The Salted Fish is Rebellious – CH10

The food at Linlan Garden lived up to its price, and Xing Shi thoroughly enjoyed the meal.

However, the past two weeks of poor rest caught up with him. Suppressing the throbbing at his temples, he muttered, “Don’t go crazy.”

The system immediately went silent.

Xing Shi placed his phone back on the table and asked again, “Could Lin Kecheng be a host?”

The system returned to its usual self. “Systems don’t sense each other, so I have no idea if he is or isn’t.”

Xing Shi considered that it might be worth testing the waters at some point.

The system, unable to hold back, blurted out, “Don’t you have anything else to say about this?”

Xing Shi glanced across at Fu Xiuning.

The young CEO’s expression was as composed as ever, as if the minor incident from earlier hadn’t left the slightest impression on him.

With his refined and detached demeanor, Fu Xiuning seemed like the type who disliked physical contact. So why would that increase favorability?

Appearances can be deceiving?

In his mind, Xing Shi asked, “Could your favorability program be broken?”

“Impossible!” the system replied indignantly.

But recalling the day’s fluctuating scores, it began to have doubts. After a thorough scan, it reported, “All checked out. It’s functioning perfectly~”

This meant Fu Xiuning had genuinely added a point for the accidental hand-holding.

From their first meeting, Fu Xiuning had awarded Xing Shi one point—he must’ve been drawn to Xing Shi’s face. The system gleefully thought its name, “LongLiveLooks,” was perfectly appropriate. This guy, who had wrecked so many hosts, was a hardcore aesthete!

Who would’ve thought? If I said this in the group chat, none of the other systems would believe me.

Thrilled, the system kept its excitement in check and began analyzing: “Attractive people naturally evoke goodwill. Fu Xiuning is a weirdo. Seeing you, someone better-looking, he felt displeased. That’s why he added points at first sight, then deducted them.”

“After half a month apart, the score stabilized at -8. Spending more time together brought it back down to -10. Then, after meeting tonight, it rose to -9. Normally, it should’ve dropped back to -10, but physical contact fosters closeness. And since you’re good-looking, he added a point.”

It hesitated before adding, “This is my basic hypothesis. But I have another theory—do you want to hear it?”

“I’d rather not,” Xing Shi replied.

Undeterred, the system forged on. “I suspect he fell for you at first sight but doesn’t realize it. His first instinct was aversion rather than attraction—struggling internally, avoiding the truth, and refusing to acknowledge it. That’s why his favorability fluctuates. The accidental hand-holding might have stirred feelings, so he added a point!”

Xing Shi didn’t argue. He was considering the possibility as well.

Fu Xiuning didn’t seem like the type for delayed gratitude. The one-point increase in the parking lot might indeed have been for his appearance.

Though Xing Shi had no memories of his life before transmigration, he was well aware of his own attractiveness. His body in the magical world resembled his current one by about 70%, and even then, he’d been relentlessly pursued. Now, with a full 100%, many people had asked for his WeChat in the past half month.

His looks were an undeniable fact.

Seeing Xing Shi’s silence, the system prompted, “Think carefully. Doesn’t my theory make sense?”

“Perfect sense,” Xing Shi replied sincerely.

The system grew excited. “Then why not shift this into a romance storyline?”

“No.”

The system didn’t push further. With today reaffirming that Xing Shi’s face was a powerful asset, it felt secure, knowing it was only a matter of time before it could sit back and count its earnings.

Meanwhile, Fu Xiuning remained composed.

Over the years, he’d grown accustomed to overhearing hosts and systems bickering, insulting, scheming, and speculating maliciously or fantasizing absurdly. None of it fazed him anymore.

Apparently, this immunity worked on Xing Shi too.

After finishing their meal, the two left Linlan Garden.

Xing Shi returned to the company to continue training, only to find the practice room unusually lively.

Raising an eyebrow, he asked, “Were the instructors busy with something and give everyone a sudden break?”

The group laughed and explained.

The instructors had noticed the trainees were getting restless and decided to pause regular classes to divide the dance groups first.

With varying skill levels, the plan was to have the choreography progress from simple to complex across groups, gradually building excitement among the audience. Those with weaker foundations would form a group with easier moves to perform.

Although Xing Shi was a beginner, his talent and quick learning earned him a unanimous decision to take the center position during the final group performance, as he was also a Z University student and the focal point of the event.

Xing Shi accepted this arrangement calmly.

After all, the choreography is the same wherever I stand. At least I got away with minimal effort again.

He found a spot to lounge while they sorted the groups and only got up to train when they were done. The practice went late into the night, and he eventually returned to the dorm with the others.

After washing up and lying in bed, Xing Shi instructed the system to pull up Fu Xiuning’s profile.

When he sank into his thoughts, the system’s interface appeared in his mind.

Here, Xing Shi could access favorability logs, browse the store, and check other details. It also offered a rapid reading mode for reviewing information. He’d used this feature half a month ago to learn everything about the original host.

Now, with the system treating him like a treasure, it gently suggested, “Aren’t you tired? This isn’t urgent. Why not rest first and check tomorrow?”

“No,” Xing Shi replied.

He wouldn’t let his guard down in an untrusted environment. For now, only the company and school dorms felt safe enough for him to lower his defenses slightly.

“Now,” he insisted.

Moved by his determination, the system asked, “Which section do you want to see first?”

“Family,” Xing Shi said.

The system displayed the relevant details. In rapid-reading mode, Xing Shi absorbed the information quickly.

