Chapter 40: A Spark in the Dark

Due to the time, Pei Liu felt it was inappropriate for others to see the statue, so he tucked it inside his collar. The statue rested directly against the skin below his collarbone, absorbing his body heat and slowly growing warm, as if it had become one with him.

Pei Liu and Qin Wu went downstairs together and headed to the dining room.

As soon as they entered, they ran into Zhao Wen. Upon seeing them, a trace of surprise flashed in her eyes, followed by a gentle smile: “I was just about to look for you two. Perfect timing, we can eat now.”

Today’s lunch chef, Zhou Fei, was finishing up at the kitchen counter. Ling Ke and Tan Yiyang were responsible for setting the table, laying out the bowls and chopsticks one by one, and carrying the dishes to the center.

In a dating show, seating arrangements are significant.

Who you sit next to or across from, how convenient it is to chat and serve food to each other closely, and whether love rivals have occupied key positions. Every subtle detail can reveal a person’s romantic inclinations and even create a mini-battlefield beneath a calm surface.

Ling Ke casually sat down first, taking a center seat with empty spots on her left, right, and opposite her.

This gave her a high probability of interacting with several people and sitting next to whoever she was interested in.

Yan Xuehui glanced at the kitchen counter, turned her head, and asked Zhao Wen directly: “Where do you want to sit?”

A straightforward question.

Zhao Wen replied gently: “Anywhere is fine.”

Ling Ke playfully patted the empty chair next to her: “Come here, here, here!”

Zhao Wen went over, and Ling Ke then said to Yan Xuehui: “Let’s have us three girls sit together, no stinky men allowed.”

She laughed cheerfully; her joking tone making it sound pleasant rather than offensive.

Yan Xuehui paused, her gaze sweeping the table before she too walked over.

Observing the underlying tensions at the dining table, Pei Liu sat opposite Zhao Wen, not minding stirring up a bit of drama.

Qin Wu naturally took the seat beside him.

“Wow, this is intense.”

“In just one minute, it feels like a palace drama.”

“Keke really knows how to play, putting everyone back on the same starting line.”

“No she didn’t, she got a head start—Qin Wu is sitting right across from her!”

“Yiyang sat across from Xuehui, Yang-Xue CP let’s go!”

“Am I the only one noticing Qin Wu following Pei Liu everywhere? Hehehe.”

Yan Xuehui told Zhou Fei to stop busying himself and come eat.

Zhou Fei agreed. Carrying a glass of handmade lemonade, he walked around the table and specifically approached Zhao Wen, placing it by her hand: “Drink this if it gets too spicy.”

Specially prepared. The others had canned juice from the fridge.

The bullet comments erupted in “Wows.”

Pei Liu couldn’t help but curl the corners of his mouth, and then began his task.

He praised the boiled fish for being tender and authentic, mentioning a restaurant he had eaten at before. As expected, Zhao Wen was curious and asked where it was.

Pei Liu naturally started chatting with her.

The atmosphere was relaxed; talking about favorite foods quickly built familiarity. In between, he attentively noticed some sauce on the corner of Zhao Wen’s mouth and offered her a tissue just as she was about to wipe it off.

Zhao Wen’s eyes crinkled in a smile: “Thank you.”

Zhou Fei looked up and saw this, a flash of annoyance in his eyes, before shooting Pei Liu a glare.

Pei Liu: …I think I felt a murderous aura.

But it was fine. As a tool man, he had to keep shining.

So, he said: “Thanks for your hard work with lunch, Zhou Fei and Tan Yiyang. Let me cook dinner tonight.”

“You know how to cook?” Ling Ke was surprised. After all, not many young people nowadays knew how to cook. A guy who could cook earned major bonus points.

Pei Liu nodded: “I can make home-style dishes and some desserts, but complex dishes are beyond me.”

“That’s already great. Out of the four of us, only Brother Fei is a good cook. Like me, I can only make tomato and egg stir-fry.”

Pei Liu’s eyes curved: “Tomato and egg stir-fry is delicious. I really love scooping a big spoonful over noodles.”

