Chapter 20
The system exclaimed, “What did he say?”
It couldn’t believe it. “Did he just say he wants you to live with him?”
Then it was ecstatic. “Aaaaah! Say yes to him!”
Xing Shi earnestly asked, “Don’t you think there’s something off about this?”
The system replied, “What could possibly be wrong? He clearly has feelings for you!”
Xing Shi found its optimism amusing but chose to ignore it.
He looked at Fu Xiuning. The latter maintained his usual refined demeanor, as if he were discussing something completely mundane.
Xing Shi politely inquired, “Wouldn’t this be too much trouble for you?”
Fu Xiuning’s lips curved slightly.
He had anticipated that Xing Shi wouldn’t pass up this opportunity. After all, hosts rarely revealed their identities or formed alliances easily. Getting closer to him would make it easier to identify who the other hosts were.
He replied, “Not at all. If we have morning classes, we can even head out together.”
Xing Shi responded, “Alright.”
Although he couldn’t discern Fu Xiuning’s motives, the benefits outweighed the risks. He could move in and investigate further at his own pace.
He added, “I’ll move in tomorrow after the movie.”
Fu Xiuning gave a slight nod.
To make a stronger impression on Director He in a short time, Fu Xiuning also acquired tickets for the roadshow. It was a convenient excuse for them to go together.
Qi Changyi glanced at Fu Xiuning.
The two had known each other since childhood and had maintained a good relationship. Later, when Qi Changyi ventured into the entertainment industry, their meetings became less frequent. When they reconnected, the only heir of the Fu family had transformed—still outstanding and courteous, but with a newfound chill in his demeanor.
So, Qi Changyi couldn’t help but wonder why Fu Xiuning, who disliked sharing his living space, had suddenly extended this invitation.
Director He, on the other hand, didn’t seem to mind.
The fact that his son agreed to it suggested that he had a good relationship with Fu Xiuning. Still, Director He couldn’t help but feel concerned about his son’s aloofness.
Dinner concluded swiftly.
Director He’s group had a hotel reservation and left in a minivan.
Xing Shi returned to the company for training, still hitching a ride with Fu Xiuning. Qi Changyi, as a co-owner of the company, decided on a whim to tag along and inspect things, joining them in the car.
Seated in the backseat, Qi Changyi observed the duo in front and casually brought up a topic. “Why did you decide to become a trainee, Suisui?”
Xing Shi replied, “It’s my dream.”
“Do you want to become an idol? Do you have a favorite in the industry?” Qi Changyi pressed.
“No,” Xing Shi replied succinctly.
Then, as if recalling something, he added, “My roommate is a fan of yours. He’s the one in that edited clip behind me—Yu Yi.”
Qi Changyi laughed, “Let’s arrange a meeting.”
He asked, “What does he like? I’ll see if I have any related merchandise to give him.”
“Celebrity gossip and novels,” Xing Shi replied.
The novel Xing Shi used to bluff Lin Kecheng previously had come from Yu Yi. After spotting it by chance, he had the system search for it. He added, “Just sign something for him; he’ll love it.”
Soon after, they arrived at the company.
Fu Xiuning, uninterested in working overtime, parked on the roadside.
Xing Shi and Qi Changyi entered the building together. The former headed straight for the practice room, while the latter went to his office and called Fu Xiuning.
The call was promptly answered. Qi Changyi got straight to the point, “Why?”
Fu Xiuning replied, “To repay him for saving my life.”
Qi Changyi was surprised. “…Huh?”
“He saved me not long ago,” Fu Xiuning elaborated.
Regaining his composure, Qi Changyi asked, “You’re moving in with him because he saved your life? What about the person who saved you during your car accident? Why aren’t you living with them?”
Fu Xiuning calmly replied, “I haven’t found that person yet. When I do, I’ll repay them too.”
Qi Changyi wasn’t convinced.
He doubted the “gratitude” explanation, but it was clear that Fu Xiuning wouldn’t tell him the truth.
Ending the call, Qi Changyi rummaged through some merchandise before heading to the training department.
