Chapter 30
The system had been terrified all night, but when it heard the notification sound the next day, it immediately felt better.
It also remembered the 2-point gain from yesterday and became invigorated. “You’re absolutely right—what’s there to fear with a face like ours!”
“Yesterday, you were the first to rush in and save him, yelled at Lin Kecheng for him, and even let him lean on you. That earned us 2 points!” It chirped happily. “See? What a difference it makes when he gets it! Before, even when you saved him, he wouldn’t give you a single point!”
“The group chat was so gloomy yesterday—some systems were even doubting whether anyone could ever succeed in conquering him. But obviously, someone can—it’s us! Hahaha!”
Fu Xiuning acted as though he hadn’t heard a thing. Maintaining his polite smile, he picked up where he left off in the conversation. “There’s no need for that. Go make more friends so you don’t get bored in your free time.”
The system hastily muted itself, not wanting to interrupt their conversation.
Xing Shi quietly watched the man across from him, thinking, Your affection points sure don’t seem to align with what you’re saying.
But Fu Xiuning had an uncanny ability to pretend that none of this was happening.
After eating the shrimp in his bowl, Fu Xiuning gently added, “Stop looking at me and focus on your meal. Make sure to train well this afternoon.”
Fair enough, Xing Shi thought.
Although Xing Shi knew better than to mess around, he couldn’t suppress his mischievous streak. “Am I still your beloved little brother?” he teased.
Fu Xiuning responded in a tone of earnest care. “I want you to grow, and that’s why I’m encouraging you to explore the world.”
Xing Shi sighed, “Fine,” and settled down, eating while scrolling through his phone.
Fu Xiuning didn’t care if Xing Shi ate there or not, but he planned to let the cafeteria staff know to add Xing Shi’s name to the private dining area list.
Just as he was finishing his thought, Xing Shi pushed his phone toward him. Lowering his eyes, Fu Xiuning was greeted by a photo of Xing Shi wearing cat ears.
[Ding Ding]
[Current affection value: 14]
Fu Xiuning: “…”
He immediately regretted having a conscience, silently meeting Xing Shi’s gaze.
Xing Shi’s expression was pure and innocent. “This is a picture I took before. Isn’t it cute?”
Fu Xiuning stared at him for two seconds before forcing a smile and replying, “Very cute. If you wear those, you can come eat with me every day.”
Having gotten the reaction he wanted, Xing Shi smugly retracted his phone. “Nah, I’ve decided to go explore and grow instead.”
The two tacitly ended this round of banter.
Xing Shi waited until they finished eating to bring up the real reason he’d come.
Fu Xiuning, who dared to show up to work with finger-shaped bruises on his neck, clearly didn’t care what people thought of him.
Xing Shi had already guessed as much. Seeing Fu Xiuning’s indifferent attitude, he nodded in understanding and got ready to leave with him.
Fu Xiuning glanced at him, then ultimately added his name to the private dining area’s roster, ensuring he could drop by whenever he wanted.
Xing Shi was deeply moved. “You’re the best, bro.”
“Mm,” Fu Xiuning replied nonchalantly, resisting the urge to lecture him on behaving better—he could tell it would be futile.
The two left the cafeteria together and exited the elevator on the third floor.
Most of the trainees had finished eating and were lounging in the recreation area. When they saw Xing Shi return, they all turned to look at him.
Sitting down, Xing Shi got straight to the point, recounting the incident: Lin Kecheng had tried to enter the entertainment industry by scheming against the boss. Fu Xiuning confronted him, leaving Lin Kecheng speechless and driving him to lash out violently.
The trainees had speculated countless scenarios but never expected the other party involved to be someone they knew. Shocked, they struggled to process the revelation.
They had gotten to know Lin Kecheng during a school anniversary event and frequently chatted with him in group messages. He had seemed so friendly and normal—it was unimaginable that he’d react to being exposed by attempting murder. It shattered their perception of him.
Yu Yi looked stunned. “So… what’s going to happen to Lin Kecheng now?”
“He’s been arrested,” Xing Shi replied.
The group sighed, some shaking their heads as they replayed Lin Kecheng’s behavior in their minds, searching for any signs they might have missed.
Feng Zifan eventually recalled something. Once the area had cleared out a bit, he asked, “Last time when Gu Zheng and the others plotted against you, it was because they saw Lin Kecheng’s messages. Was that on purpose?”