Ling Ke rested her chin in her hands, smiling cutely: “Then I’ll make it for you next time?”

“Sure, I’ll be looking forward to it.” Pei Liu nodded, then asked: “By the way, is there any shrimp in the kitchen?”

Tan Yiyang’s head snapped up, looking at Pei Liu warily before quickly checking Yan Xuehui’s reaction. As expected, she asked with interest: “No, are you going to make shrimp?”

Pei Liu: “Yeah, I love it, especially boiled shrimp. I’ll go to the supermarket this afternoon to buy some. If you guys have anything you want to eat, let me know, and I’ll try my best to make it.”

The mature Yan Xuehui curled her lips, her smile diluting her usual coldness: “I have no requests, because boiled shrimp is my favorite too.”

Pei Liu feigned surprise and laughed: “What a coincidence, that’s perfect. Boiled shrimp is the sweetest and freshest; it preserves the original flavor.”

“Yes, and the dipping sauce is very important too.”

Pei Liu agreed: “Exactly. That’s why I specially learned from a relative who is a chef; his homemade sauce is top-notch.”

Yan Xuehui laughed: “Then I’m in for a treat.”

Pei Liu added: “But my cooking skills are limited, so don’t expect too much; I might mess it up.”

The living room atmosphere was excellent, and the bullet comments were incredibly lively.

“Liu-liu is a Sea King, right? In just one meal, he’s flirted with all three female guests.”

“A sweet boy offering to cook—nobody can resist that. K God looks like he’s about to cry; he can’t even finish his food.”

“Brother Fei looks so pissed. He got his corner dug out from under him. He probably wants to put a sack over Pei Liu’s head and beat him up hahahaha.”

“Give the camera to Qin Wu! I really want to know his reaction to Pei Liu flirting with the girls!”

“The playboy young master X the cold-faced jealous Best Actor. Drag him back, lock him up, and ‘educate’ him day and night, hehehe.”

“Sister, please put on some pants. Is there no one on the internet you care about?”

Tan Yiyang, trying to do something, offered: “Pei Liu, I’ll go to the supermarket with you. Even though I can’t cook, I can help prep the live shrimp.”

Before Pei Liu could respond, Qin Wu, sitting next to him, suddenly interjected coldly: “I’ll go with him. We don’t need that many people to buy groceries.”

As soon as he spoke, the air froze for a second. Qin Wu participating in a dating show was purely a favor to the director. He had absolutely zero romantic cells and rarely spoke. When cued, he would cooperate, but taking the initiative to flirt or act sweet was impossible.

Now that he rarely took the initiative, Tan Yiyang naturally wouldn’t fight him for it. So it was decided that Pei Liu and Qin Wu would go.

Pei Liu had no objections and was about to continue chatting with the female guests when a piece of pork shoulder suddenly landed in his bowl. He tilted his head to look at Qin Wu, somewhat surprised, and politely said: “Thank you.”

The pork shoulder was crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and very fragrant, but eating it on the bone made talking inconvenient.

Pei Liu thought his tool-man duties had gone well for this meal. Pushing too hard and making Zhou Fei and the others so angry they’d beat him up wouldn’t be good.

So, he lowered his head and focused entirely on gnawing the bone, eating with great relish.

“He’s jealous, he’s jealous.”

“Why do I feel like Qin Wu only gave him food to shut his mouth? He’s definitely angry.”

“Will Liu-liu consider doing a mukbang? Watching him eat so heartily makes my mouth water.”

“So, this afternoon is a date for the two of them? Excited.jpg”

In the afternoon, Pei Liu and Qin Wu went to the supermarket together. Since Qin Wu was older and a Best Actor—a senior in the industry—it was only natural for Pei Liu to respectfully call him “Teacher.”

Thus, Pei Liu grabbed the car keys: “Teacher Qin, I’ll drive.”

Qin Wu paused slightly, letting out an “Mhm.” His voice sounded a bit deep.

Pei Liu turned his head in confusion. He wasn’t sure if it was an illusion, but… did Qin Wu seem a bit displeased?

While changing his shoes, he got distracted, lost his balance, and hurriedly reached out for the wall. But someone was faster; a hand supported his lower back, only withdrawing once he was steady.

