When Ji Yang and Xu Ruier tried to leave, they were stopped. “Sorry, you can’t go outside,” the staff explained, indicating that they were only allowed to prepare or discuss inside.

The two returned to their room.

In another room:

“Discuss? What’s there to discuss?” Yang Rui raised an eyebrow and looked at Mo Qianqian. “Let’s just split up and search, then meet at the designated spot.”

“Sounds good,” Mo Qianqian agreed.

Li Peng and Zhang Jie also decided on a similar plan. Dividing up the work to maximize efficiency seemed like the best strategy.

Only Ji Yang told Xu Ruier, “We’ll go together.”

Standing by the window, Xu Ruier turned her head to look at him. After holding his gaze for two seconds, she suddenly asked, “Are we allowed to bring paper and pens?”

“They can be purchased.”

“Right, good idea.”

…

Their brief conversation baffled both the staff and the viewers, sparking even more curiosity among fans.

---

After an hour had passed, all three couples left the inn.

The other four participants immediately split into different directions, jogging as if every second counted.

Meanwhile, Ji Yang and Xu Ruier didn’t run but merely quickened their pace.

---

The town was large, with a maze of crisscrossing streets and alleys. It was easy to get lost if one wasn’t careful.

Li Peng was the first to find a box hidden in the bushes. Excited, he opened it only to discover it was empty. Then, he spotted a single coin inside and, with a twitching mouth, turned to the cameraman. “Are you serious? Fifty cents?”

The cameraman remained expressionless.

“A rainbow cake costs eight yuan!” Li Peng nearly lost it, but with no time to waste, he hurried off again.

Mo Qianqian found another box and fared slightly better. Inside was one yuan. She examined the palm-sized box. “It’s easy to miss something this small.”

Yang Rui somehow ended up in a tiny alley. Looking at the four diverging paths ahead of him, his face turned blank with confusion. “I’m doomed. It’ll be hard to meet up with Qianqian again. Next time I see her, we should stick together.”

---

The most leisurely pair? Ji Yang and Xu Ruier.

While others dashed and power-walked, the two of them held hands, strolling as if on a romantic vacation.

“Qinghe Road,” Xu Ruier said, reading a street sign. Tilting slightly to her right, she glanced down the road. “There’s a teahouse, a bar, and…”

Viewers watching the broadcast were stunned by the mismatched vibe.

Excuse me, you two. It’s only an hour! Be serious, please. This is a competition!

“Qinghe Road is next to Qinghai Road,” Ji Yang added. “There’s a grilled fish shop and a handmade craft store there.”

“Right,” Xu Ruier confirmed.

Viewers: “…”

Are they planning to lose? At this crucial time, could they stop flirting and focus on the game?

“This way,” Ji Yang said, leading her into a small alley. “Busy areas won’t have boxes easily accessible.”

He was spot on. About 50 meters in, a small box was sitting in the corner of a shopfront. Xu Ruier jogged over and grabbed it.

“One yuan… and twenty cents?”

She held up a small bill and two coins.

“The production crew is stingy. Can’t be helped.” Ji Yang took the empty box and deliberately placed it in a conspicuous spot in the middle of the road. Xu Ruier was momentarily stunned before catching on, laughing mischievously.

“One more box should be enough,” Ji Yang said, glancing at two nearby streets. He turned to her. “Go straight and stop at the fourth intersection. I’ll take this side.”

“Got it.”

As fans watched, utterly confused, the pair split up.

---

Five minutes later, Ji Yang had already located two more boxes. As before, he closed them back up and placed them in highly visible spots, even using his height to hide some in higher places.

With 3.5 yuan in hand, he waited at the designated intersection. Soon enough, Xu Ruier arrived, slightly out of breath. “Gege, there weren’t any boxes on my side. Too many people, all busy buying food.”

“It’s fine,” Ji Yang reassured her, showing the money he had collected. “There are shops selling them a couple of blocks ahead.”

“Let’s go!” Xu Ruier’s eyes lit up.

Fans were baffled.

Fans:

• “Selling what? Aren’t they supposed to be looking for boxes?”
• “Are these two even playing the same game as everyone else?”

---

At the shop, Ji Yang picked up a discarded flyer from the ground while Xu Ruier entered and spent one yuan on the cheapest pen available.

Using the flyer as makeshift paper, Ji Yang began drawing while Xu Ruier observed and occasionally chimed in.

“Yes, we’ve already crossed four streets. Here’s the fifth intersection: Qinghai Road, Chengyun Road, and… this is the shop by the crossroads.”

The cameraman approached, and fans stared at the screen with their mouths hanging open.

Wait, are they… making a map?

