Chapter 20

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Chapter 20: Title

"The champion is Gu Feng and Song Yutian! Their prize is thirteen thousand six hundred and seven yuan!" the director announced loudly.

Song Yutian and Gu Feng had an idea they might win when they received the payment from the brand, so both of their expressions were very calm.

Meanwhile, the other contestants looked surprised.

Especially Qin Yuanzhuo—when he heard the champion’s name, his expression was calm. However, when the director said the exact amount of earnings, a look of surprise appeared on his face for the first time.

The other contestants’ expressions were similar; everyone was deeply shocked by the figure the director mentioned.

It was simply too much.

Only during the competition had Gong Yu and Wei Yao faced this group and mentally prepared themselves. Wei Yao was seriously clapping and even cheered a little.

Amidst the applause, the staff presented the golden champion trophy to the two of them, then signaled for them to pose for a photo together, facing the camera.

When the previous two teams took photos together, there had been small interactions between teammates. Gong Yu put his arm around Wei Yao’s shoulder, while Liu Tian and An Xin both made peace signs over each other’s heads.

Thinking of this, Gu Feng couldn’t help but glance at Song Yutian.

Song Yutian was smiling gently at the camera, her profile serene and beautiful under the glow of the setting sun.

…

Gu Feng felt a wave of dissatisfaction inside.

This woman didn’t take the chance to put her arm around his shoulder or hold his hand? Didn’t she used to like doing that? What’s worse, he had even lowered himself to approach her, yet she didn’t respond at all?

However, Song Yutian didn’t notice Gu Feng at all. Deep down, she thought that Gu Feng wouldn’t want to interact with her, so she didn’t want to embarrass herself.

Gu Feng had to look back at the camera and force a smile that he thought looked cool.

So, even though the staff hinted multiple times, the two of them still held their own trophies and took a picture together, standing a step apart. Even if someone else had stood between them, it wouldn’t have felt crowded.

The audience also noticed the odd atmosphere between the two, and most of them were just there to enjoy the show.

[I thought they would have bonded after spending a day together, but I was wrong.]

[Hahaha, these two look like enemies, not teammates.]

[Gu Feng glanced at Sister Song, but Sister Song ignored him, hahaha.]

[I originally thought Gu Feng just didn’t like Song Yutian, but now it seems they both dislike each other.]

Of course, some were more serious about it and ended up arguing in the comments.

[Isn’t this woman very rude?]

[Isn’t Song Yutian laughing? Does being polite mean you have to force a smile at someone who is cold?]

[Is Song Yutian trying to embarrass Gu Feng in front of everyone? Now I dislike her even more.]

[Aren’t these two supposed to not like each other? Please don’t take sides.]

After the photo was taken, as the two were about to sit down, Liu Tian raised his hand and said to the director, "Director, could you share how they managed to make so much money? We’d like to learn too!"

The director said, "I have no objections. How about letting the two teammates explain it themselves?"

Song Yutian and Gu Feng exchanged a glance, and Gu Feng said, "You go ahead."

Although he disliked Song Yutian, he didn’t want to steal her glory. Since it was her idea, it should belong to her.

Song Yutian was also straightforward and briefly explained how they used the rickshaw for advertising. The strategy itself was simple, but it was difficult to come up with and execute in a short time, so Song Yutian kept her explanation concise.

The people present had different expressions after listening—some were surprised, some admired her, and others showed no emotion.

Qin Yuanzhuo suddenly raised his hand. "Director, I have a question."

The director said, "What is your question? Everyone, feel free to ask."

Qin Yuanzhuo said, "Aren’t the competition rules that earnings must come from the rickshaw? Isn’t making money from advertising against the rules?"

Qin Yuanzhuo voiced what some of the audience had been wondering.

[Yes, isn’t this just being sneaky?]

[Then in any competition that compares income, wouldn’t advertising always guarantee a win?]

[Indeed, Qin Yuanzhuo is rigorous and has a questioning spirit!]

