Chapter 21
On the day Fu Xiuning changed classes and first met Xing Shi, he witnessed the other person first sprint wildly into a wall, then calmly sing away half the lives of everyone present. Right then, he knew this was no ordinary individual.
Their subsequent interactions confirmed this, so when Xing Shi stirred up trouble as soon as he moved in, Fu Xiuning was not surprised.
He picked up a beer bottle and clinked it against Xing Shi’s.
The beer was in a deep green bottle, covered with a thin layer of condensation.
Xing Shi took a sip and saw Fu Xiuning drinking as well; his gaze paused subtly.
Fu Xiuning had never seen Fu Xiuning playfully blow on the bottle before. It was his first time witnessing such a thing, and the usually aloof and gentle nobleman seemed suddenly touched by the warmth of the mundane world, appearing more real.
However, as soon as the bottle was set down, the illusion vanished, and Fu Xiuning remained the calm, unruffled big boss.
Xing Shi wore a look of innocent curiosity: “Boss, why did you suddenly want me to move in?”
Fu Xiuning replied, “I don’t know either.”
Xing Shi frowned in confusion, “Hmm?”
Fu Xiuning sounded quite serious: “Last night, I overheard you guys talking about moving. I looked at the options and none seemed good, so I just suggested it instinctively.”
He bounced the question back: “What about you? You agreed without knowing why I invited you?”
Without hesitation, Xing Shi said, “I’ve said before.”
Fu Xiuning quickly recalled a moment.
Before he could say more, Xing Shi added, “The first time I saw you, I wanted you to be my brother, so of course I was willing to live with you!”
Fu Xiuning knew it was that line and sincerely praised him, “Not bad.”
Xing Shi accepted the compliment with contentment and leaned forward a bit: “So... if you had to think of a real reason for taking me in, what would it be?”
Fu Xiuning cooperated, thinking for a moment: “Maybe it’s because I found it easy to talk with you and wanted to make a friend?”
Xing Shi thought, “Your way of making friends is inviting someone to live with you first—do I believe that?”
He brightened, “Oh, really?”
Fu Xiuning gave a soft affirmative.
They exchanged a glance across the table.
Xing Shi raised his bottle for a toast, and Fu Xiuning gripped his bottle again.
With a soft clink, they clinked once more.
Fu Xiuning swallowed a mouthful of beer, a rare feeling of amused bewilderment rising in his chest.
He’d been too hasty this time.
He should have left a good impression on Director He, waited for him to entrust Xing Shi’s care before leaving, then used the connection between Director He and Qi Changyi as an excuse to watch over Xing Shi occasionally, gradually drawing closer, and eventually keeping him under surveillance until uncovering the secrets Xing Shi carried.
But plans were no match for change, and this was the current situation.
Their relationship was ordinary, yet both had reasons to approach the other.
Thus, each harbored ulterior motives—one invited despite expecting suspicion; the other agreed despite mistrusting.
It was the first time Fu Xiuning had ended up like this with a host.
After chatting for a while and realizing he wouldn’t get any useful information for now, Xing Shi lowered his head to eat and casually asked, “Boss, I just moved in. Is there anything I should be careful about in daily life?”
Fu Xiuning decided to improve their relationship from today onward: “Aren’t I your brother?”
Xing Shi answered happily without pressure, “Brother!”
Fu Xiuning consented and said, “The master bedroom and study are off-limits, but you can roam anywhere else. Tomorrow I’ll have someone buy a desk for you to read and study at.”
Xing Shi replied, “Okay, thanks, brother.”
Fu Xiuning inquired, “Anything else you want?”
Xing Shi said, “No.”
Fu Xiuning said, “If you need anything in the future, just ask.”
Xing Shi smiled and gave a toast.
He had bought ten bottles of beer, thinking five each would be enough to knock out this precious young master.
But he was naive; by the third bottle, he felt dizzy first and stopped drinking. His high-risk awareness made him used to staying sober.
Fu Xiuning remained elegant and noble, asking gently, “Not drinking anymore?”
Xing Shi looked composed: “Yeah, a bit full.”
Fu Xiuning pulled out a napkin to wipe his mouth: “Just right, I don’t want to drink either.”
Upon hearing that, Xing Shi perked up and scrutinized his face—no sign of drunkenness. He suspected a trap but also knew some people showed no signs even when drunk.
He hesitated, then couldn’t help but reach out: “Why not finish this so it doesn’t go to waste?”
Fu Xiuning nodded, “Sure.”
With a hint of doubt about whether he was being tricked, Xing Shi took a few more sips, again feeling dizzy. He thought that even if Fu Xiuning was truly drunk, he wouldn’t drink more and said, “We don’t have to finish it all, right?”
Fu Xiuning smiled faintly, “Isn’t it to avoid waste?”
Xing Shi replied, “But health is more important.”
Fu Xiuning looked at him: “Feeling drunk?”
Xing Shi’s mind was clear.
He decided to fish for a reaction after pretending: “Yeah, dizzy.”
Fu Xiuning felt a bit regretful; if not for the system, he would have tried to get more out of him.
He stood up and said, “Then get some rest. Don’t worry about the desk; the maid will clean up tomorrow.”
After taking a few steps, he remembered Lin Kecheng and stopped, turning back.
