Volume One, Chapter 10: He Seems Different Today?

That photograph of her initiating a hug with Shen Nianchi was somewhat ambiguous and easily misunderstood. Looking at the three photos, she felt as though a lemon had been shoved into her heart, leaving it achingly sour.

Why was this so frustrating? The more she tried to draw a line, the more entangled she became. She opened her phone, intending to chat with Qin Yi, but a trending topic about a dating reality show popped up immediately. Many people were asking for details about the show's guests.

Wen Zhi clicked on it: "Dating show guest list revealed: rising film director Wei Yuan, rising actor Xiao Yanhe, talented singer Cheng Cheng, mixed-race model Xu Leixin, newcomer actress Jiang Youyou, recent graduate He Huan, meticulous translator Liu Qingyue, educator Shu Yuping, and two mysterious guests. The third season of the dating show will be broadcast live in its entirety. Stay tuned this Saturday!"

There were amateurs, celebrities... were Shen Nianchi and she the mysterious guests? She could understand why Shen Nianchi would be one, but what kind of mysterious guest was she? Was she even worthy? What was the production team thinking?

Wen Zhi dialed Qin Yi's number. "Hello?"

"Oh, Sheng-sheng..." Qin Yi's voice came through. "What's up?"

"Did you guys make a mistake? How could I possibly count as a mysterious guest?"

"Ahem... your comic is too popular. If you aren't a mysterious guest, who is?"

"..." Wen Zhi was stunned. Her comic was popular, sure, but was it enough for her to be a mysterious guest? "Alright then!" Fine, she couldn't out-argue Qin Yi. "Is the show definitely happening this Saturday?"

"Probably, nothing is set in stone yet. Sheng-sheng, get some good rest for a few days and wait for filming to start. Don't worry, I've already arranged the aurora watching trip for you, too."

"Aurora?" She didn't recall telling her about wanting to see the aurora; she had only mentioned coming to Aurora Island.

The line suddenly grew noisy. She only heard Qin Yi say she had something to take care of and would hang up, followed by a dial tone.

In the days leading up to the live broadcast, Wen Zhi could count on her fingers the number of times she saw Shen Nianchi. He left early and returned late every day, seemingly incredibly busy. As for the photo incident, she had sent him a WeChat message, and it wasn't until late that night that he replied: *Don't worry about it, I'll handle it.*

By Saturday, Wen Zhi slept until noon. She rubbed her eyes and sat up, pulling back the covers. Reaching for her phone to check the time, she saw it was already past twelve.

No one had come to call her for lunch. Was Shen Nianchi home today? Where were they going? Wen Zhi quickly washed up, changed into a small evening dress, applied light makeup, and pinned up her hair. She looked at herself in the mirror, momentarily dazed. She looked beautiful—almost unreal.

*Knock, knock, knock.*

"Sheng-sheng, time for lunch. We'll have to leave soon."

Wen Zhi blinked, turning to see Shen Nianchi standing at the door. "Brother..." He seemed different today. In a white suit and black shirt, his clean-cut features were sharp, his eyes filled with tenderness and joy, and a subtle smile played on his lips as he looked at her.

This version of Shen Nianchi looked like a gentle prince who had stepped out of a dream.

"Do I look good?" Shen Nianchi stepped closer and leaned down slightly. They were very close.

"Yes!" Wen Zhi's voice trembled, and she felt flustered.

A gentle breeze stirred the stray hair on his forehead; sunlight spilled in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating the whole world. She looked at Shen Nianchi, and it felt as if she were the only thing in his eyes—as if she were the only person in the entire world. The tenderness in his gaze nearly melted her.

After a moment, Wen Zhi shifted her gaze away, her ears turning as red as blood, the heat spreading down to her neck. She felt like she couldn't breathe.

Shen Nianchi chuckled, a faint curve to his lips. "How does this look for the live stream of the dating show, Sheng-sheng?"

"..."

"It's fine..."

Hearing this, Shen Nianchi stood straight and reached out to adjust her hair. "Time to eat."

"Mhm..." Wen Zhi watched his back as he walked away. Something about him seemed different. She couldn't put her finger on it, but it felt strange. Her heart raced, and she couldn't help but let her imagination run wild.

The official Weibo account for *Heartbeat for You* released a teaser for the live stream. Once posted, it immediately grabbed the attention of countless netizens.

"Wow, the lineup for this third season is great! So excited!"

"Cheng Cheng's look, I love it!!!"

"I heard the format is different this time, I'm so looking forward to it!"

"And there's a pair of mysterious guests? Who could they be??"

"I think they're either famous non-celebrities or big stars, otherwise why would the production team bother with mysterious guests?"

"Don't you want to know who they are?"

"No drama, just straight to pairing up and the main event?"

"If that's the case, I love it. This format is very interesting."

"A male celebrity and an amateur—just thinking about it is exciting! When can I participate?"

"I'm a fan of Shen Nianchi. When will the show invite him? My ship sank in the drama, let's have a happy ending off-screen!"

"I don't think the mysterious guests will be big stars. They should be from outside the industry, or just regular people!"

Netizens flooded the comments, nearly everyone discussing the third season. Some expressed enthusiasm, but others grew suspicious, asking why the show had changed so much. Some speculated the production team was just creating hype, and that drama was inevitable. Because this third season was completely different from the first episodes of the previous two, many fans were disappointed. And the fact that there were celebrities among the male and female guests—were they just trying to profit from "shipping" couples? Consequently, many were skeptical, though some still supported the program...

This time, it was a fully immersive, live-streamed production with invisible cameras everywhere. No editing. What would happen in the next second was entirely unknown.

Wen Zhi and Shen Nianchi, as the mysterious guests, arrived last, using a secret passage. Their lounge rooms were adjacent, and masks hung from the door handles. They donned them and entered their respective rooms.

The live stream had already begun.

Wen Zhi sat on the sofa wearing a rabbit mask. A quick glance at the coffee table revealed cards and a phone left by the production team. It read: *Select a prompt, wait for a successful match, and while waiting, please answer the questions displayed on the television screen.*

She read it all aloud. As soon as her voice emerged, the number of viewers in the stream skyrocketed, and the chat screen filled with comments.

"Why does this mysterious guest's voice sound so familiar?!"

"Is she the author of the comic *Stealing a Heartbeat*? The female lead in the animation was voiced by the author herself—the voices sound exactly the same!"

"Is that real? Could this mysterious guest actually be her???"

"Oh my god, how is that possible?"

"Please, production team, reveal the identity of the mysterious guests!"