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  • Debugging in Book Series

    Chapter 12

    “This time, it’s because I like you.”

      The square was bordered by flights of stairs on three sides, but connected to a path that led to a lake.

      Standing halfway up the stairs, Jing Xi was greeted by an unobstructed panoramic view. Thus, both he and System witnessed the entire process of the male lead sauntering in a circle around the tree from the left and running into the female lead on the right, only for System to scream its ‘lungs’ out at the moment that looked like a scene straight out of an idol series. 

      “What a beautiful couple! They truly are predestined for each other, especially when you did not even make any allusions to the timing. Yet, the female lead just happened to make her way here at such an opportune moment!”

      Despite that, Jing Xi seemed perfunctory in his response to System’s exclamation and continued to look on in silence.

      The sacred tree dates back a hundred years, and approximately five to six people were required to hold hands around the tree trunk.

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      It somewhat resembled a large wisteria vine1 大藤: There are 2 variants for wisterias (American and Asian Wisterias), but here’s what the Japanese wisteria looks like. Wisteria Vine whose luscious foliage spread so wide that it seemed to encompass a better part of the square.

      As the prayer ribbons fluttered in the wind, music and laughter from the nearby event reverberated in the tranquil light of night. Two individuals stood motionlessly under the sacred tree as their eyes met and held.

    The following parts of the text will be scrambled to prevent theft from aggregators and unauthorized epub making. Please support our translators by reading on secondlifetranslations (dot) com. If you are currently on the site and and you are seeing this, please clear your cache.

      Wsa y qzllvkdt xsxldv, bl qlzz kdvs y vaydnl.

      Ozploblal, Fupvlx clnyxl ps rwxrle wr okvb lmnkvlxldv qsa vbl xyzl yde qlxyzl zlye’p asxydvkn qkapv ldnswdvla. Gzz sq y pweeld, kv elvlnvle y xkdwvl vaynl sq ldlatu qzwnvwyvksd vbyv pzkrrle vbaswtb zkjl y ashkdt eaytsd clqsal hydkpbkdt okvbswv y vaynl.

      Kwpv yv vbyv xsxldv, kv zlv swv y pbaklj sq pwarakpl.

      Fupvlx’p hsknl casjl vbaswtb Kkdt Dk’p alhlakl, nywpkdt y pxyzz pktb vs lpnyrl bkx. “Ps usw vbkdj kv’p yrrasrakyvl vs plde y elnyxkzzlddkwx-sze2 Plnyxkzzlddkwx xlydp vld vbswpyde ulyap. alzyvksdpbkr hkatkd vs cl y xyvnbxyjla?”

      Brsd blyakdt vbyv iwlpvksd, Fupvlx blyajldle cynj vs bkp rypv fsc.

      Mbl Slckavb Plryavxldv, yp kvp dyxl kxrzkle, oyp ldvawpvle okvb vbl Slcsadp.

      Mblal, vblu rashkele vbl Slcsadp okvb yppkpvydnl kd vlaxp sq srldkdt wr yhldwlp yde nszzlnvkdt ldvasru qasx vbl pnwxp yp aloyaep. Xdzu obld vbkdtp bye nsxl vs yd lde oswze vblu alvwad vbl cseu vs vblka nzkldv. Usdpliwldvzu, vblu olal rasbkckvle qasx pyeezkdt vblka nzkldvp okvb wddlnlppyau qllzkdtp.

      Mbyv oyp obu bl nswze dsv byhl ldvlale ydu asxydvkn alzyvksdpbkrp.

      In any case, it reckoned that Jing Xi’s ambitions lay elsewhere.

      After all, rebirth missions came in varying degrees of difficulty. There might be times when one might find themselves in dire straits. Even the mention of teaming up with malicious crooks would often send people running, yet Jing Xi was the only one willing to accept the missions every time. In the Administration Bureau, it was no secret that he was always so fond of unleashing carnage and making a mess of things that all the systems he had partnered with would stop functioning several times. As for other agents, they had to restrain themselves from falling in love to uphold ethical standards in their work. Jing Xi, however, was bent on stirring up trouble, to the point where he did not even have any time to spare for romance.

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      Could it be that… their department’s innocent love had somehow influenced this big shot by virtue of a relaxed environment? 

      With that in mind, it probed, “Perhaps, you can consider entering a romantic relationship here? The original host has already begun his new life after signing the contract, so there is no need for us to return this body. Hence, you are given full rein to use this identity.”

      Disregarding its words, Jing Xi noticed the male lead finally regained his composure and began distancing himself from the female lead.

      Only when Duan Xiuwen was backed up against the tree did he stop.

      The girl standing before him had long wavy hair and an exquisite visage. In a split second, the look of shock on her face morphed into calmness before tacitly taking a couple of steps back. Even so, wisps of her scent coiled around him like threads, attempting to worm into his body… He caught his breath in a short gasp and averted his gaze in a dither.

      Like an arrow from a bow, his two childhood friends rushed over to keep watch over him.

