FOBTS CH43

Chapter 43: I Have No Face Left

“Fake, it’s a dream, an illusion, a hallucination.” Song Ruochen made a sharp turn, continued crawling backward in reverse gear, and then—bang!—slammed into the bedroom door, hitting his head.

Damn, it wasn’t a dream.

Then Jian Yuheng saw—

“Starting the investigation from the North Pole? Why don’t you start from the edge of the universe instead?” Song Ruochen asked. “And you need three years to check? Why don’t you wait until Earth explodes to finish?”

Song Ruochen sneered, “Half a person, hahaha. Half a person is right beside me… System dog, stop being a coward and come out.”

Song Ruochen shook his head. “Coin pouch, huh? I’m gonna beat you into coin pancake.”

Song Ruochen shook his head again. “I’m gonna beat you to death, stop dodging!”

Jian Yuheng: “…?”

Internal strife.

What a crazy scene, truly internal strife in every sense of the word.

Inside Song Ruochen’s mind, one man and one system were fiercely arguing, both trying to shake off responsibility.

[(Bump on the head.jpg) Wuwuwu, I don’t know, how could it be him?]

[(Two bumps on the head.jpg) You can’t blame me entirely. ‘If you don’t report it, then it’s not a problem’—Little Grape, you’re the one who taught me that.]

“You learn everything I teach you?” Song Ruochen shouted. “If I tell you to crawl, will you crawl? Crawl for me!”

Song Ruochen raged, “0.5 is right under my nose! I was bouncing around in front of him like a monkey! Do I have no shame?!”

[Aaaaah, at least argue with me in your head! Jian Yuheng can hear everything!]

Song Ruochen: “…”

Song Ruochen scrambled to his feet, trying to flee through the door.

Jian Yuheng’s lips curved slightly. He leaned in, crouched beside him, and gave his head two firm pats, then ruffled his hair, returning some of what Song Ruochen had just done to him.

“Secretary Song, why are you running?” Jian Yuheng pinched his cheeks and tugged lightly. “Is it because you remembered patting my head, pulling my face, or tugging my hair?”

“Speak up, the cold and aloof little secretary of Xiaoshi.” Jian Yuheng grabbed a handful of his hair and gave it a gentle tug. “Do you remember now?”

Song Ruochen: “…”

[…]

[The aloof little secretary has fallen from grace.]

Song Ruochen: “You TM…”

“Who are you talking to?” Jian Yuheng pressed his free hand against Song Ruochen’s lips. “Your system?”

[Holy sh*t?!]

[He actually knows about me?!]

[Shaking in fear.jpg]

“Shut up,” Song Ruochen said.

“The two of you look like employees trying to push the blame after causing trouble.” Jian Yuheng remarked. “You just now noticed the bug?”

His hair was released, but the red collar around his neck was hooked by a single finger and lifted as Jian Yuheng toyed with it. Song Ruochen scooted back two millimeters, rubbing against the bedroom door.

The little secretary’s red collar was particularly eye-catching today—he’d been tempted to yank it off several times already.

[Calm down, calm down. Don’t overheat. Overheating will cause a system shutdown.]

[Trick him into revealing when the binding happened.]

Song Ruochen roared at the air, “How do you expect me to stay calm?!”

“You… how much do you know?” Song Ruochen turned his head and asked Jian Yuheng in a small voice.

“About which part?” Jian Yuheng tugged on the collar, smiling coldly. “You mean you calling me a petty fussbudget, a dumbass, Xiao Jian, or saying ‘if you can’t give vacations, then don’t pretend to’?”

Song Ruochen: “QAQ”

“Or do you mean kicking Yan Ci out at the annual meeting, launching Meng Yumian at the auction, or stuffing biscuits down a guest’s collar during a company reception?” Jian Yuheng asked.

[…Huge crisis, we’re done for.]

Song Ruochen: “…”

[He saw, he saw everything…]

[Secretary Song’s Reputation -1000 Points.]

“Let’s put those aside for now.” Jian Yuheng said. “First, let’s go over all the times you kicked, hit, and yanked at me. Come on, Song Ruochen, let’s hear your excuses.”

Song Ruochen: “Aaaaaaah.”

Embarrassing, way too embarrassing.

He had never been this embarrassed in his entire life.

[It’s over, it’s over, the cold and aloof secretary persona is gone…]

Song Ruochen had nowhere left to crawl. His collar was still hooked in the alpha’s hand, pressing against the gland at the back of his neck, sending a tingling numbness through his body. The unfamiliar sensation made him too weak to even crawl, and he slumped against the door.

“So many crimes, Secretary Song. I’ve got them all recorded, one by one.” Jian Yuheng said. “Why don’t we start with you biting me?”

Jian Yuheng held onto him, a wicked smirk tugging at his lips. “Zha-ge is talking to you, why aren’t you answering?”

Satisfying. Too satisfying.

The little lunatic (embarrassed version) had just been trying to scramble up the door, only to get so spooked he went limp.

