Chapter 231: Her Charismatic Husband Was Back Again
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Jiang Yuning took the white envelope from Sister Liang and when she opened it up, she realized that it was an invitation letter from Lu Jingzhi’s university. As an alumnus of the university, Lu Jingzhi was invited to participate in the university’s sixtieth anniversary dinner tomorrow night.
“What is that?”
Vera asked Jiang Yuning but when she saw the invitation letter, she immediately replied, “Oh, since the second young master Lu is an alumnus of the university, it is normal for him to receive invitations to attend events such as this.”
Jiang Yuning quickly held out the invitation letter and smiled reluctantly before she asked Sister Liang to put the invitation letter in a prominent place in case second brother needed to use it.
Alas, nobody would understand the bitterness that she was feeling in her heart.
Vera did not notice anything unusual and she continued looking and deciding on the next activity that she should secure for Jiang Yuning. “That’s right, I almost forgot! After participating in the recording for the third issue of <Desert Island Rescue>, you will have to attend the annual dinner hosted by Guangying Media. This will be your first year attending the annual dinner. Therefore, you should make time for it to meet some of the people in the top management and also for you to meet and greet some of your seniors in the industry.”
“Alright. You can make the arrangements for me,” Jiang Yuning replied in a bitter manner as she nodded her head.
Later that afternoon, Jiang Yuning went to the music teacher’s house for her singing lessons before she headed directly to the shooting range for her training.
However, Jiang Yuning did not need help from her coach at all today. This was because she vented her anger and all her feelings that were pent up deep inside her and focused it on the bullets instead.
“Not bad. You did very well today. You are making good progress.” The female coach who was standing behind Jiang Yuning praised her because she did not know the reason behind Jiang Yuning’s motivation today.
After she was done with her training at the shooting range, Jiang Yuning went home immediately and after taking a shower, she took out her script and started memorizing her lines for the upcoming drama. It seemed as though this was the only way to stop herself from overthinking.
At half past six later that evening, Lu Jingzhi received news that his wife had already completed her training at the shooting range in the afternoon. She was just telling him how much she needed him as her motivation yesterday, but why did she go to the shooting range by herself today?
Lu Jingzhi arrived back at the villa at seven o’clock at night and as soon as he stepped into the house, Sister Liang quickly approached him and said, “Sir, I seemed to have done something wrong.”
Sister Liang felt very guilty and felt as though she was the reason why Jiang Yuning was upset. Although Jiang Yuning did not say anything, Sister Liang could tell that she was not her usual self and that she seemed a little upset.
After explaining the situation to Lu Jingzhi, Sister Liang handed the invitation letter over to him.
Lu Jingzhi took the invitation letter from Sister Liang before he nodded slightly. “Okay, I got it. You can get off work now.”
Lu Jingzhi then took the invitation card as he headed to the balcony on the second floor. He saw Jiang Yuning sitting on the lounge chair on the balcony as she enjoyed the cold and chilly sea breeze.
Lu Jingzhi put down the invitation letter and then walked behind Jiang Yuning and carried her up from the chair before bringing her into their bedroom. “It’s cold outside. You will fall sick easily like this.”
“Second brother.” Jiang Yuning wrapped her arms around Lu Jingzhi’s neck and she felt like crying because she felt so much distress. “Although I know that it’s not my fault, but I feel that there are some things that I would never be able to measure up to or replace no matter how hard I try. I am really sad, second brother. I have really been working very hard but it does not seem to matter anyway…”
“I know…”
“But I will not be able to attend your university’s anniversary dinner with you. I…”
Lu Jingzhi’s heart ached as soon as Jiang Yuning started crying. He quickly sat her down on the edge of the bed before he started comforting her. “Why can’t you go with me? Why do you think my wife is not qualified to go with me?”
“You know what I mean…”
“The measure of a person’s worth is not solely on academic qualifications. Everyone knows of what happened to the Jiang family five years ago. That is not your fault. You do not need to feel inferior because of this,” Lu Jingzhi said as he hugged and comforted the person in his arms. “Silly girl. How long have you been keeping this in your heart?”
“I…I do not want to embarrass you.”
“I will never be ashamed of you,” Lu Jingzhi emphasized once again as he held Jiang Yuning’s face in his hands. “If I was the one who had dropped out of school in the past, would you feel ashamed of me today?”
“Of course not!” Jiang Yuning replied without any hesitation at all. “You are the most amazing man that I have ever met in my life. Even if you had never studied, and even if you were doing something else, I believe that you would still be able to achieve everything that you have today.”
“That is what I feel about you too…don’t you trust my judgment?”
“Ningning, you need to work hard everyday but even though you have lost plenty in life, you have also gained a lot of valuable things. This is the true wealth that you have accumulated in this life. Your past regrets should be left in the past and you should learn to let go of the past. The person that people truly appreciate is the Jiang Yuning that you are right now, and not who you were in the past. Do you understand now?”
“Sobs…” After listening to Lu Jingzhi’s words, Jiang Yuning rushed into his arms and buried her face in his chest. “I promise that I will try to live more brazenly in future.”
