Chapter 10

Lin Zhi wore pajamas with a large pocket, and under the watchful eyes of his roommates, he pulled out that pair of black socks from the pocket. Song Mian watched his own socks being taken out from Lin Zhi’s pocket, his dark eyes filled with disbelief. “You kept them in your pocket?”

Lin Zhi nodded.

Tong Xu wisely stopped talking and left the battlefield to Lin Zhi and Song Mian.

At the very last moment, a warm current surged from the soles of Lin Zhi’s feet straight to his brain. He couldn’t speak the words.

“Big Fierce One, sir, I’m too gay!”

A9901 was stunned: [Me? Host, not gay! Charge forward! Think about the task! Think about death!]

Lin Zhi took a deep breath. His hands trembled slightly as he held Song Mian’s socks, and when he looked up, his eyes were bright red.

Song Mian: ?

Immediately after, Lin Zhi’s mouth twitched a few times as he lowered his head, then quickly lifted it again. His red eyes welled up with tears, making him look even more affectionate.

Holding the socks, Lin Zhi’s voice was earnest and trembling: “Brother Song Mian, I-I’m just cherishing your socks!”

Song Mian’s pupils shrank abruptly.

“You…”

Before the system could speak, Lin Zhi didn’t dare to look away from his affectionate gaze.

The next second, the Romance Survival System descended like a god and announced proactively: [Branch Task 2 completed. Host has earned a chance to live. Until the next branch task refreshes, the host will not die! Host, there are other feedbacks from the program side. Do you want to hear them?]

Lin Zhi, who had been gazing affectionately, instantly turned into a dumbfounded fish eye.

“Hold on, let me handle things here first.” Lin Zhi quickly tried to toss the socks into Song Mian’s drawer, but Song Mian grabbed his wrist, preventing it. Song Mian’s dark eyes scrutinized him as his voice pressed close: “Do you know what you’re saying?”

The two roommates held their breath.

Lin Zhi felt much more relaxed now. He’d completed the hardest part. All he needed to do was avoid being misunderstood as a creepy pervert. He’d already thought of a perfect excuse for keeping the socks.

His face was still flushed, but his gaze was clear, and his voice was righteous: “Of course I do. I think you have such a strong masculine aura, so I wanted to cherish your socks to become as strong and robust as you!”

The Romance Survival System was stunned: [This works too?!]

Lin Zhi pointed with his free hand at Tong Xu behind him, accusing: “He keeps calling me a weakling. That hurts my feelings too.”

Zhu Muyun tilted his head.

“I said he’s a weakling,” Tong Xu said innocently. “But he called me a fat duck. Who’s more hurt?”

Zhu Muyun pushed up his glasses and pretended not to hear.

Song Mian released Lin Zhi’s wrist and kicked the drawer shut with his foot. He clearly didn’t buy the excuse. “Why not cherish Tong Xu’s? He’s the athlete.”

Lin Zhi had no choice but to stuff the socks back into his pajama pocket.

He’d forgotten about that!

Lin Zhi shoved his hands into his pockets, narrowing his eyes. Actually, now would be a good time for sweet talk, saying Song Mian was the best. But under the gay vibes, it was better to say less. So, he resorted to attacking Tong Xu personally.

Lin Zhi said gravely: “Tong Xu has had so many girlfriends. I suspect his masculine aura has been completely drained.”

Song Mian’s eye twitched, and he glanced complicatedly at Tong Xu behind Lin Zhi.

“Lin Zhi, just you wait!” Tong Xu rolled up his sleeves to join the fray, but Zhu Muyun held him back tightly. “Xiao Zhi’s right! You’ve had at least ten girlfriends in college—that’s way more than him stealing Song Mian’s socks. And as an athlete, your socks are stinky. How can they compare to Song Mian’s?”

Tong Xu looked at Zhu Muyun in disbelief.

“You’re ganging up on me too?”

Zhu Muyun pushed up his glasses. “It’s a fact.”

Lin Zhi turned back to clarify: “Scholar Bro, I’ve only stolen this one pair. It’s not comparable!”

Zhu Muyun worried about both sides: “Xiao Zhi, there’s no science to prove that collecting socks makes you stronger. For strength, you need to exercise yourself.”

Lin Zhi nodded seriously.

Then, he looked at Song Mian and summed up: “I stole your socks because you have that masculine aura. Plus, you smell great everywhere—your socks naturally smell great too! Of course I’d cherish yours!”

The two bickering roommates behind him both sucked in a breath. “Hiss.”

Song Mian was silent for a moment. “You’re serious?”

Lin Zhi nodded.

Song Mian lowered his eyes in disbelief. “Are you a pervert?”

Lin Zhi shook his head, his face bright red. “Because of what I said? My mouth’s a bit clumsy—the meaning is very pure.”

Song Mian stared intently at Lin Zhi.

As their eyes met, Lin Zhi’s gaze shifted away guiltily after a while.

“I really do envy you,” Lin Zhi insisted stubbornly.

Song Mian’s mouth twitched. Bluntly, he said: “Move aside, pervert.”

Lin Zhi scratched his face and stepped to the side. Song Mian had only taken two steps when he turned back, his gaze flicking to Lin Zhi’s pocket. “The socks are yours now. Grow some masculine aura properly.”

