Chapter 44: Tell Me, What Is Your Name?

After reaching a consensus with Qiao Yitong, Zhou Yifei walked back toward the base with a heavy heart.

Qiao Yitong’s demands were harsh. He wasn’t sure if his choice to break away from the team to seek her out was right or wrong.

His relationship with Qiao Yitong was purely transactional; she wouldn’t look after him the way she cared for others.

During their conversation, her indifferent gaze had already seemed to give him the answer.

If he encountered trouble, Qiao Yitong wouldn’t care whether he lived or died.

He would have to solve everything on his own.

This made him hesitate. At least for now, while life in the team was a bit miserable, there was still a chance of survival.

If he left, it was hard to say.

It would be a massive gamble, and he didn’t yet know if he would win or lose.

Of course, the best-case scenario would be if others joined him. They could form a new small group so that if anything happened, they could look out for one another.

But such an act.

To put it bluntly, it was an act of betrayal and desertion. Would anyone actually follow him?

Zhou Yifei was preoccupied with these thoughts.

When he returned to the base carrying the water the group needed, he saw the desolation of the entire camp. The pitifully small amount of food was laid out sparsely; the fruit distributed to each person was no larger than two chestnuts combined.

Aside from the fruit, the only edible thing was fish.

But looking at it now…

Except for the fish in front of Brother Shisan and Jing Xueqin, which were large enough to at least half-fill their stomachs, the fish the others received were smaller than the palm of a hand.

Aside from this, there was truly nothing else.

“Brother Shisan, this… this can’t be all the food we have for this meal, right?” Zhou Yifei asked, still in disbelief.

“Yeah. For some reason, the fish we can catch has been getting scarcer over the last few days. It might be the recent change in weather. Those fruits we were eating before seem to have reached the end of their season too. Many of them fell to the ground and rotted overnight. What’s left to eat is only this much, and after our picking these past few days, there’s hardly anything left,” Shisan explained.

He looked at the food in front of Zhou Yifei and remained silent for a moment.

He could probably understand why Zhou Yifei had that expression on his face.

A few days ago, they had indeed been eating quite well.

There were Cryptospina Fruits, a type of fruit with a texture similar to apples, as well as coconuts, fish, and other things.

While it certainly couldn’t be called luxury, being able to eat one’s fill in a place like this was already quite satisfying.

But now, the portions they were allotted weren’t even enough to stave off hunger.

Comparing the two situations, it was only natural to feel dissatisfied.

Shisan actually felt that Zhou Yifei was being somewhat immature. He lectured him patiently, “Actually, being here means living from hand to mouth. We all know why we came here. If you can endure it, then endure it. The goal isn’t how we’re living now, but what happens ten days from now, right?”

If he hadn’t seen the situation over at Qiao Yitong’s side just now, Zhou Yifei might not have felt much.

Shisan was right; he had come here prepared for hardship, knowing he was here to suffer.

If everyone were suffering together like this, he wouldn’t think twice about it.

But when someone else was living a carefree life as if on vacation while he had to struggle in this deathly, desolate environment, how could he feel any sense of balance when comparing the two?

In particular, it was one thing to not measure up to Qiao Yitong’s side, but why did there have to be such a disparity in the distribution within their own team?

He understood perfectly what Ding Yao had said before.

Zhou Yifei took a deep breath and said to Shisan, “Brother Shisan, it’s not that I’m being unreasonable. I really feel like the way we’re distributing things is a bit unfair, isn’t it?”

Shisan lowered his head, hiding the irritation in his eyes. “How is it unfair? I said before, our resources are limited. It’s impossible to divide them perfectly, so we distribute based on labor. These fish were all caught through the hard work of Jing Xueqin and me. we exerted a lot of physical effort, and we have to take risks in the sea. It shouldn’t be a problem if we get slightly larger portions, right?”

Listening to this argument, Zhou Yifei’s chest heaved violently. He almost laughed from anger.

