Mu Fu offered a polite smile. “Haha, I just accidentally bumped into something.”
Feng Ningran kept pushing. “Where exactly did you bump into? That’s pretty careless of you.”
Xia Sihan and the others, who had just come in behind her, overheard this and naturally gathered around, looking concerned about Mu Fu.
Xia Sihan leaned in a bit, as if she wanted to touch Mu Fu’s forehead but stopped herself at the last second, like she couldn’t bear to hurt her. “Mu Fu, is it serious? It looks painful. Did you go to the hospital?”
Seeing how Feng Ningran and Xia Sihan were acting, Mu Fu couldn’t help but wonder what might have happened at the supermarket. Their relationship seemed calmer, less tense than before.
“It only looks bad, really,” Mu Fu gently explained. “It’s not as serious as it seems. The bandages are just to cover it up and make it look less messy.”
Wu Qingyi chimed in, “That’s a relief. You should go get some rest, Mu Fu. We’ll take care of dinner tonight.”
Xia Sihan furrowed her brows, as if she could feel the pain too. “Yeah, it really does look painful.”
The others nodded in agreement.
Mu Fu smiled shyly, her lips pressed together. “Thanks, everyone. I’ll help with the dishes after dinner then.”
As everyone headed into the kitchen to start on dinner, Xu Kangning stayed behind.
He sat down on the sofa beside Mu Fu.
“Did you put on any medicine?”
Mu Fu frowned. She didn’t want to talk to him, but since everyone was still around, she had no choice but to answer coolly, “Mm, I did.”
Hearing her reply, Xu Kangning leaned back on the sofa, looking utterly drained, both in body and mind.
Just then, Feng Ningran came out. Without even glancing at Mu Fu, she walked straight over to Xu Kangning. “Kangning, is there anything you feel like eating tonight? Qingyi and the others are planning the menu. Want to take a look?”
Xu Kangning paused a moment before responding. “Sure.” Then he turned to Mu Fu. “Do you want to check it out too? We bought quite a bit today.”
He wasn’t entirely sure why he bothered to ask—he was used to acting on impulse and didn’t think much of it.
Mu Fu thought for a second. It was only the first day, and everyone was already in the kitchen. It didn’t feel right to keep sitting outside.
She nodded. “Yeah, let’s go.”
Feng Ningran hadn’t expected Mu Fu to come along uninvited. She hadn’t called her, yet there she was, following them into the kitchen.
Feng Ningran shot Mu Fu a sharp, unfriendly look.
The kitchen was already small, but she didn’t feel comfortable leaving Xu Kangning alone with Mu Fu. She had her eyes on him first—no one else was allowed to interfere. Besides, she wanted Rong Yongxin to see that just because things didn’t work out with him didn’t mean she couldn’t find someone even better.
Earlier that afternoon, they had to split into two cars for the drive, and despite all her hints, Rong Yongxin hadn’t invited her. Instead, he asked Xia Sihan to ride with him—in the front seat, no less. The insult still stung.
When she first saw Xu Kangning, she felt a secret thrill. Maybe, just maybe, she could win him over during filming. But she hadn’t given up on Rong Yongxin either. After all, he was the reason she joined the show in the first place. If she couldn’t have him, she’d make sure no one else could either.
The fact that Rong Yongxin was now showing interest in Xia Sihan? Unacceptable.
Xia Sihan, for her part, was surprised to see Xu Kangning walking in behind Feng Ningran. She never would’ve guessed that airhead could actually convince him to follow her anywhere.
After spending the whole afternoon watching him, Xia Sihan had formed a clear impression. Xu Kangning was all smiles on the surface, polite and approachable, but his eyes never quite matched the smile. He kept everyone at arm’s length. That kind of man was the hardest to reach—but also the most interesting challenge.
And she loved a good challenge.
So, thank you, Feng Ningran, for bringing him into the kitchen. Now she’d have the perfect chance to show off her cooking skills. As the old saying goes: The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.