“I want you to promise not to hide anything that makes you unhappy in your heart in future, okay?”
“I understand,” Jiang Yuning replied as she nodded her head.
“Moreover, you will already be joining the cast to film the third issue of <Desert Island Rescue> tomorrow and I already have other plans in mind. That is why I did not tell you about the dinner. It is because I did not intend to attend the dinner in the first place.”
“Second brother, I will not act like this again in future,” Jiang Yuning replied as she leaned against Lu Jingzhi’s chest.
Lu Jingzhi did not reply but he merely continued hugging her tightly in his arms.
His heart was aching.
In fact, when Jiang Yuning felt inferior, he was the one who felt the most pain and guilt.
However, he could not tell her what he felt because he did not want Jiang Yuning to cry.
As long as Jiang Yuning felt inferior, Lu Jingzhi could not help but feel as though he was the one to blame. He was the one who had failed to force her to continue studying and instead chose to protect her from afar.
At that time, neither of them knew of the other’s true feelings.
What rights did he have to intervene in her life?
“Oh, second brother…Vera told me earlier that after I return from recording the third issue of <Desert Island Rescue>, I will have to the attend the annual dinner hosted by Guangying Media. This will be my first time meeting up with all the other artistes signed under Guangying Media. Can you attend the dinner with me? Without revealing your identity…”
“I see. No problem, I can make the necessary arrangements with uncle later. Are you back to your normal self now?” Lu Jingzhi asked as he held Jiang Yuning’s face in his hands.
Recovered. She was fully recovered.
Since Lu Jingzhi was already so sincere, wouldn’t it make him sad if she continued being upset?
It was not a big deal. She could just be stronger and put up with her own insecurities so that things would be simpler. Moreover, second brother was right. No one could use her past to judge her or define the kind of person that she was now.
“You will be filming tomorrow. Make sure that you are not covered with wounds all over your hands and feet again. If I find out…”
“What will you do when you find out about it?”
Lu Jingzhi rubbed his lips gently against Jiang Yuning’s lips before he replied in a dangerous tone, “I will punish you…”
That night, Jiang Yuning was not the first person to fall asleep. After an intimate session with Lu Jingzhi, Jiang Yuning opened her eyes and stared at the man who was holding her in his arms.
Her charismatic husband was back again…
Other people spent their days chasing after their idols, and Jiang Yuning, who was many people’s idol, was chasing after her own husband.
…
Early the next morning, Vera arrived at the entrance of the villa to pick Jiang Yuning up to drop her off at the location where the cast and crew were meeting up. She had deliberately arrived an hour earlier in order to let Jiang Yuning feel as though she was spending more time with Lu Jingzhi without having to rush.
However, much to Vera’s surprise, Jiang Yuning did not dawdle at all and she quickly got into the company car with her luggage in tow.
“What is happening today?”
“You will not understand anyway. Second brother has promised to attend the annual dinner hosted by Guangying Media together with me. I am very motivated and energized now!”
Vera rolled her eyes after listening to Jiang Yuning’s explanation. What else could she have expected from her?
“I am suddenly really looking forward to see how the producers intend to abuse you during the third issue of <Desert Island Rescue>.”
“Hahaha…”
Abuse her? Well, she really wanted to see what mission and challenges the director and producers had prepared for her this time.
Chapter 232: The Production Team is Crazy! Sobs!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
This time, the crew and cast assembled at a farm on the outskirts of Luo City.
When Vera finally dropped Jiang Yuning off at the location, the other eight members had already arrived. This time, Xu Beishen arrived on time, unlike her behavior during the recording the previous two issues.
Since Jin Mingchen had already learned his lesson from the last issue, he did not dare to eat excessively even though the production team also prepared a buffet for them today. He could only look at the food but he was too afraid to eat too much.
Jin Mingchen sat right at the back as he tried to stop himself from drooling.
As soon as Jiang Yuning arrived at the location, one of the producers stood up immediately before he made an announcement. “The mission for this issue of <Desert Island Rescue> will be extremely difficult. Therefore, we have requested the help of a guest from another variety show to participate in our recording for this issue. This is so she would be able to help all of you complete your respective missions. Everyone, please welcome our guest for the week, Ling Fei!”
When everyone heard the name ‘Ling Fei’, all of them could not help but glance at one another with a puzzled expression on their faces.
The production team was too stealthy. They must have deliberately invited Ling Fei to participate in the recording for the third issue of <Desert Island Rescue> because they knew that there was some friction between Ling Fei’s fans and the Ginger Candies. The production team must have intentionally done this to create some hype amongst the netizens for the program.
Furthermore, Ling Fei’s popularity was overwhelming for the other variety program that she was participating in. She was often referred to as a genius and the lucky charm of the show. Therefore, did the production team arrange for this so that Jiang Yuning and Ling Fei could fight it out on the show?
Ling Fei was wearing a white and long flowy dress as she walked gracefully towards all of the participants. At this time, Jin Mingchen hurried over to Jiang Yuning’s side and held onto her sleeves as he said, “Sister Yuning, isn’t the production team too much this time?”
Jiang Yuning did not say anything but she just smiled indifferently.
