Chapter 22

Fu Xiuning received Qi Changyi’s message without any surprise.

By the time he finished explaining, the person beside him had finished his honey water and stood up. Fu Xiuning observed him; Xing Shi wobbled slightly for the first few steps before steadying himself.

The system also noticed him swaying and asked, "I've finished checking. Can you listen now?"

Xing Shi remained calm. "Speak."

The system said, "Yu Shu, male, 22 years old, signed artist under June Culture, a singer and actor currently filming a TV series. He has a variety show lined up later..."

Xing Shi braced himself against the sideboard. "You’d better tell me tomorrow."

The system: "..."

With the interference in his mind gone, Xing Shi gradually walked steadily again. He took a quick shower in the bathroom and, once settled, went to bed. Perhaps it was the alcohol, the room's excellent soundproofing, the quiet neighborhood, or simply that his long-term physical exhaustion had finally hit its limit, but he slept deeply and woke up feeling refreshed.

It was past six in the morning when he got up, washed, and went out for a run. Although he was a newcomer, with the system’s help, he easily mapped out a suitable route. The system, thinking that his ability to eat so much without gaining weight was entirely due to his massive amount of exercise, recited Yu Shu's profile to him while watching him run.

Xing Shi asked, "Do you think it's possible he's a host?"

The system replied, "I don't know. What are you planning to do?"

"Just asking," Xing Shi said.

Terrified that he might stir up trouble again, the system advised, "With our strength, there's no need to form alliances. Besides, several other hosts are transmigrators like you with unknown backgrounds. If one of them turns out to be a villain, it would be a huge headache."

Xing Shi gave a casual, perfunctory response. When he finished his lap and returned, the housekeeper was already cooking. She had received a message from Fu Xiuning about someone moving in, but she hadn't expected him to be so handsome, and she immediately smiled even more warmly.

Xing Shi greeted her politely and walked out with a bottle of water. That was when Fu Xiuning came out. Before Xing Shi even saw him, he heard the notification chime.

[Beep]
[Current Favorability: -5]

Xing Shi and the system were unfazed, thinking it had just jumped back. Fu Xiuning heard it too, but ignored it just the same. He walked a few steps forward and saw the person coming out of the dining area.

Xing Shi was wearing a sleeveless athletic shirt. Having just finished his morning run, his forehead was damp, sweat sliding from his cheeks down to his neck, and his skin was flushed with a faint, rosy glow.

[Beep]
[Current Favorability: -4]

Xing Shi: "..."
The system: "Tsk."
Fu Xiuning: "..."

Xing Shi unscrewed the cap and met his gaze. "Morning."
Fu Xiuning remained expressionless. "Morning."

After the exchange, one went back to shower, and the other headed into the living room. It was Sunday, so after eating, Xing Shi went to the company for training. He had asked for leave yesterday afternoon and hadn't returned until night. Feng Zifan and Yu Yi took the chance during the break to tell him about what they had learned, eventually drifting into gossip.

Feng Zifan said, "A few people from Class 1 filled out their forms yesterday. They're definitely going into the show."

Xing Shi, having heard this from Fu Xiuning, just hummed in response.

Feng Zifan lowered his voice. "Are you really not going?"

"I don't know anything yet," Xing Shi replied.

Feng Zifan disagreed. "There were people in last year's talent show who didn't know anything either, but they were just handsome, and now they’re acting in dramas, aren't they?"

"I still want to build a solid foundation," Xing Shi said.

Looking at him slumped against the wall, Feng Zifan felt this wasn't about being solid, but being lazy. He sighed helplessly, "You really are... Do you know how low the debut rate is for trainees?"

Yu Yi asked curiously from the side, "How low?"

Seeing them both turn to him, Feng Zifan looked at their faces and said, "Never mind, you don't need to know. No matter how low the probability is, it has nothing to do with you... Wait, no."

He suddenly realized something and said to Xing Shi, "You won't have to train this hard after you debut, right? It should be easier?"

Xing Shi was quite satisfied with the current environment, which only required physical exertion. Although the competition among trainees for a debut spot was fierce and occasionally involved underhanded schemes, no one dared to provoke him for the time being, so he felt quite at ease. However, his goal was to dismantle the system, and if the other hosts happened to be artists, that would be a different story.

He said, "We’ll see."

The break ended, and they resumed training. During the third break, Xing Shi received a message from Fu Xiuning. Since the boss didn't work on Sundays, he had followed through on their plan and had someone buy a desk.

The living room was spacious enough to section off an area as a study. The assistant had handled it, adding not only a long solid wood table but also a bookshelf, which blended perfectly with the overall style of the living room. Looking at the photo sent to him, Xing Shi replied: [Very satisfied, thank you, Brother!]

Fu Xiuning asked: [Do you want to put the books away yourself when you get back, or should I have someone do it for you?]
Xing Shi: [You guys go ahead.]
Fu Xiuning: [Understood. Director He and the others have a flight this afternoon. We’re having lunch together. Did he tell you?]
Xing Shi: [Yes.]
Fu Xiuning: [Then I'll come pick you up at noon.]
Xing Shi: [Okay.]

Fu Xiuning put his phone away and signaled his assistant to put the books away. The box had been in the living room since yesterday; because someone had been too busy causing trouble after dragging his suitcase into his room, he had forgotten to move it. The assistant had asked about the box, which prompted Fu Xiuning to ask Xing Shi.

