Finally, the second day arrived.
Braving the scorching sun, the director squinted and raised his megaphone, shouting to the front.
"Do you see these ingredients, everyone? Your task today is a relay race to grab them. Once you have your ingredients, you must cook a dish yourselves. The highest-rated dish will win our grand prize package!"
"The judges will be the villagers, so please make sure your food is somewhat normal. Show some care for human life!"
The tables were loaded with ingredients: constantly clucking local chickens and ducks, large grass carp blowing bubbles in tubs, lotus roots, dried goods mystery boxes, thunder fungus, seasoning gift packs, potatoes, Napa cabbage, shriveled peppers...
Before the competition even started, everyone's eyes were already locked onto that single chicken, duck, and fish.
The director looked at their burning gazes with great satisfaction.
"Remember, everyone: friendship first, competition second. Make sure to stay safe!"
Meeting everyone's impatient stares, he quickly announced, "Let the competition begin!"
At the sound of the whistle, these celebrities, who usually cared most about their image, lunged forward like madmen. The chickens and ducks were the first to feel the sheer insanity of this crowd and scurried wildly in all directions.
For a moment, people were running all over the field, and the air was filled with flying feathers.
The director wiped the sweat from his forehead. Sure enough, the environment really does shape a person.
Jiang Yanchen shot forward like an arrow. He was the fastest, grabbing the chicken by its wings in one fell swoop.
The local chicken recognized the crazed man before it and began to struggle frantically. It flapped its wings violently against the air, sending dust and grass clippings flying straight into Jiang Yanchen's face.
Just then, Ye Mubai dashed over, smiling broadly. "Yanchen, share a bit with us, why don't you?"
Her hand had already hooked onto the feathers, and catching Jiang Yanchen off guard, she yanked hard.
Xie Siheng also charged over out of nowhere, turning the scene into total chaos.
Just as Xie Siheng was about to touch the chicken's head, the bird nimbly retracted its neck, and Xie Siheng grabbed nothing but air.
Taking advantage of the gap while the others fought over the chicken, Sang Ranbai quickly scooped up the duck from the ground and made off with it.
"Come on, Jiang Yanchen!" Ji Zhaoxi was dying of anxiety on the sidelines.
They were planning to make beggar's chicken later, after all.
Jiang Yanchen frowned deeply. Freeing up one arm, he expertly pinned the chicken between his arm and his body. The other two were still pulling at him, so he simply turned sideways and slipped out through the gap between them.
"Jiang Yanchen made it out! You other two can stop fighting now," the director yelled excitedly from the sidelines.
Seeing this group of people looking so disheveled and covered in dirt was incredibly satisfying.
Jiang Yanchen ran off the field and immediately put the chicken into their team's cage.
He sat on the grass panting heavily. His forehead was covered in sweat, his hair was a mess, and there were several dark smudges of dirt on his face.
Those two were completely insane. To snatch this chicken, they had resorted to every dirty trick in the book.
Suddenly, he felt a cool touch on his face. The sun was glaring, and he squinted, seeing Ji Zhaoxi earnestly wiping his face with a wet wipe.
His breath hitched, and he instinctively turned his head away.
Ji Zhaoxi squatted beside him, looking at him with a smile. "You have mud on your face. Are you really not going to wipe it?"
Jiang Yanchen's Adam's apple bobbed. Lowering his eyes, he obediently turned his face back toward her. The spots she touched felt as hot as if they were on fire.
Watching his slightly trembling eyelashes, Ji Zhaoxi couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Are you nervous?"
Hearing her laugh at him, Jiang Yanchen glared at her in embarrassment and annoyance, but the moment he met her smiling eyes, he dropped his head in flustered defeat.
As she continued wiping, Jiang Yanchen suddenly spoke up uncomfortably. "I'm covered in sweat. You should stand a little further away."
He was afraid he might smell.
Ji Zhaoxi looked at him in surprise. "When I go grab things later and get sweaty, will you find me gross too?"
