Chapter 10: Does She Plan to Settle Down?

Faced with the questioning, Shisan paused while stuffing water bottles into his bag.

He smiled, stood up straight, and handed the heavy backpack to the man. “How about we trade then?” he joked. “You take three people’s worth of water and go find a fresh source yourself?”

The man choked on his words, his gaze shifting away guiltily.

Shisan hadn’t expected the man to actually agree to a trade. He gave another small smile, swung the pack onto his back, and gave a few final instructions. “You guys can look for food nearby, but be careful not to eat anything you don’t recognize. Also, try to conserve your energy. We’re low on water, so try to avoid eating dry rations for now.”

Leaving them with that, he didn’t feel like saying much more. He signaled to Jing Xueqin and Peppa Lamb, and the three of them headed back into the Redwood Forest.

They had to find a fresh water source today.

That was today’s goal, and it was a non-negotiable mission.

If they didn’t find fresh water by the end of the day, some of them would be facing the risk of dehydration by tomorrow.

In addition to water, he also needed to find as much edible food as possible during the search.

Their remaining dry rations were dwindling. Based on the energy requirements of the group, even with strict rationing, they had four meals left at most.

Solving the food and water crisis was the most urgent priority.

“Lamb, be careful while we’re walking,” Shisan said. “This island is completely undeveloped. There could be all sorts of wildlife in here. Watch out for injuries, and keep an eye out for anything we can eat, like wild rabbits or something.”

“Got it,” Peppa Lamb nodded.

The group walked for a while longer. The further they went, the more humid and hot the air became. All three of them were already drenched in sweat.

The mud on their faces and the sound of their heavy breathing highlighted just how miserable their situation was.

Peppa Lamb glanced back at Jing Xueqin. Although the dirt on Jing Xueqin’s face was just as bad as theirs, he could tell the young man’s stamina was still holding up well. He didn’t show signs of extreme fatigue or exhaustion.

Peppa Lamb suddenly grinned. “I wouldn’t have guessed it. You look pretty thin and weak normally, but your stamina is actually great.”

Jing Xueqin shook his head with a smile. “It’s not that great. In my line of work, we’re in the practice room training every day. It burns a lot of energy, so this level of intensity is actually okay.”

“Then you guys really have it tough. People who claw their way up through talent are definitely different from those who use ‘unspoken rules’ to climb. Look at you, it’s been several days and your spirit is still high. Then look at Qiao Yitong, another artist. On the first day, we’d barely walked any distance before she looked like she was completely done for.” Peppa Lamb shook his head, his tone automatically turning disdainful at the mention of Qiao Yitong.

Jing Xueqin lowered his eyes and pursed his lips into a smile, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

The relationship between him and Qiao Yitong was too delicate, and his own status was too sensitive. Others could criticize Qiao Yitong as they pleased, but as a fellow artist, he couldn’t afford to speak carelessly.

Walking in front, Shisan heard their conversation and looked back. “She’s a pampered young lady after all. It’s normal that she can’t handle this kind of hardship. Those two probably won’t last long. They’ll likely come crawling back within a day or two.”

“It’s a classic case of not learning until you hit a wall¹. I just hope she knows her place when she comes back,” Peppa Lamb said with a pout. “This is a survival show. We can’t have everyone revolving around her. If this setback makes her change for the better, then I guess it’ll be meaningful for her.”

But as soon as he finished, he added, “I’m just afraid she won’t learn her lesson. She’ll come back and still act like a little princess, doing whatever she wants.”

The other two remained silent.

Their conversation on the trail was picked up by the surrounding microphones, processed for noise reduction, and transmitted clearly into the ears of the audience in the Live Stream Room.

Many viewers were already using split-screen mode to watch all the contestants simultaneously.

On one side, people were sitting comfortably by the sea, enjoying the ocean breeze and holding coconuts as if they were on vacation.

On the other side, this group was incredibly disheveled and miserable, facing the unknown and not even knowing how they would survive until tomorrow.

The viewers’ emotions were suddenly quite complicated.

• Uh… Jing Bao², you guys are too naive. She’s living a much more carefree life than you right now. –

• This is a bit heartbreaking. They’re still worried about Qiao Yitong, but she abandoned them long ago and started her vacation early. –

• Is there any way to tell these poor kids? Your current location is terrible, but if you just hardened your hearts and walked in that direction for a bit, you’d see a completely different world. –

• I kind of want to know how this group would feel if they saw Qiao Yitong’s life right now… –

…

From their god-like perspective, the audience pitied Shisan and the others, while some marveled at Qiao Yitong’s incredible luck.

Leaving the team to act alone hadn’t led to danger; instead, she had found a perfect spot.

However…

As perfect as the place was, they still faced the same problem as Shisan’s group.

Water.

While coconuts could serve as a water substitute and provide temporary hydration.

But as Qiao Yitong herself had said, if you consumed nothing else for two days straight, the body wouldn’t be able to handle it.

Even with those unknown fruits she had picked, it wouldn’t be enough.

Qiao Yitong couldn’t escape the predicament Shisan and his group were facing.

At least Shisan had some exploration experience. On Qiao Yitong’s side, neither of them had any experience, so what could they do?

Qiao Yitong wasn’t worried about this problem.

But Lu Cheng, who was with her, began to feel a bit anxious after he had eaten and drunk his fill.

In his heart, Qiao Yitong was now his boss.

Lu Cheng cautiously approached his boss and asked, “Sister Tong, what are we going to do next?”

As Lu Cheng drew near, Qiao Yitong’s nose wrinkled slightly.

Her master was a person with a penchant for cleanliness, so she had been raised to be somewhat of a neat freak herself.

Since arriving here, they hadn’t had much of an opportunity to clean themselves. She could manage a sort of self-cleansing by absorbing external Spiritual Qi, but Lu Cheng lacked that ability.

He hadn’t bathed in nearly three days, and after trekking through the jungle day after day, he was covered in stinking sweat.

Out of politeness, Qiao Yitong said nothing, her expression remaining as calm as ever.

However, she thought to herself, It seems building a private shelter is also a matter of great urgency that cannot be delayed.

With that thought in mind, she spoke to Lu Cheng once more. “Build a shelter.”

Lu Cheng felt like he was on the verge of tears. Had Sister Tong forgotten about the water situation? Why was she still not worried about finding a source of water?

However, his mindset was completely different now than it had been before.

If Sister Tong didn’t mention it, she surely had her reasons.

“Then Sister Tong, what do you want me to do?” Lu Cheng asked, his trust in her absolute.

“Cut bamboo,” Qiao Yitong said.

“Cut… bamboo?” Lu Cheng was stunned.

In his mind, and based on the survival videos he usually watched, people spent their nights with the sky as their blanket and the earth as their bed.

Even those who were more particular would, at most, find some large banana leaves or coconut fronds and layer them to create a bit of distance from the ground.

If they were truly fancy, they might add a few layers of leaves over the bed to serve as a roof, and that was already considered a luxurious dwelling. What did Sister Tong plan to do by cutting bamboo?

He looked at Qiao Yitong with confusion.

Qiao Yitong read the meaning in his gaze and replied, “Cut bamboo. Build a Bamboo House.”

Lu Cheng: “…?”

Wait, was he hallucinating?

Did Sister Tong just say they were building a Bamboo House?

Was she planning to settle down here permanently?!

Translator’s Notes