Chapter Twelve: Moving into the Castle

"Everyone's luggage has been delivered to your respective lodgings. There are shuttle buses here to take you to your accommodations, so you may head back now."

Several shuttle buses were parked nearby, each labeled with the name of the destination it served.

Jiang Xian found the bus marked "Castle." To her dismay, she realized she would be sharing the ride with the homestay guests. The word "bad luck" flashed through her mind.

"Xianxian, what a coincidence. I didn't expect us to—" Before Jiang Ke could finish, Jiang Xian walked straight past her toward the shuttle as if she hadn't heard a word.

Just as Jiang Ke prepared to put on a pitiful act, she realized that everyone except Zheng Jin and Sheng Ya had already boarded the shuttle, urging the driver to hurry. They were famished and eager to get to their quarters, hoping to snack on whatever food they might have packed in their luggage.

"Jiang Xian, you really have no shame, sneaking your way over here."

With no one else around, no cameras in sight, and sitting in the back where the driver couldn't hear them, Jiang Ke dropped the facade and revealed her true colors.

"What, feeling uncomfortable? And what if you are? I’m here now. Who could have guessed it would be such a coincidence that the production team made a blunder and sent me here?"

Jiang Xian’s smug, provocative expression made Jiang Ke’s face darken even further.

"Don't get too full of yourself. With only one yuan to your name, let's see how long you can last." Jiang Ke remained convinced that Jiang Xian’s ability to produce that single yuan was entirely due to the two yuan Tang Qionghua had given her. Once those were gone, she would be waiting to watch Jiang Xian make a fool of herself.

"That’s none of your concern."

"We’ve arrived at the castle," the driver announced.

Both women looked ahead. The side of the castle was already visible in the distance.

As they drew closer, Jiang Xian couldn't help but gasp. She tilted her head back to take it all in; the castle soared toward the clouds, magnificent and grand. Yet, it was painted in a blend of pale pink and soft yellow, a dreamlike palette that added a touch of nobility.

Jiang Xian wasn't the only one; Jiang Ke couldn't help but gape as well. The castle radiated such opulence that one felt as though they might become a queen just by living inside.

Unable to wait a second longer, Jiang Ke hopped off the vehicle, desperate to see the interior. Jiang Xian followed suit as the shuttle pulled away. Jiang Ke could only watch with envy and resentment as Jiang Xian dashed toward the castle like a joyful butterfly.

As she reached the main entrance, the heavy doors swung open automatically. Jiang Xian stepped inside to find a spacious hall adorned with magnificent murals, dreamy chandeliers, and massive floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a garden. Curtains swayed in the breeze, and a long table covered in a white cloth stood to the side, a centerpiece of blue roses dominating the display.

How was this any different from the homes of the princesses in the cartoons she watched as a child?

Jiang Xian couldn't help but sniffle. This was the scent of pure money!

"Good day, Miss Jiang. I am the castle butler; you may call me Lai. Your luggage has been delivered to the master suite. Would you like me to escort you there?" A middle-aged man in a black suit approached with a polite smile and an introduction.

Caught off guard by his sudden appearance, Jiang Xian felt a bit awkward. "Oh, yes, thank you!"

"It is my pleasure. This way, Miss Jiang."

"Isn't the staircase over there?" Jiang Xian pointed to a nearby spiral staircase, confused as to why Lai was heading in the opposite direction.

"There is an elevator this way. If you prefer the stairs, you are certainly welcome to take them, but your room is on the third floor, so it might be quite tiring."

"I think I’ll stick with the elevator for the third floor."

Lai nodded and gestured for her to follow. As he turned, Jiang Xian exhaled deeply. An elevator inside a house—this was the kind of place she hadn't even dared to dream about!

In the elevator, Lai stood stiffly by the door, eyes fixed on the floor numbers. When they reached the third floor, the doors opened, and Lai bowed politely, gesturing for her to step out first.

Looking around, she realized there seemed to be only two rooms on the entire floor. Lai walked to the right and stopped before a door. "Please rest well, Miss Jiang. I will call your room when lunch is ready. You may let me know if you would like to come down or have it brought up to you."

"Right, sounds good."

The moment she closed the door, Jiang Xian wanted to scream, but she restrained herself to maintain her composure. When she saw the bed, she dove onto it, feeling as if she had landed in a pile of fragrant marshmallows.

It was impossibly soft and bouncy. She couldn't help but roll around on it a few times.

Calming herself, she began to inspect the room. As the master suite, it was incredibly spacious, decorated primarily in pink and blue—a very girlish aesthetic. It featured a vanity, a lounge chair, a bookcase, and an en-suite bathroom. Spotting a small door to the side, she pushed it open and her eyes widened: "My goodness, it’s a walk-in closet!"

It looked to be about forty square meters. In her awe, Jiang Xian suddenly realized that with her newfound wealth, it wasn't impossible for her to buy a castle of her own one day. Struck by this thought, she tapped her forehead. "I've been poor for too long. I have money now, but I don't even know how to enjoy it."

Meanwhile, after receiving reports from the staff, Yang Feng learned that all the guests had settled in. He finally had time to edit some interesting clips from the live stream to post on the official account, hoping to drive more traffic.

"Xiaofeng, are the guests resting?" Just then, Liu Shenghai, who should have been on the set of *Extreme Escape*, appeared.

"Yes, Brother Liu. What brings you here?" Xiaofeng stood up, surprised to see him.

"Well, except for Jiang Xian, none of the guests chose the yacht, so I came to see what was going on."

Yang Feng nodded. He hadn't expected that result either. It really proved the saying that the richer one is, the stingier they get, whereas someone like Jiang Xian was actually quite generous. An idea struck him: "Brother Liu, should we collect the guests' phones until the show ends?"

Before editing the clips, Yang Feng had made a point to research how other reality show directors handled this. Most would collect the phones, either returning them after each day's filming or keeping them until the very end of the live production. It was rare to let the guests keep their phones for the entire duration.