the notification popped up.

A gentle, soothing melody began to play.

The screen slowly brightened as the black fade disappeared, revealing a dazzling hall filled with brilliant lights.

It was footage from the StarShow charity gala.

Shen Wanwan turned around in a flowing white gown. The blue diamond hanging from her slender neck sparkled brilliantly.

Qi Luozhou, dressed in a white suit, walked slowly toward her through the light.

The subtitles had all been written by the uploader.

“Hello.” He stopped in front of her, “I’m Qi Luozhou.”

She looked at him calmly with her cool, detached gaze.

“Shen Wanwan.”

Off to the side, Shao Yuye watched them like a hawk. He tore Qi Luozhou’s nameplate off his chair and warned, “Hey. Stay away from my little sister.”

Qi Luozhou turned his head slightly.

The corners of his lips curved upward ever so subtly, carrying an unfathomable smile.

“‘Little sister,’ huh…
“Are you really that close? Calling her that so affectionately.”

Shen Wanwan lifted her chin arrogantly.

Qi Luozhou simply looked at her in silence.

The crystal chandelier above shone brilliantly, making his fair skin appear even paler. His peach blossom eyes were clear and luminous.

As his long eyelashes lowered, the slight curve of his lips seemed tinged with a trace of playful amusement.

Then the scene transitioned.

She had been trapped in the middle of the crowd. Even then, she held herself proudly, though her predicament lent her an almost imperceptible hint of dishevelment.

Then he appeared, and everything changed for the better.

She looked at him and arched a brow.

“Why are you here?”

The man strode over, his well-defined fingers closing around her wrist.

“What, was I supposed to stand by and watch you be humiliated?”

With everyone’s eyes on them, he led her away.

They stopped somewhere far from the crowd. Shen Wanwan took out her wallet and began counting the money inside.

“How much do you want?”

The corners of his lips curved upward. He was still smiling, but there wasn’t the slightest warmth in his eyes.

“I don’t want money.”

“Hm?”

Shen Wanwan paused in the middle of counting.

“Then what do you want?”

“If it’s what I want… would you give it to me?”

What followed was a long sequence of symbolic, atmospheric shots: his Adam’s apple bobbing ever so slightly, his hand suddenly clenching into a fist, lights swaying softly, and roses slowly blooming in the darkness.

The video ended with breathless, heart-racing gasps that made viewers blush, but the imagination it left behind continued to run wild.

[AHHHH! What kind of scenes are you hiding from us adults?! Show us! Please!]

[Brother Ye: So I’ve become part of your roleplay too?]

[This ‘WanZhou’ pairing is insanely addictive!]

[After watching this video I really want to ship them in real life… but these two probably have absolutely no chance of getting together, huh…]

Xiao Le was completely swept away by the pairing. She watched the video over and over before excitedly sending it to her friend.

[AHHHHHHHH! They’re so shippable! So shippable!]

[Help! Why are these two so sweet? Meanwhile my own boss is as cold as ice sitting right next to me!]

[Teacher Qingwa is just built differently. They took a bunch of ordinary clips and turned them into something that has everyone shipping them like crazy! You have to watch it, it’s so good!]

After sending it, she realized she was hungry and went to make herself a cup of instant noodles. When she checked her phone again, Shen Wanwan had replied with a single:

[?]

Late at night.

Her boss… replying with a question mark.

Xiao Le’s heart skipped a beat. She nervously opened the chat window, and the moment she did, she nearly jumped out of her skin.

When had she sent the video to Wanwan?!

The chat history was filled with her string of excited screams… followed by the video itself.

*Gulp.*

Swallowing hard, Xiao Le clutched her phone with icy hands. She felt like the world had ended.

I’m dead.

She’d been shipping her boss’s CP, and had accidentally shoved it right into the boss’s face. She was definitely getting fired.

Xiao Le: [Ahem… S-sorry, Wanwan. I sent it to the wrong person…]

She attached a pitiful crying sticker for good measure.

She didn’t even have the appetite for her instant noodles anymore, anxiously waiting for Shen Wanwan’s reply.

—Please don’t… It’s New Year’s Day. Am I really going to lose my job today?!

Just as she was drowning in worry, Shen Wanwan’s message arrived.

[Is it really that shippable?]

Xiao Le’s eyes lit up.

