HP - Chapter 61

Deadly Dating Show 05

Looking at Jian Xiu, the crowd erupted in a clamor, utterly stunned.

What on earth was going on?

"You definitely didn't touch the beef at the dining table, right?" You Jiayun, who had been sitting next to Jian Xiu the previous night, recalled. "We were both busy helping everyone pour drinks at the time."

Jian Xiu hesitated for a moment before finally admitting, "I touched the beef in the kitchen."

"What?! And yet you lied and said there was no beef!"

"Wait, that’s not right. If you touched the beef, why was He Bin so adamant that there was none... and why was it He Bin who died?"

At the same time, several people cast suspicious glances toward Lai Xia.

After all, the three of them had prepared last night's dinner together.

"It has nothing to do with Lai Xia. I’ll take responsibility for my own actions," Jian Xiu quickly raised his voice, giving Lai Xia a reassuring look.

Lai Xia seemed deeply grateful and offered him a nod.

Everyone quieted down, waiting for Jian Xiu to explain himself.

"I saw a bag of beef on the vegetable rack," Jian Xiu said. "The rules only stated that 'there is no beef in the refrigerator; if there is, please throw it away immediately.' Since I found the beef somewhere else, I figured it didn't need to be thrown away."

Hearing this, everyone felt that Jian Xiu was truly reckless...

Better safe than sorry; generally speaking, even seeing beef meant you were on the edge of danger. Getting rid of it immediately should have been the first priority.

"So, He Bin also discovered that bag of meat and used it for a dish?"

Going by that logic, was simply using beef to cook a violation of the rules?

To their surprise, Jian Xiu scratched his head and said, "I put that bag of beef into the refrigerator."

"!!!"

Jian Xiu had always come across as impulsive, but who could have imagined he would actually put the beef into the refrigerator?!

Glancing at Lai Xia, a hint of malice flickered in Jian Xiu's eyes. "I did it on purpose. I mainly just wanted to give He Bin a scare."

Who told that guy to keep clinging to Lai Xia while they were cooking?

Every time Jian Xiu tried to speak with her, he had been deliberately interrupted.

That was why Jian Xiu wanted to spook him.

"I forgot all about it afterward..." Jian Xiu added hesitantly. "I didn't expect him to be unable to tell beef apart, or that he’d actually take it out of the fridge to cook it."

The guests all turned horrified eyes toward Jian Xiu—

If that was the case, didn't it mean Jian Xiu was responsible for He Bin's death?

"Why are you all looking at me like that?" Jian Xiu explained in a panic. "I didn't mean to kill him!"

You Jiayun suddenly spoke up. "Could it be that you are the 'non-guest' person who has infiltrated our ranks?"

Seeing her teammate speak up, Xiong Yu also voiced her suspicion. "Is your goal to kill every last one of us?"

"Don't talk nonsense!"

Jian Xiu hadn't expected that being honest just to avoid the curse would provoke such a violent reaction.

He was now consumed by regret.

"This is a dating show! It’s not some crime scene!"

"I don't believe Jian Xiu is that 'non-guest' person." A soft voice rang out as Lai Xia offered Jian Xiu a smile. "What Jian Xiu did was certainly wrong, but I think the fact that he was brave enough to admit it proves he isn't a bad person."

Jian Xiu’s panic vanished instantly.

Gaining Lai Xia’s trust was far more important to him than anything else.

"I think..." Xiong Yu gave a short laugh. "You aren't necessarily a good person yourself, are you?"

Lai Xia’s face turned a shade paler.

Jian Xiu immediately began arguing with Xiong Yu. However, since Xiong Yu had her teammate You Jiayun with her, Jian Xiu only managed to hold his ground through sheer volume.

While Zhong Xu was happily enjoying the spectacle, Lai Xia turned her gaze toward her.

"Zhong Xu, do you believe me?"

Breathing in the faint strands of jasmine, Zhong Xu replied with a beaming smile, "Of course I believe you. Come sit by my side, Xiaxia."

Lai Xia was delighted to hear this, yet she hesitated as she looked at Qiu Heming and Chen Xiyu, who were sitting on either side of Zhong Xu.

Seeing this, Zhong Xu gave Chen Xiyu a shove. "You, go sit over there."

"No." Chen Xiyu pressed closer to Zhong Xu. "I want to stay with Sister..."

