The Salted Fish is Rebellious – CH26

Chapter 26

Three minutes remained before class started. The people in the lounge began heading back to the training room, including Feng Zifan and his group, who made their way toward Xing Shi when they saw him.

“Almost thought you were going to be late,” Feng Zifan said, slowing his steps to put some distance between them and the people ahead. In a lowered voice, he added, “Gu Zheng didn’t show up at the dinner yesterday, but just now, he came looking for you.”

Xing Shi shifted his thoughts away from Fu Xiuning and focused on the moment. “Hmm?”

Feng Zifan continued, “I asked him what he wanted, but he didn’t say.”

Xing Shi gave a casual “Mm,” not thinking much of it.

Yu Yi whispered, “Do you think they’ve guessed that he lost his spot because he tried to mess with you?”

Feng Zifan said, “Maybe, or maybe he’s hoping Xing Shi will help push his name back on the list. I heard the trainees will have a training camp after entering the company, so there’s still room to maneuver.”

Yu Yi’s eyes widened in disbelief, his expression like someone whose worldview had just been shattered, making Feng Zifan burst out laughing.

Xing Shi didn’t comment because Lin Kecheng had just messaged him, asking about results.

To avoid suspicion from ending the conversation too conveniently, Xing Shi had instructed Lin Kecheng’s system to chat in the group for a bit before going quiet. It seemed that just wrapped up.

He ordered his system to reply to Lin Kecheng, confirming that Yu Shu was very likely a host. He kept the explanation in the system’s tone, claiming it was based purely on observations.

Lin Kecheng was still lying in bed.

Last night, he’d stayed up late compiling a report on suspicious individuals. While it looked impressive, it was mostly guesswork. He’d been somewhat anxious about it, but hearing the results now, he felt revitalized. “Doesn’t this mean we’re useful?”

He felt the gloom of the past few days lift slightly. “If his system came forward, the other side might connect the dots between when it arrived in this world and when Xing Shi appeared in front of Fu Xiuning. That’d raise some doubts, wouldn’t it? But we don’t have any of those problems, which proves they still need allies.”

The system countered, “But now he’s met another host, one who arrived earlier than we did and is already working for Fu Xiuning.”

Lin Kecheng’s face darkened. “Are you saying he’ll replace us as allies?”

The system sounded uncertain. “I’m not sure.”

Lin Kecheng took a deep breath to calm himself and analyzed, “He wouldn’t do that. We’re the only ones who know Xing Shi is a host. If they don’t renew the alliance, wouldn’t they worry we’d expose him?”

He decided, “Arrange a meal with him. I’ll test the waters.”

The system quickly reached out but returned with a reply: “Xing Shi says he’s too busy. He told you to focus on verifying the people on the list. When it’s time to renew the alliance, you can meet and discuss it then.”

Lin Kecheng relaxed slightly. “See? They’re not going to cut ties that easily.”

He decided not to go back to sleep and dragged his injured leg out of bed. “I’ll go check right now.”

The system was speechless. Was it just imagining things, or was its host getting PUA’d by Xing Shi?

Seeing the dismal favorability score of -5, the system reminded him, “Don’t just focus on working. You need to show your face to Fu Xiuning and raise your own favorability score. Look at Yu Shu—he went to brush up his image today.”

Lin Kecheng understood. “Right. We have his schedule. Keep reporting his whereabouts.”

He paused and added, “But don’t overdo it. Save some energy.”

The system: “…”

Xing Shi finished dealing with Lin Kecheng and went to class.

After the first session ended, Gu Zheng and his roommate approached. Everyone’s eyes turned toward them, expressions mixed.

Gu Zheng looked much worse after a restless night. In a hushed voice, he said, “Brother Shi, can we talk for a moment?”

Xing Shi glanced at them, stepped past them, and exited the training room.

Gu Zheng and his roommate quickly followed him to the end of the hallway by a window. Xing Shi leaned lazily against the wall, watching them. Gu Zheng took a deep breath and said, “Brother Shi, we’re here to apologize.”

Xing Shi raised an eyebrow. “Apologize for what?”

Gu Zheng lowered his head, filled with regret. “For bumping into you the other day—it was on purpose. I’m sorry.”

His roommate bowed his head as well. “Brother Shi, I’m sorry.”

Xing Shi feigned surprise. “Oh? It was intentional?”

Gone was Gu Zheng’s previous arrogance. He admitted, “Yes.”

He explained the motivation behind their actions. “I know losing my spot might be related to this. It’s my own fault, and I don’t blame anyone, but I still owe you an apology.”

