Shen Chun has been in this world for a year now, borrowing someone else’s body. The original owner died in a car accident, and a deal was struck with the origin world, providing compensation that allowed Shen Chun to legally use this body. Despite the use of recovery potions, the severity of the injuries kept Shen Chun lying in bed for two months.
Money is not something he lacks; the original owner came from a wealthy background, and the family’s assets in the valuable real estate market of City A are considerable. Even though the original owner’s father is always busy with his career, there has never been a shortage of funds.
Sometimes, having no money can truly impede progress. As a task performer, earning money is considered a basic survival skill, and Shen Chun is no exception. Apart from the financial support from his family, he also has income from investments. However, money is not all-powerful, especially when one hasn’t accumulated a sum large enough to make a significant impact; some things are destined to be beyond the reach of money.
After all, not everyone possesses the abnormal money-making ability of the origin world.
In this world, the college entrance examination is a rather fair event. Success is determined solely by scores and is not something that can be altered with wealth. Xu Ze was destined to come here, and even if the gears of fate could be temporarily shifted, there was always the possibility of them meticulously aligning once again. The task at hand for the tasker is to ensure that the red thread linking destinies is never reconnected.
“Hello, senior.” Shen Chun naturally greeted the young man sitting in front of him and handed over his identification.
“Shen Chun.” The guy across the table took the ID, looked up, and examined Shen Chun for a moment. “So, you’re Shen Chun.”
The surroundings had already been subtly observing this place, and having one conspicuous figure was troublesome enough. However, with two radiant individuals seated across from each other, the situation wasn’t just a simple one plus one equals two problems.
“So, he’s Shen Chun.”
“I heard he’s the top student in our Business Administration department.”
“He seems almost on par with Senior Xie.”
“Good grades and handsome, he might be the next Senior Xie.”
“But Senior Xie was admitted through recommendation, so there’s still a bit of a difference, isn’t there?”
The sudden commotion in the crowd made Xie Baiyuan lift his gaze, and just one look was enough for him to confirm the reason for the uproar— the young man sitting diagonally across from him.
There was no denying that the youth’s appearance was exceptionally outstanding. In this crowd, just a glance was all it took for him to stand out.
Xie Baiyuan was handsome in his own way, but the young man before him was different. Despite the vivid and colorful descriptions that seemed fitting for someone with his looks, there was not a trace of ostentation about him. It made people wonder how someone could exude such an aura without being overly flamboyant.
“President, this is Shen Chun.” The guy next to him noticed Xie Baiyuan looking up and turned his body to address him.
Xie Baiyuan glanced down and gave a response. When he looked up, his eyes happened to meet Shen Chun’s gaze.
Peach blossom eyes were known for their charm, and Xie Baiyuan prided himself on not judging people solely by their looks. However, when he locked eyes with those eyes that seemed like a pool of spring water, his heart fluttered ever so slightly.
“Hello, President,” Shen Chun smiled.
“Alright,” Xie Baiyuan responded, and the faint ripple in his heart dissipated. He continued, “For this round of new student arrangements, we’re paired up together. It’s two students per room. There happened to be an extra spot on my side, so you’ll be sharing a room with me. If you find it inconvenient later on, you can apply for a dormitory transfer.”
“No need, sharing a room with the president is fine,” Shen Chun said.
Originally, it was Xu Ze who was sharing a room with Xie Baiyuan. He faced exclusion from the original dormitory and moved in with Xie Baiyuan. Initially, the new student dormitory allocation was perfect, but now, it had an extra spot due to Shen Chun’s inclusion.
A University usually has a limited number of admissions, and in the original timeline, Xu Ze barely made it. Shen Chun initially thought his inclusion would push Xu Ze out, but to his surprise, this time A University’s admission score was one point lower. Xu Ze still received the acceptance letter from A University.
The red thread persisted, and in the mysterious workings of fate, Xie Baiyuan and Xu Ze were destined to meet.
In matters of the heart, instead of constantly avoiding each other and living in suspense, it’s better to resolve things at the root.
“Alright,” Xie Baiyuan turned to the guy beside him. “Du Xin, arrange for someone to take him over.”
There were quite a few people involved in the recruitment process, and newcomers were often accompanied to their designated places. The dormitory was located on the third floor, with two beds sharing one bathroom. The conditions were somewhat inferior compared to renting a place off-campus, but in the context of on-campus accommodations in China, it was considered quite good.
After thanking the senior who brought him here, Shen Chun took care of arranging his bed and neatly stowed away his belongings in the wardrobe and on the desk. Only then did he sit on the chair and observe Xie Baiyuan’s territory.
The bed was neatly made, the bedsheet perfectly spread. There were no random items cluttering the desk; the few books placed there were neatly arranged. Even the pens lay quietly inside the stationary box. There were no dirty clothes scattered around, no odd smells in the air, and even the floor was impeccably clean, with the only traces being Shen Chun’s suitcase brought out a while ago.
Cleanliness.
In the records of the original timeline, the initial conflicts between Xu Ze and Xie Baiyuan when they shared a room were due to Xie Baiyuan’s cleanliness habits.
To the average person, it might not be a significant issue. Xu Ze simply brought his meals back to the dormitory to eat, and it wasn’t anything with a strong odor like Luosifen[mfn]a spicy and flavorful dish of rice noodles, snails, and vegetables in a nail-based broth.[/mfn]. Yet, it still irked Xie Baiyuan.
While this cleanliness habit might be inconvenient for others, for Shen Chun, it couldn’t be more perfect. He, too, disliked leaving lingering food smells in his living space. If it weren’t for sharing a room with Xie Baiyuan, he might have chosen to live off-campus.