“Hello everyone, I am Ling Fei. I have already watched the first three episodes of <Desert Island Rescue> that were aired over the past few weeks. I really like all of you, especially you, Yuning. Your performance on the show has been nothing short of amazing. I am really very happy and excited to be able to join all of you for the recording today.”
“Welcome,” Jiang Yuning replied as she applauded after Ling Fei’s self-introduction. When the others saw this, they also casually clapped their hands.
Was the director of the other variety show really so free?
“Okay, since all ten participants have already gathered here today, we will now board the bus and head to the third location, where we will start recording the third issue of <Desert Island Rescue>.”
“You guys are doing it this way again?” Jin Mingchen pouted immediately. “Can’t you just tell us what would be expected of us for the third issue? Why are you keeping us in suspense again?”
“I would also like to take this opportunity to ask the production team about the buffs that were promised to us when we won the mission during the first issue. When will we be getting the buffs?” Jiang Yuning questioned the production team immediately.
“You will know everything when you arrive at the recording location for the third issue.”
“I already know that this is a trap, yet I have no choice but to board the bus.” Jin Mingchen pursed his lips before he followed after Jiang Yuning. “Sister Yuning, don’t worry. I will not like that young sister because you always treat me so well.”
“Are you sure that I treat you very well?” Jiang Yuning asked as she chuckled.
After boarding the bus, Jiang Yuning and Xu Beishen sat together because after the first two issues of the show, both of them had already become good friends.
“Can you really endure this?” Xu Beishen asked Jiang Yuning as she gestured at Ling Fei.
Xu Beishen had already gotten used to checking out some entertainment news and gossips because of Jiang Yuning, and that was the reason why she knew about the issue involving Ling Fei and Jiang Yuning.
“If I can endure being around someone like you, what else is impossible for me?” Jiang Yuning asked as she laughed. “Anyway, since the variety show that she is starring in is garnering such huge attention and good reviews from the audience, I believe that she must have her own talents and abilities.”
After speaking, both of them put on their blindfolds so that they could rest before the mission. At this time, Ling Fei started sharing some of her past experiences and some of the strange things that she had encountered during her participation in various variety shows over the years. Although some of the scenarios that she described were very creepy, she instantly attracted the attention of the other members. Even Tong Tong could not help but be intrigued by the way she told her stories.
Jiang Yuning could not help the corner of her lip from curving up slightly as she eavesdropped on their conversation. As she had already predicted, Ling Fei could achieve all that she had today because she had her own abilities.
However, she did not know Ling Fei’s true purpose for agreeing to participate in <Desert Island Rescue>.
Was she here to educate her, or was she here to prove to Jiang Yuning, who was actually more superior in terms of popularity?
Ah…
…
The journey this time was also another ten hour drive. By the time they had arrived at their destination, everyone was already exhausted. Even Ling Fei could not stay up any longer and had already fallen asleep in her own seat.
When all of the members got off the bus, twilight had already fallen and the surrounding area looked desolated. The participants started wondering if it was the end of the world.
“What the…where are we?” Jin Mingchen asked as he felt cold shivers as soon as he got off the bus. He felt that the place was even more chilly because he was listening to Ling Fei’s creepy spiritual encounters on the ride here.
“This is a deserted island located on the far southeast. It is a private island and the iron gate that you see in front is the one and only entrance in and out of this island. We will be recording the third issue of the program here today,” one of the production crew stepped out to explain immediately.
“Am I mistaken? This is not a desert or a jungle? You actually said that we are on a private island?” Jin Mingchen asked in disbelief.
“Is this the only island located on the far southeast? Are you referring to the deserted island that people usually enter for exploration and never come out again?” At this time, Ling Fei suddenly stepped forward and asked the production crew.
“Uh…well…I can’t say that every single person…did not come out…” the producer replied to Ling Fei’s question in a polite manner.
In fact, he was just trying to create a more terrifying atmosphere.
“Sister Ling Fei, what do you mean when you said that they never come out again? Do you know much about this island?”
“Well, I have heard some stories about this island. They say that there are some evil forces on this island and everyone who steps into the island will disappear one after the other.”
“Sister Yuning, what about you? Have you heard about this island before?” Jin Mingchen asked as he turned around and looked at Jiang Yuning.
“No, I have never heard about it.”
The production team felt extremely satisfied after listening to Jiang Yuning’s reply. There was finally something that Jiang Yuning did not know of!
Hehehe. They had already brought in their A game this time. They would definitely be able to outwit Jiang Yuning this time.
At this time, Jin Mingchen sat down on the ground before he started crying again. “Mom! I want to go home now. The production team is crazy! Sobs!”
This was because even the iron gate next to them looked so gloomy and eerie at first glance.
However, the production crew simply ignored Jin Mingchen as he continued crying.
“It is seven o’clock at night now and we will officially announce the rules and regulations of the game this issue. The theme for this issue that we are recording today is called the <Mysterious Key>. This is a personal battle and everyone who successfully completes the mission will be awarded fifty points. Similarly, anyone who fails to complete the mission will get fifty points deducted from the total amount of points that they have currently accumulated.”
