I Conquer the Entertainment Industry with My Medical Skills - Chapter 42

An Ningqing found another auspicious spot, always near a water source.

“Sister An, what are we having for dinner tonight?”

“You decide today.”

“Huh?!”

Lu Lu stared at her with wide eyes, as if trying to figure out if she was joking. An Ningqing was feeling lazy; she could easily manage on her own, but with Lu Lu around, things were twice as complicated. “You’ve already learned to catch fish, chickens, and even birds can’t escape your grasp. Preparing dinner should be a piece of cake, right?”

Even though they hadn’t seen a single supply drop from the production crew along the way, they were self-sufficient.

Lu Lu thought about it and realized she was right. He was no longer the useless, clueless person he used to be. Now he was Niohuru. Battle Power Overload. Lu. “Don’t worry, Sister An! I’ll make sure you have a feast tonight!”

An Ningqing waved dismissively, cautioning, “Don’t eat any roadside fruits. Some are highly poisonous. If you eat one, you might not even survive long enough for the staff to rescue you.”

Lu Lu, brimming with fighting spirit, broke out in a cold sweat at her words. “Understood, Sister An!” he replied before dashing off.

As dusk began to settle, An Ningqing personally set up her tent and lit a smudge of mugwort around it. The pungent aroma drifted on the breeze, reaching Chen Cheng’s nostrils.

It’s definitely An Ningqing.

He had been uncertain if they were heading in this direction, but now he was almost certain. An Ningqing was nearby.

Learned something new!

No wonder Jiang Tian got eliminated. An Ningqing’s herbal identification skills are insane! Anyone would have to admit defeat—she’s practically a walking cheat code.

Is the production team doing this on purpose? Did they pre-determine the winner, making everyone else just running for show? So boring. I could guess the winner with my toes.

Excitedly rubbing my hands.jpg. Night is falling soon—it’s the second night.

Under the eager gaze of online viewers, Chen Cheng and Lu Lu unexpectedly crossed paths. Lu Lu was carrying a bird he’d knocked unconscious, originally hoping to find chickens, but luck hadn’t favored him as it had on the first day. Worse, when he looked up, he spotted Chen Cheng peeking out from behind a tree.

Remembering the four contestants who had been mysteriously eliminated earlier, Lu Lu’s mind screamed, “!!!”

Retreat, retreat, retreat, retreat!

Chen Cheng flashed what she thought was a friendly smile and opened her mouth to play the victim, but before she could utter a word, Lu Lu had already turned tail and fled, his legs spinning like fiery wheels. “Sister An! Sister An! Chen Cheng’s coming! Hide quickly!”

Chen Cheng: “……”

Damn it, you idiot.

Seeing him about to disappear, Chen Cheng had no choice but to chase after him. “Wait, Lu Lu! Don’t run! I need to talk to you!”

Lu Lu only ran faster, as if a demon were on his heels. True to his reputation as a singing and dancing prodigy, he mustered every ounce of strength and decisively shook her off. He then secretly circled back to the correct path, patting his chest. “That was close! Good thing I’m so fast.”

Turning back, Lu Lu recounted his encounter with Chen Cheng to An Ningqing. “She was lurking by the tree, startled me half to death. Then I realized something was off. She and Zhao Hui had chosen to go west, completely opposite to our southern route. Her sudden appearance couldn’t mean anything good, Sister An. What should we do now?”

An Ningqing watched him squat on the ground, plucking feathers with a bitter expression. After a moment’s thought, she said, “She’ll definitely come looking for us again. Just remember to keep at least one and a half meters away from her.”

“I’ll stay as far away as possible,” Lu Lu replied. “But why one and a half meters?”

Seeing he wasn’t confused, An Ningqing felt relieved. “Just in case she tries to pounce on you.”

Lu Lu’s face paled with fear.

Chen Cheng chased after Lu Lu for a long distance but couldn’t catch sight of him. She was furious, but her stomach was growling fiercely. To catch up with An Ningqing and the others, she hadn’t wasted a single moment, focusing entirely on traveling and neglecting to gather any supplies. She was still relying on the supply pack Ji Yang had found. Now that Ji Yang and Zhao Hui had been eliminated, the entire pack belonged to her.

It could be said that she had obtained the most supplies without expending the slightest effort.

However, she was now so hungry that her stomach was pressed against her spine.

She found a tree stump to sit on and pulled out a packet of instant noodles, which she crunched on dry. The noodles were crispy and dry, so she took a bite and then a sip of water, finishing her dinner in record time.

She pulled out her compass and realized she had veered too far north while chasing Chen Cheng.

