FOBTS CH34

Chapter 34: Auto Rewind

In the dead of night, Jian Yuheng stood by the window, embracing his 24th birthday for the 13th time.

Sometimes 23, sometimes 24—this kind of ambiguous feeling wasn’t something just anyone could experience.

Growing up, it turned out, was such a winding and twisting process.

It was almost time. According to his precise calculations, this damned system should be out of rollback chances.

Sure enough, it finally quieted down.

The 24-year-old matured like a lighthearted hawthorn, laughing briefly before snuggling into bed, pulling the blanket up.

His phone buzzed several times in succession with various birthday wishes—messages from his parents, his sister-in-law, Assistant Gong, and a few university friends.

He paused for a moment and opened the chat with Song Ruochen—

The conversation still lingered on from the afternoon.

[Song Ruochen]: “Second Young Master, bring me my ID badge.”

[Jian Yuheng]: “? I didn’t find it today.”

[Song Ruochen]: “Not trying hard enough.”

Aside from that, there hadn’t been any new messages for hours.

Jian Yuheng chuckled softly and was about to exit when suddenly a new message popped up.

[Song Ruochen]: [Voice Message]

It was just a simple birthday wish—why send a voice message? He wasn’t going to sing him a birthday song, right?

Jian Yuheng opened the voice message—

“Second Young Master, Second Young Master, I left my things in your car.”

Jian Yuheng: “……”

Jian Yuheng was speechless for a couple of seconds, then clicked on the voice message again and listened to it once more.

Hmm, it seemed that the little secretary was probably lying sideways, half his head tucked under the blanket. That’s why his voice sounded muffled, and the tone was softer than usual.

“So, what should we do?” Jian Yuheng replied with a voice message, his voice slightly cold. “Should I not drop it off tomorrow, since it’s not on my way?”

[Song Ruochen]: “No, no. It’s just a project budget sheet. Second Young Master, just fill in a little and bring it to the office tomorrow!”

[Jian Yuheng]: “How much did you fill in?”

[Song Ruochen]: “I filled in the name.”

Jian Yuheng: “……”

Totally not done.

He had seen people lose money and face, but never seen someone lose their work.

“Second Young Master, happy birthday~” Song Ruochen sent another voice message. “Second Young Master is another year older, more mature now.”

Jian Yuheng: “……”

Forget it.

After all, this guy only ever does things half-heartedly. Sooner or later, he’ll have to fix everything himself.

His mood was like the stock market—up and down. Jian Yuheng threw on a jacket and went downstairs, where he found the report under the back seat of the car.

Was it really lost? Or was it hidden?

Jian Yuheng took the report upstairs and got to work on his birthday tasks.

At Song Ruochen’s house, Song Ruochen wrapped himself in a blanket and rolled around in bed.

【Little Grape, that’s not a wood carving.】

“What is it then?” Song Ruochen asked.

【There are some scratches on the wood.】

【The picture shows someone whistling.】

“Light gifts, heavy feelings,” Song Ruochen said. “I’m tired. I’m going to sleep. Have work tomorrow.”

“The days are quite full,” Song Ruochen murmured before falling asleep.

—

The next day, there was a lot of work. Bright and early, Jian Yuheng’s car sped to the company building. He got out of the car and found Song Ruochen half-asleep, standing and dozing off in the elevator.

Song Ruochen: “Good morning, Second Young Master.”

Jian Yuheng: “?”

“Secretary Song, good morning.” Jian Yuheng pressed the elevator button without a hint of emotion. “The people from Haochi are bringing the short drama team. You’ll need to liaise with them.”

Song Ruochen yawned quietly. “Okay, Second Young Master.”

His voice carried the lingering trace of sleepiness—soft and non-threatening.

“Bring me a cup of coffee to my office,” Jian Yuheng said. “And get one for yourself, too.”

“Okay…,” Song Ruochen responded sluggishly.

Jian Yuheng looked up. The weather outside was cold, and Song Ruochen was wearing a thick white down jacket, with a cat-ear hat and paw scarf that Yan Ci had given him. His chin was hidden under the scarf, with only his eyes visible.

Today, he looked like a thick-skinned grape, Jian Yuheng thought.

As Song Ruochen exited the elevator, he changed into a more formal white shirt and made an internal call to Assistant Gong to have the coffee delivered.

Then he took the elevator upstairs to meet the short drama team.

As he approached the meeting room, he suddenly heard heated voices coming from inside—

“I’m not doing it,” one voice shouted. “There are so many people in the company, why should I do it? I’m not interested.”

“Lu Yunye, I’ll tell you this. The company signed you, so you’ll do whatever we tell you,” another voice retorted.

Just as Song Ruochen was about to step into the office, a teacup flew toward him, smashing against the door frame. The porcelain shattered, and one of the shards scraped across the back of his hand.

Song Ruochen: “QAQ Which idiot did this?!”

Not far away, holding a takeout coffee and planning to go over and settle the score, Jian Yuheng immediately frowned when he smelled a particularly sweet grape scent.