Fu Xiuning was an only child. His parents had a loving relationship, and the family atmosphere was harmonious. Despite the wealth and power of the Fu family, Fu Xiuning wasn’t spoiled. Instead, he was polite and well-liked from a young age.

“Did anything happen to him as a child? Like a kidnapping?” Xing Shi asked.

The system’s search was faster. “No.”

Xing Shi requested Fu Xiuning’s elementary school records. After reviewing them quickly, he found them perfectly normal. There were no signs of his current aloof personality back then, though hints of detachment were visible, likely due to being too popular and needing to maintain some distance.

Feeling a slight headache from all the reading, Xing Shi asked, “Did he experience a crush or a relationship in middle or high school? Was there ever a period where his grades fluctuated significantly?”

“No romantic history, but there were fluctuations in his grades,” the system replied.

“When?” Xing Shi asked.

The system replied, “In high school. He missed a monthly exam because of illness and injury, ranking near the bottom, but whenever he took the tests, he was consistently in the top ten.”

To be thorough, Xing Shi reviewed Fu Xiuning’s middle school records, finding nothing unusual, and moved on to his high school information.

The first semester of his freshman year was uneventful, but things escalated sharply in the second semester.

He was maliciously injured during a gym class, resulting in a leg injury. The perpetrator, feigning guilt, insisted on taking care of him personally.

He was cornered by outsiders and saved by a male classmate. When he rejected the classmate’s offer of friendship, word spread about his “cold and heartless” nature.

Passing a staircase, he was shoved down by a mentally unstable girl… Incident after incident filled the records of that semester.

In his sophomore year, he transferred schools and enjoyed a brief respite. However, the incidents soon resumed. He began hiring private tutors during vacations to learn combat skills, and over time, his injuries became less frequent.

Xing Shi moved on to Fu Xiuning’s university records, scanning up to the latest event: Shao Jianbai’s attempted assassination.

The prior entry detailed an obsessive girl who stalked him outside campus. They were both involved in a car accident, leaving her in a vegetative state.

The records, written from Fu Xiuning’s perspective, provided only a brief summary of events, without insight into the other parties’ thoughts. Yet Xing Shi formed a theory.

He asked, “System, when did these strategy missions begin?”

“Five years ago,” the system replied.

Xing Shi fell silent.

Fu Xiuning was currently a junior, which meant five years ago… was the second semester of his freshman year in high school.

After a pause, Xing Shi asked, “You claim he’s antisocial?”

“Yes,” the system replied.

Xing Shi scrolled back to the first semester of high school. “What was antisocial about him back then?”

The system explained, “The main system predicted he would become antisocial in the future, so it decided to intervene during his adolescence.”

Xing Shi let out a derisive laugh. “Is it possible the main system’s prediction itself was part of the fate line, and your intervention is what caused him to become antisocial?”

The system sighed. “When I reviewed Fu Xiuning’s records before joining, I had the same thought. But things were already set in motion, so we could only try to save him.”

Save him? Xing Shi thought cynically. This feels more like a hunt.

No matter the reason, he was determined to dismantle the system. But this time, Fu Xiuning would have to call him “Dad.”

Withdrawing from his thoughts, Xing Shi dismissively said, “Alright, good luck with that.”

The next day was Saturday. Xing Shi’s school was on break, but the company wasn’t.

The trainees had an intense schedule with minimal holidays. As a day scholar, Xing Shi was required to train at the company on weekends.

The full-time trainees occasionally got a day off, but most chose to keep practicing. Everyone was striving for a debut, leaving no time for rest.

Xing Shi spent two days at the company. On Sunday night, his friends finally treated him to the meal they owed him.

The week continued with the usual routine of classes and training until Friday, when Xing Shi encountered Fu Xiuning on campus.

Fu Xiuning, driving by, stopped upon seeing him. “Where are you headed?”

“South gate,” Xing Shi replied.

Fu Xiuning gestured for him to get in and resumed driving. “What for?”

“Meeting Senior Lin,” Xing Shi said.

Assuming Xing Shi was picking up takeout again, Fu Xiuning glanced at him. “Didn’t I tell you to limit contact with him?”

“He insists on treating me. Said he’d feel guilty otherwise, so I agreed. It’s just dinner—no deep conversations,” Xing Shi replied.

Knowing Xing Shi had a good head on his shoulders, Fu Xiuning nodded.

The system, waiting expectantly, eventually asked, “Why hasn’t the favorability score changed? Are you not dressed well today?”

“It just means his baseline for me is -8,” Xing Shi replied.

The system considered this. “Fair enough. After all, he’s in love but doesn’t realize it. Once he gets over that hurdle, things will improve.”

Xing Shi dismissed the topic and instructed, “Find some information for me. I plan to test Lin Kecheng.”

Fu Xiuning: “?”

This is what you call ‘no deep conversations’?

They reached the south gate after just a few exchanges.

Lin Kecheng had only just arrived. Having failed to arrange a meeting with Fu Xiuning, he intended to focus on building a rapport with Xing Shi.

To his surprise, Xing Shi was dropped off by none other than Fu Xiuning himself.

His smile brightened instantly as he approached, hoping to exchange a few words and perhaps convince Fu Xiuning to join them for dinner.

But then, a familiar sound rang in his mind.

[Beep Beep]
[Current Favorability: -5]

Lin Kecheng: “!!!”

His system: “!!!”

They had spent half a year painstakingly gaining one point, only to lose it all in an instant.

Both host and system broke down on the spot. “Why?!”