Zhou Jintang led the charge, and the other houseguests were more than happy to join in, ultimately leaving only a single box of cream puffs for Zhu Sha. She wasn’t disappointed, though. After everyone had left for work, she drove her car to the same supermarket from yesterday.
This time, no camera crew followed her, and Zhu Sha was happy for the peace and quiet. By the time she returned to the cottage, laden with bags, it was already around eleven o’clock.
Zhu Sha enjoyed her time alone in the cottage, drinking tea, eating snacks, or editing her videos on the computer. Her leisurely, comfortable lifestyle was the envy of all the office workers watching.
Around six-thirty, with no one else back at the cottage, Zhu Sha went to the kitchen to start the rice and put a soup on to simmer. She then took care of all the initial prep work. It wasn’t until 7:10 PM that Lin Meng finally burst into the cottage in a flurry.
"No need to rush," Zhu Sha said, pouring her a cup of tea when she saw she was out of breath. "No one else is back yet. I already have the soup simmering and the rice cooking, and I’ve done all the prep work for the dishes. All you’ll need to do is stir-fry everything."
"Sasha, thank you! You’re a lifesaver!" Lin Meng GULP GULP GULP’d down half a glass of water and gave Zhu Sha a big bear hug. "I’m going to change. I’ll be down in two minutes."
Two minutes later, Lin Meng joined Zhu Sha in the kitchen. This time, Zhu Sha mostly stayed on the sidelines, occasionally handing Lin Meng a seasoning or just making small talk.
"Rushing over here from work can’t be easy, huh?" Zhu Sha asked casually, leaning against the counter and watching Lin Meng’s deft stir-frying.
"It’s definitely not," Lin Meng agreed with a nod. "My office is on the east side of the city, and this place is on the west. I have to cross most of the city every day."
Zhu Sha remarked, "That does sound really tough."
Lin Meng said, "It’s not that bad, really. The cooking duties are split, so it’s not like I have to do it often. But since Zhuo Yan isn’t back yet, I suddenly feel a lot less guilty. I thought I was getting home really late, but it turns out I’m earlier than everyone else."
"I heard my name the moment I walked in," Zhuo Yan said, approaching with a bag of fruit. "Thanks for the snacks this morning. They really came in handy this afternoon. My coworkers even mooched a bunch of them."
Taking the hint, Zhu Sha started to leave the kitchen. "I’m glad you liked them. I have something to take care of upstairs. Do you need any more help down here?"
"Nope, you’ve already helped me so much." Lin Meng’s eyes crinkled into a smile as she looked at Zhu Sha. "Zhuo Yan can handle the rest, right?"
Zhuo Yan nodded immediately. "Right. Leave the rest to me. What should I do?"
Lin Meng glanced at the various ingredients Zhu Sha had prepped, then at the fruit Zhuo Yan had brought. "You can wash the fruit. Maybe we can ask Sasha to make a pot of fruit tea later? The one she made yesterday was delicious."
"Okay, and I’ll cut up a couple of fruit platters," Zhuo Yan agreed. He wasn’t skilled in the kitchen, but he was always diligent about completing any task he was given, showing a very earnest attitude.
As dinner was being plated, the other houseguests returned one by one. Zhu Sha came downstairs, and Lin Meng quickly waved her over. When she heard they wanted her to make fruit tea, Zhu Sha chuckled. "Alright, I’ll take care of it. Is anyone still not back?"
Zhuo Yan glanced at the living room. "Everyone’s here. We should be eating in about five minutes."
Zhu Sha nodded. "The office worker life is pretty tough."
Zhuo Yan was blunt. "Honestly, it’s mostly the filming that’s delaying us, all the time spent on the road. I’m not normally back this late. If I’m not working overtime, I’m usually home by six-thirty."
Zhu Sha asked, "So filming the show is more tiring than work?"
Lin Meng didn’t hold back. "It is. But I feel so lucky that I met someone as good-natured as you, Sasha."
Zhu Sha smiled as well. "I’m honored to have met all of you, too."
"What’s all the chatter about in here?" Seeing Zhu Sha in the kitchen, Zhou Jintang naturally gravitated there as well. "Need any help?"
Zhu Sha glanced up at him. "I’m all set here. If you’re not busy, could you help get the bowls and chopsticks ready?"
"No problem," Zhou Jintang said smoothly. "The cream puffs today were delicious. As a thank you, I brought you some strawberry cake and candied strawberries."
Zhu Sha froze. Just as she was about to speak, Lu Mofeng’s voice cut in. "She likes chocolate."
Zhou Jintang looked at Zhu Sha, his expression puzzled.
Zhu Sha paused for a beat. "I do, in fact, like strawberry cake. And I absolutely hate chocolate."
Lu Mofeng froze, stunned. But Zhu Sha didn’t spare him another glance. "Let’s get ready for dinner."
Zhu Sha took her usual seat, but this time, Lu Mofeng quickly snagged the spot directly across from her. With a slight shift, Zhou Jintang sat right down beside Zhu Sha.
Lu Mofeng shot Zhou Jintang a look, finding him to be a complete eyesore. But this was a TV show, so he couldn’t just have an open confrontation with him.
Zhu Sha, however, paid no mind to the undercurrents swirling among the houseguests. She was here for her own enjoyment, and she truly wasn’t concerned with any of the men.
That evening, Zhu Sha naturally cast her vote for Zhou Jintang again. And, as was becoming a pattern, she once again received a letter from Lu Mofeng. In it, he apologized, admitting he didn’t know her real preferences.
But Zhu Sha felt barely a ripple of emotion. She even found the whole thing laughable.
Tan You: "How are you feeling?"
Zhu Sha thought for a moment. "If he had told me these things before our divorce, I might have been touched. But things are different now. To receive this message today... it just feels laughable."
"Ultimately, I’m not the person I was back then, while he is still stuck in the past."
Tan You: "As long as you’ve truly come to terms with it, that’s what matters. But you and Zhou Jintang have matched votes twice now, which means you two have a date tomorrow. Aren’t you worried?"
"What would I have to worry about? It’s just a date. We’ll go out to eat, have some tea, or maybe do some kind of activity." Zhu Sha let out a soft laugh. "As long as I’m not harboring any romantic intentions, it makes no difference who I go with."
"Even with Lu Mofeng?" Tan You teased.
"Absolutely not," Zhu Sha refused instantly. "Just seeing him now makes my skin crawl. Honestly, I wish I could tell the world everything he did. But what would that accomplish? He’s the all-powerful Mr. Lu, and I’m just a small-time streamer."
"It’s best if we both just stay out of each other’s way. I think I’ve been more than civil enough as it is."
「Early Saturday morning」
The houseguests gathered in the living room. Zhu Sha glanced at Zhou Jintang, who gave her a slight, knowing lift of his eyebrows. Of course, he was aware that she had chosen him for two nights in a row.
The director came over to announce the date pairings. "In the last two ’Heartbeat Selections,’ Zhu Sha and Zhou Jintang, as well as Zhuo Yan and Lin Meng, both chose each other twice. Therefore, these two pairs will be going on dates today."
"As for Huo Feng, Yun Lan, Lu Mofeng, and Ji Ying, since you did not have a two-time mutual match, the production team will provide two photos: one of the Science and Technology Museum, and the other of the aquarium. You may form your own groups and choose a destination."