Chapter 44: The Surveillance Card

**Chapter 44: Caught on Camera**

When Mo Huan rejected him, his reason was: “I’m not looking to date while in school.”

Xiao Chun initially found it hard to accept, but after thinking it over, he gradually understood.

Mo Huan was a top student in the Acting Department, winning national scholarships every year. The acting professors all praised his talent, saying he was destined to make it big in the entertainment industry.

Xiao Chun thought maybe Mo Huan couldn’t split his focus with dating.

And being turned down was only temporary.

He also wanted to enter the entertainment industry someday. It was a small world, and they’d inevitably run into each other in the industry. When that happened, working together would offer plenty of chances for them to get closer.

Xiao Chun believed time would bring them closer. If he kept chasing after Mo Huan, eventually Mo Huan would come around.

But all those fantasies were shattered by what he saw today.

Even though he knew the two weren’t dating, seeing Mo Huan look at Jian Ye with affection still shook him.

A surge of jealousy and bitterness rose inside him.

Why? Why couldn’t his efforts win this person over?

Was it just because Jian Ye had a pretty face?

He used to think Mo Huan was different from shallow people, but apparently even Mo Huan could be sucked in by a good-looking face.

Looking at his own reflection on his phone screen, Xiao Chun suddenly noticed so many flaws.

His face was angular, with slender eyes, eyebrows finer than most guys’, an average nose, and thin lips—a naturally soft, almost feminine look.

In fact, with makeup, he had a certain mystical allure. Last year, the performance he choreographed incorporated traditional Chinese culture, and his slightly effeminate style had been stunning.

Their styles were similar, but Jian Ye’s star power far outshone his.

If Mo Huan’s interest in Jian Ye was just the start of Xiao Chun’s dislike, then Jian Ye’s show-stealing performance today was the real source of his hatred.

He’d heard that Jian Ye skipped most of his classes last semester, blowing off most assignments, and only showed up for the final exams.

Yet despite such a half-assed effort, he managed to kill it this semester.

That Jian Ye could dance so well without even trying fueled Xiao Chun’s bitterness.

Life was so unfair, Xiao Chun seethed inwardly.

...

The next day.

Jian Ye woke up and realized he was alone in bed.

Still groggy, he checked his phone and nearly jumped.

Damn, why so many messages? Was his phone glitching?

Worried something had happened, he quickly looked through them—only to find everything was about his dance going viral on social media.

Scratching his head, Jian Ye was caught off guard.

He knew his dance performance would cause some stir at school, but he never expected it to generate such a massive reaction online.

This was Jian Ye’s first time experiencing the sensation of trending on social media.

In his original world, he had been nothing more than a Z-list actor—forget trending, even getting recognized on the street was a challenge.

The sudden surge in popularity was so abrupt that Jian Ye began to suspect someone might be behind it.

But then he thought of Yi Siyu’s jealous fit yesterday and dismissed the idea.

Fortunately, the trending topic had already died down by today. Yi Siyu… probably hadn’t seen it, right?

After replying to everyone one by one, Jian Ye finally noticed Yi Siyu’s message buried at the very bottom, looking lonely and pathetic.

"Yu": Something came up at work, so I left first. There’s breakfast in the thermal container in the dining area—I made it myself.

Jian Ye hadn’t expected Yi Siyu to actually cook for him. Was this the start of his pursuit?

Not bad for a first effort, President Yi. As a reward, I’ll pin your chat to the top.

Grinning, Jian Ye flicked up on his phone screen, his eyes twinkling mischievously before tapping into Yi Siyu’s profile to change his nickname.

Soon, the pinned chat at the top of Jian Ye’s list displayed a new name—"CEO Yi's Veggie Day."

"It's Ye, Not Cocky": Awake now. Gonna taste your handiwork.

After sending the message, Jian Ye went to wash up.

The reply came instantly.

"CEO Yi's Veggie Day": [Image]

Jian Ye opened it—a photo of Yi Siyu’s hand.

"It's Ye, Not Cocky": ?

"CEO Yi's Veggie Day": Got some oil burns while frying eggs this morning.

If Yi Siyu hadn’t pointed it out, Jian Ye wouldn’t have even noticed the tiny red dot, no bigger than a sesame seed—it was already fading.

Had he replied any later, the burn mark would’ve vanished completely, wouldn’t it?

This behavior from Yi Siyu… felt oddly familiar.

System 748: *That's some Green Tea Coin behavior, dear.*

Jian Ye: *Jesus, you scared me! Can you not pop up out of nowhere?*

System 748: *Tut tut, the host's got other priorities now. So, have you decided to date him yet?*

The question made Jian Ye choke on air.

Jian Ye: *W-well let's see what he does. Didn’t he say he’d pursue me? Let him chase for now. For all I know, he'll lose interest or run out of patience soon enough.*

System 748: *Hehe, want to spend some Green Tea Coins for items from the system shop? Some tools can help you really lock down your man.*

Jian Ye: *No way! How’s that any different from using tricks to win affection and manipulating a puppet?*

Yi Siyu was a living, breathing person in this world—Jian Ye no longer wanted to treat the people here as mere lines of code.

