Chapter 17

Chapter 17 – Director: “Help aaahhhh—!”

There’s no definitive answer to whether the raptors of the sky or the beasts of the land have greater combat power.

Each has its strengths; it’s hard to determine a winner.

But unsurprisingly, if they really fought seriously, both would get hurt.

If it were just playful biting and light scuffles, Lin Qianyu wouldn’t care too much. But right now, the two were clearly squaring off for a real fight.

Standing between them, Lin Qianyu played peacemaker. “Little Diao, come down first and listen to me. It’s not an enemy.”

The Red-Tailed Land Eagle deliberately avoided Lin Qianyu with its extended claw, ceased its dive, flapped its wings to redirect its motion, and as it flipped around, its tail feathers smacked the black bear in the face.

“You too, Little Bear. Same old words—let’s talk things out…” Seeing the eagle back down, Lin Qianyu turned to reason with the black bear, but before she could finish, her voice rose sharply: “Why are you jumping up to hit now?!”

The bear paw yanked a chunk of tail feathers.

“Jiu!” The Red-Tailed Land Eagle, enraged, landed on the bear’s shoulder and pecked its head.

“Ao!”

“Hey—! You two.”

...

【Hahahaha what a tragic battlefield, but why am I so entertained?】

【I’m dying—Red-Tailed Land Eagle: I was gone for one night, and you’ve gotten cozy with this black thing!】

【Gotta say, they’re pretty considerate—they’re avoiding Lin Qianyu while fighting.】

Lin Qianyu watched the two as they brawled and shifted their battleground. The eagle spat out a mouthful of bear fur after pecking, and the black bear flung off tail feathers as it charged again.

They were really going at it.

“Stop fighting!”

Upon hearing her voice, the black bear and Red-Tailed Land Eagle each cast a glance her way amidst the chaos, then went right back to fighting.

“……”

Lin Qianyu took a deep breath. Shouting under the noon sun was making her oxygen-deprived.

“Seriously, stop! We’re all on the same side, no infighting—ah!” Lin Qianyu looked up at the sky and didn’t watch her step. She tripped over some clutter, and just as she caught a glimpse of the two still fighting, she fell with the momentum.

Feeling a bit sore from the fall, she shifted to the side slightly.

The two had been fighting silently, but instantly pulled away from their battle and hurried over in a panic to check on Lin Qianyu.

“Woo?”

“Jiu!”

Seeing Lin Qianyu lying motionless with eyes shut, life or death uncertain,

the black bear and Red-Tailed Land Eagle kept sniffing her, confused and not knowing what had happened.

At least… the two finally stopped fighting.Lin Qianyu squinted her eyes into a thin slit, and after confirming it was safe, closed them again.

She was certain—if she stood up right now and they realized she was fine, the two would definitely start fighting again.

With that thought, Lin Qianyu folded her arms to pillow her cheek.

“Jiu!”

Lin Qianyu thought to herself: Not getting up. Someone who fainted can’t get up.

The Red-Tailed Land Eagle tried nudging her with its claw.

Lin Qianyu let her body sway with the push, pretending to be limp and unconscious, but still kept her eyes shut.

Seemingly running out of patience, the Red-Tailed Land Eagle stopped nudging. The black bear let out a low, muffled growl.

To Lin Qianyu’s ears, it sounded like it said, “Good.”

Lin Qianyu raised an eyebrow. Good? What’s good?

Was the Red-Tailed Land Eagle talking to the black bear?

Before she could figure it out, the director’s scream pierced the air.

“Help aaahhh—!”

“Lin Qianyu! Lin Qianyu! Stop pretending to faint! Get up!”

Lin Qianyu quickly sat up, only to see the black bear already standing in front of the director team’s tent, hugging the support pole at the entrance and trying to pull it toward her.

The Red-Tailed Land Eagle hovered in the air, and with one swipe of its claw, had already torn the tent roof off.

Lin Qianyu: “……”

The crew members of the production team each held onto a side, hugging the iron poles and using their bodies to stabilize the tent.

But in front of the black bear, all their strength combined was like a bunch of fluffy chicks—completely powerless.

They were forcibly dragged a good distance.

Lin Qianyu rushed forward. “Stop! Stop pulling!”

The crew inside were terrified to the point of tears.

Lin Qianyu quickly stepped in and, under the claws and paws of the two, managed to rescue the swaying tent.

The tent was supported by interior iron rods, and one of them had already been bent out of shape.

The Red-Tailed Land Eagle tossed away the tattered piece of fabric from the top and happily flew over to rub against Lin Qianyu.

“Woo!” Not wanting to be left behind, the black bear squeezed in from the other side and snuggled up to her too.

Separated by Lin Qianyu in the middle, the Red-Tailed Land Eagle flapped a wing at it again.

