Chapter 20

Chapter 20: 【Why Can’t I Team Up with Small Animals?】

【……】

【Hahahaha damn, what kind of hellish joke is this.】

【Don’t panic, it’s fine, Xie Yifei climbed back up by himself.】

【King Yama: The other party retracted a Xie Yifei.】

Even though Xie Yifei was currently in a life-threatening situation—hanging from a tree that could break at any moment, or he might fall from exhaustion—not a single viewer in Lin Qianyu’s livestream felt nervous.

In contrast, Xie Yifei’s fans were panicking like ants on a hot pan. With his livestream shut down, and after hearing rumors from the director, they all swarmed into Lin Qianyu’s stream and started accusing her:

【What are you looking at?! Hurry up and save him! Can’t you see A-Fei can’t hold on much longer?!】

【My god, how can someone be this cold-blooded? Just because of a minor disagreement, you’re going to watch A-Fei die?!】

【@Director, how is someone like this allowed on the show? Lin Qianyu get out of the wilderness!!】

Hearing through the watch that Lin Qianyu had arrived, the director opened the livestream—only to be met with a flood of verbal abuse.

Xie Yifei’s fans were extremely one-sided. No matter right or wrong, anyone opposing Xie Yifei was automatically the enemy.

Seeing that last comment, the director’s temples began to throb.

Why Lin Qianyu should be on the show? Why the hell would you even compare Xie Yifei to her?

Since the show started, Lin Qianyu had trended for all the right reasons—helpful, kind to animals, harmonious coexistence with nature. Even TV stations had reached out to buy the broadcasting rights to the recorded version.

All thanks to Lin Qianyu.

As for Xie Yifei… arrogant, defiant of rules. Compared to Guo Yanpeng who messed up his team, this guy just sabotaged himself.

If the director didn’t already know Xie Yifei was naturally like this, he’d almost suspect the guy was doing it on purpose—trying to die on the show and get the program cancelled.

What a dirty trick if it were a competitor’s sabotage attempt.

The director was already fed up with Xie Yifei. Seeing those comments, he waved his hand and told the moderators to add new banned keywords and block everything.

Seeing that Xie Yifei was still alive, Lin Qianyu didn’t rush to leave. She leaned back against the little bear, playing with its paw while asking, “So what should I do now? Just wait here for you, Director?”

Crack. The tree branch creaked again, straining under pressure.

“If you don’t get here soon, he’s really gonna get served in a box.” That sounded a little off—Lin Qianyu quickly corrected herself: “I mean, he’s about to become crocodile takeout.”

Mm. That phrasing was more accurate.

Fortunately, the director had already been heading this way, and before Xie Yifei could actually become dinner, the rescue team arrived.

Though crocodiles are fierce, this one was at some distance from Xie Yifei and not near any other guests. The rescue team swiftly moved to drive it off.

They had tried using sonic deterrents earlier when Xie Yifei was first chased, but maybe this croc wasn’t sensitive—sonics had no effect at all.

In the end, they had to use force. After a long standoff, the crocodile finally gave up on the meal, turned abruptly, and slipped quietly back into the river.

Lin Qianyu released the black bear and walked toward the director. “Director, when can I collect my cookware?”“Are you heading back today? I’ll just bring it to you directly.”

Though the director was angry, he had good control over his temper and wouldn’t take it out on innocent people. He was only upset that Xie Yifei didn’t follow instructions; his attitude toward Lin Qianyu remained quite good.

Lin Qianyu nodded. “Alright.”

Since the start of the livestream, the more the director saw Lin Qianyu, the more pleasing she seemed to him. “Have you chosen your place to stay? Once it’s settled, send me the exact location.”

Even if the guests weren’t returning to the original base, the production team still needed to log where they were living.

Lin Qianyu: “Mm, I’ll go back and—”

Suddenly, the director’s expression changed. He reached out and grabbed Lin Qianyu. “Watch out—!”

Hiss— Lin Qianyu raised her arm to block him, slightly turned her body, just about to strike, when the black bear’s roar burst out.

“Roooar——!!!”

In an instant, the black bear charged forward and slapped down a snake dangling from the tree with a single paw.

The paw strike stunned the snake before it could react. Then the red-tailed crested eagle swooped in, clamped it in its beak, took off, and gave it a few hard shakes mid-air.

Plop. With that fluid and well-coordinated combo, the snake landed on the grass, half its head missing, completely still.

Director: “...?”

