Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 14

“Come over here. I’ve found something—”

When Gu Jie was waving from not far away, Lu Yiyao had just finished applying sunscreen to one of his arms. Xia Xinran’s sunscreen had a slight whitening effect, making his skin tone half a shade lighter upon application.

Upon hearing the call, the other three companions immediately perked up and ran over. By the time Lu Yiyao realized what was happening, only he and the following cameraman were left standing in the chaotic wind.

With no choice, Lu Yiyao, with his arms of slightly different colors, also followed.

Gu Jie’s discovery was a screwdriver found under a pine tree deep in the coconut grove. This wild coconut grove wasn’t planned or arranged in any specific way. Although mainly coconut trees, the deeper they went, the more pronounced the terrain’s ups and downs became, like small hills. Further in, where there were fewer coconut trees, pine trees, cacti, and other tropical plants whose names were unknown, thrived. Despite it being winter, the area was bursting with life.

“Why would there be a screwdriver here?”

The five companions circled around this curious find, completely baffled.

“It’s a Phillips head…” Lu Yiyao muttered as he took the screwdriver from Gu Jie’s hand for a closer look. Suddenly, he gripped the yellow rubber handle with one hand and the slender metal head with the other and forcefully pulled in opposite directions!

The four onlookers watched as the metal head separated from the rubber handle, revealing that the part inserted into the handle was identical in length and thickness to the exposed part, except the Phillips head had changed to a flathead.

“Exactly as I thought.” Lu Yiyao spun the detached metal head between his fingers like a pen and reinserted it into the handle, smiling with a look of “just as I suspected”. “It’s a dual-purpose screwdriver.”

Ran, Xia, Zhang, Gu: “……”

They admitted that Lu Yiyao had quickly discovered the dual nature of the screwdriver, but what significance did that have, they wondered.

“Well, being able to turn both Phillips and flathead screws is indeed something to be happy about…” Ran Lin sighed lightly, taking the two-piece screwdriver from Lu Yiyao and reassembling it. “But I think there aren’t many places on this deserted island where we can use a screwdriver. Shouldn’t we think about the deeper reason for its appearance here?”

This comment was a wake-up call. Lu Yiyao stroked his chin, deep in thought. “Maybe it’s a reminder that human pollution has spread even to such a paradisiacal and remote island…”

Ran Lin looked seriously into his eyes. “You don’t have to think so broadly…”

Lu Yiyao was indeed a peculiar person.

Ran Lin wasn’t sure how the others felt, but he couldn’t find a more fitting word than “strange”. Lu Yiyao, who was almost unresponsive in the last episode, was now fully engaged.

But his engagement was special.

It was “serious”.

Seriously interacting, seriously discussing, seriously getting involved in the plot.

This kind of “seriousness” might come off as “boring” in others, but in Lu Yiyao, it somehow became endearing.

Ran Lin didn’t know if it was because Lu Yiyao’s “seriousness” was simple and pure, untainted by any insincerity, or if it was his own bias, seeing through a filter of good looks. Regardless, he quite liked Lu Yiyao’s current state, which felt sincere, comfortable, wise, and adorably cute.

“Let’s do a thorough search of this area,” Zhang Beichen suggested. “We focused on the front part of the coconut grove earlier, but we didn’t pay much attention to this mixed area.”

The four companions looked at each other and agreed!

Ten minutes later, it was Gu Jie again, with the same phrase—

“Come over here. I’ve found something!”

When Lu Yiyao heard the call, he had already passed the same cactus for the third time. This particular cactus had a distinctive, graceful shape, so Lu Yiyao remembered it clearly. In fact, he had a clear memory of many things—except directions. Hence, he had a deep admiration for someone like Gu Jie, who could always find the way out and locate landmarks most efficiently.

This time, Gu Jie’s discovery was several coconuts, casually scattered under a short coconut tree, as if they had naturally fallen. But…

Ran Lin looked up carefully at the tree. Its leaves were lush and green, but where there should have been fruit, it was bare.

Compared to this, the coconuts on the ground seemed very suspicious.

However, some foodie companions didn’t care much about that. Xia Xinran, jumping three feet high, picked up a coconut and hugged it as if calling it sweetly could make the juice flow out. “We can drink coconut water now—coconut water, coconut water—”

Thankfully, Xia Xinran’s clamor led Lu Yiyao to his companions.

And then, Zhang Beichen had a sudden inspiration, pointing to the screwdriver in Ran Lin’s hand. “Is this meant for opening coconuts?”

The companions looked at each other, suddenly realizing. In this show, there was no such thing as “coincidence”. Every seemingly unrelated object, if it felt a bit odd, surely hinted at the “evil light” of the show’s planning.

