Chapter 9: The Mysterious Guest

Lu Zhou switched to a new car and set out once more.

A dozen minutes later, he was delivered to the legendary “Pink Cottage.”

He had imagined that the dormitory provided by the show would match its name—delicate and pink, just like the bus that had brought him here. Yet the Pink Cottage turned out to be a two-story seaside villa, its red roof and white walls standing in stark contrast to his expectations.

It looked rather luxurious from the outside. The production team must be quite well-funded...

He pushed his luggage through the main gate, walked past a charming little garden, and arrived at the front door of the house. The door was closed, leaving the interior hidden from view.

Was anyone inside? Which guest would he be?

With this uncertainty, Lu Zhou twisted the handle and opened the door.

He stepped into a spacious foyer, where eight pairs of house slippers were neatly arranged on the floor—white, blue, yellow, and black, each color offered in both large and small sizes.

Eight pairs...

So he was the first to arrive?

The thought immediately eased his nerves.

He picked a pair of large black slippers, changed into them, set his luggage on the rack, and went on to explore the villa.

No one was in the living room; he could confirm he was indeed the first. Without hesitation, he toured the entire place.

There were two floors: the first was dedicated to entertainment and dining; upstairs housed four rooms, not all equal in size, but each with two single beds. Outside the second floor was an open-air pool, offering a view of the vast ocean in the distance.

The house was equipped with a multitude of hidden cameras—he roughly counted them, possibly over a hundred.

After wandering about, Lu Zhou returned downstairs. Feeling thirsty, he poured himself a glass of water in the kitchen, then settled on the couch in the living room.

Who would be the second to arrive? He had no idea.

He couldn't help but wonder—he and Li Jiayan had parted ways, yet here he was, already arrived, while her whereabouts remained unknown. Was her driver endlessly circling the city?

The thought made him chuckle.

Waiting was dreadfully dull. Just as he was about to drift off, he heard a click—the sound of a door opening.

Someone was here.

Lu Zhou perked up, listening intently. He could hear the suitcase wheels rolling across the floor in the foyer, followed by a moment of silence—perhaps the new arrival was deliberating over which slippers to choose. Then came soft footsteps.

The distance from the foyer to the hall was not short.

Curious, Lu Zhou turned and stared at the entrance.

Soon, a slender figure appeared in his field of vision.

She wore a pale green, sleeveless dress with vertical stripes—the hem ending above the knees, revealing long, porcelain legs.

It was a girl, but not Li Jiayan.

Her brown bob was cut just above the ears, giving her a competent air—she looked like a businesswoman at first glance.

“Hello!” Lu Zhou instinctively rose to greet her.

“Ah... hello!”

The girl hadn't noticed him at first; startled by his voice, she smiled and nodded as she returned the greeting.

“I thought I was the first to arrive.”

She walked over and chose a seat diagonally opposite Lu Zhou, instinctively tugging her skirt down as she sat, her gaze covertly sizing him up.

“You can actually tell your order of arrival by the number of slippers,” Lu Zhou remarked with a smile.

“I must have been too nervous to notice the count.”

She smiled shyly, pressing her lips together, and, perhaps due to the heat, fanned herself with her hand.

Lu Zhou noticed, and asked, “Is it hot? Should I lower the air conditioning?”

She straightened her hair and waved her hand, laughing, “No need, just leave it as it is.”

He let the matter drop.

“My name is Lu Zhou—the Zhou with the three water dots. How should I address you?”

Out of courtesy, Lu Zhou introduced himself first.

“I’m Qi Jiajia. Just call me Jiajia.”

“Jiajia, that’s an endearing name.”

“Thank you.”

After exchanging introductions, the two fell into a brief silence.

A strange man and woman, alone in a room, surrounded by cameras—honestly, it was awkward.

With nothing to say, Qi Jiajia glanced around at the decor, her gaze occasionally drifting back to Lu Zhou.

He’s good-looking! She pressed her lips together, her heart fluttering. The nerves were intense; she wasn’t at her best, and with both the cameras and a handsome man present, composure was impossible.

“If you’re thirsty, there’s water over there—help yourself,” Lu Zhou offered, sensing her tension and trying to ease the awkwardness.

Qi Jiajia was amused by his words. “You sound like the host here.”

Lu Zhou shrugged, playing along, “You caught me—this is actually my house.”

Qi Jiajia laughed again; she knew he was joking.

The atmosphere finally relaxed.

“Have you toured the place?” she asked.

“I have. When I arrived, I was bored, so I took a little stroll. You can go check it out too,” Lu Zhou suggested.

Qi Jiajia’s eyes brightened, clearly curious, but she stayed put.

“If I wander off and another guest arrives, it might not look good. I’ll wait until everyone’s here, then we can explore together.”

“That works. The villa is quite lavish—rooms are all upstairs, there’s a pool, and the balcony overlooks the sea.”

Not knowing what else to say, Lu Zhou gave her a brief overview.

Qi Jiajia’s face lit up with surprise, “Really? That’s wonderful. I love swimming. Do you swim?”

Lu Zhou nodded, “I do.”

“Then maybe we can go together,” Qi Jiajia replied instinctively.

“Uh... sure, I suppose.”

Lu Zhou felt something odd—was it too soon to suggest swimming together?

Was he being overly conservative? He was strangely unsettled.

Qi Jiajia didn’t seem to notice anything amiss, and shifted to the next topic, “Do you think the next guest will be male or female?”

“I guess male.”

“I think so too.”

