Chapter 154: Startled

Yu Xin’s seemingly casual tease hit Yin Shanshan right where it hurt the most.

[It’s like she’s reading my mind. I only started watching this show for Yin Shanshan, but now I’ve inexplicably fallen for Su Wanning’s family. I’m trapped in this rabbit hole and can’t get out!]

[Still holding the flag for Shanshan!]

[But in this show, Su Wanning is indeed more interesting. She’s good at livestreaming, articulate, and skilled in Chinese cuisine. She’s basically a jack-of-all-trades, isn’t she?]

[Heh, if being good at marketing makes you a reality TV star, then surely no one can beat that scheming bitch Su Wanning.]

Yin Shanshan forced a smile. "How can that be? If you’re all gone, where would the soul of this show be?"

The people around her could feel the awkwardness in the air, so Su Wanning took the initiative to speak.

"Then we promise you, we won’t use that privilege all at the same time, okay?"

Wang Zan was finally swayed and reluctantly agreed to give the grand prize to everyone who participated in finding the final treasure.

"Everyone has worked hard tonight. Since the final treasure was found and you collected a total of eight puzzle pieces during the hunt, everyone will receive eight types of ingredients carefully prepared by our sponsor."

No sooner had Wang Zan finished speaking than the production crew brought out the ingredients and laid them out before everyone.

In the small courtyard, a long table was set up. As each ingredient was brought out, the eyes of those present widened.

The long table was filled with eight large platters: sea cucumber, abalone, crab, prawns... eight kinds of fresh, top-tier seafood.

"As expected of our production team’s usual routine—give a slap, then offer a sweet treat," Yu Xin remarked with a hand on her chin, making everyone burst into laughter.

Fang Wei, standing nearby, said somewhat embarrassedly, "But our group came back early today because of Xiaotian’s health, so we didn’t contribute anything."

"It’s fine, there’s too much food for us to finish anyway. By the way, I heard you’re a good cook, Fang Wei. Why don’t you help us prepare dinner?"

At Su Wanning’s suggestion, Fang Wei immediately nodded. "Sure, that’s my specialty. No problem!"

The group bustlingly began their preparations. Tian Boyu, not being skilled in the kitchen, went inside to help with the prep work, including cleaning the seafood.

For this dinner, Yu Xin and Fang Wei took charge as lead chefs, while the others helped out. However, another chef, Su Wanning, quietly slipped out of everyone’s sight.

[Where is Su Wanning going?]

[I don’t know. Is she planning to go back to bed and slack off?]

[Come on, she’s the one who found all these ingredients. So what if she wants to slack off?]

The comment section broke into a squabble, but Su Wanning paid it no mind. She went straight to the room on the right side of the first floor and pushed the door open.

The house had been temporarily constructed by the production team, and the wooden door gave a sharp creak. Inside, the small figure on the bed seemed startled by the sound and nearly jumped up in fright.

"Don’t be scared, Xiaotian. It’s Auntie Su."

As she spoke, Su Wanning quickly pressed the light switch. The room flooded with light, revealing Xiaotian huddled in the corner of the bed, hugging his legs, his wide eyes scanning the doorway with vigilance.

At one glance, Su Wanning’s heart tightened, and she frowned.

Earlier, she had heard the crew and Fang Wei say that Xiaotian’s state was off, and she hadn't been able to stop worrying.

The show had a segment where staff dressed up to scare the guests. Children were naturally timid, and being in such an unfamiliar environment, a fright could easily trigger physical ailments.

The scariest part was that when a child was frightened, parents often assumed it was nothing serious. Seeing them walk and talk, they thought a good night’s sleep would fix it, unaware that if left unchecked, the situation could spiral out of control.

Traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes observation. As soon as she pushed the door open, Su Wanning saw that Xiaotian’s forehead was drenched in sweat, his small body was trembling, and his lips were unnaturally pale—clear signs of a severe fright.

"Xiaotian, don’t be afraid. We’re having seafood tonight. Auntie Su just came to ask if there’s anything you’d like to eat?"

Su Wanning sat on the edge of the bed, leaving a significant distance between herself and Xiaotian. This distance seemed to give him a sense of security; his grip on his legs loosened slightly, though he only pressed his lips together and shook his head in silence.

Su Wanning tentatively asked, "You don't want to eat, right?"

Xiaotian nodded.

"Were you scared in the woods today?"

This time, only endless silence met her question.

Su Wanning sighed.

[The kid doesn’t look right.]

[Why is he this terrified? Shouldn't the production team send a doctor to check on him?]

[His own mother doesn't even care. It's a good thing Su Wanning is concerned, or he'd be so scared.]

"Everyone, please don't say that. Fang Wei is very concerned about Xiaotian. He’s just been frightened, and he feels safer staying in the room alone."

Su Wanning had anticipated such comments and stepped in to explain.

"Then you rest here for a while. Auntie Su will come back to get you later, okay?"

Under Xiaotian’s hesitant gaze, Su Wanning exited the room.

To her surprise, she ran straight into Qin Jingchen, who had been waiting there.

"How did you know I was here?" she asked, surprised to see him waiting.

"How is the boy?" Qin Jingchen didn't answer, only glancing at the tightly closed door.

Su Wanning shook her head and lowered her voice. "It’s not good. I want to go into the woods to pick some herbs."

"I’ll go with you," Qin Jingchen replied without a second thought.

[Is this the unspoken bond between a married couple?]

[Mr. Qin seems like a loyal dog; he’s nothing like the typical domineering CEO I imagined.]

[No way, are they really planning to go back into that spooky forest?]

The two walked out and gathered all the children in the kitchen.

"Xiaotian has been severely frightened. If we let this continue, he could potentially develop psychological issues."

As soon as Su Wanning finished speaking, the kitchen knife dropped from Fang Wei’s hand onto the cutting board.

"What did you say? Xiaotian—"

Fang Wei turned to run to her son but was stopped by Su Wanning.

"Don’t go now. A parent's anxiety will only put more psychological pressure on the child. Let the other children keep him company for a while, and I’ll go prepare the medicine."

For some reason, Su Wanning’s voice was inexplicably persuasive, and Fang Wei stopped in her tracks.