Chapter 41: The Competition Heats Up

Peppa Lamb stood frozen in place, staring at the group of people watching from the sidelines. Their cold, indifferent expressions made his heart sink inch by inch.

He took the Cryptospina Fruit from the fitness coach, Xu Yang, and examined it. At first glance, it did indeed look like a non-toxic five-lobed Cryptospina Fruit.

But upon closer inspection, he noticed a faint, protruding mark between two of the lobes.

It was a tiny mark, but it changed the nature of the fruit entirely.

If someone were to eat it by mistake, the consequences would be truly unthinkable.

Confirming it was his own error, Peppa Lamb suppressed his anger at Xu Yang’s attitude and apologized. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t paying enough attention when I was picking them. Throw that one away; I’ll give you mine.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Xu Yang slapped Peppa Lamb’s hand away and cursed. “You gave me a poisonous fruit and almost killed me, and now you think you can just brush it off with a casual apology?”

After being attacked repeatedly, Peppa Lamb finally lost his cool, despite having tried his best to keep his temper in check.

“What the fuck is your problem, hounding me like this?” Peppa Lamb snapped back, shoving Xu Yang away.

“My problem? You tried to frame me and take my life, and now you’re turning it around on me?” Xu Yang let out a sharp, angry laugh.

“Don’t think I don’t know why you did this. Isn’t it because I gave you a rotten fruit when I was gathering the other day? If you were that unhappy, you could have just given me a rotten one back when it was your turn. But instead?” Xu Yang poked Peppa Lamb hard in the chest. “Instead, you fucking tried to kill me!”

“I told you, I have no interest in your life!” Peppa Lamb argued.

He knew exactly what the consequences would be if he let this accusation stick.

In a team, personal relationships could be strained, but if someone was perceived as having malicious intent, they would certainly be abandoned.

As he spoke, he turned his gaze toward the others. “You guys say something. Do I have any reason to frame him?”

The people he looked at instinctively turned their heads away, refusing to meet his eyes.

This small gesture made their stance clear. They had no intention of speaking up for Peppa Lamb or acting as his witness.

The scene chilled Peppa Lamb to the bone.

“Fine. You guys are really something. You play the betrayal game well, don’t you?” Fuming, Peppa Lamb pointed his finger at them one by one.

“Back at the start when you were all complaining about being tired, who was the one who took the machete and hacked through the brush to clear the path?”

“When we were looking for water, who was the one who hauled the water back for you over and over again, even when they were exhausted?”

“Who was the one who risked their life to go down and catch fish?”

“Who stepped up to take on all the responsibilities, cutting bamboo to make weapons? Who the fuck did all that for you? And now? Fine. Just fine!”

With a fierce glint in his eyes, Peppa Lamb kicked a nearby tree.

The atmosphere turned into a stalemate. Most people remained silent while Xu Yang, playing the victim, watched Peppa Lamb’s outburst with cold detachment.

Seeing that the situation was spiraling out of control, Jing Xueqin stood to the side and took a deep breath, suppressing the irritation in his heart.

Ever since they arrived on the island, he felt like the drama had never stopped.

More than once, he regretted agreeing to the company’s request to take the risk of participating in this Deserted Island Survival Variety Show.

Ultimately, he had joined this show because his career had hit a bottleneck.

As a top-tier idol, he was facing wave after wave of new actors and rising stars.

As he got older, his advantage as a “pretty boy” was gradually fading.

And to be honest, he had long since grown tired of the “pretty boy” label.

He wanted to be seen as a real man; he wanted his other abilities to be recognized.

He wanted to shed the labels of “pretty boy” and “just a pretty face.”

He wanted everyone to acknowledge his other skills and the personal charisma of the man named “Jing Xueqin.”

The most effective way to do that was to stand out in this variety show.

If he portrayed the image of a capable, responsible adult male, people would naturally remember his new persona rather than being stuck in the past.

He could undergo a complete transformation.

For the sake of the goals he had always pursued, this outcome was worth the effort.

That was why he had been working so hard to maintain his persona throughout the show.

