Chapter 34
There was some activity in the group chat, prompting the other three systems to check in. They quickly remembered the matter at hand.
Late Bloomer: [Oh right, what’s your situation now?]
All You Brides: [Did the score recover at all?]
Fortune Awaits: [Even if it hasn’t, don’t worry. Take your time—it’ll go back up.]
As they chatted, they each requested permission from their hosts to look in on Fu Xiuning.
Because “Lucky Draw” wasn’t a particularly talkative system and rarely engaged in the group, its sudden activity raised some suspicion.
All three hosts gave their approval, and the systems conducted a quick scan. They discovered that the person standing in front of Fu Xiuning was none other than Yu Shu—the recently trending suspect and frequent hot topic on social media. They had even complained about him with their hosts not long ago.
The systems immediately returned to the group chat.
Late Bloomer: [@Lucky Draw, your host wouldn’t happen to be Yu Shu, would he? Did Fu Xiuning drop his favorability to -8 today?]
All You Brides: [I listened to that ‘crush song’ too. Fans were calling it a romantic confession letter. Was there any astroturfing involved? Is Fu Xiuning really the person he’s crushing on?]
Fortune Awaits: [So Yu Shu is really your host?]
Lucky Draw was unbothered by their suspicions and calmly replied: [Yes, it’s him.]
Its straightforward response left the other systems momentarily hesitant.
After all, they knew Lucky Draw to be the calm, perceptive type, always cutting straight to the heart of the matter. It wasn’t the kind of system to expose such a glaring weakness to others.
Moreover, they’d all reviewed Fu Xiuning’s favorability fluctuation history before coming to this world. A confession alone couldn’t possibly result in a score of -8.
Late Bloomer: [Tch, no need to throw out smoke bombs. That’s no fun.]
All You Brides: [Did you purposely show up in the group while Yu Shu was with Fu Xiuning? Are you using Yu Shu, who’s on the suspect list, to draw attention away from your actual host?]
Fortune Awaits: [That seems unlikely. Maybe it really is just a coincidence.]
Lucky Draw ignored them all, treating their probing as if it didn’t exist.
It knew they were still testing it, and the best response was no response.
Lucky Draw: [@PerfectionistBro, if it’s inconvenient to say more, I’ll go respond to my host now.]
System 99 had just finished recounting everything to Xing Shi.
Fully grasping the implications, it returned to the group chat wearing its “poor, pitiful” persona.
PerfectionistBro: [No, I just went to ask my host if I could share, and we ended up fighting about the score again. Just finished arguing. [Sigh]]
PerfectionistBro: [Our score recovered a bit, but it’s still low.]
PerfectionistBro: [I’d love to get the score back to normal as soon as possible, but it’s hard to encounter Fu Xiuning. Now that it’s summer break, it’s even harder. I tried persuading my host to stay in Z City to work, but he wouldn’t listen. Why did I get stuck with a host like this? [Crying]]
The other systems couldn’t help sighing at this.
Back when “Heaven’s Grace” had ranted about them in the group, they’d already guessed that these two systems’ hosts must have encountered each other in real life—possibly even formed an alliance.
At the time, they hadn’t pressed for details. For one, they knew the systems wouldn’t tell the truth. For another, the -8 didn’t seem like a serious threat.
After Lin Kecheng’s host’s identity was revealed, they made some guesses about PerfectionistBro’s host. Now their suspicions were confirmed: it was indeed a student from Z University.
Since this host hadn’t even entered Fu Xiuning’s company yet, they clearly weren’t much of a contender.
But that wasn’t the focus right now.
Late Bloomer: [Bro, how’d you raise the score?]
All You Brides: [Wow, to pull a -8 back up in such a short time—how’d you manage that?]
Fortune Awaits: [Care to share the details?]
PerfectionistBro: [It’s no big secret. My host screwed up and made a terrible first impression on Fu Xiuning. Several days later, when they met again, the score just went up on its own.]
The other systems quickly understood.
Disgust takes an emotional toll. Unless there’s a truly extreme incident, a score won’t stay at an extremely low value for long. This seemed like an isolated event that caused a drop, which naturally eased over time.
All You Brides: [Pat pat.]
Late Bloomer: [Don’t worry. There’ll be more opportunities ahead.]
Fortune Awaits: [Have a good chat with your host. Stop arguing so much.]
Lucky Draw: [Thanks. Keep it up.]