His outstretched hand hadn’t even made it back yet, and the snake that tried to ambush them was already gone.

【!!! Awesome!】

【It happened so fast I couldn’t even see what just went down!】

【Damn, this level of security is insane, folks! With the little eagle and bear guarding me, I feel like I could walk across the Amazon jungle!】

【Uh no, wake up. In broad daylight and already dreaming? They’d take you out before you even set sail.】

Lin Qianyu had been ready to counterattack, but the fluffy ones behind her clearly had a broader field of vision and rushed in as soon as something was off.

She let her hand fall on the black bear’s head, then reached toward the red-tailed eagle. “Good job. Extra dinner for you two tonight!”

“Cheep!”

“Woo...”

Xie Yifei had been wanting to talk to Lin Qianyu from earlier. After this episode, his gaze locked even more intently on the red-tailed eagle perched on her shoulder.

Perhaps the stare was too intense—being sharp-tempered and not one to tolerate provocation, the red-tailed eagle silently opened its beak and slightly spread its wings. Though not fully extended, it was clearly a sign of pre-attack readiness.

Xie Yifei genuinely liked wild, intelligent creatures. He immediately spoke up,

“Lin Qianyu, I’ll give you five million. Just tell me—how did you get close to the red-tailed eagle? I know the director doesn’t have that ability. How did you manage it?”

“I am familiar with the red-tailed eagle, yes. But I’m not familiar with you.” Lin Qianyu glanced him over, then bent down and chopped off the dead snake’s head.

Even dead, those things could still snap at you.

“Stop snooping into things that don’t concern you.”

With an impatient remark, she turned and walked off with her two furry companions.

Xie Yifei wanted to follow, but with the eagle and bear around, he didn’t dare anger Lin Qianyu.

Still consumed with envy, he turned to the director and asked,

“You were there on-site too, right? So you must know where the red-tailed eagle’s nest is. I’ll give you ten million—how about you tell me?”

He had spent the whole night rewatching and piecing together Lin Qianyu’s livestream. He now knew exactly what their first meeting looked like.

Naturally, he also saw the nest—several unhatched eggs, and the one chick that had hatched, clearly healthy, and destined to be magnificent once it lost its down.

Xie Yifei was instantly captivated.Birds have a tendency to imprint on hatchlings. He could take the eggs back and incubate them himself. Even if he didn’t want to go through the trouble of incubating, he could just take the one that had already hatched.

Young birds are always more affectionate toward people than adult ones.

And that was a red-tailed crested eagle—sovereign of the skies.

If he personally raised one, it would surely be close to him. By then, he could travel the world with it.

Xie Yifei’s ambition was written all over his face.

Hearing this, the director immediately guessed what Xie Yifei was trying to do.

“Behave yourself.” The director said coldly, “I don’t know where the red-tailed crested eagle’s nest is, but that’s a globally endangered and protected species. If you even think about doing something you shouldn’t and end up ruining the show I’ve spent so much effort putting together, not even the Xie family will be able to save you. I mean it.”

【Holy crap… is Xie Yifei really planning to steal bird eggs?】

【Definitely. I can already guess what he’s up to! Streamer, you’ve got to protect the red-tailed eagle! Don’t let him succeed.】

【Don’t assume the worst of people. Ah Fei really does love animals. Just watch a few of his other shows—you’ll see how good he is with them.】

Xie Yifei’s face stiffened at the director’s words, but thinking of the power behind the director, he forced a smile. “Of course not. I was just asking out of curiosity.”

“This time counts as a violation. If it happens again, you’ll be forcibly removed from the show.” The director shook his head, too annoyed to say more.

The rescue team had come all the way here for him, and yet he hadn’t even said a single word of thanks. He didn’t even ask if they were alright. His eyes were practically glued to Lin Qianyu.

Shouldn’t have hired him just for his fame. The director sighed and ignored him, calling everyone to head back.

The outdoor cookware set consisted of a wok, a stew pot, and a small soup pot.

Out in the wild, you don’t really need to distinguish between them too strictly.

Whichever pot is free can just be put on the fire and used.

Lin Qianyu checked the cookware and found no issues. She traded two pieces of meat with the production crew for an 800ml water bottle.

The snake was slit open from the middle, its innards removed, then it was chopped into even-sized segments and skewered with sticks to roast over the fire.

The smaller leftover chunks weren’t worth skewering, so she washed them and threw them into the pot to boil into soup.

Snake meat is very nutritious and must be thoroughly cooked.

