Chapter 24
After listening to Director He, Fu Xiuning had decided to investigate the handwriting. First, there were too many anomalies surrounding Xing Shi. Second, just a few days ago at the airport pickup, the system had asked Xing Shi if he’d been crying. At the time, Fu Xiuning couldn’t detect any traces of tears on Xing Shi’s face, but the way he abruptly pulled his hat brim down was a little unusual.
Yet, even though Fu Xiuning had speculated and mentally prepared himself, he was still surprised when he saw the report.
Over the years, Fu Xiuning had heard plenty of information.
When transmigrators arrived, there would be an energy fluctuation when their souls entered a new body. Systems relied on this fluctuation to identify them.
Thus, systems would never mistake a native for a transmigrator. If it said Xing Shi was a transmigrator, then he was.
On the day the classes were divided, Fu Xiuning distinctly remembered Xing Shi knowing absolutely nothing. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have gone barreling into the wall like a lunatic. Then there was the instructor’s remark about Xing Shi’s ligaments being unusually flexible, as if he had a dance background, even though he was a complete novice. There was also the time they sat in a café until noon, during which someone came over to greet Xing Shi, and it was only through the system’s introduction that he learned the person’s identity.
All these signs pointed to Xing Shi being in a state of amnesia, consistent with the traits of transmigrators.
Fu Xiuning carefully reviewed the report.
The handwriting analysis was very detailed, covering both similarities and differences between the two samples.
The similarities were the long-term, relatively stable characteristics formed by habit, which rarely change over time. These were enough to confirm that both samples were written by the same person.
The differences, however, were only noted in three places. Due to the limited samples, the written contract contained only a short handwritten promise from the original owner, so there wasn’t much to compare.
Fortunately, the similarities were numerous enough to draw a conclusion.
As for the differences, the report stated that they were “for reference only.”
Fu Xiuning thought that if differences existed, then changes had indeed occurred.
The contract was signed by Xing Shi himself, and only a little over a month had passed since the class division. For his handwriting to change in such a short period… Fu Xiuning linked this to Xing Shi’s sharp reflexes, decisive movements, Director He’s remarks about a personality shift, and the system’s direct confirmation of his transmigrator status. A hypothesis began to take shape in his mind.
If transmigrators could come here, could people from here also transmigrate elsewhere?
Could it be that Xing Shi had transmigrated to another world and then returned?
And if the flow of time differed between the two worlds, could that have caused the changes in his handwriting?
Having encountered many transmigrators over the years, Fu Xiuning considered himself well-informed.
These people always arrived in a state of amnesia, with only a small fraction gradually recovering their memories. Fu Xiuning had once overheard a conversation between a transmigrator and their system about their previous worlds. A few of those worlds weren’t modern societies.
What kind of world had Xing Shi transmigrated to? Could his partial immunity to the system’s penalties be related to this unique experience?
The more Fu Xiuning interacted with Xing Shi, the more mysteries surrounded him. Fortunately, Fu Xiuning had taken a bold approach by keeping Xing Shi close at hand. Eventually, the truth would reveal itself.
He opened his car door, stepped out, and shredded the report into tiny pieces, discarding them into two separate trash bins before returning to the inpatient wing.
As he approached the elevator, he ran into the club president and his group.
The moment they saw him, their reactions mirrored Xing Shi’s—they immediately treated him as their rock. The difference was that Xing Shi had faked it, while they were entirely sincere.
“Boss!” The president rushed over. “Did you just get here, or have you already seen Xiao Cheng?”
Fu Xiuning replied, “I’ve seen him.”
The president and his group asked anxiously, “How’s he doing? We tried calling him, and he said he broke a bone.”
As the arts club’s president, Lin Kecheng had a good relationship with the group. When they heard that he’d been taken away in an ambulance, they were deeply concerned. “How could he fall down the stairs like that? That’s so scary!”
Fu Xiuning feigned ignorance and explained, “He lost his footing while going downstairs and even dragged Xing Shi down with him.”
The group was shocked. “What?”
They hadn’t known this detail and quickly asked, “Is Xing Shi okay?”
Fu Xiuning replied, “Just some minor injuries.”
