It was only then that Mu Fu realized something—Bian Jincheng and Bai Tingting seemed noticeably closer than before.
She had always wished them well. After all, in their past life, they had left this world hand in hand. So even when Bian Jincheng seemed to have feelings for her, she hadn’t taken it seriously. She believed that people meant to be together would eventually find each other. And look, their bond had clearly deepened.
With a smile, she said, “Haha, looks like everyone had a pretty good time these past few days.”
What Mu Fu didn’t realize was that she had completely misunderstood the situation between Bian Jincheng and Bai Tingting. He hadn’t corrected Bai Tingting earlier because he was hoping to see some flicker of jealousy—or concern—on Mu Fu’s face.
But there was nothing. No trace of what he’d wanted to see. His heart sank a little. Still, he kept his expression calm and carried on chatting with Mu Fu about everything that had happened over the past few days.
Meanwhile, Wen Shu—standing quietly to the side—couldn’t help but feel a sharp pang watching the two of them talk so happily. Even when he looked away, he could still hear the sound of their laughter drifting over.
After a while, Mu Fu noticed that Wen Shu had been unusually quiet—he hadn’t joined in the conversation at all. She walked over and asked softly, “What’s wrong? Why are you so quiet?”
Wen Shu lowered his eyes. “It’s nothing. I’m just a little tired.”
“Really?” Mu Fu frowned slightly. That didn’t add up—he hadn’t seemed this tired even after their days in the forest. Why would he be exhausted now? Something felt off.
“Mm.” Wen Shu didn’t explain any further.
His tone was distant, and Mu Fu couldn’t help but feel like things had gone back to the way they were before—when she was the one chasing after him, and he was always cold, always just out of reach.
She didn’t understand what had changed. Everything had been fine just earlier—why was he suddenly acting like this now? Mu Fu pressed her lips together, a little frustrated. But with so many people around, she didn’t want to confront him directly.
After a long wait, Fang Yuhang and Pang Chuan’s group finally returned.
Seeing that all the guests had come back safely, the director picked up the megaphone and announced, “Congratulations to all eight of our guests for making it through three days in the wild! The next two days are yours to spend however you like.”
That was the production team’s way of giving them a break. The director also reminded them that if anyone was feeling unwell, they should inform the crew right away so that medical care could be arranged. The team was worried someone might’ve picked up some unknown bacteria or virus out in the jungle.
After the gathering, the staff arranged for Bai Tingting to go to the hospital for a check-up. Even though her rash had cleared up, it was better to be safe than sorry.
Only now did everyone finally find out what Bai Tingting had been through. When they heard she ran into a venomous snake almost as soon as she arrived, the other female contestants were horrified, shuddering at how unlucky she’d been. And after hearing about everything else she experienced, most were left speechless—offering silent sympathy while feeling grateful they hadn’t faced the same.
Fang Yuhang, Fan Xinjie, Pang Chuan, and Xie Shirui, on the other hand, had a pretty smooth journey. Over the past few days, they’d gotten to know each other better and grown more comfortable together.
After saying goodbye to the others, Mu Fu headed straight back to her room for a long, fragrant shower. She’d been super active over the last few days—honestly, she suspected she’d lost quite a bit of weight. Even though she managed to bathe every night in the jungle, the sweaty smell still clung stubbornly to her.
As for her clothes? Completely ruined. Covered in mystery stains and sticky plant juices, they were beyond saving. No amount of scrubbing helped, so she had no choice but to toss them.
Once everything was clean and packed away, Mu Fu finally collapsed into the soft, cozy bed she’d been dreaming about for days.
Back when she was sharing a bed with Wen Shu, she didn’t dare move too much—worried that she’d accidentally expose some unattractive sleep habit in front of her crush. But now? She could roll around however she wanted!
Wrapped in her own scent and nestled against her fluffy pillow, Mu Fu drifted peacefully off to sleep.
The hours passed quickly. As the sun began to set, the sky glowed a warm orange.
While Mu Fu and the others were still resting after their return from the jungle, Wei Qiqiao and a few others—who hadn’t been on a date—were busy preparing dinner for the group.
After Wen Shu’s group had left for the forest, the production team arranged a little outing for the remaining contestants: a movie night. The idea was to spark a few romantic moments among those who hadn’t found a match yet—after all, there was still one single female contestant left.
Even though Wei Qiqiao missed out on the jungle adventure, she didn’t feel too jealous anymore. Having three male contestants accompany her to the movies definitely soothed any lingering envy. After all, she was the only female contestant who got that kind of attention. Naturally, that gave her a bit of a confidence boost.
As for what the male contestants thought? Hard to say. But Zhu Hongjun definitely wasn’t impressed. He watched Wei Qiqiao—dressed to the nines and working her charm on every guy in the group—and his face was full of impatience. He was sick of entertaining this foolish woman and couldn’t be bothered to pretend otherwise. To him, her antics were ridiculous and beneath his notice.
What’s with this woman? Why is she so annoying? Doesn’t she know I only like Tingting? And yet she still tries to flirt with me!
