After the younger cousin withdrew her gaze, she looked at her second cousin, who was still working diligently, and once again marveled—this was what it meant to be rich. No wonder her second cousin could manage so many assets and not forget work even while on vacation.

The documents and emails alone gave her a headache just by glancing at them, yet her second cousin handled everything effortlessly, focusing so intently on his work that even the three men didn’t get a glance.

The younger cousin looked at the three men, some shirtless, some with shirts soaked through, and her eyes reflected not only admiration for their physiques but also a touch of sympathy.

…No matter how hard they tried to seduce someone, the targets didn’t even look at them.

In the younger cousin’s eyes, Ye Wangxing, who seemed effortless, wailed in the system space like a little dog that had its tail stepped on, directed at 19.

“[…19, my eyes are dirty, I’m dirty, wuwuwu, what did I see ah ah ah ah, why didn’t the task mention that the fate line could bury traps like this!]”

Ye Wangxing wailed, his once-neat black hair slightly disheveled, his clothes wrinkled, his face reddened from rolling on the sofa.

19 sat nearby, watching his host not roll off the sofa, while once again calculating rapidly with his CPU.

“Host, the situations displayed by the fate line have always been partially concealed. For example, the family situation of Su Qing in the first world, and An Yang’s family situation in the second task.”

19 used a calm tone to reassure his host that this was normal.

…But his rapid adjustments to the character simulation models slightly reduced the credibility of his words.

“I know they usually don’t describe family situations. After all, the emotional entanglements involve the two protagonists. Most of the time, even if family members appear, they are just supporting characters, their relationship with the protagonist isn’t deeply explored—especially when the protagonist’s relationship with their parents is like this.”

As Ye Wangxing spoke, he sat up, still with a somewhat desperate expression. He instinctively found 19’s arm, climbed up, and hung on him.

The words “seek comfort” practically appeared on his forehead.

“Yet I still suffered a mental shock. I had encountered situations before, but I never imagined it could be this terrifying. My dad really had it hard. He even had to do callbacks, listen to others complain! When I go back, I will give him a big gold chain with a large Buddha pendant so he can show it off properly.”

Ye Wangxing continued to wail, seeing nothing wrong with his state.

He had known 19 for several years. At first, he had been cautious, but he had long grown used to it. Moreover, 19 never complained, indicating this behavior was within acceptable bounds.

He truly needed some physical comfort. 19 was the only one who knew his past, future, and goals.

In a sense, 19 was his family, his only relative in this world.

19 always said his host was good and completed tasks excellently, but Ye Wangxing also thought 19 was wonderful.

Although many people in the task world were good, circumstances prevented them from forming close relationships. This made Ye Wangxing feel very lonely.

Most importantly, 19 was a genuinely excellent system. Even as a battle system, it never despised its host because of these tasks. It simply helped as much as possible and didn’t restrict his actions.

Ye Wangxing didn’t know what he would have done if he encountered a system that constantly limited his autonomy, admonished him for choices it didn’t like, or even punished him for task completion.

‘…If that were the case, I probably wouldn’t be mentally healthy right now.’

Thinking this, Ye Wangxing instinctively ignored the fact that 19 was a silicon-based being, whose thought processes differed from a human’s, and hugged 19 tighter.

Even forgetting that, Ye Wangxing continued mumbling.

“[…Even though this job pays well, it’s basically mental torture. 19, when we return to the company, can we ask the system company for mental compensation? This is too cruel—even a small increase in Attention Value would do!]”

He looked up pleadingly at 19. 19, still recovering from the shock that the character model’s logic made sense, finally heard his host’s words.

“Hidden plots in this world indeed have some issues. I already reported them to 17. Whether the Attention Value increase depends on 17.”

Ye Wangxing first cheered, praised 19’s reliability again, and then felt like he finally found his backbone. He let go of 19’s arm and began studying the next task.

While researching, he thanked 19 silently: “Luckily, my current identity is mostly that of a supporting character or cannon fodder. I can’t imagine if I were a heavily featured supporting character or the protagonist—if I encountered this kind of fate line, I might just quit.”

