The death date was set for 7 a.m. on Saturday morning—right after he woke up.
While Lin Zhi queued in the cafeteria for steamed buns, he stared up at the ceiling at a 90-degree angle. Song Mian found Lin Zhi embarrassing and left after buying his bread. Someone behind Lin Zhi in line poked him and said Song Mian had gone.
Song Mian was tall and handsome. Right at the start of freshman year, people had dug up his background: he was from the prestigious Song family of City A. During military training, the campus forum voted him the new campus heartthrob. Almost everyone on campus knew Song Mian.
As someone who hung out with Song Mian, Lin Zhi naturally got dug up too.
He was just an ordinary guy who happened to be delicately handsome. So anyone trying to get close to Song Mian first needed looks on Lin Zhi’s level—and that alone deterred a lot of people. After all, there was a big difference between being good-looking and being exquisitely refined.
Lin Zhi actually had plenty of admirers too—more guys than girls, in fact. But ever since Song Mian had helped him fend off a persistent male suitor, no one had pursued Lin Zhi anymore.
Lin Zhi wasn’t too worried when he realized Song Mian had left. The girls behind him thought their friendship had soured, but Lin Zhi grabbed his buns and bolted like the wind, catching up to Song Mian—who was walking at what seemed like a leisurely pace—right outside the cafeteria doors.
Once he caught up, Lin Zhi didn’t say a word. Song Mian was the taciturn type too, so the walk was pretty quiet. But the mopey Lin Zhi finally couldn’t hold back a long sigh. Song Mian glanced at him.
Lin Zhi noticed the look and made his eyes even more sorrowful, sighing even more heavily.
Song Mian looked away, pretending he hadn’t seen a thing.
Lin Zhi finally spoke up. “Would you ever fall in love with a thief?”
Song Mian was brutally honest. “You’re sick.”
Lin Zhi immediately messaged the system in his mind: 【He says your capture mission is messed up!】
The Romance Survival System shot back right away: 【It’s a stalker, not a thief!】
Lin Zhi rephrased his question to Song Mian. “What about a stalker, then?”
By the time they reached the Teaching Building, Song Mian paused. He pulled out a bank card and handed it to Lin Zhi.
Lin Zhi took it, confused. “Why are you suddenly giving me money?”
This was the first time in three years of college that Song Mian had ever tried to throw money at him. What did he want from a good-for-nothing like Lin Zhi?
Lin Zhi stayed cautious.
Song Mian said, “Go get yourself treated.”
Lin Zhi caught on and messaged the system again: 【Bro, he says I’ve got mental issues. This mission won’t work!】
The Romance Survival System was getting fed up with this host. It cut him off: 【Telling me won’t change anything. These missions are pre-scheduled. I just notify you and save your life! Get to conquering, or you’re dead! And this time, I’m not blocking the pain!】
Lin Zhi asked, “What about the electrocution?”
The system paused for a second, then its electronic voice replied righteously: 【That’s punishment for the host!】
Lin Zhi sighed and handed the bank card back to Song Mian. He drooped his eyelids and muttered, “I’m fine now.”
Song Mian: “…….”
Lin Zhi moped his way to class. Zhu Muyun, who was sitting in the second row, reminded him about the seat he’d saved in the back.
Zhu Muyun always sat in the second row. Lin Zhi didn’t like being under the teacher’s nose, so he usually took a spot in the middle-back. Any farther back, and some professors made the back-row kids fill empty front seats.
Middle-back spots were prime real estate that had to be fought for. Lin Zhi got Zhu Muyun to hold one for him, in exchange for buying the guy’s meal sometimes.
At first, Zhu Muyun thought Lin Zhi wanted to play on his phone during class. Then he realized Lin Zhi just wanted to sleep. He’d seen plenty of phone addicts, but a sleep fiend like this was a first.
Song Mian didn’t care where he sat. Before he got close to Lin Zhi, he’d sit anywhere—but he hated people trying to squeeze in next to him, so eventually he stuck with Lin Zhi.
The first class was Computer Theory. The professor’s lecture was like a lullaby. Lin Zhi started dozing off, his head drooping until it thunked onto the desk. Song Mian sat ramrod straight, listening intently while scribbling notes with a sleek black fountain pen.
Lin Zhi’s eyes snapped open. He stared at the pen in Song Mian’s hand. He’d seen Song Mian using that fountain pen since freshman year. Rumor had it, it was insanely expensive.
“Little Ai, Little Ai—does this pen count as the male lead’s intimate personal item?”
The Romance Survival System came online, baffled: 【Calling for me again? I’m just a system. How should I know if a pen counts as a human’s intimate item? In my database, intimate items are things stuck to the body all the time, like underwear.】
Disgusting thing!
Lin Zhi sat up, rubbing his chin. He had five days until death. Giving him this much time meant the mission wasn’t easy. The pen probably didn’t qualify.
But he had to try. Only by doing the missions could he gain experience from failures.
The Romance Survival System exclaimed: 【Host, I always thought you were an idiot!】
“Hmph.” Lin Zhi huffed proudly. He was just low-key, that’s all.
Throughout the class, Lin Zhi kept his eyes glued to Song Mian’s pen. Even when Song Mian wasn’t writing, he’d twirl it—so it was always in contact. When the bell rang, Song Mian capped it. Lin Zhi was pondering the best moment to swipe it when he heard: “I’ve been watching you. What are you staring at Song Mian’s hand for?”
