Xu Chiqiu's body couldn't handle staying up late. Every night at ten o'clock, he would feel extremely tired.
Ji Mian chatted briefly with the two of them before heading back to his room to rest.
It wasn't until the next morning that he was awakened by Xu Chiqiu's biological clock. Although it was called a biological clock, it was almost ten o'clock when he woke up.
After sleeping for a full eleven hours, he still felt drowsy upon waking.
However, Ji Mian had no intention of staying in bed. The weather was quite nice today, and he planned to go on deck to enjoy the sea view.
After getting up, washing up, and tidying himself, he opened the door and unexpectedly bumped into someone coming out of the opposite room—a tall figure with sharp features.
Upon seeing Ji Mian, the other person lazily lifted his eyelids, but his naturally drooping eyelashes still covered part of his pupils, leaving his face expressionless.
“Mr. Lu,” Ji Mian greeted.
Lu Ge lazily nodded, dismissing him like a subordinate, “Mm.”
He then turned to leave, as if the person who had offended Ji Mian yesterday wasn't him at all.
Ji Mian didn't pay much attention to his indifferent attitude, only feeling it was a bit coincidental that Lu Ge was staying opposite him.
He turned around, closed the door, and slowly put away his room card before making his way to the deck.
On the deck, Xu Zhixia and Qin Yan had arrived at some point. When Ji Mian got there, the two of them had already found a good viewing spot on the second level.
“Ge!” Xu Zhixia called out to him when he saw Ji Mian, signaling for him to come up to the second level.
However, it wasn't just Ji Mian who heard the call.
Lu Ge, who was walking ahead of him, also raised his head to look at the second level upon hearing the sound, his gaze landing on Xu Zhixia. When he wasn't mocking someone, his face was always expressionless, making it hard to guess what he was thinking.
Qin Yan, who was upstairs, noticed Lu Ge's gaze fixed on Xu Zhixia and frowned, shifting his position to block Xu Zhixia from Lu Ge's view.
Seeing this, Lu Ge lightly raised an eyebrow and suddenly laughed with interest.
So when Ji Mian went up, he followed him to the second floor and found a beach chair near Xu Zhixia and Qin Yan to lie down.
Qin Yan's eyelids twitched, inwardly regretting that he shouldn't have attracted this madman's attention.
Regardless of whether Lu Ge's interest in Xu Zhixia was romantic or not, the mere fact that he had attempted to block Lu Ge's view had already provoked this guy's mischievous side.
Finding someone to annoy was Lu Ge's greatest pleasure.
A server walked by with a tray of scones and small pastries.
Seeing this, Xu Zhixia asked Ji Mian, “Ge, you didn’t eat anything for breakfast, right?”
Before Ji Mian could answer, he asked the server for a scone and handed it to Ji Mian.
Ji Mian took a small bite, but the buttery aroma overwhelmed him, causing him to furrow his brows.
He really couldn't stand the smell of butter. After swallowing that bite, he set the pastry aside.
Xu Zhixia looked at the pastry Ji Mian had pushed away and lowered his eyes, silent.
He seemed a bit sad.
Noticing this, Qin Yan frowned. He walked over and split the pastry Ji Mian had discarded in half.
In a comforting manner, he said, “Just eat half? I’ll take the rest.”
After being friends for many years, Qin Yan had quite the skill in coaxing Xu Chiqiu to eat.
Ji Mian's eyes flickered.
Qin Yan wouldn’t know that his so-called “skills” were merely because the original Xu Chiqiu loved him deeply, thus always accommodating him.
“Just half, huh?” Qin Yan moved the half scone closer to Ji Mian.
Ji Mian helplessly sighed and accepted the piece from Qin Yan’s hand, taking a small bite while suppressing his nausea.
【10:31, Emotional Value +20 (10x2), Contributor: Lu Ge.】
【10:31, Emotional Value +100 (50x2), Contributor: Xu Zhixia.】
Ji Mian paused chewing.