The black bear reached out a paw, trying to bat at the eagle.

Standing in the middle, just about to be relieved that the two had finally stopped fighting, Lin Qianyu’s face was expressionless.

Exhausted."Alright! No more fighting!"

With arms stretched out to her sides, Lin Qianyu forced the two apart. "If anyone starts again, I’ll step in myself."

"I'm really good at hitting people, and it hurts!"

The black bear shrank its neck, and the Red-Tailed Land Eagle gave it a glance, then turned its head away in disdain.

【Good grief, click to watch: Lin Qianyu taming wild beasts live.】

【They didn’t mean it… Look how cute they are. Maybe let it go this time.】

Lin Qianyu gave the bear’s head a ruffle—left a small bald patch, but it didn’t affect the feel.

The Red-Tailed Land Eagle pecked once, then flew into the sky. The black bear couldn’t catch it, but plenty of tail feathers came loose. Lin Qianyu smoothed the feathers gently with her fingers. “You two, seriously.”

Both of them looked a mess.

But at least it was just a mess—no real injuries.

She picked up the scattered tail feathers on the ground. Even more beautiful and ornate than peacock feathers, they looked like delicate works of art when held up.

“Want to take them back for nest-building?” Lin Qianyu waved the feathers, brushing them across the eagle’s beak. “They’re quite pretty.”

The Red-Tailed Land Eagle shook its head, nudged the feathers aside with a claw, and rested its chin on top of Lin Qianyu’s head, clinging to her like it had no strength left.

Lin Qianyu was worried it wouldn’t stay steady perched on her shoulder and freed one hand to hold it in place, while her palm rubbed the little bald spot the black bear had on its head from the peck. “No more fighting, alright? I’m starving. Come on, let’s go find something to eat.”

Having wasted most of the day, Lin Qianyu didn’t even need to check the time—she was past the point of hunger.

She grabbed her cooking gear. There was still plenty of honey left in the hive—more than one meal’s worth—so she left the hive at base and only took the amount in the metal jar.

With her hiking backpack on, Lin Qianyu motioned for the two furry creatures to follow.

They had no destination in mind, no particular goal.

So she simply decided to go to the riverside to get some water.

Considering the presence of other participants, Lin Qianyu didn’t go to her usual spot but led them downstream instead.

After finding a suitable place, she started a fire. She filled the metal jar with water, boiled it, and stirred in honey for a sweet drink.

“There are fish here,” Lin Qianyu said, hanging the honey water over the fire and crouching by the river to look down.

She’d already noticed it earlier when collecting water. There seemed to be more fish here than upstream. At least to her, that’s how it looked—she’d never seen fish in the upper parts before.

The wild fish—she wasn’t sure what kind—looked a bit like grass carp, but their scales were shinier and they seemed quite plump.

“How about fish for dinner?” She wasn’t picky and turned to ask the two, “Honey-grilled fish or honey-grilled meat?”

The Red-Tailed Land Eagle and the little bear both looked blank.

Didn’t understand.

“Alright then.” Lin Qianyu shook her head and chuckled. “Let’s try grilling fish first.”

She didn’t want to get her clothes wet, so that left two options for catching fish: spearing or fishing.

Fishing… none of the willow branches nearby looked strong enough for that.

So she picked up her machete and went to find a suitable tree branch, carving it into a sharp point.“Little Bear?” Just as she was thinking, the light before her dimmed—a round, plump black bear stepped to the side and blocked out most of the sunlight.

Lin Qianyu raised a hand, giving the bear a ruffle as she looked up at the tree. “Don’t rush, I’ll catch you a big fish in a bit.”

Splash—her hand suddenly lost support. Lin Qianyu froze for a moment, and the splash from the river nearly soaked the toes of her shoes.

Luckily, she was standing a bit away from the shore; otherwise, her clothes would've been drenched.

In the water, the black bear moved with agility—completely unlike its slow, honey-eating self. When it emerged again, it already had a big fish clamped in its jaws.

The fish wasn’t fully dead yet, flopping its tail and head wildly. The black bear tried to hold it down with its paw, but the fish’s thrashing annoyed it into instinctively tossing its head back—instead of holding the fish, it ended up getting slapped several times by it.

Up in the tree, the Red-Tailed Land Eagle looked down disdainfully. It suddenly dropped straight from the branch, spreading its wings just before touching the water, and skimmed across the surface. With precision, it snatched a fish mid-flight—biting through it instantly, not giving it a chance to struggle.

When it landed, it placed the fish in front of Lin Qianyu.

Lin Qianyu, who was still trying to make a fishing tool from a tree branch: “?”

Little Bear, seeing this, dropped its own fish and turned back to the river.

