Chapter Summaries

Shi Zhou learned that he had been sent into an abandoned dating-show story to help pair its three elite male leads and satisfy the readers. He arrived at the show’s location, hoping the task would change his disastrous circumstances as an indebted, near-bankrupt cannon fodder extra.

• Shi Zhou woke from a dream of an intimate scene that the system said came from the original novel.
• Shi Zhou watched a promotional video for Heart-Pounding Expedition and recalled that its previous seasons had been popular despite their planned pairings failing.
• Shi Zhou remembered that the fourth season was meant to provide romances for the male leads Bai Shen, Su Yue, and Asta, but the author had abandoned the story before choosing their partners.
• The system explained that reader resentment had brought the novel’s world into existence and tasked Shi Zhou with giving the story a satisfying ending full of romantic rivalries.
• Shi Zhou arrived at the filming location and told the system he would help bring the couples together because he needed to change his own failing fortunes.

Shi Zhou arrived at the dating show and unexpectedly reunited with Xie Jiali, the fellow student he had once provoked. After they agreed to look out for each other, Shi Zhou’s suitcase was stopped by a black military boot, and he faced an unknown man with ice-blue eyes.

• Shi Zhou arrived at the show by hovercar, and Cheng Lu escorted him through the garden to the house.
• Shi Zhou recognized Xie Jiali, a famous fellow student he had previously bullied under the plot’s control, and nervously apologized.
• Xie Jiali reassured Shi Zhou, asked him to chat and text during the show, and suggested they look out for each other.
• The production staff watched their reunion and discussed how to edit the footage for the audience.
• After Xie Jiali left for an interview, a man’s military boot blocked Shi Zhou’s suitcase, and Shi Zhou looked up into his ice-blue eyes.

Shi Zhou joined the dating show and met its other guests, including the imposing committee chair Su Yue and celebrated businessman Bai Shen. The guests were called to the garden to play a game that would determine their shared rooms.

• Su Yue arrived at the estate, recognized Shi Zhou, and left with a staff member for his pre-interview.
• Shi Zhou entered the villa, received 200,000 Starcoins for completing the system's task, and introduced himself to the guests and viewers.
• Lin Yuxi and Yu Manman welcomed Shi Zhou, and he met Bai Shen and Zheng Yu.
• A staff member told the guests they would share suites in pairs and summoned them to the garden to play a room-assignment game.

The guests began exploring the manor for hidden cards, and Shi Zhou drew a penalty that required him to prepare dinner with Xie Jiali and Zheng Yu. During his interview, Su Yue resisted the production team's questions but named Shi Zhou as the guest who had made the strongest impression on him, then left without explaining why.

• Shi Zhou found a penalty card and learned he would have to prepare dinner with help from two guests.
• Shi Zhou chose Xie Jiali and Zheng Yu to help him cook.
• Shi Zhou went to his preliminary interview and saw that Su Yue was still being questioned inside.
• Su Yue limited his interview to three questions and said he had joined the show on his superior's orders and had no expectations.
• Su Yue named Shi Zhou as the guest who had made the strongest impression on him, then left after refusing to answer why.

After his smooth pre-interview, Shi Zhou reunited with Xie Jiali, and the two planned to shop for ingredients and cook dinner. Their plans expanded to include Yu Manman and Lin Yuxi, while Bai Shen unexpectedly volunteered to go too, prompting Xie Jiali to suggest that the group was already large enough.

• Shi Zhou finished his pre-interview and found Xie Jiali waiting for him in the lounge.
• Xie Jiali invited Shi Zhou to the supermarket, and Shi Zhou agreed after they decided not to ask Zheng Yu along.
• Shi Zhou asked Yu Manman and Lin Yuxi what they wanted for dinner, and both women agreed to join the shopping trip.
• Xie Jiali arranged for the four of them to go together, with him and Shi Zhou carrying the groceries.
• Bai Shen stood and volunteered to join them, and Xie Jiali remarked that they did not need so many people for a quick supermarket trip.

Bai Shen explained why he had missed the afternoon games, and the group left to buy dinner supplies. Asta arrived at the mansion on a modified motorcycle and, after meeting the guests, was immediately captivated by Shi Zhou.