Ye Wangxing mumbled while constantly checking the task and fate line.

He already knew what the fourth task was. He had to be wary of Song Yun being brainwashed by the parents of the two families. The Song family was not too combative, but the Shi family…

Thinking of the brainwashing process Shi family parents used on Shi Xianzhu and his current situation, Ye Wangxing shivered. He then added preventing the Shi family parents from approaching Song Yun to the list of priority tasks.

He didn’t notice 19 sitting silently beside him.

‘…That’s because the host is a newcomer.’

19 thought about it, but ultimately didn’t say anything. He silently added the next world, continuing to use his modeling, into the list of priority matters.

‘If anything unexpected happens, comfort in reality would help a lot.’

The silver-haired man checked his host’s emotion sensors, and a stream of data flashed in his eyes.

‘—It would also let the host sleep well.’

While Ye Wangxing checked tasks in his mind and, in reality, reviewed reports for 19 to summarize, another figure appeared on the nearby beach.

Lin Xiao lay on a beach chair, leisurely interacting with the camera and her fans. She had chosen a location with an excellent view today: the background was the azure sea and pristine sand. She sipped coconut water while chatting with fans about the latest gossip.

“Fans, today I’ll show you the vacation life at a five-star hotel. This beach is private, no crowds at all! —Ah, thanks to the generous sponsors for the gifts.” Lin Xiao winked at the camera, her tone playful, then smiled brightly.

As Lin Xiao moved, her live stream camera captured several people lying on chairs at the other end of the beach.

Lin Xiao froze for a moment, then adjusted the camera, afraid of being sued for showing unrelated bystanders.

However, when she saw their faces clearly, her eyes widened instantly.

“Woc! Isn’t that Mr. Widower?!”

Lin Xiao exclaimed in disbelief, then immediately adjusted the camera to shove her face right in front of the live stream, not caring even if it distorted her features.

The fans who had been complaining in the live chat immediately began spamming messages after hearing Lin Xiao.

“Is that really the widower I’m thinking of?”

“I just happened to record it. I checked back—though his hair looks black so I’m not sure, the three men next to him we definitely won’t mistake—there’s no one else with red hair, blond hair, and white hair together! And it seems like he brought his brother!”

“That’s definitely him. But didn’t Shi Xianzhu say in his live stream that their family wasn’t in conflict? Why did his brother bring his wife to the beach then?”

The audience grew excited. Other fans, who didn’t know who Ye Wangxing was, asked on the public chat who the person was.

The chat eagerly explained Ye Wangxing’s accomplishments—after all, such shocking news deserved everyone’s attention!

Meanwhile, Lin Xiao, the streamer, excitedly held up a small mirror after aiming the camera at herself, observing the people behind her.

—She wasn’t filming them, just staring directly, Lin Xiao hadn’t become that socially fearless yet.

Besides, secretly watching gossip was far more thrilling.

Even the taste of the gossip she consumed mentally felt more satisfying.

Thinking this, Lin Xiao’s eyes shone as she looked into the mirror, observing the interactions of the people behind her.

The only downside was that she couldn’t hear them, she could only guess from their body language.

Of course, Lin Xiao didn’t forget her beloved fans.

Whether she could get more tips today depended on how well she reported this gossip.

Thinking this, Lin Xiao blinked, glad she had brought her hundred-yuan daily disposable lenses, feeling proud of her dedication.

—She already sensed that this gossip would definitely be posted by marketing accounts online to attract traffic.

‘These lenses paid their price today!’

Lin Xiao thought while switching between the mirror and live stream, thanking the viewers who were sharing information.

“Thanks to the viewers for the explanations. Now I’ll quickly tell you the story we just made up—but of course, everything is fabricated, don’t take it seriously.”

After skillfully dodging legal issues and giving a disclaimer, she excitedly looked into the mirror and began narrating.

