Chapter 17

When Shi Ye woke up, the sunlight had already filled the entire room.

She stared at the ceiling for three seconds, her first thought being: "I cried last night? I cried in front of Qi Jin?! Even though it's a physiological reaction, it's still so embarrassing!"

My second thought was: "Lin Xiaoyu said she has a new idea today... What new idea? Could it be another terrible idea?"

She sat up and ran her fingers through her hair. She hadn't slept well last night and had a lot of strange dreams. In her dreams, Qi Jin kept looking at her, his eyes gentle but carrying an emotion she couldn't understand.

"System," she asked in her mind, "was I overthinking what Qi Jin said about 'completing the mission' last night?"

"Data analysis: Qi Jin used the phrase 'to accomplish what you want to do,' not specifically referring to a 'task.' This may be a coincidence."

Shi Ye breathed a sigh of relief. It must be a coincidence. How could Qi Jin possibly know about the system?

She got out of bed to wash up, looking at her phone while brushing her teeth. Lin Xiaoyu had sent her several messages:

"Good morning, Sister Shi!"

"I thought about it all night and finally came up with a brilliant idea!"

"Come to my house this afternoon! We'll talk in person!"

"Remember to invite your senior! It'll be more fun with the three of you!"

Shi Ye stared at the last message, almost dropping his toothbrush into the sink. Three people together? Qi Jin? Lin Xiaoyu? Her? This combination… I have a feeling something's going to go wrong.

She replied, "What idea? Tell me about it first."

Lin Xiaoyu replied instantly: "No! It'll be a surprise if you tell me in person!"

Shi Ye: "..." She didn't need surprises, she needed reassurance.

"Then you have to tell me the general direction, right?" she insisted.

“Okay~” Lin Xiaoyu sent a mysterious emoji, “It’s about the design exhibition! I’ve come up with a fantastic theme and I need your help!”

A design exhibition? Shi Ye recalled the project Qi Jin and Lin Xiaoyu had collaborated on. So the new approach is related to a design exhibition?

"What's the theme?" she asked.

"You'll see when you get here! 2 PM, see you there!"

Shi Ye put down her phone and continued brushing her teeth. But her mind was racing: How could the design exhibition bring Qi Jin and Lin Xiaoyu together? Could they set up the exhibition together? Plan it together? How was this different from their previous plan to spend time alone together?

She spat out the foam and looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were still a little swollen, traces of crying last night.

"It's embarrassing," she said to herself in the mirror. "If I cry again next time, I'll... I'll..."

What about her? She doesn't know either.

After breakfast, Shi Ye sent a message to Qi Jin: "Xiao Yu asked us to go to her house this afternoon, saying she has something to discuss. Are you free?"

Qi Jin quickly replied: "Yes. What time?"

Two points.

Okay. I'll come pick you up.

Shi Ye stared at the words "I'll come pick you up," hesitated for a moment, and then replied, "No need, I'll go by myself."

Qi Jin: "It's not safe. I'll pick you up."

Shi Ye: "..." How can this person be so stubborn?!

"Really, it's not necessary..." she still tried to resist.

"I'll pick you up at 12:30," Qi Jin set the time directly, "Let's have lunch together."

Shi Ye: "..." Fine, you decide.

She put down her phone, deciding to find something to do before Qi Jin arrived. What to do? Draw? Read? Or… figure out how to complete the task?

She went to her study, turned on her computer, and searched for "how to bring two people together." A bunch of dating guides, matchmaking tips, and blind date guides popped up...

She clicked on an article titled "Make Him Fall in Love with You in Three Days!", glanced at it twice, and then closed it. It was all nonsense.

I clicked on another article titled "Ten Essential Tips for Matchmakers," and the first tip was: "Don't force a match; let things happen naturally."

Shi Ye rolled her eyes: "If I could just let things take their course, would I need to look at this?!"

She closed the webpage and leaned back in her chair. Let nature take its course… If she let nature take its course, Qi Jin would continue to like her, Lin Xiaoyu would continue to treat her like an older sister, and she… would continue doing missions.

What kind of nature is this?!

