“I’m really worried,” Bai Tingting confessed, her brows furrowed. “What if something goes wrong out there? We’re going to be living in the wilderness!”
“It’ll be fine,” Bian Jincheng said, trying to soothe her nerves. “The producers wouldn’t send us anywhere dangerous. I’ve been in the jungle before. Just stick with me.”
“Okay,” she replied softly.
That afternoon, while the male guests returned to their rooms to fine-tune their packing, the five female contestants gathered in the kitchen to make lunch together.
As she picked through vegetables, Xie Shirui let out a sigh. “What are we even going to do tomorrow? We’ll need to find food and water in the middle of the forest! I know they said it’s safe, but still—what if something happens?”
Fan Xinjie came closer, her voice gentle. “Don’t worry. After we eat, let’s do some research—memorize a few survival tips. Better to go in prepared.”
Bai Tingting threw a quick glance at the silent Mu Fu, then smiled thinly. “Exactly. We just need to do our best. I’m not expecting luxury—I just want to know I can take care of myself out there.”
“Yeah,” Xie Shirui agreed, “you’re right.”
Mu Fu, washing vegetables nearby, finally spoke. “Honestly, I think what matters is what the show gives us tomorrow. That’ll shape how we handle everything.”
Bai Tingting gave her a look and chuckled in a falsely sweet tone. “Come on, you don’t need to worry. You’ve already got more supplies than any of us, thanks to your special prize.”
She’d long been annoyed with Mu Fu. She already had Wen Shu, and yet she was still toying with Bian Jincheng’s feelings. And clearly, Bian Jincheng still hadn’t let go of her either.
Mu Fu didn’t even flinch. “You should take that up with the show. They’re the ones who came up with this. If you want one too, go earn it.”
She wasn’t about to sugarcoat anything. Wen Shu earned that reward. If others were bitter, that was their problem.
Fan Xinjie and Xie Shirui exchanged a silent glance but said nothing. Bai Tingting’s smile froze awkwardly on her face. She’d expected Xie Shirui to back her up—but instead, she was left standing alone.
“I’m just saying, it’s natural for us to worry—we don’t have the extra gear you do,” Bai Tingting added, a touch bitter. “You’re in a better spot than we are.”
Mu Fu answered evenly, “We won’t know what’s actually in the pack until tomorrow.”
Fan Xinjie gave a little cough, stepping in to shift the conversation. “Looks like everything’s ready—let’s get cooking.”
Wei Qiqiao, who had been helping quietly the whole time, didn’t say a word.
Later in the afternoon, the contestants retrieved their phones from the crew. The production team had no problem with them using their phones to search for survival info—in fact, they encouraged it. Though they had taken safety precautions, they wanted everyone to feel more prepared and reduce risks.
As soon as she had her phone, Mu Fu went to find Wen Shu. His door was closed, but he answered quickly when she knocked. He looked a little surprised. “Something wrong?”
Mu Fu bit her lip. “We’re heading into the forest tomorrow, and… all I brought are dresses. Nothing really practical.” She glanced down, her voice soft. “I was wondering if you could help me pick out some clothes and shoes… but if you’re busy, I can manage on my own.”
“I’ve got time,” Wen Shu said. “Just wait a sec while I get ready.”
“Okay!” Mu Fu beamed, bright and adorable.
After he was ready, the two of them set off.
Just outside the courtyard, they bumped into Bian Jincheng, who was coming in from the other direction. “Where are you two off to?” he asked casually.
Mu Fu gave him a sweet smile. “Just out to buy a few things.”
Wen Shu replied coolly, “It’s already late. Who knows how long we’ll be.”
Mu Fu turned to Bian Jincheng, her tone apologetic. “Sorry—we’re in a hurry. Let’s talk later, okay?”
“Sure. Be safe,” Bian Jincheng replied, his tone still soft.
Wen Shu shot him a glance. Their eyes met—sharp, loaded with unspoken meaning.
Mu Fu felt something shift in the air around her. Tense. But she didn’t dwell on it. She walked alongside Wen Shu, the two leaving the courtyard together.
Once they were out of sight, Bian Jincheng’s gentle look faded, replaced by something much colder.
After leaving the courtyard, Mu Fu and Wen Shu still had to walk a while to reach the military zone’s entrance. No cars were allowed inside, so none of the guests had brought vehicles. However, the production team, knowing the two of them were heading out, had arranged for a car to wait for them at the gate.
On the way there, Wen Shu asked in a neutral tone, “You seem pretty close to Bian Jincheng?”
He even started using Bian Jincheng’s full name now.
Mu Fu paused for a second and replied quietly, “Yeah, we hung out yesterday, so we got a bit more familiar.”
Wen Shu casually added fuel to the fire: “I saw Bai Tingting getting pretty cozy with him.”
Mu Fu thought about it. “Yeah… I guess they did seem close.”
Wen Shu went on, “There’s a good chance the two of them will end up together. You probably shouldn’t third-wheel.”
Mu Fu nodded. “Mhm. I wouldn’t anyway.”
Seeing that she took his words seriously, Wen Shu visibly relaxed. Even his steps felt lighter.
He brought Mu Fu to a store that specialized in outdoor expedition gear. He had done several forest training missions before, so he already knew this place—they had solid quality stuff.
The store assistant greeted them enthusiastically. “This backpack here is tough, waterproof, and comes with wide shoulder straps. It’s designed to make carrying things a lot easier.”
