Everyone's mind suddenly remembers on the beach, when Liao Bo asked Evans if that's all he was bringing with him, and Evans replied–
—I have my little sister; that's enough.
At that time, everyone thought he meant that he could skip meals as long as his sister was by his side. Now, they realized how practical Evan's statement was!
Fans watched their tall and imposing idol sitting on a rock, holding a large seashell that served as a bowl and eating with cattail reeds serving as chopsticks, enjoying the meal with relish....... with slightly mixed feelings.
Beside the flowing river, the two siblings enjoyed their lunch contentedly, and the awkward silence in the crowd did not affect them.
After finishing their meal, Evans finally took some action, carrying the pot and the seashell to the river to wash. Fans breathed a sigh of relief, thinking, Great, at least you're doing the dishes!
At this point, Wen Zhulian spoke again, "Juyao, you seem to know a lot. Do you often go on outdoor adventures?"
"Sort of," Song Juyao replied while using a plastic bag to wrap the charcoal.
"Sister, what are you packing it for?" Li Quan, who had been curious, ran over. Earlier, he had been held back by Li Wenling, afraid that he would run over while others were eating. She would be embarrassed whether they would give him food or not.
"Charcoal has many uses in the wild. It can be used to filter water, make gas masks, and it's especially useful for dehumidification," Song Juyao explained.
Meng Cong and Wei Shu couldn't help but approach. Young people of this age are naturally curious about the wilderness, and Song Juyao seemed to know everything. She was beautiful, gentle, and approachable, making people want to get closer.
Stanley, seeing that Addison was also very curious, pushed him closer, but Addison shook his head and didn't go over.
"So, it's best not to throw away charcoal. Wrap it in cloth and put it in your pocket or tent. It can be used for drying and dehumidification."
Song Juyao appeared more patient and gentle with them, speaking several sentences more than usual. However, she was cold and distant towards Wen Zhulian , which made Wen Zhulian very embarrassed. Fans felt sorry for her.
[What's so great about it? She just knows some wilderness knowledge, and it's only useful now. Who needs her otherwise?]
[Is she showing off on purpose? It's as if others need these things. They have lighters, hot water kettles, and filters. Do they need charcoal? It's so dirty.]
[Zhuzhu is too naive, always trying to get closer to her.]
[My poor Zhuzhu.]
The people from the Wen family hadn't responded yet, but Mrs. Chang felt sorry for her and deliberately asked Song Juyao loudly, "You know so much about these things, I suppose you've been running to the mountains often, right? Don't you need to study? Oh, by the way, I heard that in foreign countries, especially Western countries, they don't emphasize education for children, right? Unlike here, where child education is taken very seriously. If they don't get into a good university, they get beaten."
"Mom," Chang Youqing felt a bit embarrassed. He knew his grandmother liked Wen Zhulian, almost wanting her to be part of their family. But they were in the middle of a live broadcast, and even though they didn't know where the cameras were. If it was a live broadcast, there had to be viewers. Even if it was to support Wen Zhulian , this kind of tone sounded a lot like the annoying relatives who come to visit during holidays and weren't well-liked by everyone, including online netizens.
"I was just curious, that's all. Even someone as talented as Zhulian worked really hard. Look, she got into the Capital Drama Academy with the highest grades in her major. You were only second in the exam that year. Oh my, she's really outstanding," Chang's mother said, affectionately holding Wen Zhulian's hand and showering her with praise.
"Oh, it's not a big deal," Wen Zhulian said humbly and embarrassedly.
"First, it's really amazing. The Capital Academy of Drama is the most prestigious art school in the nation."
"Zhulian is actually our junior sister," Li Wenling said. "Li Quan, Meng Cong, come over here and listen. You guys don't want to study all day long." Meng Cong was her eldest son, and the eldest son took his father's last name, while the youngest son took hers.
"Wei Shu, come here too. Nowadays, children have it too easy. They don't want to study; they need their parents to push them," Wei mother also quickly called her daughter back.
The three teenagers reluctantly returned.
Over there, the conversation became lively again, and they talked about the time when they were admitted to the school, discussing their hardships and efforts to get into this school, and what great artists this school had produced.
