When Mu Fu and the crew arrived at the park, it was still quite early, just a little past nine in the morning.
Thinking about her task for the day, Mu Fu decided she should get into position right away. What if the male guest happened to arrive early as well?
She asked the cameraman who was following her to keep his distance and find a discreet place to hide. Then, she casually strolled into a nearby pavilion where a few elderly people were chatting and doing some stretches.
The moment Mu Fu entered, the curious group of older men and women noticed her.
“Hey there, young lady, what brings you to the park so early?” one of the elderly men asked.
Mu Fu smiled warmly and replied, “I’m waiting for a friend. We planned to meet up here today.”
“Oh, I see,” the man responded.
Another woman chimed in cheerfully, “Well, aren’t you a pretty one! Do you have a boyfriend? Auntie here knows a few handsome young men who are still single.”
She was so enthusiastic about playing matchmaker that soon, the other elders joined in, eager to introduce Mu Fu to all the eligible bachelors they knew.
Mu Fu had actually anticipated this might happen. Hiding in the pavilion was part of her plan—it was the perfect spot. There was no way the male guest would think to look for her there.
And she was right.
Their male lead, Zhi Jiu, had been wandering around the park for ages and still hadn’t spotted anyone who resembled a female contestant.
Puzzled, he turned to the staff member beside him. “Are you sure you have the right information? What if the female guest isn’t even here yet?”
“She’s here,” the staff member replied.
“Then where is she? I’ve asked every girl I’ve seen—none of them are her.”
The staff member went silent, unable to give away any more clues.
As the warm morning sun slowly grew harsher, Mu Fu finally stepped out of the shaded pavilion after checking her watch—more than twenty minutes had passed.
Just then, she spotted a young man walking in her direction, accompanied by a few crew members carrying cameras. He looked like a potential “groom.”
Mu Fu figured that must be her male partner for this round. The only problem was, he’d been a little too far away earlier—she hadn’t quite gotten a good look at his face. But that wouldn’t be a problem for long. Once he walked over, she’d be able to see him clearly.
Zhi Jiu, now circling the park for the third time, finally spotted a girl sitting ahead who might just be the one he was looking for.
He quickened his pace, slightly out of breath—under the blazing sun, anyone would be. He was clearly worn out from walking so much.
“Hi.” His voice was crisp and pleasant. As he stepped closer, Mu Fu caught a faint whiff of something fresh, like the scent of grass after rain.
The young man had a gentle, clean-cut face, full of youthful energy. In a school setting, he would be the typical campus heartthrob.
“Hi,” Mu Fu replied politely, flashing a soft smile.
As Zhi Jiu got closer, he realized the girl was stunning—bright, expressive eyes, delicate features, vivid red lips. She had that fresh and vibrant glow, with a touch of shyness behind her smile.
Mu Fu could see the nervous awe flicker in his eyes.
Zhi Jiu was clearly nervous. His face, already red from the sun, flushed even deeper.
Fighting his embarrassment, he took a cautious step forward and asked, “Excuse me… are you my bride?”
The line made him want to disappear, but it was part of the show. The match wouldn’t be official until she acknowledged it.
Mu Fu didn’t answer right away, and Zhi Jiu started to panic. Did he get it wrong again?
Earlier, he had approached two other girls who seemed like they might be his match, only to get confused (and slightly concerned) looks. He figured if he wasn’t decently good-looking, someone might’ve accused him of being a creep by now.
Not wanting to tease him anymore, Mu Fu smiled gently and said, “I am.”
Zhi Jiu let out a long breath, the tension finally lifting from his chest.
He’d found her.
And not just anyone—she was absolutely beautiful.
He sneaked another glance at her. Under the sunlight, her skin gave off a soft, radiant glow, as if she carried her own light. She looked almost ethereal, like someone from another world.
She truly was beautiful. But the heat was relentless, and tiny beads of sweat had formed on her forehead.
Zhi Jiu suddenly remembered the umbrella he had brought specifically for this meeting. He quickly pulled it out and stepped closer to Mu Fu, lifting it to shield her from the sun.
As he lowered the umbrella, he noticed Mu Fu looking up at him.
Their eyes met for a fleeting second before he looked away again, the redness in his cheeks refusing to fade.
“It’s way too hot out here… maybe we should find somewhere to sit and cool off?”
Mu Fu blinked. Was he always this shy? Honestly, she loved teasing boys like this.
“So you don’t want to share an umbrella with me, is that it?”
“No! That’s not what I meant,” Zhi Jiu rushed to explain, turning to her in panic. “I just didn’t want you to get heatstroke. I mean, if you want to stay out here, that’s totally fine too…”
Seeing how flustered he was, Mu Fu relented. “Hmm… alright, let’s go inside. Your face is completely sunburned.”
Zhi Jiu nodded, his face now redder than ever—thankfully, she didn’t seem to realize it wasn’t from the sun.
Before he could react, Mu Fu slipped her arm through his.
Her scent—soft and feminine—wrapped around him. His heart nearly leapt out of his chest as he tightened his grip on the umbrella.
He stammered, “Wh-what’s wrong?”
Mu Fu smiled playfully. “I’m too fat. The umbrella can’t cover both of us.”
She stood at 170 cm with a delicate frame, and to Zhi Jiu, who was 186 cm tall, she seemed anything but fat—she was petite.
“You’re not fat. I just… brought a really small umbrella,” he said, clearly nervous, but speaking from the heart.
Mu Fu laughed, a sound light and clear like wind chimes.
