Axolotl Translations

Mu Fu rubbed her round, full belly and thought back—it seemed like ever since she started spending time with Yu Mo, she always ended up eating until she was stuffed. It was a sweet kind of trouble to have.

Yu Mo ate quickly, mostly because by the end, everything was already cooked in the pot and just needed to be picked out. Once he’d had enough, he put his chopsticks down. He went to pay the bill, and when Mu Fu tried to split it with him, he refused.

He said, “A-Fu, the money I earn is meant to be spent on my girlfriend.”

Mu Fu gave him a sideways glance. “Who’s your girlfriend?”

Yu Mo’s expression froze, a dark glint flashing through his eyes. “Don’t tell me… you’re still considering someone else?”

Realizing he’d misunderstood, Mu Fu replied softly, “Well, someone still hasn’t confessed to me, and you know—confessions aren’t allowed until a week in.” She winked at him cheekily, eyes dancing with mischief.

Yu Mo grabbed her hand and laced their fingers tightly together. His tone was possessive as he said, “You’re only allowed to be with me. Got it? No accepting anyone else’s confession.”

Mu Fu hummed in response but didn’t argue. Instead, she gently squeezed his hand back.

Yu Mo lowered his gaze. Even if she chose to leave with someone else in the end… he would still snatch her back. He’d keep her by his side, never letting her go. That would be the price for tempting him.

He had given her the chance to walk away. She didn’t take it. So he wouldn’t let go again.

Mu Fu had no idea what kinds of dark thoughts were swirling inside Yu Mo’s heart. Since he refused to let her pay, she decided she’d just secretly buy him something later as a surprise. No need to tell him just yet.

When they returned to the villa, it was unusually quiet. There were no sounds from the others—it seemed like everyone had gone out. Back in her room, Mu Fu found that Feng Ningran was no longer there either.

Yu Mo had something to take care of that afternoon, so Mu Fu would be on her own for a while.

At 4 PM, all four male contestants received a message from the show’s producers, instructing them to get ready and head to a restaurant before 5 PM. Meanwhile, Mu Fu and the other female guests also got a text—this time telling them to head separately to a mysterious room on the basement level.

When Mu Fu saw the message, she knew right away: a new female guest was arriving tonight. If she remembered correctly, all the male guests would be dining outside with the newcomer, whose name was Yu Quwen. She was a company CEO. Mu Fu couldn’t recall her exact age, but that didn’t matter.

In the previous timeline, Yu Quwen had taken an immediate interest in Yu Mo. But she was a bit too aggressive for his taste, so he hadn’t shown much interest in her. Her ex-boyfriend would also be appearing tonight. His name was Deng Lebang—baby-faced and charming, a true “puppy-like” guy.

After getting the message, Mu Fu made her way toward the underground room where they’d answered questions before.

Mu Fu remembered that at this point in the previous timeline, the other side of the glass was empty—Yu Quwen would be asking questions remotely from elsewhere.

Soon, the prompt on the table screen began to flash.

Stranger: [Hello.]

Mu Fu: “Hi there.”

Stranger: [Do you think Xu Kangning likes any of the female guests? If so, who do you think it is?]

Mu Fu raised an eyebrow slightly. Had the show not briefed Yu Quwen about the current situation in the villa? Or… was she just testing the waters to see where Mu Fu stood with Xu Kangning?

Mu Fu: [Probably still likes me, I guess.]

Stranger: [Would you get back together with him?]

Mu Fu: [Nope.]

Stranger: [Alright, thank you.]

That was it—just two questions and the screen went silent.

Mu Fu’s eyes narrowed slightly. Seems like Yu Quwen’s still got her eye on Yu Mo.

A little while later, Wu Qingyi came downstairs. After a polite exchange of greetings, the screen lit up again and the questioning began.

Stranger: [Which female guest do you think Yu Mo is closest to?]

Wu Qingyi had grown used to questions like this. She stayed calm and answered without hesitation.

Wu Qingyi: [Mu Fu.]

After a brief pause, another question appeared.

Stranger: [Do you still have feelings for him?]

Wu Qingyi’s expression shifted slightly.

Wu Qingyi: [It’s complicated. I’m sorry—I can’t really answer that.]

She genuinely didn’t know how to answer.

Stranger: [That’s okay. Just follow your heart.]

Yu Quwen even sent a kind little message of reassurance.

Stranger: [What does Yu Mo like the most?]

Wu Qingyi: [He likes interesting books.]

Stranger: [How long were you two together?]

Wu Qingyi: [Three years. We started dating in college.]

Stranger: [What caused the breakup?]

Wu Qingyi fell silent for a few seconds before replying.

Wu Qingyi: [We just weren’t right for each other.]

Stranger: [Can you be more specific?]

Wu Qingyi: [I couldn’t accept how domineering he could be. Eventually, we broke up on good terms.]

Stranger: [Got it. Thank you.]

Wu Qingyi stared at her computer screen. The system showed that the person on the other end had gone offline. Her calm mood was once again disrupted. She didn’t know who had been asking her the questions, but it clearly wasn’t the same person from last time—one of the questions had been repeated, which ruled out that possibility. Her best guess? Xia Sihan. After all, Feng Ningran didn’t seem interested in Yu Mo at all.

