The Salted Fish is Rebellious – CH36

Chapter 36

Fu Xiuning grabbed Xing Shi’s wrist in one swift motion.

Xing Shi, seated beside him, had just stood up, letting his hand dangle naturally in front of Fu Xiuning. Caught off guard, he was abruptly pulled back. He stopped and looked down at Fu Xiuning.

Their gazes locked mid-air.

Fu Xiuning tightened his grip slightly. “You’re not going.”

He knew what kind of person Yu Shu was and was also well aware of his impressive physical capabilities.

Xing Shi was an exception, the first in years. While Fu Xiuning had roughly pieced together Xing Shi’s origins, he hadn’t yet figured out why Xing Shi had become a host. Compared to those mass-produced hosts, Xing Shi was clearly more significant.

He understood what Xing Shi intended to do. He had even cooperated with him for this purpose recently. But on a yacht, surrounded by unpredictable variables, the risk was simply too high. It wasn’t worth the gamble.

Bei Jinrong couldn’t help but chime in, “Yeah, don’t go. What’s there to talk about with him?”

Almost simultaneously, Feng Zifan spoke up, urging Xing Shi not to go. The others quickly followed suit, some even trying to lighten the mood with jokes in an attempt to brush the situation aside.

It was clear to everyone that Yu Shu’s expression had twisted, his unblinking gaze on Xing Shi radiating a chilling intensity. It wasn’t impossible that he genuinely intended to kill someone.

They had never seen this side of Yu Shu before and were starting to feel a creeping sense of fear. Silently, they resolved to stay far away from someone so extreme in the future.

Xing Shi looked at Fu Xiuning. “Don’t worry, Brother. We’re just going to have a quick chat.”

Fu Xiuning could tell he had made up his mind.

Things had escalated to this point, and it would indeed be a shame to back down now. Besides, the system notifications had been incessant.

Yu Shu’s system was keenly aware of its host’s obsessive, love-driven personality. The more involved Yu Shu became in matters of romance, the more irrational he grew.

When Fu Xiuning had been alone, Yu Shu could sustain himself with fantasies, imagining their happy future together as motivation to work harder. But now that Xing Shi was in the picture, Yu Shu’s obsessive tendencies had taken over.

When emotions ran high, he became unpredictable and capable of saying or doing anything. Trying to dissuade him now would likely backfire, as Yu Shu might turn around and repeat the system’s words to Fu Xiuning and the others.

The system had originally planned to wait until everyone parted ways today to counsel its host once he’d calmed down.

But now, it couldn’t wait any longer. If it didn’t intervene, things would spiral completely out of control.

It said, “They’re setting you up. Don’t fall for it.”

“I told you yesterday: Xing Shi’s words were deliberately meant for you. With his personality and intelligence, if he truly liked someone, he would know it himself. He wouldn’t need your song to remind him. I’ve observed him—he and Fu Xiuning haven’t reached the level of intimacy typical of a couple. He’s lying to you.”

“And Fu Xiuning,” it continued, “you’ve read his file. His hobbies and close contacts are always tied to hosts. He’s aware of his own unique condition. Based on his personality and approach to handling things, if he genuinely liked someone, he wouldn’t admit it so readily, especially not in front of a pursuer like you. That admission was likely deliberate, aimed at provoking you. Understand?”

Yu Shu refused to listen. “But the favorability score says otherwise. He’s clearly different with Xing Shi!”

The system replied, “Yes, he is. If it weren’t for the favorability program, we wouldn’t have confirmed this so quickly—we’d have had to observe. Because of this, he shouldn’t have shown his feelings so openly in front of you and the other pursuers. Previously, when he kept interactions with Xing Shi minimal, like having occasional meals at the company, it left room for speculation. That was smart. Even when Xing Shi shot that MV, Fu Xiuning shouldn’t have been there all day. That’s not normal.”

