Chapter 010

As night began to fall, internet traffic was just starting to surge.

People who had been at work or school all day finally had free time in the evening. At this hour, the viewership for the Wilderness Challenge livestream reached its peak. Although the audience was spread across various sub-streams, a significant crowd had gathered in Lu Jianxing’s room.

Because of this, the process of Qiao Man lighting the fire was witnessed by countless people.

Every viewer in front of a screen was stunned.

A hallucination? Special effects?

Or were they dreaming?

No, wait – that pack of Talisman Paper could actually be used to start a fire?!

Massive waves of [???] and [!!!] flooded the bullet chat, so dense they nearly obscured everything on the screen.

The production crew also stared with wide, disbelieving eyes.

The director turned around to confirm, “Are you sure Lu Jianxing and the kid didn’t bring a lighter?”

A staff member replied, “I checked their backpacks several times. There really was nothing inside but a pack of Talisman Paper.”

The director: “…”

The director lowered his head and took a heavy drag of his cigarette. “Where’s the footage we just captured? Bring it over and let me see it again.”

Wilderness Challenge had always claimed to be the most authentic survival challenge. If someone was cheating, it would be unfair to the other contestants.

But if they weren’t cheating… it was bizarre. How on earth did that yellow paper catch fire?

On screen, Lu Jianxing showed only a flicker of surprise before quickly regaining his composure.

Before they set out, while Qiao Man was drawing talismans to prepare for the show, the boy had introduced the uses of those papers to him. As far as he knew, that backpack full of Talisman Paper didn’t just have ones for starting fires; there were also ones to summon wind, draw lightning, ward off evil… even some to attract romance. Regardless of whether they would actually work, Qiao Man had brought every type of talisman he knew how to draw.

Having already witnessed something as bizarre as Luck Borrowing, what was a little fire in comparison?

The campfire grew, illuminating the forest as darkness took over. The branches crackled as they burned, the flames flickering violently in the strong wind while ash was swept away by the night breeze.

As night deepened, the temperature dropped lower and lower. Lu Jianxing called out, and Qiao Man ran over, finding a comfortable spot to sit in his lap. Lu Jianxing unzipped his jacket and wrapped it around both himself and the child.

The berries they had gathered were sweet, tart, and juicy. Not only were they delicious, but they also quenched their thirst. The two of them ate one after another, unable to stop. Only the bread provided by the production crew was somewhat dry and hard, making the child sigh as he ate.

“It would be great if we had fried chicken,” Qiao Man said, his eyes full of longing as he practically drooled. “The fried chicken at the bottom of the mountain is so tasty. I’ve never had such delicious chicken before…”

Lu Jianxing replied, “I’ll buy some for you when we get back.”

Qiao Man asked, “Do we have to eat this bread tomorrow too?”

“No,” Lu Jianxing said bluntly. “Tomorrow, we won’t even have bread.”

The production crew only provided food for the first day. For the remaining time, they would need to find their own food every day. Fortunately, at this time of year, the mountain was full of ripe wild fruits that could stave off hunger, much like the berries they found that afternoon. Unless they were particularly unlucky, they generally wouldn’t starve.

Qiao Man thought for a moment. “Then we’ll eat fish.”

Lu Jianxing asked, “Where is there fish?”

“I can find them.” Qiao Man patted his little chest and swayed his head confidently. “Xingxing, don’t be afraid. I’ll take care of you. I’m really good at finding food.”

Lu Jianxing said, “Okay.” The berries they were currently eating had been found by Qiao Man that afternoon.

Even if they couldn’t find anything, it didn’t matter. He was the adult; he would find a way.

The new viewers, unaware of the situation, commented: [Okay? What do you mean ‘okay’??]

[Who’s the adult and who’s the kid here??]

[This kid is so well-behaved. If it were my younger brother, he’d be screaming and crying for treats by now.]

[I’m an adult and even I’d be scared sleeping out there in the middle of the night.]

The surroundings were pitch black, with only the burning campfire providing light in the dark night. From deep within the mountains, a few wolf howls echoed from a distance, their direction impossible to discern.

After finishing dinner and discussing tomorrow’s itinerary with their teammates, the contestants crawled into their tents early to conserve their energy for the journey ahead.

Lu Jianxing took out the map provided by the crew and studied it seriously, looking for a suitable route to the summit. Within this week, they not only had to ensure their own safety but also head toward the finish line at the peak. The distance wasn’t short, and since the contestants could only travel during the day, every second counted.

Unlike the others, he was carrying a child. Winning the championship wasn’t important; safety was the priority above all else.

Using the map and the knowledge he had brushed up on beforehand, he quickly decided on the direction for tomorrow.

Qiao Man let out a wide yawn in his arms. Children needed a lot of sleep, and after eating his fill, he quickly felt drowsy, his eyelids growing heavy.

Lu Jianxing touched his head. “Time for bed?”

The child gave a soft, muffled response.

Rubbing his eyes, he climbed out of Lu Jianxing’s arms to go pee nearby. Before the show started, Maomao had warned him to stay away from those black machines when using the bathroom, otherwise the whole world would see him. Xiao Man remembered this firmly; he could get embarrassed too, after all.

Lu Jianxing followed closely behind him.

In the temporary camp, only the campfire burned quietly.

Dangers in the forest often hid in places where eyes could not see.

