Unable to enter the kitchen, Shen Li headed straight to the bathroom after leaving Xitulan Ya Restaurant. He locked the door behind him.
The overhead light cast a cold white glow across the mirror. Shen Li rolled up his pant leg and pressed down on his aching right leg. Supporting himself against the sink, he decided to squeeze in a bit of rehabilitation training while he could.
The cameras in the room were on, so it wasn’t suitable to do it there. He settled for some hasty exercises in the bathroom—better than nothing.
Shen Li sized up the limited space. He placed both hands on the counter, bearing about thirty percent of his body weight, and had his affected leg perform a slow eccentric contraction: a four-second squat, two-second hold, then a plyometric rise. He continued until he reached out with his left hand to touch his inner thigh muscle, confirming the contraction, and followed up with several minutes of isometric strength training.
On the seventh repetition of the fifteenth swing, the titanium alloy anchor suddenly ground against the bone tunnel, sending a sharp pain—like an ice pick wedging inward along the path drilled during last year’s surgery.
This kind of pain was within the normal range, though. Shen Li forced himself to complete the four-second squat anyway, pressing his left index finger hard against the side muscle.
But as that muscle twitched and contracted, the explosive force of rising yanked at a nerve adhesion point. Phantom pain erupted at the patellar tendon graft site, and he could almost hear the buzzing drill boring into his marrow again.
He pushed through for a little longer.
Until the final rise of the fourth set. His knee buckled, and his body lurched clumsily toward the mirror.
Shen Li instinctively braced himself against the counter. His long fingers clamped down on the faucet. Yet the titanium alloy anchor inside him felt even colder than the metal faucet, sending a chill racing up his thigh to his tailbone and spine.
Cold sweat immediately beaded on his forehead and dripped down.
But before the droplets could roll off the edge of the counter, the system voice sounded from outside the door, belting out a cheesy love ballad:
“Baby, I’m sorry~ It’s not that I don’t love you~ I didn’t want~ To hurt you again!”
The system announcement arrived right on schedule. What surprised Shen Li, though, was that today it came a full hour earlier than the usual eight o’clock.
They weren’t even giving time for dinner?
Shen Li frowned coldly. He shuffled over to sit by the toilet and waited for the stabbing pain to subside. Then the system voice exchanged a few pleasantries before announcing the evening activity rules:
“Nighttime dating mode activated—
“In your intimate relationships, do you always end up angering your partner and sparking endless conflicts? Looking back on your last marriage, have you ever wanted to apologize to them?
“Please note, guests: from seven to nine tonight, the cabin will host a two-phase activity centered on ‘Conflicts and Apologies in Intimate Relationships.’
“Phase One, from seven to eight: Conflict Card Submission. Each guest will anonymously submit at least three ‘Conflict Cards’ to the Butler System.
“The first item on each Conflict Card must match the top divorce reason from your questionnaire. The remaining conflicts can be high-frequency argument points from your marriage.
“Note: The system will conceal submitters’ identities and keep individual submissions private.
“Phase Two, from eight to ten: Ice-Breaking Operation. Everyone will form teams of two, draw from an unlimited supply of Conflict Cards, analyze the displayed conflicts, and attempt to resolve the contradictions.
“The audience will vote on each team’s solutions before eleven. The two highest-voted teams will unlock the ‘Couple Magazine Photoshoot’ perk. Tomorrow morning, a professional magazine team will shoot a couples’ session for the winners.
“Please head to Xitulan Ya Restaurant for dinner immediately. Phase One is already underway, and the Conflict Card submission channel will close forcibly at 7:55.”
Shen Li’s head buzzed after hearing the lengthy rules, his vision going briefly white. He opened the door and shuffled slowly out.
In the live stream observation room, Yao Shuang watched as Shen Li emerged from the bathroom, looking like a low-HP NPC respawning on screen. She tried steering the bickering barrage toward the evening activity:
“Okay, everyone, I’ve noticed that our baby barrages—especially those who know Qian Xingzhi well, and some who haven’t fully accepted Brother Qian’s marriage history yet…
“I totally get it, fans. It’s shocking.
“But no need to cry hype or scripts. Every guest here is sincere. From my friendship with Brother Qian, I can tell he’s dead serious about this show this time—isn’t that right, Zhen Tian?”
