Chapter 5
The favorability program diligently did its job, updating the latest data as the target stepped into the scanning range.
[Beep Beep]
[Current favorability: -8]
The system was immediately shocked. Watching as Fu Xiuning drew closer, his gaze fixed on the host, it hurriedly exclaimed, “Wake up! Fu Xiuning is coming over! And his favorability has increased!”
Xing Shi didn’t feel like moving, though it wasn’t because he was utterly stuffed.
Having transitioned abruptly from a high-risk environment to this peaceful nation, he wasn’t sure if others could adapt quickly, but he couldn’t. His sleep quality had been poor recently—any slight noise would wake him up. As a result, whenever he had free time, he just wanted to lie down.
The sunshine was just right, the leaves whispered in the wind, and a faint drowsiness began to rise within him.
The system was ecstatic: “He’s not just passing by—he’s coming straight for you!”
Xing Shi reluctantly responded, and even though it was a mental communication, one could hear the lack of energy in his voice. “Stop making noise… Just act like he doesn’t exist…”
The system was dumbfounded. “Are you seriously about to fall asleep right now?”
Just as it finished speaking, Fu Xiuning stopped right in front of Xing Shi.
He reached out his forefinger, intending to lift the hood and let the other person experience the midday sunlight directly.
But at the very moment of contact, his wrist was abruptly grabbed.
Sensitive to danger, the nearby cat bolted off, sprinting away in fright.
Xing Shi opened his eyes and tilted his head slightly to look at the person standing before him.
Their gazes met. Xing Shi’s eyes were faintly red at the corners, but his face lacked the sleepy confusion typical of someone about to doze off. Instead, his expression was sharp and clear, like a sword unsheathed for just an instant.
That intensity lasted only a second or two before fading away.
Xing Shi withdrew his hand, lifted his hood, and sat upright. His voice carried a lazy drowsiness. “Hello, Senior.”
Since this was school, he addressed him according to their student relationship. Fu Xiuning was dressed more casually today compared to last time, in light tones that exuded a gentle yet strikingly handsome vibe.
Smiling, Fu Xiuning asked, “Have you eaten, Junior?”
Xing Shi replied, “Not yet. Senior, have you?”
Fu Xiuning answered, “No.”
Feigning surprise, he continued, “So you know I’m your senior?”
Xing Shi nodded, “Senior, you’re quite famous. Of course, I know.”
Fu Xiuning followed up, “When did you find out?”
Recently, Xing Shi had studied his own background in detail. His predecessor had already heard of this senior during the previous semester. He responded, “I don’t remember. I just thought it was pretty remarkable.”
He then suggested casually, “Since it’s such a coincidence, why don’t I treat you to a meal, Senior?”
The system immediately cheered. At last, the host was making progress!
Xing Shi had made the offer half-heartedly, fully prepared to be turned down. Yet, to his surprise, Fu Xiuning said, “Sure.”
Caught off guard at first, Xing Shi quickly recovered. “Only at the cafeteria or places where the average cost is below 200 yuan per person. Poor student, you know? Don’t look down on me.”
Fu Xiuning, who had been ready to indulge at his expense, paused slightly and remarked, “Trainees seem to get a salary.”
Xing Shi explained, “That starts next month. How about I owe you for this meal?”
Fu Xiuning neither agreed nor disagreed, simply turning to say, “Follow me somewhere.”
The system, thrilled by the host tagging along, was almost dizzy with joy but still had critiques.
“You’ve got enough money in your account to last through four years of college, plus your salary starts next month. How are you poor? You don’t even know how to seize opportunities!”
Xing Shi asked, “Do you really think this is an opportunity for me?”
The system replied confidently, “Of course! The favorability has risen to -8!”
Xing Shi said sincerely, “I appreciate your innocence—please keep it intact.”
The system defended itself, “I know that disliking someone drains emotional energy. If the dislike isn’t strong enough, it won’t stay consistent. That song of yours had a temporary effect, which isn’t relevant here. I thought it would revert to -10, but look—it’s -8 now!”
Xing Shi reasoned, “This indicates that, over time, his dislike has diminished slightly. But given that he generally scores others at -5, I’m still more annoying to him than most. Do you think he’s having this meal with me out of goodwill?”
