Everyone emptied their backpacks and grabbed containers to collect supplies. Following the routes marked on the map, they set off into the dusk in four different directions.
Tall and slender Yang Ze took the lead, clearing the path ahead. He was diligent and Kim Lalisa had a quick mind. The two worked well together and soon found a new supply point.
With a man around, Kim Lalisa didn't need to carry anything heavy. Yang Ze put all the supplies on his own back, polite and chivalrous.
As darkness fell, Kim Lalisa's high-powered flashlight became very useful. Visibility in the dense jungle was extremely low at night. Regular flashlights were useless. But hers was very powerful. When she shined it up, a pillar of light reached to the night sky.
With this flashlight, Kim Lalisa and Yang Ze's nighttime exploration went very smoothly. They found almost all the supplies on their route.
But the other teams weren't prepared well enough. The dim light of their regular flashlights made their search very slow.
This made the audience like Kim Lalisa even more. In contrast, Duan Mangyun seemed useless - afraid of the dark and unwilling to press on, she missed resources just ten meters ahead in the bushes, dragging Xia Xi down.
The bullet screen comments were very critical of her:
[So why come on a survival show if you're so scared of the dark? Didn't she think beforehand that she'd be a burden?]
[If you want a dating show, go on a normal one! Why come on a survival dating show? Survival comes first!]
[Xia Xi is really patient, taking care of her feelings like that.]
[It's all her fault! Their team found the least supplies, just one place!]
[She was like this on "Return to Peach Blossom" too! Couldn't do any farm work at all. The male guests all protected her. She crafted this image of being ethereal and above worldly matters. No one criticized her for not working!]
[It's 2023 and people are still acting all delicate and precious. Can't stand it.]
...
Duan Mangyun's agent Miao Gaojun had said before that her biggest flaw was stupidity.
She really wasn't very smart, with low EQ and IQ. She didn't know to do the right thing at the right time. For instance, the environment was so harsh now. She should have discarded everything she learned from previous dating shows and repositioned herself.
But Duan Mangyun couldn't wrap her head around it. She didn't realize those experiences wouldn't work on this show. Her persona as delicate and demure, needing protection, would not appeal to anyone here.
Instead, Duan Mangyun thought the harsher environment would make the male guests even more protective and chivalrous, and they'd feel more tender affection for a girl like her.
So she was determined to stick it out as the delicate maiden!
Xia Xi maintained a gentlemanly manner all along, taking care of her. When she was scared to go on, he turned back without hesitation.
Duan Mangyun didn't care about his straight-man behavior with the fire earlier. She wanted to invite him to the yard to look at the stars and chat, to develop their relationship. But Xia Xi had already strapped on his backpack and gone out again, "Stay in since you're afraid of the dark. I'll go look some more."
His leaving alone again left Duan Mangyun somewhat flustered. Gritting her teeth with determination, she said, "Can you handle it alone? I'll go with you!"
Xia Xi quickly said, "I'm fine alone! Stay here!"
Afraid she would follow, he hurried away.
The others weren't back yet. Duan Mangyun was the only one left at the base.
She didn't look happy, finally realizing she had likely left Xia Xi and the audience with a bad impression. She forced a smile at the camera, "I've been afraid of the dark since I was little. I didn't think before there would be tasks at night. Looks like I dragged everyone down."
Her eyes grew red and she cheered herself on, "I'll go make everyone a late night snack then."
At this, the bullet screen comments turned a little kinder to her. It was normal for a girl to be afraid of the dark. Oh well, it was nice of her to make a late night snack for everyone.
But some were skeptical: [Can she even cook? Supplies are already scarce, hope she doesn't waste anything.]
After 10 PM, the guests finally returned one by one.
Yong Yun and Yao Jingshan found two supply points. Bai Yinyue and Cheng Yaowen found three. Xia Xi and Duan Mangyun found only one at first. Later when Xia Xi went out alone, he found another.
Kim Lalisa and Yang Ze did the best, finding six supply points total.
The production team had scattered thirty supply points on the island. Added to the ones found earlier, they had almost all of them.
They should've been happy finding so many supplies, but when they smelled something burning back at the shelter, they all had a bad feeling.