Zhen Tian, suddenly called out, nodded hurriedly. “Yes, I totally understand Brother Qian’s regretful mood—no, his desire to remarry—no, I mean, just…”
Yao Shuang shot a glance at the useless Zhen Tian.
Zhen Tian looked dazed, fumbling to add, “It’s his mood to fix relationship issues with someone he still has feelings for! Let’s not fight for now—watch tonight’s segment, and you’ll see why Brother Qian divorced Mr. Shen.”
The barrage had been nitpicking why Shen Li had served Qian Xingzhi something as cheap as tomato-scrambled-eggs (three bucks a plate). Now, thanks to Zhen Tian, the flames had leveled up:
【What do you mean “someone he still has feelings for”? If my bro really couldn’t let go, would he have divorced?】
【Roadie here: It’s a show, just for fun. Fixing relationship issues? Unlikely—if it could be fixed, they wouldn’t have divorced.】
【Well, as a sweet stan, I’ll say: I support my bro correcting his mistake. If he really still loves Teacher Shen, I believe he can do it [fighting]】
【Waaah, hugs to the one above!! Sisters like you are the best! As a Qian Xingzhi fan, I’ve never once been ashamed to stan him! He never disappoints me! So I really hope he uses this show to reclaim the love he wants! Even if not, no regrets!】
【Don’t be such white lotuses. Are you cpf fakers? I’m done with Qian Three-Minutes.】
【Turning black, no thanks. If he dares get real about divorce reasons, spill how his three minutes couldn’t satisfy his wife [smile]】
【Stan after being human first. Fans like you who can’t tell black from white ruin idols’ images and drag down the whole fandom. Did you flush your brains down the toilet?】
【Thanks, roadies. Blackpows and die-hard solo fans can never replace us.】
【Aaaah stop fighting! They’re about to discuss Conflict Cards. What if real divorce reasons come out?】
【Even if submitters stay secret for now, we can watch their micro-expressions. Haha, so excited!】
When Shen Li returned to Xitulan Ya Restaurant, three seats remained at the table.
Without overthinking it, he headed for the farthest one—which also happened to be next to Qian Xingzhi. Before he even got close, Qian Xingzhi had already pulled out the chair for him.
Shen Li glanced at Qian Xingzhi. Qian didn’t meet his eyes. He simply straightened up silently. The light slanted across his face, casting shadows of varying depth—like something dangerous flowing beneath the ice.
Shen Li: …
For some reason, the Qian Xingzhi in front of him felt illusory, like a bubble.
The familiar flesh and bones were there, the perfectly handsome features flawless as ever, but something was off in a way he couldn’t pinpoint.
Shen Li even thought this version wasn’t as real as the one from that afternoon—the one messaging across the screen with “no men no women, purely looking” and “does a pure black avatar make you feel any better?”
…Like heaven had shipped the wrong package.
Some idol drama CEO from who-knows-where.
As he sat down, Shen Li let out a silent sigh. He even found himself wishing heaven would swap in the other version from across the screen.
He was replaying his actions from that afternoon, wondering what he might have done wrong, when the table chatter began.
“Our schedule’s packed tight,” Yang Zhiqi said, tilting his head back for a swig of alcohol. “I just spent the afternoon pumping milk. I sit down for a breather, and bam—next event.”
Li Weiwei had stopped pulling punches with him since the evidence search on day three. Her tongue was sharp: “Didn’t President Yang spend over an hour resting on the toilet? Not enough for you?”
Yang Zhiqi flushed a little but wouldn’t blow up on camera. “Little Zhao knows it was legit diarrhea. So, Mr. Qian, this pace is brutal. Any chance of tweaking it?”
Qian Xingzhi’s eyes flicked over, giving him a cold side-eye. “No.”
The rest of Yang Zhiqi’s words died in his throat.
No further explanation.
【Hahaha, I heard that recording—Qian Xingzhi and Shen Li were classmates? They’re totally same-school vibes!!】
【Both the choke-you-out iceberg type.】
【Wow, super curious if they bickered like this at home too?】
【Two cold-fish types? How’d sparks fly back then? Wonder who chased who!】
Ke Jiujiu jumped in to smooth things over while standing to scoop some tomato-scrambled-eggs. “Aw, Brother Yang, it’s a live show—they’ve got broadcast slots to hit. When to sell merch, when we’re on-screen. Afternoon one-to-three’s technically work hours, but they still gave us rest—cut ’em some slack.”