The system countered, “Regardless of the reason, you now have a meal’s worth of time to interact with him. Learn to turn disadvantages into advantages!”
Xing Shi, uninterested in debating further, conceded, “You’re right. I’ll try to treat him to something good. Now, be quiet.”
The system immediately muted itself, fearful of annoying him enough to abandon the task.
The school’s living area was well-equipped, with many shops around.
Fu Xiuning entered a café, and familiar voices could be heard.
“Fu Xiuning is here. Don’t waste the chance!”
“Got it.”
A slender young man rose from a booth and called out, “Senior!”
Fu Xiuning nodded in response and walked over.
Xing Shi, following closely behind, glanced at the three people in the café. Aside from the speaking young man, there was another young man and a woman seated at the table, with coffee, a laptop, and some documents in front of them.
As he observed them, all three looked back at him. It was unavoidable—his presence was too eye-catching.
With striking features and an outstanding physique, Xing Shi’s simple outfit of jeans and a baseball jacket layered over a lightweight hoodie added a touch of vibrancy. Wherever he went, he naturally became the center of attention.
The young woman alternated glances between Xing Shi and Fu Xiuning, elated at the sight of the campus’s two top beauties together. She felt like she could live an extra ten years just by witnessing this.
Being a fervent admirer of good looks, she had known about Xing Shi ever since his freshman orientation. However, this junior was either in class or working part-time, making it rare to run into him on campus. Moreover, he was rumored to be hard to approach due to his temper. She never expected to meet him here.
Her voice softened by a few notches as she asked, “Boss, who’s this?”
Fu Xiuning replied, “A freshman junior. He signed with my company as a trainee. I brought him here to help add a program to the event.”
He introduced the three people to Xing Shi as the student council president, publicity director, and arts director. The event in question was for the school’s anniversary celebration.
Although Fu Xiuning had stepped down as student council president last semester, his successors were people he had selected. Since the anniversary was a major event, they still occasionally sought his advice, as they had today.
Hearing that Fu Xiuning had opened an entertainment company, the trio’s eyes sparkled as they looked at Xing Shi.
The president said warmly, “Junior, feel free to order whatever you like.”
Xing Shi replied courteously, “Thank you, Senior.”
The sofa booth was designed for four people, so Xing Shi grabbed a chair from nearby and sat down. As Fu Xiuning began reviewing their plans, Xing Shi reminded him, “Boss, I don’t know anything yet.”
Fu Xiuning reassured him, “Don’t worry. There’s plenty of time for you to practice.”
Xing Shi’s days were fully occupied with classes and training. Now, with an additional program to prepare, he suspected Fu Xiuning’s sudden approach today was just to torment him. He replied, “Sure.”
Fu Xiuning, still impressed by Xing Shi’s singing skills, glanced up. “There will be three rehearsals for the school anniversary. If you’re eliminated, switch to another program and try again. Don’t embarrass me.”
Xing Shi obediently nodded. “Got it.”
Fu Xiuning thought to himself, You’d better mean it, before averting his gaze.
Lin Kecheng, the arts department head, sat beside him. After Fu Xiuning finished reviewing the plans, Lin reported, “The theme for the anniversary is finally set. Sponsorship is in place. Next, we’ll work on designing posters, guest invitations, and so on.”
The president chimed in, “The sponsorship was Kecheng’s doing. He also handled a lot of the details in the proposal and wrote the final draft. He’s amazing.”
Lin Kecheng waved his hand modestly. “Not at all, it was a team effort.”
In Xing Shi’s mind, the system praised, “It seems your efforts to build a good relationship with the president paid off. She’s speaking highly of you.”
Lin Kecheng grinned. “Of course.”
The system continued, “Your proposal was so professional, it might earn you some points from Fu Xiuning. When you became the department head, he added one point to your favorability. That proves he appreciates capable people.”
Fu Xiuning recalled the incident.
Lin Kecheng had drawn “planning and management skills” in a randomizer. Fu Xiuning watched as Lin climbed his way into the student council and eventually became the arts department head. He had occasionally offered some guidance and even granted one favorability point when Lin secured his position—likely because he could foresee future developments and found Lin slightly more tolerable.
Not long after, Fu Xiuning announced his resignation, a decision that caused a surprised and then a despaired reaction from Xing Shi and the system. Fu Xiuning had found the reactions rather satisfying.