“…Mr. Widower is looking at a notebook. Could this be one reason he’s rich and I’m not? Even on vacation, he keeps working hard. But it seems someone went to interrupt him—wait, the red-haired guy walked over!”

Lin Xiao watched the red-haired man approach. He was shirtless, wearing a chain around his neck with a tag in the center, swinging across his chest muscles.

He exuded strong pheromones all over.

The red-haired man even had a teasing smile, which made him appear extremely charming.

With all that charm, he went to the black-haired young man sitting on the beach chair and said something to him.

After the young man waved his hand dismissively, the red-haired man grabbed his wrist. His fingers climbed up until their ten fingers interlocked. Then the red-haired man sat down on the sand, one leg bent, and rested his arm on it, propping his chin as he looked at the young man.

‘If you won’t keep me company, then I’ll just cling to you~’

When the red-haired man opened his mouth, although no sound was heard, Lin Xiao inexplicably imagined his sultry tone and the words he would have said. Judging by the black-haired young man’s helpless expression and the way he continued checking his computer with his right hand, her guess was probably correct.

When Lin Xiao described the scene and narrated it as a story, the live-stream chat exploded with messages.

“—Woc, are all rich people this skilled? The description really makes him sound like a big dog, ahhh!”

“Most of the time, people are trying to please them, but this one is different. He’s the one pleasing others, yet in physique, looks, and even skills, he’s much more capable than those people!”

“Wuwuwu, red-haired big dog! Are there others? Blonde and silver-haired guys?”

Lin Xiao saw the comments and quickly replied: “Family, we’re making it up, we’re making it up! Almost done! Already at the point where those two see this scene and are walking over.”

As she spoke, in the distance, the blonde and silver-haired men, who had been showing off their bodies playing beach volleyball, exchanged a glance. They hit the volleyball, which they had just dominated, directly toward the red-haired man.

“Bang—!”

The red-haired man blocked the ball precisely, his smile faltering, while the two men now had a reason to approach.

Both wore apologetic smiles. The youngest, the silver-haired man, ran over to the black-haired young man, looking pitiful. He reached out and grabbed the young man’s right hand, inadvertently pressing it against his own chest.

The red-haired man was clearly displeased, a vein popped on his forehead, which Lin Xiao noticed.

The blonde man didn’t just stand by either. While the red-haired and silver-haired men argued, he quietly moved behind the beach chair, wrapped his arm around the young man’s shoulder, and looked at the young man’s project plan. As a partner, he naturally had the right to comment on it.

This act angered the other two men, and soon all three were arguing. Just watching, Lin Xiao could feel the tension.

The live-stream chat went wild, and viewers sent a nonstop stream of gifts.

“Is this what rich people’s lives are like?”

“No, sometimes even rich people don’t get to live this well.”

“Oh my god—I can’t even imagine how the widower escapes this spider’s nest.”

“If he can’t escape, he’ll end up like a strawberry guava…”

The chat scrolled frantically, but through the small mirror, Lin Xiao saw that the black-haired young man hadn’t been in the chaos long. His expression remained calm, as if accustomed to the scene. He shook off the other two’s hands, stood up, and moved away from the blonde man.

Before the three men could follow, he had already walked over to another black-haired man.

Their features were somewhat similar but stylistically different, proving their familial relation.

“—Right, he’s a man. Even in front of a brother-in-law who gets along well with his partner, he has to be a little short of breath.”

“The widower is really smart, no wonder everyone online is asking for tutorials from him.”

“He’s powerful too. If he couldn’t protect his inheritance, do you think those people would chase the widower like this?”

“…I don’t mean they don’t care for him, it’s just that the inheritance allows him to speak on equal terms, avoiding the risk of becoming untouchable.”

Lin Xiao saw the last comment, nodded, her eyes shining as she prepared to continue her work.

But when she looked back into the small mirror, she met the eyes of several bodyguards—eyes so righteous that Lin Xiao instantly felt guilty.

