I Swear I Don’t Want to Be Everyone’s Favorite - Chapter 21.1

As soon as the words left her lips, Jiang Luoyue felt a pang of regret. Unlike Fu Yunqing and Xiang Fan, she didn’t know Ning Fuguang well. What if Ning Fuguang disliked such jokes and called her out directly? She’d find herself in an awkward predicament again.

Even though it was just the two of them, the thought of that embarrassment made Jiang Luoyue wish she could disappear.

Before she could open her mouth to explain, Ning Fuguang asked, “Have you taken your medicine?”

As if afraid Jiang Luoyue might misunderstand, Ning Fuguang added, “Fever reducers. If you haven’t, I have some here.”

With that, she pulled out a few common medications from her bag. The only one that had been opened was the alcohol spray. It was clear that Team Square had been doing well these past few days, strictly adhering to health standards all along.

“I’ve taken them,” Jiang Luoyue replied, only then remembering that the medicine and supplies she’d used had all been exchanged by Xiang Fan and Fu Yunqing using their points. She felt a twinge of frustration with her current points, it seemed impossible to repay them.

Luckily, both of them were kind. Delaying repayment for a few rounds probably wouldn’t incur any interest, right?

Ning Fuguang noticed her momentary distraction and was about to say something when Yu Jingtang stepped into the tent.

Almost instantly, Jiang Luoyue turned her head, her expression one of surprise, but even more so, unmistakable delight.

Was she that happy to see Yu Jingtang? Ning Fuguang frowned. When Jiang Luoyue had first opened her eyes and seen her, she hadn’t reacted like this in fact, she’d seemed a little scared.

Why? Just because Yu Jingtang had teamed up with her once?

Ning Fuguang couldn’t understand it, so she held her breath and observed quietly.

Yu Jingtang completely ignored Ning Fuguang. As soon as she entered, she reached out to check Jiang Luoyue’s temperature.

Ning Fuguang was taken aback and wanted to object, but Jiang Luoyue merely closed her eyes, not resisting, allowing Yu Jingtang to press the back of her hand against her forehead.

But the proximity was still too much. Jiang Luoyue blinked uncomfortably, her eyelashes fluttering. Seeing that Yu Jingtang remained silent, she proactively said, “The fever’s gone.”

“Mm,” Yu Jingtang withdrew her hand, “but you’re still a bit warm.”

The next second, she extended her other hand the one that hadn’t touched Jiang Luoyue toward Ning Fuguang, not even sparing her a glance as she said coldly, “Medicine.”

Was this even allowed?

Ning Fuguang felt a moment of disbelief, her gaze drifting away and settling on Jiang Luoyue’s forehead. Her stare was so intense that Jiang Luoyue couldn’t help touching her own forehead:

There’s nothing there, why is Ning Fuguang staring at me like that?

“Fever reducers need to be taken every six hours, and they shouldn’t be mixed with cold medicine,” Ning Fuguang quickly composed herself. She didn’t want to appear too flustered in front of Jiang Luoyue, but she couldn’t resist a sarcastic remark. “I know more about this than you do. No need to give orders.”

Yu Jingtang finally glanced at her. Ning Fuguang raised an eyebrow, only to hear a single word: “Oh.”

Then, turning away, Yu Jingtang condensed Ning Fuguang’s explanation into ten words and relayed it face-to-face to Jiang Luoyue.

Ning Fuguang’s smile vanished, her grip on her bag tightening.

Jiang Luoyue slowly lowered her head, afraid that one more word would make her burst out laughing.

Fortunately, before she lost control, Fu Yunqing barged in angrily, like a little pig ramming a door: “Don’t you have your own tents? If you want to sleep in our team’s, get out!”

Yu Jingtang said, “I brought a tent.”

“What does it matter if you brought it?!” Fu Yunqing said warily. “Jiang Luoyue won’t”

Before she could finish saying “won’t be with you,” Jiang Luoyue seemed to waver slightly. Fu Yunqing instantly felt as if the sky were falling and quickly changed the subject: “You’re disturbing her rest here, get out!”

Yu Jingtang, however, paid no attention. She sat cross-legged, poured several instant breads out of her bag, and let Jiang Luoyue choose.

Jiang Luoyue was surprised: “So many. Did you exchange points for them?”

“No,” Yu Jingtang said. “I got them from completing tasks.”

