The early spring sun was warm and gentle, filtering through the clouds, casting light on the yellow unknown flowers blooming along the roadside.
Wan Tong struggled to drag her suitcase across the stone path, with a camera following her. If one looked closely, several camera positions were set up along the road.
In this world, Wan Tong had died from a serious illness abroad. After waking up not long ago, she immediately flew back to her home country to participate in this dating reality show.
Fortunately, Shishi hadn’t gone missing.
In this world, Jian Wantong was born into a scholarly family and has a strong literary aura. However, she is somewhat introverted. Last year, in an attempt to encourage her to interact more with the outside world, her family arranged for her to participate in a dating reality show called <Falling for You>.
The show invited three men and three women to live together under the same roof for several days. Through gradual interaction, they would choose someone they were interested in to get to know further and confess their feelings. Later in the show, an additional male and female guest would be introduced, making it a total of eight participants.
Unfortunately, despite her delicate beauty and natural audience appeal, Jian Wantong remained distant from all the contestants due to her lack of romantic experience and introverted personality. In the end, even though two male contestants confessed to her, she turned them both down.
This became a major talking point of the show, leaving many viewers disappointed.
Some fans dug into her background and discovered that she was related to the show’s director. Suspicion arose that she was merely an actress hired to play a role and toy with the male contestants’ emotions, leading to a period of intense cyberbullying against her.
After leaving the country, Jian Wantong fell seriously ill and ultimately passed away.
She had originally agreed to return for the second season, but due to her death, those plans fell through.
The real story begins here.
The boss is Chu Yuanxun, who was from a remote mountain village. However, he is strikingly handsome, tall, and an academic genius who completed his bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. at a prestigious university. He now works as a part-time model.
He participated in the dating show, captivating all the female contestants, yet he ultimately left without forming a couple.
Everyone assumed he had joined the show just to gain fame and launch a career in entertainment. However, after a period of silence, he suddenly re-emerged as the president of Chu Group, a powerful corporate heir.
Only then did people realize that he had been kidnapped as a child and taken to a remote village. The reality show had led his biological family to recognize him.
Now, the story has progressed to the filming of the show’s current season, where the seventh episode introduces a surprise female guest.
And that guest is none other than Jian Wantong.
The filming location is a secluded villa in the suburbs, surrounded by breathtaking scenery and fresh air, just the kind of place Wan Tong likes.
Dragging a silver suitcase, she made her way up the gravel path. The suitcase wasn’t too large, but pulling it over the uneven surface was quite a struggle.
It was a Saturday, and all the contestants were present, but no one seemed to be awake yet.
Since the previous season had also been filmed at this villa, Wan Tong walked through the house with ease, taking a brief tour before heading upstairs.
The show’s director was her uncle, so the crew took extra care of her.
With the other contestants still asleep, Wan Tong left her suitcase by her designated room’s door and prepared to go downstairs. However, as she turned a corner, someone was coming down the stairs, and she accidentally bumped into them.
The man was tall and had sharp reflexes. Before she could collide with him, he swiftly stepped aside. However, in the next instant, he reached out and grabbed her shoulder, preventing her from stumbling forward.
Wan Tong snapped out of the moment, which felt straight out of a romantic drama, and looked up, only to meet a pair of deep black eyes, like a tranquil lake.
What a coincidence. It was the boss himself, Chu Yuanxun.
He had clearly just woken up, with slightly messy short hair falling over his forehead. His thin lips were pressed together, making him look a little groggy.
Retracting his hand from her shoulder, he gazed at her face and casually asked, “Have you eaten?”
His voice carried the slightly raspy texture unique to early mornings. It sounded… pleasant.
“…” Wan Tong hesitated for a moment before replying, “Not yet.”
She had traveled from another city and stayed at a hotel last night before arriving here early in the morning.
However, what surprised her was that Chu Yuanxun was known in the show for being cold and emotionally distant, a typical straight-laced man. Yet, he had just reached out to steady her and even asked if she had eaten?
She had never met him before, but he must have watched the first season. Did that mean he liked her?
Otherwise, it wouldn’t make sense.
At that moment, the surveillance room was dead silent, shocked and puzzled.
Chu Yuanxun’s background was modest, but he was a top student, incredibly handsome, and shrouded in an air of mystery. Meanwhile, the three current female contestants were all vying for his attention, causing the other male contestants to grow increasingly hostile toward him.