—Well, if you’re asking me that… then I’m definitely not sleepy anymore!

Still uncertain about her boss’s attitude, she answered as tactfully as possible.

[It’s… not that bad. Mostly it’s just us shippers being good at imagining things… Wanwan, I’m really sorry. I swear, you and God Zhou are only just a tiny little bit shippable… just this much…]

Reading the reply, Shen Wanwan could almost picture Xiao Le sticking her thumb and index finger together, leaning forward slightly as she gestured, “Just this tiny.”

Lowering her eyes, she let out a soft laugh before deftly typing a reply.

[It’s okay. Ship away.]

[Happy New Year.]

Xiao Le: “!”

—Boss… If that’s your attitude…
—Then I’m going to ship you two with everything I’ve got!

The ‘WanZhou’ pairing quickly became the hottest topic. Yu Cheng, thoroughly enjoying the spectacle, sent the video’s link to Shao Yuye.

[Seen it yet? Interview time, how do you feel?]

Just reading the title made Shao Yuye’s breathing hitch.

[Blocked!]

He immediately unsent the message, threw Yu Cheng onto his blacklist, then expressionlessly tossed his phone aside.

Fortunately, Qi Luozhou had shown up in time yesterday, sparing his little sister from further trouble.

Back then, with mixed emotions, Shao Yuye had sent Qi Luozhou a message containing only one cold words:

[Thanks.]

Qi Luozhou replied with only two words:

[No problem.]

Business was business; personal matters were personal.

What kind of idiot watches a CP video shipping his sworn rival with his own little sister?!

Yu Cheng : [Come on, Brother Ye!]

But his WeChat displayed:

[You are no longer this person’s friend. Please add them before sending a message.]

Yu Cheng: “…”

Just as he was feeling dejected, another message from Shao Yuye arrived.

[Send me that video again.]

—What the hell is he doing now?

Yu Cheng grumbled under his breath and resent the video.

[What are you trying to pull here?]

To his surprise, when he sent the message, WeChat once again displayed:

[You are no longer this person’s friend. Please add them before sending a message.]

Yu Cheng: “… What the hell is wrong with this guy?!”

Still unaware of just how terrifying Shao Yuye could be, he went to Weibo, posted a screenshot of their chat, and tearfully sought comfort.

@YuCheng : [Guys, does anyone understand my pain? This man actually treated me like this. (screenshot.jpg)]

His fans rushed over, initially thinking their idol had suffered some major setback and were ready to comfort him.

Then they opened the screenshot.

After reading the conversation…

Everyone fell silent.

[Ah Cheng… honestly, it’s pretty merciful that Brother Ye didn’t beat you up.]

[Seriously, were you asking for it? You showed that to a siscon?]

[HAHAHAHA! Brother Ye even warned you before blocking you. Seriously… I’m crying. He! Loves! His! Sister!]

[ Just admit it, you were jealous that Wanwan stole Brother Ye’s attention. This little green-tea move deserves full marks. ‘ChengYe’ shippers are eating well today, you know?]

Everyone roasted him while laughing uncontrollably.

Two minutes later—

@ShaoYuye: [I’m reporting this video right now. Please help me report it too! (Link : All Your Best Videos on AiliAili)]

It was obviously an automatic sharing message from the AiliAili video platform.

The ‘Yu Yu’s clicked the link.

When they realized it was a ‘WanZhou’ shipping video, they completely lost it.

[Brother Ye: I’m so pissed! I’m so pissed! I’M SO PISSED!]

[HAHAHAHA! It’s New Year’s Day, and this is the emotional damage you guys deal to Brother Ye?!]

[I really want to know what reason Brother Ye gave when reporting the video. 😂]

To everyone’s surprise, Shao Yuye actually replied to that comment:

[Obscene pornography. Please help me report it.]

*Pfft*!

Everyone laughed so hard they nearly choked.

‘Yu Yu’s : [We’d like to interview Brother Ye. How are you feeling right now?]

@ShaoYuye : [ I’m in a great mood. Great enough to punch the uploader twice.]

‘Yu Yu’s : [Does it feel like your precious cabbage has been stolen by a pig?]

@ShaoYuye : [First, my sister is not a cabbage. Second, Qi Luozhou is a pig.]

