Duan Mangyun was rendered speechless by Cheng Yaowen's light retort.
She had wanted to make things difficult for Cheng Yaowen, but ended up being countered by him instead. She was so angry her fingers were shaking, but with the cameras rolling, she couldn't lose her temper. All she could do was force out a laugh and say, "I sprayed some green tea perfume today, didn't realize you were allergic to the smell. I'll just head back myself then."
Struggling to her feet, she picked up a thick tree branch to use as a walking stick and limped slowly towards base camp, leaving the impression of a pitiful yet resilient character.
But Cheng Yaowen's earlier quip had clearly turned the audience against her:
【Cheng is so good at snappy comebacks!】
【So men can tell green tea apart! Ladies, if your man can't, it's because he doesn't want to!】
【I'm laughing so hard all the roosters within a ten mile radius are crowing. Duan Mangyun's perfume is too strong, it's clearly overwhelmed little Cheng】
【Who says my darling Cheng has no class or doesn't know how to treat a lady well? He's just allergic to green tea!】
【All Duan Mangyun does is play victim instead of working hard. Annoying】
【To be honest working with Duan Mangyun is a pain. She doesn't do anything well and just drags people down】
...
Cheng Yaowen paid her no heed and re-bundled the supplies before putting them on his back. The two returned to base one after another. Seeing Duan Mangyun hobbling along with a wooden cane, Yong Yun asked with concern, "What happened?"
Duan Mangyun said aggrievedly, "I sprained my ankle."
Yong Yun immediately set down what she was doing to help Duan Mangyun to the living room sofa. She fetched some medicinal wine and an ice pack for her ankle and said gently, "Just rest in the base this afternoon, don't go back out."
Inwardly Duan Mangyun was cursing her hypocrisy, but outwardly she nodded meekly and said, "It doesn't seem right for me to do nothing. I feel the chicken coop could use some more reinforcement. I'll go do that later." She paused, then said hesitantly with a troubled look, "Sis Yong, Cheng doesn't seem to like teaming up with me. Could you... switch with me?"
Yong Yun looked at her in surprise.
Duan Mangyun said pleadingly, "I'm a little scared of Cheng now too, I don't dare team up with him again."
Yong Yun's concern faded. She looked at Duan Mangyun expressionlessly for a moment, then said lightly with a barely perceptible smile, "I can switch with you, but we'll need the male guest's consent. You should ask Yang Ze if he's willing to switch. If he is, I have no objections."
The livestream comments were conflicted:
【Oh geez... that's kinda manipulating people's kindness】
【Shameless green tea! Still doesn't want to team up with Cheng, who would want to team up with you!】
【Everything Duan Mangyun's done on the island has been disappointing, all my goodwill towards her has evaporated】
【I heard before that Duan Mangyun has low EQ, her manager always reminds her to do more and talk less before variety shows. Seems the rumors were true】
【On what basis is she trying to steal Yong Yun's partner? She's got some nerve!】
...
Right then, Miao Gaojun, who was watching the livestream, angrily slammed his mouse on the table. "Foolish woman!" he raged. "Should never have sent her on this show!"
Oblivious to her agent's anger, Duan Mangyun brought the matter up over lunch.
She still felt warmth over Yang Ze's gentle care for her yesterday. Duan Mangyun was certain she occupied a special place in his heart. She also heard Yang Ze tell the others he was Yong Yun's fan, which was likely why he voted for Yong Yun.
So in her current injured and vulnerable state, she was confident he would not reject her reasonable suggestion.
But to her surprise, after listening to her proposal, Yang Ze first froze briefly before apologetically declining, "I'm afraid I have to respect the show's rules. Besides, I don't think the chicken coop needs reinforcing. You're injured so just rest well in your room. Cheng can join Yong and I."
Duan Mangyun stared at him with tearful eyes, gazing at him beseechingly.
But Yang Ze was impervious to her act. He avoided her pleading look and continued eating.
Yong Yun smiled and popped a piece of steak in her mouth. "Ah Xing is a really good cook. Even steakhouse steaks aren't this tasty."
Zhong Ruanxing was blissfully unaware of the morning's drama. She was delighted to be able to showcase her skills with the premium ingredients Song Jinhang had provided. "Then everyone eat up! You'll need the energy for this afternoon's tasks," she said happily.
The atmosphere was harmonious, except for Duan Mangyun silently cursing to herself.
After the meal, as expected, no one paid her any more attention. Everyone was busy with their own tasks, leaving her alone on the living room sofa. Her cameraman sat opposite her filming, but there was nothing interesting about these shots. Her livestream chat emptied out in no time.
As dusk approached, the fine sunny weather gradually turned gloomy. Dark clouds swirled overhead, pressing down heavily.
The island weather was glorious when good, but frightening when it changed. The wind howled above while the crashing of the waves grew louder, instilling a sense of impending inundation.
The guests who were out collecting supplies hurried back to base before the rains came. Seeing the darkening skies and rising winds, everyone quickly reinforced the base and brought indoor items inside.
Due to the weather, it grew dark early. After dinner, the guests gathered in the living room to chat and play games before ending activities early and retiring to their rooms to rest.
The storm rumbled all night before finally unleashing its fury at midnight. Zhong Ruanxing was lying in bed video chatting with Bai Yinyue when a raindrop smelling of the sea suddenly hit her face.
Zhong Ruanxing had a bad premonition and quickly sat up, just in time to hear Yong Yun cry, "It's raining in!"
The four of them hastily grabbed their blankets and jumped out of bed. Looking up, water stains were indeed pooling on the wooden roof. As the pouring rain intensified outside, so did the leaks indoors.
Bai Yinyue said drily, "What kind of shoddy shelter did the production team build? So unreliable!"
With leaks throughout the bedroom, the four could only grab their beddings and luggage and take shelter in the living room. The living room was slightly better but still had two leaks. The men's side was similar. In the dead of night, the eight huddled in the living room clasping their blankets, glaring at the production team.
But the production team showed no trace of guilt. On the contrary, they seemed even more spirited.
Yes! This is perfect for highlighting the survival theme and delivering an exciting viewing experience!
Xia Xi said helplessly, "We'll have to rough it out here tonight and patch the roof tomorrow morning."
Bai Yinyue eyed the spreading puddles on the floor. "The floor is soaked, we can't even lay bedrolls. What do we do?"
After thinking for a moment, Zhong Ruanxing suggested, "Go get all the buckets and basins from the kitchen to collect the water. We can take turns keeping watch and emptying them when full."
With no better options, they had no choice but to go with this plan.
The guests placed buckets and basins under the leaks to collect water and mopped the floor dry before laying out their beddings.
Just as they were busy working, beams of light suddenly shone in through the door. Soon, someone was knocking. Thinking it was staff, the guests were surprised to see the production team also looking confused.
Yao Jingshan was closest to the door and hurriedly opened it.
Seven or eight people in raincoats were outside. The one in front turned off his flashlight and greeted them politely, "Good evening. The island owner sent us to deliver tents to you."
He gestured, and the people behind him carried the gear inside - not just rainproof tents, but air mattresses and waterproof mats too. It was a full set of equipment for them to weather the storm comfortably.
Xia Xi was overjoyed. She grabbed the leader's hands excitedly, "The island owner is too kind! Please convey our heartfelt thanks to him!"
In the corner, Zhong Ruanxing pressed her lips together, smiling secretly.
