Chapter 33 Nice to Meet You, I’m Ji Yixing.…

Chapter 33: Nice to meet you, I'm Ji Yixing.

The next day, Yu Xin was once again on his way to film "Wilderness Adventure."

As before, they boarded the show's spacecraft, bound for an unknown small planet somewhere in the cosmos. Prior to departure, guests were required to make their own way to the designated meeting point.

Yu Xin was the third to arrive. The moment he appeared, Shen Tong called out to him: "Yu Xin! Over here!"

To his surprise, the two busiest people, Shen Tong and Sheng Xingyao, had arrived even earlier than him.

Shen Tong waved enthusiastically. She was clearly dressed to impress, looking far more radiant than during the first recording. Even her hair seemed to shimmer, and the tan she'd acquired during filming had already faded, restoring her original fair complexion.

In the Interstellar Age, girls never worried about tanning. With advanced cosmetic technology, an afternoon in a Beauty Pod could easily restore one's original skin tone. Moreover, fair skin was no longer the sole standard of beauty; various complexions were appreciated.

It was evident that Shen Tong had been living a comfortable life. Sheng Xingyao, however, was a different story. To capitalize on his current popularity and maximize his value, he had been working non-stop. Each day began with a new task, and he had to adapt to the new persona his team had meticulously crafted for him. Originally, he was the quintessential stage idol, a charismatic "bking" persona. Yet, after the first episode of "Wilderness Adventure" aired, fans unexpectedly fell for his slightly narcissistic, quirky, and endearingly goofy personality.

Compared to his grueling schedule, filming "Wilderness Adventure" felt like a reprieve. Sheng Xingyao's first reaction upon hearing about the second recording was a sigh of relief.

He poured out his grievances to Yu Xin and Shen Tong. Perhaps it was their shared experiences of hardship and joy, and having seen each other completely shed their idol personas, that had forged a bond among the five "Wilderness Adventure" guests. Despite spending less than a week together, they felt much closer than mere colleagues.

Soon after, Qin Shizhen and Ruan Qing arrived. The moment Ruan Qing saw Yu Xin, she made a face, lamenting that she hadn't lost weight after returning home; in fact, she'd gained a little. Her manager was extremely displeased and would be monitoring her closely during the livestream, urging her to control her appetite.

But everything Yu Xin cooked was so delicious—she truly couldn't resist!

With all five guests assembled, they boarded the aircraft and set off for the recording location.

The theme of this recording was "Island." Unlike the previous nameless small planet, this time they were headed to a relatively well-known Coastal Resort Planet, though they had chosen an undeveloped area on it.

While the aircraft was still in the air, a cerulean planet became visible through the viewport. The coastal planet was nearly 80% covered by ocean, bearing a striking resemblance to their ancestral home, the Blue Planet.

The aircraft slowly descended. As soon as the cabin door opened, a damp, salty breeze wafted in.

Before them stretched an endless expanse of sea—crystal-clear turquoise waters, fine sand, brilliant sunshine, and lush vegetation.

"If it weren't for filming, this would be a fantastic vacation spot," Yu Xin mused.

He had heard that owning a private small planet wasn't as astronomically expensive or unattainable as he once thought. Once he earned enough money, he would definitely buy himself a small planet with an ocean.

Just thinking about it reignited his motivation to work hard!

The guests disembarked one by one, each resuming their dazzling celebrity demeanor, greeting the cameras with radiant smiles, which sent the live chat into a frenzy:

[Miss Shen, ahhh! So cool and beautiful today!! Queen, I'm yours!]

[Yao Bao looks a bit pale, has he been overworking lately? 555]

[LOL, cherish how glamorous they all look now. I bet they'll be a hot mess in less than two days.]

[Why is Xin Xin wearing black again today? What kind of basic guy fashion is this? Don't just rely on your good looks to dress sloppily!]

[Hmm, maybe he wore too many bright colors before and now he's rebelling by only wearing black.]

The production team was already waiting below. The director, sporting loud floral shorts and large sunglasses, spread his arms wide in welcome.

"Welcome, everyone, to the second episode of 'Wilderness Adventure'! As you can see, this episode's theme is 'Island.' What surprises will our guests create on this island? Let's wait and see!"

[I'm here, I'm here!! Finally, it's starting!!]

[Waaah, you made us wait so long! Do you know how I've spent these past two weeks?! Do you?!]

[I've rewatched the first episode so many times it's practically worn out; I've almost memorized all the lines. I never thought waiting for a variety show could feel this long.]

[Yu Xin, you heartless guy, boo hoo, aside from that one random fan encounter, you've gone completely off-grid, making me miss you terribly qaq]

[Who would've thought this person doesn't even have a public social media account now? After filming, it's like a satellite lost in deep space, not even sending back a faint signal.]

[This season's theme is an island! As a seafood lover, I'm already hyped!]

[Lobster!! Crab!! Heck yeah!]

What followed was the usual routine of collecting luggage and personal terminals. Having experienced it once before, the guests cooperated without a hitch.

Then some supplies were distributed—this time, the production crew provided tents, perfect for beach use.

"One more thing," after the standard procedures were completed, the director didn't leave but stood there, grinning.

"You're not planning some new trick to torment us, are you?" Shen Tong asked, on alert. She still remembered the production crew's unexpected twist last time.

Now, looking at the director's smile, she couldn't shake the feeling that he was up to no good.

