The program was being filmed in Heling Village, a small mountain village hidden among layers of surrounding peaks, a beautiful paradise untouched by the outside world.
The entire village was built around a lake, embraced by mountains on all sides. Verdant hills and clear waters blended together seamlessly, while pine trees and bamboo covered the slopes in lush green.
The production team had rented an unused farmhouse courtyard in Heling Village. After a few simple renovations, they had preserved the original charm of the Jiangnan countryside with its gray brick walls, dark tiled roofs, wooden doors, and bamboo fences.
Two flourishing Chinese scholar trees spread their leafy canopies across the courtyard. The kitchen was equipped with both a traditional wood burning stove and a gas stove, and stacks of firewood had been neatly arranged nearby.
The courtyard rented by the production team sat right beside Heling Reservoir. Opening the windows offered a clear view of Turtle Island lying quietly in the middle of the water.
Once everyone had arrived, the production team gathered the seven guests in the courtyard. The shade cast by the scholar trees perfectly shielded them from the overhead sun. Sitting in a circle, they faced the cameras positioned in the center.
A staff member handed over a microphone and instructed them to start with the youngest person. After introducing themselves, each guest had to summarize themselves using three keywords.
Zhou Yichen took the microphone, looking a little nervous.
“Hello, everyone. My name is Zhou Yichen. I’m twenty two years old. I debuted through a talent competition and am currently a member of the boy group Aka. I’m still a newcomer when it comes to acting, so I hope all the seniors will look after me. As for me… I’m warmhearted, cheerful, easygoing, and not picky about food.”
Everyone laughed.
Liu Yinuo immediately added, “That last part is the most important.”
Zhou Yichen scratched his head sheepishly and grinned.
He passed the microphone to Liu Yinuo beside him.
Leaning lazily against her bamboo chair, Liu Yinuo accepted the microphone.
“I’m Liu Yinuo, thirty one years old, from Taipei. My three keywords are laid back, foodie, and perpetually sleep deprived. Before coming here, I heard there was a reservoir nearby. I’ve really been wanting to go fishing. Not because I eat fish, I just want to catch them.”
Shen Ci interjected from beside her. “Then what are you going to do with the fish after you catch them?”
Liu Yinuo glanced at him. “You can eat them.”
Shen Ci fell silent.
Everyone burst into laughter again.
With the casual ease of someone in her own home, Liu Yinuo handed the microphone to Shen Ci.
Su Qinghe seemed to notice a subtle dynamic between the two of them.
There was definitely something going on there.
Shen Ci sat up slightly straighter as he accepted the microphone.
“Shen Ci, twenty eight years old. I used to be a model before switching to acting. My three keywords are hardworking, serious, and handsome.”
Liu Yinuo rolled her eyes beside him. “That last keyword is the real focus, isn’t it?”
Shen Ci replied with complete seriousness, “The director asked for three keywords. This is my honest self assessment.”
Zhou Yichen was trying hard not to laugh, though he restrained himself out of respect for his seniors.
In a low voice, Liu Yinuo muttered, “Secretly flirtatious is the truth.”
Shen Ci glanced at her but did not deny it.
He passed the microphone to Jiang Nian beside him.
Jiang Nian accepted it with both hands. Her movements were gentle, and she smiled at Shen Ci first.
“Thank you, Brother Shen Ci. My name is Jiang Nian, and I’m twenty four years old. A sweet romance drama I recently starred in, You Gave Me Candy, is currently airing on Tomato TV. I wonder if any of you have watched it…”
Zhou Yichen immediately raised his hand. “I have! It was super sweet!”
Jiang Nian smiled with pursed lips. “Thank you, Yichen. My three keywords are gentle, hardworking, and petite.”
When she said “petite,” there was an adorable hint of self deprecation in her tone.
Liu Yinuo followed up, “How tall are you?”
“One sixty one centimeters.”
Liu Yinuo nodded. “That really is quite petite.”
Smiling, Jiang Nian passed the microphone to Zhao Muyan beside her.
Zhao Muyan accepted it with an honest smile.
“My name is Zhao Muyan. I’m twenty six years old. My three keywords are dependable, loves cooking, and loves morning runs.”
