Next up was Fang Yuhang. His question: “Which of the women here do you think is the most attractive? Please walk behind the one you choose and give her this rose.”
At that moment, a production assistant handed him a fresh red rose.
The five female contestants stood in a line, their backs to him. Each watched closely, trying to guess who he’d pick.
Fang Yuhang swallowed nervously. Great, he thought. His turn, and of course, he had to pick someone, risking offense to everyone else. Still, he didn’t hesitate for long. Rose in hand, he walked straight to stand behind today’s date—Fan Xinjie.
Fan Xinjie saw a hand slowly extend from behind her, holding a bright red rose. Delighted, she turned around. She couldn’t stop the smile tugging at her lips. Her eyes sparkled with happiness.
Seeing her so genuinely happy, Fang Yuhang grinned too, a little goofy, but sweet.
Then it was Gui Xingye’s turn. His task was another truth-or-dare style question: “Up to now, how many love letters have you written? If you refuse to answer, you must do a dare chosen by one of the women.”
Gui Xingye replied honestly, “Two. Back in high school.”
Fang Yuhang teased him: “What?! Old Gui, I didn’t take you for someone who started young!”
Gui Xingye waved him off. “No, no. I just wrote them. They didn’t go anywhere. She turned me down.”
Everyone felt a little bad for him after that, so they didn’t tease further and moved on.
Next up was Ma Yangxia.
If you asked Mu Fu who had the least presence in the group, she’d say Ma Yangxia. Aside from a few gentlemanly gestures that caught some attention, he mostly stayed quiet. During group conversations, he’d often sit silently to the side, simply watching everyone else chat.
Mu Fu didn’t have much of an impression of him at all.
Ma Yangxia’s task was: “What behavior do you dislike most in women?”
He paused, then answered, “Too many male friends… and being overly clingy, I guess. My job isn’t really suited for someone who needs a lot of attention. Since I spend more time in the military than at home, I can’t always be around. And if she has a lot of male friends, it’ll just make me overthink.”
Mu Fu stole a glance at Wen Shu. His face was unreadable. She wondered what Wen Shu thought of that last question. Since Ma Yangxia had stood, only Fan Xinjie sat between her and Wen Shu, giving her a clear view of his face.
Then, abruptly, Wen Shu turned his head—their eyes met. Startled, Mu Fu quickly looked away, her ears burning. She straightened her back and stared straight ahead, pretending nothing had happened.
Wen Shu glanced at her and let out a soft snort. So timid.
Gui Xingye, seated next to him, asked, “What’s up?”
Wen Shu replied casually, “Nothing.”
Mu Fu heard their low voices. Even though she avoided looking their way, her attention was completely fixed on them. Her cheeks still felt warm. Ugh, that reaction was so exaggerated… I should’ve just looked back and held his gaze. Why did I get so flustered?
Just then, Bian Jincheng, seated on her left, turned toward her and said, “Mu Fu, I’m up next.”
Still a bit dazed, Mu Fu blinked before realizing he meant it was his turn to draw a question. “Oh! Right—good luck!”
He gave her a gentle smile. “Thanks.”
The question he got was: “If you had the chance to invite one of the women here to dinner, who would you choose?”
Another loaded question. The kind that might hint at who he was crushing on—or at least who he liked most so far.
Bian Jincheng smiled. “If I really had that chance, I hope the delicate little princess would accept my dinner invitation.” His eyes locked on Mu Fu, and the moment he said it, everyone turned to look at her.
Mu Fu’s first instinct was to glance at Wen Shu.
Wen Shu froze, clearly not expecting her to look at him. He pressed his lips together, his expression unreadable.
Mu Fu quickly looked away.
Now Bian Jincheng was gazing at her with hopeful eyes, waiting for her reaction.
She felt a bit awkward. She had picked up on the fact that Bian Jincheng might have feelings for her… but she knew she’d never choose him. So, in her heart, she could only whisper an apology.
Mu Fu kept a calm expression and smiled. “Of course. I’d actually love the chance to have dinner with other guests too.”
Bian Jincheng’s smile stiffened slightly. He wasn’t sure if Mu Fu was gently turning him down… or just trying to avoid giving anyone the wrong idea.
Next, it was Wen Shu’s turn. The moment he saw his task, his expression darkened with embarrassment. The challenge? Do 30 push-ups—with a female guest sitting on his back.
The first part wasn’t a problem for Wen Shu—he could easily manage that. The issue was… the second part.
Mu Fu raised an eyebrow, amused. She smiled. “I only weigh 95 jin (57 kg)—I’m pretty light. I’ll help you out.”
At 168 cm, she was tall, but definitely on the lighter side for her height.
Sure enough, after she mentioned her weight, none of the other four female guests spoke up.
Wen Shu had intended to refuse—but somehow, without thinking, he found himself saying yes.
He immediately regretted it. He didn’t even know why he’d agreed—just that when he’d almost refused, an image flashed through his mind: Mu Fu and Bian Jincheng washing dishes together earlier that evening. The next thing he knew, the words had slipped out.
But once said, there was no taking them back.
Because they’d returned to the guest house, Wen Shu had changed into his military-style uniform. As he lowered himself to the ground, hands braced on the floor, the fitted, olive shirt stretched tight over his back. It couldn’t hide his defined muscles. Mu Fu could clearly see the sculpted lines through the fabric.
