Chapter 16

Shi Ye lay on the bed staring at the ceiling, the little rantist in his mind already in stand-up comedy mode.

"So what's going on now? Me, a depressed patient who's emotionally numb, trying to matchmake my villainous fiancée with my lively junior from elementary school, only to have the villain see through my tricks, the junior adding fuel to the fire, and me lying in my own bed contemplating life—could this plot get any more outrageous?!"

She rolled over in bed and buried her face in the pillow: "System, tell me the truth, is this world some kind of parody fan fiction? The original was clearly an old-fashioned domineering CEO novel, but what has it become now? A silly daily life where the transmigrator tries to correct the plot but ends up making it go further and further astray?"

"This world is a derivative world of a legitimate novel, not a parody fanfiction," the system replied seriously.

Shi Ye lifted her head from under the pillow: "Then why did the plot develop like this?! Why is Qi Jin so persistent?! Why is Lin Xiaoyu so enthusiastic?! And that Chu He—he was clearly just a background character, but now I've dragged him out as a tool!"

"The characters' behavior is consistent with their respective personas: Qi Jin is persistent and affectionate, while Lin Xiaoyu is warm and kind. Chu He is indeed a background character, and the host's use of him to advance the plot is a reasonable action."

"Rational my foot!" Shi Ye sat up. "Qi Jin saw right through my act! She even commented 'Well done' under that ambiguous photo I posted! Is that a normal reaction?! Shouldn't a normal person be jealous?! Shouldn't they be angry?!"

"Qi Jin's character is set to be highly intelligent and emotionally intelligent, so it is normal for him to see through low-level schemes."

Shi Ye collapsed onto the bed, pulling the blanket over her head. She felt like a fool; her meticulously planned matchmaking scheme had been seen through at a glance, and the person involved was still playing along with her act.

Her phone suddenly vibrated. She threw back the covers, reached for her phone, and saw it was a voice message from Lin Xiaoyu.

"Sister Shi! I've got a great idea!"

Shi Ye had a bad feeling. She opened the voice chat, and Lin Xiaoyu's excited voice came through: "Since you don't believe I have a crush, let's find a real one! I know a senior who's handsome and has a good personality. He can pretend to pursue you! That way, you'll definitely believe me!"

Shi Ye: "..." How does this kid's brain work?!

She typed back: "No. It's wrong to lie."

"This isn't a lie, it's a strategy!" Lin Xiaoyu replied instantly. "And that senior is really nice! His name is Jiang Chen, he's a senior and the student council president! I can introduce you two!"

Shi Ye felt a headache coming on: "Really, it's not necessary. If Plan A fails, it fails. I'll think of another way."

"But Sister Shi, aren't you supposed to complete the mission?" Lin Xiaoyu asked. "What will happen if you don't complete the mission?"

Shi Ye stared at the question, her finger hovering over the screen. How should she answer? Say the world would collapse? Say the characters would disappear?

"Anyway... not good," she said vaguely.

"Then I'll think of another way!" Lin Xiaoyu said. "I'll definitely help you complete the task!"

Before Shi Ye could stop her, Lin Xiaoyu's profile picture turned gray—she had gone offline.

She put down her phone and lay back down. But her mind was racing: Jiang Chen? That name sounds familiar… Wait, isn't that the third male lead from the original novel?! The gentle and considerate student council president, the one who secretly loved Lin Xiaoyu but never confessed?!

"System!" she exclaimed in her mind, "Jiang Chen is a character from the original story?! Lin Xiaoyu is going to introduce him to me?!"

"Correct. Jiang Chen, 22 years old, is a senior architecture student at University A and the president of the student union. In the original novel, he has a crush on Lin Xiaoyu and plays a supporting role in the development of Lin Xiaoyu and Qi Jin's relationship."

Shi Ye sighed, rubbing his forehead. So now Lin Xiaoyu is going to introduce the third male lead who likes her in the original novel to him as her fake boyfriend? What a messed up relationship!

She suddenly felt that this task might never be completed. It wasn't that she hadn't tried hard enough; it was just that this world was too surreal.

His stomach suddenly growled. Shi Ye glanced at the time; it was nine o'clock in the evening. He had only eaten what Qi Jin had brought for dinner, and now he was a little hungry.

She got up and went downstairs to see what was in the refrigerator. She opened it and found it empty except for a few bottles of water and a few eggs.

"I should have kept some of the food Qi Jin gave me..." she muttered as she closed the refrigerator door.

