Chapter 05

Chapter 05

The favorability system diligently updated as Fu Xiuning entered the scanning range, providing the latest data.

"Beep"

"Current favorability: -8"

The system was immediately shocked. Seeing Xing Shi still lying there, it hurriedly said, "Open your eyes quick, Xing Shi! Fu Xiuning is coming, and the favorability has increased!"

Xing Shi didn’t want to move, but not because he was actually full.

Transitioning abruptly from a high-risk environment to a peaceful one, he wasn’t sure if others could adapt quickly, but he couldn’t. Recently, his sleep quality had been poor; he was easily woken by the slightest noise, so whenever he had a chance, he just wanted to relax.

At that moment, the sunlight was perfect, and the rustling leaves made him feel a bit drowsy.

The system was excited: "He’s not just passing by; he’s coming for you!"

Xing Shi reluctantly responded, the obvious fatigue in his mental voice: "Don’t make a fuss... just pretend he’s not there..."

The system was stunned, "Are you about to fall asleep?"

As soon as it said that, Fu Xiuning stopped in front of Xing Shi.

He extended his index finger, intending to lift the hood so Xing Shi could feel the midday sun directly.

However, the moment he touched it, his wrist was firmly grabbed.

A nearby cat, sensing danger, sprang up and ran away.

Xing Shi opened his eyes and looked up slightly at the person in front of him.

Fu Xiuning met his gaze, noticing a slight redness at the corners of Xing Shi’s eyes. However, there was no drowsy confusion on his face; instead, his expression was clear and sharp, like a blade just unsheathed.

But this only lasted for a second or two before it faded.

Xing Shi withdrew his hand, lifted his hood, and sat up straight, his voice still laced with sleepy laziness. "Hi, Senior."

Since they were at school, he addressed Fu Xiuning as a senior student. Fu Xiuning was dressed more casually today, looking gentle and handsome in light colors.

He smiled and asked, "Have you eaten, Senior?"

Fu Xiuning replied, "Not yet."

He asked knowingly, "You know I’m your senior, right?"

Xing Shi replied, "Of course, Senior is so well-known."

Fu Xiuning continued, "When did you know?"

Xing Shi had recently gone over the details of his "self." His original self had heard about Senior Fu last semester. He answered, "I can’t remember when, but I think it’s pretty amazing."

He added, "Since we’re so lucky to meet, how about I treat you to a meal, Senior?"

The system immediately cheered, finally seeing some progress from the host!

Xing Shi had said it casually, expecting rejection, but to his surprise, Fu Xiuning agreed, "Sure."

Xing Shi was startled at first but quickly regained his composure. "Only the cafeteria and restaurants under $200 per person, since I’m a poor student, don’t mind."

Xing Shi said, "Trainees get paid, right?"

Xing Shi said, "But the paychecks don't start until next month. How about we put this meal on hold for now?"

Fu Xiuning didn’t reply, just turned and said, “Come with me.”

The system was caught off guard by the sudden turn of events but quickly recovered to point out the flaws.

“You’ve got enough in your account to last through college, and you’ll be getting a paycheck starting next month. What do you mean you’re broke? This is an opportunity, and you’re not even taking advantage of it.”

Xing Shi asked, “You really think this is an opportunity for me?”

The system replied, “Of course! Your favorability just went up to -8!”

Xing Shi said with a straight face, “I love your naivety. Keep it up.”

The system explained, “I know disliking someone takes a toll on your emotions. If it weren’t so intense, it wouldn’t stay at that level. Your song’s effect is temporary and doesn’t apply here. I thought it would drop back to -10, but look—it’s at -8 now!”

Xing Shi said, “This just shows that over time, the dislike has faded a little. But since he usually rates people at -5, I’m still more of an eyesore to him than most. Why would he even agree to eat with me?”

The system said, “Regardless, you’ve got this chance to spend time with him. Learn to turn this disadvantage into an advantage.”

Xing Shi didn’t want to argue, so he said, “Fine, I’ll try to treat him to a good meal. Now shut up.”

