The two remained suspended in that charged atmosphere as they gathered their firewood and prepared to head back.
"Is this enough, Jiaojiao?" Ye Ruihuan asked with a soft laugh.
"...Yes, it's enough." Lin Ruijiao hesitated briefly, but remembering they were on camera, she responded politely.
The ambiguous way they addressed each other sounded intimate, and who knew what the netizens would make of it.
This was fine—they didn't need any excessive contact. Lin Ruijiao sighed helplessly, her face expressionless but certainly not cheerful.
By the time they returned, dusk was falling. The tents had been set up, and everyone was preparing dinner, washing ingredients. Fortunately, some of the guests could cook, though not many, and their skills were barely passable.
With nothing else to do, Lin Ruijiao went to help, hoping to avoid Ye Ruihuan. Yet Ye Ruihuan, who knew nothing about cooking, also approached.
"Wow, it smells so good... Is this how you always cook in the wilderness?" she said with a smile, crouching down beside the large pot.
"...Yes." Lin Ruijiao nodded.
Chen Yin joined their conversation. "That's right, Sister Ye. I never imagined we'd be eating like this in the wild. We haven't had a proper meal in days. Thankfully, I secretly brought some snacks when the production team wasn't looking." Chen Yin whispered conspiratorially, though her voice was loud enough for everyone to hear.
"You can do that? Why didn't you tell me earlier? I would have brought a whole box of food," Ye Ruihuan replied with an amused smile, her eyes thoughtful.
"...Sister Ye, bringing a whole box definitely wouldn't work. The director is ruthless—they'd confiscate everything," Chen Yin said quietly.
Lin Ruijiao couldn't help but smile along. That was exactly right. When she first arrived, all her food had been confiscated too.
"Really? I didn't pay attention to those details," Ye Ruihuan mused with a knowing smile. "I should check my suitcase. My assistant is always thorough when packing." She spoke with confidence.
"Great idea, Sister Ye! Maybe the production team really did miss something," Chen Yin said cheerfully, following behind her.
Watching them walk away, Lin Ruijiao shook her head with a slight smile. How could Ye Ruihuan have brought food? If she brought anything, it would probably be alcohol—that would suit her personality better. She wasn't that detail-oriented, even with Assistant Li's help. She always did things her own way.
Lin Ruijiao thought Chen Yin was too naive. When you idolize someone, you see them through rose-colored glasses—everything seems perfect. Chen Yin still knew nothing, acting like a devoted fan. Just like she once had.
Inside the tent, Ye Ruihuan opened her suitcase. She vaguely remembered Assistant Li mentioning something, but she'd forgotten what.
Rummaging through her luggage, her persistence paid off—she found several packets of instant noodles and a bag of jerky. Assistant Li was always reliable.
She then pulled out her designer bag and searched through it, treating the luxury brand item carelessly, tossing it on the ground. The bag contained various random items.
Chen Yin watched in amazement. "Sister Ye is incredible!" "Sister Ye, there really is food! Ahhhh! We can improve our meals!" she exclaimed excitedly.
But Ye Ruihuan found nothing more in her bag.
It seemed the food she'd lucked into bringing was limited. Ye Ruihuan felt slightly disappointed—she'd really thought she might have brought a whole box of food.
Meanwhile, the director was confirming with staff members. They had clearly checked all the guests' luggage beforehand and confirmed there was no food. How had Ye Ruihuan managed to bring some in?
Ye Ruihuan and Chen Yin quickly brought the food out to share the good news with everyone. "Everyone, Sister Ye brought some food!" Chen Yin announced loudly.
Immediately, the production team's radio crackled: "Guests are not allowed to bring their own food. It cannot be consumed." It was the director's voice, and staff members rushed over.
But by the time they intervened, the instant noodles were already cooking in the pot, completely ignoring the director's orders.
Meanwhile, Ye Ruihuan held the jerky protectively as a staff member approached with a gentle smile. "Sister Ye, you can't eat food you brought yourself."
Ye Ruihuan didn't make a fuss but didn't hand over the food either. "What do you mean? I just found this. I should be able to eat it—it's part of this deserted island."
The staff member: "...Alright..." Successfully persuaded to retreat.
"Yay! Sister Ye is amazing! Sister Ye is so cool! But Sister Ye, won't you get fined for this?" Chen Yin suddenly remembered this concern.
She and Lin Ruijiao had secretly eaten some snacks before and been warned by the production team, which reminded her of the contract clauses.
"...Don't worry. If there's a fine, just deduct it from me alone," Ye Ruihuan said with a smile, her gaze shifting to Lin Ruijiao.
Lin Ruijiao was startled. Since when did Ye Ruihuan show such humanitarian concern? Actually, her participating in this kind of show was already strange enough.
All the guests were overjoyed. Sister Ye's arrival had dramatically improved their meals—they could even eat instant noodles! It was incredible.
