Heart-fluttering puzzles

Because Stella was wearing inconvenient high heels and dragging a heavy-looking suitcase, the male guests immediately got up to help her.

Stella nodded her thanks as she gracefully walked in, her gaze sweeping over everyone's faces before she smiled and said, "It seems I'm the last guest."

Ding Xuefei's tense nerves finally relaxed.

With Yu Songlin's status, even if he really came on the show, he would definitely be a starter. Even if he wasn't, it would mean that he could at least have a peaceful first half of the show. At worst, he could find an excuse to leave later!

He instantly felt the air become fresher, and his smile became much more genuine.

Just as I was relieved and nodded to Stella in greeting, she ignored me.

Ding Xuefei initially thought Stella hadn't seen it and didn't take it seriously.

Just then, the large screen in the living room lit up with a message from the production team: "All guests have arrived! Welcome to the Heartbeat House, where you'll embark on a month-long journey of romance! Please allocate your rooms freely and work together to prepare your first dinner! Enjoy your first time together!"

"Yay! Everyone's finally here!" Ke Ran, acting as the life of the party, clapped her hands to get everyone's attention. "Let's take a look at the rooms to assign them!"

The six of them chatted and laughed as they began exploring the villa. The first floor featured a spacious living room, an open-plan kitchen connected to the dining room, a small bar, a study, and a storage room. The second floor was the living area, with four bedrooms: two cozy single rooms, two spacious double rooms, and two closed doors at the end of the corridor bearing signs that read "Mysterious Space, Coming Soon."

Wow, a single room is so comfortable!

"The double room looks quite large!"

Ding Xuefei wasn't picky; having a roommate meant she could chat and relieve boredom at night. Ke Ran and Bai Mu both seemed easy to get along with.

Before he could speak, Ke Ran had already moved forward, like an enthusiastic large dog, her eyes sparkling: "Brother Fei! Brother Fei! Shall we share a room? I promise I won't snore or talk in my sleep! I can even chat with you! I promise I won't cause you any trouble!"

Bai Mu smiled gently from the side, indicating that he was fine with either a single room or a double room.

Seeing Ke Ran's expectant eyes, Ding Xuefei and Ke Ran immediately agreed: "Okay, okay, you're the one!"

"Mmm-hmm! No problem! Fei-ge, you're in charge!"

*

On the other hand, the girls were equally efficient.

When Ding Xuefei was helping Xu Yimeng carry the boxes upstairs, she happened to run into Shang Rou and Stella coming out of their room.

"Huh? Yi Meng, you moved in so quickly?" Shang Rou asked, somewhat surprised.

“Teacher Ding helped me!” Xu Yimeng said sweetly.

Shang Rou smiled at Ding Xuefei, and Stella's scrutinizing gaze also fell on Ding Xuefei. She said, "Oh dear, we haven't brought our suitcases up yet. Could you please help us, Teacher Xuefei?"

Ding Xuefei had just finished her run and was resting when she heard this, finding it hard to believe that Stella would be so rude.

Ever since Stella entered the room, he had been sensing her intentional or unintentional hostility, which was now quite obvious.

After a moment's thought, Ding Xuefei suddenly realized—Stella and Elio were from the same company, had a good relationship, and had even posted photos of themselves together on social media.

It seems Elio has said a lot of bad things about him behind his back.

Ding Xuefei pursed her lips, not intending to argue. Anyway, there were plenty of people who either misunderstood him or disliked him.

However, with the camera on him, Ding Xuefei couldn't refuse the girl's request. Even though he knew she was deliberately teasing him, he could only grit his teeth and say, "Of course..."

Fortunately, their conversation led Bai and Ke out, and together they helped the two ladies carry their suitcases upstairs.

Ding Xuefei breathed a sigh of relief and quickly pushed her suitcase into the double room with Ke Ran.

He originally just planned to come here to slack off, but now that Stella is here, it looks like the recordings won't be so easy from now on.

For dinner, Bai Mu volunteered to cook curry rice and stir-fried a few side dishes. Xu Yimeng and Stella helped to mix the salad. Everyone helped out and enjoyed a simple yet heartwarming meal.

As everyone sat together, their hunger made even the simplest food taste exceptionally delicious.

After the meal, everyone lazily slumped in their chairs to digest their food. At that moment, the large screen on the restaurant wall lit up again.

"Wow, it's a message from the production team!"

Ke Ran was the first to jump up and run over. He cleared his throat and announced in a broadcasting voice, "Dear detectives, welcome to the 'Heartbeat House'! Here, you will not only explore each other's heart-fluttering secrets, but also unravel the mysteries of 'love.' Starting today, please begin your 'heartbeat' journey! The rules are as follows:"

1. Heart-Fluttering Riddles: Two fun questions will be released each week, and all guests must answer them independently. Those who answer correctly will receive 'Heart-Fluttering Points,' which are key to unlocking subsequent mystery dates and exclusive items!

2. Heartbeat Text Messages: Every night before bed, each guest must anonymously send a text message to someone who made them feel 'heart flutter' or 'cared about' that day. The recipient can be anyone here! The content of the message is unrestricted (but the recipient cannot reveal their identity), and the production team will relay the messages. Please note that the number of messages received and the recipients might be important clues!

3. Special Reminder: Both answers and text message content must be honest. Lies may hide for a while, but the truth will eventually be revealed in the face of genuine emotion. Enjoy the detective game!

