FOBTS CH88

Chapter 88 Extra 3: Shall We Get the Marriage Certificate?

The system’s bug was suddenly fixed the next evening.

[Zzzzt~~]

[Zzt~]

A sharp electric hum buzzed incessantly.

Jian Yuheng, facing the floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the city: “~~~”

Jian Yuheng: “?”

“It’s debugging,” Song Ruochen said, swiveling in the office chair. “Should be done soon.”

“This silly system’s making a fool of itself in front of Evil Young Master,” Song Ruochen said solemnly. “My apologies.”

Jian Yuheng: “…”

Not sure who’s more ridiculous here.

[Hello, hello? Starting debug.]

“I can still hear it,” Jian Yuheng said kindly.

“He’s working on it,” Song Ruochen said. “Please wait patiently, Second Young Master.”

[Debugging initiated. Randomly selecting audio material.]

“No audio material,” Song Ruochen said. “College students don’t like that stuff.”

[Alright, switching.]

“What’s it playing?” Song Ruochen asked, uninterested. “Some alpha boy band song?”

[Now playing System Recorder Segment: Song Ruochen and System’s Chat Log]

Song Ruochen: “???”

[Song Ruochen: “Tch, Villain Bro is so cool and fierce, so scary.”]

[System: “You’re the only Secretary Song who can face the villain head-on. Don’t be afraid!”]

[Song Ruochen: “Mere Jian Yuheng? I’ll test my courage first and grow fast!”]

[System: “Rise to the challenge, my great host.”]

[Song Ruochen: “Let me first feel his abs.”]

Song Ruochen: “…”

Jian Yuheng: “…”

Suspected leak of his hooligan-era surveillance.

“No, wait,” Song Ruochen said. “Jian-ge, let me explain.”

[Song Ruochen: Zzzzt—biu]

The system’s voice vanished.

“What about the rest?” Jian Yuheng asked. “I want to see more of you two’s surveillance.”

[Ahaha, voice channel restored, hahaha!]

[Problem solved, everyone’s happy!]

“When you solved the problem,” Song Ruochen asked, “did you consider that you threw me under the bus too?”

[…]

[Sorry.]

“Song Grape,” Jian Yuheng leaned against the window, a smirk on his lips. “What other bad things did you say about me before?”

“Nothing…” Song Ruochen shook his head. “Nothing, nothing.”

“You think I believe that?” Jian Yuheng stepped closer.

Song Ruochen pushed off the floor, and the chair’s wheels spun, rolling him three meters away.

“Second Young Master, here’s a contract for you to… oof!” Assistant Gong stood at the door, wincing but maintaining composure. “Sign.”

“Hm, bring it over,” Jian Yuheng said.

Assistant Gong pushed Song Ruochen’s chair back while placing the contract on Jian Yuheng’s desk.

“Secretary Song,” Assistant Gong asked sincerely, “Feeling better from the cold?”

Song Ruochen: “Afraid I’ll have to disappoint you, Assistant Gong.”

Despite their bickering, Assistant Gong instinctively rummaged through his pockets, pulled out some ginger candies, and tossed them to Song Ruochen.

Song Ruochen: “:1”

Pretty tasty. Nothing in this novel world tasted bad.

“Done,” Jian Yuheng said, setting down the pen.

Great, Song Ruochen was back to his lively self.

“Second Young Master’s signature is as stunning as ever,” Assistant Gong said professionally. “It’s time to clock out. See you both tomorrow.”

“Say hi to the ginger candies for me,” Song Ruochen said.

Assistant Gong: “…”

Dr. Cheng’s cold medicine worked wonders. Song Ruochen’s fever was gone, though he still had a slight cough, his voice hoarse with a hint of nasal tone.

Jian Yuheng thought it sounded a bit like the occasional whimper he’d hear—kind of cute.

“Yuheng-ge, let’s clock out too,” Song Ruochen said, coughing a few times.

Hawthorn-scented pheromones drifted down, enveloping him.

“So versatile, Second Young Master,” Song Ruochen said, speeding up. “Your pheromones even suppress coughs.”

Jian Yuheng choked. “Is it possible… This is soothing, not cough suppression?”

“I don’t have that many functions,” Jian Yuheng emphasized.

“What can we do?” Song Ruochen said. “The person I like is omnipotent in my eyes.”

Jian Yuheng: “:D”

A mix of sour and sweet hawthorn pheromones generously surrounded Song Ruochen.

The Next Afternoon

Song Ruochen took a field assignment and skipped the office, meeting up with Yan Ci instead.

Not long ago, Yan Ci promised fans a livestream of an escape room game and invited Song Ruochen and Meng Yumian in advance.

Freshly recovered from his cold, the enthusiastic Song Ruochen came to help.

At 2 PM, fans camping in Yan Ci’s livestream finally saw their beloved host—

[Wow?! Guests!]

[I recognize him—that’s the trending Fuzzy Monster artist from City A!]

[?? The other one’s Secretary Song Ruochen?]