‘Yu Yu’s : [Brother Ye, who in the entertainment industry do you think is worthy of becoming your brother-in-law?]

@ShaoYuye : [Heh.]

In his eyes, there wasn’t a single man in the world worthy of his little sister.

---

The car drove smoothly toward its destination.

Ten minutes later, it pulled into the underground parking garage of Nan’an Residence.

Shen Wanwan followed Qi Luozhou upstairs and asked curiously, “You’re not planning to cook for me yourself, are you?”

It wasn’t exactly the most original idea.

“Mhm.”

Qi Luozhou unlocked the door. He let her enter first before following behind, closing the door as he asked, “You don’t like the idea?”

Shen Wanwan answered casually, “I have a very picky palate. If it doesn’t taste good, I won’t lie about it.”

Her gaze fell on a pair of white women’s slippers by the entrance. They looked brand new, with no signs of being worn. She immediately turned to him with a guarded expression.

“I’m the first girl to come here, right?”

Qi Luozhou changed into his indoor slippers.

“Of course.”

Following her line of sight, his eyes landed on the slippers.

“I bought them especially for you.”

Only then did Shen Wanwan slip her feet into them.

There was still plenty of time, so she leisurely looked around his apartment.

The walls were painted a warm cream color, and the furniture was all light natural wood. The whole place felt warm, bright, and inviting.

A neatly organized shelf beside the sofa held quite a few old-fashioned CD discs. The apartment carried the clean, refreshing atmosphere of a bachelor living alone.

Qi Luozhou took off his trench coat and rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt.

“When you have time, go take a look at the houses we’ve prepared for our future home. Whichever one you like, we’ll live there. You can decide the entire interior design.”

Shen Wanwan responded absentmindedly with an “Okay.”

She sat down on the soft rug and casually slipped one of the discs into the player.

These days, hardly anyone watched movies on discs anymore. The collection Qi Luozhou kept consisted mostly of old films. The slow-paced art-house movie nearly lulled Shen Wanwan to sleep.

Yet somehow…

Perhaps because of the film…

Her heart unexpectedly softened.

It was as though a gentle melody had begun playing inside her, filling her with a sense of comfort and peace.

She turned her head and, through the frosted glass separating the kitchen, saw Qi Luozhou’s blurry silhouette busily cooking.

Suddenly, her phone rang, interrupting her thoughts.

She glanced at the screen and answered.

Shao Yuye had only just learned what happened. Unfortunately, he was out of town and couldn’t make it back immediately.

His anxious voice came through the phone.

“Shao Hongyuan found you? Are you hurt?”

“No. I had my bodyguards with me.” Shen Wanwan reassured him, “I’m perfectly fine. Don’t worry about me.”

Shao Yuye still couldn’t relax.

“I’m coming back right now! Wait for me!”

His panic made Shen Wanwan laugh helplessly.

“It’s only Shao Hongyuan. Didn’t you watch the video? I even slapped him twice. It felt so satisfying.”

“What the hell? Seriously? Your hand must’ve hurt like crazy!”

Instead of worrying about the slap itself, Shao Yuye immediately worried about her hand.

Shen Wanwan burst into laughter.

“Mm. It hurt a lot.” She wrinkled her nose in a spoiled little gesture, “But I was really happy.”

There was a brief silence before Shao Yuye sighed.

“Fine. As long as you’re okay. But if anything really happens, tell me immediately. Got it?”

“I know~
“Then focus on your work.”

After soothing her overly concerned older brother, Shen Wanwan looked toward the dining table. Qi Luozhou had already brought all the dishes over.

“Dinner’s ready.”

She walked over.

The meal wasn’t extravagant—two meat dishes and two vegetable dishes.

He handed her a bowl and a pair of chopsticks.

“Try my cooking?”

Although everything looked far better than what her brother usually made, with an appetizing color and presentation, Shen Wanwan still warned him first.

“Qi Luozhou, you made me wait this long. If it doesn’t taste good… I’m going to be angry.”

She had waited an entire hour.

Carefully, Shen Wanwan picked up a piece of sweet-and-sour pork and placed it into her mouth.

The sweet and tangy flavor spread across her tongue instantly.

To her surprise…

It was delicious!

Miss Shen, who had looked completely resistant just moments ago, immediately asked the question from the bottom of her soul.

“Will you cook for me from now on too?”