“In a short while, the production crew will blindfold each and every one of you, and you will be required to draw a card that will determine your fate in this competition. Among the ten cards, one would be the source of all evil and one of it is the god of luck. The remaining eight members will take on the role of normal civilians. The two members who pick the cards stating that they are the source of all evil and the god of luck will be the team leaders for two separate groups. The civilians will be given the opportunity to select the team leader they would like to follow and spend the next twenty-four hours with to complete the task of finding the key to open up the iron gate. Of course, you will also be given the option to complete the mission on your own without following any groups, but this is not advisable because you will definitely miss out on many clues.”
“In addition, all of you are required to put on the special battle gear that we have already prepared in advance for you. Each of you will also be given a backpack to carry along with you. You should take extra care to use the supplies and tools that we have given you in a reasonable manner because this would definitely help you complete the mission.”
“Finally, if anyone of you cannot hold on any longer, you can use the smoke bomb that we have placed inside the backpack to call for help. This will immediately eliminate you from the game.”
“Alright then, everyone will draw their own cards first. Production crew, please blindfold everyone.”
Chapter 233: This Should Be the Legendary Blood Meter!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
In fact, all of them could already faintly guess who would pick the card representing the source of all evil. This was because the production team had already manipulated the game from the very beginning.
However, they could not stop themselves from feeling nervous in case they had picked that card.
After a short while, each of the participants had already drawn their own card.
“You can remove your blindfolds now.”
As everyone had already expected, the card representing the source of all evil really fell into Jiang Yuning’s hands.
On the other hand, the person who had drawn the god of luck card was none other than Ling Fei.
Did the production team really need to be this obvious?
Jin Mingchen could not take it any longer and he exploded immediately. “Aren’t you treating Sister Yuning too unfairly? How can you bring yourself to do this? Don’t you have a conscience?”
At this time the production team looked at Jin Mingchen with a cold expression on their faces as they replied, “Have we ever looked like good people to you? Now you will finally understand how amazing the balding producers are!”
“How could you say for sure that we are bullying her?” one of the production crew asked Jin Mingchen immediately.
“The card says ‘source of all evil’! One look at it and you already know that it is not anything good! This is too much!”
“That is not the main point now. Now that we have already determined the two team leaders for the opposing teams, it is time for the remaining eight of you to select which teams you want to be on,” the production crew quickly reminded them. “If you choose the source of all evils, you will be on Jiang Yuning’s team and if you choose the god of luck, you will be on Ling Fei’s team. Of course, each of you is given a ticket to change teams, should you decide that you want to switch teams halfway through the journey. You may choose the team you want to be in now. I am warning you that the circumstances after entering the island are not a joke. You should take everything into consideration before deciding on your team. Do not choose a team just because you want to do the righteous thing.”
Ling Fei took this opportunity to look at Jiang Yuning with a confident smile on her face before she said, “Yuning, don’t be angry. We can switch if you want to.”
“Thank you, but it’s okay. I want to see how evil the source of all evil really is.” Jiang Yuning declined immediately, with a smile on her face.
“I already have four years of experience participating on variety shows. I can definitely handle the situation better than you can, so you really do not need to force yourself.”
“That will not be necessary. I will just go along with the arrangements made by the production team.”
Jiang Yuning gave the other party another awkward but polite smile.
Ling Fei did not push any further when she saw that Jiang Yuning was not interested to accept her favor. However, the smugness in Ling Fei’s eyes and tone made everyone around her feel uncomfortable.
As the both of them were in the midst of their conversation, the other eight participants had already chosen their teams.
Xu Beishen and Tong Tong chose to stick with Jiang Yuning because of the friendship that they had developed during their journey in the desert. They did not care about the card that Jiang Yuning had chosen.
Jin Mingchen chose to be on Jiang Yuning’s team because he wanted justice. He could not stand the production team manipulating everything just so that they could suppress Jiang Yuning. Therefore, he decided that he wanted to be on Jiang Yuning’s team. On the other hand, the remaining five participants chose to be on Ling Fei’s team.
The current composition of the teams was four against six members.
“Okay, now that each of you have already made your decision, you can now hand in your cell phones to the production crew before you collect your battle gear and backpack. At the same time, I want to remind you that you are on a deserted island and the clues that you obtain will inevitably cause conflict between the two teams. The production team will only consider the people who make it out the iron gate in the end to be the victors. Do you understand?”
“We will gather in front of the iron gate at eight o’clock. You have twenty-four hours to complete your mission. I wish all of you the best of luck. Finally, as a parting gift, I will give all of you a final hint.”
“Do not get too happy after conquering a mountain, because it might turn out to be empty happiness; do not be too arrogant after attaining success, because there might be another mountain waiting for you.” 1
Everyone was puzzled and confused after listening to the hint.
“What the hell does that mean?”
At this time, Xu Beishen leaned against Xu Beishen’s arms before she whispered, “Do you have any clue or inspiration?”
“I have my own speculation but I need to verify it. Also, do you know what the source of all evil is?” Jiang Yuning asked Xu Beishen as both of them went to collect their supplies.