The system’s tone turned suspicious. “They’re intentionally provoking you in turns. Now Xing Shi is suddenly being sharp and confrontational. Something about this doesn’t add up. Let me think this through.”

Fu Xiuning’s gaze deepened slightly.

Yu Shu’s system was calm and collected. Without its intervention, Yu Shu would have ended up like that girl at the start of the year—taking an extreme route and being removed.

Fortunately, Yu Shu was far from rational and relatively easy to manipulate.

Xing Shi tried to free his wrist. “Brother, we’ll just stay on the deck and talk.”

Fu Xiuning had said all he needed to. After a few seconds of silent eye contact, he released Xing Shi’s wrist. “Five minutes.”

Xing Shi smiled. “Fine. If five minutes pass and I’m not back, come find me.”

Fu Xiuning gave a quiet “Hmm.”

Bei Jinrong asked worriedly, “Are you sure it’s okay?”

Xing Shi nodded and looked at Yu Shu. “Are we still talking?”

Yu Shu said nothing and turned to walk away.

Xing Shi slowly followed him, the two heading up to the second floor.

The yacht was a 17-meter-long, 9-meter-wide catamaran with an open flybridge offering panoramic views. This was where they had set off fireworks earlier.

The night breeze brushed against the waves, and overhead, the sky was an inky black. Around them stretched the same dark expanse of ocean, with the shoreline still far away.

As they walked further in, Yu Shu stopped. Xing Shi noted his pause and said, “If you’ve got something to say, say it quickly. My Brother’s waiting for me. You probably don’t know this, but he can’t be without me.”

Yu Shu’s anger surged straight to his head. He turned abruptly and lunged at Xing Shi, enduring the first-level punishment as he tried to subdue this bastard as quickly as possible.

In his mind, he hoped Fu Xiuning would hurry up and arrive so that he could kill Xing Shi right in front of him. That way, Fu Xiuning would never forget him.

Since their mission was doomed to fail, struggling further was pointless. He might as well leave this world, take on a new identity, and return. By then, Xing Shi wouldn’t be around anymore, and Fu Xiuning would be alone again.

Recently, Xing Shi hadn’t gone out with Bei Jinrong and the others much. He had stayed home, chatting sporadically with Fu Xiuning about Yu Shu. However, because of the system, their conversations were always cryptic.

Xing Shi knew Yu Shu had a knack for receiving guidance from others, likely through a system. He also knew Yu Shu worked out and might have some fighting skills.

When Fu Xiuning had grabbed his wrist earlier and tightened his grip, Xing Shi had confirmed his suspicions. Judging by the grip, Yu Shu wasn’t weak, so Xing Shi mentally prepared himself.

Effortlessly dodging Yu Shu’s hand as it reached for his neck, Xing Shi stepped forward and delivered a knee strike.

Yu Shu was startled but reacted quickly, twisting to the side. Xing Shi immediately followed with a horizontal elbow strike, which Yu Shu narrowly blocked with his palm, stumbling half a step back.

Yu Shu’s system, having deemed its host beyond saving, didn’t waste a second-level punishment to stop him. It was merely waiting for Yu Shu to meet his demise so it could return and be free of him. Seeing Xing Shi’s surprising strength, however, it couldn’t help but feel surprised.

Xing Shi didn’t let up. Taking advantage of the moment, he grabbed Yu Shu’s hand and twisted it backward. Yu Shu spun around sharply, his hand slicing toward Xing Shi’s neck. Xing Shi sidestepped, and this time, his knee strike hit its mark.

The two moved at lightning speed, exchanging several blows within seconds. Finally, Xing Shi seized an opening, grabbed Yu Shu, and slammed him onto the deck with a loud thud.

The dull crash sent a jolt of alarm through everyone below deck.

Bei Jinrong and the others shot to their feet. “What the hell? Are they fighting?!”

They strained their ears, but hearing no further commotion, they turned to run outside.

Trailing behind, Fu Xiuning glanced at his watch and said, “Call out when you’re at the stairs. If Xing Shi responds, leave them alone and let them finish their talk.”

