Chapter Summaries

Shui Lianxin joined three veteran celebrities for a livestreamed food hunt through Linfu Block, drawing a flood of excited viewers and gifts. As she began her search, she spotted a familiar figure waiting hungrily at a soup dumpling stall.

• Shui Lianxin and Yan Jie welcomed Zhang Laoshi, Shen Laoshi, and Jia Laoshi at the teahouse before the livestream began.
• The livestream opened, and viewers flooded the channel with comments and gifts as the four celebrities appeared.
• The director announced that each participant had to find hidden delicacies around Linfu Block, with the first to finish named Food King.
• The four drew their food lists and split up, while Shui Lianxin nervously addressed the camera.
• Shui Lianxin spotted a familiar man in a black trench coat ordering a steamer of soup dumplings.

After a week of brutal training, Fang Ran got the night off and went on a food binge in Linfu, where he met Shui Lianxin during a TV shoot. When the camera turned toward him, Fang Ran ran away, leaving the crew and viewers stunned.

• Su Qun gave Fang Ran the night off, and Hua Ling suggested he go to Linfu while Fusu noted that his training had made him exceptionally hungry.
• Su Qun drove Fang Ran to Linfu and gave him a custom black trench coat to wear.
• Fang Ran ate so much at the Hundred Year Braised Meat Restaurant that its staff refunded him and asked him not to return.
• Fang Ran spent his allowance buying food across the district and stocked up on extra portions to eat later.
• Shui Lianxin tugged Fang Ran's coat while filming a program, and the producer announced that Group Four had found a helper.
• Fang Ran saw the camera turn toward him and sprinted away from the filming crew.

Fang Ran fled when Shui Lianxin recognized him during a live broadcast, fearing that viewers would connect him to his recent embarrassing escapades. After fans and bystanders blocked his escape through Linfu Block, Shui Lianxin caught him and asked his name.

• Shui Lianxin spotted Fang Ran during the broadcast, but he ran away before she could greet him.
• Shui Lianxin chased Fang Ran through Linfu Block as the crew followed and her fans flooded the stream with angry comments.
• Fang Ran tried to escape with his bag of food, fearing recognition for his recent antics, while fans rushed toward the block and blocked its exit.
• Fang Ran turned to flee in another direction, but Shui Lianxin caught his sleeve and told him she had finally found him again.
• Shui Lianxin smiled at Fang Ran and asked him to tell her his name.

Fang Ran was cornered by Shui Lianxin on a livestream and gave her the absurd fake name “Qiao Kelihe,” or Chocolate. Shui Lianxin cheerfully accepted the nickname, while the viewers and production crew reacted with disbelief and ridicule.

• Shui Lianxin caught up with Fang Ran and asked him to tell her his name as the livestream camera filmed them.
• Fang Ran panicked about being recognized but decided he had to answer, believing the program would edit out the encounter.
• Fang Ran introduced himself as Qiao Kelihe and told Shui Lianxin she could call him Chocolate.
• The livestream viewers mocked Fang Ran’s name, and wealthy fans threatened to investigate him.
• Shui Lianxin laughed and agreed to call Fang Ran Chocolate, leaving him awkwardly accepting the nickname.

Shui Lianxin chose Fang Ran as her partner for a livestream food hunt, while he tried to stay composed under the attention of her fans. The challenge took an unexpected turn when Fang Ran revealed that he had already bought every food on their list, leaving Shui Lianxin and the viewers stunned.

• Shui Lianxin asked Fang Ran to be her partner, and he agreed despite silently wishing he could refuse.
• Shui Lianxin took Fang Ran's arm and led him through Linfu Block to find five local street foods as fans flooded the livestream with jealous comments.
• When Shui Lianxin could not find Fragrant Pear Cake, Fang Ran pulled a box of it from his paper bag and gave it to her.
• Shui Lianxin named Long Chao Shou as the next food, and Fang Ran produced a takeout container of it from his bag.
• Shui Lianxin listed Crispy Salted Chicken Leg and Hanzhong Rice Noodles, and Fang Ran handed her both items, leaving the viewers stunned by how much food he had packed.

