“Shh—” 999 was so nervous its mechanical voice distorted. “You’re currently consciousness-linked with the male lead. How can you rashly talk to me? What if the male lead hears?”
“Ah? That can’t be, right?” Ji Xingzhu’s voice, with 999’s help, had turned into an identical mechanical tone, but their speech patterns were distinctly different. “You’re my dedicated system. How could the male lead hear our private communication?”
As she spoke, Ji Xingzhu instinctively observed Song Qingchi’s expression.
Song Qingchi was leisurely sipping his coffee, his handsome face showing no unusual signs.
Ji Xingzhu secretly communicated with 999, relieved. “See? I told you he definitely can’t hear us!”
Cannon Fodder System fell silent for a moment, then also sighed in relief. “I just monitored the male lead’s pulse and heartbeat. Everything’s normal. It seems he didn’t notice anything.”
“Moreover, after our system binds with a host, a special contract is formed. Outsiders absolutely cannot hear our communications. It seems I worried too much.” 999 rambled on, explaining. It was unclear whether it was comforting Ji Xingzhu or trying hard to convince itself.
Unnoticed by the one person and one system, Song Qingchi subtly raised an eyebrow. His dark eyes held a thoughtful, deep focus. After a long moment, a gentle smile curved his lips. He called out telepathically, “System, are you still there?”
Ji Xingzhu perked up immediately, instantly abandoning 999 to respond to Song Qingchi. “Here, here, here! What is it? Have you changed your mind and decided to cooperate with me?”
Song Qingchi’s smile was bright, but his words made one’s teeth itch. “Oh, I just wanted to confirm if you’d left.”
“I said I don’t need your help. Please leave quickly.”
Ji Xingzhu: “…” Her fists clenched.
Ji Xingzhu fumed and discussed with her own system, “999, are there things like electric shock punishments? Let’s just teach this damn male lead a lesson! See if he still dares to act all high and mighty!”
Song Qingchi remained unflappably calm. Not only did his expression not change, but even his heartbeat didn’t quicken. He simply waited with a smile.
Cannon Fodder System said miserably, “Host, I’m a legitimate system. Where would I have such underhanded methods?”
“Besides… even if I could administer electric shocks, I could only shock you, the malicious female supporting character. Song Qingchi is the mighty Long Aotian male lead. How could a mere cannon fodder system like me harm him?” 999 muttered.
Ji Xingzhu: “… What use are you then?!”
While the two amateurs were strategizing, Song Qingchi thoughtfully stroked his chin: So he’s the male lead, huh.
And this suddenly appearing “system” was definitely not some artificial intelligence as claimed, but an actual person existing in reality. Moreover, in the book, this person was positioned as the “malicious female supporting character.”
The one this “malicious female supporting character” was communicating with, 999, was likely the real system. The “malicious female supporting character” probably, with 999’s help, managed to appear in his consciousness, impersonating a so-called cheat system.
Malicious female supporting character…
Song Qingchi began recalling: among the people he had encountered in reality, whose actions and personality fit the stereotypical image of a “malicious female supporting character”?
Almost instantly, a certain arrogant, domineering figure surfaced in his mind. Her image of threatening him was still vivid.
Combined with the fact that this so-called “system” appeared not long after he visited his fiancée’s family…
Song Qingchi chuckled, the curve of his lips somewhat playful. Even though he had a guess in mind, he didn’t act rashly. Instead, he waited at his leisure.
Only after Ji Xingzhu, this “system,” tried every method to persuade him over and over, employing threats and inducements, did Song Qingchi finally “reluctantly” speak up: “Since you’re so enthusiastic… fine, I agree to let you stay with me.”
Ji Xingzhu was slightly taken aback, then instantly immersed in the joy of completing the task. “Great, Host! You made the right choice! Trust me, I’ll help you reach the pinnacle of life!”
After briefly communicating with Long Aotian, she immediately shared her feelings with 999: “9! I finally succeeded!”
“Host, you’re amazing!” 999 cheered for her.
Once the initial excitement faded, Ji Xingzhu gradually started feeling a bit off. “This male lead is such a jerk. What makes him so deserving that this young lady had to coax and persuade him for so long? Is he worthy?!”
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. In both lifetimes, she had been a proud and unrestrained wealthy heiress. No one in the world had dared to make her suffer grievances. But ever since encountering this Long Aotian, nothing had gone smoothly. She wanted to throw another tantrum!
Cannon Fodder System promptly performed its signature smooth kneel: “Host, don’t be angry! I’ll definitely compensate you for your psychological distress!”
