Salted Fish is a Rebellious Person – Chapter 26

There were three minutes left before class started, and the trainees in the leisure area were heading back to the practice room one after another. Feng Zifan and the others were among them. When they saw Xing Shi, they walked toward him.

“I almost thought you were going to be late,” Feng Zifan slowed his pace, keeping some distance from the person in front of him. He leaned in and whispered, “Gu Zheng didn’t attend the farewell dinner yesterday. We were sitting over there just now, and he came looking for you.”

Xing Shi’s thoughts shifted away from Fu Xiuning and back to the present. “Hmm?”

Feng Zifan continued, “I asked him what he wanted, but he wouldn’t say.”

Xing Shi responded casually, not taking it to heart.

Yu Yi lowered his voice and asked, “Do you think he suspects you were removed because of some behind-the-scenes maneuvering?”

Feng Zifan chuckled, “Maybe he wants to ask Brother Shi for help in pushing his name back onto the list. I heard that even after entering the program, there’s still a training phase, so there’s room for adjustments.”

Yu Yi’s eyes widened in shock, as if his entire worldview had just been shattered. Feng Zifan found it amusing.

Xing Shi didn’t comment because Lin Kecheng had just sent a message asking about the results.

To avoid making the timing seem too coincidental and raising suspicions, he had asked Lin Kecheng’s system to chat in the group for a bit before going silent. Now that their conversation had just ended, it was the right time to reply.

Xing Shi instructed his system to respond, telling them that Yu Shu was most likely the host. He used the system’s tone and phrased everything as if it were based purely on observations.

—

Lin Kecheng was still lying in bed.

He had stayed up all night searching for potential hosts and putting together a report that looked impressive but was mostly speculation. He had been anxious, but upon receiving the result, he was elated. “Does this mean we’re actually useful?”

Feeling a little less irritated, he said, “If Yu Shu’s system shows up and they compare the timeline of his arrival with when Xing Shi first appeared in front of Fu Xiuning, they’ll still have suspicions, right? Unlike us, who are completely in the clear. This proves they still need us.”

His system responded, “But now, Xing Shi has met another host—one who arrived earlier than us and is working directly under Fu Xiuning.”

Lin Kecheng’s expression shifted. “Are you saying he might switch allies?”

The system hesitated. “I’m not sure.”

Lin Kecheng tried to remain calm. “That shouldn’t happen. Right now, we’re the only ones who know Xing Shi is a host. If they don’t renew the alliance, aren’t they worried we’ll cut ties and expose him?”

He thought for a moment. “Let’s ask him out for dinner. I’ll test his intentions.”

The system relayed the request, but the reply came back quickly: Xing Shi is too busy. Focus on verifying the identities of the suspects on your list first. We’ll discuss things again at the next contract renewal.

Lin Kecheng relaxed. “See? They wouldn’t abandon us so easily.”

He decided against catching up on sleep and instead got up—despite his injured leg. “I’ll get started now.”

The system: “…”

Was it just imagining things, or was its host being manipulated?

It glanced at the despairing -5 favorability rating and reminded him, “Don’t just focus on work. You should also try to impress Fu Xiuning more. Only by increasing his favorability will we feel more secure. Didn’t Yu Shu do that today?”

Lin Kecheng agreed. “Right. We have Yu Shu’s class schedule. You should track his location more often.”

He paused and then added, “But not too much—save some energy.”

The system: “…”

—

Xing Shi sent Lin Kecheng away and headed to class.

After the session ended, Gu Zheng and his roommates approached. The surrounding trainees turned to watch, their expressions mixed.

Gu Zheng looked noticeably more haggard after a night of lost sleep. In a low voice, he said, “Brother Shi, can we talk in private?”

Xing Shi glanced at them before stepping past them and walking toward the window at the end of the hallway.

Gu Zheng and his roommates hurried after him. When they reached the spot, Xing Shi leaned lazily against the wall, waiting.

Gu Zheng took a deep breath and said, “Brother Shi, we’re here to apologize.”

Xing Shi raised an eyebrow. “Apologize for what?”

Gu Zheng lowered his head, his voice filled with regret. “Last time… when we bumped into you, it wasn’t an accident. We did it on purpose. I’m sorry.”

His roommate also bowed his head. “I’m sorry, Brother Shi.”

Xing Shi was surprised. “Really? You did it on purpose?”

Gu Zheng, now completely drained of his previous arrogance, admitted, “Yes.”

He explained, “I know that my removal might be related to this. It’s my own fault, and I don’t have any complaints. But I still owe you an apology.”

