Chapter 62 Chapter 62 Favorability
[Huh? Mu Jiu's wish is actually related to Ling Zhao?]
[Because this is a wish she can't achieve through her own efforts /crying /crying /crying]
[Oh my god, the interpretation upstairs is even more agonizing!]
[A video just came back from the scene. One of the girls was cheering and directly asked Asahi and Chūki, "Can we reunite?" Chūki's answer was a very subtle way of saying that it was impossible QAQ]
What?! I don't believe it!!!
[I've seen that video. I believe Chaomu still has a chance /crying cat emoji.jpg]
"Teacher Ling Zhao."
The staff member's tone was subtly guiding: "Will your ex's wish surprise you?"
Ling Zhao gently stroked the sofa armrest with her fingertips and slowly said, "It was indeed unexpected, but I also feel that it is something she would do."
The staff member gestured for him to continue explaining.
"She often said that I was a very good person."
Ling Zhao softened her voice, the last syllable of her voice slightly hoarse, her gaze fixed on the floor not far away: "Because that's who she is, that's why she thinks I'm that kind of person."
Before I knew it, the room was filled with warm sunshine.
The sunlight streaming in through the window spilled onto the floor, turning into scattered gold dust, like crumpled stars, slowly spreading down the stairs. But halfway down, a slanted figure blocked most of the light.
Inside the small house, Mu Jiu looked up at the figure blocking the view not far away.
Fang Yucheng.
He stood where light and shadow met, half of his body in the sunlight and half hidden in the shadow cast by the stairs.
Seeing his gaze fall on him, Mu Jiu nodded slightly out of politeness: "Teacher Fang."
As soon as she finished speaking, she turned to the side to avoid it, but before she could take a step, a hand was placed in front of her.
"If you have some free time now, could you give me a moment?"
His voice was devoid of emotion, yet it carried an undeniable air of authority.
I don't know what other people would think if they heard this, but for Mu Jiu—it was very strange.
The eyes that looked at her from across the room seemed to hold a lingering, sticky feeling, as if there were some unresolved karmic debt from a past life.
What struck her as even stranger was that a voice seemed to spring up out of nowhere in her head, strongly telling her that she "liked him."
It's like the brain has been suddenly injected with a virus.
Mu Jiu instinctively wanted to frown, but quickly remembered that she was being broadcast live. After carefully controlling her expression, she showed just the right amount of confusion: "Ah? Is there something you need, Teacher Fang?"
Upon hearing this, Fang Yucheng gave her a deep look: "There are some misunderstandings between us that haven't been cleared up."
"..."
After a half-second silence, Mu Jiu looked genuinely bewildered: "But I don't think there's any misunderstanding."
But clearly, the people on the other side don't think so.
Fang Yucheng seemed not to understand her statement about deliberately creating distance, and moved closer to her.
As the shadows descended, a sizzling sound suddenly entered Mu Jiu's ear.
Like the static of an old radio tuning in, or like unstable electronic current, it suddenly appeared out of nowhere with a "zzzz" sound and Fang Yucheng's voice at the same time.
"Shu Ning and I are really not what you think..."
[Female lead's favorability decreased by 5 points]
Fang Yucheng paused almost imperceptibly, giving her a stiff glare.
Mu Jiu was completely unaware of his abnormality. He looked up at the sound and quickly scanned every corner of the stairwell.
Her first reaction was to suspect that the production team had hidden some miniature speakers to play a prank.
But the sound was like 3D surround sound, making Mu Jiu feel a buzzing in his head.
In this situation, Mu Jiu's gaze fell on the stairwell behind Fang Yucheng.
At some point, Meng Shuning appeared there with a blank expression.
The chat in the live stream was thrown into chaos by Fang Yucheng's sudden remarks:
【Chengbao, what are you doing?! Didn't you tell Shushu yesterday that you regretted not cherishing her?】
[I really don't understand Fang Yucheng's actions. What's going on between him, Meng Shuning, and Mu Jiu?]
[Shushu is watching from behind! What on earth is this person doing?!]
[Previously, Fang Yucheng's fans said that Mu Jiu was clinging to their brother. I really want to cut out this part and let them see how many things their brother has done that have caused misunderstandings /funny]
I think it's unlikely they would suddenly pull this stunt out of nowhere. Is it a prank by the production team?
...
No matter what, the current situation is very problematic.
What is the other party planning to do? Why would they suddenly make a statement that benefits neither side?
Mu Jiu frowned and raised his hand to rub his temples.
Especially since he heard some strange noises, Mu Jiu felt that he hadn't slept well last night, which made him mentally unstable today and caused him to have auditory hallucinations.
However, as she massaged the acupoints, the noisy mechanical sound not only did not dissipate, but gradually became clearer.
[Warning: The plot has resumed... The female lead's favorability has dropped to... The penalty mechanism has been triggered.]
