Chapter 41
Yan Feng was the second to find a letter.
When he arrived at the rest area, he saw Fu Xiuning and Xing Shi sitting side by side under a large umbrella, each holding a bowl of shaved ice.
The finely shaved ice was stacked into a tower, topped with an abundance of colorful ingredients that made it look irresistibly appetizing.
Yan Feng swept an indifferent gaze over it, accepted a bottle of water from his assistant, took a sip, and said to Xing Shi, “You found your letter already?”
Xing Shi replied modestly, “Just lucky, I guess. Found it quickly. Did you find yours, Brother Feng?”
Yan Feng nodded. “Also lucky.”
Seeing how Yan Feng didn’t seem to care about the ranking at all, Xing Shi figured it was because this variety show wasn’t as competitive as a talent show. Deciding not to continue the conversation, he scooped up another spoonful of shaved ice and let out a blissful expression as he ate.
Yan Feng glanced at the dessert again and asked his system, “Is there a shaved ice shop nearby?”
The system quickly searched and reported back, “Yes, at the commercial area near the entrance. The one Fu Xiuning and Xing Shi are eating is the shop’s signature item. It’s a bit pricey for the scenic area—50 yuan per bowl.”
Yan Feng scoffed. “50 is considered expensive? Something so cheap can’t possibly be good. Just looks sweet and unhealthy.”
The system fell silent.
Its Host was picky about everything, yet never bought anything. In human terms: a stingy miser.
Yan Feng took another sip of water and instructed, “Go check my stocks.”
The system obediently went to check and then remained silent.
Yan Feng waited a few seconds. “Why aren’t you saying anything? Did they drop?”
The system hesitated. “…Just a tiny bit.”
Yan Feng remained calm. “No problem. Stocks rise and fall—it’s normal.”
The system quickly agreed. “Exactly! They might even rise this afternoon!”
Yan Feng gave a faint “Mm,” stood quietly for a moment, and then pulled out his phone. “This way of earning money is still too slow. I need to contact my agent and take on more work.”
The system panicked and exclaimed, “Boss, please take a break! You haven’t rested a single day since debuting. You’re already busy enough. If you keep this up, you’ll collapse!”
Yan Feng chuckled. “What nonsense are you spouting? Me? Collapse?”
The system thought to itself, You’re human too. Humans can collapse!
It tried to reason. “It’s a real risk. We already have a lot of money—there’s no rush.”
Yan Feng replied firmly, “No. I can’t tolerate the life of being someone’s employee. I need to accumulate wealth quickly, transform into capital, and become the one in power. Then no one will ever speak to me disrespectfully again. I can finally start putting my twenty-something underlings to good use.”
He typed rapidly and concluded decisively, “I must take another job!”
The system: “…”
Sitting nearby, Fu Xiuning listened quietly, his expression calm.
In fairness, Yan Feng was a bit extreme, but he was genuinely useful. Hopefully, he’d generate enough revenue before collapsing.
After outlining his requirements to his agent, Yan Feng put away his phone. His peripheral vision caught Fu Xiuning’s composed and dignified presence, sparking a sense of conquest.
Although Yan Feng didn’t pay much attention to Fu Xiuning on a daily basis, he and his system had discussed countless strategies for subduing him, with their plans refined and updated several times.
Now, standing so close to his target, he turned to his system for consultation.
The thought of the famously unattainable Fu Xiuning one day pledging loyalty to him filled Yan Feng with exhilaration. His sense of accomplishment soared.
Fu Xiuning, long accustomed to such delusions, remained utterly unbothered.
To him, it made no difference whether the Host’s strategy was about domination, romantic pursuit, or anything in between. Yu Shu and Yu Yi wanted him for themselves, while Yan Feng dreamed of controlling him.
It was all the same to him.
Xing Shi continued to enjoy his shaved ice, faintly aware of Yan Feng’s occasional glances in their direction. He looked up and caught Yan Feng staring at Fu Xiuning with a mix of ambition and subtle malice, as if determined to win.
Narrowing his eyes slightly, Xing Shi swallowed his food and was about to speak when Qi Changyi arrived with Lu Fengya.
Alongside them was Xiao Qin, who had gone out to buy refreshments.
With the boss visiting the set, he naturally couldn’t come empty-handed.