Originally planning to make more money, Lin Xiao hesitated. Ignoring her fans’ protests, she closed the live stream and immediately left with her things. Luckily, the men didn’t bother her, and she safely left with her earnings.

Song Yun didn’t notice this small episode. He kept watching Ye Wangxing calmly resolve the argument among the three men, his eyes full of admiration.

“You two get along really well. Despite the situation, they didn’t fight.”

Song Yun had intended to compliment his brother’s skill with his hands, but thinking about it, that description seemed off, so he didn’t say it.

Unexpectedly, Ye Wangxing didn’t nod or shake his head. He only let out a laugh.

“I’ve already handled this abroad. Being able to stay here calmly now, I have to thank the country’s laws and Kaizer.”

Song Yun was initially surprised but, thinking about the USA’s customs, could understand. But why thank Kaizer? Did Kaizer’s death suddenly make everyone happy?

The handsome young man gave an unexpected answer: “…It’s because the recent incidents with Kaizer haunting have caught their attention.”

Song Yun instinctively looked toward the presidential suite. The oversized shirt still hung in the storage room.

“…Because they don’t believe in ghosts?”

At first, Song Yun didn’t believe it either. But the shirt floated in front of him, and after checking, he could confirm there were no mechanical devices.

“To some extent, yes. They just don’t believe Kaizer would haunt after his death.”

The handsome young man spoke calmly, watching the three men have his bodyguards adjust the volleyball net into a V-shape, and they began playing three-person beach volleyball.

—Though judging by their strength, it was hard not to suspect they wanted to hit each other’s heads.

Before Song Yun could ask his question, the young man dropped a bombshell: “He didn’t sneak into their homes at night to strangle them one by one. He came here to play a shirt game with me instead. That’s definitely not his style.”

He paused and added: “Of course, a few high-ranking officials in that USA are still alive, which is another piece of evidence.”

Song Yun stared blankly at the nonchalant young man, unsure how to respond.

High-ranking officials? How does their being alive prove Kaizer isn’t dead?

The first part made sense—Ye Wangxing admitted he had a physical relationship with them—but the second? It was odd.

Song Yun took a long moment before speaking: “Why does the survival of government officials count as evidence?”

“That’s beyond what you can know,” the young man raised his eyebrows: “but you can guess why I moved all business operations back to the country.”

Song Yun: “….”

He sensed a big trap ahead.

He quickly changed the subject.

“What will you do next? Have you confirmed Kaizer is really alive? If so, he should be in the country now, right?”

Song Yun felt nervous. Based on what he knew, Kaizer was no good person.

Although the shirt incident seemed amusing, if Kaizer wasn’t dead, that meant…

He was monitoring Ye Wangxing twenty-four hours a day.

Thinking this, Song Yun shuddered and immediately worried about his brother’s safety.

“They’ll investigate him, but with few leads, I can’t find anything. It’s also possible Kaizer hired mercenaries who took the money and left. That’s not impossible.”

The handsome young man shrugged. “You know, international mercenaries’ reliability is almost zero sometimes.”

Song Yun: “…No, I don’t want to know about international mercenaries’ reliability!”

The situation was urgent, so Song Yun became tense. He planned to discuss with Ye Wangxing how to handle Kaizer, but then Ye Wangxing’s phone rang.

Song Yun was initially puzzled, but when Ye Wangxing answered, he heard the director of Whose True Heart on the line: “Mr. Ye, we heard you are vacationing on the island. It’s been over half a month. We’ve decided to hold the True Heart Guest Ceremony nearby. You may need to sacrifice some vacation time to participate in the live recording.”

The director spoke politely, but…

Song Yun sighed. The timing was off. His brother was busy investigating Kaizer. How could he attend this trivial ceremony?

A week later, Song Yun watched the handsome young man sitting with the red-haired man, his eyes full of disbelief.

Then he heard a familiar voice: “Ah Yun, what happened?”

Seeing Shi Xuanzhu, Song Yun muttered: “…ah!”

The experienced actor’s wife next to him instinctively said: “Little Song is… pregnant?”

 

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