Yue Yuran was aloof. Su Yu was lively. Lü Ruosi was composed. Liu Yanchu had a knack for witty remarks.
Within ten minutes of chatting, everyone’s personality traits were already crystal clear. Only then did Song Cheng understand why the director had assigned him a shy persona—so he would not clash with anyone else.
As for Qin Wunian, he needed no persona. Simply being himself elevated sharp-tongued sarcasm to an art form.
…
At nine-oh-five, Yang Qing and Zhao Feifei finally arrived—late—and began arguing the moment they stepped in. The cause: Yang Qing had brought too much luggage. Zhao Feifei pointed out that they would be partners for the next ten days. If Yang Qing could not carry her things, it would fall on her—and she absolutely refused to help.
“I never asked you to carry anything,” Yang Qing snapped. “Do not flatter yourself.”
“Four suitcases? Are you here for a show or fleeing a disaster? Even pioneers heading northeast back in the day carried less than you.”
“This is called planning ahead,” Yang Qing retorted. “Once the host arrives, they will definitely ban a bunch of items. The more I bring now, the more I can keep later. You brought only one suitcase, right? When your stuff gets confiscated, do not come begging to borrow mine.”
Zhao Feifei gave a cold laugh. “Keep dreaming.”
Song Cheng watched in awe. He could not tell whether they were acting or genuinely fighting. Lü Ruosi once again stepped into her “big sister” role, mediating until the two separated. Only when the atmosphere settled did the production team emerge from the villa behind them.
After a round of welcoming remarks and sponsor acknowledgments, the director announced, “This season is a closed, competitive challenge. All personal belongings—including clothes and phones—are prohibited. Of course, our sponsors have provided the latest 5G smartphones and a variety of stylish outfits for you to choose from. The changing rooms are inside. The pair that changes fastest gets first choice of rooms.”
The moment he finished, groans erupted. Yang Qing looked as though she had been struck by lightning. Zhao Feifei made no effort to hide her glee. Su Yu attempted to negotiate for at least some daily necessities. Meanwhile, Zhao Feifei had already marched inside to change.
Though at odds with her, Yang Qing clenched her jaw and followed—room selection was at stake. She would argue with the director after changing.
The calmest pair, by far, was the so-called “image-rehab duo.”
Yes, Song Cheng was not the only one inventing nicknames in private. Others had given one to them as well.
…
Song Cheng’s luggage had been outrageously simple to begin with. Now that even those few items were banned, he looked entirely unbothered. As long as he was not required to run around naked, he could adapt.
Qin Wunian, for his part, believed the production team would not dare go too far. They would certainly provide basic necessities. If he could not bring his own, so be it. He was a man—being a little rough around the edges was no issue.
The two of them headed toward the changing rooms, with the “married couple” pair right behind. Song Cheng even heard Lü Ruosi sigh.
Liu Yanchu said, “We are done for. Ten days without face masks—can you survive that?”
Lü Ruosi gave a dry laugh. “I was about to ask you the same thing. Living with me for ten days without face masks—can you survive that?”
Liu Yanchu: “……”
That was a sharp one.
Once inside the changing area, they realized the director had not been exaggerating. The hundred-square-meter room had eight single changing stalls along one wall, and every other inch of space was occupied by racks upon racks of clothing. Men’s and women’s, winter and summer—everything arranged meticulously, like walking into a fully operating brand store.
Song Cheng silently recalled the string of sponsors the director had rattled off earlier—phones, beverages, clothing brands, even an airline company. The production team had clearly gone all out to give every sponsor screen time.
The rule was that whoever changed fastest would get first pick of rooms. Song Cheng had assumed that by the time he entered, Zhao Feifei—the professional model—would already be done. Instead, she was still outside, carefully browsing rack after rack for something that suited her aesthetic.
Song Cheng saw his chance. He grabbed a random outfit and was about to dash into a stall when his collar was pinched between two fingers.
He froze as resistance tugged him backward. A long, slender hand reached past him and took the clothes he had just chosen. Qin Wunian’s critical voice sounded behind him.
