Chapter 2 Part 2

Song Mian was very impatient with this bastard.

“Bro. Is this your friend?” Song Feng smiled ingratiatingly.

Good mood interrupted, Song Mian’s brows knit in displeasure, voice colder. “What do you want?”

Lin Zhi’s radar pinged! He rubbed his chin, pondering how to disgust him. Lin Zhi fixed sharp eyes on Song Feng.

Song Feng anxiously explained. “Dad insisted on this birthday banquet for me. He wants to use me to check you. But I won’t threaten you!”

Lin Zhi sensed something off and cut in. “Use you to check Song Mian?”

“I don’t have those thoughts!” Though replying to Lin Zhi, Song Feng’s gaze stayed on Song Mian. “Bro, can you stay home tonight? We haven’t chatted in ages.”

“No, bro.” Lin Zhi eyed them both. “Song Mian’s a quiet gourd—what would you chat about? You planning to sabotage him?”

Lin Zhi had seen plenty of elite family infighting on TV. Especially bastards like this—scheming and sly. Someone like Song Mian, casually gifting him a 500,000-yuan watch, was easy to trick.

Lin Zhi suddenly understood why he absolutely had to attend the banquet! It was to protect Song Mian! He protected Song Mian but died at the banquet, becoming the white moonlight in Song Mian’s heart from then on. The loop was complete!

The Romance Survival System wanted to say something but chose to stay silent.

“Who are you?” Song Feng finally turned to Lin Zhi.

Lin Zhi stood firmly in front of Song Mian this time, his gaze resolute. “I’m the most important person in Song Mian’s heart! Song Mian isn’t going home—he’s sleeping with me tonight!”

Song Mian: ?

“Lin Zhi.” Song Mian had just opened his mouth when Lin Zhi interrupted him. “Bro, from now on, I’ll be your little brother. I won’t harm you.”

Lin Zhi gazed at Song Mian with deep affection.

Song Mian: “……”

Song Feng, standing before them, looked at Song Mian with a show of weakness, his eyes reddening. “Bro, I know you hate me, but will you let an outsider treat me like this?”

Song Mian finally spoke, his voice indifferent. “I’m not your brother. Don’t get in my way.”

Song Feng glared hatefully at Lin Zhi, then left dejectedly with his glass, his back even radiating sorrow.

Lin Zhi scratched his head.

“Do you think I was too harsh on him?”

Lin Zhi: “Not really.”

He was wondering how Song Mian had sent the illegitimate son packing with just one sentence, yet he still became Song Mian’s white moonlight.

Lin Zhi narrowed his eyes slightly. Perhaps… he already held a significant place in Song Mian’s heart, and Song Mian only realized it after his death. This guy could be labeled: tsundere.

“Don’t look at me with that disgusting gaze.”

“I love you.”

Song Mian: “………”

Then, as if remembering something, Lin Zhi anxiously said, “Oh no, I forgot to disgust him!”

Song Mian: “What were you doing just now?”

Lin Zhi sincerely replied, “I was defending you.”

Song Mian swallowed the retort on the tip of his tongue. “No need for you to disgust him.”

Lin Zhi grabbed Song Mian’s arm, his face full of longing. “Then, will you bring me to the next banquet?”

Song Mian was speechless. “Can’t you have a little ambition?”

Lin Zhi looked even more eager. “I’ve already decided to be your lackey—why bring up ambition?”

Song Mian: “……”

“Don’t stay silent! Song Mian bro!” Lin Zhi buried his head in Song Mian’s chest, acting spoiled.

Song Mian grunted. “Fine.”

Lin Zhi cheered up again.

“I could tell right away you’re no match for the illegitimate son. He must bully you at home too, right?”

Song Mian leaned against the side, ignoring Lin Zhi, who was eating again.

The banquet was about to begin. Song Jiancheng announced Song Feng’s status as the Song family’s second young master from the main stage. A servant approached Song Mian and said, “Old Master Jiang is waiting for you by the pool.”

Lin Zhi’s mind jolted. The pool!

He couldn’t go!

Lin Zhi even quickly checked the time: 6:40 PM. Twenty minutes until his death.

“I won’t go with you to that place.” Lin Zhi’s expression turned grave.

Song Mian didn’t insist on Lin Zhi accompanying him but still warned, “Don’t wander off. Don’t eat anything anyone hands you. And if Song Feng comes looking for you, ignore him.”

Lin Zhi nodded. “I’m not an idiot.”

Song Mian tossed back, “Better not be.”

Lin Zhi fell silent.

After Song Mian left, Lin Zhi suddenly lost his appetite. In the face of death, nothing else mattered.

“Romance bro, if it passes seven o’clock, I won’t die, right?”

The Romance Survival System came online in a daze: [Are you calling me? Yes! But Host, you won’t survive past seven!]

Lin Zhi tensed. “If I really die, you’ll resurrect me, right?”

[Yes, exactly! But you will definitely die!]

Lin Zhi: “……”

Lin Zhi was already thinking in his heart that he might as well bind. But the system refused. It coldly said: [Stubborn people need to die once to learn to cherish me! Host, just wait for death.]

Lin Zhi: “……”

Eighteen minutes left! In the corner, Lin Zhi stared fixedly at the watch on his wrist, not missing a single second.

One minute… two minutes… five minutes… ten minutes… fifteen minutes… four minutes left! If he survived these four minutes, then… Lin Zhi anxiously counted down in his mind.

Suddenly, a voice pulled Lin Zhi back to reality.