But no one was going to turn away good food, especially after their exhaustive search of the island had left them panting and parched.

They used the screwdriver on a coconut.

Choosing a spot on the coconut that seemed weaker, they used the sharper flathead of the screwdriver to puncture it. Ran Lin poked, Ran Lin poked, Ran Lin poked, then Gu Jie took over, switching when their hands got tired, until all five had taken turns.

Lu Yiyao was last in line.

After taking the seemingly unharmed coconut from Xia Xinran, he thought for a moment and earnestly asked his companions, “Can I use a rock to hammer the screwdriver handle in?”

A moment of awkward silence…

Finally, the four companions roared in unison. “Why didn’t you say that earlier!”

With the help of a rock, the screwdriver finally pierced through the coconut shell and into the water. When Lu Yiyao said “it’s through”, his companions felt as if they had heard heavenly music.

The juice of a large coconut was quite plentiful and abundant. The five of them took turns pouring it into their mouths, going around twice.

The remaining three coconuts were hoarded in Xia Xinran’s embrace, wrapped in the hem of his shirt, as if he were guarding the fruits of victory.

“What do we do now?” Zhang Beichen looked around but still didn’t find anything useful. “We should conserve the three coconuts to last us the day, but what about the shelter and bonfire? We can’t just conjure them out of thin air.”

At this moment, the five of them were still deep in the woods, surrounded only by plants and the sandy soil under their feet.

“Come to think of it, didn’t they just ask us to build a shelter? They didn’t specify how big or sturdy it needs to be, did they?” Lu Yiyao suddenly spoke up.

Ran Lin’s eyes lit up, instantly grasping Lu Yiyao’s idea. “A sandcastle!”

Lu Yiyao facepalmed, took several deep breaths, and then looked back at Ran Lin with his hopeful face. “A sandcastle that can accommodate five people and won’t collapse… Isn’t that technically challenging?”

Xia Xinran, following Lu Yiyao’s line of thought, envisioned a bleak future. “We’ll definitely end up buried alive…”

Zhang Beichen also doubted this idea. “The sand on this beach is quite coarse. If it’s too coarse, it might not stick together enough to make a sand sculpture, right?”

Gu Jie, holding an empty coconut, continued to sip the last few drops. He was more of a doer and not much into brainstorming.

Ran Lin knew he had guessed wrong the moment he saw Lu Yiyao facepalming. He was usually confident in understanding others, but with Lu Yiyao, he often missed the mark or failed to grasp his thoughts completely. He wondered whether it was because Lu Yiyao was too unpredictable, or perhaps they just lacked rapport.

“So… what exactly is your idea for building the shelter?” Ran Lin was certain that Lu Yiyao had a plan.

“Sandcastles won’t work,” Lu Yiyao said, “but we can build a tent with coconut leaves.”

For the next few minutes, they all huddled together as Lu Yiyao drew a diagram of the tent on the ground and explained patiently, “We can use pine branches for the frame. We’ll set up a few vertically and diagonally, then lay the coconut leaves over the frame to create a simple tent.”

Lu Yiyao looked around at his companions. Xia Xinran was the first to raise his hand. “Teacher Lu, I have a question.”

Lu Yiyao nodded. “Go ahead.”

Xia Xinran: “Can such a tent protect us from wind and rain?”

Lu Yiyao looked up at the bright sun. “Based on my observation, the chance of rain today is low, so we don’t need it to be waterproof, just to provide shade.”

Zhang Beichen, mimicking Xia Xinran, cheekily raised his hand. “Teacher Lu, I also have a question. The pine branches are limited in length. They’re fine vertically stuck in the sand, as we don’t need much height to sit inside, but if they’re short horizontally, how can we fit five people?”

Lu Yiyao didn’t see this as an issue. “We can build several tents. After all, there’s no rule saying we can only build one.”

Gu Jie: “What will we use to secure the branches together?”

Lu Yiyao: “I saw some vines earlier that can be used as ropes to tie the joints of the frame together.”

Gu Jie: “Ok, I have no more questions.”

Lu Yiyao nodded and looked at Ran Lin as if to say, “Everyone else has asked their questions. Aren’t you going to follow suit?” In all honesty, Ran Lin didn’t have many quirky questions. When Lu Yiyao said they could build a coconut leaf tent, he naturally believed Lu Yiyao had considered its feasibility and that it could be done.

He didn’t need a reason; that was just the trust Lu Yiyao instilled in him—no big talk, no empty words, no gimmicks. If he said it could be done, it could be done.

