Only when the favorability dropped to -194 did it barely stop.
With that favorability shooting up and down like a roller coaster, Xie Ji felt utterly exhausted.
A few more points down, and Xie Ji would probably get to experience the system's punishment.
To avoid punishment, Xie Ji decided to stop being a little shit for a while. After all, Lu Xunji's temper was harder to figure out than an angry partner's.
The young man pulled his watch-wearing hand out of Xie Ji's grasp and turned to size up Lu Xunji, who had been standing silently beside them.
From his looks brimming with testosterone to his aloof, untouchable air, Lu Xunji was much more to his taste when it came to picking up beauties.
Just standing there was enough to stir his desire for conquest.
He started toward Lu Xunji.
But before he could take two steps, his wrist fell into a certain familiar hand again.
The young man looked back to see Xie Ji leaning halfway out of the window, his beautiful fox eyes narrowing slightly to conceal the gleam in them. "You must be thirsty after such a long drive. I happen to have some water here, big brother."
He froze for a moment and looked into Xie Ji's eyes. For some inexplicable reason, he didn't pull free.
Xie Ji produced a bottle of mineral water from somewhere. "The director said we won't be allowed to bring anything onto the boats later."
"..." The newcomer fell silent for three seconds, then took the mineral water from Xie Ji.
After speeding all the way here, coupled with the salty, humid sea air, he really was feeling parched.
He had just unscrewed the cap and taken a sip, and hadn't yet had a chance to strike up a conversation with Lu Xunji, when the remaining three guests arrived at the pier together.
With everyone present and the equipment more or less ready, the show officially began.
Holding a small megaphone, Director He spoke from behind the cameras. "First, welcome to our two-month-long, large-scale livestreamed reality show, The Young Master's Field."
Although Xie Ji had heard the show's name before coming, he still had to marvel at it now-who the fuck came up with this dumbass name?
Unlike its plain name, the production team was extremely lavish. They had built an estate on an island far from human habitation and hired over a hundred actual farmers, turning the island into an isolated little village.
The guests on the show would have to start from scratch in this little village and establish a farmstay.
The production team would provide 500,000 in startup funds. Two months later, the farmstay built by the guests themselves would open to the public and begin selling tickets.
After repaying the production team's startup funds, the remaining profits would go toward establishing an agricultural foundation in the farmstay's name, to support farmers who had suffered heavy losses from natural disasters.
This reality show, with its strong urban-rural fringe vibe, had six guests in total.
Aside from Lu Xunji and Xie Ji, who both came from the Xie Household, the other four each came from a different wealthy household in the capital.
Using the system's character profiles, Xie Ji matched the four people before him to their names.
For instance, the young man wearing the watch worth tens of millions came from the Ji Household. His name was Ji Shi, and he was the only somewhat normal one among the four scum gongs.
Apart from a bit of a rich boy's temper, there was nothing else wrong with him.
Of the remaining three, the one in front wore a cold expression. His features were sharply defined and handsome, his gaze as piercing as a falcon's, and his entire presence exuded the intimidating authority of someone in power.
He was Shang Yan, the eldest young master of the Shang Household.
He had begun taking over lineage affairs in middle school.
Now, despite having only recently come of age, he was already the unquestioned head of the Shang Household.
He was also the one among the four scum gongs who most enjoyed coercion and humiliating people with money.
Xie Ji gave him a couple of glances and rudely slapped a label on him.
Oh, Mr. Cold and Aloof.
The young man standing beside Shang Yan wore a beaming smile and looked perfectly harmless. He was probably Mu Yao, the Mu Household's playboy whose reputation resounded throughout the wealthy social circle.
Apparently, this Young Master Mu's extravagant spending had become famous even outside their circle, and the young men and women he had played around with were beyond counting.
Everyone in the circle knew that no matter how beautiful someone was, they couldn't make him settle down. Whether they lasted half a year or only half a month, they would ultimately leave with regrets, then receive a hefty breakup payment.
He was the craziest of the four scum gongs, the one who would pester Lu Xunji every day later on to unlock new positions.
Xie Ji nodded. Mr. Psycho. Done. Next.
The last one, Mr. Gloomy, was Zhou Heyu of the Zhou Group.
Zhou Heyu was probably at the bottom of the pecking order among these four scum gongs, because he wasn't exactly a legitimate rich young master. He was the Zhou Household's illegitimate son, only allowed through their doors because Mrs. Zhou couldn't have children.
It was clear that this Young Master Zhou's position at home was awkward and difficult, and there was certainly no shortage of gossip surrounding him. This had shaped his deeply insecure, gloomy, and sensitive personality.
