Chapter 25
Tong Xuyang had secretly filled out the form.
At the time, he had been both shocked and delighted, worried that it might be fake.
The person in charge didn’t know what Gu Zheng had done to offend Fu Xiuning, but since the boss wanted the announcement made on the final day, there could be no early leaks. The person in charge instructed him, “If you want this to go smoothly, don’t say a word to anyone. When the announcement is made, just say you were notified at the last minute.”
Tong Xuyang obediently kept his mouth shut and didn’t breathe a word.
Still, the past few days had been nerve-wracking for him, and he couldn’t sleep well at night. It wasn’t until he heard his name today that he finally relaxed completely.
His friends stared at him in bewilderment as he offered them an apologetic smile. Slowly realizing what had happened, they began to clap, albeit awkwardly at first.
Feng Zifan and Yu Yi followed up with applause, and soon the room was once again filled with cheers.
The person in charge smiled and said, “Alright, that’s everyone. Let’s wish them success in the talent competition.”
The group applauded enthusiastically, though their eyes gleamed with curiosity. Oh wow, so it wasn’t just an additional name—they actually dropped Gu Zheng! Judging by Gu Zheng’s expression, it seemed he didn’t know about the change either. To be swapped out the day before entering the company—what on earth had happened?
When the room quieted down, Gu Zheng’s roommate couldn’t hold back any longer. Seeing Gu Zheng still frozen in place, he asked, “Teacher, is there some kind of mistake? Shouldn’t it have been Gu Zheng?”
The person in charge replied, “Oh, we reviewed other companies’ trainees and consulted with the director team. After assessing everything, we felt Gu Zheng didn’t have enough advantages, so we decided to push someone with a different skill set.”
She looked at Gu Zheng in confusion. “Didn’t the other instructors notify you in advance?”
Gu Zheng shook his head stiffly, his mind blank, unable to form a single word.
The person in charge hesitated for a moment, then sighed. “Maybe they were too busy and forgot. I’ll remind them later. Don’t worry, there’ll be more opportunities in the future.”
Gu Zheng still said nothing, overwhelmed with disappointment and completely unwilling to accept this reality.
The farewell party began in earnest, and a few people patted Gu Zheng’s shoulder sympathetically. He stood motionless for a while before snapping out of it and heading off to speak with an instructor. Upon learning that the list had already been finalized, he slumped into a seat nearby.
The people around him glanced his way but tacitly chose not to disturb him.
His roommate asked, “Should I go back to the dorm with you?”
Gu Zheng sat there silently, not wanting to talk.
Feng Zifan and Yu Yi, watching from afar, couldn’t help but feel a surge of satisfaction.
Feng Zifan was deeply impressed. He prided himself on being a good judge of character, and from the moment he first met Fu Xiuning, he could tell that the man was not someone easy to approach. What he hadn’t expected was how fiercely Fu Xiuning would protect Xing Shi. The relationship between those two was anything but ordinary.
After all, if his own senior were his boss, Feng Zifan wouldn’t dare report a suspicion based purely on a hunch if he were being targeted. Only a truly close relationship could inspire that level of confidence.
Yu Yi, equally awed, handed Xing Shi a small cake.
Xing Shi, satisfied with the unfolding drama, took the cake with a smile and bit into it. He looked up to see Tong Xuyang walking past with a bouquet of flowers and called out, “Are you keeping those flowers?”
Tong Xuyang, finally free of his days-long anxiety, was beaming with joy. He handed the bouquet over with a smile. “If you like them, they’re yours, Brother Shi.”
Xing Shi replied, “Thanks.”
Once Tong Xuyang was out of earshot, Feng Zifan asked, “What do you want those for?”
Xing Shi said, “To give to someone.”
Feng Zifan hesitated, lowering his voice. “You’re not planning to give them to the boss as a thank-you, are you?”
Xing Shi replied, “Of course not.”
Feng Zifan let out a sigh of relief. Yu Yi, curious, asked, “Then who are they for?”
Xing Shi said, “For a blood-sworn brother.”
Feng Zifan and Yu Yi: “…”
That’s what you call casual loyalty to a blood-sworn brother, huh?
To give the selected trainees ample time to rest and prepare, the farewell party was held in the afternoon. Afterward, there was to be a dinner party, followed by free time.
Xing Shi didn’t plan to attend the dinner. After finishing his cake and enjoying the spectacle, he got up to leave.
Feng Zifan and Yu Yi walked him to the elevator. The latter asked wistfully, “Are you really not coming back to the dorm tonight?”