My phone vibrated; it was a system message: "Friendly reminder: 27 days remaining for the mission. Current progress: Qi Jin's affection for Lin Xiaoyu is 49/100, and Lin Xiaoyu's affection for Qi Jin is 48/100. Please speed up the progress."

Shi Ye tossed her phone onto the table. Speed ​​things up? How? Qi Jin was unmoved, and Lin Xiaoyu wasn't interested. What could she do?!

She stood up and paced around the study. A thought suddenly flashed through her mind: What if… she really abandoned the mission? So what if the world collapsed? So what if the character disappeared…

“No.” She immediately rejected the idea. Not because she was so noble, but because… she didn’t want Qi Jin to disappear.

Even though she couldn't feel any affection for Qi Jin, she knew that Qi Jin was real. A Qi Jin who could laugh, talk, bring her food, and wipe away her tears.

She couldn't let Qi Jin disappear.

"So the task still needs to be done," she told herself, "but we need to do it in a different way."

What method? She thought for a moment, then suddenly had an idea: since Qi Jin and Lin Xiaoyu don't have feelings for each other right now, then... how about making them have feelings? How? Create shared experiences? Increase interaction? Or...

She recalled what Qi Jin had said last night: "Relationships aren't about whether you're a good match or not; they're about where your heart is and where you are."

So the key issue isn't matchmaking, but... getting Qi Jin's heart to move on?

How could that be!

She shook her head, dismissing the unrealistic idea. Qi Jin's heart had been with her for five years; how could it possibly wander off so easily?

Time flew by and it was noon. At 12:30, the doorbell rang precisely on time.

Shi Ye opened the door, and Qi Jin was standing outside. Today she was wearing a light blue shirt with white trousers, looking very refreshing.

"Let's go," Qi Jin said. "The restaurant reservation is ready."

Shi Ye nodded, changed his shoes, and went out. Neither of them spoke in the car.

Shi Ye secretly observed Qi Jin. Qi Jin looked calm, focused on driving, as if nothing had happened last night.

“Qi Jin,” Shi Ye suddenly spoke, “thank you for the porridge last night…”

"You're welcome." Qi Jin glanced at her. "Are your eyes still swollen?"

Shi Ye subconsciously touched his eyes: "They should... be less swollen now, right?"

"It's still a little bit," Qi Jin said. "I'll have the restaurant put an ice pack on it for you later."

Shi Ye: "..." Isn't that a bit much?!

The restaurant was a quiet Japanese eatery. Qi Jin was clearly a regular customer, as the manager personally came to greet him.

"Mr. Qi, the usual spot?"

"Hmm." Qi Jin nodded, then turned to Shi Ye and asked, "What do you want to eat?"

"Whatever," Shi Ye said.

Qi Jin spoke a few words in Japanese to the manager, who nodded and left.

The two sat down in the private room. The room was tatami-style, and shoes needed to be removed. Shi Ye was a little uncomfortable, but Qi Jin was quite natural.

"Do you come here often?" Shi asked.

"Hmm." Qi Jin poured her tea. "This shop is quiet, suitable for discussing business."

"So what shall we talk about today?" Shi Ye asked tentatively.

"We're not talking about business," Qi Jin said. "We're having dinner."

Shi Ye: "..." Okay.

The food arrived quickly: sashimi, sushi, tempura, and a small pot of sukiyaki. It was a very generous spread.

I tried a slice of sashimi, and it was very fresh.

"Is it good?" Qi Jin asked.

"Mm." Shi Ye nodded.

Qi Jin smiled: "That's good."

The two ate quietly. Shi Ye noticed that Qi Jin was very particular about eating Japanese food, following every step precisely. She, on the other hand, ate in a very ordinary way.

"Qi Jin," Shi Ye couldn't help but ask, "Are you always this... serious about everything you do?"

"Isn't it better to be serious?" Qi Jin retorted.

"It's not that it's bad," Shi Ye said, "it's just... a little tiring, isn't it?"

“I’m used to it,” Qi Jin said. “That’s how the Qi family teaches us: we have to do everything to the best of our ability.”