The two groups talked as they walked into Lin Kecheng’s hospital room.
As they entered, a notification sound chimed.
?Ding!?
?Current Favorability Score: 2?
Xing Shi: “?”
System: “!!!”
Fu Xiuning: “…”
The system was utterly baffled. “Is my favorability score program broken? Why’s there no minus sign anymore?”
Xing Shi ignored it and looked up at Fu Xiuning. “Boss, you’re back.”
Fu Xiuning’s expression was calm. “Mm.”
Not noticing anything off about Fu Xiuning’s demeanor, Xing Shi was about to ponder the reason for the score increase when the president and his group crowded around, asking for details about the incident.
Switching instantly into his harmless persona, Xing Shi carefully recounted what had happened. “I was on a call when he suddenly stopped. I had no time to react…”
He explained that he had tried his best to shift his direction to avoid a hard collision.
But Lin Kecheng’s arm had also been reaching in that direction, grabbing onto him. The next thing they knew, they had both fallen.
Lin Kecheng silently listened, unable to refute a single word.
Though his ankle had been broken by Xing Shi landing on it, the initial fault lay with him.
Now that both Fu Xiuning and the club members were aware of the situation, could he really demand that this idiot pay his medical expenses? Of course not. He’d have to cover them himself.
After Xing Shi finished explaining, he glanced at Lin Kecheng’s suspended leg and turned to him with a guilty expression. “Senior, I’m responsible for your injury. I’ll cover your treatment costs.”
Lin Kecheng waved his hands hurriedly. “No, no, it’s not your fault. It was my carelessness.”
Xing Shi persisted, looking remorseful. “But if I hadn’t fallen on you, your injury wouldn’t have been so severe.”
Lin Kecheng insisted, “It’s because I dragged you down in the first place.”
The president and his group agreed, thinking it was an accident and unreasonable to make the kid pay for it. They helped persuade Xing Shi, finally putting the matter to rest.
Xing Shi obediently sat down in a chair, listening to their chatter while being fed fruit by the president.
The system finally snapped out of its daze. “H-H-H-Host! Ahhhh!”
Xing Shi cut it off. “Quiet.”
The system instantly lowered its volume. “I checked it—it’s not a bug. The score really is at 2!”
Xing Shi asked, “What’s your opinion on this?”
The system said, “Let’s wait and see. If the score doesn’t drop back down, it means he’s figured things out.”
Xing Shi replied, “What else?”
The system grew excited. “This score is going to keep climbing higher! Those little systems who showed up earlier can’t compare to me. In front of me, they’re nothing but juniors!”
Xing Shi said, “Mm, yes, you’re amazing.”
The system didn’t mind his perfunctory response and switched to the main topic. “I get it now. Lin Kecheng tried to set you up, and what you mentioned yesterday was payback. But since he’s seen your skills, won’t he suspect you?”
Xing Shi said, “Of course he will.”
The system grew worried. “What? Then what do we do?”
Xing Shi replied casually, “He has no evidence. Even if he’s lucky enough to find out Gu Zheng and his group messed with me, he can’t definitively link it to this incident. Besides, he made the first move, so he’s already in the wrong. As long as I remain useful to him, he won’t turn against me.”
The system thought this over and found it reasonable, feeling reassured.
Lin Kecheng had already voiced his suspicions while being wheeled into the emergency room.
He suspected Xing Shi of acting and instructed his system to check if Xing Shi had actually been on a call with Fu Xiuning.
The system confirmed that they had indeed spoken during that time, as evidenced by the call log, though it couldn’t determine what they had talked about.
Lin Kecheng was feeling paranoid. “Nothing happened with the trainees either?”
The system, after taking a spin through the trainee group chat, reported, “Everything’s normal, same as usual.”
Lin Kecheng figured he might have been overthinking things and reluctantly accepted reality.
At the moment, he was lying in his hospital bed, maintaining his composed image while chatting with the club president and the others. Despite his efforts to keep his spirits up, his focus was constantly on Fu Xiuning, and the pain in his body made him want to curse out loud.
Although his ankle was injured, it wasn’t the only part of him that hurt. He was certain his back was bruised all over—after all, he had been nothing more than a human cushion for that fool.
