Lin Zhi always kept his life-saving side mission in mind. At noon, he lounged with his legs crossed on his pillow, pondering how to steal Song Mian’s pillow. It had been in close contact for over eight hours, so that pillow had to qualify! But Lin Zhi couldn’t confirm one thing: whether Song Mian actually used his pillow for more than eight hours a day.
Lin Zhi had no choice but to test it himself. At nine o’clock that evening, while Song Mian was washing up, Lin Zhi sneakily swapped his own pillow with Song Mian’s.
After Song Mian finished his shower and came out, he first blow-dried his hair. During this, he keenly noticed a scorching gaze fixed on him. When Song Mian looked over, Lin Zhi guiltily shifted his eyes away. Song Mian paused but continued blow-drying without curiosity.
That gaze returned. This time, Song Mian didn’t even bother looking. After drying his hair, he picked up a book. Lin Zhi finally couldn’t hold back and cleared his throat lightly. “Aren’t you going to rest?”
Song Mian didn’t look up. “Nine-thirty.”
Lin Zhi nagged like a parent urging a child to bed early. “Staying up late is bad for you.” Hurry up and get in bed—you’ll discover the stolen pillow!
“Mm.”
Lin Zhi nudged Song Mian. “And then?”
Song Mian glanced at Lin Zhi. “What’s on the bed?”
Lin Zhi’s eyes were the picture of innocence. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“If you want me to rest, there must be something on the bed waiting for me to find.” Song Mian smiled. “But I just don’t feel like resting right now.”
So clever! Lin Zhi swallowed hard and stiffly looked away. “N-Nothing there.”
“Better be.” Song Mian lowered his head again and flipped through his book.
Lin Zhi propped his chin on the desk, yawning as he mentally summoned the Romance Survival System.
The system was baffled. 【Host, if you’re sleepy, just go to sleep! Once the Male Lead rests, he’ll discover the pillow you stole!】
“Song Mian’s pillow is on my bed.” Lin Zhi’s mood sank. “I’ve already kissed Song Mian, and now if I use his pillow, he’ll definitely think I’m a scheming gay. My straight guy innocence is completely ruined!”
The system was straightforward. 【Then don’t use it!】
Lin Zhi thought ahead. “What good would that do? With his pillow right there on my bed, do you think Song Mian would believe I haven’t used it?”
The Romance Survival System couldn’t care less. 【Then complete the mission! Only completing the mission lets you live.】
With that, the system disconnected.
Zhu Muyun, returning from the library past ten, was puzzled to see Lin Zhi passed out on the desk. As he approached, he even heard faint snoring.
Zhu Muyun didn’t ask Song Mian next to him what was going on. Instead, he quietly asked Tong Xu.
“Why is Zhizhi sleeping on the desk? Is his bed dirty?”
Tong Xu replied casually. “Who knows what he did on Song Mian’s bed. He’s waiting for Song Mian to go to sleep.”
Zhu Muyun didn’t get it and didn’t care. He set down his backpack and went out to fetch water.
Song Mian finally glanced at Lin Zhi, who was drooling in his sleep beside him. He closed his book, and the faint scrape of his chair as he stood didn’t wake Lin Zhi.
Song Mian returned to his bed. The moment the pillow came into view, he noticed it. He glanced at Lin Zhi’s bed, then climbed down the ladder. The chair scraped again, nearly jolting Lin Zhi awake from his dream. As Lin Zhi shifted to continue sleeping, he heard a cold voice: “Why did you swap my pillow?”
Lin Zhi’s eyes snapped open, still heavy with sleep. He yawned and stretched lazily before exclaiming excitedly, “You’re back on your bed?”
Song Mian leaned against the chair, tilting his head to look at Lin Zhi.
Lin Zhi immediately scooted close to Song Mian’s face. To hide his overly affectionate, creepy eyes, he lowered his head and grabbed Song Mian’s arm, pouring out his sincerity. “That wasn’t swapping your pillow—I was treasuring it. Brother Song Mian, your pillow smells so nice! I want to smell nice too!”
Song Mian froze, his expression odd. “So the ‘creepy stalker’ question was about yourself?”
Lin Zhi didn’t refute—he had to wait for the mission to complete!
Tong Xu perked up and looked over, loving the drama. “I’ve had so many girlfriends, and none of them treasured my pillow. Treasuring a pillow like that, Lin Zhizhi—are you trying to be Song Mian’s wife?”
Zhu Muyun calmly walked past the noisy center, water bottle in hand.