Yao Jingshan came out of the kitchen covering his nose, a little helpless, "Mangyun wanted to make us a late night snack, but she didn't control the fire well. The water boiled dry and the pot bottom burned through."
The pot bottom burned through???
The wood-burning stove was very different from the natural gas Duan Mangyun was used to in the city. Let alone that she rarely even used gas stoves. This wood stove was beyond her skill.
Xia Xi was dumbfounded. He rushed in to take a look, then stormed back out, his tone a little impatient, "Why'd you mess with the pot when you can't cook? That whole bag of noodles could've fed us for two or three days. Now there's only enough for one meal."
Tears rolled down Duan Mangyun's ash-covered face. Sobbing, she apologized, "I'm sorry. I only wanted to make you all a late night snack. I didn't mean to. I'll go find supplies now to make up for the wasted food."
She turned to go back inside and put on her backpack.
Yang Ze stood in the yard entrance and stopped her, "It's late. Dangerous outside. Don't run around randomly. We found most of the supplies anyway. It's fine. Just do more tasks tomorrow after the production team gives them out, and earn back the supplies."
Yao Jingshan and Yong Yun comforted her too. Yao Jingshan even said to Xia Xi, "She was partnered with you. You left her alone at base. You're partly at fault too."
Xia Xi laughed in annoyance, "Now it's my fault?"
But he wasn't petty. After scolding himself a little in his heart, he apologized to the still silently weeping Duan Mangyun, "Sorry, I was a little harsh just now. It's just that Lalisa worked hard to carry back those supplies, so I hate to see them go to waste."
Eyes red, Duan Mangyun looked to Kim Lalisa, who was quietly organizing supplies without a word. "Lalisa, I'm sorry. You're not mad at me, are you?"
Lalisa looked back, her expression very natural. "Why would I be mad at you? Like Yang Ze said, the production team will give out tasks tomorrow. Just do more and earn back the wasted supplies. It's fine." She gave Duan Mangyun an encouraging smile, "So work hard tomorrow, no slacking!"
Duan Mangyun's heart tightened, but she maintained her composure, speaking carefully, "I'll work hard, don't be mad at me."
Before Kim Lalisa could reply, Bai Yinyue couldn't stand it anymore. Frowning, she said loudly, "Everyone said they're not blaming you! Who are you to push blame onto her? She's not mad, but you insist she is!"
Duan Mangyun was startled, her eyes even redder. Shrinking down, she sobbed softly, "Sorry..."
Bai Yinyue pointed at her coldly, "Shut up. Don't make me slap you."
Wow, the drama started on the very first day!
The livestream comments were excited to see the intensity unfold:
"Come on, fight, fight, fight!"
"Crying and whimpering all the time is really annoying."
" Kim Lalisa and Yao Jingshan have said it's fine, but she keeps insisting no one should get upset. She's just trying to make us think Kim Lalisa is petty!"
"Bai Yinyue is too aggressive. Just because she's from a wealthy family, she thinks she can bully a small-time actress?"
"On the show she's already being so arrogant and domineering, who knows how many ordinary people she's bullied in real life."
"Don't worry, she definitely won't bully you. You wouldn't even register in her elite social circles."
"This is too petty and mundane, I want to slap her too!"
"Anyway, we should still treat others kindly, Bai Yinyue is really hurting her likeability."
"Whoever makes the first move is despicable, Duan Mangyun was asking for it! I want to punch girls like her whenever I see them in real life!"
...
Bai Yinyue wasn't some idol who needed to protect her image. In the audience's eyes, she was just a rich socialite who came on the show to chase love and celebrities. The spoiled young miss did as she pleased, and her carefree personality was evident even on the first day of filming. She didn't care at all what others thought of her.
So when she said she wanted to slap you, she might actually go through with it.
Would the audience criticize her for bullying people? She didn't care. After the show, she would go back to her elite art circles, living a privileged life of luxury.
Duan Mangyun was so shocked by Bai Yinyue's petty threat that her face turned white and she didn't dare speak again.
The other guests were also surprised that Bai Yinyue would dare to be so aggressive on camera. Xia Xi didn't know why, but he kind of wanted to laugh. Still, this matter involved him, so he quickly pressed Bai Yinyue's hand down and said, "Sister Bai, Sister Bai, there's no need for that!"