It had never failed her before. Just look at Ding Binbing—he was still hung up on her even after they broke up.
Yes, Ding Binbing was Xia Sihan’s ex.
As a professional dancer, Xia Sihan often traveled for performances. And with her gentle, sweet nature, she had no shortage of close male friends. She kept those friendships under wraps, though—none of her exes ever suspected a thing. Ding Binbing, a surgeon, was constantly working overtime. He frequently bailed on her for patients, and the time apart had gradually cooled her feelings. When a better prospect came along, breaking up had felt like the obvious choice.
Ding Binbing hadn’t argued. He knew he’d neglected her. And since the breakup, he hadn’t dated anyone else. So when Xia Sihan suddenly reached out about joining the variety show, he’d jumped at the chance—hoping to win her back.
At least, that’s what he thought.
What Xia Sihan really wanted was a career in entertainment. If she played her cards right and stirred up the right kind of chemistry on-screen, she could go viral.
She’d been on the lookout for the perfect catch—and Xu Kangning was exactly the type she had her eye on.
Yu Mo was a decent second option, but for now, Xu Kangning was easier to approach.
She glanced at him once, then quickly looked away. Don’t overdo it.
Mu Fu wandered around the kitchen for a bit, quickly realizing she couldn’t really help with anything. In the end, she joined Wu Qingyi in peeling potatoes—they were planning to make a curry chicken stew with potatoes later.
Mu Fu found Wu Qingyi quite pleasant, and the two quickly fell into easy conversation. She had a beautiful smile and eyes that sparkled when she laughed.
Yu Mo’s gaze lingered on Mu Fu for a few seconds before returning to his task. He was blanching tomatoes in hot water so he could peel them more easily. He was planning to make tomato and scrambled eggs—he hadn’t gotten to eat any eggs at lunch, so he figured he’d make up for it at dinner.
Xia Sihan turned slightly and asked Yu Mo in a soft voice, “Yu Mo, could you help me figure out how to use this rice cooker? There are so many buttons—I’m a bit lost.”
“I’m in the middle of peeling tomatoes. Not convenient,” he replied, glancing at the pot. The tomatoes had been scored with cross-shaped cuts and were now starting to split from the boiling water.
“Oh… okay. I’ll try to figure it out myself,” Xia Sihan bit her lower lip, her eyes reddening slightly as if the rejection had genuinely stung.
Ding Binbing, who had seen the whole interaction, stepped forward. He studied the rice cooker panel for a moment before explaining, “This button’s for power. The one next to it is quick cook. The red one is for porridge. This one here’s for steaming cakes.”
“Thanks, Binbing,” Xia Sihan said with a grateful smile.
For a brief second, seeing that familiar smile, Ding Binbing almost felt like they were back in the old days again.
Meanwhile, after turning down Xia Sihan, Yu Mo returned his focus to the food prep.
In truth, Yu Mo had a mild case of OCD—he didn’t like touching other things once he’d already washed his hands for cooking. After all, he was about to get up close and personal with the tomatoes.
And besides, he knew someone else would definitely swoop in to help her.
Sure enough, voices began chatting near the rice cooker a moment later.
Thanks to everyone’s efforts, dinner was soon ready—an abundant and appetizing spread.
Since Mu Fu hadn’t done much actual cooking, she busied herself with setting the table and serving dishes.
Once everything was cleaned up and prepared, it was time for everyone to sit down and eat.
The kitchen had a long rectangular dining table, with four seats on each side. Mu Fu chose a spot at the very end, near the floor-to-ceiling windows. She’d always preferred corners—places where she could quietly blend in and avoid too much attention.
Wu Qingyi sat beside her. Across from them sat Yu Mo.
Initially, Yu Mo had been sitting next to Wu Qingyi, but Ding Binbing asked to swap seats with him—because directly across from Yu Mo was Xia Sihan.