PerfectionistBro: [Mm. [Crying]]
Lucky Draw closed the group chat. By then, Yu Shu had managed to restrain his emotions and finished greeting Fu Xiuning.
Although the small cafeteria wasn’t crowded, Yu Shu’s crush had been making waves recently. The interview video had just hit trending topics, and most people here were paying attention to him. He couldn’t afford to let anything slip, even though he felt on the verge of breaking.
Grabbing a tray, he picked out some food at random and found a seat. As he sat down, his system’s voice echoed in his mind.
He had already called the system earlier and learned that it had gone to consult with another system about the same -8 score. Seeing it return, he hurriedly asked, “So? Did their score recover?”
The system replied, “It recovered a bit. Their situation was an isolated incident.”
Yu Shu asked, “Does mine count as one?”
The system analyzed objectively: “At the start of the year, the host involved in a car accident with Fu Xiuning confessed to him in front of the entire school. It ended terribly. If the trending topic made him recall that incident, it might count.”
Yu Shu stared down at the food on his tray and let out a bitter laugh. “So if that’s not the case, my -8 is because of Xing Shi?”
The system hesitated for a moment before replying, “Yes.”
Yu Shu let out a mocking laugh in his mind.
He had known Fu Xiuning for over a year, and Fu Xiuning’s emotional fluctuations were incredibly minimal. Despite all his efforts, he had only managed to reach -4. A score of -8?
That wasn’t just dissatisfaction—it was disgust.
Recently, Xing Shi had been spending a lot of time with their group, going to respectable places and mostly eating and drinking.
If Fu Xiuning truly saw Xing Shi as nothing more than a younger brother, he wouldn’t react like this after seeing Xing Shi make new, well-mannered friends. Even if Fu Xiuning disapproved of Xing Shi staying out late, it wouldn’t warrant a score of -8.
Looking at the favorability score, Yu Shu could only think of one word: possessiveness.
Because of him, Xing Shi had been going out frequently, reducing the time Fu Xiuning had with him. This had sparked Fu Xiuning’s dislike.
But this was Fu Xiuning.
The same Fu Xiuning who hadn’t been successfully “captured” in over five years, someone with barely any emotional ties to humanity.
If Fu Xiuning had developed possessiveness, could love really be far behind?
Yu Shu’s eyes reddened. His jaw tightened as he gripped his utensils, his hands trembling slightly.
The system said, “You can still raise the score.”
Yu Shu broke down. “How much can I even raise it? Even if I recover everything, it’s still just -4. What’s the point?”
The system asked, “Then what do you plan to do?”
Yu Shu remained silent.
The system coldly reminded him, “Statistically, the more extreme the methods used by a host, the faster they’re eliminated.”
Yu Shu stayed quiet for several seconds before taking a deep breath and starting to eat.
That was when Xing Shi arrived at the cafeteria.
After listening to his system’s recount of the group chat, he had it locate Yu Shu. Learning that Yu Shu had gone to see Fu Xiuning, he decided to come watch the drama unfold.
The system asked, “So Yu Shu’s system is Lucky Draw? It approached me because they hit -8?”
Xing Shi replied, “Most likely.”
The system instantly burst into laughter. “So after all the singing, MV-making, and trending-topic buzz, it all amounted to a -8? Hahaha!”
It added gleefully, “Fu Xiuning’s obviously mad that Yu Shu introduced people to you, making you go out all the time. I told you to spend more time with your brother! If you keep ignoring him, Yu Shu’s score will drop to -80, hahaha!”
Xing Shi signaled for it to stop talking. Walking into the cafeteria, he spotted Fu Xiuning in a familiar spot but didn’t see Yu Shu.
As he grabbed his food, he scanned the room and finally spotted Yu Shu sitting in a corner. Smiling, he walked over and said in surprise, “Brother Yu? Why are you eating here today?”
Yu Shu’s grip on his chopsticks tightened.
All that running around, careful effort, and heartfelt gestures—all for nothing.
The song he had written with genuine sincerity, meant to convey his deepest feelings, had instead earned him disdain because of the person standing in front of him.
Hearing Xing Shi’s familiar voice, a mix of old and new grievances surged to his head. Slowly, he raised his gaze and forced a friendly smile. “I had some business at the company, so I decided to eat here.”
Xing Shi, ever perceptive, noticed the storm behind Yu Shu’s calm façade. His gaze flicked to the bloodshot eyes and pale fingers clutching the chopsticks. His smile only widened. “I see. Well, enjoy your meal. I’ll grab mine.”
