Chapter Summaries

Cen Xia witnessed Shi Su being bullied and later saw another student suffer in the rain, but the world’s will stopped him from intervening. A dream about saving Shi Su reminded him why he had resigned himself to following his role as a background character.

• Cen Xia watched a group of boys beat Shi Su and threaten him before leaving him on the ground.
• On his way back to the dorm, Cen Xia saw a student kneeling in the rain and collapsed into the arms of someone who hurried to help, but heart pain prevented him from stepping in.
• Cen Xia read forum posts about specially admitted student S and recognized that Shi Su’s isolation storyline was following the plot he remembered.
• Cen Xia dreamed of meeting Shi Su, trying to save him, and having his heart crushed by a faceless figure.
• Cen Xia woke at four in the morning and recalled that his first meeting with Shi Su had taught him the world’s will could not be defied.

Cen Xia saw Pei Huaiyi and the newly revealed Lin Jiandu draw a crowd to a general education class, then found the school forum buzzing with questions about their relationship. A popular commenter promised to explain what happened between them at lunch.

• Cen Xia arrived early for class and checked the forum after the classroom suddenly filled with students hoping to see Pei Huaiyi.
• Lin Jiandu entered with Ling Xian, and students recognized him only after he was called by name and his glasses-free appearance surprised them.
• Pei Huaiyi arrived and sat in front of Cen Xia while Lin Jiandu took the seat beside Ling Xian.
• Cen Xia read Lin Jiandu's personal thread and saw students posting candid photos of him.
• Cen Xia found a forum discussion asking about Lin Jiandu and Pei Huaiyi, and a commenter said to wait until lunch break for an explanation.

Cen Xia read and summarized a deleted gossip post about Pei Huaiyi pursuing Lin Jiandu, then went to the library and stumbled into Shen Zhong’s gang harassing Lu Mian. Shen Zhong ordered Cen Xia to kiss Lu Mian for a humiliating photo, and Cen Xia was left facing Lu Mian as the gang watched.

• In class, Lin Jiandu asked Pei Huaiyi to lend him a book, and Ling Xian borrowed Cen Xia’s book for him before Lin Jiandu returned it and apologized.
• Cen Xia read a forum post titled “Today's Gossip Costs Two Fifty” that claimed Pei Huaiyi had fallen for Lin Jiandu and was pursuing him, but the post was deleted before Cen Xia could read the comments.
• Cen Xia went to the library to study and found Shen Zhong’s group gathered around Lu Mian in the last study room.
• Shen Zhong’s gang forced Cen Xia toward Lu Mian and ordered him to strip Lu Mian, then changed the plan to making them kiss for an intimate photo.
• Cen Xia was shoved into Lu Mian and pleaded with Shen Zhong, but Shen Zhong watched them without letting him go.

Cen Xia watched Lu Mian drive Shen Zhong away by hinting that he had visited Shen Zhong’s mother, then tried to keep his head down in his uneventful school life. At the cafeteria, he encountered Shi Su again and recalled how his attempt to intervene in Shi Su’s bullying had triggered the world’s punishment; later, he partnered with Ding Yiheng for chemistry class.

• Lu Mian threatened Shen Zhong by mentioning his visit to Benevolent Heart Hospital, and Shen Zhong left with his lackeys.
• Lu Mian asked Cen Xia when the library closed, then departed after Cen Xia answered.
• Cen Xia bumped into Shi Su in the cafeteria, returned his dropped key, and denied that they had met before.
• Cen Xia recalled seeing Shi Su bullied and collapsing after he tried to intervene, which ended the incident and saved Shi Su.
• Ding Yiheng invited Cen Xia to partner with him for a chemistry lab, and Cen Xia agreed.
• Ding Yiheng asked about Cen Xia’s family, and Cen Xia said they owned Forest and Field Mountain Lodge.

Cen Xia befriended Ding Yiheng during a chemistry lab and later ran into Lin Jiandu, who fled when Ling Xian approached. After Pei Huaiyi passed Cen Xia without recognizing him, Cen Xia returned to his dorm, where Lin Jiandu hurried into the same elevator.

• Cen Xia quickly completed the chemistry experiment, and Ding Yiheng added him as a friend and followed him to their next class.
• Ding Yiheng fell asleep in math class and was kept behind by the teacher, then asked Cen Xia for notes and invited him to dinner.
• On his way to the cafeteria, Cen Xia collided with Lin Jiandu, who ran off when Ling Xian came near.
• Ling Xian and Pei Huaiyi passed Cen Xia, and Pei Huaiyi barely glanced at him before continuing on.
• Cen Xia returned to his dorm with dinner, and Lin Jiandu rushed into the elevator just after him.

