Morning light spilled through the wide cottage windows, brushing the floor with a lazy gold.
The previous night's interviews had already taken over the internet—clips edited, memes made, CP charts rising and falling by the hour.
By breakfast time, the air inside Heartbeat Cottage felt a little different. Lighter, sweeter…and undeniably tense.
Everyone was trying to act normal—smiling, chatting, pouring coffee—but the faint glances over steaming mugs gave them away.
Today, the first official dates would be announced.
"Good morning, everyone!" The director's voice boomed cheerfully from the speakers, jolting a few people upright. "Hope you all slept well after last night's interviews!"
Well, he certainly hoped that they didn't—because he definitely hadn't. He'd spent the night tossing and turning, wondering what went wrong.
This was supposed to be a dating show. A dating show! He swore that this season would be the last he directed. He still wanted to keep those few strands of hair—even if there weren't many left to save.
On the long dining table, breakfast had been laid out buffet-style—fresh fruits, bread, eggs and a suspiciously photogenic pitcher of orange juice.
The cameras panned across the group.
Wu Shiyun was dressed to impress as always, chin tilted, clearly confident that no matter what pairing she got, she'd look good doing it but of course—if anyone were to ask her, she would hope that she would be paired with Shen Xiyu.
Sun Qiaolian sat beside her, delicately stirring her yogurt, every motion slow and graceful—as if she knew the camera would linger.
Jiang Shuyue glanced at her watch, sipping her coffee.
Zhao Guangyao, ever the gentleman, poured water for the girls seated closest to him—with a smile so polite, it almost seemed rehearsed. But if one were to look carefully, they would see his gaze always linger longer on Wu Shiyun.
Chen Yiming quietly buttered his toast, not minding the camera.
Shen Xiyu? He was leaning back in his chair, half-smiling as he listened to the chatter around him.
And then there was An Ning, one could see the pure enjoyment on her face as she ate. If there was one interest she had, it was food. Her previous life, in order to look good she had to diet extremely hard.
But she had just asked the little melon, her luck value could buy her a week where calories simply didn't count.
Of course, there were the permanent kind—but that cost more, something she couldn't afford just yet.
Even this week's buff, she had to banter hard with the little melon to let her have it as newcomer's gift.
"Everyone, gather here now," the director's voice rang out, way too chipper for someone surviving on three hours of sleep and two cups of instant coffee. From here on, it was gonna be a dating show filled with fluttering moments and blushing cheeks! It had to be.
On the coffee table sat a neat row of pastel envelops, each sealed with a tiny heart.
"Inside are your date assignments for today," he announced. "Totally random, totally fair—no manipulation whatsoever."
He smiled sweetly—or at least what he felt was sweetly. The cameraman beside him subtly took a step back, just in case.
The cast gathered around the coffee table, the pastel envelopes laid out like a minefield of destiny.
The director clapped his hands once, far too brightly for the mood in the room. "Alright! Let's see the pairing for the day!"
"First pair…" The PA opened up the envelope, taking out the paper inside. "Wu Shiyun and…Shen Xiyu!"
For a heartbeat, silence. Then—
[I KNEWWWW IT 😭😭😭]
[My CP delivering this early?? I'm crying 🥹💘]
[Director rigged it. 100% rigged it 😭]
[She's already planning the wedding in her head 😭😭😭]
Wu Shiyun's smile was blinding—like a victory she'd seen coming all along. "I'll do my best," she said sweetly, her cheeks flushed with a hint of anticipation.
The director nodded approvingly, see—this was how dating show supposed to be like!
Shen Xiyu gave a small, polite smile in return. "Looking forward to it."
His tone was neutral. Too neutral. But An Ning caught something that no one else did—Shen Xiyu's gave flickering briefly toward Sun Qiaolian.
The latter's smile didn't falter, but the faint disappointment behind it was unmistakeable .
"Interesting!" The little melon chimed, its voice sly in her mind. "I swear, in the original timeline, they didn't hook up this quickly."
The PA reached for the next envelope, clearing his throat with a little too much ceremony. "Next pair…"
The paper rustled. "Sun Qiaolian and…Han Yichen!"
The room went still again.
Then—
[THE OG CP RETURNS 😭😭😭]
[Main heroine + songwriter = fated combo 🔥🔥🔥]
[She's winning already 😭😭😭]
[This lineup too clean… I smell editing magic 💀]
Sun Qiaolian's lashes fluttered just once before she smiled—soft, demure, exactly how wan adored heroine should.
"Is this what they called fate?" she said, her voice dipped in honey.
"Guess fate's doing its job," Han Yichen replied, his tone genuinely happy compared to his usual tone.