The Red-Tailed Land Eagle wasn’t to be outdone, circling above the river looking for another opportunity.

The bear, splashing around in the water, scattered the fish. With the water stirred up, the fish hiding under the surface were all exposed.

Meanwhile, the eagle tracked them from above, hitting its mark every single time.

Without realizing it, the two were actually cooperating in their own way—a surprisingly good team.

Looking at the pile of fish flapping and slapping their tails in front of her, Lin Qianyu held her forehead. “Tsk. I could’ve sworn I signed up for a wilderness survival show.”

【Yeah, something’s off here. How come they’ve got more prey than they can eat every meal?!】

【Wait—this isn’t Animal Planet?!】

【Come one, come all—if you want to see someone starving and gaunt in a real survival show, go to the other livestream. That poor small-time celeb’s only had a glass of water in two days, not even hot water. No background, no support. It’ll make you cry.】

“Alright, alright, that’s enough from both of you,” Lin Qianyu said, watching the Red-Tailed Land Eagle and the black bear still staring intently at the river, worried they’d clean the whole river out of fish.

She began picking up the fish. “This much? There’s only the three of us. No way we’ll finish it all.”

It looked like the two fluffy creatures had entered a contest—no more fighting, now it was about who could catch more fish.

“Little Eagle, come back now.” Lin Qianyu reached a hand out to the eagle.

The Red-Tailed Land Eagle, totally absorbed in fishing just moments ago, immediately gave up on the river and flew straight to her.

It landed on her shoulder, and Lin Qianyu wiped its claws clean.

“Little Bear? No more fishing for you either. Come here, let me brush you—you’re a mess.”

The show had provided guests with small toiletry kits. Inside was a short plastic comb that Lin Qianyu hadn’t used before.

Now seemed like a perfect time.

She found a stable rock and sat down, holding the comb. “Come, let’s brush your fur.”

The black bear came out of the river.

Lin Qianyu reacted quickly, “Wait! Don’t shake yet!”Still, she was just a moment too late to stop it. The black bear stood at the river’s edge and shook its fur—water sprayed everywhere like a sudden downpour lasting several seconds.

“Chirp—!”

“Little Eagle?”

The Red-Tailed Land Eagle, who hated getting its feathers wet, instantly burst into a rage.

Watching the two start fighting again, Lin Qianyu stood there, windblown and speechless: “…”

She wiped the water off her face. “You two, fight all you want, just remember to come eat.”

The honey water was ready. Lin Qianyu poured a small bowl to cool.

Now that she had two fluffy companions, one bowl wasn’t enough—she’d need to make a few more back at camp.

Without a brush, she couldn’t baste the grilled fish as delicately as she wanted, so instead, she just drizzled some honey water on top while cooking.

The honey was pure. When boiled into water, it tasted sweet but not overly so—just right.

The cleaned fish were seared on the outside over the fire. After drizzling on the honey water, their surface turned glossy and golden. She laid them on a wooden rack, occasionally flipping them as they roasted.

Once the aroma of grilled fish filled the air, the two who had been wrestling immediately stopped.

Maybe because of Lin Qianyu’s presence, even though they seemed to fight fiercely, it was all in moderation. The scuffles only messed up their fur—like two kids roughhousing: a punch here, a nip there, but no bloodshed.

“Hungry?” Lin Qianyu ruffled the Red-Tailed Land Eagle. “Just a bit longer, then we eat.”

The little bear licked its messy fur, then snuggled up to sit at Lin Qianyu’s feet. “Whimper.”

“Mm.” Lin Qianyu responded and, while the fish still cooked, picked up the comb again and started brushing from its head. She also removed the gauze—it was soaked through.

Lin Qianyu sighed. “Sigh… I want to trade for a new comb again.”

She had so many supplies she wanted to swap with the director.

Most of them were for the fluffy ones. But on second thought, raising fluffy companions really was expensive.

The small plastic comb barely managed to get the bear’s fur in order, but the bristles were too short. They couldn’t get through its thick coat, so she had to use her fingers to smooth it out instead.

Lin Qianyu patted the little bear’s back. “Alright, time to eat.”

The Red-Tailed Land Eagle tilted its head, then mimicked her and lightly patted with its claws.

The grilled fish was set aside to cool. Lin Qianyu handed the bowl to the little bear, then made two leaf bowls for herself. She couldn’t drink much honey water, but the black bear would probably love it.

Compared to the black bear’s paw, the wooden bowl looked like a miniature toy for pretend play.

Smelling the sweet scent in the bowl, the black bear instinctively dipped its paw into the honey water.

Lin Qianyu poked its paw pad. “Drink it like this.” She demonstrated by placing her lips on the edge of the leaf bowl and tilting it.