The system immediately went quiet to avoid pissing him off further.

The school’s residential area was fully equipped with plenty of shops.

Fu Xiuning walked into a café and overheard a familiar conversation.

“Fu Xiuning’s here—don’t miss this chance!”

A lanky guy stood up from the booth and called out, “Senior!”

Fu Xiuning nodded and walked over.

Xing Shi followed behind and took in the scene. Besides the guy who spoke, there were two others—a guy and a girl—sitting at the table with coffee, laptops, and files spread out.

As he sized up the room, the three across from him couldn’t help but stare. He was impossible to ignore.

With sharp features and a killer physique, he wore simple jeans, a bomber jacket, and a thin hoodie underneath. The warm tones added a pop of color, making him a standout wherever he went.

The girl glanced between him and Fu Xiuning, feeling like she’d just hit the jackpot. Seeing the two hottest guys in school together made her feel like she could live ten more years.

As a self-proclaimed fan of hot guys, she’d known about him since his freshman year. But he was always either in class or working part-time, so it was rare to see him around campus. Plus, rumors had it that he had a short fuse and wasn’t easy to talk to. Yet, here he was.

Her voice softened, “Boss, who’s this?”

Fu Xiuning said, “This is a first-year trainee who signed with my company. I’m having him add a performance to the lineup.”

He introduced Xing Shi to the three: the Student Council President, the Head of Publicity, and the Head of Arts. They were planning to add a performance to the school anniversary event.

Fu Xiuning had stepped down as Student Council President last semester, but the current members were his protégés. Since the school anniversary was a major event, they occasionally sought his advice. Today was one of those times.

The three knew Fu Xiuning ran an entertainment company and eyed Xing Shi with excitement.

The president smiled warmly, “Junior, feel free to order whatever you’d like to drink.”

Xing Shi said, "Thanks, Senior."

The sofa-style booth was designed for four people, so he grabbed an extra chair and sat down. Seeing Fu Xiuning start reviewing the proposal, Xing Shi reminded him, "Boss, I’m still clueless."

Fu Xiuning reassured him, "Don’t worry, there’s plenty of time. You’ll get the hang of it with practice."

Xing Shi’s schedule was already jam-packed with classes and training, and now he had to prep for an extra performance. He suspected Fu Xiuning had dragged him here just to make things harder, but he simply nodded. "Alright."

Fu Xiuning, recalling Xing Shi’s impressive singing, glanced up. "There are three rehearsals for the school anniversary. If you get cut, just switch to a different act. Don’t embarrass me."

Xing Shi nodded, "Got it."

Fu Xiuning hoped Xing Shi really did understand. He turned his attention back to the proposal.

Lin Kecheng, the head of the Cultural Affairs Department, sat next to him and waited until Fu Xiuning finished reading before reporting, "We’ve finally settled on a theme for the school anniversary. Sponsorship is secured, and next, we’ll work on designing posters and guest invitations."

The Student Council President chimed in, "Xiao Cheng secured the sponsorship, filled in many of the details in the proposal, and even wrote the final draft. He’s really something."

Lin Kecheng smiled and waved it off. "Nah, it was a team effort."

The system in Xing Shi’s mind chimed in, "Looks like all that effort to build a good rapport with the President paid off. She really sang your praises."

Lin Kecheng grinned. "You bet."

The system added, "Your proposal is solid. Fu Xiuning might give you a boost. He added 1 point to your favorability when you became minister, showing he values competence."

Fu Xiuning recalled this.

Lin Kecheng had drawn planning and management skills in a lottery. Fu Xiuning had watched as he joined the student council to get closer to him, eventually rising to head the Cultural Affairs Department. Along the way, Fu Xiuning had given him a few pointers and boosted his favorability by 1 point when he took office—likely because he saw potential in him.

Soon after, he announced his resignation. The sound of the host and system going from surprise to outright screaming was music to his ears.

Fu Xiuning closed the proposal, signaling that everything looked good.

Hearing this, the others breathed a sigh of relief and asked about a few things they were unsure about.