Ever since moving into Fu Xiuning’s house, Xing Shi hadn’t returned to the dorms, using school obligations as an excuse.
But after several nights of restful sleep, he’d finally begun to relax the nerves that had been constantly on edge since his transmigration. He was gradually adapting to his current life and figured it might be time to test the waters by spending a night back at the dorm to see if he would still wake up so easily.
He said, “Maybe in a couple of days.”
Bidding them farewell, he headed to the school.
Lin Kecheng had been discharged from the hospital the day before. To celebrate his escape from the “first stage of hell,” the student council had organized a dinner party, planning to throw another when he had his cast removed.
As one of the involved parties, Xing Shi had also been invited.
He arrived at the restaurant they’d booked to find that most of the group was already there.
Lin Kecheng was sitting in a wheelchair, chatting with those around him.
Xing Shi walked over, handed him the bouquet, and said sincerely, “Congratulations on your discharge, Senior.”
Lin Kecheng thanked him and accepted the flowers, feeling slightly satisfied.
This fool had only visited him twice during his hospital stay, both times in a rush. Xing Shi would barely glance his way before leaving. But now, the guy had brought flowers—someone must have taught him proper etiquette.
Lin Kecheng glanced behind Xing Shi. “Didn’t Senior Fu come with you?”
Xing Shi blinked innocently. “You invited him too?”
Lin Kecheng said regretfully, “The president and I both messaged him, but he said he was busy. I was hoping he might change his mind at the last minute.”
Xing Shi consoled him, “It’s alright. There’ll be plenty of opportunities in the future.”
Lin Kecheng nodded.
As Xing Shi observed him, he confirmed that Lin Kecheng hadn’t grown suspicious of him.
Was it because his acting was convincing enough, or had Fu Xiuning’s reputation as a tough nut to crack left such a deep impression? Had Lin Kecheng really not looked into his and Fu Xiuning’s cohabitation? If it were him, the moment he learned a fellow host was living with Fu Xiuning, he’d keep tabs on the situation.
But this was fine. Although he didn’t mind breaking his facade, the longer he could delay trouble, the better.
He extended his hand. “Anyway, here’s to wishing you a speedy recovery, Senior.”
Lin Kecheng had renewed their alliance on the day he was admitted to the hospital, but it had since expired.
After shaking hands, Lin Kecheng tried to check Xing Shi’s favorability score to see if it had changed, but he was denied access.
Both Lin Kecheng and his system immediately realized something was up and asked: ?Why??
System 99, on edge, fretted, “The day has come. What do we do? I’ve always dreamed of flaunting that 3-point score to the world, but it was just a fantasy!”
Xing Shi said, “Relax. This was bound to happen sooner or later.”
Seeing the president waving at him, Xing Shi walked over, sat down, and began snacking while directing his system to respond.
Xing Shi: ?Because you’re always asking for my favorability score, like you don’t trust me.?
Lin Kecheng: ?I can let you see mine too.?
Xing Shi: ?I don’t need to. You can’t even see Fu Xiuning, so yours is probably -5. Why would I bother??
On the other end, Lin Kecheng nearly choked on his frustration. ?That’s exactly why you should understand! You’re constantly interacting with Fu Xiuning. I need your score fluctuations to strategize for you.?
Xing Shi: ?You don’t! Since we allied, you haven’t helped me once! All that strategizing was a lie! My system said you think I’m an idiot. I didn’t believe it, so we made a bet. My system claimed you’d skip asking for updates and go straight for the favorability score. Turns out, it was right!?
Lin Kecheng: ?You’re misunderstanding. It’s just a coincidence.?
The other party replied: ?Coincidence? You know the truth. My host may be dumb, but I’m not. I’ve always said we don’t need to ally with anyone under these conditions, but he insisted it would bring peace of mind. Well, thanks to you, I won the bet. Much appreciated!?
The host and system on the other end panicked instantly, scrambling to placate the “fool.”
Without Xing Shi, given their current situation, their only hope of targeting Fu Xiuning would be to enter the entertainment industry. Fu Xiuning was already a difficult path to pursue, and Qi Changyi was Xing Shi’s cousin, making things even tougher for them.
System 99 silently watched the barrage of messages flooding in from the other party, then glanced at its own host, who was calmly munching on snacks and pretending to be upset. It couldn’t help but ask sincerely, “Be honest—did you ally with him because you were… bored?”
Xing Shi laughed. “You figured me out, huh?”
System 99 wanted to hug itself protectively, thinking, What kind of twisted hobby is this? Allying with someone just to keep a monkey around?