…Who?
The impact of the two data notifications hit Ji Mian hard, and he quickly asked about the one that was the most shocking: 【System, who was the contributor for the 50 Emotional Value notification just now?】
The system hesitated a bit, confirming the data again. It replied, 【It was Xu Zhixia.】
Ji Mian fell silent.
The acquisition of Emotional Value had certain prerequisites; for instance, Ji Mian's task target was Qin Yan, so only when someone believed he liked Qin Yan could corresponding points be generated.
However, Xu Zhixia should have remained oblivious to the plot the whole time; how did he know the original host liked Qin Yan?
【...I find it puzzling too. The storyline I have is extracted from the original host's memories, so I don’t have Xu Zhixia's perspective.】
Ji Mian looked in Xu Zhixia's direction and met his clean and innocent gaze, which seemed oblivious to everything, and suddenly felt lost.
Xu Zhixia appeared to have a subtle difference from the naïve boy protagonist described by the system, making Ji Mian a bit confused.
He didn’t forget there was another message in the earlier notification, which was about the Emotional Value contributed by Lu Ge.
It was only ten o'clock; Lu Ge must have noticed his feelings for Qin Yan from the earlier scene.
This person was incredibly perceptive.
After reluctantly finishing the half pastry he had, Ji Mian's stomach began to feel acidic.
Coupled with the slight rocking of the ship on the sea, it made Ji Mian feel even more nauseous.
After a few minutes of enduring the discomfort, he excused himself to go to the bathroom, where he promptly emptied his stomach.
...
The arrangement for the second night on the cruise was a party, held on the deck and in the banquet hall. By evening, some guests had already changed into their own eccentric costumes, some even wearing exquisite masks and accessories.
“Tonight will be quite noisy and probably go on late. Chiqiu, you like peace, so you can go back to your room to rest tonight.”
But Ji Mian would never give the two of them the chance to be alone. He shook his head, “I want to give it a try.”
Seeing that he was interested, Qin Yan didn’t say anything further.
That night, the entire cruise was filled with loud music, and in the entertainment area on the deck, there was an endless array of snacks and drinks set up by the pool, all showcasing the extravagant nature of the party.
Some people poured alcohol onto the floor and into the sea, while others shouted wildly at the ocean, and some couples who had known each other for only a day kissed against the sea breeze.
These noises disturbed the seabirds above.
Only the boldest among them dared to fly onto the deck to snatch away a piece or two of snacks.
Ji Mian was annoyed by the cacophony and sought out a secluded spot to stand.
He hid in a dim corner that had some drafts, glad that the summer night's sea breeze wasn’t too cold.
From his vantage point, he could only see a small part of the scenery at the front of the deck.
Qin Yan didn’t stay with him and Xu Zhixia the whole time. The reason he attended the banquet wasn’t just for fun.
At this party, many celebrities gathered, making it a great opportunity for networking. Thus, he spent most of the latter part of the evening talking to various people.
Xu Zhixia had been by the pool in the entertainment area since the afternoon.
The well-proportioned and handsome young body swam around in the water like a fish. His perfect physique and fair skin attracted the attention of nearby men and women, all memorizing the appearance of this beautiful youth.
As night fell, Xu Zhixia started to feel tired, dried off his body, changed back into his regular clothes, and left the poolside.
He walked straight to the railing at the edge of the deck, resting his arms on it for a moment.
Right next to him, Lu Ge lounged on a beach chair, lazily watching the darkening starry sky and the sea dyed orange-purple by the setting sun.
Xu Zhixia noticed him and walked over to greet him, “Mr. Lu.”
Lu Ge's attitude was just as indifferent as when he encountered Ji Mian that morning, casually dismissing him with an “Mm.”
“Have you seen me before?” Xu Zhixia asked.
Lu Ge raised his eyelids.