Xing Shi looked at them curiously. “How could it have anything to do with me? The teacher said the replacement was based on a thorough review of all factors.”

They had thrown a ‘no evidence’ argument at Xing Shi earlier, so now he was throwing one right back at them.

Gu Zheng swallowed bitterly. “Yeah, sure… it had nothing to do with you. But we made a mistake, so we needed to take responsibility. We regretted it after we did it, but we were too afraid to admit it until now.”

His roommate spoke hoarsely, “I regretted it the moment I rushed toward you that day. I was afraid I’d actually hurt you, so I held back at the last moment, but I still ended up hitting you. I’m not saying this to justify myself—I was wrong, and I’m truly sorry, Brother Shi.”

Gu Zheng bowed again. “I’m sorry, Brother Shi.”

Xing Shi simply said, “Hmm.”

He wasn’t the type to hold grudges unnecessarily. If someone schemed against him, he would retaliate. Whether they apologized or not was secondary. But at least these two had shown some remorse and wouldn’t dare to provoke him again.

He added, “Find time to apologize to Yu Yi and the others. Then this matter will be settled.”

Gu Zheng and his roommates, visibly relieved, quickly agreed.

Xing Shi watched them leave, remaining where he was.

His thoughts had been scattered during class, and he needed to organize them.

His system assumed he was still thinking about Gu Zheng and commented, “I hope they’re actually sorry. But let’s be real—part of their reason for apologizing is because they’re scared they’ll be blacklisted and never debut.”

Xing Shi was about to reply when the system suddenly added, “I can’t help it. Fu Xiuning loves you. He’s happy whenever you two are close. Tsk tsk, I can’t even imagine how high your favorability would skyrocket if you two really got together.”

Xing Shi: “…Do you remember we’re on the friendship route?”

The system chirped cheerfully, “Of course! We’ll walk our path, and he’ll walk his. It doesn’t matter.”

Xing Shi ignored it and asked, “Does the system track changes in favorability?”

“Yep! You can check it anytime you want,” the system confirmed.

It then added gratefully, “Good thing this feature isn’t shareable. Otherwise, Lin Kecheng and the others would definitely want to see it, and our first alliance would be completely exposed.”

Just then, Feng Zifan and Yu Yi approached.

Xing Shi finally moved, meeting them halfway.

Yu Yi asked, “What did they say?”

Xing Shi replied, “Just an apology, nothing else. I told them to apologize to you as well—they should do it today.”

Feng Zifan understood that Gu Zheng had plotted against Xing Shi, and that both he and Yu Yi had been affected—one was physically struck, while the other narrowly avoided it. But in the end, both had been targets of Gu Zheng’s malice.

Yu Yi’s eyes lit up. “They told me that before.”

Feng Zifan chuckled. “That’s different. Back then, you didn’t know they did it on purpose. Now they have to come and apologize properly.”

Yu Yi nodded, taking the advice to heart.

After lunch, Xing Shi had afternoon classes at school, so he left the company.

However, instead of going to school, he skipped class and returned to Fu Xiuning’s home.

The system was confused. “Why are you back?”

Xing Shi stretched lazily. “I don’t know… After spending the whole morning reflecting, I feel like I need to revisit the path I’ve walked.”

The system: “Huh?”

Locking the guest room door, Xing Shi took a shower, changed into loungewear, dried his hair, and peacefully lay down on the bed. He closed his eyes and sank into his consciousness.

The system grew even more puzzled. Its host rarely delved into his consciousness voluntarily. Cautiously, it asked, “What are you trying to do?”

Xing Shi replied, “Check the favorability records.”

With a sigh of nostalgia, he said, “I still remember when I first made eye contact with Fu Xiuning, my favorability was at -4. Now it’s at 4. This is a milestone worth reminiscing about!”

The system was bewildered. “You seemed perfectly normal this morning. Why are you suddenly so sentimental?”

Xing Shi grinned. “Yeah!”

The system quickly pulled up the favorability record. “Fine, take a look.”

Xing Shi scrolled back to the beginning.

The records were simple: timestamps, locations, and changes in favorability.

Initially, it was -5. At their first meeting, it shifted to -4, then suddenly dropped to -10.

The system, watching alongside him, sighed. “Back then, you said he deducted points because you were more handsome than him. Turns out that wasn’t it—he actually fell for you at first sight! Look at how much he struggled in the beginning!”

Xing Shi hummed thoughtfully.

He now understood Fu Xiuning much better than when they first met.