Xing Shi nodded. “Yeah. He didn’t like how close I was to the boss, so he targeted me.”
Feng Zifan was astonished. “What kind of person is he?!”
Gu Zheng and his roommates, who had schemed against Xing Shi before, also began to connect the dots. Back then, they had thought they were calling the shots, only to realize they were being manipulated all along. Regret hit them hard.
The Lin Kecheng incident caused the biggest stir at the university.
Both parties involved were prominent figures, especially Fu Xiuning, who had already been at the center of three major incidents this year.
First, he had been involved in a car accident with an obsessive girl. Then, he had been stabbed by the girl’s admirer in an act of revenge. And now, he had been schemed against and injured by a former subordinate. Coupled with the various incidents from last year, his string of misfortunes made people joke that he should visit a temple to ward off bad luck.
Xing Shi overheard his classmates discussing the situation and curiously checked the group chat, just in time to see someone suggest that Fu Xiuning “go get a blessing.”
He chuckled softly and locked his screen, thinking, Blessings won’t help. If you want results, take down the main system.
On the other side, Fu Xiuning was subtly reminded by a classmate to try seeking help from supernatural means. A similar thought crossed his mind.
However, before the two university students could plan their next move, finals week arrived, forcing all schemes and plots to take a backseat to exams.
Though Xing Shi had lost his memories of his pre-transmigration life, he still retained some basic knowledge. Unfortunately, his years in the magical world had left most of his academic knowledge long forgotten.
His major required him to study physics, chemistry, and math. At first, the textbooks looked like an alien language to him. Fortunately, after months of gradual exposure, some knowledge points began to resurface in his mind, giving him a faint hope of passing.
English, however, was a different story—it was utterly hopeless.
To make matters worse, the English proficiency exam was scheduled alongside finals week.
Before his transmigration, Xing Shi had been a top student who aced his English proficiency test in the first semester of his freshman year. His roommates had all passed as well. This semester, the three of them had signed up for the higher-level test, so Xing Shi decided to follow suit.
Now that the exam was approaching, his only act of desperation was to flip open a vocabulary book and start memorizing from the word “abandon.”
Meanwhile, Fu Xiuning also had exams.
Rather than staying in his study, he moved a chair to the long table in the living room, sitting across from Xing Shi. While casually reviewing his notes, he watched Xing Shi battle against the textbooks, finding great amusement in the struggle of the usually composed troublemaker.
Over the past few days, Fu Xiuning had quietly gained 3 points of affection for Xing Shi. Though he knew Fu Xiuning was just enjoying the show, Xing Shi didn’t have the bandwidth to care—his entire focus was on cramming.
The system, noticing how Xing Shi had shortened his morning runs, stayed up late, and seized every free moment to study, began to feel a little sorry for him.
Seeing him yawn over a vocabulary book, the system gently suggested, “Why don’t you go to bed? You’ve been sleeping too little lately. Get some rest tonight. If worse comes to worst, I’ll feed you the answers—I won’t let you fail.”
“No, I want to take the test myself,” Xing Shi replied.
“Why? What’s the point?” the system pressed.
“No.”
The system gave up.
When Fu Xiuning finished reviewing his materials and prepared to head to bed, he looked up to see Xing Shi asleep on the table.
He was about to wake him when he heard a soft murmur. “Abandon…”
His outstretched hand froze mid-air. Looking at Xing Shi’s bowed head, he couldn’t help but chuckle. So after all these days, he was still stuck on “abandon”?
[Ding Ding]
[Current affection value: 18]
Xing Shi’s eyes suddenly snapped open.
The system hurriedly reminded him, “Get a grip! Don’t go asking Fu Xiuning why he just gave you more affection points!”
“I know,” Xing Shi replied.
Seeing Xing Shi lift his head, still a little bleary-eyed, Fu Xiuning smiled faintly. “If you’re tired, go to bed.”
Xing Shi rubbed his face, glanced silently at the vocabulary book on the table, and decided to give up.
The next afternoon was the English Level Six Exam. Having only memorized two pages of vocabulary, he entered the exam room with that meager preparation.
Throughout the test, he relied entirely on “intuition,” picking whichever answers looked most appealing. After finishing the exam in a half-hearted manner, he left the room and found a quiet spot to sit down, slumping over without moving.
System: “Aren’t you going to eat?”
