Salted Fish is a Rebellious Person – Chapter 22

Fu Xiuning received a message from Qi Changyi, just as expected.

After he finished responding, he glanced at the person next to him, who had just finished drinking the honey water and was now getting up.

He observed carefully and noticed that Xingshi swayed slightly in his first few steps, but then he steadied himself.

The system also noticed this and asked, “I’ve finished gathering the information. Can you listen now?”

Xingshi remained calm. “Go ahead.”

The system began, “Yu Shu, male, 22 years old, signed artist under June Culture. He’s a singer and actor, currently filming a TV series, and will participate in a variety show later—”

Xingshi, holding onto the sideboard for support, interrupted, “Tell me tomorrow.”

System: “…”

Without the noise in his mind, Xingshi found his footing again.

He quickly showered, cleaned up, and went to bed.

Perhaps it was the alcohol, the excellent soundproofing of the room, or simply his body reaching its limit from exhaustion—whatever the reason, he slept deeply. When he woke up, he felt completely refreshed.

At around six in the morning, he got up, washed up, and went out for a run.

Even though he was a rookie, having the system made it easy to plan an efficient route.

The system, watching him exercise, finally realized why he never seemed to gain weight despite eating so much. As he ran, it resumed the report.

Xingshi asked, “Do you think Yu Shu could be a host?”

The system replied, “I’m not sure. What are you planning?”

Xingshi said, “I’ll just ask him.”

The system, worried he would stir up trouble, quickly advised, “With our current strength, there’s no need to form alliances with others. Besides, there are multiple hosts who, like you, have also traveled from other worlds. Their backgrounds are unknown—what if they’re not good people? That could be really troublesome.”

Xingshi gave a casual response, finishing his lap before heading back home.

As soon as he entered, he saw Auntie already making breakfast.

She had received Fu Xiuning’s message the previous day and knew someone was moving in, but she hadn’t expected him to be this handsome. Her smile instantly became more welcoming.

Xingshi greeted her politely, grabbed a bottle of water, and stepped out.

At that moment, Fu Xiuning also emerged.

Before Xingshi even saw him, a notification sound rang out.

【Didi】

[Current Favorability Value: -5]

Neither Xingshi nor the system was surprised. They figured it had reverted back.

Fu Xiuning also heard it but chose to ignore it. He walked a few steps forward and saw Xingshi step out of the dining area.

Xingshi was wearing sleeveless sportswear. He had just finished his morning run, sweat glistening on his forehead, droplets running down his cheeks and onto his neck. His skin was slightly flushed from the exertion.

【Didi】

[Current Favorability Value: -4]

Xingshi: “…”

System: “Tsk.”

Fu Xiuning: “…”

Xingshi unscrewed the water bottle and met his gaze. “Morning.”

Fu Xiuning remained composed. “Good morning.”

After exchanging greetings, one returned to his room to shower, while the other went into the living room.

Sunday Training

That day was Sunday, so after breakfast, Xingshi headed to the company for training.

Since he had taken leave yesterday afternoon and didn’t return until evening, Feng Zifan and Yu Yi took the opportunity to chat with him about the new techniques they had learned and to discuss the latest gossip.

Feng Zifan mentioned, “A few guys from Class 1 filled out their forms yesterday and confirmed they’ll be joining the talent show.”

Xingshi recalled what Fu Xiuning had said about this and responded with a simple, “Hmm.”

Feng Zifan lowered his voice. “Are you really not joining?”

Xingshi replied, “I don’t know yet.”

Feng Zifan wasn’t convinced. “There were also some guys last year who didn’t know anything, but they were just good-looking. Aren’t they acting in movies now?”

Xingshi said, “I’d rather take things step by step.”

Feng Zifan looked at him, slouched against the wall, and felt that this wasn’t caution—it was laziness. He sighed, “You know how low the debut rate is for trainees, right?”

Yu Yi was curious. “How low?”

