Chapter 5

Shi Ye leaned against the door, her heart pounding wildly in her chest, making her eardrums buzz. The screen of the phone she was clutching was still lit, and Qi Jin's message, "Next time you can kiss here," felt like a hot potato, making her fingertips numb.

"What did I do?!" Shi Ye screamed inwardly, "Me! A transmigrator! Kissed the villain! And on my own initiative! Did I get my brain slammed in a door? Kicked by a donkey? Formatted by that damn system?!"

She covered her face, feeling as if her cheeks were hot enough to fry an egg. No, not a metaphor, they really were hot enough. She could probably fry a runny yolk in a frying pan right now and put it on her face, without even needing oil.

There was no sound outside the door. Shi Ye held her breath and quietly pressed her ear against the door—no sound. Had Qi Jin left? Or was he standing there laughing at her? Or…was he considering calling the police?

"System!" Shi Ye roared in his mind, "Was that kiss out of character?! Would the original owner have kissed Qi Jin on her own initiative?!"

"Database search in progress... In the original work, Shi Ye made three attempts to have intimate contact with Qi Jin: the first was when he failed to drug her, the second was when he pretended to be drunk and threw himself into her arms, and the third was when he forcibly kissed her in front of the media. The similarity between the host's behavior just now and the third time is: 23%."

"23%?!" Shi Ye's eyes widened. "Then what is the remaining 77%?!"

"The emotional motivations are different. In the original work, it is calculation and demonstration, while the host's behavior analysis shows a mixed reaction of impulsiveness, tension, and attraction."

Shi Ye's legs went weak, and she slid down the door to the ground. Heart flutter? She was fluttering over Qi Jin? When did this happen? How did it happen? How could she not know?!

The phone vibrated again. Shi Ye looked down and saw it was Qi Jin again: "Still sitting at the door?"

Shi Ye nearly threw her phone away. She looked around—had Qi Jin installed a camera in her house? Or did he have some kind of high-tech X-ray vision?

"How did you know?!" she typed, her hands trembling.

"Just guessing," Qi Jin replied. "Given your personality, you should be sitting on the ground questioning your existence right now."

Shi Ye: "..."

Can this person please not know her so well?!

"I didn't!" she stubbornly insisted.

"Then open the door."

Shi Ye stared at those two words, her mind racing with alarms. Open the door? Now? Her face was still burning, her eyes were probably still red, and she looked like a boiled shrimp—spicy and numbing, no less.

"No!" she replied, "I'm going to sleep!"

"It's only eleven o'clock," Qi Jin replied instantly. "You usually don't go to sleep until midnight."

Shi Ye wanted to eat her phone. Qi Jin even investigated her daily routine?! He must be a professional-level stalker!

"I'm tired today! I'm going to bed early!"

"Then I'll wait until your light goes out before I leave."

Shi Ye looked up at the large chandelier in the living room—it was so bright it could blind you. She struggled to get up, turned off the living room light, and groped her way to the stairs in the dark. Halfway there, she turned back and turned off the porch light as well.

The entire first floor was plunged into darkness, with only the moonlight streaming in through the windows barely outlining the furniture.

She messaged Qi Jin: "The lights are off, you can leave now."

"I saw it," Qi Jin replied. "Goodnight."

Shi Ye waited for a while, then quietly pulled back the curtain a crack to look outside—Qi Jin's car was still parked there, but he had already gotten in. The car lights came on, and it slowly drove away.

She breathed a sigh of relief, but also felt a little... disappointed?

"No, no, no, I can't be disappointed!" Shi Ye shook his head violently. "She's the villain! The villain in the original story who bankrupted you and left you homeless! Even if she's a beautiful woman now, even if she's had a crush on you for years, even if she wasn't angry when you kissed her just now... Stop! Hold on!"

She rushed upstairs to the second floor, into the bathroom, and splashed cold water on her face. The icy water made her shiver, and her mind cleared up a little.