To be safe, Lin Qianyu roasted it slowly over low heat for a long time, including the pieces for her furry companions.

Even though she knew they weren’t afraid of raw meat, since they could eat both raw and cooked, she still preferred to cook it for them.

The first batch of snake meat to be fully cooked—Lin Qianyu removed the skewers and laid leaves on the ground. “Let it cool a bit before eating, careful not to burn your mouth.”

“Cheep!” The red-tailed crested eagle seemed to have a preference for snake meat. Lin Qianyu noticed it ate more today than usual.

The black bear always had a big appetite—if it weren’t for the heat, it would’ve swallowed the meat whole.

Lin Qianyu cut off half of the meat, rinsed off the salt, sliced it thin, and stir-fried it with mushrooms.

The thin slices sizzled in the pan, and soon, some fat was rendered out—like pork fat—perfect when mixed with the mushrooms.

The meat had been salted before it was air-dried, so she didn’t add any other seasoning. The mushrooms helped balance out the saltiness.

She had no staple food, so it wouldn’t be good if the dish was too salty.She hadn’t added much seasoning, but still…

The bear that had already tasted the snake meat slowly shuffled over, gazing at her longingly.

Usually, at times like this, whatever food Lin Qianyu had picked up with her chopsticks would take a detour and end up in the black bear’s bowl—with the red-tailed crested eagle on her shoulder getting a bite too.

“Even though the cured meat didn’t turn out well, this salted meat is actually quite tasty.” Lin Qianyu deliberately picked up a slice and held it up in front of the camera to show off her knife skills. “My slicing is getting better and better.”

After all, she was using a machete to slice food—it was a whole different game compared to using a kitchen knife.

【Damn, she’s stir-frying dishes now—with a balanced meat and veggie combo!】

【She’s out in the wild and still eating healthier than me—what the hell!】

【I’ve been meaning to ask, what’s with all that green ugly stuff around the base?】

“It’s… a shelter?” Lin Qianyu didn’t feel comfortable calling it a “house.”

In just a short time, the shelters at the base had been set up.

They were uneven and placed somewhat haphazardly, depending on where there was space.

Still, it beat sleeping under rocks.

By the time they finished eating, it was nearly evening.

The little bear went out again to hunt after dark, and the red-tailed crested eagle carried the leftover snake meat back.

Stretching lazily, Lin Qianyu suddenly remembered the feathers left behind when those two fought last time and decided to give herself something to do.

Hang Sisi, who had gone hunting with the main group, returned exhausted and took a gulp of water. “Qianyu-jie, there seem to be fewer and fewer chickens on the mountain.”

They had only just started getting the hang of chicken-catching, but before they could even get good at it, the chickens were nearly gone.

Just thinking about it was depressing.

“The director didn’t restock them, of course they’re getting fewer and fewer.” Lin Qianyu was weaving with feathers and willow branches she had stripped of their green bark.

Watching Lin Qianyu weave so calmly, Hang Sisi couldn’t help but sigh over how extreme this variety show was—its upper and lower bounds were wild. While she was still worrying about her next meal, Lin Qianyu was already living her life.

She sat beside her and asked, “What kind of feather is this? It’s so pretty.”

“Red-tailed crested eagle’s.” Lin Qianyu still had a few short feathers in her hand, all dropped during fights with the little bear. Leaving them in the tent would just be wasteful, and the little eagle hadn’t taken them back to decorate its nest.

So Lin Qianyu decided to put them to use.

“What are you making?” Hang Sisi tilted her head. “A fan?”

“Yeah.” The outer rim was a circle of willow branches, with the feathers woven in alternating layers behind it. It was simple, and already more than halfway done.

Just a little more needed to be woven at the top.

And the simple feather fan would be complete.

【So pretty!!! Lin Qianyu’s hands are magic!】

【Wait a sec. She’s making a fan out of red-tailed crested eagle feathers—couldn’t she get in trouble for that?】

【Relax. The feathers were pulled off by the black bear. If anyone’s responsible, it’s the bear. They’re both protected species—who’s going to fine whom?】【I’m a primary school student—give it to me, free shipping to my door, don’t make me beg you.】

【Primary school student? Today, even being a beast wouldn’t excuse you.】

Lin Qianyu leaned against a tree, gently fanning herself with the feather fan in her hand. Once the moisture in the willow strips dried out and they hardened a bit, it would be easier to use.

Right now, she still couldn’t apply much force.