But since Lu Yiyao was expecting a question, Ran Lin didn’t want to let the moment pass in silence. “I thought you got lost when Gu Jie called earlier, and you took so long to come over. Turns out you were deep in research,” Ran Lin said, half-teasingly, half-admiringly. “You really know a lot. You’re quite awesome.”

Lu Yiyao wiped the sweat from his forehead, trying to smile naturally. “It’s nothing much.”

A good start is half the success. Under Teacher Lu’s guidance, the companions worked together: some gathered coconut leaves, others collected dry branches, and some pulled up vines. But as none of them were experts in outdoor survival, it took until after 10 in the morning to gather all the materials and bring them back to the beach.

Under Lu Yiyao’s leadership, they used the screwdriver or sharp stones to dig four small pits in the sandy soil at the beach, corresponding to the four corners of a square. They buried the thicker, straighter branches they had found into these pits, standing them up like trees.

The front two branches were taller, the back two shorter. Then, they used four more branches as horizontal beams, tying them at the tops of the vertical posts.

The branches had some flexibility, so those connecting the front and back beams of different heights needed to be bent to a certain degree before being tied.

Ran Lin tried tying the beams for a long time but couldn’t secure them tightly. Xia Xinran, working on another beam, was almost hit in the face by a rebounding branch.

Unable to watch any longer, Lu Yiyao put down his coconut leaves, took over the vines from Ran Lin, and started to help tie the beams. After securing that side, he moved silently to help Xia Xinran without a word.

Xia Xinran was astounded and lavished praise throughout the process.

Ran Lin noticed that Lu Yiyao wasn’t just all talk; he must have had experience camping outdoors. Even if he hadn’t built a leaf tent before, he had certainly done something similar.

After much effort, they finally secured the tent’s skeleton. The excited camping rookies clumsily covered the branch frame with the broad coconut leaves. In no time, a green, leafy shelter took shape. They all stood there for a moment, somewhat in disbelief that they had created this themselves.

Lu Yiyao was pleased, as he had initially thought he might have to do everything himself. But his companions learned quickly and were willing to exert effort. This feeling of working together on a task was something he hadn’t experienced in a long time, bringing back memories of his school days.

“Don’t just stand there,” Zhang Beichen reminded them. “Let’s get the rest done while we’re motivated.” They had gathered enough materials to build three to four small shelters.

“I think we should multitask.” Ran Lin had been thinking about this while building the tent. “We need to keep building the tents, but we should also start thinking about making a fire. Otherwise, once the tents are done, we’ll still have no food, which would be pitiful.”

Reminded by Ran Lin, everyone felt the emptiness in their stomachs. They hadn’t noticed it while busily constructing, but now that they stopped, they realized it was nearing noon, and the hasty breakfast they had eaten in the early morning had long been digested.

“I agree with the dual approach.” Gu Jie stretched his shoulders, ready to continue the construction with vigor. “But I can only help with building the tents. The grand task of creating fire out of thin air is up to you guys.”

“Don’t look at me. I wasn’t the one who suggested multitasking,” Zhang Beichen said, turning to Ran Lin. “You must have a method already, right?”

Ran Lin nodded, pondering for a moment, then suddenly turned to Lu Yiyao. “Don’t be modest now. How do we create fire out of thin air?”

Lu Yiyao: “……”

Feeling like even lying under his bed at home, he couldn’t escape being hit by a pot*. This was how Lu Yiyao felt at the moment.

*Metaphor referring to a situation where someone feels like they can’t escape misfortune or trouble, no matter where they are or what they do. It’s basically saying they have such bad luck that they feel as if they would get hit in the face with a pot/pan no matter what (even if it’s lying in bed).

Ran Lin’s convinced gaze seemed to say, “I know you can do it.”

He didn’t understand where Ran Lin’s confidence came from, and what was worse, he didn’t want to let him down.

“We can only try.” Lu Yiyao finally conceded.

Four pairs of curious eyes widened in anticipation. “How do we do it?”

Lu Yiyao gazed at the horizon and, after a long pause, confidently said, “Drilling wood to make fire.”

An hour later.

Gu Jie and Zhang Beichen had started building the third tent.

Ran Lin and Lu Yiyao had only just begun to smell a faint, burning scent.

Drilling wood to make fire was something Ran Lin had only learned about in textbooks and never imagined he’d have to apply in real life. He followed Lu Yiyao in picking up a palm-sized piece of wood and a small branch slightly thinner than a finger. Then he watched as Lu Yiyao used a screwdriver to carve a groove in the wood and sharpened the branch with a sharp stone for smoother rotation in the palm.