Her eyes sparkled brightly.

Qi Luozhou smiled.

“If you like it.”

Shen Wanwan clicked her tongue softly.

“Don’t be too perfect.”

Everything about him suited her so well that it gave her an almost unreal feeling.

Could someone this compatible with her truly exist?

Qi Luozhou smiled warmly.

“I’ll reluctantly take that as a compliment.”

After dinner, Qi Luozhou washed the dishes.

Finding himself smelling too much like cooking oil, he headed into the bathroom for a shower.

As the sound of running water echoed from inside the bathroom, Shen Wanwan hadn’t even had the chance to let her imagination wander when the little light orb attached to her turned bright red first.

{Y-You’re not actually going to… do that next, are you…?}

—{If that’s what’s going to happen…
—{I’ll just go into sleep mode for a little while…}

Shen Wanwan chuckled.

“Mm. Not only are we going to ‘do that,’ we’re also going to ‘do that in reverse.'”

She said it as though she were reciting a tongue twister.

The little light orb trembled shyly in midair.

{Why don’t you ever blush whenever you say things like that?!}

Its host was really nothing like an ordinary girl!

Shouldn’t people get embarrassed and nervous?

Shen Wanwan replied as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

“Why be shy about doing something that makes you happy?”

{Aaaahhh—!}

The little glowing orb turned even redder.

{Goodbye! I’m going into sleep mode now!}

Amid Shen Wanwan’s soft laughter, it curled itself into a tiny ball.

Shen Wanwan casually put on a variety show. By the time Qi Luozhou came out of the bathroom after his shower, she was so engrossed in watching it that she didn’t even spare him a glance.

After drying his hair and changing into fresh clothes, Qi Luozhou sat down beside her.

The sofa dipped slightly under his weight, and before long, the fresh scent of his shower surrounded Shen Wanwan.

“What are you watching?” he asked casually.

“<Independent World>. It’s a murder mystery variety show.”

Somewhat absentmindedly, Shen Wanwan pointed at the girl in red on the screen and spoiled her own prediction.

“She’s the murderer.”

“Mhm.”

Qi Luozhou simply watched alongside her.

The two of them quietly finished the episode together. Just as Shen Wanwan had predicted, the girl in red turned out to be the culprit.

She was getting a little tired from watching anyway. Glancing at her phone, she saw there were only about twenty minutes left until the New Year.

“What should we do now?”

Qi Luozhou replied unhurriedly, “Have you forgotten something?”

Shen Wanwan feigned ignorance.

“What?”

“My reward.”

He leaned a little closer, his peach blossom eyes filled with amusement.

“You forgot?”

“I didn’t.”

She leaned toward him and gently pecked his cheek with her red lips.

A vivid lipstick mark immediately appeared on Qi Luozhou’s fair, clean face.

He had always given people the impression of being calm and detached, as though nothing in the world could truly concern him.

But with that lipstick mark on his face, his entire aura suddenly became much more rakish. Something seemed to stir beneath his deep brown eyes.

His Adam’s apple bobbed as he let out a helpless laugh.

“And what’s this supposed to be?”

Shen Wanwan blinked at him playfully, clearly in an excellent mood.

“A queen’s reward.”

As though he’d just heard an especially funny joke, Qi Luozhou’s smile widened. There was a hint of resignation in his voice as he sighed.

“You’re still just a little kid.”

—There you go again, acting like you’re so much older.

Just as Shen Wanwan was about to argue, he leaned in.

His cool lips pressed against hers.

A jolt like electricity raced through her entire body.

She wanted to protest—Qi Luozhou, that’s cheating.

But no words came out. Every syllable was broken apart by his kiss.

Compared to their first kiss, this one was far deeper.

He was soon no longer satisfied with simply touching lips. His agile tongue gently parted her teeth, and in an instant, even her breathing was stolen away.

One arm supported the back of her head and neck as he leaned over her. Shen Wanwan tilted her head back slightly, exposing the graceful line of her neck as she cooperatively accepted his kiss.

How strange.

His lips were clearly cool.

Yet his tongue—and the rest of him—were burning hot.

Shen Wanwan wasn’t used to simply letting someone else take control. Wrapping both arms around his neck, she awkwardly but boldly responded. Mimicking the way he’d teased her, she kissed him back with surprising passion.