The black bear blinked a few times, then copied her. As the honey water entered its mouth, its eyes lit up.

One bowl wasn’t even enough to fill the gap between its teeth—it disappeared as soon as it entered.

After finishing, the little bear tipped the bowl upside down to confirm it was empty, then held it out toward Lin Qianyu. “Awooo!”

Seeing that it liked it, Lin Qianyu cheerfully refilled the bowl. “This should still be warm. Drink slowly.”In comparison, the Red-Tailed Land Eagle wasn’t very interested in the honey water. It would occasionally peck at the leaf bowl, narrowing its eyes, and then take another sip only after quite a while.

There was only a small jar of honey water. Seeing how much the little bear liked it, Lin Qianyu gave it all the rest.

After setting down the leaf bowl, Lin Qianyu stood up and skewered a few more fish to keep roasting.

The bear had a big appetite—even all these fish might not be enough.

After licking the last drop of honey water, the black bear licked the wooden bowl, then wandered over to peek into the pot. Seeing it empty, it lowered its head and licked its own bowl again.

Plop—the leaf bowl slipped into the wooden one and spread open, spilling the remaining honey water.

The Red-Tailed Land Eagle tidied its feathers and flew off toward Lin Qianyu.

【?!!! Did the Red-Tailed Land Eagle just give its honey water to the black bear?!】

【Pfft… hahaha they really do seem to get along. Did they fight their way into a friendship?】

【Aww too cute. My precious Little Eagle is such a good bird, even shares its honey water.】

【Waaah a little bear that drinks honey water?! If I were the streamer, I’d boil the whole river into honey water for it.】

…

The grilled fish had a crispy skin. After cumin, chili powder, and salt were sprinkled on top, it smelled amazing. The only issue was the lack of oil—it tasted dry.

Lin Qianyu took a bite and muttered, “Not as tasty as grilled meat.”

Next time, she could try brushing meat drippings onto the fish—it would make it more tender.

The Red-Tailed Land Eagle and the little bear were easy to feed and not picky at all.

While Lin Qianyu was still thinking about ways to improve, the Red-Tailed Land Eagle had already eaten more than half a fish, and the black bear swallowed entire fish in one bite.

Not even chewing.

With the slightly larger ones, it just bit off the head and swallowed the rest whole.

【What’s Lin Qianyu doing? Isn’t she helping to debone the fish? What if they choke?】

【Let’s interview this person—what state of mind were you in when you asked that?】

【Ah yes yes, the black bear will choke on a fish, decide not to eat the prey it hunted in the wild, and cook itself a proper three-course meal instead.】

In a high-traffic livestream room, even the tiniest stir could attract criticism.

But there were also many sharp-eyed viewers who weren’t having it and immediately clapped back to defend Lin Qianyu.

Buzz buzz—her watch vibrated twice. Lin Qianyu was teasing the bear with grilled fish. The smell of chili powder made the bear scrunch up its nose and eyes, looking like a fluffy dumpling.

She laughed and tapped open the message on her watch.

Director: 【The show has invited wilderness survival expert Xie Yifei, who has now landed on the island. Xie Yifei has tens of millions of followers on video platforms and extensive survival experience, including a 90-day live survival challenge in the rainforest with no tools or supplies. He has won countless industry awards.】

【All guests currently out hunting, please return to base promptly to welcome the master!】

Xie Yifei?

That name...Lin Qianyu thought for a moment before she matched the name with the character from the original story.

But—wasn’t Xie Yifei supposed to be invited as a mentor halfway through the variety show?

Why had he shown up just a few days after the livestream started?

Xie Yifei was also one of An Lanqing’s bootlickers. From an outsider’s point of view, his position in An Lanqing’s heart was probably about the same as Guo Yanpeng’s.

In the original plot, it was around the mid-season when the director invited a mentor to evaluate the guests’ survival results over the past few days.

By that point, An Lanqing had already gained quite a bit of attention by sticking to the original host, and her “strong and inspirational” persona had been firmly established. She chatted gracefully with Xie Yifei, admitted her shortcomings, and earned another wave of positive attention.

But Xie Yifei spoke to the original host with constant sarcasm and disdain. Words like “idiot” and “useless” were never far from his mouth.

The original host had already been under immense pressure in the wilderness for a long time. After hearing Xie Yifei’s words, she emotionally broke down—both hurt and aggrieved.

Xie Yifei simply responded, “Sorry, I didn’t think you were so sensitive. I was just trying to teach you—I didn’t mean anything by it.” The original host couldn’t explain herself, and any crying or shouting would only make the audience call her crazy.

After that, Xie Yifei became even more blatant in targeting her.

All the sycophants around An Lanqing seemed to come equipped with a built-in radar—for bullying the original host.