“Pants in XXL, T-shirt in size M. Are you some kind of human tumbler toy, or a reincarnated Russian nesting doll? Even if you do not check the cut, at least look at the size.”
Song Cheng’s face flushed. He put the clothes back. “I forgot.”
Qin Wunian did not respond further. He selected an outfit himself and handed it over. “Go.”
Song Cheng glanced at the size. Truthfully, he had no idea what he was supposed to wear. Blinking, he took the clothes and hurried into a stall.
The result, after changing, was perfect—tailored to his frame as though custom-made.
Staring at himself in the mirror, Song Cheng could not help pressing his lips together in a smile.
Three years had passed, and Qin Wunian still remembered his size. The urge to spin in a circle bubbled up inside him.
Unfortunately, the stall was too small for spinning—and the director was waiting outside.
Changing did not take long, but choosing did. After all, whatever they wore now would appear on the show.
Song Cheng was the first to finish changing, but Qin Wunian took a bit longer. Meanwhile, the married couple entered and exited at nearly the same time—each picking independently, clean and efficient. They emerged before Qin Wunian did.
Next came Zhao Feifei, then Yue Yuran. Yang Qing was second to last, and the internet celebrity Su Yu finished dead last.
The competition was not about who was fastest—it was about who was slowest. The “unforgettable ex” pair ended up in last place and could only watch as the others selected their rooms.
Su Yu remained cheerful as ever, no trace of disappointment. Yue Yuran maintained his aloof persona, his emotions unreadable. Song Cheng decided not to bother trying.
Once everyone was out, the staff took away their suitcases. Yang Qing attempted to keep a few items, but the director was ironclad—no exceptions.
Since everyone would be staying in the villa, room selection required entering it first. The director asked, “Has everyone handed over their personal belongings?”
All the guests nodded.
Liu Yanchu even turned out his pockets to demonstrate he was carrying nothing at all.
The director asked again, “Really handed everything over?”
Su Yu replied, “Really!”
Yang Qing muttered, “The director’s wording is inaccurate. This was not handing over. It was robbery.”
Lü Ruosi sighed, “My face masks…”
Qin Wunian said lightly, “Or would you like to search us?”
Laughter rippled through the group. The staff laughed too. But Song Cheng felt their laughter sounded… peculiar.
He understood why the moment they stepped through the villa’s entrance.
At the foyer stood a full security scanner gate.
Everyone stared, dumbfounded.
Yang Qing’s voice shot up an octave. “This is ridiculous! To stop us from sneaking in personal items, you actually brought in airport security equipment?”
The director replied, “We did not buy it. It was provided by our sponsor, Sunshine Airlines. See those two security officers? They are genuine airport ground staff. Go enjoy your inspection. In two days, some of you might wish you could enjoy it again—and will not get the chance.”
At the mention, the two airline staff members smiled at them. One man, one woman—both with friendly faces. But no matter how approachable they looked, none of the guests volunteered to go first.
Song Cheng stood slightly apart with Qin Wunian, away from the center. He wondered why no one was stepping forward when he noticed Yue Yuran discreetly pull a stack of red banknotes from his pocket and slip them, without drawing attention, to Su Yu.
Su Yu accepted them seamlessly, masking the exchange with a casual gesture before tucking the money into his clothing. He was wearing an extra jacket—far easier to hide things.
Song Cheng: “……”
Standing at the back, watching with a complicated expression, Song Cheng turned to Qin Wunian. “How about we go first? I think the only upright and honest people here might be the two of us.”
The moment he finished speaking, something brushed against his palm.
He felt a small object wrapped in plastic pressed into his hand.
Song Cheng: “…………”
So he was the only honest fool here?
Now forcibly dragged into the conspiracy, Song Cheng turned stiffly around. The calm expression from moments ago was instantly replaced by naked guilt.
He even glanced around at the nearby cameras, then shifted his body to block his left hand.
True, the cameras could not see his hand anymore.
But his expression was far more revealing than his hand ever could be.
The cameraman held back his laughter and gave him a close-up before finally turning to film someone else. Realizing the camera was no longer pointed at him, Song Cheng let out a quiet breath of relief. Then he lowered his head and sneakily checked what Qin Wunian had slipped into his hand.