Just as he turned to leave, he paused as if remembering something, then leaned closer with a curious whisper. “Did you talk to my brother yet? How’d it go? Did he watch the MV? Was he moved?”
Yu Shu’s expression nearly twisted into a grimace.
He clenched his teeth in an instant, so hard that it even made a faint sound.
The system said, “Calm down.”
Yu Shu struggled to restrain himself and said, “I haven’t asked yet. How about you help me ask him?”
Xing Shi readily agreed. “Sure.”
Yu Shu froze, a trace of expectation rising in his eyes. Even though he knew Fu Xiuning disliked him, he still yearned to hear Fu Xiuning’s evaluation of him. “Alright, I’ll wait for you.”
Xing Shi replied, “Okay, I’ll have lunch with my Brother and message you later.”
Waving goodbye, he grabbed his meal and walked over to Fu Xiuning. “Brother, I’m here~”
Fu Xiuning acknowledged him with a faint “Mm,” watching as Xing Shi sat down across from him.
Xing Shi said, “I just saw Brother Yu. Can artists eat here too?”
Fu Xiuning replied, “Only those who’ve debuted can.”
The cafeteria outside was for regular staff and trainees. Artists who didn’t want to be disturbed while eating naturally came to this smaller dining hall. He added, “But it’s rare for artists to eat here.”
Xing Shi let out an “Oh” before asking, “Brother Yu’s MV is online now. Have you watched it?”
Fu Xiuning said, “Not yet.”
Xing Shi gave him a look. “Come on, I was in it. Shouldn’t you at least take a look?”
Fu Xiuning gave a small nod. “I’ll watch it tonight.”
Satisfied, Xing Shi unlocked his phone and sent a message to Yu Shu.
At the same time, Yu Shu had already heard everything from his system.
Not trusting Xing Shi, he had the system monitor the conversation. Upon confirmation, he let out a cold laugh. “So he’ll only watch it because Xing Shi is in it.”
The system reminded him, “That was the plan from the start—to have him film the MV to ensure this.”
Of course, Yu Shu hadn’t forgotten, but at this moment, everything felt irritating.
The slight hope that had just risen quickly faded. Even if Fu Xiuning did watch the MV, it wouldn’t be to listen to the song. What was the point of hoping?
Seeing his silence, the system suggested, “Don’t meet Fu Xiuning for now. Give it a week or two to see if this is an isolated event.”
Yu Shu agreed. After finishing his meal, he left the company.
Later that night, he stayed at home until late, carefully applied makeup, grabbed a bag, and went downstairs. Driving to a parking lot near a bar, he moved to the back seat, pulled out a wig and dress from the bag, put them on, and stepped out.
At the same time, Xing Shi had just finished showering.
Drying his hair, he went to the living room, sat beside Fu Xiuning, and opened the MV on his tablet.
The beautiful yet slightly melancholic melody began to play, drawing Fu Xiuning’s attention as he glanced at the screen.
Onscreen, Xing Shi received a message from his crush, his eyes lighting up instantly.
He pretended to read a book held upside down as a cover while peeking at the person through the gaps in the library shelves, moving along with them step by step. He learned to make crafts and prepared gifts with anticipation. When he encountered a flower on the road, he took a picture of it to send to them. Even on rainy days, he would suddenly bounce with joy under his umbrella.
He bought two identical cups of coffee, sipped from one, winced at the bitter taste, but then looked at the other cup, smiled sweetly, and continued drinking something he clearly didn’t like—just to deliver coffee to his crush.
But when he didn’t get a response, his frustration showed.
He grew dejected when messages went unanswered. He kicked a lamppost after missing the bus his crush was on. He suffered silently when he waited and waited but didn’t get to see the person he wanted to see.
Fu Xiuning had seen the shooting process and knew these emotions were tied to things like ice cream and makeup exams.
Yet as he watched, an inexplicable feeling of irritation arose.
All because of that nonexistent “crush.”
When the song ended, Xing Shi turned to him. “So? What do you think?”
Fu Xiuning offered an objective review. “It was well-shot.”
Xing Shi pressed on. “What about the song? Was it good?”
Fu Xiuning replied, “It’s alright.”
Xing Shi continued, “Did you feel anything from it?”
Fu Xiuning answered flatly, “No.”
Xing Shi clicked his tongue. “What a pity—he likes you so much.”
