Chapter 79

Chapter 79

Ji Mian walked over and silently grabbed a pineapple popsicle from the shopping bag Xie Hang was holding.

After a few bites, the icy chill of the pineapple popsicle hit his throat, and he finally spoke, "Brother Heng, how’d you know I got turned down?"

Xie Hang glanced at him, "Now I know."

Ji Mian: ...

He stared in disbelief, "Brother Heng, you... that’s not fair. Did you really buy this ahead of time? Were you that sure I’d get shot down?"

"No," Xie Hang met Ji Mian's resentful gaze and said helplessly, "Really, no."

Ji Mian wasn’t buying it, but since Xie Hang had treated him to a popsicle, he decided to let it slide.

They walked down the steps outside the supermarket, Ji Mian quietly munching on his popsicle, uncharacteristically silent.

"Is he really all that?" Xie Hang suddenly asked as they walked.

"Huh?"

"He’s not as good-looking as you, and he’s got no taste either."

Ji Mian thought Xie Hang was trying to cheer him up and smiled, "Brother Heng, don’t badmouth him."

Love isn’t really about taste. And objectively speaking, as the protagonist, Song Yu’s face is still more striking and refined than the original host’s.

Xie Hang paused for a moment, then suddenly grabbed his wrist.

Ji Mian stopped in his tracks, turning his head to look at him, confused.

"Just stop liking him."

"..."

Xie Hang’s eyes were downcast, his emotions unreadable.

The hand Xie Hang was holding suddenly felt cold.

He glanced down, "Brother Heng, my popsicle’s melting."

Xie Hang finally let go, slowly.

Ji Mian quickly finished off the melted popsicle, tossing the stick into the trash.

"You hungry?" Xie Hang asked.

"A little. I skipped dinner because I didn’t want to smell like food during the confession."

"I’ll just grab some snacks when I get back."

"Don’t go back. Let’s grab something to eat. My treat."

Ji Mian checked the time, "You sure? It’s almost eight. Brother Heng, don’t you usually skip late-night snacks?"

"Once in a while won’t hurt."

Ji Mian smiled, "Alright." Xie Hang shook the bag in his hand, "Come back with me first. Let’s stash these in the fridge."

"Sure," Ji Mian said, licking his lips and leaning closer, "Got any lychee ones? I’m craving another lychee flavored one."

Xie Heng rummaged through the bag and pulled out a lychee flavored one, handing it to him.

Ji Mian was content. "Hey, Brother Heng, why’d you buy so many?"

"...I just grabbed a bunch without thinking."

"Oh, no worries. I’ve got a few days left before I head back, so I’ll help you polish them off."

Xie Heng laughed, "Alright."

*

Ji Mian started his lazy summer vacation routine.

When he first got back in early July, he was still up for hanging out with his high school buddies or hitting the court.

But by August, with the heat in S City cranking up and no rain in sight, he was done. He stayed holed up in the AC, glued to his phone on the couch, killing time.

"Xie Heng": What’s fun to do in S City?

When Ji Mian saw Xie Heng’s message, he paused, about to list some local spots, then it hit him—something was up.

"Lu Zhou": Brother Heng, you planning to visit?

"Xie Heng": Yes.

"Lu Zhou": Hold on.

If Xie Heng was visiting, it wasn’t enough to just name a few places.

Ji Mian opened an app to pull together travel tips for S City.

After a few minutes of searching, a message popped up.

"Xie Heng": You’re not looking up travel guides for me, are you?

"Lu Zhou": How’d you guess?

"Xie Heng": ...

"Xie Heng": Don’t bother, just tell me your favorite spots.

Fine.

Ji Mian sent the spots he’d already typed out, then added:

"Lu Zhou": If you come, hit me up—I’ll show you around.

"Lu Zhou": Don’t forget to find me.

"Xie Heng": For real?

"Lu Zhou": Would I lie?

"Xie Heng": I’m here already.

Ji Mian bolted upright.

"Lu Zhou": Wait, what?

"Xie Hang": I'm at the airport.

"Lu Zhou": Are you by yourself? I'm heading out now. You better not be messing with me!

"Xie Hang": Yeah, just me.

Ji Mian rushed out to grab a taxi and pick him up.

When he arrived at the airport and ran to the exit where Xie Hang was, he spotted Xie Hang almost immediately.

The reason was simple: Xie Hang was standing in a spot too obvious to miss.

Most people waiting were huddled in the shade near the exit. Only Xie Hang, with a black backpack, stood like a pillar under the blazing sun in the open, impossible to miss.

"Hey, Brother Heng!" Ji Mian waved at him.

Xie Hang had seen him early on and smiled slightly when he saw him.

"Hmm..." the system murmured.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, just thinking about when you and Duan Zhuo were in a long-distance relationship..."

That guy also showed up in Ji Mian's city out of the blue and sent a message "I'm here" when Ji Mian was off work.

Ji Mian paused, then went quiet.

The system knew it had slipped up, but it wasn't entirely an accident.

The oddities in the Affection Points data over three worlds had recently led it to a hunch that could explain it all, and it found related cases at HQ.

The cases showed that a few Taskers might cross paths in the task worlds. If Duan Zhuo was a Tasker from a sub-department, it would all add up.

His high Affection Points were because he wasn't a virtual entity but a real soul.

