Tonight, the usual cooking rotation was canceled since everyone had been out on dates. Ding Minqi came downstairs, now dressed in comfortable loungewear. “Did you eat dinner?” she asked, sitting down next to Cheng Cixin on the sofa.
Cheng Cixin paused for a moment before replying, “No, I haven’t.”
Ding Minqi frowned. “Want me to make you something?”
Cheng Cixin smiled gently. “Thanks, Sister Minqi, but it’s okay. You must be tired too.”
Sensing that Cheng Cixin was feeling down about missing out on a date today, Ding Minqi decided to lighten the mood. “It’s fine. What do you feel like eating?” Before waiting for an answer, she got up and headed toward the kitchen. “If you don’t have a preference, I’ll just make something random.”
Cheng Cixin straightened up slightly, no longer lounging lazily on the couch. She spoke with sincerity, “Thank you, Sister Minqi.” Her voice carried a weight that hadn’t been there before. Something about her felt different tonight, as if something had happened while she was alone in the house.
A little while later, Han Jin and Qi Yali arrived. At this point, all three original housemates were on the first floor—Kang Jiadong and Cheng Cixin sat in the living room, while Ding Minqi was busy cooking noodles in the kitchen. The new contestant, Qi Yali, took the initiative to introduce herself.
Hearing the voices, Ding Minqi briefly stepped out of the kitchen to see what was going on. When she spotted the newcomer, she greeted her politely before heading back.
A new female contestant wasn’t exactly welcome news for the others. Her arrival meant more competition, which naturally put pressure on the other three women in the house.
After introductions were exchanged, Qi Yali casually mentioned, “My luggage is still outside. The production team told me they’ll bring it in.”
At that moment, Kang Jiadong was the only man in the living room—Han Jin had gone upstairs to change. Cheng Cixin, who was sitting nearby, greeted Qi Yali briefly before reclining back onto the couch. Even though she clearly heard what Qi Yali said, she showed no reaction—her face completely blank as she stared intently at the book in her hands. For a brief moment, an awkward silence filled the room.
Seeing that no one was responding to Qi Yali, Kang Jiadong quickly stepped in. “Where is it? I’ll help you bring it in.”
Qi Yali’s expression remained composed, unfazed by the lack of response. Whatever she was thinking, she kept it to herself. She smiled. “That’s really nice of you—thank you! But it’s a bit heavy.”
“It’s no problem.”
From the kitchen, Ding Minqi overheard the conversation. She glanced at Qi Yali several times without saying anything, then shifted her gaze to Kang Jiadong, who was still chatting with the newcomer—completely unaware that he was being observed.
Just then, the noodles she was cooking finished boiling. She carefully scooped out a portion and placed it on the dining table before stepping out of the kitchen. “Cixin, the noodles are ready. Come and eat.”
“Thanks, Sister Minqi! You’re the best!” Cheng Cixin clung onto Ding Minqi’s arm, playfully swaying it a few times, her tone light and sweet. Ding Minqi smiled but said nothing.
At that moment, Mu Fu and Chen Han returned to the house. As soon as Mu Fu stepped inside, she caught the aroma of freshly cooked food. “Who’s eating?” she asked Ding Minqi.
“It’s Cixin—she hadn’t eaten yet, so I made her some noodles. Are you hungry? There’s still some left in the pot.”
Mu Fu grinned. “No need! I already ate outside.”
Just as Kang Jiadong finished helping Qi Yali with her luggage, he came back downstairs. He greeted them, “Oh, you’re back.”
Chen Han and Mu Fu smiled and nodded in acknowledgment but didn’t say anything. Ding Minqi continued speaking to them. “You probably don’t know yet, but a new female guest has arrived.”
“???”
Mu Fu was stunned. This wasn’t how things went in her past life.