Lu Yiyao then stuffed some of the collected dry coconut palm fibers into the groove and laid more around and under the piece of wood, ready to ignite as soon as a spark landed.

Ran Lin helped a little under Lu Yiyao’s guidance, but most of the work was done by Lu Yiyao himself. However, Ran Lin observed attentively, especially when everything was ready and Lu Yiyao kneeled down, foot pressing one end of the wood block, hands clasped around the small branch inserted into the groove. Ran Lin held his breath in excitement, feeling like he was about to witness a miracle.

But then, there was no more “then”.

Lu Yiyao rapidly rubbed the small branch in his hands, causing it to frantically grind against the wood block and coconut fibers. Everything was flawless… except, it just wouldn’t ignite.

As time ticked away, Lu Yiyao’s speed gradually slowed, with large beads of sweat sliding down his face. Ran Lin’s emotions went on a rollercoaster ride from anticipation to confusion to pity.

So when they finally smelled the burnt odor, they couldn’t even get excited.

But the fully immersed Lu Yiyao didn’t notice. He didn’t even feel the passage of time; his focus was entirely on the groove, determined to recreate the glory of his human ancestors.

Another hour passed.

Gu Jie and Zhang Beichen, having finished all the tents, lay exhausted and hungry inside, somewhat comforted by the pleasant sea breeze and the scent of coconut leaves. They could hold on for a while.

But Xia Xinran wasn’t so strong.

He had circled the red plastic bucket about eight hundred times, watching the seafood transition from lively to nearly lifeless. If it weren’t for the water in the bucket, they might have been wind-dried.

Lu Yiyao was also exhausted, a fact that Ran Lin could clearly see. But he could also tell that Lu Yiyao wasn’t ready to give up. Not wanting to interrupt, Ran Lin silently stayed by his side.

Ran Lin admired those who were serious.

Lu Yiyao might not have Xia Xinran’s variety show flair, achieving 120% effect with only 40% effort, nor was he as easygoing as Gu Jie, who was talkative when happy and cold when not, nor as adaptable as Zhang Beichen, who could blend in easily with anyone. But Lu Yiyao had his charm. He adhered strictly to rules, was dedicated to tasks, and took responsibility for what he committed to.

Having someone like this in a team was a fortune. As Ran Lin was lost in these thoughts, a wisp of smoke finally appeared—the coconut palm fibers, after a long struggle, began to smolder!

Ran Lin’s eyes widened in surprise, looking incredulously at the smoke and then at Lu Yiyao. “It’s lit!”

Lu Yiyao finally relaxed, his whole demeanor radiating a sense of triumph. He quickly dropped the small branch, leaned down, and gently blew air on the smoldering coconut fibers.

Ran Lin instantly realized they needed wind to turn the spark into a flame. He also leaned down, blowing alongside Lu Yiyao. “Hoo—”

The coconut fibers, lifted by the smoke, mercilessly scattered in the air, drifting towards the shoreline. The wood block settled back into quietness, leaving only some charred remains.

Lu Yiyao looked at Ran Lin in shock, his eyes filled with immense sadness, as if let down by a cruel world. Ran Lin swallowed hard: “Actually, I think… we don’t necessarily need fire… Uh, do you like sashimi?”

Lu Yiyao closed his eyes, took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and then repeated the process. Finally, he managed to suppress the devilish urge to strangle the other person and forced a smile. “I’m not a fan of raw food, but for survival, I can make do.”

In the end, the five stars didn’t end up eating sashimi.

The director, unable to bear it any longer, had a change of heart and slightly modified the script. For example, when you’re stranded on a deserted island, you happen to have sunscreen and a lighter in your pocket…

By the time they finally ate the “seafood feast”, it was three in the afternoon. The five stars gathered around the bonfire, feasting as if they could even crunch the shells if their teeth were strong enough.

Ran Lin wanted to strike up a conversation with Lu Yiyao several times but couldn’t find the right opportunity. He was also somewhat apprehensive in his heart, feeling that the foolish things he had done deserved to be punished by being beaten 36,000 times with a spiked club in a cactus patch.

Just as Lu Yiyao finished another shrimp and Ran Lin was about to offer to fetch more, his eyes fixated on Lu Yiyao’s hands. The palms were reddened.

Being so close, Ran Lin could see clearly: they were blistered from the friction.

After persistently rubbing a small branch against one’s palm for over two hours, even the toughest hands would blister. Ran Lin recalled times when he had to wear ill-fitting shoes for work appointments, resulting in painful blisters after just half a day. But Lu Yiyao, it seemed, had blisters and just kept going, eventually rubbing them raw.