Fu Xiuning had a detached personality and rarely cared about anything. A person like him wouldn’t easily be drawn to someone. That sudden drop to -10 wasn’t because of some petty jealousy over looks, nor did it seem like he was struggling with feelings. Instead, it resembled… disgust.

Like the kind of disgust one feels when suddenly realizing something unsettling.

He continued scrolling.

Next, it showed -8. Then, after drinking porridge, it dropped inexplicably to -9. Later, at the company, it became -10 again.

The system clicked its tongue. “See? He was struggling again! But from this point onward, the changes aren’t as dramatic—it’s mostly one or two points at a time.”

Xing Shi smirked. “That’s because he couldn’t resist my charm forever.”

Still, he noted something interesting. Lin Kecheng had been present that day, and then there was the assassination attempt. Could the -9 drop be related to that?

As for that -10 at the company… he vaguely remembered it happened when he was leaving the elevator, but he talked so much every day that he couldn’t recall what he had said at the time.

He asked the system, “What was this -10 for?”

The system huffed, “Ugh, don’t get me started. You literally saved him, and he still deducted points!”

Xing Shi raised a brow. “What exactly did I do?”

The system snapped, “You didn’t do anything! You didn’t even look at him or talk to him!”

Feigning casual curiosity, Xing Shi asked, “Oh? Then what was I doing at the time? Chatting with you?”

The system replied, “Yep! I even asked if you wanted to bow to your ‘father’—remember?”

Xing Shi recalled now. The system had thought he skipped class to train for his debut, but in reality, he just wanted to eat at a restaurant.

That same night, Fu Xiuning had suddenly invited him to dinner. His favorability had risen to -9 in the parking lot, then -8 at Linlan Garden.

The system got excited. “That was the first time you two accidentally held hands! And the score went up right away!”

Xing Shi mused, “Yep. Love at first sight.”

He clearly remembered that incident. It had left an impression because it was their first time holding hands. They had also talked about Lin Kecheng.

From that day onward, his interactions with Fu Xiuning had increased.

As he continued reading, the system checked along with him.

“I knew he was obsessed with looks!”

“He fed you cake, and just watching you eat made him add points.”

“Wow, even calling him ‘brother’ gives you bonus points~”

Xing Shi nodded. “Exactly! He loves me!”

He continued reviewing the logs until he reached today’s record.

The system cheered. “Time to make a post about it!”

Xing Shi thought to himself—yes, this was a perfectly timed post.

He wanted to dismiss the theory as ridiculous, but looking at the records from a different angle, he couldn’t refute it.

A bold hypothesis formed in his mind.

Fu Xiuning… could he hear the conversations between hosts and systems?

If this speculation was true, a lot of things suddenly made sense.

For example, their relationship had been ordinary, yet Fu Xiuning suddenly invited him to live together.

For example, when the strategy had begun, Fu Xiuning was just a high school student with a happy family and smooth sailing in life. Even if he was a bit cold, he shouldn’t have been so impossible to approach.

Some hosts were extreme, but there must have been gentle ones as well. The strategy didn’t force the host to pursue romance—someone patient and skilled should have been able to befriend high school Fu Xiuning with ease. Yet not a single person had succeeded in five years.

For example, Xing Shi had never understood why Fu Xiuning clearly liked his face, yet his favorability had initially been lower than the default.

After all, emotions like “liking” could be vague. But with Fu Xiuning, the shifts had always been immediate and drastic.

Now he understood.

Because Fu Xiuning knew he was dealing with time travelers.

The more he realized how impactful Xing Shi’s face was to these travelers, the more he understood that the soul of the original Xing Shi was gone. That must have felt like a thorn in his throat.

Xing Shi reviewed the records again.

All the appearance-based increases had been erased over time.

All the points added for personality and intelligence had remained, and his favorability had gradually improved—from -8 back to the initial -5.

Looking at it now, it was as if he were watching Fu Xiuning resist his looks while gradually appreciating his soul.

Then came the question—what had changed Fu Xiuning’s mind? What was in that document his assistant had given him?

The system, assuming Xing Shi was still lost in thought, tried to comfort him. “Don’t overthink it. The tough times are over. It’s smooth sailing from here on out.”

Xing Shi hummed in acknowledgment and withdrew from his consciousness.

The system kindly suggested, “Since you already skipped class, why not take a nap? You must be tired.”

Xing Shi closed his eyes, deciding that he needed to test Fu Xiuning. Guesses were just guesses—they needed proof.

After a short nap, he returned to the company for dinner.