Upon receiving a murderous glare from Zhong Xu, Chen Xiyu silently swallowed his last word, stood up, and swapped places with Lai Xia.

The moment Lai Xia sat down, she clung to Zhong Xu. "Zhong Xu, I’m so happy you believe in me."

Suddenly, she noticed that Zhong Xu’s smile seemed to hide a streak of malice.

"Xiaxia, you smell so wonderful. You’re like a walking perfume dispenser," Zhong Xu said with a smile. "It’s perfect for covering up the stench of death on me."

Lai Xia’s scalp went numb.

Only then did she remember that Zhong Xu had spent the day cleaning up He Bin’s dismembered remains...

Ugh—

"Let’s continue the game," Zhong Xu said.

At those words, although a small faction of the group was still questioning Jian Xiu, they had to let it go for now; it was only the second day, and clues were still too scarce.

However, from this point on, it was certain that no one would dare to be alone with Jian Xiu.

Ji Zhou glanced at Zhong Xu and spoke up. "I’ve been smelling jasmine on Lai Xia since yesterday."

Qiu Heming played along perfectly. "What kind of statement is that? Isn't it just perfume? Could there really be someone who hasn't smelled it?"

Hu Tongtong folded a finger in confusion. "What jasmine scent?"

Lai Xia froze.

Her eyes flickered, darting between Zhong Xu and her teammates.

No wonder Zhong Xu had suddenly asked her to sit over there.

She was signaling to her teammates what to say in the next round.

Was this group really so perfectly in sync with one another?

"Haha, I did spray a bit of perfume," Lai Xia quickly regained her sweet smile. "Only a tiny bit, though, so I’m sure not everyone could smell it."

Most of the guests didn't suspect a thing.

This was especially true for Hu Tongtong; she had never liked Lai Xia to begin with and always kept her distance. It seemed perfectly normal that she hadn't caught the scent of her perfume.

Zhong Xu scanned the room, committing to memory the few people who hadn't smelled Lai Xia's jasmine:

Hu Tongtong, Yu Jianxing, Lin Shi, Chen Xiyu, and Xiong Yu.

She lowered her head, leaning close to Lai Xia’s ear to whisper, "Xiaxia, that jasmine scent on you is so heavy. Did you really only spray a little bit?"

Lai Xia’s smile didn't waver. "I’ve heard that when you’re facing someone you like, their scent becomes amplified. Perhaps this is just a sign that you like me, Zhong Xu."

"..." Zhong Xu rubbed her arm expressionlessly.

The game continued until 9:30 PM. The loser was Yu Jianxing, and her punishment was to prepare breakfast for everyone the following morning.

The guests went to the Heart Room one by one to deliver their notes, then retreated to their respective rooms.

Chen Xiyu chuckled. "I didn't expect us to be neighbors..."

Bang—

Zhong Xu shut the door in his face.

That night, Zhong Xu received three heartbeat letters and experienced the sensation of a racing pulse for herself.

She found it somewhat thrilling and felt a vague urge to explore what would happen if her heart rate value continued to climb.

Tuesday night was a "Safe Night."

In the morning, Chen Xiyu seemed to be waiting for Zhong Xu to step out. The moment she opened her door, he opened his as well, wearing an expression of surprised delight. "What a coincidence."

Zhong Xu ignored him and headed straight downstairs.

In the kitchen, Yu Jianxing was preparing breakfast as per her punishment from the night before.

However, there was another figure inside with her—Lin Shi.

"Thank you for helping me with breakfast," Yu Jianxing said with a grateful smile.

Lin Shi, who was busy slicing tomatoes, returned a gentle smile.

The entire kitchen was radiating a warm, romantic atmosphere.

But at that moment, a third person suddenly squeezed into their kitchen.

Hu Tongtong had made a special effort to put on light makeup today; she didn't tie her hair back in a ponytail either, opting to straighten it and let it fall loose.

"Wow, Brother Lin, are you making sandwiches?" She walked over to Lin Shi’s side and said shyly, "I really love eating sandwiches."

Lin Shi glanced at her and asked very politely, "Is there anything you don't eat? I'll make one for you as well."

Hu Tongtong looked delighted and said happily, "I eat everything... I'll help you prepare breakfast, too!"