Rubbing against raw skin like that must be incredibly painful.

Yet Lu Yiyao acted as if nothing was wrong, not mentioning it at all.

Even if he had let the follow-cam capture this, he surely would have gained sympathy from the audience. Ran Lin didn’t believe that Lu Yiyao was unaware of this tactic. After all, when replying to his Weibo @mentions, Lu Yiyao had always been quite savvy.

The only explanation was that Lu Yiyao didn’t like to play the sympathy card—tactics were fine, but playing the victim was not.

In just one day, Ran Lin felt like he had seen many different sides of Lu Yiyao.

And the more he observed, the more interesting he found him.

Lu Yiyao had been enduring for a long time. No one likes being covertly observed while eating, and the guy sitting next to him seemed to take a couple of bites, then sneak a peek this way, as if the seafood was too bland and he needed Lu Yiyao to spice it up.

The frustration from the unsuccessful fire-making had mostly dissipated with a full stomach. Moreover, Lu Yiyao knew that Ran Lin meant well.

Not to mention, just the fact that Ran Lin had dryly accompanied him for two hours was enough to show his goodwill.

If it were Xia Xinran, he would have gone to sleep in the leaf shelter long ago.

But that didn’t mean Ran Lin could take liberties with him, appearing relentless as if Lu Yiyao were some kind of delicacy!

“You…”

“How come you know so much?”

Lu Yiyao was ready to confront him, but his opponent took the initiative with a genuinely inquisitive question that would make it awkward to respond with any annoyance.

“Cough.” Clearing his throat, Lu Yiyao answered truthfully, “I joined the scouts in middle school, where these skills were essential. Later in college, I would occasionally go camping with friends, which was cheaper than traveling.”

“Oh, right.” Ran Lin remembered. “You studied abroad.”

Lu Yiyao nodded and didn’t elaborate further.

Ran Lin didn’t plan to pry into too much personal information. His curiosity was about other things, like, “Have you ever encountered bears while camping?”

Lu Yiyao was dumbfounded. “Are you serious?”

Ran Lin returned the gaze calmly. “Of course, I’m just joking.”

Lu Yiyao was bewildered, suddenly feeling stupid for seriously recalling past experiences.

Ran Lin couldn’t contain his amusement, finding that teasing Lu Yiyao was even more interesting than teasing Xia Xinran.

Ran Lin had a beautiful smile, pure and refreshing, like the sunshine in spring. It wasn’t too hot or too cold—just the right temperature that made one feel comfortable inside.

As a fellow male artist, Lu Yiyao had to admit that he couldn’t achieve this. He could smile handsomely, gently, charmingly, coldly, and many other ways as photographers or directors required. But this particular smile he couldn’t replicate.

It was unique to Ran Lin, just like Xia Xinran’s beautiful arrogance, Gu Jie’s individualism, and Zhang Beichen’s vibrant energy. These were their personal trademarks, impossible for others to imitate naturally.

Lu Yiyao’s thoughts drifted back to the behind-the-scenes footage and the unpleasant comments underneath. He wondered whether those replies were genuinely misled by the footage, simply disliked Ran Lin, or were just venting frustration. But after spending the day with Ran Lin, he felt more confident in his judgment that the statement was just a joke between Ran Lin and Zhang Beichen.

He didn’t even need to wait for the full program to air to be sure of this.

Because the fans and netizens only saw a snippet of footage, while he had actually interacted with Ran Lin for two and a half episodes. Even though they were mostly just background to each other for two episodes, he had watched how Ran Lin interacted with others, including his temperament and personality.

Of course, it was possible that all these were just a facade, that his real temperament wasn’t so good, and his personality wasn’t so straightforward. But at least for these two and a half episodes, he had been diligently participating in the program, sometimes even helping with tasks that others were reluctant to do. Just for that, he shouldn’t be judged harshly.

Lu Yiyao appreciated those who were dedicated to their work and was critical of his own emotional behavior in the first two episodes. So seeing Ran Lin being ridiculed for the same dedication made him feel uncomfortable.

“Teacher Lu…”

A soft call brought Lu Yiyao back from his thoughts. Looking up, it was Ran Lin who had called him. “Teacher Lu” was a nickname he had earned that day, given unilaterally by his peers in appreciation of his significant contribution.

Expecting Ran Lin to ask about camping or related knowledge, Lu Yiyao cleaned his hands and sat up straight, ready to answer seriously. “Yes?”

Ran Lin leaned in, staring intently at him. “I’ve been wanting to ask since this morning. Why do I always feel that the way you look at me today… is full of sympathy?”

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