Chapter Summaries

Xie Mi and Shen Yeqing bonded over their love of food, and he offered to pay her to be his regular meal buddy. Xiao Jingxi interrupted their agreement by hinting that his busy career had cost him the person he wanted, and Shen Yeqing told him to accept his fate.

• Xie Mi and Xiao Jingxi rode the elevator in silence until Xiao Jingxi asked about her plans, and she said she planned to eat.
• Xie Mi joined Shen Yeqing at the buffet, where they joked about their oversized and miniature bowls and piled their plates with food.
• Shen Yeqing reflected that meals had seemed tasteless when he ate alone, then told Xie Mi that food tasted better with her.
• Xie Mi described herself as a meal buddy, and Shen Yeqing offered to pay her to be his regular one; she agreed and proposed signing a contract.
• Xiao Jingxi interrupted them and implied that his career had kept him from seeing someone he wanted, and Shen Yeqing replied that he had to accept his fate.

Xie Mi and the others spent a chaotic, entertaining vacation evening before she overheard Xu Shuangrong questioning Xiao Jingxi about his apparent awakening. Xiao Jingxi showed no affection for Xu Shuangrong and accused her of kicking him into the lake and trying to bind him to her.

• Shen Yeqing and Xie Mi mocked Xiao Jingxi for blaming work for his failed relationship with Xie Mi.
• Xie Mi, Shen Yeqing, Lai Bingxuan, Liu Woxing, and Qiu Chengye endured painful massages and enjoyed the hotel's other facilities before the livestream ended early.
• At night, Xie Mi overheard Xu Shuangrong ask Xiao Jingxi whether he had felt anything unusual after falling into the water.
• Xu Shuangrong's system revealed that Xiao Jingxi's male lead awakening progress had reached 100%, though he showed no expected reaction.
• Xiao Jingxi angrily accused Xu Shuangrong of kicking him into the lake and trying to use their underwater kiss to tie him to her.

Xie Mi spent a sightseeing day with Shen Yeqing and the other guests, while Xiao Jingxi acted unusually composed and tried to improve his relationship with her. Xu Shuangrong watched Xiao Jingxi closely, convinced that something had changed, as the group continued their island trip.

• Xu Shuangrong let Xiao Jingxi leave after concluding that he seemed genuinely unaware of what had happened, but remembered that he was an award-winning actor.
• Xie Mi and Shen Yeqing boarded the sightseeing bus in matching apricot-yellow outfits, teased each other, and shared chocolate.
• Xiao Jingxi sat near Xie Mi, apologized for using a nickname she disliked, and calmly said they could take their time figuring out how to address each other.
• Xu Shuangrong noticed Xiao Jingxi's changed approach toward Xie Mi and studied him from the back of the bus.
• Liu Woxing took vacation photos of Xie Mi and Yu Jinche, and Yu Jinche found their awkward half-heart pose amusing.

Xie Mi suspected Xiao Jingxi was trying to make physical contact with Shen Yeqing to use a mind-reading skill, so she kept watch on him. The chapter ended with Xiao Jingxi privately asking whether the other person had detected something.

• Xiao Jingxi pretended to lose his footing and grabbed Shen Yeqing's arm, prompting Xie Mi to separate them and suspect he was targeting Shen Yeqing.
• Lai Bingxuan won the leaf-finding game, and Xie Mi collected both the local specialties prize and her cash reward for helping her.
• Xie Mi and Shen Yeqing secretly followed Xiao Jingxi around while he searched the area for them.
• Xiao Jingxi slipped into a secluded corner and messaged someone to ask whether they had detected it.

Xie Mi discovered that Xiao Jingxi had awakened a system, but it ignored his attempts to contact it. After returning to the hotel, the guests dressed up for the Fireworks Festival, where the Production Team arranged a pairing game that left the women choosing whether to get off at four stops.

• Xie Mi realized Xiao Jingxi had awakened a system and watched it ignore his messages asking about Shen Yeqing's identity.
• Xie Mi and Shen Yeqing hid beneath a carpet while their livestream cameras searched for them, then emerged and startled Director Niu.
• Xie Mi changed into a pale white gown with thermal leggings before joining the other dressed-up female guests on the bus.
• Director Niu explained that the male guests were waiting at four stops and exactly one woman had to get off at each stop to form pairs.
• Xie Mi praised the Production Team with a string of spoken emojis, confusing Director Niu and the crew.