The noodles were almost ready, and Lin Ruijiao quickly added the seasoning packets. The aroma instantly filled the air, making everyone swallow involuntarily.
Instant noodles were truly a rare delicacy in the wilderness.
Everyone held their bowls, waiting eagerly. Tonight's dinner was almost ready—wild vegetables as the base, two palm-sized fish, and beef kindly provided by the production team. With seven guests total, it was mostly wild vegetables and fruits, but with the addition of instant noodles, it was barely enough for one meal.
Ye Ruihuan generously contributed her large bag of jerky as a side dish.
Everyone devoured their food ravenously, but Ye Ruihuan couldn't quite adapt. She ate a few bites perfunctorily. This "Wilderness Survival" show was no joke, she thought silently. She wondered why her little rabbit always liked participating in these strange programs.
Her gaze drifted sideways to Lin Ruijiao, who was eating heartily beside her. Lin Ruijiao was taking small but quick bites of noodles, like a little white rabbit nibbling a carrot. So cute. It seemed she'd suffered quite a bit on this show. Lin Ruijiao didn't know how she'd endured it. Given the conditions on this island, even washing up must be problematic.
Ye Ruihuan thought silently to herself, feeling fortunate that she'd only signed for one episode—this was the final one.
"Thank you, Sister Ye! The instant noodles are so delicious! You have no idea what we've been through these past days!" Chen Yin lamented nearby. She and Lin Ruijiao had nearly resorted to eating insects.
"No problem, consider it a benefit for everyone in the final episode," Ye Ruihuan said with a smile.
"We're so grateful to Sister Ye," all the guests thanked her emotionally, nearly in tears. She was like a savior.
It seemed everyone had been tortured terribly by the production team. Her little rabbit's face had grown so thin and pointed. Ye Ruihuan studied her carefully, a flash of heartache in her eyes. She took the remaining jerky from the bag and placed it in Lin Ruijiao and Chen Yin's bowls.
"Thank you, Sister Ye," Chen Yin said, moved.
"Thank you, Ruihuan," Lin Ruijiao also thanked her, continuing to eat her noodles with gusto.
Ye Ruihuan couldn't help but smile. Her little rabbit looked truly starved. At home, she never ate such things, always carefully calculating food calories and strictly controlling her diet.
After dinner, the male guests volunteered to wash dishes, leaving the women free.
Since Ye Ruihuan had violated the production team's rules, they required her and Chen Yin to compete in a game to determine who could sleep alone in the large tent.
It was a card game. Chen Yin naturally intended to let Ye Ruihuan win, but Ye Ruihuan deliberately threw the game, ensuring she'd share a tent with Lin Ruijiao.
The evening sleeping arrangements were thus decided. Chen Yin realized belatedly that Sister Ye wanted to sleep with her friend. Indeed, she was more familiar with Lin Ruijiao here. She should have just won outright instead of throwing the game.
Thinking about sleeping beautifully with her little rabbit tonight, Ye Ruihuan's mood soared. Her smile became even brighter as she organized her belongings in the tent, preparing everything in advance.
The evening washing facilities were a simple washroom built by the production team, separated by gender. For such a place, having the production team provide this was truly a blessing. Ye Ruihuan took a look—it was genuinely basic.
During Ye Ruihuan and Chen Yin's game, Lin Ruijiao's mood plummeted. She didn't need to watch to know how it would end. Ye Ruihuan would definitely use this opportunity to stick close to her.
She could barely maintain her smile for the cameras. Ye Ruihuan was truly persistent. Sharing a tent—how was she supposed to handle this? Lin Ruijiao had no idea how to respond. She couldn't understand Ye Ruihuan's intentions at all. Did she like her? Was that why she was doing this?
Even participating in a show where you couldn't eat your fill—what was the point? Was it really necessary? She felt a helpless, frustrated anger.
After they settled in for the night, Lin Ruijiao truly didn't know how to interact with Ye Ruihuan. The boundaries between them had been completely shattered, their relationship unclear.
Lin Ruijiao silently gathered her toiletries and change of clothes, heading outside toward the simple washroom.
She was completely unaware that in the pitch-black, silent environment, someone was quietly following behind her.
Now, surrounded by trees with only darkness visible beyond, everything seemed hollow and empty, as if endless dangers lurked in the shadows. After so many days, she'd grown accustomed to this atmosphere. She felt no fear, only surprise and frustration at Ye Ruihuan's arrival.
Entering the washroom, the dim yellow bulb flickered on. Lin Ruijiao took out her toiletries one by one, only to realize she'd forgotten something. She frowned slightly, preparing to go back for it.
The area was surrounded by trees, some distance from everyone's accommodations. As she emerged from the simple washroom, she saw someone standing outside and froze.
A man had suddenly appeared outside. He seemed equally startled. He wore a baseball cap and gold-rimmed glasses, with a slightly overweight build. He didn't look like any of the on-site staff, nor would they appear here.