The rehearsal started in the afternoon.
By 3:30, Xingshi and the others had returned to the company. The teacher, knowing that they wouldn’t be in the mood for class, addressed the problems that had occurred during the rehearsal and allowed them to manage their own time until evening training.
Xingshi decided to find a quiet spot to lie down and play on his phone.
A trainee approached him, looking distressed. It was one of the performers who had been nervous and out of sync during the rehearsal.
With a bitter expression, he asked, “Brother Shi, the rehearsal performance wasn’t great. Do you think the boss will be angry?”
Xingshi replied casually, “No.”
The trainee frowned, unconvinced. “Are you sure?”
“Sure,” Xingshi repeated confidently.
From his observations, Fu Xiuning wasn’t the type to get angry over minor issues. Even when Lin Kecheng, who was suspected of orchestrating an assassination attempt, was standing right in front of him, Fu Xiuning had remained calm and polite. A few missteps during a rehearsal would hardly faze him.
Compared to his past experiences, Fu Xiuning probably didn’t even remember the trainee’s face.
But that was too discouraging to say out loud.
Instead, Xingshi offered some reassurance. “This is just a rehearsal, not the final performance. Mistakes are normal. It’s okay.”
The trainee seemed more at ease, thanked him, and went back to practice.
Nearby, someone asked, “Why does the boss care so much about this performance? He even personally supervised the rehearsal.”
Xingshi glanced at them and said, “I’m not actually that close to him. Do you believe that?”
Everyone exchanged skeptical glances.
They had seen the boss give Xingshi small cakes during the rehearsal. If that’s what “not close” looks like, then what does close look like?
Silence filled the room, speaking louder than words.
Seeing their expressions, Xingshi gave up trying to explain.
He thought for a moment.
If he had to guess, Fu Xiuning wouldn’t care as long as they didn’t make a mess of things on the day of the performance and risk ridicule from outsiders.
He concluded, “Just do your best. Show your strengths.”
The trainees mulled over his words and left, somewhat reassured.
The second rehearsal was scheduled for the following week.
The trainees breathed a collective sigh of relief when Fu Xiuning didn’t attend.
Meanwhile, the alliance between Lin Kecheng and Xingshi expired again, and they renewed it.
Xingshi’s favorability value remained at -7. He and the system had already prepared an explanation in case Lin Kecheng asked about it, but this time, Lin Kecheng didn’t bring it up.
Lin Kecheng had realized that there was always a gap between his favorability score and Xingshi’s, so he chose to ignore it.
Instead, he asked, “Have you seen him recently?”
Xingshi replied, “I only ran into him once at school. I told the system to ask if you wanted me to find out more, but you said no.”
Lin Kecheng nodded. He felt that the interval between their last encounter and now was too short. Bringing it up again might come across as annoying or tactless.
Leaning in, he whispered, “Next time you see him, mention it like this…”
Xingshi listened quietly and smiled. “Got it.”
The system, however, wasn’t convinced. “He’s so full of himself. Do you really plan to help him?”
Xingshi replied, “Helping him is helping me. As allies, we need to be honest.”
The system didn’t understand his motives but didn’t stop him either. It figured that someone like Lin Kecheng, even after struggling, would only reach -4 at best and wasn’t a threat.
The second rehearsal went more smoothly than the first, with no major issues.
The trainees were pleased with their performance and returned to the company in high spirits.
The next morning, Xingshi returned to school for classes. After class, he decided to use the system’s tracking feature for the first time to locate Fu Xiuning.
But luck was on his side. As soon as he stepped out of the teaching building, he spotted Fu Xiuning not far away.
The campus was bustling in preparation for the school anniversary. Colorful flags lined the main roads, and posters showcasing the school’s history, achievements, and notable alumni were everywhere. Display boards highlighted this year’s outstanding students, and well-known alumni had been invited to give lectures, with their schedules prominently displayed.
Fu Xiuning stood by a poster, holding two books and reading it carefully.
The weather was warming up, and he was dressed in a white shirt and jeans, exuding a refined and gentle aura.
It was rare to see him in such a relaxed state.
Xingshi smiled and approached. “Senior, what a coincidence.”
Fu Xiuning turned toward him, thinking to himself, What a coincidence? I came here specifically to wait for you.
He had looked up Xingshi’s class schedule and knew he would have classes here.
In fact, he had tried to arrange a chance encounter a few days earlier, but Xingshi had skipped class. While he could have gone directly to the company’s practice room, it would have drawn unnecessary attention, so he decided to stick to the school and gradually create more opportunities for them to interact.
He nodded in response and asked, “How was the rehearsal yesterday?”
Xingshi walked alongside him. “It went smoothly.”
“When’s the final rehearsal?” Fu Xiuning asked.
“The day after tomorrow,” Xingshi replied.
Then, he shifted gears to help his ally. “I saw Senior Lin in the auditorium yesterday. He was researching entertainment companies and even made a comparison chart. It looked like he was trying to choose one, but our company wasn’t on the list, boss.”
Fu Xiuning glanced at him.
Xingshi continued seriously, “I think Senior Lin is very capable. He’s great with people, has high emotional intelligence, and is perfect for the entertainment industry. He’s also a top student from Z University.”
Fu Xiuning kept looking at him, waiting for more.
Confused by the silence, Xingshi added, “I asked him why he didn’t choose our company, but he wouldn’t say. Maybe he doesn’t want to use connections, or maybe there’s some inside story I don’t know.”
After finishing, he brightened up as if he’d cracked the case. “That’s everything he told me. He asked me to find out more.”