[@Yan Ci, you’re allowed to bring guests, but bringing Secretary Song? That’s like an open-book exam!]

[AHHH, rushed over here. Escape room puzzles with a high-IQ, cool-headed secretary? Too perfect, I’m so excited!]

[Yan Ci’s been killing it lately, totally cracked the traffic code.]

[Fuzzy Monster! I’m your wheelchair fan!]

“Everyone’s so enthusiastic,” Yan Ci said. “I’m decent at online games, but I’m terrible offline. Bear with me, okay?”

“But you can watch Secretary Song,” Yan Ci added. “He’s awesome at everything!”

Secretary Song glanced at the phone camera, giving a faint nod.

“With Secretary Song handling things, I’m somewhat reassured,” Meng Yumian said with a smile.

“Let’s get started,” Yan Ci said. “Today’s livestream is a real-life escape room game.”

“Hang on,” Song Ruochen said.

At Xiaoshi Group’s President’s Office (II), Jian Yuheng, reviewing project reports, received a message from Song Ruochen.

[Song Ruochen]: I’m about to show off big time.

[Jian Yuheng]: Not on stairs, not in an elevator, not at a pool, not in a hospital. All clear.

[Jian Yuheng]: You can start showing off. Heart.jpg

[Song Ruochen]: Come watch my performance.

[Song Ruochen]: Copy this link http://yancizuibang.com to join Yan Ci’s livestream and watch together.

Jian Yuheng opened Yan Ci’s livestream just as the office door swung open.

“Brother, slacking off?” Jian Feng asked.

Jian Yuheng: “…”

“Brother,” Jian Feng said. “Let’s watch together.”

Jian Yuheng: “…”

Watch together? Do you know how much noise I’m filtering out?

“Wahhh, Secretary Song, you open this mechanism,” the livestream showed Da Zao and Fuzzy Monster each grabbing a corner of Song Ruochen’s shirt. “So scary!”

Song Ruochen: “…”

Trembling, Song Ruochen reached for the escape room door mechanism, hesitantly pressing it.

Then—

Song Ruochen: “AAAAHHH!!”

Bullet comments:

[Huh???]

[Got scared, hahaha.]

[Turns out Secretary Song’s so timid, so cute.]

[Forcing bravery.jpg]

Jian Yuheng: “:)”

Jian Yuheng: “:(”

This version of Chenchen isn’t for sharing.

[Ah~~ ding, ah~~ dong]

Song Ruochen returned to the mechanism.

“Madam, Young Master Meng,” Song Ruochen directed gracefully, “Don’t panic, nothing to be afraid of.”

“Stay calm,” Song Ruochen said. “I’ll get us out of this room.”

With composure, Song Ruochen pressed the mechanism, unfazed as he faced the charging game NPC.

“Secretary Song’s quite suited for puzzle games,” Jian Feng commented from the side.

Jian Yuheng: “Hahahahaha.”

Jian Feng glanced at his brother, puzzled.

“Your sense of humor is so low,” Jian Feng said.

Jian Yuheng: “Don’t say that. My temper’s pretty short too.”

Jian Feng pouted: “Bro, bullying your brother.”

In the livestream, the Fur Date Grape trio’s real-life escape room game continued, now with a flood of curious viewers.

[What did I do to deserve watching Xiaoshi Group’s president’s secretary solve puzzles?]

[Ah, that hand, so beautiful. Those eyes, always sparkling with intelligence.]

[Offering big money for Secretary Song’s brain.]

Jian Yuheng: “…”

Asking for the wrong thing, huh?

Wrong track—doesn’t matter how sincere you are.

On the screen, Song Ruochen was chased by an NPC ghost, screaming his head off.

Jian Yuheng watched with interest, not bothering with rewinds, his hands busy showering the livestream with gifts.

“J” sent Big Rocket x1.

“J” sent Big Rocket x5.

[Who’s this “J” guy, spamming gifts?]

[Click his ID and check.]

[Wow, there’s a video of Secretary Song, this angle, and that conference table in the background—shot during a meeting?]

[Who’s slacking off, hehe.]

[Second Young Master Jian, we caught you sneaking peeks at your omega.]

“J” sent Big Rocket x1.

“…Count the number of light spots on the key item,” Song Ruochen said calmly. “That’s the numeric code to unlock it.”

“6… 122.” On the screen, the omega’s fingertip tapped the keypad. “See, it’s open.”

Yan Ci: “Secretary Song’s amazing!”

Meng Yumian: “So reliable, Secretary Song!”

Song Ruochen gave a satisfied smile.

[Rewind Card Pack Reminder: Today’s rewind attempts have been exhausted.]

“No worries,” Song Ruochen said. “I’ve already left a bold mark in the hearts of Da Zao’s audience.”

[This isn’t a challenge; it’s Secretary Song’s personal stage.]

Pushing open the final door, Fur Date Grape completed the day’s escape room challenge.

“Thank you, everyone,” Yan Ci said, “and thanks for my brother’s rockets and… m-my Jian Feng’s ‘hearts.’”

