Chapter 62

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Chapter 62: Title

Salt burned her palate. Impossible – she’d measured it precisely. One spoonful, no more.

Song Yutian recalled the cooking process and remembered the bowl of broth Gu Feng had handed her earlier.

She turned around to find Gu Feng leaning against the kitchen doorway.

Though he pretended to glance casually in her direction, one look at his expression told Song Yutian he was responsible.

Cursing him internally, she said to Lu Qiao, "My apologies, Mr. Lu. Let me prepare another serving for you."

Lu Qiao, having observed her reaction, seemed to grasp the situation.

"No need," he replied. "I’ve accomplished what I came to do today."

Song Yutian regarded him with confusion.

Lu Qiao stood and leaned close to her ear. "It appears Miss Song holds a unique significance to Mr. Gu."

The sudden proximity startled her, and the warmth of his breath was gone before she could react.

"Until next time, Miss Song." Lu Qiao waved and exited the restaurant.

Su Moying tilted her head. "He left without eating anything?"

"Who knows what he’s thinking," Song Yutian murmured.

Lu Qiao had arrived after closing hours, and no other customers remained after his departure.

Turning to Gu Feng, who was still lingering by the kitchen, Song Yutian stated flatly, "You added extra salt to the broth."

Gu Feng didn’t deny it. "What’s wrong? Feeling sorry for him?"

"I’m sorry that my fish was wasted." She rolled her eyes. "I never imagined you could be this childish."

Gu Feng huffed softly, knowing he’d been petty. Seeing Lu Qiao chatting amiably with Song Yutian earlier had ignited an irrepressible irritation. When she called him over, he’d impulsively dumped two spoonfuls of salt into the broth.

Though regretting the childish act afterward, an apology remained impossible.

Song Yutian glanced between the abandoned yellow croaker tofu stew and Gu Feng. "You haven’t eaten dinner, have you?"

Liu Tian chimed in while passing by: "Sister Yutian, Brother Feng’s been working nonstop. He refused to eat earlier."

"Perfect timing then." Song Yutian gestured at the dish. "This can be your dinner."

When Gu Feng hesitated, she added, "Mr. Gu, everyone’s watching. Wasting food would set a poor example."

Gu Feng fell silent.

[So it was salt Gu Feng added!]

[Mr. Gu acting like a grade-schooler lol]

[Sister Song handled this perfectly.]

[Just eat it already! Food waste is shameful.]

As the restaurant lights dimmed, the two-day challenge concluded.

Contestants returned to the villa, awaiting the director’s final rankings. This announcement would reveal second-half scores and determine finalists.

"First," the director declared, "the restaurant challenge results!"

Groups stood divided on either side, tension thick. After two grueling days, no one wanted to face defeat.

"Group One’s earnings—observe the screen!"

Digits spun dramatically before settling: 4,850 yuan.

The first group—Shen Xi, Wei Yao, Liu Mengyuan, Zhang Chenyang, and Pei Hao—exchanged uneasy glances. What mattered wasn’t their total but the comparison.

"Now, Group Two’s results!"

Numbers whirled again, the thousands digit spinning excruciatingly long before stopping at 8,130.

After a stunned silence, cheers erupted.

"We won!" Liu Tian whooped.

Shen Xi and Wei Yao shared resigned looks, unsurprised. Many viewers had anticipated this outcome.

[That’s nearly double the earnings!]

[In fact, just observe the customer flow on both sides, and you’ll know—the second group has consistently maintained full occupancy.]

[Sister Song’s team also demonstrated faster dish delivery, while the first group’s kitchen remained chaotic.]

[To be honest, Shen Xi tried her hardest. Had Zhang Chenyang been present from the beginning, the gap wouldn’t have been this significant.]

When the contestants quieted down, the director announced, "Per the rules, the victorious second group secures three advancement slots for the finals, while the first group only gets two qualifiers."

"Now, we approach the pivotal moment—I’ll disclose each contestant’s individual scores. Here are the rankings for the Fairy Tale theme’s first Match Day: Amusement Park Challenge."

"Based on challenge completion status and time efficiency across five tasks, I’ll announce placements from lowest to highest."

"Fifth place goes to Liu Tian and Zhang Chenyang, having completed four challenges. Fourth place belongs to Wei Yao and Pei Hao, who finished all five challenges in five hours."

"Third position is secured by Shen Xi and Liu Mengyuan with four hours and twenty minutes. Second place goes to Gu Feng and Zhong Yueli at exactly four hours."

The director paused dramatically before continuing, "Song Yutian and Su Moying completed all challenges in three hours and twenty minutes. Therefore, they are crowned champions of the Amusement Park Challenge!"

After a stunned second, Su Moying turned to Song Yutian. "Yutian! Am I hearing this right? We actually won!"

Song Yutian responded with a confirming smile.

[Another victory for Sister Song! How many is this now?]

[Thrilled for Moying finally claiming championship!]

[Sister Song and Moying remain the ultimate duo!]

Following trophy presentations to the top three teams, the director revealed, "One final suspense remains—the promotional photo challenge voting results, determining the ultimate advancement list!"

A screen beside the director displayed the five teams’ names.

"Voting closed an hour ago, and I’ve just received the results. Let’s unveil them together!"

Initial vote counts appeared for Liu Mengyuan-Zhang Chenyang, Shen Xi-Su Moying, and Gu Feng-Liu Tian groups. The Shen Xi-Su Moying pair led decisively, leaving the other two teams far behind.

The voting column for Song Yutian and Wei Yao then began ascending. Numbers surged rapidly before decelerating near Su Moying’s group tally.