Jiang Luoyue was puzzled: “Tasks? We only finished one.” After that, they hadn’t received any more.

“Tasks are limited,” Ning Fuguang interjected, seizing the opportunity to join the conversation.

As a two-person team, they had priority and had completed the tasks ahead of time, leaving Jiang Luoyue’s team with nothing to do.

Jiang Luoyue understood, but it took her a few seconds to realize that the “build a shelter” task on the first day had been intentionally left undone by the other team for them.

The three of them chatted, but Fu Yunqing felt completely left out. However, she couldn’t take her frustration out on Jiang Luoyue, so she said angrily, “Fine, you won’t leave, huh!”

“What are you going to do about it?” Ning Fuguang sneered, not believing Fu Yunqing could do anything to them.

Throw them out? That would require Fu Yunqing to have the physical strength for it.

“Then I’m not leaving either!”

Fu Yunqing gritted her teeth and made a decision that went against her principles: “So what if we don’t win? Did you think only you could be shameless enough to disturb a sick person?”

As she spoke, she sat down directly, positioning herself right across from Jiang Luoyue. This awkward placement ensured that no matter who wanted to talk to Jiang Luoyue, they would inevitably catch a glimpse of her in their peripheral vision.

And whenever Jiang Luoyue looked up, her eyes would be filled with Fu Yunqing.

Harming the enemy a thousand, losing nothing herself.

No one expected her to respond like this. Ning Fuguang tried to adapt but still couldn’t ignore the glaring presence. The corners of her eyes lifted in a forced smile: “Your self-assessment is quite accurate.”

“Just following your example,” Fu Yunqing retorted sarcastically. “If it weren’t for your excellent teaching, I wouldn’t have learned it.”

Thus, when Xiang Fan walked into the tent, she was greeted by what looked like a live debate scene. Jiang Luoyue, surrounded like the center of attention, nibbled on bread while sighing from time to time, expressing her unyielding resolve not to give in.

“What are you doing here?” Fu Yunqing asked, then realized she should maintain her teammate’s dignity in front of outsiders and corrected herself sternly, “What is your purpose here?”

“To broaden my horizons,” Xiang Fan remarked sincerely. “I’ve only heard of two children arguing about the sun, but never three children arguing about the moon. It’s a shame no one set up a camera you’re really underappreciated.”

Jiang Luoyue sighed helplessly: “Guide Xiang.”

Xiang Fan chuckled: “Just stating a fact, don’t be upset.”

She turned to Ning Fuguang: “What clues did you get?”

While Fu Yunqing was setting up the tent, the two of them had watched and inevitably exchanged a few words. Jiang Luoyue recalled Ning Fuguang asking if she needed clues and casually mentioned it. After a nap, she had almost forgotten, but Xiang Fan was still particularly concerned.

Even Fu Yunqing was surprised: “I never thought you’d be the one most eager to win.”

Xiang Fan: “I just don’t want to stay here anymore.”

In truth, whether it was Fu Yunqing’s constant fussing or Jiang Luoyue falling ill, Xiang Fan saw them as minor issues. After all, they were a team, and sharing burdens was perfectly normal.

But when an outsider intruded upon their gradually stabilizing triangular relationship and it happened to be two people Xiang Fan particularly disliked the desire to leave abruptly peaked.

No one took Xiang Fan’s words seriously except Jiang Luoyue. She suppressed her irritation, her tone icy: “You don’t want Jiang Luoyue to keep staying in a place like this, do you? Damp and cold, with nothing but unnutritious ”

Jiang Luoyue: “…” Why bring her up while trying to persuade them?

She wanted to explain that it had nothing to do with her, but Yu Jingtang had already cut in: “Xiang Fan.”

Xiang Fan frowned. “I wasn’t talking to you.”

Ning Fuguang said nonchalantly, “What she means is, the clue we received is just two words: Xiang Fan.”

Combined with the clue they had obtained.

[The place where Xiang Fan’s dream began]

Almost instantly, Xiang Fan thought of the giant tree with a hollow she had leaned against when they split into teams. After a few seconds of silence, she gritted her teeth: “Playing this kind of trick?”

It could be said that the production team had exploited the contestants’ “reverse thinking” to the extreme. The resource pack that could directly end the recording was not only placed at the starting point but also extremely close to the guests.

If only Xiang Fan had turned around to check the tree hollow back then, they could have gone home that afternoon.