Chapter Summaries

Cheng Che entered Su Miaoyin’s apartment to fix her washing machine, while his charm made her realize she was attracted to his hands despite liking Yan Ruanning. After noticing Su Miaoyin seemed unwell, he helped her to the sofa and went to find medicine and a thermometer.

• Su Miaoyin let Cheng Che into her apartment, where he inspected the washing machine and asked her for a screwdriver.
• While watching Cheng Che work, Su Miaoyin became flustered by his hands and struggled with her attraction to him despite liking Yan Ruanning.
• Su Miaoyin brought Cheng Che a screwdriver, and he noticed her flushed face and hoarse voice.
• Cheng Che felt Su Miaoyin’s forehead, believed she might have a fever, and helped her sit on the sofa.
• Su Miaoyin told Cheng Che where the medicine and thermometer were, then hid her face in a cushion as he searched.

Cheng Che cared for the feverish Su Miaoyin, who secretly watched him and struggled with her feelings for him. After he returned home, he promoted North Star at Zhao Min’s request, and his post sent the drama’s reservation numbers soaring.

• Cheng Che fixed Su Miaoyin’s washing machine while she watched him from the sofa, then found that her temperature read 38.2 degrees.
• Su Miaoyin refused to go to the hospital, so Cheng Che helped her to bed, placed an ice pack on her forehead, and took her key in case she needed help.
• After Cheng Che left, he checked his Charisma Trial progress and learned from Zhao Min that North Star would begin streaming the next day.
• Cheng Che posted a Weibo message promoting North Star, and his fans quickly flooded the comments.
• Within twenty minutes, North Star’s viewing reservations jumped from a few thousand to several hundred thousand, leaving Zhao Min stunned.

Cheng Che’s Weibo post about his cameo in North Star sent the show’s reservations soaring, while his first screen appearance brought new opportunities and attention. As Yan Ruanning questioned his acting and Qin Lie fielded project offers, Su Miaoyin reserved the show too.

• Zhao Min saw North Star’s reservations surge after Cheng Che posted about his cameo and told the publicity team to promote his first screen appearance.
• The staff member explained that Cheng Che’s loyal fans were supporting the show, while his Barrier Breaker title drew in casual admirers as well.
• Yan Ruanning watched a teaser of Cheng Che in a school uniform and wondered how good his acting would be.
• Qin Lie received a flood of film, television, and brand collaboration offers after Cheng Che’s post.
• Su Miaoyin opened North Star’s reservation page and pressed the Reserve button.

After Cheng Che’s Weibo post sent North Star’s preregistrations soaring, he told Qin Lie he was ready to compete internationally. Cheng Che decided to enter both the Tokyo Open and the Magic City Masters, leaving Qin Lie to arrange wild cards.

• North Star’s preregistrations reached two million as fans and haters alike signed up after Cheng Che’s post.
• Qin Lie told Cheng Che that he had rejected several supporting-role offers that sought to use Cheng Che’s popularity without offering worthwhile resources.
• Cheng Che told Qin Lie he was ready to compete in international tournaments.
• Qin Lie recommended the Tokyo Open, the Capital City China Open, and the Magic City Masters, explaining that Cheng Che would need wild cards.
• Cheng Che chose to compete in both the Tokyo Open and the Magic City Masters, saying he could handle the schedule.

Cheng Che prepared the paperwork for a tennis tournament in Tokyo and checked on Su Miaoyin after she had been sick. When he told her he would be going to Tokyo for National Day, Su Miaoyin decided to go there too, though she insisted she did not need his company.

• Qin Lie took Cheng Che's documents and wild card application form, promising to handle the paperwork within three days.
• Cheng Che called Su Miaoyin to ask about her fever, and she asked him to bring breakfast the next morning.
• Cheng Che brought Su Miaoyin millet congee, boiled eggs, and vegetables, and found that she had dressed up and put on makeup for his visit.
• Su Miaoyin asked whether Cheng Che would return to Spring City for National Day, and he told her he was going to Tokyo for a tennis open.
• Su Miaoyin said she would go to Tokyo with Lin Lin and Xiaoman, pretending she only wanted to travel with her friends.

Su Miaoyin accompanied Cheng Che to campus and showed him unexpected affection, while Cheng Che's friends mistook their closeness for romance. The chapter ended with Wang Zheng, Zhou Hao, and Li Yuan teasing Cheng Che and keeping a photo of Su Miaoyin straightening his collar.

