Chapter 54

Chapter 54

A special notification sound drew out the other systems.

Upon seeing Later Comes First disappear, they immediately reported to their hosts and then investigated who around Fu Xiuning might be in trouble.

Green Bean Paste hadn’t told its host about the other hosts, but whenever something happened in the group chat, it would ask the host to look up info online, and the host usually agreed.

Thus, after a quick investigation, several systems locked onto a suspect.

An obscure artist from a rival company, who had offended Fu Xiuning a few days ago, had their scandal exposed today and went viral.

All Are Concubines: "Is this obscure artist their host? Their background seems unlikely, but there’s no other suspect."

Green Bean Paste: "It seems so. I couldn’t find anyone else either."

Congratulations and Prosperity: "So, could the host still be an artist from another company?"

All Are Concubines: "Perhaps, at least they’re in the same circle. Maybe they’ve always wanted to jump ship but never did. Fu Xiuning doesn’t socialize often, so when they finally got a chance, they went all out and ended up offending him. Hilarious, all that talk and scheming in the group chat, and they still ended up getting taken down."

Congratulations and Prosperity: "Sigh, they’re gone, let’s send them off."

All Are Concubines: "Candle."

Green Bean Paste: "Candle."

Shang Shang Qian: "Candle."

Appearance First: "Candle."

The systems paused as they were about to close the group chat when they saw a familiar ID.

Green Bean Paste: "@Appearance First, senior, you’re finally here [crying]."

Congratulations and Prosperity: "Were you and your host arguing again?"

All Are Concubines: "Did you two have a big fight?"

After being inscribed with a magic circle, 99 finally regained Star Times' trust and got enough energy to speak again.

After discussing the general style with Star Times, it replied, "I’m too tired to talk. My host has unique ideas and doesn’t listen to reason. Now I’m just letting him do whatever. If he kills himself off sooner, I can return sooner."

Congratulations and Prosperity: "No, it won’t come to that."

All Are Concubines: "Maybe some punishment?"

Appearance First: "It won’t work. I’ve given up, let him be. If everything goes as expected, I’ll probably be the next to go. Everyone, please light a candle for me so I can see it before I leave, unlike Later Comes First, who didn’t get to see it at all."

After sending this, 99 was overwhelmed with sadness and burst into tears again.

Shang Shang Qian silently gave it a candle.

The other systems followed suit, and seeing the situation, Green Bean Paste didn’t ask how to save -8. The group chat fell silent again.

Then All Are Concubines and Congratulations and Prosperity asked their hosts to investigate the obscure artist from the rival company, hoping to uncover Shang Shang Qian’s host and gain some closure.

That evening, after training, Star Times went home and told his brother about Later Comes First’s departure.

Fu Xiuning nodded, knowing that with this, the other hosts and systems would likely forget about Yu Yi for a while.

He patiently waited for half a month, choosing the right moment to make his move.

It could only be said that a host who had crossed over would never give up. Ever since Yu Yi was transferred to another mental hospital and his system didn’t return, he had been planning his escape.

With just a slight opportunity given by Fu Xiuning, Yu Yi seized the chance and escaped without hesitation. Unfortunately, he didn’t realize that the map he had seen "accidentally" was misleading. He thought that passing through the woods and jumping down a small slope would lead him to a nearby village, but in reality, the drop was as high as a four-story building.

Late at night, with people chasing and shouting behind him, he jumped without a second thought.

The hospital tried to save him all night, but it was no use.

There are too many accidents happening in the world every day, and a trainee wouldn’t cause even a ripple.

The next day, Fu Xiuning received a feedback call and simply responded with a "hmm" before hanging up.

Yu Yi was a host who crossed over; without the system, he couldn’t return, and his energy would slowly dissipate after death. Once he died, no one would ever know he was supposed to have a system.

Fu Xiuning completely eliminated this potential threat and mentioned it to Xing Shi over breakfast.

99 couldn’t help but gasp. “When the big boss makes a move, you know it’s going to happen.”

Xing Shi ignored it and responded to his brother while eating his breakfast.

After finishing his classes during the day and going to the company for training, he informed Feng Zifan, who happened to not be running errands.

When Fu Xiuning transferred Yu Yi to another hospital, he had a solid reason.

The high-end sanatorium under the Fu family catered to wealthy clients. When Yu Yi disturbed them during his walks, the hospital received complaints and had to transfer him.

Of course, whether the "disturbance" was real or not remains unclear to outsiders; they only knew the outcome.

Feng Zifan was aware of this as well and knew the general terrain around the new hospital.

Hearing that Yu Yi had fallen down a slope, he remained silent for a long time before asking, “Why did he want to escape so late at night? Where was he trying to go?”

Xing Shi said, “I don’t know.”

Feng Zifan sighed softly and didn’t say anything else. The constant drama had worn down his feelings for the kid he used to take care of.

Xing Shi patted his shoulder.

