HP - Chapter 59

Thank you Elaina for the Kofi

Deadly Dating Show 03

"Actually, I'm quite good at cooking. I’ll prepare tonight’s dinner!"

The scent of jasmine drifted through the air as Lai Xia appeared at the kitchen entrance with a beaming smile.

She turned her head, blinking her eyes at the men, and asked, "I wonder if anyone would be willing to help me prepare dinner?"

"Me, me! Let me do it! My stir-fried tomato and eggs are unbeatable!" He Bin had already sprung up from the sofa, hurrying over to Lai Xia’s side.

Lai Xia let out a soft "wow" and said, "Though, I actually prefer eating meat."

"I really didn't expect that..." He Bin secretly eyed Lai Xia’s graceful figure and swallowed hard. "I assumed you usually ate light meals..."

"Don't be so stereotypical, okay?" Lai Xia teased with a feigned pout. She turned and walked into the kitchen, picking up an apron. "Come help me tie this."

Jian Xiu strode forward on his long legs, actually overtaking He Bin to reach Lai Xia first. He reached out to tie the apron behind her. "There."

"Jian Xiu...?" Lai Xia wore an expression of surprise.

Having his name remembered by Lai Xia made Jian Xiu blush involuntarily. He grinned and said, "I'll help out as an assistant. After all, the rules don't say only one man and one woman can prepare dinner."

"That would be wonderful," Lai Xia said, appearing very happy. "Then let's see what ingredients are in the fridge... Oh, right, we must be especially careful to check for beef. If there is any, we have to throw it away immediately..."

As Lai Xia opened the refrigerator, He Bin and Jian Xiu’s eyes met, both filled with deep dissatisfaction and provocation.

In an instant, the kitchen became a flurry of activity, thick with the smell of gunpowder.

The other guests standing outside the kitchen watched the scene with varied expressions.

Zhong Xu pinched her nose and moved away from the kitchen.

Her nose felt a bit ticklish...

What kind of perfume was Lai Xia wearing? It could actually last this long.

"Hey, there's actually a courtyard behind the villa."

Ji Zhou pushed open the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Iron railings enclosed a large, square courtyard.

As the afterglow of the setting sun fell, the grass there looked lush and green, surrounded by clusters of brilliant flowers. A swing had even been set up in the corner.

This arrangement was clearly intended for the guests to use the swing together, stargaze in the courtyard, or perhaps hold an open-air movie party.

In short, it was a romantic environment designed to foster intimacy.

At this moment, it almost made one forget they were in a game...

"There are rules here."

The brief moment of tranquility was shattered by Ning Zhi.

New scene unlocked—Courtyard—New rules discovered.

Ning Zhi possessed the keen instincts of a player.

Upon hearing her voice, the few people near the courtyard gathered around.

[Courtyard Rules]

[1. If you hear someone singing, please leave immediately.]

[2. If you see a non-guest person outside the courtyard, kill them immediately!]

[3. If you see a non-guest person outside the courtyard, kill them immediately!]

[4. Kill them immediately!]

The final line of text was red, a color like blood; it seemed saturated with rage and felt like an omen of misfortune.

Outside the courtyard?

Zhong Xu frowned and turned to look toward the iron railings.

Beyond the iron railings lay a small path, and further back was a blanket of fog, where only the faint silhouettes of other villas were visible.

In other words, if they saw a stranger on that path, they had to kill them?

"Why do we have to kill people..." You Jiayun swallowed hard, his voice trembling slightly.

Xiong Yu said softly, "There are only twelve of us players; whoever we kill must just be an NPC."

"Even if it’s an NPC, I wouldn't dare kill them..." You Jiayun shook his head. "I think I’ll just stay away from the courtyard."

He was about to leave after saying this, but his gaze fell on Ning Zhi and he paused. "Xiao Zhi, are you scared?"

Ning Zhi thought back to the people she had killed in the last round...

She replied honestly, "I'm okay."

"Is that so... I didn't expect you to be so brave." You Jiayun suddenly extended an invitation. "I saw a game console in the living room earlier; do you want to play a few rounds? It’s been a long time since we've seen each other."

Ning Zhi nodded and gladly accepted.

She and You Jiayun were friends from the real world.

Being able to reunite with a friend in this world was truly something to be happy about.