Yan Ci: “0.0*”

“Date, you’re Xiaoshi’s newest spokesperson. Promote Xiaoshi’s products,” Song Ruochen said from the side. “And plug our Fur Date Grape studio’s game too. Don’t waste this traffic.”

“Got it, got it,” Yan Ci began advertising.

Having perfectly completed the task, Song Ruochen hopped into the company car, leisurely returning to Jian Yuheng’s office and knocking on the door.

“Why’d you send so many gifts?” Song Ruochen pounced over.

“When you appeared on camera, I wanted to add some special effect frames with the gifts,” Jian Yuheng said. “Like it?”

The college student loved it.

Jian Yuheng glanced at his watch. “So… wanna go get our marriage certificate?”

Song Ruochen, rummaging through the snack cabinet, felt his cheeks heat up. “Sure…”

[It’s about time. You’re fully marked.]

[Once you get the certificate, you and Hawthorn are lovers and family.]

[Go change into something nice first.]

“Alright,” Song Ruochen said.

He changed into a cream-colored thin sweater Da Zao recently bought him, simple in style but with an open collar tied with white ribbons at the back.

“I’ll bring a cool black sweater too,” Song Ruochen said, folding a black sweater adorned with silver chains. “For Xiaoshi’s peace, I need a Fuzzy Monster-style couple photo too.”

Jian Yuheng had no objections; he liked both versions of Song Ruochen.

“Tie the ribbons for me,” Song Ruochen said, turning and lowering his head.

On the omega’s delicate neck, near the gland, faint kiss marks were still visible.

As Song Ruochen waited for Second Young Master’s assistance, he felt a warm touch on his neck, Jian Yuheng’s fingertip lightly brushing near his gland.

Song Ruochen: “Mm…”

“Evil Young Master,” he warned, “no funny business in broad daylight.”

The warm fingers moved away, the collar tugged slightly, and Jian Yuheng carefully tied each ribbon.

“Done,” Jian Yuheng said. “Looks great.”

“Let’s go,” Song Ruochen said.

Half an hour later, at the ABO world’s marriage certificate office, Song Ruochen curiously scanned the surroundings.

“Is it different from the marriage certificate process in your world?” Jian Yuheng asked, noticing his curiosity.

“Evil Young Master, it’s my first time getting a certificate too,” Song Ruochen said seriously. “I can’t compare.”

But one thing was certain: his world probably didn’t require a report card.

“Your pheromone compatibility is high, and your pre-marital exam scores are decent,” the staff said. “You’re eligible for the marriage certificate. Congratulations.”

“Please fill out these personal information forms,” the staff continued. “They’re for our records, one copy only, so fill them out carefully.”

Song Ruochen: “Got it.”

He pulled out two pens he liked from his pocket, handing one to Jian Yuheng.

[You’re finally a reliable secretary for once.]

Song Ruochen started filling out the form.

Name: Song Ruochen
Gender: Male

[Add Omega.]

Song Ruochen: “Alright.”

He continued.

Major: Drama and Film Literature
Hobbies:

Song Ruochen tilted his head, about to sneak a peek at Jian Yuheng’s form, only to meet Jian Yuheng’s equally sneaky gaze.

“The original Secretary Song’s major was Secretarial Studies,” Jian Yuheng said.

“He’s the original; I’m the limited edition,” Song Ruochen said. “Cherish me.”

Jian Yuheng: “…”

Jian Yuheng chuckled softly, writing “Song Ruochen” in the hobbies section.

Song Ruochen: “0.0*”

Kinda embarrassing.

Most people might hide or want to crawl into a hole when embarrassed, but not this quirky monkey.

Song Ruochen grinned proudly, writing with flair in the hobbies section: “Sneakily touching Hawthorn’s abs, pecs, Adam’s apple, and cheeks.”

Jian Yuheng glanced at it, coughed lightly, and shifted uncomfortably.

“Song Ruochen”, Jian Yuheng asked, “are you asking for a reckoning tonight?”

Mission accomplished, Song Ruochen scored a point and ordered the system: “Rewind, I need to write a proper hobby.”

“Something in character, like ‘I love working,’” Song Ruochen said.

[Today’s rewind attempts are used up.]

[You forgot?]

Song Ruochen: “???”

Jian Yuheng gleefully glanced at the little secretary.

“All done?” The staff came to collect the forms. “Hand them over when you’re finished.”

Song Ruochen: “…”

“Your relationship is really sweet,” the staff said, smiling after a glance. “No wonder I saw a Song Ruochen and Jian Yuheng-themed subway ad yesterday.”

The staff took the forms and handed each of them a certificate.

“These forms will be permanently archived with your marriage documents,” the staff said. “Wishing you both a happy marriage in advance!”

“Permanently archived!” Song Ruochen wailed. “My dark history is permanently archived!”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Only we and the staff just now can see it,” Jian Yuheng comforted him. “Liking me isn’t dark history.”

Song Ruochen: “0.o…”

Jian Yuheng turned his head, unable to hold back a laugh.