The director's eyes twitched. Soft lighting. Natural chemistry. Exactly what he'd been begging the heavens for since episode one.
He made a mental note to tell the editors to stretch this moment into a montage with acoustic guitar music—anything to milk the "romance" feeling.
"If only Sun Qiaolian put her talents to good use in dating," the little melon's voice popped up again. "See how she handle both Han Yichen and Shen Xiyu. I think Han Yichen genuinely fall for her after today's date."
"Right," An Ning muttered dryly. "Too bad this isn't the original anymore."
The little melon's voice popped made a nervous squeak. "…You're not planning something again, are you?"
An Ning's lips curved. "Who, me? I could never."
Across, Han Yichen reached for his glass of water. His fingers brushed Sun Qiaolian's by accident—perfect for the cameras.
[Sound the romantic bgm 😭🔥🔥🔥]
[They're so natural omg 😭😭😭]
[Bro blink twice if you're uncomfortable 💀💀💀]
Behind the monitors, the director wiped at the corner of his eye, whether from emotion or exhaustion, no one could tell.
Finally. Finally, something marketable.
"Next pair!" the PA announced quickly before the magic broke.
He reached for the next envelope, hands slightly trembling from the pressure of holding everyone's attention.
"Jiang Shuyue and…Chen Yiming!"
For the first time that morning, a few brows actually lifted in surprise.
"Hmm." Jiang Shuyue gave Chen Yiming a slight nod. "Not bad."
Chen Yiming chuckled softly, "I'll take that as approval, then."
[Wait WHAT 😭😭😭 didn't see that one coming!]
[Woah unexpected combo 👀 can't wait to see how it turns out 😭😭😭]
[Doctor × manager?? This could either be super calm or super chaotic 😭]
[Power vibes… but quiet power 😭🔥]
[Lowkey feel like she's gonna interview him mid-date 💀]
Her gaze flickered toward him—cool, assessing a touch amused. "You should," she said lightly. "It's not easy earning my approval."
"Good thing I wasn't applying for it," he said mildly.
The air stilled for half a second—just long enough for the tension to catch fire beneath the polite smiles.
Jiang Shuyue's jaw tightened a little. If there was one thing she enjoyed, it was to break someone's calm composure. "I suppose we'll see how that confidence holds up later."
He met her gaze evenly, "We will," he said. "But just so we're clear—I don't take direction outside the hospital."
[HELLO??? 😭😭😭 He really said not outside the hospital 😭🔥]
[Doctor just dismantled her power move with surgical precision 😭💀]
[She tried to flex her network, he flexed his license 😭😭😭]
[Power meets power — someone get popcorn 😭🔥🔥]
[This isn't flirting, this is verbal fencing with scalpels 💅]
The director nearly dropped his clipboard.
"Okay," he muttered under his breath, "forget calm maturity—they're basically having a cold-war foreplay scene."
The cameraman chocked back a laugh. "At least the tension's real this time."
The PA, wisely sensing that one more glare between the doctor and the manager might set the cottage on fire, quickly opening the last envelope like his life depended on it.
"Nex—uh—the last pair for today…"
He cleared his throat, voice wobbling slightly. "An Ning and…Zhao Guangyao."
[FINALLY 😭😭😭 our girl's turn!!]
[An Ning and the gentleman?? oh this gon' be good 😭🔥]
[She's chaos, he's calm — balance of the universe 💀💘]
[Director really saving the wildcard for last 😭👏]
Zhao Guangyao gave one of his perfect smiles, polite and steady. "Looks like we'll be partners then. You just have looks pretty and leave everything to me."
"I think I am little queasy this morning," An Ning said.
Zhao Guangyao's smile didn't waver, but the brief pause in his movement betrayed him. "Queasy?" he echoed lightly. "That's… unfortunate. Are you feeling unwell?"
"Maybe." An Ning's tone was mild, but her eyes glinted faintly. "Or maybe I ate something too oily in the morning. You know, cheesiness and all ."
For a second, Zhao Guangyao almost looked caught off guard—but his smile quickly returned, smooth as ever. "I'll try to tone it down, then," he said with practiced ease. "Wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable."
"Oh, don't worry." An Ning smiled faintly. "I've got a strong stomach."
[PLS 😭😭😭 she's killing him softly 😭😭😭]
[This isn't flirting—it's psychological warfare 💀💀💀]
[Mr. Perfect just met his match 😭🔥]
The director, watching from behind the monitors, dragged a hand down his face. "Why," he whispered to no one in particular, "can't they just flirt like normal people?"
"Who invited An Ning in the first place?" The director asked.
"She's from the Shen's Entertainment." The director's assistant replied.
The director froze. "…Figures."