Jian Yuheng felt like he had reached a milestone in life. What was the fun in scheming and playing mind games? What was the point of work when Song Ruochen was this entertaining?

Today, he was going to drag out every single past offense—he had to get it all out.

Jian Yuheng: “Song—”

[DING!!!]

The sound was especially loud, full of energy—not like a coin hitting the ground, but like a chunk of iron crashing down.

Jian Yuheng froze for a moment. The moment he realized it was the sound of a rewind notification, the collar in his hand disappeared, and Song Ruochen who had been crawling all over the floor vanished as well.

He was back in the grand living room of the main residence.

“Our Yuheng is such a steady and reliable child,” Grandma Chen Wu was boasting to distant relatives. “He stays calm no matter the situation, so sensible.”

Grandma turned her head. “Xiao Er, come greet the guests—”

Jian Yuheng sprang up from the sofa and dashed into the courtyard.

A figure holding a lit firework was sneaking away.

“Song Ruochen, stop right there!” Jian Yuheng roared.

Song Ruochen: “Oh, sh*t—”

Clutching the firework he had just lit, Song Ruochen took off running. Jian Yuheng charged after him.

Song Ruochen: “Oh my god, aaahhh, he’s chasing me, help!”

The firework swung up and down, and for a brief moment, Yan Ci thought he saw lightning.

Yan Ci: “0.0?”

Yan Ci: “0.0*”

“I wasn’t even finished talking—why are you running?!” Jian Yuheng leaped over the roof of a car, grabbed Song Ruochen by the collar, twisted his arms behind his back, and pinned him face-down on the hood.

“Stay put.” Jian Yuheng spoke rapidly. “Have you ever swum in a pool where you just couldn’t reach the shore? Have you ever had your head repeatedly caught in an elevator door? Have you ever tried carving wood only to never get a proper pattern?”

Song Ruochen: “…I’ve carved wood before.”

Jian Yuheng: “.”

[DING, DANG!!!]

“Secretary Song, eat more.” Rong Xin warmly urged. “Which lucky alpha will get to marry you?”

Yan Ci: “0.0.”

“A-Auntie, I think I’ll pass.” Song Ruochen pushed back his chair and flipped out the first-floor window.

“Don’t run! Let me finish!” Jian Yuheng followed him out the window.

Jian Feng: “Bro, giving up golf for hurdles?”

Song Ruochen ran at full speed, a roasted bun clenched in his teeth.

[Ah, youth, the reckless abandon of running.]

Song Ruochen: “Wuwuwu waaaah!”

Jian Yuheng lunged from behind, tackling him onto the soft grass, pinning his flailing legs down.

“Have you ever repeatedly jolted on a gravel road? Have you ever stood for ages in front of a floor-to-ceiling window at night? Have you ever experienced the disorienting feeling of sometimes being 24, sometimes being 23?” Jian Yuheng pressed down on him and interrogated.

Song Ruochen: “QAQ”

This Alpha was too heavy—he couldn’t even run.

[Tao Bao, I think running away isn’t a solution… DING!]

On the helipad, a helicopter was slowly descending. Yan Ci and Jian Feng clung to each other tightly, neither willing to lift their heads.

[He still remembers everything…]

“Song Ruochen! Don’t run!” Jian Yuheng panted as he charged upstairs.

Song Ruochen lunged at Yan Ci and held on for dear life—no one could pry him off.

Yan Ci: “?”

Not wanting to show his face, Yan Ci clung tightly to Jian Feng’s shoulders.

Jian Yuheng rushed over, grabbed Song Ruochen by the waist, and yanked hard. “Still running? Get over here.”

Jian Feng was dragged back several steps by the three of them.

Jian Feng: “?”

Jian Feng: “Brother? Marathon?”

Jian Yuheng: “……”

He forcibly pried them apart and dragged Song Ruochen step by step toward the corner of the wall.

“Little brother, you can’t bully Secretary Song,” Jian Feng said.

Yan Ci: “0.0*”

Yan Ci grabbed Jian Feng’s hand, gave it a shake, then smiled and shook his head again.

Jian Feng: “?”

Jian Yuheng had backed Song Ruochen into the corner.

He lifted both of Song Ruochen’s wrists high, using their slight height difference to keep him from reaching. Song Ruochen could only struggle on tiptoe.

Then, Song Ruochen jumped up and kicked him.

Jian Yuheng: “:)”

“Have you ever heard an argument at 0.5x speed? Have you seen a sunset at 10x speed?” Jian Yuheng spoke rapidly. “Have you ever felt the pain of digging up flowers you planted one by one, shovel by shovel?”

Song Ruochen: “……”

[……]

[Why does he always get stuck in such weird places…]

[Run, Tao Bao, this isn’t going anywhere. If I were the villain, I’d pin you down and beat you up.]

[DING!]

At the Jian family’s main residence, Jian Yuheng burst out the door.

“Song Ruochen? Where the hell are you? Get out here!” Jian Yuheng searched everywhere. “Let me finish talking!”

Jian Yuheng: “……”

Guests at the door: “?”

Mom: “?”

Dad: “??”

Grandma: “???”