When Evans came back from washing the pots and "bowls", he overheard these people indirectly berating Song Juyao for her lack of education. A faint, almost mocking smirk played on his uniquely noble and handsome face, as though he was looking at a group of clowns.
It's here! The King's Contempt! Explanation: When Evan wears this expression of the King's Contempt, it means he has spotted the overconfident underdogs causing a ruckus. Ultimately, those who've overestimated their abilities will find themselves effortlessly humbled and brought down a peg by him.
[Could it be that his sister is actually very good at studying?]
[Judging from what I've seen this morning, she has a pretty smart mind]
[As clever as she may be, she can't match Wen Zhulian, a genius who creates hits left and right. She's only 18 years old. What level of genius is that? Even if Song Juyao is a top student at the Nation's number one university, she can't compare to her.]
[Evans is under the little sister's filter now]
"Brother, put down the pot, take a break, and we'll set off again in a bit," Song Juyao spread a blanket in the shade of a tree.
Deep down, Evans was quite arrogant. When he looked down on someone, he wouldn't even speak to them. Moreover, there was no need for him to personally explain how outstanding Song Juyao was to this group of people. They weren't worthy.
The two siblings lay in the shade of the tree to recharge their batteries. The wind rustled the leaves, the flowing water was murmuring in front of them, and the surroundings gradually grew quiet. Only the soft whispers of the forest surrounded them. Occasionally, the wind would part the leaves, and a few rays of light would filter through the gaps, landing on her porcelain-like cheeks. Her jet-black eyelashes, against her fair skin, looked even more lush and long, like the feathers of a raven.
Her hands were clasped against her abdomen, and she could feel the calluses on her hands that were different from her seemingly noble and delicate appearance. Perhaps anyone holding her hand would be surprised because it wasn't as soft and tender as they might imagine.
In the eight years of this second phase of her life, her living conditions were indeed much better than the first phase. This wasn't necessarily a good thing, as it could easily lead to complacency, relaxing her vigilance, causing her to forget that she was still surrounded by enemies and that they were watching her every move.
Thankfully, the fire burning in her heart kept searing through her, keeping her alert. It constantly reminded her what kind of enemies she was facing, that this wasn't the real world, and that the only weapon she had was her own memories. The only thing she could do was to always sharpen that weapon, make it sharper, more lethal.
Learn, keep learning, never stop. The only way to gain security and become strong is to keep absorbing knowledge, even if it's just learning to ride a bike, even if it's just learning to dance, every bit of knowledge is a gain.
The heavens don't bestow too much upon you; you may have one innate talent, but most people can acquire a majority of skills through hard work, including building a strong physique. As long as you can persevere, endure hardship, even a delicate lady can transform into a Hercules.
In the previous episode, she diligently achieved success in her academics. In this season, she intentionally worked on her wilderness survival skills. For this, she once broke her leg in the wild, came close to death due to vomiting and diarrhea after eating something wrong, been hungry enough to snatch a rabbit from a fox's mouth, nearly died in an avalanche, endured the loneliness, exhaustion, and despair of surviving alone in the terrifying wilderness…
From plains and vast canyons to tropical rainforests, from snowy mountains to deserts…..
But all of this was worthwhile, things that couldn't be learned were gained through practice. The 10,000-hour rule, as author Malcolm Gladwell put it, was a necessary condition for anyone to go from ordinary to a world-class master. [T/N: In his 2008 book “Outliers,” Malcolm Gladwell wrote that “ten thousand hours is the magic number of greatness,” asserting that the key to achieving true expertise in any skill is simply a matter of practicing, albeit in the correct way, for at least 10 000 hours.]
And Song Juyao had spent nearly 50,000 hours learning how to survive alone in the wild.
She would no longer fear being thrown by the production team into the remote and primitive jungles in a certain episode, without any ability to fight back.
Jiang Baiqi zoomed in on the image, and soon, there was only the image of a sleeping girl on the massive screen.
Under the shade of the trees, she looked beautiful like a sleeping beauty, like a pearl resting there, emitting a shallow hazy glow, more striking than anything else.
Jiang Baiqi covered his chest, feeling an unfamiliar stuffiness that made it hard to breathe, a strangely uncomfortable sensation that made him reach out and pick up a book on the table.
