Chapter Seventy-Two: Roaming the Wilderness (End)

It took them an entire day to fully repair the campsite. In truth, it shouldn’t have needed so much time, but Zhou Miao, uneasy about a man and a woman sharing the same space, insisted on constructing a partition of palm leaves, dividing the camp in two—a labor that cost them considerable effort. Most troublesome of all, the fire had gone out, and after the torrential rain, there was scarcely a dry piece of wood to be found. They had to make do with breadfruit for several days, waiting for the firewood to dry out. When it finally was, it took them another whole day of effort to coax the flames back to life.

Fortunately, Ma Run had taught them a fair bit beforehand; they understood the basics of wilderness survival. Without that, these two novices, even with water and food, might not have lasted the full fifteen days.

Fifteen days passed in the blink of an eye, and by the end, both of them looked like ragged street urchins, their bodies exuding a strange odor. Fresh water was so scarce it was only enough to drink, so hygiene had to be endured.

When the crew announced their success, Zhou Miao felt as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders—it was finally over.

Ma Run, now recovered from his fever, came over and embraced them both. Truth be told, he admired them. Even without his presence, they had managed to endure the fifteen-day ordeal.

In reality, the hardest part of surviving in the wild isn’t food or water, but the mental strain. Only those who have truly experienced it can understand the sense of helplessness and despair when facing nature.

In previous episodes, whenever a guest star had a problem, even with food and water, it spelled disaster for everyone. This show, Wilderness Unbound, had run many seasons, but this was the first pair of celebrity guests who had persisted to the end after his departure.

With filming wrapped, Zhou Miao slipped into his tent and luxuriated in a hot shower, scrubbing layers of old grime from his skin. He almost wished someone would come in and help him scrub his back.

After bathing and changing into fresh clothes, he felt lighter, as if a few pounds had been washed away. Emerging from the tent, he found the crew had already built a campfire and were holding a barbecue feast.

The tantalizing aroma of roasted meat nearly drew his soul from his body. He hurried over, grabbed a skewer, and with one bite, his eyes squinted with delight.

Ma Run handed him a can of beer. “Have a drink.”

Zhou Miao reached out, but a fair hand snatched it first. Zhao Jingya tipped back her head and gulped it down, then let out a satisfied sigh.

She sat beside Zhou Miao, grabbed a sausage, and devoured it ravenously. She’d once scorned such food as unhygienic, but after a month and a half living like a savage, it tasted divine to her now.

“When do we leave?” Zhou Miao asked.

“There’ll be a boat coming tomorrow morning. We’ll have to spend one more night here,” Ma Run replied.

Zhou Miao gazed at the island, tranquil beneath the night sky, and felt a faint reluctance at the thought of leaving. These fifteen days away from the city’s clamor had been a cleansing, inside and out. The restlessness that had clouded his heart since his rise to fame had suddenly settled.

“Superstar, what’s your plan after this variety show? Any arrangements?” Zhao Jingya wiped her mouth and asked.

“I’ll catch up on my studies. I’ve fallen behind a lot. I probably won’t be doing any more shows for a while. What about you? Planning to keep at it, or something else?”

Zhao Jingya shook her head. “I need a break. This show nearly cost me half my life. Sometimes I wonder if you did this to me on purpose.”

Zhou Miao chuckled awkwardly. “How could I? After all, you’re the sponsor.”

Zhao Jingya looked at him thoughtfully. “Sponsor… So, what, we’re not even friends now?”

Zhou Miao scratched his head. “Of course we’re friends.”

“But even friends have to pay up. Don’t think you can dodge the bill,” Zhou Miao joked.

Zhao Jingya, irritated, gave him a light smack. Did he have to be so tactless?

Ma Run, seeing them deep in conversation, quietly withdrew, sensing that some topics were best left to the two of them.

Watching Ma Run’s retreating figure, Zhou Miao murmured, “We probably won’t see Brother Ma much after this, huh?”

Zhao Jingya took another sip of beer. “If you want to see someone, you will.”

Zhou Miao smiled. “That’s the heiress for you. You talk so differently from ordinary folk.”

Zhao Jingya raised her hand as if to hit him again. Why was he always so sarcastic? He really deserved a beating!

“Hey, tell me—if I ask you out for dinner someday, will you come?” she asked.

Perhaps it was his imagination, but Zhou Miao sensed something different in her tone. He looked at her intently, then smiled. “Of course I’ll come. Why wouldn’t I? But… can I bring my plus one?”

Zhao Jingya paused, her hand holding the beer mid-motion, but her expression didn’t change. “Of course you can.”

After that question, a sudden awkward silence fell between them. After a while, Zhao Jingya asked, “Is it the one you were seen with last time?”

“Yes, her. We’ve known each other since high school. Just started dating not long ago.”

“I see. She’s lucky, then.”

Zhou Miao smiled and shook his head. “Dating a celebrity is exhausting. No one approves, plenty criticize her. Even going out to the movies feels like sneaking around.”

“I have to ask, why did you decide to become a star in the first place?” Zhou Miao asked curiously.

Zhao Jingya gazed up at the stars. “Because I yearn for it. I wanted to know what it feels like to stand in the spotlight, to be watched by thousands.”

She lowered her head and smiled. “You know, the reason I had that dream was because of you.”

Zhou Miao raised an eyebrow. “Me? Why?”

“Remember the Strawberry Music Festival this year? I was in the audience. You were like a god that night—thirty thousand people worshipped and screamed for you. I wondered what it would feel like to perform on such a stage.”

Zhou Miao didn’t know what to say. He’d never imagined he played a part in her decision.

No wonder—with so many popular celebrities, she had chosen him.

But she’d underestimated one thing: Zhou Miao had always despised her old nouveau riche ways, thinking money could buy anything.

So he wanted both her money and to teach her a lesson, which was why he’d dragged her onto the bizarre show, Wilderness Unbound, to challenge nature.

Zhou Miao rubbed his chin. It seemed he’d been a bit unkind. Maybe… he should give her a two-percent discount?

“It’s a shame I don’t have the voice for it. I wanted you to craft an album for me, but the vocal coaches all said my singing is unpleasant, and I’ve no talent for acting either. So, I ended up taking the variety show route,” Zhao Jingya mused.

“No worries. I believe you’ll succeed,” Zhou Miao said, patting her shoulder and adding,

“After all, your father is so wealthy.”