Gu Yan stood in place, stiff as if he were a statue.

The words he had just heard still echoed in his ears—“fiancé,” “childhood engagement.” These words felt like powerful explosives, detonating violently in his mind.

He even began to doubt his own ears. Was this still Chinese? Or had he argued with Mu Bai just now, and his emotions had become so intense that he was experiencing auditory hallucinations?

In this era, getting engaged in college was rare, though not impossible. Yet now, these scenarios that normally existed only in TV shows and novels were happening right in front of him, happening to his roommate Ye Wangxing.

Ye Wangxing had a fiancé—and yet he casually sent a love-heart-shaped fried egg to a childhood betrothal?

Gu Yan widened his eyes. His normally clear thoughts completely sank into chaos. He didn’t even think about where Ye Wangxing had cooked the meal. The sudden, shocking news left him dizzy, as if his soul had been shaken out of its body.

He instinctively turned his gaze to the young man in front of him, whose face was calm, as if he had no idea that he had just said something earth-shattering.

As his roommate, Gu Yan didn’t interact much with Ye Wangxing, partly due to his own identity as a wealthy second-generation student and partly because he had started dating Mu Bai as soon as he entered school.

Still, he knew a little about Ye Wangxing’s basic situation. After all, their dorm housed a “golden retriever” figure who charmed everyone at first sight. As roommates, sometimes they could bask in the glow and enjoy small privileges.

Gu Yan didn’t like to show off. If they weren’t Ye Wangxing’s roommates, they might not even know how popular he was at school.

After all, with Gu Yan himself being the campus heartthrob in the dorm, the others’ brilliance was somewhat overshadowed.

Still, Gu Yan, though a little spoiled, was generous and not overbearing. He got along well with the others in the dorm.

—And this “getting along well” was also why Gu Yan was so shocked now.

He knew what kind of person Ye Wangxing was!

Ye Wangxing was a computer science student, average in academics but extraordinarily well-liked. Both male and female students seemed to enjoy his company.

Gu Yan had seen him several times in the cafeteria, where the aunties would pile a full tray of food for him. Combined with his slim figure, he looked like a college student coming home for the New Year, eager to be fed by elders.

Oddly, Ye Wangxing rarely flattered anyone. He smiled often, spoke sincerely, and yet his popularity exceeded that of the most socially adept students.

It wasn’t flashy popularity. People helped him whenever it didn’t inconvenience themselves.

Later, Gu Yan realized it was probably because of Ye Wangxing’s appearance.

Ye Wangxing’s looks were undeniably appealing. His features weren’t stunning individually, but together they had unique charm. Slightly drooping eyes gave him an innocent and gentle aura, and full lips added a hint of sensuality.

Combined with his toned yet not exaggerated muscular build, his clothes making him look slim, he resembled the kind of average-performing, helpful, not-annoying next-door younger brother—perfectly hitting most people’s preferences.

Gu Yan even found campus forum discussions confirming that many believed Ye Wangxing probably hadn’t even had his first love yet.

But now—Gu Yan couldn’t help but look the handsome young man over from head to toe again.

This normally harmless, sunny roommate casually mentioned “fiancé” and “childhood engagement”?

And apparently, the two weren’t the same person???

Gu Yan felt he needed to calm down.

—At least he had to first accept that these two people were indeed not the same.

As Gu Yan struggled to accept this, the handsome young man standing at the desk had already packed his two lunch boxes and even wrote two sticky notes—heart-shaped.

He used a pen to write different messages on them and attached them to the lunch boxes.

It looked like he had returned to the dorm just to pick up these two notes.

Ye Wangxing’s actions finally brought Gu Yan back to his senses. He instinctively wanted to see what the notes said, but the handsome young man had already placed the lunch boxes down.

Gu Yan finally regained his composure. He recalled his own earlier reaction and almost smacked himself, then quietly said to Ye Wangxing: “Not the fourth brother, you’re joking, right? Where did you get two lunch boxes? Are you trying to mess with me?”

Gu Yan still couldn’t believe it, but Ye Wangxing just looked at him strangely and said: “Why would I mess with you? Also, I cooked this meal using a senior’s apartment off-campus and borrowed his kitchen. I felt bad, so I even left a portion for him.”

Only then did Gu Yan realize Ye Wangxing wasn’t joking. Everything he had said was serious.

—Including the childhood engagement and the fiancé!

Gu Yan plopped down on the chair at his desk, staring at Ye Wangxing, unsure what to say. He really wanted to ask how Ye Wangxing managed to talk about having two partners so naturally.

