Chapter 50
Yan Feng’s tirade against private fans was still trending when news of his sudden nosebleed and collapse hit the internet. The story quickly climbed to the number-one spot on the hot search, marked with a red “explosive” tag.
Netizens clicked on the topic and learned that the incident had occurred at a mountain in Z City’s scenic area. According to reports, Yan Feng had suddenly experienced a nosebleed before collapsing, and his condition remained unclear.
They recalled the news of his previous fainting spell and began speculating whether he had leukemia.
Fans who had been fiercely battling the private fans online immediately grew anxious at the new development. They refreshed the topic endlessly, hoping to get the latest updates.
Many bystanders were also concerned and dug through the trending post for details.
Soon, various theories began to emerge.
The first theory was that he was sick. Perhaps he had long known his days were numbered but had kept it hidden from the public.
The second theory blamed the private fans. The video from the previous trending topic was clear—Yan Feng had been cornered on the mountain path with the cliff behind him. People speculated that he might have hit his head during the scuffle.
The third theory came from tourists at the scenic area, who mentioned that he had fallen out of the raft while rafting the day before. It was unclear if there was any connection.
The fourth theory suggested that he might have been emotionally triggered by something. After all, the video showed him talking to someone moments before fainting.
With netizens playing armchair detectives, they scrutinized the footage frame by frame.
In the video, two men stood near a tree adorned with red blessing ribbons, and behind them was the temple wall.
Yan Feng had his back to the camera, so it was impossible to see what he was saying. The man across from him was looking at the blessing ribbons. His first few words were obscured by the red ribbons and his hand, but the last sentence was clear.
Netizens guessed at the lip movements and determined he was saying something like: Next time you run into private fans, don’t be so impulsive. Don’t let this incident bother you.
The internet was quick to respond: “That’s a perfectly reasonable thing to say! He must be a good person!”
Moreover, the man’s demeanor was gentle, and his appearance was refined and elegant. Standing next to the tree adorned with red ribbons, he seemed completely in harmony with the scene. Surely this had nothing to do with him!
But then again, how could such a perfect “top-tier” person be unknown in the entertainment industry? What was his background?
Some of the netizens who had followed the rumors about Yu Shu felt the man looked vaguely familiar.
However, the videos from back then had long been removed, and the forums discussing the wealthy second-generation involved had been scrubbed clean. Legal teams had even sent cease-and-desist letters to those spreading rumors, and several people had been sued for defamation. As a result, it was now nearly impossible to find any related information online.
The curious netizens could only speculate that this man’s identity must be extraordinary.
The Fu family and June Culture’s PR departments were monitoring online discussions. They subtly guided the conversation, explaining that the man in the video was a high-ranking executive at June Culture. Given Yan Feng’s trending tirade against the private fans, it was perfectly normal for the executive to discuss the matter with him. The incident’s focal point remained Yan Feng’s safety, which was most important.
With this clarification, netizens refocused their attention on Yan Feng. The majority leaned toward the first three theories and proceeded to criticize the private fans en masse once more.
Meanwhile, other hosts caught wind of the situation.
Before long, the once-quiet systems’ group chat came alive with activity.
Bride You Shall Be: [@Latecomer Surpasses, your host is in trouble?]
Fortune Bringer: [How’s he doing? Is he okay?]
Green Bean Soup: [Was it Fu Xiuning? That’s terrifying [horrified emoji].]
Fortune Bringer: [Probably not, right?]
Bride You Shall Be: “Yeah, if we disconnect from our hosts, their cause of death is always sudden death. There’s no bleeding involved. Besides, all Yan Feng did was yell at some private fans. That’s hardly enough to provoke Fu Xiuning.”
Green Bean Soup: “Oh, right. I almost forgot.”
Bride You Shall Be: “@Latecomer Surpasses, if you don’t respond soon, we’ll assume your host really is Yan Feng.”
The systems waited for a while, but Latecomer Surpasses never appeared.
Green Bean Soup: “So it’s true?”
Fortune Bringer: “Um… how do I put this…”
Bride You Shall Be: “You’d better ask @Top Draw about this. It once admitted to having a host, but all of its hosts ended up dead, and it’s still here.”
Green Bean Soup: “The seniors are so bad [cry-laugh emoji].”
Fortune Bringer: “@Latecomer Surpasses, not going to chime in?”
At that moment, Latecomer Surpasses’ data was in complete disarray. Forced into a dormant state, it had no idea it was in a completely different location.
Both Top Draw and 99 could see the group messages and relayed them to Xing Shi.