Cen Xia watched Lin Jiandu and wondered why he still had not dreamed about the third book, then followed a cafeteria crowd to a confrontation involving Shi Su and Shen Si. The chapter ended with Shi Su challenging Shen Si, leaving Cen Xia questioning whether the protagonist’s behavior matched the original story.

• Cen Xia rode the elevator with Lin Jiandu, who denied hiding from the boy he had been running from.
• Cen Xia checked the school forum and saw Lin Jiandu ranked second in a beauty contest, behind the absent Yan Wuping.
• Cen Xia received five hundred thousand as his monthly allowance from the original owner's mother.
• After hearing that Shen Si and his group were teaching a special-admission student a lesson, Cen Xia followed other students upstairs and saw Shi Su trying to help a kneeling boy.
• Shi Su accused Shen Si of targeting his friend He Wangsheng and challenged Shen Si to kill him, shocking Cen Xia with his uncharacteristic defiance.

He Wangsheng intervened when Shen Si bullied Zhou Zanli, forcing Shen Si to give a perfunctory apology. After photos of Zhou spread online, Zhou blamed Shi Su, while Cen Xia learned the incident may have involved a serious problem with Zhou and wondered how the story would unfold.

• Shen Si threatened Shi Su, but He Wangsheng arrived and ordered him to apologize to Zhou Zanli.
• Shen Si gave Zhou a perfunctory apology before leaving with He Wangsheng, while Shi Su took Zhou to the infirmary.
• Students posted photos and identifying details about Zhou on the forum, sparking rumors about why Shen Si had targeted him.
• Alone in his dorm, Zhou blamed Shi Su for his humiliation and ignored Shi Su's apologetic messages and offer of food.
• Ding Yiheng told Cen Xia that Shen Si was furious because Zhou had a serious problem, and Cen Xia considered how the incomplete story might change.

Shi Su visited Zhou Zanli in the dark and promised to help him join the student council, then asked Fang Sheng for help. Meanwhile, Ding Yiheng invited Cen Xia to go out with him after they ate together, leaving Cen Xia curious about exploring the world more.

• Shi Su brought food to Zhou Zanli, apologized for what had happened, and agreed to help him join the student council.
• Shi Su panicked over how to fulfill his promise, and Fang Sheng offered to ask a student council contact for help.
• Shi Su recalled how a series of campus misunderstandings had damaged his reputation and made it harder to help Zhou Zanli.
• Ding Yiheng told Cen Xia that his cousin could recommend him to the student council, but Cen Xia declined.
• After sharing a meal, Ding Yiheng invited Cen Xia to go out, and Cen Xia agreed.

Cen Xia enjoyed racing with Ding Yiheng at a capital racetrack, where they learned Wen Ci had returned to the country. Back at the dorm, Cen Xia stumbled upon Ling Xian pinning Lin Jiandu against a wall and realized Lin Jiandu was unwilling.

• Cen Xia and Ding Yiheng changed into racing suits, and Cen Xia showed his skill driving a sports car around the track.
• Staff cleared the track because the third young master of the Yan family had booked it, and they said Young Master Wen would be coming; Cen Xia and Ding Yiheng learned Wen Ci had returned.
• Wen Ci overheard Cen Xia and Ding Yiheng joking about him, then left with a companion who planned to welcome him back with dinner.
• Rain ended the racing outing, and Cen Xia shared an umbrella with Ding Yiheng on the way back to their dorms.
• Cen Xia found Ling Xian pinning Lin Jiandu against a wall, saw Lin Jiandu's tearful expression, and recognized that he was unwilling.

Cen Xia resisted the World Will’s attempt to make him abandon Lin Jiandu, collapsed after forcing himself to return, and dreamed of a third novel by Zifeiliyu. After waking in the infirmary, he rejected Lin Jiandu’s thanks and recognized that Lin Jiandu seemed to be acting out another character’s script.

• Cen Xia tried to leave Lin Jiandu to Ling Xian, but the World Will’s force made him turn back despite the pain.
• Cen Xia convulsed as he approached Ling Xian and collapsed, shocking Ling Xian and Lin Jiandu.
• In a dream, Cen Xia read the first half of “Does a Heartthrob Have to Work Hard Too?” and found it was a smut novel by Zifeiliyu.
• Cen Xia woke in the infirmary and remembered collapsing after helping Lu Mian escape a trap set by He Qi’s suitors.
• Cen Xia denied saving Lin Jiandu, then watched him act like a fragile but strong character and thought he had mixed up his script.