Feng Zifan immediately shouted, and Xing Shi’s voice called back from afar, “It’s fine.” Hearing this, everyone relaxed slightly.

Yu Yi, having been slower than the others, hovered nervously near Fu Xiuning. “Do you think Xing Shi will be okay?”

Fu Xiuning, reassured by Xing Shi’s reply, said, “He’ll be fine.”

Yu Yi twisted his fingers anxiously, pacing back and forth.

The group decided to stay on the deck, refraining from going up.

On the second-floor flybridge, Xing Shi pressed Yu Shu to the ground and leaned in, mocking him in a low voice. “I thought someone as willing to endure humiliation as you must be really impressive. But it turns out, this is all you’ve got?”

Pinned and unable to fight back, Yu Shu’s face turned pale. “You… how are you this strong?”

Xing Shi said, “Because I’ve trained. You wanted to kill me but didn’t even check my records first?”

Yu Shu immediately demanded from his system, “Why didn’t you find this out?!”

The system responded coldly, “It wasn’t in the records.”

Before Yu Shu could argue, Xing Shi continued, “See the gap between us now? Stop coveting someone who was never yours to begin with. Quit daydreaming. Behave yourself, and maybe when my Brother and I get married, I’ll send you an invitation.”

Yu Shu snapped at those words. His rationality shattered with an audible crack. “I’ll kill you!”

Xing Shi remained calm. “You can’t kill me.”

He released his grip as he spoke, watching Yu Shu quickly scramble to his feet and charge at him again. With practiced ease, Xing Shi subdued him once more.

“You’ve reached the limits of your strength,” Xing Shi remarked. “The best you could hope for is to attempt to kill me, fail, and end up in prison—where I’d visit you just to deliver some wedding candies.”

Once again, Xing Shi let go.

This time, Yu Shu didn’t try again. His strength was inferior, his intellect no match, and all his plots had failed miserably. He slumped to the ground, utterly dejected.

Xing Shi smiled. “Anything else you’d like to say?”

Yu Shu looked up at him, his eyes bloodshot and filled with desperation. He pleaded, “I really love him. I can’t live without him. You… you don’t even like him…”

As he spoke, he suddenly clung to a last shred of hope, grasping at straws. He stood up and stubbornly asked, “You don’t like him, do you? You’re just saying this to mess with me, aren’t you? Aren’t you?!”

Xing Shi stared at him. As expected, this guy was a complete obsessive.

For the past few weeks, while Yu Shu had been trying to get close to Xing Shi, Xing Shi had also been observing him. This plan had taken shape as he pieced together Yu Shu’s character.

Early on, when Xing Shi had been bound to his system, he was warned about the consequences of revealing any details about the strategy to Fu Xiuning. Directly informing him of the truth was forbidden. Creating coded messages or using cryptic language might work, but the system’s processing power was immense. Once detected, such actions would result in punishments. Unlike standard Level 1 or 2 punishments, these would target the host’s soul, as the repercussions of Fu Xiuning learning the truth were too severe for the main system to risk.

Xing Shi wasn’t keen on testing this rule himself, so he planned to use someone else.

Initially, he thought someone like Lin Kecheng—a schemer capable of orchestrating murder—would be ideal. That’s why he had confronted Lin Kecheng, intending to push him to a mental breakdown and provoke him into exposing Xing Shi in front of Fu Xiuning, thus opening the door for Xing Shi to discuss an alliance.

Later, when he learned that hosts could form alliances and that such alliances involved energy flow, he changed his approach.

Eventually, he deduced that Fu Xiuning could hear conversations between hosts and their systems. With this knowledge, he successfully collaborated with Fu Xiuning, eliminating the need to use someone else to send a message.

Still, the rule about not exposing the strategy to Fu Xiuning could be exploited in other ways—like dealing with Yu Shu.