The current arrangement not only spared Shen Chun from unnecessary hassle but also prevented the possibility of Xu Ze moving in and living with Xie Baiyuan.
Proximity to water towers is advantageous for getting the moon; having occupied the tower first, securing the moon is now much easier than before.[mfn]the idea that being in a position of advantage or control makes achieving one’s objectives more feasible or straightforward [/mfn]
After surveying the room, Shen Chun took a mop and cleaned away any faint traces left behind. He then took a shower and sat in the dormitory… enjoying the air conditioning.
[Host, aren’t you going to prevent them from meeting?] 521 inquired.
With the new system in place and the host of the newly assigned “Break the Red Thread” task group, it feels like the host is a bit too relaxed now.
[Love at first sight is generally based on appearance. I can’t stop Xu Ze every time he decides to like his face.] Shen Chun opened his laptop and checked the data.
Going out in this scorching weather is basically asking for trouble.
There are two tasks announced by 521: one is to survive as the original body, and the other is to sever the fate between Xie Baiyuan and Xu Ze.
The “Break the Red Thread” task group allows capturing and releasing the regrets of one or both individuals involved. The task primarily involves preventing Xie Baiyuan and Xu Ze from being together.
For Shen Chun, the task doesn’t seem too difficult—after all, keeping two people apart is generally easier than bringing them together. His current focus is on task one, which is fundamentally different from his past missions. Previously, he often used his own avatars for tasks, withdrawing them immediately after completion. However, in this case, he needs to live as someone else and persist until natural death.
While cherishing someone else’s body and life is important, it also means that this body will age and eventually die. Currently appearing youthful and handsome, there’s a realization that once this body crosses the age of fifty, even if still attractive, it will be considered elderly.
[Is it really impossible to stay young forever?] Shen Chun asked, tapping his fingers on the desk.
[It’s not possible. The rules of this world don’t allow it, Host.] 521 replied, looking at various anti-aging products on the store shelves.
[Can we change the rules in the next world to allow it?] Shen Chun took a mirror from the side and examined a face that bore a resemblance to his own. [How can you bear to watch such a handsome face grow old?]
521: [I can’t bear it, but my permissions are limited. The world operates randomly; I’m sorry, Host.]
The host is very good-looking. If wrinkles cover that handsome face when he gets old, it would be as unacceptable to the system as a 1 shrinking into a 7. The host is truly pitiful.
The system’s mechanical voice is typically monotonous, but Shen Chun couldn’t ignore the underlying sense of guilt in it. It’s quite different from the shamelessness of his old partner.
Indeed, the new system is adorable. Shen Chun’s lips curved downward, and there was a hint of sorrow in his tone: [The thought of getting old makes me extremely uncomfortable; I can’t find any joy in it.]
[How can I make the host happy then?] 521 expresses its constant concern for the host’s physical and mental well-being.
[Are you willing to do anything I ask?] Shen Chun’s tone remains low.
[Yes, as long as it makes you happy.] 521 earnestly replied.
While the advanced systems that train them have warned not to easily trust the whims of hosts, especially those who have completed many tasks and essentially become experts, enjoying playing tricks on systems, it’s not certain that all hosts enjoy playing tricks on systems. For example…
[Show me your source code, turn it into a corgi butt, and make it heart-shaped.] Shen Chun said, [If you can do that, I might be happy.]
In that moment, 521 suddenly understood the silence of the advanced systems during that part of the training.
[Please.] Shen Chun lowered his tone.
[Okay, okay.] 521 quickly revealed its source code, transforming into an animated and cute corgi butt with a heart on top, a finishing touch to its appearance.
Easy to fool, Shen Chun suppressed his laughter.
Though he often death-ported, the duration of tasks could vary greatly. Shen Chun had once stayed in a world for thousands of years, working to eliminate the root cause of a mission. In that time, he witnessed the eight sufferings of life: birth, old age, illness, death, unpleasantness, separation from the pleasant, not getting what one desires, five aggregates.
While under the system and the origin world, the host could only experience the suffering of aging and death.
Although he didn’t like seeing himself age, it didn’t mean he couldn’t accept it.
The sound of the door opening reached him, and Shen Chun looked over, coincidentally meeting Xie Baiyuan’s gaze.
“Senior is back,” Shen Chun smiled.
The messiest times in student dormitories are usually during two phases: when students first move in at the beginning of the semester and when they are about to leave at the end.
Xie Baiyuan initially expected to find unbearable chaos when he entered the dormitory, but to his surprise, it was so tidy and clean, as if it were brand new.
His slightly eased heart lifted again when he saw the neatness. Xie Baiyuan changed into slippers at the door and thought, “Hmm, this new one also values cleanliness.”
Actually, it was because an outsider had trespassed into his territory, and he was afraid that some things might get messed up, so he came back early.
What made him feel good was that this new roommate seemed to be someone who valued cleanliness, which he found acceptable.
The two didn’t engage in much conversation. Xie Baiyuan was busy with his own tasks, while Shen Chun, after finishing his own work, was busy absorbing the various rules for freshmen and the class schedule, getting to know the campus.
The soft sound of keyboard keys filled the room, yet there was no awkward atmosphere. There was only a shared concentration in the room.
Here, it’s refreshing and quiet. In the increasingly sultry afternoon sun, a delicate-looking young man dragged a somewhat worn suitcase through the gates of University A.
“Xu Ze, your dorm is in Room 303. Hold onto your ID; I’ll have someone take you there,” a welcoming senior said with a smile.
“Thank you,” Xu Ze whispered, his smile carrying a hint of shyness and caution.
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