[System, does my envy value actually work on him?] Mu Fu spoke in her mind, addressing the system. Normally, she rarely initiated contact—it just wasn’t in her nature to rely on the system for everything.
She firmly believed that only by getting through each world on her own could she truly grow stronger. After all, there were many more worlds waiting for her. If the day ever came when she couldn’t reach the system, she needed to be ready to face that alone.
[It does. Your envy value can cure his erectile dysfunction.]
[How much will it cost?] she asked.
[Five hundred thousand.]
That’s nearly a quarter of the energy she gets from an entire world… After weighing her options, Mu Fu decided it was worth it. Breaking this mental and physical shackle was something Wen Shu needed.
[System, go ahead and heal him. Oh—and make sure he can only react to me!] Mu Fu trusted Wen Shu and believed in her own charm, but she liked to have a backup plan—just in case.
[Confirmed. Treatment complete.]
With a sigh of relief, she finally turned her attention back to comforting him. She gently guided his face toward her, cupping it softly in her hands. In a sweet, calming voice, she said, “Do you believe in me? Let me tell you a secret—I was sent by the heavens to save you. That’s why your body only responds when you’re with me.”
Wen Shu blinked, stunned, turning her words over in his mind. He kind of believed it. Ever since meeting her, his long-dormant heart had started beating wildly again. His body, too, had begun to feel alive.
Still, he couldn’t help but ask, “But… what if I go back to how I was before?”
He knew it was a little unfair to say that now. He was using her feelings, hoping to draw out a promise—something that would bind her to him, not just now but later too.
“There’s no ‘what if,’” Mu Fu said with a radiant smile. “But even if it did happen, I still wouldn’t let go.”
Because I came into this world… just for you.
Wen Shu felt his heart melt. Emotion washed over him as his hands slowly slipped from Mu Fu’s shoulders and wrapped tightly around her. The girl in his arms felt small and soft—fragile, yet warm.
In that moment, Wen Shu made a silent vow: he would spend the rest of his life loving and protecting this girl.
The tension between them dissolved, and for the rest of the night, the courtyard was filled with the unmistakable sweetness that now lingered between the two of them.
At dinner, Wen Shu was gentle and attentive—picking out her favorite dishes and watching over her with care.
Bian Jincheng watched it all in silence, the scene piercing his heart. His grip tightened around his chopsticks, his knuckles pale. After dinner, he suddenly called out, “Mu Fu, do you have a moment? Want to go for a walk?” His voice remained as calm and gentle as ever. Whatever anger or embarrassment he felt, he didn’t let it show to her.
Mu Fu looked back at Wen Shu. He had suddenly grasped her wrist, holding on tight. “I’ll just walk for a bit—I’ll be back soon,” she reassured him. There were some things she needed to say to Bian Jincheng, once and for all.
Wen Shu pressed his lips together. He understood, but that didn’t mean he was okay with it. The thought of Mu Fu alone with Bian Jincheng made his jealousy boil over. “Alright… I’ll wait for you here.”
Mu Fu gently patted his hand where it still held her wrist, and only then did Wen Shu reluctantly let go.
Night had fully fallen now, and the streetlights had already flickered on. She and Bian Jincheng walked with no real destination in mind—both aware of what this conversation was leading to.
He glanced down and asked softly, “So… you and Wen Shu made up?”
Mu Fu nodded. “Yeah. We did.”
“Then… do I still have a chance?” His voice was light, almost joking.
“I’m sorry, Jincheng.” Mu Fu’s voice was gentle. She truly did feel sorry—he was a good person. He deserved someone who was right for him.
Bian Jincheng stopped walking. He reached out and lightly ruffled her hair, smiling faintly. “Don’t apologize. You’ve done nothing wrong. I guess we just… weren’t meant to be.”
Mu Fu looked at Bian Jincheng with a trace of guilt in her eyes. She didn’t know what else to say.
“You’ll find the one who’s meant for you,” she said softly.
He gave a breezy smile. “We’ll deal with the future when it comes. You don’t mind walking with me a bit longer, do you?”
Mu Fu nodded slightly. The two of them wandered around for another half an hour before finally parting ways. Bian Jincheng stood there with a complicated expression, watching as Mu Fu returned to the living room to find Wen Shu. Some thoughts in his heart had started to shift.
……
The next day, the production team didn’t schedule any activities, allowing the guests to plan their day freely. It was already the ninth day in the courtyard. Only five days remained until the show ended.
Originally, Mu Fu and Wen Shu had planned a simple outing together—to visit a nearby peach orchard. It was summer, and the peach trees were bearing fruit. But once the others caught wind of it, the trip turned into a group activity with all the guests.
Wen Shu’s face darkened slightly, frustration flickering in his gaze. There was nothing he could do but watch helplessly as their private date fell apart.
Mu Fu giggled. “You’re so cute!” she teased, lightly tugging at his cheek. The tall, handsome man allowed her to do whatever she pleased, his eyes filled with helplessness and indulgence.
