The swallow left Jiang Yifeng with nothing but a dashing view of its back.
Considering that guests entering the orchard for the first time might get lost, the production team had placed both Group A's and Group B's task points along a straight line. This route undoubtedly made things easier for Shen Xingcan.
All he needed to do was steer his little pumpkin car straight ahead.
Ten minutes later, Shen Xingcan and Xie Linchuan were the first to reach the entrance of the mango orchard.
The two took first place without any suspense.
Half an hour later, all the guests from the other two groups finally returned.
Song Tiantian said, "In this picking task, our veteran driving ace Shen Xingcan has once again demonstrated his abilities. Let's congratulate Shen Xingcan and Xie Linchuan on taking first place."
"Piece of cake," Shen Xingcan said smugly.
"Jiang Yifeng and Bai Lin came second."
"Lin Cen and Ye Ran came third."
Song Tiantian said, "Points have been credited to each team's account according to their ranking. Our guests have worked tirelessly to complete their tasks over the past few hours, so we'll now begin a three-hour free period. Once free time ends, the production team will notify everyone over the loudspeakers."
Ye Ran cheered. "I'm going back to sleep. I'm going to sleep until I lose all track of time!"
Heaven knew how inhumane it was to get up at six in the morning.
Shen Xingcan glanced at the sun in the sky, looking thoughtful. "What time is it now?"
Jiang Yifeng was puzzled. "Why are you asking? Didn't the production team say they'd notify us over the loudspeakers?"
Song Tiantian smiled. "It's eleven thirty."
The moment she finished speaking, everyone's expression changed.
Shen Xingcan said, "...It's eleven thirty. The store opens in half an hour. We need to head over there now."
Ye Ran said, "If Xingcan hadn't asked, we probably would've missed the store today."
Jiang Yifeng felt the same lingering alarm. "Sure, we wouldn't have forgotten forever, but that store only opens for thirty minutes! It'd be so easy to miss that window... Why didn't the production team remind us?"
Song Tiantian's smile remained unchanged. "The production team cannot determine whether the guests need to purchase supplies."
Shen Xingcan clicked his tongue. "You tell us if we ask, but keep quiet if we don't. What a devious production team!"
"Exactly."
"Let's get going."
Shen Xingcan climbed straight into the car. "We probably won't make it if we walk. Driving will be faster. Get in."
Watching Shen Xingcan, Bai Lin spoke up directly. "These cars should be props exclusively for the mango orchard. Isn't it a little inappropriate for us to drive them away?"
Shen Xingcan grew impatient. "Who cares whether they're exclusive or not? If I'm driving it, it's my car. If you want to walk, walk."
Jiang Yifeng swiftly climbed into Shen Xingcan's car.
Ye Ran also sat down in the car from earlier.
"Lin Cen, get in."
Lin Cen hesitated, then nodded. "All right."
After getting in, Lin Cen called to Bai Lin as well. "...It really will be faster to drive. Hurry and get in, Bai Lin."
Bai Lin wanted to say more, but Shen Xingcan had already twisted the throttle and sped off with Jiang Yifeng and Xie Linchuan.
The director shouted in disarray, "Wait! You haven't brought your camera operators!! Quick, quick, quick! Let's get in too!"
[Bai Lin isn't wrong. Those cars are clearly props exclusively for the mango orchard. It really isn't right for Shen Xingcan to just drive one away.]
[Wait, the production team never said the guests couldn't use the cars, did they? Isn't Bai Lin the one who called them exclusive props?]
[The director doesn't have a problem with it, but Bai Lin does. Ridiculous.]
[If Bai Lin wants to walk, he can walk. Nobody's forcing him to get in.]
[Their own fan plaza has been overrun by Xingcan's fans, and Bai Lin's fans still have the leisure to whine here. They're really taking it easy.]
[Fans take after their idol. They're all equally lacking in self-awareness. Does he think he's Xie Linchuan, someone who can fight Shen Xingcan to a draw?]
[That's what being the number one sworn enemies in Chinese entertainment means.]
Driving was naturally much faster than walking. When everyone reached the store, it was exactly 11:50.
Shen Xingcan glanced at Bai Lin. "Even driving took almost twenty minutes. If we'd walked, the store would probably have shut its doors on us already."
Jiang Yifeng said, "Our tent has already collapsed. If we missed the store today and were unlucky enough to run into another downpour like yesterday's tonight... That picture's too beautiful. I don't dare imagine it."
Bai Lin looked sour. After all, both those matters had something to do with him.
After their first day on the island, the guests knew perfectly well what they needed most now, so as soon as the store opened, everyone headed purposefully toward what they wanted to buy.
Shen Xingcan and Xie Linchuan lacked practically nothing besides ingredients, so the two headed straight for the food section.
Luckily, they could find the ingredients for most of the dishes Shen Xingcan wanted here, apart from leopard coral grouper.
Xie Linchuan asked, "What else do you want besides leopard coral grouper?"
Shen Xingcan was baffled. "Huh?"
"I'll have someone bring it all over."
Having just bought a wooden cabin, Jiang Yifeng weakly raised his hand at this. "Can I mooch a meal? Boohoo, Captain, I'm so poor. I'm out of points... Captain, please get our youngest to give me something to eat."