Even though he was beyond annoyed by this group of people, the thought that his future would be bright if he could just endure these thirty days made the ordeal seem manageable.

Now, listening to the two men argue, Jing Xueqin felt a throbbing pain in his head, yet he stepped forward with a practiced, slight smile, attempting to de-escalate the conflict.

“Lamb, you really were in the wrong here. Just apologize again, and we can move past this,” Jing Xueqin said.

“Don’t you start playing peacemaker. You saw how much I’ve done these past few days. Now, because of one mistake, you’re all dismissing everything I’ve contributed? Don’t think I don’t know what you’re all thinking!”

The smile on Jing Xueqin’s face began to falter.

Peppa Lamb pointed at Xu Yang. “I didn’t say anything when you were slacking off while looking for food, and now you have the nerve to talk down to me!”

Xu Yang roared, “What’s that supposed to mean? Instead of solving the problem at hand, you’re trying to cover it up by bringing up old grievances?”

“Old grievances? That’s rich, coming from a bunch of selfish bastards like you.” Peppa Lamb looked at him with a mocking sneer.

Stung by the contemptuous look, Xu Yang lunged forward and swung a fist at Peppa Lamb.

Caught off guard, Peppa Lamb took the punch squarely.

Not one to back down, he swung his own fist in retaliation.

As the two scuffled, the bystanders rushed in, a chaotic mess of hands pulling them apart.

Gasping for breath, Peppa Lamb shouted at the crowd, “Don’t any of you think this is fucking ridiculous? In a godforsaken place like this, what would I gain by framing him? Am I insane?”

The group fell into silence once again. In the wake of such a violent conflict, no one was willing to play the fool and involve themselves in the feud between these two.

Xu Yang wiped his scraped elbow, staring coldly at Peppa Lamb.

The atmosphere here was far too oppressive, so quiet that aside from the occasional gust of wind, not a single sound could be heard.

Finally, beneath this heavy silence, a voice spoke up: “Lamb, I think your emotions have been a bit unstable lately. No one has really done anything to you, yet you always seem to have a problem with everyone. Maybe you should take some time to get yourself together.”

That single sentence became the final straw that broke the camel’s back.

Peppa Lamb’s gaze swept across every face in the group. He saw irritation, dissatisfaction, rejection, and disgust, but he couldn’t find a single person who looked like they wanted to speak up for him.

Looking at their cold eyes, Peppa Lamb felt a chill seep into his heart, and a bitter, tragic smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

He never imagined that at this moment, he would end up in a situation so similar to Qiao Yitong’s. No one believed it was an accident; they all thought it was deliberate retaliation. No matter how he explained himself, everyone just stood by and watched with cold indifference.

As someone who had spent his career leading the public narrative against others, he never thought the day would come when he would become the target of that very same tactic.

“Fine, fine. There’s no room for me here, so I’ll just leave. How’s that?”

Leaving behind those final words, Peppa Lamb turned and silently walked away from the team.

Someone looked like they wanted to say something, but the words died on their lips and they remained silent. In the end, not a single person called him back, and Peppa Lamb’s figure gradually faded into the distance.

…

“What should we do?” Jing Xueqin asked Shisan, frowning as he watched Peppa Lamb’s angry departure.

Shisan felt a surge of irritation in his heart. The hostility within this team was growing by the day; there was never a moment of peace.

“Forget it. Just like he said himself, we’re all adults and should be responsible for our own actions,” Shisan said. He then changed the subject, asking, “How was the fishing today?”

“Not good. I don’t know why, maybe it’s the ocean currents? Fishing is much harder on this side than it was over there.”

“Right, and the water source isn’t very convenient either.”

After everyone reported the current situation, they all looked deeply worried.

Finally, amid the stifling atmosphere, someone suggested, “Brother Shisan, do you think we should consider going back?”

“Exactly. If you think about it, we don’t actually have a conflict with Qiao Yitong. The one who had a problem with her was Peppa Lamb. Now that he’s gone, strictly speaking, there’s no conflict between us at all. Why should we keep ourselves tied to him?”

