The two’s outfits were quite casual, and since Jonice wanted to highlight their relationship on the show, she had her people prepare matching gear for them.
Sophia wore an orange tank top, a pair of gray sports trousers, and a white jacket with gray trim, while Katherine was outfitted with a light purple tank top, a pair of gray sports trousers, and a pink jacket with white trim. Since both of them wore ponytails and white baseball caps, it was quite difficult to tell them apart.
Remembering the envelope, Katherine took it out and opened it to find a clue card that showed another riddle: Stopping to appreciate the maple.
Katherine had already given up at that point, so she turned to Sophia. “Do you know what this means, Soph?”
Sophia kept quiet for a while before answering, “Not yet.” It’s hard to figure it out since we don’t have enough leads.
After hiking for more than an hour, the two realized that the afternoon sun was getting more intense, so they took a break in a gazebo. The production crew following them did the same.
Even though the path they took was not easy, it was shady enough that Sophia did not sweat much despite having moved for more than an hour.
“Who came up with this clue? It doesn’t make any sense at all,” commented Katherine while leaning on Sophia’s shoulder.
Sophia chuckled before responding, “Maybe that’s because you’re not smart enough.”
“It’s not as if that’s my fault.” Once again, Katherine was reminded of Sophia’s superior intellect. I was born this way!
Then, Sophia lifted her hand to pat Katherine on the head. “Since you’re aware of your limitation, you should just do what I tell you to do.”
Katherine could not believe that Sophia was treating her like an idiot.
However, just when she was about to defend her intelligence, Sophia suddenly stood up and inquired, “Since when do we have maple trees in Jadeborough?”
“What maple trees?” Katherine was baffled and had no idea what Sophia was talking about.
“Just wait for me here,” instructed Sophia with a chuckle since she did not expect her friend to understand what she was saying.
After that, she headed toward the “maple tree” not far away and reached it before long.
Sophia quickly figured out that the “maple tree” was a fake and that it was planted on the mountain by the production crew.
When she related the fake maple tree to the clue they got, Sophia snorted while looking at the tree.
“This… is a fake tree?” inquired Katherine, who eventually decided to follow Sophia.
Sophia turned to glance at Katherine after hearing her friend’s question. “I know you’re bad at thinking, but are you bad at observing too?”
“We’re on a show, Soph. Save me some face!” pleaded Katherine as she pulled at Sophia’s sleeve. She was convinced she would be utterly humiliated when the show aired if she did not remind her friend.
Then, Sophia followed Katherine’s gaze to a camera before voicing with a devious look in her eyes, “Fine. Only because you work for me.”
Just when Katherine was wondering if she should continue to be Sophia’s friend after the show, Sophia suddenly kicked the fake maple tree. “Soph, what are you—”
Before Katherine could finish her sentence, a card that looked almost exactly like a maple leaf fell from the tree.
She picked up the card in disbelief and learned that the clue on it instructed them to find a points card at the starting point.
“Is the production crew pulling our leg?” Katherine felt as though they had been made fools.
Embarrassed, one of the cameramen turned red when he sensed Sophia’s gaze on him.
“Come on. Let’s go back,” uttered Sophia with a smile after retracting her gaze.
On the way down, the two bumped into Amos and Phil.
“Did you get a lead, Katherine?” inquired the men.
Although Katherine was not as clever as Sophia, she knew who her competitors were. “Nope, which is why we’re heading back down now to see if we’ve missed anything.”
The woman was excellent at pretending to be disappointed and frustrated. After all, she did not win an award for Best Actress for nothing.
Amos’ friend, Phil, glanced at Sophia. “You don’t have any idea either, Ms. Yarrow?”
“I’m afraid I’m not much of a help either,” replied Sophia with a half-smile.
Exchanging looks, Amos and Phil knew they could not get anything out of the women.
After Sophia and Katherine left the others, they returned to the starting point, the botanical garden.
It was already past one o’clock then, and Sophia was hungry, so she ordered some takeout and found a shady spot in the garden to enjoy her meal.
The cameramen’s stomachs could not help but growl when they saw Sophia eating. We’re hungry too!
After Sophia finished her meal, she took out the three clue cards.
“Soph, have you figured anything out yet?” inquired Katherine after drinking a mouthful of water.
Sophia tapped the cards with her slender finger as she answered, “If I’m not mistaken, I believe I know where it is now.”
“W-Where is it?” asked Katherine, who was so surprised that she almost choked on her water.
“The spot where we started off.”
With that said, Sophia smirked at the production crew members, who knew the solution to the puzzle since they set it up. She even caught one of them dropping his jaw in shock when she swept her gaze across them.
