One week had passed since Qu Qingyu’s birthday, and the face-slap plot mentioned by the system was approaching fast.
Although the system had been gone for half a month, since Zhu Xing’s previous questions went unanswered, he still hadn’t figured out how this plotline was supposed to play out.
Just the day before Ying Chi’s grandfather’s birthday, the system finally returned.
[Host.] The system’s voice sounded a bit timid, leaving Zhu Xing wondering if some other household’s system had beaten it up.
[What is wrong with you? Didn’t you go report to the main system?]
[Host, there is bad news and good news. Which one would you like to hear first?] The system tested the waters beforehand.
[The bad news, I suppose.] Zhu Xing was afraid that hearing the bad news later would make him beat up the system.
[Host, based on the reply given by the main system, plus the fact that I asked another system, 521, I roughly figured out why you were needed to come over and play this role.] Pausing for a moment, 520 continued:
[Actually, the reason the host was needed to play this role is because the original actor ran away, so they temporarily found you to take their place.]
[Why are they allowed to run away?]
Zhu Xing was shocked! The system had told him that once you enter a minor world in the Quick Transmigration Bureau, you have to complete the tasks before you can leave, because all employees’ souls are bound.
The system fell silent for a long time, so long that Zhu Xing’s fists wanted to brutally pummel it all over again. Back when it deliberately bound him, it had been beaten so badly it was unrecognizable from its prototype.
[Because he thought the Quick Transmigration Bureau’s benefits were too low, so he got recruited by the Reincarnation Department instead.]
As everyone knew, the tasks in the Quick Transmigration Department required leveling up. Only by reaching the highest rank could Zhu Xing be truly free.
Upon gaining freedom, he would also receive ten trillion in cash and the ability to freely travel to any world he had already completed.
This temptation barely managed to capture Zhu Xing’s anticipation. Yet his attitude toward completing tasks was extremely lazy, and despite transmigrating into the tenth novel in a school setting where protagonist factions kill protagonists, he still hadn’t advanced to the next level.
Meanwhile, the Reincarnation Department could be said to be a gathering place for golden fingers. Regardless of whether it was a powerhouse heroine or hero, killing enemies was like cutting melons and vegetables, and the welfare benefits were great too.
What Zhu Xing cared about more, however, was why others could run away while he couldn’t.
[Then I want to go to the Reincarnation Department too!]
[Host, given your lazy attitude toward completing tasks and your lack of seriousness, specifically referring to the time you blew up a minor world, you have already been blacklisted by the industry.]
Seeing Zhu Xing remain silent, the system softly added a sentence.
[Escaping requires the department head you are transferring under to vouch for you.]
Zhu Xing felt as though his head was spinning with stars; he had actually ended up on a blacklist.
As soon as the system finished speaking, it flipped out a piece of paper. [Host, this right here is the good news.]
Zhu Xing took it and looked. [Notice: Based on the feedback of ID 0217, the Quick Transmigration Department has considered its capabilities and made a change to the tasks. Plot points that do not affect the final outcome can be chosen to be ignored, but you still need to assist in the key character plot progression. The above applies only to the current world, while other worlds will change task modes according to world laws.]
0217 was Zhu Xing’s ID number, and as for that middle section of text, Zhu Xing completely pretended he didn’t see it.
Zhu Xing pondered for a moment, his eyes suddenly lighting up.
Having a protagonist gong and a protagonist shou who love each other is the central rule governing the operation of this novel’s minor world.
This notice basically meant that as long as the two protagonists ended up together in the end, nothing else mattered to him.
This was fantastic news for Zhu Xing. The shackles of plot points were gone; he just needed to wait for Ying Chi and Lin Yu to be happy together.
Zhu Xing could finally rest easy and slack off. After all, as a face-slapped cannon fodder character who didn’t participate in the plot, it wouldn’t affect the direction of events.
With or without him, Ying Chi would still love Lin Yu just the same.
However, the villain Qu Qingyu, who catalyzed their relationship, might not be the same, since their relationship required a push.
“Tsk, what a headache.” Zhu Xing casually flicked his wrist, and the paper vanished.
At the thought of Qu Qingyu’s ultimate ending in the original book, Zhu Xing felt a heaviness in his chest.