“Sigh, do you think forest rangers are still hiring?” Lin Qianyu fiddled with the feathers. “Which department are they under? If I wanted to apply, would they require academic qualifications?”

The comment feed exploded with question marks, everyone asking what she was thinking.

Lin Qianyu said, “If I got hired as a forest ranger, I could stay here forever.”

Living with animals, no scheming or mind games, and every day filled with adorable furry companions.

Rangers also get a salary and could buy things from outside to bring back and share with the furry ones.

Just thinking about that kind of life felt peaceful.

As soon as she finished speaking, the flap of the director team's tent slowly opened. The director silently poked his head out.

Their eyes met, and the atmosphere instantly turned a bit awkward.

【Hahahaha! Director: Let me see who’s slacking off.】

Lin Qianyu cleared her throat. “Well… ahem, it’s getting late, Director, you should rest early.”

With that, she decisively fled, going back to her hut to sleep.

She’d been busy from morning till night, but it was only a little past 8. She’d gone in just to hide from the director, but as soon as she lay in her sleeping bag, her eyelids couldn’t help but droop. She fell asleep almost instantly, with barely any “wind-down” time, drifting into unconsciousness without even realizing it.

…

In a daze, Lin Qianyu woke up from the heat.

In the low-temperature rainforest, it felt like she was wrapped in a winter quilt, then hugged by a furnace constantly radiating warmth.

Her mind wasn’t fully awake yet—her first reaction was that she might be running a fever.

When she reached out to grab her flashlight, her hand instead touched a black bear that had somehow squeezed in at some point.

Lin Qianyu: “…”

No wonder it was so hot.

Last time, she didn’t use the sleeping bag, and everything was just right.

But the sleeping bag retained heat too well, absorbing warmth without releasing it—no wonder she woke up overheated.

So Lin Qianyu simply got rid of the sleeping bag and leaned on the little bear’s body heat to fall asleep again.

The program team adjusted the task release time.

In the morning, the director handed out mission cards to everyone. “This time the task ends at 12 noon. Please keep an eye on the time.”

“Got it!” Hang Sisi bit into a wild fruit and took the card.

There weren’t many guests up this early. Lin Qianyu, exhausted from the day before, was still sleeping inside the hut.The director first made a round, placing the mission cards inside each person's shelter, and saved Lin Qianyu for last.

Since Lin Qianyu's hut had no gaps, the director carefully knocked on the wood next to the curtain, testing whether she was awake.

If she wasn’t, it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to just lift the curtain.

“Wuu…”

Hearing the sound, the director chuckled softly and lifted the curtain. “You’re awake? I thought you were still sleeping. Here, this is today’s mission—”

His voice abruptly stopped as he saw what the pitch-black lump inside the hut actually was. The words got stuck in his throat.

In the dimly lit room, a black bear was staring him down with a threatening gaze.

Director: “…”

Why is there a bear in your hut?!!

“Growl…”

Not wanting to wake Lin Qianyu, the black bear let out a low growl, warning the person outside to leave.

The director tried to communicate politely: “I mean no harm. I just want to leave a—”

“Growl!”

“Sorry to disturb you.”

Shff! The curtain dropped in an instant.

But the tarp was soft, and lifting it caused a small gap to be tugged open on the side.

Just as the director hesitated over whether to slip the mission card through the opening, a bear paw reached out from inside, slowly patting the gap closed.

“?”

【!!!】

【Did you see that? Did you SEE that?!】

【I’m gonna cry, that was so cute, aaah… early in the morning and I’m already dying from cuteness. That soft fluffy bear paw was so nimble.】

【Aaahhh I want to bury my face in that paw—it looks softer than marshmallows!】

…

Just waking up, Lin Qianyu was poked by something near her hand.

She didn’t keep hard objects in her hut, so it felt odd at first—she assumed the little bear had dragged something in. When she picked it up, it turned out to be a card.

【This mission: One-person teams. Go to the beach and search for seashells with the show’s logo. The guest who finds the most wins. The top three get to take one item from the treasure house.】

Further down, it read:

Mission time: 【7:00 AM to 12:00 PM】

Lin Qianyu raised her hand and pulled up her sleeve to check the watch underneath. The current time: 10:59 AM.

Right as she looked, the display ticked over—exactly 11:00 AM.

Silence. Stillness.

Lin Qianyu looked down and thought, maybe I’ll just skip this mission.