• Cheng Che frowned at Su Miaoyin's revealing clothes, so she changed into warmer clothing before they left for campus together.
• Students watched Su Miaoyin and Cheng Che as they walked through Peking University's gates, assuming they were a couple.
• Su Miaoyin walked Cheng Che to the Science Teaching Building and carefully straightened his collar before heading to her own class.
• Wang Zheng, Zhou Hao, and Li Yuan appeared and asked Cheng Che when Su Miaoyin would arrange a mixer for them.
• Li Yuan showed Cheng Che a photo of Su Miaoyin straightening his collar, but refused to delete it, and Cheng Che went into class without answering their teasing.

Cheng Che continued his tennis training and paper revisions while preparing for his upcoming trip and the premiere of North Star. Su Miaoyin visited with a gift, helped him make fried skewers, and watched the drama’s first episode with him as it began.

• Cheng Che received Qin Lie’s message that his visa and wildcard were being processed and that his flight was booked for the 26th.
• Cheng Che invited Wang Zheng to support North Star’s premiere, and Wang Zheng said that Zhou Hao and Li Yuan would watch too.
• Cheng Che bought ingredients for fried skewers, and Su Miaoyin arrived with sports earphones as a gift for his premiere.
• Cheng Che let Su Miaoyin help prepare the skewers, and they fried and ate them together.
• Cheng Che and Su Miaoyin turned on North Star, and the first episode began.

The first episode of "North Star" showcased Cheng Che's natural performance as Lu Shi'an, earning praise from Su Miaoyin, Yan Ruanning, and viewers. After the episode ended, Su Miaoyin sincerely complimented him, then blushed when Cheng Che pointed out beer foam on her mouth.

• Cheng Che and Su Miaoyin watched the first episode of "North Star" together as Cheng Che appeared on screen as Lu Shi'an.
• Su Miaoyin was struck by how different Cheng Che seemed on screen and felt her heart race during his scene.
• Yan Ruanning watched the episode backstage and privately praised Cheng Che's performance.
• Fans and Zhihu users praised Cheng Che's brief, natural performance and called for him to take more acting roles.
• After the episode ended, Su Miaoyin told Cheng Che he had done well, and he handed her a tissue when she wiped beer foam from the wrong side of her mouth.

Cheng Che completed his stamina training, unlocked new rewards, and headed to the airport with Su Miaoyin, Lin Lin, and Zhao Xiaoman for his Tokyo competition. The group planned to explore Tokyo before his qualifier, while Cheng Che promised Yan Ruanning he would bring back a championship.

• Cheng Che finished the training packs, raised his stamina to 76, and earned the skills The More You Exercise, the Longer You Live and Keen-Eared One, plus a task to win an international championship.
• Qin Lie drove Cheng Che to Peking University, where Su Miaoyin, Lin Lin, and Zhao Xiaoman joined them on the way to the airport.
• Cheng Che agreed to spend the day before his qualifier exploring Tokyo with the others, and Su Miaoyin brushed his hand before turning away, blushing.
• Jiang Xue reminded Cheng Che to stay safe and eat on time, Guo Xin asked him to bring back a souvenir, and Yan Ruanning said she could not attend because of rehearsal.
• Cheng Che, Su Miaoyin, Lin Lin, and Zhao Xiaoman entered the terminal with their luggage and prepared to fly to Tokyo.

Cheng Che arrived in Tokyo for the qualifying rounds and learned that his cross-disciplinary research had completed the Intelligence Trial’s second stage, earning him two new rewards. After receiving the draw, he found out that his first opponent would be Japanese player Nakamura Takuma.

• Tanaka welcomed Cheng Che at Narita and arranged separate rides for Cheng Che and Qin Lie and for Su Miaoyin, Lin Lin, and Zhao Xiaoman.
• Tanaka took Cheng Che and Qin Lie to a Wilson-arranged hotel, where Cheng Che read a professor’s positive response to his research paper.
• Cheng Che completed the Intelligence Trial’s second stage and received the Thought Simulation talent and Brocade Weaver title.
• Qin Lie brought Cheng Che the qualifying draw, which matched him against Nakamura Takuma in the first round.
• Cheng Che said he would defeat Nakamura Takuma when they played the day after tomorrow.