Xing Shi lay back on the bench with his eyes closed. “Let me rest for a bit.”
System: “Then at least find some shade.”
Before Xing Shi could respond, he instinctively noticed someone approaching. This area was sparsely populated, so he wasn’t sure if the person was just passing by or planning to strike up a conversation and ask for his WeChat. Opening his eyes, he looked over.
It was a thin young man wearing a light T-shirt, jeans, a baseball cap, and a mask—an outfit that didn’t seem practical in the heat.
Their gazes met, and the young man pulled down his mask, revealing a clean and delicate face. It was none other than Yu Shu, someone Xing Shi had only met once before.
Yu Shu smiled. “I thought it might be you from a distance. And it is! What a coincidence—it’s been a while.”
Xing Shi immediately perked up.
Yu Shu, whose identity had been questioned in the group chat, had kept a very low profile ever since, sticking to his role as an obedient celebrity. Even after finishing his filming commitments, he hadn’t sought Xing Shi out—until now. After all this time, including the distraction caused by Lin Kecheng’s system going offline, Yu Shu had finally chosen today to stage a “chance encounter.”
Feigning surprise, Xing Shi sat up straight. “Brother Yu? What are you doing here?”
Yu Shu laughed. “You’ll probably laugh at me for this. Ever since I was a kid, I dreamed of getting into Z University. But I was terrible at studying, so it was never an option. Today, I happened to be nearby and decided to take a stroll through campus—just fulfilling a little dream.”
His gaze landed on the backpack next to the bench. “Don’t tell me… you’re a student here?”
“I am,” Xing Shi confirmed.
Yu Shu’s expression was full of admiration. “As expected of the boss’s brother—you’re just as much of an academic prodigy as he is. But if you got into Z University, why did you become a trainee?”
“Passion,” Xing Shi replied.
Yu Shu nodded approvingly. “Makes sense. With your potential, it’d be a waste not to debut.”
He glanced toward the teaching building. “I saw a lot of students leaving there earlier with clear plastic file folders. Did you have exams today?”
“Yes, the English Level Six Exam,” Xing Shi replied.
“How did it go?” Yu Shu asked.
You just had to bring that up, Xing Shi thought with an inward sigh. “Not great. I probably won’t pass.”
Yu Shu comforted him. “That’s alright. If it doesn’t work out this time, there’s always next time. How about being my tour guide for now? Let’s walk around—it’ll take your mind off things.”
Xing Shi agreed, grabbing his backpack and standing up.
The system, wary of Xing Shi’s intentions, cautioned him, “Lin Kecheng is out of the picture now, so no one knows you’re a host. Don’t expose yourself again this time. If you form an alliance, he’ll definitely check your affection points, and then we’ll be in trouble.”
“I know what I’m doing,” Xing Shi replied.
The system could only hope he meant it, anxiously watching as the two strolled through campus.
Xing Shi led Yu Shu to a well-known scenic spot on Z University’s campus. After walking around and chatting, it was almost dinnertime. Yu Shu pretended to snap a couple of pictures before suggesting they grab a meal, offering to treat Xing Shi.
Politely, Xing Shi declined. “No need, Brother Yu. I need to get back.”
Yu Shu joked, “No way. I can’t let you be my tour guide for free. If the boss finds out I took advantage of his brother, he’ll give me an earful.”
“It wasn’t much of a tour,” Xing Shi said with a smile. “Besides, I already have dinner plans. I really can’t today, but I appreciate the thought.”
Yu Shu, aware that this wasn’t true thanks to his system, didn’t press the matter. He smiled and said, “Alright then. Let’s make it a rain check. No backing out next time, okay?”
Xing Shi nodded obediently, said his goodbyes, and headed to the cafeteria.
The system was stunned. “You actually turned down a free meal?”
Xing Shi explained, “Things that come too easily aren’t valued. With my status, I need to make it clear that getting close to me isn’t something anyone can take for granted. That way, he’ll value me more in the future.”
He added, curious, “What do you think? Is he a native or a transmigrator?”
They had reviewed Yu Shu’s profile, noting that his personality had changed over a year ago. However, since Lin Kecheng was a native and also had a personality shift, this wasn’t definitive evidence.
“Unless the personality change is drastic, it’s hard to say,” the system admitted.
“But one thing is certain,” it continued. “While we don’t know the identities of the other hosts, the majority of hosts tend to be transmigrators. Each batch usually consists of about six people, with the ratio of transmigrators to natives being at least 1:1. But more often, it’s higher—like 2:1 or even 5:1.”