Shi Ye recalled Qi Jin's father's words, "Then you'll always be a loser." With such family education, it's no wonder Qi Jin turned out this way.

"Then..." she chose her words carefully, "do you like it this way?"

Qi Jin was silent for a while: "It doesn't matter whether I like it or not, this is my responsibility."

Shi Ye suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for Qi Jin—a sympathy that came from a rational perspective. Qi Jin was living a life that was too tiring, carrying the burden of the entire Qi family, and even putting his own feelings behind his responsibilities.

"Then what about me..." She stopped mid-sentence. She couldn't bring herself to ask.

“It’s different for you.” Qi Jin finished her sentence. “For you, it’s something I want to do, not a responsibility.”

Shi Ye's heart started racing again. Damn it, can't this body do anything right?!

She lowered her head and ate, not daring to look at Qi Jin.

After the meal, the manager actually brought over ice packs. Shi Ye, with ice packs on her eyes, felt a little embarrassed.

"Actually, it's not necessary..." she wanted to refuse.

"Keep it on," Qi Jin insisted. "I have to see Xiaoyu this afternoon; it wouldn't be good if she saw it."

Shi Ye: "..." So you're afraid Lin Xiaoyu will misunderstand and think you're bullying me?!

She obediently applied the ice pack, while Qi Jin processed work emails across from her. Each busy with their own tasks, the atmosphere was surprisingly harmonious.

At 1:30 PM, the two set off for Lin Xiaoyu's house. On the way, Shi Ye finally couldn't help but ask, "Qi Jin, what do you think of Xiaoyu...?"

“Very good,” Qi Jin said. “Lively, talented, and kind.”

"So...do you like her?"

Qi Jin glanced at her: "I like her. Like I like my younger sister."

Shi Ye: "..." It's the younger sister again! Does Lin Xiaoyu even know that she's Qi Jin's younger sister?!

"If..." Shi Ye said with difficulty, "If one day, Xiao Yu likes you... not the kind of liking you have for your sister, what would you do?"

Qi Jin thought for a moment: "Tell her the truth."

"What truth?"

"I have someone in my heart," Qi Jin said calmly. "It always has."

Shi Ye's heart clenched again. Qi Jin's words... were too direct.

She dared not ask any more questions and turned to look out the window.

The car arrived at Lin Xiaoyu's house quickly. Lin Xiaoyu was already waiting at the door, and waved excitedly when she saw their car.

"Senior! Sister Shi! You're here!"

She wore a pink dress today and looked very cute.

The three entered the house and sat down in the living room. Lin Xiaoyu had prepared tea and snacks, and also... a huge whiteboard.

"What is this?" Shi Ye asked, pointing to the whiteboard.

"My plan!" Lin Xiaoyu's eyes lit up. "The design exhibition theme I've come up with!"

She picked up a whiteboard marker and wrote a line on the whiteboard: "Memory of Time - A Dialogue Between the Past and the Present".

"The theme is 'Memories of Time'," Lin Xiaoyu explained excitedly. "I want to showcase items from different eras and reinterpret them through modern design. For example, I can transform my grandmother's old sewing machine into a unique lamp!"

She looked at Qi Jin: "Senior, do you have any old items at home that you could display?"

Qi Jin thought for a moment: "Some. My grandfather's collection of old cameras, my father's typewriter, and some old furniture."

"Great!" Lin Xiaoyu clapped her hands. "We can borrow it!"

She then looked at Shi Ye: "Sister Shi Ye, what about your family? I remember your mother used to be a painter, did she leave behind any painting tools or anything like that?"

Shi Ye was taken aback. The original owner's mother's art supplies... she seemed to have seen them before, in the attic.

"There should be...some," she said. "I'll go back and look."

"Perfect!" Lin Xiaoyu drew a big checkmark on the whiteboard. "So now we have antique items from three different places, plus my design, this exhibition is sure to be amazing!"

She paused, then looked at the two of them: "But... there's a problem."

"What's the problem?" Shi asked.

“These items are very precious and require professionals to move and set them up,” Lin Xiaoyu said. “I asked a few classmates for help, but we still don’t have enough people. So…”

She looked at Qi Jin and Shi Ye, her eyes sparkling: "Can you help me?"