Shen Li saw she couldn’t reach and instinctively nudged the dish out ten centimeters.
Pure reflex. No deeper thought.
Qian Xingzhi’s chopsticks clattered down. Faint blue veins bulged slightly along the inside of his wrist.
Shen Li frowned—
He sensitively averted his gaze, no longer looking at that section of arm. But after Ke Jiujiu finished taking a chopstick of eggs, he expressionlessly…
Pulled the dish right back to its original spot in front of him.
Netizens glued to their screens lost it instantly:
【Hahahaha KJJ’s gonna faint again. She thought Shen Li would swap the eggs like he did the mini-cake on day two!!】
【As if! You see who cooked ’em?】
【But Shen Li was gonna swap—then he glanced at Qian Xingzhi and stopped?!】
【Who gets it!! That move from Qian Xingzhi was so tense. Wanna see that arm flex and grind hard against Little Li down there [horny]】
【Nooo don’t!! [sobbing] Our Little Li Cat looks so intolerant of that stuff [sobbing] What if the super naughty one does it [sobbing]】
【No lewd!! Ban lewd!! Our Little Li Cat’s a proper cat!! High-cold cat!! Won’t pander to ex-hubby!!】
But right after.
Shen Li expressionlessly picked up a chopstick of green-pepper pork stir-fry and placed it into Qian Xingzhi’s bowl.
His lowered voice came through the mic, muffled yet clear: “It’s very tasty.”
Qian Xingzhi slowly lifted his lowered head and responded indifferently, “It’s average, I suppose.”
【…】
【Help! Shen Li, nooo! Why are you rewarding him?!】
【See? I told you! Little Li is that type—cold on the outside, hot on the inside, the ultimate devoted husband type who caters to his partner’s every need the moment he senses any displeasure. QAQ】
【Cold outside hot inside, every need… spill the tea, I’ve got data.】
At the other end of the table, Yang Zhiqi, Ke Jiujiu, and the others chatted for a bit before joining in to praise Qian Xingzhi and Li Weiwei’s cooking skills.
It was Lin Xu who brought it up first. “Should we discuss the groupings for phase two? We have two exes who aren’t staying in the cabin right now. If we pair strictly ex-with-ex, won’t that leave us short?”
The moment Lin Xu said this, Ke Jiujiu’s face darkened, but he seemed oblivious.
Kris was the first to raise her hand, beaming brightly. “I’d love to team up with Sister Wei—Sister Wei, would you pair with me?”
Li Weiwei had already picked up on the undercurrents and sensed that Kris disliked Lin Xu just as much, eager to steer clear. Without hesitation, she replied, “Sure, I’d love that too.”
But in the next instant, Ke Jiujiu let out a protesting whine. “Aww, no fair~ I was just about to invite Sister Wei!”
Everyone at the table: …
Little Zhao gave an awkward laugh. “Maybe we could…?”
Yang Zhiqi cut her off immediately. “No way, Little Zhao. We’re here to solve problems. We can’t pair up right now. You know how it was fine splitting up during the day, but this is a key moment at night. Don’t you want to talk about Lele’s education with me? Otherwise, what’s the point of us even being on this show?”
Seeing the situation, Lin Xu turned to Ke Jiujiu with a cold expression. “Fine, fine. Brother Yang and Zhao Sis in one group, Kris and Wei Sis in another. If you don’t want to pair with me, just ask Brother Qian or Shen Li—who wants to team up with you?”
Qian Xingzhi: ?
Shen Li: …
Ke Jiujiu’s face looked equally grim as her gaze instinctively drifted toward the stir-fried tomato and eggs.
Truth be told, neither of them had any intention of speaking up. She knew full well these two wouldn’t separate, and she was already racking her brain for a graceful way out.
Then Qian Xingzhi’s voice rang out, rich and slightly hoarse, utterly frigid. “Shen Li and I need to discuss child-rearing issues too. Sorry.”
Everyone at the table: ???
Bullet comments: ???
Shen Li: …
Three seconds later.