Lin Qianyu yawned, closed her inbox, and pretended she hadn’t seen the director’s message.

No way was she going to go greet him.

Beating someone up on their first meeting in front of a live audience didn’t sound like a great idea.

If someone wants to greet him, let them.

Lin Qianyu waved her hand. “Come on, let’s keep eating fish!”

By afternoon, the weather had shifted, as if a storm were brewing.

After sending the Red-Tailed Land Eagle back, the little bear had run off to hunt on its own. With nothing else to do, Lin Qianyu finally returned to the base.

She had played outside all day, and her backpack was still filled with wild fruits.

When she strolled back, she saw Hang Sisi panting and swinging a knife at a large tree.

Lin Qianyu stepped in to help stabilize the tree, in case it fell and hurt someone, and asked, “Why are you chopping trees?”

Hang Sisi, dizzy and out of breath, pursed her lips when she saw who it was and said, “Teacher Xie Yifei said he’s going to teach us how to build a house so we can sleep more comfortably tonight.”

Glancing at the sky, Lin Qianyu frowned. “You’re still chopping this late?”

Hang Sisi replied, “He said that in wilderness survival, time is critical, day and night don’t matter. Once we get through the hard part, we can truly relax later. Sleeping now is pointless.”

Lin Qianyu: “……”

What kind of new guest-manipulation technique is this?

“How many more trees do you need? I’ll help chop them.” Lin Qianyu tossed her backpack to her. “Go rest for a bit—there are wild fruits inside, eat some.”

“Forget it, I’m not chopping trees anymore.” Hang Sisi shook her head; even this short while had made her hands ache. “Qianyu-jie, how did you chop them before?”

Thinking back, she’d assumed Lin Qianyu was in poor health and had tried to help her chop trees. But now that she’d done it herself—grinding away without even finishing one—she had to ask:

Between the two of them, who was really the one too weak to even lift a knife?Hang Sisi was too embarrassed to take the wild fruits, so Lin Qianyu took back her backpack and grabbed a handful for her. The wild fruits this time were small—one handful held three or four.

On the open ground of the base, a rough wooden cabin had already taken shape.

Guo Yanpeng and An Lanqing had teamed up, and with Xie Yifei also helping, the three of them naturally built much faster than the other guests.

When Xie Yifei saw Hang Sisi return empty-handed, he wasn’t surprised at all. He shook his head and said, “Can’t you all learn from Lanqing? Her hands are blistered, but she hasn’t once said she’s giving up. You guys really are... sigh, I have nothing more to say.”

Then, Xie Yifei couldn’t help but laugh. “Surviving in the wild for days, still relying on a slab of rock to shelter from the rain—really makes you wonder what goes through your heads.”

He didn’t name anyone specifically, but his words clearly targeted “you all.”

Lin Qianyu walked past as if just passing by, not even sparing him a glance.

She stepped around him, and just as she lifted the curtain of the cabin, something felt off.

There were few items inside, and she remembered exactly where each one was placed.

It was obvious what was missing.

The beehive was gone.

Lin Qianyu let the curtain fall from her hand and asked in a flat, cold tone, “Who touched my stuff?”

The tone of her voice alone reflected her mood.

Hang Sisi turned her head in surprise and asked Jiang Ke what had happened.

Jiang Ke shook her head, looking timid and saying nothing.

Upon hearing Lin Qianyu’s question, Xie Yifei, leaning against the half-finished wooden house, chuckled and said, “Your broken, scrappy supplies—who would even want to touch them?”

He had said “you all” earlier, but Lin Qianyu’s suspicion was directed at only three people.

She said calmly, “Where’s my beehive?”

Xie Yifei paused, then replied with a lazy tone, “Oh, that? Lanqing’s not been feeling well lately and hasn’t been getting enough nutrition. I saw it and borrowed it for a bit. Once I find another hive, I’ll pay you back double.”

“Taking without asking is stealing,” Lin Qianyu knew full well there was no chance he’d pay her back. He was just trying to make his theft seem justified.

Hearing her say that, Xie Yifei’s face stiffened and his tone turned sharp. “We’re all on the same team—do you have to be so dramatic?”

Lin Qianyu wasn’t in the mood to waste words. She walked right up to him, faced him directly, and asked again, “Where is my beehive?”

Xie Yifei looked at her, apparently not expecting her to press the issue. In the past, the original host would have lowered her head and shrunk away. “Hey, come on, is it really that serious? It’s just a beehive. Don’t you know who I am? If I want a beehive, I can get one easily. I already said I’d pay you back double—why are you being so unreasonable?”

An Lanqing, seeing how petty Lin Qianyu seemed, couldn’t help but smile. So small-minded, with no sense of the bigger picture—that’s the last thing you want in wilderness survival.