She wasn’t even sure if she had enough time left to make it over there.First she got up to change clothes and freshen up, then planned to have some breakfast—though breakfast might not be done before the mission ended.

She lay back down, stretched, then suddenly sat up with a sit-up under the suspicious gaze of the black bear. “Forget it, let’s go check it out.”

The little bear licked its lips. “Aow!”

After being on the island for so long, Lin Qianyu hadn’t even been to the beach yet.

The other guests had rushed toward the beach as soon as they received the mission card.

There was no pollution, and unlike tourist spots where people swam in crowds, the sea here stretched endlessly in shades of jade green.

Waves crashed and foamed along the shore, vanishing in an instant before returning to the sea.

You could clearly feel the sea breeze blowing against your face.

It carried a light mist from the seawater—cool and refreshing.

The coastline was long, but when Lin Qianyu arrived at the beach, the other guests were still nearby.

Because it was close to the base.

Saving time on the road meant more time to search the sand for seashells.

Lin Qianyu had already come late, so she didn’t really expect to find many shells on a beach that had already been mostly picked clean.

She carried a small bucket and a shovel in hand, hoping to dig up some clams or crabs.

Seafood doesn’t have much meat and isn’t filling, but after eating too much grilled meat, a change in flavor would be nice.

Lin Qianyu took off her shoes and left them by the shore, then walked barefoot onto the sand a bit further away.

It was soft and slightly warm.

Not as scalding as it would be under the midday sun, but not as cool as touching the sand at night either.

It was clearly the black bear’s first time here—its eyes blinked curiously.

It seemed puzzled about what all the humans were doing, each with a little bucket in hand.

Lin Qianyu reached out and smoothed the fur on its chest. “Little Bear, here, this is for you.”

She handed over the small bucket given to her by the show crew. “I’ll dig, you hold this, okay?”

“Aow!” The bear was clearly delighted.

Hang Sisi waved from far away, “Qianyu-jie! There are lots of shells over here, come dig with us!”

“It’s fine, you all keep digging.” Lin Qianyu wasn’t really here for the shells—she just wanted some seafood.

She dug as she walked, stopping wherever she spotted holes in the sand.

Bit by bit, Lin Qianyu scooped away the dry sand on top to reveal the darker, moist sand underneath soaked by seawater. “I’ve seen lots of clam-digging videos—whenever there’s a hole like this, they sprinkle salt inside.”

But she didn’t have the means. The small stash of seasoning in her backpack still had to last a few more days, and she didn’t want to waste it here.

Besides, she’d heard this kind of behavior might disturb the salinity of the seawater. She wasn’t sure if it was true, but decided not to try it.

After digging for a while, there was still no sign of any clams.Lin Qianyu decisively gave up and continued walking forward.

“There’s a crab here!” Lin Qianyu walked over and grabbed the coconut crab that was trying to scurry away. “It’s huge.”

This coconut crab was longer than an adult’s forearm. Its two claws were massive enough to be called giant pincers—if someone carelessly got caught by one, even a broken finger would be considered lucky.

Lin Qianyu circled to the back of the coconut crab, pinned it down with both hands, and then slowly lifted it up.

“Phew… a bit heavy.” She weighed it in her hands and estimated, “This one’s got to be at least 12 jin, no—probably more.”

This thing was delicious and had a lot of meat, but… it wasn’t easy to catch.

Coconut crabs were considered relatively common.

To prevent people from imitating her crab-catching technique, Lin Qianyu held the crab up and shook it in front of the camera. “If you encounter a coconut crab outside, you can try catching it like I did, but make sure you’ve thought it through—only grab it if you’re confident you can lift it. If not, use a net. Don’t just reach out recklessly. It really hurts if you get pinched.”

【I don’t believe it. Let it pinch you once and show me.】

【Hahaha girl you’ve got no morals, how can you even say that kind of thing.】

【Amitabha, mercy from the Buddha. I’ll take mine with extra cumin and less chili, you decide the rest.】

A crab this size couldn’t just be roasted over an open flame.

“Beggar’s chicken is well-known—how about trying beggar’s crab instead?” Lin Qianyu acted immediately. She used seawater to clean the coconut crab, killed it, and wrapped it in banana-like leaves from the island.

There were no lotus leaves, so she made do with large, non-toxic leaves that fit.

She wrapped it in three or four layers to ensure it was sealed tightly, then coated the outermost layer with mud mixed with seawater.