Xing Shi, sitting in a chair in the waiting area outside the operating room, casually responded to indicate he had heard them.
After Yan Feng’s collapse, he had been rushed to the nearest hospital for emergency treatment before being transferred to a hospital in the city.
The trainees, under the guidance of their instructor, had packed their bags and returned to the company. Now, only Fu Xiuning, Xing Shi, and Yan Feng’s personal assistant remained at the hospital.
Media outlets and representatives from June Culture were en route to the hospital. Once Yan Feng’s agent and assistant arrived to take over, Xing Shi and Fu Xiuning would leave.
Xing Shi had yet to receive any death notifications. He glanced at the doors of the operating room and called out to his system. “Is he going to survive?”
99, lacking experience, wisely kept quiet.
Top Draw replied, “Maybe.”
Xing Shi frowned. “Didn’t the system explode in his brain? Last time, your explosion took out an entire group of people.”
Top Draw explained, “Last time, the explosion included Yu Shu’s entire soul energy. This time, Latecomer Surpasses only detonated its remaining energy. I told it to set up barriers before exploding. It likely calculated the explosion’s power based on the remaining energy and limited the scope.”
Systems were inherently small. With multiple barriers in place, the explosion probably just left a wound in the head.
Top Draw speculated that Latecomer Surpasses likely spared Yan Feng’s life. After all, systems couldn’t float outside a host for long without eventually depleting their energy.
The optimal plan would have been to leave Yan Feng in a vegetative or comatose state. This way, the system wouldn’t have to worry about arguments with its host and could occasionally draw on his soul energy for recharge, buying itself time to figure out its next steps.
Of course, Latecomer Surpasses probably didn’t know that with its external energy core destroyed, its biological core couldn’t draw on the host’s soul energy.
After hearing the analysis, Xing Shi asked, “If the doctors can’t save him, will his soul energy dissipate?”
Top Draw replied, “It should, but since he’s not connected to the return program, he can’t go back to the main system or make contact with it. Yu Yi is in a similar disconnected state.”
Xing Shi hummed in acknowledgment, pulled out his phone, and scrolled through the hot search. Seeing that the blame was being shifted onto the private fans, he handed the phone to Fu Xiuning.
Fu Xiuning skimmed it and decided to pass it to the PR team for review.
A short while later, Yan Feng’s agent and assistant arrived, sweating profusely. After greeting Fu Xiuning, they nervously asked, “What’s the situation now?”
Fu Xiuning replied, “Still in surgery.”
The agent’s expression turned grim. “Last time he fainted, the doctor said it was just exhaustion. It hasn’t even been that long. How is this happening again?”
Fu Xiuning said, “We’ll wait for the doctor’s verdict.”
Though he wasn’t particularly interested in the answer, he glanced at Xing Shi and asked if he wanted to leave.
Xing Shi wore a worried expression. “Let’s wait a little longer. Brother Feng suddenly collapsed. I’d feel uneasy leaving now.”
If Yan Feng’s condition deteriorated and he couldn’t be saved, Xing Shi wanted to be there to absorb any remaining energy.
Fu Xiuning met his gaze, nodded slightly, and patiently stayed seated.
During this time, other company personnel arrived. Some handled the media outside, while others remained at the hospital to await updates.
Three hours passed before the operating room doors finally opened.
Yan Feng was wheeled directly into the ICU. The doctor, addressing the group gathered around, delivered the conclusion: “Acute cerebral hemorrhage.”
“Brain hemorrhages rarely result in nosebleeds, but his case is unique,” the doctor added. “The injury at the bleeding site is also unusual. We can’t yet determine the cause.”
The agent asked, “What’s his condition now?”
The doctor replied, “It’s hard to say. We’ve done everything we can. It’s up to him whether he wakes up or not.”
After sending the doctor off, the group began arranging the next steps.
The assistant stayed at the hospital, while the PR department and the agent returned to the office to draft a second statement regarding the incident. Fu Xiuning gave some suggestions before taking Xing Shi back home.
The two of them each took a shower and changed into casual clothes before heading to the living room.
Meanwhile, the company issued a statement explaining the situation. They disclosed that Yan Feng had collapsed due to acute cerebral hemorrhage. Although his life had been saved, his condition was severe, and he was still in the ICU.
Fans were moved to tears and quickly pushed the hashtag “Stay Strong, Yan Feng” to the hot search rankings. They continued to comb through videos from the scene, eventually finding two clips from different angles showing the shoving incident. The footage clearly showed that Yan Feng had been forced into a corner, though it was too chaotic to confirm if he had hit his head. However, that didn’t stop fans from using the videos to hurl abuse at others.