In his field of vision, Fang Yucheng suddenly frowned, cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and his face turned pale in an instant.
Mu Jiu: "..."
It was too much of a coincidence; she even felt like she was dreaming.
Is the female lead... Meng Shuning?
Is Fang Yucheng planning to win over Meng Shuning?
But if that's the case, why did he call out to me?
Just as Mu Jiu was secretly planning to pinch herself hard to confirm the reality of the world, the man opposite her seemed to suddenly come to his senses and put away his inexplicably affectionate look.
Fang Yucheng: "What I mean is, Shu Ning and I didn't break up because of the rumors about you and me that the gossip accounts were spreading, so you don't need to mind it so much."
Mu Jiu: "..."
Is this for real? Are they just doing this for the sake of creating a TV show effect?
The change in just a few seconds made Mu Jiu's fleeting thought of "Could I be the chosen heroine?" vanish instantly.
Although she still felt something was off, at least it wasn't a crisis concerning her career, which made Mu Jiu breathe a sigh of relief: "You scared me, Teacher Fang suddenly became so serious... This way, we can completely avoid any misunderstandings."
As she spoke, she looked up behind Fang Yucheng and smiled slightly: "Right, Shu Ning?"
Fang Yucheng turned around when he heard her voice.
Meng Shuning was clearly not expected that she would suddenly bring up the topic to her. She paused almost imperceptibly before curving her lips into a perfectly timed smile.
She stepped forward and naturally took Fang Yucheng's arm, her tone intimate and generous: "Yucheng is just particularly meticulous in this respect, he has to get everything straight. Of course I believe he didn't betray me, and I also believe that Mumu isn't the kind of person who would interfere in other people's relationships."
His words were impeccable, yet seemed to carry some hidden metaphor.
But Mu Jiu is in no mood for it at all now.
She desperately needs a good night's sleep.
Immediately, right away.
If sufficient sleep is not enough to restore her sanity, she will probably need to schedule a brain CT scan.
After watching Mu Jiu leave without looking back, Meng Shuning's smile slowly faded. She released Fang Yucheng's arm and gave him a look: "Yucheng, I want to go for a walk. Do you want to come with me?"
...This is targeting him.
Fang Yucheng gripped the cold stair railing, his knuckles turning white from the force, and a calm smile appeared on his face: "Who else do you want to find?"
[I knew Chengbao wasn't that kind of person. Aren't those viewers who were criticizing Chengbao just now getting a slap in the face?]
[Pshaw, I thought I'd see a top celebrity staging a thrilling love triangle in front of his ex.]
[If the production team is really doing this, it means they genuinely don't want to continue airing.]
[I knew Meng Xiangcheng wouldn't mess up. Just now, it was definitely the production team trying to create a big story by deliberately making Yu Cheng speak with heavy breathing.]
[Haha, that description of panting so hard cracked me up! I really thought Shushu was going to catch them cheating!]
Wait, why didn't Chengbao and Shushu take me with them when they went out?!
[The production team forgot to equip Meng Xiangcheng with a live-streaming camera!]
“Yes, the round trip is very short, so there won’t be an extra live stream.” Meng Shuning held her phone, her tone deliberately gentle, but her fingertips turned white from the pressure. “I’ve been a bit tired lately, and Yu Cheng hasn’t been in a good mood either, so I’m accompanying him out to clear his head.”
She heard someone on the other end of the phone giving her some instructions. She responded twice, then added, "Thank you for understanding. We'll be back soon," before hanging up abruptly.
The moment the phone screen went dark, the smile on Meng Shuning's face vanished completely. She turned to look at Fang Yucheng beside her, her brows furrowed with frost, her voice low and laced with suppressed anger: "Are you crazy? At this crucial moment, what kind of Casanova are you trying to play?"
Fang Yucheng frowned, his Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice became terribly hoarse: "No."
"No?"
Meng Shuning looked at Fang Yucheng suspiciously, as if she were seeing him for the first time, and then fired at him mercilessly like a machine gun: "I thought you had some self-awareness. Do you even believe what you're saying? Are you out of your mind?"
"The show is almost over, and you have to pull this stunt now. Are you trying to make everyone think that I'm the one who broke up your relationship with Mu Jiu, making you a victim who was deeply loved but betrayed?"
"Where were you when Mu Jiu was being chased and verbally abused by your fans in the early years? Were you enjoying the feeling of being high above and manipulating other people's fates, or had you forgotten our initial agreement and planned to destroy all of this with your own hands..."
"Shu Ning".
Fang Yucheng interrupted her, and as the gazes opposite him remained fixed on him, he softened his tone: "I didn't intend to do anything, I was just feeling a bit unwell... my thoughts weren't clear, and I spoke without thinking."
Meng Shuning looked at him suspiciously. Seeing that his face was indeed pale and he looked inexplicably weak, she finally just snorted coldly: "The show is about to end. I hope you can really act like you're looking forward to getting back together with me."