Properly speaking, it should be yellow clay mixed with other soil in specific proportions. Lin Qianyu didn’t bother with the details.

Still, once the crab was fully wrapped in mud, it looked fairly authentic.

Next to her was a pile of firewood. She dug a pit and lit a fire. As the fire slowly burned, there was nothing left to do but wait and eat.

The fire was built on the beach, with no flammable materials nearby, so there was no need to watch it constantly.

Lin Qianyu stood up and brushed the sand off herself.

【Phew… the streamer finally started doing something serious. Look at the others picking up shell after shell—their buckets are full already, and she’s still over here cooking.】

【There’s only half an hour left—even a god wouldn’t be able to pick enough at this point.】

However, just as Lin Qianyu stood up, she turned and continued digging holes. “Still need to catch some clams. Little Diao might like them.”

Some birds really love seafood.

But clams were very good at hiding, and the red-tailed crested goshawk definitely wouldn’t fly all the way to the beach just to catch clams.

Since Little Diao hadn’t shown up yet, she might as well dig more.

The black bear looked around and wandered closer to the edge of the sea. When the waves surged in, it panicked and backed up, its thick fur shaking as it still got a bit wet, with its paws splashing into the water.

It stomped in the water a few times, then ran off toward the waves, chasing them.

Lin Qianyu quickly called out, “Little Bear?”

“Aow!” The bear responded with calm confidence.Knowing that the black bear hadn’t been swept away by the sea but had gone into the water to play on its own, Lin Qianyu said, “Be careful. Just stay near the shore, don’t go too deep, understand?”

“Woo!”

Mhm!

News occasionally reported black bears appearing on human beaches and swimming out into the sea—it was actually pretty common.

With that thought, Lin Qianyu would dig for clams with a couple shovels, then glance up at Little Bear, then continue digging.

After going back and forth for quite a while, Lin Qianyu’s neck was starting to ache, but at least she had dug out nearly half a bucket of clams.

That should be enough.

The black bear, having flopped around in the sea for a while, swam back with the waves, its fur soaked and hanging down heavily.

It had a big fish in its mouth. Even with its mouth stuffed, it still managed a muffled “Awooo!”

Lin Qianyu’s eyes suddenly widened. “Wait! Don’t shake—!”

“——!!!”

Too late. Before she could finish her sentence, Little Bear stood firm and gave a vigorous shake, completely ignoring the fish still in its mouth.

Lin Qianyu only had time to turn her back before she was thoroughly drenched by the flying seawater. She helplessly rubbed her forehead.

Alright. Time to go rinse off and change clothes by the downstream part of the river.

“Awo?” The black bear, clueless about its wrongdoing, affectionately carried the fish over. “Mwoo!”

Eat!

Plop — the fish dropped right in front of Lin Qianyu.

This sea fish was much bigger than the river fish it had caught last time. As long as it wasn’t a weird-looking deep-sea species…

All fish looked about the same to Lin Qianyu.

As for this one… judging by the distinctive black spot near its tail, it was probably a spotted croaker (eyespotted drum fish).

It was a common sight at the market, but seeing one this fresh, still flipping its tail like crazy, was rare.

“Want to stew it for soup?” Lin Qianyu had already prepared coconut crab—this fish would make the perfect soup to go with it.

“Awo!”

At this point, Lin Qianyu’s skills with the machete were top-notch—her chopping was fluid and precise.

The fish scales and innards she removed were thrown back into the sea, where other fish would eat them.

It was such a large fish that Lin Qianyu only chopped off the head and tail to make soup, saving the thick belly meat for the black bear and red-tailed crested goshawk to eat raw.

“Time’s up—” Lin Qianyu had been cooking all morning, and just as she hadn’t yet taken a bite, the director raised the loudspeaker and called out, “Everyone bring your shell buckets over here. The staff will count how many you collected.”

Even though Lin Qianyu hadn’t participated in the task, she still had to report in since the call went out.

She gave the fish meat to the black bear first, patted its ear, and said, “You eat first. The honey water’s next to you, remember to drink it.”

“Awoo…”Hearing that, the black bear happily started drinking the sweet water, but when it saw Lin Qianyu walking away, it immediately dropped the sweet water without hesitation and followed after her.

After just a few steps, Lin Qianyu glanced sideways at the little bear beside her, smiled, and unwrapped a handful of fruit candies to give it.

“Just put your things down,” the director instructed everyone, reaching out to take Lin Qianyu’s bucket—only to realize she hadn’t brought one.