Feng Zifan said, “I’m fine.”

Xing Shi looked at him, considering whether to offer some comfort, when Feng Zifan’s phone rang. It was his agent calling.

Feng Zifan answered and started discussing upcoming work. Xing Shi listened for a bit and figured he should be fine. The former friend was a thing of the past, and life had to go on.

Their task here was clear: to take out another host and provide energy for Shang Shang Qian.

The energy absorbed by the previous host was split between him and Xing Shi. The former needed enough energy to return, and the latter had to engrave a magic array, so there was nothing left for Shang Shang Qian. In any case, even without Shang Shang Qian, Xing Shi and Fu Xiuning would have had to deal with them anyway, a simple task.

Once Shang Shang Qian was fully charged, it could consider returning.

However, before leaving, they still needed to pick a minor celebrity covered in scandals and send them trending on the hot search, just as a good deed for the entertainment industry.

That night, 99 heard them discussing this and felt puzzled. “Why not just let the previous host and Shang Shang Qian leave with them? Wouldn’t that be easier? It would save you from pissing off other companies.”

Xing Shi said, “It’s not that simple.”

The system asked, "What's the difference?"

Xing Shi had been pondering for a long time and finally figured out how to set up a defensive magic array. Before taking action, he decided to be a bit nicer to the system and patiently explained, "I was there when Lin Kecheng's incident happened, I was there when Yu Shu died suddenly, and I was there when Yu Yi went mad and when Yan Feng had a cerebral hemorrhage. Are you saying these situations are any different from just calling the later-stage host and the Shang Shang Qian host obscure celebrities?"

99 had an epiphany. "There is."

Xing Shi hummed in agreement.

His presence at those events was the biggest difference.

By framing the later-stage and Shang Shang Qian hosts as obscure celebrities, Xing Shi could effectively reduce his own presence and suspicion. Even if there’s no direct connection between their ‘madness incidents,’ it didn’t matter. At the very least, it could throw people off track. The more scattered the information, the harder it would be for other hosts to figure things out.

The system was very proactive. "Who are you taking out next? I can help you look up information!"

Xing Shi said, "Let's see who comes back first."

As he spoke, he glanced at Fu Xiuning beside him, somewhat impressed. The agent his brother picked was truly ruthless. Li Yu and Sang Chenhao were both doing back-to-back projects with barely any break, and they had just finished their projects not long ago. But immediately after, they were running to promote non-stop, extremely diligent.

Fortunately, they weren’t like Yan Feng, who worked all year round. After working for a while, they’d take some time off.

He said, "Their matters aren’t urgent. Your issue is more important."

Before the system could fully grasp what he meant, it felt familiar energy threads approaching.

Since it now had a magic array with matching energy, it no longer resisted the threads and asked confusedly, "What are you doing?"

Xing Shi said, "Adding another program to you."

The system cooperated. "Sure."

But soon, it realized how naive it was.

Because this time, Xing Shi's actions inside its core didn’t seem like writing a program; it felt more like he was disassembling and reassembling it.

It panicked and screamed, "Xing Shi, I'm coming apart! Ahhh!"

Xing Shi said, "You won't fall apart."

The system whimpered, "Are you sure you're not disassembling me?"

Xing Shi said, "I'm sure."

The system hurriedly reminded him, "Then you have to remember I'm still useful! Ahhh..."

Shang Shang Qian had always known Xing Shi wouldn’t let this binding situation go unresolved and wasn’t surprised by what was happening.

Fu Xiuning, reading a book, enjoyed the system’s cries with amusement.

The system continued to scream, terrified of being disassembled. It frantically offered more reasons why it was useful, "Once Shang Shang Qian is gone, only I can help you look up information and act against those systems. I'm also a CP fan of you two brothers. If you need it, I can provide a lot of relationship… no, brotherly bonding advice!"

When Fu Xiuning heard the noise stop abruptly, he felt a twinge of curiosity and closed his book.

A few seconds later, the sound resumed intermittently. "I still haven’t seen… them truly together…"

Fu Xiuning looked at Xing Shi, pretending not to know what he was doing, and asked gently, "Zoning out?"

Xing Shi gave him a look and pointed to his temple.

Fu Xiuning seemed to sense his situation, quietly observing him before worriedly taking his wrist.

99 was still shouting, “I still need to... get revenge on the main system... Xing Shi...”

Xing Shi had already endured 99's outbursts during his first attempt at engraving a magic array, so he was used to it by now and continued to engrave firmly.

A moment later, he unexpectedly touched a hidden energy line and traced its path.

Fu Xiuning listened intently to the faint, intermittent sounds, gently stroking Xing Shi's wrist.

Xing Shi's attention was on 99, and it took him a while to notice Fu Xiuning's action. It dawned on him that there was a reason Fu Xiuning would actively grasp his wrist.

Without further hesitation, he immediately absorbed the energy line.

Fu Xiuning noticed that 99's voice had completely disappeared and suddenly tightened his grip.