Of course, Wei Qiqiao had no idea Ma Xiayang was thinking that way about her. Among the female contestants here, she was the only one who hadn’t been picked by any of the guys so far. She was feeling anxious, trying to prove that she still had charm.
But when she showed no signs of backing off, Zhu Hongjun finally spoke up: “You’re making it hard to watch the movie.”
Wei Qiqiao immediately stopped talking to Ma Xiayang. Her face flushed red, and she awkwardly curled her toes into the floor. “Sorry!”
“Mm.” Zhu Hongjun shot her a glance, then turned back to the screen. After that, Wei Qiqiao didn’t try to chat with anyone again. Over the past three days, she’d gotten closer to Ma Xiayang. From the looks of it, she was likely to be his choice for future dates. So in a way, things were going her way.
Once dinner was ready, everyone went to wake up Mu Fu and the others.
During dinner, Wen Shu deliberately picked a seat far away from Mu Fu.
Mu Fu noticed everything. She lowered her gaze and quietly stared at her plate, as if it might reveal some secret pattern.
Although Wen Shu was clearly trying to distance himself, he couldn’t help but sneak glances at her. Seeing that calm, distant expression on her face made his heart ache.
The one in the best mood tonight was Bian Jincheng—he’d managed to grab the seat next to Mu Fu before Fan Xinjie could. Fan Xinjie, frustrated by Bian Jincheng’s shameless move, had no choice but to sit on her other side.
Bian Jincheng leaned in slightly and said in a soft voice, “You don’t mind if I sit here, right?”
Mu Fu looked up at him and replied politely, “Of course not.” Then her expression returned to its blank calm.
Bian Jincheng stole a glance at the equally expressionless Wen Shu, then turned back to Mu Fu. “What’s wrong? You look exhausted. Still not feeling rested?”
“Yeah.”
Mu Fu wasn’t in the mood to talk to Bian Jincheng right now. Wen Shu’s strange behavior today had her overthinking everything.
Bian Jincheng didn’t mind her cold tone. He could tell there was tension between her and Wen Shu. It might be a little shameless, but this was the perfect opportunity for him. “I know a great foot massage place—it really helps with fatigue. You feel completely refreshed afterward. Want to check it out?”
Mu Fu perked up a bit at the mention of something so effective. “Where is it?” Even though she’d taken a nap in the afternoon, she was still feeling tired and hadn’t fully bounced back.
“I’ll take you tomorrow,” he offered. “I go there all the time.”
“Alright.”
Originally, she had planned to talk to Wen Shu after dinner. But now, she no longer felt like it.
She decided it was time to give him a taste of his own medicine. If Wen Shu had the nerve to blatantly ignore her like this, then maybe she’d been giving him too much of the impression that she’d always be chasing after him.
So, she accepted Bian Jincheng’s invitation. She wanted Wen Shu to see that even without him, there was another sweet guy ready and waiting to be spoiled.
After dinner, Bian Jincheng invited her out for a walk to help with digestion, and Mu Fu agreed.
When Wen Shu saw Mu Fu happily accept the invitation, his fists clenched tightly. That scene hit him like a punch in the gut. She was already turning to another guy?
He couldn’t believe it.
But at the same time, he knew he had no right to question her—he was the one who let go first. His head slowly lowered, and a wave of discouragement washed over him.
Mu Fu didn’t see this. Even if she had, she’d probably think serves him right. When it comes to dealing with men, you’ve got to keep a balance. Don’t ever let them think you can’t live without them—make them feel like they might lose you, and they’ll learn to treasure you more.
Mu Fu and Bian Jincheng strolled around the courtyard. Even though it was night, they could still hear loud, thunderous sounds coming from a nearby area—it was soldiers training. Mu Fu remarked, “You guys still train at night?”
Bian Jincheng replied, “Probably extra drills.”
“Did you use to do this too?” Mu Fu stopped walking and leaned against the railing by the path.
Bian Jincheng mirrored her movement. “No. I went to a military academy for college—it was different from here, so the training was different too. Plus, I’m in a non-combat role, so my duties are even more different.”
Mu Fu nodded, showing she understood.
Then he added, “Do you know why I wanted to become a soldier?”
“I have no idea. Why?” Mu Fu thought for a moment, then shook her head.
Bian Jincheng tilted his head slightly, eyes lifting to the night sky. A few stars shimmered faintly overhead. You could still see stars from the military compound, probably because it was near the mountains and the air was clean.
“Because of my dad. He was a soldier too. Don’t laugh, but to me, the idea of a ‘father’ only ever existed in my mom’s stories. I really wanted to understand—what kind of job could make someone give up his wife and child, something he loved so much that he’d give his life for it?”
Mu Fu hadn’t expected that. She hadn’t meant to bring up something so painful. “I’m sorry… I didn’t know your father had…”
Bian Jincheng smiled gently. “It’s okay. I’ve come to terms with it. I don’t know why, but I just felt like telling you.”
Mu Fu replied softly, “I’m happy to be your listener.”
“When I was little, my mom had her own career, so she didn’t follow him around on deployment. I lived with her. And back then… I really resented having a father like that. He was never there when I got teased for not having a dad. He was never there when my mom and I needed him.”
Axolotl Translations 
Leave a comment