Chapter 9

Jamar retrieved Sienna’s shoes and personally put them on. Fans in the live broadcast room commented that Jamar spoiled Sienna too much, calling them the perfect brother and sister.

After the live show, people remarked on Jamar and Sienna’s excellent relationship, noting that Jamar truly spoiled his sister. Those with older brothers they constantly fought with were envious, wishing they had a brother like Jamar.

Sienna changed her shoes, and we continued walking. Changing clothes proved somewhat cumbersome, causing her skirt to drag on the ground. Jamar took it upon himself to hold up the hem of her skirt as they walked.

This might be considered normal at a fancy event, but on this narrow, steep mountain road, it looked quite awkward. Erika, wearing flat leather shoes, also struggled with her long skirt on the mountain path, having to hold it up constantly, which seemed out of place.

Many viewers commented on the situation. They were aware they were in the countryside, yet Sienna and Erika were still dressed as if for a formal party. It seemed rather ridiculous. Phoebe and Lexie, however, were dressed perfectly for walking or working.

After about half an hour, Erika quietly announced she could walk no further and needed a rest. Sienna was also struggling, having changed shoes, and her skirt was proving obstructive. She’d never walked such a tough mountain road for so long, especially after years of being spoiled by the Jenkins family. But she knew she couldn't show it, as it would damage her image with the audience.

Seeing Phoebe walking so effortlessly, Sienna gritted her teeth and persevered. Upon hearing Erika needed to rest, she took a break. Erika’s outfit and pampered behavior made an impression on many viewers. Sebastian allowed them to rest for over ten minutes. After trekking for another thirty minutes, they finally spotted the village. Upon entering, they strolled a short distance before stopping at the entrance of a farmhouse.

Phoebe, having practiced martial arts since childhood, had hiked the mountain trail for over an hour without feeling overly fatigued. Besides her, only Maddox, who regularly worked out at the gym, seemed at ease. Everyone else was quite exhausted, even Lexie, who had been in excellent shape at the start. Phoebe had her back for the second half-hour.

Sienna felt as though her legs were no longer under her control. Had this happened at home, or off-camera, she would have cried in front of Jamar. Now, she leaned on him, appearing tired but resolute.

Jamar put his arm around Sienna and said, “Hey, you look beat. Let me give you a foot rub when we get home.”

Sienna glanced at Phoebe nearby and replied, “Sure, thanks.”

Phoebe probably felt a little jealous, Sienna thought. It would be more interesting if she blurted something out in the heat of the moment.

Jamar patted Sienna’s head with his free hand. “Why are you thanking me? You’re my sister,” he said. Then he remembered his other sister was also present.

He glanced guiltily at Phoebe, but she was busy talking to Lexie and didn’t look at him. Jamar felt strangely relieved but also a little disappointed. If Phoebe hadn’t fallen out with her family, she would have probably asked Jamar if his feet were hurting. Then, Jamar couldn’t help but wonder if Phoebe was being cold because of the live broadcast.

Just wait until we’re inside to take a break and stop the livestream, Jamar thought. Phoebe will probably come and give me a massage.

He was still considering whether he should forgive Phoebe if she tried to make peace. Maybe it's better to ignore her and let her face the consequences of her stubbornness.

Sebastian swung open the courtyard door with a big smile and welcomed the eight guests inside. “This farmhouse is where we arranged accommodation for you,” he said. “It might not be as fancy as the best houses in the village, but it’s definitely in the top ten.”

With an award-winning actor and two top stars among them, the program team didn’t want to take any chances with substandard accommodation.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief at Sebastian’s words. As long as the program team wasn’t lying, the place must be decent if it made the top ten.

So, with some anticipation, everyone strolled in. As soon as they entered, they saw a yard with some vegetable patches and a few adobe houses with their doors wide open.

Sebastian pointed out, “The one in the middle is the living room and dining area, and the one in the corner is the kitchen and utility room. The four rooms on both sides are yours to use. The layout of each room is the same. Feel free to have a room tour.”

So the guests headed into the nearest one and, well, they were shocked. The room was clean, not too shabby, but there were only two single beds and two wooden chairs—nothing else.

Jamar couldn’t help but ask, “Why are there only beds and chairs inside?”

Sebastian just shrugged and replied, “What are you expecting?”

Jamar pointed out, “Wardrobes and tables, for starters. Where are we supposed to hang our clothes? Where do we put our stuff?” The place was too plain and basic, especially with the mud walls—it was a bit off-putting.

Sebastian threw his hands up and said, “That’s on you. We can only provide this much. If you want wardrobes and tables, you’ll have to work it out yourselves.”

Jamar regretted being part of this lousy variety show. He coughed and said, “Living in this basic setup may not be a big deal for us guys, but it’s kind of harsh for the ladies, don’t you think?”

Before Sebastian could reply, Maddox rolled his eyes and quipped, “Since when do you speak for all of us guys and make decisions for the ladies?”

He made it clear. “Don’t speak for me.”

It was a big deal to him. Maddox wasn’t going to change his fiery temper, even though he was in showbiz, certainly not for Jamar, whom he disliked.

Jamar, with whom he didn’t really get along, choked. “I just don’t want the ladies to feel mistreated.”

Sienna looked at Maddox apologetically and said, “My brother was just looking out for us. He didn’t mean any harm.”

Then she changed the subject and said, “If you guys can handle it, so can we.”

It seemed like she was trying to support Jamar, but she also wanted to show that she wasn’t fake and could follow the show’s plans. Sienna had done some research and found out that being hardworking and real usually won over the audience and got fans in reality shows.

Even though she hated the setup and didn’t want to do it for a week, she was willing to endure it for the fans and to outshine Phoebe.

Just then, Phoebe said, “Don’t speak for me.” In the next show, Phoebe wasn’t planning to be friendly with the Jenkins family and Reece, so she was going to make her feelings clear from the start.

She also made sure to keep her distance from them during the live broadcast, which made the audience wonder why. They might start digging into their personal issues. And if she was being fake nice to them on the show, she’d be disgusted and looked down upon by the audience when her identity got exposed later.

Plus, if Phoebe didn’t go against Sienna, Jamar wouldn’t step up to defend Sienna and target her, his actual sister.

When Phoebe said those things, Sebastian and the other guests were caught off guard by her bluntness.