The pheromones with 100% match intensity hit him hard.

In the office, the young alpha who had just thrown the teacup looked at the injured omega secretary at the door, momentarily stunned. “Why do you have to show up right now?”

Lu Yunye: “I didn’t mean to—”

Ding.

Jian Yuheng, holding the coffee, moved to a slightly farther spot. He quickened his pace and just happened to see Song Ruochen, expression cold, push open the door. As he opened it, he slightly turned his body to avoid the flying teacup.

Jian Yuheng: “:D”

Brilliant.

He had witnessed the super-powered little secretary in action, the blooper was too painful to watch, but the main show still had potential.

Lu Yunye froze, staring at the omega entering the room.

Such impressive skills.

“The cooperation project with Haochi is led by me,” Song Ruochen said. “Mr. Lu, if you have any opinions, you can give them to me directly. No need to take it out on the teacup.”

The accompanying manager glanced up, somewhat surprised.

Rumor had it that Xiaoshi’s executive assistant was capable enough to keep the whole company in order, but who knew that the secretary himself was so exquisitely handsome?

“Mr. Lu, is there any type of material you want to shoot?” Song Ruochen sat down opposite.

Just as Jian Yuheng entered the room and couldn’t find a seat, he casually stood next to Song Ruochen.

Jian Yuheng: “…?”

“I want to shoot many things,” the arrogant young alpha said. “Romance, suspense, horror, sci-fi, comedy—I can do it all.”

“All the elements you want are in the project script,” Song Ruochen said.

Lu Yunye: “…All of that in one script?”

Jian Yuheng: “…”

Jian Yuheng’s gaze fell on the back of Song Ruochen’s hand resting on the table.

Song Ruochen’s hand was as smooth as jade, but not long ago, he vividly remembered how the little secretary had grimaced in pain, clutching his hand.

“This script is garbage,” Lu Yunye said angrily.

“Yes, that’s why we’re looking for you,” Song Ruochen replied innocently. “Is there a problem? With so many actors under Haochi, why did they choose you? Don’t you know? Wanting to shoot doesn’t mean you can. Being ambitious doesn’t mean you have acting skills. Dreams and reality should have a difference. I want to be a CEO too—do you see me as one?”

Jian Yuheng: “:|”

There are a lot of CEO positions, what are you doing?

“Increasing popularity and improving acting skills— you chose to increase arrogance,” Song Ruochen said.

Lu Yunye suddenly looked up, intrigued, and turned toward the secretary. “Secretary Song, have you considered acting? If it’s with you, I have no objections.”

Just as he finished speaking, he suddenly realized the alpha standing next to Song Ruochen, who hadn’t spoken until now, had cast a harsh, cold look his way. The air seemed to shift, as if the alpha’s unique pressure filled the room, causing Lu Yunye to hesitate and lower his gaze.

“Sure,” Song Ruochen replied. “But I have no talent, my range is narrow, and I can only play your father.”

Lu Yunye: “…”

Jian Yuheng: “:D”

Who would be foolish enough to challenge this little weirdo? Song Ruochen had a knack for messing with people’s mentality.

“Is this the level of professionalism of Haochi’s artists?” Jian Yuheng asked. “If you can act, then act. If you can’t, then get out. Don’t bring your tantrums to Xiao Shi.”

When he spoke, his tone carried a certain indifference, making everyone else lower their heads.

[Villain Aura, Activated!]

“He’s so cool, I’m switching to the villain side in an instant,” Song Ruochen mentally applauded.

“This company isn’t your home. No one will pamper you once you leave your fan group,” Jian Yuheng said. “Mind your words and actions, don’t hurt…”

He glanced again at Song Ruochen’s hand.

Sometimes, this darned broken system did come in handy.

—

After finalizing the project with Haochi’s team, Song Ruochen wandered over to the ice cream machine, found a cone, and made himself some ice cream.

[It’s a bit ugly.]

“Then I’ll redo it,” Song Ruochen said.

Ding, ding, ding.

In the office, Jian Yuheng’s birthday gift, which he had just unwrapped, was back in Jian Feng’s hands.

“Surprise, little brother,” Jian Feng said, holding out the gift box. “Guess what’s inside.”

Jian Yuheng: “It’s a belt.”

“You’ve really grown up,” Jian Feng said. “You unwrapped the gift without any surprise on your face, just a fake smile.”

Jian Yuheng: “…”

By the ice cream machine, Song Ruochen made a beautifully crafted ice cream for himself. Holding the box, he happily sat by the window and checked his phone, just in time to see a message.

[Boss]: What are you doing?

[Corporate Slave]: Eating and taking the company’s ice cream.

[Corporate Slave]: Made a beautiful one, just like the one sold at the shop, both tasty and good-looking.

[Boss]: …

[Boss]: It’s below freezing, you’re eating ice cream?

[Corporate Slave]: It’s good.

His phone rang again—this time it was a message from Meng Yumian.

