Wen Shu stepped aside, allowing them to pass. It wasn’t until Mu Fu’s figure vanished into the distance that he seemed to snap back to reality, his gaze finally falling.
A look of pain contorted his features. He clutched his head tightly, his eyes squeezed shut, his face etched with struggle and anguish. He knew he had made a mistake—he should never have let her go.
After a long moment, a sense of resolution seemed to settle over him. The lost look in his eyes disappeared, replaced by a firm determination as he stared into the empty air ahead.
Soon, it was the eighth day of Mu Fu and the others’ stay in the cottage. The production team gathered the female guests and handed them a task card.
“Tomorrow is the day for female guests to initiate a date. Please invite the male guest you’d like to go out with today.”
“Ah! It’s finally our turn to ask the guys out!” Fan Xinjie exclaimed, surprised.
Then, the crew brought out a whiteboard displaying five pictures, each labeled with a destination.
“What’s this?” Mu Fu stepped forward, a puzzled expression on her face.
A staff member explained, “These are your date options. First, you choose a location, then you invite a male guest.”
Wei Qiqiao squeezed her way forward, grumbling, “I wanna see too.” But the front was too crowded, and she couldn’t get through.
Hearing her, Mu Fu stepped back and yielded her spot. “Go ahead.”
“Thanks.” Wei Qiqiao’s expression instantly turned cold, and her tone was flat, almost indifferent.
Although Mu Fu had kindly stepped aside, Wei Qiqiao didn’t seem grateful. On the contrary, she acted as if Mu Fu’s gesture was only natural. After all, the two most popular guys in the courtyard clearly favored Mu Fu. To maintain her image for the audience, Wei Qiqiao felt pressured to put on an act, pretending to be gentle and kind on camera.
Fan Xinjie noticed Mu Fu being pushed aside, so she quickly pulled her over, making space. Everyone shifted slightly, and just like that, the five of them fit perfectly in front of the board.
This time, the date locations were a bit farther away. The first was a famous scenic spot in a nearby city called Wushi. The second was river rafting on the north side of Jiang City. They were currently staying in the southern mountains of Jiang City. The third was deep-sea fishing off the coast. The fourth was attending a cultural festival hosted by one of the city’s minority communities. The fifth was a cosplay convention in Hangshi.
“Where do you all want to go? I wanna try all of them!” Fan Xinjie asked excitedly.
Mu Fu thought for a moment. “I think I’ll go rafting. It’s been so hot lately—that’ll be super refreshing.”
Fan Xinjie nodded. “That sounds fun too! Then I’ll go deep-sea fishing.” She turned to the others. “What about you guys? Any picks yet?”
“I want to go rafting too!” Bai Tingting blinked rapidly, her excitement evident.
“I’ll go to the festival, then,” Mu Fu said after a brief pause. She was perfectly happy to let Bai Tingting have the rafting spot; she liked the other options as well.
Bai Tingting pursed her lips, a clear sign of displeasure. She had intended to choose rafting after Mu Fu, anticipating her insistence on it. Then, she would have graciously “given in,” aiming to make Mu Fu appear petty and herself look kind in front of the cameras.
However, she hadn’t expected Mu Fu to concede so easily, completely disrupting her plan. With an awkward smile, she muttered, “Thanks, Mu Fu… that’s really sweet of you.”
“No problem,” Mu Fu replied casually.
The remaining girls quickly made their choices. Xie Shirui opted for the famous tourist attraction in Wushi, while Wei Qiqiao selected the cosplay convention.
Meanwhile, the male contestants were completely unaware of the task the women had received that day. They believed it was just another rest day, so they had all gone off to work.
That evening, most of the guys had returned to the courtyard. Mu Fu stood in front of Bian Jincheng’s door, having just seen him come back. She knocked and waited. A moment later, Bian Jincheng opened the door.
“Mu Fu? What brings you here?” He looked surprised.
Mu Fu smiled, her lips curving gently. “Are you free tomorrow?”
“I am.” Even if he weren’t, he would have made time.
“Then… can I book you for the day?” Her eyes sparkled playfully.
His heart skipped a beat. “Of course!”
“Then it’s settled. See you tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow.”
After Mu Fu walked away, Bian Jincheng pinched himself—hard. The pain confirmed it wasn’t a dream. It really happened.
Bian Jincheng’s eyes held a relaxed quality, his mood light as he closed the door and returned to what he had been doing. But after a moment, a thought must have flickered through his mind, because a goofy smile suddenly spread across his face.
Not long after Mu Fu’s departure, Bai Tingting also came looking for him. Thinking Mu Fu had returned, Bian Jincheng eagerly swung open the door, only to find Bai Tingting standing there. His initial excitement vanished instantly, replaced by a polite smile. “Can I help you?”
Bai Tingting blushed slightly. “Are you free tomorrow?”
Hearing the same question again, Bian Jincheng quickly put the pieces together. This must be a task from the show for the female guests. The fact that Mu Fu had come to invite him, not Wen Shu, made his heart leap with joy. Still, he had no intention of accepting Bai Tingting’s invitation. “Sorry, I already have plans for tomorrow.”