• Bai Shen explained that filming had officially begun at five, then led the group out to shop while Su Yue stayed behind.
• Shi Zhou invited Su Yue along, but Su Yue went upstairs with a book instead.
• Asta raced up to the mansion on a modified motorcycle, startling Yu Manman and Lin Yuxi before apologizing to them.
• Asta greeted Bai Shen, Xie Jiali, and Zheng Yu, exchanging polite remarks with Bai Shen and Xie Jiali.
• Asta met Shi Zhou and brightened when he heard his voice.

Shi Zhou met Asta, the charming young owner of a vacation estate, before the group headed to the supermarket. On the drive, Xie Jiali played a song that comforted Shi Zhou and recalled first seeing him, while silently praying that he would win Shi Zhou’s love.

• Asta introduced himself to Shi Zhou, apologized for coming on too strong, and invited the guests to follow him to the garage.
• Asta showed off his luxury-car collection and offered Shi Zhou a ride, but Shi Zhou declined and got into Xie Jiali’s car instead.
• Bai Shen and Zheng Yu also joined Xie Jiali’s car, while Asta drove the two women toward the supermarket.
• Xie Jiali played one of Shi Zhou’s favorite songs, and Shi Zhou felt comforted when he realized Xie Jiali liked it too.
• Xie Jiali remembered first seeing Shi Zhou at the First Academy and prayed that he would make Shi Zhou fall for him.

The guests drove to a larger superstore, where Shi Zhou and Xie Jiali bonded over flowers while Bai Shen questioned why Shi Zhou differed so sharply from his profile. The group split up to shop, leaving Shi Zhou to wonder whether Bai Shen was interested in Yu Manman.

• Asta told the group about a better superstore, and Shi Zhou and Xie Jiali talked about flowers during the drive.
• Bai Shen reflected on how Shi Zhou contradicted his profile, while Zheng Yu tried and failed to get Bai Shen's attention.
• The guests reached the superstore, where Xie Jiali's hopes to shop alone with Shi Zhou were dashed when everyone joined them.
• Shi Zhou asked who could cook, Asta offered to make breakfast, and Bai Shen volunteered to shop with Yu Manman and Lin Yuxi.
• Lin Yuxi went to fetch a self-driving cart, and Asta theatrically rolled up his sleeves to start shopping.

Shi Zhou shopped with Xie Jiali while Asta and Zheng Yu bought liquor, and the production team noticed the growing chemistry among the guests. Director Zhang moved Shi Zhou into a central position on the show and decided to promote connections between him, Xie Jiali, and Asta.

• Asta slipped away to buy liquor, while Shi Zhou and Xie Jiali picked out food and discovered they shared a preference for sweet-and-tart fruit.
• Asta asked Shi Zhou to teach him Huaxia dishes and offered to teach him cocktails, but Shi Zhou left to help Xie Jiali choose vegetables for shrimp.
• Director Zhang watched the shopping footage and told Cheng Lu to arrange another interview with Shi Zhou and have him meet with him.
• Director Zhang moved Shi Zhou's name toward the center of the production team's board and drew connections between Shi Zhou, Xie Jiali, and Asta.

After the guests chose roommates, Shi Zhou began his main missions and decided to help the male leads find love. As he prepared dinner, Xie Jiali and Asta both sought his attention, and Asta ended up mixing drinks outside after Xie Jiali steered him away from the cherries.

• Yu Manman chose Lin Yuxi as her roommate, Zheng Yu chose Asta, and Shi Zhou picked the third-floor room before learning Su Yue had already chosen it.
• Xie Jiali asked Bai Shen to share a room with him, and the staff clarified that the assignments would last only three days.
• Shi Zhou checked his new main missions and learned that only the three male leads had romance progress bars, with Asta's bar having advanced slightly.
• Shi Zhou went to help prepare dinner, ate cherries Xie Jiali had washed, and praised his choice of fruit.
• Asta offered to mix Shi Zhou a low-alcohol drink, but Xie Jiali directed him outside to make it and suggested he use the fruit basket instead of the cherries.

Shi Zhou and Su Yue prepared dinner while Asta organized a candlelit garden banquet that brought the guests closer together and delighted the livestream audience. After the successful first day, a tipsy Shi Zhou dreamed of a happy life with a man, then woke up embarrassed to find the camera uncovered and viewers watching him roll around in bed.