The department, bustling even at this hour, was abuzz with activity.
Surprised, the office staff rose to greet Qi Changyi. They weren’t expecting him to visit so late, let alone come to their department.
Exchanging a few polite words, Qi Changyi inquired about Xing Shi’s performance.
Trying their best to stay objective, the trainers explained his progress while wondering if there was a specific plan for him.
Qi Changyi, understanding their curiosity, reassured them, “No, we’ll see what he wants to do.”
He lingered in the office briefly until his assistant arrived with low-calorie snacks from the minivan, which had been purchased after dropping off Director He.
In the middle of practice, Xing Shi and his peers heard a commotion outside—the rumor of Qi Changyi visiting and bringing treats.
Excited, they glanced at their teacher, who, seeing no objection, allowed them to rush out to meet him.
Qi Changyi greeted them warmly, offering words of encouragement before leaving.
The trainees were still buzzing with excitement, happily eating their late-night snacks while fantasizing about their futures. Xing Shi received a message from Qi Changyi.
?I’m in the office. Do you want to bring the merchandise to him, or should I have him come up??
He silently praised him for being so considerate. Since he wasn’t sure how close Yu Yi and Qi Changyi were, leaving the choice to them felt appropriate. After this high-profile visit, a private fan meeting could be framed as an incidental event, making it seem less unusual. With everyone busy eating, their temporary absence wouldn’t attract much attention.
Xing Shi turned off his phone and led Yu Yi out of the practice room.
Yu Yi followed him to the elevator and asked, “Where are we going?”
Xing Shi replied, “Today, the boss mentioned that Qi Changyi would be visiting us. I brought up that you’re a fan, and he arranged for you to meet your idol.”
Yu Yi was stunned. “Huh?”
“Do you want to go?” Xing Shi asked.
Of course, Yu Yi wanted to go. He hurriedly expressed his gratitude, adding with envy, “The boss is so kind to you. He must’ve done this because you brought it up.”
Xing Shi took the credit, “Mm-hmm.”
Unable to suppress his curiosity, Yu Yi asked, “So… what’s your relationship with him?”
Xing Shi replied, “Good friends.”
Yu Yi stared at him, his envy deepening. “That’s great.”
The two arrived at Qi Changyi’s office. Yu Yi successfully took a photo with his idol, received an autograph, and even got some merchandise. Satisfied, they placed the items in their locker in the dressing room before returning to training.
The roadshow took place on Saturday afternoon. Xing Shi hadn’t asked Director He for extra tickets, requesting only his own. At the time, he wasn’t sure if he was the original owner of his body, so he merely intended to meet people without indebting himself unnecessarily. Fu Xiuning, on the other hand, had gotten his tickets through Qi Changyi. Knowing that Xing Shi would also attend, he arranged for them to go to the cinema together.
Their seats weren’t adjacent, but since the tickets were arranged through personal connections, they were in excellent viewing spots. The screening hadn’t started yet, and the cinema was well-lit.
A roadshow is essentially a celebrity meet-and-greet event, and the tickets were expensive. There was a good chance that other stars had been invited, so the audience members who’d snagged tickets eagerly scanned the room, hoping to spot someone famous.
When two strikingly handsome young men entered, they immediately drew attention. Gasps rippled through the crowd as people speculated whether they were celebrities, trying to recall their names.
Lin Kecheng also noticed the commotion. He had already learned through his system that Fu Xiuning was here but hadn’t expected Xing Shi to be present as well.
The system suggested, “Maybe let it go this time. There’s not enough time to approach him. His company is here, so he’ll be back often. There will be plenty of opportunities later.”
They knew Qi Changyi’s address, but he hadn’t left his home after returning last night until heading out for the roadshow. Initially, Lin Kecheng had planned to leverage the screening to craft a cutting-edge critique of the film, hoping to impress Qi Changyi. However, with Fu Xiuning and Xing Shi present, even wearing a mask wouldn’t hide him from being recognized. Fu Xiuning, being sharp, would see through his intentions. Xing Shi, being naive, might inadvertently let something slip in front of Qi Changyi. If Qi Changyi found out about his ambition to join June Cultural Media, anything he did afterward would appear calculated.
