The filming for the third episode didn't begin until the director announced that Li Yueyao was withdrawing from the program due to personal reasons. Nuannuan was a little surprised.
"This variety show is so popular right now, shouldn't everyone be clamoring to join? And someone's willing to quit?"
"Didn't they say it was for personal reasons!"
"Doesn't matter, I didn't really like Li Yueyao anyway."
"Exactly, no need to feel bad about someone who joined midway."
"Actually, if Chen Yi wasn't here, I might..."
"I agree with the person above."
"Alright everyone! Before our show starts, we have one thing to do." The director, holding a megaphone, looked seriously at the guests standing in the yard.
"Please have our staff come and give us a good search. Hand over all your money." The director repeated this into the megaphone, clearly annoyed by Nuannuan from the previous episode.
"Focus the search on Nuannuan. We're not collecting snacks this time, only money."
"What? No snacks? If I'd known, I would have brought some." Zhuo Fan exclaimed.
This episode, the guests likely assumed their snacks would be confiscated upon arrival, so none of them brought any, except for Nuannuan.
"Uncle Zhuo, if you want some, Nuannuan can give you some~" Nuannuan tilted her head at him.
"Nuannuan, you brought some?" Zhuo Fan thought no one else had.
"Mhm~ Daddy packed it for Nuannuan!" Nuannuan's eyes sparkled at the mention of Ye Jinghuai.
"Thank you, Nuannuan. Mr. Ye is truly far-sighted. Uncle will ask you if I need it."
"Okay~" Nuannuan nodded in agreement.
"Jingxing, shouldn't you politely refuse?" Ye Jingxing was surprised.
"Do I want to be full or maintain my dignity? I choose dignity," Zhuo Fan said matter-of-factly.
"..."
"Jingxing! If we have difficulties, we must help each other!" Fang Zhongwen also walked over, patting his shoulder with a heartfelt tone.
"Brother Fang, of course."
This time, the director's team searched very thoroughly, even making them take off their shoes.
"Brother Fang, you're experienced!" Zhuo Fan laughed, covering his mouth, as he watched Fang Zhongwen hide money in his shoe insoles.
"Brother Fang, does your wife know about this?" Ye Jingxing also teased.
"Dad, I told you that method wouldn't work. You can't even hide it from Mom." Fang Lei slapped his forehead, looking disappointed.
As soon as Fang Lei finished speaking, the staff found several more bills in a hidden compartment in his backpack.
"Hey! I thought you were quite capable!" Fang Zhongwen mocked mercilessly.
"Very skillful. I didn't even know you had a hidden compartment! You must have hidden things from your mom quite often, right?"
Fang Lei became dejected and didn't want to speak.
"This is hilarious, brothers. The way the Fang father and son hid money is too funny."
"Is this a public airing of grievances?"
"Brother Fang! It's not just shoe insoles where you can hide money; that trick is outdated."
"You upstairs have a lot of experience! Let's share notes?"
Nuannuan, meanwhile, was the most thoroughly searched. Not only was she patted down, but her bag was also turned inside out. The crew even considered opening the seams to see if there were any hidden pockets or compartments.
"Hey, hey, hey, this is too much! Are you guys hunting for spies? It's just such a small bag, is this necessary?" Ye Jingxing couldn't stand it anymore and spoke up to stop them.
"The director must have developed a phobia because of Nuannuan!"
"Honestly, I was surprised last time too. First, trading snacks for meals, then cash, and finally a black card, all not at once. It felt like a progression."
"The director is truly scared. Such a small child, such a small bag, but they spent twice as much time on Nuannuan as on others."
Nuannuan was very quiet this time, looking at the searching staff with wide eyes, not making a sound, nor looking wronged.
"Nuannuan, it's okay, it'll be over soon." Ye Jingxing, fearing Nuannuan would cry like last time, quickly comforted her.
"Fourth Uncle, Nuannuan is fine!" Nuannuan rejected his comfort and looked at him with confusion.
"Director, there's nothing." The staff member shouted into the walkie-talkie.
"Were they searched on their person?"
"Everything has been checked. I even took off their socks."
Ye Jingxing's head was filled with black lines.
"Alright, you can pass."
"Welcome back to our little courtyard, everyone. At the end of last episode, we had a scoring ranking. Today, we will receive your living expenses for this episode based on last episode's rankings."
"First place gets 50 yuan, second place gets 40 yuan, and so on."
"For the whole episode? Director, even 50 yuan for first place won't last three days!" Zhuo Fan looked at the 40 yuan in his hand with a bitter face.
"Director, we have to work again this episode!" Fang Zhongwen had already seen through the director's tactics.
"No working. You'll get monetary rewards for completing tasks."
The director felt that Ye Jingxing and Nuannuan had been operating outside his plans last episode and couldn't allow them to roam freely anymore.
"Three meals a day will be provided by the production team this episode, with each item clearly priced. You will need to purchase them from us. Here is the menu, you can order."
Saying that, the director handed over a booklet, which everyone passed around curiously.
"Five yuan for a steamed bun? Are you crazy, Director? I don't eat many steamed buns, but I know the market prices." Zhuo Fan had an expression that said, "I know everything, don't try to fool me."
"20 yuan for a bowl of beef noodles. Hmm, this is acceptable." Fang Zhongwen nodded upon seeing this.
"50 yuan for a portion of egg fried rice! Director, have you gone mad for money? Can I report you to the price bureau? This is a parent-child show, isn't it?
Shouldn't a parent-child show involve us eating and drinking at home and playing with the children?" Zhuo Fan rolled up his sleeves, ready to reason with the director.
"Before I came, my agent told me it was just about bringing the child out to eat, drink, and play. Now, we can't even eat enough." Ye Jingxing said expressionlessly.
"Yes! Director, it's fine if we adults skip a few meals, but the children are still young and mustn't go hungry."
Chen Yi said this for two reasons: first, after the second episode, many people online said she was selfish and didn't love her child, so she was eager to change the audience's perception. Second, she had received the least amount of money so far, and it would be even better if the director could change his mind.
"Chen Yi, you should probably not speak. I wouldn't doubt anyone else saying this, but I don't believe you."
"I just watched a recorded episode when I arrived. What's going on?"
"If you watched the second episode, you'd know she's truly selfish and has never considered the child."
"Does my brother mean he was tricked into coming? Hahaha!"
"It is indeed about eating, drinking, and playing. Didn't you come through the last two episodes like this? No problem!"
"Exactly. Actor Ye has been well taken care of by his niece. He was just eating, drinking, and playing last episode."
"Ye Jingxing, are you feeling guilty saying that? Others might have gone hungry, but you haven't. Nuannuan has taken such good care of you!"
"The production team will give everyone tasks tomorrow and the day after. Each task will have a different monetary reward. There are no tasks this afternoon, so you can eat, drink, and play with your little ones at home."
"..." Everyone was speechless.
"Director, can we cook our own meals? Why do we have to buy from you?" Fang Zhongwen suddenly remembered they cooked their own meals last episode.
"The stove has been sealed by us." The director told them mercilessly.
"Of course, you can also try buying from the farmers."
"I think the director saying this is definitely a trap. If he's saying it so readily, he must have prepared something." Ye Jingxing knew it wouldn't be that simple when he saw the director's nonchalant expression.
"Director, you're really something this episode! You've got it all figured out."
"That calm, strategic demeanor."
"The director was too suppressed last episode; he's definitely gone all out this time."
"My brother is so smart! He saw that something was wrong at a glance."