As for Shen Yi, Li Sulan asked Chu Xi to invite him alone. Chu Xi often whispered in her ear, saying Shen Yi was her idol and that she entered the industry because of him.
Since her daughter liked him, she decided to create some opportunities for the two to spend time alone.
Chu Xi walked to Shen Yi's table, first bowed politely to greet Mr. Shen, then fiddled nervously with her clothes and awkwardly looked at Shen Yi, inviting, "Mr. Shen, the meal the show prepared for our family looks really delicious. Would you and your father like to come and try it?"
Normally, any man receiving such a sweet invitation from a beautiful woman would accept immediately. But clearly, Shen Yi was not a normal man.
His eyes lazily drooped down, not even sparing a glance at Chu Xi. He picked up a bite of spicy hotpot with his chopsticks and casually said, "Are you showing off? I think this hotpot is just fine."
After speaking, he elegantly took a bite of the hotpot.
Chu Xi felt extremely awkward; her ears were starting to turn red. She had no choice but to shoot a pleading look toward Mr. Shen.
However, Mr. Shen's stern appearance and commanding presence made Chu Xi feel as though all her thoughts were being laid bare. She forced a smile and said, "Since that's the case, I won't disturb Mr. Shen and Mr. Shen anymore during your meal."
Almost as soon as she finished speaking, Chu Xi fled hurriedly.
Netizens were awed by Shen Yi's bizarre antics.
[I finally understand why Shen Yi is still single at 25. The young lady obviously invited him to lunch, but what kind of strange logic makes him think she was boasting?]
[Help, I want to apologize to Chu Xi on Shen Yi's behalf. Babe has always had this straight-man mindset; his brain seems to only have space for the stage and acting.]
[Shen Yi, fly bravely—if anything goes wrong, you're on your own!]
Qin Kai and Chu Wei were simple-minded creatures—one had only acting on his mind, the other only singing. Qin Jiaxiang and Chuyun didn't explain Li Sulan's real purpose in inviting them, so the two naturally didn't grasp the subtleties of the situation. As a result, Chu Xi and Li Sulan's hospitality left them with quite a good impression.
After the lunch, Qin Kai and Chu Wei's relationship with Chu Xi improved significantly. They genuinely thought this sweet-looking girl was oddly cute.
Thinking this, their opinion of Sang Ning worsened slightly.
Even though they were about the same age, their personalities were starkly different. Sang Ning clearly seemed like the type who was difficult to get along with.
Right after lunch, a group of people dressed in black swarmed in and, without saying a word, took away the guests' luggage and phones.
The guests were still bewildered when Director Sun began reading the rules.
"Dear guests, I will now announce the rules of this program. For the next 30 days, the production team will not provide you any startup funds or assistance. Your luggage and phones will also be confiscated. From now on, you need to find farmers willing to take you in and live with them for 30 days."
After hearing the rules, the guests began to mentally collapse.
Qin Jiaxiang, leveraging his status as a big shot in the directing world, began threatening Director Sun: "Xiao Sun, are you trying to ruin your career in the directing scene by pulling tricks like this? This is obviously freeloading. How many farmers do you think would agree to such unreasonable demands?"
Director Sun trembled, his voice shaking slightly: "Director Qin, times have changed, and right now, this is my turf. You'll have to play by my rules!"
[I'm dying of laughter. Why does Director Sun sound so cowardly? He has zero intimidation factor.]
[Of course! Director Qin is practically a founding father in the directing world. Director Sun is probably already considering switching careers.]
[This production team has major scheming skills. This is exactly the kind of plotting I love in reality shows. I'm definitely following 'Encounter in Countryside' now.]
Director Sun quickly changed the subject: "Alright, guests, you may head out now. If you can't find a farmer willing to host you by the end of today, you'll have to wander the streets. The production team won't take pity on you."
As soon as he finished speaking, the guests continued grumbling but immediately dispersed, heading into the village from the entrance to search for farmers willing to take them in.
The guests all left, leaving only Sang Ning's family lingering at the village entrance. Noticing that the Sang Family hadn't moved, Director Sun asked in confusion, "Mr. Sang, why hasn't your family left yet? Look, we're of no use, and the production team isn't going to help you."
"I never expected you to help us," Sang Ning replied casually.
Director Sun scratched his head in confusion: "Then what's the point of staring at me like this?"
Sang Ning raised her hand and pointed to the pile of luggage in the corner, saying, "Before we go, can you return our burlap sack?"
Director Sun shook his head immediately: "No way, Sang. You have to follow the rules. The production team treats all the guests equally. We can't break the rules for you."
Netizens also thought Sang Ning's behavior was over the top.
[Even Chu Xi, the young lady of the Chu Family, didn't complain, yet Sang Ning, someone from the slums, can't handle this? How pretentious!]
[Exactly! This is a rural reality show; hardship is part of the package. If you want to be pampered, don't join this kind of show.]
Sang Ning ignored Director Sun, calling Sang Chuan to head straight for their luggage. The live broadcast captured the moment when Sang Ning tried to forcibly take back her luggage, further angering netizens.
[Can we just kick Sang out now? Director Sun has already explained the rules to her, yet she insists on acting on her own. Grabbing her luggage—what a stellar level of manners!]
[Let's boycott Sang. I'm putting it out here: if she doesn't leave today, I won't watch this show anymore. Don't give her an inch.]
The production team staff, including Director Sun, were all at a loss. Sang Ning was completely non-compliant. Should they send someone to stop her?
Unable to think of a better solution, everyone could only watch as Sang Ning unzipped the burlap sack—but her next words left them shocked.
"Director Sun, relax. I just want to take my brother's textbooks. He's going to be a senior next semester, and I was planning to tutor him over the holidays. You wouldn't want to see a promising Tsinghua-Beijing University candidate get held back, right?"
As Sang Ning spoke, she took out all the clothes and living supplies from the burlap sack, leaving only the textbooks inside. The camera zoomed in to reveal high school textbooks and study guides lying in the sack.
Director Sun suddenly went silent. What was Sang Ning thinking? This was a rural survival reality show, not an academic one!
But with Sang Ning putting it this way, could he refuse?
Considering many students watched the show, rejecting her outright might lead to bad influences on the student audience. To promote socialist positivity… he would endure!