Wasn’t Lin Qianyu just making things worse for herself?

Guo Yanpeng shot her a glare too. “You’ve been doing so well—why are you hung up on one beehive? You only care about yourself after eating your fill. So selfish.”

It’s just a beehive. Can’t find another one? Send that bear to get it. Why all this whining? So annoying.

Lin Qianyu gave him a sideways glance. “Did I give you permission to talk to me like that?”

As the tension thickened, An Lanqing stepped in at just the right moment. “Qianyu, don’t be mad. It’s my fault. I got a bit hypoglycemic doing some work and just borrowed some of your honey.”

Lin Qianyu nodded, signaling her to continue. “And then?”An Lanqing hadn’t expected a follow-up at all and hesitated. “Then…”

Lin Qianyu couldn’t help but laugh at her pitiful, at-a-loss expression. “Xie Yifei at least pretended he’d pay back double after stealing. You’re just saying ‘I took it’ and calling it a day?”

“It was me who took it. It has nothing to do with Lanqing.” Xie Yifei stepped in front of her protectively. “Lin Qianyu, don’t make me look down on you.”

【Exactly. It’s just a bite to eat. Qingqing isn’t feeling well—who’d want her stuff otherwise?】

【LMAO, then go die if you're not feeling well. You think anyone’s desperate enough to want your stolen goods?】

【Listening to An Lanqing talk is like witnessing the beauty of a brain-stem deficiency.】

Lin Qianyu curled her lips into a cold smile—and without warning, kicked Xie Yifei in the knee.

“Ah!” Completely off guard, Xie Yifei dropped to one knee, bracing himself on the ground with one hand, his face filled with fury as he looked up, just about to shout.

But Lin Qianyu moved first—grabbing his left middle finger, twisting it back around his neck from behind, and yanking it firmly.

Xie Yifei’s face flushed red, but he was immobilized. “Let go! Lin Qianyu, are you crazy?!”

“I’ll ask you one last time. Where’s my beehive?” That hive was big. Even if the three of them had eaten their fill, it couldn’t have been finished so fast.

The most likely explanation: they ate part of it and hid the rest.

Xie Yifei had assumed she’d swallow her anger and not dare to push. Even if she asked, he thought a few vague words would send her away, forcing her to suffer in silence. He hadn’t expected Lin Qianyu was already a different person inside.

Now, with his finger being twisted at an unnatural angle, his forearm began to cramp and spasm from the strain.

“You… damn…” he cursed in a low voice.

Lin Qianyu didn’t waste a single word—she kept bending his finger back.

“Lin Qianyu!!”

Xie Yifei’s chest heaved with rage. The loss of control made him all the more agitated.

He tried to struggle, but couldn’t move an inch. Pinned to the ground like his legs were poured in cement—all while Lin Qianyu used only one hand.

The realization made Xie Yifei’s face turn pale.

Guo Yanpeng, though usually opposed to Xie Yifei as a love rival and often irritated by his pretentiousness, stepped forward at this point. “Lin Qianyu, don’t go too far. Just because you’re physically weak doesn’t mean the whole production team has to coddle you.”

Without saying a word, Lin Qianyu kicked him square in the stomach.

“Pffft!” He didn’t even have time to react. Guo Yanpeng immediately curled up like a frog, clutching his belly, his face turning ashen, huge beads of sweat dripping from his forehead in pain.

【……】

The livestream chat fell completely silent.

【D-Did you all see that just now?】

Earlier, Lin Qianyu’s agility while climbing trees on the mountain had already caught everyone off guard, but that was chalked up to her preparing in advance or training during a certain period.

But that kick—and the lightning-fast takedown of Xie Yifei—was so quick the camera needed slow-motion playback to even follow the movement.

That kind of skill… wasn’t something you could develop in a short amount of time.

【Holy shit, Lin Qianyu’s this good at fighting? Is this for real? Did Guo Yanpeng really sell out and agree to be her stunt dummy?】【I mean… the way he’s hurting, it really doesn’t look like acting.】

【Yeah, speaking as a ten-year fan of Guo Yanpeng—his acting’s not that good. He definitely got hurt for real.】

【Hahaha damn, now that’s a professional evaluation.】

Xie Yifei glanced at Guo Yanpeng, who was lying on the ground, and cursed under his breath.

Lin Qianyu, seeing this, gave him a kick too—just to be fair.

“……”

Xie Yifei’s body swayed, and the pain in his finger worsened.

“The beehive’s in my backpack,” he finally croaked out, his voice hoarse, biting back a pained grunt. “There’s still more than half left… I used the rest.”

At those words, Lin Qianyu instantly let go.

With no support, Xie Yifei lost his balance and collapsed forward, barely managing to catch himself with his hands before his face hit the ground.

