Chapter 149: Scared Out of Their Wits

At this moment, Yin Shanshan was walking toward the scene at a leisurely pace. Only when she was certain she had entered the designated filming range did she begin to run, feigning urgency.

"What's wrong? What's going on?"

Yin Shanshan appeared with a furrowed brow and a look of concern. It was only then that the staff member dressed as a ghost revealed his true identity, removing his wig and the bedsheet he had been draped in.

"It’s me, it’s me! Don’t be afraid, teachers. This is just a game set up by the production team."

Fang Wei and Xiao Tian’s reactions had been so extreme that even the staff member was rattled and ended his performance early. However, even after realizing it was a prank by the production crew, Fang Wei did not recover much. She remained sitting on the ground, her legs too weak to stand, and she continued to cry. Xiao Tian had buried himself in his mother’s arms, clutching her arm tightly and refusing to look up.

"Are you alright? Were you frightened? Did you get hurt anywhere?"

Yin Shanshan frowned, but her repeated inquiries were met with silence from Fang Wei. Turning her attention to Xiao Tian in Fang Wei’s arms, she asked gently, "Xiao Tian, how are you? Were you scared? That was just a staff member playing a game with us, it wasn't real. Please, don’t be afraid."

But Xiao Tian only shook his head, burying himself deeper into Fang Wei’s arms. The staff member and Yin Shanshan crouched nearby, trying to comfort them for a long time until their own legs went numb, yet the mother and son remained inconsolable.

Gradually, Yin Shanshan lost her patience and glanced at Fang Wei. "Fang Wei, can you stand up? If your leg is injured, I’ll have the staff contact a doctor."

Fang Wei finally snapped out of it and shook her head. "I'm not hurt."

"Then let's get up. I realized the ghost was a fake the moment I saw it. Why was your reaction so intense?"

[Exactly. None of the other groups were this terrified. Fang Wei is just too cowardly.]

[Easy for you to say. You’re in a deep, unfamiliar forest, and suddenly someone jumps out dressed as a ghost—wouldn't you be scared?]

[Does anyone else think Yin Shanshan’s reaction was too calm? She looked terrified just a moment ago, so why is she perfectly fine now that the ghost is revealed?]

[Doesn't anyone think Yin Shanshan acts like... an actress?]

[Exactly! Before she went to scout the path, she looked so frightened. How is she so composed now?]

[Can we stop with the conspiracy theories? Besides, the staff member's costume was obviously fake.]

[If you were actually immersed in that environment, wouldn't it be hard to tell at a glance?]

Arguments raged in the live chat, but eventually, the voices criticizing Yin Shanshan began to drown out her fans' defenses.

[If Yin Shanshan hadn't been telling ghost stories to scare people earlier, Fang Wei and Xiao Tian wouldn't be in such a state.]

[I know the inside story; I was scared by Shanshan’s words earlier, too.]

Finally, with the help of the cameraman and Yin Shanshan, Fang Wei managed to stand up, though Xiao Tian continued to cling to her tightly, refusing to make a sound.

"Xiao Tian, are you okay? Don't be afraid."

Fang Wei held him and offered comfort for quite a while, but Xiao Tian continued to tremble in her arms.

"It looks like we won't be able to continue with the activity. I have to take my son back first; he’s been badly frightened."

It was a rare moment of firmness from Fang Wei as she decided to withdraw from the recording. Xiao Tian had always been the apple of her eye, raised like a treasure, and seeing him in this state filled her with worry.

Yin Shanshan’s brow furrowed slightly. On the surface, she looked concerned, but in reality, she felt annoyed. If Fang Wei withdrew now, staying behind to continue the expedition would make her look heartless. But if she left with them, she would lose a lot of screen time.

"I’ll go back with you then."

Yin Shanshan finally made her decision. She had always been proud, and having seen the discordant comments in the live chat, she could not afford to leave behind any grounds for criticism.

[See? That’s true sisterhood. Yin Shanshan wouldn't scare people on purpose.]

[The goddess is so thoughtful, willing to give up the mission to accompany her friend back.]

"No need, you should continue recording with Yangyang," Fang Wei said, shaking her head.

"The way back is still very long, and I’m afraid you’ll get lost. Let’s go, we’ll head back together."

Yin Shanshan’s words sounded kind, but as she turned away, she allowed a fleeting, sharp frown to cross her face. Fang Wei caught the expression, which left her momentarily dazed. But when she looked again, there wasn't a single crack in Yin Shanshan’s demeanor, which only deepened Fang Wei’s confusion.

Elsewhere, after finalizing their plan to prank the production team, Su Wanning set off with Yu Xin and Tian Boyu.

With Yin Shanshan and Fang Wei having withdrawn from the game, the majority of the remaining viewers flooded into Su Wanning’s livestream to see what she had planned. As a result, the number of viewers in her stream climbed steadily until it hit a record high.

While walking, Su Wanning had nothing to do, so she took the broken flashlight from Tian Boyu.

"Do you know how to fix that?" Yu Xin asked curiously.

Su Wanning dismantled the flashlight in a few quick movements and examined it carefully. With a serious expression, she put it back together.

"Based on my inspection, I’ve concluded that this flashlight is—out of batteries."

The solemn delivery of such a useless observation made Yu Xin roll her eyes, her face full of speechlessness. However, Tian Boyu spoke up with complete sincerity: "You’re amazing."

"…I was joking. But the quality of this flashlight really isn't great. It seems the production team is cutting corners."

Su Wanning waved the model of the flashlight in front of the camera and explained, "When I was… filming, I used to work with these standard flashlights. They’re fine for home use, but in the wild, their range is far from enough, as you can see."

As she explained, Su Wanning turned on her flashlight to illuminate the path ahead. The dim light could only reveal a small patch of ground at their feet.

"In the wilderness, especially where light sources are scarce, the range of this kind of flashlight is very small. There are special camping flashlights with a much greater reach; if you use one of those, you can see the entire environment within three meters, which provides a great sense of security, and the batteries are very durable."

As she explained, she caught sight of two figures—one large, one small—on the path ahead. Her face lit up with surprise. "Found them! They’re right here!"

The cameraman looked ahead, and the light from their flashlights caught the attention of those in front. Qin Jingchen turned his head.

"It's your mother."

"Mom!"

Niannian shouted with joy, running toward them and throwing himself into Su Wanning’s arms.