What made it worse was that the fool was sitting nearby, completely fine, happily eating fruit that the president had bought for him. Just looking at him made Lin Kecheng’s back hurt even more.
Lin Kecheng’s surgery hadn’t been scheduled yet, and it wasn’t clear when he would be taken into the operating room.
Xing Shi, ever so responsible, said, “Don’t worry, Senior. I’ll stay here with you. If you need water or anything, just call me anytime.”
After saying this, he popped a grape into his mouth, then picked up a small bunch and handed it to Fu Xiuning, blinking furiously while his back was to the group. “Boss, try these. They’re super sweet.”
Fu Xiuning immediately caught on and took the grapes, saying, “Come with me to let a doctor check if you’re injured. Also, there’s an announcement the company wants to discuss with you. Once you’re done, you can come back.”
Hearing this, the president and the others turned their attention to Xing Shi, urging him to get checked out as well and not to take it lightly.
After all, they had seen the bruises on his arm and had no idea what other injuries he might have. With so many of them from the student council around to accompany Lin Kecheng, they felt there was no need for Xing Shi to stay.
Xing Shi pretended to hesitate for a moment but was eventually persuaded. He obediently followed Fu Xiuning out.
Once they left the inpatient wing, Fu Xiuning asked, “Are we going to the emergency room to find a doctor?”
Xing Shi replied, “No need.”
Fu Xiuning glanced at his arm.
Xing Shi explained, “This is the only injury, and I deliberately made it look worse for others to see.”
Fu Xiuning thought to himself that Xing Shi’s maneuvers were indeed quite crafty. As they walked to the parking lot, he casually asked, “With skills like that, have you trained before?”
The system was startled and quickly reminded, “Don’t spout nonsense. He knows Qi Changyi and your father.”
Xing Shi hadn’t forgotten. Without hesitation, he lied smoothly, “Never trained. It’s more like… an uncanny intuition. I just somehow know how to counter if someone tries to attack me. Maybe it’s my unique physique or natural talent.”
Fu Xiuning understood. These abilities didn’t belong to the “original owner” of the body but had to come from somewhere. It aligned with his earlier suspicion that Xing Shi had likely been to another world.
He acknowledged with a soft “Mm,” and then, feigning curiosity, asked, “Why the show today?”
Xing Shi replied, “He tried to mess with me.”
He pulled out his phone and showed Fu Xiuning the group chat messages.
Fu Xiuning scrolled through them and saw that Lin Kecheng’s scheme this time was blatant. He seemed to have been trying to exploit the timing of Director Wei’s visit to the company and the suspense around the trainee list. Lin Kecheng had likely relied on the excuse of “not knowing” the internal details to speak recklessly. It wasn’t like the cautious approach he’d used against Shao Jianbo, where he had spent nearly a month provoking him to the point where even the police couldn’t find any evidence.
Following a logical train of thought, Fu Xiuning asked, “You mean he knew Director Wei specifically requested you and took the opportunity to set you up? What was his motive?”
Xing Shi replied seriously, “Probably jealous that I’m better looking and have more chances to debut.”
Fu Xiuning looked at him. “How would he have learned about Director Wei’s interest in you?”
Xing Shi said, “There are a lot of people in the group. Maybe someone let it slip, or maybe he has his own sources. I’m not sure who told him.”
His expression was calm as he continued, “I just have a hunch that he was involved in this, but I don’t have any proof. Kind of like how you suspected him in Shao Jianbo’s case. You understand, don’t you, bro?”
Fu Xiuning nodded, ending his line of questioning, and advised, “Try to avoid him in the future.”
Xing Shi obediently agreed, “Got it.”
The system, having been made anxious by Fu Xiuning’s barrage of questions, finally relaxed when the conversation ended.
It couldn’t help but caution, “If Lin Kecheng saw the two of you leave together, and his system happened to eavesdrop on your conversation, you’d be exposed. You should be more careful.”
Xing Shi replied, “We’ve spent plenty of time together already. If I were going to be exposed, it would’ve happened by now. Besides, I assume gathering intel drains more energy than simply looking up data, right?”
The system confirmed, “It does.”