After listening, the director said slowly, "Here’s the situation—our program team carefully discussed this. In the end, we believe that the advertisement uses the rickshaw as a medium, and the contestant placed the ad on the vehicle. Therefore, it follows the rule that income must be earned through the rickshaw."

"However," the director glanced around at the contestants, "the program team also considered everyone’s thoughts. So, while we won’t directly forbid advertising, if there are similar competitions in the future, the program team will set restrictions on advertising in the rules ahead of time."

As he spoke, the director smiled broadly, showing his white teeth. "If any sponsors want to place ads, please contact our program team directly."

"Ahem, now back to the point," the director said. "Next, let’s announce—second place!"

This was the final suspense, and after various exaggerated expressions and drawn-out pauses, the director loudly declared, "Second place goes to Zhong Yueli and Shen Xi!"

As soon as the director finished speaking, fans of both contestants began flooding the screen with bullet comments of support.

[Congratulations, Yueli! Brother is amazing!]

[Brother Yueli always brings surprises! I’m so happy!]

[This group quietly made a fortune! I didn’t have high hopes for them, but they actually came in second!]

[Sister Xi is amazing! They quietly made a fortune!]

At the same time, many people were very disappointed. As the staff awarded the silver medal to the second-place team, Qin Yuanzhuo and Su Moying ended up in fourth place, and the comments exploded.

[Why? Cherry only got fourth place? How can this be?]

[Qin Yuanzhuo came in second to last? I don’t believe it!]

[Boo hoo! I thought Cherry would at least be third; fourth place is too low!]

[What the heck! This is unfair! The program team should give our Zhuo and Ying team third place!]

No matter how chaotic the comments were, the director still maintained a smiling face on camera.

"After a long day as rickshaw pullers, everyone must be exhausted. Our program team has thoughtfully prepared a delicious dinner for you! All contestants, please head to the dining room and take a well-earned break after the tough competition!"

After the previous unexpected experience of being blindfolded by the program team, the contestants were extra cautious before sitting at the dining table.

It wasn’t until the director announced that everyone could start eating that they finally believed the program team had genuinely invited them to dinner.

As exquisite dishes were served, everyone slowly relaxed and began to eat and chat.

However, even though they were supposed to be unwinding, most people were still feeling tense.

Before it was time to rest for the night, cameras hovered around the dining table, capturing every expression of the contestants. Every action was being live-streamed.

A funny comment could gain them fans, while an inappropriate action might lose them fans. Although they were supposed to enjoy a meal, it was just another opportunity to present themselves on the program outside of the competition.

So while it seemed like everyone was casually chatting, some people mentally rehearsed their words multiple times before speaking.

As for Song Yutian, she seemed to be the most relaxed person among them.

If she behaved well during dinner, would her competition points go up? Would someone give her extra appearance fees?

No.

So, Song Yutian chose not to waste her energy and focused on her meal, saving her strength for tomorrow’s competition.

Suddenly, Song Yutian caught a flicker of light from her peripheral vision—her phone screen had lit up. It was her personal phone.

The program team only required contestants to use the special phones provided by them during the official competition; at other times, they were allowed to use their own phones. After all, the show was filmed continuously, and it wouldn’t be realistic to prevent contestants from contacting the outside world for several weeks.

Song Yutian unlocked her phone screen and saw a text message.

Because they had been working in groups all day, the contestants naturally chose their seats according to their groups when they sat down to eat. Gu Feng was sitting right next to Song Yutian.

Gu Feng was sitting up straight and eating his meal when he suddenly heard a quiet laugh from nearby. He glanced to his right and noticed Song Yutian looking at her phone screen, a slight smile curving the corners of her mouth.

What is this woman up to again? Gu Feng rolled his eyes in his mind.

In the blink of an eye, a thought suddenly flashed through Gu Feng’s mind.

Gu Feng looked at Song Yutian and blurted out, "Are you in love?"