Qi Luozhou froze for the briefest moment.

That tiny pause was all Shen Wanwan needed. Her soft lips and tongue effortlessly swept away every shred of his self-control.

His Adam’s apple moved repeatedly. When those usually calm eyes opened again, they were filled with barely restrained desire.

The arm around her tightened instinctively, veins already standing out from the effort of holding himself back.

Without resistance, he surrendered the initiative to her, allowing her to set the pace.

Only when Shen Wanwan, breathing hard, finally pushed him away did the kiss end.

Qi Luozhou slowly opened his eyes.

Under the warm light, the girl’s eyes were tinged with a different emotion, her cheeks flushed crimson.

The lipstick on her lips had long since disappeared, yet they somehow looked even redder and more dewy than before.

Qi Luozhou reached out and gently wiped the lingering moisture from her lips.

“Qi Luozhou.”

Shen Wanwan glared at him, her chest still rising and falling with uneven breaths.

“You’re such a jerk.”

She seriously suspected he’d deliberately pretended to give way just to lure her into taking the lead.

Although it was clearly an insult, he looked as though she’d just praised him instead. The corners of his lips lifted high, his eyes overflowing with laughter.

At that very moment, the clock on the wall struck 12 o’clock.

Qi Luozhou gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. His voice was low and husky.

“Wanwan.
“Happy New Year.”

---

After finishing her last exam of the afternoon, Shen Wanwan officially began her winter vacation.

She walked out of the academic building with light, cheerful steps, looking forward to seeing what Qi Luozhou would take her to eat that evening.

One of the bodyguards beside her smiled and asked, “Miss Shen, are you happy because winter break has finally started?”

She raised an eyebrow.

“Is it that obvious?”

The two bodyguards beside her both nodded.

“It is. Miss Shen, you have a beautiful smile.”

Shen Wanwan got along well with all of her bodyguards, and she paid them far above the industry average.

These two had been with her for more than five years and had a very comfortable relationship with her.

Whenever Shen Wanwan was in a bad mood, she’d imitate the Evil Queen from <Snow White> and ask them, “Who is the fairest of them all?”

She is proud young heiress who knew perfectly well how beautiful she was.

But recently, Miss Shen hadn’t asked that question in a long time.

Somehow, that made her seem even more breathtakingly beautiful.

From somewhere in the distance came an anxious voice calling out.

“Ningning!
“Ningning!
“Shao Ning—!”

Caught completely off guard by the name that had long been buried deep in her memories, Shen Wanwan’s light footsteps faltered for a moment.

She assumed it was just someone with the same name and didn’t turn around. The smile at the corner of her lips vanished in an instant.

But the voice drew closer and closer, accompanied by hurried footsteps that rapidly closed the distance.

“Ningning! Ningning! You’re my Ningning, aren’t you?!”

Shen Wanwan turned around and was caught completely off guard by the sight of Shao Hongyuan’s bloated, haggard face. Her good mood instantly sprouted wings and disappeared without a trace.

—What rotten luck.

Quite a few students nearby stopped to watch the sudden commotion.

Shao Hongyuan’s unexpected appearance threw the scene into chaos.

The once-proud president of Hongyuan Group now looked even more worn-out than the average middle-aged man. He wore a black down jacket left unzipped, revealing the large belly wrapped in a red-and-black striped sweater underneath.

His mansion and all the properties under his name had long since been sold off. The tens of millions that had once meant nothing to him had now become the heaviest burden on his shoulders.

Shao Hongyuan had also seen the livestream.

To be honest, he hadn’t recognized Shen Wanwan as his biological daughter at all.

Because she had become…

…far too beautiful.

The kind of beauty that came from being lovingly raised in a good family.

The moment he learned that Shen Wanwan’s current father was Shen Rong, a thought immediately sprang into his mind.

—She’s so rich. Wouldn’t paying off my tens of millions in debt be effortless for her?

With an ingratiating smile, Shao Hongyuan tried to approach her, only to be blocked by Shen Wanwan’s two bodyguards.

Shen Wanwan stood still, her icy gaze sweeping over him as though she were looking at a pile of rotting garbage.

“Shao Hongyuan.
“My surname is Shen.”

Held firmly by the two bodyguards, Shao Hongyuan struggled in vain and cried anxiously,

“Ningning, blood ties can’t be severed!
“I’m your real father!”