“This is the central area. There’s one here, on Haicheng Road, Chengyun Road, and here…” Xu Ruier’s expression grew focused as Ji Yang finished a rough draft. She picked up the pen and began adding details.

“We’re at the East Gate. There should be four zones. Gege, we’ve only covered a quarter of one zone so far, and it’s already been ten minutes.” Xu Ruier tilted her head, looking at the densely marked paper.

Her focused demeanor was like a completely different person. She had memorized every street they had passed so clearly that the comment section exploded with admiration.

Comments:

• “No wonder I didn’t do well in school. It’s not my fault—it’s my brain’s fault!”
• “Confirmed: my poor grades are because of my brain, not my lack of effort.”

“The western area is the bustling zone, which will probably be tricky. Based on the direction they headed, I think the others went south. Should we try going north afterward?” Xu Ruier analyzed as she circled more spots on the paper.

“Okay.” Ji Yang stood up alongside her.

What happened next left viewers stunned. The couple systematically chose adjacent or nearby streets and split up. Within a short time, they’d reconvene at the end of a street or back at their starting point. Xu Ruier meticulously recorded each path on their map.

Fans noticed that while Ji Yang occasionally forgot parts of a route, Xu Ruier never did. Her memory was not only precise, but she could also correct Ji Yang’s mistakes.

They moved fast, covering one street in mere minutes with coordinated efficiency.

---

In stark contrast, the other two pairs faced struggles. Li Peng, in particular, kept circling the same spot.

“It’s way too big! The layout is so confusing,” Li Peng complained, wiping sweat from his forehead. His sharp vision spotted a box in the middle of the road, and he rushed toward it.

“Empty?” Holding up the box, he glared at the cameraman. “Seriously, show crew? A few cents was bad enough, but now there’s nothing? I ran so far for this…”

Frustrated, he threw the box aside and sat on the ground to catch his breath.

Comments:

• “The show crew: ‘We didn’t do this! Ji Yang did, blame him!’”
• “Our Gege is such a troll. I love it.”
• “Dying of laughter. That’s the second victim of Ji Yang’s traps! Zhang Jie had to find a stick to reach a high-up box earlier—absolutely hilarious.”

---

While the cash amounts in the boxes were small, the sheer number of them ensured the contestants wouldn’t fail the task outright. On average, a contestant would need to collect around ten yuan to afford two rainbow cakes.

However, Ji Yang and Xu Ruier’s efficiency shocked even the production team. Covering a street in minutes while avoiding overlap, they quickly amassed a significant amount of money.

---

After 30 minutes, the couple had accumulated a scattered pile of coins and small bills, totaling over 40 yuan.

“That’s the northern area,” Xu Ruier explained. “The western area, being busier, probably has more food stalls.”

“Okay.”

The two headed north.

Taking just five minutes to cross a main avenue, Xu Ruier marked their progress on the map before meeting back with Ji Yang. “Gege, if we go straight here, I counted seven intersections. Let’s finish this stretch, then double back to cover the other side. That should complete the area.”

“I’ll handle four streets and meet you back here,” Ji Yang replied.

Xu Ruier nodded.

---

In just eight minutes, they had covered a third of the western zone, with a near-complete map of the area.

Comments:

• “Can we order a dozen girlfriends like Xu Ruier, please?”
• “Those who thought she got by on looks or being clingy to Ji Yang just got slapped hard. She’s so impressive!”

Of course, the trolls chimed in:

• “See? She’s only useful for things like this. Ji Yang’s just keeping her around because he needs her.”

Fans and trolls clashed in heated online debates, neither side willing to back down.

---

Ten minutes later, the northern zone was fully mapped. Their total now stood at over 70 yuan as they rushed to the western area.

The western zone had already been searched by the other two teams. The couple even ran into Mo Qianqian, who was gasping for air. She paused briefly, startled to see Ji Yang and Xu Ruier together, but had no time for small talk.

Xu Ruier continued along the main roads, refining their map as Ji Yang tackled smaller streets. With limited time left, they coordinated seamlessly: Ji Yang ran two streets before returning to the starting point, while Xu Ruier, drenched in sweat, pushed herself to keep running despite her exhaustion.

---

Finally, the director’s voice came through their earpieces: “Time’s up. Stop searching.”

Everyone froze. Aside from Ji Yang, the other contestants collapsed into nearby seats, wiping sweat from their faces and looking completely worn out.

The rush to make the most of their time had left them drained.

Yang Rui, unable to find Mo Qianqian, and Li Peng, who encountered Zhang Jie too late, both regretted not teaming up sooner. By the time the task ended, they had no clue about each other’s progress.

If only they had coordinated earlier, pooling their resources would have made the next step easier.