The show was nearing its finale, and each night, contestants wrote anonymous letters to the person they were interested in. Chu Yuanxun had refused to write any letters from the beginning. However, one contestant, Yuan Qingqing, had persistently written to him every night, showing unwavering dedication. Just last night, she even cooked a meal for him and subtly confessed during dinner.
For the first time, Chu Yuanxun had written a letter in return—to Yuan Qingqing.
They had matched.
Everyone assumed that the XunYuan CP (Chu Yuanxun × Yuan Qingqing) was locked in. It was even giving off sweet romance vibes, the academic genius with an aloof personality paired with an elegant and intellectual beauty. A perfect match.
But the recent footage suggested that there was also a certain chemistry between Chu Yuanxun and Jian Wantong… A subtle, sweet harmony.
Everyone glanced at the show’s director, who wore a noticeably grim expression and remained silent.
It was the same in the previous season, whenever a male contestant showed interest in Jian Wantong, the director’s face would darken.
Tsk. Such a waste of that handsome face.
If he was so worried about his precious niece being courted, why let her participate in a dating show in the first place?
But soon, the director’s expression softened.
Because in the next moment, Chu Yuanxun shattered everyone’s romantic fantasies with a single sentence.
“Perfect. Go make breakfast.”
After saying this, he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his gray hoodie and headed downstairs.
Wan Tong : “……Alright.”
She could cook, but her flavors were on the lighter side. In the previous season, another female contestant had been a pastry chef skilled in various cuisines, so Wan Tong had never cooked, only assisted.
Chu Yuanxun walked ahead, and when he reached a blind spot of the cameras, a faint warmth flickered across his slightly lowered, handsome face. His lips curved into an almost imperceptible arc.
He arrived at the open kitchen and poured himself a glass of water.
A lingering fragrance seemed to cling to his fingertips. He paused briefly, and two barely audible words escaped his lips : “So fragrant…”
Wan Tong just happened to hear him and turned her head. “What?”
Chu Yuanxun shook his head and put down the glass.
Glancing at the figure in front of the fridge, he reached for another glass, rinsed it, and poured another serving of water.
When Wan Tong turned around, he pushed the glass toward her without a word. Then, he picked up his own and took a deep gulp, tilting his head back as he drank.
Wan Tong stared blankly at his movements. The sunlight tracing the lines of his profile, the slight bob of his Adam’s apple, the slender fingers wrapped around the glass.
For a moment, her heart pounded wildly, as if a small creature were darting around inside her chest, ready to burst out and pounce on the man before her.
Ah, right. This body had a peculiar trait. She had no resistance to a man’s Adam’s apple. And among all she had ever seen, Chu Yuanxun’s could undoubtedly be rated as top-tier.
She lowered her head, took a sip of water, and quietly turned to cook porridge.
Feeling ashamed of her strange fascination, she realized she had just entertained the urge to reach out and touch it…
Chu Yuanxun sat on the nearby sofa, bathed in sunlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows, the picture so perfect that it made one want to hit the pause button.
In less than half an hour, Wan Tong had finished making seafood porridge, along with two side dishes, cold broccoli salad and a beef stir-fry.
These were all foods she personally liked. Earlier, unsure of what to make, she had simply used what was available.
“Wow, who’s making breakfast?” A female voice rang out from the staircase, accompanied by approaching footsteps.
Yuan Qingqing descended and was immediately drawn to the sight of Chu Yuanxun lounging lazily on the couch. Her delight was impossible to hide. “Morning, Yuanxun.”
Chu Yuanxun heard her and, as usual, glanced over and gave a slight nod.
“You made breakfast? Smells amazing,” Yuan Qingqing commented casually.
However, when she turned and saw Wan Tong at the dining table, her smile stiffened slightly, and she spoke in surprise, “Oh? And you are…?”
She glanced at Chu Yuanxun, expecting an explanation.
But he didn’t look at her. Instead, his head tilted slightly as he watched Wan Tong arrange the plates.
Realizing the situation, Wan Tong responded, “Hello, I’m Jian Wantong.”
Yuan Qingqing was the Raider of this world. She hadn’t been on the original guest list for this show but had found a way to join and had made her interest in Chu Yuanxun clear from the start.
Although the other two female guests were also interested in him, leading to occasional competition, Chu Yuanxun had only ever responded to Yuan Qingqing. So when she received a letter from him last night, many assumed they were practically a couple.
“Nice to meet you! You can just call me Qingqing. I watched the previous season of the show. I really liked you,” Yuan Qingqing said with a bright smile.
But to others, her words carried a deeper meaning. Bringing up Wan Tong’s past season was a subtle reminder of the negative reputation she had left behind.