After the plot diverged, Cen Xia suffered a mysterious attack of pain that left the infirmary unable to find a cause, then recovered and woke to find Lin Jiandu had stayed to care for him. Their friendship began to grow as Cen Xia learned Lin Jiandu had cooked his meal and they exchanged their names.

• Cen Xia recalled that the scene between Lin Jiandu and Ling Xian had differed from the original plot, then collapsed after a sudden pain struck his heart.
• Doctor Li and the infirmary staff examined Cen Xia through the night but found nothing wrong; his pain eventually stopped, and he refused to be sent to an outside hospital.
• Lin Jiandu stayed beside Cen Xia while he slept and remained with him until he woke the next day, explaining that Ding Yiheng had called and left a fruit basket.
• Cen Xia read Ding Yiheng's messages asking for Lin Jiandu's contact information and learned that Lin Jiandu had told him they were friends.
• Lin Jiandu brought Cen Xia a meal he had cooked himself, and Cen Xia introduced himself before Lin Jiandu shared the meaning of his name.

Cen Xia stayed in the infirmary for observation and spent the afternoon with Ding Yiheng, who shared gossip about the school and its students. After seeing Shi Su in a hospital bed, Cen Xia reflected on the school’s conflicts and insisted he was straight when Ding Yiheng asked about his preferences.

• Doctor Li required Cen Xia to remain in the infirmary for two days and said he would notify Cen Xia’s parents if anything was wrong.
• Ding Yiheng visited Cen Xia, asked about Lin Jiandu, and then shared gossip about Zhou Zanli and the school’s clubs.
• Cen Xia and Ding Yiheng saw Zhou Zanli leave a nearby ward and found Shi Su lying in the bed inside.
• Ding Yiheng explained why Shen Si and others resented special-admission students like Shi Su, while Cen Xia said people were too complex to understand completely.
• After seeing boys holding hands by the lake, Cen Xia said he was straight, and Ding Yiheng teased him about whether he could stay so resolute.

Zhou Zanli blamed Shi Su for making Shen Si angrier and left him alone in the infirmary. Later, during a storm, Cen Xia was awakened by a nurse asking him for help.

• Zhou Zanli told Shi Su that his intervention had worsened the danger from Shen Si and accused him of dragging Zhou Zanli into trouble.
• Zhou Zanli left ward six, and Shi Su lay silently staring at the closed door.
• Cen Xia encountered Zhou Zanli in the corridor, then learned from two nurses that Shi Su had stopped speaking after his friend left.
• Cen Xia returned to his ward, messaged Lin Jiandu that he was fine, and went to sleep as heavy rain began.
• After waking at 2:18 and closing his rain-soaked window, Cen Xia answered a knock from the younger nurse, who asked him for help.

Cen Xia helped Shi Su at the infirmary and discovered that the World Will could not stop him from acting outside the novel’s plot. After Shi Su recovered, he and Cen Xia became part of a regular gaming group with Ding Yiheng and Fang Sheng, while Shi Su still mourned his broken friendship with Zhou Zanli.

• Cen Xia helped Shi Su get to the bathroom, then asked about his injury and learned his name while testing whether the World Will would interfere.
• The World Will interrupted Cen Xia when he tried to ask about He, but Cen Xia exchanged contact information with Shi Su and realized the World Will could not control him outside the original plot.
• Cen Xia stayed at the infirmary until Shi Su could walk, and played games with Ding Yiheng, helping him climb three ranks.
• Shi Su joined Cen Xia and Ding Yiheng's games, and later brought his roommate Fang Sheng into their regular four-person team.
• Shi Su said he could play only one game that evening and felt sad that he and Zhou Zanli had not spoken since their falling-out.

Cen Xia avoided going home, mapped out the tangled relationships and plotlines of the three books, and then endured monthly exams. Afterward, he met his gaming friends for beef noodles, where Shi Su quietly watched him cool his burned tongue.

• Cen Xia told Ding Yiheng, Shi Su, and Fang Sheng that he had chosen Go as his specialty class while playing a game with them.
• Cen Xia declined his mother’s invitation to come home, then reviewed the novels’ plots and charted the connections among Lin Jiandu, Shi Su, Lu Mian, and the other characters.
• Cen Xia completed two days of monthly exams and felt relieved when they ended.
• Ding Yiheng took Cen Xia, Shi Su, and Fang Sheng to a small beef noodle shop, where they enjoyed their meal together.
• Cen Xia burned his tongue on the noodles, and Shi Su handed him a cold bottle of cola while watching him.

