Chi Zhan couldn’t help but find it a little funny.
He was tired tonight, so he ran a bath, planning to soak for a while before heading back out.
Inside the system space—
The system stared anxiously at the data panel, clearly distressed.
All four of the romance targets in this world now had favorability ratings above seventy. Zhou Yanxing and Qi Song had reached eighty-five—well into the danger zone. Cen Chi and Chu Xingxiao weren’t far behind, both sitting at eighty, teetering on the edge.
But that wasn’t even the worst part.
The real problem was this: all four had triggered their blackening values.
The blackening value was a critical condition for unlocking alternate “bad end” routes in the game. High favorability alone wasn’t enough—it also required suppressed desire caused by unrequited love. Once a target witnessed the player sharing intimate moments with someone else, it could trigger jealousy, possessiveness, and eventually—obsessive behavior. If left unchecked, things would spiral into unpredictable chaos.
Once a character’s blackening value surpassed fifty, the system would receive an alert.
Which meant… this alert came too late.
The system had originally assumed blackening was exclusive to players, that NPCs like Chi Zhan wouldn’t trigger such outcomes. But reality had shattered that assumption. Aside from Qi Song, everyone else’s blackening value had now crossed fifty. And ironically, the more human and realistic they seemed—the more dangerous they became.
The worst part?
The system couldn’t even tell Chi Zhan about it.
How could it explain that the only way to lower a blackening value… was to be with them?
That was never going to happen.
This world was on the brink of collapse.
The system was in despair. Its performance metrics, its bonus payout—everything was going to hell.
The only thing left was to find a way to mitigate the damage…
A data board flickered to life in front of it, swaying left and right, beginning to generate a new report.
Title: “Feasibility Report on Unlocking the Romance Targets’ Side Story Worlds.”
Normally, side worlds were only unlocked when the player successfully completed a route with one of the male leads. It was a mechanic meant to keep the game feeling fresh.
In those side stories, the romance targets stayed the same, but the world’s background and storylines would change. If requirements weren’t met, the side worlds stayed locked indefinitely.
But this situation was… unusual.
No player had successfully completed a route, yet all the targets were close to meeting the conditions for unlocking side content. The system had never encountered this scenario before. With no precedent to follow, it submitted the report to the Main System.
If approved, a new world would be generated, temporarily closing off the current one. All players would be transferred into the new version, and every character—both romance targets and NPCs—would have their memories wiped and replaced with new ones.
Maybe then… there’d be a way to fix things.
***
After his bath, Chi Zhan felt the heat lull him into a pleasant drowsiness. Dressed in pajamas, he returned to the bedroom—only to find the main light had been switched off, leaving the room shrouded in darkness.
Already asleep?
Considering what Chu Xingxiao had been through today—cold, stress, missing the match—it made sense if he’d already passed out.
Chi Zhan didn’t want to disturb him, so he left the light off, feeling his way slowly across the room using the faint ambient glow. But the moment his hand brushed the edge of the blanket, a hand shot out, grabbing his wrist and yanking him forward.
Caught completely off guard, Chi Zhan lost his balance and fell straight onto the other’s body. Chu Xingxiao’s upper body was bare—nothing between their skin. Chi Zhan instinctively tried to push himself off, but all he could feel was warm, firm muscle. He couldn’t find anywhere to put his hands.
“Chu. Xing. Xiao.” Chi Zhan ground out each word. “If you’re not going to sleep, then get out.”
“I want gege to forgive me,” Chu Xingxiao said, amusement lacing his voice. “Please, forgive me? Hmm?”
These cousins really were cut from the same cloth.
One kept repeating “Don’t break up,” while the other was stuck on “Forgive me.” Chi Zhan wanted to break up and not forgive them, but each of them had a knack for targeting his weak spots.
And to top it off, they were full-grown men who still thought they could get their way by acting cute…
Ever since the last time, when Chu Xingxiao realized Chi Zhan seemed to have a weakness for his body, he’d made a point to keep up his workouts—vowing to maintain a physique that would keep Chi Zhan spellbound for life.
And clearly, it was working.
“Let go of me first.”
In the dark, Chu Xingxiao’s gaze burned like a hidden flame—dangerous and intense. The usual sweetness and obedience were gone. His eyes traced Chi Zhan’s features slowly, and his voice dropped to a murmur.
“If I let go, you’ll kick me out again. What do I have to do for you to forgive me?”
Chi Zhan was quiet for a long moment before replying, “If we were just normal friends, I’d forgive you.”
Chu Xingxiao didn’t hesitate.Â
“Not possible. Is liking you… really a crime?”Â
His fingertip brushed lightly against the corner of Chi Zhan’s lips, lingering there with an almost suggestive intent.
Chi Zhan immediately tried to push him away, but Chu Xingxiao caught his wrist again.
Only this time, he didn’t tighten his grip.
Chi Zhan thought he was about to let go. But instead, something unfamiliar slipped into his palm—smooth, cool, and silky to the touch. He realized… it was a ribbon.
Now he was even more confused. What was Chu Xingxiao trying to do?
“If you’re still mad about what happened on the cruise,” Chu Xingxiao whispered, “then get back at me. I’ll let you do whatever you want. You can tie it wherever you like.”
Chi Zhan stayed still. So Chu Xingxiao took his hand and guided it, helping him tie the ribbon over his own eyes—just like he had done to Chi Zhan once before.
But this time, Chu Xingxiao was offering himself up willingly, surrendering control.
Chi Zhan snapped back to full awareness. He tried to pull his hand away, the anger he’d felt moments ago scattering like leaves in the wind. He hadn’t expected this at all.
Trying to keep his voice level, he said, “I don’t want to do anything to you…”
“But I do,” Chu Xingxiao interrupted softly.
With the silk blindfold over his eyes, his lips curled into a smile. In the shadows, he searched for Chi Zhan’s face, brushing against his cheek with featherlight touches. His fingers slipped through Chi Zhan’s hair, his nose grazing him lightly, tender and deliberate.