Chen Cheng was notoriously directionally challenged, unable to distinguish east, west, south, or north. Combined with the disorienting forest terrain, it was easy for him to get lost. “No wonder I ran for half an hour without seeing a single soul. Lu Lu actually tricked me!”

The seemingly naive and innocent boy had turned out to be a cunning schemer.

Chen Cheng couldn’t help but doubt whether she could handle the An Ningqing-Lu Lu duo alone.

Next, she used the compass to find east and walked for twenty minutes without spotting any sign of An Ningqing or her group.

“Am I going to have to sleep here tonight?”

The forest was pitch-black, the unlit areas like gaping voids from which something could spring out at any moment. With Zhao Hui, a man standing at 1.85 meters tall, and the warmth of their fire, the fear had been manageable. Now, it felt as if she were the only person left in the entire world.

Chen Cheng quickly made up her mind: she would start a fire.

Meanwhile, An Ningqing was roasting birds, fish, mushrooms, and wild vegetables over the fire. The meager seasoning supplies were visibly dwindling. Lu Lu grimaced, “Sister An, we’re running out of seasoning.”

An Ningqing remained calm.

Lu Lu’s mind began to wander. “What if we just… took Chen Cheng’s seasoning? What do you think?”

An Ningqing: “Then you go.”

Lu Lu shook his head violently, like a rattle drum, remembering how fiercely Chen Cheng had chased him. “Forget it, forget it. I’d rather coast to victory. We won’t die without seasoning. I’ve already made it this far.”

Just three more days to endure. A real man never gives up.

Then he watched An Ningqing slice off a piece of fish, wrap it in a clean medicinal leaf, and pop it into her mouth. He stared in disbelief. “What kind of leaf is that? Does it taste good?”

An Ningqing generously shared the leaves. “You can try some.”

Seeing her finish her portion without flinching, Lu Lu tentatively took a leaf, wrapped it around a piece of bird meat, and ate it. “Hey, it’s not as bad as I thought. But Sister An, this leaf looks familiar. I think I’ve seen it somewhere before.”

“Perilla Leaf,” she replied. “It regulates qi and stomach, harmonizes qi, and calms the fetus.”

“Pfft!”

Lu Lu’s eyes widened. “It can calm the fetus?”

An Ningqing smiled faintly. “You’re not pregnant, what are you worried about?”

Hahaha, look how scared the kid is! He doesn’t even dare to eat it now.

My mom asked why I was kneeling to watch the show. I said it was a herbal medicine documentary—who would believe that?

Lu Lu is seriously hilarious! Help, that chase scene with Chen Cheng just now had me laughing so hard I was crying. My stomach hurts!

Guys need to protect themselves out there too!

An An is so meticulous and thorough. She always clears the surrounding grass before starting a fire, and she’s careful to prevent sparks when burning mugwort. Every time she harvests herbs, she leaves markers along the path. Give her a little more time, and she’ll know this forest like the back of her hand.

After dinner, An Ningqing shared two slender roots with Lu Lu, breaking them into small segments. Lu Lu watched as she peeled the skin, revealing a pristine white interior. He marveled as she ate them, then eagerly tried one himself. “What is this stuff? It tastes so refreshing!”

An Ningqing peeled several more roots. “Agrimony root. It clears heat, detoxifies, reduces swelling, and stops bleeding.”

Lu Lu couldn’t help but give her a thumbs-up. “Sister An, you’re amazing!”

After finishing the Agrimony roots, they rested for a while.

“Sister An, shouldn’t we keep the fire going?”

“Let’s put it out.”

Lu Lu doused the fire with water and buried the leftover bones in the ground. “This is the first time I’ve slept under the night sky like this. It feels so strange. I’m worried I won’t be able to sleep.”

An Ningqing replied, “You were snoring like a log last night.”

Lu Lu paused, then asked, “Sister An, can I have some more of that balm you gave me earlier? It worked really well.”

An Ningqing refused without hesitation. “Tonight might not be peaceful. Don’t sleep too deeply.”

Her words made Lu Lu uneasy, his heart pounding with anxiety. “Do you think Chen Cheng will launch a surprise attack in the middle of the night?”

The person inside the tent rolled over. “It’s not impossible. I’m going to sleep now.”

Lu Lu exclaimed, “Sister An! They’re practically at our doorstep! How can you sleep at a time like this?”

An Ningqing ignored him, knowing that engaging would only prolong the conversation endlessly.

As expected, Lu Lu peppered her with more questions, but received no answers. He finally sat up. “I’ll stay up all night and keep watch. Let’s see what they try.”