Xie Mi entertained the bus guests with a ridiculous personality quiz before the women began a blind pairing round with masked male guests. At the second stop, a sheep mask made Xie Mi and Xu Shuangrong suspect that You Hongxuan had appeared.

• Xie Mi gave Liu Woxing a personality quiz whose answers merely repeated Liu’s preferences, leaving the group amused and Liu earnestly noting down Xie’s joke about memorizing memes.
• The guests arrived at a stop where a masked man held a bouquet, and Director Niu explained that the women would choose male guests blindly.
• Lai Bingxuan chose the man in a cat mask, saying he reminded her of her cat, Ergou.
• At the next stop, Liu Woxing spotted a man wearing a sheep mask, and Xie Mi and Xu Shuangrong both connected it to You Hongxuan, the original novel’s second male lead.

Xu Shuangrong got off the bus expecting the sheep-masked guest to be You Hongxuan, but discovered he was Xiao Jingxi in a disguise. Xie Mi recognized him and revealed that the director had fabricated the possibility of a new guest to build suspense.

• Xu Shuangrong got off the bus to greet the sheep-masked guest, expecting to recreate the scene where You Hongxuan fell for her.
• The guest asked Xu Shuangrong why she was there, leaving her smile frozen.
• Xie Mi laughed on the bus until she needed help recovering, while Liu Woxing and the crew worried over her.
• Xie Mi realized the guest was Xiao Jingxi, recognized by his chest beneath the bouquet, and explained that she had prompted Xu Shuangrong to get off.
• Director Niu admitted there was no new guest and that he had only suggested one to stir up audience interest.
• Xiao Jingxi removed his mask, and Xu Shuangrong realized that his disguise had made him look misleadingly like a sports student.

Xu Shuangrong realized Xiao Jingxi had awakened and was deliberately imitating You Hongxuan, while Xie Mi matched with McNugget Hero and headed to the Fireworks Festival with Shen Yeqing. The chapter ended with Xie Mi and Shen Yeqing holding hands as they wandered the festival together.

• Xu Shuangrong greeted Xiao Jingxi and recognized that he had awakened and was intentionally pretending to be You Hongxuan.
• Director Niu challenged Xie Mi to choose between KFC and McDonald's, and she chose to eat KFC inside McDonald's.
• Xie Mi met McNugget Hero, identified the Chicken McNuggets in his bouquet, and learned his identity when he removed his paper-bag mask.
• Xie Mi and Shen Yeqing took a taxi to the Fireworks Festival after matching successfully.
• Shen Yeqing admitted he wanted to hold Xie Mi's hand, and she returned his grip as they explored the festival.

At the Fireworks Festival, Xie Mi and Shen Yeqing were left alone after the production team stopped filming. Xie Mi worried that she might disappoint him, then revealed that she was not from this world; Shen Yeqing said he had always known.

• The four pairs explored the festival, with Qiu Chengye and Lai Bingxuan bickering, Liu Woxing and Yu Jinche enjoying themselves, and Xiao Jingxi ignoring Xu Shuangrong.
• The production team ended the livestreams and gave the guests private time, despite the Assistant Director's protests.
• Xie Mi and Shen Yeqing settled on a bench with snacks and drinks to wait for the fireworks.
• Xie Mi asked Shen Yeqing if he regretted liking her and admitted she feared letting him down.
• As she fell asleep, Xie Mi told Shen Yeqing she was not from this world, and he replied that he had always known.

Xu Shuangrong confronted Xiao Jingxi, but he rejected her offer to unite against Xie Mi and revealed that he planned to win Xie Mi back for himself. Their argument exposed System L’s influence and ended with Xu Shuangrong receiving an urgent warning to run.

• Xu Shuangrong asked Xiao Jingxi to cooperate against Xie Mi, but he accused her of using him in the original plot.
• Xiao Jingxi said he wanted to reclaim his protagonist status by winning Xie Mi back, leaving Xu Shuangrong out of his plans.
• Xiao Jingxi revealed that Shen Yeqing was an NPC who should have died, alarming Xu Shuangrong.
• Xu Shuangrong challenged Xiao Jingxi’s system, and System L admitted it was seeking greater benefits for its host.
• System L threatened to teach Xu Shuangrong a lesson, and another system urgently warned her to run.