After reading the rules, the first question of the day immediately appeared on the screen. Ke Ran exclaimed exaggeratedly, "Wow, friends, this is hellish difficulty right from the start!"

The screen clearly displays:

【DAY 1 Heart-Fluttering Riddle: Based on the program's criteria for classifying 'sexual orientation', please guess: Among the six guests present, how many are heterosexual? (Please fill in numbers 0-6)】

Bullet comments:

"This is too exciting! Is this something I can watch?"

"No way, no way, is my brother a prostitute?"

"It's so hard to guess! You all seem like homosexuals to me!"

According to the program's classification standards, in order to prevent guests from lying, only those who have only dated the opposite sex are considered heterosexual, those who have dated both the opposite sex and the same sex are considered bisexual, and those like Ding Xuefei who have only dated the same sex are considered homosexual.

The air was silent for a second.

Ding Xuefei unconsciously bit his lip; he hadn't come out to his family yet.

But he tried to remain calm, deliberately breaking the silence with a lighthearted tone: "Wow, this is exciting right from the start? The production team is really going all out! But normally, heterosexuals should still be the majority here, right? I bet there are at least three or four?"

Stella tossed her long hair, her red lips curving slightly, and said meaningfully, "That's hard to say. I actually think the answer might be unexpected."

Xu Yimeng held her face in her hands, looking a little troubled: "You know, this production team is really something. What if there are tragedies like gay people falling for straight people, or straight people falling for gay people?"

“That’s why it’s called ‘The Answer’,” Shang Rou said, seemingly unsurprised. “And don’t forget, there’s also bisexuality.”

Ke Ran scratched his head and suddenly asked, "Then are you?"

Shang Rou paused for a moment, then covered her mouth and chuckled, cleverly deflecting the question: "That's a secret!"

"I have an idea!" Ke Ran suddenly raised her hand, attracting everyone's attention. "Let's play a finger-wrestling game. The loser has to do the dishes, how about it?"

"The rules are simple: everyone says a statement related to romance, and if the answer is 'no,' you have to break a finger. The first person to break all their fingers loses! Be careful not to ask too directly!"

The proposal was approved by most people, and the game began.

Ke Ran was the first to speak. After racking his brains for a long time, he finally managed to say, "I... prefer hugging to holding hands!"

"Stop, stop, stop!" Ding Xuefei interrupted with a smile, "Be a gentleman! Let the girls go first."

Several girls laughed and said yes, so Ke Ran had to take her words back.

Shang Rou gave Ke Ran a sly smile: "I prefer holding hands to hugging."

"Wow, my sister is so cunning!" Ke Ran broke off a finger and slumped into her chair in frustration.

"Don't lie to anyone!"

Everyone looked at each other. Shang Rou, Xu Yimeng, and Bai Mu were all in the group that wanted to hold hands, while Stella hesitated for a moment before breaking one of her fingers.

Holding hands—that was a habit Yu Songlin would habitually hold hands with him on several occasions, whether on deserted streets, under a table, or huddled together, their fingers intertwined most of the time.

Hugs are actually rare, except in bed, and usually only before parting...

"I'd choose to hold hands." Ding Xuefei smiled brightly. "That's the pure and innocent type."

The second is Xu Yimeng: "She is the one who actively pursues or confesses her feelings."

Ding Xuefei looked around and found that apart from Bai Mu, no one else had broken through.

Xu Yimeng: "Wow! It seems everyone's taken the initiative!"

Ke Ran deliberately said, "What should we do? Won't it make us seem unpopular?"

Everyone burst into laughter, teasing each other. Ding Xuefei escaped her memories, enjoying the feeling of making new friends, and her smile became more genuine.

Next up was Stella, who thought for a while before saying, "I introduced my boyfriend to my friends as a lover."

Unexpectedly, everyone except Stella and Ke Ran broke a finger.

"What a coincidence!" Ke Ran said, giving Stella a high five. Now the two of them were finally not at the bottom.

"I didn't expect so many people to be into secret relationships. You guys are all in danger." Stella looked around the room and then tried to ease the tension. "But there could be other reasons. We're all celebrities, so I understand."

The three boys behind them didn't dare to say anything too outrageous, and they just joked around and broke one or two fingers to make up for it.

When it was Stella's turn again, all three male guests and she herself only had one finger left, so it was a decisive round.

Stella touched her lips with her fingertip: "Let me tell you something exciting, I've kissed in public."

"This is really exciting, I can't compete with it..."

Everyone cheered and looked at each other, breaking off a finger each, but Ding Xuefei refused to admit defeat.

Bullet comments:

"They've already gone all out in the first episode! I love watching, I want more!"

"Ding Xuefei will do anything to avoid washing dishes!"

"I don't believe it unless you explain [the ears] in detail."

"You can't lie to me!" Xu Yimeng joked. "Didn't you just say you hadn't introduced her to any friends?"

[Ding! Strong emotional fluctuations and potential social anxiety detected in the owner! Warning! Warning!]

Ding Xuefei blushed a little, thinking that she would rather go wash the dishes. She thought to herself that the system's arrival was really timely. It didn't come earlier or later, but it just happened when she was about to die. Who knows what kind of trouble it would cause her now that it has appeared.

Stella shook her finger and raised an eyebrow, saying, "I don't believe you~ unless you explain in detail~"

Ding Xuefei was in a state of utter confusion, unsure whether to give a vague answer or simply stick to her word.

[Task posted: Tell the truth!]