“You’re really close with my brother.”

…………………………

Lin Zhi looked up nervously. It was Song Feng, who had come down from the stage at some point. Song Feng wore a malicious smile. “But do you think my brother is really friends with you? He’s just never seen a poor person before and is playing around with you.”

Oh ho! Two-faced, huh!

Lin Zhi raised his wrist sincerely. “This is what your brother gave me. If it’s just playing around like this, I’m willing.”

Jealousy flared wildly in Song Feng’s eyes, his expression twisting. “It’s just a watch! I have plenty of those!”

Lin Zhi narrowed his eyes. “Are you showing off your wealth to a poor guy like me?”

Song Feng was stunned for a few seconds, unable to retort.

Lin Zhi said softly, “Song Mian and I have known each other since freshman year. We’ve been hanging out for three years.”

Song Feng’s eyes widened.

Lin Zhi acted tsundere. “What about it?”

Song Feng’s face flushed and paled by turns. After a long while, he managed, “What’s your name?”

Lin Zhi hesitated.

He feared the schemes of the wealthy!

No, what time was it now?

Lin Zhi was about to raise his wrist to check when Song Feng twisted toward him even more. “Give it to me!”

He reached out to snatch the watch from Lin Zhi’s wrist.

Lin Zhi was shoved, stumbling back a step before he could react. But suddenly, he stepped on something soft. Lin Zhi looked back—there was a piece of cake on the ground!

The next second, Lin Zhi’s head slammed into a cabinet. His head throbbed with stars, and then he lost consciousness.

When he opened his eyes again, Lin Zhi lay on his dorm bed.

Lin Zhi: “………”

In his mind rang the system’s jubilant electronic male voice: [After Lin Zhi stepped on the cake, hit the cabinet, and died, Song Mian swiftly seized power, becoming the head of the Song family. He investigated Lin Zhi’s death and found the cake was no one’s doing—Lin Zhi died by accident. Song Mian ultimately became the commercial overlord of City A.]

Lin Zhi: “………”

Lin Zhi’s head hurt like hell. The aftereffects of death made his breathing erratic. His eyes glazed over as he murmured, “So I really died?”

Romance Survival System: [Yes, but this system used its time reset ability to revive you! It’s now 11:10 PM on March 14, 2025. Host, you were planning to sleep and attend the illegitimate son’s banquet tomorrow.]

Holy crap?

Lin Zhi’s head pounded, but stars sparkled in his eyes. His inner voice brimmed with awe. “You’re actually this powerful!”

The Romance Survival System huffed proudly in its icy electronic tone: [Host, you’re a plot cannon fodder. Without dying, Song Mian won’t return to the Song family to fight for power and become the Male Lead! Without an external force like me, you’d die no matter what. If you want to live, you have to bind with me and do tasks!]

Having died once, Lin Zhi was very obedient.

“I’ll bind!” He’d actually wanted to bind before dying, but the system wouldn’t.

The Romance Survival System wasn’t in a rush: [Host, before binding, please let me explain the strategy tasks!]

The Romance Survival System gave a detailed, passionate explanation: [Our goal is to capture the Male Lead! All tasks are for capturing the Male Lead.]

Tasks are divided into main and side tasks. Complete the final main task to survive for good! But the main task hasn’t refreshed yet—you’re fated to die as cannon fodder. You survived this time, but you’ll die later. So do side tasks to earn survival chances until the main task unlocks.]

Lin Zhi thought for a long time, sorting out the system’s words. He curiously asked, “How many side tasks to unlock the main one?”

The Romance Survival System displayed: [There’ll be a progress bar! Look, Host.]

A rectangular black transparent bar appeared before Lin Zhi’s eyes, showing 0% inside.

Romance Survival System: [When the progress bar hits 100%, the main task unlocks!]

Lin Zhi was genuinely curious. “What’s the progress bar for? Song Mian’s favorability?”

It was a romance system, after all—Lin Zhi wasn’t stupid.

The Romance Survival System mysteriously said: [No! Host, it involves the main task, so the system can’t say. Side tasks max at ten. When the system detects your plot death coming, a side task appears. Complete it, and the progress bar rises!]

Ten wasn’t too many.

“I’ll bind!” It was just saying he loved Song Mian! Or being Song Mian’s slave—he could totally do that. Just treat Song Mian well!

Reading Lin Zhi’s thoughts, the Romance Survival System spoke: [Host, want me to tell you the first side task?]

“Sure, why not.”

The Romance Survival System sounded like a devil incarnate: [Task 1: Before 7 PM tomorrow night, kiss Song Mian’s mouth!]

Lin Zhi, eyes closed while communicating with the system, abruptly opened them.

What!

“What did you say?”

The Romance Survival System repeated it.

“Damn! I remember you said these could be done in daily life! Who kisses their bro on the mouth in daily life?! And Song Mian’s straight! If I actually kiss him, he’ll beat me to death first!”

Romance Survival System: [That was to get you to bind— just hype. Host, didn’t you say you could bend?]

Lin Zhi: “Why tell me now?”

The system snickered slyly: [Of course, because this system sees you don’t want to die. If you die, no more carrots, cakes, chicken, salmon, barbecue, lettuce, sushi…]

The system listed a bunch of dishes, and Lin Zhi’s stomach rumbled conspicuously.

“System bro, can you revive me again?”

Romance Survival System: [Of course!]

Lin Zhi gained some backbone. “I won’t bind. I’ll save myself!”

He wouldn’t go to the banquet tomorrow, even if it killed him!