The person in the mirror still had a flushed face, wet eyes, and... wait, she just kissed her cheek, right? Why are her lips burning too?!

"Host heart rate: 128 beats/min; body temperature: 37.8 degrees Celsius; adrenaline level: significantly elevated." The system's electronic voice broadcasted emotionlessly, "Suggestion: Take a deep breath and calm down."

"How can I stay calm?!" Shi Ye grinned at the mirror. "I just kissed a woman! Even though she's beautiful, even though she has a great figure, even though she looks outrageously handsome in a suit... I'm straight! At least I was before I transmigrated into the book!"

"Sexual orientation is a fluid spectrum, not a fixed label," the system said. "Based on current physiological and psychological data, the probability that the host will feel attracted to Qi Jin outside the heterosexual category is 89%."

Shi Ye buried his face in the towel and let out muffled groans.

Her phone vibrated again—how many times tonight?! She picked it up to look; this time it was Lin Xiaoyu.

"Sister Shi! Guess what! I found out that the owner of that used bookstore is your calligraphy teacher! What a small world!"

Shi Ye stared at the message, and a thought suddenly flashed through her mind: Did Lin Xiaoyu know that Qi Jin was at her doorstep just now? Did she know that she kissed Qi Jin?

She typed: "Xiaoyu, I have a question for you."

"Uh-huh?"

What if you accidentally kiss someone?

She regretted sending the message as soon as she did and wanted to retract it, but Lin Xiaoyu had already replied instantly: "Wow!!! Who is it?! Is it senior?! Is it senior?!"

Shi Ye: "..."

Are kids these days so perceptive?!

"I was just asking!" she tried to salvage the situation.

"It's definitely my senior!" Lin Xiaoyu sent a row of screaming emojis. "And then?! What was her reaction?! Did she kiss you back?! Did she say sweet nothings?! Did she pin you against the wall?!"

Shi Ye stared at the words "wall slam," and her mind automatically conjured up the image of Qi Jin pinning her against the door—Stop! Stop it! I can't think about it anymore!

"Nothing!" she typed quickly. "I just kissed him on the cheek and then ran away!"

"Hey, Shi Ye, why are you running away!" Lin Xiaoyu said, exasperated. "That kind of reserved senior wouldn't dare to make a move unless you gave her some hints! You have to do it like this: after kissing her, look at her, wait for her to react, and then..."

This was followed by a 500-word "Guide to Flirting with an Iceberg," which detailed everything from eye contact and body language to verbal cues and creating the right environment—it was so detailed it could be used to teach dating skills.

Shi Ye stared in disbelief. Was this really Lin Xiaoyu, the pure and innocent girl from the original story?! This woman was as experienced as a player!

"Xiaoyu," she asked cautiously, "you... have had many relationships?"

"No~" Lin Xiaoyu replied casually, "But I read a lot of romance novels! I have a lot of theoretical experience! As for practice... I'm currently lacking."

Shi Ye breathed a sigh of relief. At least his public image hadn't completely collapsed.

“But Sister Shi Ye,” Lin Xiaoyu sent another message, “do you really like your senior? Or is it just because of the engagement?”

This question was like a bucket of cold water, which made Shi Ye much more sober.

Does she like Qi Jin?

She recalled Qi Jin's patience in teaching her business knowledge, Qi Jin's profile as he heated milk in the kitchen, the look in his eyes when he said "I like you," and those photos—three years, six cities, seventeen "chance encounters."

If this doesn't count as liking, then what does?

But what if she only likes Qi Jin in this world, and not the villain from the original story? What if all of this is a plot deviation caused by a system bug?

“System,” she asked, “what if the plot is revised one day, and Qi Jin reverts to the cold-blooded villain from the original story?”

"Probability analysis: The current world line stability is 72%, and the probability of returning to the original plot is less than 18%. However, if it happens, the host will face significantly increased risks."

