Chapter Summaries

After his final exams, Cheng Che traveled to Star City to join Ning Qing as her guest singer on I Am the King of Singers. His arrival excited the production team and left rival singer Lin Zhe reconsidering his doubts about the busy guest.

• Cheng Che celebrated the end of exams with Guo Xin, Lin Xiao, and his adopted sons before flying to Star City the next morning.
• At the rehearsal venue, Cheng Che revealed to the staff that he was there to sing with Ning Qing, prompting an excited announcement across the production team.
• The station director welcomed Cheng Che and escorted him to rehearsal hall three.
• Lin Zhe complained that Ning Qing's guest singer had not arrived and questioned whether they could perform well together.
• Ning Qing greeted Cheng Che warmly, and Lin Zhe recognized him and admitted that Cheng Che really was busy.

Cheng Che performed Joker Xue's “I Think I've Seen You Somewhere” at rehearsal, stunning the staff and singers with his live vocals and stage presence. Old Wu concluded that no sound adjustments were needed, leaving Cheng Che and Ning Qing ready for the live show.

• Old Wu introduced Cheng Che to Teacher Zhao and Big Liu, who asked him to sing so they could set the sound and stage arrangements.
• Cheng Che chose Joker Xue's “I Think I've Seen You Somewhere,” drawing staff and other performers into Hall Three to watch.
• [Absolute Center Position] drew the audience's attention to Cheng Che, and [Bard Incubus Voice] impressed Teacher Zhao as he began singing.
• [Camera Language] guided Cheng Che's movement across the stage as he performed the song without visibly straining.
• The crowd applauded, and Old Wu told Ning Qing that Cheng Che was a cheat code before declaring that no sound adjustments were needed.

Cheng Che surprised his fans by appearing as Ning Qing’s guest singer on the “I Am the King of Singers” finale, drawing a flood of viewers to the livestream. As he waited with Ning Qing in the lounge, their conversation and her adjusting his collar sent the fans’ comments into a frenzy.

• Cheng Che’s fans complained in his super topics that he had released too little new content and called on his studio to give him more songs.
• Fans learned that Cheng Che was appearing as Ning Qing’s guest singer on the “I Am the King of Singers” finale and rushed into the livestream.
• Mango TV’s viewership climbed past ten million as viewers tried to catch a glimpse of Cheng Che in the lounge.
• The director switched to a wide lounge shot, and fans flooded the comments with reactions to Cheng Che’s appearance beside Ning Qing.
• Cheng Che spoke to Ning Qing, and she nodded and adjusted his collar, prompting another wave of excited comments.

Cheng Che and Ning Qing performed “Because of Love” together on the finale stage, captivating the audience and livestream viewers. Their performance ended to thunderous applause, while Lin Zhe joked backstage that the others might as well quit if Cheng Che released an album.

• Cheng Che and Ning Qing appeared in coordinated formal outfits, drawing attention from the staff and livestream viewers.
• Cheng Che and Ning Qing took the stage as the finale act and began singing “Because of Love” while holding hands.
• Cheng Che and Ning Qing separated across the stage for the verses, then reunited at center stage for the chorus.
• Cheng Che and Ning Qing finished the song together under a spotlight, prompting a standing ovation and excited comments from viewers.
• Lin Zhe applauded backstage and told his manager that the others might as well quit if Cheng Che released an album.

Cheng Che sang with Ning Qing on a televised competition, drawing record viewership, then stayed to watch her perform. After they discussed the upcoming promotion for “The Realm and Old Friends,” he hugged her good night, leaving Ning Qing giggling in the hotel hallway.

• Cheng Che sang “Because of Love” with Ning Qing, impressing her fans and setting a new livestream viewership record for Mango TV.
• Cheng Che stayed to watch the rest of the competition, where Ning Qing placed third and said the rankings had been decided in advance.
• Ning Qing declined the winning singer’s invitation to a late-night meal and left Mango TV with Cheng Che.
• Ning Qing listed the promotional plans for “The Realm and Old Friends,” and Cheng Che said he was looking forward to taking part.
• Ning Qing thanked Cheng Che for singing and staying to watch, and he hugged her before saying good night.
• Ning Qing watched Cheng Che leave, then hid her face in her hands and giggled.