The doorbell rang suddenly.

Shi Ye was taken aback. Who could it be so late? She walked to the door and looked out through the peephole—it was Qi Jin.

She was wearing a simple white shirt and black pants, and was holding an insulated bag as she stood outside the door.

Shi Ye hesitated for a moment, but still opened the door.

"You..." she looked at Qi Jin, "Why are you here?"

"I guess you're hungry." Qi Jin handed her the insulated bag. "A midnight snack."

Shi Ye took the insulated bag; it was heavy and still warm.

"How did you know..." She stopped mid-sentence. Of course Qi Jin knew; Qi Jin knew everything.

"Come in." She stepped aside.

Qi Jin walked in and naturally changed into slippers—the same slippers she wore the last time she came.

The two walked into the restaurant, and Shi Ye opened the insulated bag. Inside were two bowls of seafood porridge and several side dishes.

"You didn't eat either?" Shi asked.

"I just finished a meeting." Qi Jin sat down opposite her. "Let's eat together."

Shi Ye served two bowls of porridge, handing one to Qi Jin. The porridge smelled wonderful, with the aroma of shrimp and scallops filling the air.

The two ate their porridge in silence. The only sounds in the restaurant were the soft clinking of spoons and bowls.

Shi Ye secretly observed Qi Jin. Qi Jin ate with great focus and elegance, even drinking porridge seemed like he was performing some kind of ritual.

"Qi Jin," Shi Ye couldn't help but ask, "Did you... see the photos I posted today?"

"Hmm." Qi Jin nodded. "Well done."

"You...don't have anything you want to ask?" Shi Ye asked tentatively.

Qi Jin put down his spoon and looked at her: "What do you want me to ask?"

"For example... who is Chu He? Why did I post that photo? Do I still like him?" Shi Ye finished in one breath.

Qi Jin chuckled softly: "Are these questions even relevant?"

Shi Ye was taken aback: "What do you mean?"

“Who Chu He is is not important,” Qi Jin said. “Why you posted that photo is also not important. Do you still like him…” She paused, “If you really liked him, you wouldn’t be having a late-night snack with me here.”

Shi Ye: "..." This logic... seems to make sense?

"So you don't believe me?" she asked.

"Does it matter whether you believe it or not?" Qi Jin retorted. "It's your freedom to like whoever you want. It's my freedom to like you or not. These two things don't conflict."

Shi Ye had nothing to say. Qi Jin's unyielding attitude made all her plans seem like hitting cotton.

"So today..." She remembered Lin Xiaoyu's words, "When Lin Xiaoyu told you about Chu He, what were you thinking?"

Qi Jin thought for a moment and said, "I'm thinking that Xiao Yu's acting skills need improvement."

Shi Ye: "..." He saw right through me!

“How did you know we were acting?” she asked.

“It’s too deliberate,” Qi Jin said. “Xiao Yu usually speaks very naturally, but when she mentions Chu He, her eyes dart around, and she speaks too fast, clearly reciting lines. And…”

"And what?"

“Besides, if you really couldn’t forget Chu He, you wouldn’t have agreed to get engaged to me.” Qi Jin looked at her. “You’re not the kind of person who would wrong yourself.”

Shi Ye's heart skipped a beat. Qi Jin knew her too well—or rather, he knew the original owner of this body too well.

"Maybe... I'm doing this for the family?" she stubbornly insisted.

“Then it’s even more impossible,” Qi Jin said. “When you were sixteen, your father wanted you to get engaged to a young man from a prominent family that you didn’t like. You went on a hunger strike for three days, and in the end, nothing came of it. You’re not the kind of person who would sacrifice yourself for your family.”

Shi Ye: "..." A three-day hunger strike? Was the original owner really that resolute?!

She suddenly gained a new understanding of the original owner of this body. It turned out that the original owner was not the kind of rich girl who could be manipulated by others; she had her own principles and convictions.

“So,” Qi Jin continued, “you don’t need to go to the trouble of trying to match me up with Xiaoyu, nor do you need to make up any secret crush. Just tell me what you want to do.”

Shi Ye lowered her head and drank her porridge, not daring to look Qi Jin in the eye. What should she say? Should she say, "I'm carrying out a system mission to bring you and Lin Xiaoyu together, otherwise the world will collapse"? Qi Jin would think she was crazy.

"I just..." she said with difficulty, "I think you and Lin Xiaoyu are a good match."