Fortunately, they had a barely used flashlight. At the slightest rustle, he would immediately switch it on and shine it around. After a few false alarms, Lu Lu realized he was being overly paranoid.

He decided to hold the flashlight and count the stars. But craning his neck grew tiring, so he lay down. The starry sky looked beautiful from this angle. He continued counting until the flashlight slipped from his hand and rolled onto the small blanket. His head lolled to the side, and he quickly drifted off to sleep.

The night wind rustled through the forest, creating an eerie sense that something was lurking nearby. Soon, a tall, slender shadow stepped into the pale moonlight and approached the tent. Viewers still watching the livestream flooded the chat with frantic comments, but the person who had vowed to stay awake all night was sleeping soundly like a little pig.

Just as the shadow paused outside the tent, An Ningqing’s eyes snapped open. Her hand instinctively reached for the knife hidden beneath her pillow.

The next day, An Ningqing woke up precisely at five o’clock. She first went to the river to wash her face and clear her head, then meticulously combed her long hair into a neat braid before picking up her knife to gather fruits and herbs.

Most viewers in the live stream were still asleep, with only a few night owls lingering. The early risers were students and office workers who habitually glanced at the stream before rushing out the door. As a result, few noticed the shadowy figure stealthily trailing behind An Ningqing.

This was Chen Cheng, who had struck gold.

After a night of anxiety, Chen Cheng had risen early to search for An Ningqing and Lu Lu. To his surprise, he spotted his prey less than five minutes after setting out.

Chen Cheng calculated his chances of ambushing An Ningqing, but each time he prepared to strike, the meticulously chosen knife in her hand flashed before his eyes. Its blade was gleaming, long, and razor-sharp, forcing him to retreat in fear. He continued to follow, unable to find a good opportunity to strike.

As An Ningqing’s harvest grew abundant, she prepared to return to camp.

Chen Cheng had no choice but to stick to her original plan. She stumbled forward, pretending to have run from the other direction, “Help! Help me!” Her eyes lit up when she spotted An Ningqing. “An An! I can’t believe I ran into you here! This is perfect!”

An Ningqing had noticed Chen Cheng long ago. Her brightly colored clothes made her stand out like a sore thumb, and her clumsy attempts at following her were hardly subtle. Still, she had to give her credit for trying.

She glanced at Chen Cheng, whose forehead was already glistening with sweat from her frantic act. The girl clearly had a knack for theatrics. An Ningqing felt she should say something to keep the charade going, lest it fall apart too quickly. “What’s wrong?”

Chen Cheng looked like she was about to burst into tears. “Sister Ya… she’s been bitten by something! She’s completely out of it. You know a little medicine, right? Come with me, we have to save her!”

She lunged forward to grab An Ningqing’s arm, but An Ningqing stepped back, evading her grasp.

“Hurry up! Why are you just standing there?”

“……”

An Ningqing glanced at the medicinal herbs she had just gathered—cooling, detoxifying, and pain-relieving. She quietly tucked the herbs behind her back. “Then come back to camp with me. The herbs Sister Ya needs are in my tent, and we’ll need other supplies too.”

Chen Cheng was anxious. “We have to go back? Can’t we just gather them here? What are those herbs you’re holding for?”

An Ningqing casually replied, “Some of these herbs can be eaten as wild vegetables.”

Chen Cheng was completely taken aback, momentarily speechless.

An Ningqing started walking back. “You can wait here if you want. I can go get them myself.”

A duck in hand—how could she let it fly away?

Without hesitation, Chen Cheng immediately followed. Several times, she considered ambushing An Ningqing from behind to eliminate her, but An Ningqing remained too alert. Chen Cheng had to abandon the idea for now. An Ningqing then led her toward a water source, and Chen Cheng began playing the emotional card. “An An, do you remember me?”

An Ningqing raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Aren’t you Chen Cheng?”

Chen Cheng’s original name was Chen Xiaohua. She was a child from the Green Mountain Welfare Institute. One look at An Ningqing’s expression confirmed her worst fears: An Ningqing had forgotten her. Of course, she thought bitterly. Once people escape places like that, they never look back. Just like me—cutting ties with everyone from the past, treating those memories as stains on my life, something shameful I never want to touch again.

Chen Cheng feigned sadness. “How could you forget? We used to live together, we were friends.”

An Ningqing remained composed. “Really? I don’t remember at all. Why don’t you jog my memory? Tell me where we used to live, what kind of friends we were—casual acquaintances, close confidantes, or lifelong companions. I’ll try to recall carefully. Maybe then I’ll remember you.”

Chen Cheng stared, speechless. Has this woman gone mad?

