Under Sang Ning's lead, the Sang Family slowly walked to the village entrance and stood beside Chu Xi and Li Sulan.
Li Sulan slightly lifted her chin and, while the camera wasn't pointed at her, cast a disdainful glance at the Sang Family, exuding a haughty air.
Standing next to her, Chu Xi glanced at the Sang Family from the corner of her eye. When their gazes unintentionally met, she immediately looked away, a fleeting coldness hidden in her eyes.
Hu Zhi's heart was stabbed fiercely, but she still signaled to Sang Youming and Sang Chuan with her eyes, instructing them to act as if they didn't know Chu Xi.
The day they found Chu Xi, Li Sulan gave the Sang Family a million yuan, with the condition that they wouldn't entangle Chu Xi and would keep the mistaken identity of their daughters a secret.
Hu Zhi accepted the money, only to immediately donate it all. How could she possibly put a price on the daughter she had raised for twenty years?
To set Li Sulan and Chu Xi's minds at ease, she had still accepted the money in person.
Even though she had mentally prepared herself, meeting Chu Xi's unfamiliar gaze again still caused her unbearable heartache.
Sang Ning sensed Hu Zhi's emotions, wrapped an arm around her shoulder, and gently patted her, saying, "Mom, don't be nervous, I'm here."
Hu Zhi turned to look at Sang Ning, her heart warmed, tears welling in her eyes. She broke into a radiant smile and nodded firmly.
Her fate as Chu Xi's mother had completely ended. She owed Xiao Ning twenty years' worth of maternal love, and from today onwards, she would make up for it, bit by bit.
After all the contestants arrived, they followed the procedure, with each group giving a brief introduction to the audience through the cameras.
Once the introductions were finished, six black-clad individuals holding photos walked to the center of the plaza.
The PD spoke with a mischievous tone: "Dear contestants, today's task is rather challenging. Since it's lunchtime, we've prepared some specialty dishes for each family. Please send one representative from each family to collect the food."
Without a doubt, every family sent out their younger members.
The Sang Family had two young people, and Sang Ning, trusting her instincts, believed the production team wouldn't let them get the food so easily. She suggested playing rock-paper-scissors with Sang Chuan, with the loser going.
Originally set for the best two out of three, Sang Ning lost two rounds in a row. Unwilling to give up, she shamelessly proposed another round—this time best three out of five—but lost three games in a row again.
The PD was already urging them, so she had no choice but to reluctantly step forward.
She now believed it: the lower her Health Points, the worse her luck!
The audience was thoroughly entertained: [Sang Ning is the ultimate unlucky person; she didn't win even once. Pure unluckiness, the real deal.]
At the director's signal, the six individuals responsible for picking up the family meals approached the black-clad people and saw clearly that they were holding photos of six different dishes.
The PD began the explanation.
"The photos in the black-clad individuals' hands depict the following dishes: Yuan Village's specialty banquet 'Eight Bowls,' hot pot malatang, burger and cola, fish-flavored pork rice, tomato and egg noodles, and plain steamed buns. These dishes are hidden at the end of six tracks on the left. You'll each choose a track at random, and as long as you reach the end of the track, you'll get your lunch for today."
As soon as he finished, another black-clad person appeared, carrying a box.
The PD continued, "Inside this box are six numbered balls. The number you draw will determine which track you'll start from, and the number will also serve as your family's designation in the upcoming activities. Please begin drawing."
After all six participants had drawn their balls, they turned their numbered sides toward the camera.
1: Song Shiye, 2: Shen Yi, 3: Chu Xi, 4: Qin Kai, 5: Sang Ning, 6: Chu Wei.
Each track was blocked by a foamed door bearing the show's logo. To enter the track, they would have to break through the door. Nobody could guess what was behind the door. The uncertainty made everyone a little nervous.
The participants were required to take off their shoes and socks, hesitating as they stood before the doors. No one dared to go first, when the PD's mischievously cheerful voice rang out.
"Oh, one detail I forgot to mention: this task is timed. If you don't complete the track within three minutes, it'll be deemed a failure, and you'll go without lunch today."
"I now announce the start of the timer."
A crisp whistle sounded. Despite their hesitation, the contestants charged forward head-on. They could endure hunger, but they couldn't let their families go hungry too.
Chu Wei was the first to break through the door, immediately letting out a loud "Oh my god!"
The others glanced quickly at her track before starting, seeing several massive hammers swinging 360 degrees erratically in the middle.
Chu Wei, at only 158 cm tall with a petite frame, was barely as tall as the hammers. They swung up and down relentlessly, appearing as though they might swallow her at any moment.
Sang Ning smirked and broke through her own door, finding that her obstacle was identical to Chu Wei's.
Inside the track, Sang Ning displayed her Qinggong skills, leaping up and down with ease. Her toes lightly touched one hammer before she propelled herself to the next.
She wore a confident, victorious expression, her lips curling into a sneer, as though these hammers were no challenge at all.
The live audience was mesmerized.
[Excuse me? Is something wrong with my eyes? Sang Ning knows Qinggong?!]
[OMG, she's so badass! The casual dominance she exuded just now—I'm on my knees!]
[She's making it look so easy that it seems like this obstacle isn't difficult at all.]
[It's not easy at all! I'm watching multiple streams at once, and Chu Wei's feed shows her struggling to dodge the hammers.]
The tracks were closely spaced, and Sang Ning could clearly hear the rising and falling screams from neighboring tracks.
On Song Shiye's track, sprinklers installed on either side were triggered the moment he broke the door. Water poured down in torrents, instantly drenching his stylish blue hair.
To look good on camera, he had struck a suave pose before breaking through the door. The moment the water hit, his composure broke, and he ran forward hugging his head while yelling "grandma, grandma!"
[I can't take it anymore, I'm dying of laughter. The sunny puppy just became a drenched mutt in seconds.]
[Director, how cruel! He even posted a selfie on Weibo this morning, showing off the new hair color he dyed just for the show. He didn't even get to enjoy being handsome for three seconds.]
Qin Kai didn't fare much better. He was greeted by a slide smeared with soapy water.
At first, he thought it was just a normal, wet slide and cautiously stepped onto it, gripping the edges. But as soon as he made contact, he slipped and fell without warning.
At 28, Qin Kai was a talented dramatic actor with sharp features and an intimidating presence, giving off a sense of authority upon first impression.
But now, as he fell, landing on his hands and pouting slightly, he looked more like a clumsy brown bear than a fierce figure.
He kept trying, finally making it halfway up the slide before losing his footing and sliding all the way back down.
Qin Kai was nearly in tears, shouting, "This is so unfair!"
His voice, tinged with a hint of a sob, paired with his furrowed brows, exuded an incongruous sense of vulnerability and helplessness that didn't match his usual fierce image.
[Some people appear to be cold-blooded villains, but behind the scenes, they're gentle bears who cry when wronged. This shocking contrast is killing me with cuteness!]
Meanwhile, Shen Yi's track featured spiked massage boards. While it wasn't as difficult as the others, the pain clearly took its toll.
He grimaced in agony, biting his lip as he limped along awkwardly.
[Doesn't Shen Yi look like a bristling cat right now? Can someone please help smooth out his fur? The cool aloof kitty is about to cry from the pain.]
Amid the chaos, a startling announcement popped up across various livestream feeds.
[Holy crap, someone just cleared their track in 30 seconds!]