[System, is there a way to keep the villain from heading toward that ending?]
[Of course there is, but you need to guarantee that the protagonist gong and shou end up together in the end. Also, he is an important villain; in the overall plot of the book, he needs to act so that the plot points and satisfying tropes remain coherent.] The system’s reply made Zhu Xing feel a bit happier.
Yet he was troubled about how to catalyze their relationship. He didn’t understand the reason why Ying Chi liked Lin Yu, or where Lin Yu’s attraction lay.
For a relationship to run deep, it boundlessly needed to experience trials and tribulations.
Therefore, Zhu Xing decided to stir up some waves in the romance between these two protagonist gong and shou!
Not having plot points constraining him from making trouble made Zhu Xing quite happy.
He had decided it: he was going to do bad things and drag Qu Qingyu along with him, but preventing him from heading toward his final ending and falling in love with Lin Yu was an absolute must!
With a double buzz, Qu Qingyu picked up his phone and opened the message.
Xingxing: [What are you doing, what are you doing?]
Following that was a sticker of a cat peeking out.
Q: [Image]
Zhu Xing looked at the oversized characters on the book cover: Eight Million Ways to Die.
Zhu Xing had never read it; he suspected this was something Qu Qingyu planned to arrange for Ying Chi later on.
Xingxing: [The day after tomorrow is Ying Chi’s grandfather’s birthday, are you going to go?]
Q: [Not going]
Zhu Xing always felt those two words carried heavy resentment. Ever since Qu Qingyu returned to the Qu family, he always did whatever he wanted, and the Qu family let him be. As for Ying Chi’s parents, no matter how ugly things got, they always made sure to put on a sufficient surface-level show.
Xingxing: [Go on, go, I am going too. If you do not go, I will be so bored.]
Seeing Zhu Xing’s words, Qu Qingyu could practically hear his crisp voice right beside his ear.
Q: [You shouldn’t go either, I will take you out to play instead. Let us go to the shooting range, shall we?]
Zhu Xing wanted to go out and play as well, but Ying Chi’s grandfather’s birthday was a major milestone for the advancement of the two leads’ romance. Without the suppression of parents and family members, how could the depth of their affection show? Therefore, Zhu Xing had to go.
Xingxing: [No, no, you are coming with me. It is Monday the day after tomorrow anyway, do not even think about running away.]
Right after, he sent a sticker of a cat holding a hammer. Qu Qingyu smiled and added it to his custom sticker collection.
After school on Monday afternoon, Zhu Xing kept his eyes glued to Qu Qingyu’s every move, and the moment Qu Qingyu stirred, Zhu Xing grabbed onto him instantly.
“I say, Second Young Master, even if you were watching a criminal, you would have to give him time for a bathroom break.”
Ignoring whatever the guy called him, Zhu Xing rubbed his nose with an embarrassed smile. “Then go ahead, do not think about running away.”
“Then come inside with me. We are both guys anyway, taking a look won’t hurt.” Qu Qingyu leaned closer to Zhu Xing as he spoke, a smile in his eyes.
“Who wants to watch you go to the bathroom? Hurry up and go!” Zhu Xing pushed Qu Qingyu out the classroom door.
“Zhu Xing.”
Ying Chi walked up to Zhu Xing and Qu Qingyu holding Lin Yu’s hand. The moment Qu Qingyu saw him, he wore a sour expression, sporting a stinky face as he stood at the classroom doorway.
“Zhu Xing, you are going to Grandpa’s birthday banquet tonight, right?” Seeing Zhu Xing glance over, Lin Yu tightly grasped Ying Chi’s hand and forced an awkward smile at Zhu Xing.
“Yeah, what about it?” Zhu Xing was somewhat impatient. He still needed to change his clothes, and dragging him into conversation right now was a complete waste of time.
“I hope that at Grandpa’s birthday banquet, you won’t cause trouble and will let him spend his birthday in peace.” Ying Chi spoke with a righteous and stern tone.
Zhu Xing didn’t hold back as he retorted, “Did something go wrong with your brain?” Then he quickly walked over and pressed close against Qu Qingyu.
“I heard low intelligence is contagious, stay away from me!”
Lin Yu: [Bracket omitted for visual text format]
Ying Chi: [Bracket omitted for visual text format]