Feng Zifan and the others were already at the restaurant when Xing Shi arrived. They waved him over with smiles and eagerly shared the latest gossip.

“Yu Shu came to the training department today and bought us a ton of afternoon tea,” one of them said.

Although they were all part of the same company, the stars were busy working all over the world while the trainees spent their days training hard. It was rare for them to cross paths. Whenever they were lucky enough to see an artist drop by, it was always exciting.

But that wasn’t the real focus today.

A fellow trainee leaned in and said, “Brother Yu hasn’t even finished filming yet. He had an event this morning, took the day off, and has to rush back to the set tonight. But even with his packed schedule, he still made time to visit our training department. What does that mean?”

Xing Shi thought about how Yu Shu had already flaunted his status in front of Fu Xiuning. Now, he was trying to win favor with his younger brother. Unfortunately, he hadn’t checked if Fu Xiuning was around beforehand, so his efforts were wasted.

Feigning innocence, Xing Shi asked, “What does it mean?”

The trainee grinned mysteriously. “Think about it. Since we started training, only two people have brought us gifts—Brother Qi and Brother Yu. Brother Qi is the boss, so it makes sense for him to check on us. But Brother Yu was never a trainee here. So why did he come?”

Xing Shi played along. “Why?”

The trainee smirked. “Remember that bet we made? We guessed Brother Yu has a crush on someone in the company, and we thought it might be Brother Qi. Now, since Brother Qi visited us, Brother Yu followed suit. Coincidence? I think not.”

Xing Shi considered the logic and nodded. “That actually makes sense.”

The system interjected, “He’s here to see you.”

Xing Shi remained unfazed. “Well, is he gone now?”

The system checked. “Yeah, but his filming is almost done. The variety show he’s on will only be recorded every few episodes, so he’ll probably come see you again. What do you want to do?”

Xing Shi replied lazily, “No rush. His name’s already out there. The other hosts will keep an eye on him, which will be enough of a headache for him for now.”

Compared to Yu Shu, Fu Xiuning was a far more pressing matter.

After class, Xing Shi couldn’t wait to go back.

Fu Xiuning was sitting in his usual spot. When Xing Shi walked in, Fu Xiuning glanced at him briefly before returning to his book.

Sweaty from training, Xing Shi greeted him casually before heading off to shower. When he emerged, he saw Fu Xiuning still reading.

A detail suddenly struck him.

Yesterday, when he returned home, he knew Lin Kecheng might be eavesdropping, so he had loudly called out to Fu Xiuning upon entering. At the time, Fu Xiuning had been playing with his phone. But by the time Xing Shi came out of his room, Fu Xiuning had switched to reading a book, leaving his phone charging in the bedroom.

With suspicions swirling in his mind, everything now seemed like a clue.

Suppressing his thoughts, he walked over naturally and sat cross-legged on the sofa, leaning slightly forward. “Brother, what book are you reading today?”

He reached out to look at the cover, his fingers brushing against Fu Xiuning’s. Glancing down at the title, he withdrew his hand without much thought.

The system had been watching closely and immediately perked up in excitement. After a few seconds of silence, it muttered in confusion, “Why didn’t you get any points? You clearly touched him!”

Xing Shi mused, “Maybe it was too brief?”

The system disagreed. “But your favorability increases just from posting about him!”

Xing Shi thought for a moment. “Hmm… maybe it’s because he saw my hand moving from the corner of his eye and had time to mentally prepare? Our first two times were accidental touches.”

The system suddenly understood. “That makes sense!”

Fu Xiuning closed his book and looked at him. “How was training today?” he asked gently.

Xing Shi obediently replied, “Same as always, making a little progress every day.”

He looked at Fu Xiuning and continued his silent analysis.

“He used to struggle so much over my face,” Xing Shi mused. “He’s clearly a big awkward mess. Maybe he doesn’t like being touched directly—only accidental contact works.”

The system confidently agreed. “That must be it!”

Then it suggested, “Why not try some unexpected touches?”

Fu Xiuning asked in a calm, older-brotherly tone, “How did you react when that guy who plotted against you got replaced last time? Did you suspect it had anything to do with you?”

Xing Shi answered, “I had a feeling. He and his roommate came to apologize today. Their attitude was decent.”

At the same time, he continued his internal conversation.

“If I don’t test him soon, I’ll start sounding like a scheming green tea b*tch,” Xing Shi thought. “It’s fine, though. He loves me anyway.”

The system reassured, “Yeah, let’s not rush it.”