“It seems you’ve been looking at me a lot today. I don’t think that’s just my imagination.”
Lu Ge did not deny that he had cast a few glances at Xu Zhixia. After all, a few insignificant gestures could provoke Qin Yan's vigilant expression. It was a worthwhile trade.
He casually replied, “I’ve been dreaming a lot lately, and Young Master Xu’s voice sounds a bit like my dream lover.”
Xu Zhixia was momentarily stunned, then felt a bit uneasy and lowered his head. “...Mr. Lu, are you flirting with me?”
Lu Ge raised an eyebrow, “No. His voice is more pleasant than yours.”
It’s crisp and clear, sometimes a bit muffled, and when he calls “brother” in the dream, it can be sweet enough to make one swoon.
Xu Zhixia: “…”
Who asked you that?
Xu Zhixia managed a light smile, as if he felt relaxed by Lu Ge's denial.
“So are you saying that my voice is unpleasant, Mr. Lu?” He deliberately used a teasing tone, trying to give both himself and Lu Ge an escape.
But who was Lu Ge? His words were sharper than a crane’s beak, and his skin was thicker than a city wall.
When others offered him a slope to descend, he could just as easily climb back up and even dig up the slope.
In his entire life, he had never taken a step down for anyone.
As for the step Xu Zhixia offered, Lu Ge remained noncommittal, letting out a faint, mocking sound from his throat.
He directly raised the level of insult to the maximum.
“…”
The corners of Xu Zhixia’s brows twitched slightly.
This person really is… ungrateful. No wonder Qin Yan always mentioned him in her ear.
After meeting him today, he realized that there are indeed people who can infuriate someone just by humming a note.
—
The scene of the two conversing happened to fall within Ji Mian's line of sight.
But he had no intention of looking any further, as something else strange captured his attention.
A brightly dressed man intruded into his view, closely followed by a male waiter carrying a tray of drinks.
The two were hidden in the shadow of the backlight, a visual blind spot for most guests.
However, Ji Mian was quite close to them, close enough that he could even vaguely hear their conversation.
The brightly dressed man was advising the waiter about something, his demeanor revealing a hint of sneakiness.
Then he left the waiter and walked towards Xu Zhixia, who had just finished talking with Lu Ge.
From appearances alone, the man could barely be considered charming. He said something to Xu Zhixia, and soon after, Xu Zhixia awkwardly lowered his head.
It was obvious he had been approached by the man.
At that moment, the waiter approached the two with the drink tray, and the man took two cups of lower-alcohol drinks from the tray, handing one to Xu Zhixia. After hesitating for a moment, Xu Zhixia accepted it.
Ji Mian suddenly felt something was off.
Because the waiter was the same one he had seen earlier, and it was very likely that Xu Zhixia's drink contained something unclean...
He stood up, about to go over and expose the man, when the system's voice stopped him: [This is a necessary plot point. At this moment, you are Xu Chi Qiu. Do you think the original character would go out of his way to help Xu Zhixia?]
Ji Mian paused his movements.
[What will happen if I don't stop it?]
The system, experienced in these matters, replied: [Firstly, this drugging minor character won't succeed. As for what happens next... I predict that the main character will inadvertently stumble into Qin Yan's room, and then the two will have a passionate night together, swiftly igniting a love story.]
[You don't need to worry. The reason the main character is called the main character is that no matter what happens, their protagonist aura will help them avoid danger.]
Ji Mian pursed his lips, [What if?]
[There is no “what if.” Trust me. The impact of your previous life on the plot is negligible. In this world, you are the character with the most scenes aside from the main character. Every action you take could significantly influence the plot. If you act against your character's persona and intervene, it will complicate matters.]
[The butterfly effect has already caused enough trouble for both of us. Ji Mian, don’t complicate things.]
[...I understand.] He said, still keeping his gaze fixed on the drink in Xu Zhixia's hand.
System: [......]