Fang Ran reluctantly helped Shui Lianxin collect nearly all the foods on her list, drawing jealous reactions from the livestream audience as she treated him affectionately. Shui Lianxin pulled him along to the final restaurant, leaving Fang Ran to face the last item on the list.

• Shui Lianxin was delighted when Fang Ran produced four local foods from his overflowing paper bag and pounced on him to celebrate.
• Fang Ran steadied the bag and complained inwardly about the many snacks he had nearly dropped, while viewers flooded the comments with jealous threats.
• Shui Lianxin asked Fang Ran whether he had the final item, secret-sauce braised meat, in his pocket, and he denied having it.
• Shui Lianxin took Fang Ran by the arm and led him to the Hundred Year Braised Meat Restaurant, despite his attempts to tell her to go alone.

Shui Lianxin and Fang Ran collected the final specialty food in Linfu Block after the shop’s boss lady pretended to welcome him as a regular. They completed the food collection, while the female producer watched Fang Ran derail the program’s planned games.

• Shui Lianxin led Fang Ran through Linfu Block as fans watched and imagined them as a couple.
• The boss lady recognized Fang Ran at the final shop and worried the cameras had come to expose her.
• The boss lady warmly greeted Fang Ran, gave him another serving of braised meat in secret sauce, and presented it as a free treat for a regular customer.
• Fang Ran told Shui Lianxin he often visited the shop, and she accepted his explanation and said they had collected all the foods.
• The female producer realized Fang Ran had ruined the planned games, while the boss lady and Fang Ran privately negotiated about his future visits.

After filming ended in Linfu Block, Fang Ran ignored Shui Lianxin to excitedly ask Jia Laoshi, Teacher Shen, and Teacher Zhang for their autographs. Shui Lianxin tried to hint that she wanted one too, but Fang Ran remained oblivious and declared Guo Degang his favorite idol.

• Shui Lianxin and Fang Ran finished the Linfu Block segment with the other stars, and the broadcast ended with a view of the district.
• Shui Lianxin came downstairs and apologized to Fang Ran for keeping him waiting, but he spotted Jia Laoshi and rushed over to ask for her autograph.
• Fang Ran recognized Teacher Shen and Teacher Zhang, then asked them for autographs as well.
• After the three guests left, Shui Lianxin questioned Fang Ran about how much he liked them and hinted that she wanted his attention.
• Fang Ran said Guo Degang was still his favorite idol, leaving Shui Lianxin disappointed that he had not asked for her autograph.

Shui Lianxin reunited with Fang Ran and invited him to dinner, where she reassured herself that he was safe and tried to speak with him. Fang Ran was suddenly struck by the familiar sensation of entering a scenario, but the restaurant remained unchanged, leaving him stunned as Shui Lianxin addressed him.

• Shui Lianxin laughed at Fang Ran's awkwardness and invited him to dinner again.
• Shui Lianxin brought Fang Ran to Ama Roast Duck and ordered a lavish meal for him.
• Shui Lianxin asked whether Fang Ran was all right, and he assured her that he had not been badly hurt.
• Shui Lianxin told Fang Ran she had ordered the feast because he seemed hungry, and he began eating.
• Fang Ran felt the familiar dizziness of entering a scenario, but when he opened his eyes, he was still in the restaurant as Shui Lianxin spoke to him.

Fang Ran discovered that a Night Battles System mission had started in the real world, and the scenario began with a blackout and an apparent attempt to abduct Shui Lianxin. Meanwhile, agents in Linfu Block and Ling in Los Angeles reacted to the unfolding mission, leaving Fang Ran reaching for Shui Lianxin as the danger struck.

• Fang Ran saw a new mission interface while still at dinner with Shui Lianxin, showing the objective to find a mysterious creature within Linfu Block and two countdowns.
• Shui Lianxin blushed when Fang Ran stared at her, and the hall suddenly lost power.
• Fang Ran spotted a suited man pressing a white cloth toward Shui Lianxin's face as the system announced that the real-world scenario had begun.
• On a Linfu Block street, a foreign man noticed Li Ze's tracker and the observers on a restaurant balcony, while Li Ze and his companion discussed the failed camouflage device.
• In Los Angeles, Ling visited Trinity to request technologist equipment, then discovered that her Night Web connection had been cut off and suspected Night Battle had assigned Fang Ran another scenario.