Cheng Che returned to Spring City for a few days of rest with his family and completed his second mathematics paper. He submitted it to the Annals of Mathematics and told Professor Liu.

• Cheng Che flew to Spring City, where Cheng Jianguo, Jiang Xue, and Xu Qian picked him up; Xu Qian asked how many wives he had.
• Cheng Che reunited with Cheng Yulan and Xu Chengjun, who had started a restaurant with Cheng Jianguo.
• Cheng Che spent three days working on his paper while Xu Qian visited him to ask for math help and chat.
• Cheng Che finished the paper, corrected and formatted it, then submitted it through the Annals of Mathematics system.
• Cheng Che messaged Professor Liu to say he had submitted his second paper, and Professor Liu said he would await the reviewers' comments.

After a packed stretch of commercial work, Cheng Che chose a 763-square-meter villa in Shunyi and learned he would join the League of Legends 13th Anniversary Celebration as a special guest. He traveled to Magic City with his team and left the arena eager to play in the exhibition match.

• Cheng Che reviewed Qin Lie’s villa options and chose a 763-square-meter home in Run Garden for about forty-two million, with plans for a large study, gaming room, and pet room.
• Qin Lie told Cheng Che that Tengjing had confirmed his place in the anniversary celebration’s celebrity exhibition match, scheduled for the following evening in Magic City.
• Cheng Che flew to Magic City with his team and toured Tengjing’s office building with Manager Zhou.
• Manager Zhou explained the exhibition match format and revealed that Clearlove would be Cheng Che’s team’s jungler.
• Cheng Che visited the Mercedes-Benz Arena, saw the stage being prepared, and looked forward to playing there.

Cheng Che made a dramatic entrance at the League of Legends anniversary celebration and drew an overwhelming reaction from the crowd and livestream viewers. After answering the host’s questions, he took his seat for the celebrity exhibition match as a skeptical player named Canyon Old Hand agreed to watch.

• Cheng Che waited backstage while the stage director explained his entrance and interview schedule.
• Clearlove appeared first, then Cheng Che rose onto the stage and triggered cheers throughout the arena.
• Cheng Che introduced himself, described the event as livelier than he had expected, and joked that he did not want to lose to a bot.
• Canyon Old Hand, who had complained about the celebrity guest, praised Cheng Che’s looks and decided to watch the match.
• Cheng Che put on his headset and sat with the other players as viewers continued reacting to him.

Cheng Che dominated the All-Star exhibition match’s draft-mode round with Ezreal, proving his Challenger-level mechanics and judgment to the commentators and audience. Legend Team won, and the chapter ended with the commentators recommending that opponents ban his Ezreal next time.

• Cheng Che played AD Garen in the casual round, entertaining the venue with two kills on the opposing mid laner.
• Cheng Che and Juanmao picked Ezreal and Thresh against Jinx and Nautilus, while the commentators questioned whether Cheng Che could handle the pressure.
• Juanmao engaged Nautilus at level three, and Cheng Che waited for Nautilus to use Flash before following with E and securing the kill.
• Cheng Che dodged Nautilus’s hooks, landed repeated Qs, and built a twenty-CS lead over Jinx.
• During the dragon fight, Cheng Che kited the enemy team, killed Jinx with Qs, and survived with less than a hundred health.
• Legend Team won at twenty-eight minutes, with Cheng Che finishing 11/1/7 and dealing the most damage; Wawa, Miller, and Guan Zeyuan praised his performance.

After his exhibition match, Cheng Che impressed young players with his Ezreal advice and then performed “Legends Never Die” onstage. His singing drew a standing wave of applause and left the crowd calling for more as he returned to the wings.

• Clearlove and Juanmao praised Cheng Che’s play after the exhibition match.
• Cheng Che signed autographs for young players and explained why he targeted Jinx before retreating in the dragon fight.
• Cheng Che went to the wings, changed into a black coat, and was introduced as the next act.
• Cheng Che sang “Legends Never Die” as championship footage played, captivating the audience with his performance.
• The crowd erupted in applause and called for another song, and Cheng Che bowed before returning to the wings.