Xing Shi looked even more surprised. “How could it have anything to do with me? The instructor said the decision was based on a comprehensive assessment.”

They had given Xing Shi a “no evidence” response, so he returned the favor.

Gu Zheng felt a bitter taste in his mouth. “You’re right—it’s unrelated. We just thought we should take responsibility for our mistake. Honestly, we regretted it right after, but we were too cowardly to admit it until now.”

His roommate said hoarsely, “I regretted it the moment I rushed down. I was afraid I’d really hurt someone and pulled back at the last second, but it still hit you. I’m not saying this to make excuses. A mistake is a mistake. I’m sorry, Brother Shi.”

Gu Zheng bowed his head again. “I’m sorry, Brother Shi.”

Xing Shi responded calmly with a simple “Mm.”

He wasn’t someone who held grudges unnecessarily. If someone schemed against him, he only needed to retaliate accordingly. Whether they apologized or not was secondary. Regardless of their sincerity, they had shown a proper attitude, and as long as they didn’t cross him again, it was enough.

He said, “Find some time to apologize to Feng Zifan and Yu Yi too, and we’ll call it even.”

Gu Zheng and his roommate were visibly relieved and quickly agreed.

Xing Shi watched them leave but stayed where he was.

His focus during the first class had been scattered, and he needed time to organize his thoughts.

The system, thinking he was still caught up in the apology, remarked, “I hope they’re genuinely remorseful. Of course, part of the reason they apologized is probably because they’re scared of being blacklisted and never debuting.”

Xing Shi was about to respond when the system added, “Not that it’s surprising—Fu Xiuning loves you. Every time you two so much as brush against each other, he’s thrilled. I can’t even imagine how high the favorability score would skyrocket if you two made actual progress someday.”

Xing Shi said, “…Do you remember we’re on the friendship route?”

The system cheerfully replied, “Of course! We’re following our route, and he’s following his. No conflict.”

Xing Shi ignored it and asked, “Are favorability changes recorded?”

The system replied, “Yes, you can check them anytime.”

It added, “Good thing the records can’t be shared. If Lin Kecheng’s side saw them, our alliance would’ve been exposed from the start.”

At that moment, Feng Zifan and Yu Yi approached.

Xing Shi finally moved, meeting them halfway.

Yu Yi asked, “What did they say?”

Xing Shi replied, “Just an apology, nothing else. I told them to apologize to you two as well—they should do it today.”

Feng Zifan nodded in understanding. Gu Zheng had targeted Xing Shi specifically, but he and Yu Yi were collateral damage—one got physically involved, and the other was indirectly affected.

Yu Yi’s eyes sparkled. “They already said sorry to me that day.”

Feng Zifan chuckled. “That doesn’t count. You didn’t know they did it on purpose back then. They owe you a formal apology.”

Yu Yi nodded, taking the advice to heart.

After lunch, Xing Shi had classes scheduled at school, so he left the company.

However, instead of going to school, he skipped class and returned to Fu Xiuning’s house.

The system was puzzled. “Why are we back here?”

Xing Shi said, “Well, after this morning, I feel reflective. I wanted to revisit the path I’ve walked.”

The system was confused. “Huh?”

Xing Shi locked the door to the guest room, took a shower, changed into loungewear, dried his hair, and lay down on the bed, closing his eyes to sink into his consciousness.

The system was increasingly baffled. Its host rarely sank into his consciousness, so it cautiously asked, “What are you planning to do?”

Xing Shi replied, “I want to review the favorability score records.”

He sighed. “I remember the first time I made eye contact with Fu Xiuning, the favorability score was -4. Today, it’s 4. That’s a milestone worth savoring.”

The system let out a bewildered “Huh?” “You seemed so calm during training today, but you were actually this emotional?”

Xing Shi said, “Mm!”

The system quickly pulled up the records. “Fine, here you go.”

Xing Shi scrolled all the way to the beginning.

The records were simple: timestamps, locations, and changes in the favorability score.

Starting score: -5. First meeting: -4. Then immediately after: -10.

The system watched the records alongside Xing Shi and became emotional. “You once said he docked points because you’re better-looking than him, but that’s not it. He fell for you at first sight! Look how violently he struggled with it that first time!”

Xing Shi felt a wave of emotions and murmured, “Mm.”

Now that he understood Fu Xiuning better, he could reassess their first meeting.

Fu Xiuning was cold by nature, indifferent to most things, and it was rare for someone like that to develop feelings for anyone. This sudden -10 wasn’t about someone being more attractive than him. It didn’t look like struggle either. It seemed more like… disgust.