Since the systems weren’t native to this world, they were affected by its dimensional constraints.
When searching for information, they scattered energy outward, used their computational power to quickly retrieve data, and then pulled the energy back, resulting in low energy consumption. However, eavesdropping or monitoring someone required them to remain in the medium, such as a phone or surveillance device, for an extended period, which consumed more energy.
After listening to the explanation, Xing Shi asked, “Is there a time limit?”
The system answered, “Half a minute.”
Xing Shi followed up, “What about a limit on the number of times it can be done?”
The system said, “That depends on each system’s energy reserves. We all start with the same base energy, but doing various tasks here consumes it. Favorability points are needed to recharge. If someone’s favorability remains negative for an entire year, they’d only be able to eavesdrop once or twice a month. Over time, as favorability increases, we can upgrade, which extends the duration and frequency of our abilities.”
Xing Shi had a sudden realization: “So the energy consumed for punishing a host, searching for data, or other actions isn’t fixed?”
The system replied, “Of course not. The complexity of the task and the host’s physical condition are factors. Take you, for instance—my second-tier punishments definitely use more energy than other systems’.”
Xing Shi thought to himself, That explains it.
The reason his exploits hadn’t been discovered was that both systems had assumed the energy loss was due to their alliance, never considering other possibilities.
He asked, “Can you freely use favorability points for recharging?”
The system clarified, “I need your approval.”
Xing Shi thought for a moment. “So if I refuse to let you recharge, you’ll eventually run out of power and shut down?”
The system admitted, “In theory, yes. But our standby energy consumption is minimal, so we can last a long time. Plus, we have a return program that locks away a portion of energy to send us back to the main system.”
It hesitated and asked nervously, “You’re not really planning to deny me recharges, are you?”
Xing Shi reassured it, “Of course not. You’re so useful—I still need you to help me gather information.”
The system, proud, said, “True enough.”
Xing Shi, feeling pleased, shifted the topic back. “As for the conversation earlier, half a minute isn’t a big deal.”
The system worried, “But that’s enough time for Lin Kecheng’s system to overhear your conversation.”
Xing Shi replied, “Let them listen. Worst case, he flips out and exposes me.”
The system was horrified. “Isn’t that a serious problem?!”
Xing Shi smiled. “Not really~”
In fact, he was eager for other hosts to come looking for him.
The system was confused. “Do you have a plan? Or some sort of ace up your sleeve?”
Xing Shi replied flippantly, “I’ve got Fu Xiuning. He loves me.”
Fu Xiuning: “…”
The system, sensing this wasn’t entirely true but not disagreeing, said, “You’re probably right. Maybe the more they target you, the more he’ll feel protective.”
Xing Shi said, “Mm.”
The system solemnly urged, “Promise me you’ll be careful.”
Xing Shi casually replied, “With my skills? I’ll be fine.”
Fu Xiuning, keeping a straight face, unlocked his car and got in.
By now, it was dinnertime. The two decided to find a restaurant.
It was a place Xing Shi hadn’t been to before, but the food was delicious, as always. Xing Shi realized that every time he ate with Fu Xiuning, it was a treat, reaffirming his belief that young masters truly knew how to enjoy life.
After the meal, they returned to the car to discuss their next destination.
Both of them knew that the supposed company announcement was just an excuse.
Having successfully left the hospital, there was no way Xing Shi was going back to take care of Lin Kecheng.
He instinctively said, “I’ll go back to the company to train.”
Fu Xiuning gave him a look. “I already got you the night off. Are you sure?”
Xing Shi immediately abandoned the pretense. “I’m injured. I should rest.”
He eagerly began planning. “So, where should we go? Want to visit the little lambs?”
Fu Xiuning said gently, “I just remembered—it’s only your arm that’s hurt, so it shouldn’t stop you from training.”
In the end, they went home.
Both of them showered and changed into their loungewear.
Xing Shi towel-dried his hair briefly, then went to the living room and sat down, preparing to carefully study Fu Xiuning.
When Fu Xiuning came out, he brought a bottle of medicine and handed it to Xing Shi.
Without even looking, Xing Shi knew it was for treating bruises. Although he felt that the minor bruise on his arm wasn’t worth mentioning, since Fu Xiuning had brought the medicine, he cooperated and applied it.