As the assistant moved the books onto the shelf one by one, Fu Xiuning idly pulled out a calculus textbook. He flipped through it and found a sheet of scratch paper tucked inside. Seeing the problems from the latest chapter, he thought, *This kid is actually listening in class.*

All transmigrated hosts were in a state of amnesia, so he wondered if he could even understand it... His gaze followed his thoughts to the end of a formula, where the final value was crossed out with a question mark next to it. After a moment of reflection, he understood.

*So, after working hard on half a page of calculations, he only came up with a wrong answer?* He smiled and put the book back.

They didn't eat lunch at Lanlan Garden this time, opting for a different cuisine. There were only four of them. When Xing Shi stepped into the private room, Director He and Qi Changyi had already arrived.

Qi Changyi shook his phone. "Someone was asking about you—they asked me."

Xing Shi raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Didn't you post your daily training routine this morning?" Qi Changyi said.

Xing Shi nodded. Their personal accounts were temporarily managed by the company, which posted updates regularly; today, he had been scheduled to film a ten-second video. Seeing him so calm, Qi Changyi asked, "So you haven't even looked at the response?"

"I didn't end up trending again, did I?" Xing Shi asked.

Qi Changyi laughed. "Not quite."

It was just a matter of timing. The talent show was coming up soon, and entertainment companies were keeping a close eye on each other. The trainees of June Culture were naturally being watched by others, including the directing team. Thus, when the video of Xing Shi’s new hair color was released, the directing team saw the explosive comments section and contacted Qi Changyi.

"Most companies have already submitted their lists. The director knows you aren't on them and asked me if I could push you in," Qi Changyi asked with a smile. "What do you say?"

Xing Shi refused. Recording a talent show meant staying in the facility for a long time, which would get in the way of things.

Qi Changyi didn't try to persuade him and lowered his head to reply to messages.

Director He waited for him to sit down, then handed him the menu to order. Xing Shi had never been here before and looked at Fu Xiuning inquiringly. They had eaten together a few times, and their tastes were fairly similar; generally, anything Fu Xiuning approved of tasted good.

Fu Xiuning said, "You can order anything here."

Xing Shi understood this meant the chef was excellent, so he ordered what he wanted, asked the others for their preferences, and submitted the order.

Director He looked at his "son" and started with some small talk before asking, "How are you getting along with the other trainees at the company?"

"Pretty well," Xing Shi said.

Director He said, "You’re so handsome; aren't they jealous of you?"

"I'm sure they are, but no one dares to show it," Xing Shi replied.

Director He looked at Fu Xiuning sitting diagonally across from him, thinking, *Indeed, with such a close relationship with the boss, who would dare mess with him?*

He observed him, his heart heavy, noting that Xing Shi’s temperament was the same as last time—it wasn't just that he was in a bad mood that day and couldn't be bothered to talk back. He had gone to Z University that morning to ask about his son, and the teachers' feedback was excellent. He had checked the school forum and found nothing suspicious; his son had simply, for unknown reasons and at an unknown time, become this way.

The meal was eaten with a heavy heart. After paying the bill, Qi Changyi made an excuse about needing to return to the company, effectively stealing the task of taking Xing Shi back. Director He got into Fu Xiuning’s car to return to the hotel and asked, "How long have you and Suisui known each other?"

Fu Xiuning was honest. "Not long. We only met when he signed with the company."

Director He tried to sound relaxed. "This kid was so rebellious during his adolescence. He finally matured after going to college. Was he like this when you met him?"

Fu Xiuning’s mind raced. He couldn't tell if Director He suspected his son had been replaced, but since Xing Shi was currently under his own watch, it was best not to complicate things. He just hummed, "When you're out on your own, you have to rely on yourself. You're bound to grow up."

However... he eventually asked, "What was he like before?"

Different souls had different manifestations. He sometimes wondered, if the original owner were still here, what expression would that face wear? Would it be disappointing, or would it exceed expectations? If he had met the original owner on the day of the class placement, would he have taken the initiative to get to know him? And how much of his current interest was tied to the soul within?

Director He said, "He used to be quite cool, making people feel like he wasn't someone to mess with. But that was just how it looked; he actually couldn't be bothered to deal with people. He usually only struck back if someone provoked him."

Fu Xiuning asked, "How did he strike back?"

Director He laughed. "He had so many ways—an endless variety."

Halfway through his laugh, a gloom welled up in his heart again. He would rather Suisui be like he was before—spirited, making trouble, and talking back to him in a bold, uninhibited way. He didn't mind; it was his fault for failing to provide enough companionship over the years. He could continue to apologize and coax him until Suisui’s anger faded, rather than this sudden, overnight maturity.

*Overnight maturity—what good could ever come of that?*

Director He sighed secretly. "Now... he really has changed a lot."

Fu Xiuning probed in a calm tone, "Changed as if he were replaced?"

Director He laughed it off. "It’s not that extreme, just a change in personality."

Fu Xiuning couldn't suppress his penchant for mischief. "Really? You're that sure?"

Director He said, "Of course. Parents wouldn't fail to recognize their own child. Even if he changed his entire face, I would still recognize him."

Fu Xiuning dropped Director He off at the hotel and drove home. As he slowed to a stop at yet another red light, he kept thinking about those words.

*Impossible,* he thought. He had heard with his own ears the moment Xing Shi transmigrated and was bound to the system.

But... there were so many exceptions regarding Xing Shi; what was truly impossible?

The red light turned green. Fu Xiuning stepped on the gas and headed straight for the company.