Once the other side had grovelled sufficiently, Xing Shi and System 99 played good cop and bad cop, reluctantly deciding to give them another chance.
While Lin Kecheng was busy in his head trying to salvage the situation, he still had to respond to questions from the student council members, leaving him drenched in nervous sweat.
This time, he didn’t dare mention anything about favorability scores. Instead, he cautiously inquired about Xing Shi’s progress.
Xing Shi: ?It’s just the usual with him. Sometimes, if he’s in a good mood, he’ll talk to me a little more. But after that rehearsal when I sat next to him eating cake, the whole company thinks we’re really close. So the current situation is that we’re just acquaintances, but everyone else assumes he treats me really well. Oh, by the way, I asked Fu Xiuning if any of his admirers were particularly persistent or deeply in love. He got annoyed and mentioned one name. I was wondering if that person might also be a host.?
Lin Kecheng: ?Who??
Xing Shi: ?Yu Shu. He was trending not long ago. Do you have any other suspects on your end??
Lin Kecheng: ?No.?
System 99, posing as Xing Shi’s system, interjected with a mocking tone: ?Heh.?
The host and system on the other side instantly felt a chill run down their spines, knowing they were now dealing with the system instead of Xing Shi.
Lin Kecheng’s system had seen this one speak in group chats before. Though it had only sent two or three messages, it had seemed approachable. Who would’ve thought that, when it got down to business, its attitude would shift so drastically?
As expected, the system continued: ?My host is seriously working on his tasks. What exactly are you two doing? Sitting around waiting to reap the rewards? Lin Kecheng, no offense, but I have serious doubts about the claim that your favorability score increased by 1 point in six months.?
System 99 was ecstatic. “Let me handle this! I don’t need coaching—I can roast them all by myself!”
Xing Shi told it to calm down. “The goal this time is just to make them think twice before asking for favorability scores in the future. But they do care about it deep down. Next, they’ll do two things to figure out my favorability score: first, they’ll check all the messages between me and Fu Xiuning; second, they’ll activate monitoring once I get home. Do you remember what I sent Fu Xiuning last time when I nearly fell down the stairs?”
System 99 remembered. “You said you suspected someone was messing with you and asked him to check the surveillance footage.”
Xing Shi nodded. “Right. I deleted the message on my side ages ago, and he probably did the same on his. Once Lin Kecheng checks, he’ll figure out I was getting back at him. He won’t openly confront me, but he’ll start being more cautious.”
After some thought, he added, “If I were Lin Kecheng, I would’ve started checking our message records the moment I was denied access to the favorability score. He doesn’t look like he’s found anything, though.”
System 99 grew nervous. “Should I check to confirm?”
Xing Shi said, “Go ahead.”
System 99 quickly ran a search and returned, elated. “Fu Xiuning deleted it too!”
Xing Shi was surprised. “Hmm?”
System 99 laughed. “He recently cleared his WeChat storage. Even the heavens are on our side!”
A strange thought flickered through Xing Shi’s mind. “Is that so?”
He said, “Looks like we’ve dodged another bullet. From now on, let me know before you post anything in the group chat. We don’t want inconsistencies tipping them off.”
System 99 responded, “Got it!”
Just then, Lin Kecheng sent a long series of explanatory messages.
Xing Shi, after hearing the summary from System 99, told it to reply, advising Lin Kecheng to keep an eye on any suspicious individuals.
Today, aside from messing with Lin Kecheng, Xing Shi’s main goal was to give his “ally” something to do, hoping to distract him and keep him from causing trouble.
Unsurprisingly, Lin Kecheng agreed. ?Alright, leave it to me.?
After finishing his meal, Xing Shi returned to Fu Xiuning’s house.
He walked into the living room and immediately spotted Fu Xiuning on the couch, playing with his phone. “Boss, I’m back. I’m going to take a shower.”
Fu Xiuning looked up and watched him head into the guest room.
Meanwhile, Lin Kecheng, having found nothing suspicious in the message logs between Xing Shi and Fu Xiuning, instructed his system to monitor Xing Shi’s location. When Xing Shi got home, they activated eavesdropping.
After waiting a bit, Lin Kecheng asked, “So? Fu Xiuning’s home, right? What are they talking about?”
The system reported, “He’s in the shower.”
Lin Kecheng said, “No problem. Let’s wait half an hour and check again.”
The system responded, “Okay.”
Xing Shi finished his shower, tossed his phone onto the bed, and began towel-drying his hair as he walked out.