Cheng Yaowen sat leisurely on the sofa and let out a mocking laugh.
Yang Ze pulled Duan Mangyun aside to change the subject. "Earlier, Jingshan and I found a box of instant noodles. Are you guys hungry? Why don't we just have instant noodles tonight?"
Yong Yun chimed in, "Sure, I want the spicy pepper flavor."
Yang Ze glanced back at her with a wink. "Okay, what about you guys?" He brought over the box of noodles. "We've got braised beef, sour cabbage, and chicken soup flavors."
And so the drama quickly defused. The big iron pot over the earthen stove now had a hole burned through it, but the kitchen still had a steamer and rice cooker they could use to cook the noodles.
After eating their fill, Duan Mangyun knew she hadn't made the best impression today. She wanted to regain some favor before the livestream ended, so she immediately volunteered to wash the dishes and tidy up the kitchen. The other guests deliberately let her take the stage, so while everyone else was getting ready to shower and rest, Duan Mangyun worked alone in the kitchen, looking rather pitiful. This evoked some sympathy from the audience, and her image recovered a bit.
Once everyone had finished showering, it was time for bed. But first, there was one routine activity required by the show producers before turning in for the night - voting for who you wanted to team up with tomorrow of the opposite sex.
Since this was the first night, the women chose the men. If multiple women chose the same man, the man would make the final choice. Anyone left unmatched would be paired up automatically.
This was a staple of dating shows. The choices revealed potential prospects - one-sided crushes, mutual attractions, even love triangles. For now, it was just a simple vote, revealing only the women's preferences.
Following the order of their bed positions, each person stepped outside one by one to drop their written card into the mailbox labeled with the men's names.
Kim Lalisa slept furthest out, so she went first.
She didn't hesitate before writing "Let's keep working hard tomorrow" and dropping it into Xia Xi's mailbox. Choosing Xia Xi was a balanced decision on her part. Cheng Yaowen was out of the question first of all. Yao Jingshan had too many fans, she didn't want to get tangled up in that. That left Yang Ze and Xia Xi.
Kim Lalisa decided to choose Xia Xi tonight and Yang Ze next time, keeping things fair and square as a perfect hostess.
Next was Bai Yinyue's turn. She drew a smiley face on her card, shot Kim Lalisa a knowing look on her way out, making it clear she was voting for Cheng Yaowen.
At this point, Kim Lalisa understood why Bai Yinyue had come on the show.
She was here to protect herself, it seemed.
By pursuing Cheng Yaowen openly, she was removing any chance he had with Kim Lalisa. Every time they teamed up, she would stick to Cheng Yaowen, leaving him no opportunity to bother Kim Lalisa instead.
What a self-sacrificing tactic! Kim Lalisa was truly touched.
The third contestant, Yong Yun, voted for Yao Jingshan, while the fourth, Duan Mangyun, chose Yang Ze. With no duplicates, the results would be announced tomorrow morning. The women turned in for the night after voting, ending the livestream. But online, the frenzy was just beginning.
On its premiere day, the ratings for Love by Instinct broke records, instantly becoming the highest rated live dating show in history. The hot search topics never stopped the whole day, with all eight contestants benefiting from the exposure. In one day, the Weibo account Bai Yinyue registered just for the show gained 500,000 followers.
But Kim Lalisa had the highest follower growth out of all the contestants, gaining a whopping 800,000 followers in a single day. Her performance on the show was eye-catching, aligning perfectly with the image she had previously portrayed to the public, attracting fans by the masses.
Speculation over who were real couples was also running high. Guesses were flying about everyone, but Bai Yinyue and Cheng Yaowen topped the polls on the show's official Weibo account. Surprisingly ranking second were the unexpected pairing of Kim Lalisa and Yao Jingshan.
Those who voted for them had simple reasoning: These two hadn't interacted all day, so as a real couple hiding their relationship, they would intentionally avoid each other to throw off suspicion! Their excessive avoidance was suspicious in itself!
In any case, Love by Instinct had a strong premiere. The investors and producers breathed a collective sigh of relief. At 8 am sharp the next morning, the livestream started up again.
