Xu Kangning couldn’t explain it himself—how, in just a few days, Mu Fu had become someone completely different in his mind.
Maybe it was because he’d finally realized she was no longer that girl who used to revolve around him, someone easily within reach. Maybe it was because someone better than him had come along—and that man was now paying attention to the woman he once looked down on. Or maybe… it was simply because Mu Fu hadn’t chosen him. She chose someone else.
All those emotions—regret, jealousy, competitiveness, and curiosity—started to tangle and grow inside him. And when a man becomes curious about a woman, it usually means she’s already started taking up space in his heart. Especially in a setting like this show, where living together speeds up emotions, and where male and female contestants are constantly pushed by unspoken rivalry and attraction. Feelings tend to get stronger quickly, and romantic fantasies blossom under the spotlight. Xu Kangning was no exception.
Seeing how special Mu Fu was with Yu Mo—it deeply unsettled him.
“Mu Fu,” he said quietly, his voice barely audible in the night air, “if I told you I regret it… would you believe me? Would you give me another chance?”
Mu Fu looked him in the eye and gave a small smirk. “Of course I’d believe you. Why wouldn’t I? I mean, I look this good now—if you didn’t regret it, I’d start to wonder if you were even a normal man.”
Xu Kangning let out a bitter laugh. “I am a normal man. But that’s not why I regret it—not just because of how you look now.”
Mu Fu eyed him up and down. “Oh? Don’t tell me… you’re going to say it’s because of my inner beauty?”
Xu Kangning opened his mouth but hesitated—then finally, under her skeptical gaze, nodded.
Mu Fu scoffed inwardly. Funny how he never cared about her inner beauty back when she was overweight.
“Thanks,” she said calmly, “for telling me such a hilarious joke just to make me laugh.” Her voice was dead serious—not a trace of teasing. And somehow, that made it sting even more.
Xu Kangning felt the bitterness rise to his throat. He wanted to argue—but couldn’t find the words. The charm and wit he normally relied on had completely abandoned him.
He looked directly into her eyes, trying one last time. “Mu Fu… I’m sorry. I really am. I was an awful person before—I hurt you, and I’m truly sorry. Can you forgive me?” His gaze was filled with hope. “Even if you don’t forgive me right now, I understand—you’re still angry. I’ll wait. But… would you at least let me try again? Even if it’s just so you can get back at me.”
For an average girl, seeing a charming heartbreaker suddenly show remorse and pour his heart out might have been enough to sway her. But not Mu Fu. She wasn’t the type to go back to an ex—especially not one who had treated her like trash. Still, if he was willingly putting his face out there to get metaphorically slapped, she wasn’t going to waste the opportunity.
“You’re right,” she said bluntly. “I won’t forgive you. As for the rest? Do whatever you want. It’s not like I can stop you anyway.”
She used a trick she’d perfected over the years: give just enough ambiguity to let the man fill in the blanks himself. It worked more often than not—and usually gave her exactly the outcome she wanted.
“Mu Fu, I’ll show you I’ve changed,” Xu Kangning said, his voice soft, his posture humble.
She glanced at him, then said flatly, “Anything else? If not, I’m heading back. I’m tired.”
He’d been wanting to ask her about her date with Yu Mo—he’d strained to pick up any clues at dinner, but no one brought it up. Still, he didn’t push it.
“Alright… get some rest,” he said gently, his eyes warm.
Mu Fu didn’t respond.
As they walked back into the living room, Yu Mo was just coming down the stairs. His expression was as cool and unreadable as ever—but Mu Fu immediately noticed: he didn’t even glance her way.
Her heart dropped. This wasn’t good. The quieter a man got, the more serious things were.
Mu Fu instinctively widened the space between herself and Xu Kangning. Her tone was dry, a little forced. “A-Mo, why are you downstairs?”
Yu Mo cast a glance at her—cool, distant. “Am I interrupting something?”
Mu Fu waved her hands quickly. “No, no! Not at all. There’s nothing going on between me and him—he just came to talk about something.”
But her explanation only made things worse. To Yu Mo, it sounded like a weak excuse—like she was confirming exactly what he feared. After all, he hadn’t forgotten Xu Kangning was her ex.
A quiet, smothering tension settled over them. Mu Fu didn’t notice how tightly Yu Mo’s fists were clenched, his knuckles pale from the pressure. He was doing everything he could not to explode. He didn’t dare show the violent possessiveness surging inside him.
The calm face he wore? Just a mask—for the world to see. The truth underneath was far darker.
Yu Mo knew it. He hated how low he’d sunk. And he was terrified that if Mu Fu ever saw his real self… she’d run from him. He couldn’t let that happen. He wouldn’t let her be afraid of him.
Watching Mu Fu scramble to distance herself from him just to ease Yu Mo’s mind, Xu Kangning felt like a gust of icy wind had blown straight through him. He knew there was no point in staying any longer. His presence only deepened Yu Mo’s misunderstanding—and widened the distance between him and Mu Fu.
Forcing a smile, he said, “Mu Fu, I’ll head back now. If you ever need anything, just come find me.”
Yu Mo shot him a cold glance.