Lin Qianyu said, “I came late, and there wasn’t much left on the beach, so I didn’t bother collecting, just picked up two I saw.”

No need to waste time counting—anyone could see the total at a glance.

“Then count ours first,” Guo Yanpeng brought over a full bucket. “These were picked by me and Lanqing—just count them all under her name.”

Two people picking would obviously yield more than one alone.

But if both wanted to place in the top three, they’d need a large number of shells.

So rather than gamble on both making the cut, it was better to secure the top spot for one.

Either way, it was a guaranteed win.

The director raised his brows. “Alright.”

Only Guo Yanpeng and An Lanqing had done this. The rest of the guests had all picked individually—after all, the director had said from the beginning that guests weren’t to form teams.

But who would’ve thought—the show didn’t require teams, but the guests could distribute however they liked.

【Damn! That strategy is genius. That top spot’s in the bag now.】

【Pengpeng’s smart as hell! See, having a reliable teammate is always crucial. Someone who’s willing to go all-in for you is priceless.】

The comments were clearly taking jabs at Lin Qianyu.

After all, from the start, she had always acted alone, keeping her distance from the group—even before any falling out, she never joined in with the others.

With his plan going smoothly, Guo Yanpeng now saw first place as already secured. He folded his hands behind his head and grinned, “Lanqing’s the real deal. Teaming up with her was the smartest move I ever made.”

Still stirring the pot, he was suddenly cut off by Hang Sisi: “I’m teaming up with Brother Yin—my count goes to him.”

Yin Youlin paused. “No need, it should go to you—”

“It’s all the same,” Hang Sisi smiled, not really caring about the details.

The remaining two guests exchanged looks. If they teamed up, they could still fight for first or second place—if not, only third would be left.

And while third still got recognition…

After considering it, Jiang Ke and Jing Zhun also applied to team up.

Which left only—

Guo Yanpeng couldn’t help but let out a snort. “Pfft, see? That’s what you get for being a loner—no one’s left to team with you.”

Every word dripping with mockery.

Hang Sisi paused for a moment, then said, “I’m on Qianyu-jie’s team.”

Guo Yanpeng snapped, “You already have a team—what are you jumping in for?” Ever since that last incident, Hang Sisi had been challenging him more and more, completely refusing to listen now.

Hang Sisi started to speak—“I—” but Lin Qianyu gently patted her on the shoulder, signaling her to relax and not let Guo Yanpeng drag her into it.She replied calmly, “I have teammates—we formed a team long ago.”

“Where’d you get teammates?” Guo Yanpeng raised an eyebrow. Other than the production crew, the only one left was the special guest. “Xie Yifei?”

This time, Lin Qianyu really was at a loss for words. She pursed her lips and said coolly, “I’m teamed up with the red-tailed crested eagle and the black bear.”

If Guo Yanpeng’s guess about her teaming with Xie Yifei had been skeptical, now it was outright ridiculous.

He turned his head away, the corners of his mouth lifting in a mocking smirk. “So you saw I was bored surviving in the wild and came to cheer me up with a joke? Who teams up with animals for a task?”

【The hell? What’s that supposed to mean? You looking down on the little bear and the eagle?】

【You clown, picking up shells got you feeling so proud you forgot your own name? That bear chased you over an entire mountain and you were bawling like a baby about to pee yourself. All forgotten now, huh?】

【Everyone move, let me at him—I’m locking his throat with my bare hands!】

…

From the moment it walked over, the black bear had been staring at Guo Yanpeng.

It remembered exactly who had stepped on its paw and now, while chewing its candy, it locked eyes with him—unblinking.

Guo Yanpeng shrank his neck. It was perfectly normal to fear a bear. Taking a step back was a natural reaction. If anything, Lin Qianyu—who could stay so close to such a beast—was the odd one.

But that bear’s gaze was anything but friendly. Guo Yanpeng couldn’t shake the feeling that its mouth was moving like it was ready to eat someone.

Even with so many people around, and all the cameras filming—thousands of eyes watching—he couldn’t help feeling scared.

Lin Qianyu raised her hand and patted the black bear on the back. If something happened on camera, it’d be a mess. She didn’t mind personally, but she didn’t want the little bear getting blood on its paws.

“Woo?” The black bear moved to shield Lin Qianyu behind itself.

Lin Qianyu stroked its ear and said to Guo Yanpeng, “Why would I go out of my way to tell jokes to entertain some useless trash?”