Although he knew Xing Shi was well aware, he still offered a reminder: “One thing I forgot—didn’t think it through just now.”
Xing Shi looked up.
Fu Xiuning said, “I really want to be your brother, but you should consider carefully. Since you just moved in, you still have a chance to change your mind.”
“My constitution is special; I often attract people with extreme personalities. If they find out you live with me, they might try to get close to me through you,” he said deliberately, “That could include but isn’t limited to flattering, pursuing, setting traps, or even intentional harm.”
Xing Shi instinctively recalled those files.
These were Fu Xiuning’s own experiences over the past five years, spoken of so calmly as if they were routine.
He smiled, “It’s fine, brother, I’m not afraid.”
Then he started asking, “Are there such people around you now? Who are they? Have I met them?”
His tone was a mix of curiosity and concern, and with the slight drunkenness, he didn’t quite hide it well.
The eagerness and sharpness beneath, along with his radiant smile, reflected in Fu Xiuning’s eyes.
[Beep beep]
[Current favorability: -4]
Xing Shi sat up a little straighter.
Fu Xiuning looked away, saying, “Not currently.”
After all, he had sent them all out to work; they were too busy for extremism.
Xing Shi didn’t give up, “What about at the company or school? Anyone chasing you there?”
Fu Xiuning said, “Yes.”
Xing Shi’s eyes lit up, “Who?”
Fu Xiuning said, “Many.”
Xing Shi thought, of course—such looks and status attract attention.
He continued, “Is there anyone you think won’t give up even if you reject them? I’ll keep an eye out.”
Fu Xiuning feigned pondering and after a few seconds answered, “Yes, Yu Shu, an artist at the company.”
Xing Shi was satisfied, “Good.”
Fu Xiuning replied, “Go to bed early.”
Xing Shi stayed seated.
He called the system: “Will the hosts soon know Fu Xiuning has a new roommate?”
The system replied, “Not necessarily.”
It explained that their computing power was great and could search online, but that consumed energy and only activated when the host needed it.
They wouldn’t always do useless tasks—for example, using the system as a search engine occasionally was fine, but too often and they could refuse. Likewise, if the host asked about Fu Xiuning’s location from afar, the system might help once or twice but would refuse if too frequent, as they couldn’t respond immediately, making it pointless.
It said, “Location data is just that—location. It won’t reveal anyone is with him. Unless a host happens to be in Z City and wants not only his location but also what he’s doing, and the system sees you at his place through nearby cameras or your phones—that’s the only way your presence is detected.”
It comforted him, “But don’t worry. Even if they find you, they won’t suspect you’re a host.”
Xing Shi was surprised, “Why not?”
The system said, “When a host learns you live with Fu Xiuning, their first reaction is to check your data. The system will find your connections to Director He and Qi Changyi and dismiss doubts. Because hosts usually have simple backgrounds and wouldn’t be connected to Fu Xiuning.”
Xing Shi asked, “Then why am I special?”
Fu Xiuning was already about to leave the dining room but stopped at the question.
He also wanted to know the answer, so he turned naturally and asked, “Dizzy? Can’t walk?”
Xing Shi said, “No, I just want to sit for a bit.”
Fu Xiuning neither confirmed nor denied, stepping into the kitchen to prepare some honey water. Nearby, the system cheerfully said, “I don’t know either! I only got this info after binding with you. Then we found out about the original owner’s relationship with Qi Changyi. Especially since your face is exactly what Fu Xiuning likes—I hit the jackpot!”
Xing Shi: “...”
Fu Xiuning: “...”
Judging by the tone, he couldn’t rely on it.
Xing Shi wanted to send it to ask the main system but feared drawing attention and exposing the energy theft, so he remained silent.
The system earnestly said, “So you must protect yourself!”
Xing Shi decided to give it a task: “Go check Yu Shu’s information.”
The system said, “Got it!”
Fu Xiuning returned with the honey water and set it on the table.
After finishing his mental exchange with the system, perhaps due to the energy spent, Xing Shi felt even more dizzy, taking two seconds to react before looking at Fu Xiuning and smiling in thanks.
Fu Xiuning studied his condition: “Can you get back to your room on your own?”
Xing Shi just responded “Yes” when his phone rang. He looked down to see it was a call from Director He.
Director He had just finished a roadshow and an interview, finally free.
He was leaving Z City tomorrow and wanted to spend more time with his son. “Suìsuì, have you finished moving? Are you with Xiuning?”
Xing Shi said, “Yes.”
Director He said, “We bought some late-night snacks. Want us to come over and eat together?”
Xing Shi didn’t want to hold the phone, so he put it on speaker.
Fu Xiuning thought it was fine, letting Director He see his side of things and feel assured to entrust him with Xing Shi.
However, Xing Shi rubbed his forehead and said, “No, I’m about to sleep. Maybe another day.”
He poked the screen and hung up.
Fu Xiuning was speechless.
Meanwhile, Director He sat in the car with only Qi Changyi beside him.
Because Qi Changyi had recently boosted favorability and interjected at the right moments, perhaps increasing their chances.
They looked at the disconnected call and checked the time: 8:33 PM.
Two energetic young men already going to bed...
Director He knew his son was a night owl, so he glanced at Qi Changyi: “Is your friend... an early sleeper? Such a healthy schedule.”
Qi Changyi: “...No, definitely not!”