Shi Ye sat on the toilet seat, staring at the patterns on the bathroom tiles. The patterns twisted and swirled, just like her chaotic thoughts at that moment.

My phone vibrated again—can't a person have a quiet moment to think tonight?!

Qi Jin: "We're home."

Just three words, not even a single punctuation mark was added.

Shi Ye stared at those three words, but her mind automatically filled in the rest: I'm home, I took a shower, I'm lying in bed, thinking about your kiss just now, thinking about how you blushed and ran away, thinking about what you're doing now...

"Stop!" She slapped her forehead. "Imagining things is a disease! It needs treatment!"

She replied, "Okay, get some rest."

After thinking about it, I added a cat emoji covering itself with a blanket.

Qi Jin replied instantly with a cat rubbing against him.

Shi Ye looked at the two cat heads, and the corners of her mouth involuntarily turned up. When she realized she was laughing, she quickly suppressed the smile.

"How pathetic!" she scolded herself. "You're laughing like this over a meme! Have you never seen anything like this before?!"

But my hand honestly sent another cat rolling around.

Qi Jin replied with a cat holding a heart emoji.

Shi Ye: "..."

How many cat emojis has this person saved?! What happened to the aloof villain?! His character has completely collapsed; even his own mother wouldn't recognize him!

She switched to her favorite emojis and found her collection was running low. No, she couldn't lose! She opened her browser and began frantically searching for "cat emojis," "cute," "adorable," and "for roasting people."

Download, save, and share.

Qi Jin replied even faster, and it was an animated message: a cat jumped up and kissed the screen.

Shi Ye's hand trembled, and his phone almost fell into the toilet.

"Foul!" she shouted into her phone. "That's a foul!"

She rummaged through her inventory and finally found a way to retaliate—one cat slapped another cat away.

She regretted sending it a little afterward. Was it too harsh? Would Qi Jin be angry?

Qi Jin replied with a cat emoji, covering his face and crying, looking aggrieved.

Shi Ye softened and sent a cat emoji with a pat on the head.

Qi Jin: The cat rubs against my palm.

Shi Ye: ...

She put down her phone and buried her face in her hands. Oh no, she was doomed. She had actually been flirting with Qi Jin using emojis?! And right after she kissed him?!

"Host dopamine levels continue to rise," the system announced. "Recommendation: Moderate control is advised to avoid excessive excitement affecting judgment."

"I can't control myself!" Shi Ye wailed. "This person is too good! She's clearly an ice queen, how come she's so skilled at flirting?!"

"According to data analysis, Qi Jin uses a special behavioral pattern towards his host, which is significantly different from his behavior towards others. Possible reason: His long-term unrequited love has led to the development of targeted strategies."

Shi Ye looked up, staring at her own flushed face in the mirror. So Qi Jin's aloofness was all an act? Had he actually been rehearsing in his mind how to pursue her all along?

This realization made her heart beat even faster.

The phone vibrated again. Shi Ye took a deep breath, picked it up and looked at it—this time it wasn't Qi Jin, nor Lin Xiaoyu, but a multimedia message from an unknown number.

She clicked on it, and it was a photo.

The photo shows her profile as she stands inside the doorway tonight, looking out through a gap in the curtains. The photo was clearly taken from the outside, through the window. The light is dim, but you can still clearly recognize her.

Below the photo was a caption: "Next time, it won't just be taking pictures."

Shi Ye's blood instantly turned cold.

She rushed to the window and abruptly pulled back the curtains—the yard was empty, save for the dim light of the floor lamp. She checked the window locks; they were all securely locked. But that camera angle…

She ran to the study, where there was a window facing the front door. The window was locked, but the curtains weren't fully drawn, leaving a gap.

Shi Ye peeked through the crack and could see the gate and the spot where she had just been standing. So the person taking the picture was in the yard? When did they get in? Wasn't the security system supposed to be installed tomorrow?!

Her hands trembled as she called Qi Jin. It rang once before being answered.