What Mu Fu didn’t realize was that, in her previous life, even though there had been six guests in the house, only Ding Minqi and Kang Jiadong had remained a stable couple throughout. Meanwhile, Mu Fu’s past self, Chen Han, Cheng Cixin, and Han Jin had been entangled in a complicated web of emotions, making the show dramatic and entertaining—so there was no need for an additional guest.
But now, Ding Minqi and Kang Jiadong were still just as solid as before. Mu Fu and Chen Han had mutual feelings, and while Cheng Cixin had initially tried to interfere, she had eventually gotten along well with Han Jin.
The six of them were paired up—two couples were strong, and the third seemed to be on a steady path as well. With everything so stable, where was the suspense?
The show needed drama. So, the producers decided to bring in a new female guest—someone who could be strong-willed yet seductive—to shake things up and disrupt the current balance.
After filling Mu Fu and Chen Han in about the newcomer, Ding Minqi didn’t spare so much as a glance at Kang Jiadong, who had just returned from helping out. Without a word, she turned and headed straight upstairs to her room.
Mu Fu felt a little lost. She wasn’t exactly the sharpest person, but even she could sense the strange tension between Ding Minqi and Kang Jiadong. What was going on between them?
Mu Fu blinked at Chen Han, signaling him to explain what was going on. Chen Han had no idea either, but one thing was clear—they were definitely in some kind of disagreement. Not wanting Mu Fu to get too curious and start digging for answers, he exchanged greetings with Kang Jiadong and then gently pulled Mu Fu by the arm, leading her upstairs.
When they reached the door of the girls’ dormitory, Chen Han’s voice softened. “Make sure to wash up quickly and get some rest tonight. Try to sleep early.”
Mu Fu nodded obediently, showing that she’d follow his advice. Seeing her like this, Chen Han felt a warmth stir inside him. He instinctively reached out to ruffle her hair—then hesitated and withdrew his hand.
Mu Fu’s gaze filled with confusion and a hint of disappointment. Why didn’t he just do it?
Chen Han chuckled softly. “Go on, get some rest. I’ll head back too.”
Mu Fu nodded again.
So far, neither of them had run into the new female guest. Mu Fu had assumed they’d have to add an extra bed in their dormitory, but to her surprise, nothing had changed.
When she asked Ding Minqi about it, she finally learned the reason—the room they had all assumed was a storage room had actually been set aside for the new guest.
In a way, this arrangement was a relief. By now, after nearly a week of living together, everyone had settled into their routines. If the new guest had to share a room with them, it would take at least another week to adjust. At least this way, they wouldn’t have to go through that whole process.
At 10 PM, when it was time for the nightly message exchange, the new female guest finally entered their dormitory. Mu Fu and Qi Yali introduced themselves to each other.
The director of the dating show had impeccable taste—every guest on this season was visually stunning, and Qi Yali was no exception.
As soon as she returned to the house, Qi Yali changed into something more comfortable, removed her makeup, and reapplied a subtle, fresh look. She had striking features, fair skin, and hair that curled naturally at the ends, giving her a softer, more elegant appearance.
Yet, despite her warmth, there was still a slight sense of distance in her demeanor. Compared to when she first arrived, she seemed less assertive now.
That night, the guests sent their anonymous text messages as part of the show’s routine.
Mu Fu and Chen Han chose each other, a predictable pairing at this point. Ding Minqi and Kang Jiadong also sent messages to each other, their relationship remaining stable. Cheng Cixin, however, sent a message to Han Jin once again, hoping for a connection. But Han Jin, in a surprising turn, sent his message to the new guest, Qi Yali. To add to the complexity, Qi Yali’s message was sent to Kang Jiadong.
This web of messages, if revealed to the contestants, would have caused significant chaos. The audience, however, was relieved that the messages remained anonymous, while some drama enthusiasts praised the producers’ decision to introduce Qi Yali, recognizing it as a move that could potentially stir up the established dynamics.
At that moment, Mu Fu’s phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen—a message from Chen Han.
