There were no early classes on Tuesday; the morning lecture started at nine forty. Lin Zhi stretched and woke up at nine, only to be surprised that Song Mian was still in the dorm, waiting to take him to the hospital for a brain check.
Lin Zhi was shocked!
“I really don’t have any issues!”
Song Mian said, “I don’t want to live in the same dorm as a mental patient or an idiot.”
After Lin Zhi finished washing up and eating breakfast in the cafeteria, Song Mian mercilessly shoved him into the car and drove to a private hospital. Lin Zhi was dazed the whole way, and when he smelled the hospital’s disinfectant, he protested again, “I really don’t have any problems! I was just joking with you!”
Song Mian suddenly spoke up. “The Romance Survival System—is that the one bound to you?”
Lin Zhi nodded expectantly. “You believe me now?”
The Romance Survival System grew tense!
Song Mian let out a cold laugh.
Lin Zhi realized he’d been tricked.
Lin Zhi was forced to get a CT scan. The doctor said his brain development was healthy. Then Song Mian dragged him to psychiatry, without even registering, and shoved him right in.
“Patient Lin Zhi, male, 20 years old, correct?”
Lin Zhi felt instinctively awkward facing the doctor in the white coat. He rubbed his hands, nodded, and pointed at Song Mian. “Doctor, there’s an outsider here.”
Song Mian sat beside Lin Zhi, showing no intention of leaving.
The doctor smiled. “It’s fine.”
It’s not fine! Private hospitals charged a fortune, yet they weren’t even this formal!
The doctor asked Lin Zhi some questions and had him fill out self-assessment forms. Since Lin Zhi hid the system’s existence, the doctor concluded, “You seem to have no mental health issues.”
Lin Zhi nodded. “That’s what I think too.”
Song Mian interjected, “He hid the thing about the system.”
Lin Zhi turned his head. “I was lying to you.”
The doctor gave him a disapproving look. “How can you worry your boyfriend like this when he cares so much?”
Lin Zhi clarified, “He’s not my boyfriend.”
The doctor patiently warned, “You can’t make your boyfriend worry like this in the future, got it?”
Lin Zhi stammered, “He’s not…”
The doctor’s gaze sharpened. Lin Zhi cowered and nodded.
After the assessment forms, the diagnosis was mild anxiety, so the doctor prescribed some anti-anxiety meds.
Holding the prescription as they left the consultation room, Song Mian leaned against the wall, staring at Lin Zhi for a long time. Lin Zhi touched his face suspiciously. “What?”
Song Mian couldn’t comprehend. “You’re either eating or sleeping all day—what are you anxious about?”
Lin Zhi answered honestly, “Death.”
Song Mian: “…”
Song Mian showed some concern. “Do you have a terminal illness?”
Lin Zhi turned into a melancholic youth, shaking his head with a sigh “No! Life is just so fragile. Slipping and falling into a pool can drown you, stepping on cake can crack your skull, rolling off the bed can kill you from the fall.”
These… were all deaths Lin Zhi had experienced. If he failed the mission this time, he’d go through it again.
Song Mian said, “You…”
Lin Zhi looked at him expectantly.
Song Mian decided, “You need a full-body checkup too.”
Lin Zhi was dragged off for more tests. All indicators were fine, though his blood sugar was slightly high—but within normal range.
Lin Zhi marveled, “I’m actually this healthy!”
If he weren’t living in a Male Lead’s novel world, he’d live to a ripe old age. The root cause of his deaths was—
Lin Zhi declared righteously, “Treat me to a McSpicy Chicken Leg Burger!”
Song Mian: ?
Lin Zhi pressed on righteously, “I’m hungry! All these tests—I’ve exceeded my exercise quota!”
Song Mian glanced at him.
Lin Zhi suddenly turned fierce!
Song Mian said, “Let’s go then.”
Lin Zhi was stunned again. Could acting so menacing make Song Mian buy him a big burger? Song Mian wasn’t one to bully the weak and fear the strong. But once seated in the shop devouring the burger, Lin Zhi had only one thought: Being alive is great!
How could he keep living? He absolutely wouldn’t do anything too perverse, but things he was dead certain about, he’d do. Yet that abstract program kept interfering.
Just then, Song Mian glanced at his watch.
Song Mian hadn’t returned Lin Zhi’s watch, and Lin Zhi hadn’t asked for it. Wearing something so expensive made him too self-conscious; now with his wrist bare, he suddenly felt brave enough to throw punches in a fight.
But Lin Zhi’s eyes gleamed—Song Mian had worn the watch all day, over eight hours of skin contact! Wrist to wrist, it counted as personal item contact.