If he were to truly be with Yi Siyu, he hoped their feelings for each other would be genuine, without any system meddling.

"System 748: I was joking, host. No hard feelings?"

"Jian Ye: Have you ever actually seen me mad? Speaking of Green Tea Coins, how many Green Tea Points do I have now?"

"System 748: When the host completed the second phase of the goal, you had 2,500 Green Tea Points. Later, it increased by 50, so now it’s 2,550. Wanna cash them all in for Green Tea Coins?"

"Jian Ye: If I don’t exchange them, what else can Green Tea Points be used for?"

"System 748: Green Tea Points can be exchanged for non-physical stuff—things the system shop doesn’t sell. It depends on the situation. Can’t give exact details yet."

"Jian Ye: Then I’ll exchange 550 Green Tea Coins for now and keep the rest."

"System 748: Done. Your coins are in—check ’em out."

In a blink, Jian Ye noticed a new "Wallet Balance" option in the system shop, displaying the exact amount of Green Tea Coins he had just exchanged.

Jian Ye browsed the system shop, where a pulsing yellow orb caught his attention. Inside it floated a card with three words written on it.

"Jian Ye: Spy Card? What’s this for?"

"System 748: This card allows the host to monitor a selected person for 5 minutes. Just think their name."

Yikes, sketchy much? Wasn’t this like installing a remote surveillance device on someone? This card was practically flirting with illegal—it wasn’t exactly respecting privacy. What if he saw something he shouldn’t…

The system, reading his mind, quickly explained.

"System 748: That’s not how it works. The Spy Card blocks R-rated stuff. If the monitored person is showering or undressed, the card won’t activate. Only under normal circumstances."

"Jian Ye: You bots really cover your asses, huh?"

"System 748: Gotta keep things PG, host. You know how it is."

Jian Ye: Pfft.

He wasn’t sure how harmonious this world was, but he knew this book had to be family-friendly on that green reading app.

Jian Ye saw that a Spy Card cost 50 Green Tea Coins. Flush with coins, he curiously bought one.

Soon, the orb’s glow fizzled out, and the words “Sold Out” appeared below it.

"Jian Ye: There’s only one Spy Card?"

"System 748: Every item in the shop refreshes only once a day. If the host wants to buy the same item again, you’ll have to wait until the next refresh."

Artificial scarcity in a system shop? Smooth.

Jian Ye silently thought Yi Siyu’s name, and in an instant, his mind’s eye lit up with a live feed showing exactly where Yi Siyu was at that moment.

The man was in his office skimming files, checking his phone like it owed him money every few seconds.

Jian Ye tried to get a closer look and realized the Spy Card even allowed full 360 pan-and-zoom—slick!

Yi Siyu’s phone screen showed his recent chat with Jian Ye. Seeing no reply, he caved and started typing again.

Jian Ye smirked and hit send mid-typing—just to mess with him.

"'It's Ye, not arrogant': Do your work properly, don't play with your phone.

Across from him, Yi Siyu: "..."

The "typing..." notification abruptly stopped. The man was momentarily stunned, then his lips quirked.

Jian Ye doubled over laughing at home. This spy card was hilarious—being able to peek into what others were doing gave him a sneaky thrill.

The card was cool, just the time felt a bit short.

In just this short while, two minutes had already passed.

The next three minutes weren’t particularly interesting either. Yi Siyu actually listened and started working seriously.

When the five minutes ended, the image in his mind vanished.

Jian Ye had no idea that after the surveillance ended, someone in the executive office walked into the connected lounge.

Yi Siyu opened a wardrobe, inside which lay the red gauze outfit Jian Ye had worn yesterday while dancing.

The man pinched a corner of the sleeve, fell silent for a moment, then lifted it and nuzzled it against his nose, inhaling deeply.

Even after an entire night, the clothes still carried Jian Ye’s scent from yesterday—this fragrance lingered surprisingly long.

Yi Siyu had never seen Jian Ye wear any perfume, and this smell was clearly different from store-bought perfume.

That faint, elusive aroma not only tantalized the senses but also stirred emotions, bringing back vivid memories of the young man’s graceful dance on stage the previous day.

Just thinking about it set his blood burning.

The man shut the wardrobe and headed straight to the en-suite bathroom in the lounge, staying inside for over half an hour without coming out.

If Jian Ye’s surveillance card had lasted just a few more minutes, he would have glimpsed his little secret.

Hiding his clothes and sniffing them—this was a scene Jian Ye would *definitely* label as "perverted" upon seeing.

System 748 got some perks with the surveillance card—it had a slightly extended duration, so it could see what happened next.

Knowing how shocking this might be for its host, System 748 decided to be a considerate system.

Let the host have all the fun, while the system stayed low-key.

"Author's Note:"

Jian Ye: There's a pervert here! (Hell no jpg.)

Yi Siyu: Just a whiff of scent and I'm already reacting. (Barely restraining jpg.)