Lin Zhi: “But that’s not scientific.”

Song Mian’s mouth quirked. “Then you’re just a pure pervert.”

Lin Zhi’s eyes turned timid.

Song Mian threatened: “Try giving me that look again?”

Lin Zhi’s eyes cleared up in a second.

Song Mian: “…”

Water sounds came from the bathroom.

The Romance Survival System finally dared to speak: [Host, you scored a free pair of socks! The male lead’s socks must be expensive. You should be laughing.]

Lin Zhi chuckled.

“Scram, Useless Zero.”

A9901 was stunned again. W-was it telling him to leave?

Lin Zhi still had the hot potato socks in his pocket. He wasn’t a pervert or superstitious—what did he need Song Mian’s socks for? Things had completely derailed from his original plan. He’d thought that saying he envied Song Mian’s masculine aura would shock him into thinking it made sense. But unexpectedly, Song Mian brought up Tong Xu.

So Lin Zhi still planned to sneakily return them. The moment he opened Song Mian’s drawer, Tong Xu and Zhu Muyun appeared on his left and right.

Tong Xu grabbed Lin Zhi’s left hand. “Trying to steal socks again?”

Zhu Muyun grabbed his right hand. “There’s no scientific basis for this!”

Lin Zhi’s hands were pinned as he looked innocently at the cabinet. “I’m here to return the socks.”

Tong Xu and Zhu Muyun released his wrists simultaneously and watched him return the socks.

The drawer closed, and the socks were back where they belonged. Tong Xu straightened up. “Xiao Zhi, collecting socks is too stalkerish. Don’t do it again.”

The Romance Survival System popped up excitedly: [Yes, exactly—a stalker! That’s the task’s goal: make the male lead think the host is a lovesick stalker for him! Finally, someone gets it!]

Lin Zhi narrowed his eyes.

Tong Xu said seriously, “I’m not kidding. Jokes aside, don’t actually seduce Song Mian someday.”

Zhu Muyun didn’t quite get it.

The Romance Survival System got even more excited: [Great! Great! I’m a conquest system!]

Lin Zhi shrugged indifferently. “He’s straight.”

Unlike a bookworm like Zhu Muyun, Tong Xu knew more about this stuff. He reminded: “You know the confession wall has straight guys confessing to guys like you? For someone as good-looking as you, gender doesn’t matter anymore.”

Lin Zhi frowned. “Song Mian’s not like that.”

Tong Xu: “I didn’t say he is. But are you sure Song Mian’s straight? He hasn’t dated anyone.”

Lin Zhi felt sad in a second. “Neither have I.”

Tong Xu: “…. Want me to introduce someone?”

Lin Zhi felt even sadder. “I don’t have enough money for myself. Better not hold them back.”

Tong Xu wanted to say more but stopped. When Lin Zhi lifted his wrist to show the watch, Tong Xu had nothing left to say. He was just meddling!

Lin Zhi returned to his bed. The task completion left a bad taste, so he checked the conquest progress.

The Romance Survival System showed him a rectangular bar. Last time, it was blank—zero. Now, the blank bar was filled over halfway with red, showing 70% progress.

Lin Zhi was delighted. “Am I about to complete the task?”

The system dampened his mood: [Don’t celebrate too early. Maybe the next task bumps it to 71%.]

Lin Zhi thought of Tong Xu’s warning and grew worried. “Does that mean Song Mian’s affection for me hit 70%?”

What then?

He couldn’t give his bro that kind of love!

The system’s voice brought Lin Zhi back to reality: [Host! The male lead called you a pervert—how could it be affection? But the progress bar involves the main task, so this system can’t disclose.]

Lin Zhi perked up. “You know, right? Big Fierce One, sir, spill some spoilers?”

A9901 grumbled: [Happy and I’m Big Fierce One; unhappy and I’m Useless Zero—you’re so pragmatic, host. But I really don’t know. This task was confidential even to me! At most ten branch tasks, then the main task unlocks, and you’ll know what the bar is.]

Lin Zhi spread his hands. “System Bro, when’s the next task?”

Romance Survival System: [When this system detects you’re about to be plot-killed! Right now, until Saturday morning at seven, you have no branch tasks!]

Lin Zhi thought these next few days would be blissful.

After Song Mian finished showering and came out, Lin Zhi wanted to greet him, but Song Mian didn’t even glance his way.

Lin Zhi said sincerely: “I really do envy your masculine aura!”

Song Mian’s attitude was utterly unfriendly. “Shut up, pervert.”

Lin Zhi shut up and inwardly raged at A9901: “99 Idiot, look at this— is this the golden age you wanted?”

The system wasn’t pleased: [Don’t think I don’t know what ‘baka’ means! Lin Zhi, you idiot—this system just realized something. Whether you conquer the male lead or not, at most ten branch tasks, then the sole main task unlocks. So actual conquest doesn’t matter! But I still don’t know what the main task is. If it’s making the male lead date you… trouble.]

The Romance Survival System’s electronic voice was irritable too: [Why hide the task from even this system?!]

Lin Zhi closed his eyes. “I’m done.”