But in the end, he opened and closed his mouth several times before finally forcing out a single sentence.

“……Isn’t what you did a bit unfair to your childhood betrothal? After all, you already have a fiancé and you’re still teasing them.”

The handsome young man, who had been about to leave, heard Gu Yan’s words. He looked at him with a puzzled expression and said: “No, their family would hide it from them.”

Gu Yan: “…”

He began to suspect he had traveled to a parallel universe.

Do city people really play this big???

Fortunately, Ye Wangxing gave him a seemingly reasonable explanation.

—A seemingly reasonable explanation.

“……Back then, they were all boys, but they played well together, so their families only mentioned the engagement and fiancé casually.”

The handsome young man looked slightly embarrassed as he spoke.

“But later, their family had some changes. My family could only use this identity to give them some support. Eventually, we helped their family go abroad. Now that they have returned, people still call them ‘childhood betrothal’ and ‘fiancé,’ but…”

A layer of worry appeared on Ye Wangxing’s face, like he was troubled about having only one head and being unable to let all the big dogs pet him at the same time.

“They seem to take the past events seriously. Plus, the past caused some psychological trauma… Now, the family is pampering them, so of course I wouldn’t ruin it.”

Hearing this explanation, Gu Yan relaxed.

“Then it’s fine, as long as you’re not deliberately two-timing. You just have to like both of them.”

Gu Yan said this while looking at Ye Wangxing, but…

He watched as the handsome young man looked away, guilty.

Seeing Gu Yan’s incredulous expression, the young man looked embarrassed and said: “……They’re too handsome, and they’re really cute. I just always want to take care of them.”

Even though he said this, he awkwardly changed the topic.

“Cough cough, enough about me. What about you? Did you fight with Mu Bai?”

Gu Yan, though still a bit shocked, kept quiet since it was his friend.

Hearing Ye Wangxing’s words, his frustration surged.

He had been struggling with the explosive words “fiancé” and “childhood betrothal,” but now he found an outlet for venting, unable to stop complaining.

He furrowed his brows, his tone tinged with impatience: “Fight? Hah, it was just him being unreasonable.”

Ye Wangxing raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised by Gu Yan’s reaction, but patiently asked: “Oh? How so?”

Gu Yan snorted, a hint of disdain in his voice: “I get up early every day to buy him breakfast. Isn’t that thoughtful enough? And yet he got upset over a cilantro bun! Do you think such a trivial thing is worth getting angry about?”

As he spoke, his tone became more assertive, as if presenting a case at a negotiation table: “I, Gu Yan, have never cared for anyone so much. But he not only didn’t appreciate it, he said I ignored his feelings? Ridiculous!”

“I remember what he said—he wanted a special breakfast. Wasn’t the cilantro bun special enough? Even if I forgot, he doesn’t eat cilantro, and he has so many things to remember. How could anyone remember all of it?”

Gu Yan became more and more self-righteous.

Ye Wangxing listened, his lips twitching slightly before returning to a calm expression. He blinked and said gently: “Hmm… so you think he shouldn’t have gotten angry?”

“Of course he shouldn’t!” Gu Yan replied without hesitation, his tone full of unquestionable confidence. “I did so much for him. Shouldn’t he be grateful? Besides, it’s just a cilantro bun. Next time I won’t buy it, and there’s no need to make a fuss.”

Ye Wangxing’s lips stiffened gradually, but he kept a polite smile and didn’t interrupt. A trace of helplessness flickered in his eyes, as if he found Gu Yan’s complaints a little… exaggerated. But he didn’t say it and merely nodded slightly, showing he was listening.

Gu Yan didn’t notice Ye Wangxing’s expression change and continued without pause: “He also said I always ignore his feelings! Hah, doesn’t he know how precious my time is? I take the time to be with him, which is already very accommodating, and he still isn’t satisfied?”

Ye Wangxing took a deep breath, trying to make his expression less stiff. He lifted a hand and gently patted Gu Yan on the shoulder, speaking in a soft, comforting tone: “You like him. Couples always have bumps along the way. It’s just a small matter, don’t take it too seriously.”

Gu Yan paused, saying nothing, just thinking for a while.

Seeing that Gu Yan’s mood had calmed slightly, Ye Wangxing picked up his lunch boxes and waved at him: “I’m leaving now. They’re still waiting for me!”

After saying this, his pace quickened noticeably, eager to escape this “emotional counseling session.”