The system was stunned. “What? Did you just spill everything?”
Fu Xiuning, however, wasn’t surprised. He calmly replied, “He seems to trust you quite a bit to leave this matter in your hands.”
The system suddenly felt uneasy. It thought, How is it that Xingshi and Lin Kecheng seem so close after knowing each other for such a short time?
Xingshi blinked innocently. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
Fu Xiuning froze for a moment. The tone sounded familiar. After some thought, he realized that Xingshi had used the exact same words when explaining his alliance to the system.
Fu Xiuning looked at Xingshi, curious about what he would say next.
Xingshi spoke earnestly, “Boss, you don’t know, Senior Lin has a brother who’s been lost for many years. He said he felt an instant connection with me the first time we met, like he was seeing his brother again. Maybe that’s why he trusts me so much.”
Fu Xiuning asked gently, “Then didn’t you go for a DNA test?”
Xingshi shook his head, looking serious. “I feel like our appearances have nothing in common, so I doubt there’s any DNA connection. I didn’t bring it up because I didn’t want to upset him.”
Fu Xiuning responded with a simple “hmm,” then added, “He trusts you like a brother, and you’re selling him out like this?”
Xingshi didn’t even flinch. “Senior, to be honest, I’ve always wanted to have a brother.”
Fu Xiuning: “…”
Xingshi continued sincerely, “The first time I saw you, I wanted you to be my brother.”
Even though Fu Xiuning had anticipated such a line, he couldn’t help but laugh.
He had to admit, apart from Xingshi’s appearance—which occasionally made him uncomfortable—this kid had a knack for being cheeky in a way that amused him.
【Didi】
[Current Favorability Value: -6]
The system exclaimed, “This is amazing! Another point gained!”
Xingshi’s heart skipped a beat, and he thought to himself that today was indeed his lucky day. Things were looking much better for him.
He smiled at Fu Xiuning. “Want some coffee, bro? It’s on me.”
Fu Xiuning didn’t refuse.
The two walked to a nearby coffee shop, where Xingshi ordered their drinks and found a seat. While waiting, he instructed the system to install a “patch” to prevent Lin Kecheng from inadvertently spilling the beans about the “lost brother” story.
After understanding the idea, the system sent a message to Lin Kecheng:
[My host followed your instructions and probed Fu Xiuning. While Fu Xiuning hasn’t said much yet, they’re chatting. To get closer to you, my host told him you have a long-lost brother. You two hit it off immediately and are as close as real brothers. He really hopes to venture into the entertainment industry with his brother.]
Lin Kecheng, reading the message, felt a surge of appreciation for Xingshi’s loyalty. He quickly replied: [Got it. Help me thank him. From now on, he’s my real brother!]
The system, knowing the full context, thought to itself, If you knew what he actually said, you wouldn’t be thanking him so easily.
When the system relayed Lin Kecheng’s response to Xingshi, he chuckled. Feeling a bit tired, he yawned and said, “Give me a level 2 punishment.”
The system was taken aback. “…Huh?”
Xingshi explained, “It’s rare for me to sit down and chat with Fu Xiuning. I already gained 1 point. Let’s keep the momentum going.”
The system, touched by his dedication, said, “Isn’t this too much for you? We’re not in a rush. You can just chat casually.”
But Xingshi insisted. “Come on, don’t you want to earn more points?”
Naturally, the system wanted to. Reluctantly, it issued the second-level punishment.
Xingshi’s primary goal in meeting Fu Xiuning wasn’t just to deliver Lin Kecheng’s message—it was to use the meeting as an excuse to demand a second-level punishment.
He had formed an alliance with Lin Kecheng four times, absorbing small streams of energy each time, but the energy flows seemed to vanish without a trace. He wanted to test if the punishment would help him access them.
As the familiar sensation of energy coursed through his body, he immediately tried to absorb it.
Five seconds later, the punishment ended.
The bad news: the energy flow associated with the punishment was harder to absorb, and he didn’t manage to get any of it.
The good news: the pain subsided, which meant the small amounts of energy he had absorbed before hadn’t dissipated—they were dormant, waiting to accumulate into a larger amount.
Fu Xiuning sat across from him, observing him calmly.
He could hear the conversations between hosts and systems and sense energy fluctuations, but he had noticed that other people couldn’t perceive the fluctuations at all.
Xingshi was a host who had traveled through time and space, inhabiting the body of someone from this world. By all accounts, this body should be ordinary. So why were there so many exceptions?
And what exactly were Xingshi’s abilities? Could he sense energy like Fu Xiuning, or was he capable of even more? And what did “more” entail?
Fu Xiuning’s thoughts were interrupted when Xingshi looked up at him.
“You’re buying dessert, right?” Xingshi asked, eyes bright. “I’m eating!”
Fu Xiuning chuckled at his enthusiasm and ordered two desserts.
The two sat in the coffee shop until noon and then had lunch together.
In the afternoon, Xingshi had training, so he hitched a ride in Fu Xiuning’s car to the company before they parted ways.
Two days later, Xingshi and his team had their final rehearsal.
The performance went smoothly, and everyone felt more confident.
That night, the trainees went to bed early, knowing they would need to wake up before six the next morning.
This would be their first public performance. Even though it wasn’t a paid gig, the teachers treated it with the utmost importance.
By dawn, the makeup artists were already at work, styling the trainees. Some used disposable hair dye to enhance their looks. Once everyone was ready, they piled into a car and headed straight to Z University.
The Z University anniversary celebration had finally begun.
