Chapter 148

In the live stream, some viewers shipped Jonathan and Nina. One viewer commented, "Nina looks like Jonathan's little valentine," while another mused, "Isn't it like a bossy CEO romance novel come to life? I'm so excited to think that Nina will call Mr. Bennett 'honey' after they get married."

Meanwhile, Nina caught up with Cynthia. "Cynthia, the way you set up the tent is so cool," Nina praised sincerely. Cynthia was quick and efficient. Nina found Cynthia charming. She'd expected arrogance, typical of big stars, but Cynthia was easygoing. Delicately pretty, Cynthia was also valiant, which Nina greatly admired.

Cynthia was surprised by Nina's approach. Looking at Nina's delicate, innocent face, she felt a complex mix of emotions. She wondered if Nina knew about her relationship with Jonathan, if she'd suspected anything unusual. She mused, "But it's not surprising if she didn't notice. She's just a student, not even graduated. She's well-protected by Jonathan; her worldview is probably shaped by him. She must believe whatever he says."

For some reason, Cynthia felt sorry for Nina. She thought, "Nina is kept in the dark about so many things. She's like a naive, kind-hearted princess, waiting for her prince Jonathan to marry her, but Jonathan has already betrayed her." Cynthia knew that had she known about Nina from the beginning, she never would have gotten involved with Jonathan. "Do you need anything from me?" Cynthia asked coldly, wanting no further involvement. Nina's enthusiasm met with resistance; disappointment flickered in her eyes. "Well, can I be your friend?"

Cynthia replied, "Sorry, Ms. Sullivan. We're from different circles. I'm not interested in playing house with you."

Nina hadn't expected rejection. Many had sought her friendship, but most were drawn to her because of Bennett or her family's wealth. She had few genuine friends. This was the first time she truly wanted a friend, and she was flatly rejected. Tears welled in her eyes.

In the live stream, some viewers deemed Cynthia arrogant. Comments included: "Seriously, what's with Cynthia's attitude? Nina is being kind, and she just doesn't appreciate it!" "Don't cry, Nina. Who does Cynthia think she is, anyway? Nina, you're a top socialite and a rising star. She doesn't deserve to be your friend." Another viewer offered a more balanced perspective: "Friendship should be mutual. I appreciate Cynthia's attitude—no sucking up, no pretending. It doesn't mean everyone's obliged to be Nina's friend just because she's rich. I think Cynthia might be taking out her anger on Nina because of her feud with Mr. Bennett." A more harsh comment: "Cynthia just doesn't know what's good for her. She's a bitch." One viewer, FlowerSmile, repeatedly spammed: "Cynthia is a bitch. Cynthia is a bitch. Cynthia is a bitch."

10:29 Fri, Nov 8 Chapter 148

Another group, returning from their search for food and water, no longer looked neat and tidy. Jessie, panting heavily, led the way. Her makeup was smudged, her dress torn. She went straight to her suitcase, opening it to reveal a trove of skincare products. "What the hell is this place? The mosquitoes are as big as spiders and have bitten me all over," she complained, removing her makeup and applying a face mask. "I'm done with this. I want to go home."

A drone circled overhead. "Once filming started, you can't quit unless it's life-threatening. If you want a luxurious experience, hurry and find your true love. Then you can both go to Angel Island for a romantic date."

Jessie, despite her anger, had no choice. The others approached. Ethan carried a bamboo basket. "We found some supplies: a basket, flint, and por[presumably 'porcelain' or similar]."

Preston asked, "Did you find any food?"

Ethan presented the basket. "We gathered a few mushrooms."

Cynthia examined the basket, her brow furrowing. Looking up at Ethan, she said, "Ethan, most of these are poisonous." Ethan, still wearing sunglasses, was unreadable.

Alex suggested, "How about we pick out the poisonous ones and make soup with the rest? There's so little to eat. We've been walking a long time."

It was noon; the sun beat down. Everyone was either setting up tents or searching for food, their stomachs rumbling.

Cynthia was firm. "No. They're all mixed up now. It won't do any good to pick them out. Let's throw them away." As a child, she'd attended wilderness survival summer camps, learning to identify edible plants and mushrooms.

Abby disagreed. "Cynthia, do you know how hard it was to find these? Ethan even slipped and cut his calf. You just say we can't eat them, and they should be thrown away?"

Cynthia pointed out the mushrooms: "This is the deadly brown flesh mushroom. This is the pale red amanita, also deadly. This is the asciplete red mushroom, deadly too. And this is the fly amanita. It won't kill you, but it'll make you hallucinate. Do you want to try it?"

Abby was speechless.

Live stream viewers were shocked by the number of poisonous mushrooms. Comments included: "Oh my god, so many amanitas, the top killers in the mushroom world!" "They worked so hard to pick a whole basket of poisonous mushrooms?" "Good luck, villagers." "Red cap and white stem, eat it and you'll be laid out flat."

10:29 Fri, Nov 8 Chapter 148

Another viewer commented: "Listen to Cynthia, alright? It'll even poison you to touch those mushrooms. Cynthia is amazing; even as someone from the mountain, I can't recognize them all."

Abby pouted. She presented something wrapped in a plantain leaf. "Luckily, I picked up some bird eggs. If it weren't for me, we'd all be starving."

Cynthia looked at the eggs stuck together, speechless. "Have you ever seen bird eggs stuck together like a honeycomb before?"

Abby protested, "If these aren't bird eggs, what are they?" She'd seen small, oval white eggs and assumed they were bird eggs. She thought boiling would separate them.

Cynthia, calmer now, stated, "These are snake eggs."