“That…to be honest, I have no clue at all.”
“The source of all evil is quoted in the Bible. There is an allusion behind its original intended meaning,” Jiang Yuning replied briefly.
Xu Beishen could only smile because she knew that Jiang Yuning had already done all she could.
The production team had an evil smile on their faces as they watched the participants preparing to enter the island.
They could not help but wonder which one of the participants would be the first to scream or surrender.
The real twist and surprise would only come later.
After both teams were done getting ready, the production team opened up the iron gate and sent both of the teams through the iron gate before they locked it up.
The good show was about to start.
“Yuning, why don’t you bring your team over there while I lead my team in the opposite direction?” Ling Fei asked Jiang Yuning as soon as they entered the island. “If we run into any clues later, we can reduce the chances of both of our teams having any conflicts or disagreements.”
“Mingchen, are you sure that you don’t want to come over to this group? It looks like you are going to have a tough time over there,” Brother Zhuang could not help but ask Jin Mingchen before they went on their separate ways. This was because Jiang Yuning’s group consisted of two women and also Tong Tong who was weak physically.
“I…I want to follow Sister Yuning.” After that, Jin Mingchen quickly ran after Jiang Yuning.
“Let’s go now.” Jiang Yuning did not want to waste any time arguing with people who did not matter and so, she headed straight in the opposite direction.
In the beginning, the path was still clearly visible. However, after walking a short distance, there was tall grass all around them.
“Sister Yuning, the grass in this area is so tall and the moonlight here is so faint. We can barely see anything,” Jin Mingchen started complaining.
They continued walking forward and at this time, Jiang Yuning was following right behind them as she rummaged through her backpack to look for a flashlight.
As soon as she turned on the flashlight, she could hear Jin Mingchen screaming for his life.
“Sister Yuning, there is something over here. What on earth is that?”
Four of them were extremely nervous and at this time, Jiang Yuning quickly pointed her flashlight in the direction that Jin Mingchen was pointing at. They were all horrified when they saw a strange and ugly monster lying down and eating something off the ground. There was a strong bloody smell lingering in the air.
No one knew what happened or whether it was because the flashlight was directed at it, the monster suddenly stood up and started chasing after them.
“Ah! Ah! Ah!”
“Monster! There’s a monster.”
“Retreat! Retreat!” Jiang Yuning yelled as she pushed them towards the right. “Head towards the building on your right!”
The four of them quickly started running to the building on their right. At this time, Jiang Yuning was right at the back and in a state of panic, the monster managed to grab her arm.
After the four of them entered the building, Tong Tong closed the door immediately. After making sure that the monster did not make its way into the building after them, the four of them collapsed on the ground immediately.
“Oh my god! What kind of monster is that? That really scared me to death! Sobs. Sobs.” Jin Mingchen was so frightened that he started blabbering in shock.
“Sister Yuning, are you hurt?” Tong Tong asked as he crouched in front of Jiang Yuning.
Jiang Yuning shook her head immediately. However, she quickly opened the pocket on the right side of her battle gear because she could hear a mild beeping sound coming from inside the pocket.
“What is this?”
“I think…I have just been attacked by the monster and the device is beeping to remind me that I have already lost two percent of blood! Hurry! Check if you guys have the same device on you,” Jiang Yuning quickly asked her three companions.
The three of them quickly looked into the pocket on the left arm of their battle gear and at this time, they realized that each of them had the same device on them.
This should be the legendary blood meter!
“If this is how it is, then I am absolutely certain that the monsters out there are not real.”
How did the production team manage to find monsters that’s looked like zombies with a crocodile head? That was utterly disgusting! The production team really outdid themselves this time.
Chapter 234: Whether We are Winning or Losing, I am Still Following You
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
After ensuring that Jiang Yuning was okay, the three of them began to check and ensure that the building was safe before they gathered around and sat down in a circle to sort out their information and plan their strategy.
Jiang Yuning began by opening the backpack that the production crew had prepared in advance for them. After rummaging through the items in the backpack, they realized that there was nothing much in it except for a flashlight, a first aid kit, some canned food, and the smoke alarm.
“The production team can go to hell! They really scared me to death!” At this time, Jin Mingchen could no longer contain his anger, and he yelled out loud as he threw his backpack on the ground.
“Okay, at least we now know that there are monsters waiting for us on this island. What we are not quite sure about is the number of monsters and whether there are any other types of monsters lurking around.”
“Since we already know that our blood meter will drop when we get attacked by the monsters, we have to figure out a way to retrain the monsters.”
“Time is precious. We should not be hiding here the entire time, so we should start searching the building for anything that might be useful to us now, even if it is just a spatula.”
“This time, the production team did not even send any cameraman into the island with us. This shows how many cameras they have already installed on this island. If we include the cost for creating the monsters, the production team really did spend a lot to plan the mission this time,” Xu Beishen said as she laughed out loud.
“It is pointless to say anything now. We have to work together to come up with a solution. The three of you can go ahead and search the building for anything that we might be able to use. I will climb up to the top of the building to see which direction we can head to after leaving the building,” Jiang Yuning quickly instructed her teammates.