She was acting so fearless.

Didn’t she understand the threat in his words? Had he not made himself clear enough?

How could she say such things on a live broadcast? Once it was out there, the whole world would know!

“You used to be called An Qingqing, not An Ningqing.”

“What about you?”

“What do you mean?”

“What was your original name? I don’t remember having a friend named Chen Cheng. There were plenty of people with the surname Chen, but I don’t recognize your face. So, did you change your name, or did you also change—”

“An Ningqing, don’t push it too far.”

A flicker of hurt crossed An Ningqing’s face. “Did I say anything excessive? You claimed we were friends, and friends shouldn’t keep secrets from each other. Why are you so agitated? Were we not on good terms back then?”

Damn it! Does she really not remember, or is she just pretending?

And how did she guess so accurately?

Chen Cheng nervously wanted to pick at the seam of her pants, but she was wearing a short skirt that showed off her calves. She suddenly realized that An Ningqing wasn’t afraid of her revealing their past; the one who was truly afraid was herself. “I’m not in a hurry. Yes, I did change my name. It’s understandable you don’t remember me. I’m just sad you’ve completely forgotten me. Never mind. Weren’t you going back to get the medicinal herbs? Hurry up. I’m worried Sister Jingya might get impatient.”

With that, the conversation about their past abruptly ended.

The viewers, however, were scratching their heads in frustration. Chen Cheng had piqued their curiosity with her initial remark, only to cut it off abruptly. What was that all about?

An An’s real name before her debut was indeed An Qingqing. The company thought it sounded too plain and changed it to An Ningqing. All the old fans know this, duh.

I thought Chen Cheng was going to spill some real tea. Turns out I dropped my pants for nothing?

Wait, am I the only one who thinks Chen Cheng seems really guilty? Sister An, on the other hand, is completely composed. Could Chen Cheng have gotten plastic surgery or even transitioned? That would explain why Sister An says she doesn’t remember her.

That theory is wild! But it might actually be true.

Outside the livestream, Xie Anran held a file containing Chen Cheng’s personal information. From the very beginning, Chen Cheng’s hostility toward An Ningqing had been glaringly obvious, yet she insisted on playing the role of an innocent, naive “white lotus.” Now, this facade had become unbearable; Xie Anran couldn’t stand seeing her fluttering around any longer.

She opened the file and scanned its contents. Chen Cheng’s original name was Chen Xiaohua, an orphan from the Green Mountain Welfare Institute. At the age of ten, her obedient and well-behaved nature led to her adoption by an elderly childless couple. By all accounts, she should have lived a peaceful and happy life.

Yet less than three months after the adoption, the couple died in a car accident. Their relatives and friends, busy dividing the inheritance, refused to take her in, and Chen Xiaohua was returned to the welfare institute. Somehow, rumors spread that she had cursed her adoptive parents to death, and afterward, no one was willing to adopt her.

The file included an old, yellowed photograph of Chen Xiaohua. Though the image was faded, it showed her standing at the welfare institute’s gate, making a V-sign with her fingers. But Xie Anran’s gaze was drawn to another figure in the photo:

A young An Ningqing.

Her hair was braided into two pigtails that reached her chest, and she wore a patched floral dress. Her expression was blank as she stood by the gate, her dark eyes peering through the iron bars, filled with envy.

This girl was a world apart from the An Ningqing Xie Anran knew from the livestream.

Xie Anran rubbed the dirty-looking little girl on the screen with her thumb. “So she’s always liked wearing floral dresses, even as a child.”

But when she compared the girl to Chen Cheng in the live stream, she noticed the eyes were larger and the nose significantly more refined. “Hmm, this face has definitely been surgically altered. After such a drastic transformation, you still expect An Ningqing to remember you? What nerve!”

Her eyes scanned the screen, quickly skimming through Chen Cheng’s dull and unremarkable early life. The children at the Green Mountain Welfare Institute lacked the funds for education, leaving her barely literate. As an adult, Chen Xiaohua leveraged her looks to land a receptionist job, then successfully latched onto a wealthy patron. When his wife discovered the affair, Chen Xiaohua was beaten and finally realized there was no future as a mistress, only shame.

Determined to reinvent herself, she underwent extensive plastic surgery and changed her name.

Later, she followed the trend and became a successful online influencer. Just as her career was thriving, she suddenly received an invitation to join the reality show Wilderness Survival.

All of this was thanks to Chen Cheng’s most devoted fan and top supporter—Zeji Tianxia.

Xie Anran’s gaze lingered on the name, a nagging sense of familiarity tugging at her memory. She picked up her phone. “Check again,” she instructed. “Find out who pulled strings to get Chen Cheng on Wilderness Survival.”