Ling told Trinity that her Night Web had been cut off and asked her to prepare a spatial jump back to Huaxia. In Linfu Block, Fang Ran rescued Shui Lianxin from an abductor during a blackout and confronted the question of whether the incident was reality or a scenario.

• Trinity realized Ling's trip to Huaxia and her severed Night Web were connected to a more complicated situation, then agreed to listen when Ling was ready to explain.
• Yan Jie discovered that Ama Roast Duck had gone dark and begun filling with smoke, while Sun Shanhai spotted two abductors carrying Shui Lianxin out the back and sent his team after them.
• As panic spread through the restaurant, an abductor grabbed Shui Lianxin and tried to subdue her, but Fang Ran struck him with a chair and shielded her.
• Fang Ran used the Night Raven's shared vision to defeat the attacker with a swift takedown, then wondered whether the events were reality or a scenario.

Fang Ran fought off attackers in a dark hall, but discovered that his abilities were locked behind a countdown. He escaped with Shui Lianxin after the attackers drew guns, without realizing she was not wearing sunglasses.

• Fang Ran knocked down a man with one punch and realized his recovered body had become much stronger.
• Fang Ran spotted disguised attackers wearing night-vision goggles while Shui Lianxin worried about him.
• Fang Ran tried to use the Shadow Card, but a system message showed that his abilities that interfered with the outside world were locked for nearly four hours.
• Fang Ran dodged an attacker and struck him with a powerful Whip Kick, then saw the others draw handguns.
• Fang Ran scooped up Shui Lianxin and leaped through a window to escape the gunfire.

Fang Ran rescued Shui Lianxin from armed pursuers and fled through the streets, only to be recognized by the crowd and chased by her fans as well. With gunmen closing in and his reputation at risk, he asked Shui Lianxin to put her mask on him.

• Fang Ran carried Shui Lianxin out of the restaurant window and ran toward the crowded streets while evading the Black Shadows.
• Shui Lianxin realized she was not wearing her sunglasses, and people on the street recognized and surrounded them.
• Fang Ran sprinted away with Shui Lianxin as fans chased them for autographs and the armed pursuers followed from behind.
• Fang Ran asked Shui Lianxin for something to cover her face, then told her to put her mask on him instead.

Fang Ran escaped mercenary kidnappers with Shui Lianxin and hid with her, then called a member of the Huaxia Night Battle group for help. Shui Lianxin revealed that she had faced kidnappings many times since childhood, and the call ended with an angry outburst at Fang Ran.

• Fang Ran noticed The Create was still operating even though his abilities seemed sealed, and he fled with Shui Lianxin from the armed pursuers.
• Fang Ran hid with Shui Lianxin beneath a pile of boards after the mercenaries searched nearby for them.
• Fang Ran asked Shui Lianxin to contact her family, but she admitted she could not remember Yan Jie's number.
• Shui Lianxin told Fang Ran that she had encountered kidnappings many times since childhood and asked to hear about him.
• Fang Ran called a Huaxia Night Battle group member, who immediately berated him over the phone.

Fang Ran called the Spellcaster for help while kidnappers pursued him, and learned that he had entered a real-world Night Battle scene with his abilities sealed. The Spellcaster warned him that until the scene ended, he could not know whether he was in a scene or reality.

• Fang Ran called the Spellcaster and said kidnappers were hunting him, prompting the Spellcaster to urge him to fight back.
• Fang Ran explained that he had sensed a scene but remained in the same place, and that the system had sealed his abilities.
• The Spellcaster explained that Fang Ran was in a real-world scene, a mode that placed participants in the actual world rather than a virtual mission setting.
• The Spellcaster warned Fang Ran not to use his abilities recklessly because he might not be able to distinguish a real-world scene from reality until it ended.

The Spellcaster explained that reality scenarios trap participants in worlds where truth and falsehood cannot be distinguished, and that events in them can reflect hidden truths about reality. Fang Ran learned that even a scenario judged real afterward would simply become reality, making restraint essential when using destructive abilities.