“Okay.” Xu Beishen patted Jiang Yuning gently on her shoulder before she said, “Make sure that you pay attention to your own safety.”
Jiang Yuning looked at the blood meter on her arm before she nodded her head and went on to climb up to the top of the building. She then used her flashlight to look at the area surrounding the building.
The only way for them to get out of the building and move forward was a small and narrow path at the back of the building.
The path would subsequently directly lead them to another building and at the moment, this was their safest bet.
A short while later, Xu Beishen brought Jin Mingchen and Tong Tong to the top of the building to look for Jiang Yuning.
“There is nothing that we can use in this building, but I found this.” Xu Beishen took a gun out from her backpack. “I don’t know if this is a real or fake pistol.”
“It is fake,” Jiang Yuning replied as soon as she looked at the pistol in Xu Beishen’s hand. Jiang Yuning could tell from a single glance that the weight and composition of this pistol were completely different from a real pistol’s. “We should keep it because we might be able to use it later.”
“But we do not know how to use it.”
“Give it to me,” Jiang Yuning said as she took the pistol from Xu Beishen and placed it at her waist. “Can you guys see this little path at the back of this building? This is the only path leading directly to another building. We will use this path to escape from this building and after that, we need to look for a higher location so that we can observe everything that is happening on the island. In a short while, I will cover your backs as we escape but remember that we have to act fast!”
Although he knew that the monsters were not real, Jin Mingchen still felt very uncomfortable because it was too creepy and intimidating for him.
“Sister Yuning, I am really very scared…”
“Mingchen, you have to learn how to overcome your fears. Otherwise, do you really want to admit defeat now? Think about your fans who are cheering and rooting for you right now. Don’t you want to show your fans how strong and courageous you can be?”
As soon as Jiang Yuning mentioned his fans, Jin Mingchen was silent for a few seconds before he summoned his courage and said, “Yes, I can do it for them!”
“Alright then, I will open the door then,” Jiang Yuning walked towards the door and then made an okay gesture at the three of them before she opened the door swiftly. A squeaking sound could be heard as the door opened and when she saw that it was completely silent outside, Jiang Yuning quickly whispered, “Go now!”
The four of them escaped quickly, as though they were running for their lives and at this time, Jin Mingchen suddenly screamed again because he saw something moving behind the tall grass…
Jiang Yuning used her flashlight to look around them and at this time, she saw three of four monsters running towards them. They did not know where these monsters had come from. “Hurry up! We need to move faster.”
However, since Tong Tong was more fragile and physically weaker, he fell down after taking a few steps. Jiang Yuning quickly stopped in her tracks to lend Tong Tong a hand and at this time, the monster was already closing in on both of them. At this point, Jiang Yuning had no choice but to fire the pistol at the monster.
In an instant, there was the sound of the monster falling to the ground. Jiang Yuning and Xu Beishen quickly made use of this opportunity to pull Tong Tong up to his feet before the four of them ran towards the next building and sought refuge there.
The four of them continued holding their breath even after entering the building and they only relaxed and let out a huge sigh of relief after they were certain that the monsters had not followed them into the building.
“Tong Tong, are you okay?”
“I am fine.” Tong Tong shook his head immediately. “But Sister Yuning, how are we going to move forward? I feel as though we have already encountered so many difficulties and obstacles, but it seems as though there is nothing happening to the other group at all. Do you think it is really because Ling Fei’s card is the god of luck card?”
After listening to Tong Tong’s question, Jin Mingchen immediately remembered that the card that Jiang Yuning drew was the source of all evil.
Could Jiang Yuning really be the reason why they were encountering these monsters?
All these thoughts and speculations started running through their minds.
After resting for about ten minutes, the four of them suddenly heard a faint sound coming their way. The four of them were on alert immediately but the finally calmed down when they saw Brother Zhuang pushing the door open.
“It is really you guys.”
A short while later, Ling Fei walked in and shone her flashlight at them. “We heard some screams and gunshots earlier. Did something happen to you?”
“You guys…have not met with anything unusual yet?” Jin Mingchen asked as he stared at the other group with doubt in his eyes.
“What did you guys meet?” Qi Mo asked as he stared at the four of them curiously. “You guys look as though you were just running for your lives. What happened?”
“Yuning, we found some clues. That is why we decided to come over and take a look.”
Jin Mingchen spent a little time explaining everything that they had encountered to Ling Fei’s group but they looked skeptical and suspicious of his story.
“Is that really possible? We have been very safe and we have not met any monsters at all. Do you think…that the reason why you saw all those monsters is because Jiang Yuning’s card is the source of all evil?” Ling Fei asked, as though she had just discovered something phenomenal. “Yuning, the production team is really too much. How could they make things so difficult for your group?”
“Leader, I think we had better leave now just in case. Otherwise…” Ling Fei’s team member was afraid that some monsters would appear out of nowhere and attack them because they believed Jiang Yuning to be the one attracting these monsters.
“Yes, let’s go now. I don’t want to run into any monsters. I think it is better for us to stay away from Yuning.”
“Mingchen, don’t you have a chance to use your ticket to change groups? Why don’t you come over to our group now?” Brother Zhuang asked as he looked at Jin Mingchen.