It was a very brief touch, yet it reminded Pei Liu of what happened in the villa.

He flinched forward as if electrocuted. After reacting, he turned back and saw Qin Wu’s expressionless face.

Feeling that his reaction might be easily misunderstood as disgust and avoidance, he quickly explained: “Thank you, my waist is quite ticklish.”

“Oh oh oh, the waist is a sensitive area, did you all hear that?”

“Heard it loud and clear. Pinned by the waist, pounded hard, trying to crawl away but caught by the ankle and dragged back… I love it so much wu wu wu.”

“Sisters, if you have more to say, keep talking.”

“f*ck, teacher, hurry up and release your masterpiece.”

“Tears are flowing from my mouth.”

“Right after Liu-liu said that, Qin Wu glanced at his waist. What does that mean?! Ahhhh I want to know what’s going on in his head.”

Pei Liu and Qin Wu got in the car and arrived at the supermarket shortly after.

They grabbed a shopping cart first. Pei Liu took out his phone, looking down at his shopping list to buy what was needed.

Qin Wu casually took the shopping cart and pushed it forward, the two naturally walking shoulder to shoulder.

“Chicken wings, ham…”

Pei Liu found the corresponding aisles, scanning the shelves, and noticed a young girl standing on her tiptoes, struggling to reach something on the top shelf.

He stepped forward: “Let me help you.”

He took it down and handed the item to her.

Seeing his face, the girl couldn’t help but blush, and even stammered: “…Th-thank you.”

After speaking, she didn’t leave. Instead, she hesitated, looking as if she wanted to say something, seemingly trying to muster the courage to do something she wouldn’t regret.

But in the next second, she felt a cold gaze. Following it, she spotted Qin Wu and the cameraman behind them. Instantly understanding the situation, her face turned even redder, and she turned and fled.

“Qin Wu: Goes out once, flirts with someone else, heh.”

“That girl wanted to ask for his WeChat just now, right? But realizing they were filming a show, she died of social embarrassment on the spot. Awkward enough to want to carry a train and flee the planet.”

“Holy shit, so jealous of that girl! The snacks Liu-liu handed me himself—I’d never eat them. I’d put them in a glass display case in my bedroom and look at them every day!”

“They’ll expire, but I’d do the same hhhh.”

“Liu-liu and Qin Wu grocery shopping together is so heartwarming. Just like a married couple hahaha.”

Pei Liu continued looking for the items he needed to buy. He bent down to grab some ham, only to unexpectedly lock eyes with a pale human head hidden behind it. The ghost’s head had patchy hair, as if it had been gnawed on, and lurked in the dark corners, its eyes emitting an eerie green light.

In an instant, Pei Liu’s head buzzed. It felt as if the whole world had gone silent, and his body was frozen solid.

As the human head opened its bloody maw, attempting to bite him, Pei Liu snapped out of his daze, immediately backing away. He practically sprinted to Qin Wu’s side, gripping his arm tightly as if grasping a lifeline.

Qin Wu turned his head, appearing slightly confused.

Pei Liu’s voice trembled: “It’s getting late, let’s hurry up and finish shopping so we can go back.”

He pressed his hands onto the shopping cart handle and pushed it forward. Qin Wu’s hands were right beside his, and they naturally brushed against each other.

After that, Pei Liu practically glued himself to Qin Wu, hoping to rub off some yang energy to avoid running into ghosts again and embarrassing himself on the live stream.

“Their fingers touched. Round it up and they’re holding hands. Intertwined fingers, married and in bed! Awoo, I can die happy.”

“Eeee, Pei Liu looking up to talk, Qin Wu seemingly cold but listening intently. Looks just like the cold Best Actor and his delicate little wife.”

“The Sea King has finally reeled in his heart. More screen time of them together, I’m so happy!”

“Clingy Liu-liu is so cute, I want to cuddle too!”

“Sisters, I opened a super topic for them. The CP name is ‘Inadvertently Planting Willows’ [Wuxin Cha Liu], come quick!”