After washing his hands and returning to the living room, he saw Fu Xiuning reading a book. The scene struck Xing Shi as perfectly suited to Fu Xiuning’s temperament. He walked over and asked, “Bro, what do you usually do when you’re not working?”
Fu Xiuning replied succinctly, “Just exist.”
Xing Shi responded with an “Oh,” then sat to the side playing on his phone while mulling over the two favorability points gained earlier.
These points had been added after Fu Xiuning returned from his phone call at the hospital. Xing Shi called out to his system: “Who was he talking to at the hospital?”
The system easily found the answer. “His assistant.”
Xing Shi asked, “What did the assistant want?”
The system retrieved some parking lot surveillance footage. However, the footage wasn’t entirely clear due to distance and obstructions. The system said, “The assistant delivered some documents to him, and he stayed in his car for a while.”
Xing Shi asked, “What kind of documents?”
The system replied, “I don’t know, but it’s probably work-related.”
Xing Shi thought for a moment. “Where did the assistant come from?”
The system explained, “His car wasn’t moved, so I can’t find any travel logs.” It sounded puzzled. “Why are you asking all this?”
Since the system wasn’t offering much help, Xing Shi decided to test Fu Xiuning directly. “Bro, you seemed to have stepped out of the hospital for quite a while earlier. What were you doing?”
Two years ago, Fu Xiuning had instructed his assistant to clear logs daily. The system could only search for information; it couldn’t restore erased data. Without looking up, Fu Xiuning replied, “Had some work matters to handle.”
Xing Shi scrutinized him but still couldn’t pinpoint the source of the favorability increase.
To Fu Xiuning, Xing Shi started as a subordinate and junior but later became the conveniently adopted cousin of a mutual friend. Their interactions over time had fluctuated, with Fu Xiuning’s favorability score revealing a struggle between attraction to Xing Shi’s appearance and internal conflict.
Why, then, had Fu Xiuning invited him to move in? And why had the favorability score inexplicably risen to 2?
It couldn’t be because he’d suddenly decided to pursue him, right?
If Fu Xiuning were a sheltered young master who had lived an easy life without much hardship, Xing Shi might have believed it.
But this was Fu Xiuning—a man who had been hunted by systems for five years and had witnessed countless dark sides of human nature. Xing Shi found it hard to trust such a scenario.
Fu Xiuning, sensing Xing Shi’s gaze, closed his book and looked up, meeting his eyes.
Xing Shi’s hair was still damp and a bit messy. Beneath it was a strikingly young and vibrant face, yet his eyes were calm and steady, completely devoid of impatience.
Fu Xiuning had never seen the edgy, unapproachable teenager that Director He had mentioned. The Xing Shi he had encountered had always been composed and self-assured. Whatever Xing Shi had experienced in his previous world, Fu Xiuning didn’t know, but if he were to choose a collaborator, the person in front of him was clearly the better fit.
?Ding!?
?Current Favorability Score: 3?
Xing Shi: “?”
System: “!”
Fu Xiuning: “…”
Xing Shi sat in silence for a few seconds, trying to come to terms with this new reality.
He called out, “System.”
The system was cheerful and unusually affectionate. “Yes?”
Xing Shi said, “I’m starting to suspect that the reason he let me move in is because he’s lusting after my looks.”
The system was shocked. “Huh? What did you just say?”
Xing Shi had been hoping for some agreement but was surprised by the system’s reaction. “Why? Am I wrong?”
The system couldn’t believe it. “Do you even need to ask? Of course that’s the reason! I told you this ages ago. Did none of it sink in? What have you been thinking about this whole time?”
Xing Shi: “…”
Fu Xiuning: “…”
Xing Shi told the system to shut up. Suddenly feeling uncomfortable in the living room, he said goodbye to Fu Xiuning and returned to his room.
The next morning, he arrived at the company early.
With ten minutes left before class, Feng Zifan and the others were lounging in the break area, chatting in a small circle.
Xing Shi approached and asked, “What are you talking about?”
Feng Zifan looked up at him and smiled. “Trending topics. The latest company gossip.”