Jin Mingchen felt very tempted after listening to Brother Zhuang’s offer but he did not want to betray Jiang Yuning.
“It’s okay, you can go,” Jiang Yuning quickly said. “Tong Tong, you can go too.”
“I am not switching groups,” Tong Tong refused immediately.
“Sister Yuning…I am really very sorry but I am really too scared right now.” In the end, Jin Mingchen could not resist temptation and he quickly accepted Brother Zhuang’s offer because he really did not want to feel so scared anymore.
Jiang Yuning shrugged, signaling that she did not mind at all. After that, the production team made an announcement stating that Jin Mingchen had chosen to switch over to Ling Fei’s group. The composition of the teams was now seven to three.
“Yuning, we are sorry but we have to leave now.”
Ling Fei’s group then quickly exited the building.
Jiang Yuning remained calm even after Ling Fei’s group left with Jin Mingchen but at this time, Xu Beishen suddenly cursed out loud. “Although I know that I should be more understanding since he is still a child, I cannot help feeling so frustrated right now.”
“I understand why Jin Mingchen made that choice and I don’t blame him for it anyway.” After that, Jiang Yuning looked at Xu Beishen before she asked, “What about you? Why didn’t you switch over to Ling Fei’s group?”
“Do I really look like the kind of person who cares about the odds? Whether we are winning or losing, I am following you.”
“Me too!” Tong Tong chimed in immediately.
“Then…I will explain the origin of the source of all evil to both of you now. The Bible states that the supreme archangel betrayed God because of his pride and he was eventually driven out of heaven, bringing sin into the world. Therefore, I have a feeling that the source of all evil is pride…”
“And no matter what Ling Fei says, we should not believe or be affected by anything she says. Instead, we should just trust ourselves.”
…
As soon as the production team heard Jiang Yuning’s explanation, they were stunned. Would they really be able to stop Jiang Yuning this time?
Chapter 235: Almost Annihilated
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“Let’s conduct the second round of our analysis now. Ling Fei’s group has also been on the island for more than an hour but they have not encountered any of the monsters yet. This is very strange. Let’s check and see if there are any special devices or anything on us that is attracting the monsters to us.”
After listening to Jiang Yuning, the three of them started looking for any hidden objects or sensors on their bodies, including their battle gears and also in their backpacks. However, they realized that there was nothing abnormal about it from the surface.
“We can now be certain that the monsters are not specifically targeted at us. So, we have to continue analyzing to determine what attracts the monsters to us. I was using a flashlight earlier, and so was Ling Fei, but they did not encounter the monsters. So, we can rule out the flashlight as a trigger for the monsters. Now, I can only think of one last possibility.”
“What?” Xu Beishen asked as she stood up. She was excited because she felt as though they were about to solve the mystery.
“Mingchen’s screams! We were attacked twice after Mingchen started screaming!”
Xu Beishen thought for a short while after listening to Jiang Yuning’s theory. “Yes, I believe that your theory might be very possible.”
“It is very easy for us to verify if it is true or otherwise. After searching through this building, we can head out of the building and try to stay quiet and not make any noise at all.”
“Okay!”
After watching the analysis done by Jiang Yuning’s group, the production team started scratching their heads again.
The director and producers would only have a few strands of hair left soon!
Jiang Yuning, do you really want to see us go bald so badly?
…
On the other hand, Ling Fei’s team was still looking for clues on the island in a very relaxed and casual manner.
“Feifei, you are really amazing. This could easily be the easiest issue I have recorded so far!”
“You are really the goddess of luck! Where are the monsters that they were just talking about?”
“I really sympathize with Yuning’s group now. There are just two girls and one young child. This time, Yuning is going to fall down the rankings for sure!”
Ling Fei’s members continued praising her and putting her on a pedestal.
When Ling Fei thought about how desperate Jiang Yuning’s group must be feeling at the moment, she could not help but feel even more arrogant and proud of herself. No one could ever be luckier or smarter than her in any variety shows. Twenty-four hours? At this rate, they would not even need twelve hours to complete the mission.
At this time, Jin Mingchen, who was walking right at the back, constantly felt as though there was something behind him. He kept turning back to take a look every now and then.
When a gush of chilly wind suddenly blew passed him, he started screaming before he threw his flashlight away.
The six of them could not help but laughed at him. “Don’t worry, we are the lucky team. You will not encounter any monsters when you are with us.”
“Look at how scared he is. He must have felt so miserable just now.”
Just as everyone was making fun of Jin Mingchen, a faint sound was suddenly heard before monsters started coming from all directions to attack the seven of them.
“Monsters! There are…monsters here!”
“Ahh!”
Jiang Yuning and her companions were standing on top of another building at this time when they suddenly heard the screams coming from a short distance away, accompanied by the lights from the flashlights flashing all over the place.
“Alas, the thing that triggered the monsters’ attack was really Jin Mingchen’s scream.”
“Good job!” Xu Beishen said as she showed a thumbs up to Jiang Yuning.
“Sister Yuning, you are really awesome!” Tong Tong said as he laughed.