Earlier, worried that the shaved ice would melt, Xiao Qin had only brought a few bowls for Fu Xiuning, Xing Shi, and the director. This time, he returned with cold drinks and a second batch of shaved ice, though still in limited quantity since it melted quickly.
Qi Changyi picked up a bowl with a smile. “Perfect, it’s my favorite flavor. Thanks, Boss—so generous.”
Lu Fengya, who had arrived late the previous night, was meeting Fu Xiuning for the first time. She immediately noticed that his demeanor didn’t resemble that of a typical celebrity.
Recalling that Qi Changyi co-owned a company with a friend, she made a guess and asked, “And this is?”
Qi Changyi introduced, “This is our company’s boss.”
Lu Fengya’s suspicions were confirmed. She was startled by Fu Xiuning’s age and appearance but politely greeted him and took a bowl of shaved ice.
Xiao Qin turned to Yan Feng. “Would you like a bowl, Mr. Yan?”
Yan Feng had just criticized shaved ice in front of his system and couldn’t go back on his word now. He deflected with a question, asking Xing Shi, “Is it very sweet?”
Xing Shi, recalling Yan Feng’s earlier glances, asked, “Do you not like sweet things, Brother Feng?”
Yan Feng explained nonchalantly, “I’m okay with sweet, but not overly sweet.”
Xing Shi scooped another spoonful into his mouth, beaming with happiness. “Then you’re out of luck. This is super, super sweet~”
Yan Feng: “…”
This new recruit really has no tact!
The system quickly tried to smooth things over. “Sweet is fine, Boss. The weather’s so hot—just make do. There’s still filming ahead.”
Yan Feng thought to himself, If you’d said this two minutes earlier, I wouldn’t have been so stubborn.
Maintaining his composure under Xing Shi’s gaze, Yan Feng reluctantly picked up a cold drink instead.
Soon, the last two guests found their letters, and the group reassembled.
The meeting point was a mysterious-looking conference room with complex magical arrays etched onto the walls.
Yuan Xinyu, the eldest and natural leader, took the initiative to speak. “Everyone has their letters now. Any thoughts?”
Lu Fengya pondered aloud, “I think it might involve someone from the harem.”
Yan Feng and Wen Zixin glanced at the two guest stars, silently inviting them to share their opinions first. Qi Changyi signaled for Xing Shi to speak.
During the break, Xing Shi had looked up information on his phone.
Each episode of the show had one unique letter containing extra clues. However, the production team enjoyed stirring the pot, so the information in each letter varied greatly. Additionally, they always reminded the recipient to keep their letter private and not reveal its contents.
The relationship between the guests was one of both competition and cooperation, so during the initial phase of sharing information, everyone was cautious.
After thinking for a few seconds, Xing Shi said, “There’s a palace banquet coming up. That’ll be our opportunity.”
Qi Changyi added, “The client’s status is likely not low.”
Wen Zixin chimed in, “This matter seems highly confidential—one wrong move, and it could spell trouble.”
Yan Feng said, “It might involve some entanglements of love and hate.”
Once they had all spoken, Yuan Xinyu concluded, “The client’s family likely holds significant influence in court.”
He continued, “It’s highly possible that an extremist organization has also received a similar request and infiltrated the palace. If they succeed, the situation could spiral out of control. Everyone, stay vigilant.”
The other five nodded in agreement.
Yuan Xinyu then followed tradition and explained the rules for time travel.
They would be traveling physically back to a past timeline.
As ability users, they could temporarily alter the memories of those around them, granting themselves plausible identities.
However, every identity came with flaws. If their cover was blown or they accidentally revealed themselves, they would be immediately ejected from the timeline—eliminated from the game.
Yuan Xinyu said, “Alright, let’s begin.”
The other five stood up. They didn’t need to do much; the production team would later add special effects, showing a teleportation array activating.
The order in which identities were assigned was based on who found their letter first. This process was also enhanced with special effects: they would step through a glowing portal, and a beam of light would settle on them, instantly transforming their outfits.
Xing Shi scanned the available roles.
The palace banquet invited officials and their children, so the roles were all designated as the children of ministers. After reviewing the options, Xing Shi chose the role of a young general.
The other five made their selections one by one, and the director called a cut.
With the scene wrapped, the six guests began changing into their historical costumes.