The Romance Survival System heard its host’s analysis and exclaimed: 【Are you really going to complete this mission?! It’s only Tuesday!】
Lin Zhi hesitated, “But I don’t really want to steal Song Mian’s watch.”
The system didn’t understand. 【Why not?】
Lin Zhi reasoned practically, “It’s too valuable—millions. I’m afraid if Song Mian notices it’s gone first, he might call the cops before I can return it. Then I’d really be a thief.”
The system fell silent.
The system said: 【Host, but the watch fits perfectly! After stealing it, stick to the Male Lead. When he notices, immediately hand it back!】
Lin Zhi felt heavy-hearted. “Even if he doesn’t call the cops, I wouldn’t dare. This isn’t as simple as swapping pillows—it’s theft.”
The system got cold feet too: 【Host, I’m just a system—you decide!】
Song Mian noticed Lin Zhi staring at his watch for a while and said, “Come with me somewhere.”
Lin Zhi mumbled through a mouthful of burger, “Give me three minutes!”
In three minutes, he cleared the table. As the car drove away from the city, passing familiar scenery, Lin Zhi asked, “Heading back to your place?”
“Mm.”
Lin Zhi: “Gonna disgust the illegitimate kid again?”
Song Mian: “No. If he’s home today, you can disgust him on the way.”
Lin Zhi rubbed his chin, eyes wise.
Without guests, the vast mansion felt much emptier. The gate security still respectfully called out “Young Master.” A few staff tended the lawn.
As they entered, a gray-haired man approached amiably. “Young Master, what brings you back at this hour?”
Song Mian: “Grabbing something.”
“This is the friend from the little third’s son’s banquet last time? Hello, I’m the Song family butler—you can call me Uncle Sun.”
Lin Zhi was pondering his greeting when he sweetly replied, “Hello, Uncle Sun.”
“Uncle Sun, you hate that Song Feng too?”
Mentioning Song Feng, the butler had a basket of complaints. “He’s home. He’ll smell it soon and come looking for our young master. I’ll tell you when he’s out.”
Lin Zhi hesitated. “But I can’t come anytime.”
The butler pulled out his phone. “Add WeChat?”
Lin Zhi’s eyes lit up, nodding eagerly.
Song Mian rubbed his brow, waiting for them to exchange contacts. Lin Zhi grinned and bumped Song Mian’s shoulder playfully.
Watching their backs, Uncle Sun finally delivered his short-drama butler line: “Young Master hasn’t smiled like that in ages.”
Lin Zhi, with his sharp ears, turned back. “Uncle Sun, Song Mian didn’t smile!”
Uncle Sun switched lines. “Young Master hasn’t brought anyone back in ages.”
Sharp-eared Lin Zhi turned again. “Uncle, I get what you mean, but I’m a guy! Does a guy work?”
Uncle Sun’s face changed instantly. “No, a guy won’t do.”
Lin Zhi chuckled and whispered to Song Mian, “I did that on purpose. Uncle Sun was quoting butler lines from overbearing CEO novels. Those CEOs in books are all crazy—you’re not like that.”
Song Mian was utterly speechless.
Lin Zhi entered Song Mian’s bedroom again.
Song Mian’s room was huge. Lin Zhi sat in a chair. “Why are we in your bedroom?”
Song Mian opened the cabinet. Lin Zhi peeked over. It had shelves of exquisite gifts, a card labeled “From Mother,” and at the bottom—a basketball!
That was the birthday gift Lin Zhi had scrimped months of allowance and odd jobs for. After giving it to Song Mian, who neither liked nor disliked it, it vanished. Lin Zhi had thought he’d thrown it away.
Lin Zhi’s eyes heated up. “My gift—it’s that important?!”
It had its own shelf.
Song Mian said, “Nowhere else to put it. Throwing it pollutes the environment.”
Lin Zhi pouted.
Song Mian pulled out a hand-sized, exquisite wooden box from the cabinet. The lid center read “Patek Philippe” in English.
Lin Zhi inhaled sharply, eyes glued as Song Mian opened it and took out a stunning luxury starry sky watch. He handed it to Lin Zhi.
Lin Zhi didn’t dare take it, stammering, “W-What?”
Song Mian: “Grandpa gave it to me, but I’m not used to switching watches often, so I never wore it. It’s yours now.”
Lin Zhi was stunned. “W-Why?”
“Compensation.” Song Mian’s tone was flat. “I lost the watch I gave you—can’t find it.”
Lin Zhi: “If it’s lost, it’s lost. You gave it to me anyway.”
Song Mian firmly clasped it onto Lin Zhi’s wrist. “I don’t take back birthday gifts from others. Wear it—don’t let it get robbed again.”
