The guests quickly divided into groups. Zhong Ruanxing and Yao Jingshan were cooking at the base, while Xia Xi and Bai Yinyue went to forage for supplies. The remaining two groups went to the island to look for materials to build a raft.
With the new combinations and dynamics, after the initial shock, the audience was looking forward to seeing what new sparks these guests would create today.
The morning sun was shining brightly.
The weather on the island was great. Despite being summer, it wasn't scorching thanks to the cool sea breezes coming from all directions that kept the island pleasant at all times.
Because their task of collecting materials to build a raft was the same, Cheng Yaowen, Duan Mangyun and this group went together with Yang Ze and Yong Yun. Duan Mangyun still hadn't recovered from the blow of being abandoned by Yang Ze in favor of Yong Yun. Now she saw Yang Ze taking care of Yong Yun just like he had taken care of her yesterday, even more attentively.
Meanwhile, her partner was nonchalant and didn't even give her a word of care, let alone help carry her backpack. And he had chosen Zhong Ruanxing - he was only forced to team up with her! Thinking of this, Duan Mangyun felt aggrieved.
Other than her face, how was she any worse than Zhong Ruanxing? Moreover, her looks were pretty good. Sweet and innocent faces like hers were clearly more in demand in the entertainment industry these days!
First abandoned by Yang Ze, now looked down upon by her current partner, Duan Mangyun had a bellyful of resentment. She was determined to prove herself and make everyone look at her in a new light.
Even if she couldn't be chosen by a guest on this show, she would at least make the audience take her side. If she could create a pitiable image of being isolated, she could also gain some sympathy and affection, right?
Before coming on the show, she had watched many dating reality shows. One civilian female guest on a show became so popular because she was ostracized and gained sympathy from the whole net, directly becoming an internet celeb after the show ended. She started appearing on all kinds of variety shows, practically becoming a semi-celebrity.
Thinking she had found the right approach, Duan Mangyun got excited but put on an even more gloomy and sad face. She pretended to carefully look for supplies and deliberately fell farther and farther behind the other three. Naturally, the cameras captured the image of the other three in front and her trailing behind alone.
Sure enough, the bullet screen commentary started discussing:
【Duan Mangyun looks a bit pitiful. Little Cheng clearly doesn't want to team up with her at all.】
【Cheng Yaowen is so lacking in gentlemanly manners for a rich second gen. No class at all.】
【Little Yun is looking really hard for supplies. Can't you guys wait for her a bit?】
【Yang Ze is so weird! Why pick old Yun over little Yun?】
【Your mom! The above is going too far. Attacking someone's age just shows you're nasty! It's none of your business who he picks!】
【Both these civilians are so disgusting. First there's Bai Yinyue bullying others, now there's Cheng Yaowen disregarding his partner. Really lording their money over others. 】
【But little Cheng totally doesn't like Duan Mangyun to start with. Is he supposed to force himself to cater to her? Don't just blindly hate the rich.】
...
Soon, Duan Mangyun lagged a full ten meters behind the other three. She was quite pleased with herself for her plan when Yong Yun in front suddenly turned around and gently called out: "Mangyun, we've searched all those places already. Come to the front and search with us."
With one line, Yong Yun exposed the truth.
That's right! While Duan Mangyun looked like she was working really hard, she was wasting effort!
The areas she was searching behind them were already combed through by the other three!
The audience realized what was happening and felt a bit speechless. Some said: 【I've got annoyances with fools again】
Duan Mangyun's face drained of color then flushed red. She responded and had no choice but to walk up to the front. Since the other three were in front, they had gathered all the useful materials already. In contrast to their bountiful harvests, Duan Mangyun's empty hands made her seem useless.
Duan Mangyun revealed an awkward expression and said pitifully, "Looks like I'm dragging everyone down again." She hurriedly went next to Cheng Yaowen and held out both hands, "Let me carry these. I'm very strong!"
Cheng Yaowen looked at her askance with hooded eyes, then hooked his lips into a smirk and really did hand over the bundled materials to her, "Fine."
Duan Mangyun took the materials and staggered from the unexpected weight. But she had already spoken, so no matter how heavy, she could only grit her teeth to hold on and silently follow behind.
After walking a stretch, there was a fork in the road ahead. Yang Ze suggested splitting up to explore. Cheng Yaowen didn't have any opinion and took the left path to walk ahead.
Duan Mangyun jogged to keep up, calling out tentatively, "Excuse me, please wait for me."
Cheng Yaowen looked back at her with an insincere smile. Duan Mangyun felt a chill down her spine from his gaze, but the path was already chosen so she could only steel herself to keep walking and continue the act, "I'm sorry, I know you don't want to team up with me, but I won't be a burden, I promise. We can complete the task together, right?"
Her tone, expression, everything just screamed to elicit sympathy.
With this act, Duan Mangyun set up Cheng Yaowen badly, and more and more of the bullet screen comments were scolding him.
But Cheng Yaowen didn't seem softened by her pitiful appearance at all. He was still nonchalant, leisurely gathering materials, completely disregarding Duan Mangyun's performance.
Despite the island's cool breeze, Duan Mangyun was soon drenched in sweat from the bundle of materials. Her carefully styled bangs from this morning were now plastered messily to her forehead.
She looked at the figure ahead and a flash of viciousness crossed her eyes. The next moment, Cheng Yaowen in front suddenly heard Duan Mangyun cry out behind him.
She had accidentally stepped on a rock and twisted her ankle, falling to the ground.
The materials scattered everywhere. Duan Mangyun's hair was in disarray, her eyes brimmed red as she choked back tears, apologizing, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. The stuff was too heavy and I couldn't see the road clearly."
Perhaps her miserable state was too pitiful. The audience didn't have the heart to blame her for dragging them down anymore.
Cheng Yaowen slowly walked back to her and squatted down, asking, "Can you still walk?"
Duan Mangyun pressed her ankle and shook her head pitifully.
In this situation, if it was a solo guest, the production team would have sent staff over already. But now the guests were in teams, it was a good chance to nurture their relationships, so of course they wouldn't interfere.
Cheng Yaowen heaved a long sigh, "Then what should we do?"
With any other guest, the male would surely offer to piggyback the female back.
But Cheng Yaowen deliberately didn't follow convention. He lowered his head to rummage in the pile of scattered materials and took out a piece of plastic tarp they had collected. Very seriously, he said, "Why don't you sit on this and I can drag you back."
Duan Mangyun blanked for a second. Looking at the dirty tarp, she imagined herself sitting on it being dragged back and shuddered. She hurriedly shook her head, "No, no need! Can you, can you carry me? No, just support me and I can walk back myself!"
She deliberately made such a scene to force Cheng Yaowen into a corner where he couldn't possibly agree to piggyback her.
That would cement her pitiable image in the audience's mind even more, gaining her even more sympathy.
Sure enough, after she spoke, Cheng Yaowen revealed an ambiguous expression, neither smile nor frown, "That won't work." His tone was lazy and languid, "I'm allergic to green tea, can't touch you."