Chapter 257: Chapter 255: Humanity’s Joys and Sorrows Are Not Interconnected

"Xie Fu Yao, you trust me that much? You trust my character?"

Xu Jiali was a little surprised.

Xie Fu Yao dropped the act. "Are you planning on filming us with your phone? This is our private time. What you’re doing is illegal."

"Doctor Wen, I know they all listen to you. We’re all newcomers on this show, so why make things so unpleasant? Why can’t we have a win-win situation?"

Xu Jiali pursed her lips. "You’re just a bully who preys on the weak and fears the strong, Xie Fu Yao. A win-win? What could you possibly offer Sister Yingying for a win-win? Without you, she’s already all over the trending charts. Are you expecting her to carry you to the top with her?"

"Jiali’s right. People who walk different paths can’t make plans together. I’m not magnanimous; in fact, I’m quite petty," Wen Ying replied with a grin.

Xie Fu Yao said nothing more.

The moon was bright, and the stars were few.

Wen Ying and Xu Jiali lay on the second level of their newly built shelter, feeling the gentle sea breeze. It was incredibly pleasant.

On the first level, Zhao Qi and Song Jiayan were also comfortable.

Only Xie Fu Yao and Meng Xiaoyi were tossing and turning on their poorly-made, self-crafted mats.

The mats beneath them were lumpy and uneven. Used to soft, large beds, they felt uncomfortable all over.

Even though their eyelids were heavy with sleep, the discomfort from below kept jolting them awake.

And mosquitoes. There were actually mosquitoes here.

Meng Xiaoyi glanced at Wen Ying’s shelter. It was quiet. They were sleeping comfortably, with no mosquitoes buzzing around. ’We’re all contestants,’ she thought, ’so why is there such a huge difference?’

She looked over at Xie Fu Yao, who was asleep but with her brow furrowed, clearly uncomfortable.

The production team had checked the surroundings, so there was no danger, but it was just so miserable.

’If I can’t sleep well, what gives them the right to sleep so soundly?’

Meng Xiaoyi got up and walked toward the shelter where Wen Ying’s group was sleeping.

At a glance, she saw Song Jiayan and Zhao Qi with their eyes closed, breathing evenly.

Meng Xiaoyi reached out and pushed Song Jiayan. Although he had been asleep, it was his first time sleeping in the wild, and his sleep wasn’t very deep.

The push woke Song Jiayan right up.

He rubbed his blurry eyes, and when he saw Meng Xiaoyi, he jumped in fright.

"Meng Xiaoyi, you were looking for me?"

Song Jiayan didn’t understand. ’Why isn’t she sleeping? What could she want with me in the middle of the night?’

He glanced at Zhao Qi. ’Man, he’s really out cold.’

’I just jumped from the shock, but this guy is still snoring away.’

Meng Xiaoyi smiled. "Song Jiayan, I’m so sorry for waking you. I can’t sleep."

’You can’t sleep, but I can,’ Song Jiayan thought, completely speechless.

"Can you talk with me for a bit?"

A girl was asking him. Song Jiayan wanted to refuse but was afraid the commotion would wake Wen Ying and Xu Jiali.

He had no choice but to follow Meng Xiaoyi about ten meters away.

Song Jiayan didn’t speak.

Seeing the silent atmosphere, Meng Xiaoyi smiled. "Do you hate me?"

Song Jiayan shook his head without answering.

"Even if you shake your head, I know you hate me. After all, you’re on Wen Ying’s side, and they’ve always hated me."

Meng Xiaoyi gave a self-deprecating laugh. "I hate this side of myself too, but what can I do?"

Song Jiayan didn’t reply. He decided to fight off his sleepiness and just be a listener. After all, resistance was futile.

"I’ve been good-looking since I was a child. I originally thought that was an asset, but no one could imagine how much harassment I’ve endured since I was young. When I was a kid, I didn’t understand. I didn’t even know how to fight back. And now, I still have nothing. I don’t believe in fate, and I don’t believe heaven would treat me this way. I want to change everything, so I want to be famous. I admit it—I want to be famous, I want to be a big star, and I want to earn a lot of money. Only then can I control my own destiny and be my own master.

You’re a guy, so you’ll never face these kinds of troubles. You’re free; you can do whatever you want. But what about me? I don’t have a patron, I don’t have connections, and I don’t have any financial backing. All I have is my face. If I don’t fight for myself, what am I supposed to do? When I came on this show, I knew Jiang Beibei was the newcomer her company was heavily promoting, so I shamelessly tried to get on her good side. I knew Xie Fu Yao was the biggest star on this show, so I tried to suck up to her, too. I just wanted to build a good relationship with them, not only to ride on their coattails for some exposure, but maybe they could give me a leg up in the future.

But I never expected the biggest shot on this show would actually be Doctor Wen. I provoked her and her friends before the show even started, making snide remarks just to get on Jiang Beibei’s good side. But now Jiang Beibei is finished. Doctor Wen ruined her with just a few words, and all my efforts went down the drain. I’m willing to make amends with Doctor Wen and the others, but they won’t accept me.

Song Jiayan, you’re the kindest and gentlest guy on this show. Even though you aren’t very talkative, I can feel what’s in your heart. You’re so talented. Even though you’re a newcomer, the viewers have discovered your talent on this show. You even have a chance to record a song and become a real singer. I listened to that song with my headphones on, and it was so, so good. I could even relate to it completely. I feel like we’re the same kind of people, I—"

"Downstairs, a man is deathly ill. In the room next door, a family is playing a gramophone. Across the way, someone is playing with a child. Upstairs, two people are laughing wildly, and there’s the sound of a card game. On a boat in the river, a woman is weeping for her dead mother. The joys and sorrows of humankind are not intertwined. I only find them noisy."

Xu Jiali’s eerie voice came from behind Meng Xiaoyi, interrupting her and making her jump in fright.

She shot to her feet, spun around to face Xu Jiali, who had appeared behind her at some unknown point, and looked furious. "Xu Jiali, don’t you know you can scare someone to death like that?! Were you trying to kill me, sneaking up without a sound? You’ve gone too far!"

Song Jiayan had actually jumped in fright too, but he remained silent, thinking about what Xu Jiali had just said.

It was a short passage from an essay by a famous author.

Xu Jiali was reminding him that Meng Xiaoyi was saying all this on purpose.

Song Jiayan knew Meng Xiaoyi’s words were a mix of truth and lies, but he did feel a pang of sympathy. It wasn’t easy for any newcomer.

But that wasn’t an excuse for her to act so brazenly.

’Who in this world doesn’t have it tough?’

Meng Xiaoyi said he didn’t understand. He didn’t want to argue; he just didn’t see the point.

’If I just listen quietly, I can go back and get some more sleep afterward.’

"You look full of life, so I guess you weren’t scared to death, huh? As a girl, can’t you have a little self-respect? People who wake others up in the middle of the night have no public decency, you get it? Why’d you pick Song Jiayan? Isn’t it because you think he’s the easiest to bully? Why didn’t you go find Zhao Qi? Afraid he’d curse you out? I can hear you plotting from a mile away!

Relate to it completely? That’s hilarious! What could you possibly relate to? Aren’t you just making excuses for your own shamelessness? You’ve had it tough? Who hasn’t had it tough? Does having it tough give you the right to be so disgusting?"

Song Jiayan silently shuffled his feet and moved to stand beside Xu Jiali.