As Lu Jianxing and Qiao Man moved further away, the cameras did not follow. The audience could only hear the conversation between the two through the audio equipment they carried, but soon, the audio was also turned off.

As the contestants fell asleep one by one, the footage became still. With nothing left to watch, the number of people in the livestream decreased as viewers began to leave. Lu Jianxing’s group was the last to go to sleep, so their viewers stayed the longest, many waiting for them to return and turn in for the night.

In the shadows, the grass rustled. A faint slithering sound could be heard as a dark shadow snaked out silently, caught by the camera lens.

A sharp-eyed viewer who was about to exit immediately pulled their mouse away from the close button.

[Holy crap! A snake!]

[Ahhh! As someone with a phobia of snakes, I’m getting goosebumps all over!]

[Wait? Where did that snake go?]

The audience watched with wide eyes as the snake slithered silently around Qiao Man and Lu Jianxing’s temporary camp. It stopped several times, poking its head out to look around as if searching for prey. After wandering for a bit, it found nothing, but it didn’t leave. Instead, it avoided the burning campfire and tucked itself into the shadows of the tent.

If the viewers hadn’t been tracking its every move, the snake would have been almost impossible to distinguish from the darkness.

[Ahhhhh!]

[Why is it hiding there!]

The fans were frantic in the comments: [Xingxing and the kid are definitely going to sleep when they get back. Won’t they get bitten right then?]

[I wonder if Xingxing can spot it?]

[It’ll be hard, right? Who would ever expect that! I just hope the snake isn’t venomous!]

Even Lu Jianxing’s anti-fans couldn’t help but feel their hearts skip a beat. They were happy to watch Lu Jianxing make a fool of himself, but that didn’t mean they wanted to see someone die. More importantly, Lu Jianxing had a child with him.

What if the one bitten was the child?

As if summoned by their fears, the sound of light, quick footsteps soon approached. Qiao Man had finished taking care of his business and was running back on his own. He was already sleepy and headed straight for the tent with a clear purpose.

The audience was going out of their minds: [Baby, don’t!]

[Baby, don’t go near! There’s a snake there!]

[Help! Is it any use if I call the police from here?]

Just as Qiao Man was about to reach the tent and enter the snake’s hunting range, Lu Jianxing strolled out of the dark woods. He waved his hand. “Xiao Man, come here. Let me check if you brushed your teeth.”

Qiao Man spun around in place and obediently ran over to him.

The audience let out a collective sigh of relief.

Qiao Man opened his mouth for Lu Jianxing to inspect. Then, he turned the tables, standing on his tiptoes to pull at Lu Jianxing’s mouth, fulfilling his duty as the “dad.” Once he confirmed they had both brushed their teeth properly, the two of them held hands and headed off to sleep.

The audience’s hearts immediately leaped into their throats again.

[The snake! The snake!]

[Why hasn’t that snake left yet!]

[Ahhh, Lu Jianxing, open your eyes and look! There’s a snake right next to your tent!]

[Help, is something really going to happen on the very first day?!]

However, “Wilderness Challenge” prided itself on being “real.” It wasn’t as if contestants hadn’t faced life-and-death situations before; that thrill was exactly what the show sold. Consequently, the viewers could only watch helplessly as the man and the child approached the tent. No matter how many sparks they flew from their keyboards, their warnings couldn’t reach the screen.

Soon, the two entered the snake’s strike zone.

The pair didn’t see it, but the audience, who had been tracking the snake’s movements, could clearly see the creature rearing its upper body in the shadows, its tongue flickering dangerously.

“Can I sleep with you later?” Qiao Man tried to negotiate for a benefit. “When we’re at home, I always sleep with you.”

Lu Jianxing refused firmly. “No.”

Qiao Man argued his case. “I’m very small. I won’t take up much room.”

“The sleeping bag won’t fit…” Lu Jianxing’s words weren’t even finished when he suddenly caught a glimpse of movement in the tent’s shadow out of the corner of his eye. He reacted almost instantly, realizing something was hiding there.

But the hunter waiting in the shadows was faster than him. Before he could even make a move, a long black shadow shot out.

Oh no!

Only one thought remained in Lu Jianxing’s mind.

Xiao Man!

[It’s over, ahhhh!]

“Xingxing! Get back!”

In a flash, Lu Jianxing only had time to raise his hand to shield the child. But Qiao Man had already lunged forward. Despite being a short, pudgy kid with short arms and legs, he was incredibly agile. His small hand darted out. While the audience behind their screens was still screaming, the long snake that had been hissing and acting so menacingly in mid-air was suddenly gripped tightly in his hand.

The snake was thick, and the child’s palm was small, unable to wrap all the way around it. But Qiao Man held on tight. The snake coiled around his wrist, trying to break free several times, but it was held firmly by the “seven inches¹” and could not escape.

Lu Jianxing’s mind went blank, his raised foot frozen in mid-air.

Qiao Man pinched the snake’s head and brought it close to the firelight. After taking a good look, he let out a sigh of relief. “It’s okay. It’s not venomous.”

He tilted his head up, his soft, chubby face full of concern. Qiao Man asked worriedly, “Xingxing, you weren’t scared, were you?”

Lu Jianxing: “…”

[???]

[Someone come quick, save… me… wait, what???]

Translator’s Notes