“It’s not like I’m just waiting to be fed without doing anything,” Zhou Yifei emphasized.

“You just went to get some water,” Shisan stated.

This sentence was even more infuriating than the ones before it.

Fury flared up in Zhou Yifei’s heart. “I just went to get some water? Do you know how exhausting it is to carry this much water back? And you think going into the sea is dangerous? You think it’s not dangerous for me to go get water over there? Did you eat that huge tiger? Going there means facing a potential tiger attack at any moment. If it’s really that simple, why don’t you go?”

Zhou Yifei’s sudden emotional outburst made Shisan even more irritated. With one person after another in the team throwing tantrums and causing problems, he had long wanted to wash his hands of the whole thing. “It’s not easy for anyone, so don’t get so worked up. Every one of us is working hard to survive. You can’t only see your own hardships. If you’re really that dissatisfied, take mine and eat it!”

“Who cares about your one fish, you…”

“Zhou Yifei, forget it,” Ding Yao, who was nearby, suddenly called out to him.

Zhou Yifei’s initial anger subsided slightly as he looked at Ding Yao.

Ding Yao glanced mockingly at Shisan, his tone laced with sarcasm. “Is there any point in saying all that? We’re just background characters, just extras, just supporting roles. Just treat this as an experience. Once we endure it and get the money, it’s over. Say too much, and you might not have a peaceful life even after you go back.”

Zhou Yifei stopped.

He gave Ding Yao a deep look. Seeing his mocking posture, he suddenly understood something.

Perhaps there were already many people like him who were dissatisfied. They didn’t speak up only because they had no better choice, so they could only stay here and muddle through.

Thinking of this, Zhou Yifei lowered his head and pulled Ding Yao aside.

Shisan saw their little movement and felt annoyed, but he didn’t say anything more.

Zhou Yifei and Ding Yao walked a certain distance away from the others before coming to a stop. Zhou Yifei glanced at the nearby cameras; they could only capture their silhouettes, and the audio pickup likely wouldn’t be clear enough to catch their voices.

Once he was certain of this, Zhou Yifei turned to Ding Yao. “Ding Yao, don’t you think Shisan and Jing Xueqin are being a bit too pretentious? They’re taking things too far.”

Ding Yao raised an eyebrow. He wasn’t sure what Zhou Yifei’s angle was, but he knew the man had some nerve to say that out loud.

“So what if they are? We don’t exactly have a say in front of them.”

“Do you think if we could keep living back at that previous spot… just the two of us… do you think we could survive?” A flicker of madness gleamed in Zhou Yifei’s eyes.

“What are you planning?”

“Actually, when I went to get water today, I managed to talk to Qiao Yitong,” Zhou Yifei said, lowering his voice.

Ding Yao’s eyelid twitched.

Then he heard Zhou Yifei continue, “Qiao Yitong agreed. She’s willing to make a deal with us.”

Ding Yao’s expression shifted rapidly. “Tell me the details.”

The two of them lowered their heads, whispering back and forth.

In the context of this show, the two of them were nothing more than supporting characters.

No one cared about them. Just like right now, even though they had stepped away for a private chat and looked like they were plotting something, no one paid them any mind.

Even the director had only given them a brief shot at the start. Upon realizing the audience had zero interest in guessing what they were discussing—instead clamoring for the camera to stay on Jing Xueqin so they could watch him eat grilled fish—the director shifted the focus back to Jing Xueqin to satisfy the viewers and chase the traffic.

After finishing their conversation, the two men returned to the group.

Shisan merely glanced at them but said nothing.

Perhaps it was his own self-confidence, a belief that these people wouldn’t dare stop following him because staying with him was their best chance of surviving on this island.

Or perhaps he lacked that confidence entirely.

But to him, it didn’t matter whether these two stayed or went.

If they wanted to leave, they could leave; if they wanted to stay, they could stay.

This attitude of complete indifference made the two men exchange a look, feeling the irony of their situation.

Their desire to leave deepened.