It had no doubt that if Xu Zhixia drank that cup of alcohol in front of Ji Mian, its host would still rush over to stop him.
Fortunately, Xu Zhixia turned slightly, facing away from Ji Mian. From Ji Mian’s perspective, he couldn’t see Xu Zhixia's actions.
[Remember to maintain your character.] The system reminded him once again before delving deep into Ji Mian’s consciousness.
Thus, this tumultuous conversation ended, and Ji Mian dutifully played his role.
Hiding in the corner as "Xu Chi Qiu," he quietly watched the entire process of his younger brother being framed and drugged.
Even though the person being framed was his own brother, he still didn’t intervene.
...
Fifteen minutes later, night fell, and the scene on the deck became uncontrollable. Even Qin Yan found it unbearable. After a while, he called Xu Chi Qiu and Xu Zhixia back to the banquet hall.
The banquet hall had turned into a noisy ballroom, where those in bizarre attire gathered, laughing loudly and randomly pulling strangers to dance with them.
But compared to the near-madness on the deck, this was merely a large bar party.
The tables and chairs from the previous night had been cleared away to make room for the ball.
Only those heavy, wine-red chairs remained, arranged in semi-surrounding structures of three. Inside these scattered semi-surrounding setups, people were seated. A few glanced around but couldn’t find any available seats.
It was Wen Yu who spotted them first, stood up to greet them, and pulled Qin Yan and the others over to their table.
The small idol who had been with Wen Yu the day before was also there. His professional abilities were truly lacking, especially in managing his expressions—he nearly had green light emanating from his eyes upon seeing Qin Yan.
When the three arrived, he deliberately stood up to feign helping them get drinks, then pretended casually to change positions, sitting close to Qin Yan.
Aside from them, most of those seated there were stars and entertainers, some of whom were even under Qin Yan’s company. Upon seeing Qin Yan, they straightened their backs. Instead of a celebration, it felt more like a company team-building event.
The small idol, whose company was unknown, was the most enthusiastic one, sporting that trademark smile dubbed "angel descends" by fans. Ignoring the heavy makeup and very artificial dimples on his face, his smile indeed left a deep impression at first glance. Wen Yu had been smitten by that smile, which led to a romantic relationship and even a night together.
“Mr. Qin, I’m Lin Qian, just debuted at the end of last year. I’m a friend of Yu Ge.” Lin Qian forced a smile, his dimples prominent.
Wen Yu's expression stiffened at the introduction.
For the next few minutes, the others watched Lin Qian’s various ways of ingratiating himself, feeling a layer of goosebumps rising from the awkwardness, with some stealing glances at Wen Yu in confusion, unable to understand why he was friends with such a person.
Wen Yu: …
In the years since Qin Yan graduated and began managing the family business, he had long been accustomed to these superficial exchanges. However, he frowned at Lin Qian's performance, disgust evident on his face.
“Have you finished talking?”
He furrowed his brows, coldly throwing out a warning.
What Qin Yan actually wanted to say was “If you’re done, get lost,” but Wen Yu had been in their company recently, ranking among the top ten in terms of popularity, and Qin Yan had some personal connections with him.
It wasn't worth ruining relations over a boring person in this setting.
Although Lin Qian lacked sensitivity to the atmosphere, he clearly sensed Qin Yan's impatience upon hearing those words.
He awkwardly closed his mouth, and his upper body, which had been leaning too close to Qin Yan, finally pulled back a little.
At this moment, Ji Mian felt a bit sensitive, his slender fingers tapping a few times on his knee.
He leaned back in his chair, observing Xu Zhixia's reaction with snake-like eyes.
Unfortunately, the drug’s effect didn’t seem to kick in that quickly, as Xu Zhixia still looked quite good.
After a while, Lin Qian went to the restroom, and when he returned, his small actions had significantly decreased.
Not long after, the waiter brought several glasses of drinks for the group.