Shi Ye: "..." Help? Move things? Set up the exhibition?

She looked at Qi Jin. Qi Jin's expression was calm, and he nodded: "Okay."

"Great!" Lin Xiaoyu cheered. "Then let's start tomorrow! First, we'll go to my senior's house to move our things, then to Sister Shi's house, and finally to my house to design and set up the exhibition!"

Shi Ye: "..." So she's going to Qi Jin's house tomorrow? And she's even inviting Qi Jin to her house? This...

"I..." She wanted to refuse, but Lin Xiaoyu had already rushed over and hugged her.

"Sister Shi is the best! She'll definitely help, right?!"

Looking at Lin Xiaoyu's expectant eyes, Shi Ye couldn't bring himself to refuse.

“…Okay.” She reluctantly agreed.

"Yay!" Lin Xiaoyu let go of her and turned to Qi Jin, "Senior, what time is convenient for you tomorrow?"

"Ten o'clock in the morning," Qi Jin said.

"Okay! Let's meet at my senior's house at ten o'clock!" Lin Xiaoyu wrote the time on the whiteboard, "and then we'll go to my senior's house in the afternoon!"

The plan was set. Shi Ye was still a little confused; how did things develop to the point where she had to move things with Qi Jin?

"Oh, right," Lin Xiaoyu suddenly remembered something, "I also hired a helper!"

"Who?" Shi asked.

“Senior Jiang Chen!” Lin Xiaoyu said, “He’s strong and can drive, so he can help us move big things!”

Shi Ye: "..." Jiang Chen?! The third male lead who liked Lin Xiaoyu in the original novel?! Lin Xiaoyu called him here?!

She looked at Qi Jin. Qi Jin's expression didn't change; he simply nodded and said, "Okay."

Shi Ye's head started to ache. Tomorrow, Qi Jin, Lin Xiaoyu, Jiang Chen, and her... the four of them were moving things together? What a chaotic combination!

"System," she wailed inwardly, "Is this supposed to be matchmaking? Is this supposed to be creating opportunities?! I feel like this is just making things more chaotic!"

"A group activity involving four people may generate various interaction patterns, including opportunities for Qi Jin and Lin Xiaoyu to be alone together," the system analyzed. "It is recommended that the host seize the opportunity and create moments for the two of them to be alone together."

Shi Ye: "..." Easy for you to say!

She spent the afternoon at Lin Xiaoyu's house, listening to Lin Xiaoyu explain her design concepts and looking at her design sketches. Qi Jin occasionally offered suggestions, all of which were very professional.

Shi Ye listened most of the time, occasionally offering her opinions. She discovered that Lin Xiaoyu was truly talented; her design sketches were exquisite, both creative and practical.

“Xiaoyu,” she couldn’t help but say, “you will definitely become a great designer in the future.”

"Really?" Lin Xiaoyu's eyes lit up. "Thank you, Sister Shi!"

She looked at Qi Jin: "What do you think, senior?"

“It has potential,” Qi Jin nodded, “but it needs more practice and experience.”

"I will work hard!" Lin Xiaoyu clenched her fist. "This design exhibition is my first step!"

Looking at Lin Xiaoyu's energetic demeanor, Shi Ye suddenly felt a pang of envy. Lin Xiaoyu had dreams, passion, and knew what she wanted.

And what about her? What does she want? To complete the mission? To survive? Or... something else?

She didn't know.

In the evening, Qi Jin escorted Shi Ye home. In the car, the two fell silent again.

"Qi Jin," Shi Ye suddenly spoke up, "Do you think... Xiao Yu's design exhibition will be a success?"

"Yes, she can." Qi Jin was certain. "She's talented and hardworking. As long as she perseveres, she'll definitely succeed."

"And what about you?" Shi Ye asked, "Did you have any dreams when you were a child?"

Qi Jin thought for a moment and said, "Yes. I want to be a painter."

Shi Ye was taken aback: "A painter?"

"Yes." Qi Jin nodded. "I loved drawing when I was a child, but my father said that drawing couldn't put food on the table, so he made me study business management."