However, just the two of them wasn’t quite enough. Zhou Yifei subtly gestured toward Xu Yang with his hand.

Although the one who had actually clashed with Xu Yang was Peppa Lamb, Xu Yang had long been harboring his own dissatisfaction with the current team.

Xu Yang was the physical powerhouse of their group. If they could successfully sway him to defect and leave the team with them, the three of them would have enough strength to look out for one another.

The two men locked eyes and reached a silent consensus.

They had to find an opportunity to bring Xu Yang over to their side.

…

On Shisan’s side, undercurrents were already swirling through the interpersonal relationships. Everyone had their own hidden agendas; one wrong move, and the entire team would fall apart.

In contrast, the atmosphere on Qiao Yitong’s side was exceptionally harmonious.

The meal of chicken stewed with mushrooms had left everyone utterly satisfied. Even the Doctor, who usually kept a certain distance from the others, was now immersed in a state of total relaxation.

After cleaning everything up, the group huddled together.

With full stomachs and the soft sand beneath them, the warmth of the sun made everyone feel pleasantly lethargic.

It was a rare moment where they all sat together in a circle.

Good food had bridged the distance between them, and the isolation of the deserted island had forged them into a cohesive unit.

The post-meal chatter became their way of unwinding.

It was Lu Cheng who started the conversation.

Lu Cheng felt limp with satisfaction. He lay on the sand, rubbing his belly.

“Sister Tong, I’m genuinely curious. Weren’t you always working in the entertainment industry? How did you learn to cook this well?” Lu Cheng asked, his eyes squinting comfortably.

“Exactly. Don’t people in show business brag about even the slightest talent? I remember seeing someone trend on social media just for making a basic meal. Sister Tong, your cooking is amazing, so why haven’t we ever heard about it?” Deng You was equally puzzled.

Qiao Yitong, who had been sitting there staring blankly into the distance, felt her fingers twitch slightly.

How was she supposed to explain this?

She couldn’t exactly tell them the truth—that the current Qiao Yitong had been replaced by a different soul.

She was afraid of causing a global sensation.

So, how should she explain it?

Just as Qiao Yitong was scouring the original owner’s memories for a plausible cover story, Qi Qing stepped in to explain for her.

“You two don’t work in the industry, so you might not understand. A celebrity’s public persona isn’t something they decide for themselves. It mostly depends on the company. Whatever image the company wants you to project, that’s what you have to show. The artist doesn’t have a say.”

Lu Cheng and Deng You nodded.

They weren’t part of the industry, but they had heard enough to know that was how things worked.

“Sister Tong, I don’t know if I should say this, but I think your company might be pretty incompetent,” Lu Cheng said pointedly.

Qiao Yitong clearly had so many impressive skills, yet the company had failed to market any of them.

And what had they been promoting before?

Nothing but negative press and scandals.

While it was true that in today’s society, being “infamous” was still a form of fame, Sister Tong clearly had the talent to become famous the right way. Why take the path of a villain?

Ultimately, it was either the company’s lack of ability or the company itself was the problem.

The other three nodded in agreement after hearing this.

Everyone who had spent time with Qiao Yitong could feel that she was almost a completely different person from the one they had heard about.

For such a good person to be packaged as trash by her company, it was definitely the company’s fault.

“Yes, it’s an issue with the company,” Qiao Yitong said.

Qi Qing’s eyelid twitched.

She looked at Qiao Yitong with growing anxiety, frantically trying to catch her eye and signal her to stop.

It was one thing to chat about general problems, but dropping a bombshell like switching agencies without any preparation would be disastrous for Qiao Yitong.

Qiao Yitong, however, acted as if she hadn’t seen the signal at all and continued.

“That’s also the reason I came on this show,” she said.

“How so?” Lu Cheng’s expression turned serious.

“The company previously arranged another show for me, a twenty-four-hour lockdown format. I didn’t want to do it, so I didn’t go. The company claimed I was in breach of contract and demanded I pay the penalty. I didn’t have the money, so I couldn’t refuse this show. I had to come,” Qiao Yitong said candidly.