Shen Li explained expressionlessly, “It’s the dog.”
Some nodded in realization while others burst into laughter. Even the bullet comments reflected the same:
【Scared me half to death—that split second, I thought they were surrogating a kid.】
【Scared me half to death—that split second, I thought Shen Li was an omega.】
【Hahaha, that dog’s Qian Xingzhi’s pup, huh? That little rascal.】
Only Shen Li cast a faint glance at Qian Xingzhi before lowering his head slightly, his lashes casting a small shadow beneath his eyes.
Shen Li couldn’t quite put words to that sense of dislocation. He’d sat beside Qian Xingzhi for so long, yet only in that moment when Qian Xingzhi delivered the deadpan joke did he truly feel like it was Qian Xingzhi—the real one.
It was as if he’d witnessed the alpha wolf sheathe its fangs, bathed in moonlight with the warm, downy fur still lingering on its exposed neck—only for heavy clouds to swallow the moon.
Dinner didn’t last much longer. They still had to submit their “Conflict Cards” afterward.
Shen Li and Qian Xingzhi kept half a meter between them as they left the table one after the other.
No words were exchanged, no glances shared, but by unspoken agreement, they headed to the same room.
Shen Li’s room.
Qian Xingzhi held two sheets of paper and two pens.
He handed one sheet and one pen to Shen Li, then shut the door behind them.
Shen Li walked ahead, his face impassive. He was probably pondering what to write on the Conflict Card, but from his gait alone, Qian Xingzhi could tell Shen Li was distracted—something exceedingly rare.
Qian Xingzhi watched him coldly, then shot a fierce glare at the camera, his brows furrowed deeply. He couldn’t quite recall who had slipped in that extra clause after he’d reviewed the version. Somehow, an item had been added?
The first Conflict Card had to match the divorce reason from the original questionnaire—a stipulation that hadn’t been in the first draft.
There had been a few revisions to the details afterward, and he hadn’t scrutinized the final version closely enough.
If only he hadn’t written “Sexual Life Disharmony” at ninety percent…
“—Come in.”
Shen Li’s slightly chilled voice snapped Qian Xingzhi from his thoughts.
Qian Xingzhi looked up to see Shen Li already turning toward the tiny one-square-meter bathroom inside the room.
Qian Xingzhi frowned, considered for a moment, then followed.
The bullet comments went wild:
【What are they doing? What are they doing??】
【Shen Li’s been out of it since the second half of dinner.】
【Does Cat Cat have something to say? Aaaah, what is it that even we premium VIPs can’t hear?! I paid eight mao ba!!】
Click.
The door shut tight.
And with that, no one could see any further—
Meanwhile.
Qian Xingzhi suddenly felt a massive force yanking his collar, dragging his entire body forward!
He looked down to see faint anger flickering across Shen Li’s pale, exquisite face. Shen Li’s straight brows were pinched tight, and his pursed lips trembled ever so slightly.
Before Qian Xingzhi could decipher the emotion in Shen Li’s gaze, a chill abruptly pressed against his lips—
Shen Li’s kiss was icy and furious, his eyes locked on like he was staring down a prime suspect!
It was less a kiss and more a clumsy smash—
Shen Li’s cool lips pressed hard against his, grazing once before pulling away sharply.
Qian Xingzhi’s eyes darkened. His hands moved on instinct, wrapping fiercely around that slender waist!
In the next second, the force on his collar shoved him backward!
Thud!
A resounding crash!
His tensed back muscles slammed into the door!
Qian Xingzhi’s throat bobbed. On reflex, he seized Shen Li’s wrist, yanked hard, and scooped that achingly familiar, gaunt body into his broad embrace. His other hand pressed against Shen Li’s flat abdomen, pinning him completely while reining in the urge to squeeze.
“…Shen Li.”
Qian Xingzhi’s voice was hoarse beyond belief.
Yet Shen Li’s stunning eyes gazed at him—shattered stars, bright yet fragile in a way that was utterly rare.
Still, the look Shen Li gave him was more intent than the one he’d fixed on the blackboard twenty years ago.
And Shen Li’s voice was rational, calm: “Fill out the Conflict Card properly. Write it right. If we want to remarry, we’ll solve the problems. Got it?”
