Shen Li always sensed these conflicts were like a small dagger scoring the thickest callus on his skin. It didn’t hurt much at first glance, but look closer, and that callus was nearly sliced away.
Ignore it, and the next scrape wouldn’t make it vanish—it would only thicken further.
When fear and avoidance dominated, Shen Li knew the root cause: he dreaded a quarrel erupting between him and Qian Xingzhi, just like the one that had just unfolded between Ke Jiujiu and Lin Xu.
Could their relationship endure such repeated abrasion?
Shen Li had little confidence.
These mildly troublesome thoughts left him in a cold-faced standby mode.
He could really sit still. His occasional movements were merely to scratch the spot on his cheek where a mosquito had bitten him.
【OMG, Shen Li on security duty is like watching some old fisherman. Bet he won’t scratch again for a few minutes.】
【Sigh, even our beauty spacing out is easy on the eyes.】
【But yeah, you can visibly see Cat Cat’s been kinda down this afternoon qwq】
【Feels like he saw the fight and hasn’t smiled since.】
【But how’s other people’s drama his business?】
【Hiss, maybe he’s still stressing over the bedtime voice chat tonight?】
【Program Group’s being kinda random with this, huh? It’s not like they’re dating couples or whatever with the mic stuff.】
【Decided not to watch the extras anymore. Not cuz no membership money [rose] just super busy lately [rose]. Qixi coming up—anyone not wanna buy gifts for their SO, start fighting and Venmo me 88.88 [rose], I’ll play the other woman.】
【Hahaha upstairs, you’re too much!】
【It’s almost 7, why hasn’t Shen Li clocked out? Lin Xu and Ke Jiujiu already left.】
【No one’s calling him?】
【Nah, director did. Shen Li just said he wanted to sit a bit longer.】
【I got it! He’s totally planning to skip tonight’s 1v1 date on purpose.】
Shen Li had indeed made up his mind: he wouldn’t pursue tonight’s date activity.
The Butler System’s asset rankings, granting priority invites to those at the top, were clearly designed to spark competition among them—ideally stirring up more drama for the cameras, more conflicts for the show.
After all, a live variety show differed from polished edits or pure entertainment streams. Without snappy pacing or a host to hype things, long stretches sans conflict or highlights could bore viewers to tears.
Shen Li understood the Program Group’s push for engaging content.
But he had no intention of playing along. He wanted to stay far away.
Please, no one invite him.
So he’d just head back late. Hopefully dinner was saved for him—lunch had been filling enough. Worst case, a hot drink would do.
Nightfall deepened, the distant town’s lights twinkling to life.
The darkness descended like a vast curtain over the fields.
The sky shifted from pale blue to deep indigo, then inked black. The distant mountains faded to vague silhouettes, serene in the night’s embrace.
Toward the town, their new cabins glowed warmly.
The cluster of low bungalows around them dotted the landscape like little boxes on the earth.
Shen Li finally rose from the little bear chair, gazing at the strawberry patch he’d “guarded” all afternoon.
Truth be told, strawberries weren’t even in season. Even without the Program Group buying out the site, no tourists would pay to see strawberry leaves.
It was all just for the tasks.
So Shen Li waited for no one, knowing no one would come.
Only the chirps of cicadas and crickets wove through the fields, carried on a gentle breeze across the vast expanse.
“Teacher Shen, you sure you don’t want to head back? It’s already 8:30.” Xiao Chen, the director from the Program Group, had just hung up a call and jogged over to find him.
Shen Li parted his lips slightly, pondering before asking, “Am I holding up your shift? If you need to clock out or rest, we can go—you’d get home safer earlier.”
Xiao Chen waved her hands hurriedly, lowering her voice as she explained to Shen Li, “No, no, I’m not off yet. Thanks, Teacher Shen. I live in one of those bungalow apartments over there—the Program Group rented the whole block. Besides you guests, all the staff are housed there.”
“Oh, got it. That’s good.”
Shen Li eyed the bungalows again, then snapped back. “Any reason I have to go back? It’s nice here. I’d like to stay a bit longer.”
Xiao Chen smiled, licking her lips. “Well, actually… someone in the cabin wants to ask you out. They’re lining up to invite you…”
Shen Li’s expression didn’t change, his lips pressing into a thin line. After a long pause, he asked, “Can I opt out? Not really in the mood.”
“Uh,” Xiao Chen hesitated, then replied, “Theoretically, yes. But today’s invites all cost a date fee—they’ve already spent their own earnings to ask you out.”
Shen Li: …
“Could I reimburse them?”
“You can, but per the Butler System rules, you’d pay a 600 fee to cancel, plus a polite rejection reason. Then their 3k gets refunded.”
Shen Li mulled over the rules. 600 was pocket change, so without much hesitation, he told Xiao Chen, “Could you handle the cancellations for me? Deduct 600 from my wages?”
Xiao Chen’s expression turned a bit odd as she spoke. “Uh, it’s 3k total. Five guests invited you. You sure about rejecting all?”
Shen Li: ?
His deep brows furrowed sharply, thin lips parting then pressing tight. He shot Xiao Chen an incredulous look.
Xiao Chen handed over the prepared iPad, explaining patiently, “Take a look, Teacher Shen. Here are the invite requests—five in total. Each has a little message attached. Wanna read them first?”