The moment Xie Anran hung up the phone, the live stream chat erupted in a frenzy of identical messages:

“Ahhh, An An, be careful!”

“Watch out, ahhh!”

“Son, wake up! Sister An is in danger!!!”

Xie Anran shot to her feet, her hand clenching into a fist at her side. An Ningqing can’t swim, she thought, that woman who cries after choking on a few mouthfuls of water. If Chen Cheng dares to push her in, I’ll make him regret ever joining this reality show.

An Ningqing was washing herbs with her back to Chen Cheng. Standing behind her, Chen Cheng abruptly reached out with both hands. An Ningqing’s legs seemed to freeze; she shifted slightly to the side, and Chen Cheng, unable to stop himself, plunged headfirst into the water.

The entire live stream audience gasped in unison: “!!!”

This was a truly unexpected turn of events.

Half-soaked by the splash, An Ningqing stared in astonishment at Chen Cheng flailing in the water. “What on earth? Why did you jump in? Is it because it’s too hot?”

Chen Cheng, a complete landlubber who couldn’t swim at all, cried out, “Help! Save me! I can’t swim!”

This time, his panic was genuine.

An Ningqing reached out to pull her back, but Chen Cheng flailed even further away from the shore. “What should I do? I can’t swim either! Maybe you should call for help from the staff.”

Chen Cheng was speechless.

An Ningqing’s suggestion made Chen Cheng genuinely panic. Without hesitation, he pressed the elimination button.

Chen Cheng has been eliminated.

In less than a minute, staff members pulled Chen Cheng from the sea. He had swallowed a lot of water and was now lying on the ground, vomiting violently. Suddenly, he noticed a pair of feet standing before him.

Xi Jingya had appeared before him without anyone noticing.

“How did he fall into the water?”

“Maybe it’s cooler in the sea,” An Ningqing replied casually.

She sprinkled water on the washed herbs, then suddenly turned serious. “Didn’t I tell you not to move around too much? Do you want to lose your foot?”

Xi Jingya’s ankle was so swollen she could barely fit her shoe. What might have started as a minor sprain had worsened from her walking so much to find An Ningqing. Now, anyone could see the injury had become serious. “I saw you’d been out for so long and heard the cries for help, so I came to check what was happening.”

Chen Cheng: “!!!”

These two… they’d been working together all along.

And An Ningqing had agreed so readily.

She clearly knew, she’d always known, what I was planning.

Chen Cheng’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. “An Ningqing! You tricked me! You actually tricked me!”

An Ningqing wore a look of utter confusion. “When did I ever trick you? Didn’t you say you wanted to save Sister Ya’s life? She’s here, so of course I had to come back for the medicinal herbs. Where’s the lie?”

Chen Cheng choked back sobs, his entire body trembling with rage.

The staff member struggled to suppress his laughter, his shoulders shaking as he led Chen Cheng away.

Xi Jingya finally understood the situation. Chen Cheng had used her as bait, but An Ningqing had anticipated his move and lured him here to eliminate him. She couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re so wicked.”

An Ningqing pursed her lips. “If I were as wicked as you say, I would have eliminated you last night.”

Anyone who saw a disheveled woman outside their tent in the dead of night would have fainted from fright. But An Ningqing hadn’t panicked. After examining Xi Jingya’s wound, she helped her set up her tent and patiently fumigated both the inside and outside with mugwort, allowing her to rest comfortably through the night.

Xi Jingya smiled and added, “But I like bad girls. So, Dr. An, can you treat my injury now?”

Early that morning, An Ningqing had gathered a variety of medicinal herbs, including those for stopping bleeding and reducing swelling. She woke Lu Lu, who was still dreaming sweetly, and started a fire. When Lu Lu saw the extra tent next to theirs, his jaw nearly dropped.

What happened after I fell asleep?

Did I really sleep like a pig?

By the time An Ningqing helped Xi Jingya back to camp, Lu Lu was already questioning his sanity. “Sister An, she… she was here all night?”

Xi Jingya nodded amicably. “I came to have An An treat my leg injury. Once she’s healed me, I’ll withdraw from the competition myself. You don’t need to worry about me stealing your first place.”

“First, I need to drain the pus from your ankle before applying the medicine,” An Ningqing explained. “It might sting a little.”

An Ningqing heated the knife over the fire for a long time. Lu Lu squatted nearby, watching intently as she treated Xi Jingya’s leg. To get a clear view of the wound, she pushed Xi Jingya’s pants leg up to her knee, exposing a section of her calf.