“Hahaha so fast, I’m rolling over to check in right now.”

“Inadvertently Planting Willows? Am I overthinking this? Face blushing yellow.jpg“

“You’re not overthinking, that’s exactly what it means!”

The guest star had only been there for a few hours, and the audience was already hyped, even shipping a new CP. The director watched this lively spectacle, pondering, having discovered a new traffic code. Although this was a heterosexual dating show, love is equal and genderless. If the audience loves it, what’s wrong with a male-male pair?

Dinner was cooked by Pei Liu, with the others assisting. Very unusually, Qin Wu also came to wash vegetables. The audience previously felt he had absolutely nothing to do with the kitchen, making it hard to imagine. Seeing it in reality was shocking, yet somehow… it didn’t feel out of place?

A table full of delicacies, excellent in color, aroma, and taste. Everyone enjoyed the meal thoroughly, offering continuous praise.

“You said your cooking skills were limited, so we were preparing to be disappointed. This is obviously fantastic. If you opened a restaurant, customers would flock to it and keep coming back,” Ling Ke praised sincerely, without empty politeness.

Zhao Wen nodded in agreement.

Yan Xuehui’s smile deepened: “The boiled shrimp is fresh, sweet, and crisp, and the sauce is amazing. Absolutely perfect. If there’s a chance, please teach me.”

Pei Liu agreed without hesitation, smiling: “Of course.”

Tan Yiyang was reluctant but had to admit that Pei Liu’s cooking skills were indeed excellent, and he had a great personality.

“The older sister has fallen! She said she cared about the age gap before, but Pei Liu is six years younger than her too. K God is crying.”
“So, the way to a woman’s heart is through her stomach first. Men should memorize this truth.”
“K God is so angry he inhaled three bowls of rice hahahaha.”
“I’ll say it again, I want to see Qin Wu’s reaction!!!”

After dinner, there were naturally some entertainment activities to encourage the guests to interact, spread sweetness, and attract viewers.

Zhou Fei suggested: “Let’s take turns telling ghost stories, how about it?”

Ling Ke was the first to support it: “Yes, yes! We should turn off the lights and light a candle, super atmospheric.”

“I…” Pei Liu opened his mouth to object, but seeing Ling Ke’s high spirits, he silently closed it again.

The viewers watching the live stream noticed this scene and found it hilarious.

“Brother Fei is a scheming straight man. If the female guest (specifically Zhao Wen) gets scared listening to ghost stories, he can comfort her.”
“Not necessarily. I have a friend, a burly guy from the Northeast, who screams like crazy watching horror movies, while his petite Southern girlfriend stays calm the whole time and finds him annoying.”
“Liu-liu is truly tragic. Just got out of a paranormal show, and jumps right back into a ghost pit.”
“I saw him try to refuse, but the female guest wanted to play, so he didn’t want to ruin the fun. He looks so wronged, so cute, I want to hug him!”

When the living room lights were turned off, the room instantly fell into darkness.

The candlelight flickered like a bean, the lighting dim, and subtle drafts caused the flame to waver, casting twisted, dark shadows on the walls.

The seven guests sat around the table. They couldn’t even see the faces of the people opposite them clearly, making it easy to imagine unknown horrors lurking in the dark. Hearts pounding, they couldn’t help but feel nervous.

Pei Liu’s face was expressionless, appearing very calm, but his hands, hidden beneath the table, were secretly curled into fists.

Zhou Fei started. He deliberately lowered his voice, making it sound eerie: “This is a true story. A child came home from school and met his mother on the first floor. She was carrying a bag of fresh, bloody raw meat and smiled, saying she was going to make something delicious for dinner. The two went upstairs together. The mother sharpened her knife, preparing to cook. But just then, the boy suddenly heard a knock on the door. A familiar voice called his nickname, saying Mommy forgot her keys, please open the door. The child immediately turned to look at the kitchen and saw another mother standing in the doorway holding a knife…”

When mentioning the knock, Zhou Fei deliberately rapped on the table, startling everyone.

It wasn’t excessively terrifying, but it certainly made their skin crawl.

“Which one is the real mother? Could both of them be ghosts?”