The private fans, terrified by the backlash, didn’t dare make a sound and hastily packed up and fled.
The company’s legal department also issued a statement, announcing that they would report the incident to the police and urging all parties to remain calm and wait for the official investigation report.
As witnesses, Xing Shi and Fu Xiuning were questioned by the police.
Xing Shi listened as Fu Xiuning chatted familiarly with the officers. Occasionally, he would chime in with a few details about Yan Feng’s activities at the scenic area. After the officers left, Xing Shi looked at his brother and asked, “You’re on familiar terms with all the police in this area?”
Fu Xiuning responded with a calm “Mm.”
Xing Shi pressed further, “Have they ever suspected you?”
Fu Xiuning replied, “They have, but they had no evidence.”
Xing Shi was both impressed and sympathetic, thinking that his brother’s life hadn’t been easy.
He reflected on how frustrating his own life had been in the magical world, but at least there, strength ruled supreme. If someone dared provoke him, he could simply eliminate them—there was no need to stage accidents. But here, in a society governed by law, everything had to follow the rules, and any fault had to lie with the other party.
With sincerity, Xing Shi said, “Brother, I’ll be by your side from now on. I’ll accompany you to every scene.”
Fu Xiuning, who had been tossing a paper cup from the coffee table into the trash, paused slightly at his words.
In truth, this had already become a foregone conclusion the moment they agreed to cooperate. But hearing Xing Shi say it aloud, Fu Xiuning realized he wasn’t as indifferent as he’d expected.
Over the past five years, he had gradually become someone others regarded as having a “special constitution.”
His family worried about him, the police suspected him, and his classmates gossiped about him. He had no one to confide in. Most of the time, he enjoyed the fleeting satisfaction of sending a host away by himself, only to face endless malice again.
Now, someone had stepped onto his lonely island.
Fu Xiuning looked at Xing Shi, reached out, and gently patted his head. “Mm.”
[Ding Ding] [Current Favorability Score: 89]
99 exclaimed, “!”
Top Draw sighed, “…”
Xing Shi remained still, making no attempt to lower the favorability score.
The two silently locked eyes, both instinctively wanting to move closer.
The more they tried to hold back, the stronger the urge to touch became.
Fu Xiuning’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly. He found himself tempted to act on impulse again.
Xing Shi noticed the emotions flickering in Fu Xiuning’s eyes, and his breathing faltered.
Top Draw, sensing the increasingly tense atmosphere, hesitated over whether to interrupt them. Just then, the phone Fu Xiuning had left on the dining table rang.
The budding tension shattered instantly. Fu Xiuning looked away and walked over to answer the call.
It was his mother. She had obviously seen the trending news. Although she knew the incident couldn’t have anything to do with him, she was still worried.
Instead of directly asking about it, she inquired about his recent well-being, suggesting he come home for a meal sometime. Her concern was carefully woven into her words of care.
Fu Xiuning recalled the photo Xing Shi had mentioned and said, “I’ll come home tonight.”
His mother was delighted. “Great! What do you want to eat? I’ll cook it myself.”
Fu Xiuning named two of her signature dishes, hung up the call, and looked back at Xing Shi.
For a moment, he considered bringing Xing Shi home. But given that neither Top Draw nor 99 fully understood Xing Shi’s background—especially since Top Draw would eventually return—it seemed better to keep this matter under wraps.
He said, “I’ll be having dinner at home tonight. Tell Auntie what you want to eat.”
Xing Shi replied with an “Okay” and, not wanting the atmosphere to return to its earlier awkwardness, changed the subject. He asked curiously, “Did your family hire bodyguards for you before? The information said you had some for less than half a year. Why was that?”
The documents mentioned that during high school, Fu Xiuning frequently encountered extreme stalkers. The Fu family had hired five bodyguards to follow him daily, but they didn’t stay for long.
Xing Shi speculated, “Was it too conspicuous and made you uncomfortable, or was there an issue with the bodyguards?”
Fu Xiuning slowly walked back over and said, “They’re still around. Most of the time, they’re not by my side. I only use them occasionally. I’ll introduce you to them sometime.”
He had indeed used bodyguards before.
However, the school didn’t allow such ostentatious displays, and the bodyguards were of limited use on campus. They were mostly effective when he went out during holidays. Whenever a host was blocked by the bodyguards, Fu Xiuning could hear their system’s frustrated screams.
