The production team had thoughtfully tied a rope to the durian, and when Amelia Lockhart jumped down carrying it, Ethan Quinn's eyelid twitched.
"I don't eat durian."
Amelia Lockhart's eyes curved into crescents as she smiled. "Perfect! I can devour the whole thing!"
Ethan Quinn was silent for two seconds. His thin lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but he held his tongue. He started walking forward again, and Amelia Lockhart happily followed, carrying the durian.
[PFFT! God, "devour the whole thing." It's so rare to see our boy with such an indescribable look on his face!]
[AHHHH! I don't want to laugh, but the look on Ethan's face just now was hilarious! HAHAHAHA!]
[But Amelia Lockhart is so annoying! Our boy really doesn't eat durian. To be precise, he hates the smell!]
The search passed quickly, and soon it was time to regroup. However, Amelia Lockhart and Ethan Quinn had only found two small red flags.
One durian.
One bottle of water.
Amelia Lockhart's brows furrowed. 'So I get to feast on the durian while Ethan fills up on water? If he recovers his identity as a High God, will he come looking for payback?'
"You really don't eat durian?" Amelia Lockhart asked after a long hesitation.
Ethan Quinn gave her a light, fleeting glance, leaving her to interpret it for herself.
Holding the durian, Amelia Lockhart was suddenly not happy at all. It was a dejection that not even eating durian could cure!
When the two of them returned to the meeting point, they were instantly struck by the sheer inequality of the world!
The pile of spoils in front of Rhett Reynolds and Iris Yates looked like a small mountain, making Amelia Lockhart stare wide-eyed. "Iris, you found all this? That's amazing!"
Seeing her shocked and admiring gaze, Iris Yates suddenly felt that a girl with such clear eyes probably wasn't like the online rumors claimed. She smiled, revealing two cute dimples. "Yep! When it comes to food, I'm an expert!"
Ruby Sawyer deliberately chimed in, "I thought we found very little with just four items, but you have even less!"
Everyone else had tables laden with delicacies, including mouth-watering self-heating rice meals!
But on their table, there was only a single durian and a bottle of mineral water.
The contrast was utterly miserable!
[Pairing our boy with Amelia Lockhart is the worst. She's dragging down his luck!]
The director stroked his beard, a triumphant smile on his face, and began to announce the challenge, "Our guests have all searched very diligently. In the spirit of 'waste not, want not,' you must eat everything you found. Remember, you have to finish *everything*!
"Furthermore, there's a special requirement. Since the theme is 'Spring Outing Hand-in-Hand,' each couple must hold one of their partner's hands. If you let go before you've finished eating, you will have failed the challenge.
"The first couple to finish their food while holding hands will get to choose their afternoon challenge! And everyone's afternoon challenge is different!"
Instantly, the smiles on Iris Yates's and Rhett Reynolds's faces froze. Their moods plummeted like a roller coaster.
[HAHAHA! This damn show! They were the team that did the best, and now they're the most miserable! How are Iris and Rhett supposed to eat all that?]
[It really is a damn show! They have to eat while holding hands? AHHH! Amelia Lockhart, don't you dare touch our boy! It's like an old cow eating tender grass!]
Iris Yates gave Amelia Lockhart a wry smile. "Now it's my turn to be jealous of you. The tables have really turned!"
Ruby Sawyer glared at the food before her, now finding it an eyesore. Amelia Lockhart really had some damn good luck!
Only Anna Summers chuckled, covering her lips. She flirtatiously swept her hair back. "But it won't be easy to open that durian while holding hands. So we still have a chance!"
Besides, Ethan Quinn was a germaphobe. Their task seemed the easiest, but it was invisibly the most difficult.
Leo Bishop laughed too, chiming in, "This production team really knows how to design a challenge."
[AHHHH! Leo's smile is so gentle! I'm dead!]
[HAHAHA! What Anna just said is actually making me a little excited. I'm a sinner! I want to see them try to open that durian!]
While everyone else was affectionately holding hands and coordinating as they ate, Ethan Quinn and Amelia Lockhart stood together like two strangers.
Amelia Lockhart's expression was calm. First, she glanced at the table.
It was very sturdy.
She confidently held out her hand to Ethan Quinn, gesturing for him to take it.
Ethan Quinn didn't move.
[HAHAHA! My second-hand embarrassment is kicking in!]
[Our boy's hands are like the spring waters of the Seine! How can they be tainted by that foul woman, Amelia Lockhart?!]
Ethan Quinn looked at Amelia Lockhart, and one word escaped his thin lips: "Dirty."
The bullet comments went wild with laughter!
[HAHAHA! Our boy is so blunt with his disgust! I'm laughing my head off!]
Amelia Lockhart understood instantly. She had just been climbing trees and scrambling all over the place, but Ethan Quinn's hands had remained perfectly clean.
Amelia Lockhart ran to the production team to borrow some hand soap, scrubbed her hands diligently for five minutes, and held her hand out to Ethan Quinn again. "How about now? They're squeaky clean!"
Ethan Quinn lowered his gaze.
The young woman's hands were fair and clean. Perhaps from being scrubbed so hard, her fingertips were slightly red. They looked delicate and lovely in the sunlight.
[Okay, but, her hands are kinda pretty. Sorry >.
[AHHHHH! Hey, you in the comment above, stop facing the wall! Our boy took her hand! Those two hands together are stunning! Let's all go face the wall together after this!]
The moment Ethan Quinn placed his hand on hers, the entire set went quiet. Anna Summers's eyes narrowed slightly. She glanced at Amelia Lockhart before nonchalantly looking away.
Ethan Quinn and Amelia Lockhart's livestream window was instantly flooded with viewers!
Seeing the explosive growth in viewer numbers, the director immediately gave the cameramen a look. Aside from the fixed cameras, most of the other lenses tilted in their direction.
The instant Ethan Quinn's hand rested on hers, Amelia Lockhart felt as if she were touching a piece of fine jade—cool and smooth.
She gently held Ethan Quinn's hand with her left, careful not to take advantage, terrified that the High God would come to settle the score after returning to his true form.
Then suddenly, CRACK!
Amelia Lockhart raised her right hand, tensed it, and brought it down on the durian in front of her!
The loud noise drew everyone's attention. They saw that Amelia Lockhart had not only split the durian open, but had done so with surprising skill, revealing the perfect flesh within.
While everyone was still staring wide-eyed in shock, they heard a pained cry, "Waaaah! That hurts! The spikes on this durian are so hard!"
Amelia Lockhart's left hand was still being held, so she could only furrow her brow and shake her right hand. It seemed to hurt a lot; the rims of her eyes were red!
Iris Yates, who was right beside her, had been completely startled. When she heard Amelia Lockhart's cry, she burst out laughing mercilessly. "Pfft! You split a durian with your bare hand. Of course it hurts! Who did you expect to get hurt?"
'This is hilarious,' she thought. 'How could there be such a straightforward and cute girl!'
[HAHAHAHA! I'm sorry! But splitting a durian with a bare hand is just too funny!]
[AHHHHHH! Our boy actually smiled! When our boy smiles, I'm dead!]