ASFSODS 3

Heart House was a three-story split-level villa. In front was a garden; on the right side, two swings; on the left, a flowerbed and a small pool—just big enough for four or five people at a time.

Wen Chi set his suitcase down on the ground. He hadn’t forgotten that he was filming a show with his assistant still tagging along. Turning to Sang Sang, he said, “Take care of yourself, okay? If anything happens, ask one of the staff members to come find me.”

Sang Sang noticed the nearby staff looking in her direction and suddenly felt a bit shy. She covered her face and waved at Wen Chi, signaling that she got it.

[Hmm? Who’s he talking to?]

[I think I saw him facing someone in pink—was that a girl?]

[Aw, he’s so gentle…]

[If I’m not mistaken, Chi was talking to Sang Sang.]

[Who’s Sang Sang?]

[His assistant. I think she’s a year or two younger than him.]

[Ughhh he’s so soft I love him.]

Wen Chi rolled his suitcase into the Heart House. He noticed a wooden mailbox hanging next to the front door with the show’s logo on it.

He was the third to arrive. As he opened the door and stepped inside, a man and woman sitting in the living room both turned to look at him. He paused at the entrance and said, “Hi, I’m Wen Chi.”

“What a cute boy.” The curly-haired woman in a white blouse with butterfly sleeves and high-waisted flared jeans lit up and stood up to greet him warmly. “Hi, I’m Zhou Yunbai.”

Zhou Yunbai—an A-list starlet.

The man in a blue-and-white varsity jacket also came over, reaching for Wen Chi’s suitcase to help him carry it. “Hey, I’m Sheep—Chinese name, Tian Yang.”

Wen Chi was politely refusing the help like he was greeting elders during New Year’s, but paused mid-motion when he heard that. “Sheep is your English name?”

Tian Yang, who just grabbed the suitcase, froze for a second and gave a helpless laugh. “No, Sheep’s just my streamer ID.”

Sheep—famous gaming streamer on the Raccoon TV livestreaming platform.

Wen Chi’s face flushed. “Oh, I got it wrong.”

Tian Yang just smiled and waved it off.

Zhou Yunbai motioned for Wen Chi to sit. “Three people still haven’t arrived. I brought some sweets and cakes—come eat with us while we chat and wait.”

The rectangular glass coffee table was laid out with dainty desserts. They weren’t in large quantities, so Wen Chi picked the smallest cupcake.

Tian Yang had arrived first, and Zhou Yunbai, the second, had quickly gotten friendly with him. The two were deep in conversation about a newly released game.

Wen Chi had never played it—or even heard of it. Nibbling on his cupcake, he let his almond-shaped eyes wander around the first floor, taking in the space.

Heart’s Confession really lived up to being Xingkong TV’s flagship romance show. The budget was generous. The villa had originally been owned by a wealthy family; after renting it, the production team had remodeled it entirely, creating a sleek modern European look. 

The kitchen alone had two sections: an open U-shaped prep area in front and a larger kitchen behind it. A tall fridge stood in the open kitchen, followed by a dining area, then the living room.

Above the living room’s LCD TV hung several art prints. The white fabric sofas had teddy fleece slipcovers. Between the armchairs and main couch stood a floor lamp and a little writing desk. Massive glass windows let in a view of the garden outside, framed by gauzy white curtains and thick beige drapes, both neatly tied to the sides.

After looking around, Wen Chi couldn’t help thinking: How many years would he have to work as a background extra to afford a house like this?

He thought he was being subtle, but the camera had captured his every expression, and the livestream audience was eating up the look of wide-eyed curiosity on his face.

[His expression is so real…]

[When I saw the villa for the first time on Sheep’s stream, I looked exactly like Wen Chi.]

[Why does he look so much like a bumpkin? Don’t celebs make tons of money? A house like this shouldn’t be that out of reach, right?]

[Umm, who says all celebs are rich?]

[I just looked up Wen Chi’s Baidu profile. You’ll never guess what I found.]

[What? What?!]

[LMAO—nothing. There’s no page.]

[How obscure do you have to be to not even show up on Baidu? #crylaugh]

Wen Chi had no idea what the livestream comments were saying. He got up way too early for the last two days. Ever since his work dried up, he’d barely woken before 10 a.m. Now, it wasn’t even 9, and he was already drowsy.

Zhou Yunbai and Tian Yang were still deep in their game talk when she suddenly remembered they weren’t the only two in the villa—Wen Chi was here too.

She turned around, ready to give him an apologetic smile—only to see him dozing off in the armchair, his head bobbing slightly. The look of shock in her eyes was completely unfiltered.

Tian Yang: “??”

Is he… asleep???

Wen Chi still held the empty cupcake wrapper in one hand, leaning against the couch. From the rear camera angle, his black head dipped in and out of frame.

Zhou Yunbai blinked, half-laughing. “Was our conversation that boring?”