Wan Tong merely nodded and continued plating the food. The air turned slightly quiet and awkward.
Yuan Qingqing glanced at the dishes and made a few polite compliments before moving over to sit beside Chu Yuanxun.
Just as Wan Tong lifted the lid off the pot, the rich aroma of freshly cooked food filled the air.
Chu Yuanxun, who had been lounging idly, suddenly sat up straight. Ignoring Yuan Qingqing’s words entirely, he stood and walked toward the kitchen.
Yuan Qingqing watched his retreating figure, unable to hide the shock and disappointment in her expression.
Even the production team behind the screens could feel the awkwardness.
“Wait, didn’t they just confirm their couple status last night? And today…”
“Did you all forget the most important thing? Today is Date Day. Yuan Qingqing and Chu Yuanxun are paired up.”
“But Jian Wantong gets to choose a male guest for today’s date.”
“If she picks Chu Yuanxun—damn, this is about to get interesting.”
“A three-person dynamic… Someone’s bound to be the third wheel. The question is, who?”
…
Meanwhile, Zheng Tianqiong’s face darkened again. “What’s so great about a dense, straight-laced guy?”
“Ahem… Director, weren’t you the one who said Chu Yuanxun was just being genuine?”
“Who the hell said that?” Zheng Tianqiong snapped.
The female director shrank into the corner. “Oh…”
Honestly, the chief director wasn’t much better than Chu Yuanxun in that regard.
All the guests gathered around the dining table, introducing themselves to Wan Tong with friendly enthusiasm.
When it was Chu Yuanxun’s turn, he simply kept his head down, drinking his porridge as if he hadn’t heard a thing.
Yuan Qingqing let out a charming giggle and playfully introduced him instead, “This is Chu Yuanxun. Looks like he’s a foodie today.”
Though she spoke with a smile, an alarm had already gone off in her mind.
The storyline hadn’t mentioned this, but through her in-depth research, she knew the truth, Chu Yuanxun was actually a very picky eater. It wasn’t that he never enjoyed food before; it was just that nothing had ever suited his taste.
Last night, when he sent her a letter, all he had written was : [The soup was decent.]
The plot doesn’t describe much about the new female guest who joined mid-season, she’s practically a transparent figure and ultimately has no connection with Chu Yuanxun. But the Jian Wantong standing before them now seems different. She can cook, and her food happens to suit Chu Yuanxun’s taste perfectly…
Wan Tong sat beside Yuan Qingqing. After hearing her words, she leaned forward slightly, looked at Chu Yuanxun, and asked, “So, you really like it?”
Chu Yuanxun had always had zero favorability toward Yuan Qingqing, but last night, it suddenly jumped to 30. Such a sharp increase left Wan Tong puzzled.
Chu Yuanxun put down his empty bowl, turned his face slightly, and responded with a low, serious “Mm.”
Wan Tong smiled. “I’ll make it for you again next time.”
“Okay.” Chu Yuanxun agreed, and the dining table fell into a brief silence.
“Jian Wantong, I never expected you to know how to cook. You didn’t seem to cook at all last season,” said Maddie, a short-haired, boss-like female guest who was an overseas-educated CEO. With both high IQ and EQ, she had a likable persona.
But as soon as she spoke, an awkward air settled over the group. Everyone looked at Wan Tong, waiting for her response.
“I started living alone at a young age, so I learned to cook,” Wan Tong replied naturally, completely unbothered by the mention of last season.
She had been labeled as the ‘director’s relative’ and the one who ]toyed with male contestants’ feelings,’ so the men kept their distance from her—which, honestly, saved her a lot of trouble.
Chu Yuanxun, meanwhile, finished another bowl of porridge and got up to get some water. After taking a few steps, he suddenly turned back to grab Wan Tong’s empty cup before leaving.
Although no one looked at him directly, everyone noticed his action. Yuan Qingqing, in particular, struggled to hide her emotions as she stared straight at him.
Chu Yuanxun was known to be self-centered, a textbook ‘straight guy’ who never took the initiative to show kindness to women, let alone pick up on their subtle hints.
And yet, he just voluntarily refilled Jian Wantong’s cup?
Wan Tong was in the middle of chewing a broccoli floret, so she didn’t say anything immediately. When Chu Yuanxun returned with her refilled cup, she finally spoke. “You always fill it to the brim. Won’t it spill? Just like earlier…”
Sitting across from her, with Yuan Qingqing in between, Chu Yuanxun glanced at her water-filled cup and replied indifferently, “It won’t.”
Wan Tong : “…” How was she supposed to continue the conversation?