Viewers logged on to see the contestants awake and eating breakfast. Breakfast was simple, just eggs and bread found in their supplies. Sitting across from Cheng Yaowen, Bai Yinyue smiled at him the whole time, giving him the creeps. He had a bad feeling about that smile.
Sure enough, when the producer announced the voting results after breakfast, Cheng Yaowen's premonition came true.
Bai Yinyue skipped gleefully to his side, an innocent look on her face. "Senior, I look forward to learning from you today as well."
Cheng Yaowen's expression darkened as he peered at her. Bai Yinyue blinked innocently and pretended to recoil in fear, clasping her chest. "What's wrong, Senior? You don't want to team up with me?"
Her father wanted her to take initiative, right? Her family wanted to arrange a marriage alliance with the Chengs, right?
Well, she was making a big effort for this elite marriage alliance. It wasn't her fault if the other party didn't cooperate.
Cheng Yaowen forced out an uneasy smile. "Of course not. It would be my pleasure to team up with you, Junior Sister."
Comments: [Seems a bit strange, unsure, need to ship more]
On the other side, Xia Xi, who had been chosen by Kim Lalisa, was overjoyed. He already had the highest regard for Kim Lalisa to begin with. Now that she had picked him, how was this any different from a mutual selection? His spring was finally here!
If Xia Xi had a tail, it would definitely be wagging right now.
The other two pairs had no objections about teaming up either. Whether it was Yao Jingshan or Yang Ze, both maintained a gentlemanly demeanor and were very considerate towards the women.
After splitting into pairs, it was time to begin today's tasks. After discussing their plans, they decided Xia Xi and Kim Lalisa, the pair with the strongest outdoor survival skills, would search for chickens. Cheng Yaowen and Bai Yinyue would explore the island for usable resources.
Yang Ze and Duan Mangyun were assigned to gather firewood and repair the dilapidated chicken coop. Yong Yun and Yao Jingshan would prepare lunch.
With the division of labor complete, they set off on their missions. Kim Lalisa confidently took her compass and lipstick, determined to catch any escaped chickens so she could enjoy egg drop soup every day. Looking at the area marked in red on the map, she could only pray the chickens wouldn't be foolish enough to wander into the island master's territory.
The boundless jungle, trying to find the tracks of a few chickens, it's really too difficult.
Starting from around the chicken coop, at first some traces could still be found where the chickens had run past, but as we searched further outwards, there were fewer and fewer clues, and after walking several hundred meters, we had completely lost the traces of chicken claws and chicken droppings.
But neither of them was discouraged, it was only just past eight in the morning, they still had a whole day ahead! Surely we can't fail to find even one.
Xia Xi was secretly happy that he could spend a whole day with Kim Lalisa, when he heard her say, "Why don't we split up to search, that way the efficiency will be higher. I'll sweep this area along the line on the map, you sweep this area along this line, okay?"
Xia Xi saw her two slender, fair fingers tracing on the map, and couldn't help feeling dejected, but also knew that she was right, there was no special technique to finding chickens, purely relying on time and luck, it would indeed be more efficient to search separately.
Although still more inclined towards wanting to pursue romance, he was ultimately a practical, straight man, so he nodded and agreed to her suggestion.
The livestream comments felt like they were shipping it, while also feeling hurt:
[Just now Xia Xi looked a bit like an abandoned puppy with his tail drooping down]
[I know Kim Lalisa made a lot of sense, but you came here to pursue romance, not to catch chickens!]
[Wake up girl! Don't get too absorbed in the task!]
[Although Xia Xi was very reluctant to separate, he still obediently nodded his head. Dear audience, this will make for better romance!]
[Pretty sister, look at our Xia Xi! He's really great! He can play every instrument, get him to write you a song!]
....
After confirming their routes, they pumped each other up, and Kim Lalisa even gave him two of her lipsticks, before setting off separately. She was excited, completely failing to notice the hesitant Xia Xi who kept looking back every three steps as she headed towards the depths of the island.
The director's team receiving the livestream was also very speechless at this point, this was supposed to be a dating survival reality show! How could the female guest abandon the male guest and run off alone!
Everyone unanimously blamed Director Yan, "It's all
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