Xu Kangning’s expression faltered. There was something chilling in Yu Mo’s eyes—an eerie, bone-deep kind of danger that made him think of something lurking in the shadows of a dark, wet cave. The kind of danger you couldn’t name—but instinctively feared. And yet… Yu Mo looked completely normal on the surface.
Xu Kangning’s face darkened. He’d looked up the titles of Yu Mo’s novels before—he’d even skimmed through a few. The detail was disturbingly vivid. The stories were the kind that made regular people feel deeply unsettled… and made horror fans worship him as a genius.
Xu Kangning wasn’t sure if writing those novels had twisted Yu Mo’s mind—or if Yu Mo had simply poured his own twisted self into them from the start. Either way, anyone who could create something so hauntingly real couldn’t possibly be normal.
He wanted to warn Mu Fu. But he knew she wouldn’t believe him. Wouldn’t listen.
Still, the dozens of cameras in the villa—along with the unknown number of staff watching behind the screens—gave him some comfort. Even so, his face was grim as he turned to leave.
Once Xu Kangning was gone, Mu Fu let out a long breath. Yu Mo’s stare had been so intense, so dominating, she’d almost crumbled under it. Her gut told her that if she didn’t soothe him right now, something terrifying might happen. And she wasn’t willing to take that risk.
She also wasn’t willing to let him keep thinking she and Xu Kangning were involved—because they weren’t. And honestly, what was she even feeling guilty about?
With that, she sneaked a glance at Yu Mo. Then, as if bracing herself, she stood a little straighter.
“A-Mo… I’m hungry.” Thank God she hadn’t eaten much at dinner—it made the excuse feel perfectly natural.
Yu Mo nearly laughed from the sheer audacity of her innocent tone. She really was fearless—just because she knew he liked her. He briefly considered strangling her. But he’d be the one to regret it in the end. Someone like her didn’t even have the heart to feel guilty.
“Whatever I cook, you eat,” he said.
The moment those words left his mouth, the air around them seemed to warm. Even with a jacket on, she’d been feeling cold earlier—now, not so much.
Mu Fu nodded immediately. She wasn’t about to argue with Yu Mo right now. She obediently followed by his side, and before he could even reach for something, she was already handing it to him.
Yu Mo didn’t stop her; he let her flit around, busying herself with little tasks. In the past, he wouldn’t even let her lift a finger. He was so afraid she might hurt those soft, delicate hands of hers. But now? Hmph. Let her suffer a little.
Mu Fu didn’t complain. She quietly did everything, patient and willing. She just hoped that, seeing her sincere effort to make amends, Yu Mo might soften—might speak to her again. But as he sat there, cold and silent, it stung more than she’d expected.
“Eat,” Yu Mo said, setting a bowl of wontons in front of her. A few lonely scallion bits floated in the broth, scattered and cold—just like the way Mu Fu felt inside.
She hesitated. “A-Mo… aren’t you eating too?”
He sat across from her, his expression indifferent. “No.”
His icy detachment made the food stick in her throat. How was she supposed to eat like this? She was afraid it’d just give her indigestion.
She lifted her head, locking eyes with him. His gaze was cool and clear. “A-Mo, Xu Kangning was the one who came to find me tonight. He said he needed to talk. I didn’t go looking for him.”
Something in Yu Mo’s eyes thawed ever so slightly. He looked at her, but said nothing.
Mu Fu went on, gently, “I didn’t realize until we were outside that he just wanted to apologize… for what he did to me before.” She didn’t spell it out, but Yu Mo remembered what Xu Kangning had said when he asked why they broke up: I lied to her. That memory made a flicker of tension stir in Yu Mo’s chest. His gaze stayed fixed on her eyes.
Mu Fu continued, voice steady, “But I didn’t forgive him. And I won’t. What he did… it had a huge impact on me. There’s no way anything could happen between us again.”
The moment she said that, all the coldness surrounding Yu Mo seemed to melt away.
“Besides,” she added, lowering her gaze shyly, “don’t you know who I care about now?”
Yu Mo’s eyes narrowed slightly, but the joy lighting up his face was impossible to hide. The chill in his heart was swept away, replaced by a rush of spring warmth. He’d only meant to teach her a small lesson—to make her stay away from Xu Kangning. But she’d just handed him an answer that, in his heart, was worth a perfect score.
He didn’t believe in gods, but just then, he found himself hoping they were real—so he could pray that things would stay exactly as they were.
“The wontons are getting cold. Do you want something else? I can make it.” The bowl was still steaming, but Yu Mo didn’t blink as he told his lie.
Mu Fu’s eyes curved into a watery smile. “These are perfect. I don’t want you to get too tired.”
“I’m not tired. This kind of thing’s easy.”
She smiled even more brightly, her lips curling with quiet satisfaction. To him, doing anything for her wasn’t tiring. It was exhilarating. Just knowing that everything she ate, everything she used, was prepared by him—it filled him with a twisted kind of joy. And he wanted more. He wanted to take care of every part of her life, wanted her to look at him with nothing but trust in her eyes. That was all he wished for. That simple.
Axolotl Translations 
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