Live stream viewers fixated on the screen as the count stabilized after ten seconds. Ultimately, Song Yutian-Wei Yao surpassed Su Moying-Shen Xi by 10,000 votes.

Only Zhong Yueli-Pei Hao’s results remained hidden. During the final five voting hours, totals had been concealed, though previously, Su Moying, Song Yutian, and Zhong Yueli’s groups had been neck and neck.

[If memory serves, Sister Song remains undefeated?]

[Excluding her absence episode, Sister Song’s invincibility holds!]

[Zhong Yueli’s fanbase must be formidable! Sister Song’s in peril.]

[Enough suspense—reveal it already!]

Zhong Yueli-Pei Hao’s votes climbed swiftly before plateauing at Song Yutian-Wei Yao’s number.

[Identical counts? Impossible!]

[This must be scripted!]

As murmurs spread, their tally suddenly jumped by 500 votes.

The director smiled at the gasps. "Congratulations to Zhong Yueli and Pei Hao for clinching first place with a 500-vote margin!"

[Wow! Brother Yueli triumphs!]

[Sister Song’s unbeaten streak finally broken!]

[Narrow escape!]

[Without his current drama’s hype, Zhong Yueli might’ve lost to Sister Song and Wei Yao.]

Following the blockbuster success of Ask You for Decision, Zhong Yueli’s popularity had exploded, attracting numerous brand endorsement deals. Though co-lead Wei Yao benefited less significantly, as the plot centered on the male protagonist’s journey.

The director addressed Song Yutian. "Any thoughts on losing your first championship?"

After brief consideration, she replied, "Congratulations to Zhong Yueli and Pei Hao."

Dissatisfied, the director probed, "No regrets?"

"Not particularly," Song Yutian shrugged. "We advanced regardless, and the appearance fees are secured."

This response triggered veteran viewers’ memories.

[Didn’t Sister Song mention chasing appearance fees in Episode 1?]

[She’s admirably consistent—hilarious!]

[Full-circle moment achieved!]

The staff once again awarded medals and invited the contestants to deliver acceptance speeches before taking a group photo.

Then the director cleared his throat.

"Ahem, all scores have now been announced. This means the list of five finalists has been determined. They are—"

"Shen Xi, sixty points!"

"Pei Hao, one hundred points!"

"Su Moying, one hundred thirty points!"

"Song Yutian and Zhong Yueli, one hundred fifty points!"

Each time the director announced a name, the camera switched to a close-up of the corresponding contestant.

The director declared, "Our team scoring competition has concluded successfully. I want to thank all contestants here for delivering such a spectacular show to our audience!"

Applause erupted in the venue.

The director continued, "The finals will commence at 10 AM three days from now, where these five finalists will compete for the top three positions! Additionally, I have a major announcement—

"All qualifying contestants must invite a friend of the opposite sex to join them in the finals! The identities of these companions will remain confidential for now. Stay tuned!"

"Finally, thank you to all our viewers. We’ll see you at the finals!"

The live broadcast abruptly cut to a finals promotional trailer.

[Whoa, that ended way too suddenly!]

[Friends joining the finals?! Can I manifest my fave showing up?]

[Alright, time to log off. See you all at the finals!]

On set, contestants and crew members began exchanging farewells.

Around Song Yutian stood Shen Xi, Wei Yao, and Su Moying.

Su Moying sighed. "Sister Yaoyao, it’s such a shame you didn’t qualify. You were only ten points short."

Wei Yao smiled and shook her head. "Don’t worry, Moying. We’ll reunite soon enough."

Su Moying tilted her head. "Why?"

Shen Xi caught on first. "Yao Yao, are you saying you’ll be…"

Wei Yao nodded. "The company prearranged this. If either Yueli or I had gotten eliminated, we’d join as the other’s companion. Our main goal was drama promotion anyway, and the finals coincide with the show’s broadcast period."

Shen Xi acknowledged, "Same here. My company assigned me a colleague."

Su Moying’s eyes widened. "I thought I was the only one! My agent has prepped a senior brother for me."

Wei Yao chuckled. "You’ll learn, Yingying. These things are scheduled months ahead. How else would we secure someone’s availability in three days?"

Su Moying nodded, then turned. "Yutian, what about you? Who’s your partner?"

Song Yutian: "…"

It appeared she was the only finalist whose company hadn’t prearranged a companion.

Perhaps her agency never anticipated that Song Yutian—once notorious and nearly shelved—would fight her way to the finals.

By the time Song Yutian left the recording villa, moonlight bathed the courtyard.

Retrieving her phone from the program group, she found multiple unread messages.

One from Sister Chen confirmed her suspicions: Her manager hadn’t arranged any "male companion," having doubted her advancement. With numerous artists under her charge, the matter had slipped through the cracks mid-competition. The message offered last-minute options—new male trainees available on short notice.

Song Yutian replied, requesting a day to decide. Male rookies. The prospect of partnering with them chilled her—not from prejudice, but because bitter experiences with Gong Yu, Qin Yuanzhuo, and Zhang Chenyang had eroded her faith in male idols.

Another message from Mama Song overflowed with maternal concern, urging a home visit. Song Yutian agreed readily. This second life demanded more family time.

Song Yuan’an’s terse follow-up arrived: [Mom says come back early.]

She responded affirmatively, adding that she’d secured Su Moying’s autograph for him. No reply came.

Then Gu Feng’s message appeared: [Who’s your finals partner?]

She ignored it. Partly from disdain, partly because… she truly didn’t know.

Finally, there was a new friend request containing just two words: Lu Qiao.

Song Yutian clicked accept.

Two minutes later, a message arrived from the other side.

Lu Qiao: Miss Song

Lu Qiao: Are you available for a call now?