Since she had arrived in this world and taken over this body, she felt an obligation to help the original owner fulfill her wishes.

Naturally, she would use her own methods to achieve that.

In her view, terminating the contract with the company was a foregone conclusion. A falling out was inevitable sooner or later, so there was no point in hiding it.

The others exchanged glances.

They suddenly recalled the pre-interview clips of each contestant from the start of the show.

At the time, Qiao Yitong’s interview hadn’t been recorded by her, but by her manager.

The manager had spoken in a doting, motherly tone, saying with feigned affection:

“Qiao Yitong is a very good person, she just has a bit of a ‘princess’ temperament. She volunteered for this show because she wanted to challenge herself. I think no matter what happens on the program, we all need to be patient with her. We look forward to everyone witnessing her growth together on this show.”

When that interview was released, Qiao Yitong had suffered another wave of cyberbullying.

• She really thinks she’s a little princess, asking us to witness her growth? Have some shame. –

• So she’s dragging down the other guests just for her own ‘growth’? Are the other guests’ lives a joke to her? –

• If she wants to use this show to clear her name, she should weigh her own abilities first. And Qiao Yitong is hilarious – she didn’t even dare show up for her own interview, making her manager take the heat for her? –

These comments echoed abruptly in Qi Qing’s mind. Connecting them to everything Qiao Yitong had endured, Qi Qing – who had spent years in the industry and understood its dark underbelly – seemed to realize the truth in an instant.

However, she knew all too well that if this topic continued, the impact would be massive, and explaining it here would do Qiao Yitong no favors.

Even if they were going to resolve this, it had to wait until they left the show.

Otherwise, they were currently in the light while the enemy was in the dark.

If the other side used underhanded tactics, manipulated legal loopholes, or prepared their defense in advance, Qiao Yitong would be left completely vulnerable.

They couldn’t talk about this anymore.

Qiao Yitong and the others were still young and didn’t understand, but she did.

Thinking of this, Qi Qing’s expression darkened as she seamlessly shifted the topic.

“Speaking of which, why did the rest of you come on this show?” Qi Qing asked.

Her gaze landed on Deng You first.

Deng You rested his hands behind his head, maintaining his usual shiftless posture. “Me? I just don’t want to work. Isn’t it great to just lie flat and do nothing?”

When a person can say they’ve given up on the rat race with a clear conscience, they become invincible.

“Fair enough,” Qi Qing said, feeling a genuine pang of envy. “I wish I could just lie flat too, but unfortunately…”

During their previous chats, everyone had learned about Qi Qing’s family situation.

Hearing her soft sigh now, they all understood the pressure she was under.

“Sister Qing, you can’t compare yourself to me. Even if you can’t stop working, at least you have a daughter and family, right?” Deng You said.

Qi Qing choked up.

Her sadness lasted for half a minute before she composed herself. For some reason, a sense of shared melancholy rose in her heart.

Every one of them carried hidden scars. They might look glamorous in front of the cameras, but only they knew the true bitterness of their lives.

Just as Qi Qing was feeling down, a voice rang out, cool and calm. “Your daughter has a heart condition, right?”

Qi Qing nodded subconsciously.

“After we leave the show, you can bring her to us. Based on what you described before, her case might happen to align with a research project at our hospital. We might be able to help you.”

Qi Qing froze, her eyes gradually widening.

The news was so sudden and so incredible that for a moment, she didn’t dare believe what she was hearing.

“You mean… I can really take my daughter to your place for treatment?” Qi Qing asked.

The Doctor nodded slightly.

“But we’ll have to follow the standard procedures. I’m not a cardiac specialist myself, so I might not be able to help much personally.”

“No, no, no, that’s enough! I’m so happy, thank you, truly thank you, I…” Overwhelmed with emotion, Qi Qing began to weep tears of joy.