Lin Qianyu stepped right over his back as if it were flat ground, took the beehive from his backpack, weighed it in her hand, and said lightly, “Double the portion you used, remember to pay it back. As a mega influencer with tens of millions of followers, I’m sure you won’t short-change a weak little girl like me.”

【……6.】

【How did you even say that with a straight face? You nearly kicked Guo Yanpeng into the afterlife.】

【Xie Yifei still hasn’t moved. Did she cripple him or what?】

Only after Lin Qianyu left did An Lanqing dare to approach, “Afei, get up. Yanpeng, are you okay?”

She stood in the middle, helping this one up with one hand and reaching for the other with her arm.

Guo Yanpeng gritted his teeth. “Lin Qianyu, hurting others is against the rules. You dared to use violence.”

Last time he got hit, there was no video or evidence—he had to swallow the loss in silence.

But this time, with so many live cameras watching, he was determined to get Lin Qianyu kicked off the show!

“Forget it. We’re all friends. Let’s not stoop to her level,” An Lanqing said soothingly. “Still hurting? The director’s got a first aid kit—I’ll take you to get it, okay?”

Guo Yanpeng nodded hard. “Let’s go.”

As one of the “victims,” Xie Yifei simply gave Lin Qianyu a deep look, then silently returned to his tent without a word.

Watching the two of them go "look for medicine"—clearly on their way to report her—Lin Qianyu didn’t rush back to the cabin. Instead, she found a tree outside, sat down with one leg stretched out, leaned against the trunk, snacked on wild berries, and leisurely waited for someone to come out.

The tent was already repaired.

It was only the guests who lacked supplies—the production crew had replacements for everything.

Even the tent roof had been reinforced.

“Qianyu-jie, what do we do now?” Compared to Lin Qianyu, Hang Sisi was the one who looked more anxious.

“We let it chill,” Lin Qianyu replied, taking a bite of the wild fruit. Its crisp texture made her pause and examine it carefully to see what kind it was. “They stole first.”

What’s there to be afraid of when you’re in the right?

Hearing this, Hang Sisi calmed down and nodded. “Right—they’re all talk, using moral guilt while stealing and making empty promises. They deserved that beating.”The director wasn’t an unreasonable person.

【Wait a sec… They stole stuff, got beaten up for it, and still had the nerve to go report it?】

【Damn, that is what happened, but the way you put it is hilarious for some reason.】

【Sure, hitting people deserves punishment. But Afei didn’t take it for free—y’all gave him a loan he didn’t pay back, and now you're mad someone hit him? That’s wild.】

Xie Yifei had a solid fan base. After so many years as a content creator, he’d built strong connections with his audience, and had quite a few loyal supporters.

He’d never had any scandals before, but the moment he appeared on a livestream variety show—especially one in his supposed specialty, wilderness survival—he got beat up. Naturally, fans who came to watch the stream weren’t having it.

They thought: he came here kindly to share his knowledge, and you people not only didn’t appreciate it, you made a fuss over him eating a little honey? Absolutely bullying.

With that mindset, a flood of Xie Yifei fans poured into Lin Qianyu’s livestream.

Other guests, for not stepping in to stop the conflict, were also affected to varying degrees.

Not long after, the director came out with An Lanqing.

“I’ve already been informed about what happened,” the director began, not jumping straight to punishment. “The program strictly forbids physical altercations between guests. However, in this case, Lin Qianyu was acting in self-defense. That said, using violence is still wrong—so both sides are at fault.”

“Both parties will receive a strike. Three strikes, and you’re out of the show. A reminder: even if the program removes you, you’re still obligated to pay breach-of-contract penalties, plus compensate the production team for any losses caused by your departure.”

The punishment was the same for both.

Just that some people got beaten more than others.

“Director,” Guo Yanpeng clearly wasn’t happy with the decision. “I—”

“Then go hit her back,” the director interrupted, already regretting allowing this spoiled rich kid into the show. If it weren’t for the big paycheck, he wouldn’t have bothered with the headache.

After a pause, the director added, “If she retaliates, any consequences are on you.”

Lin Qianyu stood up and stretched lazily. “Want to try? I still have two strikes left.”

If Guo Yanpeng insisted on giving it a shot, she was happy to use up one of those precious chances.

Guo Yanpeng was so furious he could hardly breathe. He didn’t respond—either unwilling or unsure how—so he simply acted unwell and ignored her.

Xie Yifei had gone into his tent and hadn’t come out since—likely too embarrassed to face everyone.

Guo Yanpeng stayed silent.

Lin Qianyu gave a vague chuckle, opened the medical kit, and casually ran her fingers over the bottles.

“Oh, right. This is for you,” the director said, noticing her rummaging. “This anti-inflammatory is made of all-natural ingredients—safe for animals, too. Even if they lick the wound and ingest some, it’s fine.”