Lin Zhi jolted. Looking up, he saw his arch-nemesis had somehow ended up sitting in front of him. Jiang Chaohua—from the same high school. They’d competed for top spot back then, but Jiang always lost. Later, the guy peeked at Lin Zhi’s college apps, found out he was aiming for A University, and got in too. They became the only two from their county high school to make it.
Same university, same major.
Fated rivals!
Lin Zhi had lost his drive by then. Jiang Chaohua hadn’t—he was still gunning for scholarships with Zhu Muyun. They’d drifted apart, but Jiang Chaohua wouldn’t let go, always picking fights.
Lin Zhi joined the tea ceremony club? Jiang Chaohua followed and mocked him for using too many tea leaves. Lin Zhi hated the guy.
Song Mian glanced over at Lin Zhi too. Lin Zhi snapped, “None of your business.”
“You’re even drooling over it. What do you want?” Jiang Chaohua’s tone was nasty.
Lin Zhi yelled in his mind at the Romance Survival System: “System bro, zap him!”
No response.
Lin Zhi said, “I’m not. Don’t spread rumors!”
Jiang Chaohua didn’t buy it. “Really?”
“Yeah.” Lin Zhi was downright hostile. “I’m going to sleep now.”
Lin Zhi laid his head on the desk to shoo him away. Jiang Chaohua finally left. Lin Zhi peeked up to make sure he was gone, then whispered to Song Mian, “Don’t listen to him. I wasn’t drooling or anything. He’s always hated on me, and now that I have a friend like you, he wants to break us up.”
Song Mian didn’t deny it this time. But he asked, “Why were you staring at my hand?”
It wasn’t the hand—it was the pen.
But he couldn’t say that now. The mission was to “steal” it, which meant stealthily, without Song Mian noticing.
“It’s good-looking.” Lin Zhi leaned over to Song Mian’s desk, eyes crinkling sweetly, laying on the honey.
Song Mian looked skeptical.
Finally, Lin Zhi got his chance when Song Mian stepped out of the classroom. He swiftly swiped the pen!
[After stealing the male lead’s intimate personal item, he had to get caught—and make sure the male lead knew he treasured his stuff.] Lin Zhi recalled the mission core in his mind.
He’d stolen it. Now, wait for discovery.
When Song Mian returned, he spotted the pen in Lin Zhi’s hand before he even sat down.
Song Mian took his seat. Lin Zhi waited forever for him to ask about it, but nothing. So Lin Zhi prompted, “Did you notice anything missing?”
Song Mian was generous. “If you want it, it’s yours.”
Lin Zhi tilted his head, gazing deeply. “It’s not that I want it—I’m treasuring something you’ve used! This is your pen. I cherish it like a treasure!”
Lin Zhi’s gaze was utterly creepy. Song Mian slowly formed a mental: ?
As soon as he finished, Lin Zhi shouted in his mind at the system.
“Little Ai, Little Ai—is it done?”
The Romance Survival System replied primly: 【No. Program detects one failure: A pen isn’t an intimate personal item. Definition: must be in contact for over 8 hours a day!】
Lin Zhi wasn’t too disappointed.
One failure meant the rest passed—like his “treasuring” line. So sweet talk was enough for that part.
Plus, he got the exact criteria for intimate items. Not a loss.
The Romance Survival System warned: 【Host, the male lead’s look is off!】
Lin Zhi remembered Song Mian. Those pitch-black eyes were boring into him like they wanted to drill a hole. Lin Zhi instantly played innocent. “Why stare like that? Here, your pen back, stingy.”
Lin Zhi handed it over casually.
A flicker of scrutiny passed through Song Mian’s eyes. His fingertips unconsciously twirled the pen—which still held Lin Zhi’s warmth—before warning, “Don’t look at me like that again.”
Lin Zhi didn’t dare promise—what if that gaze was part of the package? He changed the subject. “Lunch is on me. What do you want?”
Song Mian was blunt. “What can you even afford?”
“Braised chicken rice.” Lin Zhi licked his lips.
Song Mian: “…….”
At noon, Lin Zhi queued for three portions of braised chicken rice—one for Zhu Muyun. When it was almost his turn, he texted Zhu Muyun to come get it.
Zhu Muyun wasn’t picky; he ate whatever Lin Zhi did.
Lin Zhi took two portions to find Song Mian, who sat alone at a table radiating “strangers keep out.” Lin Zhi plopped down shamelessly. “Can I have two pieces of white radish?”
Song Mian wordlessly picked all the radish out for him.
Zhu Muyun arrived soon after and sat next to Lin Zhi—far from Song Mian. Truth be told, he was a bit intimidated by Song Mian. The guy was too cold, no approachability. Without Lin Zhi, Zhu Muyun would’ve stayed as far away as possible.
Zhu Muyun wolfed his down in minutes. But Lin Zhi made him stay and—out of Song Mian’s sight—huddled close to whisper.
Lin Zhi wanted to go all-in, so he humbly asked Zhu Muyun, “Study bro, tell me—what counts as an intimate personal item? The kind that’s on you over eight hours.”
Zhu Muyun whispered back, head down. “Anything that stays on your body.”
Lin Zhi: “Isn’t that broadening it too much?”
Zhu Muyun adjusted his glasses. “So ask me a question that shows some brains.”
Lin Zhi only cared about this one.
“See ya, study bro.”
Zhu Muyun left without looking back.