Fu Xiuning remained unmoved. “A lot of people like me. One more or less doesn’t matter.”
Xing Shi set the tablet aside, folded one leg up, and turned to face him fully. His tone turned teasing. “Brother, you said he’s really persistent about you. If he doesn’t get a response from you and sees how good you are to me, do you think he’d get jealous of me?”
Fu Xiuning said, “Probably.”
Xing Shi asked, “What do you think he’d do?”
Fu Xiuning looked at him calmly. “He might try to get rid of you.”
Xing Shi replied, “Then he’d be breaking the law. If he broke the law, would he surrender or take his own life out of guilt?”
Fu Xiuning locked eyes with him, realizing Xing Shi must have learned about the fate of failed hosts.
Unlike native residents, once a host’s mission failed, their body was doomed.
However, systems wouldn’t let them die immediately in a dramatic fashion. They would wait for an opportune moment to extract themselves unless the host went insane and exposed the system or the mission.
Fu Xiuning explained, “He’d either surrender or flee in desperation until he had no other options left.”
Xing Shi understood the implications and found it troubling.
If Yu Shu really tried to harm him and ended up in detention, they wouldn’t be able to predict when the system would detach from him, meaning they couldn’t harvest energy.
Unless Xing Shi acted in self-defense and killed him, forcing the system to leave.
But taking that risk was unnecessary. If he accidentally went overboard, it could backfire.
Alternatively, Yu Shu might not commit a crime but, driven by Fu Xiuning’s growing dislike, negotiate with his system to give up. Before leaving, he could try to frame Xing Shi for something, attempting to saddle him with a serious problem.
Fu Xiuning noticed Xing Shi deep in thought and handed him a bag of snacks. “The next time you run into him, tell me immediately.”
Xing Shi took the snacks. “Got it.”
The snacks were small, individually packaged, and wouldn’t add too many calories. Xing Shi enjoyed them, cleaned his hands, and sent Yu Shu a message: [Brother Yu, my Brother watched it. He said it was beautifully shot~]
Yu Shu was sitting in a bar when he saw the message.
He stared at his phone with a mocking expression and asked his system, “So it’s not about the song being good—it’s just that it was well-shot. Do you think he’s doing this on purpose?”
The system replied, “I don’t know.”
Yu Shu didn’t respond, set down his phone, and downed his drink in one go.
He drank alone until the early hours of the morning, then staggered out of the bar.
Earlier, many people had tried to strike up conversations with him, but he had refused them all. Now, seeing him visibly drunk, two people couldn’t resist following him.
Nearby, some “scavengers” spotted the tall beauty and felt a pang of excitement. Acting concerned, they rushed to support him and led him toward a nearby alley. The two people trailing behind saw this and followed as well.
The four of them guided Yu Shu deeper into a deserted, quiet area.
“No cameras here, right?”
“Relax. None at all.”
“Perfect.”
Yu Shu raised his head, his eyes completely clear, and smiled. “Perfect.”
The first scream shattered the silence, leaving the other three dumbfounded.
Before they could react, fists flew, striking them one after another. Cries of pain mixed with the crack of breaking bones, and the metallic scent of blood quickly filled the air.
Yu Shu grew more exhilarated as he fought, but then a wave of searing pain coursed through him, freezing his movements mid-punch.
The system issued a Level 1 punishment, speaking coldly: “That’s enough. Any further, and this will become a problem. I’ve warned you—this is a society governed by law.”
Yu Shu clicked his tongue, straightened up, and pulled a pack of wet wipes from his pocket.
The system, unfazed by his behavior, said, “So, you deliberately came out here to vent. Feeling better now?”
Yu Shu methodically wiped the blood off his hands. “It’s alright.”
But it wasn’t enough.
Turning away, his eyes gleamed with a crazed, murderous intent.
He needed to eliminate Xing Shi before Fu Xiuning fell completely under his spell.
Even if Fu Xiuning suspected or confirmed that he was behind it, it didn’t matter—as long as Fu Xiuning remembered him forever.
Fu Xiuning could only belong to him.
If he couldn’t have him, no one could.
The interview video remained trending on Weibo all day.
Aside from a few popular dramas, the entertainment industry had been quiet lately, which turned this into a full-blown public spectacle.
Bei Jinrong and his friends were also following the gossip.
When Yu Shu’s romance first hit the trending topics, they had asked him about it. Seeing that he wasn’t willing to share, they tactfully dropped the subject.