“Holy crap, Sister Ya, did you get all these injuries in the last two days?”

“This is clearly an old wound.”

“An old wound? It looks pretty serious.”

The netizens were also stunned. They hadn’t realized Xi Jingya had suffered so many injuries and immediately launched into discussion.

After providing her diagnosis, An Ningqing ignored the shocked Lu Lu and offered Xi Jingya a mint. “If the pain gets too bad, suck on this to clear your head.”

Xi Jingya didn’t really need it, but she accepted it anyway. “Go ahead. I can endure it.”

An Ningqing used the sharp tip of her knife to make an incision in the swollen, painful area. Pus and bl00d immediately gushed out. An Ningqing squeezed them out with her hands, then applied her own crushed herbal medicine. The roll of gauze Lu Lu had acquired earlier finally proved crucial. She wrapped it around Xi Jingya’s leg three times and tied it with a bow. “The pus will continue to drain. Keep your leg still for now. You’ll need to change the dressing at least every three days.”

Lu Lu exclaimed, “Sister Ya, you’re so tough! Just watching this makes me hurt. How did you manage to walk all this way?”

Xi Jingya smiled. “It’s not so bad. I barely felt anything. An An finished before I knew it.”

After washing her hands, An Ningqing began preparing breakfast. Lu Lu, standing nearby, bragged to Xi Jingya, “Sister Ya, you wouldn’t believe how amazing these past three days have been! I feel like I’m not even here for Wilderness Survival. With Sister An, I’ve had meat at every meal, and she even makes sure it’s a balanced diet with both meat and vegetables!”

Xi Jingya was astonished. “Really? I’ve been starving for days. I guess I won’t need to diet for my next role.”

Lu Lu was shocked. “Sister Ya, you’re already so slim! Do you really need to lose more weight?”

Dieting was a perennial topic among women, but An Ningqing remained silent, though she was listening intently. As she prepared a wild vegetable soup, the lively chatter of the two women filled the air, making the forest feel more alive. She enjoyed the warmth of their company.

Xi Jingya received a pair of chopsticks. Seeing Lu Lu eating with such relish, she took a bite. The flavor wasn’t extraordinary—rather bland and watery—but it had a subtle fragrance. “What’s this?”

Lu Lu eagerly answered, “Perilla Leaf! It’s good for digestion and stomach health. Don’t you think it tastes pretty good?”

“Mm.”

“Wrapping the meat in perilla leaves makes it even more fragrant. We should try it tonight.”

After the meal, there were fruits of various colors. Lu Lu knew the flavor of each one. After asking Xi Jingya about her preferences, he gave her the ones she liked best. “Sister Ya, try these!”

Xi Jingya loved sour flavors, both sweet and tart. She held a handful of wild sour plums and bit into one. The sweet and sour juice flooded her mouth, and her eyes lit up. “Lu Lu, you’re so lucky! Next time, I won’t let you have An An.”

Lu Lu: “!!!”

He was so flustered he stopped eating his fruit. “No way! I’m definitely holding onto Sister An’s thigh! But… how about we let Sister Ya have the other thigh? We can be a group of three, right?”

This was his last resort.

An Ningqing: “……”

Ahhh! I’m suddenly shipping this! What a beautiful friendship!

OMG! My Ya Ya actually said that! She’s so adorable! But An An already has the Third Miss… we’re doomed to lose this battle.

My stupid son finally had a moment of brilliance.

LOL, the production team must be dumbfounded. They already had the teams set and were preparing for the next episode’s filming.

A trio isn’t bad, as long as my Brother Ji is included. Then I’m in! Hehe.

Alright, alright, you’re all hitting me in the face with your abacuses!

The netizens were still excitedly discussing the guest lineup for the next episode when the announcement suddenly blared: “Xi Jingya has been eliminated!” An Ningqing froze, while Xi Jingya patted her leg and said, “Without me, you’ll be number one.”

Lu Lu hadn’t expected her to eliminate herself so quickly. “Sister Ya, let’s promise to cling to Sister An’s coattails together next time!”

Xi Jingya smiled but didn’t reply.

She knew it would likely be a long time before she could participate in the show again.

Knowing about her leg injury, the production team simply used a stretcher to carry Xi Jingya away. Afterward, staff offered to call a doctor for her, but she refused.

Lu Lu scratched his head. “We’re number one now?”

An Ningqing hadn’t expected to be eliminated so quickly. She’d assumed they’d need at least three more applications of the medicine. Has the show already reached its conclusion? she wondered. “If there were eight guests to begin with, then it’s true, only the two of us remain.”