"Why have you been pinching your nose this entire time?" Qiu Heming approached Zhong Xu.

"Can you smell it?" Zhong Xu rubbed her nose, her voice slightly raspy. "The scent of jasmine."

"You mean the perfume on Lai Xia?" Qiu Heming said. "I caught a faint whiff of it earlier."

Zhong Xu looked at him, puzzled. "Don't you think the scent is incredibly strong?"

She could still smell it clearly even now.

But Qiu Heming shook his head.

He turned around, looking from the floor-to-ceiling window toward the guests in the living room.

Because they had to deliver heartbeat notes in the evening, everyone was making an effort to interact, hoping to leave an impression on one another.

Otherwise, according to the rules, it would be dangerous to go three consecutive days without receiving a heartbeat note.

"Is she suspicious...?" Qiu Heming asked, lowering his voice.

Zhong Xu was about to speak when a girl nearby suddenly leaned in. "Are you talking about Lai Xia?"

The girl wore a ponytail, her fair face full of youthful innocence and her expression tense.

They still had some impression of her; after all, she was the only student, and her name seemed to be Hu Tongtong.

Seeing this, Qiu Heming asked, "Did you smell the jasmine on her?"

"No." Hu Tongtong lowered her voice. "I only smelled a very strong 'green tea' scent on her."

"Green tea?" Qiu Heming was taken aback.

How could everyone be smelling something different?

Zhong Xu understood. "That 'green tea' is not the same as this green tea."

Hu Tongtong nodded vigorously. "Exactly, she’s such a 'tea bit*h'—I really don't like her. You're a girl, too, so you must have seen through it. You don't like her either, right?"

She was addressing Zhong Xu.

This time, however, Zhong Xu fell silent.

After a long pause, she spoke with a strange expression. "I actually quite like her."

"Tsk."

Hu Tongtong left in a huff.

Qiu Heming also found it unusual. "Ah Xu, I feel like that isn't something you would usually say."

He gave a small smile.

Even if she did like someone, Zhong Xu likely wouldn't be the type to announce it out loud.

"I'm quite puzzled myself." Zhong Xu frowned, glancing toward the kitchen. "Right now, the mere thought of He Bin and Jian Xiu being in that kitchen makes me feel incredibly annoyed."

"...?"

Ji Zhou walked over and, looking confused, patted Qiu Heming—who was standing alone on the spot with a conflicted expression.

"Ah He, what’s up with you?"

Qiu Heming looked at him slowly, appearing as though he wanted to say something but then hesitated.

"Never mind. I’ll think it over some more."

He left Ji Zhou standing there with a head full of question marks.

"Dinner’s ready!"

Lai Xia stood outside the kitchen, calling out with a beaming smile.

Everyone rose instinctively to help carry out the dishes and set the table.

"Zhong Xu, could you help me untie my apron?"

Lai Xia winked playfully and turned her back to Zhong Xu.

Zhong Xu glanced at her fair, luminous profile and reached out a finger to hook the apron strings.

"Thank you!" Lai Xia said with a laugh, immediately heading off to help the others with the food.

As she walked past, she brought with her a waft of jasmine.

Zhong Xu suddenly realized that she seemed to be growing more and more accustomed to this scent.

All twelve guests took their seats together.

Dinner was a prime opportunity to foster connections; the guests were all busy interacting with those beside them, the implication clear—they hoped tonight’s heartbeat notes would bear their names.

"What should we do tonight? We’re exactly two men and two women; should we just write each other’s names?"

Zhong Xu’s four-person team sat huddled together, and Ji Zhou asked the question in a low voice.

Suddenly, Ji Zhou caught sight of Ning Zhi picking up a piece of meat. His expression shifted, and he quickly reached out with his own chopsticks to stop her.

"That looks like beef."

His voice wasn't particularly loud, but the word "beef" caused the dining table to fall silent instantly.

He Bin said unhappily, "How is that possible? There was no beef in the fridge!"

Jian Xiu and Lai Xia both nodded, confirming they had checked for themselves—there had been no beef in the refrigerator.

Therefore, it should have been impossible to cook any.

Ji Zhou picked up a piece of meat from the dish and sniffed it, stating firmly, "It’s beef. Throw it out immediately."

Qiu Heming was quick; he had already picked up the dish and dumped the meat into the trash.