Ji Xingzhu huffed angrily, “You better mean it!”
“Hehe, Host, since the male lead has agreed to the binding, it’s time to officially start our mission!” 999 said eagerly. “Step one to save the original plotline—persuade the male lead to join the dating show!”
Ji Xingzhu sighed deeply, secretly resolving to find ways to get more compensation from 999. Working two jobs was truly exhausting!
Gathering her weary spirits, Ji Xingzhu continued her persuasion, “Host, for your smooth comeback and rise, I will issue the first task—participate in the variety show Love on the Journey!”
“This dating show will not only grant you substantial payment but also garner massive popularity and the favor of many beauties! In short, it’s all benefit and no harm. It will definitely help you successfully grow into a legendary Long Aotian!”
Even though he was somewhat mentally prepared, Song Qingchi couldn’t help but chuckle. This system was all serious when bluffing him, yet the way it complained privately with its partner was quite amusing.
He quickly collected himself and asked with a smile, “If I disagree, will you keep pestering me like before until I give in?”
Ji Xingzhu: “…Yes.”
Ji Xingzhu: “So you better agree immediately. Don’t be ungrateful. :)”
Ji Xingzhu: Growing increasingly irritable.jpg
Song Qingchi shook his head with a chuckle, a low, magnetic laugh escaping his throat. Then, he nodded decisively. “Alright, I’ll join.”
Ji Xingzhu was slightly taken aback. “Really?”
Song Qingchi had always acted cautious and wary, quite difficult to handle. She thought it would take some time to persuade him, never expecting it to be this easy.
“However, I have one condition,” Song Qingchi said leisurely.
Ji Xingzhu reluctantly replied, “…Go ahead.”
Song Qingchi lightly tapped the tabletop twice with his slender fingers. The faint sound echoed in the quiet room, creating an inexplicably heavy atmosphere. After a moment, he enunciated each word clearly, “Have my fiancée… that is, Miss Ji Xingzhu, join this show with me.”
Ji Xingzhu: “… ???”
Ji Xingzhu frantically complained to 999, “Ahhh! Is he crazy? What’s the point of dragging me into this? I don’t want to join any dating show. Isn’t that like being a monkey for people to watch?”
Song Qingchi slightly lowered his head. A shadow seemed to pass through the depths of his dark eyes, and the smile at his lips appeared quite meaningful.
So it really is her.
After dropping this bombshell, Song Qingchi leisurely remained silent. He even had the mood to slowly wash his coffee cup, leaving Ji Xingzhu and 999 to urgently discuss countermeasures.
Ji Xingzhu tried to persuade Song Qingchi, “Why must you have Ji Xingzhu join the dating show with you? That woman has a terrible temper and holds a grudge against you. She might target you on the show!”
Song Qingchi smiled. “It’s fine. I like challenges.”
Ji Xingzhu: “The production team only invites four female guests. If you give a spot to Ji Xingzhu, you lose one beauty you could potentially win over!”
Song Qingchi shrugged. “It’s fine. I like taking unconventional paths.”
Ji Xingzhu: “…Why on earth must I… uh, must Ji Xingzhu join the show with you?”
Song Qingchi’s smile was radiant. “Hmm… Perhaps because I want to collaborate with the Ji Corporation, so I need to curry favor with the Ji family’s little princess?”
Ji Xingzhu: “…”
You’re not currying my favor; you’re giving me a headache!
Then, Song Qingchi pretended to be puzzled and asked, “Aren’t you claiming to be an artificial intelligence from the future? Can’t you even handle such a small matter? I might have to doubt your capabilities…”
Ji Xingzhu: “…”
Ji Xingzhu asked 999, “999, is he trying to manipulate me?”
999: “…Not sure. Let’s observe more.”
Finally, Ji Xingzhu truly grew impatient. She was also afraid further refusal would genuinely arouse Song Qingchi’s suspicion. She could only agree repeatedly, “Alright, alright, I promise! Don’t worry, I’ll immediately find a way for Ji Xingzhu to join the dating show with you.”
“But—you better not regret it!”
Ji Xingzhu gritted her teeth hatefully at 999, “This damn male lead insists on dragging me into this, huh? Fine! Let’s see how I make things difficult for him on the show!”
999: “…Calm down!”
Ji Xingzhu really couldn’t bear to look at Song Qingchi’s face any longer—seeing it made her hands itch with the urge to hit something. With a huff, she tossed out a sentence, “Let’s settle things like this for now. I’ll notify you again when there’s news,” before eagerly logging off.