“I agree. Peppa Lamb was the one targeting Qiao Yitong, not us. If we tell her he’s left the team, maybe she’ll accept us.”

More than one person suggested going back, even expressing quite bluntly that they would rather join Qiao Yitong’s team, even if she might give them the cold shoulder.

This realization made Shisan even more frustrated. It was essentially telling him that in this survival journey, he was an absolute failure. A professional survival blogger like him couldn’t even compare to a notoriously “pretty face” actress.

In his irritation, he shouted, “Choosing to follow me was your own decision! I never demanded or restricted your movements. If you want to go, then go. It has nothing to do with me. We’ve never had much organization or discipline here anyway. Just be responsible for yourselves.”

Shisan’s outburst immediately silenced the chattering crowd. They could feel that he was truly angry this time.

“Brother Shisan, don’t be mad. We didn’t mean it like that.”

“We’re stuck here for another ten days or so. We should be helping each other. Let’s stop talking about leaving every five minutes,” Jing Xueqin stepped in to restore order.

“Yes, yes, you’re right.”

The dispute on this side gradually came to an end, resulting in Peppa Lamb’s departure.

The team was down another member, and most of them had a good idea of what Peppa Lamb’s situation would be like after leaving.

He was just an ordinary social media blogger who had barely scraped by these past few days by piggybacking on others’ survival experience. He didn’t have Qiao Yitong’s skills, and given his previous behavior, it was impossible for him to seek refuge with her.

For someone like that on a deserted island, even if he managed to survive the next ten days, he would likely lose half his life in the process.

Everyone was well aware of how high the probability of that outcome was.

But no one wanted to bring it up. Bringing it up meant taking responsibility for the man.

They were barely managing to look after themselves; they had no desire to be responsible for anyone else.

After Shisan and his group had split off, although they had more people, their popularity was nowhere near Qiao Yitong’s side.

Consequently, the director had placed them in the secondary Live Stream Room on the split-screen broadcast.

But even in the secondary room, the show’s popularity ensured they still had countless netizens watching online.

These netizens had witnessed the entire development of the incident. They had watched the conflict with great interest, and now that things had settled down, they finally had time to start typing.

• Can someone explain this to me? Is this show a deserted island version of Empresses in the Palace¹? Who is framing me, and whom am I framing? They really turned everything upside down and started a physical fight over a single piece of fruit. I’m dying of laughter! –

• Are these people for real? The arguing is giving me a headache. Didn’t they all agree to help each other before they got to the island? I stopped watching for a few days, how did it turn into such a mess? –

• It looks hilarious to us, but it’s actually understandable. In such an extreme environment, the weaknesses of human nature are magnified infinitely. These people are clearly only looking out for themselves. Facing a companion’s plight, they choose cold indifference. Although I don’t like Peppa Lamb either, seeing him leave without a single person trying to stop him… if you put yourself in his shoes, it’s actually quite chilling. –

• If it were anyone else, I might think those people were being a bit much and feel bad for them. But since it’s Peppa Lamb, I can only say he deserves it. When he was attacking people online every day and leading the narrative against others, why didn’t he think that one day he would be the one getting targeted? –

“I can only call this instant karma. He was the one who started the smear campaign before, framing Sister Yitong and causing her to be isolated until she had to go solo. Luckily, our Sister Yitong is amazing.”

“Honestly, I’m quite satisfied with this outcome. At least he gets to experience firsthand what it feels like to be misunderstood without any way to defend himself!”

“Forget it, forget it. Their side is really boring. Watching too much of it just makes you feel frustrated. I’m going back to Sister Yitong’s side for some peace and quiet and to watch the schoolboys fight.”

Hearing this, the onlookers who were just there for the drama flocked back to Qiao Yitong’s Main Live Stream.

It was true. If the other side stopped the infighting, it really wasn’t as fun as Qiao Yitong’s stream.

After all, watching those two “schoolboys” engage in all sorts of overt and covert power struggles was much more relaxing than watching the other group.

