Chapter 24.4

　　Without delay, he issued a statement and revealed that upon his return home, he had made a distressing realization — he had unwittingly been reduced to a mere “guest” in the mansion’s AI system. Consumed by a profound sense of disappointment, he ran away and spent the last two days attempting to take back the reins over his emotions. Only then did Jing Xi finally resurface online to sever all ties with the Yi family.

　　Promptly, Duan Chi shared the post with a hugging emoji.

　　Jing Xi praised, “My, my, this guy gets it.”
　　System puzzled, “And what happens next?”
　　Jing Xi answered, “That’s all there is to it. The rest is none of my business.”

　　Given Jing Xi’s relationship with Duan Chi, releasing this statement would undoubtedly convince the public that the Silver Fort Financial Group would no longer cooperate with the Yi family henceforth. This significant development was something countless companies had to take into serious consideration.

　　At this juncture, President Yi’s character had raised doubts in many minds. If he had employed the same unethical methods in the business as he would with the Zhou family over the years, he would inevitably reap what he sowed. After all, short-selling institutions should not be underestimated, and those who had long since held grievances against the Yi family would unquestionably seize this opportunity to strike. That was why he aptly stated that their survival depended solely on their own capabilities.

　　With that, he brought this matter to a close and invited the dandies to have fun in the group chat.

　　It was a coincidence that some of them happened to be together at the same time.

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　　He sighed, “CEO Duan has an uncanny ability to sabotage all my chances at romance.”
　　System refuted, “Are they even useful at all?”
　　Jing Xi explained, “I mean, I can survive without them. But a life without romance would make me appear utterly unappealing.”
　　System fell silent, unsure how to respond.

　　Despite his musings on romance, Jing Xi knew well that his primary focus lay in his work.

　　Once the storm had passed, Yi Jun found himself swamped with day-to-day responsibilities at the company. Each day brought new challenges, where he dabbled in intricate human relationships. As time went on, something changed within him, rendering him quiet and withdrawn. The decline of the Yi family seemed to cast a shadow of unworthiness upon him, making him believe he was out of Jin Yumeng’s league. Consequently, he distanced himself from her and even no longer appeared in her presence.

　　As for the pure white flower, she had always held a deep-rooted fear of Jin Yumeng. But now, her fear had reached new heights after the episode with Jing Xi at the cafeteria and witnessing the Yi family’s plight. This made her even more cautious about crossing paths with Jin Yumeng, who happened to be on good terms with Jing Xi. So, whenever she spotted Jin Yumeng, she would swiftly opt for an alternate route, hoping to avoid unwanted encounters.

　　With that, the original storyline that had left the female lead, Jin Yumeng, in distress for a prolonged period was finally mitigated, all thanks to the reformed character of the once despicable Scumbag and Conniving Little B*tch.

　　Despite the rollercoaster of emotions she had endured, she managed to somehow regain her composure swiftly. Emerging unscathed, she remained gentle on the surface but tough on the inside — a princess, both sweet and fiercely proud.

　　Having keenly observed the aftermath for a few days, Jing Xi could not help but notice that this incident had brought the main leads closer together. At the very least, Duan Xiuwen was no longer avoiding Jin Yumeng. After mulling over the situation, Jing Xi started, “Instead of intervening, I believe it’s best to let them develop their relationship on their own. Let’s give it a month and see what happens.”

　　System pondered for a moment and concurred with his suggestion.

　　Jing Xi continued, “If only they could get together without my meddling, I wouldn’t need to worry about this storyline. Now, tell me about the second storyline.”
　　System responded, “I would love to, but I cannot.”

　　Upon hearing this utterance, Jing Xi could discern the underlying meaning in its words.

　　Being cautious of his antics, the Administration Bureau imposed innumerable rules and restrictions on System. It seemed that he had yet to meet the required conditions to move onto the next storyline.

　　Although frustrating, he could understand their caution if he were to step into their shoes. After all, he was considered the prime suspect in their department’s collapse, so he would not readily grant himself freedom. Thus, their Department Head must have something up his sleeve.

　　With that, he mulled over this matter before pushing it into the secluded recesses of his mind and embracing his life as a dandy.

　　Time slipped away unnoticed, weaving days into weeks until a whole month had vanished in the blink of an eye. Meanwhile, the main characters were engrossed in their own pursuits and went about their daily routines. Due to their differing majors, their paths rarely crossed on campus, resulting in scarce encounters and minimal interactions. It was in light of this issue that System passionately implored Jing Xi to engineer more chances for them to come together. After all, true love often needed a gentle nudge to bring souls closer.

　　Jing Xi opined, ‘Piece of cake.’ After conducting his research online, he wasted no time and began sending messages in the club group chat. He emphasized that he had caused their previous outing to flop, so he was inviting everyone to have fun at a haunted house and escape room this weekend.

　　Excitement swept through the group as one member after another eagerly agreed. 

　　Meanwhile, Duan Xiuwen, ever the matchmaker, could not refrain from fretting over the relationship between his uncle and aunt. As such, he promptly informed a certain individual about their plans.

　　Instantly, Duan Chi’s gaze was drawn to his calendar as his face clouded over in disappointment. His upcoming business trip had dashed all hopes of joining the outing. With a tinge of regret, he reluctantly passed on the opportunity and reached out to a certain someone in an attempt to arrange a meet-up.

　　[Jing Xi: We literally had a meal together just last week.]
　　[Duan Chi: You just said it yourself that it was last week.] 
　　[Jing Xi: That’s hardly any time at all.]
　　[Duan Chi: I’ll be on a business trip for over half a month.]
　　[Jing Xi: Alright.]

　　Later that evening, Jing Xi returned home and made his way next door, only to run into the casually-clad CEO.

　　With bated breath, he waited for Duan Chi to turn around. In that ephemeral moment, Jing Xi’s eyes scanned the other’s head and sighed inwardly, ‘You see? You’ve got to take every opportunity that comes your way.’

　　System perplexed, “Huh?”
　　Jing Xi reminded, “The great deal, and I can’t believe I actually managed to resist it.”
　　At that moment, System caught on and stated, “… All you have to do is say the magic word, and he will surely show you his ears and tail.”

　　Against all expectations, Jing Xi refused and trailed after him into the dining room. With a glint in his eye, he took the initiative and expressed his burning desire to have fun.

　　Duan Chi was genuinely pleased with his honesty, a refreshing quality that brought a smile to his face. With a sound of acknowledgment, Duan Chi inquired, “Do you need a bodyguard?” Since Jing Xi had always been perceptive, he contemplated the atmosphere in the haunted house and questioned, “What race is he of?”