Shen Xingcan said, "..."
Before Shen Xingcan could say anything, the director behind the screen spoke first.
"A friendly reminder: to prevent guests from obtaining extra supplies, the production team has cast a net over every possible landing spot. So even if you have things delivered, the production team will only intercept them."
Shen Xingcan said, "I also want ice cream. Strawberry!"
Xie Linchuan nodded. "All right."
He looked at Jiang Yifeng again. "What would you like, Yifeng?"
Feeling Xie Linchuan's gaze on him, Jiang Yifeng swallowed. "The same as Captain is fine."
"Mm."
[Wait, don't they have no phones? How are they contacting the outside without phones?]
[They can contact the outside without phones. The main breadwinner is on a livestreamed variety show. His staff must be watching too.]
[Even if his staff are watching, wouldn't getting things onto the island still be difficult? Don't forget the director said he'd cast a net over Chongshan Island.]
[If you think it's difficult, you're seriously underestimating a man's determination to please his wife.]
[It's hard for ordinary people, and maybe a little hard for celebrities, but something like this should be a piece of cake for the Xie family's eldest young master.]
After choosing what they needed, everyone returned to camp.
Half an hour later, a roar rang out above the camp.
Looking up toward the sound, they saw a helicopter circling overhead.
Soon, the helicopter found a landing spot.
The wind bent branches and leaves throughout the grove, sending fallen leaves swirling. Only after the landing skids touched the ground did everything grow quiet again.
Soon, three people in black uniforms stepped out of the helicopter, carrying several enormous boxes between them.
"Boss, here are the things you asked us to prepare."
"Mm. Leave one portion here and distribute the rest among the other guests and staff."
"Yes."
Soon, the three people in black uniforms took the things they were carrying to where the other guests were.
Shen Xingcan was just about to reach out and poke the leopard coral grouper still flopping vigorously before him when Xie Linchuan caught his wrist.
Before he could speak, an ice cream was placed in his hand. "Go eat your ice cream."
"Oh."
Shen Xingcan obediently went off to eat his ice cream. As he ate, he watched Xie Linchuan clean the leopard coral grouper, looking like a cat waiting for its owner to cook it some fish.
[...I give up. I give up again. I seriously give up on you gay guys.]
[Seriously, aside from being a little good-looking, what else about Shen Xingcan deserves you doing all this?]
[The way he sits there obediently eating ice cream and watching Xie Linchuan really does look like a cat.]
[...Stop showing off. Stop showing off. I really can't take it anymore.]
[I laugh whenever I remember how many people used to suspect Xie Linchuan had no capacity for romantic feelings. His wife wants leopard coral grouper and ice cream, and half an hour later, a helicopter delivers them directly... Hahaha, he really has no capacity for romance at all.]
[Sending a helicopter to deliver some fish and ice cream to your good buddy is perfectly normal. I often bring my good buddy grilled cold noodles too.]
[Are you two real or not? I'm going crazy, aaaaaah!]
Soon, the other guests who had received gifts came to Shen Xingcan and Xie Linchuan's little courtyard one after another to thank them.
Bai Lin asked curiously, "Why is all the ice cream Brother Linchuan had delivered strawberry flavored? Do you like strawberries, Brother Linchuan?"
Bai Lin hadn't been there when Shen Xingcan said that, so naturally he hadn't heard those words.
Before Xie Linchuan could say anything, Jiang Yifeng spoke first. "Captain likes it. The leopard coral grouper is Captain's favorite too."
Song Tiantian feigned surprise. "Then it looks like our entire production team is benefiting from Xingcan."
As a qualified shipper, Song Tiantian naturally knew who actually liked these things, but she had to pretend.
Jiang Yifeng said without thinking, "If Captain hadn't wanted them, who else would have that much pull with our youngest?"
He took it so completely for granted that people couldn't help wondering what else Xie Linchuan had done for Shen Xingcan in those past moments no one knew about.
Shen Xingcan's hand paused as he scooped his ice cream. By the time he looked up again, his expression was no different from usual.
He sighed. "We're clearly sworn enemies, yet he treats me so well. If we weren't the same sex, I'd suspect Best Actor Xie had a secret crush on me and was deliberately picking fights with me to act out some epic love-hate drama."
Xie Linchuan's hand trembled. The next second, the sharp dorsal fin sliced his hand open, and blood dripped down his finger.
Shen Xingcan, who had been sneaking glances at Xie Linchuan from the corner of his eye, froze for a moment, then swiftly tossed aside his ice cream.
Shen Xingcan crouched in front of Xie Linchuan, lifted his finger, and began rinsing the wound with the clean water beside them. Finally, he looked up at the people around them. "Does anyone have any povidone-iodine?"
I waited until Xie Linchuan put down the knife before saying all that. How did he still get hurt?
Song Tiantian said, "I have some at my place. I'll go get it."
"All right."
"There's no need to go to all that trouble."
As he spoke, Xie Linchuan tried to pull his hand out of Shen Xingcan's grasp.
Hearing that, Shen Xingcan, who was carefully examining the wound, immediately looked up and glared at Xie Linchuan.