After closing the proposal, Fu Xiuning remarked that there were no major issues.
Hearing this, the others relaxed and asked for his opinion on a few uncertain matters.
Fu Xiuning patiently provided answers. After seeing Xing Shi exchange friend requests with them, he decided it was time to leave.
Lin Kecheng, however, didn’t hear the coveted notification of added points and asked, “Senior, do you have any plans later?”
Fu Xiuning replied, “Going to eat.”
The president, feeling guilty that he came over without having eaten, offered to treat him. Lin Kecheng interjected, “Let me treat you. I was just about to grab something myself. We can go together.”
Fu Xiuning declined. “I need to discuss company matters with him today. It’s not convenient. Let’s go.”
The last remark was directed at Xing Shi, who, holding the coffee the senior sister had bought for him, bid farewell to the group and followed.
Once outside the café, Fu Xiuning asked, “What are you planning to treat me to?”
Xing Shi replied, “Any restaurant under 200 yuan per person is fine.”
The system, which had been holding back its comments, couldn’t resist anymore. “Didn’t you say you’d treat him to something nice?”
Xing Shi replied matter-of-factly, “That’s why I ruled out the cafeteria.”
The system was speechless.
Fu Xiuning glanced at Xing Shi and led him to a congee shop outside the campus.
They ordered seafood casserole congee, priced at 192 yuan per serving, freshly cooked.
The two chose a window-side table. Fu Xiuning unlocked his phone to reply to messages, while Xing Shi slouched into his chair and stared out the window.
After five minutes of watching in silence, the system couldn’t help but chime in, “Talk about something! You’re just sitting there doing nothing.”
Xing Shi replied, “He’s replying to messages.”
The system countered, “He isn’t anymore!”
Xing Shi sighed internally. “But I’m so tired.”
For the past half-month, Xing Shi hadn’t made any attempts to progress with Fu Xiuning. Partly because he wasn’t in the right state of mind, and partly because he wanted to let the system grow anxious first.
Now, sitting at the same table as Fu Xiuning, this was one of the ideal scenarios he had envisioned—a perfect opportunity.
“I’m really exhausted, both physically and mentally. Scan me if you don’t believe it,” Xing Shi said.
The system didn’t need a scan to confirm. It knew Xing Shi was telling the truth. It wasn’t just the intensive training over the last two weeks; Xing Shi was also waking up at 5 a.m. daily to run several kilometers, gradually increasing the distance. If he wasn’t exhausted, it would be a miracle!
It suggested, “How about some coffee?”
Xing Shi replied, “Forget it. I had half a cup, and now my brain feels sluggish. I’m afraid I’ll say something wrong if I start talking.”
The system offered, “Go wash your face in the restroom?”
Obliging, Xing Shi returned from the restroom only to slouch back into his seat. “It didn’t help at all. I’m still out of it.”
Before the system could say anything else, a familiar voice spoke.
“Senior?”
Lin Kecheng appeared, looking pleasantly surprised. “What a coincidence.”
Fu Xiuning, having overheard Xing Shi’s conversation with the system, had an inkling that Xing Shi might attempt something. He shifted his gaze from his phone to Lin Kecheng. With the system tracking his location, Fu Xiuning wasn’t surprised by Lin’s appearance and gave a light acknowledgment.
Lin Kecheng said, “I was craving some congee from this place. I didn’t expect to see you here. What did you order, Senior?”
Fu Xiuning replied, “Seafood.”
Meanwhile, the system observed Xing Shi leaning on his hand, his eyes drooping as though he were about to fall asleep. It grew even more anxious.
Now that a familiar face of Fu Xiuning had appeared, Xing Shi had even less time to make a move. The system lamented how hard it was to get this opportunity to share a meal with Fu Xiuning—who knew when the next chance would come?
“Don’t fall asleep! Wake up!” the system shouted.
Xing Shi mumbled, “That was close. I almost did.”
The system raised its volume. “Can you even manage this?”
Xing Shi replied, “Not really.”
“How about this,” he suggested lazily as he adjusted his posture. “Hit me with a few Tier 2 punishments to wake me up.”
The system: “?”
Fu Xiuning: “?”
Since the beginning of the strategy mission, neither of them had heard such an outrageous request.