Lin Qianyu took it. The labels were all in a foreign language. “Is this part of the supply exchange?”

“Nope. The sponsor sent it after watching the livestream. One bottle per person.”

The “one per person” was just to avoid making her seem too favored—but realistically, she’d probably be the only one needing it.

Lin Qianyu tucked the medicine away, then opened her backpack. “I’ve got a few fish. How many candies can I trade for them?”

The Red-tailed Crested Eagle and the black bear were both great at catching fish, and after accounting for what was eaten, there was still a decent amount left.

“For fish… half a bag,” the director replied. “That’s about thirty-something pieces. These don’t look like the ones from the show’s supply—they’re unique to the rainforest, right? In that case, I’ll give you sixty.”“Qianyu-jie! I still have more than half a bag—at least a hundred or so! I’ll trade with you!” The moment Hang Sisi heard the price, she thought—why bother eating the candy? This stuff is basically money!

Director: “???”

Isn’t this price manipulation?

【Hahahahahaha the director’s smile is fading fast.】

【According to the law of conservation of energy, the director’s smile didn’t disappear—it just transferred to my face.】

The director made the final call: “Two hundred!”

He thought to himself, I’m the director—how can my supplies lose out to yours?

“Then I’ll say three hundred!” Hang Sisi felt around her pocket. “I’ll give you a deposit first, and go get the rest of the candy from my backpack.”

The director snorted, not believing in this nonsense, and confidently raised his hand with five fingers. “Five hundred! The guests don’t have much candy. From the start of the show till now, with all you’ve eaten and given away, how much could you possibly have left?”

“Not much, actually.” Hang Sisi didn’t continue to raise the bid. Instead, she went and reclaimed the candies she’d given away, blinking innocently. “Qianyu-jie, go trade with him. These are all I’ve got—I’ll keep them for myself.”

Director: “……”

He almost choked on the spot.

What is with this batch of guests?!

【Why does it feel like it’s the production team that got sent here to survive?】

【Better the director gives up the candy willingly, or else the bandit leader—oops, I mean animal queen—might turn your sweets into wild forest loot at any moment.】

A gentleman’s word is his bond.

Since he already agreed to the trade, the director couldn’t go back on it over a few pieces of candy. “Fine, just wait.”

The director was trying to drive a hard bargain, but honestly, if those fish were sold elsewhere, even just one of them could be worth hundreds of pieces of candy.

Unfortunately, they were on a remote island now.

Lin Qianyu put away the candies she got—three packs in total—and handed one to Hang Sisi. “This one’s for you.”

“I didn’t catch the fish, no need to give me any. Besides, I haven’t finished mine yet.” Hang Sisi took the candy but put it back into Lin Qianyu’s backpack. “Didn’t you say you were giving them to the black bear? They’re all for it.”

Hearing her bring it up on her own, Lin Qianyu asked, “You’re not afraid of it?”

“I am scared,” Hang Sisi said, sitting on the ground with one hand propping up her chin and pulling out a handful of grass. “But after watching the livestream all day today, I think the black bear’s actually kind of cute.”

Lin Qianyu paused. “You watched the livestream?”

“Yeah. After everyone went out this morning, I had nothing to do, so I used my watch to switch to your livestream.” Hang Sisi grinned. Her own stream wasn’t very interesting anyway, so everyone just watched Lin Qianyu playing with animals instead.

She really hadn’t expected that kind of tactic.

“It’s getting late. Qianyu-jie, aren’t you going to rest?”

Lin Qianyu glanced at the time. “I’m waiting for the little bear.”

It had promised to come find her at night for medicine, but she’d been back for a while now, and there was still no sign of it.

She wondered where it had gone.It’s just that… since it had already been agreed upon, the black bear would definitely come—it was only a matter of time. Lin Qianyu didn’t mind waiting a little longer.

Lin Qianyu said, “You go sleep first. I’ll wait a bit more.”

Hang Sisi opened her mouth, “No… no need to wait…”

“Hm?” In the dim light, Lin Qianyu noticed the color slowly draining from Hang Sisi’s face and her cautious backward steps.

Though she might have found it cute watching the livestream, when actually face-to-face—how many people wouldn’t fear a wild beast?

Realizing something, Lin Qianyu turned toward the pitch-dark forest and called, “Little bear?”

“Woo!”

In response, the black bear’s shadow slowly shifted in the darkness.

It backed its way toward them, rear first, as if it were dragging something in its mouth.

It wasn’t until it had hauled the thing into the clearing that Lin Qianyu got a clear look.

It was a pig.

A whole pig—headless.

Lin Qianyu: “???”

Did it go out hunting in the middle of the night?