The smoking area outside the airport.
This was a neat, clean terrace with an expansive view.
Song Yuran leaned casually against the railing, holding an unlit cigarette between her fingertips. She gazed quietly at the camphor trees not far away with a blank expression, and no one could know what was on her mind.
Before long, the glass door behind her was pushed open.
Feng Jingwei walked in. Removing her mask, she revealed a face so exquisite that it clearly belonged to a rebellious young heiress.
Watching the unlit cigarette in Song Yuran’s hand, she raised an eyebrow, “You come to the smoking area only not to smoke, but specifically to inhale secondhand smoke?”
Song Yuran turned around, cast a sidelong glance at her, and assumed a comfortable posture leaning against the railing once more. Her tone was cold, “Are you that idle lately?”
As childhood friends of twenty years, the two understood each other’s inner dispositions thoroughly.
Feng Jingwei raised her brows, her face still carrying a touch of triumphant cunning, “Not idle at all, I’m very busy. But since it coincides with your very first time filming a variety show, I specifically pushed aside a three-million-yuan contract to run over here and play program PD for free. Such a massive loss is all for your sake. How’s that? True love, right?”
“Get lost.” Parting her lips slightly, Song Yuran spat out those two words.
Feng Jingwei laughed even harder, knowing full well that Song Yuran harbored no genuine malice, “Don’t be so heartless. Ever since we were kids, you’ve always overshadowed me. Now that you’ve fallen into my hands, shouldn’t I seize the opportunity properly?”
Song Yuran didn’t speak. The cigarette between her fingertips was finally lit, and wisps of smoke drifted upward, blurring her delicate features.
Feng Jingwei accompanied her with one of her own.
Once the cigarette was finished, Song Yuran glanced at the time and began walking back. Passing right by Feng Jingwei, she dropped a parting remark, “Don’t go overboard.”
Feng Jingwei raised an eyebrow, spread her hands, and offered no response.
The two returned to the gathering spot one after the other. As veterans of the industry, neither showed the slightest trace of betraying the fact that they had just been spending time together.
The moment she returned, Feng Jingwei switched seamlessly into professional PD mode. The levity vanished from her face, and her tone became exceptionally steady, “Time is almost up. Taking advantage of this moment, let’s begin the grouping for our first-stage task.”
Everyone’s gazes landed upon her.
Feng Jingwei held six sealed envelopes in her hands. Lifting her chin slightly, she continued, “To enrich the immersion and viewing experience of this trip, we’ve set up a role-playing segment. The six of you will be divided into pairs through a draw, making three groups in total. Each group corresponds to a temporary relationship dynamic: married couple, siblings, or best friends.”
“Over the next two days, each group must complete our released themed tasks according to the relationship setting they draw. Task rewards will impact resource distribution during your travels, including accommodation standards, meal budgets, activity funds, and so forth.”
“Now, please step forward to draw your lots in order. Once drawn, find your groupmate yourselves, and we will officially begin the journey.”
Feng Jingwei’s instructions were clearly structured with explicit reward-and-punishment mechanisms, radiating total professionalism without a shred of the bantering casualness she had shown Song Yuran moments earlier.
Su Zhu stared fixedly at those envelopes, a growing sense of unease taking root in her heart the moment she heard the rules.
According to PD Feng’s introduction, this meant there would definitely be paired tasks ahead.
“Alright, everyone draw a card in turn now,” Feng Jingwei instructed, gesturing to the camera operators nearby to ensure they captured the details.
Zhou Lei stepped forward first. The wide grin never left his face, and as he drew his card, he even muttered under his breath, “Please don’t let me draw the couple card. These three sisters are all so gorgeous that my looks don’t match up. If I actually draw it, I’m afraid of getting flamed.”
In truth, not just him, but everyone remained relatively unfamiliar with one another at this stage. Who would willingly want to draw such an intimate couple card?
From the titles of the three relationships, one could easily guess that the couple card pairing was clearly meant to manufacture talking points from the start. That particular persona demanded the tightest bundling, and without question, whoever drew it would have to prepare themselves for the next two days of editorial manipulation and drama.
Consequently, nobody really wanted it.
Except for Xi Peini, who actually wanted the couple card regardless of who it was with.
After all, her objective upon coming onto this show was crystal clear. She needed exposure, popularity, and visibility.
Thus, the couple card naturally suited her best.
Everyone harbored their own hidden agendas, save for Song Yuran. To her, whichever card she drew was nothing more than play-acting. She had played enough roles over the years to the point that she sometimes forgot who she truly was.
Feng Jingwei handed out the envelopes to each person one by one.
Holding her envelope, Su Zhu felt it resembled a hot potato, hesitating to open it.
She prayed silently in her heart: Not a couple, please not a couple, absolutely not a couple.
Repeating the mantra three times, she cautiously tore open the envelope and pulled out the card inside.
The moment the card slid out, she was nearly blinded by the blazing crimson color of the card!
This was no ordinary grouping card; it was explicitly an ancient-style marriage proposal document! The card featured exquisite design and gorgeous patterns. Under normal circumstances, Su Zhu would have appreciated collecting it.
Yet right now, holding this item in her hand, she felt as though her vision had gone completely dark.
True to form, whatever you dread the most is precisely what finds you.
Su Zhu’s heart chilled by more than half, and what made her even more nervous was who had drawn the other couple card.
By this point, she had abandoned all other thoughts, leaving only a single prayer: Please don’t let it be Song Yuran. As long as it isn’t Song Yuran, whether it’s Teacher Xi Peini or Teacher Mao Junrong, heck, even if I have to form a couple pairing with Zhou Lei or Cao Yi, I can accept it!
Lightning doesn’t strike the same person twice!
Just as her heart trembled violently, PD Feng’s voice suddenly rang out, striking straight at her chest and completely baffling her senses.
“Alright, the person who drew the couple card is Teacher Song Yuran. Who else drew the couple card?”
Su Zhu: “…”
She raised her head in a daze, looking toward Song Yuran, still unwilling and refusing to believe this reality.
Yet reality gave her no choice. She only saw Song Yuran holding a marriage proposal card identical to her own, with her gaze locked right onto Su Zhu’s half-revealed couple card corner.
In that instant, Su Zhu’s face drained entirely of color.
Her hands and feet grew ice cold, leaving only a single thought echoing in her mind: It’s over. We are completely finished now.