      One placed himself between Duan Xiuwen and the girl, while the other dialed Duan Chi’s number and nearly howled like a wounded wolf. “Uncle!!”

      As soon as Duan Chi answered the call, an ear-piercing ringing reverberated from the other end of the line. In that instance, he felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

      In spite of that, he could still complete his work without haste before making his way over. After all, based on Yi Zhou’s attitude towards Lupinus Mutants, Duan Chi was adamant that he would never risk his life to stir up trouble. So if that was the case, what in the world was going on now?

      At this juncture, the person on the other end of the line recounted all that had transpired incoherently yet poignantly. 

      Duan Chi pondered, “A girl?”

      The wolfling confirmed, “Yes!”

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      Duan Chi doubted, “Are you certain that person is a girl?”

      After a momentary pause, the wolfling shot a glance over his shoulder and rasped hesitantly, “I-I think so?”

      Duan Chi questioned, “Are you both alright?”

      The wolfling reassured, “We’re fine. Only Xiuwen’s bracelet rang out.”

      After ruminating for a brief moment, Duan Chi instructed the wolfling to send him a photo of the girl.

      Perplexed, the other still did as he was told. Only after he beheld the image did Duan Chi find himself staring at a familiar face.

      Jin Yumeng.

      She was involved in the first scheme a certain individual had enacted a while back, so could it be a coincidence for her to make an appearance again this time?

      For some unknown reason, all his instincts were telling him that something about this smelled fishy. Hence, he inquired, “Is he currently still in the hotel?”

      “Who?” It took the wolfling several moments to wrap his head around Duan Chi’s question. “Oh, right! We darted a glance at it earlier, and it still shows that he is in his hotel room.” 

      In response, Duan Chi let out a sound of acknowledgment.

      As matters stood, it would be of little use for him to head over, which was why he instructed them to await the police and go through the usual formalities before hanging up the call.

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      With that, the wolfling locked his phone and checked on his friend.

      Taking a sip from the bottle of water he received from his friends, Duan Xiuwen attempted to regulate his breathing. Before long, the ringing gradually came to a stop.

      All of a sudden, System boasted, “You see, not once did he even try to draw closer to her! Don’t you think that it is very sensible of him?”

      Noticing that Jing Xi was rather sentimental this evening, it seized the opportunity to put in some good words for the male lead. That way, it could thwart his intention of pulling some tricks. “If you look closely enough, it seems that his gaze would always draw to the female lead at all times. It is in this male lead of ours where one might find wildness amidst his elegance, as well as reliance amidst his forbearance. So what’s there not to like about a wolfling like this?”

      Upon hearing that utterance, Jing Xi mused profoundly, “That’s not all, innit?”

      System puzzled, “What?”

      Jing Xi explained, “3 parts overbearance, 3 parts affections, and 3 parts viciousness. Let’s not forget the half part fragility and half part clinginess.”

      System fumed, “… Scram!”

      A corner of his mouth quirked up as Jing Xi watched Jin Yumeng composedly search for a place to sit whilst awaiting the arrival of the police. Due to the ringing, those present in the vicinity remained rooted to the ground, yet that did not stop them from enjoying the show. Thus, not once did any of them make a move.

      Deeming the entire process a success and the female lead was in safe hands, he decisively got ready to withdraw.

      Just as he was about to depart from this scenic spot, System let out a cry of surprise.

      It turned out that after Duan Chi’s aircraft landed on the designated tarmac, the vehicle he was in took an unexpected turn. Much to their dismay, he was not traveling in this direction, but instead… that of the Seacoast Hotel.

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      It exclaimed, “Duan Chi got hold of your location from the male lead and his gang, and is on his way to you right now! Quick, get back to the hotel now!”

      Without further conveyance, Jing Xi raised his hand to hail a cab before heading back as swiftly as he could.

      After making some rapid calculations, System reported, “We won’t make it in time.”

      Jing Xi asked, “How much time are we left?”

      System speculated, “Approximately 5 minutes.”

      At Jing Xi’s behest, it opened a map in his mind. In their haste, he directed the driver to the quickest route and darted into the hotel upon arriving. Here, it was divided into several buildings that were inaccessible by car. For the lack of a better option, there was nothing else he could do but run.

      System proposed, “You only have 3 minutes left, so how about I move your GPS location elsewhere? That way, you can pretend to be out on a stroll and have missed him entirely when he arrived.”

      Jing Xi objected, “No, it’s best not to move my GPS location.”

      System wondered, “Why?”

      Jing Xi pointed out, “To avoid arousing his suspicions.” 

      Artificial Stupidity challenged, “So what if he suspects something?”

      “Things will become troublesome,” Jing Xi continued to explain, “If you were to put yourself in the shoes of those brainless fans, you would certainly consider the male and female leads being a match made in heaven to be something to fawn over. However, from the family’s point of view, do you think he would remain indifferent to Lupinus Mutants’ mortality rate of 90 percent and us plotting against his nephew?”