Lin Zhi didn’t directly respond to Tong Xu. He released Song Mian’s wrist, his face unflushed and free of embarrassment. He raised his hand in disapproval. “Brother Song Mian, don’t listen to Tong Xu’s nonsense. You know he’s just a shit-stirrer.”
Tong Xu shot back, “Are you the shit?”
Lin Zhi tattled. “Brother Song Mian, he said you’re shit.”
Song Mian: “……”
Tong Xu yelled, “I said ‘you,’ not including Song Mian. Don’t frame me!”
Tong Xu then turned to the dorm’s top student. “Little Zhu, what do you think about Lin Zhi treasuring Song Mian’s pillow?”
“I think your pillow stinks, and your girlfriends probably wouldn’t want to treasure it,” Zhu Muyun said.
“…Do you feel uncomfortable if you don’t roast me for a day?”
Zhu Muyun hummed in agreement. Tong Xu yelped “Ow,” and the battlefield shifted from Lin Zhi to Zhu Muyun.
Lin Zhi had more important matters and didn’t join the fray. He asked the system mentally, “System Bro, any news yet?”
The system replied: 【Host, your mission isn’t complete! This system is waiting for the program feedback on your failure reason!】
Lin Zhi’s eyelids drooped. He explained to Song Mian with utter despair, “It’s not creepy. Your pillow really does smell nice—it’s a fact.”
Song Mian was silent for a few seconds. “Lin Zhi, you’ve been acting really off these past couple days.”
Lin Zhi looked up, sincere. “You finally noticed?”
Song Mian’s expression tightened. “Noticed what?”
Lin Zhi: “I’ve bound a Romance Survival System, and I’m on a mission to strategize you!”
The system immediately shrieked in Lin Zhi’s mind: 【Host, how could you expose me so easily?!?! If the Male Lead knows you’re strategizing him and have ulterior motives, how are we supposed to complete missions later?!?!】
Lin Zhi ignored it.
Song Mian’s mouth twitched. He lowered his head and picked up his phone.
“You haven’t answered me yet—why are you suddenly on your phone?” Lin Zhi was a bit annoyed.
Soon, Lin Zhi’s phone pinged. He looked at it in confusion and saw a transfer from Song Mian—twenty thousand yuan.
Lin Zhi was utterly baffled. “What’s this for?”
Song Mian pocketed his phone, gaze serious. “Tomorrow, get checked at neurology and psychiatry.”
Lin Zhi inhaled sharply and leaned back. “I’m telling the truth!”
Song Mian was even more resolute. “I’ll watch you go.”
“I mean it—it’s really true!”
Song Mian stood up and patted Lin Zhi’s head, looking down with a pitying expression. “If your brain’s sick, I’ll generously cover the treatment. Money’s no issue.”
Lin Zhi: ???
“I’m not sick!” Lin Zhi argued—no, explained.
But Song Mian had already gone to the balcony, seemingly hit by nicotine cravings again. Lin Zhi shouted, “I’ll swap the pillow back later—it’s not even nice-smelling!”
Song Mian ignored him.
The Romance Survival System was relieved. 【Good, good—the Male Lead didn’t believe it. Host, the program evaluation is in. In the mood to hear it now?】
Lin Zhi’s face soured. “Spit it out. Let me see where I messed up this time!”
Down to business, the Romance Survival System sounded professional, its electronic voice more formal. 【Side mission two: Not complete! Program evaluation—one disqualifying factor: The pillow contacts hair, not the body!】
What the hell?
“Are you kidding me?” Lin Zhi couldn’t believe his ears. “Might as well say Song Mian didn’t use it for eight hours!”
He hadn’t tracked Song Mian’s total sleep time anyway.
The Romance Survival System quickly shifted blame. 【Host, that’s the program’s judgment! Nothing to do with me~】
Little Lin didn’t explode—wait, did he dare treat Little Lin as a pushover?!
【Host, want to survive?】
Little Lin really was a pushover.
Lin Zhi lay on the pillow in despair. If the pillow didn’t count for this reason, the blanket wouldn’t either—it touched clothes. The toothbrush was out too—it touched teeth.
Hilarious!
The system reminded him: 【Don’t laugh. Host, the toothbrush doesn’t exceed eight hours of use per day either.】
Lin Zhi was fed up.
After lying there a while, as a faint sandalwood scent wafted to his nose, Lin Zhi bolted upright, then peered down abruptly. Song Mian on the lower bunk smirked ambiguously. “Lin Zhi, does it smell nice?”
Lin Zhi: “…….”
Damn! He’d forgotten to swap the pillow back!