“Oh…” A hint of disappointment flickered across her face. But her intuition told her the “plans” he mentioned likely involved another female guest. After all, the production team wouldn’t assign them tasks unless the male guests were free.
With a slight smile, Bian Jincheng added, “Just something personal.”
Bai Tingting’s expression shifted—so her guess had been correct.
“Is there anything else?” he asked.
“No… that’s all,” she replied.
“I’ve still got something to take care of, so I’ll get back to it.” It was a casual excuse to end the conversation.
Bai Tingting composed herself and offered a bright smile. “Alright, I won’t keep you.”
On her way back, her mind raced with thoughts. She was almost certain Mu Fu had come to see Bian Jincheng. And just thinking of that woman stirred a feeling of annoyance within her. As she neared her own door, she suddenly turned and headed toward Mu Fu’s room.
Hearing a knock, Mu Fu opened the door, surprised to see Bai Tingting standing there. “Tingting? What brings you here?” Though her tone was friendly, Mu Fu made no move to invite her in, standing squarely in the doorway, blocking the entrance.
Bai Tingting bit her lower lip. “Did you ask Bian Jincheng out?”
Mu Fu raised an eyebrow slightly. “Yeah, I did. Why?”
Hearing her answer, Bai Tingting’s expression darkened. “But… I thought you liked Wen Shu?”
“I did. But that doesn’t mean I can’t interact with other male guests, does it?”
Fury surged through Bai Tingting. Without thinking, she snapped, “How can you be so fickle? You know I like Bian Jincheng!”
Mu Fu straightened up and offered a calm smile. “That’s kind of ridiculous, don’t you think? We’re all supposed to be getting to know each other. Just because you like Bian Jincheng doesn’t mean he can’t talk to anyone else.”
“You—” Bai Tingting was momentarily speechless. She realized there was no point in staying any longer. With a sharp huff, she spun around and stormed off. Mu Fu’s shameless attitude infuriated her. Such a flirt! she cursed silently as she walked away. Hope she has the worst luck tomorrow!
Then an idea struck her. If Mu Fu dares to go after Bian Jincheng, then I’ll go after Wen Shu!
She didn’t believe Mu Fu could just drop all feelings for him in a couple of days. Hadn’t she been head over heels for Wen Shu just recently? Without hesitation, she turned and headed straight to Wen Shu’s room.
“Hmm?” Wen Shu opened the door and looked down to see Bai Tingting standing there.
By now, she had regained her composure and smiled sweetly. “Wen Shu, are you free tomorrow?”
His eyes darkened slightly—he had overheard the conversation between her and Mu Fu. “I am.”
“Really? Then… would you like to hang out tomorrow?” Bai Tingting asked, waiting for his response.
“Sure. I’m free tomorrow.”
“Great. It’s a date then.” She didn’t care why Wen Shu agreed. As long as he did, she would make sure Mu Fu was annoyed. After they settled on a time for the next day, Bai Tingting left.
Wen Shu stood at his door, his gaze drifting toward Mu Fu’s room, lost in thought. It took him a while before he finally turned back and closed the door.
The next morning arrived quickly. Mu Fu got ready and headed out to meet Bian Jincheng, who was preparing breakfast. Since their date destination was a bit far, the production team had already informed them the night before that they would need to get up early.
“Here, it’s fresh off the stove,” Bian Jincheng said as he brought over the breakfast he had made for Mu Fu.
“Thanks,” she said, reaching out to take it. Bian Jincheng sat down beside her.
By then, Wen Shu, Bai Tingting, and a few others—Fan Xinjie among them—were already at the dining table having breakfast. From the moment Mu Fu walked in, Wen Shu’s gaze had been fixed on her. But she completely ignored his intense stare, as if she didn’t notice him at all. After greeting the others, she began eating calmly, deliberately skipping over Wen Shu.
Everyone at the table could sense the strange tension between them, but Bian Jincheng pretended not to notice. As usual, he remained gentle and attentive toward Mu Fu. When he saw her food was a bit dry, he immediately got up to pour her a glass of milk.
“Thanks,” she said again.
Today, Mu Fu was dressed with care—her makeup light and natural, almost as if she wasn’t wearing any at all. Her skin was smooth and glowing, and her eyes were bright and clear, like polished crystals that seemed to reflect her soul.
Bian Jincheng felt like his heart might melt. Her fresh, delicate beauty made him fall for her even more. He smiled softly and accepted her thanks with warmth. Mu Fu had no idea she had once again captured his heart—without even meaning to.
Looking around and noticing everyone paired up, she figured they were all heading out for today’s group outing: Wen Shu and Bai Tingting, Fan Xinjie and Fang Yuhang, Xie Shirui and Pang Chuan, Wei Qiqiao and Ma Yangxia. She calmly sipped her porridge, pretending not to notice that Bai Tingting had sat right next to Wen Shu.
Axolotl Translations 
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