Why he appeared in Ji Mian's world three times in a row baffled the system.

It hesitated to tell Ji Mian that Xie Hang and Duan Zhuo might be connected—or even the same person. But what if it was wrong?

Losing Duan Zhuo again would devastate its host.

The system decided to keep quiet for now.

It had a logical theory; just one piece of evidence would confirm it...

"Brother Heng, why are you standing here? Isn't it hot?"

Xie Hang said, "Afraid you couldn't find me."

Ji Mian raised his hand and gestured above Xie Hang's head. "With your height and vibe, you stand out anywhere!"

Xie Hang just smiled without saying a word.

He glanced at Ji Mian's attire—casual, loose home clothes and slippers—obviously rushed over after receiving the message.

"Let's rest at my place first. It's too hot to run around outside now."

"Your place? I can stay at a hotel."

"Nah, some hotels are pretty gross." Ji Mian had stayed in hotels a few times during his travels, and although the prices weren’t low, the cleanliness was subpar. He ended up traveling less just to avoid hotels.

"My parents are both away on business trips right now, and I’m bored at home. We’ve got a guest room—you’ll be fine."

Xie Hang wanted to say something, but Ji Mian quickly stopped him: "Worst case, I’ll visit you next holiday, and you can return the favor."

Xie Hang’s protest died in his throat. "...Really?"

Ji Mian turned his head, seemingly detecting a hint of anticipation in Xie Hang’s voice.

"Of course, it’s true. How long are you planning to stay here?"

"About four or five days," Xie Hang said.

Ji Mian walked ahead of him, "Oh, that’s plenty of time to check out the area. Where do you want to go first?"

Xie Hang looked down at his hair. "Anywhere is fine..."

He wasn’t here for the scenery, anyway.

*

The first weekend of Ji Mian’s sophomore year rolled around, coinciding with the enrollment time for this year’s freshmen.

The school organized a volunteer event to welcome the new students, and Ji Mian naturally signed up first, with Song Yu also among them.

Surprisingly, Xie Hang was willing to give up his weekend and join them as a volunteer.

After spending the morning helping freshmen from the School of Economics and Management with their luggage, Ji Mian’s arms and legs were starting to ache.

During a break in arrivals, he plopped down onto a chair in the welcome area.

"Brother Heng, you’re not tired?"

Xie Hang stood nearby, as calm as usual, "Not really."

Ji Mian gave him a thumbs up: "Impressive."

Around eleven, the volunteers from the School of Economics and Management started rotating for breaks and lunch.

Ji Mian and Xie Hang, who’d done the most, were nudged out of line by the others to grab lunch first.

Ji Mian didn’t argue, just smiled, said "Thanks," and headed off with Xie Hang.

On the way to the cafeteria, there were freshmen and their parents dragging suitcases, their faces lit up with the excitement of being new here.

A boy walking toward them caught Ji Mian’s eye.

The boy was pulling his luggage, lugging a heavy backpack, dressed simply and neatly, with a buzz cut, tan skin, and a face that looked tough.

Most freshmen had their parents in tow, but this guy was alone.

He wasn’t walking fast—if anything, he was slow—and instead of looking excited, he seemed nervous.

As he was about to pass Ji Mian, He Chang paused to check his phone, then turned right toward the library’s welcome area.

Wrong way, Ji Mian thought.

Soon, Song Yu would take his turn to grab lunch.

"Hey, you!" he called out to the person.

He Chang turned around.

Ji Mian gestured behind him, "The welcome area for the School of Management is over there."

He Chang paused for a moment, then said, "Thanks."

Ji Mian breathed a small sigh of relief. He looked up and met Xie Hang's puzzled gaze.

"You..."

"?"

"Has your meddling gotten so good you can predict problems before anyone even speaks?"

"..." Ji Mian coughed twice, "I just thought he gave off School of Management vibes."

"But He Chang’s from the School of Architecture," the system chimed in.

"..."

"Oh, really?" Xie Hang raised an eyebrow.

From his vibe, he figured the guy was into sports.

Ji Mian laughed awkwardly, nudging Xie Hang, "Let’s just drop it and grab some food!"

...

He Chang followed the path Ji Mian pointed out and, sure enough, spotted the welcome sign in front of the School of Management building.

Under the blue welcome tent, a striking figure sat straight, pen in hand, carefully filling out the new students’ info forms.

He Chang’s heart skipped a beat as he stared at the all-too-familiar profile of the young man, frozen in place.

His feet felt like they were made of lead, holding him back from stepping forward. This was the moment he’d dreamed of for a whole year, the one that got him through countless nights, but now that it was here, he felt nervous.

"Hey, are you from the School of Management? Economics or International Trade?" a friendly girl asked as she walked over.

"I’m..." He Chang snapped out of it, "from the School of Architecture..."

"Oh, the School of Architecture’s welcome isn’t here?" the girl asked, confused, but the tall guy was already dragging his luggage, walking off.

Under the welcome tent, the small fan on the table whirred, blowing Song Yu’s bangs off his forehead.

But he was still hot, so he put down the pen and cranked the fan up to full speed.

Across the table, another figure appeared, and just by how high their waistline was above the table, it was clear they were tall.

"...Hey, senior," the newcomer said quietly.

Song Yu looked up, and when he saw the other person’s face, his grip tightened.

The fan’s noisy whirring suddenly cut off.