Suddenly, a person emerged from the forest, and not only were the viewers in front of the screens shocked, even the guests present were taken aback.
Huo Miao ran over immediately and showed concern for Huo Ziheng, "Second Brother, are you okay?!"
"I’m fine..." Huo Ziheng’s consciousness suddenly cleared, and he took the opportunity to slip the scissors back into his pocket.
He lowered his head to look beside him, where a deep brown coconut had rolled to the ground.
It had been this coconut that had suddenly attacked him from behind.
Huo Miao had already seen Qi Xingzhou standing not far behind Huo Ziheng.
There was no need to comment on Qi Xingzhou’s appearance: a high nose bridge, deep-set eyes, handsome and striking features, clean and pale skin, standing erect at the edge of the forest with an ethereal air.
A flash of amazement crossed Huo Miao’s eyes, "Who are you?"
Turning around, Huo Ziheng also saw Qi Xingzhou, and as his gaze landed on the coconut in his arms, Huo Ziheng immediately realized that it was the culprit that had just attacked him from behind.
The other guests, hearing the commotion, also ran over. Everyone looked at the abruptly appearing Qi Xingzhou with caution, none speaking.
Jiang Ning too found it unbelievable, but still called out his name, "...Qi Xingzhou?"
Her tone was tentative, but when Qi Xingzhou heard Jiang Ning call his name, he lit up like a little dog suddenly hearing its master’s voice, those beautiful lifeless black pupils instantly shining.
[Eh? Qi Xingzhou? Jiang Ning actually knows him?]
[What a lovely name!]
Qi Xingzhou ignored the other guests and walked straight to Jiang Ning. Lowering his head as if seeking praise, he extended the coconut he had been cradling to her.
Jiang Ning dropped the rabbit and chicken on the ground and reached out to take the coconut from Qi Xingzhou.
The fresh coconut felt heavy in her hands, and Jiang Ning was still somewhat disbelieving, "Is it really you? How did you get here?"
Jiang Ning’s question also voiced what the other guests were thinking.
Huo Miao couldn’t help but step forward, her gaze somewhat jealous, and she said, with a tinge of sourness, "Jiang Ning, aren’t you going to introduce us? Who is he? Where did he come from?"
The other guests, also curious, crowded around. Their initial wariness towards the stranger changed to expectancy upon learning that Jiang Ning knew him.
If he was someone Jiang Ning knew, then he was not a native of this desolate island. And since he could come here, he must surely know a way to leave!
Everyone looked towards Qi Xingzhou with anticipation.
Yuan Wei couldn’t help stepping forward, anxiously asking, "How did you get here? Where is your yacht?"
Qi Xingzhou did not like contact with anyone other than Jiang Ning, and Yuan Wei was too close for his comfort. Qi Xingzhou petulantly turned his head and with a swift step, hid behind Jiang Ning.
Everyone was slightly startled.
"This is my friend, he’s always been disinclined to interact with strangers," Jiang Ning spoke up to explain for Qi Xingzhou.
[Hahaha, that evasive movement, I can’t stop laughing, he’s just like me when I followed my parents to visit relatives during New Year as a kid]
[Definitely a socially anxious person, no doubt about it.]
However, Jiang Ning was also curious about how Qi Xingzhou had appeared here. She turned her head to look at him, the questioning intent clear in her eyes.
Qi Xingzhou’s eyes were bright, "Xingzhou came over on foot."
Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Qi Xingzhou took out a familiar-looking map from his pocket.
Jiang Ning took a look and discovered that the map in Qi Xingzhou’s hands was identical to the one previously given to her by the program team! The only difference was that the starting point on Qi Xingzhou’s map was the safe house.
"Just take a look for yourselves," Jiang Ning said as she passed Qi Xingzhou’s map around for everyone to see.
As everyone looked, they too were stunned.
"How... how is this possible..." Yuan Wei’s previously enthusiastic expression instantly faded, replaced by a look of utter despair and defeat.
[Ahhh? What does this mean?]
[Um... Does everyone still remember what the director said before? There were two mysterious guests in the safe house, and I guess this handsome guy is one of them. But for some reason, he left the safe house to meet up with Jiang Ning.]
[Hahaha, this guy, he had a nice safe house to stay in, but here he is, coming out to hang with the contestants.]
[Pfft, so that’s what’s going on. The other guests must be speechless, all their excitement for nothing.]
The bullet comments were spot on. Everyone but Jiang Ning understood that Qi Xingzhou was one of the mysterious guests as soon as they saw the map with the program team’s logo on it.
This was indeed a case of joy turned to disappointment.
They had just assumed Qi Xingzhou had come over on the yacht by himself or with others and thought they might have a chance of getting away!
Turns out, Qi Xingzhou was one of the mysterious guests sent to the desolate island by the program team’s other staff members on the very same day!
Everyone instantly lost their enthusiasm and handed the map back to Jiang Ning.
"Sister Jiang, is your friend hungry?" Nong Chun stepped forward and said, "I just made some seafood soup."
Seeing Qi Xingzhou looking weary as if he had walked a long distance from the safe house, Jiang Ning bit her lip, reached out to grab Qi Xingzhou’s arm, and led him to the tent.
The rabbits and chickens had their feet tied with vines by Jiang Ning, and after she dropped them on the ground, they couldn’t escape.
Nong Chun picked up the rabbits and chickens from the ground and followed behind the two, smiling cheerfully.
Nong Chun had just gone to the seashore where he got a good catch from those three fishing bottles. Since the fish were quite small, he decided to make a soup out of them.
With fresh ingredients, a complete array of seasonings, and Nong Chun’s decent cooking skills, the fish soup turned out milky white, fragrant, and rich.
Once he lifted the lid, the tempting aroma immediately spread in all directions.
However, when it came time to share the food, Nong Chun suddenly felt a bit uncomfortable.
Yesterday, Jiang Ning had only made two bamboo bowls, and now with an extra person, it seemed there weren’t enough bowls and utensils.
"Sister Jiang..." Nong Chun gazed at the bamboo bowls, hesitating, "Should I give my bowl to your friend... Will he mind?"
Jiang Ning looked at Qi Xingzhou, who was obediently following at her side. Although she had only met Qi Xingzhou a few times, Jiang Ning knew quite a lot about him through Ji Shuang. Despite his appearance of being mild and easy to get along with, he actually had a severe psychological need for cleanliness, especially regarding his personal belongings, and was extremely picky.
Qi Xingzhou was unaware that Jiang Ning was mentally calling him picky. Seeing Jiang Ning’s gaze on him, he blinked innocently, his bright eyes conveying a quiet obedience.
When Jiang Ning looked down and saw the coconut in her hand, she suddenly had an idea, "No need to give it to him, I’ll make him a new one."
Jiang Ning let go of Qi Xingzhou’s arm and turned to walk into her own tent, taking out an empty bamboo tube.
She pulled out the Survival Knife, and its sharp blade made an incision on the coconut, first removing the outer layer of the shell, then making a hole at the top to pour the clear coconut water into the bamboo tube. Next, she sliced the coconut in half with the sharp blade and scraped out the flesh from one half, creating a makeshift coconut bowl.