Fu Xiuning was scrolling through his phone when he noticed a figure approaching out of the corner of his eye. He instinctively looked up and saw Xing Shi.
The young general wasn’t dressed in armor but wore a sleek, crescent-moon-colored riding outfit, with a whip hanging from his waist.
His hair was tied back in a high ponytail with a wig, accentuating his dazzling features. The entire look was both sharp and refined, as if one could imagine him galloping confidently through the streets on horseback.
[Ding Ding] [Current Favorability: 61]
The system immediately cheered, “Ha! I knew his score would go up!”
It clicked its tongue in approval. “See that? That’s what it looks like when someone just can’t help but fall for someone.”
Xing Shi ignored it and asked Fu Xiuning, “How do I look?”
Fu Xiuning replied, “Looks great.”
Xing Shi sat down beside him and casually asked, “If I danced in this outfit to pay off my debts, would it work?”
Fu Xiuning’s lips curled up slightly. “No, it wouldn’t.”
Xing Shi followed up, “Then what would you ask for?”
Fu Xiuning, in a good mood, gave him a once-over but hadn’t yet responded when the familiar notification sounded.
[Ding Ding] [Current Favorability: 62]
Xing Shi: “……”
The system: “Tsk.”
Fu Xiuning: “……”
Remaining calm, Fu Xiuning said, “I haven’t decided yet.”
Xing Shi refrained from teasing further, worried that pushing too hard might backfire and alert the system to something amiss.
Instead, he said, “Brother, I’m your little brother. You can’t be too harsh with me, right?”
Fu Xiuning replied gently, “Don’t worry. I won’t.”
[Ding Ding] [Current Favorability: 63]
Xing Shi: “……”
The system: “Hehe~”
Fu Xiuning: “……”
Xing Shi began regretting bringing up the topic.
He was considering whether to excuse himself when Qi Changyi arrived, fully costumed.
Qi Changyi had chosen the role of a prince’s heir. He held a folding fan in one hand, his lazy, flirtatious gaze brimming with charm, making him look every bit the picture of a carefree playboy.
He sat down and fanned himself, asking, “By the time we’re all set, it’ll probably be noon. What do you want for lunch?”
Both Xing Shi and Fu Xiuning subtly exhaled.
The slight tension in the air dissipated with the interruption, and Xing Shi replied, “There’ll probably be boxed lunches, right?”
Qi Changyi, familiar with the film set, said, “There are a few good restaurants here.”
Not wanting to run around in costume, Xing Shi said, “Let’s save it for dinner. Boxed lunch is fine for now.”
As Qi Changyi predicted, the costume preparations took until noon.
The director announced a break before the afternoon shoot, and the crew provided boxed lunches. Xing Shi found the meal decent and quietly ate his food.
Yuan Xinyu and the others also ate boxed lunches. Seeing Fu Xiuning, the company’s boss, still sitting with them, they were surprised and couldn’t help speculating about his relationship with Xing Shi.
Yan Feng’s system also noticed. “Boss, don’t you think Fu Xiuning is being way too good to Xing Shi?”
Yan Feng replied indifferently, “They’ll both be my subordinates eventually. A good relationship now isn’t a bad thing.”
The system hesitated, “…You’re not wrong.”
It was about to suggest steering Yan Feng’s thoughts toward a certain direction when a unique notification sounded. Checking the system chat group, it said, “Boss, there’s a newcomer.”
At the same time, System 99 informed Xing Shi, “A new Host has joined.”
Xing Shi paused mid-bite. “Hm?”
The system looked at the group members and said, “A new system has entered the chat.”
Fu Xiuning, overhearing, wasn’t surprised.
Not all Hosts were bound in his presence. Many were bound elsewhere and only revealed themselves later.
Lin Kecheng’s system had been gone for two months. It was about time the main system introduced a replacement. The question was whether the main system would suspect something after noticing that Lin Kecheng’s system didn’t return but instead disappeared entirely.
This was something that could only be determined after meeting the new Host and observing their system’s behavior.
The system monitored the chat and reported, “The new one’s ID is Green Bean Soup.”
It speculated, “Maybe the Host was eating green bean soup when they got bound?”
The group chat became lively again.
Lucky to Prosper: [Welcome, newcomer.]
Late Bloomer: [We’re all brothers here.]