Lin Zhi wouldn’t dare! He no longer felt punch-throwing brave; his net worth had jumped millions.
“But it’s too valuable!”
Song Mian closed the box. “What else? I don’t like owing people.”
Lin Zhi protested, “But you gave it to me first—how do you owe me? I’m not wearing some cheap watch now.”
“Shut up and wear it.”
Lin Zhi: “Okay.”
His wrist burned. Leaving the bedroom, they ran into the butler, and Lin Zhi tried hiding it, but Uncle Sun spotted the Patek Philippe.
The butler’s brows furrowed.
Lin Zhi didn’t know what to say, scratching his face dumbly.
The butler’s tone soured. “Unfriend each other!”
Lin Zhi scratched his face dumbly again.
Song Feng rushed down from the second floor. “Bro!”
Song Feng had planned to perform well for Song Mian this time, but spotting the new watch on Lin Zhi’s wrist twisted his expression.
Lin Zhi grinned goofily, completely forgetting the disgusting lines.
Song Mian didn’t spare Song Feng a glance and led Lin Zhi out of the Song Residence.
Back in the car, Lin Zhi was still excited. He snapped photos of his wrist and couldn’t resist posting them to the group chat. Zhu Muyun didn’t recognize it, but Tong Xu popped up with a string of exclamation marks.
Lin Zhi felt a bit embarrassed. “Maybe I should give it back.”
Song Mian gripped the steering wheel. “Why?”
Lin Zhi fidgeted. “I’m feeling pretty vain right now.”
Song Mian: “So?”
Lin Zhi confessed, “It’s not money I earned—it’s yours. And I keep wanting to show it off. That’s wrong.”
Song Mian remained calm. “It’s yours. Show it off if you want.”
Lin Zhi let out an “Aiyo,” unable to resist headbutting Song Mian’s shoulder in the car.
Song Mian: “…”
Lin Zhi held up two fingers, eyes sparkling at Song Mian. “I swear, when I first hung out with you, it wasn’t for money! Just a country bumpkin dying to know you.”
Song Mian’s brow arched. “And now?”
Lin Zhi touched the watch, face red. “Kinda now. Money’s great. I’m awful!”
Song Mian: “I’ll be rich my whole life. So I don’t mind your little thoughts.”
Coming from Song Mian, it wasn’t bragging—just stating a fact.
“But I feel bad.” Lin Zhi tried removing it. “Maybe give it back? You can wear two.”
Song Mian: “Throw it away if you don’t want it. I don’t take back gifts.”
Lin Zhi stopped.
He quieted for a bit. At a red light in growing traffic, Lin Zhi suddenly promised earnestly, “Next year, I’ll intern. All my earnings minus living expenses—I’ll spend on you!”
Song Mian: “Noted.”
Lin Zhi’s eyes curved happily, and he headbutted Song Mian’s shoulder again.
Song Mian: “…”
“Behave yourself.”
Lin Zhi: “Got it, Brother Song Mian.”
Back at the dormitory, Tong Xu was the first to check out Lin Zhi’s watch. He kept chattering with envy. “Song Mian treats you so well. What kind of charm do you have to make him like this? Is it just because you’re good-looking?”
Lin Zhi felt a bit shy from the comments. “Song Mian isn’t the type to brush things off like that. He must have taken a liking to my soul or something.”
“Some abstract soul?” Tong Xu was still puzzled. “Song Mian doesn’t treat you like a lackey. He’s never verbally insulted you or looked down on you. Sure, he’s speechless at some of your antics sometimes, and his words might not always be kind, but they’re true. So he definitely doesn’t see you as some dog he can summon and dismiss at will! Could his standards for friends really be that superficial?”
Lin Zhi yanked his hand back, not letting Tong Xu look at the watch anymore.
“What’s that for? Can’t it just be my personal charm?”
Tong Xu was green with envy.
Lin Zhi had been excited all day, so he showed off to Tong Xu, who gave him full emotional value in return! Zhu Muyun couldn’t understand Lin Zhi’s excitement or Tong Xu’s envy. “Isn’t it just a watch? As long as it tells time, what’s the big deal?”
After Zhu Muyun spoke, Tong Xu immediately started schooling him on all kinds of luxury watch knowledge.
Lin Zhi was also snapped back to reality by the system’s reminder in his mind: 【Host! Stop admiring your watch! You’ve spent the whole day thinking about stealing the Male Lead’s watch and haven’t made any effort to survive! Tuesday is almost over, and you’re running out of time!】
Lin Zhi sobered up.
Completing the mission and staying alive for good was the top priority right now!
