It was late October, and the weather was starting to cool.
Chai Xiaoyu eventually chose hotpot—taking into account Xingshi’s striking looks and the fact that someone had asked for both his and Fu Xiuning’s WeChat last time they dined out together. Thoughtfully, he even booked a private room.
Xingshi had asked him in advance if he could bring Fu Xiuning along, and Chai Xiaoyu had readily agreed.
On Saturday evening, the three of them arrived at the hotpot restaurant.
Chai Xiaoyu ordered the dishes while checking in with them about their preferences. When Xingshi asked what kind of job he’d found, Chai Xiaoyu answered honestly.
Xingshi raised his brows and feigned surprise. “Artist assistant? Then why didn’t you come work with us? I introduced you last time. My brother runs June Culture.”
Chai Xiaoyu felt a warm rush in his heart and smiled brightly. “I’m all grown up now. I can’t rely on you for everything like I used to—it’d be too embarrassing. I happened to stumble upon this opportunity and wanted to try it out. If it doesn’t work out down the line, I’ll come running to you without shame.”
Xingshi said, “Alright.”
Then he asked, “You’re still enrolled in school, right?”
Chai Xiaoyu nodded. “Yeah. I’ve informed the company about my situation. If anything comes up, I’ll just request leave to go back.”
Xingshi encouraged him, “Do your best. There’s still a lot of room to grow as an artist assistant.”
Chai Xiaoyu nodded vigorously. “Don’t worry, Boss—I will!”
Xingshi didn’t say more, and the topic came to a natural pause.
Chai Xiaoyu said, “I’ll go get some snacks for us. What do you want?”
Fu Xiuning stood up and replied, “Just take what you want for yourself—I’ll get his.”
He turned to Xingshi. “Want to add anything?”
Xingshi said, “I’ll come with you.”
Fu Xiuning rested a hand on his shoulder and pinched his cheek. “No need. I’ve got it.”
Chai Xiaoyu noticed the gesture and privately asked his system, “What’s their relationship?”
The system replied, “Their chat history looks normal. All I know is that Fu Xiuning really cares about him. As for whether they’re actually together, I don’t know.”
It hesitated, then asked cautiously, “If they are together, will that affect your motivation to save him?”
Chai Xiaoyu answered, “No.”
The system breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good. You’re such a kind person, sweetheart.”
Chai Xiaoyu smiled bitterly. “I’m just an ordinary person.”
What he was doing—was simply what any ordinary person might choose to do, given the situation.
When the system first found him, it had asked: If you had the chance to save someone—a stranger, someone completely unrelated to you who lives in a different city—would you do it?
He had answered: Yes.
It was only afterward that the system explained the details.
Only then did he realize that Xingshi was involved—and that the person he was supposed to “save” actually had a childhood connection to him.
At the same time, he came to understand that “saving someone” didn’t mean rushing to the scene at the right moment to stop some accident. No—it meant a more complex kind of spiritual rescue.
He still chose to go through with it, though his confidence was shaky. He wasn’t sure if he’d succeed.
The system countered, “How can you say you’re ordinary? Those chosen by us are never ordinary. Come on, sweetheart, you can do it! Kiss!”
Chai Xiaoyu let out a helpless sigh. “I hope so.”
He followed Fu Xiuning out of the private room. The two of them walked one after the other toward the condiments bar. As he glanced around at the people nearby, a hint of nervousness crept in.
He had played with Xingshi since they were kids, and when he was around, Chai Xiaoyu always felt at ease. But when it came to being alone with Fu Xiuning—he couldn’t do it. After all, this wasn’t the same big brother who used to patiently play with them.
Fu Xiuning quickly picked up on his unease, but he wasn’t surprised.
When an ordinary person comes face-to-face with someone who has antisocial tendencies, even if they’ve chosen to try and help them—they’ll still be afraid at first.
He began adding several condiments according to Xingshi’s preferences, then casually asked, “Did you ever go to the seaside with Suisui when you were a kid?”
Chai Xiaoyu: “!”
System: “!!!”
Their original plan was to wait until the relationship between both sides had warmed up a little more before “accidentally” letting Fu Xiuning discover they’d met in the past.
Since there was already a foundation of friendship, the hope was that Fu Xiuning might be moved by the revelation, which would help deepen their bond and pave the way for future “rescue” efforts.
But now—barely their second meeting—and Fu Xiuning had already figured it out. He probably wouldn’t take it to heart now.