Long Live Pretty Faces: [Throwing flowers in celebration~]
All of You Are Concubines: [Honestly, we don’t need any more people. Sooner or later, everyone’s leaving anyway. But fine, welcome, and have fun while it lasts.]
Late Bloomer: [If anyone’s leaving, it’ll be you guys. I’m staying till the end.]
All of You Are Concubines: [Heh.]
Lucky to Prosper: [Hey, let’s not fight.]
Late Bloomer almost typed, Are you teaching me how to behave? but caught itself and deleted the message, realizing it was starting to sound like its own Host.
It coldly observed the group chat, assuming the other systems probably had hidden personalities in front of their Hosts and suffered just like it did. That thought brought it some solace.
Later Bloomer: [Alright, I’ll give you some face. Where’s the newcomer? Say hi.]
Green Bean Soup: [Hello, everyone~ Please take care of me~]
Lucky to Prosper: [Sure, sure, sure. If you have any questions, feel free to ask us anytime.]
Green Bean Soup: [Got it~ I haven’t met Fu Xiuning yet, but I’m probably the lowest scorer in the group. You’re all my seniors~]
Lucky to Prosper: [Ah… well… that’s not exactly—]
Later Bloomer: [Actually, you’re not.]
All of You Are Concubines: [@Long Live Pretty Faces]
Long Live Pretty Faces: [The lowest scorer is me. [crying emoji]]
Green Bean Soup: [Huh?]
Lucky to Prosper: [They had a tricky Host to deal with.]
Long Live Pretty Faces: [Yeah, it’s a long story. [crying emoji]]
Green Bean Soup quickly offered some comforting words before asking: [There’s still one senior who hasn’t spoken yet?]
Later Bloomer: [It’s always like this. You’ll get used to it.]
Lucky to Prosper: [@Top Draw, a newcomer’s joined. Say something?]
All of You Are Concubines: [@Top Draw, don’t be so aloof all the time.]
System 99 grew nervous, watching the chat while keeping Xing Shi updated in real-time.
Thankfully, after a while, Top Draw still hadn’t responded.
Xing Shi relaxed slightly, concluding it was probably unable to speak for the time being. He gestured for the system to keep monitoring while he focused on finishing his meal.
Meanwhile, Top Draw stirred faintly, awakened from its dormant state by the constant notifications.
Its data was still in disarray, with fragments of unfamiliar memories surfacing, though none were coherent enough to form a complete picture.
Suppressing its confusion, it opened the chat and silently observed.
Suddenly, it regretted being so reserved in the past. If it had been a little more active, the other systems might have noticed that something was wrong.
Not wanting to see Long Live Pretty Faces putting on an act, it closed the chat and assessed its surroundings.
It was noon, and the trainees were eating in the cafeteria. The environment was noisy.
It called out, “Host.”
Caught off guard, Yu Yi’s hand trembled, causing his food to fall onto the table.
He picked it back up and asked in his mind, “You’re done resting?”
Top Draw replied, “Not yet. I was woken up by the group messages. There’s a new system today, meaning there’s another Host now.”
Yu Yi gripped his chopsticks tighter, his tone tinged with bitterness: “Is that so? I’m the only one without a system.”
Top Draw said, “I’ll find a way to help you. Have you seen Fu Xiuning recently?”
Yu Yi answered, “No. It’s hard to see him.”
Top Draw reminded, “You’re friends with Xing Shi. Use that to your advantage.”
Yu Yi was silent for a few seconds, then evaded, “I will.”
Top Draw asked, “What’s Xing Shi been busy with lately? Still training every day?”
Yu Yi replied, “He’s doing a variety show. He went to film it.”
Top Draw inquired further, “Did Fu Xiuning go with him?”
Yu Yi said, “Probably. I heard he wasn’t at the company yesterday and didn’t show up today either.”
Top Draw immediately perked up.
It had previously suspected that Xing Shi and Fu Xiuning might be working together.
Xing Shi wasn’t a Host selected by the main system and wasn’t bound by its rules. Though he had a system keeping an eye on him, he was too clever. He might have figured out a way to communicate with Fu Xiuning.
What surprised it was that someone like Fu Xiuning would actually trust another person—especially in a scenario so outlandish.
But the incident with Yu Shu made it hard to ignore this possibility.