After reading all four profiles, Xie Ji became even more determined to protect Lu Xunji.
Damn it, none of these messed-up pigs were getting their snouts into his family's precious cabbage!
Once the show's livestream officially opened, a wave of viewers quickly poured in.
The bullet comments soon grew lively.
[Congrats on going live! Rich Boy Metamorphosis, let's go!]
[Director He, seriously, I'm crying. Times really have changed for the better. Back in the day, where would I have gotten to watch wealthy young masters farm?]
[I heard the money from the farmstay later will be donated. Only someone from real wealth like Director He could be this generous!]
[Each young master is hotter than the last. You rich young ladies sure know how to keep your mouths shut. Eating this well and not breathing a word!]
[Young master, my love for you is like endless diarrhea: abundant, slightly warm, and sticky.]
[I've been doing pretty well lately. Made three hundred million: one in memories, one in recollections, and one in single-minded devotion to the young masters.]
[I don't know about the others, but Shang Yan is a genuine young master. Handsome and smart, too. We went to the same high school. At the end of term, the school held a business simulation game, and he single-handedly won all the money in our entire grade...]
[Whose young master is the blond one? So beautiful, so beautiful, so beautiful, so beautiful. An innate wife sacred physique!]
[Young masters, don't listen to their horny talk. They're only pretending to play with you. I'm the only one who wants to play for real!]
[Young master, everyone else shows you one face and another behind your back. Only I'll give you thirteen hours and fourteen condoms /finger heart]
[Put some clothes on, you filthy animals...]
Director He raised his megaphone and said loudly, "From this moment on, all guests must hand over all electronic devices for safekeeping by the production team. No one may bring anything except everyday clothing. There are three small motorboats in front of you. You'll split into pairs and take them to the island. The first pair to arrive will get first pick of the houses!"
Mu Yao spoke first. "Since we can't bring anything... what's that he's holding?"
With his little rubber wife tucked under his arm, Xie Ji said sternly, "My sister-in-law."
Everyone: "..."
Lu Xunji: "..."
Director He gave Lu Xunji a pitying look.
The familiar notification sounded. Favorability dropped another point, reaching -195.
After Director He explained that Xie Ji and Lu Xunji had earned the right to bring one extra item by arriving at the pier first, the six of them began discussing teams.
The other four all showed tremendous interest in Lu Xunji and tried to team up with him, but Lu Xunji turned them all away.
Although he had never met any of them before, Lu Xunji could still keenly sense their intentions toward him.
Compared to them, Xie Ji was much more straightforward-he genuinely coveted the black card Lu Xunji carried.
In the end, Xie Ji paired up with Lu Xunji, Mu Yao paired up with Shang Yan, and the short-tempered Ji Shi and taciturn Zhou Heyu were forced together as a team.
They boarded the boats. Just before setting off, Xie Ji suddenly leaned over and asked Lu Xunji quietly, "Do you want to win?"
Feeling the breath brush past his ear, Lu Xunji narrowed his eyes without speaking.
How could someone have so little sense of boundaries, always coming close without warning... like a stupid little fox completely unaware of danger.
So clueless he understood nothing, looking so easy to lure away.
Lu Xunji thought nastily.
The system announced that Lu Xunji's favorability had risen by 5, reaching -191.
Xie Ji understood. Although this guy wasn't saying anything, the rise in favorability meant he definitely wanted to win!
So he patted Lu Xunji's shoulder. "Don't worry. I'll definitely get you that win."
Lu Xunji rubbed his fingers together and said quietly, "That confident?"
Xie Ji made an OK sign and declared with absolute confidence, "Guaranteed."
The race began, and the other two boats shot off like arrows from a bow.
Xie Ji's boat sputtered twice and moved two meters forward at the pace of an old man strolling through a park.
Lu Xunji said, "...This is your guaranteed win?"
Sitting utterly unperturbed in the driver's seat, Xie Ji said, "Young man, don't rush. Have you ever heard the story of the chickens and rabbits in the same cage? We may be slow, but we'll keep going. After all, perseverance is victory!"
What the fuck did this have to do with chickens and rabbits in the same cage?
Lu Xunji fell silent for half a minute, then took a deep breath. "Did you mean the tortoise and the hare?"
Xie Ji paused and stared at Lu Xunji. "..."
Lu Xunji: "..."
Stupid fox.
Xie Ji looked up at the sky. "You can't really blame me for mixing them up, can you? Why's that rabbit involved with so many animals? It's all because the rabbit's such a slut!"
Lu Xunji: "..."
Fox, my ass.
Idiot.