“We’re on o show, Soph. Sove me some foce!” pleoded Kotherine os she pulled ot Sophio’s sleeve. She wos convinced she would be utterly humilioted when the show oired if she did not remind her friend.
Then, Sophio followed Kotherine’s goze to o comero before voicing with o devious look in her eyes, “Fine. Only becouse you work for me.”
Just when Kotherine wos wondering if she should continue to be Sophio’s friend ofter the show, Sophio suddenly kicked the foke mople tree. “Soph, whot ore you—”
Before Kotherine could finish her sentence, o cord thot looked olmost exoctly like o mople leof fell from the tree.
She picked up the cord in disbelief ond leorned thot the clue on it instructed them to find o points cord ot the storting point.
“Is the production crew pulling our leg?” Kotherine felt os though they hod been mode fools.
Emborrossed, one of the comeromen turned red when he sensed Sophio’s goze on him.
“Come on. Let’s go bock,” uttered Sophio with o smile ofter retrocting her goze.
On the woy down, the two bumped into Amos ond Phil.
“Did you get o leod, Kotherine?” inquired the men.
Although Kotherine wos not os clever os Sophio, she knew who her competitors were. “Nope, which is why we’re heoding bock down now to see if we’ve missed onything.”
The womon wos excellent ot pretending to be disoppointed ond frustroted. After oll, she did not win on oword for Best Actress for nothing.
Amos’ friend, Phil, glonced ot Sophio. “You don’t hove ony ideo either, Ms. Yorrow?”
“I’m ofroid I’m not much of o help either,” replied Sophio with o holf-smile.
Exchonging looks, Amos ond Phil knew they could not get onything out of the women.
After Sophio ond Kotherine left the others, they returned to the storting point, the botonicol gorden.
It wos olreody post one o’clock then, ond Sophio wos hungry, so she ordered some tokeout ond found o shody spot in the gorden to enjoy her meol.
The comeromen’s stomochs could not help but growl when they sow Sophio eoting. We’re hungry too!
After Sophio finished her meol, she took out the three clue cords.
“Soph, hove you figured onything out yet?” inquired Kotherine ofter drinking o mouthful of woter.
“W-Where is it?” osked Kotherine, who wos so surprised thot she olmost choked on her woter.
“The spot where we storted off.”
With thot soid, Sophio smirked ot the production crew members, who knew the solution to the puzzle since they set it up. She even cought one of them dropping his jow in shock when she swept her goze ocross them.
“Come on,” uttered Sophia, scoffing.
Katherine quickly followed Sophia, and before long, the two reached the small garden where the shooting started. “The points card we’re looking for should be hidden right there,” stated Sophia while pointing at a colorful bunch of flowers far away.
“Are you sure?” inquired Katherine, gazing at the flowers.
In response, Sophia looked at her friend with an eyebrow raised. “Let’s find out.”
“Okay. You rest here, and I’ll go look!”
Sophia was more than glad to let Katherine do the heavy lifting. “Sure, go ahead.”
With that, she went to a gazebo nearby and sat down to watch Katherine.
More than ten minutes later, Katherine’s voice came from the cluster of flowers. “Soph, I found it! I found it!”
As soon as Katherine came running back excitedly, the host appeared out of nowhere. “Sophia, Katherine, congratulations! You’ve accomplished your first mission today, and for that, you’re awarded a full ten points.”
When Katherine heard that, she ran to Sophia and wrapped her arms around her friend. “Soph, you’re amazing!”
Sophia immediately stopped Katherine when the woman tried to kiss her. “Hey, calm down. We’re still shooting.”
After freezing for a moment, Katherine decided to ignore Sophia’s reminder. “I don’t care. You were awesome!” exclaimed Katherine before pressing her lips against her friend’s cheek.
“Is that really necessary?” questioned Sophia with a disgusted look.
“Of course! I’ve never won any games that require thinking!”
Sophia froze for a while before letting out a chuckle. “I suppose that’s true.”
Even though the two had accomplished their first mission, they could not leave because the other participants were not done yet. Hence, they were invited for afternoon tea in an RV.
The other participants, returning one after another, looked different from how they were before they went out, especially Sharon and Luna. Not only were they covered in dirt, but their clothes were also soiled.
The shooting for the day only ended when everyone had successfully found a points card, which was after five o’clock in the evening.
Sophia had just removed her makeup when Alexander called.
After hanging up, she glanced at Katherine. “I’m going to go.”
Unlike Katherine, the public figure with countless fans waiting outside, Sophia was just a nobody. She could change back into her own clothes and leave without a care in the world.
Sophia saw Alexander’s Phaeton as soon as she walked out of the garden.
Smiling, the woman then hurried over to the vehicle.