Xing Shi wasn’t surprised. This group of aspiring celebrities always kept a close eye on the entertainment industry. Casually, he asked, “Oh? Who’s the hot topic?”
Feng Zifan replied, “Yu Shu.”
Xing Shi paused at the name and leaned in to check.
Feng Zifan helpfully tilted his screen toward Xing Shi and explained, “Some reporters visited the set of his drama and interviewed him. The director praised his performance in one particular scene, and Yu Shu said it was because he could relate due to having a crush on someone. The media immediately latched onto that, but Yu Shu only revealed that the crush is someone from our company. He didn’t say anything more, and now it’s trending.”
Someone nearby chimed in, “We’re betting on who it is. Want to join, Xing Shi?”
Xing Shi asked about the stakes and learned that they weren’t betting money but rather embarrassing dares.
Unable to resist the temptation, he said, “Once you’ve bet, no changing your answer?”
Feng Zifan chuckled. “Exactly. You in?”
Xing Shi said, “I’m in.”
Feigning deep thought, he said, “Betting on an artist is too boring. I’m putting my money on our boss. If I lose, I’ll do a headstand and call him ‘Dad.’”
The others were struck by the idea, realizing it made sense.
Their boss had the looks of a top-tier celebrity, possibly even better than most, making him a plausible candidate. Two more people decided to bet on the boss as well.
It was around this time that Gu Zheng and his roommate joined the group.
The pair blended into the conversation naturally. Upon learning about the bet, they joined in too.
Yu Yi glanced at them but remained silent. Feng Zifan stayed polite, pretending to know nothing. Xing Shi was even more composed, acting exactly as he always did.
Noticing that Gu Zheng was making an effort to strike up a conversation with him, Xing Shi guessed that the other had learned of his rejection of Director Wei’s invitation and now regretted his earlier impulsiveness. Gu Zheng seemed to be trying to mend their relationship and ease the tension.
Xing Shi responded casually, making small talk before heading to the training room as the class began.
Feng Zifan and the others followed, leaving Gu Zheng and his roommate as the last two in the group, trailing at a distance.
Gu Zheng frowned. “I feel like Yu Yi isn’t too keen on talking to us.”
His roommate reassured him, “He’s like that with people he doesn’t know well. Don’t worry. They don’t have any evidence to prove we did it on purpose, so it’s just an accident. You’re still on the list, so what’s there to be afraid of?”
Gu Zheng nodded but continued to frown.
His roommate added, “Your ranking was based on skill. Even if the boss and Xing Shi are close, he still has to prioritize business. And anyway, there’s no proof.”
Gu Zheng let out a soft “Mm,” then looked at him. “I owe you for this. Once I debut, I’ll make sure to share any opportunities I get with you.”
His roommate smiled. “No need to be so formal. Focus on your debut. Once you’re successful, you won’t have to deal with Xing Shi anymore.”
A week passed in the blink of an eye, and the list remained unchanged.
The others, knowing that Gu Zheng and his group were about to debut, treated them with increasing politeness.
With each passing day, Gu Zheng grew more confident. Finally, the day before they were scheduled to enter the production company, the training department organized a farewell gathering.
The department head stood at the front, beaming, and read the names of those selected.
After each name was called, the group clapped enthusiastically.
“Nie Cheng.”
The applause was thunderous.
Gu Zheng knew his name was next. He subconsciously straightened his back and smiled.
But the next name called was, “Tong Xuyang.”
His smile froze instantly.
The applause, which had just started again, faltered mid-way.
The crowd exchanged confused looks, unsure if they’d misheard.
Feng Zifan and Yu Yi had no idea what their boss had planned, but since the selected trainees were about to leave for the company, they hadn’t dared to ask Xing Shi, worried they might jinx things if something had gone wrong.
They hadn’t expected the truth to reveal itself in this way.
Feng Zifan gaped in shock before breaking into a grin so wide it tingled. He leaned closer to Xing Shi and whispered, “Wow. That’s bold.”
Xing Shi gave him an innocent look, silently indicating it wasn’t his idea.
The room fell into dead silence as everyone realized there would be no correction. All eyes turned to Gu Zheng.
He stood there, his face blank with disbelief.