Where can I find a match?

“She’s lively, you’re calm; she’s kind, you… are kind too; she’s talented, you’re capable…” Shi Ye’s voice trailed off as he spoke.

Qi Jin looked at her with gentle eyes: "Shi Ye, relationships aren't about being a good match. It's about where your heart is and where you are."

She paused, then said, "My heart is here, with you. So it doesn't matter who I'm with or whether we're a good match."

Shi Ye's nose stung again—damn physiological reaction!

She put down her spoon; she couldn't drink the porridge anymore.

“Qi Jin,” she said softly, “have you ever considered that you might… have liked the wrong person?”

Qi Jin raised an eyebrow: "What do you mean?"

“What I mean is,” Shi Ye carefully chose his words, “people change. The Shi Ye you liked may no longer be there. The me now may not be the person you want.”

Qi Jin remained silent for a long time. So long that Shi Ye thought she wouldn't answer.

“Shi Ye,” she finally spoke, her voice very soft, “do you know when I first met you?”

Shi Ye recalled those diaries and photos: "When I was feeding the cats near my house?"

“No.” Qi Jin shook his head. “Even earlier than that.”

Shi Ye was taken aback: "Even earlier? When?"

“When you were ten years old,” Qi Jin said, “at your mother’s funeral.”

Shi Ye's eyes widened. Ten years old? The original owner's mother's funeral? Qi Jin was there too?!

“It was raining heavily that day,” Qi Jin’s voice was calm, as if he were telling someone else’s story. “I went to pay my respects with my grandfather. You were wearing a little black dress, standing in front of the mourning hall, and you didn’t shed a single tear. Everyone said you were calmer than a child, but I knew you weren’t calm, you were numb.”

She looked at Shi Ye: "You back then and you now have the exact same look in your eyes. Empty, blank, as if you're looking at a world that has nothing to do with you."

Shi Ye's hands were trembling. She knew it, but she couldn't control it.

“So,” Qi Jin continued, “no matter what you become, I know that you are still you. The little girl who didn’t cry at the funeral, the girl who fed the cat in the rain, the you who is now sitting across from me drinking porridge—it’s all you.”

Shi Ye lowered his head, staring at the porridge in the bowl. The porridge had cooled down, and a thin film had formed on the surface.

“Qi Jin,” her voice was a little hoarse, “if I told you, I really am not…”

Her words trailed off. She couldn't say. She couldn't say she was a time traveler, she couldn't say the original owner of this body was no longer alive.

"Not what?" Qi Jin asked.

"It's nothing," Shi Ye shook his head. "The porridge is cold, I'll heat it up."

She stood up, picked up two bowls of porridge, and walked towards the kitchen. Qi Jin also stood up and followed behind her.

"I'll do it." Qi Jin took the porridge and turned on the gas stove.

Shi Ye leaned against the kitchen door frame, watching Qi Jin's back as he prepared the hot porridge. Qi Jin's back was very straight, and even in a place like the kitchen, he was as composed as if he were in a conference room.

"Qi Jin," Shi Ye suddenly asked, "Are you tired?"

Qi Jin turned to look at her: "What?"

"Aren't you tired of liking someone like me?" Shi Ye said.

Qi Jin thought for a moment: "Tired. But I'm willing."

"Why?"

“Because,” Qi Jin ladled out the heated porridge, “you are you.”

That same phrase again. Shi Ye didn't know whether to be moved or helpless.

The two sat down again and continued drinking their porridge. This time, neither of them spoke.

After finishing their late-night snack, Qi Jin cleaned up the dishes. Shi Ye offered to help, but was refused.

“You are the host, and I am the guest,” Qi Jin said. “It is only natural for a guest to wash the dishes.”

Shi Ye: "..." What kind of twisted logic is this?!

But she didn't insist and sat in the dining room watching Qi Jin wash the dishes. Qi Jin washed the dishes very skillfully, clearly doing it often.

"Do you often wash the dishes yourself?" Shi asked.

"Mm." Qi Jin nodded. "When I'm under a lot of work pressure, washing dishes can help me relax."

Shi Ye imagined Qi Jin washing dishes in a huge mansion, wearing an apron... The image was a bit incongruous, but upon closer inspection, it made perfect sense.

"So, are you under a lot of pressure right now..." she probed.

Qi Jin glanced at her: "What do you think?"

Shi Ye understood. Because of her meddling, Qi Jin was under even more pressure.

