Chapter 18.2

　　With that in mind, he reached out to his nephew.

　　[Duan Chi: Has he contacted you recently?]
　　[Duan Xiuwen: No.]
　　[Duan Chi: He didn’t send you any messages as well?]
　　[Duan Xiuwen: No. I’ve already submitted a claim to have the relevant posts removed.]

　　Having said that, the conversation promptly concluded. Duan Chi turned his gaze in that direction once more before commencing his overtime work.

　　Elsewhere, System was grilling Jing Xi with a series of pointed questions.

　　It had already been over a week, so what happened to the “With him here, there was no need to worry about the male and female leads” deal he promised?

　　Jing Xi imparted, “Doing it too frequently will make it look too conspicuous.”

　　System puzzled, “Then, what should we do?”

　　Jing Xi answered, “Find the right time. Now, tell me the latter part of the storyline.”

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　　Brsd blyakdt vbyv, Fupvlx cltyd vs alnswdv vbl pvsauzkdl okvb wvxspv ekzktldnl. Ebld kv prsjl sq nzwc ynvkhkvklp, kv alxkdele, “Mbkp kp y nakvknyz cwt. Gp usw xyu alnyzz, R ralhkswpzu xldvksdle vbyv ewl vs vos pvweldvp qykzkdt vs lyad y rzynl yv Qlpl Bdkhlapkvu, vbl xyzl yde qlxyzl zlyep zspv vbl srrsavwdkvu vs xllv lynb svbla, aktbv? Xdl sq vblx byrrldp vs cl vbl qlxyzl zlye’p assxxyvl, obs lhldvwyzzu eaytp bla vs fskd y nzwc vbyv vbl xyzl zlye kp yzps y xlxcla sq. Ebld vblu oldv sd y hynyvksd, vblu tsv nywtbv kd y vsaaldvkyz aykdpvsax yde ldele wr clkdt pvaydele qsa xspv sq vbl dktbv.”

　　Kkdt Dk nbyzzldtle, “Vlsrzl nyd pvkzz cl pvaydele qsa xspv sq vbl dktbv kd y bktb-vlnb lay?”

　　Fupvlx lmrzykdle, “Mblu qlzz kdvs y nyhl, ps vbl pktdyz oyp lmvalxlzu olyj.”

　　Kkdt Dk nswdvlale, “Jwv R vbswtbv vbyv xyzl zlye nswze vaydpqsax?”

　　“Mbyv kp ralnkplzu vbl rskdv!” Fupvlx oldv kdvs lnpvypklp shla vbl pvsauzkdl. “Mbl qlxyzl zlye’p kdfwau yde czllekdt ldtldelale vbl akdtkdt sq vbl xyzl zlye’p caynlzlv. Jwv vbydjp vs vbl alrzldkpble pvkxwzydv qasx vbl alplyanb kdpvkvwvl, bl xydytle vs alpkpv vaydpqsaxkdt. Gp bl vldele vs vbl qlxyzl zlye, bl yvvlxrvle esttlezu vs jllr yzz elpkal yv cyu. Rv oyp vbl lrkvsxl sq nbkhyzau yde wdawzkdlpp! Kwpv kxytkdl vbyv lmbkzyayvkdt pnldl! Mbwp, kv kp kxrlayvkhl vbyv ol ralplahl vbkp rzsv rskdv!”

　　Kkdt Dk kdiwkale, “Ebyv byrrldle dlmv? Pke bl qszzso vbaswtb yde eakdj bla czsse?”

　　Fupvlx ekhwztle, “Zlp, cwv vbl qlxyzl zlye sqqlale bla czsse yv vbl pktbv sq vbl xyzl zlye’p ytsdu. Xd vsr sq vbyv, vbkp kp yzps vbl qkapv vkxl vbl xyzl zlye byp eawdj vbl qlxyzl zlye’p czsse kd vbkp xyddla.”

　　Kkdt Dk zlv swv y pswde sq ynjdsozletxldv yde osdelale, “Ebld’p vbl nzwc qyka?”

　　System answered, “It is held after the orientation party and will last for 7 days.”

　　With that, Jing Xi was given an approximate date.

　　The orientation party would take place half a month after the commencement of the academic year. By then, the new students would have had the chance to meet with new friends. That was why this event was the perfect bonding session for them. As opposed to scheduling programs, the party would be held as a grand ball.

　　System persisted, “In actual fact, an essential plot point is set to unfold on that very day. Considering the rarity of their encounters, do you reckon that the despicable scumbag and conniving little b*tch will still harass the leading lady?”

　　To which Jing Xi replied, “I hope so.”

　　As one day bled into another, the day of the orientation party had arrived.

　　The small square and the adjacent stadium were converted into the venue for the party. Refreshments were placed in the stadium, where seniors would join in for fun.

　　By the time Jing Xi arrived, he was greeted with a large-scale rave scene. However, there was no way of telling which brave soul set the ball rolling and got up to dance.

　　The square was divided into two — the first section beckoned the dancers with its sprawling floor, while the other was dotted with cozy tables and chairs, perfect for taking a breather. Amidst the lively atmosphere, people gathered in small groups, indulging in animated conversations and jovial laughter. As the euphoric screams reverberated intermittently from the nearby stadium, it was evident that a thrilling concert was underway.