After Cheng Che’s League of Legends exhibition match drew praise online, his rising malice count pushed his general-public goodwill bonus to 90%, while several women began learning the game or messaging him about playing together. Two days later, he arrived at the press conference for “The Realm and Old Friends,” where the system identified Ning Qing as a bindable target.

• Cheng Che saw that his malice count had exceeded 900,000 and his goodwill bonus had reached 90%, then read the praise for his exhibition match on Weibo.
• Su Qingyue, Su Miaoyin, and Yan Ruanning began learning League of Legends, while Yan Ruanning asked Cheng Che to teach her Ezreal.
• Pei Jingshu watched Cheng Che’s match recording, messaged him about playing together, and smiled when he agreed.
• Two days later, Cheng Che arrived at the dressing room for the press conference of “The Realm and Old Friends,” and the system presented Ning Qing as a bindable target.

Cheng Che gained the Aloof Immortal Venerable, Roleplay, and Mermaid buffs before attending The Realm and Old Friends' release-date press conference with Ning Qing. The event ended with the series set to premiere on October 15 and cameras capturing a brief exchange of glances between the two leads.

• Cheng Che bound the newly triggered talent and received buffs that improved teaching, cosplay, and swimming.
• Cheng Che and Ning Qing dressed for the press conference and joined Director Zhou and President Fang at Tengda Video's Magic City branch.
• Cheng Che and Ning Qing discussed their roles, acted out a court debate, and matched three answers in a quiz about each other.
• Cheng Che told reporters he balanced tennis and acting by focusing on one at a time.
• The press conference announced an October 15 exclusive release on Tengda Video, and cameras captured Cheng Che and Ning Qing exchanging a glance.

At dinner, Director Zhou proposed an unscripted spin-off featuring the drama’s characters in a modern setting, and Cheng Che and Ning Qing agreed to join. After learning filming would take place in Rongcheng, Cheng Che suggested shooting the first episode at a comic convention, where he and Ning Qing could cosplay their characters.

• Director Zhou introduced a three-episode spin-off in which the actors would interact in character in a modern apartment, and President Fang explained its promotional value.
• Cheng Che and Ning Qing agreed to participate, while Zhao Yiming and the other actors discussed their roles and learned the shoot would be in Rongcheng.
• Cheng Che searched for events in Rongcheng and found a comic convention scheduled for that weekend.
• Cheng Che proposed filming the first episode at the convention with him and Ning Qing cosplaying their drama characters, and Director Zhou said President Fang approved the idea.

Cheng Che and Ning Qing arrived in Rongcheng to film their show and chose Naruto and Hinata cosplay for an anime convention. As they prepared in costume, Cheng Che botched Ning Qing’s makeup, sparking a playful chase that Director Zhou’s crew captured.

• President Fang brought Cheng Che and Ning Qing to their rented apartment in Rongcheng, where Director Zhou told them they would cosplay at the anime convention.
• Ning Qing chose Hinata, her favorite character, and Cheng Che agreed to dress as Naruto.
• Cheng Che and Ning Qing put on their costumes and tried to do their own makeup without a makeup artist.
• Cheng Che gave Ning Qing clumsy eyeshadow and oversized blush, prompting her to chase him around the living room and yank his forehead protector.
• Ning Qing redid her makeup, drew Naruto’s whisker marks on Cheng Che, and Director Zhou watched the playful footage with the crew.

Cheng Che and Ning Qing went to a comic convention in cosplay, where his [Roleplay] ability helped them avoid being recognized as celebrities. They left with the crowd seeing them as a good-looking Naruto and Hinata couple, though one girl thought Cheng Che looked familiar.

• Cheng Che drove Ning Qing to the convention, and she nervously held the door handle because he had only had his license for months.
• Ning Qing reminisced about sneaking into a comic convention in high school and worried Cheng Che would be recognized without security.
• Cheng Che activated [Roleplay], adopted Naruto's mannerisms, and led Ning Qing into the convention by the hand.
• The pair browsed stalls and posed for photos as cosplayers, and Cheng Che joked that he would bring Boruto along in a few years.
• More attendees asked for photos, while only one girl thought Cheng Che looked familiar before her companion pulled her away.

Cheng Che and Ning Qing enjoyed the convention together, dancing as Naruto and Hinata and promising to return. After a cosplayer posted photos of them online, viewers recognized the pair and began speculating that they were officially together.