"I'm sorry," she said softly.

"No need to apologize." Qi Jin dried his hands, walked over and sat down. "As long as you are healthy and safe, nothing else matters."

Shi Ye looked at Qi Jin and suddenly felt like crying—a physical urge to cry. She knew it wasn't an emotional reaction, but a physical response to overstimulation.

But she held back.

“Qi Jin,” she said, “if… I mean, if one day I really fall in love with someone else, what will you do?”

Qi Jin was silent for a moment: "I wish you well."

"real?"

"Really." Qi Jin nodded. "I like you because I want what's best for you. If you can be happy with someone else, I will wish you well."

Shi Ye's heart felt like it was being squeezed by something. Qi Jin's calm and sincere words only made her feel worse.

"What if..." she said with difficulty, "that I will never fall in love with anyone?"

“Then I’ll stay with you,” Qi Jin said. “I’ll watch the sunrise and sunset with you, eat and walk with you, and do everything you want to do.”

Shi Ye's tears finally fell—not because she wanted to cry, but because her body couldn't take it anymore.

Qi Jin handed her a tissue: "Don't cry."

"I didn't cry!" Shi Ye stubbornly insisted, but tears streamed down her face. "It's a physiological reaction! I couldn't control it!"

Qi Jin smiled gently: "Okay, it's a physiological reaction."

She reached out and gently wiped away Shi Ye's tears: "Whatever the reaction, I will accept it."

Shi Ye's tears flowed even more fiercely. She felt like her body was a traitor; although her mind was calm, her body was crying and her heart was racing.

"System," she cried out in her mind, "can you control my physiological reactions?!"

"The physiological response is regulated by the autonomic nervous system, which cannot be interfered with by the system."

Shi Ye: "..." What use are you!

She cried for a while, then finally stopped. Her eyes were red, her nose was red, and she looked quite disheveled.

Qi Jin watched her quietly without saying a word, only occasionally handing her a tissue.

"I'm all better," Shi Ye sniffed. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Qi Jin stood up. "It's getting late, I should go."

Shi Ye stood up and said, "I'll see you off."

The two walked to the door. Qi Jin changed his shoes, turned around and looked at her: "Shi Ye".

"Um?"

“No matter what you’re doing, no matter what you’re thinking,” Qi Jin said, “remember this: you always have the right to choose. Choose to accept me, or not. Choose to complete the task, or not. Choose… to be yourself, or to be what others want you to be.”

Shi Ye was stunned. What did Qi Jin mean by that? Did she know about the mission?!

"I..." she wanted to ask, but Qi Jin had already opened the door and left.

"Good night," Qi Jin said from outside the door.

"Good night," Shi Ye replied instinctively.

The door closed. Shi Ye leaned against the door, her mind a complete mess.

Qi Jin knew about the mission? Impossible. Then why did she say "complete the mission"? Was it a coincidence? Or...?

My phone vibrated. It was a message from Lin Xiaoyu: "Sister Shi Ye! I've thought of a new idea! Let's talk about it when we meet tomorrow!"

Shi Ye looked at the message and suddenly felt very tired. A new method? What new method could there be? Qi Jin had already seen through everything.

She went back to her room, lay on her bed, and stared at the ceiling.

The little voice in my head started complaining again: "So what was tonight? A late-night heart-to-heart talk? Relationship warming up? Qi Jin's heartfelt confession, coupled with my physical tears, where is this plot going?!"

She turned over and buried her face in the pillow.

"System," she said sullenly, "what's the current mission progress?"

"Qi Jin's affection for Lin Xiaoyu: 49/100. Lin Xiaoyu's affection for Qi Jin: 48/100. No change."

"What about Qi Jin's level of affection for me?"

"Qi Jin's favorability towards the host: 86/100, up 1 point from yesterday."

Shi Ye: "..." So tonight's events not only didn't make Qi Jin give up, but actually increased her favorability towards him?! What kind of reverse operation is this?!

She felt she might not be suited to be a matchmaker. It wasn't her field of expertise.

"Never mind," she said to herself, "Go to sleep. I'll think about it tomorrow."

But she couldn't sleep. Her mind was filled with Qi Jin's words, Qi Jin's eyes, and the tenderness with which Qi Jin wiped away her tears.

"If..." she whispered in the darkness, "if I really wasn't the original Shi Ye, would you still like me?"

No one answered.

Only the moonlight from outside the window quietly spilled onto the floor.