It was the book of the Dragon Slayer Princess. Her stories were always filled with whimsical and heartfelt narratives, touching and endearing. Yet, after reading it and then thinking about it more carefully, there was a creepy feeling, as if it had suddenly turned from a fantasy adventure novel into a terrifying horror story that makes people think deeply.
It was precisely this unique quality that made her books a global sensation, with readers from various backgrounds interpreting them differently. Some saw them as fairy tales, some as fantasy adventures, some as science fiction, and others as horror stories. Some people felt that her stories were laden with hidden metaphors, while others thought they were reading too much into them.
Jiang Baiqi felt something peculiar in her stories, a sense of belonging, a sense of intertwining souls, especially in her book "The Person in the Fish Tank," which served as the inspiration for Survival Island Paradise's technology, and the sense of shock he felt when he saw the end of the story will never be forgotten.
He gained many insights and ideas from her books and even more after becoming pen pals with her. He had considered meeting her in person, but in the end he never got the chance due to her busy schedule.
His naturally weak sense of presence often left him alone. Online communication with the Dragon Slaying Princess became a way for him to open up and pour his heart out. She always listened so gently, and speaking with her was like being gently led by her into another world.
He had always thought he had a secret crush on the Dragon Slayer Princess.
But... Jiang Baiqi couldn't concentrate on her books anymore. His mind was uncontrollably filled with images of Song Juyao. He would turn a few pages and then couldn't help but look at the girl on the screen again. His heart felt uncomfortable, so he'd lower his head to read, but it wouldn't be long before he'd look again….
Annoying! He angrily turned off the big screen.
After a while, he angrily turned it back on.
……
After the break, at two o'clock, the families resting by the river regained their energy and were ready to set off again.
Before leaving, they discussed with each other. The survival show had set up several strongholds on this island for them to take a short break or replenish their supplies, provided they could find and reach them without the aid of a map.
They were still in the mood for a spring outing, and since they were shooting a TV show, they didn't have any sense of crisis at all.
"I think we should just take it easy, not deliberately look for a stronghold, let's go with the flow. If we find them, great; if not, we can camp outside, what do you think?" Wei Yan suggested.
"I have no objection," Chang Youqing replied.
"Sounds good. Besides, we brought tents."
"We don't have tents, but we have sleeping bags. And we've watched wilderness survival videos and know how to build a natural shelter. Since we're here, we should truly experience the feeling of wilderness survival."
"Mom, Dad, what do you think?" Chang Youqing looked at his parents.
Chang's mother was quite straightforward, "I don't mind. I've always wanted to experience the feeling of living in the wild since I was young, and there's still Zhuzhu here, I can."
"..."
Evans and Song Juyao, of course, were not part of this group discussion. When Wei Yan finished discussing on their side, he looked at the two siblings and asked loudly, "Juyao, Evans, what do you guys say?"
Song Juyao and Evans were busy pulling cattails and had no idea what had been discussed. They exchanged glances and didn't say anything.
"Forget it, leave them alone." Wen Yingteng said.
"They're so antisocial, why are they still following us?" Chang Zhenzhen said with a little disdain.
"Zhenzhen, don't say that," Wen Zhulian said, "It's better for everyone to take care of each other."
"Zhuzhu, you are really too kind, look at their attitude, like they want to take care of each other with us."
[Chang Zhenzhen is right. They look as if they don't want to interact with anyone. Why don't they just go on their own?]
[The little bit of goodwill that emerged earlier is gone. They are too arrogant and impolite.]
[This group of people has issues too. If they really cared about their thoughts, they should have called everyone together for a discussion before deciding. What are you asking them when you're done?]
[Wen Zhulian's group is isolating them.]
[Talking about isolation, they haven't made any effort to be friendly either. Why should others initiate it?]
[So why not just go their separate ways? Real heiress is still a bit reluctant, and wants to brush up her presence on the Wen family side, but unfortunately, they don't need her wilderness survival skills, and she and Zhuzhu are not on the same level.]
The group began their journey. They continued to chat and have a great time, while Song Juyao and Evans lagged behind. Evans asked questions, and Song Juyao answered, all while collecting things she deemed useful along the way. Soon, both of their bags were bulging, with Evans even carrying a bundle of cattail stalks in his arms.