      Thinking over his words, System found that his words made logical sense and lamented, “If I only had known things would transpire so smoothly, we could have just remained in the hotel.”

      Be that as it may, one could never use wealth to purchase foreknowledge.

      With a 3-day deadline looming over their heads and the intention to ensure the opportunity was well-spent, they had no other choice but to head down to the sacred tree personally and fix mishaps should they occur.

      It yelled frantically, “2 minutes left! Oh no, he has just stepped into the lift!”

      However, System’s words offered Jing Xi no respite. Once he entered the lobby, he spun around and made haste for the staircase.

      System suggested, “How about I reduce the lift’s speed to help you stall him for a moment?”

      As he parkoured his way up the flights of stairs, Jing Xi hurled two words at it. “No need.”

      System refuted, “There is no way you can make it in time either! Won’t you both still run into each other when he steps out of the lift and you the staircase?”

      Jing Xi made no answer and continued rushing up the stairs even after arriving at the floor where his room was situated.

      The hotel has a total of ten floors, of which his room was situated on the seventh story. Yet, he dashed onto the rooftop and trolled for his room. To System’s stupefaction, he jumped off the roof after taking a glimpse at the building layout. Relying on two points in his leap, he managed to land gently on the open balcony, only to find that the doorbell had been ringing for an unknown period.

      Unexpectedly, the person at the door stopped pressing the doorbell. In a matter of seconds, Jing Xi’s ringing phone broke the momentary silence.

      Whipping out his phone, Jing Xi flung it onto the bed before heading into the bathroom.

      He took off his clothes, then lathered his body with shampoo and body wash. Only after doing a quick rinse-off with water did he dry himself off in haste. Donning a bathrobe, he stepped into his room and picked up his ringing phone. “Hello?”

      There was a pause before Duan Chi asked, “Where are you?”

      Jing Xi responded, “Hotel. Is there something I can do for you?”

      Duan Chi stated, “I’m at your door.”

      “Huh?” With his phone in his hand, the confused Jing Xi made his way to the doorway and opened the door.

      Jing Xi was just coming into view when one could see Duan Chi’s eyes dilate instantly.

      Although that bathrobe was of a simple design, he had left it open to the waist, and water droplets were rolling from the nape of his neck and down his body. He was truly a seductive and intoxicating sight to behold, so much so that his imagination began to run wild.

      “Just took a shower.” As Jing Xi said so, he took a half a step back to let Duan Chi in. “What brings you here?”

      Closing the door behind him, Duan Chi scrutinized him from head to toe. Noticing that Jing Xi was panting somewhat, he probed indifferently, “Why does it seem like you are rather exhausted? Were you taking a long bath?”

      Regardless of how long their bath lasted, it would not pose an issue for someone with Class-S genes.

      Even so, Jing Xi had no desire to take the bait. Just as Jing Xi was about to give him a “No” response, Duan Chi added that he seemed to have heard the water running only for a brief moment.

      The corner of Jing Xi’s lips raised in a light wisp of a smile. “That is a good question.”

      Making no move to hide his body, he lazily leaned against the wall as words imbued with hoarseness and breathlessness were emitted from his throat. “I initially intended to take care of my physical needs, but who knew the doorbell and my phone would ring so incessantly? That’s why I was forced to stop halfway and rinse myself off hastily to see you.”

      Duan Chi was at a loss for words, but Jing Xi’s words excited him with a touch beyond telling.

      *Ring!*

      With no time intervening, the bracelet emitted shrill ringing. Immediately thereafter, it came to an abrupt stop, for Duan Chi yanked it off his arm.

      Two individuals stood in the narrow foyer with a phone in their hands as their eyes met in midair.

      At this juncture, Duan Chi had a sudden urge to press his fingers against his forehead.

      Before arriving at the hotel, a plethora of thoughts flashed across his mind. On the one hand, he reckoned that this was all a coincidence. After all, he could not see how Yi Zhou could get hold of the news that his nephew was attracted to Jin Yumeng’s blood and made arrangements for them to meet. On the other, he was under the impression that Yi Zhou was steeped in mystery and even dared to send his nephew provocative messages, unless he was playing some mind games.

      Even so, he wished to rush headlong into ascertaining this young man’s goals, thoughts, and desires. However, he was aware that this was not the right way to go since they had not known each other long.

      Initially, he came prepared with a perfect excuse to meet Jing Xi, as well as the intention of testing him and also keeping a tight rein on himself throughout the entire journey. However, who would have known that the other was a loose cannon and pulled off such a smart move?

      Not only did Jing Xi pull off a big move, but he also took advantage of the control he had garnered to change the topic.

      “CEO Duan.” Now that the tables have turned, he raised an eyebrow at Duan Chi. “I have not sustained any injuries today.”

      Swallowing his chuckle, Duan Chi composedly let out a sound of acknowledgment.

      Wanting to draw ever closer to Jing Xi, he took half a step forward and clarified, “This time, it isn’t because of the scent of your blood, but instead, it’s because I like you.”


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    Islanor [Translator]

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