• The Spellcaster told Fang Ran that he could not know whether his current surroundings or even their phone call were real until the scenario ended.
• The Spellcaster explained that reality scenarios can reveal private information and feelings that match what people truly think in reality.
• He described a participant who reenacted a scenario and saw a woman fall in love with him after he had saved her, suggesting the scenario had exposed her existing feelings.
• The Spellcaster said participants avoid using powerful abilities because a scenario might be judged real, and its destruction would then be permanent.
• When Fang Ran asked what happened if a scenario became unavoidable and he used his ability, the Spellcaster replied that it would simply be reality.

Fang Ran learned that participants could alter reality if they abused their abilities, then discovered his D-Rank status had unexpectedly qualified him for a real-world scenario. While he hid with Shui Lianxin from mercenaries searching for her, a kicked pile of junk sent them tumbling into an awkward position.

• Method Master Dage warned Fang Ran that abused abilities could cause terrible changes to reality and revealed that only C-Rank participants should receive real-world scenarios.
• Fang Ran told Method Master Dage that he had reached D-Rank, startling him so badly that pursuers caught up and forced Fang Ran to hang up.
• Fang Ran denied knowing Method Master Dage when Shui Lianxin asked about him, then remained hidden with her while struggling to find the mysterious creature named in his mission.
• Shui Lianxin grabbed Fang Ran's sleeve and began to speak, but mercenaries outside interrupted while searching for her.
• A mercenary kicked the pile of junk covering their hiding place, causing Fang Ran and Shui Lianxin to fall, with Shui Lianxin landing on top of him.
• Fang Ran nervously complained that, following the usual script, Shui Lianxin should have been the one pinned down.

Fang Ran and Shui Lianxin escaped a group of armed pursuers, while Li Ze and Guneiweier confronted a blond fighter in Hou Shi Street. The blond man identified Li Ze as Midnight’s youngest Night Watcher, but refused to explain why he had come to Huaxia.

• Fang Ran and Shui Lianxin hid beneath clutter, and Fang Ran awkwardly explained his black eyes before they emerged.
• Fang Ran knocked out two armed men, took their handguns and one wallet, then spotted at least twenty pursuers closing in.
• Fang Ran carried Shui Lianxin as he ran toward the only unblocked route.
• In Hou Shi Street, Li Ze and Guneiweier fought the blond man, who deflected Li Ze’s final bullet and escaped the battle circle.
• Li Ze asked why the blond man had come to Huaxia, and the blond man identified him as Midnight’s youngest Night Watcher before refusing to answer.

Li Ze, Guneiweier, and a blond Zero Knight remained trapped in a tense standoff inside a Reality Scenario that sealed their abilities. Fang Ran rushed past them while carrying a girl, and an armed crowd chasing him arrived moments later, mistaking the trio for his accomplices.

• Li Ze and the blond Zero Knight weighed their options but neither could leave the standoff without risking their objectives.
• The blond man suggested sharing their mission objectives, but Li Ze refused and continued watching him.
• After nearly an hour, Fang Ran rushed into the street carrying a girl and darted past the three without recognizing Li Ze.
• More than twenty armed pursuers poured into the street and mistook Li Ze, Guneiweier, and the blond man for Fang Ran's accomplices.
• The pursuers raised their handguns, and the burly man at the front ordered them to open fire.

Li Ze, Guneiweier, and the blond man fought off armed kidnappers while Fang Ran carried Shui Lianxin through Hou Shi Street, evading their pursuers. After deciding to double back toward the restaurant, Fang Ran unknowingly headed toward the bald man with the shotgun.

• The bald man ordered his men to leave a group behind to attack Li Ze, Guneiweier, and the blond man while he led others to search for Fang Ran.
• Li Ze used a mechanical bird to count the attackers and told Guneiweier to lure them into an alley, while the blond man prepared to fight back.
• Fang Ran carried Shui Lianxin through the streets, using Night Raven's aerial view to evade pursuers and take down several of them.
• Fang Ran spotted an armed man blocking their route, ambushed him at an intersection, and knocked him unconscious.
• Fang Ran put his mask on Shui Lianxin and carried her back toward the restaurant, unaware that the bald man was returning to the nearby street with his shotgun.