In other words, among the remaining five hosts, excluding Xing Shi, who was a confirmed transmigrator, at least two others were also likely transmigrators.
Xing Shi was surprised. “Where does your main system even find so many people?”
“I have no idea,” the system admitted.
Xing Shi had only asked out of idle curiosity and hadn’t expected an answer.
He strolled into the cafeteria, ordered a bowl of mixed noodles, and halfway through his meal, a thought struck him. “I remember you once said that for a system to unbind, the host either has to succeed in the conquest or die. Lin Kecheng was a native and didn’t die. If it were a transmigrator instead, what would happen?”
“They would die,” the system replied.
Realizing its answer wasn’t clear enough, it elaborated, “I mean, their body would die.”
It patiently explained further.
“Systems aren’t native to this world, and neither are transmigrator hosts. Every world has its own set of rules. Since the main system brought the host here, it’s responsible for cleaning up afterward. If a transmigrator host fails the conquest, the system has to leave with the host’s soul.”
Native hosts, on the other hand, didn’t require this. Since they were originally part of the world, their memories would simply be erased to prevent the system’s existence from being exposed. Killing them outright would waste energy and wasn’t necessary.
Xing Shi paused, chopsticks in hand.
He remembered the system saying that the soul was an energy body. So when it claimed to “take the soul,” did it mean physically taking the soul elsewhere, or just draining it of its energy and leaving with that?
Suppressing his suspicion, Xing Shi asked, “If a transmigrator host succeeds in the conquest, do they still have to leave?”
“That depends on the host’s choice,” the system replied. “If they succeed, they receive the ultimate reward, which includes the option to stay. The main system will grant their wish.”
Cheerfully, it added, “So if you switch to the romance route in the future, you won’t have to worry about being separated from Fu Xiuning.”
Xing Shi let out a quiet “Oh” and finished his meal before heading to the library.
There was still much he didn’t know, and he often studied with the top students in his class. He made a point not to disturb them too frequently, instead saving up his questions and occasionally buying them milk tea to thank them.
Once, Fu Xiuning happened to visit the library and saw Xing Shi handing out milk tea to his classmates one by one. The affection point Xing Shi gained that day probably came from this encounter, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that Fu Xiuning had been secretly laughing at his predicament.
After the Level Six Exam, finals officially began.
Xing Shi’s sleep schedule shrank even further as he pushed himself to prepare for his last exam. When it was finally over, he felt liberated. Though he wasn’t sure if he had passed, at least he could relax for a while.
He packed up his stationery, slung his bag over his shoulder, and returned to his dorm.
Since becoming a trainee, he had rarely stayed in the dorms, and after moving in with Fu Xiuning, he hadn’t returned at all.
With the fall semester marking the start of his sophomore year, he decided to formally withdraw from the dorms, planning to move out everything at once.
It wasn’t difficult. He left behind the school-issued bedding and supplies for his roommates, fitting the rest of his belongings into a suitcase and a backpack.
While clearing out a drawer, he found a cufflink tucked in the far corner.
The material was unclear, and its value indeterminate. It had a dark stain on it that resembled dried blood.
“Where did this come from?” he asked the system.
The system searched its records. “It looks like something the original host picked up after saving someone from a car accident.”
Since Xing Shi was the original host, he had read through the records before. But the documents only summarized the host’s life in brief bullet points, and this particular event had escaped his memory. “Who did I save, and why didn’t I return this?”
“The records don’t say,” the system replied. “It was probably just a casual rescue, and there wasn’t any follow-up.”
Deciding to leave the mystery for another day—perhaps when his memories returned—Xing Shi tossed the cufflink into his suitcase and left.
After that, summer vacation began for the students, while Xing Shi transitioned to full-time trainee life.
He had fallen behind in his training during finals week and now had to work hard to catch up.
The system couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. “Why don’t you just debut already? Aren’t you exhausted?”
“Not really. It’s easier than studying for exams,” Xing Shi replied.
That’s true, the system thought. Even I felt tired just watching you study for those.
Now that Xing Shi knew he was the original host, he became even more diligent in his training. He wasn’t sure why he had chosen this path in the first place, but he didn’t want to let his past self down.
Still, when it was time to rest, he didn’t hold back on lazing around.