• Asta invited Xie Jiali to help decorate outside, while Shi Zhou prepared an elaborate dinner and demonstrated impressive knife skills.
• Su Yue joined Shi Zhou in the kitchen and helped cook, then credited Shi Zhou for making most of the dishes.
• Asta led Shi Zhou outside to reveal a flower-filled garden banquet, where he served the guests flaming cocktails and everyone praised the drinks and meal.
• The guests shared a lively dinner, and the production team ended the first livestream pleased with its strong reception.
• After drinking, Shi Zhou went to bed, dreamed of a happy life with a man, and woke up rolling around beneath his blanket with the camera still uncovered.

Shi Zhou met Director Zhang after his interview and signed a new contract that asked him to help nudge potential romances among the guests. Director Zhang revealed that the show’s first stop would be somewhere with water, leaving Shi Zhou to wonder how he should prepare.

• Shi Zhou finished his preliminary interview and went with Cheng Lu to meet Director Zhang.
• Director Zhang offered Shi Zhou a new contract with a clause asking him to cooperate with reasonable production requests and quietly encourage budding romances.
• Shi Zhou saw that his pay had changed to a guaranteed twenty thousand per episode with performance bonuses, then signed the contract.
• Director Zhang told Shi Zhou that the show’s first stop would be somewhere with water.
• Shi Zhou realized he might need to firm up his soft muscles before the trip.

Shi Zhou sold paintings at Pace Gallery and spent the day practicing, drawing a growing audience to his livestream. After a clip of him went viral and pushed him near the top of the Interstellar Network’s trending list, Bai Shen called to pick him up.

• Yu Manman offered Shi Zhou hangover soup, breakfast, and a knitted scarf, then tried to measure his waist, prompting him to flee for the gallery.
• Shi Zhou visited Pace Gallery and learned that three of his paintings had sold for 260,000 interstellar credits.
• Shi Zhou told the system he needed a backup career and spent the day sketching at his gallery studio while a cameraman filmed him.
• A viewer posted a screenshot of Shi Zhou from the livestream, and his name and Pace climbed to third on the trending list.
• Bai Shen called Shi Zhou and offered to pick him up from Pace.

Shi Zhou was mobbed by reporters outside Pace, but Bai Shen arrived and got him safely into his car. Bai Shen arranged legal action against the media outlets, while Shi Zhou reflected on how his family’s factory crisis had taught him to handle reporters.

• Shi Zhou emerged from Pace and was surrounded by reporters asking about his relationship with Xie Jiali, his membership, and his appearance on Heart-Pounding Expedition.
• Bai Shen arrived with bodyguards, shielded Shi Zhou, and warned the reporters that his lawyer would handle their questions.
• Bai Shen’s car and legal team arrived, and the lawyer threatened legal action against the reporters for infringing on Bai Shen’s and Shi Zhou’s rights.
• Bai Shen took Shi Zhou away in his car, gave him coffee and bread, and reassured him that he had handled the reporters well.
• Bai Shen said his legal team would coordinate with Heart-Pounding Expedition’s legal department to bring charges, and Shi Zhou recalled handling reporters during his family’s factory crisis.

After Shi Zhou recovered from the media harassment, he grew closer to Bai Shen and reunited with the worried Xie Jiali. Later, unable to sleep, Shi Zhou found a Virtual Mecha Control Station at the Manor gym and encountered Su Yue.

• Shi Zhou told Bai Shen he had invested in two AI Mecha stocks after hearing Bai Shen speak, and Bai Shen hinted that he could buy more.
• Shi Zhou learned that Bai Shen had attended his high school and donated two billion to fund its laboratories and Mecha upgrades.
• Bai Shen and Shi Zhou spotted Xie Jiali on Mountain Ring Road, and Xie Jiali welcomed Shi Zhou back and said he had been worried about him.
• The production team apologized for failing to protect the guests, promised to take responsibility, and decided to use a delayed livestream.
• Shi Zhou worked out at the gym, discovered a Virtual Mecha Control Station, and met Su Yue as he was about to try it.