Caught off guard, Chai Xiaoyu’s hand slipped, and his spoon clattered to the floor.
The system urgently whispered, “Hold on! Keep your expression natural! We practiced for this in front of the mirror—remember? You got this, sweetheart!”
Chai Xiaoyu forced himself to “recall,” trying to keep his voice casual. “I did go once.”
Fu Xiuning ignored the slight awkwardness in his tone and looked him in the eye. “Were you a chubby kid back then?”
Chai Xiaoyu’s heart thumped wildly. He asked in surprise, “Yeah—how’d you know?”
Fu Xiuning replied, “Suisui and I met at the beach when we were little. I remember the kids around him always called this one boy ‘Boss.’ I wanted to ask if that was you.”
A faint smile curved his lips. “It’s been years since then—you’re not as chubby now.”
It was already late autumn, and he’d left his trench coat in the private room. He was wearing a white shirt with a modern, structured design. Under the warm lighting, he looked refined and dignified, and had drawn quite a few glances just by being there.
And now, with that approachable smile softening his expression, he felt even more charismatic—like someone who was naturally easy to like.
But Chai Xiaoyu was still tense.
Luckily, all that daily expression management practice wasn’t for nothing—he managed to keep his composure and responded with a smile of genuine surprise: “You… you’re the one from back then?”
Fu Xiuning nodded. “Yeah. Suisui doesn’t know yet. I want to find the right moment to surprise him. So don’t tell him, okay?”
Chai Xiaoyu smiled and said, “Got it.”
He then quietly asked his system, “Should I use this chance to get closer to him?”
The system responded, “Better not. Like I said before—Fu Xiuning has been through too much. He’s constantly tangled up with all kinds of people. If we deliberately approach him, it might backfire. We have to go through Xingshi.”
Chai Xiaoyu thought that made sense and asked, “Then what should I do?”
The system suggested, “You could act a little surprised. Try recalling something from back then—maybe a few specific words.”
Chai Xiaoyu thought for a moment, then said to Fu Xiuning, “I still remember—I was crying because of a lizard, and you saved me.”
Fu Xiuning was mixing another bowl of dipping sauce and responded gently, “Are you still afraid of them?”
Chai Xiaoyu’s tense nerves relaxed—almost involuntarily.
Maybe it was the childhood filter… but being treated like this, he couldn’t help but feel like this really was the big brother from the past.
His expression softened, and this time, his smile was genuine. “I’m not scared anymore. I’ve grown up.”
Fu Xiuning nodded gently. “That’s good.”
Fu Xiuning looked at him and said, “Sui Sui’s little brother is my little brother too. I’ll add you on WeChat later. If there’s anything you don’t want to trouble him with, you can come to me directly.”
Chai Xiaoyu replied, “Okay. Thank you, brother.”
Fu Xiuning gave a soft “mm” and walked back with two bowls of condiments.
Chai Xiaoyu followed behind and asked the system eagerly, “Does this mean our relationship has improved?”
The system replied, “The favorability score is still at -8, dear.”
Chai Xiaoyu asked, “…Could your program be lagging or not updating?”
The system answered, “No, dear. Our favorability tracking updates in real-time. There are no bugs.”
Chai Xiaoyu gave up, but he wasn’t discouraged. After all, this was only their second meeting—there would be more chances in the future.
When the two returned to the private room, they found that all the dishes had already been served.
Xing Shi was putting food into the pot. Seeing them return, he waved.
The hotpot quickly came to a boil, and the three of them ate and chatted.
Most of what Chai Xiaoyu and Xing Shi talked about were things from the past, or the current status of some of their former underlings.
Xing Shi didn’t remember much, but luckily, he had thoroughly reviewed the “original host’s” information in advance. Paired with memories from his dreams, he was able to piece together enough to respond without seeming suspicious.
Fu Xiuning listened quietly for a while. Noticing that they were always talking about others, he brought the topic back: “You said he was popular at school since childhood. Just how popular?”
Chai Xiaoyu said, “Almost every girl in our grade liked him. They’d feed him snacks every day.”
Fu Xiuning glanced at Xing Shi, then asked, “What else?”
Chai Xiaoyu continued, “He also got love letters—even when he was just in elementary school.”
He added, “But he never accepted snacks or letters. He was really cool, wouldn’t pay attention to anyone he wasn’t close to. Some kids would shove the snacks into our mouths when he wasn’t around, so we’d end up sharing them.”
Fu Xiuning asked, “Did the other boys resent him?”
