Chapter 20: Monkey King Delivery
[Is this… Tarzan??]
[I’m dead, Brother Chi looks completely shook: “Humans can really do this??”]
[Little Qian, how many more surprises are you hiding from us?!]
[Where’s the drone! I want Chi Qian’s POV of vine-swinging!]
Chi Fengxiao took off running, finally catching up to Chi Qian who had slowed down to wait for him.
Behind them, Shen Jing and his son, who had followed nervously, were stunned.
There really was a river here.
And the banks were flat and open—perfect for setting up camp.
They were suddenly grateful they hadn’t followed Gu Hua further down the wrong path.
More than two hours had passed.
After being stung by bees, falling into a mud pit, and almost wandering into a black bear’s territory, the other three teams finally found the river.
—And it just so happened to be right across from Chi Qian’s group.
They were panting like dogs when they looked across the river.
On the opposite bank, the tents were already set up, and the group was happily cooking self-heating hotpot, the fragrance drifting over to them.
Yuan You’er’s eyes turned red with anger. “See! I told you we should’ve gone with Qian Qian, but you wouldn’t listen! Now we’ve wasted all this effort for nothing!”
Yuan Yaya tried to console her. “You’er, don’t be so willful. The most important lesson of this show is learning self-reliance, not depending on others for everything.”
“That’s right, You’er. A few detours now will mean fewer detours later in life,” Gu Hua said soothingly.
Yuan You’er almost burst into tears. Were they insane? Who on earth likes taking detours?!
Ling Qian cast a cold glance across the river. “The little food Chi Qian brought won’t last them long. And without proper tools, they can’t even make basic hunting traps.”
They’d regret it sooner or later.
“I really don’t understand why Brother Chi indulges a child like that,” Qin Yue said, shaking his head.
Gu Hua smiled. “Come on, let’s set up our tents and cook. Someone like Chi Qian won’t last long on this kind of survival show.”
She wouldn’t even need to lift a finger.
[Honestly, if they’d just listened to Chi Qian for ten minutes, they would’ve found the river, but instead they wasted hours—what’s there to be proud of?]
[Chi Qian just got lucky. She had the high-ground view; of course she found it faster.]
[LMAO, “high-ground view” has a whole new meaning now.]
[Qin Yue and Gu Hua were only trying to be nice, too bad Film Emperor Chi wouldn’t listen. Just don’t go begging them for help later.]
On the opposite bank, after finishing the delicious hotpot, Chi Fengxiao gathered a pile of palm leaves as Chi Qian had asked, “What do you need these for?”
“A bed, duh. Unless you want to sleep on the ground tonight?”
Chi Qian had already tied a rope base between two trees. All she needed was to lay down the palm leaves, and voilà—a bed.
And it was over a meter above the ground, high enough to keep snakes and bugs away.
Chi Qian turned and held out her hand to Chi Fengxiao. “Uncle, lift me up.”
Chi Fengxiao’s eyes glimmered with amusement. “What, you can’t even climb this high, shorty?”
Chi Qian: “We’re all barely over a meter tall. If you’ve got the ability, grow to two meters before you start laughing at me.”
Chi Fengxiao rubbed his nose, then lifted her by the armpits and set her on the hammock.
He had to admit—being short like her was kind of cute.
Chi Qian tested the sturdiness of the bed, and once satisfied it could hold, she lay down.
Chi Fengxiao: “You’re not getting down?”
“I’m sleepy. Around this time I usually take a nap,” Chi Qian replied serenely, closing her eyes.
In less than thirty seconds, she was fast asleep.
Chi Fengxiao was dumbfounded. Who could fall asleep this quickly in the wild?
He decided to try the hammock Chi Qian made for him. At first, he worried it might snap under his weight, but it held steady, supporting him perfectly.
How on earth had she managed that?
Below, Shen Jiashu watched enviously. “Dad, can you make a bed like that?”
Shen Jing was silent for two seconds. “…Sorry, son, but we have a tent.”
And yet, somehow, tents didn’t feel so appealing anymore.