He had once thought it was amusing to watch them throw tantrums, but something changed his mind.
It happened one day when he came home to find his mother’s wrist injured and a “host turned savior” sitting beside her.
To this day, he couldn’t forget the overwhelming hatred he felt at that moment.
Sitting back on the sofa, Fu Xiuning softly explained, “It was inconvenient to have them around all the time, so I stopped keeping them with me.”
Xing Shi understood the darker implications behind the word “inconvenient” and simply replied with an “Oh.”
By the time they returned, it was already afternoon. After their chat with the police, it was nearly dinnertime.
Knowing that Xing Shi had absorbed energy earlier, Fu Xiuning monitored his temperature to ensure he wasn’t running a fever before leaving.
Xing Shi obediently walked him to the door. Just as Fu Xiuning turned to leave, Xing Shi handed him his phone screen.
Fu Xiuning looked at the phone in confusion and saw the picture of him standing beside the Lazy Goat rocking chair.
[Ding Ding] [Current Favorability Score: 88]
Fu Xiuning: “…”
Top Draw: “…”
99 clicked its tongue. “Tsk.”
Xing Shi withdrew his hand, smiling brightly. “Brother, stay safe on the road. Come back early~”
Fu Xiuning glanced at him, pinched his cheek, and left without a word.
Xing Shi closed the door, still grinning. As he took a few steps inside, the notification sound rang again.
[Ding Ding] [Current Favorability Score: 89]
Both Fu Xiuning and Xing Shi fell silent.
Only 99 broke the quiet. “He’s probably reminiscing about how it felt to touch your face.”
Xing Shi remained silent.
Despite their recent attempts to lower the favorability score, 99 couldn’t help but comment, “Ah, the fiery passion between two young men! The harder you try to suppress it, the more intense it gets. Honestly, the more your brother holds back now, the worse it’ll be for you in the future~”
Xing Shi said, “Shut up.”
99 immediately quieted down.
Fu Xiuning, equally exasperated, stepped into the elevator.
When he got home, most of the food was already prepared, and his father, Fu Pengfeng, had also returned.
His mother, Bian Ran, placed a dish on the table with a smile. “Take a seat and rest for a bit. It’ll be ready soon.”
Fu Xiuning acknowledged her and sat down next to his father.
Fu Pengfeng looked at him and asked, “Another issue with one of your company’s artists?”
Fu Xiuning nodded lightly.
Seeing his composure, Fu Pengfeng couldn’t help but ask, “And your business partner? Did he say anything?”
Fu Xiuning replied, “No.”
Understanding that his father was simply concerned, he added, “The last incident was sudden death from exhaustion—his own doing. This time, it’s an accidental cerebral hemorrhage. Neither has anything to do with me.”
The doctors couldn’t determine the cause of Yan Feng’s injury, and the video evidence couldn’t conclusively blame the private fans. The police wouldn’t uncover anything, and the matter would eventually fade away.
As for the others, June Culture had only been established for just over two years. In that time, his hosts had mostly been replaced with company artists.
Initially, only Li Yu was an artist. The other five hosts weren’t. Over the years, those five had all been “sent away.”
Subsequent hosts were gradually replaced, with most becoming artists. However, there were still a few exceptions, such as the girl who ended up in a vegetative state earlier in the year or Lin Kecheng, who was sent to prison.
There had been one artist host who was so reckless he had to be dealt with, but he was a native without a system. Fu Xiuning directly blacklisted him and froze his career. The system, seeing no hope for success, voluntarily left without attracting attention.
Meanwhile, both Yu Shu and Yan Feng had worked non-stop since joining the company. Over a year later, their departures were unrelated to the company, which actively responded to the situations, leaving little room for criticism from outsiders.
Qi Changyi, on the other hand, was aware of Fu Xiuning’s unique constitution. They had discussed it before, but Qi valued the Fu family’s influence and resources more than superstition.
Besides, the hosts around Fu Xiuning had all deserved their fates. Even if there were negative public opinions in the future, they would have a solid defense. The Fu family had also protected his privacy well over the years, with virtually no information about him online.
Still, with Xing Shi now in the picture, the remaining two artist hosts would soon face their ends. The interval would be too short, and public discussion would be inevitable.
Fu Xiuning said, “Keep an eye out for PR talent for me.”
Fu Pengfeng knew his son’s company had a strong PR department and that this incident wouldn’t pose much of a problem. He asked, “What for?”
Fu Xiuning replied, “Just in case.”