Liu Yinuo laughed. “Then why don’t you start preparing now? What’s for dinner tonight?”
Zhao Muyan considered it seriously before answering, “Since it’s our first day here, let’s keep it simple. Scrambled eggs with tomatoes, smashed cucumber salad, and pork rib soup?”
Liu Yinuo nodded approvingly. “Sounds good. We’ll leave it to you.”
Zhao Muyan handed the microphone to Su Qinghe.
Su Qinghe accepted it and sat up straighter.
“Hello, everyone. My name is Su Qinghe, and I’m twenty four years old.”
She paused for a moment, glanced in Zhao Muyan’s direction, and smiled.
“Just now, Brother Muyan mentioned that he likes cooking, and that makes me really happy. I can cook too, but the presentation of my dishes isn’t exactly impressive. They’re edible, just not very pretty. If Brother Muyan is willing to take charge in the kitchen, I can help out with the prep work like washing vegetables and chopping ingredients. I’m quick and fairly hardworking too.”
Su Qinghe smiled.
“My three keywords are good at eating, good at sleeping, and good at working.”
Liu Yinuo raised an eyebrow. “You can eat a lot? Then why aren’t you gaining weight?”
Su Qinghe answered seriously, “Maybe it’s because I’m still young and my metabolism is fast.”
From beside them, Shen Ci remarked leisurely, “That’s bound to make people jealous.”
Everyone laughed. Su Qinghe passed the microphone to the final person, Lu Zhiheng.
She had no idea when Lu Zhiheng had ended up sitting beside her. Heaven was her witness that this time she had not taken the initiative to approach him. She had even deleted his contact information already.
Lu Zhiheng accepted the microphone, his expression calm.
“Lu Zhiheng, twenty eight years old.”
After stating his name and age, he stopped speaking.
Everyone waited for him to continue.
In a small voice, Zhou Yichen reminded him, “Three keywords…”
Lu Zhiheng looked at him and paused for two seconds.
“Whatever, anything is fine. Doesn’t matter.”
The entire courtyard fell silent for a second.
Then Liu Yinuo laughed. “Are those three keywords, or three ways of being dismissive?”
Lu Zhiheng remained silent, though the corners of his lips lifted ever so slightly.
Jiang Nian gently stepped in to smooth things over.
“President Lu probably means that he’s easygoing.”
In a whisper, Zhou Yichen murmured to Su Qinghe, “President Lu seems really aloof.”
Su Qinghe did not respond. Instead, she lowered her head and looked at her hands.
But Lu Zhiheng’s gaze happened to sweep in her direction.
He noticed that from the moment he had taken the microphone, she had not looked up even once.
Next came the room assignment segment.
The production team had arranged one room for each guest, ensuring everyone had sufficient privacy.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps between the scholar tree leaves, scattering patches of golden light across the courtyard.
Standing at the entrance of the main house with a ring of keys in hand, a staff member cleared his throat and announced the rules.
“Our courtyard has three floors in total. The ladies will stay on the third floor, while the gentlemen will stay on the second floor. The rooms are first come, first served. The keys are on the table, so choose whichever one you want.”
Zhou Yichen was the first to raise his hand.
“What do you mean by first come, first served? Are we supposed to sprint upstairs and fight over them right now?”
The staff member suppressed a laugh. “You could interpret it that way.”
The moment he finished speaking, Zhou Yichen had already dashed off.
Zhao Muyan froze briefly before chuckling and following after him.
Shen Ci rose to his feet unhurriedly and glanced at Liu Yinuo.
“You’re not going to compete for a room?”
Liu Yinuo lounged lazily in her chair.
“What’s the rush? A room is a room.”
Shen Ci nodded and headed upstairs himself.
Jiang Nian smoothed out her skirt before standing gracefully and making her way toward the staircase. When she reached the stairs, she glanced back at Lu Zhiheng, who was still seated where he was, looking at his phone.
Then she looked at Su Qinghe.
Su Qinghe was also sitting there without moving.
Jiang Nian pressed her lips together but said nothing before heading upstairs.
Su Qinghe and Liu Yinuo also got to their feet and walked toward the staircase. Wanting to show friendliness as a junior, Su Qinghe deliberately walked behind them.