Li Quan, Meng Cong, and Wei Shu couldn't join the adult conversation, finding it boring. So, they slipped to the back and joined Song Juyao and Evans.
"Sister, what is this?"
There were three more curious babies.
Song Juyao handed out some stones, "These are flints. They are very hard and can be used to make small knives. Most of the primitive tools in the Stone Age were made using flint. If there is iron, it can be hit to produce sparks and used to light a fire. I see that not every one of you carries a knife, so take this stone with you."
"Why do we all need to have knives? They have knives; we can share," Li Quan said, testing the hardness by casually smashing a tree trunk with the flint. The flint not only made a hole in the tree but he himself grimaced in pain.
"In wilderness survival, it's best to avoid multiple people sharing one item. What if we get separated?" Song Juyao explained.
"Sister, you're so amazing! How do you know everything?" Wei Shu looked at Song Ju Miao adoringly, both eyes shining brightly.
"You should read more first," Song Juyao said. Reading first and then practicing, combining the two, is the quickest way to learn.
"But you haven't read much either, right?" Meng Cong said. He was 16 years old and going through the rebellious stage of not liking to read. He remembered the conversation the adults had during lunch and felt that Song Juyao was just like him, not a studious person. "I also think studying isn't the only way out. If my family were as open-minded as yours."
"You brat, you're not qualified to compare yourself to my sister. My sister graduated from college at your age," Evans glanced at him condescendingly. What do you want to say to my sister? Don't try to chase her, you're not worthy, get lost.
Meng Cong was taken aback. "Impossible! Otherwise, she must have graduated from a third-rate university!"
Evans: "Is that so? Her graduation thesis was taken out by her tutor who hired mercenaries to go to the rainforest."
This incident even made headlines back then, and many people found it unbelievable. Of course, all names and details were anonymized, so no one knew who the student was.
The situation mentioned was when Song Juyao discovered a poaching team in the rainforest. She hid, which caused her to miss the deadline for submitting her graduation thesis to her mentor. Her mentor sent an email asking what had happened, and Song Juyao explained it. So, in order to get the student's graduation thesis, her mentor hired a team of mercenaries to pick Song Juyao from the rainforest.
[Evans is exaggerating. How outstanding does Song Juyao have to be for her mentor to do something like this?]
[This is nonsense, are you saying that the real heiress ventured alone in the rainforest at the age of 15? Then how is she still alive?]
[Some of these comments are really malicious. Isn't it bad to have such a wicked heart?]
[I immediately went to the student registration website to search for Song Juyao, but couldn’t find it, so embarrassing]
[So, is Evans really just making things up? But he sounded so serious. Could it be that Song Juyao told a lie, and he believed it?]
[It's possible. Evans is often not at home, very busy.]
"Brother." Song Juyao said helplessly. It was too childish to argue with a child.
Upfront, Wen Yingting heard what Evans said and found it ridiculous. People can find academic records online, whether it's a domestic or international school. If they search for her using the name "Song Juyao", they won't find her in any university. It's not like he hadn't searched for this name.
He couldn't help but snort out a laugh. Unable to hold back a scoff, he turned and said, "I have quite a few friends who graduated from top-notch universities worldwide. Juyao, where did you graduate from? Maybe I happen to have a friend who is an alumnus with you."
Others also pricked up their ears to listen. Only Wei Yan and Wen Zhulian had their hearts racing. In the first episode, Song Juyao was on the level of a study genius. So, it was actually possible for her to graduate early in this episode.
Their attitude was as if Evans was somehow trying to forcibly regain their lost prestige by naming a university.
They expected Evans to feel embarrassed, but he surprised them with a question, "Those friends you mentioned, may I ask which universities they all graduated from?"
Wen Yingting listed several university names, all of them being within the top 50 in global rankings, with one even ranked third. It was a list of exceptional universities.
Comments in the live chat were all saying how outstanding people had friends who were equally outstanding.
The disdain on Evans' face deepened, "Oh, I'm sorry. It seems that your friends are not qualified to be my sister's alumni."
Wen Yingting: "Is that so? In that case, she should have graduated from the world's number one, Horace University, or the second-ranked Glenn University, right?"
[Wow! Evans really dares to say that!]
