Challenge

"Happy New Year, happy New Year~"

The sound coming from the phone caught Ye Shuang's attention. Seeing the girl beside him staring at her phone with her head lowered, he couldn't help but smile and ask, "New Year’s still months away. Why are you watching this?"

Bai Yuyou gazed at the video on her screen. "Phones are amazing. Even though it’s summer now, you can see other seasons inside."

"Who knows? Maybe there are higher-dimensional beings celebrating the Spring Festival right now, watching us through their phones too." Ye Shuang ruffled Bai Yuyou’s hair.

They had already spent several days on this private island. According to Chen Qin’s plans, today was supposed to be their last day, with a trip to another island as the grand finale.

Just then, Ye Shuang’s phone rang. He pulled it out and glanced at the screen—

"Hello?"

"Ye, we’re about to head out. Are you guys ready?" Chen Qin’s voice came through the phone.

"Yeah, we’ll be right there."

After hanging up, Ye Shuang turned to Bai Yuyou. "Let’s go."

"Okay."

The two stepped out of the room to find Tang Keke and the others already dressed and waiting.

"Come on, we’re taking the yacht. The nearest island is still about forty minutes away," Chen Qin said cheerfully.

"I thought you’d go for a helicopter," Ye Shuang remarked.

"Not enough landing spots. Trust me, I’d love to," Chen Qin sighed. "All the helipads are taken."

"Wow, even helipads are fully booked. Guess there are just too many rich people in this world," Ye Shuang mused. His family had been comfortably well-off, but nowhere near Chen Qin’s level.

Once aboard the yacht, Tang Keke and Bai Yuyou stood on the deck, gazing out at the ocean.

"Think the other island’s fun too?"

"I heard there are sharks! I wanna see!"

Watching Tang Keke’s excited expression, An Shiyu chimed in, "Heard they’ve already eaten a few people. Still wanna try?"

Tang Keke shrank back. "Really?"

"Wait… you’re messing with me, aren’t you?!" She quickly caught on.

"Who knows?" An Shiyu averted her eyes.

"Ugh, I knew it!!"

Soon, the yacht approached the shore. From a distance, the island appeared much larger than Chen Qin’s private one, with countless yachts and boats docked along the coast.

"Alright, let’s go!" Chen Qin was the first to disembark.

Ye Shuang and the others followed closely behind.

Tang Keke eagerly tugged Bai Yuyou forward, brimming with excitement.

But her steps soon faltered—

They were standing on a street lined with food and drink stalls on the left.

First shop:

[Mixue Ice City]

Second shop:

[Golden Arches]

Third shop:

[Jianbing Guozi]

And so on.

The entire street was filled with Asian faces, making Tang Keke wonder if she’d somehow taken a wrong turn. But the blue beach in the distance confirmed this wasn’t an illusion.

"Uh… is something off here?" Tang Keke muttered.

"Hey there, want some coconut water?" A vendor nearby greeted them in fluent Mandarin.

"Whoa, you knew I’m Chinese?" Tang Keke blinked in surprise.

"Of course. Most tourists here are from China," the vendor replied.

A few minutes later, Tang Keke held a cup of coconut water while Bai Yuyou sipped on a lemon tea from Mixue Ice City. Tang Keke couldn’t help but grumble,

"Seriously, this doesn’t feel like a foreign country at all! Drinking Mixue and chatting in Mandarin with the staff!"

"And look, barely any foreigners around—just a sea of black hair."

"It’s peak travel season. What’s so strange about Chinese tourists flooding a small island nation?" Ye Shuang flicked her forehead.

"Ugh, I’m kinda disappointed."

"Relax, we’re here for the scenery anyway." Ye Shuang chuckled, his eyes already locked onto a Mexican grilled meat stall nearby.

"Chen Qin, you want some?"

"Too greasy," Chen Qin wrinkled her nose. "Gonna need some herbal tea later to balance it out."

"Fugui, how about you?"

"I’ll take some."

"Got it."

While Ye Shuang ordered food, Tang Keke, Bai Yuyou, and An Shiyu wandered off in search of something more exotic. The area was crowded, with stalls offering cuisines from all over the world.

Being by the sea, seafood dishes were especially abundant. An Shiyu grabbed a plate of sashimi and started nibbling as she walked.

"Yuyou, look! That stall’s got a huge line!" Tang Keke pointed at a particularly popular vendor.

"Let’s check it out."

After waiting their turn, they finally reached the front.

"Um… that, uh… One! That one!" Tang Keke stammered in broken English, pointing at the foreign-language menu. "Just… that!"

"With all that ‘One, One, One,’ people might think you’re saying ‘I’m done for,’" An Shiyu deadpanned, looking unimpressed.

"Then you do it!"

An Shiyu turned to the vendor and said, "Give us three of the first item on the menu."

"OK, no problem-o!" The blond, blue-eyed vendor replied in heavily accented Mandarin, giving a thumbs-up.

Tang Keke gaped. "Wait, he understands Chinese?!"

"Of course. Most tourists here are Chinese. They’d lose business otherwise," An Shiyu said flatly.

Tang Keke: "…"

Minutes later, the trio received their snack—a steamed potato, sliced open and stuffed with melted cheese, then drenched in mayonnaise and ketchup.

Served in a small paper box, the gooey mess was meant to be eaten with a spoon.

"Uh… is this even edible?" Tang Keke eyed the unpeeled potato skeptically. Was this what passed for food abroad?

One bite in, and it was just a mouthful of sauce. Might as well squeeze it straight into her mouth.

"What, you thought foreign countries were all about gourmet food?" An Shiyu scooped a spoonful, her expression suggesting she was one second away from tossing it.

Bai Yuyou, however, ate it quietly. She’d endured Chen Qin’s cooking without flinching—this cheesy potato was nothing.

"Alright, let’s head back to the others," Tang Keke said, turning around—only to bump into someone. "Ah, sorry! So-sorry!"

It was a group of three foreign men, one holding a camera as if filming something.

"Hello, beautiful ladies! Are you from China?" A curly-haired man in the lead asked with a smile.

"Huh? Yeah, we are," Tang Keke replied, caught off guard.

"Fantastic! We’re YouTubers doing a fun challenge. Wanna join?" the man said eagerly.

"Challenge? What kind?" Tang Keke eyed the camera in another man’s hands. Were they live-streaming?

"Absolutely! We're doing a random kissing challenge—would you lovely ladies be up for a 30-second kiss with me?" The curly-haired guy flashed what he thought was a charming smile.