• Cheng Che lost several prize draws before leaving the stall with Ning Qing.
• After a Hinata cosplayer urged him on, Cheng Che led Ning Qing onto the stage, where they danced and invited the crowd to join them.
• Cheng Che and Ning Qing took photos at a Hidden Leaf Village backdrop and looked through a Naruto and Hinata comic.
• As the convention ended, Ning Qing asked Cheng Che to come again with her, and he promised, “That's Naruto's promise to Hinata.”
• The Hinata cosplayer posted photos of them on Douyin, and viewers quickly recognized Cheng Che and Ning Qing and speculated about their relationship.

A video of Cheng Che and Ning Qing holding hands at a comic convention sparked dating rumors and a fierce online debate. The official account clarified that they had been filming a variety-show episode, while Director Zhou realized the episode was already drawing major attention before it aired.

• A convention video of Cheng Che and Ning Qing holding hands spread across Douyin and Weibo, reaching the top of the trending list.
• Fans argued over whether Cheng Che and Ning Qing were dating, while Ning Qing faced hostile comments on Weibo.
• Shen Du, Gu Yan, Lu Heng, and Yi Yangfan's manager discussed how Cheng Che's fans might react if he confirmed a relationship.
• The official account for The Realm and Old Friends explained that Cheng Che and Ning Qing had interacted in character while filming a drama-spinoff variety show at the convention.
• Director Zhou read the reactions to the clarification and felt relieved and excited by the episode's attention before broadcast.

After a trending video of Cheng Che and Ning Qing holding hands caused speculation, the show's team coordinated a clarification and posts from both actors. Cheng Che's playful in-character explanation drew a huge response, and Ning Qing reposted it with a brief caption.

• Director Zhou and Tengda Video's publicity head agreed to wait for the topic to peak before the show's official account clarified the video.
• Director Zhou coordinated with Qin Lie and Ning Qing's agent so the actors would post after the official account's clarification.
• Ning Qing drafted a conventional post, while Cheng Che wrote a humorous explanation in character as Shen Che.
• The official account clarified that the anime convention footage was filmed for the show, and Ning Qing posted her prepared statement.
• Cheng Che posted a playful explanation, saying the convention interaction was unscripted and defending Shen Che holding the female lead's hand.
• Ning Qing read Cheng Che's post and reposted it with the words, "Play music."

As reservations for The Realm and Old Friends surged, Cheng Che’s variety-show footage was expanded into eight episodes and he traveled to New York to prepare for the US Open. After watching his dolphin encounter become a hit back home, Cheng Che opened the tournament schedule, and the system panel suddenly lit up.

• The project lead watched reservations for The Realm and Old Friends climb to fifteen million as industry figures credited Cheng Che’s Weibo post for the buzz.
• Shen Du’s manager admitted Cheng Che’s post had avoided a fan backlash, and Shen Du said they would wait to see whether he won the US Open.
• Director Zhou and President Fang expanded Cheng Che and Ning Qing’s companion variety show from three episodes to eight after reviewing the entertaining footage.
• Cheng Che flew to New York, adjusted quickly to the time difference, and practiced daily at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
• Cheng Che’s episode of Let’s Eat aired in China, and viewers reacted to footage of him encountering dolphins at sea.
• Cheng Che watched the reactions in his New York hotel, opened the US Open schedule, and saw the system panel light up.

Cheng Che celebrated his second paper appearing on the Annals of Mathematics homepage and learned that Peking University planned to seek a full professorship for him. After receiving a new pressure-focused talent and the Scholar’s Set from the system, he turned his attention to the US Open draw.

• Cheng Che saw his paper featured on the Annals of Mathematics homepage alongside rare praise from the editor-in-chief.
• Professor Liu told Cheng Che that the dean was preparing an application to make him a full professor.
• Cheng Che completed the system trial and gained the Still Waters Run Deep talent and Scholar’s Set, which could temporarily boost his intelligence by five points.
• Cheng Che told Qin Lie about the paper and the professorship plan, while Qin Lie offered to coordinate publicity after an official announcement.
• Cheng Che considered his chance to complete a Career Grand Slam at the US Open, then received a notification that the tournament draw was out.