Though none of the female guests were allowed to speak about the mysterious session, the experience had clearly stirred something in each of them. If it weren’t for the show’s rules, they probably would’ve been gossiping already.

……

6:00 PM.

Xia Sihan watched the sky darken from the window. A faint unease crept into her chest. None of the male guests had returned yet—not even Yu Mo. That couldn’t be normal, could it?

After a full day of rest, Feng Ningran was feeling much better. She wasn’t always attuned to the vibes around her, but even she could tell something was off. Turning to Mu Fu, she asked, “Mu Fu, why do you think the guys aren’t back yet? Even Yu Mo’s not around.”

Mu Fu, of course, already knew the answer. But she kept her expression neutral and shrugged slightly. “Not sure. Maybe they’re all busy. Yu Mo did mention earlier that he had something to do this afternoon.”

“Oh, that explains it then… Hmm?” Feng Ningran paused, her head tilting. “I think I just heard a suitcase being wheeled outside.” The others hadn’t caught the sound—Feng Ningran had the sharpest ears among them.

All four turned toward the door. Sure enough, they heard the lock click.

A moment later, a fair-skinned young man walked in, pulling a suitcase behind him.

For a second, everyone just… stared.

Then the boy gave a friendly smile and greeted them, “Hi, I’m Deng Lebang. Nice to meet you all.”

Mu Fu was the first to snap out of it. “Hi! I’m Mu Fu.”

The others quickly followed suit.

A new male guest had arrived at the villa. The shift in the girls’ energy was instantly noticeable. All four looked visibly excited—but none more than Feng Ningran. Despite the lingering pallor on her face, a healthy blush rose to her cheeks. “Hi! I’m Feng Ningran. I didn’t expect there’d still be new male guests joining the show.”

Honestly, her excitement made sense. Xu Kangning had made it clear he was still hung up on his ex. Rong Yongxin now seemed interested in Xia Sihan. That left Feng Ningran… with no viable romantic options. So, with a new guy in the mix, her chances were suddenly looking brighter.

Deng Lebang smiled warmly. “I had something to take care of, so I joined the show a few days late.”

Wu Qingyi and Xia Sihan took their turns introducing themselves, too.

Xia Sihan spoke gently, “It’s okay, everyone here is really easy to get along with.”

Deng Lebang smiled. “Thank you.” But after saying that, he seemed a little nervous.

Feng Ningran asked, “Have you eaten yet?”

“Not yet. What about you guys?” Deng Lebang replied.

“We haven’t either,” Feng Ningran said. “Are you hungry? We were just about to cook something.”

The others nodded in agreement.

Xia Sihan glanced at Feng Ningran, who was chatting animatedly with the new guest. Her lips curved upward in a polite smile, but her eyes remained unreadable.

“You showed up at just the right time,” Deng Lebang said with a smile. “Aren’t the other male guests around?”

Of course, Deng Lebang already knew they had gone out to dinner with his ex. He had timed his entrance on purpose.

Feng Ningran muttered, “No, they’re not back yet. I don’t know why they’re still out so late.”

Deng Lebang didn’t comment. He just smiled faintly. Rolling up his sleeves, he asked, “Should we get started?”

Xia Sihan stood up too. “Sure. I’m sorry, I’m actually getting a bit hungry,” she added softly, pressing her hand to her stomach.

Wu Qingyi smiled and said, “If you were hungry, Sihan, you should’ve told us earlier. Let’s start cooking now.”

Mu Fu followed the others toward the kitchen.

Perhaps because there was only one male guest present, the other three women were visibly enthusiastic around Deng Lebang—bordering on doting, really.

As they prepared the ingredients, Xia Sihan asked, “Should we also make something for the other guys, just in case?”

Deng Lebang, standing nearby, kept his calm, polite smile. He didn’t comment.

Feng Ningran, thinking about how Xu Kangning had been by her side since the night before, said, “Let’s make a little extra. Just in case they haven’t eaten.”

Wu Qingyi nodded. “Good idea. We’ve got enough people, and it won’t take long.”

And so they made a few more dishes, just in case.

Deng Lebang quietly listened to their discussion, saying nothing. He was fairly skilled in the kitchen, and so were the women, so dinner was ready in no time.

As they sat down to eat, the villa’s front door swung open. A burst of cheerful conversation echoed through the hallway—distinctly lively, with a clear female voice ringing out.

“My suitcase is a bit heavy, thank you so much for carrying it for me!”

A male voice responded, one they immediately recognized as Rong Yongxin. “It’s not that bad. Feels pretty light, actually.”

The girl’s silver-bell laughter followed.

At the table, the five diners froze, their chopsticks paused in midair. All four women exchanged looks, their expressions darkening slightly. They’d expected another female guest might arrive eventually—but they hadn’t anticipated her walking in with one of the guys. And judging by her easy banter, this new girl was already on friendly terms with them.

An unspoken tension filled the air—especially for Xia Sihan, who rose to her feet first, masking her alertness with a sweet smile.

“Looks like a new girl’s here,” she said, her voice cheerful, eyes curious. You’d never guess she was already crafting strategies to deal with the newcomer.

Feng Ningran was also eager to see the new guest. She quickly put down her chopsticks and followed her out.

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