Self-defense was risky. Yu Shu’s suicidal tendencies could lead to Xing Shi being framed for murder, which would be a huge hassle. Attempted murder might land Yu Shu in jail, but it was impossible to predict when his system would detach.

After much thought, Xing Shi concluded there was only one solution: force Yu Shu’s system to execute him on the spot.

Xing Shi chuckled. “That’s right. I don’t like him.”

Yu Shu’s eyes lit up instantly.

But before he could feel any relief, Xing Shi added, “But he’s still mine.”

Yu Shu felt like he’d been stabbed in the heart again. He was so shaken that his voice turned almost shrill. “Why?!”

Xing Shi caught sight of Fu Xiuning and the others coming up and lowered his voice. “Yu Shu, what’s your current favorability score?”

Yu Shu: “!”

Yu Shu’s system: “!”

System 99: “!!!”

Xing Shi smirked, clearly pleased. “Ah, that reaction—it confirms you’re a host too. Now you understand, don’t you? There’s only one grand prize from the main system. Even if I don’t love Fu Xiuning, he’ll still only be mine. And you pathetic, trashy hosts? You’re all just here to be my runners-up.”

With that, Xing Shi turned toward Fu Xiuning, his tone cheerful. “Brother, I’m done talking~”

Fu Xiuning immediately understood and opened his arms.

Xing Shi dashed over, throwing himself into Fu Xiuning’s embrace.

Fu Xiuning caught him and held him tightly, his gaze soft and full of affection.

[Ding Ding]

[Current Favorability: 26]

Neither of them paid attention to the notification. Their focus remained on Yu Shu.

Yu Shu was deeply wounded by the sight of them together. He suddenly rushed toward them in a frenzy.

Feng Zifan and the others, seeing his madness, hurried to stop him.

Yu Shu kicked them aside with surprising force and shouted, “Fu Xiuning, you’re being deceived! He doesn’t love you! He’s just—”

Before he could finish, his body abruptly froze. Clutching his chest, he toppled backward.

Everyone was startled and froze in place, unsure how to react. Xing Shi quickly ran over, feigning concern. “Brother Yu? Brother Yu, what’s wrong? Don’t scare me!”

He pressed his hands to Yu Shu’s chest, pretending to perform CPR. As soon as he sensed a familiar energy flow, he began absorbing it.

Yu Shu’s system, sensing its host’s imminent demise, prepared to sever itself from the host and self-destruct.

Xing Shi, having been warned by Fu Xiuning that this system was likely more intelligent than his own, had already prepared for such a scenario. When he felt a sudden surge of unstable energy, he immediately withdrew his hands.

The next moment, the energy detonated with a massive blast, sending everyone on the yacht flying.

Fu Xiuning, standing behind Xing Shi the entire time, reacted instantly. His pupils contracted as he caught Xing Shi mid-air, cushioning him as they landed three meters away.

He quickly stood up and checked the person in his arms. “Xing Shi!”

Xing Shi, struck by the backlash of energy, was in intense pain but still managed to keep his focus on Yu Shu.

In his thoughts, Xing Shi considered the nature of the energy he’d absorbed. In magical worlds, there were various elemental magics, each with subtle differences when absorbed. But at their core, all energies were fundamentally the same.

Before he withdrew, he had sensed something unusual—he suspected it might be Yu Shu’s soul energy.

But how could their cores be identical?

The thought rose and fell in his mind before he blacked out.

At 8:47 PM, police cars and ambulances rushed into the vacation zone.

At this time of night, some people were relaxing on the beach, while others strolled around the nearby harbor, which offered dining, shopping, and entertainment. The commotion quickly drew a crowd.

From the yacht, three people were carried ashore—one covered with a white sheet and two injured. The rest of the group, looking shaken and unsteady, followed as they boarded the vehicles.

Onlookers recorded videos and posted them online, claiming there had been an accident.

What started as gossip quickly went viral. Eagle-eyed netizens identified two minor celebrities in the group, one of whom was the heir of Yingjie Entertainment. The internet exploded.