• Shocking! I was just wondering the other day if they could get on the Doctor’s good side through this show, and here it is! –

• Ahhh! I’m so jealous! I want to get on the Doctor’s good side too. –

• What kind of miraculous show is this? It’s supposed to be a Survival Variety Show, but now they’re getting gourmet food and making connections with big shots like this? Why wasn’t I on this show! I’m green with envy. –

• It really is fate. If Qi Qing hadn’t gone through all that, she wouldn’t have been forced onto this show, and she wouldn’t have happened to meet a world-class doctor. –

• To be honest, I still don’t understand why the Doctor came on this show! A man like him could have saved countless lives in a month. Is there any point in wasting time here? –

• Hey, what he does is his own choice. What’s with the moral kidnapping¹ and trying to manage his life? –

The netizens online were baffled.

And at that moment, Deng You asked the same question.

“Doctor, can I ask why you came? All of us are here more or less because of financial issues, but you… you clearly don’t lack money, right?” Deng You voiced the question on everyone’s mind.

“I… initially, I think I just wanted to find a place isolated from the world to give myself a vacation,” the Doctor said.

“Huh? Even so, you didn’t have to make things so hard on yourself by coming here,” Lu Cheng said, amused.

It was true; the world was a vast place.

Besides, the Doctor wasn’t short on money.

Where couldn’t he go for a vacation? He could have stayed anywhere, and no one would have been able to find him.

The Doctor’s lips quirked into a faint smile.

It was a slight expression, yet it seemed to carry a hint of bewilderment.

“There was another reason I came here. A friend told me that if I came to this place, I might find the answer to a question in my heart.”

“What question?” everyone asked, their curiosity piqued.

The Doctor lowered his gaze. “I’ve been different from other children since I was young. While other kids were running around playing or showing interest in all sorts of things, I was obsessed with studying various viruses.

“From that moment on, I developed an indissoluble bond with medicine.

“I never stopped learning. To gain access to more profound medical knowledge sooner, I kept skipping grades. Finally, I achieved my wish and became a doctor.

“From the day I officially became a doctor, I told myself that my duty was to treat the sick and save the dying. I vowed to spend my life doing my utmost to save as many people as possible.

“But gradually, I discovered that there are too many people in this world who cannot be saved by medical skill alone, no matter how superb it is.”

As the Doctor spoke, a trace of pity surfaced in his eyes.

In this world, the hardest disease to cure is poverty², and the hardest thing to contend with is the human heart.

Before coming to this Deserted Island, he had watched with his own eyes as countless people gave up treatment because of poverty, preferring to leave their life-saving money to their children so their lives wouldn’t be too miserable.

He had also seen brothers turn against each other at a bedside, coming to blows over the distribution of an inheritance right in front of their elderly, dying father.

He had even been unwittingly swept into a power struggle, nearly becoming an executioner.

He, who was supposed to heal and save, had almost ended a person’s life.

After experiencing all of that, he was exhausted.

He wanted to escape that environment, or even… escape this complicated world entirely.

So, he came here.

“You know, what you just said reminds me of a certain famous figure who abandoned medicine for literature³,” Qi Qing said with a small smile.

The Doctor returned a gentle smile. “Yes. I have indeed thought that if I had a choice, I definitely wouldn’t be a doctor in my next life.”

“By the way, we keep calling you ‘Doctor,’ but we still don’t know your name,” Qi Qing suddenly asked, realizing the oversight.

Now that they were all so well-acquainted, continuing to address him only as “Doctor” seemed a bit impolite.

“My name…” The Doctor lowered his eyes for a moment before speaking calmly. “Shen Yanshu.”

Crack-

Beside them, Qiao Yitong had been idly playing with a piece of wood. In an instant, a sudden burst of Spiritual Power caused the wood in her hand to shatter into several pieces, exploding outward.

“What did you say your name was?” Qiao Yitong asked, her gaze locked intensely on Shen Yanshu.

Translator’s Notes