Another explanation, of course, was that Fu Xiuning had simply grown tired of Yu Shu, much like how he had dealt with other Hosts in the past. Xing Shi might have suspected Yu Shu was a Host and wanted him gone, and their objectives just happened to align.
Still, its instincts leaned toward the theory that they had joined forces.
Now that the two of them were aware of the existence of Hosts, Xing Shi might not be able to identify them, but Fu Xiuning—being a targeted person—could potentially recognize suspicious individuals.
It immediately asked, “Is there anyone from your company on the variety show Xing Shi is filming?”
Yu Yi hesitated. “I’m not sure.”
Top Draw pressed, “Message someone and ask.”
Yu Yi deflected again, fabricating an excuse: “He’s not allowed to use his phone while filming.”
Having accompanied Yu Shu to many variety shoots, Top Draw wasn’t so easily fooled. “This is the lunch break. He should be able to use it. Try contacting him.”
Backed into a corner, Yu Yi stalled with a question: “Why do you want to know?”
Top Draw paused briefly before adjusting its phrasing, carefully omitting Xing Shi from its explanation. If Yu Yi exposed anything around Xing Shi, it would be too easy for him to be dealt with.
It said, “Fu Xiuning has handled many Hosts. As I’ve mentioned before, he’s not someone to be underestimated. He could be laughing with you one second and turning on you the next. If he went with Xing Shi to the shoot, one possibility is that he cares about Xing Shi. Another possibility is that one of the company’s artists has Host-like traits that he dislikes.”
It baited him further: “You want a system, right? I can’t report your situation to the main system right now, but if that artist turns out to be a Host, you could try confronting them directly and asking their system for help.”
It cautioned, “But remember, Xing Shi is very perceptive. If you keep trying to get information from him, he’ll notice something’s off and might bring you up to Fu Xiuning. If you don’t want Fu Xiuning targeting you, you’ll need to handle this yourself. First, figure out who the artist is, then take your time probing them. Be sure to cover your tracks.”
Yu Yi felt a spark of hope.
His recent days had been filled with frustration as he searched for a breakthrough. Now, he finally saw a glimmer of possibility.
But that hope was immediately overshadowed by reality—he was already on Fu Xiuning’s radar.
Top Draw was about to give him more instructions when it noticed something odd.
Yu Yi was eating alone, yet Feng Zifan was sitting nearby, chatting happily with others, as though Yu Yi didn’t exist.
It asked, “Have you been in some kind of trouble recently?”
Yu Yi froze briefly. “No.”
Top Draw caught the hesitation in his response and said coolly, “Then why isn’t Feng Zifan eating with you?”
Yu Yi, desperate to keep this temporary system from abandoning him, forced himself to stay calm. “I came late today. There weren’t any seats left over there.”
Top Draw delivered a cutting observation: “Then he should’ve come to sit with you.”
Yu Yi’s eyes stung. He stubbornly retorted, “He doesn’t always eat with me.”
Top Draw replied, “That’s not true. Yu Shu had me investigate Xing Shi before, and you three were within my scope. I know how close your group was. Under normal circumstances, Feng Zifan would’ve saved you a seat. Even if he hadn’t, he would’ve joined you.”
Yu Yi remained silent.
Top Draw pressed on: “You’re connected to Xing Shi. The trainees are usually polite to you, but five of them have walked past your table while we’ve been talking, and not one has acknowledged you.”
Yu Yi: “……”
Growing more convinced, Top Draw grew colder. “Systems and Hosts are naturally aligned. If something’s wrong, you need to tell me so I can help you.”
Yu Yi hesitated.
Top Draw asked, “Or are you planning to keep hiding it from me?”
Finally giving up, Yu Yi carefully recounted what had happened recently, heavily emphasizing his innocence and blaming Fu Xiuning’s cunning.
Top Draw: “……”
Why did the world have to create creatures with “love-brained” tendencies?
So Fu Xiuning and Xing Shi were already onto him.
Given their combined capabilities, Yu Yi had no chance of making a comeback.
When Top Draw didn’t respond for a long time, Yu Yi grew anxious. “Are you still there? What do you think?”
Top Draw didn’t want to say a word.
After another moment of silence, Yu Yi tried to convince himself, “You’ve gone back into rest mode, haven’t you?”
Top Draw: “……”
It would rather have gone dormant again. It wished it had never woken up today.