Chen Han: [What are you up to tomorrow]
Mu Fu: [Probably just staying in the house and writing. Why]
Chen Han: [Want to come to my company]
Mu Fu: [??? What do you mean? Why would I go to your office]
Chen Han: [You can write there. My office is super quiet. Plus, we have tons of snacks—whatever you want, we’ve got it.]
Secretly, Chen Han thought: If there’s something she wants that we don’t have, I’ll just have someone go buy it right away.
That actually didn’t sound too bad. As long as the environment was quiet, Mu Fu could write anywhere—plus, having a handsome guy around wouldn’t hurt.
Mu Fu: [Sure~]
Chen Han’s heart stirred slightly, a faint smile appearing in his eyes.
……
Day 8 in the Love Cabin.
Early in the morning, the male contestants woke up to find a card from the production team. Each of them had to invite one female guest for a secret date tomorrow—without anyone else noticing or finding out. This also meant that one of the women would be left alone again. Since everyone had to go to work today, the production crew wouldn’t be filming them during the day.
While making breakfast, Chen Han ran into the new female guest. He greeted her politely, “Hello, I’m Chen Han.”
Qi Yali’s eyes lit up. She hadn’t expected the show to bring in such an elegant and good-looking contestant. She smiled. “Nice to meet you, I’m Qi Yali, the new guest. You’re up early! What time do you start work?”
It was 8:30 AM—and the only reason Chen Han was still in the house at this hour was because he adjusted his schedule to match Mu Fu’s. After all, as the boss, he could afford to be late once in a while.
Chen Han glanced at her briefly, raising an eyebrow at her obviously fake enthusiasm, but said nothing. Instead, he continued making breakfast, ignoring her completely.
Feeling awkward, Qi Yali touched her nose, thinking to herself, Okay… I’ll allow it. Handsome, aloof guys are allowed to make me feel awkward.
After finishing her breakfast, Qi Yali stood up and said to Chen Han, “I’m heading out.”
Chen Han gave a slight nod but didn’t bother looking up.
Once he was done cleaning up, he noticed Mu Fu still hadn’t come downstairs. He went up and knocked on her door. No response. At this hour, everyone was already at work, which meant the only one still in the room had to be Mu Fu—clearly refusing to get out of bed. Even though she was alone, he couldn’t just walk into the women’s dorm. So instead, he kept knocking, hoping the noise would wake her up.
Luckily, just as he counted to twenty, Mu Fu finally stirred. Her voice was groggy, still half-asleep. “What is it?”
Chen Han reminded her, “Weren’t you supposed to go out today?” Since the cameras were rolling, he couldn’t say outright that they had plans to go to his office together.
Mu Fu blinked in confusion, her brain slowly catching up. Oh. Right. They had agreed to meet at his office today. “Oh… yeah. What time is it?”
Chen Han checked his watch. “Nine.”
Mu Fu gasped. “Huh? It’s that late already? Wait for me, I’ll get up right now!”
Chen Han chuckled. “No rush. I already made breakfast. Take your time.”
“Mhm… okay…” Mu Fu hurried to get ready.
By the time they left the house, the sun was already high in the sky.
Chen Han’s company was located in a tech startup park on the outskirts of Hang City, home to many IT companies. Setting up shop here came with government incentives—grants for entrepreneurs and subsidies on rent.
And if you’re wondering why the heir to a massive corporation would bother saving money—well, rich people can be frugal too. If there’s a way to cut costs, why not take advantage of it?
When they arrived, Mu Fu noticed that Chen Han’s company was actually quite small. He only had about a dozen employees. His office had a large, empty wooden desk—probably where his assistant or secretary used to sit.
After closing the door, Chen Han pointed at the desk. “You can sit here. It’s spacious, should be good for your work.”
Mu Fu nodded in approval. She actually really liked the spot.
Axolotl Translations 
Leave a comment