The system advised, “Don’t raise your hand during the Q&A.”
Lin Kecheng ignored this and instead said, “You go and try to build favorability with Xing Shi. I still think Fu Xiuning treats him too well.”
A few days ago, they had renewed their alliance, but at the time, Lin Kecheng hadn’t asked about favorability points. Now, seeing Fu Xiuning constantly accompanied by Xing Shi, he decided to wait and observe.
The system, also suspicious, complied. It made the request, and Xing Shi received the notification.
The system, now holding a -5 favorability update, nervously asked Xing Shi, “What do we do?”
“Send it,” Xing Shi said.
The system hesitated, “What if they ask why?”
“Just say I don’t sing off-key anymore,” Xing Shi replied.
The system was confused. “?”
Realizing that dragging things out would only arouse suspicion, the system anxiously sent the update.
Lin Kecheng entered his subconscious to check the numbers personally, frowning at the -5.
The system gasped. “-5?! And in such a short time, he’s gained three more points!”
Lin Kecheng asked, ?How did he gain points??
The reply came back: ?Because he doesn’t sing off-key anymore~?
The system blinked. “That… could be possible? Not singing off-key shows he’s competent again, so the points reverted to their baseline?”
Lin Kecheng’s expression turned icy. A string of setbacks, combined with Xing Shi’s favorability matching his, finally broke his composure.
He had never been one to play by the rules.
He said, “I’ll send Xing Shi to the hospital.”
The system was shocked. “What?!”
Regaining its wits, it quickly objected, “You’re in an alliance. You can’t violate the terms.”
Lin Kecheng sneered, “It’s about to expire, isn’t it?”
“But why?” the system asked.
“If I send him to the hospital and Fu Xiuning doesn’t react, it means his favorability is just baseline. If he does react, it shows he values Xing Shi. In that case, why aim for Qi Changyi? Xing Shi’s a much easier pawn, and I wouldn’t even need to stay in the entertainment industry.”
The system found the reasoning compelling. “But… you can’t let Xing Shi find out it was you.”
“Of course not,” Lin Kecheng replied.
The cinema lights dimmed, and Fu Xiuning, watching the screen ahead, narrowed his eyes slightly.
The roadshow was a great success. The crowd erupted in applause, and discussions buzzed with enthusiasm. Not all of the production team had attended the previous day, as some had flown in that morning. Director He wanted to introduce his son to a few people, but Xing Shi had other priorities.
He hopped into Fu Xiuning’s car and headed straight to school. After gathering a few books and some clothes from his dorm, he moved into his new residence.
Fu Xiuning’s home was a spacious flat. Near the entrance, apart from a maid’s quarters, was a sunny guest room with its own bathroom. It was separated from the master bedroom by an exceptionally large living room. As Fu Xiuning had mentioned, they wouldn’t interfere with each other.
Xing Shi took a tour of the room, feeling quite satisfied. Taking out his phone, he said, “Boss, to thank you for taking me in, I’ll treat you to dinner. Let’s order takeout and stay in instead of going out.”
Fu Xiuning replied, “There’s an auntie who cooks.”
“Takeout once in a while won’t hurt,” Xing Shi said.
Fu Xiuning looked at him. “What’s the budget per person?”
Now that Xing Shi was earning a salary, he handed over his phone. “You decide.”
Fu Xiuning chose a clean and reputable restaurant and ordered dishes he liked.
Xing Shi added a few more items, adjusted the delivery address, and placed the order.
When the food arrived, Fu Xiuning noticed several bottles of alcohol included in the delivery.
As expected, once the dishes were laid out, someone cheerfully popped open two bottles of alcohol and placed one in front of him.
Xing Shi, with an earnest look in his eyes, said, “Boss, from today onward, we’ll be living under the same roof. Let’s have a drink to celebrate!”