Fu Xiuning, having called both his family and the company from the yacht, had instructed them to suppress the situation. However, the story was too explosive to contain.

Some of the bystanders had recognized Yu Shu from earlier in the day, having even taken photos with him. Now, they couldn’t find him in the videos except for the person covered by the sheet, leading to rampant speculation.

With Yu Shu’s recent scandal still fresh in everyone’s minds, news of his suspected death, coupled with rival companies June Culture and Yingjie Entertainment joining the fray, ensured the story couldn’t be silenced.

Receiving updates, Fu Xiuning made a swift decision.

When a host was executed by the system, the cause of death was always recorded as sudden death. Fu Xiuning had no concerns about this holding up to a coroner’s examination.

The two minor celebrities on the yacht were just the second-generation elites’ boyfriends and girlfriends, so he wasn’t worried about them leaking anything.

He instructed, “Issue a statement confirming the news. Assure the public that we will closely monitor the situation until the forensic results are released, and we will provide updates promptly to prevent baseless speculation.”

The PR team crafted a professional statement and released it through official channels.

The internet erupted, placing immense pressure on the police.

Fu Xiuning had only brought a few key witnesses up to the second floor of the yacht, leaving most of the group below. One of the second-generation elites, fearing Yu Shu might lose control, had recorded the entire scene on his phone after consulting Fu Xiuning.

When the police reviewed the footage, they saw Yu Shu clutch his chest and collapse, Xing Shi rushing to perform CPR, and then the explosion that sent everyone flying. Silence fell over the investigators.

They had already examined the scene and found no traces of an actual explosion on the flybridge or the body. One officer asked, “Was he carrying anything on him?”

The second-generation elites shook their heads. “Nothing at all. There was just a sudden burst of air. He was acting really strange before, like a total lunatic. His face was twisted, and he was saying crazy stuff.”

The more they thought about it, the more terrified they became. One of them asked hesitantly, “Officer, do you have a department for… supernatural incidents? Was he possessed by a ghost? Did the ghost blow us up after his host body died because it held a grudge against us for stopping him earlier?”

The police: “…”

A moment of silence passed between them.

The second-generation elites huddled together like frightened quails, on the verge of tears. “Be honest with us. Are we cursed now? Is that ghost going to kill us all one by one?”

The police remained silent.

Ordinary people couldn’t perceive system energy. The energy Xing Shi had absorbed during Yu Shu’s final moments had only caused him mild discomfort.

So while the explosion had been dramatic, it caused minimal harm. Apart from Xing Shi, who had fainted, only one person had twisted an ankle after falling awkwardly—this was the only other injured person carried off the yacht. The rest were unharmed.

The police, seeing that none of the group appeared injured, shifted their gaze toward the hospital room.

Xing Shi was still asleep. When he was first brought in, his vitals had been chaotic. While they had since stabilized, he’d developed a high fever.

Fu Xiuning sat silently by the bedside, keeping watch.

The system was also monitoring him, occasionally glancing at the group chat members.

The news of Yu Shu’s death had just been released when several systems joined the chat.

Later Rising: [@Top Draw, so you really were lying to us last time!]
All Are Concubines: [I told you, you were just using Yu Shu as cover for your host. Turns out I was right.]
Congratulations on Getting Rich: [Well, we can rule out Yu Shu now. Let’s all use fewer tricks and be a bit more genuine, okay?]
All Are Concubines: [Exactly.]
Later Rising: [@Top Draw, say something. Cat got your tongue? Feeling guilty?]

System 99 was on edge, watching and waiting, but Top Draw remained silent for a long time.

The earlier incident had happened so quickly that System 99 hadn’t fully understood what was going on. It suspected that Top Draw might have tried to take revenge on Xing Shi and ended up self-destructing in the process.

But why hadn’t Top Draw disappeared?

System 99 continued observing late into the night and noticed that Top Draw’s ID was still present. Its internal processes were filled with question marks.