Mu Fu politely interrupted, “Ah—sorry, we already have one. The show gave each of us a military pack, and it already has those features.”
The clerk wasn’t offended at all. He just smiled and continued warmly, “No problem at all! Feel free to look around. Our jackets and pants are waterproof too—great if you get caught in the rain…”
After some helpful recommendations from the clerk and Wen Shu’s input, Mu Fu ended up buying a set of waterproof jacket and pants, two pairs of boots, several pairs of thick socks, and a large poncho that could cover both her and her backpack. All the essentials for protection and warmth were checked off.
With clothes sorted, they headed to a pharmacy next. There, they picked up basic first-aid supplies—bandages, Yunnan Baiyao, and some medicated oil. In the jungle, mosquito bites were inevitable, and having that on hand would help a lot.
Once they finished shopping, the two returned to the military zone by car.
After putting her things away, Mu Fu went looking for Fan Xinjie, but when she got to the room, only Wei Qiqiao was there.
“Where is everyone else?” she asked.
Wei Qiqiao replied mildly, “They’re all in the living room.”
“Oh? What are they doing in there?” Mu Fu asked casually.
Wei Qiqiao shook her head. “No idea.”
“Alright then, I’ll go take a look too. Want to come?” Mu Fu asked.
Wei Qiqiao replied simply, “No.”
Mu Fu knew Wei Qiqiao hadn’t been in the best mood lately, so she didn’t take her cool attitude personally.
When Mu Fu got to the living room, she saw that nearly all the male guests were there—except for Wen Shu and Gui Xingye.
At that moment, the male guests were sharing stories from their past jungle experiences. Listening to Ma Yangxia and the others talk about the funny mishaps and tough situations they’d faced during jungle missions, the women couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of admiration.
Mu Fu went over and sat next to Fan Xinjie—she felt a bit more familiar with her now.
“Where’d you go this afternoon? I stopped by your room and you weren’t there,” Fan Xinjie asked, curious.
“I went out to get some things for tomorrow. Did you already prep stuff like mosquito repellent and waterproof clothes?” Mu Fu asked.
Fan Xinjie slapped her forehead. “Oh no! I totally forgot! I’ll go now!”
There was still plenty of time to get what they needed.
Mu Fu reminded her, “No need to buy repellent—I grabbed a bit extra. I can give you some. Maybe just focus on any emergency meds or first-aid stuff.”
Fan Xinjie instantly gave her a big hug. “Mu Fu, you’re the best! I love you so much right now!”
Mu Fu, overwhelmed by her enthusiasm, just let her hug her tightly.
Their conversation hadn’t gone unnoticed by the others. Bai Tingting frowned, looking a bit troubled. “Wait… isn’t the production team going to provide all that for us?”
Everyone had assumed the production would handle all the prep—or at least let them choose things tomorrow. No one else had thought to go out shopping like Mu Fu did.
Mu Fu shook her head. “I’m not sure. But it’s probably safer to get waterproof clothes ourselves. What if tomorrow they split the gear really strictly—like if rope counts as one item, and a lighter counts as another? Then we’ll be super limited with just five items to pick. Besides, it wasn’t that hard to go out and buy it.”
Everyone nodded. That actually made a lot of sense.
Xie Shirui spoke up with a suggestion, “How about we all go shopping together?”
The group considered it—and agreed. In the end, Bai Tingting and the others headed out together. Bian Jincheng and the two other male guests joined them, along with Zhu Hongjun, who clearly still hadn’t given up on Bai Tingting.
After the other girls had left, Mu Fu went back to her room. She figured she might as well spend the time learning some survival tips—just in case there was no food tomorrow, she needed to know which wild plants were edible.
Evening rolled around quickly. After dinner, everyone hung out in the living room, playing games and chatting. When it got late, they started turning in early to rest for tomorrow.
Mu Fu still wasn’t tired though. It felt too early to go to bed, so she made her way out to the courtyard and sat on the hanging chair for a while.
It was the middle of June—hot during the day and still stifling at night. The AC kept things comfortable inside, but outside, the heat clung to you like a second skin.
She gently rocked back and forth, enjoying the quiet of the night.
A voice broke the silence. “Why aren’t you sleeping?”
It was Wen Shu. His voice was cool and unmistakable.
“Couldn’t sleep. Just sitting for a bit. What about you? Why are you out here?”
Mu Fu smiled at him, her features soft in the dim light. The hanging chair was in a slightly shadowy corner, and her expression was only half-visible.
Wen Shu sat down on a wooden bench beside her. “Just thought the night air was nice.”
“Liar,” she mumbled with a smirk.
He coughed—caught in the act. Truth was, he had seen her room was empty and came out to find her.
Mu Fu suddenly remembered a question she didn’t get to ask during last night’s game. “So… what’s your type? In a partner, I mean.”
Wen Shu gave it some thought, then replied lazily, “Pretty, clingy, and obedient.”
Mu Fu’s eyes lit up. That sounded exactly like her.
“And what would you find annoying in a partner?”
“Don’t know yet. But if I really liked someone, I’d deal with whatever came with them.”
He glanced at her as he said it—like the words were meant just for her.
Mu Fu felt it. It was subtle, but the implication was there. Still, she wasn’t totally sure. In her last life, Wen Shu had never seemed to show any girl special treatment.
“So…” she tilted her head, eyes sparkling. “What do you think of me?”
Axolotl Translations 
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