She began to regret it.
How did you come to think that this person was sensible and that creating a romantic pairing with him would definitely help your career transition?
On the other side, Fang Yucheng lowered his head and pondered.
[bite--]
The inorganic electronic voice sounded again, like the approaching footsteps of death, and Fang Yucheng's heart skipped a beat.
[Female lead's favorability decreased by 5 points, and the 'Fan Aura' reward for the same number of points was revoked.]
Fang Yucheng's expression twisted for a moment.
Since the system repeatedly reported a decline in the female lead's favorability, a bunch of random events have recently occurred.
Resources that were almost within his grasp were thrown away, contracts that fell through without a trace, and people who inexplicably slandered and questioned him.
Now they're going to take away his reward?
Just as Fang Yucheng's complexion was gradually worsening, his phone suddenly vibrated.
Looking at the name on his phone screen, and then at Meng Shuning who had already walked away, he frowned and swiped to answer the call.
Before she could even speak, her manager's voice, laced with suppressed anger, burst from the receiver: "Was that song you performed at your concert plagiarized?"
His emotions were ignited by the barrage of questions, and Fang Yucheng's voice instantly turned cold, the air around him becoming frighteningly low: "Are you going to question me in this tone?"
The agent toned down his tone, but still carried a hint of displeasure: "The online situation has already blown up once. Do you even know what you're doing? How many of those resources you've been in talks with will be affected by your rash actions? If it weren't for President Li temporarily suppressing the situation, the organizer of the next concert would already be preparing to terminate the contract. Haven't you learned your lesson yet?"
Fang Yucheng took a deep breath and said coldly, "I can handle this matter; it won't have any impact."
"What are you dealing with?"
The agent's tone was full of sarcasm and exhaustion, "The most important thing now is to tell me the truth! I'm your agent now, I'm on your side, don't treat me like you're treating Sun..."
Fang Yucheng pressed the hang-up button expressionlessly.
From the moment I entered the show, everything was out of control.
He tried various ways to get close to her, but she seemed like a completely different person, showing no interest in his actions.
In the past, he would beckon to the other person and they would run to his side like a docile puppy, but now it was as if they were being led by puppet strings into a predetermined plot.
Damn it, if things were like that before, he wouldn't have...
In just a few seconds, Fang Yucheng suddenly felt that he had grasped something.
...It's a different person?
Fang Yucheng: [System, is it possible that the female lead could be replaced by someone else?]
His gaze was fixed on the air in front of him, as if he could pierce through the void and see the cold existence hidden in his consciousness.
[No other outsiders/conquerors detected in the main world. Please increase the heroine's affection level as soon as possible.]
Fang Yucheng: [If I'm not the female lead, can't I increase the favorability of other characters with good fortune?]
[Please increase the female lead's favorability as soon as possible.]
...
The mechanical electronic voice was flat and monotonous, like a rigid program instruction, repeating the same urging over and over again.
That same phrase again.
What exactly is the effect of the female lead's favorability on this unknown entity?
Every time this topic deviates from the intended course of action, this thing that seems to come from nowhere always provides vague and unclear answers, eventually circling back to the instruction to "increase the heroine's favorability."
In the past, it wouldn't have mattered to cooperate; it was just playing along.
But now that it's a TV program, his every move is being magnified in the public eye, and his actions are restricted in every way.
If gaining favorability is severely hindered, his career and resources will be in jeopardy.
He had only temporarily lost the halo bestowed upon him by the system, and those who had once fawned over him like lapdogs now dared to jump out and point fingers at him.
If things continue like this, everything he has painstakingly built will be destroyed.
Fang Yucheng's fingers tightened suddenly, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes.
Since we can't complete the task directly, we have to start from other places.
——
It was nearly midnight.
Ling Zhao looked up from her phone screen and gazed outside.
The pitch-black night seemed to be covered with thick, unyielding ink. The moon was mostly obscured by clouds, with only a few thin rays of silver light shining through, illuminating the glass door of the small house.
The wind rustled through the branches in the yard.
The staff had already packed up the equipment, and all the microphones had been turned off and put away.
The fact that this particular time was singled out doesn't seem like it's anything good.
Ling Zhao opened the glass door to the balcony and looked expressionlessly at the person standing in the shadows: "What do you want?"
"Can't it just be a casual chat?"
Fang Yucheng leaned back in his chair and tapped the table lightly: "Since we joined the show, we haven't really gotten to know each other properly. The show is almost over, and it's time for us to be honest with each other about our inner thoughts."
Ling Zhao didn't reply, giving him a cold glance. Too lazy to argue, she turned to go back inside.
Before he could take that step, Fang Yucheng's voice came from behind him, unhurried and confident, as if he knew he would not remain indifferent.
"Don't you want to know what happened between Mu Jiu and me in the past?"
Ling Zhao abruptly stopped pulling the door open.
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