For a first meeting, any conversation was better than none; expecting meaningful discussion was unrealistic.

Due to the show’s rules, much personal information couldn’t be disclosed, so Lu Zhou and Qi Jiajia chatted aimlessly, jumping from topic to topic.

After some time—who knew how long—they heard the door open and immediately stopped talking.

“Someone’s here...” Qi Jiajia whispered to Lu Zhou.

Both turned toward the foyer.

Soon, a woman with waist-length hair entered, dressed in a pale blue, off-the-shoulder knitted top and high-waisted white casual pants.

“We both guessed wrong.”

Before the newcomer’s face was clear, Qi Jiajia turned to Lu Zhou and whispered.

“Seems the show’s tricks are hard to predict,” Lu Zhou replied softly, rising to greet the new arrival.

As the woman drew closer, her features became distinct.

“Ah, really?” Qi Jiajia, seeing the newcomer clearly, looked surprised.

Lu Zhou was also taken aback.

“Hello! Nice to meet you! I’m Chu Yao.”

The newcomer was a little shorter than Qi Jiajia, exuding an artistic vibe, her bangs feathered softly across her forehead. Upon entering, she scanned the living room, then bowed gently to greet Lu Zhou and Qi Jiajia.

Chu Yao—she was familiar. One of the top domestic internet celebrities in recent years.

Why would she come to this show?

She hardly needed to chase the show’s popularity. With her fame, many stars couldn’t match her...

So why was she here?

Trying to reconcile with an ex?

Looking for a new boyfriend?

This...

Lu Zhou’s lips twitched slightly; suddenly, he felt this dating show was truly a wondrous thing.

Before arriving, Zhao Xing had repeatedly warned him not to violate any rules, and insisted he keep his profession secret until the production team allowed them to disclose it.

Yet the production team had brought in a widely-known female influencer as a guest???

Was profession secrecy just a joke?

He had to admit—the show’s maneuvers were quite bold.

While Lu Zhou’s thoughts wandered, the two female guests had already begun chatting.

Chu Yao sat beside Qi Jiajia, who, curious, took her hand and said, “I love watching your videos. They’re so soothing.”

“Thank you!” Chu Yao replied, her eyebrows arching in a smile. She patted Qi Jiajia’s hand and asked, “I don’t know your name yet.”

“Qi Jiajia—just call me Jiajia,” Qi Jiajia said warmly.

“Jiajia,” Chu Yao echoed, then turned her gaze to Lu Zhou, “And this handsome gentleman?”

Lu Zhou introduced himself.

Chu Yao nodded politely.

Qi Jiajia watched the two, wondering if they were skilled actors or genuinely strangers—there was an unmistakable unfamiliarity.

Initial impression: they probably weren’t exes.

Chu Yao, meanwhile, was also quietly evaluating whether Qi Jiajia and Lu Zhou were former lovers.

Lu Zhou’s appearance was impressive, a good first impression, but Chu Yao never chose partners based on looks; she valued capability above all.

“What do you both do for work?” Chu Yao asked, studying Qi Jiajia and Lu Zhou with curiosity.

“We’re not allowed to reveal our professions yet, right?” Qi Jiajia replied, glancing instinctively at Lu Zhou.

Lu Zhou nodded, “Correct.”

“Really?” Chu Yao was surprised—the production team hadn’t informed her of this rule.

“But I guess it doesn’t apply to you—since everyone knows your job, haha,” Qi Jiajia realized.

“That’s unfair to me,” Chu Yao remarked, smiling. “You all know about me, but I know nothing about you.”

“Hmm… that’s true.” Qi Jiajia agreed, though another thought crossed her mind: it’s unfair to us, too.

“Eventually, professions will be revealed—it’s no big deal,” Lu Zhou interjected.

“Yes,” Chu Yao smiled at him.

Her voice was gentle and soft, and her temperament was pleasant; her features weren’t extraordinarily beautiful, but in real life, she was certainly attractive—though perhaps a touch less striking than in her videos.

Overall, she was much as she appeared in her media.

“Have you both explored the place?” Chu Yao asked.

“He has, I haven’t,” Qi Jiajia gestured toward Lu Zhou.

“I’ll check out the kitchen,” Chu Yao said, rising and heading in that direction.

Clearly, Chu Yao was much more at ease here than Qi Jiajia.

Such was the difference between seasoned influencers and ordinary people accustomed to cameras.

She soon returned, holding a glass of water.

“The kitchen is big—I really like it,” she said.

Lu Zhou smiled, “Whether we eat well depends on you.”

Chu Yao was known for her food and lifestyle content—her videos often featured homemade dishes, each looking delicious on screen.

Of course, how they tasted in reality was another matter.

Chu Yao laughed in response, “So I’m here to be your chef, am I?”

At that moment, Qi Jiajia picked up a card from the coffee table, “It says here that each day, two guests (one male, one female) are assigned to cooking and cleaning duties.”

“Whoever partners with Chu Yao will be lucky, since she’s so skilled at cooking,” Qi Jiajia remarked, smiling as she turned to Lu Zhou, “Would you like to reserve Chu Yao before the other male guests arrive?”

Chu Yao was sipping her water and coughed lightly, “That’s not necessary, is it?”

Qi Jiajia raised her eyebrow ever so slightly—hmm? Chu Yao seemed subconsciously reluctant to pair up with Lu Zhou. Could it mean… they might be exes? Hence the instinctive avoidance?

While Qi Jiajia was running wild with speculation, someone else entered.

“Hi!”