Cheng Che entered his qualifying match against Nakamura Takuma and won over the Japanese home crowd with his presence, leaving Nakamura’s fans cheering for him instead. After acknowledging Su Miaoyin in the stands, Cheng Che opened the match with a down-the-T ace.

• Su Miaoyin, Lin Lin, and Zhao Xiaoman watched the crowded qualifying match, where Chinese spectators held banners supporting Cheng Che.
• Yan Ruanning watched the livestream as Nakamura Takuma entered to cheers and online viewers argued over Cheng Che’s chances.
• Cheng Che walked onto the court, and his smile turned the quiet Japanese crowd into loud supporters, including several of Nakamura’s female fans.
• Su Miaoyin waved to Cheng Che from the stands, and he nodded before facing Nakamura Takuma across the net.
• Cheng Che served an ace down the T to take the first point, making the score fifteen-love.

Cheng Che overwhelmed Nakamura Takuma with powerful, precisely placed serves in the Tokyo Open qualifiers, forcing Nakamura to retire with an injured hand. After advancing to the second round, Cheng learned that his next opponent was another Japanese player and vowed to continue.

• Cheng Che opened the match with a serve that stunned Nakamura Takuma and silenced the arena.
• Cheng Che scored an ace on every service point and won the first set 6–0 while Nakamura failed to return his serves.
• Nakamura moved forward to receive in the second set, but Cheng’s serve struck his racket with enough force to make it fly from his hand and leave his fingers trembling.
• Nakamura claimed he was injured and retired; the doctor examined his right hand and wrist, and the referee declared Cheng the winner and advanced him to the second round of qualifying.
• Cheng bowed to the crowd and met Qin Lie at the players’ tunnel, where Qin told him his next opponent was another Japanese player; Cheng said they should keep going.

After defeating Nakamura Takuma, Cheng Che spent the evening with Su Miaoyin and the others, reviewed his mathematics trial, and reflected on how his Keen-Eared One title had helped him read his opponent. The next morning, he began his second qualifying match in Tokyo, facing a nervous Japanese player.

• Cheng Che signed autographs and posed for photos with Japanese fans of Nakamura Takuma after leaving the stadium.
• Su Miaoyin and her friends met Cheng Che, and the group ate together before Qin Lie drove them back to their inn.
• Cheng Che reviewed the Eye of Mathematics trial and recalled using Keen-Eared One to detect Nakamura Takuma's fatigue during their match.
• Fans and tennis commentators shared clips of Cheng Che's victory and praised his serving online.
• Cheng Che started his second qualifying match against another Japanese player and heard that his opponent was nervous before the first serve.

Cheng Che shut out Inoue Kenta to qualify for the Tokyo Open main draw, then invited Su Miaoyin to visit Tokyo Tower. The chapter left Su Miaoyin agreeing to go with him after making an excuse to her friends.

• Cheng Che defeated Inoue Kenta 6–0, 6–0, advancing to the Tokyo Open main draw without dropping a set.
• Qin Lie told Cheng Che that his wins had made him popular and brought in endorsement offers, while Cheng Che reflected on how much stronger he had become.
• Cheng Che learned that his first main-draw opponent was a French player ranked 197th and left the venue with Qin Lie.
• Cheng Che messaged Su Miaoyin to ask if she wanted to go to Tokyo Tower.
• Su Miaoyin told Lin Lin and Zhao Xiaoman that she felt unwell and agreed to meet Cheng Che instead of going to a hot spring.

Su Miaoyin joined Cheng Che for an evening out in Tokyo after her friends uncovered her excuse to meet him. They stopped at a maid café, where the maids’ attention made Su Miaoyin jealous, and Cheng Che reassured her as Tokyo Tower glowed outside.

• Su Miaoyin admitted to Lin Lin and Zhao Xiaoman that Cheng Che had asked her to visit Tokyo Tower, and they encouraged her to go.
• Cheng Che met Su Miaoyin outside the inn, complimented her outfit, and walked with her toward the subway station.
• When Su Miaoyin grew tired, Cheng Che brought her into Café Lumière, which turned out to be a maid café.
• Several maids showed extra interest in Cheng Che, and Su Miaoyin grew increasingly annoyed as they served him lemon water.
• Cheng Che ordered Su Miaoyin a strawberry cake and matcha latte, then told her she was the one he had brought out, not the maids.
• Su Miaoyin blushed and loosened her grip on her bag as Tokyo Tower lit up outside the café window.