Xing Shi smirked. “Right, let’s take it slow. He’s so awkward—loves me but won’t chase me, likes me but resists me. No wonder he’s been single all these years. Too bad I’m on the friendship route, so he’ll have to stay single.”

Fu Xiuning’s expression remained unreadable. He shifted topics. “Yu Shu saw you today. He’s pursuing me. Now that he knows you’re my brother, he’ll probably try to get close to you.”

Xing Shi nodded. “Yeah, I heard he came to the training department this afternoon. I was at school, so we didn’t cross paths.”

Curiously, he asked, “Brother, have you rejected everyone who pursued you?”

Fu Xiuning countered, “Have you ever accepted anyone who pursued you?”

Xing Shi, recalling the “original owner’s” records, answered, “Nope.”

Fu Xiuning gave a simple “hmm,” considering that an answer to his own question as well.

Xing Shi sighed. “See? You really don’t like people taking the initiative.”

The system chimed in, “Maybe he just has high standards—like the original owner?”

“Could be,” Xing Shi agreed.

The system giggled. “So that means only you could make his heart race—love at first sight!”

Xing Shi chuckled. “Yeah, I can’t help it. I’m just too handsome. You know, he’s so passive that when I get married in the future, he’ll probably have a breakdown. He’ll drink at the wedding, cry secretly in a corner, and everyone will think he’s just being a proud older brother. They’ll even comfort him, saying how happy he must be for me!”

Fu Xiuning: “…”

Xing Shi noticed no visible change in his expression, so he moved in closer. “Brother, have you ever liked anyone?”

Fu Xiuning looked at him and replied gently, “Don’t be so curious. Go to bed early.”

Xing Shi grinned. “No way, the night is young. Let’s chat. I am your brother, after all.”

Fu Xiuning remained unmoved. He stood up with his book and headed for his room.

Halfway there, he heard the system wailing.

“No, no, no! This is too tragic! I can’t accept it!” the system cried. “You have to uninvite him from your wedding!”

Xing Shi watched as Fu Xiuning disappeared into his room. He shrugged. “Alright. No invitation.”

Tonight, he hadn’t caught Fu Xiuning slipping. Maybe the man was simply too used to overhearing host-system conversations.

But Xing Shi wasn’t discouraged. He’d keep testing.

For the next three days, he subtly steered conversations to pressure Fu Xiuning. When Fu Xiuning remained unreadable, Xing Shi decided to drop a real bombshell.

The house was big, and the distance between the living room and kitchen was long.

He wasn’t sure how far Fu Xiuning could hear, but he wasn’t afraid to try.

Opening the fridge, Xing Shi casually asked the system, “Do you think Lin Kecheng will get desperate one day and try to drug Fu Xiuning?”

The system was confused by Xing Shi’s sudden topic shift. “Is that even possible? Lin Kecheng is bad, but would he really go that far?”

Xing Shi took out two bottles of juice, each a different flavor. He walked over to Fu Xiuning and handed him one, watching as he took a sip. Then, he casually asked the system again, “What kind of drug do you think Lin Kecheng would want me to use?”

Fu Xiuning clearly heard the question. His hand paused midair.

Xing Shi smiled and took the juice from him. “Is this good? Let me try it.”

Under Fu Xiuning’s watchful gaze, he took a sip.

The system replied, “Anything is possible, but obviously you wouldn’t help him. Why are you even thinking about this?”

“Just curious,” Xing Shi said nonchalantly.

Then, he extended his hand and returned the juice.

Fu Xiuning lifted his gaze. Their eyes met.

【Didi】
[Current Favorability Value: 0]

【Didi】
[Current Favorability Value: -1]

【Didi】
[Current Favorability Value: -2]

The system was horrified. “WHAT?! Just because you took a sip of his juice? What kind of psycho—”

But Xing Shi wasn’t surprised at all.

If he were in Fu Xiuning’s position—constantly hunted by hosts for five years—and suddenly realized someone had discovered his ability to hear system conversations, his first instinct would be to eliminate them. It was simple survival instinct.

The juice slipped from his fingers.

Fu Xiuning reached out.

Xing Shi’s hand fell.

Neither of them cared about the juice as their hands “accidentally” clasped in midair.

Xing Shi met his gaze, his expression calm and unwavering.

Fu Xiuning looked at him, his usually gentle eyes now dark and unreadable.

The next moment, almost simultaneously, they both withdrew their hands.

【Didi】
[Current Favorability Value: 2]

【Didi】
[Current Favorability Value: 4]

【Didi】
[Current Favorability Value: 6]

【Didi】
[Current Favorability Value: 10]