[Bro… is Wen Chi the first person to fall asleep on a dating show?]

[HELP I’m losing it laughing]

[He’s too cute omg]

[HAHAHAHAHA]

Wen Chi was actually still semi-conscious. He hadn’t forgotten he was filming, and once the background chatter stopped, his body jolted a little as he came to and opened his eyes quickly to prove he was still awake.

But his dazed look totally gave him away.

Zhou Yunbai stared at him for a few seconds, then asked, “Chi, want some milk?”

Wen Chi: “What?”

Zhou Yunbai: “My nephew loves this kind of milk. He drinks two or three cartons a day.”

Wen Chi perked up. “What brand?” It sounded delicious. Maybe after the first episode, he could go buy some to try.

Zhou Yunbai smiled kindly. “Children’s growth milk.”

Wen Chi: “……”

Tian Yang: “HAHAHAHAHAHA!”

[Somebody teach this Sheep to control his face]

[I fully support the idea of Chi drinking children’s milk]

[+1]

[+10086]

Soon, two more male guests arrived: Qin Xiyu, CEO of the Qin Group, and Tong Xian’en, a new TV host Xingkong was promoting.

When Zhou Yunbai saw Qin Xiyu walk through the door, she instinctively fixed her hair and outfit, then stood to greet him with a warm smile. “Mr. Qin.”

Qin Xiyu nodded slightly, cool and aloof—straight out of a novel CEO trope.

Wen Chi stood as well. Tian Yang leaned in to whisper, “Is that the CEO of the Qin Group? I heard he’s worth over a billion.”

Wen Chi shook his head slightly and whispered back, “I don’t know. That’s way above my level.”

Tian Yang: “…”

[Wen Chi: Refreshingly self-aware.]

[Looking up at the rich like 🙏]

[So is Qin Xiyu gonna be matched with Zhou Yunbai? They seem like they know each other already.]

[Damn, the show got a CEO from the Qin Group? How much did the production team spend to get him here?!]

Meanwhile, in Zhou Yunbai’s livestream room:

[Zhou Yunbai finally landed a rich guy. Must be thrilled now #lol]

[She’s probably laughing in her sleep tonight.]

[Better suck up now—maybe he’ll keep you around.]

[LOL]

[??? What’s wrong with some of y’all?]

[Don’t like it? Click the X in the corner and leave. No need to act up.]

[To the newer viewers: Our Xiaobai is actually hardworking, sweet, and kind.]

[STFU :)]

The last to arrive was Tong Xian’en. As a new variety host, he knew exactly how to create screen presence and variety sense. Within minutes, he blended seamlessly with the others.

With five of six guests present, only one was left.

“Wonder who the last guest is—I’m kind of excited now,” Tong Xian’en said with a smile.

He sat next to Tian Yang, wearing a black hoodie and white down vest. Beside Tian Yang’s varsity jacket, he looked like a little lamb next to a big bad wolf—soft and obedient.

In Tong Xian’en’s livestream:

[Hehe, let me introduce our newcomer: Tong Xian’en, Xingkong’s new host #confetti]

[He’s super cute—go follow him~]

[Wow, this boy is handsome. Followed.]

[Why do I feel like he has CP vibes with Sheep #shygrin]

[Still wondering who his CP is… stay tuned!]

Other than knowing their own CPs, none of the guests knew who else was coming. The producers had kept it secret to maintain mystery.

So far, we had:

A-list idol Zhou Yunbai, Popular gaming streamer Sheep (Tian Yang), Qin Group CEO Qin Xiyu, Xingkong’s new host Tong Xian’en, And… the quirky, offbeat actor Wen Chi

Wen Chi yawned quietly, clearly not curious at all about who the last guest might be.

[Wen Chi has no variety sense at all.]

[Yeah, he’s not talkative or energetic—so boring.]

[If his CP finds out they got matched with someone this dull, they’ll probably lose their mind.]

Longtime fans who stayed in the stream said nothing. They weren’t about to explain that Wen Chi had always been a chill salted fish type—he moved only if absolutely necessary.

Just before ten, the five guests heard the sound of a small car outside. That meant the final guest had arrived.

Moments later, the sound of suitcase wheels scraping across the floor echoed in. Wen Chi, previously zoning out on the armchair, snapped back to attention and looked toward the entrance.

At that exact moment, Tong Xian’en, who was in the kitchen washing fruit, turned around—and happened to face the door just as a tall man in a black wool coat entered, pulling a suitcase behind him.

Tong Xian’en froze, surprised and excited. “Teacher Jiang?!”

His voice drew everyone’s attention toward the door.

Jiang Siheng, seeing all eyes on him, smiled slightly and glanced around—his gaze briefly landing on Wen Chi before sliding away after just two seconds.

With that handsome face and just the right hint of a smile, he said in a warm tone, “Sorry I’m late.”