At this point, it seemed that Mu Fu and Wen Shu would likely leave hand-in-hand. The relationships between Fang Xinjie and Fang Yuhang, and Pang Chuan and Xie Shirui, were also steadily growing stronger—especially Fang Xinjie and Fang Yuhang, whose chemistry was clearly mutual after several successful dates.
Wei Qiqiao, unlike in the previous life, had been spending a lot of time with Ma Yangxia this time around. Whether the two would end up holding hands remained to be seen.
Now, only Bian Jincheng and Bai Tingting remained unmatched. Mu Fu glanced ahead with a conflicted expression, watching Bai Tingting arguing with Bian Jincheng. She couldn’t help but wonder if the two of them would end up together again in this life.
“What are you looking at?” Wen Shu followed her gaze and saw she was staring at Bian Jincheng. He immediately turned Mu Fu’s face toward him with both hands—not rough, but a little urgent.
“Am I not good-looking enough?” he asked with a touch of jealousy. Ever since they had cleared the air, it was like Wen Shu had finally let go of all his reservations.
Mu Fu teased him with a laugh, “What, did your face suddenly bloom with flowers or something?”
He pouted, “That doesn’t mean you can look at him. You can look at anyone else—just not too many guys! Especially not him.” They both knew he meant Bian Jincheng.
“Okay, okay, from now on, my eyes are only for you,” Mu Fu said, easily agreeing to this little request. She didn’t mind indulging her partner in these small things.
They had lingered behind for a bit, so the rest of the group had already gotten ahead. Realizing this, the two of them quickly caught up.
When they arrived at the orchard, Mu Fu was amazed by how full and ripe the peaches looked. Each tree was brimming with fruit, and they were all short enough that she could easily reach the branches.
“You just stand there and tell me which one you want. I’ll pick it for you,” Wen Shu offered. And before he even finished the sentence, he was already reaching for a perfectly ripe peach. Then he headed over to the hose nearby and washed it clean.
“Here,” he said, handing it to her.
Mu Fu took it with a smile and bit into it. It was sweet, juicy, and absolutely delicious. Still, she said, “But I kind of want to pick one myself.”
Wen Shu frowned. “Aren’t you scared of caterpillars?” he warned her. “Peach trees are full of them.”
“!!”
“Nope. Forget it. I’m not going near them,” Mu Fu quickly waved her hands in horror. Just imagining those squirmy little bodies and their fuzzy, itchy spines gave her chills.
Wen Shu chuckled softly. Then he said, with exaggerated drama, “Commander, please give your orders—I await your command!”
His over-the-top antics made Mu Fu laugh out loud. “Then go pick that one for me,” she said, pointing to a plump, rosy peach.
“Aye aye, ma’am!”
Everyone had grabbed a plastic bag when they entered the orchard, meant for collecting the peaches they wanted to keep. The orchard worked on a ticketed entry system—once inside, you could eat as many peaches as you liked, as long as you didn’t waste them. If you wanted to take any home, you could pick them yourself, but they’d weigh them at the end and charge you accordingly.
Mu Fu and the others didn’t mind the orchard’s rule at all. They figured that eating as much as they wanted inside already made the entry fee worth it. Paying extra to take some home? Totally fine.
What Mu Fu didn’t expect, though, was that eating too many peaches made her mouth itch—and even her teeth started to feel sore.
“Wen Shu… what do I do? Is my mouth swelling up?” she asked, worried. She’d eaten peaches before and never had any allergic reaction. What was going on?
“Try pressing a wet wipe against it, that might help a little,” Wen Shu said gently. “Let’s stop by the hospital in a bit, just in case. I actually talked to one of the farmers earlier—they said it’s pretty common to feel this way if you eat too many peaches. Nothing to worry about.” He soaked a tissue in the cool mountain spring water and gently pressed it against her lips.
The chill from the spring water was instantly soothing. Mu Fu felt the itching ease up. “Let’s go to the hospital now, just to be safe,” she urged. She was terrified her lips would swell up and look ridiculous.
“Alright. I’ll have someone settle the bill for us,” Wen Shu said, carrying the bag of peaches they had picked together.
“Okay!” Mu Fu nodded. She still liked peaches—just maybe one or two at a time from now on.
While Wen Shu went to ask someone to help with the peaches, everyone found out Mu Fu was having an allergic reaction. As they gathered around to check on her, Mu Fu clutched the damp tissue to her face, embarrassed to show her mouth.
Wen Shu stepped in to shield her from the sudden attention. “I’m taking her to the hospital first,” he said, gently but firmly.
Bian Jincheng looked worried. “Yeah, go quickly and get her checked.” Everyone else echoed the concern.
With a quick word to the group, Wen Shu led Mu Fu off toward the hospital. They got there soon after.
“Doctor, what’s going on with my mouth?” Mu Fu asked anxiously, while Wen Shu stood close by, focused on the doctor’s answer.
“From your symptoms, it looks like a mild allergic reaction,” the doctor said. “Did you eat the peaches without washing off the fuzz on the skin?”