After helping Shi Su and two classmates deal with the aftermath of their drunken night, Cen Xia went to his Go class and discovered that Lu Mian had transferred into it. Their first game ended with Lu Mian mistaking Go for five-in-a-row and admitting he did not know how to play.

• Cen Xia found that Shi Su, Ding Yiheng, and Fang Sheng had gotten drunk after only a few sips of beer, then helped get the two passed-out students back to their dorms.
• The next day, Ding Yiheng asked Cen Xia to request leave for him, while Shi Su swore off drinking and Fang Sheng and Cen Xia teased the others in their group chat.
• Cen Xia walked to the Chinese-style campus buildings for Go class, where the teacher told him a new student would keep him from having to play alone.
• Cen Xia saw that the new student was Lu Mian, who played a move and declared victory by forming five stones in a row.
• Cen Xia explained that they were playing Go, but Lu Mian calmly admitted that he did not know how to play it.

Cen Xia watched Lu Mian sleep through class and brush off three boys who threatened him on He Qi’s behalf. Later, Cen Xia worried that Lu Mian’s changes to the plot might affect his chance of returning home, though he still had no proof that finishing the story would take him there.

• Lu Mian slept through the afternoon class after Cen Xia agreed they could each do their own thing.
• Three boys confronted Lu Mian over He Qi, but Lu Mian calmly asked who they were and told them to stop blocking the door.
• Cen Xia recognized the boys as He Qi’s supporters and thought they were ineffective pawns.
• Cen Xia noted that Lu Mian had abandoned piano lessons for Go, despite only knowing Gomoku, and imagined him playing it at a banquet.
• Cen Xia wondered whether the broken plot could affect his return home, then recalled that all three books ended in the second semester of the first year and noted the date was October thirteenth.

Cen Xia confronted the World Will about the plot’s deviation and learned he could return home once the book ended, provided he stopped interfering with the main plot. The World Will repaired the student council storyline, and Shi Su was accepted, though his decision to help He Wangsheng remained a complicated choice.

• Cen Xia noticed Shi Su still kept his distance from his friends, had not joined the student council, and no longer mentioned Zhou Zanli, who had joined at He Wangsheng’s request.
• Cen Xia met the World Will in a dream, accused it of letting the plot go off course, and learned he could return after the book ended if he stopped interfering with the main plot.
• On the final day of recruitment, Shi Su told Cen Xia, Ding Yiheng, and Fang Sheng that he had been accepted into the student council despite never applying.
• Shi Su asked He Wangsheng whether he had arranged the acceptance, and He Wangsheng denied it, saying Shi Su must have passed on his own merits.
• Shi Su recalled telling He Wangsheng about Shen Si’s bullying and asking for a different favor instead of a peaceful school life; he reflected that the choice might have been worth it.

Shen Si confronted He Wangsheng over Zhou Zanli’s place on the student council, while Cen Xia accidentally interrupted Ling Xian harassing Lin Jiandu and comforted him. Cen Xia brought Lin Jiandu to his dorm for a meal and gave him a kitten plushie.

• Shen Si demanded that He Wangsheng expel Zhou Zanli, but He Wangsheng refused and warned Shen Si to keep himself in check now that Chi Zhao was focusing on the school.
• During a general course, Ling Xian recognized Cen Xia and asked when he would have another episode; Cen Xia later found the exchange discussed on the forum.
• Cen Xia returned to the empty classroom for his forgotten book and found Ling Xian struggling with Lin Jiandu beneath the curtains.
• Lin Jiandu escaped to Cen Xia, clung to him, and sobbed; Cen Xia held and comforted him before offering to buy him a meal.
• Cen Xia took food back to his dorm with Lin Jiandu, who picked up the kitten plushie, and Cen Xia told him he could keep it.

Cen Xia and Lin Jiandu shared a nap, bringing them closer as Lin Jiandu began messaging him more often. Later, Lin Jiandu took Cen Xia out to dinner by using a connection in the Disciplinary Group to leave campus.

• Cen Xia invited Lin Jiandu to share his bed for a nap, and Lin Jiandu watched him sleep before holding him around the waist as they woke.
• Lin Jiandu began sending Cen Xia messages about small details of his day, while Cen Xia attended Go class with the sleepy Lu Mian.
• Lu Mian answered a call about medical bills and warned Lu Xiao not to ask the He Family for money behind his back.
• Lin Jiandu called Cen Xia and invited him to dinner to return the meal Cen Xia had bought him.
• Lin Jiandu led Cen Xia out through the school gates, explaining that he knew someone in the Disciplinary Group.