Xing Shi was also reaching his limit and withdrew from the system's core.

Relieved to still be intact, 99 let out a breath. “All good now?”

Xing Shi said, “Not yet, this is just a part of it.”

99 immediately cried, “What kind of update is this? It’s such a hassle.”

Xing Shi replied, “To prevent the favorability from spiking and the main system from swallowing us without notice.”

99 regained its confidence and declared, “Alright! Go ahead, don’t hold back!”

Xing Shi nodded. “Hmm.”

99 choked back a sob, then shook itself vigorously to show it wasn’t backing down.

Shang Shang Qian: “...”

Without another word, Xing Shi turned to hold Fu Xiuning's hand. “I'm fine.”

Fu Xiuning let him hold his hand without pulling away and was about to ask something when he noticed a fine layer of sweat on Xing Shi's forehead. He reached out with his other hand to check the temperature.

Xing Shi leaned in a little. “Really, it's fine.”

Fu Xiuning met his gaze, wiping away the sweat, and softly asked, “Everything going smoothly?”

Xing Shi said, “Yeah, pretty smooth. I'll continue when I have time tomorrow.”

Fu Xiuning said, “Don't push yourself.”

Xing Shi replied, “Don't worry, I know what I'm doing, and its will is very strong. I have to honor its request.”

99 shuddered and stubbornly said, “Hmm! I'm not afraid! Who doesn't have some guts!”

Shang Shang Qian: “...”

Fu Xiuning understood. This meant the system was still conscious and hadn't gone into hibernation.

But the silence suggested that the connection between Xing Shi and the system had dissolved.

It was simple to confirm: just listen for any more favorability updates.

Xing Shi was also aware of this and, noticing Fu Xiuning tightening his grip again, looked at their joined hands and met his gaze once more.

Fu Xiuning's Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he restrained himself and let go.

Too abrupt, he thought.

The favorability system would chime from time to time. They would be able to confirm the result within three days without resorting to extreme measures.

Xing Shi felt the warmth in his hand gradually slip away and guessed the other's thoughts roughly.

It suddenly occurred to him that if the binding really dissolved, then they wouldn't need to have so many concerns in the future.

99's past teasing remarks crossed his mind. He moved his fingers and then retracted them.

The two of them, one reading a book and the other playing with a phone, didn't speak for a while.

Only the atmosphere was different than usual. Perhaps it was because they were sitting too close, or maybe it was because the night was unusually quiet, making the other's presence too strong.

Fu Xiuning didn't turn a page for a long time and closed the book again: "It's not early, time to sleep."

Xing Shi put down his phone and stood up, glancing at him: "Bro, good night."

Fu Xiuning also stood up: "Mm, good night."

The two walked in the same direction for a while before parting in the middle, each returning to their own room.

Xing Shi brushed his teeth, washed his face, lifted the quilt, and got into bed.

All the lights in the room were off. He rolled over in the dark, and after a while, rolled over again, feeling somewhat restless.

On the third roll, he decided to ask 99 to tell him a bedtime story, but then he heard a faint sound from outside.

Ever since the magic core was activated, his senses had become sharper than before. However, the sound was too faint, and he wasn't sure if he had heard wrong. He got up, opened the door, and saw a faint light.

He walked a few steps outside and saw the dining room light was on, and Fu Xiuning was drinking water.

Hearing the door open, Fu Xiuning looked up at the shadowy figure in the distance: "Not sleeping yet?"

Xing Shi said: "No, aren't you not sleeping either, bro?"

Fu Xiuning said: "I'm going to sleep, just getting a glass of water."

As he spoke, he saw the other person approaching. The figure gradually became clearer in the dark. Having just gotten up from bed, his hair was a bit messy, revealing a rare hint of drowsiness.

Xing Shi came closer and said: "Let me have a sip too."

Fu Xiuning handed him the cup.

Xing Shi took a couple of sips and, couldn't help but ask, "Why aren't you asleep yet?"

Fu Xiuning "mm"ed but didn't explain. Instead, he raised his hand to neaten Xing Shi's messy hair.

Xing Shi felt his fingers gently pass through his hair and stood still.

After carefully neatening, Fu Xiuning's movements gradually stopped, not quite wanting to pull back his hand.

Their eyes met again silently, and the emotions in their eyes deepened instantly.

The dining room was quiet, and the air seemed to slow its movement. Xing Shi's breathing tightened a bit, hearing the familiar cold, detached tone.

Shang Shang Qian wasn't sure what Xing Shi had done to the system that night but still couldn't help reminding: "90."

Xing Shi looked at Fu Xiuning and called out, "Big Brother."

Fu Xiuning’s hand slid down through his hair and he responded with a soft "Hmm."

Xing Shi remained rooted in place.

Neither of them was the type to hold anything back.

Unable to wait any longer, Fu Xiuning gently tilted his chin up and pressed his lips to Xing Shi’s.