A nut energy bar.
One bar packs the punch of six.
Staring at the chocolate bar that proudly advertised its “extreme hunger resistance,” Song Cheng did not know whether to laugh or cry.
Just how much of a glutton did Qin Wunian think he was, that he would not forget to “smuggle” this of all things?
The line ahead had already started moving. Men to the left, women to the right. The security staff put on gloves and truly adopted the full airport security posture. They conducted thorough inspections, confiscating every bit of contraband they found.
The most impressive offender was Liu Yanchu. He had stuffed cash into his socks. The security officer made him take off his shoes, then lift his foot. Seeing the small rectangular bulge inside the sock, the officer asked, “What is this?”
With a perfectly solemn expression, Liu Yanchu replied, “A good-luck charm my mother got for me during my zodiac year. It is for stepping on petty villains. My zodiac year is already over, but I have grown used to stepping on them.”
The officer nearly laughed but maintained his professionalism. “Please take it out.”
Liu Yanchu made a last-ditch attempt. “How about not? If I take off my socks, I am afraid everyone here will catch athlete’s foot just from looking.”
Lü Ruosi tossed the face masks that had been confiscated from her onto his back. “Stop being stubborn. If I cannot bring my face masks, then you cannot bring your lucky charm either!”
Pulling a long face, Liu Yanchu complained while taking off his socks, “There is no loyalty left. They say one day as husband and wife means a hundred days of grace. And this is how you repay me…”
After retrieving the money, he hopped on one leg to put his socks and shoes back on. He had absolutely no idol image to maintain, and that was precisely why audiences liked him. By comparison, Qin Wunian would never do something like that in public.
Qin Wunian might value authenticity in personality, but he still cared about his image.
Next up was him. Standing at the checkpoint, Qin Wunian calmly spread his arms and let the staff search him.
Song Cheng’s eyes widened. He was far more nervous than Qin Wunian—because he was convinced Qin Wunian had hidden more than one chocolate bar.
However, after patting him down thoroughly, the staff found nothing else. Straightening up, the officer looked slightly baffled, as if doubting his own results. Seeing this, Qin Wunian smiled faintly. His gaze drifted to Song Cheng behind him, scanning his hand. Only after confirming that the chocolate was no longer visible did he look away.
The staff immediately caught on and waved him through before beginning a meticulous search of Song Cheng.
Song Cheng had hidden only one chocolate bar. It was discovered within three seconds.
Following instructions, he quietly took it out and placed it into the basket beside them.
He lost one chocolate bar. Lü Ruosi lost three face masks. Su Yu lost a mobile phone and a power bank. The rest mostly lost cash. Yang Qing suffered the greatest loss—she had brought the most, over two thousand yuan in total.
As they walked inside together, Zhao Feifei was still scolding her. “It was as thick as a phone. Who could not tell you were hiding something there? I can already see how this ends in ten days. Paired with you, I am doomed.”
Yang Qing shot back, “At least I tried. What about you? If you were already going to hide money, why not hide more? What can fifty yuan even do? I really do not understand. What is the difference between one fifty-yuan bill and one hundred-yuan bill? They are both just a piece of paper. Why could you not bring a hundred?”
Zhao Feifei replied flatly, “I could not.”
“Why not?!”
“Because I only had fifty in cash.”
Yang Qing: “……”
With his ears perked up, Song Cheng listened closely. Honestly, he envied how easily others could start arguing. After all, the core of this show was conflict. If he and Qin Wunian could not argue at all, then what was the point of coming?
He was just considering whether he should improvise a little when his palm was touched again.
Song Cheng froze, then grabbed the second chocolate bar Qin Wunian handed him. Glancing around, he lowered his voice. “You still have more?”
Qin Wunian looked at him with unmistakable pride. “Of course.”
“How many more?”
Qin Wunian held up four fingers.
Song Cheng stared at him as if questioning the meaning of life. “Where on earth did you hide them?”
Qin Wunian glanced at him sideways. “Do not pry into matters of the underworld.”
Song Cheng: “???”