So Wen Shu was one of those guys: slim in clothes, solid underneath.
Mu Fu crouched down, meeting him at eye level. She spoke softly. “You ready? Don’t worry, I’m not that heavy. I’ll keep my feet on the ground—I won’t put all my weight on you.”
Wen Shu gave her a slow once-over, then said coolly, “It’s fine. Go ahead—I can handle your weight.”
Mu Fu hadn’t expected him to say it so casually. With a soft snort, she huffed, a little offended. Oh? So now he’s underestimating me?
“I’m getting on now, okay? Let me know if anything feels uncomfortable,” Mu Fu said gently. She climbed on slowly, testing his balance first. When she felt he wasn’t shaking or straining, she relaxed a little, though her feet still remained on the floor.
Even so, Mu Fu felt a little nervous. She placed both hands on Wen Shu’s back for support. Through the shirt, she could feel the heat of his skin—and her fingers unintentionally brushed across his spine and shoulder blades.
Wen Shu’s whole body was tensed from holding her weight and doing the push-ups. His muscles were hard and tightly drawn beneath her hands. So much so that Mu Fu half-wondered if bumping into him might actually bruise her.
Then a soft, sweet scent drifted toward Wen Shu’s nose—like sugar, warm and faintly intoxicating. At the same time, the feel of Mu Fu’s light grip on his back—those fingers slowly shifting, tightening—sent unexpected ripples through him. Something inside him stirred.
Wen Shu was alarmed.
No way. He couldn’t believe what he was feeling.
Thankfully, his head was lowered toward the floor—no one could see his expression. His voice came out rougher than expected. “Don’t move.”
The sudden tone startled Mu Fu. She immediately froze, sitting as still as possible.
With tight focus and steady arms, Wen Shu powered through the thirty push-ups. Watching his calm, confident rhythm, Mu Fu thought to herself: He could totally carry me like a princess.
When she got off safely, Wen Shu stood up quickly. Only then did the others notice the sweat trickling down his forehead.
Mu Fu quickly grabbed a tissue and stepped forward to wipe the sweat from Wen Shu’s forehead. She had to tiptoe slightly, leaning in just enough to reach him.
Wen Shu looked down at the pretty girl in front of him, her face soft and radiant with concern. His eyes darkened, expression unreadable—but for once, he didn’t pull away. He let her come close.
With her this near, that subtle fragrance from earlier grew even stronger. Wen Shu’s gaze flicked downward for a moment. He clenched his jaw tightly. Now he knew exactly where that sweet scent was coming from.
No one could tell how much effort it took for him to keep calm just now—his brain had been working overtime to contain the chaos surging inside. He hadn’t expected it. After all these years, this was the first time he’d felt something so intense—so sharp and electric.
And it came from the very girl he’d been trying to avoid all this time. Wen Shu couldn’t understand what it was about Mu Fu—what strange magic she carried that could stir something so raw in him.
Mu Fu, completely unaware of the storm in his head, looked up with concern and guilt in her eyes. “Was I really that heavy? I’m sorry…”
“It’s not you. I just need a moment,” Wen Shu replied, his voice low and rough.
The truth was, she wasn’t heavy at all. He just needed to get away—quickly. He didn’t want her to notice the tension in his body… or the thoughts racing through his mind.
Mu Fu didn’t dare press him further. She stepped aside quickly, letting him sit down to rest. Only after a few minutes—when she saw he looked fine again—did she finally relax.
Across the room, Bian Jincheng had been watching the whole time, especially when Mu Fu stepped forward to wipe Wen Shu’s sweat. His gaze dropped slightly, shielding the complicated thoughts swirling in his eyes.
Mu Fu didn’t notice the look on Bian Jincheng’s face—and even if she had, she wouldn’t have cared.
By now, three of the female contestants had already drawn lots: Fan Xinjie, Xie Shirui, and Wei Qiqiao.
Fan Xinjie’s slip read: Truth or Dare. The question was: “Is there anyone among the male contestants you like? If you refuse to answer, the dare will be chosen by the male guests.”
As soon as everyone heard the challenge, curiosity filled the air.
Fan Xinjie coughed twice, clearly a little shy. “Yes.”
Xie Shirui and Bai Tingting immediately began teasing her, pushing her to spill the name.
Fan Xinjie blushed and protested, “Stop teasing! You’ll find out eventually!”
Even though she dodged the question, her eyes kept drifting toward Fang Yuhang. And when people remembered that he had given her the rose earlier, all eyes turned to the two of them with knowing smiles.
Next up was Wei Qiqiao. Her question: “What does your ideal partner look like?”
She thought for a moment, then answered, “Someone who can take care of me, give me a sense of security, and be gentle and attentive.”
A pretty normal response.
Then it was Xie Shirui’s turn. Her question: “How would you confess to someone you like?”
Almost instantly, her gaze flicked to Pang Chuan. Her cheeks were tinted pink, her earrings seemed to glow softly, and her whole expression turned sweet and bashful—like a girl in love.
“I’d make him a homemade lunchbox,” she said softly.
The male guests reacted with a mix of expressions—but Pang Chuan looked deep in thought, his brows slightly furrowed.
Axolotl Translations 
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