It felt like the kind of disgust born from realizing something unsettling.

He continued scrolling through the records.

Their second meeting showed a score of -8. Sharing porridge inexplicably dropped it to -9, and back at the company, it fell to -10.

The system clicked its tongue. “There it is again, struggling. Starting from here, though, the swings don’t seem as wild as the first time—mostly just one or two points at a time.”

Xing Shi said jokingly, “That’s because my charm is irresistible.”

But in his mind, he wondered. Lin Kecheng had been present that day, and there had been an assassination attempt afterward. Was the -9 related to that incident?

As for the -10… he vaguely remembered it happened when leaving the elevator, but he had said so many things that day, he couldn’t recall what it might have been.

He asked his system, “What was this -10 about?”

The system huffed. “Don’t even remind me! You saved him, and he still docked you points!”

Xing Shi asked, “What did I do?”

The system said, “Nothing! You didn’t even talk to him!”

Feigning nonchalance, Xing Shi asked, “Oh, then what was I doing? Chatting with you?”

The system replied, “Yeah, I even asked if you were going to bow your head to your dad, remember?”

Xing Shi did remember. The system had thought he was skipping training to prepare for his debut, but really, he’d just been craving food from a restaurant.

That night, Fu Xiuning suddenly invited him to dinner. His favorability score rose to -9 in the parking lot, and to -8 at Linlan Garden.

The system grew excited. “That was your first accidental hand-hold! It immediately earned you points!”

Xing Shi smiled. “Exactly. Love at first sight.”

He remembered that event clearly. Because it was their first hand-hold, it had left an impression. He also remembered they had talked about Lin Kecheng that day.

It seemed that from then on, his interactions with Fu Xiuning started increasing.

Xing Shi continued scrolling through the records, while the system continued its enthusiastic commentary.

“He’s definitely a face-con. No doubt about it.”

“Feeding you a piece of cake? Just looking at you gave him bonus points.”

“Ah, even calling him ‘bro’ earns you points~”

Xing Shi humored it. “Yes! Exactly! He loves me!” He scrolled all the way to the most recent entry.

The system chirped, “And today’s hand-hold!”

Xing Shi thought, Yeah, today’s timing sure was convenient.

He wanted to dismiss his theory as absurd, but after reanalyzing the records from another angle, he couldn’t shake the idea.

It seemed increasingly likely that Fu Xiuning could hear the conversations between him and his system.

If that were true, it would explain a lot.

For example, their initially average relationship—why had Fu Xiuning suddenly invited him to move in?

Or why, during the early stages of the “strategy,” Fu Xiuning had been just a high school student. With a happy family and a smooth life, he should’ve been approachable even if he was distant. There were surely gentler hosts among those who had targeted him, and the strategy didn’t force hosts to pursue a romantic route. With enough patience and a bit of charm, it shouldn’t have been hard to become friends with a high schooler. Yet, in five years, not one had succeeded.

And why had Fu Xiuning, someone who liked his face, started out with a favorability score lower than the baseline?

“Attraction” wasn’t always an emotion one consciously acknowledged, yet Fu Xiuning had clearly felt it. And every time, it had immediately dropped.

Now, Xing Shi understood.

It was because Fu Xiuning knew he was a transmigrator. The more clearly he realized, through the system’s updates, how this face affected him, the more he was aware that the “original soul” was gone. It was a bitter pill to swallow.

Xing Shi went through the records again.

Every point gained from his appearance had eventually been lost.

Every point earned through his personality or wit, however, had stuck, steadily bringing the score from -8 back up to the baseline of -5.

Reading the entries felt like watching Fu Xiuning struggle to reject his looks while gradually appreciating his soul.

So what had caused Fu Xiuning to suddenly “figure things out”? What was in the file the assistant delivered?

The system noticed Xing Shi’s silence and assumed he was still reflecting. “Stop staring at it. Our rough days are behind us—smooth sailing from here on out!”

Xing Shi gave a soft “Mm” and let his consciousness return.

The system closed the records and said thoughtfully, “Since you’ve already skipped class, why not take a nap if you’re tired?”

With his eyes closed, Xing Shi considered how to test Fu Xiuning. A hypothesis was still just a hypothesis; he needed proof.

After resting for a while, he went back to the company for dinner.

Feng Zifan and the others were already at the cafeteria. Spotting him, they waved him over, excited to share the latest gossip. “Yu Shu came to the training department today and bought us a ton of afternoon tea.”

