Chapter 19: Listen to How Your Ex Describes You, Part 2

"I think I might have figured out the order of the recordings. It should go according to the order in which we arrived at the villa this morning," Lu Zhou announced, feeling triumphant as if he'd uncovered a pattern.

"The first was me, the second was Jiajia, and if I remember correctly, the third was Chu Yao?"

Chu Yao nodded. "I was indeed the third to arrive this morning."

"Let's test if I'm right," Lu Zhou said, then tapped to play the next recording.

"I am Chu Yao's ex," a voice disguised by a modulator declared, revealing everything with the very first sentence.

The dining room erupted in excitement. "Lu Zhou, you really got it right!"

Lu Zhou brushed his bangs aside, striking a deliberately smug pose. "Please, call me Detective Lu!"

Everyone burst out laughing at his antics.

The recording continued—

"Yao Yao isn't the type to fall in love easily. You have to slowly open her heart, step into her world, and only then can you touch the softness within her. I've witnessed her accomplishments every step of the way. The path she’s taken hasn’t been easy. She may look like a gentle, artistic woman on the outside, but in truth, she's strong-willed and ambitious. Yao Yao is a quick learner and solves most problems in life herself. She’s something of a tough girl—reliable and yet someone you can’t help but feel protective of. I don’t know if she’ll meet someone new here…”

The recording paused for a moment; there was a soft, choked sound, and after a breath, the voice went on:

“If she does meet someone more suitable, I hope that person learns to understand her, takes care of her, and gives her the love she truly deserves.”

The disguised voice seemed to lack some emotional nuance, but even so, it was clear how genuine Chu Yao’s ex had been when recording this.

It was a moving message.

Chu Yao's eyes turned red, tears slipping from the corners before she could stop them. She quickly raised her hand to shield her face and wiped her tears with her fingertip, unwilling for anyone to see her vulnerability.

Ye Fangfei, sitting beside her, silently handed her a box of tissues.

"Thank you," Chu Yao replied, her voice husky.

Li Jiayan was inexplicably moved as well, her eyes brimming with tears.

Across from her, Wen Yiming pulled a tissue from the box in front of Chu Yao and passed it to Li Jiayan, grinning, "Why are you crying too?"

Li Jiayan laughed as she dabbed at her eyes. "It was so touching."

Chu Yao couldn't help but laugh at her, sighing, "You’re too adorable."

After a moment's respite from the sadness, the exes' introductions continued.

"Next one, get ready. Friendly reminder: better have some tissues on hand," Lu Zhou joked, trying to lighten the mood.

At once, Wen Yiming straightened up. "Seems like I’m next, right?"

Lu Zhou replied, "Let’s find out."

The next recording began—

"I am Wen Yiming's ex."

So it was Wen Yiming. The order really did match the order they’d arrived at the villa that morning.

"Yiming is like sunshine—by far the most cheerful person I've ever been with. He gets along well with everyone, and whenever we hung out with friends, he always kept things lively. He’s the life of the party. Though he jokes around a lot, he can actually be quite sensitive inside. He rarely gets angry, but when he does, it’s not easy to coax him. As for hobbies, he loves sports. You can tell just by looking at his figure. Trust me, if you’re with him, you’ll find yourself getting fit without even noticing."

The evaluation from Wen Yiming’s ex was brief, but all praise—almost as if she were actively recommending him to others.

As the recording ended, Wen Yiming’s tense heart finally relaxed, and he let out a heavy sigh of relief.

Qi Jiajia observed, "I’ve noticed—so far, all the girls have spoken so kindly about their exes!"

Li Jiayan nodded in agreement. "Yeah, maybe girls are just softer-hearted. They can’t bring themselves to say anything bad."

Xu Junze glanced at Li Jiayan, reminding her, "I don’t think that has anything to do with gender."

Li Jiayan instantly realized she’d said the wrong thing; making gendered statements in front of the camera was a big taboo and easy to get criticized for.

"Let’s play the next one," Lu Zhou interjected, steering the conversation away from the sensitive topic.

The next ex’s introduction began to play.

"I am Li Jiayan's ex."

As the voice sounded, Li Jiayan shrank back with embarrassment, muttering, "Is it really my turn so soon?"

Across from her, Wen Yiming gazed at her with such obvious affection that he could barely suppress his smile.

Everyone fell silent, listening intently.

"We were both very young when we dated. Honestly, my impression of Yanyan is still stuck in her teenage years. Back then, she seemed obedient and well-behaved on the surface, but inside, she was quite rebellious. Yanyan loves music—she’s the kind of girl who glows when she plays the piano. I remember whenever she got mad, she would devour sweets like crazy, then worry about gaining weight, and resolve to cut out desserts for a month. During her ‘no sweets’ stretches, she’d pass by dessert shops and look in so pitifully—it was adorable. Oh, and she really cares about looks and physique. If any of the guys in the show want to pursue her, here’s some advice from someone who’s been there: take care of your appearance, hit the gym, and treat her well."

This introduction conjured such vivid, amusing images that everyone couldn’t help but laugh.

"Bingeing on desserts and then going cold turkey for a month? That’s just too adorable," Ye Fangfei said, her eyes crinkling with delight—even she, as a fellow girl, was charmed by it.

Li Jiayan blushed and gave everyone a bashful smile. "When it comes to sweets, I have zero self-control."

Wen Yiming raised an eyebrow, "But if you’re so undisciplined, how do you manage to quit for a whole month? So are you disciplined or not?"

"It’s disciplined in an undisciplined way," Xu Junze laughed.

Chu Yao teased, "Are you all playing tongue twisters now?"

Li Jiayan, flustered, snuck a glance at Lu Zhou and said, "Thanks to my ex for being so kind and describing such a fun version of me."

Lu Zhou just smiled, thinking, ‘The feeling is mutual.’

Meanwhile, across from them, Wen Yiming had caught on to a crucial detail in that last recording: Li Jiayan cared about looks and physique!

Learning this, Wen Yiming unconsciously straightened his back.

But did Li Jiayan have high standards? If she did, among the four male contestants here, only two of them could probably meet both the looks and the physique standards: himself and Lu Zhou.

Did that mean Lu Zhou was Li Jiayan’s ex?

The thought caused Wen Yiming’s eyes to brighten—had he just uncovered a potential match?

Moreover, the ex’s recording ended with genuine advice for other men on how to win Li Jiayan’s heart. That kind of magnanimity only comes from a man who’s truly moved on.

By that logic, was he now Li Jiayan’s only ideal type in this show?

The idea brought a smile to Wen Yiming’s lips.