"Of course not! When has our production crew ever done anything to make things difficult for our guests?" the director said innocently. "What I want to announce is that a few new guests have joined us this season—"

[New guests? The previous two seasons didn't have anyone joining midway, did they?]

[Who knows? Maybe this season is so popular that it's not surprising someone wants to join halfway.]

[Could it be that the new guests joined midway because they're craving Yu Xin's cooking? (dog head)]

[Haha, it's not impossible. The most direct way to taste Yu Xin's food is to join the show, right?]

When these individuals approached the director, he was quite surprised. Their show had never had a precedent of guests joining midway. Joking aside, it was already good enough that the original guests didn't quit; how could there be new ones wanting to join?

But among those who approached him, there was one he didn't want to refuse, and another he simply couldn't.

When the first one found him, the director was practically overjoyed. It seemed he truly had some career luck this year.

Free publicity and buzz voluntarily coming his way—only a fool would turn it down. Even though their show was already hugely popular, why refuse the chance to make it even bigger?

As for the other...

He never expected that their little show would attract someone of that caliber.

That person's status was such that even their investors would be bowing and scraping. The director repeatedly questioned whether he was going crazy or hallucinating. Even now, with the person at the recording site, he still felt a profound sense of unreality.

Pulling himself together, he clapped his hands and announced, "Everyone, let's give a round of applause to welcome our new members!"

Amid the guests' generous applause, a few people walked over.

The first two: one looked quite young, dressed in top luxury brands, clearly a rich young master, with an unmistakable air of arrogance.

The other walking beside him kept his head slightly lowered, his face very delicate.

That face... Yu Xin recognized him immediately—it was Yu Ning, the other main figure in the Yu family's mistaken identity incident.

The rumored innocent, kind-hearted "little white flower" who had even pleaded for the person who had taken his place for eighteen years.

Why was he here?

Since arriving in this world, Yu Xin had never met this legendary true young master. He knew nothing about what kind of person he was. Not long ago, his so-called big brother Yu Zhizhou had demanded he quit the show for Yu Ning's sake. Not only did he not quit, but Yu Ning actually ended up joining.

The Yu family carried itself with the air of an old-money dynasty. When Yu Zhizhou mentioned Yu Xin appearing on the show, his tone was laced with implicit disdain. No one knew how the real young master had convinced them.

Yu Xin couldn’t understand the Yu family’s way of thinking, but it didn’t matter to him—after all, they were all strangers now, with no connection between them.

Yu Ning enjoyed sharing his life on social media, so his face was quite familiar to many.

[? Am I seeing things? Isn't that the real young master of the Yu family??]

[It's him, but why would he come to Wilderness Adventure… That seems odd.]

[What do you mean? Is this show only for Yu Xin? Can't Ningning join too?]

[Oh ho, this is going to be good. The real and fake young masters under one roof—this should be fun.]

[The production team is really stirring the pot… Doing this for ratings, unbelievable.]

[Exactly. Turning a proper survival show into some over-the-top rich family drama, unbelievable.]

[Yu Ning is the legitimate heir, not like some fake.]

[? No need to be so harsh, calling him a fake over and over. Yu Xin is Yu Xin, not some fake version of anyone.]

The comments grew increasingly heated with the arrival of the real young master. Yu Ning, with his image as the refined, well-mannered heir, had attracted many fans who particularly disliked Yu Xin. At the same time, many viewers were fond of Yu Xin. The two groups were clearly about to start arguing, with plenty of onlookers egging them on.

It was easy to imagine how much drama the next five days would bring—exactly what the production team had hoped for.

Amid the back-and-forth in the comments, the new guests had walked up. The young man at the front spoke first, chin slightly raised. "I'm Ye Ran, of the Ye family."

In the entire Imperial Star, there was only one Ye family that mattered. This young man was clearly a scion.

The Ye family was even wealthier and more influential than the Yu family, so Ye Ran had every reason to act so arrogant.

"Hello everyone, I'm Yu Ning. Looking forward to working with you all in the days to come!" In contrast, Yu Ning's attitude was far more friendly. He gave a slight bow to the camera, his smile tinged with shyness.

As he straightened up, his eyes swept over the guests, pausing briefly when they met Yu Xin's. He smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "I'll be counting on all of you senior contestants for your guidance."

[Ningning is so polite! Not like some people at all.]

[He's so well-behaved, you'd never guess he's from a wealthy family.]

There was one last person.

The man wore a black baseball cap and stood taller than anyone else present. It seemed he had deliberately kept a low profile, as everyone had been too focused on Yu Ning to notice him earlier.

But the moment he spoke, no one could ignore him any longer.

The man removed his baseball cap, revealing a face with sharp, refined features—more handsome than many celebrities, yet unfamiliar.

What stood out even more were his eyes, which shone with a rose-gold color under the sunlight. Looking into them felt like being drawn into their depths.

Who was he?

At that moment, everyone present couldn't help but wonder.

A person like him would be unforgettable once seen, yet none of them had any recollection of him.

The man spoke, his voice deep and clear. "Nice to meet you. I'm Ji Yixing."

As he spoke, his gaze swept forward, as if he were casually looking in a certain direction—or perhaps, specifically looking at someone in particular.

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Author’s Note: I’ve been busy lately with driving lessons and the theory test, plus accompanying my mom to the hospital for a follow-up. Updates might be a bit irregular—sorry about that, orz.

Thank you all so much for your support. I’ll keep doing my best!