Once the cooking session ended, it was everyone's turn to present their food.
Wu Lian Jie was especially in a good mood. He was exempt from cooking and got to stay with the host to judge the food instead of being another contestant.
Ning Wei and He Zhen presented their chicken stew. Ai Lu and Lin Zhu made grilled beef salad, while Ding Chuan and Ning Yue prepared sweet and sour chicken with rice.
In the end, the team that won the cooking round was Ai Lun and Lin Zhu. Their grilled beef and salad became the judges' favorite. Ai Lun really worked hard for the dishes. The food was tasty and the visuals were amazing. Most importantly, they both used a lot of vegetables that the farmers planted. Ai Lun and Lin Zhu managed to showcase H Town's special, gaining them extra points.
For this, the duo would be exempt from the next game.
Hearing the reward made everyone feel a bit jealous. After all, everyone believed that the crew would only make things difficult for them as the show progressed. They could already imagine Ai Lun and He Zhen sitting on the side, while everyone else would have to work hard.
Soon, everyone put Ai Lin and Lin Zhi's reward at the back of their mind. It was time for lunch. Everyone was too hungry and needed to fill their stomachs.
The crew gave everyone a quick break while they set up their next activity on the show.
Ning Wei went to the side and took out her phone to kill some time. She hadn't looked at her phone after they arrived at the scene and guessed that there would be some people looking for her.
A hand casually dropped around her shoulder just as her phone screen lit up. She did not have to look up to know who the person was who would show up beside her. Ning Wei raised her head and shot a warning glance at Wu Lian Jie.
The fierce look in Ning Wei's eyes made Wu Lian Jie remove his hand at once. "Wei Wei, you are so serious." Wu Lian Jie cleared his throat.
"What are you trying to do?" Ning Wei asked.
"Our leader wanted us to gather around for a bit." He raised a hand and gestured in a direction. "I think Brother Fu texted him about something."
Ning Wei raised a brow. She followed Wu Lian Jie's hand and saw their team members standing at the side. Noticing their gaze, Ding Chuan raised a hand and waved, motioning for them to come over.
"Then, let's go." Ning Wei slid her phone back into her pocket before walking over with Wu Lian Jie.
Ai Lun was scrolling through his phone when everyone arrived. He raised his head when he heard the sound of approaching footsteps. His expression gradually eased up when he saw that everyone had shown up.
"What's going on?" Ning Wei asked.
"I got off the phone with Brother Fu a while ago," Ai Lun said. He raised his head and glanced at where the girls were gathering. His brow furrowed slightly as his eyes fell on one of the girls. "Brother Fu said we have to be nice to Ning Yue." He deliberately lowered his voice so that others would not hear their conversation.
The boys turned to look at each other, finding that Fu Ming Shi's instruction was a little strange.
"What's going on?" Ding Chuan did not look too happy.
Earlier, he partnered with Ning Yue. Ding Chuan did not mind teaming up with anyone for some tasks, but Ning Yue going to another team to ask for help was too much. Ding Chuan did not think that it was appropriate. However, the production team did not seem to mind Ning Yue's actions.
"According to Brother Fu, if we want to stay longer in the industry, it's better not to have trouble with her," Ai Lun continued. "You don't need to guess. She has a powerful backup."
Ning Wei glanced at Ning Yue and recalled He Zhen's hesitant look before she agreed to help Ning Yue. She suddenly wondered if the girls received the same instruction.
"Alright." Ai Lun slapped Ding Chuan's shoulder. "I know that you are not too happy. But it won't hurt to play nice. We're just going to stay here for a few days. We probably won't have to see them again after this show."
Ding Chuan closed his eyes briefly to adjust his emotions. "Alright. I understand."
Ai Lun turned his eyes to both Ning Wei and Wu Lian Jie. "You guys have a problem with this?"
"It's just to play nice, right?" Wu Lian Jie shrugged. "You don't need to tell me what to do. I am always nice to everyone."
"Whatever." Ning Wei clicked her tongue. "Just like you said. It will only be for a few days."
One of the crew members walked over to announce that the shooting would continue soon. Just like that, their conversation ended.
The hosts took the show's guests on a tour of the farm area before assigning everyone to their accommodations.
The boys were assigned to one house while the girls shared another house.
Ning Wei was relieved to know that they would have their own private room. She could tell that Fu Ming Shi worked hard to help her protect her identity. That man probably negotiated with the show nicely before he agreed to let them appear on the show.
…
The next day, everyone woke up early and was told to gather outside their accommodations.
Ning Wei put on a thick coat around her body as the temperature up in the mountain was too cold.
The wind blew just as she stepped out of the house, making her sneeze. When Ning Wei raised her head again, she realized that the crew had started shooting. The crew thought they had hidden well, but Ning Wei could still see them hiding behind the trees. She quickly adjusted her mood and pretended as if she had not seen the camera.
Wu Lian Jie came out next. The moment he stepped out the door, he spread out his arms and yawned loudly. His hair was sticking out, proof that he had just woken up not too long ago.
The corner of Ning Wei's lips began to twitch.
If Wu Lian Jie knew that the shooting had begun, he would be annoyed. He was someone who would want to look his best, especially in front of his fans. Unfortunately, Wu Lian Jie often shows his clumsy side to his fans instead.
Ning Wei could already imagine his fans laughing when they saw him like this.
Wu Lian Jie did not seem to notice the hidden camera behind the trees. He saw Ning Wei standing at the side, looking at him, and chose to walk over. "Wei Wei, why didn't you wait for us?" He scratched his head lazily.
"I just wanted to get some fresh air." Ning Wei pretended to look at the sky.
Ding Chuan and Ai Lun came out soon and closed the door behind them. They both quickly saw the camera behind the trees and decided to keep their calm. As they both looked at Wu Lian Jie, they saw that the man still had half his eyes closed.
"Lian Jie." Ai Lun sighed. "Your hair is sticking out."
Wu Lian Jie placed his hands on both sides of his head as he tried to smooth his hair.
"Wu Lian Jie." Ding Chuan whispered. "The camera is rolling."
Wu Lian Jie paused. A thought came to his mind, making him stand up straight. He followed Ding Chuan's line of gaze and finally saw the camera peeking behind the trees. He opened his eyes properly and tried to show his best side in front of the camera..