"Shi Ye?" Qi Jin's voice was tinged with sleepiness—she had actually fallen asleep?!

“Someone…” Shi Ye’s voice trembled, “Someone took a picture of me in my yard and sent it to me…”

There was a rustling sound coming from the other end of the phone, as if Qi Jin had sat up in bed: "When?"

"Just now... after I turned off the light, I stood by the window watching you leave..."

"Don't hang up." Qi Jin's voice became tense. "I'm coming right now. Go to your parents' room, lock the door, and don't turn on the lights. I'll be there in ten minutes."

"Qi Jin..."

"Don't be afraid," Qi Jin's voice was steady. "I'm here."

Shi Ye, phone in hand, went to the master bedroom—her parents' room—as Qi Jin had instructed. She locked the door, turned off the lights, and curled up on the carpet beside the bed. The light from her phone screen illuminated her face; it showed a call in progress, the time ticking away second by second.

She could hear Qi Jin walking quickly, opening car doors, and starting the engine on the other end of the phone.

"You... slow down," Shi Ye whispered.

"Okay," Qi Jin responded, then said, "Talk to me. You can say anything."

"say what?"

“Tell me about your childhood.” Qi Jin’s voice was somewhat muffled by the engine noise. “Tell me about things I don’t know.”

Shi Ye closed her eyes, trying hard to recall the original owner's childhood memories—memories that didn't belong to her, but were incredibly real at this moment.

“I… got into fights and my parents were called in three times in elementary school,” she said slowly. “The first time was because my deskmate said my drawing was ugly, so I poured all his paints on him. The second time was because someone stole my brother’s snacks, so I pushed him into the sandpit. The third time…”

"The third time?"

Shi Ye blushed: "Because someone said I liked a boy in my class, I said I didn't, but they didn't believe me, so I... threw all their homework books into the trash can."

A low chuckle came from the other end of the phone: "Very fierce."

“There are even more extreme ones.” Shi Ye laughed at himself. “In middle school, a boy wrote me a love letter, which I read aloud in front of the whole class, and I even marked the typos and grammatical errors.”

Qi Jin laughed out loud: "He must be devastated."

“He transferred schools,” Shi Ye said. “Later I realized that what he did was wrong and hurtful. But back then I just… hated it when people talked nonsense.”

"So you don't like people gossiping about our relationship anymore?"

Shi Ye paused, then said, "I...I don't know."

“It’s alright,” Qi Jin said. “We have plenty of time; you can find out gradually.”

The car stopped. Shi Ye heard Qi Jin getting out of the car, walking quickly, and knocking on the door.

"I've arrived, open the door."

Shi Ye ran to the door, looked through the peephole to confirm it was Qi Jin, and then opened the door. Qi Jin stood outside, his hair a little messy, wearing a simple T-shirt and sweatpants. He had obviously rushed out as soon as he received the call, without even putting on a jacket.

She was holding a black instrument in her hand, something like a detector.

"Where is she?" Qi Jin asked, his gaze quickly sweeping over Shi Ye's entire body to make sure she was alright.

"I don't know... I called you as soon as I received the photos." Shi Ye handed her his phone to show her.

Qi Jin stared at the photo, her face darkening. She turned on the black device and began scanning the house.

"What is this?" Shi Ye asked, following behind her.

“A signal detector,” Qi Jin explained, “to check for listening devices or cameras.”

The two started from the first floor and checked every room. Living room, kitchen, dining room, study... Qi Jin's movements were professional and swift. Shi Ye looked at her focused profile and suddenly felt a sense of peace in his heart.

At least for now, she is not alone.

When the detector reached the study, it suddenly emitted a soft "beep" sound. Qi Jin stopped and his gaze fell on the desk—the photo album was still open.

She walked over, and the detector became louder as it approached the photo album.

Shi Ye's heart leaped into his throat: "Could it be..."

Qi Jin put on gloves and carefully flipped through the photo album. On the back of the last page—the photo of her eighteenth birthday—the detector emitted a sharp beep.