Chi Fengxiao and Shen Jing later left to scout the terrain, leaving Shen Jiashu to watch over the napping Chi Qian so no wild beast would snatch her away in her sleep.
Across the river, Gu Hua saw Chi Qian lazing around and actually taking a nap. She almost laughed out loud.
Who could tolerate such a spoiled brat?
An hour later, Chi Qian woke up.
She stretched lazily, her stomach growling.
This was the perfect time for afternoon tea.
Lying there, she whistled softly, arms folded behind her head.
Before long, a black shadow appeared in the trees.
A monkey swung down, clutching a bunch of bananas, chattering “ooh-ooh” as it dangled from a branch.
“Is this your monkey-delivery service?”
Chi Qian held out her hands without a shred of courtesy. “Thanks, five-star review.”
“Ooh-ooh!” The monkey tossed the bananas into her arms, then swung away.
[??? Why did that monkey deliver bananas to her?!]
[Not deliver—more like toss. Maybe it dropped them by accident…?]
[Do you not know how protective monkeys are of food? Last time I went hiking, one stole my chicken leg and didn’t even leave the bag!]
[I got beaten up by a monkey on my way down the mountain.]
[One ripped open the milk carton in my back pocket and licked it all the way, nearly costing me my… dignity.]
Sitting under the tree, Shen Jiashu was shocked. “Why would a monkey give you bananas?!”
Chi Qian: “I don’t really like bananas. If only it had brought peaches instead.”
“Bananas are already amazing! But seriously, why would a monkey give you bananas?!” Shen Jiashu’s worldview was crumbling.
Chi Qian broke two bananas in half and handed them to him, her face serious. “Actually, I have another identity. I am Princess Angelina·Meng·Limède·Kriekshasha of the Forest, betrayed by villains and cast into exile here. As long as you transfer me 50 yuan on V-pay for some KFC, I’ll reveal my revenge plan to you.”
At just ten years old, Shen Jiashu was utterly stunned. “Only 50 yuan? Princess, may I… pay on credit?”
[HAHAHA how can Chi Qian scam him like this without batting an eye!]
[Who in the world would actually believe her nonsense?!]
[Jiashu: Here’s 100, now please teach me how to swing from trees like the monkeys!]
[Damn it, it’s KFC fraud again! Is no one going to stop her?!]
By the time Chi Fengxiao and Shen Jing returned before dark, carrying firewood and some wild fruits and vegetables, they were greeted by an entire bunch of bananas piled under the tree.
“…Where did these come from?”
“The monkey gave it to me!” Shen Jiashu declared solemnly. “The monkey gave it to Princess Chi Qian!”
Chi Qian calmly ate her banana, completely unfazed by being called “princess.”
Chi Fengxiao burst out laughing. “Why don’t you just say it was delivery service that dropped it off? And why are you calling her Princess Chi Qian?”
So Shen Jiashu repeated what Chi Qian had said earlier, and even confessed that he’d handed over a sausage to hear her grand ‘revenge plan.’
The two adults nearly split their sides trying not to laugh.
Kid, you’ve been scammed. She just wanted your sausage!
“Ahhh!!”
Suddenly, a scream echoed from across the river.
From the forest came the faint roars of a bear, shaking the trees as it thundered closer.
Gu Hua’s group had somehow provoked a black bear, couldn’t shake it off, and even led it straight to the campsite.
They didn’t even bother packing their tents, grabbing their bags and bolting across the river instead.
The water was shallow enough that even children could wade through.
Once they finally scrambled up the opposite bank, they collapsed on the ground in a miserable heap, no image left to uphold.
The black bear lumbered up to the river’s edge, looking as if it was ready to cross.
Chi Fengxiao’s face darkened, his brows furrowing sharply. “Fine, you provoke a bear, but dragging us down with you too?”
“Brother Chi, we couldn’t just stay there and wait to die.” Qin Yue panted heavily. “That bear won’t come over here anyway, and besides, we’ve got numbers on our side…”
Before he could finish, the black bear was already charging across.
Yuan Yaya’s legs gave out. With no time to escape, she instinctively shoved Yuan You’er out in front of her!