Feng Zifan glanced at them—two guys with faces that could start a national craze—and changed his mind. “Never mind, you guys don’t need to worry. No matter how low the chances are, it doesn’t apply to you… Wait a second.”

He suddenly realized something and turned to Xingshi. “If you debut, wouldn’t training be less intense? Wouldn’t that make things easier for you?”

Xingshi was actually quite content with his current setup. Training was physically exhausting, but it was simple.

Though the competition among trainees was fierce, and there were occasional schemes, no one dared to mess with him for now, so he was living comfortably.

However, his real goal was dismantling the system. If the other hosts were all artists, that would change everything.

He said, “We’ll see.”

The break ended, and they resumed training.

A New Study Space

During the third break, Xingshi received a message from Fu Xiuning.

Since the boss didn’t work on Sundays, as promised, he had someone set up a desk for him.

The living room was spacious enough to double as a study. Fu Xiuning’s assistant handled the arrangements, adding a long solid wood desk and a matching bookshelf to fit the room’s decor.

Fu Xiuning sent a photo.

Xingshi replied: [Very satisfied, thanks, brother! 😊]

Fu Xiuning asked: [Would you like to put your books away yourself, or should I have someone do it?]

Xingshi responded: [Just have them put it away.]

Fu Xiuning: [Understood. Also, Director He and his team are flying out this afternoon. We’re having lunch together at noon. Did he tell you?]

Xingshi: [He did.]

Fu Xiuning: [Then I’ll pick you up at noon.]

Xingshi: [Okay.]

Fu Xiuning put away his phone and signaled for his assistant to arrange the books.

The box of books had been left in the living room yesterday. After moving in, Xingshi had been too preoccupied to unpack them himself.

When the assistant had asked, Fu Xiuning had relayed the question out of courtesy. Now, with confirmation, the assistant neatly arranged the books on the shelf.

Fu Xiuning casually pulled out a calculus book and flipped through it.

Inside, he found pages filled with handwritten notes and calculations. Skimming through, he realized they were from the latest chapter of the course.

He was surprised. This kid actually pays attention in class.

Most hosts who traveled through time suffered from amnesia. He wasn’t sure if they could even understand advanced calculus…

His eyes followed the formula to its conclusion, where he found that the final answer had been crossed out with a question mark written next to it.

After a moment’s thought, he understood.

So after spending half a page calculating, he still got the wrong answer?

Fu Xiuning smiled and put the book back.

Lunch with Director He

This time, they didn’t go to Linlan Garden but chose a different restaurant.

There were only four people at the table. When Xingshi entered the private room, Director He and Qi Changyi had already arrived.

Qi Changyi shook his phone and said, “Someone was asking about you and found out about me.”

Xingshi raised an eyebrow. “Hmm?”

Qi Changyi asked, “Didn’t you post your training routine this morning?”

Xingshi nodded. Their personal accounts were still being managed by the company, and they had a set posting schedule. Today, he had filmed a short ten-second video.

Seeing how calm he was, Qi Changyi asked, “So you haven’t checked the response at all?”

Xingshi said, “Did it go viral again?”

Qi Changyi chuckled. “Not quite.”

It was just good timing.

The upcoming talent show had all entertainment companies keeping an eye on each other, and naturally, the trainees from June Culture were under watch as well. That included the show’s director team.

So when Xingshi’s new hair color video was posted, the director team noticed the buzz in the comment section and immediately contacted Qi Changyi.

“Almost all the major companies have submitted their trainee lists, but you’re not on the list,” Qi Changyi said with a smile. “The director asked if I could push you in. What do you think?”

Xingshi declined without hesitation. Joining the talent show meant staying in the training camp for an extended period, and he felt it was too much of a time commitment.

Qi Changyi didn’t press the issue and simply lowered his head to reply to the messages.

Director He waited for Xingshi to sit down before handing him the menu, signaling for him to order.