System 99 seemed uneasy. “Do you think Lin Kecheng’s still monitoring you?”
Xing Shi replied, “Half a minute isn’t enough to catch anything. I’m just going to have a normal conversation with Fu Xiuning.”
System 99 asked, “But what if he starts monitoring every time you two are together? Even if it’s just once or twice a month, he’ll eventually find something.”
Xing Shi said, “Didn’t you mention that monitoring consumes a lot of energy? Forming alliances must consume even more, right? More than searching for information?”
System 99 confirmed, “It does.”
Xing Shi chuckled. “Then I’m guessing his system won’t agree to his requests.”
He elaborated, “Lin Kecheng has been bound to his system for nearly a year, and his favorability score is still in the negatives. According to you, that means his system can only monitor or eavesdrop once or twice a month. Even if he’s saved up enough energy to do it a few extra times, don’t forget I renew our alliance every seven days. His progress is stalled, and he depends on me. To avoid losing me as an ally, his system has to conserve energy, right?”
System 99 was stunned. “You’re absolutely right! You’re a genius!”
Xing Shi said matter-of-factly, “I know.”
He walked into the living room, noticing that Fu Xiuning had switched from his phone to a book. “Why aren’t you on your phone anymore?”
Fu Xiuning replied, “It’s charging.”
Xing Shi glanced around.
Fu Xiuning added, “In the bedroom.”
Xing Shi’s mood brightened, and he sat down next to him.
Elsewhere, when Lin Kecheng’s system tried monitoring for the second time, it found that both phones were in the bedroom.
Uncertain if this was a coincidence, Lin Kecheng said, “Forget it for today. From now on, monitor them whenever they’re together.”
As Xing Shi predicted, Lin Kecheng’s system refused, explaining the limitations of its energy reserves.
Lin Kecheng felt as though his world had collapsed. “You could run out of power?”
The system clarified, “Not completely. Searching for information will still work, but other functions will have to be used sparingly to prioritize long-term goals. If you can convince Xing Shi to extend your alliance period, I won’t have to expend energy renewing it every few days. So you need to prove your usefulness quickly.”
Lin Kecheng’s expression grew grim. “I will.”
The next morning, Xing Shi woke up to find an analysis report sent by Lin Kecheng. It listed several people at the school who could potentially be hosts, along with a few sentences of background information for each.
At the end of the document, there were even some suggestions on how to win over Fu Xiuning.
While Fu Xiuning ate breakfast leisurely, System 99 read aloud, “If all else fails, try something bold like getting drunk and having a physical encounter. But this is risky—it might backfire and offend him.”
The system asked, “Why’s he suddenly so motivated? Does this mean he’s stopped doubting you?”
Xing Shi wasn’t surprised. “He still doubts me, but he knows he needs to show results in the short term.”
He instructed, “Tell them, ‘My host is too busy. Confirming whether those people at the school are hosts is your job.’”
System 99 relayed the message, then asked, “What if they argue that identifying hosts risks exposing themselves?”
Xing Shi replied, “Use your tone to respond, ‘If you want to succeed in this game, you need to identify your enemies. I’m really starting to doubt your competence.’”
The message went through without objection.
System 99 was thrilled. Lin Kecheng had always acted high and mighty, demanding help from Xing Shi. Now, the tables had turned. It was karma.
The system said, “Don’t listen to his advice about spiking Fu Xiuning’s drink. He likes you already. Let’s stick to steady progress.”
Xing Shi had no intention of following that advice anyway.
After a casual acknowledgment, he glanced across the table at Fu Xiuning.
A few days had passed, and their relationship remained the same. The favorability score hadn’t budged, and there was no indication that Fu Xiuning harbored any ulterior motives.
Noticing Xing Shi’s gaze, Fu Xiuning raised an eyebrow mid-bite. “What?”
Xing Shi openly teased, “Nothing. I was just thinking the more I look at you, the better-looking you are. No wonder you’re my long-lost brother from another mother.”
Fu Xiuning pretended not to hear and continued eating.
Xing Shi leaned in a little. “Bro, what’s your type?”
Fu Xiuning replied, “That’s a secret.”
Xing Shi grinned. “Come on, just a little hint. Think of it as an early birthday gift.”
Fu Xiuning looked at him. “Is today your birthday?”
Xing Shi replied, “No, it’s a few months away, but I can cash in early, right?”
Fu Xiuning said, “If you don’t hurry up and eat, you’re going to be late.”
Realizing the time, Xing Shi quietly focused on his food.
