The girls complained to high heaven, but the locals seemed quite happy.
They prepared food and accommodations enthusiastically, and although the environment was subpar, the service was very considerate.
Mu Nanke felt uneasy and said, "Senior Sister, it looks like it’s two people per room. How about we share a room?"
Shi Mei instinctively wanted to refuse, but looking back, she found that many people had already arranged their accommodations. Those with assistants shared a room with them, and those without assistants shared with another contestant.
Ye Tiao had left earlier; as soon as she got off the train, she went straight to a five-star hotel to rest and let Shi Mei know she was safe once she had arrived.
Shi Mei hesitated for a moment but still shook her head, "I’m used to living alone."
Mu Nanke was a bit disappointed but nodded, "Okay then."
Rejected by Mu Nanke, she had to find another girl who seemed easy to talk to and share a room with her.
In such a place, a girl staying alone really was a bit scary.
No matter who it was, having someone to share the space with made one feel more secure.
But Shi Mei had too many secrets; the less a stranger knew about her, the better.
After a brief discussion with the organizers, Shi Mei got a private room.
However, the mountain accommodations were poor; the rooms arranged for everyone were dormitories used occasionally by soldiers.
To call them rooms was a stretch; they were just compartments separated by plastic boards, with no soundproofing whatsoever.
Thankfully, even though it was a dormitory, there were toilets.
There were eight rooms along a corridor, with a communal bath and toilet stalls at the end.
There were no doors, just curtains separating each small area.
Shi Mei managed to secure a private compartment for herself, which caused envy among some people. At their insinuation, the organizers placed Shi Mei in a compartment near the toilet.
The stench was indescribable, but Shi Mei had no choice but to accept it.
After moving her things in, the more Shi Mei thought about it, the more she felt it was odd.
A talent show should never have been set in such a godforsaken place, yet not only was this program set here, but it was also incredibly shoddy.
Although there were many participants, not everyone received such treatment.
For instance, Tang Gu and Ma Jiaojiao were arranged to stay at a guest house two kilometers away in the mountain area.
Although the guest house wasn’t great either, it was much better compared to this place.
The official recording would start tomorrow, and tonight’s dinner was a communal meal prepared by the villagers.
The main dish was rice with a crispy bottom, rather tough, the vegetables were wild greens, the meat was wild boar, and the soup was mushroom broth. The food was quite decent.
After eating, everyone had to wash their own dishes. While Shi Mei was queuing to wash up, Mu Nanke just happened to be standing behind her. Seeing Shi Mei, she gently tugged at her sleeve and whispered, "Be careful when you sleep tonight."
Her voice was very soft.
Shi Mei’s eyes flickered, and she nodded imperceptibly.
Sure enough, there were noises outside at night.
Shi Mei didn’t know if it was because she had heeded Mu Nanke’s warning or because she had slept on the train all day, but she just couldn’t fall asleep, her mind replaying the melody she had come up with that afternoon.
It must have been around two in the morning when faint sounds came from outside.
Shi Mei opened her eyes and looked towards the outside. There was a dim light seeping through the bottom of the door.
It must have been the light from a cellphone, shining right at her doorway.