But with the recent surge in popularity, their curiosity was reignited. They created a small group chat, adding Xing Shi, Feng Zifan, and the others into it.
Bei Jinrong sent a voice message: “You’re from the same company. Haven’t you noticed anything?”
Feng Zifan replied: [We trainees usually don’t see Brother Yu. We even made a bet about this, but there’s still no conclusion.]
Bei Jinrong and the others were intrigued and asked about the nature of the bet, only to learn it was filled with shameless forfeits. They couldn’t resist asking what Xing Shi’s wager was.
Feng Zifan: [I think it was doing a handstand while calling someone ‘Dad.’]
Bei Jinrong laughed loudly. “Count me in! I’m betting on Qi Changyi. If I lose, I’ll randomly confess to someone.”
His friends, already aware of his feelings, smiled knowingly and said nothing more. After chatting for a while, they all went to bed.
Once the interview-related trending topic cooled off, there were no new developments.
Netizens had analyzed everyone at Liuyue Culture, with Qi Changyi being the most popular guess. The reasoning was simple—there was a significant gap between Yu Shu and Qi Changyi, making it believable.
A smaller group speculated it might be a company shareholder. However, since the company’s shareholder information only listed names and no photos, and because the Fu family was cautious about Fu Xiuning’s unique condition, they worked hard to protect his privacy. They closely monitored online discussions and ensured nothing leaked.
As the buzz subsided, most people aside from Yu Shu’s fans gradually lost interest in the matter.
Life went on as usual. Bei Jinrong and his friends invited Xing Shi out three times, but each time, Xing Shi had his system check Yu Shu’s location. Learning that Yu Shu was traveling for work, he declined.
The fourth invitation came two days before Xing Shi’s break. Around noon, Bei Jinrong sent him a message detailing the plan, and Xing Shi agreed on the spot.
The system, having read the message alongside him, said, “You’re going out again—and you’re staying out overnight this time!”
Xing Shi replied, “We’re going to a neighboring city, so of course we’ll stay the night.”
The system retorted, “Then your Bro—your Brother will be left alone. What about him?”
Xing Shi reasoned, “Sometimes I stay out late, and by the time I get home, he’s already asleep. Isn’t it the same?”
The system argued, “It’s not the same! At least you’d see him the next morning.”
Xing Shi proposed, “How about this: before I leave, you and I can unbind, and you can stay to keep him company.”
The system fell silent.
Xing Shi, having rendered the system speechless, swallowed his food and looked across the table. “Brother, I’m going out in a couple of days and will be staying overnight.”
Fu Xiuning asked, “Where?”
“S City,” Xing Shi replied.
Fu Xiuning nodded. “Alright. Be safe.”
Xing Shi said to the system, “See? My Brother doesn’t mind. He just wants me to grow and experience life.”
The system muttered, “I told you, he says one thing but means another!”
Xing Shi pointed out, “But he didn’t deduct any points.”
The system froze, realizing it was true. It was bewildered. “Why not? You’re staying overnight with some random guys!”
Xing Shi: “Hmm?”
Realizing its slip-up, the system fell completely silent.
Two days later, after finishing his evening training, Xing Shi grabbed his packed luggage and headed downstairs with Feng Zifan and the others to meet Bei Jinrong, who was waiting in his car.
The drive from Z City to S City took nearly two hours. By the time they arrived, it was past midnight, but the area was still lively.
One of the people who had arrived earlier came out to greet them with a mysterious smile. “You’ll never guess who I managed to invite tonight!”
Bei Jinrong raised an eyebrow. “Who?”
The person’s expression grew even more mysterious. “Someone big in the industry, a tough one to invite. Guess who it is—there’s a prize if you’re right.”
Bei Jinrong asked, “An A-list actor or actress?”
The person replied, “Giving hints would ruin the fun. Take a guess.”
As Bei Jinrong chatted with him, he led Xing Shi and the others inside. After a few failed guesses, Bei Jinrong laughed and cursed, “Fine, don’t tell me then!”
The man laughed and pulled open the villa door for them.
Inside, the brightly lit living room was filled with people, some standing, others sitting. On a single armchair sat a familiar figure. Handsome and refined, with a cool and aloof demeanor, the man’s gaze, illuminated by the light, was as gentle as ever.
It was none other than Fu Xiuning.
Xing Shi: “?”
The system: “!”
Feng Zifan and Yu Yi: “!!!”