After three days as a full-time trainee, Director He arrived in Z City.
Having wrapped up his previous work, he decided not to schedule any more meetings and instead planned to spend the summer with his son.
He hadn’t forgotten Xing Shi’s previous state of mind and still felt uneasy.
Knowing that Xing Shi had training, He reached out at noon. His first post-lunch activity was taking Xing Shi to tour some potential new apartments.
Xing Shi had dragged Fu Xiuning along for the outing. Hearing Director He’s suggestion, he immediately replied, “No need, I’m doing fine living at his house, right, Bro?”
Fu Xiuning nodded slightly.
Director He tried to persuade him. “You’ll be staying here long-term, so it’s better to have your own place.”
He was more than happy to see his son making friends and added, “You can keep living at Xiuning’s place for now, and just take your time with the renovations. Let the place air out.”
Xing Shi thought that sounded reasonable but didn’t want to deal with the hassle himself, so he pushed it onto his father. “I don’t have much time. How about you go ahead and look for a place first? If you find something good, just let me know, and I’ll stop by when I can.”
Director He had no objections and began house-hunting on his son’s behalf.
There weren’t many new high-end residential developments in Z City, so it only took him a week to narrow it down to three suitable options. Xing Shi reviewed them and picked one, settling the decision quickly.
Director He swiped his card to pay the deposit. When he received the bank notification on his phone, his eyes unexpectedly welled up with tears—his son was finally willing to spend his money again.
He suggested, “Everything’s settled now. Let’s have dinner together tonight. You’ve been training hard for so many days—you should take a break.”
Xing Shi was tempted. “Alright.”
Director He immediately turned to Fu Xiuning. “I haven’t had the chance to visit your place yet. If it’s convenient, instead of picking a restaurant, how about we eat at your place? I can bring some groceries over and cook for everyone—you can try my cooking.”
Fu Xiuning had always planned to show Director He his living arrangements to reassure him that Xing Shi was in good hands, so he nodded in agreement. “Your presence is enough. I’ll take care of everything else.”
Director He waved him off. “No need. Home-cooked meals have a different taste.”
Fu Xiuning didn’t insist and simply said, “Alright.”
But he soon realized that things wouldn’t be so simple.
Director He arrived with two large bags. One contained groceries, but the other, while partially filled with food, was mostly packed with alcohol.
Fu Xiuning instantly understood his intentions. Director He couldn’t figure out what had happened to Xing Shi and had no way of investigating it, but he was worried that something serious might have happened in the past. So, he planned to loosen his son’s tongue with alcohol, hoping to discuss life and uncover any hidden issues before they worsened.
Sure enough, when the dishes were laid out, Director He cheerfully opened a bottle of wine.
He filled everyone’s glasses to the brim and said, “It’s rare for us to all be together—let’s have a drink.”
Fu Xiuning: “…”
No wonder they’re father and son—they even think alike.
Xing Shi, of course, saw through his father’s intentions and began earnestly singing his brother’s praises. “My brother treats me so well! Look at the desk and bookshelves in the living room—he bought those especially for me!”
Director He, seeing how happy Xing Shi was, felt deeply grateful to Fu Xiuning and raised his glass to toast him.
As the elder, Director He’s toast couldn’t be declined. Fu Xiuning lifted his glass and drank.
Xing Shi continued, “And that snack cart! He doesn’t even eat snacks himself, but he buys them regularly just for me. There’s a private dining area in the company cafeteria for executives, and he lets me eat there whenever I want. He even makes time to watch anime with me!”
Director He’s gratitude deepened, and he poured Fu Xiuning another glass.
Fu Xiuning drank silently, his gaze resting on a certain someone.
Xing Shi felt as though this was karma for all the times Fu Xiuning had enjoyed watching him struggle recently. He smirked and said, “Oh, and about the currently airing talent show? One of the trainees our company was pushing was supposed to be someone else, but the director wanted me specifically. That trainee thought I’d take his spot and tried to push me down the stairs to injure me. When my brother found out, he didn’t even hesitate—he kicked that guy off the list on the spot and made a public announcement about it!”
Director He was horrified. “Why didn’t you tell me about this? Were you hurt?”
“I wasn’t,” Xing Shi reassured him. “I managed to steady myself in time, and then my brother helped me get justice!”
Director He, still shaken, promptly poured Fu Xiuning another full glass.
Fu Xiuning: “…”