Shen Li: …
Shen Li took the iPad stone-faced:
【First Letter】
【From: Jiang Nan】
【Message: The night is perfect, and so are you.】
Shen Li’s brows knitted. He promptly sent 600 to the system, typing two words in rejection:
【Rejection: Haha】
Five seconds flat for the first one. His fingers flew downward,
even angling to ensure the camera caught it.
【Second Letter】
【From: Yang Zhiqi】
【Message: I’m really curious—who’s your ex? Free tonight to chat about it?】
Shen Li: ?
Brows furrowed again, he half-suspected Yang Zhiqi had lost a bet. Easy enough to brush off. Shen Li hammered out a reply and hit send without pause.
【Rejection: You’ll know in a day or two.】
Blindingly fast—Xiao Chen, watching from behind, couldn’t help grinning.
【Third Letter】
【From: Zhao Yunzhi】
【Message: Thanks, Brother Shen, for the loan. I earned my own money today—wanna pay back what you lent me yesterday.】
Shen Li’s fingers paused briefly, choosing his words.
【Rejection: No worries. Just transfer the 3k [silly smile]】
【Fourth Letter】
【From: Lin Xu】
【Message: Sorry if I came off harsh today, bro. Wasn’t aimed at you. Dinner on me as apology?】
Shen Li: …
【Rejection: No need. I didn’t take it to heart.】
【Fifth Letter】
【From: Li Weiwei】
【Message: Dinner together? Got some things to tell you.】
This one stumped Shen Li a bit.
The previous invites had clear hooks or excuses—easy to rebuff on those grounds.
But Li Weiwei’s was vague: just dinner and “things to say.” Harder to dismiss outright.
Still…
Should he go?
Shen Li checked the time and sky, remembering his evening call with Qian Xingzhi. Socializing held zero appeal for a pure introvert like him—especially with near-strangers. It drained him completely.
So…
After nearly a minute’s hesitation, Shen Li crafted a polite rejection for the fifth:
【Rejection: Sorry, waiting for someone.】
He hit send. All five emails rejected.
Xiao Chen took back the iPad. “Huh? Teacher Shen, this ‘waiting for someone’ is…?”
Shen Li’s phrasing was deliberately ambiguous—open to interpretation.
Waiting for more invites, perhaps. Or his ex’s call.
But he dodged a direct answer, replying evasively with the least likely option: “Oh, waiting for strawberry patch tourists. Didn’t they say overtime to 10 p.m. earns an extra grand?”
Xiao Chen gave an awkward chuckle, saying nothing. Her expression screamed disbelief.
Yet Shen Li truly hunkered down in the security booth at the strawberry patch for another hour-plus.
When the hour hand on that battered old clock on the wall finally inched its way to 10, Shen Li rose from the little bear chair, removed his security cap, let out a yawn, and prepared to clock out from his post. Just then, the sound of a car engine cutting off echoed from the main gate not far away.
What’s that about?
Shen Li snatched up his cap and flashlight, stepped out of the security booth, and spotted a filthy, rundown white Santana parked brazenly at the strawberry garden’s entrance. The car was splattered with mud spots and had its hazard lights flashing.
Did the car break down? Run out of gas? Need a hand?
Shen Li strode toward it without pause, but the tinted windows made it impossible to see inside. He circled around to the driver’s side from the passenger door, intending to ask what was going on—
However.
He had barely reached the windshield when the headlights illuminated a shadowy figure in the driver’s seat.
Shen Li’s heart thudded twice in quick succession. His pupils contracted sharply, and his feet rooted him to the spot.
A faint rustling came from the driver’s side as the window rolled down.
Shen Li snapped out of it and hurried over to the driver’s window.
He shone the flashlight mercilessly onto the man’s sunglasses, the beam rendering even his mask semitransparent—
The fully geared man in the driver’s seat cut a striking, cool-guy figure: a high-bridged nose, an aloof expression…
Who else could it be but Qian Xingzhi…
Yet Shen Li felt as if someone had clamped down hard on his heart. He held his breath, kept his voice to a hushed whisper, and positioned his body to completely block the window—and the camera that hadn’t followed:
“…What are you doing here?”
“Heading to work. Didn’t you draw that live connect slot?”
“So?”
“So my workstation’s in that row of residential buildings right next to your log cabin.”
As Qian Xingzhi spoke, he draped one arm casually over the window frame and leisurely raked his gaze over Shen Li from behind his sunglasses.
Shen Li’s fine eyebrows knitted together. “The low-rises are over that way.”
“Out of gas, tsk…”
“Try another one?”
Shen Li cut him off softly.
The air fell silent in an instant. Even the breeze stilled, leaving only the raucous chorus of cicadas.
Qian Xingzhi removed his sunglasses. A pair of sparkling peach-blossom eyes locked onto Shen Li, brimming with a wild intensity and deep affection.
Shen Li turned his head away, avoiding the gaze. Realizing he sounded too harsh, he instinctively softened his tone and asked stiffly:
“Got any other proof?”
Qian Xingzhi’s voice carried a hint of chill. “You just got hurt yesterday and skipped dinner today… I brought you some steamed buns.”