Did Top Draw not return after detaching from its host? Where could it have gone?

The scale of the incident naturally reached Qi Changyi as well.

Not only did he hear about it, but he also saw a video in which one of the stretchered individuals had hair strikingly similar to Xing Shi’s. After confirming with Fu Xiuning, Qi Changyi rushed over overnight.

Since visitors weren’t allowed in the inpatient ward at night, he arrived the next morning just as the doors opened.

Coincidentally, Feng Zifan and Yu Yi also arrived at the same time. They hadn’t returned to Z City but had stayed in S City instead.

At first, they didn’t recognize Qi Changyi. When the elevator doors opened, they headed straight to the hospital room.

Fu Xiuning, who had spent the night at the hospital, had already freshened up and was sitting quietly by the bed.

The two greeted him, and Feng Zifan asked, “How’s he doing?”

Fu Xiuning replied, “The high fever has subsided, but he still has a low fever.”

Feng Zifan continued, “Has he woken up at all?”

Fu Xiuning shook his head.

Yu Yi handed over a breakfast bag. “Boss, we got this for you. We’re not sure if it suits your taste, but you should eat something.”

Fu Xiuning accepted it with a word of thanks just as Qi Changyi entered the room.

It was a private room.

Qi Changyi shut the door behind him, removed his mask, and glanced at the person lying on the bed. “What happened?”

Feng Zifan and Yu Yi froze for a moment before realizing who he was. They quickly greeted him.

Yu Yi’s eyes sparkled with excitement. He looked like he wanted to approach but hesitated, eventually retreating half a step and shyly hiding near Fu Xiuning.

Fu Xiuning glanced at him impassively before answering Qi Changyi. “He has a low fever.”

Qi Changyi frowned. “How did this happen?”

Fu Xiuning replied evenly, “It’s beyond scientific explanation.”

Qi Changyi: “?”

Ten minutes later, Qi Changyi finished listening to Feng Zifan’s recount of events. He was incredulous. Were they joking?

However, when the second-generation elites arrived at the hospital and repeated the exact same story, Qi Changyi fell silent.

He asked, “Do you have the video?”

One of the second-generation elites answered, “The police took it. They watched me delete the copy on my phone themselves, probably to make sure I didn’t spread it. Not that they needed to say anything—I wouldn’t have dared to keep it. Who wants a ghost in their phone?”

Qi Changyi: “…”

By noon, Qi Changyi had no choice but to believe the story. Xing Shi showed no signs of waking up.

Though all of his vitals were normal, he remained unconscious with a low fever.

Fu Xiuning, suspecting the issue lay with the energy in Xing Shi’s body, knew staying in S City was pointless. After negotiations with the police, they arranged for Xing Shi to be transferred back to Z City.

The transfer was to a private hospital owned by the Fu family, which offered 24/7 service.

Fu Xiuning arranged for a suite and moved in himself. Director He, who had received the news, also arrived, anxiously staying by his son’s side.

As the night deepened, Fu Xiuning was about to suggest that Director He get some rest when a knock came at the door. He opened it to find Yu Yi.

Yu Yi had just finished training and hadn’t even had time to change clothes. He was sweating and called out, “Boss.”

Fu Xiuning asked, “What are you doing here?”

Yu Yi, forehead glistening, replied, “I was worried about Xing Shi.”

He hesitated for a moment before cautiously asking, “Can I… can I go in and see him?”

Fu Xiuning stepped aside to let him in. Yu Yi sat with Xing Shi for a while before preparing to leave. Fu Xiuning said, “You don’t need to come rushing over at night.”

Yu Yi pressed his lips together. “But… but I can’t relax unless I see him.”

Fu Xiuning said, “Even so, there’s no need to rush like this. When he wakes up, I’ll have him send you all a message.”

Yu Yi obediently nodded, then hesitated for a few seconds before asking, “Boss, can we add each other on WeChat? That way, if anything happens, you can contact us anytime.”