“I’m heading upstairs first.” Suddenly, Yuan Qingqing stood up and went upstairs.
She knew she shouldn’t act out, but after days of pursuing Chu Yuanxun, only to see him showing favor to the new girl, how could she possibly stay calm?
In the original plot, the fourth female guest didn’t even have a name. So who exactly was Jian Wantong, and why was Chu Yuanxun treating her differently?
Could it be that he fell for her at first sight?
Was she his long-lost ‘white moonlight’?
Just then, Wan Tong received a task card. As she read it, all the guests except Chu Yuanxun watched her with curiosity and nervousness.
“Remember when I arrived two days ago? It happened to be your date selection day,” said Zhong Jiaqi, a Korean-styled pretty boy.
Hearing that, the buzz-cut, muscular contestant across from him let out an awkward chuckle. “No way…”
Wan Tong had already mentally matched the guests into pairs. The muscular guy, Zhou Ke, was a basketball player who initially took a liking to Female #1, Ren Jiameng, a pure and sweet-looking girl with bangs sitting next to him.
Ren Jiameng couldn’t resist Zhou Ke’s pursuit, and they interacted frequently. But due to a twist of fate, she had her first date with Chu Yuanxun. Though no sparks flew, she wavered afterward.
During her second date, Zhou Ke finally got paired with her, but Zhong Jiaqi inserted himself, making it a trio date.
After that, Zhong Jiaqi also started aggressively pursuing Ren Jiameng.
In a way, Ren Jiameng was the biggest winner so far. But she still showed the most interest in Zhou Ke. After all, Chu Yuanxun was too unreadable.
Next to them was Maddie, who initially exchanged love letters with another male contestant, Chen Ruohan. However, due to frequent clashes in values, they both started looking elsewhere.
Maddie had her eyes on Chu Yuanxun now, saying she found him adorable, while Chen Ruohan switched his attention to Yuan Qingqing.
Wan Tong finished reading the task card, then smiled at the people around her. “I have to pick a male guest for today’s date.”
“You’re looking at me like that… Are you picking me?” Zhong Jiaqi teased, resting his elbow on the table, his peach blossom eyes practically sparking with mischief.
“What do you think?” Wan Tong pulled out an invitation card and a pen from the task card and began writing in front of everyone.
“No way, Jian, you’re bold,” Maddie exclaimed, sneaking a glance at the card.
The others grew inexplicably tense, all eyes on Wan Tong.
Feeling the pressure of their stares, Wan Tong hesitated. Her body’s natural disposition wasn’t actually that outgoing.
“Do you know how to write ‘Chu’1?” Suddenly, Chu Yuanxun leaned forward from across the empty chair between them, his deep gaze landing on her still-blank card.
Wan Rong froze for a moment, then instinctively nodded. “I do.”
Saying that, she wrote down his surname on the card.
Chu Yuanxun looked at the elegant, delicate handwriting and calmly nodded. “Nice handwriting.”
Everyone else: “…”
Meanwhile, the surveillance room fell into dead silence.
“Whoa, was Chu Yuanxun… flirting just now?
Jian Wantong literally wrote his surname on the card!
Wan Tong stared blankly at the character she had just written, momentarily stunned. She felt both amused and helpless. Under the curious gazes of others, she proceeded to write the remaining two characters—‘Yuan’ and ‘xun.’
As soon as she finished, Chu Yuanxun reached out and took the invitation card. “Let’s go.”
Wan Tong felt completely out of sync with his train of thought. “Go where?”
“To eat.” Chu Yuanxun was already on his feet, taking a few steps toward the door. When he noticed Wan Tong hadn’t followed, he turned back. His dark eyes, reflecting a golden glow, carried a hint of confusion. “Are you touching up your makeup? Or changing your outfit?”
Wan Tong had already done her makeup at the hotel, and her dress was perfectly appropriate. She shook her head and pointed at his loungewear instead. “You’re the one who needs to change.”
Besides, weren’t they supposed to wait for Yuan Qingqing?
Chu Yuanxun glanced down at his own clothes, then changed direction and headed upstairs.
Behind Wan Tong, Maddie burst into hearty laughter. “Chu Yuanxun is too cute! I’ve never seen him like this before.”
Wan Tong was slightly surprised. This Maddie sure had an open-minded perspective.
- I think everyone knows, Chinese have different characters that can be read in the same way, even for the same tone. So, there are many different ‘Chu’s. Here, Chu Yuanxun is asking if she knows which ‘Chu’ character is used in his surname. ↩︎