They didn’t have classes that morning, so after breakfast, they headed to the company together.
The car pulled smoothly into a parking space and came to a stop. Xing Shi followed Fu Xiuning out of the car, catching sight of two people walking by in the distance. Noticing them out of the corner of their eye, the two glanced over.
The person in the lead had a delicate, handsome appearance and greeted cheerfully, “Boss, good morning.”
Then, seeing Xing Shi, the man asked curiously, “And this is…?”
Fu Xiuning answered, “My younger brother.”
As he spoke, he glanced at Xing Shi and added a simple introduction. “Yu Shu and his agent.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Xing Shi heard a familiar dialogue.
“Fu Xiuning has a younger brother? How come I’ve never heard of this? Do they have a blood relationship? Look at this kid’s face—it’s way too good. Quick, go check his records. Could he be a host?”
“Don’t panic, I’m on it.”
Yu Shu was still looking at Xing Shi with a warm smile. “So you’re the boss’s younger brother. Hello, I’m Yu Shu. I wonder if you’ve heard of me?”
Xing Shi returned his smile brightly. “Of course I have! I’m a trainee here, and I’ve looked into all the company’s artists. You’re incredible, Brother Yu!”
Yu Shu, who had just received Xing Shi’s information, now understood that this person wasn’t a host. Realizing that Xing Shi might be useful, he stepped closer and walked alongside him. Humbly, he said, “Not at all. I still have a lot to learn.”
Xing Shi replied, “You’re definitely way better than a rookie like me.”
Yu Shu said, “We all start as rookies. You’ll get the hang of it, and you’ve got more potential than I do.”
Xing Shi nodded obediently, chatting with Yu Shu as if they’d hit it off at first sight.
Then, he called his system. “Contact Lin Kecheng and tell his system to find that trending topic about Yu Shu—the one about his secret crush.”
The system quickly reported back. “Done.”
Xing Shi said, “Good. Have it post a message in the group chat. Here’s what to say…”
Moments later, a new message appeared in the system chat group.
Heaven’s Favorite Child: “Sigh. My host hasn’t been able to see Fu Xiuning lately, so we got bored and started guessing about other possibilities. What about Yu Shu? Could he be a host? He even trended recently—maybe he’s building up to a public confession later on? [screenshot]
The previously silent group chat immediately exploded with activity.
Late Bloomer: “Ooh, that’s slick.”
All Are Concubines Before Me: “Hah, pointless effort.”
Congrats & Prosperity: “[cry-laughing emoji] So you’re all just assuming it’s him? What if his secret crush is just another company artist?”
Face-Lover Forever: “Better safe than sorry. Even if it’s boring, keep an eye on it.”
As Xing Shi stepped into the elevator, he smiled as he watched Yu Shu’s expression shift subtly beside him. His system, following orders, posted another message.
Heaven’s Favorite Child: “Out of curiosity, I looked into his background—it matches the typical profile of a host~”
Immediately after, Xing Shi caught another fleeting change in Yu Shu’s demeanor. Once could’ve been a coincidence, but twice? That was undeniable.
In his mind, Xing Shi chuckled. “Ah, another one.”
Fu Xiuning, who had been quietly listening, had anticipated trouble. He casually pulled out his phone as they entered the elevator.
Pretending to be distracted by his screen, he leaned closer to Xing Shi, “accidentally” brushing the back of his hand against Xing Shi’s.
?Ding!?
?Current Favorability Score: 4?
Xing Shi, still focused on Yu Shu, suddenly felt the touch and instinctively pulled his hand away.
A second later, he heard the notification chime and glanced at Fu Xiuning.
Fu Xiuning seemed to realize he had bumped into him. He looked at the distance between them and calmly shifted a step to the side.
System 99, unaware of the brief hand contact, assumed the proximity was responsible for the score increase. “Wow, just brushing against each other raised the score. I think you should try more physical contact with him at home.”
With a soft “ding,” the elevator arrived at the third floor. Xing Shi said his goodbyes and stepped out.
Feeling the lingering sensation on his hand, he used his other hand to rub it twice.
The last time a score increase coincided with physical contact was also when he and his system had discussed other hosts.
A strange thought crossed his mind again.
Like the assistant’s car logs being mysteriously erased; Fu Xiuning’s well-timed clearing of his WeChat memory; the invitation to move in despite no clear signs of romantic interest; and now, two unexpected score increases after brief physical contact…
His steps slowed. An absurd theory began to form in his mind.
Could Fu Xiuning… know that he’s a host?