So earnest, she thought. He didn’t even realize she was teasing.
The umbrella barely fit them both, and Mu Fu kept leaning toward him to stay in the shade. Their bodies brushed with every step, and she could feel his subtle trembling.
It had been a long time since she met someone this innocent. Knowing they’d be paired together on the show, Mu Fu felt like this was going to be fun.
“I couldn’t help asking,” she began, “I’m Mu Fu. But I still don’t know your name.”
“I’m Zhi Jiu,” he replied, “Zhi like the character for ‘pen’, and Jiu like the number nine.”
Zhi Jiu, huh?
“Can I call you A-Jiu from now on?” she asked, glancing up at him.
Zhi Jiu looked at her briefly, then quickly lowered his gaze to the sidewalk. “Sure,” he said.
After a pause, he asked quietly, “Then can I call you A-Fu?”
“Of course,” she smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners.
Not long after they left the park, Mu Fu spotted a café with a nice design and cozy atmosphere.
“A-Jiu, how about that place?” she suggested.
Zhi Jiu hadn’t expected to hear his name from her lips so soon. The moment she said it, something inside him fluttered.
“I’ll follow your lead,” he said.
“Perfect. I’m too tired to keep walking around anyway,” she said, heading inside first.
The instant she pushed the door open, a blast of cool air rushed to greet them. Every inch of her being felt revived.
“Finally, I can breathe again.”
Zhi Jiu quietly noted that—she doesn’t like the heat.
“What would you like to drink?” he asked.
Mu Fu ordered a freshly squeezed watermelon juice. In her opinion, there was no better fruit to beat the summer heat.
“I’ll get a lime soda,” he said, checking off the items on the order form. “Would you like anything else?”
“Nope, not feeling hungry at the moment.”
“We’ll start with these,” Zhi Jiu told the server. “If we need anything else, we’ll call you. Thanks.”
As they waited, the two sat quietly, neither saying much.
“Here are your drinks, enjoy,” the server said as they arrived.
“Thank you,” Mu Fu and Zhi Jiu said in unison.
After taking a refreshing sip of her ice-cold watermelon juice, Mu Fu finally felt in the mood to talk.
She looked across the table at the young man with eyes so clear and pure, and couldn’t help asking, “How old are you?”
Zhi Jiu paused for a beat. “Twenty-one.”
Twenty-one, huh. Five years younger than her.
She gave him a once-over. With those defined features and that youthful aura, he really did look the part.
“Are you an actor?” she asked.
Someone like him could definitely play a lead role. But the original Mu Fu had been too focused on making money to keep up with the latest rising stars in the entertainment world.
“I’m a singer,” he said.
“That makes sense,” she nodded. “You’ve got a beautiful voice.”
Her compliment made Zhi Jiu speak up without thinking. “What about you?”
Mu Fu smiled. “I’m an actress.”
She wasn’t at all bothered that he didn’t recognize her. After all, he was twenty-one—ten years ago, he’d only have been eleven. Not knowing her made perfect sense.
Zhi Jiu’s eyes lit up, and for a moment, he wanted to ask what shows she’d been in. But he held back—if he hadn’t heard of her before, maybe she wasn’t very well-known. He didn’t want to embarrass her by asking.
Still, their conversation was now flowing more easily.
Mu Fu asked, “So what do you like to do when you have free time?”
Zhi Jiu smiled a little shyly. “I usually enjoy being alone. I like reading, and writing songs.”
“You write music?” Mu Fu looked a little surprised.
“Not yet… but I hope to become a songwriter someday,” he said, his smile clean and sincere.
When he talked about music, she could see the genuine passion shining in his eyes.
Noticing that Mu Fu didn’t seem to know much about him, he offered, “I’m part of a group called AGS. I’m the lead vocalist.”
“I’ll check out your music when I get home,” Mu Fu said with a smile.
“Thank you.”
Mu Fu smiled, then asked, “Have you ever thought about acting? I think it’d be such a shame if you never gave the entertainment world a try. With your presence and looks, it’s only a matter of time before you’d make it big.”
Zhi Jiu paused for a moment at her question. Resting his chin in his hand, he said quietly, “No… If I ever reach a point where I can’t sing anymore, I’d rather leave the industry entirely.”
Mu Fu understood.
Just as she had never given up on being an actress, Zhi Jiu clearly held a deep, unwavering passion for music.
To lighten the mood, she pulled out something she had prepared earlier. “Ta-da! This is a little gift I picked out just for you. I hope you like it.”
It was a pair of couple’s bracelets—simple yet elegant sterling silver, designed so they could be worn alone without drawing attention. She was already wearing hers.
Zhi Jiu had a gift for her too.
“Thank you. The bracelet is beautiful. I wasn’t sure what you’d like, so I chose something I’d like myself. I hope it suits you.”
When he noticed the bracelet matched the one Mu Fu was wearing, he instantly understood the deeper meaning behind it.
His gift was a basketball jersey—number 21.
Mu Fu took it into her hands, examining it closely.
“I like to play basketball when I have time,” Zhi Jiu explained, a little shyly. “And 21 is my lucky number. I thought… maybe it could bring you a bit of luck too.”
His face flushed as he spoke. The thought of her wearing that jersey someday made his heart flutter in a way he couldn’t quite put into words.
“Thank you. I really like it.”
And she meant it. The jersey matched his simple, straightforward personality perfectly. As she held it in her hands, she was already imagining what she could pair it with from her closet. She’d decided: next time they met, she’d wear it.
Axolotl Translations 
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