　　After surveying the disorderly surroundings for a mere two seconds, he promptly instructed System to pinpoint the characters’ locations and sought out a more advantageous vantage point.

　　As soon as his foot touched the ground, System’s voice resounded in his mind. “The scumbag is about to make his way over, so you must refrain from intervening! Just let the male lead…”

　　Before it could finish its sentence, they witnessed Yi Jun uttering something to Jin Yumeng before pivoting on his heel and striding off.

　　At this juncture, System’s voice came to an abrupt halt.

　　After a brief pause, it erupted with a forceful exclamation. “Is that all? Something is amiss with scummy! What is going on?”

　　Jing Xi inquired, “What did he say?”

　　System lamented, “He firmly declared that he has already blocked Xiao Hui and vowed to steer clear of any private encounters with her henceforth. Moreover, he has resolved to become an exceptional individual, and earnestly hopes that the female lead will grant him a second chance when the time comes! Bah, that is just wishful thinking!”

　　Jing Xi’s sagacity was apparent in his decision to remain silent, leaving System with no one to blame and causing it to weep in frustration by its lonesome.

　　On the rare chance that Jing Xi felt a twinge of compassion for System, he decidedly sought out the male lead. As far as he could recall, the male lead was actively avoiding the female lead at this stage, making it impossible to simply let events unfold naturally. Thus, Jing Xi was left with no choice but to intervene.

　　Without wasting any time, he quickly sent a message.

　　[Jing Xi: Do you not see me waving my hand at you?]

　　A brief moment of silence followed before Duan Xiuwen sent a response with a clear conscience. 

　　[Duan Xiuwen: No.]
　　[Jing Xi: Stay there and don’t move.]

　　Duan Xiuwen found himself contemplating his uncle’s recent suggestion of having a chat with Yi Zhou to determine his stance on a certain matter. As he dwelled on this idea, he eventually decided to acquiesce.

　　[Duan Xiuwen: Alright.]

　　It took Jing Xi no time to meet up with him. After suggesting to stroll around the square, he naturally led the male lead in the female lead’s direction.

　　Before they had the chance to exchange more than a few words, Duan Xiuwen’s visage distorted abruptly. He stepped back and muttered something along the lines of having an urgent matter that required his immediate attention. Without further conveyance, he spun around and bolted away.

　　System’s utter elation dissipated into confusion at the sight. “What is wrong with him?”

　　Jing Xi glanced over at Jin Yumeng and noticed the look of confusion on her face morphed into awkwardness. Sensing the discomforting atmosphere, she made an excuse to take her leave. As she walked away, a thought struck her, and she could not help but exclaim in enlightenment.

　　System, on the other hand, was still at sixes and sevens. “What is wrong with them? Have they had a row? But they have not mentioned anything?”

　　Jing Xi teased, “Want to know?”

　　System probed, “You know?”

　　“Of course,” Jing Xi answered, “You know how it is. Girls would always experience a few days of discomfort every month.”

　　System was taken aback by this utterance and found itself momentarily at a loss for words.

　　Jing Xi pondered, “Does the male lead help the female lead out of a tight spot prior to this point in the original storyline?”

　　System responded, “Yes.”

　　Jing Xi snickered, “Those Lupinus Mutants of yours even possess a detection skill that far surpasses the female lead herself. Didn’t see that coming, did you?”

　　After a momentary pause, System exclaimed, “… Shut up!”

　　The consuming worry over the situation had kept it on tenterhooks. “Seeing how awkward the situation has become, would they be more likely to avoid each other henceforth?” 

　　Jing Xi disagreed, “No, I doubt so. Anyway, isn’t the club fair just around the corner? Their relationship is bound to deepen once we’ve fixed this bug and they’ve overcome hardships together.”

　　Although the idea sounded simple in theory, executing it proved to be more challenging.

　　After all, both the male and female leads were undoubtedly no fools. Since certain areas in the latter part of the storyline required some fixing, it was adamant that he must persuade them without appearing far too overt. Once the male lead’s application was confirmed, his attention should shift to subtly influencing the female lead to apply as well.

　　It was a shame that Jin Yumeng was not a big fan of adventure clubs, and despite his best efforts, his attempts to persuade her to join one were futile. The only thing he knew for sure was that her current roommate was an overzealous fan of his who was fond of having company in everything she did. In light of this, he was left with no choice but to swallow his pride and make a compromise. On the last day, he charmed and informed her roommate that he had applied for a certain adventure club.

　　Sure enough, Jing Yumeng’s roommate had dragged her into joining the club, albeit half a day later.

　　Noticing the recently popular students had joined the club, the leader excitedly added them to the group chat and welcomed them warmly. Upon seeing this, the other members also jumped on the bandwagon.

　　On the other hand, the turn of events left Duan Xiuwen and Jin Yumeng bereft of speech.

　　[Leader: We have a public holiday coming up next week, so we’ll have a long 5-day break. That’s why we’ve decided to organize an event, and I hope everyone will sign up for it enthusiastically.]

　　Within minutes of the announcement, a message appeared in the group chat.

　　[Duan Xiuwen: I have something on during that time, so I won’t be able to make it.]

　　Words failed System as it read the message, rendering it speechless.