CHAPTER 428: CHAPTER 428 WHO CAN UNDERSTAND HIS GOOD INTENTIONS

"You guys, one by one, are trying to morally guilt-trip me, huh?" Sang Ning said speechlessly.

Zhou Rui carefully observed Sang Ning’s expression. He felt that she wasn’t really planning to quit, so he thought for a moment before asking, "Sang Ning, is there something about the show that’s making you dissatisfied?"

Sang Ning slowly raised her eyes to look at Zhou Rui. "Has the program team done anything that actually satisfies everyone?"

With one sentence, Zhou Rui found himself tongue-tied.

Sang Ning raised her hand and pressed her fingers against her temples on both sides, rubbing them gently. "Back then, you promised us this show was all about travel and relaxation. What happened? Before boarding the plane, you gave us awkward tasks; once we got off, you embarrassed us by making us find our own transportation in a place we barely know. If you all weren’t so clueless, we wouldn’t have run into this ridiculous mess tonight. If you say one thing but do another—just deliberately trying to torment the guests—then I honestly don’t think there’s any point in continuing this program."

Lu Yujing suddenly felt her mind buzzing, as if someone had just hit her hard.

She hadn’t expected Sang Ning to refrain from blaming tonight’s mishap on her, instead directly criticizing the program team.

Zhou Rui’s cheeks instantly turned bright red. He was deeply embarrassed by Sang Ning’s words.

Sang Ning ignored Zhou Rui’s awkwardness and continued to vent her dissatisfaction. "Based on the promises you made to us beforehand, my ideal travel variety show involves eating, drinking, and enjoying beautiful sights. If we absolutely have to exert ourselves, it should at least be something like hiking to admire scenery—not this kind of nonsense that treats us like fools."

"You also mentioned making this season innovative, making it different from the previous ones. I understand you want to maintain the warm and healing tone of the show while also drawing attention and boosting viewership. But do you really think treating us like monkeys for entertainment will get you the ratings you’re looking for?"

Zhou Rui couldn’t raise his head at all; Sang Ning’s words hit all his sore spots directly.

Deep down, he’d always had this bias, believing that a program emphasizing warmth and healing couldn’t become a hit. He thought viewers loved dramatic and exaggerated content, which is why he decided to throw these tasks in—but the result was something awkward and unbalanced.

Sang Ning’s words were like a wake-up call. His attempt to have it both ways ultimately left him with nothing at all.

Just like tonight: the guests running into trouble wasn’t strictly Lu Yujing’s fault. If he hadn’t introduced all this unnecessary chaos in the first place, the guests would already be asleep by now.

Having figured it out, Zhou Rui bowed deeply and apologized to Sang Ning with utmost sincerity. "I’m sorry, Sang Ning. You’re absolutely right. I know where I went wrong, and I promise that moving forward, the travel experience will return to its purest form. Any extra task segments will be canceled so that when you travel, it really is just travel."

Sang Ning stretched lazily and said, "I’m so tired. Staying up this late—do we even know when we need to get up tomorrow?"

Zhou Rui immediately understood her hint and quickly replied, "Tonight, everyone’s worked hard, so tomorrow you can all just sleep in!"

"That’s great. Thanks in advance, Director Zhou." Sang Ning muffled a yawn with her hand and tentatively asked, "By the way, are we still doing shared rooms tonight?"

The program team hadn’t arranged single rooms for the guests, likely hoping to capture footage of their interactions while sharing rooms. But after tonight’s ordeal, Sang Ning just wanted nothing more than to collapse into bed. If she still had a roommate with a different sleep schedule, her dream of sleeping in tomorrow would surely go up in smoke.

Zhou Rui made a grand gesture, sounding generously magnanimous. "Single rooms, single rooms! Tonight, everyone gets a single room so you can sleep soundly and wake up naturally!"

After glancing at Li Haidong and Wei Lan, Zhou Rui hurriedly amended his statement. "Of course, there’s no need for the couple to have single rooms."

Wei Lan immediately refuted Zhou Rui’s comment. "Who says couples don’t need single rooms? Tonight, I want my own single room. I’m not letting that old geezer stay with me."

Li Haidong, publicly rejected by Wei Lan, didn’t dare protest much. He was afraid she’d expose his bad sleeping habit of snoring when overly tired, so he meekly replied, "Okay, okay, whatever my wife says."

Sang Ning clapped her hands lightly. "Excellent—looks like this trip to New Island is shaping up to be a wonderfully pleasant vacation."

Seeing that all the guests were finally placated, Zhou Rui made an exuberant declaration. "As long as you’re all happy—eat all you want, drink all you want. The program team has plenty of money; we can afford it!"

Zhou Rui kept his word and arranged single rooms for each of the guests.

After the late-night wine session ended, the guests returned to their respective rooms to rest.

In Wei Lan’s room, she was about to shut the door when Li Haidong pushed his way in.

"What are you doing? You promised to sleep alone tonight—stop bothering me!" Wei Lan showed no kindness and pushed him back out.

Li Haidong, being shameless, squeezed in with a fawning smile. "Lanlan, I just want to talk to you privately. I’ll leave once I’m done."

Wei Lan finally let go of the door handle. After he walked in, she closed the door. "Talk, then. What is it?"

Li Haidong guided Wei Lan further into the room and sat her down on the couch. "I want to talk about Sang Ning."

From the moment she entered the hotel until now, Wei Lan hadn’t had a chance to fix her messy hair. She sat on the couch, fiddling with it absentmindedly, not investing too much attention in Li Haidong. "Speak quickly."

Waiting for Li Haidong to say something, she was surprised when he suddenly posed a question instead. "What’s your opinion of Sang Ning?"

Wei Lan ran her fingers through her hair and replied, "I’ve always thought she’s a great person. After what happened tonight, I like her even more! What—have you finally realized how wonderful she is?"

This show was originally Li Haidong’s suggestion to participate, solely to objectively assess Sang Ning’s personality.

"This girl is definitely not like most women. She’s smart and brave." With the subject herself absent, Li Haidong didn’t find it as hard to compliment her out loud.

"That being said, as great as she is, I still don’t think she’s a good match for our son."

Li Haidong’s praise quickly took a sharp turn, prompting Wei Lan to call him out. "Who she’s a match for or not—what business is it of yours? If your son thinks she’s a good match, then she is. Do you think it’s still your place as a dad to judge this in this day and age?"

Li Haidong hurried to explain himself. "I just feel that Azhou has a dominant personality, and Sang Ning’s personality is even stronger than Juezhou’s. It’s just not a compatible pairing for married life."

"I thought you had something important to say. This? You’re wasting my precious sleep time—now get out!" Wei Lan started shooing him away. "You should mind your own business instead. Trust me, relationship dynamics are hereditary. Your son’s the same as you. If Azhou’s personality is dominant, you’ll see—he’ll still end up bowing to Sang Ning anyway."

Li Haidong got kicked out of the room before he could say the rest of what he wanted to say, fearing that voicing it might get him beaten.

That was precisely his worry—he was already stuck living this kind of life himself. He just didn’t want his son to endure the same fate. But who would understand his well-meaning but futile concerns?