"How could I!"
Jiang Yanchen suddenly raised his head, his voice pitching up a few notches in his urgency.
"How could I ever find you gross!"
Seeing Ji Zhaoxi look a bit stunned, he realized just how agitated he had been. He quickly lowered his head again and added gruffly.
"Don't let your imagination run wild."
The atmosphere gradually grew a bit sweet and sticky. Ji Zhaoxi also felt a little shy and whispered, "Then I don't find you gross either."
Jiang Yanchen's ears burned red-hot. "Got it."
Just then, the chicken in the cage let out a long squawk.
"Cluck! Cluck! Cluck-aw!"
The mood was instantly shattered.
Jiang Yanchen glared at the chicken in the cage. Under his gaze, the chicken clucked even more vigorously, gathering its breath to let out a high-pitched cry.
Jiang Yanchen choked on his words.
"Alright, alright, it's time for the second group. Stop prepping over there and stop discussing," the director shouted through the megaphone.
"It's just grabbing ingredients, no need to formulate any grand strategies."
A big yellow dog earnestly followed the director's side, trailing him wherever he went.
The director patted the dog's head and continued, "That last group was excellent, very intense. I hope the contestants in this group don't let their teammates down."
Ji Zhaoxi stood at the entrance of the enclosure with a serious face, getting ready. She was going for the lotus root this time.
At the whistle, Ji Zhaoxi immediately sprinted toward the lotus root, while the others went for items they wanted more.
Just as Ji Zhaoxi reached to grab the lotus root, Shen Huaiqiu suddenly appeared. Thinking oh no, Ji Zhaoxi quickly hugged the lotus root tightly to her chest.
Shen Huaiqiu laughed out loud at her guarded expression and blocked her path.
"Zhaoxi, give the lotus root to me."
Ji Zhaoxi looked at him without saying a word. She tried to bypass him, but Shen Huaiqiu blocked the way completely.
"Zhaoxi, I don't want to bully a girl," Shen Huaiqiu said, looking at her with a smile.
Anger instantly flared up in Ji Zhaoxi's heart.
What did he mean, bully a girl?
She remembered being first place in planting rice seedlings, catching chickens, and picking lotus pods, while Shen Huaiqiu was ranked who-knows-where.
[Suddenly I feel like they're kind of ship-worthy]
[Is Shen Huaiqiu teasing Ji Zhaoxi? It feels like Ji Zhaoxi is about to blow her top]
[The way he's smiling at Ji Zhaoxi really gives off that vibe]
[Actually, I've thought they were ship-worthy since that night]
Everyone else had already grabbed their ingredients and returned to their teams. Shen Huaiqiu didn't go for anything else; he just kept blocking Ji Zhaoxi.
Lin Yichen jeered from the sidelines, "Sister Zhaoxi, if you act cute, maybe Brother Huaiqiu won't steal your lotus root!"
Furious, Ji Zhaoxi simply rammed forward. Shen Huaiqiu stopped her, looking somewhat helpless. "Zhaoxi, doing this is useless..."
"Zhaoxi, tell me what you plan to make with this lotus root, and I'll see if I can let you pass," Shen Huaiqiu chuckled.
Ji Zhaoxi's face flushed with anger. The people outside were still jeering. The moment Shen Huaiqiu leaned in, Ji Zhaoxi twisted sideways and drove her elbow precisely into his chest.
Shen Huaiqiu stepped back in pain but still tried to block her. Ji Zhaoxi simply swung the lotus root and smashed it hard against his hand.
Before Shen Huaiqiu could react, Ji Zhaoxi quickly hugged the lotus root and ran off without looking back.
Ji Zhaoxi was panting from exhaustion. At some point, the muddy ground had become slick with water. Just as Ji Zhaoxi was about to leave the inner field, her foot suddenly slipped, and she stumbled a few steps.
Jiang Yanchen immediately steadied her, gently patting her back to help her catch her breath.