Lu Lu, experiencing his first-ever victory by default, jumped up and down excitedly like a monkey. “Wow, Sister An, we actually won!”

An Ningqing smiled faintly, then suddenly asked, “Do we still need to fight each other?”

Lu Lu nearly dropped to his knees at her words, immediately pleading for mercy. “Sister An, spare me!”

Fortunately, the production team hadn’t gone that far. They quickly sent staff to retrieve them. The three-day wilderness survival filming was gradually coming to an end. As they reached the exit, An Ningqing was met with a sea of complicated gazes.

Ji Yang immediately pulled Lu Lu into a hug. “You lucky bastard! Where did you get this kind of luck? If I’d drawn An An as my partner, I’d be the one coasting to victory!”

Lu Lu, also feeling his luck had been nothing short of miraculous, grinned sheepishly. “Heh heh.”

Next came the awarding of the five million yuan prize to the champions. However, the director felt that dividing it into 2.5 million yuan per person sounded insulting, like calling them “two-fifty.” So, he personally added an extra 20,000 yuan to the total prize money.

This brought each champion’s share to 2,510,000 yuan.

Lu Lu whispered to An Ningqing, “The director is such a cheapskate! Did he really have to dig that extra 10,000 yuan out of his secret stash?”

An Ningqing didn’t seem to care. “The director has a secret stash?”

Lu Lu eagerly shared the gossip he’d overheard. “Sister An, you don’t know? The director is terrified of his wife—a notorious henpecked husband. She controls all his money. I heard he even has to ask her permission to smoke! Tsk, if she ever finds out about his secret stash, he’s toast.”

The conversation was broadcast clearly through their microphones to the online audience. The director, who had been basking in the glowing online reviews, only realized what had happened when he saw the comments flashing across the screen: “He’s afraid of his wife!”

“You little sneak, Lu Lu!”

He grabbed a nearby megaphone and roared like a lioness, “Lu Lu, I’m taking back your 10,000 yuan bonus!”

Lu Lu: “???”

An Ningqing pointed to the microphone clipped to his collar.

The online viewers nearly burst out laughing.

Meanwhile, Xie Anran’s phone suddenly rang. She answered it casually. The person on the other end whispered, “Third Miss, the information you asked me to investigate is extremely sensitive. If President Xie finds out, I could lose my job.”

Xie Anran cut him off impatiently. “Triple the price.”

The man seized the opportunity. “Alright, since you’re being so generous, I’ll get straight to the point. Chen Cheng’s inclusion in the Wilderness Survival program was indeed arranged by Young Master Xie through bribery.”

Xie Anran remained calm, waiting until the call ended before slamming the folder in her hand violently onto the desk. “Xie Xuanze, I knew you couldn’t resist causing trouble for even a day!”

After hanging up, she stormed out of the house and drove furiously to the company. The secretary couldn’t even stop her; Xie Anran easily brushed him aside. He watched as the notoriously hot-tempered young woman kicked open the office door.

The executive who had been reporting to Xie Xuanze trembled in fear. He turned to see Xie Anran standing there. “Third… Third Miss.”

Seeing her fiery temper, Xie Xuanze waved at the executive in front of him. “There are still some details to refine in this contract. Please revise it and close the door on your way out.”

Once the nuisance had left, Xie Xuanze stood up and greeted her with a beaming smile. “Who made our Ranran so angry? Tell your brother, and I’ll help you get even.”

Xie Anran slapped his hand away and plopped down on the sofa. “Chen Cheng.”

Xie Xuanze tilted his head, feigning thought for a moment. “That name sounds familiar. I think she’s an influencer. I even tipped her once. What happened? Did she upset you?”

Seeing him still pretending ignorance, Xie Anran retorted, “Yes, she infuriated me. Blacklist her. But the real culprit is the person behind her. Why don’t you find him for me, Brother? I want to beat him up to vent my anger.”

This put him in an awkward position.

He couldn’t exactly drag himself out for a beating.

“Alright, Ranran,” Xie Xuanze said soothingly. “She’s just a minor influencer. Blacklist her if you want. Don’t let it ruin your mood.”

Xie Anran scoffed. “Oh, right. This influencer happens to be from the same place as An Ningqing. And what a coincidence—An Ningqing goes to work, and she just happens to be on the same show. So many coincidences! Don’t you think the person behind this influencer has some sinister motives? It’s utterly despicable.”

Xie Xuanze suddenly realized, “It’s all about that An Ningqing again.”

Xie Anran nodded. “Yes, Brother. And I need to tell you, I’ve fallen in love with An Ningqing.”