Chai Xiaoyu replied, “Of course, but my boss is smart, and we had a pack of younger brothers on our side, so no one ever gave us any real trouble.”
He suddenly remembered something and said, “But there were times when our gang of little brothers didn’t help much. Like when he danced at the school talent show—he was so handsome that even the boys wanted to befriend him and learn from him. We couldn’t stop them. I still have photos of him performing onstage at home.”
Fu Xiuning asked, “Do you have more photos?”
Chai Xiaoyu replied, “Yeah, there’s also one of him in a dinosaur costume from kindergarten—so cute.”
Fu Xiuning nodded in satisfaction. “Send them all to me.”
Chai Xiaoyu grinned. “Sure, Brother.”
【Ding】
[Current Favorability Score: -7]
Chai Xiaoyu: “!”
System: “!!!”
The system said excitedly, “That’s great, dear! Keep talking about Xing Shi!”
Chai Xiaoyu suddenly felt hopeful and asked, “If he’s giving me points because of things about Xing Shi, does that mean… if his care for Xing Shi outweighs the darkness in his heart, my boss might actually be able to save him?”
The system replied patiently, “I’ve told you before, dear. Fu Xiuning has already developed antisocial tendencies. It will take a great deal of effort to pull him back.”
Chai Xiaoyu said, “But as long as he has someone he truly cares about, there’s a chance he’ll improve, right?”
The system replied, “That’s one possibility. But it’s also possible he might drag that person into the abyss instead. Let’s just stick close to Xing Shi for now and see how things develop.”
Chai Xiaoyu nodded. “Okay.”
Xing Shi noticed his momentary excitement and guessed it might be due to a change in favorability. He glanced around.
Fu Xiuning picked up some of Xing Shi’s favorite food and placed it on his plate.
Xing Shi lowered his head and quietly ate.
Fu Xiuning looked at him for a moment before turning away and continuing the conversation. Once he’d dug out all the interesting stories from Xing Shi’s childhood, he lost interest in other topics.
Chai Xiaoyu returned to chatting with Xing Shi, asking about his life at Z University.
Xing Shi had only replied a couple of times before Fu Xiuning cut in.
“I ran into Xiaohui the day before yesterday. She was asking about you—why I haven’t arranged more appearances for you,” he said. “She said she’s watched your variety shows and music videos several times.”
Xiaohui was the president of Z University’s student union and always gave snacks to Xing Shi when she saw him.
Xing Shi had a decent impression of her and replied, “Tell her I’ll try to be more productive.”
Fu Xiuning said, “She also said she wanted to treat you to a meal before your popularity goes to your head.”
Xing Shi smiled, “Even if it’s too hot, I’ll still eat.”
Fu Xiuning gave a soft hum and again picked up some food for him.
Chai Xiaoyu waited until their conversation ended before trying to resume the earlier topic, but it didn’t flow as smoothly anymore, so he switched to something else.
Unfortunately, after just a few exchanges, Fu Xiuning smoothly redirected the conversation again and began chatting with Xing Shi instead.
Fu Xiuning didn’t seem to notice anything odd, but the system saw everything clearly.
It wasn’t until they left the restaurant and the system watched the two get in a car and drive off that it analyzed the situation for its host.
“He doesn’t seem to want you to have too much interaction with Xing Shi. As soon as you chat with him for more than a few sentences, he cuts in and pulls Xing Shi’s attention back to himself,” it explained. “The reason he added you on WeChat and told you to contact him directly is probably because he doesn’t want you relying on Xing Shi. The -8 favorability he gave you when you first met might also be because of that—he doesn’t like others taking up Xing Shi’s attention.”
Chai Xiaoyu understood clearly. “Possessiveness.”
The system replied, “Exactly.”
Chai Xiaoyu said candidly, “That kind of emotion is pretty normal, right? Even if he’s possessive, based on the information you gave me, my boss still goes to school and trains normally. He hasn’t been locked up, restricted, or harmed.”
The system warned, “That’s true for now. But if things worsen, it’s hard to predict. The real concern is if Xing Shi ends up getting gradually controlled without realizing it, until one day he cuts off contact with the outside world of his own accord.”
It even listed a few similar cases, which made Chai Xiaoyu nervous.
“I told you I wanted to give him a heads-up,” he said, “but you stopped me.”
The system explained, “Like I said before, dear—because you haven’t seen each other in years, Xing Shi wouldn’t believe you. He’d just think you were spreading rumors. If you fell out with them now, it’d be hard to get close to either of them again.”
