The Trending Topic Herself: The Villainess is the Superstar!

Chapter 265: The Village Chief’s Invitation

Maya Monroe withdrew her gaze with a smile: "Don’t be nervous, don’t be nervous, I was just joking."

She didn’t show it on her face, but her mind was constantly thinking and piecing things together.

Actually, she never expected to get answers from the photographer. She simply wanted to verify her own suspicions through his expressions.

Her deductive skills were average, but her observational skills were always her forte. Just from the other person’s facial expressions, she could extract a lot of the information she needed.

Now it seemed her suspicions were correct, but something was still missing.

Her current speculation wasn’t entirely accurate.

So what’s missing?

With the material aid, Maya Monroe’s days were significantly more comfortable.

The only pity was that they could eat very little of the food, not because the food was inedible, but because they didn’t know how to cook.

Boiling beef in water isn’t completely terrible, but it does seem like a waste of good ingredients.

"Let’s take it over to Auntie Lee tomorrow. She’s a good cook, and we might even get a free meal."

Auntie Lee was the grandmother of the stone, very hospitable, and had helped them a lot when they first arrived in the village.

"Okay."

When it was time to rest in the evening, Maya Monroe returned to her room.

The mosquito repellant had already been lit beforehand, so there was no annoying buzzing anymore.

Although the window had been opened to let in the breeze, the scent in the room hadn’t dissipated. Maya couldn’t identify the fragrance, but it had a natural, woody aroma that was soothing and not at all overpowering.

The scent lingered at the tip of her nose, giving a comforting feeling, and Maya couldn’t help thinking of Ian Rowe.

Inexplicably, she began to want to return home soon.

*

"Look, this one, is it a return stone?"

Justin Morgan hopefully handed over the stone in his hand, only to get a shaking head in negation.

Justin Morgan, in anger, hurled the stone harshly to the ground and walked away without looking back.

"Is this one not?" a sweet voice sounded.

Justin Morgan shook his head, dejected.

Kiki Monroe showed a hint of impatience on her face, but it quickly vanished. She gently comforted: "It’s okay, Justin. We’ll keep looking; Kiki will always be with you to find it."

Justin Morgan was instantly moved beyond measure, having long forgotten they were a team, and the task of finding stones was for two people.

"Kiki, I..."

Kiki Monroe dodged his hand, her eyebrows gently furrowed, showing a touch of fragility: "My arm hurts a bit..."

Upon hearing this, Justin Morgan promptly helped her to sit on a bench under a tree and thoughtfully handed her a cup of water.

Kiki Monroe held the water, hesitating a little: "I don’t need to rest; I’ll look with you."

"No way, you’ll rest here properly! The sun is hot now; what if you get sunburned?" After days of searching, Justin Morgan visibly tanned, causing a slight decline in his appearance.

Kiki Monroe tried to avoid sunburn every day but was still inevitably tanned somewhat.

"Well... Okay..."

Having settled Kiki Monroe, Justin Morgan turned back again to pick up stones.

The stones in Stonewell village were ridiculously plentiful, making it exceptionally troublesome to choose. Justin Morgan and the others guessed the return stone should have distinctive features, so whenever they encountered strange-shaped or particularly beautiful stones, they would show them to the accompanying photographer to confirm.

As he bent over, Justin Morgan felt a sudden pain from muscle strain, clutching his waist, he laboriously sifted through the stones.

He angrily griped: "What kind of stupid rule did they set? How can they have people search like this? Scrabbling through stone by stone, will take us forever! I have a lot of engagements waiting for me when I get back, and now I’m aching all over; how can I get my work done?!"

The photographer gently suggested: "Why not try a different method, experiencing the village atmosphere might also do some good."

Justin Morgan, already upset, was even more frustrated hearing his method being denied: "You think I don’t want to enjoy myself in the big villa? But not being able to go back home for several days now, how am I supposed to stand it?!"

Already having a very poor reputation, Justin Morgan decided to just let things fall apart.

Kiki Monroe faintly heard the arguing not far off, but quietly lowered her head to fiddle with the scarf in her hand.

She did feel regret, considering the harsh environment here. However, based on the loose approach of the other groups, this time their group would certainly be the champion.

Thinking about it, she found a bit of consolation.

Suddenly, in a blue shirt, staff came from afar, identity cards hanging on their chest.

Kiki Monroe immediately perked up, jumping to her feet, her gaze containing a hint of contemplation.

Justin Morgan put down his tools and walked over, wiping the sweat from his face, impatiently asking, "What’s going on? I’m busy over here."

The staff’s face maintained its stern expression: "I am here to relay a message."

Kiki Monroe first exclaimed in surprise: "A message?"

All this time, the program team had allowed the guests to fend for themselves, never before sending someone to relay a message.

Perhaps the program team couldn’t hold back anymore. Kiki Monroe clearly understood the information provided by the staff would be the key to acquiring the return stone.

She couldn’t restrain her excitement, pushing the chattering Justin Morgan: "Stop talking!"

Justin Morgan had never heard such an abrupt and impatient tone from her and was temporarily dumbstruck.

Kiki Monroe’s eyes were fixed on the staff: "Quick, tell us."

"After five days here, the village chief feels regret for not formally inviting everyone to visit. So tomorrow at nine in the morning, please be punctual for the appointment, don’t keep the village chief’s family waiting..."

The village chief’s invitation had to be relayed through the staff’s mouth, even if Kiki Monroe were naïve, she understood.

"At the time, the village chief will present a gift..." the staff stated each word meaningfully.

Upon hearing the final statement, Kiki Monroe’s blood felt like it was boiling.

A gift...

What else could they give but the return stone?

This means, as long as they gain the village chief’s favor, they can obtain the return stone.

However, this also means their constant method of picking and choosing stones was fundamentally wrong. Realizing this, Kiki Monroe felt her efforts these past days had been wasted, intensifying her dislike for Justin Morgan’s suggestion.

"Thank you, we’ll definitely be there."

After sweetly thanking, Kiki Monroe added: "Will other teams receive the same notification?"

The staff inexplicably glanced at her: "Of course."

*

After pondering the intention behind the village chief’s invitation, Maya Monroe ate breakfast and then headed off to the village chief’s house with Miles Wallace.

They both understood the critical importance here in obtaining the return stone.