Fu Xiuning patiently answered their questions and watched as Xing Shi added them as friends. Then, he decided it was time to leave.

Lin Kecheng had been waiting for the sound of added points, but it never came. He asked, "Senior, what’s your plan for after this?"

Fu Xiuning replied, "Going to grab a bite."

The President, realizing her senior hadn’t eaten, felt guilty and offered to treat him. Lin Kecheng quickly stepped in. "Let me take care of it. I was planning to grab something anyway, so let’s go together."

Fu Xiuning shook his head. "I need to talk to him about company business, so it’s not convenient today. Let’s go."

The last sentence was directed at Xing Shi, who then said goodbye to the others, holding the coffee the senior had bought for him, and followed Fu Xiuning.

As they left the café, Fu Xiuning asked, "What are you planning to treat me to?"

Xing Shi replied, "Any place where the average meal costs less than 200 per person."

The system, which had been quiet until now, couldn’t hold back. "Didn’t you say you’d treat him to a nice meal?"

Xing Shi shrugged. "So I crossed the cafeteria off the list."

The system: "..."

Fu Xiuning glanced at him and led him to a porridge shop just outside the campus.

Seafood claypot porridge, 192 yuan per serving, freshly cooked to order.

They picked a table by the window. Fu Xiuning unlocked his phone to reply to some messages, while Xing Shi slumped into his chair, gazing out the window.

The system watched for a few minutes before it couldn’t hold back anymore. "Aren't you guys going to talk or something? Just sitting here?"

Xing Shi replied, "He's just replying to some messages."

The system shot back, "He’s not doing that right now!"

Xing Shi mentally sighed, "But I’m exhausted."

Over the past couple of weeks, he hadn’t made any moves to pursue Fu Xiuning. Partly because he wasn’t in top form, and partly because he wanted to see how long it would take for the system to get antsy.

Now, sitting across from Fu Xiuning was exactly the kind of opportunity he had been hoping for.

"I’m completely wiped out, both physically and mentally. Don’t believe me? Go ahead, scan me."

The system didn’t need to scan him to know it was true. Between the grueling training for the past two weeks and waking up at 5 a.m. every day to run several kilometers (with the distance increasing each time), it was no surprise he was beat.

"Then how about some coffee?" the system suggested.

Xing Shi groaned, "Don’t even get me started. I had half a cup, and my brain turned to mush. I was too worried about saying something stupid to even try starting a conversation."

"Maybe go splash some water on your face in the bathroom?" the system suggested.

Xing Shi did as suggested and went to the bathroom, but when he returned, he slumped back into his chair. "Nope, didn’t help. Still feeling like a zombie."

Before the system could respond, a familiar voice interrupted.

"Senior?"

Lin Kecheng looked surprised but smiled as he approached. "What a coincidence!"

Fu Xiuning had been listening to Xing Shi’s conversation with the system and had a hunch that Xing Shi was up to something.

His gaze shifted from his phone to Lin Kecheng. The system had already pinpointed Lin Kecheng’s location, so Fu Xiuning wasn’t surprised by his appearance. He gave a light response.

Lin Kecheng continued, "I’ve been craving their porridge. Didn’t expect to run into you guys here. What flavor did you get, Senior?"

"Seafood," Fu Xiuning replied.

The system noticed the host resting his chin on his hand, eyes half-lidded like he was about to drift off, and grew even more anxious.

With Fu Xiuning’s acquaintance joining them, the host’s time with Fu Xiuning was even more limited. It was rare for them to have a meal together, and who knew when the next chance would come.

"Hey, stay awake!" the system shouted.

Xing Shi mumbled, "Close one. Almost fell asleep."

The system raised its voice, "Are you even capable of pulling this off?"

"Not really," Xing Shi admitted.

"How about this," Xing Shi said, slowly shifting in his seat, "Hit me with a few Level Two Punishments to keep me awake."

The system: "Wait, what?"

Fu Xiuning: "Wait, what?"

Since the mission started, neither of them had ever heard such a bizarre request.