After Hu Tongtong made a round of the kitchen, she approached Yu Jianxing. "Sister Jianxing, breakfast is almost ready. You've worked hard; why don't you head out and rest first?"

Her intention was blatant: she wanted to be alone with Lin Shi.

Yu Jianxing blinked, perfectly happy to take it easy.

She turned and began to walk out of the kitchen.

Just as Hu Tongtong let out a long sigh of relief, Lin Shi suddenly untied his apron and said to her, "In that case, I'll leave the rest to you."

With that, he actually followed Yu Jianxing, and the two of them walked out of the kitchen together.

Hu Tongtong: "...?"

During breakfast, the director announced that last night, Zhong Xu and Ji Zhou had sent each other heartbeat notes, and they would become a temporary couple for the day.

Hu Tongtong questioned them incredulously, "Did you two cheat?"

Ji Zhou, who had just been wearing a bright smile, immediately wiped it away. He said coldly, "If we had cheated, you’d be looking at our corpses right now."

Hu Tongtong bit her lip and said somewhat unhappily, "Zhong Xu has exchanged notes with a different male guest for two nights in a row. She certainly knows how to play the field."

Zhong Xu ate her breakfast slowly, ignoring the attack.

After all, she was just an unremarkable master of keeping everyone’s glass full.

"Worry about yourself," Ning Zhi said coldly.

Although Zhong Xu hadn't responded, several of her teammates were wearing unfriendly expressions.

Hu Tongtong felt a surge of fear and immediately fell silent.

This game was, after all, a matter of social deduction; players who started with teammates definitely had an advantage.

The rules forbade cheating, but as long as one reasonably controlled their "reasons for attraction," the rule wasn't difficult to navigate.

For instance, the reason Zhong Xu had sent to Ji Zhou yesterday was: Chemistry.

Having a tacit understanding could certainly count as a reason for attraction, couldn't it? And teammates naturally shared an unspoken bond.

By the third day, everyone's personality or attitude had shifted to some extent.

If someone failed to receive a heartbeat note again today, they would trigger the fourth rule of the Heart Room:

"Guests who do not receive a heartbeat note for three consecutive nights, please go die immediately."

Hu Tongtong was frantic.

She had already gone two consecutive nights without receiving a single note.

She had to take the initiative and fight to receive a note tonight.

However, she had to work during the day, so the time she could spend interacting with the opposite sex was truly limited.

It seemed as though everyone else had already chosen their targets...

Hu Tongtong turned her gaze toward the new guest, Chen Xiyu.

He was a newcomer and, like her, he was currently unattached.

"Perhaps we could spend more time together..." Hu Tongtong didn't dare speak too bluntly, for fear of violating the rules.

Nevertheless, her implication was perfectly clear.

"Why?" Chen Xiyu seemed genuinely confused.

Hu Tongtong cursed him inwardly.

She couldn't tell if he was truly slow or just playing dumb.

"I think you’re a very interesting person," Hu Tongtong said shyly.

"Is that so?" He fell into a deep silence. After a long while, Hu Tongtong heard him murmur to himself, "If I’m already this interesting, why hasn't she voted for me?"

"She?"

"The crematorium worker."

Hu Tongtong choked, her heart a mix of envy and rage. "Why do you like her, too?"

Chen Xiyu replied earnestly, "I can't speak for others, but as for me... it’s because we share a common hobby."

"A common hobby?"

The night light fell across his golden hair, gilding it with a soft luster. Those "peach blossom" eyes held a smile that made one's heart pound.

Hu Tongtong was dazed for a moment before she heard his answer:

"We both like dead people."

"..."

23:30

Hu Tongtong stared desperately at the mailbox in her room.

Cold sweat rolled down her forehead; her entire body was rigid with tension, making it difficult to think.

Thud—

Suddenly, a sound echoed from inside the mailbox.

Hu Tongtong’s eyes lit up. Had someone finally sent her a heartbeat note?

She scrambled across the floor, half-crawling, and threw the mailbox open.

There was no note inside. There was only a knife.

Blood-red words seeped through the interior of the box:

Please go die immediately.

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. [DEAD]

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

Chén Xīyǔ (陈西雨): 24 years old. A self-proclaimed "unemployed wanderer" who enjoys playing games.

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. [Maybe]

Sevyn here ~~~

Enjoy!