Shen Wanwan had only come to campus to take her exams, and since she was at school, she had brought only two bodyguards. Before long, curious students surrounded the area until it was packed shoulder to shoulder.

Whispers immediately spread through the crowd.

“How does Shao Hongyuan have the nerve to call himself Wanwan’s father?”

“He’s Brother Ye’s deadbeat father too, isn’t he? A guy like this is absolutely despicable.”

“How can he possibly have the face to come looking for Wanwan now?!”

“It feels like this was planned. He deliberately came while Brother Ye wasn’t here. Tsk.”

“No, but Shen Wanwan and Shao Yuye are going too far, aren’t they? No matter what, he’s still their biological father!”

The larger the crowd grew, the more energized Shao Hongyuan became.

Before coming here, he had signed a contract with a media company.

As long as he made the incident big enough to attract attention, they would pay him 500,000 yuan.

Back in his glory days, five hundred thousand yuan wasn’t even enough to fill the gaps between his teeth.

But now…

…it was a fortune.

At this point, he’d already sunk so low that his pride was the least important thing he had left.

And if he somehow managed to fool Shen Wanwan into paying off all his debts, that would be even better.

They had even rehearsed the entire script beforehand, waiting only for the moment to set everything ablaze.

Once public opinion exploded, it would surely be on his side.

—Shen Wanwan and Shao Yuye, these two unfilial children, had allowed their own father to fall into such misery.

By then, the spit of countless netizens alone would be enough to drown them.

“Ningning… help Dad pay off the debts, okay? Buy our villa back…
“Your brother even kept your room just the way it was…”

“Shao Hongyuan.”

Her voice was soft.

Yet it carried the effortless authority of someone accustomed to standing above others.

Shao Hongyuan’s struggling paused for a moment.

Shen Wanwan stepped forward.

Her little leather shoes clicked sharply against the concrete road.

*Tap. Tap.*

With both arms restrained by the bodyguards, Shao Hongyuan’s back was forced into a stoop. He had to tilt his head upward just to meet Shen Wanwan’s eyes.

A fawning smile spread across his face.

“Ningning—”

Before he could finish—

*Smack!*

The crisp slap echoed across the entire campus.

Startled birds shrieked as they flew from the treetops.

The surroundings seemed as though someone had pressed a mute button.

For a moment, absolute silence.

Only Shao Hongyuan’s head had been knocked violently to one side, a fresh, bright-red handprint blooming across his cheek.

It was obvious Shen Wanwan hadn’t held back at all.

Looking down at him as though he were a lifeless corpse, her eyes were filled with nothing but disgust and icy contempt.

“This slap…
“…is for my mother.”

The ingratiating expression Shao Hongyuan had been wearing vanished instantly.

He roared angrily, “Shao Ning!”

*Smack!*

Another slap.

Raising an eyebrow, Shen Wanwan said,

“This slap…
“…is for the Shao Ning I used to be.”

…The father she had respected, the father who had worked tirelessly for their family—

had died the year she was six.

“I’ll say this one last time.
“My name is Shen Wanwan.
“As for who you are…
“Whether you live or die…
“It has absolutely nothing to do with me.”

Not a single person in the crowd dared to speak.

After several seconds of silence, a voice suddenly shouted,

“Shen Wanwan has no conscience at all!”

“Having a daughter like her is the greatest disgrace imaginable!!”

At that exact moment—

a banana peel traced a graceful arc through the air, flying straight toward Shen Wanwan.

Someone with sharp eyes in the crowd was the first to cry out,

“Ahhh—!”

Shen Wanwan’s two bodyguards were still restraining Shao Hongyuan. Just as everyone was convinced that the banana peel was about to smack directly into Shen Wanwan’s face, it was suddenly knocked away.

The man who was usually calm, gentle, and seemingly detached from worldly affairs—whose eyes were almost always filled with a faint smile—now stared coldly toward the direction from which the banana peel had been thrown.

The crowd erupted into screams.

“Ahhh!”

“It’s God Zhou!!!”

“Why is God Zhou here too?!”

“God Zhou is way too handsome! Ahhh, if I were Wanwan, I’d totally fall for him right now!!”

No one had seen how he got there.

All they felt was as though a gust of wind had swept past them.

