Chapter 141
Zhong Ruanxing drew Yang Ze, Yong Yun drew Yao Jingshan, and Duan Mangyun drew Xia Xi. The four men and four women were randomly paired up. The production team was thrilled to see this - it was a dating show after all. In the beginning, they needed to interact with each other to find out who they had better chemistry with, which would make for more drama later on. That's what the audience loves to see in dating shows!
Everyone emptied their backpacks and grabbed containers to collect supplies. Following the routes marked on the map, they set off into the dusk in four different directions.
Tall and slender Yang Ze took the lead, clearing the path ahead. He was diligent and Zhong Ruanxing had a quick mind. The two worked well together and soon found a new supply point.
With a man around, Zhong Ruanxing didn't need to carry anything heavy. Yang Ze put all the supplies on his own back, polite and chivalrous.
As darkness fell, Zhong Ruanxing's high-powered flashlight became very useful. Visibility in the dense jungle was extremely low at night. Regular flashlights were useless. But hers was very powerful. When she shined it up, a pillar of light reached to the night sky.
With this flashlight, Zhong Ruanxing and Yang Ze's nighttime exploration went very smoothly. They found almost all the supplies on their route.
But the other teams weren't prepared well enough. The dim light of their regular flashlights made their search very slow.
This made the audience like Zhong Ruanxing even more. In contrast, Duan Mangyun seemed useless - afraid of the dark and unwilling to press on, she missed resources just ten meters ahead in the bushes, dragging Xia Xi down.
The bullet screen comments were very critical of her:
[So why come on a survival show if you're so scared of the dark? Didn't she think beforehand that she'd be a burden?]
[If you want a dating show, go on a normal one! Why come on a survival dating show? Survival comes first!]
[Xia Xi is really patient, taking care of her feelings like that.]
[It's all her fault! Their team found the least supplies, just one place!]
[She was like this on "Return to Peach Blossom" too! Couldn't do any farm work at all. The male guests all protected her. She crafted this image of being ethereal and above worldly matters. No one criticized her for not working!]
[It's 2023 and people are still acting all delicate and precious. Can't stand it.]
...
Duan Mangyun's agent Miao Gaojun had said before that her biggest flaw was stupidity.
They should've been happy finding so many supplies, but when they smelled something burning back at the shelter, they all had a bad feeling.
Yao Jingshan came out of the kitchen covering his nose, a little helpless, "Mangyun wanted to make us a late night snack, but she didn't control the fire well. The water boiled dry and the pot bottom burned through."
The pot bottom burned through???
The wood-burning stove was very different from the natural gas Duan Mangyun was used to in the city. Let alone that she rarely even used gas stoves. This wood stove was beyond her skill.
Xia Xi was dumbfounded. He rushed in to take a look, then stormed back out, his tone a little impatient, "Why'd you mess with the pot when you can't cook? That whole bag of noodles could've fed us for two or three days. Now there's only enough for one meal."
Tears rolled down Duan Mangyun's ash-covered face. Sobbing, she apologized, "I'm sorry. I only wanted to make you all a late night snack. I didn't mean to. I'll go find supplies now to make up for the wasted food."
She turned to go back inside and put on her backpack.
Yang Ze stood in the yard entrance and stopped her, "It's late. Dangerous outside. Don't run around randomly. We found most of the supplies anyway. It's fine. Just do more tasks tomorrow after the production team gives them out, and earn back the supplies."
Yao Jingshan and Yong Yun comforted her too. Yao Jingshan even said to Xia Xi, "She was partnered with you. You left her alone at base. You're partly at fault too."
Xia Xi laughed in annoyance, "Now it's my fault?"
But he wasn't petty. After scolding himself a little in his heart, he apologized to the still silently weeping Duan Mangyun, "Sorry, I was a little harsh just now. It's just that Ruanxing worked hard to carry back those supplies, so I hate to see them go to waste."
Eyes red, Duan Mangyun looked to Zhong Ruanxing, who was quietly organizing supplies without a word. "Ruanxing, I'm sorry. You're not mad at me, are you?"
Zhong Ruanxing looked back, her expression very natural. "Why would I be mad at you? Like Yang Ze said, the production team will give out tasks tomorrow. Just do more and earn back the wasted supplies. It's fine." She gave Duan Mangyun an encouraging smile, "So work hard tomorrow, no slacking!"
Duan Mangyun's heart tightened, but she maintained her composure, speaking carefully, "I'll work hard, don't be mad at me."
Before Zhong Ruanxing could reply, Bai Yinyue couldn't stand it anymore. Frowning, she said loudly, "Everyone said they're not blaming you! Who are you to push blame onto her? She's not mad, but you insist she is!"
Duan Mangyun was startled, her eyes even redder. Shrinking down, she sobbed softly, "Sorry..."
Bai Yinyue pointed at her coldly, "Shut up. Don't make me slap you."