[Meng Yumian]: 0.0… Little Grape~

[Song Ruochen]: ?

[Meng Yumian]: 0.0… Do I look more like him when I cry?

Song Ruochen: “…”

Substitute?

Where did this script come from? The original book wasn’t this crazy.

[Song Ruochen]: You need to act normal, I’m scared.

[Meng Yumian]: I’ll come to find you tonight, I’m going to that birthday party for Second Young Master.

[Meng Yumian]: Big Jujube has a husband now, but I’m still your long-lasting friend.

Song Ruochen didn’t want to carry water anymore, he wanted to blame Jian Feng for this.

[Meng Yumian]: Just kidding, not really a cricket.

[Meng Yumian]: I bought a very nice black coat while shopping today, I’ll bring it to you tonight, super cool.

[Song Ruochen]: 0.o Okay.

After finishing his ice cream, Song Ruochen took a three-hour nap in the office. When he woke up, he handled a mountain of work, then left on time and got into Jian Yuheng’s car.

Jian Feng was already in the car, wearing a thick hood, the collar pulled high, and large sunglasses covering his face.

“Mr. Jian,” Song Ruochen asked, “doing some performance art?”

“I’m a little worried about becoming performance art again,” Jian Feng said, his words subtle.

Song Ruochen: “?”

Jian Feng thought this way: Since the events planned by Song Ruochen were often ahead of their time, as long as he was fully armored, he could protect himself and blend in with the social death.

The car drove all the way to the magnificent banquet venue. Inside the normal hall, normal people stood, but normal people turned to look at the abnormal Jian Feng.

“…” The protagonist, the attack, finally lowered his head.

“Chenchen!” Yan Ci and Meng Yumian were already there. When they saw them coming, they immediately waved at Song Ruochen. “Hurry up.”

Song Ruochen appeared in an instant, moving several meters in the blink of an eye.

“This black collar is so nice,” Yan Ci said, turning to Meng Yumian. “Hair monster, my taste is great, right?”

“Not bad,” Meng Yumian replied. “I can make one myself, unique.”

The voices of the three were loud and bustling, quickly attracting the attention of Jian Shi, Jian Yuheng’s uncle.

Jian Shi looked up at Yan Ci, preparing to scold him, but then he noticed—

Yan Ci was standing without much regard for posture, casually slinging his arm around Song Ruochen’s shoulder, and to top it off, he was holding a lollipop in his mouth. He seemed to be having a great time, even giving Meng Yumian a playful punch.

Uncle Jian: “…”

No etiquette at all, not a trace of it, just flaws everywhere.

Song Ruochen’s peripheral vision swept over his uncle, who seemed to want to say something but didn’t: “:)”

“Hair monster bought the coat, I bought the sweater and pants,” Yan Ci said, shaking Song Ruochen’s shoulder. “Go try them all on, inside and out. It’ll definitely look good on you.”

Song Ruochen was dizzy from the shaking.

Full of flaws, yet no flaws. Today, Dazao seemed even more like the lively and cute esports commentator boy described at the beginning of the original book.

“Alright, I’ll go change,” Song Ruochen said. “I’ll go in a bit.”

The birthday banquet planned by [Boss] was well-organized and fun. Jian Feng didn’t put on airs, and even Jian Yuheng seemed more approachable today.

So, during the cake-cutting part, Song Ruochen took the chance to smear some cream on Jian Yuheng’s face as a small revenge.

“Hahaha, cream villain,” Song Ruochen quickly slipped away.

He grabbed the clothes Da Zao and Fuzzy Monster bought for him and went to find a room to change.

He took off his jacket, sweater, and autumn clothes, leaving only his underwear. Fortunately, the room’s air conditioning was set to a high temperature, so it wasn’t cold.

“Da Zao’s clothes are getting more complicated,” Song Ruochen said, holding up the sweater and studying it. “I can’t even understand the result of this sweater anymore. It seems like it wants to build a building on me.”

The door clicked open, and Jian Yuheng, freshly cleaned of cream, walked into the dressing room to change into clean clothes.

That crazy grape had smeared cream on his face in the chaos, and now he didn’t know where he had run off to. Jian Yuheng really wanted to get his revenge and make a cream grape.

Jian Yuheng: “0.0”

Song Ruochen: “0.o”

Under the light, the omega’s limbs were long and beautiful, his skin pale with a slight glow.

Jian Yuheng took a deep breath, glancing at the “in use” sign hanging on the door and quickly turned his gaze away.

No rollback?

Rollback, indeed.

Wait for me to see.

Jian Yuheng reluctantly shifted his gaze.

[Song Ruochen, rewind.]

[You’ve been seen! You’re an omega!]

“I’ve seen him too,” Song Ruochen said, “Do you want to go back?”

[Ding.]

[Auto rewind, also known as auto mode.]

With a whoosh, Jian Yuheng was sent back to the mirror by the sink.

He lifted his head and looked at his reflection, covered in cream.

Mad, his face went from white to red, looking like a clown.

Jian Yuheng: “*:D”