When Li Qing returned to the dormitory, he saw this exact scene.

Gu Yan, the school heartthrob, sat at his desk looking completely bewildered, while their dorm’s “invisible big boss” left with two lunch boxes. Seeing him, he smiled and nodded at Li Qing.

Naturally, Li Qing didn’t block Ye Wangxing’s way—this was the guy who could get them extra meat and dishes in the cafeteria.

“Fourth Brother, where are you going? There’s a lecture this afternoon, if you don’t go, you’ll lose credits.”

He needed to notify him about serious matters.

“Ah, I know, don’t worry. I’ll definitely be back before the lecture. I’m just going to deliver some meals.”

Ye Wangxing said this, his handsome face carrying a hint of urgency. Li Qing didn’t press him further and waved with a smile.

“Fourth Brother has someone he likes? Hurry up then.”

Li Qing chuckled, and the handsome young man gave him a grateful look, took the lunch boxes, and left.

It wasn’t until Ye Wangxing left that Li Qing looked at Gu Yan, who was still slumped over in his chair, face full of confusion.

“What’s wrong? Third Brother, what happened? Why do you look like that—did you argue with Mu Bai again?”

Li Qing said, looking as if he’d already known it.

If it had been last year, he might have gone up to ask what happened, but this year he had learned his lesson. After almost a year of dating, he and Mu Bai had figured out the argument patterns.

Either Gu Yan had forgotten Mu Bai’s preferences, or Mu Bai had felt insecure about Gu Yan’s actions and acted accordingly.

If it was just that, it would have been fine, but every time Gu Yan and Mu Bai argued, after both sides intervened for a while and even considered breaking up, the next morning they would reconcile. Those who tried to mediate often ended up being glared at by the two.

Just thinking about it made Li Qing’s blood pressure rise.

As expected, Gu Yan nodded in front of Li Qing.

Li Qing, looking like he’d already guessed, went to his seat, opened his laptop, and was about to log in with friends when he heard Gu Yan say slowly:

“This morning I argued with Mu Bai. Fourth Brother advised me that little quarrels are normal between couples.”

Li Qing nodded absentmindedly, he didn’t take it to heart, since they had previously given the same advice to Gu Yan.

—Then he heard Gu Yan drop a bombshell.

“I also think he’s right, after all, Fourth Brother seem to have more experience coaxing people…”

Li Qing casually said: “How does Fourth Brother have more experience than you? Did he date a boyfriend clingier than Mu Bai?”

Then Li Qing heard Gu Yan reply softly: “No, he don’t have a boyfriend.”

“—But he has a fiancé and a betrothal partner.”

Gu Yan said seriously.

“He just went to deliver meals to these two.”

Li Qing: “……”

“What???”

Ye Wangxing didn’t know that after he left, the dorm had filled with Li Qing’s exclamations. He was marveling at how difficult the protagonist of this story could be.

[19, although the previous task worlds had self-consistent logic, I’ve never seen it self-consistent to this degree. This task is probably going to be really difficult.]

Ye Wangxing said, slightly headache-stricken, speaking to 19 with a habitual closeness rather than distance.

—19 was delighted by this.

So 19 said: [Host, rest assured, I will simulate their personalities—although there were some oversights with Shi Xianzhu in the last world, in this world 85% will be fine.]

Hearing this, Ye Wangxing felt confident, since 19 had never disappointed him and was completely reliable.

Thinking this, Ye Wangxing’s face unintentionally flushed, but then he thought of the headache-inducing plot and forced it back down.

This world’s fate line could be described as the old-fashioned “CEO romance novel” type.

Specifically, the kind where the little submissive escapes ninety-nine times.

From the start of Gu Yan and Mu Bai’s relationship, the story continued through their marriage until Mu Bai truly escaped 99 times—it only ended then.

If it were just this, the plot wouldn’t require Ye Wangxing’s involvement, since such fate lines weren’t much different from beginner tasks.

—Provided the protagonists weren’t perfectly aligned with the fate line.

But yes, 100% alignment.

This was a terrifying situation.

In the previous world, Shi Xianzhu’s alignment reached 80%, and Song Yun still had some feelings for him, because his alignment with the fate line was relatively high—at least 60%.

At least then, he could tolerate some advice, and with the support of his younger brother, Song Yun could only reminisce about his lost love under the protection of bodyguards.

…Too tragic, only money could console him.