---

The next task was announced: “The ‘Rainbow Card’ search begins in 15 minutes. Contestants must stay in place and rest during this break. Duration of the task: one and a half hours.”

Xu Ruier started to stand but quickly sat back down, too tired to move. She called out playfully to Ji Yang.

He walked over, sat beside her, and handed her a bottle of water.

“Isn’t everything here super expensive? That must’ve cost a lot,” Xu Ruier hesitated, not taking the bottle. “You should drink it instead.”

“It’s fine—1.5 yuan from a small alley shop. I already had one,” Ji Yang reassured her, holding out the bottle again. “Drink up. You’ll need it to recover, or you won’t be able to keep going later.”

“One yuan fifty a bottle,” Xu Ruier said, her eyes revealing a look of pain. The money from the boxes was hard to find, and sometimes a single box only held five cents.

Ji Yang was amused by her expression. He reached out and ruffled her hair. “Drink it, then rest for a while.”

Xu Ruier still handed the bottle to him first. Ji Yang didn’t drink, but she insisted he take the first sip. Left with no choice, he took a few gulps before she drank half and then closed the cap, saving the rest for later.

Watching this, fans were moved. Ji Yang had lied to Xu Ruier—the water actually cost four yuan fifty. If she had unknowingly finished it, she might have felt upset. But instead, she prioritized Ji Yang’s needs first.

Perhaps she already knew the truth but chose to go along with this small lie, finding her own way to care for the person she loved.

The couple’s interaction was the most heartwarming among the group. Unlike Yang Rui and Mo Qianqian’s fiery dynamic, their simplicity felt cozy and tender.

Ji Yang counted their money after organizing it. Altogether, they had 89 yuan—double what the other two groups had managed.

“The rainbow cake costs seven yuan at some places, but in the bustling West District, it’s ten yuan per cake. Gege, look, among all these shops, there are currently…”

Before she could finish, a staff member stepped forward to take the map from her.

“Why do you need to take it? I drew it myself,” Xu Ruier said, clutching the paper to her chest and hiding behind Ji Yang. She peeked over at the map protectively.

“The next round is about to start. It’s part of the rules; you can’t keep the map,” the staff member said with a straight face. “As per the regulations, you can only use tools provided by the show.”

“The paper is something we picked up, the pen was bought with our money, and the map is my own work,” Xu Ruier argued, her eyes still fixed on the map.

“You’re not allowed to keep it once the game begins.”

“If you’re taking the pen we bought, you’d better pay us back. It cost two yuan,” Ji Yang said, staring at the staff member.

The staff member was speechless.

Fans burst out laughing.

• “Wait, wasn’t it one yuan for the pen?”
• “Caught in the act! Xu Ruier is cheating with that map!”
• “Why do I feel like Gege has been influenced by Xu Ruier? They’re suddenly hilarious.”

“No deal? Fine,” Ji Yang said, standing in the staff member’s way with an uncooperative expression.

“Give him one yuan!” the director’s voice came over the earpiece.

The staff member begrudgingly handed over a one-yuan coin, which Ji Yang accepted before turning his head and calling, “Ruier, give it to him.”

Xu Ruier hesitated, her eyes darting back and forth before she asked, “What about the water? Are you taking that too? If so, pay for it—after all, it was bought with our hard-earned box money!”

“…!”

“No need!” the director shouted again. “Just take the map and start the next round already.”

The staff member relayed the director’s instructions and quickly snatched the map from Xu Ruier’s hands. Moments later, the second round was announced.

By now, the sun was setting, and the streets were lighting up with lanterns as the night brought a lively atmosphere to the ancient town.

---

As many fans predicted, Xu Ruier’s first move was to find another pen and paper. She immediately began redrawing the map. This time, it was even more detailed, with multiple circles marking key spots. Her photographic memory drew admiration from everyone.

“Earlier, we walked past 32 shops selling rainbow cakes, but that’s only a portion. The West District alone has the most. Including the South District, there must be over 50 shops. But only 11 have cards. Our chances are slim, so we’ll probably only get seven or eight at best. If we’re unlucky, we might not get any,” Xu Ruier calculated aloud.

“Mm,” Ji Yang nodded.

“Gege, let’s not buy anything yet. Let’s watch where the others buy, then cross those shops off our list. That way, we increase our chances. If the locations aren’t far apart, we can split up to cover more ground and buy from different shops. But if their luck is too good and they hit the jackpot every time…”

“That’s unlikely,” she added, her tone shifting. “The cards are scattered across four zones. Each zone likely has only three or four cards, but there are over a dozen shops per zone.”

“Let’s move,” Ji Yang said, taking her hand and leading her forward.

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