Though they all worked for the same company, the celebrities were always off working while the trainees were busy with training. Their paths rarely crossed, so seeing a star in person was always exciting.

But today’s highlight wasn’t just Yu Shu’s visit.

A classmate leaned in conspiratorially. “Yu Shu’s filming isn’t done yet, and apparently, he had a job this morning. He took a day off and has to rush back to the set tonight. But even with his tight schedule, he came to our department to bring snacks. What does that tell you?”

Xing Shi thought, It tells me Yu Shu was trying to gain favor with Fu Xiuning’s younger ‘brother,’ and unfortunately for him, he didn’t check with his system to see if I was even around. Total waste of effort.

He asked earnestly, “What does it tell you?”

The classmate gave him a mysterious look. “Think about it. Since we started training, only two people have ever brought us stuff—Brother Qi and Yu Shu. Brother Qi’s the boss, so it’s normal for him to check on us. But Yu Shu? He’s never been a trainee. Why would he visit us?”

Xing Shi, even more curious now, pressed, “Why?”

The classmate said dramatically, “Don’t you remember our bet? Yu Shu has a crush on someone in the company. So we’re guessing it’s Brother Qi! He must’ve heard Brother Qi visited us and came to follow in his footsteps.”

Xing Shi followed the logic and said, “Makes sense.”

The system interjected, “He’s here for you, isn’t he?”

Xing Shi replied, “Mm. Is he still here?”

The system checked. “No, he’s gone. But his filming is almost done, and his next variety show only tapes once in a while. He’ll definitely come looking for you again. What’s the plan?”

Xing Shi said leisurely, “No rush. His name’s already been leaked, so the other hosts will all be keeping tabs on him. That’ll keep him busy for a while.”

For now, Fu Xiuning was still the bigger priority.

After class, Xing Shi couldn’t wait to head home.

Fu Xiuning was in his usual spot, glancing up briefly when Xing Shi walked in.

Sweaty from training, Xing Shi greeted him and went to shower. When he returned, Fu Xiuning was reading.

A small detail came to Xing Shi’s mind: yesterday, when he suspected Lin Kecheng might be eavesdropping, he had greeted Fu Xiuning as “Boss” upon entering. At the time, Fu Xiuning had been on his phone. But when Xing Shi came out of his room, Fu Xiuning had switched to a book, leaving his phone in the bedroom to charge.

Now that he was suspicious, everything seemed like evidence.

Suppressing his thoughts, he casually walked over and sat cross-legged on the couch, leaning forward slightly. “What are you reading every day, bro?”

Reaching out to flip the cover, his fingers brushed against Fu Xiuning’s. Glancing at the title, Xing Shi withdrew his hand without much thought.

The system, having witnessed the whole scene, got excited. After waiting a few seconds without hearing anything, it asked in confusion, “Why didn’t the favorability score go up? You touched hands!”

Xing Shi said, “Maybe it’s because we only brushed hands a little?”

The system protested, “But you two always gain points with any physical contact!”

Xing Shi replied, “Hmm… Could it be that he saw my actions out of the corner of his eye and had time to mentally prepare? Our previous two instances seemed more accidental.”

The system had an epiphany. “That does seem to be the case.”

Fu Xiuning closed his book and looked at him. In a gentle tone, he asked, “How was training today?”

Xing Shi answered obediently, “Just the usual. Progressing a little every day.”

Looking at Fu Xiuning, he continued his internal analysis with his system. “You see, he used to struggle because of my face—such a classic case of inner conflict. I think he probably dislikes being touched directly and only likes accidental contact.”

The system, confident in its host’s intellect, agreed. “Exactly!”

It immediately suggested, “Why don’t you try setting up some accidental touches?”

Fu Xiuning maintained his older-brother demeanor and asked, “What reaction did the people who tried to set you up have after they were replaced? Do you think they’ve figured out it was because of you?”

Xing Shi replied, “They’ve figured it out. They even came to me today to apologize, and their attitude was decent.”

He continued with his system, “No need to try. It’d make me look like a green tea schemer. Let’s just leave it. He loves me anyway.”

The system said, “Fair enough. Let’s play it safe.”

Xing Shi agreed. “Yeah, let’s take it slow. It’s not my fault he’s so awkward. He loves me but won’t pursue me, likes me but resists it. No wonder he hasn’t dated anyone in all these years. Too bad I’m on the friendship route. He’ll have to stay single.”

Without a single change in expression, Fu Xiuning brought up something important. “Yu Shu came to see you today. He’s pursuing me. Now that he knows you’re my younger brother, he’ll probably try to get close to you.”