Shi Zhou and Su Yue shared a charged moment in the gym, where Su Yue lent him a jacket and hinted that the school’s investigation would clarify his punishment. When Su Yue asked why Shi Zhou had joined the dating show, Shi Zhou claimed he wanted to fall in love, leaving Su Yue visibly displeased.

• Su Yue gave Shi Zhou his jacket after noticing his sweaty shirt was see-through.
• Shi Zhou asked Su Yue about his punishment, and Su Yue said the committee would uncover the truth and there was no need to dispute the terms.
• Shi Zhou recalled refusing to envy Xie Jiali and learned from the system that the novel’s materialized world would reveal the logic behind its events.
• Su Yue asked why Shi Zhou had joined the show, and Shi Zhou said he wanted to fall in love.
• Su Yue crushed his empty water bottle and told Shi Zhou that he certainly knew how to make use of his time.

Asta brought Shi Zhou a motorcycle model kit, and the two assembled it together and planned a ride for the next day. After they hugged good night, Asta returned to his room and dreamed of Shi Zhou’s faint, enticing fragrance.

• Asta visited Shi Zhou with a rose and a custom motorcycle model kit, then persuaded him to let him in.
• Shi Zhou recognized the model, assembled it with Asta, and agreed to go motorcycle riding the next day despite the upcoming filming-location move.
• Asta told Shi Zhou not to blame himself for what had happened and asked him for a hug.
• Shi Zhou thanked Asta and hugged him, while Asta noticed his fragrance and felt soothed.
• Asta went back to his room and dreamed of Shi Zhou’s scent.

After the production team announced the next leg of filming, Shi Zhou received compensation from the media outlets that had cornered him and sent it to his parents. As the guests prepared to leave for a colder destination, Shi Zhou misunderstood Su Yue’s jealousy as a crush on Yu Manman and followed Su Yue upstairs.

• The production team announced that the introductory segment was ending and reassured viewers that the media incident involving Shi Zhou had been handled.
• The assistant director gave Shi Zhou a bank chip containing five hundred thousand interstellar credits, and Shi Zhou asked the team to transfer it to his parents.
• Shi Zhou packed for the colder destination while Asta left his packing to servants and Bai Shen returned to Universal Group’s home planet.
• Yu Manman showed the guests an ingredient for a face mask, and Su Yue helped open it before Yu Manman stroked Shi Zhou’s cheek.
• Shi Zhou mistook Su Yue’s frown for jealousy over Yu Manman, offered to share the face-mask ingredient with him, and followed him upstairs.

The Heart-Pounding Expedition guests boarded a luxury spaceship, where soldiers saluted Su Yue after recognizing his military uniform. The others learned he was a twenty-five-year-old major with distinguished battlefield achievements, while Su Yue reminded them they were on a dating show.

• The Heart-Pounding Expedition guests traveled to the Civilian Space Station and boarded the luxury NV-Spaceship No. 09 for their day off.
• As the guests passed through the boarding gates, two soldiers saluted Su Yue, who returned the salute and explained that they served in the same corps.
• The guests asked Su Yue about his uniform, and Shi Zhou pointed out the major's rank insignia.
• Lin Yuxi explained that Su Yue's rank required outstanding national contributions, while Shi Zhou recalled his dangerous battle against the Insectoids.
• The guests praised Su Yue and Asta for their achievements, and Su Yue noted that they were still on a dating show.

The guests prepared for an evening dance aboard the spaceship, while flirtation and jealousy stirred among Shi Zhou, Asta, and Su Yue. Shi Zhou finally agreed to wear matching spring-themed accessories with Su Yue and Yu Manman, leaving Asta visibly jealous when Shi Zhou caught Yu Manman as she stumbled.

• At dinner, Asta invited Shi Zhou to try Startrack Downhill together at Eleusis, while Zheng Yu grew visibly annoyed and Su Yue left early.
• A staff member and Zheng Yu urged Shi Zhou to dress up for the spaceship dance, and Asta caught his arm as he tried to escape.
• Yu Manman and Lin Yuxi arrived dressed up, and Yu Manman persuaded Shi Zhou to wear matching accessories with her and Su Yue.
• Su Yue agreed to join the matching spring theme, surprising the group and prompting Asta to lose his smile.
• When Yu Manman nearly fell, Shi Zhou caught her by the waist, and Asta clenched his fist while watching them.