One of the university administrators who had been walking alongside Qi Luozhou shouted at the top of his lungs,

“Where’s campus security?! How did someone like this get onto campus?! Head of Security, get over here immediately!!”

Only then did Shen Wanwan recover from her brief shock.

If Shao Hongyuan’s appearance had merely been an accident, then the appearance of this banana peel meant today’s incident had clearly been carefully planned.

The one who had thrown it was a student from the university.

Under the school’s stern questioning, he quickly admitted that someone had paid him to do it.

If he succeeded, he would receive 2,000 yuan.

Money could tempt even the reckless, and he had taken the bait.

Shen Wanwan let out a contemptuous laugh.

“You know… if you’d told me about this beforehand, I would’ve paid you three times as much.”

Three times?

The student’s eyes immediately lit up.

Having regained control of the situation, Shen Wanwan sighed regretfully.

“Too bad. It’s too late now.”

She took the banana peel from Qi Luozhou’s hand and, with perfect aim and force, threw it straight into the student’s face.

Miss Shen, who had been pampered all her life, had no intention of swallowing even the slightest grievance.

Afterward, she went to a nearby sink and carefully washed her hands clean in obvious disgust.

Only then did she leisurely walk out of the university.

Shao Hongyuan’s appearance had caused exactly zero emotional damage to her.

What she couldn’t stand, however, was people discussing that she was Shao Hongyuan’s daughter and digging up her former name.

Qi Luozhou’s appearance immediately shifted everyone’s attention elsewhere.

Compared to Shao Ning’s past, what everyone wanted to know was why God Zhou had appeared at precisely the perfect moment.

After getting into the car, she opened Weibo.

Just as expected, #Qi Luozhou Heroically Protects Shen Wanwan# had already shot to the top of the trending list.

Meanwhile, topics such as #Shao Ning#, at Shen Wanwan’s request, disappeared without a trace almost instantly.

A student had recorded the entire incident and uploaded it online. Netizens overwhelmingly praised Qi Luozhou’s actions.

[God Zhou’s character is seriously beyond reproach.]

[Ahhh! The moment God Zhou appeared was unbelievably cool!!!]

[The ‘WanZhou’ shippers are winning again! Wanwan, final exams, God Zhou, C University!]

[God Zhou probably wasn’t at C University because of Wanwan. From the video, he was chatting with the school administrators and just happened to witness the incident.]

[As expected of God Zhou. Even though she’s his rival’s younger sister, he still stepped in to help. What a real man!]

[They filmed a variety show together before, so it’s only natural he’d help Shen Wanwan.]

[Sigh… I really feel sorry for Wanwan and Brother Ye. Having such a scumbag father must be exhausting.]

Soon, Qi Luozhou also got into the car.

Shen Wanwan immediately put away her phone and held out her right hand in front of him, acting spoiled.

“My hand hurts.
“Massage it for me.”

“You knew it would hurt, yet you insisted on throwing it yourself?”

Shen Wanwan’s skin was delicate. She had thrown the banana peel with so much force that her palm had turned bright red.

Qi Luozhou gently massaged her hand.

Shen Wanwan narrowed her eyes comfortably before saying proudly,

“I’ve been looking forward to this day for a long time.”

Just as her brother had always planned that, if he ever met their mother again, he would finally say all the painful words he had kept bottled up…

She, too, had imagined countless times over the years that if she ever met Shao Hongyuan again, she would definitely slap him twice.

Of course, she felt nothing for Shao Hongyuan except hatred.

Now that she had vented her anger, she felt completely refreshed.

Her mood instantly changed from gloomy to cheerful.

She looked at him approvingly.

“Qi Luozhou, your timing was really perfect.”

The best way to bury one scandal…

…was for an even bigger, more attention-grabbing topic to appear.

At this moment, the internet was filled with emotional reactions. The ‘Yu Yu’s and the ‘Wan Feng’s in particular were both relieved and grateful.

[The situation was genuinely dangerous back then. If God Zhou hadn’t been there… I honestly don’t even want to imagine what could’ve happened…]

[*Sob*… even though they’re supposed to be rivals, on behalf of the ‘Yu Yu’s, thank you so much, God Zhou!]

[The ‘Wan Feng’s feel the same. God Zhou is really such a good person. Thank you, God Zhou!]

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