Today was the second day since Lu Cheng and Deng You had come clean with each other, entered a secret rivalry, and reached a state of “schoolboy” male competition.

And these two days truly proved Lu Cheng’s words: there is strength in numbers.

They had found every single material Qiao Yitong needed. The variety was exhaustive and the quantity was abundant. They were even willing to make two trips if they couldn’t carry everything at once.

This energetic and proactive attitude earned them Qiao Yitong’s sincere praise.

To these two, Qiao Yitong’s praise was like a shot of adrenaline. To earn even more of it, they worked even harder.

The basket was too small to carry everything at once?

No problem!

That very night, Lu Cheng wove a large bamboo crate. He hit the road with it on his back the next morning, his efficiency far surpassing Deng You’s.

That day, after bringing back a massive haul of raw materials, Lu Cheng set down the crate and approached Qiao Yitong with a smile dancing in his eyes.

His voice softened. It was a pleasant, magnetic voice, but right now he was using it with a slightly coquettish, spoiled tone. “Sister Yitong, aren’t I especially amazing? Especially wise?”

Qiao Yitong didn’t feel any particular way about it, but seeing Lu Cheng’s eager face practically begging for a compliment, she didn’t have the heart to shut him down.

She nodded. “Yes, very amazing.”

Four very simple words, delivered without much emotion, yet they seemed to hit a sweet spot. The smile in his eyes didn’t fade for a second.

His heart was so full of joy he felt like he could fly. All he was missing was a tail; otherwise, it would have been wagging right up to the sky.

He hovered around Qiao Yitong, busying himself with various tasks. Taking advantage of his good performance today, he even had the thick skin to wheedle Sister Tong into feeding him by hand.

Technically, this “feeding” only happened because Qiao Yitong needed someone to taste the food while she was cooking. He had volunteered to be the taster, and she had simply handed him a bite with her chopsticks.

Of course, the reason behind the act didn’t matter.

The point was, Sister Tong fed him. With her own hand! Today.

It was a day worth remembering.

Lu Cheng’s cheap, smug behavior was clearly seen by every viewer.

“I really can’t take it anymore. I’m unfollowing. Don’t tell anyone I know this uploader in the future.”

“Why do I feel like Lu Cheng is acting so much like a dog?”

“As a fan of both, my feelings are complicated. On one hand, I’m jealous of Qiao Yitong for having Lu Cheng care so much, but on the other hand, I’m jealous of Lu Cheng. Ahhh, I want to be fed by Sister Tong too!”

“I’m disgusted by him, yet everyone wants to be him. Sob sob.”

“I suggest that it’s fine for us to call Lu Cheng ‘Qiao Yitong’s dog’ online, but once the show is over, definitely don’t say it to his face.”

“What, are you afraid he’ll get angry? I think Lu Cheng has a pretty good temper; he probably wouldn’t get mad over that.”

“No, I’m not afraid of him getting angry. I’m afraid that if I call him Sister Tong’s dog, he’ll actually enjoy it.”

“…”

“Hahahahahaha, I think he really would enjoy it.”

The netizens’ evaluations were separated by the internet, but Deng You’s disdain was real and expressed right to his face.

Facing the boastful little expression Lu Cheng threw his way, Deng You gave a scornful laugh.

Gloating over such a small favor… are you a primary schooler? Who cares?

Did he really not care?

That afternoon, a similar bamboo-woven container appeared in Deng You’s hands.

Although he wasn’t as skillful as Lu Cheng and the basket wasn’t as refined, it was good enough to hold things.

Once it was finished, Deng You spoke to Qiao Yitong with a calm face before heading out. “Sister Tong, if you need anything else, just tell me. I’ve been eating a lot lately anyway, so I need the extra exercise.”

“Crap, hahahaha! What the hell is ‘eating a lot so I need exercise’? Why didn’t I realize Deng You was this kind of person before?”

“Don’t say it, this serious way of talking nonsense is actually kind of fun.”

“The competition is heating up! It’s heating up!”

Watching the two of them working so diligently, Qiao Yitong was momentarily dazed.