On the first day, everyone was clearly eager to show off their cooking skills. The dinner table was full of dishes, all beautifully prepared. Of all the options, Mu Fu reached most often for the tomato and scrambled eggs—its tangy sweetness was light and refreshing. Maybe it was because she had bumped her head earlier that afternoon, but her appetite hadn’t fully returned. This dish, however, hit the spot just right.
The meal suited her taste perfectly. The only thing that made her uncomfortable was the way Yu Mo’s gaze kept drifting to her face. She was just about to dig in, but his attention made her slow down, feeling self-conscious.
Just then, Xia Sihan, sitting diagonally from Mu Fu, paused with her chopsticks. Xu Kangning, sitting beside her, glanced over and asked, “What’s wrong?”
A little embarrassed, Xia Sihan said, “The twice-cooked pork is too far away. I can’t reach it.”
Xu Kangning chuckled. “That’s no problem. I’ll get it for you.”
“Thanks,” she replied softly.
Sitting across from her, Ding Binbing had noticed everything. His grip tightened around his chopsticks until his knuckles turned white.
On the other side of the table, Feng Ningran batted her lashes sweetly and said in a playful tone, “Kangning, I can’t reach the tomato and egg dish by Mu Fu either. Can you help me?”
Xu Kangning didn’t say no.
After receiving the dish, Feng Ningran felt like she had regained a little ground. Then, as if to seal her small victory, she asked Xu Kangning to get her a glass of water.
“You’re so kind, Kangning. I really was getting thirsty,” she said with a sugary smile.
Xia Sihan, however, replied with a serious tone, as if she was giving thoughtful advice: “Ningran, if you’re feeling thirsty, it’s best not to talk too much.”
That wiped the smile right off Ningran’s face. Fuming, she blurted, “You—” but before she could finish, Rong Yongxin, who was sitting opposite her, cut in.
“Ningran, didn’t you say you love fried lotus root? Try it, see if it’s any good,” he said, using the serving chopsticks to place a piece on her plate.
Seeing that she stopped targeting Xia Sihan and finally quieted down, Rong Yongxin let out a small sigh of relief. Still, when he realized that Feng Ningran had been arguing on his behalf, something about it gave him a little pride. Feng Ningran was pretty enough—just a bit hot-tempered and overly jealous. That’s why he had broken up with her in the first place.
Earlier in the show, when Feng Ningran tried so hard to win him back, Rong Yongxin had felt a little smug. He had even planned to get back together with her during the broadcast. But now, after seeing the more captivating Xia Sihan, he wasn’t so sure. The idea of getting back with Feng Ningran… it might need some rethinking.
Still, he didn’t want to let go of her just yet—she had her good points, too. Glancing across the table at Xu Kangning, Rong Yongxin dismissed him without much thought. Sure, the guy might be better looking, but he didn’t believe any of the other female guests would actually fall for him.
As the evening wore on, the guests, probably tired from the day’s activities, quieted down and focused on their meal. No more drama—just peaceful eating.
After dinner, just like she’d promised, Mu Fu stayed behind to do the dishes. What she didn’t expect was that Yu Mo stayed too.
Wu Qingyi had originally intended to help as well, but when she saw Yu Mo was already there, she chuckled and said, “Mu Fu, since you’ve got company, I won’t disturb you two.”
Yu Mo didn’t react at all, as if he hadn’t caught the hint in her words.
Wu Qingyi’s eyes flickered slightly, her smile turning just a little bitter. But Mu Fu didn’t notice any of this.
Mu Fu, however, was left blushing from Wu Qingyi’s teasing.
After she left, Mu Fu looked at Yu Mo, puzzled. “Why did you stay behind too?” she asked hesitantly. It might sound a little self-centered, but she couldn’t help but wonder—did he stay because of her?
“I didn’t cook much for dinner,” he replied simply.
“Oh,” she said, trying to sound casual.
But her lips curved upward before she could stop them. Like she’d really believe that excuse—what a silly lie.
Axolotl Translations 
Leave a comment