Feeling the silence descend in his mind, the unchanging smile on Song Qingchi’s face slowly faded. When expressionless, his handsome features held an almost sharp, oppressive force.
His eyes narrowed slightly, their dark pupils deep and unfathomable like a cold, dark pool.
·
When Ji Xingzhu opened her eyes again, she was lying on the princess bed in her bedroom. Without hesitation, she pounded the mattress while cursing Song Qingchi vehemently, slapping labels like “cunning,” “shameless,” and “two-faced” directly onto him.
Knowing she was fuming, 999 constantly chimed in to comfort her. It took quite a while before Ji Xingzhu calmed down.
“Host, what should we do next?” 999 cautiously inquired.
“What else can we do?” Ji Xingzhu snapped. “Prepare to join the dating show!”
Ji Xingzhu immediately mobilized her connections and indirectly contacted the producer of Love on the Journey. Getting straight to the point, she said, “I can invest an additional fifty million into that dating show, on the condition that you give me two contestant spots.”
Producer: “…” Is there really such good fortune in the world?
The producer barely swallowed back a heartfelt “Daddy!” His tone brimmed with sincerity. “No problem! From now on, you have the greatest say in our production team!”
The producer was ecstatic. Originally, Love on the Journey was a low-budget, small-scale variety show, only able to invite obscure celebrities. The most famous they could get was Wen Yajun, a third-tier star. The producer had nearly lost hope for this dating show. Never did he expect such a windfall to land on him!
With fifty million, forget just two spots; directly pre-selecting all contestants wouldn’t be an issue!
Ji Xingzhu directly utilized her “money power,” finalizing her and Song Qingchi’s spots on the dating show in just a few words.
Cannon Fodder System 999 was deeply moved, its voice choked with emotion as it said to her, “Host, you’re truly amazing! To complete the mission, you’re actually willing to spend so much money!”
That’s fifty million! Even if it might not be much to Ji Xingzhu, it was still a significant outlay. After all, she originally didn’t need to spend so much.
However, Ji Xingzhu, who had played the “unlucky sucker,” wasn’t as displeased as 999 imagined. Instead, she seemed quite happy.
She raised an eyebrow and explained, “In the original story, Love on the Journey was a small, obscure variety show. But because of the male lead’s sudden rise to fame, it became a nationwide sensation, the most popular variety show of the decade, bar none. The investor also made a fortune.”
She said cheerfully, “Since I’m the one who went through all the trouble to get the male lead onto the show now, of course, the money should be earned by me!”
999: “…” Damn, I was moved too early.
It said with a complicated tone, “Host, this… isn’t good, is it?”
Ji Xingzhu rolled her eyes with displeasure. “What? I’m working two jobs, putting in all this hard work. Can’t I even reap some benefits?”
Besides the initial reluctance, Ji Xingzhu later thought it through. Playing Long Aotian’s cheat system was definitely more beneficial than harmful. With Long Aotian’s blinding protagonist halo, anything he did would surely make money.
And as long as she used her identity’s convenience to secretly gain… the benefits would definitely be substantial! The more Ji Xingzhu thought about it, the happier she became, already fantasizing about her net worth multiplying twentyfold!
Cannon Fodder System was left speechless. Fine… As long as Ji Xingzhu was willing to do the tasks properly, he would turn a blind eye to her “using public duty for private gain” behavior…
But 999 didn’t understand, “Host, you’re already wealthy enough. Why do you need to work so hard to make money?”
The impression Ji Xingzhu had always given 999 was that of a very self-centered, spoiled young lady devoted to eating, drinking, and having fun. He thought Ji Xingzhu only knew how to spend lavishly, never expecting her ambition for earning money was so great.
Ji Xingzhu said disdainfully, “You’re really dumb. Do you even need to ask such a question? Is there anyone in this world who would dislike having too much money?”
Cannon Fodder System 999: “…”
“Besides…” Ji Xingzhu’s smile faded slightly, her gaze darkening. “It’s the Ji family that’s wealthy, not me, the young lady. Who ends up with the Ji family’s assets in the end… is still uncertain.”
“Money is safest only when it’s in your own pocket, completely belonging to you alone.” Ji Xingzhu snorted.
Cannon Fodder System was somewhat puzzled and about to ask further when a commotion arose from downstairs.
“Who’s that? So noisy!” Ji Xingzhu’s expression instantly darkened. Her spoiled temper couldn’t tolerate this at all. She immediately opened her bedroom door and stormed downstairs with imposing force.
When she took in the scene downstairs, her eyes darkened with even greater anger.