“Actually, there isn’t that much that needs picking…” Qiao Yitong said, looking at the pile of seasonings that wouldn’t be used up even in a month.

Deng You looked over and realized this as well.

His mind worked relatively fast, and after a moment of thought, he said, “It seems these are enough.”

“Yes, enough,” Qiao Yitong said.

“Then how about this? When I go out today, I’ll look for other plants. Even though I don’t recognize them, if I see something I haven’t seen before or something that looks special, I’ll bring back samples for Sister Tong.”

“Sister Tong, you said before that this Deserted Island is rich in resources but you haven’t had time to explore. Exploring everything one by one is exhausting. Since you have to process the seasonings and ingredients here, I’ll just explore for you. If there’s anything I bring back that you find useful, I’ll go back and focus on harvesting that.”

After Deng You finished speaking, Qiao Yitong fell silent for a moment.

Deng You had hit the nail on the head.

One of the problems she currently faced was indeed that she was curious about what other treasures were on the island, but she didn’t have enough time to explore.

Following Deng You’s suggestion would indeed save a lot of effort.

“Won’t that be too hard on you?” Qiao Yitong hesitated.

Such a simple gesture of concern immediately made Deng You feel a warm glow in his heart.

His expression softened slightly as he said, “I have to exercise anyway. It’s not hard.”

“Then I’ll have to trouble you.”

“It’s no trouble. Actually, I’m quite happy to be able to help you,” Deng You said candidly.

His words caused a strange surge of emotion in Qiao Yitong’s heart. Was it… warmth?

She watched as the two men took their respective tasks and disappeared into the jungle once more.

Noticing Qi Qing smiling teasingly beside her, Qiao Yitong raised an eyebrow. “What is it?”

As someone who had seen it all before, Qi Qing shook her head with a smile. “Those two are certainly proactive.”

“Yes, they’re both very good people,” Qiao Yitong nodded in agreement.

“Hmm? Just good people? No other feelings?” Qi Qing asked.

“Other feelings?” Qiao Yitong looked surprised.

Qi Qing paused for a moment, then laughed and dropped the subject.

She had grown so relaxed and comfortable around Qiao Yitong lately that she had almost forgotten they were under constant surveillance.

As celebrities, they didn’t have the freedom to speak their minds, especially regarding private matters. If someone caught them saying the wrong thing, it would be difficult to clear their names.

However, judging by Qiao Yitong’s slightly bewildered expression, Qi Qing felt she could already declare the outcome for those two men competing for her attention.

Poor things.

Meanwhile, Big Orange sat outside the bamboo grove, watching clearly as the two men took turns bringing back their “hunting” spoils, circling Qiao Yitong and seeking her praise and affection.

As the one Qiao Yitong had rescued, Big Orange hadn’t had enough time to play with his big sister before those two humans snatched her away.

Big Orange was not happy.

He paced outside the bamboo grove, wanting to rush over immediately and drive those two men away.

But he could also sense that his big sister didn’t like it when he scared people.

Big Orange felt a bit wronged.

He gazed at Qiao Yitong from a distance with a pitiful look, his resentment radiating so clearly that it caught her eye even from afar.

Qiao Yitong looked up at Big Orange and waved him over.

Having received permission, Big Orange charged toward Qiao Yitong with speed and excitement.

Under Qi Qing’s terrified gaze, he slammed on the brakes just as he reached them.

The little tiger sat down obediently and rubbed against Qiao Yitong in a fawning manner.

Qiao Yitong’s gaze instantly softened as she reached out to rub Big Orange’s head. “What’s wrong? Are you unhappy?”

“Aowu²,” Big Orange let out a small, aggrieved whimper.

“Are you hungry?” Qiao Yitong scratched his chin.

Big Orange shook his head, indicating he wasn’t hungry.

His eyes shifted toward the pile of supplies the two men had brought back, and his pupils darted slightly.

“Roar-” Big Orange gave a low growl.

After growling, he looked at Qiao Yitong with excitement and anticipation, waiting for her response.

Translator’s Notes