[So awkward. Evans probably never attended university, so he doesn't know about this thing called a Graduate register.]
[I'm sure now that his sister lied to him, or else he wouldn't be so confident.]
[I used to think Evans' expression was cool, but now I just feel embarrassed.]
Evans hadn't spoken yet when Song Juyao suddenly stopped in her tracks, crouched down, and stared at a pile of feces in the grass that was still a little wet.
"What's wrong?" Evans crouched down beside her.
"Tsk." Chang Zhenzhen rolled her eyes, feeling that Song Juyao and Evans were intentionally changing the subject. Naturally, the netizens naturally felt the same way, and online comments became more mocking.
Song Juyao didn't respond. She took a small analyzer from her backpack, inserted the plug into the feces, and looked at the data displayed on it.
Wen Zhulian said as if to smooth things over: "Everyone, let's go quickly. We still have to find a place to stay for the night."
As Wen Zhulian spoke, others also graciously skipped the embarrassing topic that made people embarrassed on behalf of the two siblings, "Let's go let's go."
"Evans, Juyao, let's go," Wen Zhulian called to them again.
Song Juyao stood up, glanced at the data on the device in her hand, and said, "It's better not to continue going forward. Let's change direction."
"Why?"
"The area ahead is a bear's territory," Song Juyao said.
"A bear?" Chang Zhenzhen said with excitement, "I've never seen a wild bear before!"
"It's summer now, there are abundant fruits in the forest, the river is teeming with fish, we've seen many flowers along the way, and the bees are busy collecting nectar. So bears have plenty of food. They are generally mild-tempered as long as we don't bother them. Don't think you're the only one who knows this. Let's move on; we need to find a suitable campsite before dark." Wen Yingting said impatiently. His patience was really running out, and he felt that Song Juyao was just spinning tales about everything and she wanted to restore her dignity through her wilderness survival skills.
The others didn't think the situation was that serious either, because they were participating in a variety show. Although the filming methods were unusual, there must be staff hidden from their view, watching over them. How could there be any danger? Moreover, it was being broadcast live, so Fanxing Group wouldn't let them face any real threats in front of so many viewers.
Even if there were bears, they must be confirmed by the production team as non-aggressive and will not attack people.
Song Juyao's expression shifted, becoming somewhat serious. "I advise you not to take this lightly. This bear..."
"Juyao, let's go," Wen Zhulian interrupted Song Juyao, speaking as if Song Juyao was throwing a tantrum and intentionally going against them.
Song Juyao insisted, "Listen to me, this bear..."
"If you don't want to go with us, can you go on your own?" Chang Zhenzhen finally couldn't help but speak with some fire.
"Zhenzhen!" Chang Youqing scolded her, "I'm sorry, don't listen to her. Let's go together."
"I haven't said anything wrong, and I've held it in for a long time! You're so anti-social, acting like you're superior to everyone. If that's the case, why not go your separate ways?" Chang Zhenzhen said.
[I finally waited for this!!!]
[Here comes the climax of the day.]
[Chang Zhenzhen said what I wanted to say!]
[Although Chang Youqing is good at acting, I don't really like his personality. He has always had a sweet temper, afraid of offending people. His lack of character makes him unlikable.]
[Because of Chang Zhen Zhen's behavior of tearing her face off, the atmosphere became awkward again, but the most awkward of all was naturally the two who were isolated.]
Stanley tried to be a peacemaker, but unfortunately he wasn't very close to either side.
Song Juyao held onto Evans, who was about to lose his temper, and calmly looked at the group of people. She said, "Since you want to go your separate ways, then do it. But out of my conscience, I'll still warn you that bears aren't mild-mannered. They have unpredictable temperaments, and they're playful by nature. Even circus bears aren't necessarily harmless. Besides, this bear is in a bad mood right now, so it's even more dangerous. Also, if you encounter a bear, never lie down and play dead."
"Brother, let's go," Song Juyao said as she pulled Evans and turned away.
Chang Zhenzhen's disdainful voice came from behind, "She can even know the bear's mood?"
Song Juyao shook her head and paid no more attention.