Qi Jin carefully pried open the cardboard back of the photo album with tweezers. Embedded inside was a tiny black device, smaller than the ones previously found in the flowers and succulents, but with a more complex structure.

“This…” Shi Ye’s voice trembled, “When was it put in?”

“At least three days ago.” Qi Jin stared at the device. “It’s a combined location and listening device with a battery that can last for a month.”

She took the device out, put it in a small lead box, and closed the lid.

"So these three days..." Shi Ye dared not think any further.

“So for the past three days, someone has been listening.” Qi Jin’s tone was cold. “They heard our conversation, they heard that phone call, they heard… everything.”

Shi Ye's legs went weak, and she had to hold onto the desk to steady herself. So that person knew Qi Jin had a crush on her for years? Knowing about those photos? Knowing she kissed Qi Jin?

“What… do they want to do?” she asked.

"I don't know," Qi Jin shook his head, "but it's definitely not a good thing."

She examined the entire album and discovered two more identical devices, one hidden on the cover and the other in the middle. Three devices, providing all-around surveillance.

"Your father..." Qi Jin hesitated for a moment, "Has he been acting strangely lately?"

Shi Ye remembered that her father had been coming home very late lately, saying he was working overtime at the company. But was it really just overtime?

“I don’t know,” she said honestly. “He rarely talks to me about company matters.”

Qi Jin nodded and didn't ask any further questions. She continued to check the other rooms and found one in Shi Ye's bedroom as well—hidden in the base of the bedside lamp.

Shi Ye stared at the small black device, her stomach churning. Someone had planted a bug in her bedroom, and she had been sleeping, changing clothes, and talking to the system there without even realizing it…

"Won't the system hear what I'm saying?" she suddenly thought.

"The communication between the host and the system is at the brainwave level, which cannot be captured by external devices," the system replied.

Shi Ye breathed a sigh of relief. At least the secret could still be kept.

By the time the inspection was complete, it was almost 1 a.m. Qi Jin put all five devices he found into a lead box and sealed it.

“I’ll have someone analyze these things,” she said. “You can’t stay here tonight.”

"Then I..."

“Come to my place,” Qi Jin said casually. “Or a hotel, it’s up to you. But I suggest my place; the security is better.”

The alarm bells in Shi Ye's mind went off again. Go to Qi Jin's house? In the middle of the night? A lone woman and a man?!

“I’d rather go to the hotel…” she tried to resist.

“Hotels aren’t safe.” Qi Jin glanced at her. “If they can get into your home to install these things, it’s even easier for them to get into a hotel room.”

She's right. Shi Ye looked dejected.

"Well... I'm sorry to bother you."

"I won't bother you." Qi Jin's lips curved into a smile. "I've always wanted you to come."

Shi Ye blushed again. Could this person please stop saying things like that?!

She quickly packed a few clothes and necessities, then got into the car with Qi Jin. Neither of them spoke the rest of the way, but the atmosphere wasn't awkward. Qi Jin focused on driving, while Shi Ye gazed at the night view outside the window, her mind a jumble of thoughts.

When Shi Ye arrived at Qi Jin's house, he realized a problem—it was a penthouse apartment, ridiculously large, but it didn't look like anyone lived there permanently.

"Do you live alone?" she asked.

"Hmm." Qi Jin took her bag. "The housekeeper comes to clean occasionally, but usually it's just me."

She led Shi Ye to the guest room. The room was large, decorated in a simple modern style, with gray tones, and as clean as a showroom.

“There are new towels and toiletries in the bathroom,” Qi Jin said. “The pajamas are in the closet; they should fit. Let me know if they don’t.”

Shi Ye nodded, watched her leave, and gently closed the door behind him.

She walked around the room. Sure enough, there were pajamas in the closet, more than one set, in various sizes, with the tags still on. The toiletries in the bathroom were all new, and even the skincare products were all there, and they were her usual brands.

