Novel Square
Chapter 354
The weekend rolled around once more, ushering in the second live broadcast of the hit show, “Country Comfort,” nestled in the picturesque Harmony Point village.
Mirabella, as per her usual, was decked out in sporty gear, and to complement her, Leo rocked a matching athletic outfit. The tall and lean siblings stood side by side, oozing coolness with a vibe that screamed ‘camera–ready. Of course, Mirabella’s black face mask added an aura of mystery, drawing even more attention than her brother.
By half–past nine, they arrived at the set, joining the trio from last week’s episode–Hans, Gabriel and Heather–who were all present and accounted for.
The show was now streaming live. Greetings were exchanged briskly as the host wasted no time revealing the morning’s task. Soon, the crew hauled out four bushel baskets.
Catching sight of the baskets, Hans quipped, “For some reason, these baskets remind me of last week when Juztin’s sister was chasing chickens around.”
A wry smile tugged at the corner of Mirabella’s lips, cued by Hans‘ remark.
The host chuckled at Hans‘ observation. “You’re not wrong, Hans. Same baskets, but today they’ve got a different purpose.”
Heather faced the camera and let out an exaggerated sigh, “Looks like we’re in for another day of shenanigans courtesy of the showrunners.”
Gabriel chimed in with two words, “No doubt.”
“Pretending I didn’t hear that,” the host playfully snorted and then pulled waterproof overalls from the baskets. “Alrighty, here’s the deal for this morning’s task.”
Hans sauntered over, dead serious. “What are these? Wetsuits?”
[LOL, wetsuits. I can see the host’s face cracking.]
[Hans‘ banter is legendary.]
[The host thinks: My life is too hard.]
Regaining composure, the host shot Hans a glare before continuing, “Correct, these are for going into the water, not diving…oops, I mean, they’re waterproof overalls. For this morning’s challenge, you will don these overalls and harvest lotus roots from the pond. The first team to fill their basket wins.”
Hans spread his hands. “Alrighty, this task is tougher than last week’s chicken ordeal. The show really isn’t satisfied until they’ve put us through the wringer, huh?”
The host locked eyes with him silently, then purposefully placed the largest basket in front of Hans. “Congratulations, you played yourself.”
Hans was stunned.
10-55
[LOL, the host is holding a grundge.] From NôvelDrama.Org.
[Hans: Why must I always tempt fate with my smart mouth?]
Before long, the teams were suited up in their waterproof gear, and with a seasoned lotus root farmer leading the way, they trekked to a sprawling lotus pond. On the water’s edge, four small boats awaited, designated for the camera crew.
Before the challenge officially kicked off, everyone spent a good while learning the art of lotus root harvesting from the farmer, then split off into their respective teams.
Mirabella twisted her long ponytail into a tidy bun, pulled her mask up, and turned to Leo, “Got the hang of it yet?”
Leo nodded, though even if he hadn’t, he’d claim he had. The chicken debacle from the last episode had already provided enough fodder for the fans. He couldn’t afford to be the weak link in this lotus root digging challenge.
As if she hadn’t seen his nod, Mirabella said in an unruffled tone, “No worries if you haven’t. Just follow me and hold the basket.” She had long since accepted Leo’s ‘good at nothing‘ approach to tasks.
Leo remained silent. A little respect for your brother, maybe?