[To be honest, through excrement, you can indeed gather a lot of information, and using advanced instruments can provide even more insights. Knowing a bear's mood is also possible, after all emotions like happiness, anger, sadness and joy can trigger the release of different hormones in the brain. The device Song Juyao used probably analyzed these aspects.]
After Song Juyao and Evans separated, the live broadcast was divided into two screens. One side featured Song Juyao and Evans, while the other focused on Wen Zhulian's group.
Due to Evans' influence and the high popularity of this variety show, it consistently ranked at the top of trending lists in various countries. Evans' words about his sister had sparked a lot of dissatisfaction among students and graduates from many of the universities mentioned. The rational fans were relatively calm, but the vast army of Evans' girlfriend fans hated Song Juyao to death.
Meanwhile, Wen Zhulian's fans were laughing uncontrollably, bombarding the internet with mentions of the two prestigious universities.
[I can't wait to see who will claim to be from Horace or Glenn University.]
[Horace University and Glenn University, there's a student claiming to be a graduate of your institution. Come out and expose the impostor!]
[Horace University and Glenn University.]
These two universities were famous for cracking down on counterfeiting. if someone pretending to be a student of their school was discovered, they would not go easy on them.
At that moment, in Horace University.
Inside the office of the university president, the president himself had a serious expression as he discussed with his brother, a law professor at the university, about which celebrity to invite for this year's graduation speech.
As a top-tier institution with a 600-year history that had consistently held the top position worldwide for over a century, the university had produced hundreds of presidents, numerous generals, countless diplomats, and elites who were scattered across the world. This university was the white moonlight in the hearts of students all over the world, a mountain that was hard to climb.
Every year, the university would invite accomplished alumni to give speeches to the graduating class.
Suddenly, the professor's phone started ringing incessantly, and a series of notifications threatened to drain the phone's battery.
The professor frowned and lowered the volume to the lowest level to automatically mute the sound.
"I think having Ellie would be a good choice," the university president suggested.
"Haha! I knew it, you just want to show off your student again!" The younger brother immediately teased his older brother.
"Isn't she worth showing off? Don't think I don't know you hinted for Ellie to give you a signed book and then used it to impress girls!" It's really shameless to act like a playboy at your age.
"Alright, alright, of course it's okay to invite Ellie. But we have to publicize her various achievements. Are you sure she's willing to do that?"
"I'll call her right now. She's already an adult..." The university president promptly picked up his phone.
While the president was on the phone, the professor took a look at his own phone and found that the official website had received thousands of mentions. It nearly caused the phone to freeze. Recently, he was responsible for managing the school's official website, and this sudden influx of mentions indicated something big was happening. He clicked to see what it was.
??? Isn't this Ellie? Song Juyao? That's Ellie's other name.
What's going on? He looked at it more closely.
...Huh??? What are these idiots doing??? Graduate records? You have to use the name on the passport to check the student records, and Alice is her passport name. Are these people out of their minds??? Don't they know she was adopted by a foreign family???
Overseas netizens were discussing the collapse of Evan's image, and girlfriend fans were cursing Song Juyao for dragging Evans down. Meanwhile, most domestic netizens were blaming Song Juyao, of which Wen Zhulian's fans lead the charge, happily fueling the fire.
After all, there were huge contradictions between Wen Zhulian and Song Juyao, the fake and real heiress. Plus, Wen Zhulian had consistently pushed them into opposing positions. In the live broadcast, Song Juyao didn't give Wen Zhulian any face, so it was natural that her fans didn't want to let her off the hook. Anyone who dared to speak up for Song Juyao would receive a barrage of private messages cursing them out.
As for the fans of the other guests, they either supported their own idols, helping Wen Zhulian, or simply enjoyed the melons from the sidelines.
[Fake busters come out, someone is pretending to be a student of your schools, Horace University and Glenn University!]
Horace University v: This is an outstanding graduate we are proud of, Miss Ellie. P.S.: Please use the real name when searching student records. Using a pen name or any other self-assigned name won't yield any results. 😊😊😊
Current President of Horace University: 😡😡😡😡 This is my proud student! [graduation photo] [graduation group photo]
Current President of Horace University: It's a great pity that we didn't snatch her back then. 😔
The people who had been mocking were suddenly left with frozen expressions.
The melon-eaters who had been enjoying the melons, witnessed the melons drop.
Huh???