“We are almost done packing so we can leave soon. Since there might be a lot of things hidden within the buildings, we should continue searching carefully. Who knows if we might be able to discover some of the hidden clues?”
It was a pistol earlier, and now they found another pistol. Although she did not know what the production team were trying to imply, Jiang Yuning felt that the production team would definitely be disappointed this time because her marksmanship was actually pretty decent.
“Alright, let’s just do as you say.”
“Let’s go!”
After losing Jin Mingchen to the other team, the three of them had a much easier time. This was because they could officially verify that the root cause of the monster attack was indeed Jin Mingchen’s screams.
The three of them continued moving forward in a much more relaxed manner as they continued searching one building after another.
At this time, Ling Fei’s group was in a terrible state. If Ling Fei did not have those men in her group, her blood meter would have been emptied right on the spot.
The blood meters of all seven of them were already damaged to a varying degree, with the person taking the most severe damage recording a blood meter of fifty seven percent remaining.
Although they managed to scamper into a building nearby to hide from the monsters, everyone was in a state of shock right now.
“It turns out that the monsters really did exist!”
“There were so many of them just now. They were just rushing at us.”
“But we did not see any monsters when we were on our way earlier. What is going on now?”
The seven of them gathered together as they discussed the situation and at this time, everyone suddenly turned to look at Jin Mingchen. “Before you joined our group, we did not encounter any monsters at all. The monsters only started chasing and attacking us after you joined us!”
“Don’t be so quick to push the blame to him. Maybe we were just lucky that we did not meet the monsters earlier,” Ling Fei defended Jin Mingchen immediately. “We need to stay united at times like this.”
“It was really horrifying earlier. Team leader, may I suggest that we leave Jin Mingchen behind? Anyway, he is also scared of everything and will not be of any help to us.”
“You guys cannot just leave me behind…don’t leave me behind,” Jin Mingchen started crying as he turned pale.
When Ling Fei saw Jin Mingchen’s reaction, she quickly said, “It is too cruel to just leave someone behind like this. Mingchen, maybe you can just give up and eliminate yourself from the game.”
Jin Mingchen could not believe his own ears. He took a few steps back before he contacted the production team: “I want to switch back to Sister Yuning’s group.”
The production team was in a dilemma at this time. “Mingchen, do you understand the rules of this game?”
“But they want to leave me behind. I do not dare to stay here on my own.”
“Team leader, I think it is better for us to bring Mingchen along with us. I will look after him.” At this time, Brother Zhuang could not help but stand up for the poor child.
“Alright then…” Ling Fei replied as she glanced at Jin Mingchen. She initially thought that stealing one of Jiang Yuning’s member away from her would be the biggest humiliation for Jiang Yuning.
However, it seemed as though she had only brought disaster upon herself this time.
“But if this happens one more time, then we will have to consider the situation of the entire team, okay?”
“If that is the case, I would like to use this opportunity to request that the production team allow me to let Mingchen use my ticket to switch back to Yuning’s group. Production team, can we do that?” Brother Zhuang suddenly spoke up after putting much thoughts into his request. In fact, he was also afraid that his blood meter would be depleted completely if they were attacked once again.
At this time, all of them could only regard Jin Mingchen as the unlucky star.
“Okay but we have to ask Yuning’s group for their permission.” The production team hesitated at first but after thinking about it, they finally agreed to compromise. A short while later, they received a reply from Jiang Yuning’s group. “Yuning and her teammates have agreed to take Jin Mingchen back into their group.”
“Yay!! Sister Yuning is the best.” Jin Mingchen immediately regretted his actions of betraying his own teammates earlier. “All of you are really too heartless!”
“Mingchen, now is not the time to cry. Just wait here for a moment. One of the production crew members will come over and bring you to Jiang Yuning’s group in a short while.”
Jin Mingchen wiped away his tears as he sat down and waited for the production crew to make the necessary arrangements for him.
The production crew then blindfolded him before they started to guide him towards Jiang Yuning’s group.
Ling Fei felt extremely relieved after Jin Mingchen’s departure.
“It is really fortunate for us that he’s gone now. We were almost annihilated!”
However, Ling Fei’s team had not yet discovered the true reason why the monsters appeared and started attacking them.
This was also the reason why Jiang Yuning’s team was willing to take Jin Mingchen in.
Because they knew the reason!
No matter what it was, the production team understood Jiang Yuning’s personality very well. They knew that she would definitely take Jin Mingchen in, unlike the person whom they had invited over from the other variety show!
Hmm!
When Jin Mingchen finally returned to Jiang Yuning’s side about twenty minutes later, he felt so guilty that he almost knelt down in front of her. “Sobs. Sobs. Sister Yuning, you are really so good to me. Sorry, I know I was wrong. Please forgive me.”
“I will not ask you for anything else, but I really need you to stop screaming. Can you promise me that?”
“That other group…they wanted to abandon me and leave me behind all by myself. They are really too much!”
“Is that so? Alright then, we will let them enjoy their punishment for abandoning you!” Jiang Yuning replied as she patted Jin Mingchen’s shoulder to comfort him.