This world was different. Here, both protagonists’ alignment with the fate line was 100%, meaning they were essentially the incarnations of the fate line. They would do anything to keep the fate line on track. This was one reason Ye Wangxing found it so troublesome.

Even more troublesome—these two truly loved each other with absolute sincerity.

Though he chased and she ran, they would always reconcile.

—And anyone who helped them would suffer.

This was a classic novel trope: any male or female supporting character interfering with the couple would face retaliation, ending up in thankless or even troublesome situations.

This storyline exhausted Ye Wangxing mentally and physically, finally making him understand why the system raised the difficulty for a veteran like him.

—These protagonists weren’t easy for ordinary taskers to handle.

Yet based on their personalities and situation seen in the fate line, Ye Wangxing had to adjust his previous strategy.

He took a deep breath, carrying the two lunch boxes, and said to 19: [In this world, forget about trying to separate the protagonists. From my experience, I can’t think of a way to make them break up romantically.]

Ye Wangxing’s voice carried calm resignation.

[—After all, with a couple like this, even my dad couldn’t manage it. We can only advise the parents to loosen up and wait for them to realize it themselves.]

Although most wouldn’t realize it, and would continue entangling indefinitely.

[Alright host, do you want to replace the previous script?]

19 hadn’t finished modeling the protagonists’ personalities, but he knew his host was troubled because of them. Offering choices eased his host’s mind.

[No need to replace the script for now, observe a bit more, then decide about the protagonists.]

Ye Wangxing frowned and thought.

[Alright host, I will prepare accordingly—but I suggest you speed up. Your lunch today is excellent, and it’s enough to make them proudly display it to everyone.]

19 voice remained calm.

Ye Wangxing…

He silently covered his flushed face, thinking: 19, that’s unfair!

While Ye Wangxing blushed, Mu Bai grudgingly did chores during lunch break and muttered to a colleague: “…It’s always like this! I said I don’t eat cilantro, and he can’t remember! He says it’s for my good, but it’s just perfunctory!”

His colleague just smiled and moved on, knowing Mu Bai well after a month of working together.

Mu Bai complained a lot but no one responded, making him feel embarrassed and wronged. Instinctively, he wanted to message Gu Yan.

He took out his phone but realized he was still angry. Resolutely, he put the phone back in his pocket and continued his chores.

This internship was arranged by Gu Yan. At first, Mu Bai could manage more, but due to his insufficient skills, he ended up doing chores.

He had even quarreled with Gu Yan about this, but since the company belonged to his uncle, not Gu Yan, Gu Yan didn’t intervene. Mu Bai continued doing his chores grudgingly.

Finally, at lunch break, Mu Bai headed to the cafeteria. Since he finished tasks late, few people were left when he arrived. He didn’t mind, ate his meal, and scrolled through social media.

After gossiping about the cute lunch box CEO Pei posted online, he left the cafeteria.

Shortly after, he saw a familiar figure exit the CEO’s private elevator.

He recognized Ye Wangxing, Gu Yan’s roommate.

Mu Bai hadn’t remembered much about him—just that he seemed ordinary, didn’t talk much, and occasionally nodded when passing in the dorm.

Today, Ye Wangxing surprised him.

The young man wore a simple black T-shirt, still handsome, but his slightly flushed cheeks gave his features an indescribable charm.

Mu Bai focused more on why he came out of the CEO’s private elevator this year.

Unfortunately, Ye Wangxing didn’t notice him and hurriedly left the company, leaving Mu Bai a little disappointed.

Soon, Mu Bai forgot this incident because he had juicier news.

“What? CEO Pei also posted a lunch box video? What’s going on? It’s summer, and he’s already single again?”

The news was so exciting that he forgot his cold war with Gu Yan.

CEO Pei had a good rapport with employees—friendly despite being a CEO, joking with staff, tolerating small issues, though strict at work. Considering his salaries, it was bearable.

The junior CEO Pei, however, was less popular: quiet, focused on coding, short-tempered, and employees avoided him. Some didn’t even remember his appearance.

If he weren’t the older CEO’s nephew, the company might have easily forgotten him.

Now both of them seemed to have their “romance sparks.”

Mu Bai immediately sent all the photos from their social media to Gu Yan, saying: “Gu Yan, it seems like you’re going to have an aunt and a sister-in-law.”

Receiving Mu Bai’s message, Gu Yan felt pleased—this time Mu Bai had humbled himself first—but seeing the photos, he fell into thought.

—Why did these two lunch boxes look so familiar?

 

 

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