Xu Shuangrong was forced into another time-travel jump with Xiao Jingxi, then woke as Xie Mi in a biology classroom at Apricot Blossom High School. She recognized Shen Yeqing at a track meet and cheered him on while disguised under a sheet.

• Xiao Jingxi chased Xu Shuangrong and threatened to slash her face as System L urged him on.
• Xu Shuangrong realized Xiao Jingxi and System L had provoked her into time travel, but Xiao Jingxi grabbed her wrist as the jump began.
• Xie Mi woke on a dissection table in a biology classroom and discovered she was at a school during sports day.
• Xie Mi spotted Shen Yeqing racing and shouted encouragement from the stands while wearing a sheet over herself.

Xie Mi helped high school Shen Yeqing win his race, then followed him and took him out for noodles. As she watched him smile, she realized that the cheerful boy in his old photographs had not been happy.

• Xie Mi distracted the boy in red by pretending to be a ghost, allowing Shen Yeqing to overtake him and take first place.
• After the sports meet, Xie Mi hid in the bushes to follow Shen Yeqing, but he noticed her and greeted her.
• Xie Mi awkwardly greeted Shen Yeqing as a junior, and he copied her gesture while blushing.
• Xie Mi took Shen Yeqing to a beef noodle shop, then had to borrow twelve yuan from him after realizing she had no cash.
• Xie Mi gave Shen Yeqing pieces of beef as they ate and reflected that the high school boy had not been happy, despite seeming cheerful in photographs.

Xie Mi found young Shen Yeqing and, after noticing how emotionally detached he seemed, tried to comfort him with a promise to borrow money from him in 2024. As she finally left his neighborhood, a scream came from the direction of his home.

• Xie Mi spotted Shen Yeqing fall during a school race, then spent the afternoon watching him and noticed his smiles never reached his eyes.
• Xie Mi questioned Shen Yeqing about his friends and grades, then suspected his parents had neglected him.
• Xie Mi called Shen Yeqing the heaven-sent emperor star of 2024 and told him she would return to borrow money from him.
• Xie Mi followed Shen Yeqing home and left after seeing him doing homework at his desk.
• Xie Mi noticed a hurried man in a baseball cap pass her in an alley, then heard a scream from the direction of Shen Yeqing's home.

After a student was stabbed in a deliberate attack, Xie Mi stayed with Shen Yeqing and learned he thought he was sick. She praised him for asking for help and asked whether he had heard of the Happy Virus.

• Xie Mi mistook an injured Apricot Blossom High School student for Shen Yeqing and comforted him until an ambulance arrived.
• Shen Yeqing learned at the police station that a man dressed in black had stabbed Student Zhang, who said he did not know the attacker.
• Xie Mi followed Shen Yeqing home and slept on the floor outside his bedroom.
• Shen Yeqing told Xie Mi that he thought he was sick, and she praised him for asking for help.
• Xie Mi fixed Shen Yeqing's hair into two tufts and asked whether he had heard of the Happy Virus.

Xie Mi took Shen Yeqing on a day of extreme amusement-park rides, hoping to help him feel happy, and bought him new shoes with money she had taken from Xie Lian. As Shen Yeqing began to look brighter while waiting for her across the road, a vehicle struck him.

• Xie Mi urged Shen Yeqing to bungee jump, then threw away his worn-out shoes and bought him red-and-black sneakers.
• Xie Mi recalled earning money by ambushing Xie Lian and taking his allowance.
• Xie Mi took Shen Yeqing through amusement-park rides and a haunted house until he became calm about the scares.
• After the park, Xie Mi went across the road to buy malatang while Shen Yeqing waited for her.
• Shen Yeqing smiled as his eyes brightened, but a vehicle hit him when Xie Mi ran toward him in alarm.

Shen Yeqing reflected on how Sister Liu’s lively presence had restored his sense of connection to the world, then she rushed to save him when a car tried to hit him. A boy named You Hongxuan tackled Shen Yeqing out of danger, and Xie Mi recognized him with starry-eyed excitement.