She looked him up and down, then noticed his hand trembling uncontrollably at his side. “You spent a whole morning picking that handful of shells and still have the nerve to run your mouth? My teammates are far more reliable than some worthless dead weight.”

Without waiting for Guo Yanpeng to retort, Lin Qianyu turned to An Lanqing. “Your turn. Time to smooth things over.”

An Lanqing had just opened her mouth when that line hit her head-on—as if her mask had been ripped off in front of everyone. Her breath caught, and her expression turned visibly awkward. “Qianyu, what do you mean by that?”

【What do you mean, “what do you mean”? Didn’t attend nine years of compulsory education? She’s saying it’s your cue to come in with your usual sweet little tea-time tone and smooth the scene—need me to spell it out for you?】

【You always jump in to mediate when things heat up. Well, the clock’s ticking.】

【Bad timing this time. Minus points. Do better next performance.】

Over in An Lanqing’s own livestream, her fans constantly praised her. She thought she hid it well, but to anyone paying attention, it was obvious—every time an argument broke out, she waited for the perfect moment to swoop in and pretend to calm things down.

Anyone with eyes could see through it—except maybe her fans and Guo Yanpeng.

Lin Qianyu had usually stayed quiet, leaving it to the bullet comments to snipe her with sarcasm. But now that it was all out in the open, the comments were going full roast mode—and some even jumped over to An Lanqing’s stream to throw shade directly.

Didn’t take long before they got blocked.

Now An Lanqing was stuck—whether she spoke or stayed silent, it was a lose-lose. Her face turned red, unsure whether from embarrassment or anger.

Lin Qianyu shrugged. “Director, hurry up and tally things. I need to go eat.”

She only had two shells—just mark the number and be done with it. No reason to waste time.The coconut crab wrapped in soil didn’t release any aroma, but the savory sweetness of the fish soup was already wafting over. Fish soup left to cool inevitably picks up a fishy smell, so it’s best drunk while hot.

Lin Qianyu hadn’t even had breakfast yet—if she had the time, she’d already have cracked open the coconut crab and started devouring it.

“Alright,” the director replied and quickly noted things down.

A large bird spread its wings and flew overhead, casting a shadow across the beach, immediately catching everyone’s attention.

Lin Qianyu was the first to react. She looked up and, sure enough, given the bird’s size, if one showed up by the sea, it had to be the red-tailed crested eagle coming to find her.

Since she wasn’t participating in the production team’s current task anyway, Lin Qianyu planned to head back and waved at the sky. “Little Eagle! I made something delicious—come here! I’ll take you to try it. There are razor clams—you’ll definitely like them.”

The red-tailed crested eagle locked onto Lin Qianyu in the crowd. As it descended near the ground, it let go of what it was carrying in its beak.

It snuggled affectionately against Lin Qianyu’s leg.

A very familiar plastic bag.

“What’s this?” Lin Qianyu rubbed the fluffy feathers on the eagle’s head as her hand moved, curious about the pile of seashells in front of her.

When she picked them up, she noticed the program’s logo stamped on the shells.

Lin Qianyu: “???”

Director: “!!!”

Could it be that some staff member lost supplies again?!

The last time they lost supplies, it was also in a plastic bag like this. Seeing it again now, the director practically developed PTSD.

The bag wasn’t tied—just a flick and it opened.

Upon seeing that it wasn’t beer or snacks inside, the director visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

The next moment, when he clearly saw the seashells with the show’s logo inside the bag, that sigh caught in his throat.

“No way, huh… huh?” The director was visibly dumbfounded. “Wait, where did this come from?”

Bullet comments: 【You’re the director—who are you asking???】

【Isn’t that what we the viewers should be asking?】

It wasn’t just them—even Lin Qianyu wanted to ask, “Where did these shells come from?”

The red-tailed crested eagle ruffled its feathers. “Jiu!”

Liked it.

“Hm?”

The red-tailed crested eagle chirped again. Lin Qianyu raised an eyebrow. “Are you saying someone dropped these on the beach and you picked them up to bring to me?”

“—Jiu!”

Looking at the director’s face turning a dark shade, Lin Qianyu tried to hold back but couldn’t—she burst out laughing.

Apparently, the eagle had mistaken the act of staff accidentally dropping the shells for another instance of lost supplies—just like last time.

Having seen Lin Qianyu put food in bags and bring it home, the red-tailed crested eagle had copied her behavior and brought the shells over in a plastic bag and bought it over.