Chai Xiaoyu thought it over and said, “What if I tell his father and ask him to step in?”
The system immediately shot that down: “That won’t work. Based on our intel, Director He trusts Fu Xiuning very much. That’s why he entrusted Xing Shi to him in the first place. If you suddenly accuse Fu Xiuning now, Director He won’t believe you.”
It added comfortingly, “Don’t worry—I’m just talking about the worst-case scenario. It may not happen. I’ll keep a close eye on them. Let’s try to increase contact with Xing Shi. Whether it helps us get closer to Fu Xiuning or builds a strong bond with Xing Shi to support the rescue effort, it’ll all be useful.”
Chai Xiaoyu nodded in agreement. “Okay.”
After stirring up his motivation, the system gave him a few words of gentle encouragement, then went quiet.
On the other side, Xing Shi didn’t return to the company for training. Instead, he followed his brother back home.
After taking off his shoes, he didn’t head for the shower right away. Instead, he tossed both of their phones into the bedroom, came back out, and looked straight at Fu Xiuning.
He wasn’t blind—he’d clearly seen how his brother had kept trying to steer the conversation throughout the night.
He asked, “Did you do that on purpose?”
Fu Xiuning’s expression was calm. “Hmm?”
Xing Shi raised a brow. “You know exactly what I mean.”
Fu Xiuning had never thought he could hide it from him. Taking his hand, he pulled him to the couch and sat down. “I don’t like him approaching you with ulterior motives.”
Xing Shi asked, “That’s all?”
Fu Xiuning replied, “I’ll take care of it.”
Xing Shi said, “You know I don’t care about things like that.”
Fu Xiuning said, “I know. But I do.”
Xing Shi looked at him.
Fu Xiuning added softly, “Don’t do anything dangerous.”
Xing Shi finally gave in.
He got up and went to take a shower—only to hear a familiar voice ring in his head. System 99 had reawakened.
It had been dormant for three days without the slightest movement. Xing Shi had even wondered if it had been destroyed. But later, after probing it with energy, he’d confirmed it was still there and intact.
Now that it had finally spoken again, he carefully examined it to make sure everything was functioning normally.
99 followed along with the examination, and for the second time since waking up, let out a quiet sigh.
Shang Shang Qian—the fortune system—remained silent.
Xing Shi continued walking toward the bedroom.
One person, two systems. Silence.
After a few seconds, 99 couldn’t help but complain, “Doesn’t anyone care about me?”
Shang Shang Qian asked, “Have your memories returned?”
99 sighed for a third time. “Yeah. You guessed it.”
Xing Shi and Shang Shang Qian both thought the same thing at the same time: That was an easy guess.
Xing Shi asked, “What did you dream about?”
99 answered gloomily, “I dreamed that I used to be just like Fu Xiuning—a capture target.”
Both Xing Shi and Shang Shang Qian were stunned.
They, the two who had risen to the top, were both hosts. And Fu Xiuning was the first capture target.
Shang Shang Qian asked, “You?”
99 could hear the disbelief in that one short word and snapped back, “Yes, me! I’ve been lucky since childhood, got a problem with that?”
When Shang Shang Qian remembered how 99 had been mistakenly paired with Xing Shi, he couldn’t bring himself to say anything.
Seeing the silence, 99 continued sulking. “The main system is awful. It sent those hosts and their systems after me, tricked me into falling for them… and I—I actually believed them!”
Xing Shi and Shang Shang Qian were silent again. What could they say? Honestly, it wasn’t all that surprising.
99 sobbed for a bit, paused, and then—getting no response—started crying again. “Aren’t you going to comfort me?”
Shang Shang Qian asked, “Do you want the truth?”
99 choked mid-sob and, to shut it up, Shang Shang Qian prompted Xing Shi.
Xing Shi said, “It’s okay. It’s all in the past.”
99 sniffled miserably. “But I’m so sad. I gave them my true feelings…”
Xing Shi said, “We’ll help you get revenge.”
99 replied, “Okay… anything else?”
Xing Shi said, “Revenge is the best comfort.”
99 whimpered, “But I’m still sad. Say a few more comforting words.”
Xing Shi said, “How about… drink more hot water?”
99: “?”
Shang Shang Qian: “…”
Both fell into silence for five seconds.
99 just felt increasingly wronged and burst into tears again.
What sin had it committed—betrayed in life, and after death, stuck with these two cold-hearted bastards!