Mu Fu thought back—yeah, they had felt a bit prickly going down. She nodded.
The doctor looked like he’d expected that. “That fuzz can cause irritation if it isn’t rinsed properly. It’s best to wash it off thoroughly before eating. Also, don’t overeat peaches in one go—having too many can cause allergic reactions as well.”
“Got it, doctor. I’ll make sure she behaves,” Wen Shu said with a smile.
Mu Fu and the doctor both turned to look at Wen Shu.
Facing Mu Fu’s disapproving gaze, Wen Shu continued talking to the doctor. “Doctor, is there anything else we should be careful about? Like, are there any foods she should avoid?”
Mu Fu looked displeased. She felt like her days of eating peaches freely were over. Knowing Wen Shu, he might only let her have one peach a week—worse, she might have to just watch him eat!
The doctor replied, “Just stick to a light diet.” Then he paused and smiled kindly. “Are you her boyfriend?”
Wen Shu chuckled awkwardly, “Not yet.”
“Well, you’d better work hard! She’s such a pretty girl—I bet plenty of guys are chasing after her. You’ve got some competition!” the doctor joked.
Mu Fu couldn’t help but feel awkward. What kind of conversation was this? It sounded more like meeting the elders for marriage talk! She cringed so hard she felt like she could dig a hole in the ground with her toes. She quickly cut in, “Doctor, do I need to take any medicine?”
“I’ll prescribe a watermelon frost spray. Just use it on the affected area three times a day—morning, noon, and night,” he replied, writing the prescription.
Once she had the prescription, Mu Fu thanked the doctor and hurriedly pulled Wen Shu away. Seeing how quickly she rushed out, Wen Shu smiled softly. “Wait here—I’ll go get the medicine.”
“Okay!” she agreed. Anywhere was better than staying in that exam room another second!
After Wen Shu picked up the medicine, the two of them drove back to the small courtyard. As soon as they arrived, Mu Fu went straight to her room, not wanting to be gawked at like a monkey over her swollen mouth. Even if people were just being nice—it was too embarrassing!
But what she didn’t expect was that just an hour later, all the male guests in the courtyard had disappeared. She only realized something was off when she went looking for Wen Shu and found his room empty. After waiting a while with no sign of him, she searched the living room—still no one. It was completely deserted.
Mu Fu could sense something was off. There was a serious tension in the air. Alarmed, she went to check the other guests’ rooms and found that only the female guests remained—the guys were all gone.
Fan Xinjie looked puzzled. “Where could they have gone? Did the production team give them some kind of secret mission?”
Mu Fu didn’t think that was likely. She glanced around and noticed that, aside from Wen Shu and Bian Jincheng’s, all the male guests’ beds were messy—something that struck her as almost impossible.
Normally, these guys would never leave their rooms untidy. They’d always make their beds to perfection, folding the blankets into neat squares like in the military.
For them to leave without even tidying up? There’s no way this was a simple task from the production team.
In her previous life, by this point, the original Mu Fu had already quit the show. She’d only watched the episodes that were filmed before her departure and the final one of the series. So anything that happened during this timeframe… she had no idea about.
The five girls in the living room discussed it back and forth until, finally, a staff member walked in. “Sorry for the sudden notice,” the crew member said. “We’ve just received word—there’s been an emergency. All the male guests have been dispatched to handle it. We don’t yet know when they’ll return. In the meantime, you’re welcome to either go home or stay here at the villa. We’ll let you know in advance when they’re expected back.”
That’s when Mu Fu finally realized: Wen Shu had left on a mission. He didn’t even have time to say goodbye. A wave of unease rolled through her chest. Even though she knew he’d return safely… she couldn’t help but worry.
……
Meanwhile, Wen Shu was lying low in a patch of grass on a private mountain, dressed in full tactical gear.
They’d been pulled in on short notice—an armed criminal group had been spotted near Jiang City. Local forces needed backup, so reinforcements were summoned immediately. Wen Shu, Fang Yuhang, and Pang Chuan were among those sent in, while the rest of the team provided support from behind.
Fang Yuhang, crouched next to Wen Shu, adjusted the sight on his rifle. “When do you think these guys will make a move?” According to their informant, the gang was currently holed up in a villa just up ahead. The moment someone stepped out—that was their window to strike.
“Shouldn’t be long,” Wen Shu murmured. “Han Tianrui still has plans to meet his lover tonight.”
Han Tianrui—leader of the gang.
Fang Yuhang scoffed. “A fugitive on the run, still chasing love? That’s a joke.” And yet, not uncommon.
Moments later, Wen Shu’s voice cut through the silence: “All units, target in sight!”
“Copy that!”
Since Han Tianrui’s crew was armed to the teeth, the confrontation quickly escalated into a tense and dangerous standoff. Chaos erupted.
Wen Shu moved with precision, but even he couldn’t dodge every bullet. Just as he tried to reposition—bang—a sniper’s shot struck him in the chest. He collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Axolotl Translations 
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