However, because of the size of the group, there was another plate of the same dish on the other side of the table.

Seeing everyone casting suspicious looks his way, He Bin grew very displeased and repeated, "I sliced this meat with my own hands, and I cooked this dish with my own hands. I am certain it is mutton, not beef!"

At that moment, the girl with the wavy chestnut hair had already picked up a piece of meat and taken a small bite.

The young man next to her paled, completely unable to stop her in time. "What are you doing?!"

"It’s beef..." The girl’s name was Yu Jianxing, and an unusual flush spread across her face. "I’m allergic to beef."

The young man next to her, named Lin Shi, quickly grabbed her hand. "Check if there’s any allergy medicine in the cottage!"

"The allergy medicine is here."

A box of medicine was handed over.

Qiu Heming passed the medicine over; seeing the startled and suspicious look on Lin Shi’s face, he explained, "Doctor’s instinct. The first thing I looked for when I entered the house was the location of the medical kit."

After Yu Jianxing took the allergy medicine, her complexion gradually returned to normal.

She forced a smile. "A small amount like this won't cause any real trouble. I just wanted to confirm... go ahead and throw the beef away."

"It’s already been thrown out."

"You are way too bold..." You Jiayun couldn't help but remark.

"The rules didn't actually say we couldn't eat beef," Yu Jianxing said with a relaxed expression.

He Bin’s expression, however, turned very sour. "I truly don't know how it turned into beef..."

"Perhaps it was caused by some form of force majeure?"

Everyone began discussing the matter animatedly.

"In any case, everyone must be extremely careful when cooking from now on."

"The beef was thrown out immediately, so it should be fine, right?"

No one could say for certain whether this counted as a violation of the rules.

The dinner hour, which had originally been filled with a harmonious atmosphere, fell into silence.

It was only after dinner that the long-absent director reappeared to make an announcement.

[Heartbeat Time!]

[Guests, please decide upon an order yourselves and proceed to the Heart Room one by one to deliver your heartbeat notes.]

"How should we fill them out?"

The four-person team gathered in the courtyard.

The courtyard lights were very bright, illuminating the path outside the iron railings with perfect clarity.

"Cheating is prohibited." Zhong Xu murmured the rule to herself, then frowned and said, "Remember the game rules? They require us to follow the cottage rules... which is to say, the rules stand above everything else."

Even if you don't receive a name for a while, do not panic.

But you must never, under any circumstances, violate the rules.

Zhong Xu looked at her teammates. "You may write anyone’s name, but you must ensure you have a sufficiently reasonable justification for it."

"A reasonable justification being...?"

"A reason that proves attraction."

List of Characters:

The Main Team

Zhōng Xǔ (终栩): 24 years old, who says she's a crematorium operator whose hobby is "collecting bodies."

Qiū Hèmíng (秋鹤鸣): 29 years old. A doctor who enjoys reading. 

Níng Zhì (宁稚): 25 years old. A game designer who enjoys gaming.

Jì Zhōu (季舟): 25 years old, claimed to be an actor who enjoys performing.

The Other Male Guests

Yóu Jiāyùn (游嘉运): 25 years old. A cheerful restaurant owner and real-world friend of Ning Zhi; he was one of the first to arrive at the villa.

Jiǎn Xiū (简修): 24 years old. A blunt and hearty professional sprinter whose hobby is running; he was the first to trigger the "Heart Rate Value" notification.

Hé Bīn (何彬): 32 years old. A boastful photographer who claims to be an expert at photographing women.

Lín Shí (林时): 26 years old. A soft-featured entrepreneur who started his own company and enjoys reading.

The Other Female Guests

Xióng Yù (熊玉): 28 years old. A tall, elegant lawyer who enjoys singing; she acted as the initial guide regarding the villa's entry rules.

Lài Xià (赖夏): 23 years old. A sweet-smiling tea artist who smells of jasmine; she acts very "innocent" and tried to cling to both Zhong Xu and Ji Zhou.

Yú Jiànxīng (俞见星): 26 years old. A gentle, second-tier actress with wavy chestnut hair who enjoys painting.

Hú Tóngtóng (胡彤彤): 20 years old. A timid university student with a ponytail who enjoys binge-watching dramas.

Sevyn here ~~~

Enjoy!