“Next time,” Chi Zhan said softly. “If there’s ever a chance.”
At the time, Jiang Yi didn’t understand the deeper meaning behind Chi Zhan’s words. He only had one thought in mind:
I got rejected.
It stung, but he wasn’t really surprised.
Someone like Chi-ge—kind, composed, and good-looking—surely had a boyfriend in real life already. But then again… would someone in a committed relationship really come play a game like this?
Maybe his boyfriend was just that awful, and he came here looking for a sliver of virtual happiness. Damn it—why couldn’t he be taller and more muscular?! Jiang Yi clenched his fists and made a resolution: outside the game, it was time to hit the gym hard and bulk up. As for getting taller? Eh, he could live without it. Short tops are still tops!
Even with all this bravado, a quiet sigh still escaped him. Deep down, he didn’t have much hope.
“If you hear anything back,” Chi Zhan asked gently, “will you tell me?”
“What—oh, of course!” Jiang Yi lit up. “As soon as customer service responds, I’ll let you know right away!”
Back in the restaurant, Chi Zhan was still rattled by everything Jiang Yi had told him. Cen Chi had to call his name several times before he even registered it.
“Ah-Zhan, something’s off with you,” Cen Chi said, watching him carefully. “Are you feeling unwell?”
Though Chi Zhan’s face was blank, Cen Chi could still sense the odd shift in him.
Chi Zhan was never the type to space out, especially not during a conversation. He always gave his full attention to others—rarely losing focus like this.
Only when Cen Chi lifted his hand and lightly brushed his forehead with the back of his hand did Chi Zhan blink back to awareness. He instinctively stepped back, eyes still dazed.
“Hm? No, I’m fine.”
Even Zhou Yanxing frowned, his gaze sweeping over Chi Zhan from head to toe. His voice was low.
“What’s going on?”
Chi Zhan rubbed his temples and stood again.
“The air’s a bit stuffy… I’m going to get some fresh air.”
“That guy from earlier—he worked at your company?” Cen Chi asked.
Zhou Yanxing replied, “Intern. Quit a while ago. But he still clings to Chi Zhan.”
He looked thoroughly annoyed.
Cen Chi was about to follow after Chi Zhan, but Zhou Yanxing was faster. When he saw Cen Chi rise too, he sneered, “What, want to throw hands?”
Cen Chi shook his head in exasperation.
“Violence isn’t the answer.”
Zhou Yanxing’s voice turned frosty.
“It works, doesn’t it?”
After being kidnapped numerous times as a teen, Zhou had undergone extensive combat training—by now, he could take on three people blindfolded. Cen Chi, on the other hand, had no such experience. It wasn’t his strong suit.
“If he doesn’t want to talk, then stop pushing him. If it’s personal, it’s none of your business.”
“Oh? And it’s yours?” Zhou retorted. “You spend all day speaking in riddles—how many of your words have ever been true?”
“One,” Cen Chi said slowly. “Ah-Zhan has two boyfriends. One you know already. The other one… want to guess?”
Zhou Yanxing narrowed his eyes, unimpressed.
“Doesn’t matter. They’re fake. No threat to me.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.” Cen Chi’s voice was just a touch smug. “I think Ah-Zhan really likes this one.” He smiled, deliberately provoking. “And you know him too.”
***
Chi Zhan splashed a handful of cold water over his face and stared hard at his reflection in the mirror. Beads of water slid down his lashes and nose, dampening the hair at his forehead. The chill helped clear his head—but not much. His mind was still in chaos.
He had never, not once, considered the possibility that he might be a player. The odds were lower than winning the lottery. Sure, everyone envied the freedom players had—the ability to live in another world—but fate was fate. How could a line of code defy the system and become a real person?
And yet now, someone had told him: You’re not an NPC. You’re a player.
Which meant… if he didn’t want to play anymore, he could just leave.
But how could that be true?
Chi Zhan was sure—he didn’t have the player system. His earliest memory was waking up in the system space, where the main system’s cold, mechanical voice had said:
[Your name is Chi Zhan. Male. Twenty-two years old. From this day forward, you are employed by the Zhou Rui Group as the secretary to romance target Zhou Yanxing. Your role: assistive NPC.]
[Your daily tasks include performing your secretarial duties and supporting the player in capturing Zhou Yanxing.]
After that brief encounter, the main system never appeared again. Instead, he was handed a copy of the NPC Handbook, and that was how he began piecing together his memory and knowledge base.
There was one rule in the handbook that was crystal clear:
[NPCs are forbidden from discussing anything beyond daily life with players. Do not mention “players,” “NPCs,” or “romance targets.” Doing so may disrupt the gameplay experience. If a violation occurs, the system reserves the right to erase the relevant memories of both NPC and player.]
Chi Zhan’s hand clenched against the edge of the marble sink, knuckles whitening with tension.
The system had lied to him.
…But why?
“What did that brat say to you?” Zhou Yanxing’s voice cut in sharply beside his ear.
Startled, Chi Zhan looked up—and met Zhou Yanxing’s eyes in the mirror.
He hadn’t even realized Zhou was there. God knew how long he’d been standing behind him, silently watching. His gaze was sharp, like a blade gliding over Chi Zhan’s pale, water-speckled face, then tracing down the line of his jaw. There was something dangerous in his eyes, a silent tension that made Chi Zhan’s skin prickle.
They locked eyes in the mirror. Zhou Yanxing’s stare was too piercing, as if it could see right through him. Chi Zhan’s heart skipped, and he hurriedly looked away.
“…It’s nothing.”
Zhou Yanxing was clearly not buying it.
Such a half-hearted excuse. When Chi Zhan had returned earlier, he’d looked dazed, not saying a word. He even let Cen Chi touch his forehead without protest. Said he’d think it over—but was he even considering a relationship at all?
Zhou Yanxing felt more and more certain: he wasn’t.
“You sure about that?”
Chi Zhan, of course, couldn’t begin to explain what was really going on. But his evasive response only made Zhou Yanxing angrier.
He stepped closer, his whole body radiating chill. Chi Zhan instinctively backed toward the door.
“President Zhou, I should head back—”