Her tone was calm, but Shi Ye detected a hint of regret.

"So, are you still painting now?" she asked.

“Occasionally,” Qi Jin said, “when I’m under a lot of work pressure, I’ll draw a few strokes.”

Shi Ye recalled the art books and albums in Qi Jin's study. It turned out that Qi Jin really loved art.

“If you had studied art,” she asked, “what would you be like now?”

Qi Jin laughed: "He'll probably be a poor painter, worrying about making a living every day."

"Do you regret it?"

“No regrets.” Qi Jin shook his head. “Everyone has their own path. My path is to manage the Qi family, which is my responsibility. But painting… can be a hobby.”

Shi Ye looked at Qi Jin's profile. Qi Jin truly lived with great clarity, knowing what he wanted and what he should do.

Why would someone like that fall for someone they don't even understand?

The car stopped in front of the Shi family's house. Shi Ye got out of the car, and Qi Jin also got out.

"See you tomorrow," Qi Jin said.

"See you tomorrow." Shi Ye nodded.

She turned to leave, but Qi Jin called out to her, "Shi Ye."

"Um?"

"Tomorrow..." Qi Jin paused, "Don't feel pressured. Just consider it... a friend helping out."

Shi Ye looked at Qi Jin. Qi Jin's eyes were gentle, as if he were comforting her.

“Okay,” she said.

She turned and went inside, closed the door, and leaned against it.

The little吐槽 (tu cao, a term for someone who criticizes or complains) voice in my head started dancing again: "So tomorrow I'm going to move things with Qi Jin, Lin Xiaoyu, and Jiang Chen?! What kind of magical combination is this?! And I'm even going to try to set up Qi Jin and Lin Xiaoyu?! In front of Jiang Chen?! Doesn't Jiang Chen like Lin Xiaoyu?! This relationship is too messy!"

She went to the living room and collapsed onto the sofa.

"System," she said weakly, "do you think tomorrow will go smoothly?"

"Unpredictable. However, we suggest that the host seize the opportunity and advance the mission."

Shi Ye rolled his eyes: "How do we proceed? Have Qi Jin and Lin Xiaoyu move a heavy object together? And then let them spark a romance while they're moving it?!"

"Theoretically feasible."

Shi Ye: "..." She shouldn't have asked the system!

She lay there for a while, then suddenly remembered the old objects Lin Xiaoyu had mentioned. The original owner's mother's art supplies... She had to go find them.

She went upstairs and opened the attic door. The attic was filled with clutter and very dusty.

She turned on the light and began rummaging. In a corner, she found several art boxes. Opening them, she found various brushes, paints, palettes…

There is also a sketchbook.

She picked up the sketchbook and opened it. Inside were her mother's drawings—landscapes, figures, still lifes… They were beautifully drawn, full of spirit.

She froze when she turned to the last few pages.

It was a self-portrait. The woman in the painting was beautiful, with a gentle smile and bright eyes. In the lower right corner was written: "To Xiaoye, Mom will always love you."

The date was... one month before the original owner's mother passed away.

Shi Ye's fingers traced the words. The original owner's mother knew she was going to die, so she drew this picture for her daughter.

She suddenly felt a soreness in her eyes—another physiological reaction.

She put the sketchbook back in the art box and closed the lid. Lin Xiaoyu should be able to use these art supplies, right?

She carried her painting box downstairs and placed it in the living room. Then she went back to her room and lay down on her bed.

Tomorrow, she will move these things with Qi Jin.

Tomorrow, she will continue to try to bring Qi Jin and Lin Xiaoyu together.

tomorrow……

She closed her eyes and forced herself to sleep.

In her dream, she saw Qi Jin painting, and he was painting her. In the painting, she was smiling, smiling very happily.

Then she woke up.

It was still dark. She glanced at the time; it was four in the morning.

She sat up, turned on the bedside lamp, and picked up her phone. The screen showed her chat history with Qi Jin, the last sentence of which was Qi Jin saying, "See you tomorrow."

She stared at those three words for a long time.

Then she put down her phone and lay back down.

Tomorrow will be here soon.