Jian Yuheng took one, two, three steps back and coughed awkwardly.

“It’s nothing, family.” Jian Yuheng said. “I was just… talking in my sleep.”

“Shouting in your sleep,” Jian Feng corrected.

“0.0.” Yan Ci turned to Jian Feng. “Why do you never shout things like that in your sleep? Do you not love me?”

Jian Feng pointed at himself: “?”

“Ah.” Yan Ci lowered his head and looked at his phone. “Secretary Song says he accidentally… twisted his neck, so he won’t be able to come help today.”

Jian Yuheng ground his teeth in frustration.

He ran away. That little monster ran away.

Why was he always so jumpy? Was Jian Yuheng really that scary?

Was this… a sign of affection? Jian Yuheng tilted his head.

Hmm, maybe he was just shy.

A little lunatic’s way of being shy might be a bit unconventional. Understandable.

Might as well tease him a little more—no rush to get married.

—

At Song Ruochen’s house, he kicked off his blanket and flopped onto his big bed in a completely twisted position, lifeless.

[Haha, you two run around like a cat-and-mouse chase.]

“Screw you.” Song Ruochen muttered. “I’m running for my life, and you’re watching a cartoon?”

[No, no, just trying to find some joy in the struggle.]

Song Ruochen: “My struggle? Your joy?”

Damn it, why did that stupid alpha have so much stamina? Song Ruochen prided himself on his quick reflexes and fast running speed, but no matter what timeline he got thrown into, Jian Yuheng always reacted instantly and caught him in no time.

He never even had a chance to struggle before getting pinned down and scolded all over the place.

[Updating status panel.]

[The villain’s resentment level has reached 50%.]

[The villain’s ** level has reached 100%.]

“What level?” Song Ruochen asked. “It’s higher than resentment?”

[Not sure. He’s… unique. Some of his status values, I can’t even access.]

“I’m so embarrassed, damn system.” Song Ruochen lay face down on the bed, his cheeks gradually turning bright red. “He saw everything. I don’t even have my underwear left.”

“Find a quiet place and bury me,” Song Ruochen left his last words. “Offer desserts on Mondays and Wednesdays, roast chicken, roast duck, and seafood feasts on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and just some barbecue on weekends.”

[……You can’t even afford to die. Just stay alive.]

Song Ruochen let out a long sigh and buried his head under the blanket.

It was over. He had no privacy anymore.

[As expected, the villain is no ordinary person—extremely dangerous, and highly intelligent. He even deduced my existence.]

“That’s terrifying,” Song Ruochen muttered. “Ahhh, did I kiss him last time?”

“System teacher, can you transfer me into another book?” Song Ruochen asked.

[……]

“He’s going to kill me…” Song Ruochen said, blushing.

[People don’t hit those who apologize with a smile. This was indeed our side’s fault. Let’s start by saying sorry.]

[Once he’s not mad anymore, we’ll find an opportunity to ask what kind of compensation he wants.]

“I have nothing left but money,” Song Ruochen said miserably.

“Main system, can you ban System 0.5’s permissions?” he asked.

[Unfortunately, no. You two are locked together.]

[I’m currently pulling up the system log to investigate the reason behind this erroneous binding.]

“It’s not going to take another three years, is it?” Song Ruochen asked.

Just as he spoke, his phone rang. He glanced at the screen—it was a video call from [J].

Jian Yuheng hadn’t caught him, so now he was calling.

Song Ruochen pulled a tissue from the drawer and accepted the call.

Jian Yuheng immediately began: “Do you know the searing pain of being scalded twice by boiling water? Do you know what kind of scenery you’d see if you walked backward for forty minutes? Do you know that partial rewinds make working so frustrating it makes you want to throw up?”

Song Ruochen: “Stop.”

Jian Yuheng: “.”

“Uh, esteemed… um, Mr. Jian Yuheng,” Song Ruochen read from his script. “Due to certain unknown reasons, you have been bound to my system, which has resulted in several… uh, multiple involuntary rewinds.”

Suddenly, something occurred to him. He paused for two seconds and then went off-script:

“…This has made your life less smooth and unpredictable, and I even cursed at you once or twice.”

Song Ruochen: “I’m sorry. This is all my system’s fault. Yes, that’s right, I have a system. You know about it now anyway… I will do my best to offer you some compensation.”

Song Ruochen: “Will that do, President Jian?”

“Not accepted. No, it won’t.” The voice came from the phone.

“I don’t like hastily made-up apology speeches.” On the screen, Jian Yuheng was smiling. “Song Ruochen, don’t you have a better-worded, more polite apology letter on hand? Why aren’t you reading that one?”

Song Ruochen: “……”

Clatter. His phone slipped from his hand and crashed onto the floor.

Song Ruochen: “You—you—you—”

“Secretary Song, back when you were orbiting around me, you already knew I was your emperor, didn’t you?” Jian Yuheng enunciated each word clearly. “Come on, call me. Or are you refusing to acknowledge your emperor now?”

Song Ruochen: “…0.0…”

I have no dignity left.