Xie Xuanze’s expression darkened instantly. “Ranran, you’re just too young and inexperienced with love. That’s why you’ve been fooled by a two-faced woman like An Ningqing. You deserve better, Ranran. Listen to your brother and break up with her. I’ll arrange a match for you later, someone of equal status and background.”

Xie Anran stood up. “No! I only want An Ningqing.”

Xie Xuanze was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled. “Ranran, let’s not argue anymore. I have a date soon, and it’s almost time. I’ll drop you off on the way.”

Xie Anran eyed him suspiciously. “Are you plotting something again? I’m warning you, Brother, if you try anything with An Ningqing again, I’ll hate you.”

Xie Xuanze ruffled her hair nonchalantly. “Alright, let’s not talk about An Ningqing. By the way, didn’t you say your bear on the bed was dirty? I’ll pick out a fluffy toy you like later, or we can even have one custom-made. You can choose what you want stuffed inside its belly.”

“No, I don’t want it anymore.”

“Hmm?”

“It’s too disgusting. Besides, I’m all grown up now. I don’t need these fluffy toys. Please don’t get me one. I’ll just throw it away.” Xie Anran felt a wave of nausea at the thought of the animal remains inside the teddy bear.

What she really wanted now was a person lying in her bed.

Xie Xuanze led her to the car. “It was my fault, Ranran. What do you want? Name your price. I’ll get you anything.”

Xie Anran cautiously tested the waters. “Really? Anything? You won’t take it back, right?”

“Of course, Ranran. Even if you wanted the moon, I’d find a way to pluck it from the sky for you.”

Xie Anran pondered for a moment. “I want our family’s pharmaceutical factory.”

Xie Xuanze stared at her, speechless.

An Ningqing, still unaware of Xie Anran’s ambitions, had left her phone in her suitcase. After the awards ceremony, the production team had arranged individual interviews with each of the eight guests.

The questions were the usual fare: challenges faced during the show, conflicts between guests, and so on.

When it was An Ningqing’s turn, the staff’s questions were straightforward: “Teacher An, do you think there’s anything we should add to this episode? Or do you have any suggestions for the production team?”

An Ningqing, who had come primarily for the trip, replied, “No, I think everything’s been great.”

The staff pressed further, “Then, Teacher An, do you have a favorite guest or one you particularly dislike?”

An Ningqing shook her head. “No, I think everyone’s been quite charming.”

After all, it was all just playful banter and harmless games.

In her view, as long as things didn’t escalate to real violence—knives, guns, or underhanded tactics like backstabbing or poisoning—it was all within acceptable bounds. And she genuinely found this episode’s filming quite entertaining.

The staff member was speechless.

This was impartiality at its finest.

But that wasn’t what the audience wanted to hear.

The staff member couldn’t resist hinting, “What about Chen Cheng? Do you find him charming too?”

An Ningqing countered, “Don’t you think he’s charming? He even jumped into the water to cool off!”

The staff member choked back a laugh.

There was no defending Chen Cheng on this point. Everyone had witnessed An Ningqing leading him in circles. If he hadn’t tried to ambush her from behind, he might not have been eliminated so embarrassingly.

It was all quite dramatic, to say the least.

The staff asked a few more routine questions but didn’t press An Ningqing further, realizing she genuinely couldn’t answer. Sob.

As soon as An Ningqing emerged, she saw Xi Jingya waiting for her in a wheelchair. “What’s wrong? Is your leg hurting?” she asked, immediately crouching down to check Xi Jingya’s injury.

Xi Jingya, clutching her phone tightly, stopped her. Seeing no one nearby, she whispered, “Don’t worry about my leg for now. This is about you.”

“Huh?” An Ningqing replied.

Xi Jingya glanced around at the people passing by before leading An Ningqing to a secluded corner. “Your manager couldn’t reach you and called my manager, who then called me. He sounded frantic, like something serious had happened. Why don’t you borrow my phone and call him back?”

Guan Lang?

An Ningqing had forgotten to take her phone out of her luggage. Guests weren’t allowed to bring phones during filming anyway. Grateful for Xi Jingya’s offer, she took the phone and dialed the number.

The call connected almost immediately.

Guan Lang’s voice rushed through the line. “Sister Jingya, An An—”

Xi Jingya swiftly wheeled herself aside, respecting others’ privacy.

“It’s me,” An Ningqing said.

“Oh, my little darling! Why didn’t you bring your phone? I’ve been calling you a dozen times! You’re going to give me a heart attack! Do you know what’s happened?”

“If it’s urgent, get straight to the point.”

“The Third Miss was in a terrible car accident. The car exploded.”