Ji Mian chose the drink with the lowest alcohol content closest to him, but only held it in his hand without taking a sip.
He rarely drank, and when he did, it was only a few sips before feeling dizzy, so he seldom touched alcohol again.
Ji Mian's heart raced, as if he could see Xu Zhixia's face flushing and showing an embarrassing side in front of Qin Yan at any moment.
The emotions belonging to Xu Chi Qiu surged, an evil sense of anticipation nearly swallowing Ji Mian whole. An indescribable excitement bubbled up, causing his breathing to quicken.
“Ge?” Xu Zhixia noticed Ji Mian's expression, a bit confused as he called out.
To mask his expression, Ji Mian took a sip of the drink and lowered the cup to cover his lips.
The sweet plum wine slid down his throat, surprisingly not making him feel nauseous. Ji Mian couldn't help but take a couple more sips.
His entire focus was on Xu Zhixia, to the point where he didn’t notice a strange, soft feeling starting to wash over his limbs.
“Ge, are you drunk? Why is your face so red?”
“Xu Chi Qiu” hesitated slightly, his eyelashes fluttering as his gaze remained fixated on his brother, who now wore a concerned frown.
“I...” He only managed to utter a single word, as if there was a fire burning in his throat, preventing him from speaking.
A sudden, intense wave of dizziness hit him, and Ji Mian couldn’t react in time as he leaned forward.
He didn’t fall to the ground but rather into Xu Zhixia's embrace.
“Ge...” Xu Zhixia sighed softly, propping him up. “You’re drunk.”
Then he turned to Qin Yan and said, “Yan Ge, I’ll take my brother back to his room.”
Ji Mian could hardly register any sound in his ears, but the deep voice of Qin Yan uttering “Mm” still clearly reached him.
He gradually lost his hearing, and the images in front of him became distorted and unreal, even the mechanical voice in his mind grew fuzzy.
He... got drunk?
He didn’t know how long it had been when Xu Zhixia brought him to the corridor of the cruise ship’s guest rooms.
“Ge?” Xu Zhixia called him again.
Ji Mian leaned against Xu Zhixia’s shoulder, eyes closed, unable to respond.
At that moment, a female attendant dressed in a fitted suit happened to walk past them.
“Sister,” Xu Zhixia called out to her.
Ji Mian’s consciousness sank into a void, unable to catch what they were saying.
...
“Sister, could you help me open the door?” Xu Zhixia supported Ji Mian with one hand and smiled at the woman. “My brother is drunk, and I can’t find his room card.”
He looked too clean-cut for his age, and his smile was as innocent and harmless as a fawn bounding through the woods.
No one would suspect such a boy of lying.
The female attendant hesitated for a few seconds before nodding.
This was a private party, and when the room cards were issued, there was no need for identification, so only one name was registered.
This was also tacitly approved by Lin Xu, the host of the event. In this circle, there were always willing participants wanting to climb the social ladder and enjoy the company of wealthy heirs; he didn’t need to close off any routes.
Therefore, if the room card was lost, no identification was needed, and the staff had the authority to open guests’ rooms.
“Thank you for your help, sister.”
The woman took out her phone, accessed the management system, and softly asked, “What’s your brother’s name?”
Xu Zhixia slowly replied, his slightly hoarse voice sounding very gentle, “My brother’s surname is Lu. His name is Lu Ge.”
The woman glanced at the young man named “Lu Ge” next to him, nodded, and said, “Okay, I’ll help you open the door now.”
After tossing Ji Mian into Lu Ge’s room, Xu Zhixia closed the door and stood at the entrance, chuckling softly.
Coincidentally, he didn’t like that guy named Lu Ge either, so it worked out perfectly.
“Ge, you clearly saw everything,” he said, lowering his head, tracing a vertical line on the door with his finger. His tone was twisted and strange, a side of him that would never normally come out. “You let me suffer, so don’t blame me for retaliating.”
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