Xingshi had never been to this restaurant before, so he glanced at Fu Xiuning for input. They had eaten together a few times, and their tastes were similar—anything Fu Xiuning approved of was generally good.

Fu Xiuning said, “You can order anything here.”

Xingshi took that as confirmation of the chef’s skills and ordered dishes he wanted to try. After checking with the others for their preferences, he submitted the order.

A Father’s Concerns

Director He took the opportunity to chat about family matters before asking, “How are you getting along with the other trainees at the company?”

Xingshi said, “Very well.”

Director He continued, “You’re so handsome—aren’t they jealous of you?”

Xingshi responded matter-of-factly, “Of course, but no one dares to show it.”

Director He glanced at Fu Xiuning, who was sitting diagonally across from him, and thought: Right, he has such a good relationship with the boss—who would dare mess with him?

Suppressing his growing concerns, he observed his son closely. He noticed that Xingshi’s temperament hadn’t changed from the last time they met. It wasn’t just a passing mood.

This morning, he had visited Z University to ask about his son’s situation. The teachers had given very positive feedback. He also checked the school’s online forums but found no clues. His son had simply changed—for unknown reasons, at an unknown time.

The thought weighed heavily on him throughout the meal.

Post-Lunch Discussions

After they finished eating and paid the bill, Qi Changyi used the excuse of returning to the company to take Xingshi back, while Director He rode with Fu Xiuning to his hotel.

Once they were alone, Director He asked, “How long have you known Sui Sui?”

Fu Xiuning answered honestly, “Not long. We met after he signed with the company.”

Director He tried to sound casual. “He was quite rebellious during his teenage years, but after starting university, his temper finally settled down. He was already like this when you met him, right?”

Fu Xiuning’s mind worked quickly. Does he suspect his son has been switched?

Since Xingshi had just moved in with him, it wouldn’t be wise to stir up any suspicions, so he simply replied, “When you’re out in the world, you have to rely on yourself. He naturally matured.”

But…

He couldn’t help but ask, “What was he like before?”

Different souls exhibit different behaviors. Sometimes, he wondered—if the original owner were still alive, what kind of expressions would he make? Would he have been a disappointment or a pleasant surprise?

If he had met the original Xingshi on the day of the class division, would he have even taken an interest in him?

Right now, he was undeniably drawn to the face, but how much of that was due to the soul behind it?

Director He reminisced, “He used to have a cold, intimidating look—people thought he was hard to deal with. But honestly, he was just too lazy to bother with others. He only fought back when provoked.”

Fu Xiuning asked, “How did he fight back?”

Director He chuckled. “Oh, there were plenty of tactics—endless tricks up his sleeve.”

He was still laughing when a dark cloud of unease settled over him again.

He wished his son was still the same as before—full of energy, arguing and provoking him without restraint.

That would have been fine.

He had failed as a father, neglecting him for years, but he could have continued apologizing, making amends, until Sui Sui finally forgave him.

But now?

His son had grown up overnight.

And nothing good ever comes from growing up overnight.

Director He sighed inwardly. “Now… he’s changed a lot.”

An Unsettling Thought

Fu Xiuning probed further. “It almost seems like someone switched him.”

Director He laughed. “No, nothing like that. His personality just changed.”

Fu Xiuning couldn’t resist letting a bit of his dark humor show. “Really? Are you certain?”

Director He responded confidently, “Of course. A parent will always recognize their own child. Even if he completely changed his face, I’d still know it’s him.”

Fu Xiuning drove Director He back to his hotel before heading home.

He slowly pulled to a stop at a red light, but his mind was elsewhere.

Impossible, he thought.

He had heard it with his own ears—the moment Xing Shi crossed over and was bound.

But…

Xingshi had too many unexplained anomalies.

So what, exactly, was impossible?

The red light turned green.

Fu Xiuning stepped on the accelerator and drove straight to the company.