So Qi Jin had already made preparations? Waiting for her to come and stay?

Shi Ye picked up the bottle of face cream, feeling a mix of emotions.

After washing up and changing into her pajamas—they fit perfectly! She lay down on the bed; the mattress was just the right firmness, and the blankets smelled of sunshine.

The phone vibrated. Qi Jin: "Are you asleep?"

"not yet."

Are you scared?

"A little."

"Should I come over?"

Shi Ye stared at the words, his hand trembled, and the phone nearly hit his face. "Come over?! What for?! To sleep with me?!"

"No need!" she replied quickly. "I can sleep!"

"Okay," Qi Jin replied. "I'm right next door. Call me if you need anything. Goodnight."

"good evening."

Shi Ye turned off the light and lay there with her eyes open in the darkness. It was an unfamiliar room, an unfamiliar bed, but the air was filled with Qi Jin's faint, cool fragrance—like a mixture of cedar and mint.

She rolled over and buried her face in the pillow. The pillow smelled the same.

"System," she whispered, "am I doomed?"

"Definition of 'finished': 1. Life-threatening danger; 2. Mission failure; 3. Emotional breakdown. The host currently faces a 35% probability of 1, a 20% probability of 2, and a 95% probability of 3."

Shi Ye buried his face even deeper.

95% of emotions are out of control.

She's really finished.

In the next room, Qi Jin was also awake. She sat in her study, her computer screen displaying the analysis report of the listening devices. The preliminary results just sent by the technical department indicated that the equipment was custom-made, of unknown origin, but the craftsmanship showed it was made by a professional team.

She stared at the report, her fingers tapping lightly on the table. Someone had been watching her; their motives were unclear, but their methods were professional. This was more serious than she had anticipated.

My phone lit up; it was a message from Lin Xiaoyu: "Senior! I heard something happened to Sister Shi Ye's family? Is she alright?!"

Qi Jin frowned. How did Lin Xiaoyu know?

"She's fine, she's with me. How did you know?"

"My dad said so. His friend is a policeman in your area. He said he went to your house after receiving a report. I guessed it was you!"

Qi Jin rubbed his temples. Lin Xiaoyu's father was the deputy director of the municipal police bureau, so it was normal for him to be well-informed. But this also meant that the matter had already alarmed the police.

"Let her stay with me for a few days; it'll be safer for her," Qi Jin replied. "Don't tell anyone."

"Okay~ Can I go see her tomorrow?"

"Let's do it the day after tomorrow, let her rest first."

"Okay~ Senior, please take good care of Sister Shiye! She's actually very fragile, she just pretends to be strong!"

Qi Jin looked at those words and recalled Shi Ye's red eyes as she tried to appear calm. Yes, she was both fragile and strong. This contradiction made her even more pitiful.

She switched back to her chat with Shi Ye, typed a few words, then deleted them. In the end, she only sent one sentence: "Lock the door."

Shi Ye replied instantly: "Locked. You lock it too."

Qi Jin smiled. This feeling of mutual encouragement was fresh, and also...warm.

She stood up and walked to the window. The city lights spread out beneath her feet, like an inverted starry sky. In this starlight, someone was sleeping peacefully, just a wall away from her.

This realization suddenly filled a void in her heart that had been empty for many years.

Meanwhile, in a dark room on the other side of the city, a person was staring at a computer screen. The screen displayed real-time surveillance footage of the area around Qi Jin's apartment; although it couldn't penetrate the walls, it was enough to track people coming and going.

The man picked up the phone and dialed a number.

"The fish's in the net." The voice, processed by a voice changer, continued, "What's next?"

A deep male voice came from the other end of the phone: "Proceed as planned. Remember, I want them alive."

"clear."

The call ended. Silence returned to the dark room, broken only by the light from the computer screen illuminating a pair of cold eyes.

The owner of the eyes stared at the floor plan of Qi Jin's apartment on the screen, a cold smile curving his lips.