The ghost story deliberately left it open-ended, so of course, there was no answer.

The next person continued. Some were scary, some were boring; not everyone was good at storytelling and building atmosphere. But Pei Liu wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but he kept feeling cold drafts. In the darkness, twisted figures seemed to be approaching them, as if drawn by their ghost stories.

It was Zhao Wen’s turn.

She said: “This happened in my house.”

“For a while, when my mom slept at night, she always felt like someone was standing by the bed watching her. Half-asleep, it felt like ghost paralysis—her chest felt so heavy she couldn’t breathe, and in the morning, her limbs were numb and aching. Unable to bear it, she checked the security footage. And she saw, in the video, a figure wearing a white dress with disheveled hair, standing motionless by the bed, staring at her.”

Pei Liu frowned, his heart tightening. Her tone sounded genuine, not like she was just telling a story.

At this point, Zhao Wen deliberately pulled her long hair forward to cover her face. Through the gaps, a single, resentful, chilling eye was vaguely visible. She said gloomily: “…Just like this.”

She had played female ghosts before and grasped the sense of horror perfectly. The surrounding guests couldn’t help but simultaneously shrink back.

Zhao Wen chuckled, and in the darkness, the terror multiplied.

Pei Liu was also nervous, but not because of Zhao Wen, rather the increasingly rampant ghost shadows around them. Instinctively, he grabbed Qin Wu’s hand, and then watched the ghost shadows slowly retreat and disappear.

Pei Liu breathed a sigh of relief and stealthily shuffled closer to Qin Wu.

“Zhao Wen really is an acting powerhouse. She pretended to be a female ghost so well, Mommy save me!”
“Having watched Heart-Pounding, I fear nothing. The NPCs in there were practically real ghosts. This is child’s play. smoking in vicissitude.jpg“
“Don’t miss the main point, this is a dating show! Liu-liu’s hand moved, closing the distance with Qin Wu. Following the line of his arm, I bet my head they’re holding hands!”
“Sister, are your eyes microscopes?!”

Zhao Wen swept her hair back and continued: “Later, my mom realized it was just my little sister. She wasn’t used to sleeping in a separate room from them yet, so she snuck into their room in the middle of the night.”

The other guests froze; the bullet comments burst into laughter.

“The stunned looks on their faces are just… hahahaha.”
“So I’m not the only mom who’s experienced this.”
“Liu-liu is stunned too, and stealthily pulled his hand back. Is he afraid we’d notice? Sorry, we saw it clear as day! (Super loud)”
“Qin Wu is looking at Liu-liu, hehehe.”

The ghost story session ended, and it was time for the nightly routine of anonymous text messages. Just one sentence sent to the person you most want to message.

In the bedroom, Pei Liu held his phone, waiting, feeling a bit anxious. After all, not receiving a single message would be somewhat embarrassing.

The phone buzzed.

Pei Liu looked down.

[The food you cooked was delicious. You’re amazing.]

Before he finished reading, it buzzed again.

[You’re very attentive. Thank you.]

Pei Liu was somewhat surprised, not expecting to receive two. The phrasing was ambiguous; he felt it could be anyone and couldn’t guess the senders.

As he pondered, he inadvertently glanced up and made eye contact with Qin Wu, who was sitting opposite him. The other man was staring right at him, his face expressionless, yet his gaze held an indescribable feeling.

Then, the phone buzzed a third time.

[Quite popular, aren’t you.]

Pei Liu froze. This message felt somewhat… sour?

Just looking at the words, he could easily imagine the cool tone, carrying a hint of danger.

Three text messages? Did all the female guests message him? That couldn’t be right. Plus, the last message didn’t match the personality of any female guest; it felt jarring.

A deep voice suddenly sounded, interrupting his thoughts.

“You received three messages?”

Qin Wu sat somewhat lazily on the sofa, resting his chin on his hand. His long, straight legs were casually stretched out on the carpet. His cool gaze fell directly on Pei Liu, appearing slightly displeased.

Pei Liu paused, an idea suddenly flashing through his mind.

Could it be… he didn’t receive a single message?