• Shen Yeqing recalled his fading childhood memories, his kidnapping, and how Sister Liu’s appearances had become the one thing he looked forward to.
• A sedan sped toward Shen Yeqing as he stood by the roadside, and Xie Mi ran to warn him.
• You Hongxuan tackled Shen Yeqing clear of the car, which sped away without braking.
• Xie Mi suspected the collision was a deliberate murder attempt and asked Shen Yeqing whether he was hurt.
• Xie Mi eagerly asked the helpful boy his name, and You Hongxuan introduced himself.

Xie Mi helped Shen Yeqing and You Hongxuan grow closer, then set out to care for Shen Yeqing by filling his home with food and decorations. Shen Yeqing woke to a transformed living room and felt the once-gloomy space—and his heart—had been filled.

• Xie Mi invited You Hongxuan to Shen Yeqing’s home, where You Hongxuan cheered up Shen Yeqing with his chatter and teasing.
• Shen Yeqing worried that someone was targeting him and wondered about his feelings when he saw Xie Mi looking fondly at You Hongxuan.
• Xie Mi robbed Xie Lian and Old Bai again, then bought snacks, meat, and vegetables to stock Shen Yeqing’s home.
• Xie Mi transformed Shen Yeqing’s living room while he and You Hongxuan slept, filling it with colorful decorations and snacks.
• Shen Yeqing woke to the changed home and stood dazed as You Hongxuan remarked that it looked as if the house had blown up.

Xie Mi tried to teach Shen Yeqing to cook, then spotted Xiao Jingxi and confronted him in an alley. After Xiao Jingxi admitted who he was, Xie Mi addressed his system directly, and System L answered her challenge.

• Xie Mi’s cooking mishaps left her face blackened, but she taught Shen Yeqing how to cook and served a meal that he and You Hongxuan praised despite struggling to eat it.
• Xie Mi spotted a figure below her window while Xiao Jingxi hid in an alley and told System L that he planned to kill Shen Yeqing in this timeline.
• System L explained that Xie Mi had followed through time because she was a bug in the novel’s world and said Xu Shuangrong wanted Shen Yeqing gone.
• Xie Mi dropped into the alley, recognized Xiao Jingxi despite his disguise, and confronted him.
• Xie Mi spoke to System L, which greeted her as a transmigrator and challenged her to take it on.

Xie Mi scared Xiao Jingxi into fleeing, then took Shen Yeqing and You Hongxuan to a boxing gym to teach them self-defense. She showed them that survival sometimes meant using underhanded tactics, while Shen Yeqing understood she was trying to protect him.

• Xie Mi threatened Xiao Jingxi with a fruit knife, and he fled the alley after System L urged him to run.
• Xie Mi guessed that Xiao Jingxi still intended to target Shen Yeqing and decided to teach Shen and You Hongxuan self-defense.
• At the boxing gym, Xie Mi demonstrated a sneak attack and explained that fighting back mattered more than observing morals when someone attacked them.
• Xie Mi demonstrated pretending to beg for mercy before striking, giving Shen Yeqing and You Hongxuan a lesson in human treachery.

At the boxing gym, Xie Mi taught You Hongxuan and Shen Yeqing underhanded fighting techniques, while Shen Yeqing grew jealous of her closeness with You Hongxuan. Xie Mi tried to reassure him by changing how You Hongxuan addressed her, but Shen Yeqing hurriedly pulled her aside to explain himself.

• Xie Mi demonstrated dirty fighting tricks, and You Hongxuan and Shen Yeqing practiced them on the punching bag.
• Shen Yeqing watched Xie Mi laugh and share water with You Hongxuan, then left the gym to sulk in the courtyard.
• Xie Mi found Shen Yeqing and gave him a four-leaf clover; he asked whether she was leaving soon and whether she saw him as a kid.
• Shen Yeqing admitted he had thought he was special to Xie Mi and felt hurt that she was close with You Hongxuan, too.
• Xie Mi told You Hongxuan to call her Seventh Sister, but Shen Yeqing covered her mouth and pulled her aside to say she had misunderstood him.