Xing Shi nodded. “I heard he stopped by the training department this afternoon. I was at school, so we didn’t run into each other.”

Then, curious, he asked, “Bro, have you rejected everyone who’s ever pursued you?”

Fu Xiuning countered, “And have you accepted anyone who’s pursued you?”

Relying on the “original host’s” data, Xing Shi answered, “No.”

Fu Xiuning gave a quiet “Mm,” which was enough to confirm Xing Shi’s earlier question.

Xing Shi went back to his system. “See? Told you he doesn’t like people making the first move.”

The system suggested, “What if he’s like the original host and just has high standards?”

Xing Shi considered. “That’s possible.”

The system got excited again. “That’s why only someone like you could move him—love at first sight!”

Xing Shi sighed dramatically. “What can I say? Being this handsome is a burden. Just imagine—if he’s this passive, he might not realize his feelings until after I’m married. He’ll probably show up at my wedding, drinking and crying in a corner. And while he’s silently suffering, everyone else will think he’s emotional over his ‘little brother’s’ happiness and try to comfort him, saying it’s a joyous occasion.”

Fu Xiuning: “…”

Xing Shi noticed Fu Xiuning’s unchanged expression and leaned in slightly. “Bro, have you ever had feelings for anyone?”

Fu Xiuning met his gaze and replied warmly, “Don’t let your curiosity run wild. Get some sleep.”

Xing Shi protested, “Come on, it’s a long night. Let’s chat! I’m your little brother, after all.”

Fu Xiuning remained unmoved. He picked up his book and stood, preparing to return to his room.

Halfway there, he heard the system’s wailing. “No, this is too tragic! I can’t accept it! Maybe you shouldn’t even invite him to your wedding!”

Watching Fu Xiuning disappear into his room without missing a beat, Xing Shi finally relented. “Alright, I won’t invite him.”

He hadn’t found any cracks in Fu Xiuning’s facade tonight, but he speculated that it was because Fu Xiuning had grown accustomed to hearing hosts and systems “chirping away” and had long since trained himself not to react.

Unbothered, Xing Shi planned to keep testing.

Over the next three days, he carefully brought up various topics in a way that wouldn’t arouse suspicion, subtly probing Fu Xiuning. But seeing no reaction, he decided it was time to raise the stakes.

The house was large, with a considerable distance between the kitchen and the living room.

Xing Shi wasn’t sure how far Fu Xiuning’s listening range extended, but it was worth experimenting.

Opening the fridge, he eyed the juice bottles inside and casually said to his system, “Do you think Lin Kecheng might snap one day and try to make me drug Fu Xiuning?”

The system, unsure why he’d suddenly mention this, replied, “Could be. He’s that kind of scumbag.”

Xing Shi took out two bottles of juice with different flavors. Walking over to Fu Xiuning, he handed him one, watching as he took a sip. Then he called out to his system again. “What kind of drug do you think Lin Kecheng would ask me to use?”

Fu Xiuning froze for a moment as he listened.

Xing Shi smiled, pulling the juice back out of Fu Xiuning’s hand. “How’s the flavor? Let me try.”

Under Fu Xiuning’s watchful gaze, Xing Shi took a sip.

The system asked, “It could be anything. But you wouldn’t help him, right? Why even imagine something like that?”

Xing Shi said, “Just curious.”

He extended his hand, returning the juice to Fu Xiuning.

Fu Xiuning looked up, and their eyes locked.

[Ding!]
[Current Favorability Score: 0]

[Ding!]
[Current Favorability Score: -1]

[Ding!]
[Current Favorability Score: -2]

The system was horrified. “Just because he drank from your juice?! What kind of lunatic is this?!”

Xing Shi wasn’t surprised in the slightest.

If their roles were reversed and he’d been hunted for five years only to realize a host had discovered his secret ability to hear systems, his first instinct would also be to “silence them.” Survival instinct, plain and simple.

The juice slipped from Xing Shi’s hand.

Fu Xiuning reached out, and Xing Shi’s hand followed.

Neither cared about the falling juice as their hands “accidentally” clasped in midair.

Xing Shi’s gaze was calm and resolute as he looked at Fu Xiuning.

Fu Xiuning, who always wore a gentle expression, now stared back with eyes so deep they seemed bottomless.

The next moment, they both tightened their grip almost simultaneously.

[Ding!]
[Current Favorability Score: 2]

[Ding!]
[Current Favorability Score: 4]

[Ding!]
[Current Favorability Score: 6]

[Ding!]
……

[Ding!]
[Current Favorability Score: 10]