Guizhou Province.
Hui County.
A small village called Heping Village.
It was a festive day.
The crackling of firecrackers echoed through the air without pause.
Looking up, dazzling fireworks painted the night sky in brilliant colors.
It was the first day of the Lunar New Year, and every household was celebrating.
Standing at the entrance of his home, Wang Yifan looked up at the fireworks and let out a quiet sigh.
It should have been a happy day.
Instead, he couldn’t feel happy at all.
“Sigh… We’ll be eating at Auntie’s house later. My cousin and Aunt are definitely going to mock me again. I really don’t want to go…”
As the only college graduate in the village, he was ironically doing worse than his cousin, who had only finished high school.
That had made him the subject of endless gossip among the villagers, and his parents had lost plenty of face because of him.
Fortunately, his parents were reasonable people.
Even though he hadn’t achieved much after graduation, they had never blamed him.
“Son, let’s go. It’s time to eat at your aunt’s house.”
His mother’s voice came from behind him.
“Okay.”
After locking the door, the family of three headed toward his aunt’s house amid the deafening sound of fireworks and firecrackers.
His cousin had brought his girlfriend home for the New Year, so everyone had been invited to dinner.
Wang Yifan hated gatherings like this.
The moment he sat down at the table, an unemployed twenty-five-year-old without a girlfriend like him would inevitably become the favorite topic of conversation for all the older relatives.
The dim yellow streetlights stretched the shadows of him and his parents across the road.
It almost felt as though they were foreshadowing the humiliation waiting for them.
“Son,” his father said quietly, “no matter what your aunt or the others say later, don’t get angry. Just pretend you didn’t hear it. Understand?”
Wang Yifan nodded.
Sometimes he felt that while other families enjoyed lively New Year celebrations, his family spent every New Year worrying because of him.
There were times he didn’t even want to come home.
He would rather stay alone in his tiny rented apartment than return and embarrass his parents.
But every year, they would call and persuade him to come back.
That was why he was here.
…
His aunt’s house was only a few minutes away.
Before they even reached it, Wang Yifan could already hear her loud, triumphant laughter.
“Hahaha! Sister-in-law Wang Yi, come on in! Dinner’s almost ready!”
“Xiaoxue, you’re here! Go keep your sister-in-law company!”
“Third Brother, your cousin’s already seated. Hurry inside!”
Standing at the doorway, his aunt enthusiastically welcomed the arriving guests over the constant explosions of fireworks.
The smile on her face was as bright as if she’d won the lottery.
But the instant she spotted Wang Yifan and his parents…
Her cheerful smile vanished.
In its place was a face full of disdain.
“Everything’s ready. Go inside and take a seat.”
Looking at his snobbish aunt, Wang Yifan felt a surge of irritation.
If his parents hadn’t insisted that he stay for dinner before returning home, there was no way he would have come.
His parents were equally unhappy with her lightning-fast change in attitude, but there was nothing they could do.
They simply nodded and walked inside.
…
Wang Baoshan’s home was a modest two-story house.
Inside were dozens of relatives, filling five large tables with nearly ten people at each.
In the countryside, hotpot meals were common during family gatherings.
A brazier filled with charcoal sat beneath a metal stand supporting a large pot loaded with prepared dishes.
Since everyone hadn’t arrived yet, dinner hadn’t begun.
After entering, Wang Yifan’s father joined the men’s table, while his mother sat with the women.
Wang Yifan naturally walked over to the table reserved for the younger generation—his cousin Wang Baoshan’s table.
As soon as he sat down, he glanced around.
His cousins Wang Qiuye, Wang Lili, Wang Jia…
His older cousins Wang Baoshan, Wang Wei, Wang Jianrong…
The moment he sat down, every pair of eyes turned toward him.
Without saying a word, Wang Yifan quietly took out his phone and began scrolling through short videos.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to talk.
He simply knew that the moment he opened his mouth, they would use it as an excuse to reopen every wound in his heart.
Unfortunately, the more he tried to stay unnoticed…
The less willing they were to leave him alone.
Especially Wang Baoshan.
When they were younger, villagers constantly compared the two of them.
Back then, Wang Yifan had gotten into college, while Wang Baoshan had dropped out after high school to work.
Those comparisons had made Wang Baoshan feel deeply humiliated.
Ever since then, he had held a grudge.
Now that their situations had reversed…
There was no way he would miss this chance to get revenge.
“Wang Yifan,” Wang Baoshan sneered, “I heard you still haven’t found a job?”
“Not yet.”
Wang Yifan answered coldly without even looking up, continuing to scroll on his phone.
Seeing that he wasn’t getting much of a reaction, Wang Baoshan pointed toward the woman beside him.
“This is your sister-in-law, Li Jiali. Aren’t you going to greet her?”
He deliberately wanted to rub salt into Wang Yifan’s wounds.
The less Wang Yifan had, the more Wang Baoshan wanted to show off.
Only then did he feel satisfied.
“Hello, Sister-in-law.”
Wang Yifan greeted her flatly before returning to his phone.
Wang Baoshan’s expression darkened.
“Wang Yifan, don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re already twenty-five.
Fine, you couldn’t find a job after graduating—but how can you not even find a girlfriend?
Are you planning to stay single your whole life?
Don’t you think you’re letting your parents down?
“If you can’t get a job, then at least bring home a girlfriend. That would make your parents happy.”
“That’s right,” another relative chimed in.
“Baoshan’s right. Even if you don’t have a job yet, you should at least find a girlfriend so your parents won’t worry.”
“Exactly! Look at Baoshan. He only finished high school and he’s already doing so well. You graduated from college and still can’t even find work. Hey, Baoshan, why don’t you give Yifan a job at your company?”
“My company is hiring…” Wang Baoshan smirked.
“We need a janitor.”
“Wang Yifan, why don’t you apply?”
…
Listening to everyone belittle him simply to flatter Wang Baoshan, Wang Yifan felt a bitter ache in his heart.
They were all from the same village.
Many of them were even family.
Yet they showed him no mercy.
The worst part…
He had no way to refute them.
So he simply kept scrolling through his phone in silence.
Just then, the cousin sitting beside him leaned over and glanced at his screen.
A video was playing.
Onstage, the famous actress known as the Fairy Sister, Liu Yifei, stood in an elegant haute couture gown accepting an award.
She looked breathtakingly beautiful.
Wang Wei burst into laughter.
“Wang Yifan, we’re all trying to help you, and you’re sitting here watching videos? What, do you think scrolling on your phone will magically get you a girlfriend and a job?”
“Seriously,” another person scoffed.
“You’ve really gone downhill.”
“Sigh… Yifan, you’re your parents’ only son. Hurry up and find someone to marry.”
Every word stabbed at his ears.
By now, Wang Yifan desperately wanted to stand up and leave.
But if he walked out…
Where would that leave his parents’ dignity?
Grinding his teeth, he silently endured it.
Suddenly—
A cold mechanical voice echoed inside his mind.
[Ding! A suitable host has been detected. The Video Counterattack System is now binding…]
Barely a second later—
[Ding! Binding complete!]
[Ding! Congratulations! As a reward for watching a video, you have obtained the identity of Fairy Sister Liu Yifei’s boyfriend!]
Wang Yifan froze.
His eyes widened in disbelief.
He… had bound a system?
And his first reward was becoming Liu Yifei’s boyfriend?
The system could actually work like this?!