Chapter 13: Was Their Group's Success Entirely Built on His Pain?

Mr. Qiao was finally set down, feeling more exhausted than Si Chen, who had carried her all the way here.

Before long, the second to reach the finish line was Lin Weichen, dragging Lu Tianxin across the ground.

"Lin, Weichen." Lu Tianxin managed to sit up and try to tidy her hair, which had been dragged into complete disarray. She glared at him, seething with rage.

Seeing this, Sang Qiao suddenly thought that Si Chenli had been very kind to her; at least he hadn't dragged her along the way.

As soon as Sang Shen and Liang Mengyun reached the finish line in third place, he untied the rope and walked back.

Jiaojiao had long since run out of strength. Seeing her second brother coming, she simply collapsed backward into a comfortable position, and Gu Nanmo shouted as he picked her up, "Jiaojiao has fainted!"

Sang Shen crouched down to untie the rope that bound them together, placed her gently to the side, and the medical staff from the production team quickly stepped in to provide treatment.

Yao Hui and Meng Wange made it to the finish line in a tumble and a stagger, looking a complete mess.

"Oh, so you mean last place. I get it now," said Meng Wange between gasps of breath, not forgetting to mock him. She hated nothing more than people who brag before getting things done!

"What do you mean last place? Aren't Gu Nanmo and their team cushioning us from the bottom?" Yao Hui always cared about his image and now felt utterly mortified.

He didn't think it was his fault at all; it was the woman who had held him back.

If his partner had been a man, they would have easily been in first place!

[Hahaha, I'm going to die laughing from Yao Hui sooner or later; he's always slapping his own face when he talks.]

[Why do I feel like Jiaojiao has a lot of issues? Either she's twisting an ankle or fainting. Wasn't she supposed to be strong? She kept filming underwater scenes even with a fever.]

[Even the strong can have times when they feel unwell, isn't that normal? I don't understand what the person above is arguing about.]

[Sisters, stop arguing. Just think about how Lu Tianxin was dragged along; it's hilarious, haha, I wonder if her bird's nest hair is still okay?]

[When comparing, Si Chenli and Sang Qiao are so sweet, Si Chenli was always carrying Sang Qiao.]

Jiaojiao was given water by the medics and soon recovered. The director, worried, asked, "Jiaojiao, are you okay? Do you want to go back to your room and rest?"

"No need, I can keep going," Jiaojiao shook her head, feigning firmness in her gaze.

Although Gu Nanmo really felt like giving up, Jiaojiao had chosen to continue, so he had to keep quiet. In his opinion, with their current state, they seemed destined to be in last place regardless, making participation pointless. It would be better to just quit early and rest.

"Jiaojiao, don't force yourself," Sang Shen frowned, looking worried.

"It's fine, second brother. I can continue the competition."

"Okay." Sang Shen knew his sister was always proud and didn't want to stop her.

As he stood up, his gaze unconsciously shifted toward Sang Qiao. The Sang Qiao of the past also seemed like that, but now... she had changed.

"If everyone can continue, then let's move on to the site of the second challenge."

The next challenge, as the director put it, was just a few steps ahead. There were five little huts entwined with vines, and beside them were baskets filled with square pieces of cardboard and some neutral pens.

"The rule of this game is for the female guests to sit inside the huts and write down three questions about themselves for the male guests. They also have to write the answers in advance on another piece of cardboard and pass it through the window at the back to the staff. If the male guests can match the three questions with answers that align in meaning, they pass the challenge. This will test how well you understand each other and your level of rapport."

"Ah... isn't this just wild guessing? I only met Yao Hui on the variety show, and we've hardly spent a few days together. How could we understand each other?" Meng Wange was the first to feel that this game was unreasonable.

"It's like we aren't the same. At least you and Yao Hui had plenty to say to each other. Lin Weichen and I barely communicated besides doing the tasks."

Lu Tianxin was even more dissatisfied; that mute barely spoke at all. How were they supposed to understand each other?

If it weren't for the show's ridiculous arrangement, she wouldn't want to be in a group with him at all. He lacked popularity and couldn't talk.

"If you can't come up with three questions based on what you've learned about each other during these few days, then why not ask three questions based on what you've learned this time, how about that?"

The director remained unmoved; some guests would probably still know nothing about each other even after ten days to half a month.

He set this question for their sake, to consider whether to exchange partners for them or allow them to choose freely for the second episode.

"I'll give you a break," Sang Qiao was very confident about this. She would just pick some questions that they both knew the answers to.

Si Chenli looked at her uncomprehendingly, "Hmm."

"Don't make it too easy, Sang Qiao; the cameras are rolling," the director scolded her, wishing she would toughen up.

"Understood." Sang Qiao nodded, her expression serious. The break she'd give would be something she knew, Si Chenli knew, but nobody else did.

The five female guests quickly sat inside the cabin, while the male guests sat on chairs outside.

After the women wrote down three questions on slips of paper and passed them to the staff who then handed them to the male guests, the men also finished writing and the staff began to reveal the answers.

"Lu Tianxin and Lin Weichen's group scored one point, and the correct question was, 'What do I most want to do right now?' Both of their answers matched: 'Exchange partners.'"

Director: "..." These two seemed to have precisely grasped what he had in mind.

[I'm dying, you can tell they both really dislike each other.]

[So is there a chance for partner swapping in the future? Ah, don't break up Sang Qiao and Si Chenli, they're genuinely my source of entertainment.]

"Sang Jiao and Gu Nanmo's group scored one point for the correct question! 'What's my favorite movie scene?' Both answered the same: 'Every scene shot by Sang Emperor.'"

Upon hearing this, Sang Jiao's face couldn't hide her embarrassment. How could Gu Nanmo be so silly? Her question was so obvious, and he only knew one?

[Hiss, weren't they love at first sight? Why do they seem to have no chemistry at all, only getting one question right, and such an easy one too?]

"Meng Wange and Yao Hui's group scored two points! The correct questions were, '1. What's the funniest thing that's happened to me recently?' Both wrote 'Yao Hui wetting his pants.' '2. Who keeps making a fool of themselves?' Both answered 'Yao Hui.'"

[Hahaha, Yao Hui must be in so much pain; their two points are built on his suffering.]

"Liang Mengyun and Sang Emperor's group scored three points! All correct."

[Wow, as expected. They've cooperated once before, and I always feel like they've started a secret romance behind everyone's back. I hope they go public soon.]

[CP fans, stop spreading rumors; Sang Emperor definitely doesn't like Liang Mengyun, it's just for the love variety show!]

[I think they definitely like each other. Sang Emperor wasn't even supposed to come this episode, but when he heard Sister Meng Yun was participating, he joined.]

"Si Chenli and Sang Qiao's group got it all wrong, proudly claiming the only zero score of the event."