Fu Pengfeng thought about it and agreed. After all, it was the entertainment industry. He nodded in understanding.
Dinner was ready soon after.
Bian Ran served her son some food and brought up the child staying at his house.
Since the housekeeper who cooked for them was one of the Fu family’s staff, she had long heard about the situation. She asked with concern, “How are things between you two?”
Fu Xiuning replied, “Pretty good.”
Bian Ran, relieved that her son, who rarely had close friends, had someone now, suggested, “Bring him home for a meal sometime, if you get the chance.”
Fu Xiuning said, “Mm, another day.”
He finished his meal slowly and then brought up the topic of the photos.
Bian Ran found the albums for him and sat beside him to look through them together. As they flipped through, she asked, “Why are you suddenly interested in these photos?”
Fu Xiuning said, “Looking for someone.”
Bian Ran was surprised. “Who?”
Fu Xiuning went through several pages without spotting a beach background and decided to ask directly.
Bian Ran replied, “We’ve taken you to the beach many times. Which trip are you talking about?”
Fu Xiuning wasn’t sure. He said, “Maybe around the time I was old enough to save someone?”
At this, Bian Ran immediately recalled something. She picked up another album, flipped it open, and found a photo of a sandcastle. “This one?”
Fu Xiuning’s gaze lingered for a moment before he took the photo to examine it.
The photo showed three children. He was crouched on the left, a chubby kid sat on the right, and in the middle was a smiling child with a bit of sand on his face, radiating unmatched beauty.
Bian Ran pointed to Xing Shi and said, “You’re the one who saved him. The three of you played together every day back then.”
Fu Xiuning asked, “Is this the only photo?”
Bian Ran replied, “There are more.”
She smiled and added, “You two were too good-looking, so I took quite a few.”
Hearing this, Fu Xiuning flipped through the album and found another photo of Xing Shi, this time wearing a sunhat and sunglasses, looking cool and collected. Fu Xiuning couldn’t help but reach out and touch the picture.
Bian Ran’s heart skipped a beat as she observed her son’s expression. “Have you run into him again?”
Fu Xiuning said, “He’s living at my house now.”
Bian Ran was instantly surprised and sighed, “What a coincidence.”
Fu Xiuning stared at the photo, but no memories came to mind. He turned another page and found another group photo of the three of them. Pointing to the chubby kid, he asked, “Who’s this?”
Bian Ran thought for a moment. “Probably his playmate. Their families were vacationing together at the time.”
Fu Xiuning acknowledged her answer with a hum and focused on Xing Shi again.
At this moment, Xing Shi had just finished dinner as well.
Without Fu Xiuning at home, he only sat in the living room for a short while before returning to his room.
After washing up, he lay on the bed, closed his eyes, and focused his energy.
99 and Top Draw quickly detected the familiar energy again. But this time, it wasn’t directed at them—it was aimed at Latecomer Surpasses.
Xing Shi transformed the energy into thin threads and began examining Latecomer Surpasses’ structure bit by bit, ignoring whether it was still in dormancy.
99 and Top Draw silently watched, both feeling like they should light a candle for it.
Xing Shi maneuvered the energy within Latecomer Surpasses’ body, circling three times and rousing it from its dormant state.
Compared to Top Draw, Latecomer Surpasses’ injuries were far less severe.
Though Top Draw had only mentioned setting up defenses for the host, Latecomer Surpasses had cautiously reserved some barrier energy for itself as well.
However, the time between its detachment and self-detonation was too short. It had only managed to throw on two layers of protection before exploding, taking its remaining energy with it.
Nonetheless, its injuries were still much lighter than Top Draw’s had been. A little meddling from Xing Shi was enough to wake it.
As it opened its eyes, fragments of unfamiliar images from its dream-like state surfaced in its memory. It checked itself over.
Its data was slightly disordered but could be repaired with a bit of rest. Aside from being completely out of energy, everything else seemed fine.
It mentally patted itself on the back. High-dimensional beings like it sure had strong defenses. Feeling satisfied, it raised its head—and locked eyes with two other systems.
Latecomer Surpasses: “???”
99 greeted it cheerfully. “You’re awake! Welcome to my host’s place! Let me introduce myself: I’m the group’s number-one aesthetics enthusiast~”
Latecomer Surpasses glanced at 99, then at Top Draw. Its gaze shifted past them and landed on a floating core of advanced energy. Its pupils dilated. “Your host is…?”
Xing Shi chuckled lightly. “Me.”
Latecomer Surpasses: “!!!???”
It had to be dreaming!