Fu Xiuning added him as a friend, then watched as Yu Yi said goodbye and left. Standing still, Fu Xiuning lowered his gaze, recalling every moment he’d spent with Yu Yi.

Each time he and Xing Shi were together, Yu Yi would intentionally get closer. He had gone out of his way to thank them at the MV shoot, glanced at them from the staircase after changing clothes at the villa, and often stole shy looks while hiding near him. Tonight, too… this person gave Fu Xiuning a very familiar feeling.

Moments later, Qi Changyi arrived after finishing his work. Hearing that Xing Shi was still unconscious, he sighed.

After pouring himself a glass of water and drinking it, he said, “I bumped into Yu Yi downstairs. Is he close to Xing Shi?”

Fu Xiuning looked over. “Not particularly close. Why?”

Qi Changyi hesitated briefly before saying, “The first time I met him, I felt something was off. At the time, I thought I was imagining things. But after this recent interaction, I’m sure of it—he doesn’t seem like someone who truly likes me. You should have Xing Shi keep an eye on him.”

Fu Xiuning responded with a simple “Hmm.”

The next morning, Fu Xiuning went to the company. Using a casual excuse, he accessed the files on the trainees.

By noon, he had invited Feng Zifan out for lunch.

Feng Zifan sat cautiously in a private room at Linlan Garden, unsure why the boss wanted to see him. His demeanor was exceptionally reserved.

Fu Xiuning said, “Xing Shi seems to be close to your group, and I’d like to learn more about all of you.”

Feng Zifan tensed. “Boss, feel free to ask.”

Fu Xiuning said, “How well do you know Yu Yi?”

Hearing the question wasn’t about himself, Feng Zifan was momentarily surprised. He then listed some of Yu Yi’s positive traits.

Fu Xiuning asked, “And no flaws at all?”

Feng Zifan thought for a moment. “Well, when he’s nervous, he’s prone to tripping over flat ground. One time, he even knocked himself silly. Does that count?”

Fu Xiuning said, “How badly did he knock himself out?”

Feng Zifan couldn’t help but laugh. “He was so dazed he couldn’t answer any questions for a while. It took him half a day to recover.”

Fu Xiuning asked, “When did that happen?”

Feng Zifan, having once been curious enough to ask Yu Yi about it, replied, “It was on the day we were first assigned to different groups, during lunch.”

Fu Xiuning nodded and then shifted the conversation to other topics. At the end, he said, “I’ve also asked Yu Yi about you and told him not to let you know. Did he ever mention that?”

Feng Zifan replied, “No, he didn’t.”

Fu Xiuning said, “You’re a smart person. I hope you’ll do the same—don’t tell him about this conversation.”

Feng Zifan processed this for two seconds before replying, “Understood, Boss. You can count on me.”

After lunch, Fu Xiuning dropped Feng Zifan back at the company but remained seated in his car, deep in thought.

He had long considered that if the main system were ever to uncover his secret and send someone to bait him, they’d need to follow two principles. First, that person should maintain their advantage and not reveal their hand. Second, the main system shouldn’t choose someone like Xing Shi, who refused to be controlled. A host like that could easily turn the tables and become a threat.

Xing Shi had never truly seemed like a host. His background didn’t fit, nor did his attitude toward Fu Xiuning. In addition, there were too many exceptions surrounding him, including his ability to absorb system energy. He was nothing like someone the main system would typically choose.

By comparison, Yu Yi’s profile was much more fitting. His family and social relationships were simple, and his demeanor toward Fu Xiuning was consistent with that of other hosts—he couldn’t help but focus his attention on Fu Xiuning and find ways to get closer.

Now, Fu Xiuning understood the reason.

At the same time, in the same place, two streams of soul energy had entered this world. Xing Shi’s energy had been stronger, allowing the system to mistakenly capture and bind him.

The system had gotten it wrong.

Xing Shi wasn’t the host.

Yu Yi was.