Cheng Che visited Tokyo Tower with Su Miaoyin before defeating Jean-Pierre Moreau in the first round of the Tokyo Open main draw. He advanced to the second round, where Qin Lie told him his next opponent had been decided.

• Cheng Che used [Fade into the Bustle] while visiting Tokyo Tower with Su Miaoyin, and they bought souvenirs and took a photo together.
• Cheng Che faced Jean-Pierre Moreau in the main draw's first round and won in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3.
• Lin Yan praised Cheng Che's controlled performance as viewers debated how far he could advance.
• Su Miaoyin watched Cheng Che win from the stands and quietly smiled at him afterward.
• Qin Lie showed Cheng Che the draw sheet and told him his next opponent had been decided.

Cheng Che won his semifinal at the Tokyo Open, reaching the final after seven straight-set victories in his first international tournament. As he prepared to play for the title, Su Miaoyin waited in the stands for him to emerge.

• Cheng Che defeated his Czech semifinal opponent six-two, six-four, earning a place in the final without dropping a set across seven matches.
• Su Miaoyin cheered Cheng Che during the quarterfinal tiebreak and watched anxiously as he was broken in the semifinal before he broke back.
• Cheng Che’s run to the final drew record viewership and comments, boosted Wilson’s Blade V10 sales, and prompted congratulations from Guo Xin and Cheng Che’s parents.
• Cheng Che saw that the system’s championship trial still required him to win the final, then put away his racket.
• Su Miaoyin arrived early for the final and waited in the third row as Cheng Che had yet to emerge from the players’ tunnel.

Cheng Che entered the Tokyo Open final to a roaring welcome from the Japanese crowd, while people watching from home and the stands followed his arrival. After warming up, he activated Total Concentration and prepared to face Lucas Becker, determined to sweep everything before him.

• Commentators Lin Yan and Zhou Zhou discussed Cheng Che’s unbeaten run and identified the serve as the key to his final against Lucas Becker.
• Becker emerged to a modest reception, but Cheng Che’s entrance triggered cheers from fans shouting in Japanese, English, and Chinese.
• Su Miaoyin showed Lin Lin a video of Cheng Che’s entrance, and Zhao Xiaoman began filming him from the stands.
• Cheng Jianguo and Jiang Xue watched Cheng Che’s entrance at home, while Guo Xin, Su Qingyue, and Yan Ruanning watched the broadcast elsewhere.
• Cheng Che checked his racket’s feel, activated Total Concentration, and resolved to sweep everything before him.

Cheng Che defeated Lucas Becker in the Tokyo Open final, winning the title without dropping a set in his first international tournament. After Federer welcomed him to the professional tour, Cheng Che received congratulations from Yan Ruanning and left the locker room.

• Cheng Che studied Becker's powerful forehand as they traded games, then broke Becker's serve to take the first set, six-five.
• Cheng Che broke Becker early in the second set and built a five-one lead as Becker's stamina declined.
• Cheng Che saved his second match point opportunity by attacking Becker's return, then won the match six-five, six-one.
• Becker praised Cheng Che's pressure and said he could beat Top 20 players, while Federer posted, “Welcome to the tour, Cheng.”
• Yan Ruanning congratulated Cheng Che and agreed with a post praising her taste; Cheng Che replied, “Mm,” and left the locker room.

Cheng Che’s Tokyo Open victory sparked a huge reaction across China, with fans, tennis players, officials, and Wilson celebrating his title. On the ride back to the hotel, he saw the congratulations and confirmed that his system mission to win an international tournament was complete.

• News that Cheng Che defeated Becker in the Tokyo Open final set off widespread online discussion and pushed six related topics into Weibo’s top ten trending searches.
• Fans celebrated Cheng Che’s seven-match title run, while tennis players praised his game and predicted he would soon reach the world’s top fifty or higher.
• The Caiyun Province Department of Culture and Tourism congratulated Cheng Che, and netizens linked Federer’s welcome to his earlier hope to see Cheng Che compete internationally.
• Cheng Che rode back to the hotel after the ceremony and interviews, scrolling through congratulations from Guo Xin, his adopted sons, Su Qingyue, and Yan Ruanning.
• Qin Lie told Cheng Che that his value had risen and continued negotiating with Wilson, while Cheng Che saw that phase three of the Stamina Trial was complete.