After their confessions were rejected, they regretted it for the rest of their lives.

The next day, Xia Weichan went to Tsinghua University to pick up Zhou Juzi, just like always.

Although his behavior constituted skipping class with a freshman girl while he was a third-year student, Xia Weichan had no time to think about school matters.

I don't have the energy to enjoy university life this time around.

"breakfast."

This morning, Zhou Juzi was in a much better mood than yesterday, and the gloom from yesterday gradually dissipated after a night's rest.

The girl was wearing the same clothes she wore when she first met Xia Weichan. Sitting in the car, most of her fair and smooth thighs were exposed.

Zhou Juzi is the type of girl who is on the curvy side, and her physical fitness is much stronger than that of the average girl.

The body has very clear lines that taper from wide to narrow.

But this was not Xia Weichan's main concern.

[Development Progress: 22%]

Ju Zi, you are the best girl I have ever met in my life.

This guy's progress in training is accelerating much faster than that of the previous three girls.

It's only been less than a week since we officially started training, and we've already completed nearly a quarter of it.

This brought comfort to Xia Weichan, whose mind was already in turmoil due to the system bug.

Last night, he thought about it for a long time and finally decided to try binding a second target.

The reasons are quite good.

Today, let's find a new target to bind to. If we can't bind to it, then it's a system bug, so we can ignore it.

If it can be bound, it means that the code is indeed redundant. If a second target is not created, it will most likely be eliminated as well.

There was no other choice...

Even though I've been taking such good care of Tachibana this playthrough, I still have to mess with him a bit more.

However, given the precedent set this time, even if Xia Weichan finds a new person, she will most likely choose the same confession method as Zhou Juzi.

Confess your feelings successfully first, then we'll talk about other things...

Just as Xia Weichan was contemplating thoughts similar to 'cheating', Zhou Juzi, sitting in the passenger seat, blinked and whispered:

"By the way, do you usually like to wear perfume?"

"No, is there an odd smell in the car?"

"no..."

Zhou Juzi shook her head, frowning as she carefully considered how to describe it. She knew that Xia Weichan must have something that could refresh him, otherwise she wouldn't have become more and more energetic and relaxed when she was with him.

"I don't know why, but I feel very comfortable around you. I quite like it..."

"That's a truly remarkable statement."

"Huh?"

After hearing Xia Weichan's words, Zhou Juzi realized that her words had carried a different meaning in the context.

Her ears burned, and she felt something bump against her chest. The girl awkwardly glanced away, her face flushed.

Could it be that... this comfortable feeling I have around Xia Weichan is because of myself?

Zhou Juzi's eyes flickered as she looked out the car window, and the girl stammered:

"I might... still have some feelings for you..."

"It's best not to."

Xia Weichan felt somewhat helpless. If he had heard the bound girl say such words in the first three playthroughs, he would have been overjoyed.

But now, hearing such words only makes Xia Weichan more and more remorseful.

However, it's understandable; his emotional intelligence probably allows him to guess where this affection comes from.

Putting yourself in someone else's shoes, when someone is incredibly kind to you, Xia Weichan will definitely develop feelings of goodwill towards that benefactor.

To confirm, Xia Weichan glanced at Zhou Juzi's favorability rating—

【Goodness Rating: 9】

This damn system...

However, based on the experience of increasing affection in the previous three playthroughs, Xia Weichan speculates that Zhou Juzi's affection for him is probably 19 or 29.

He didn't think too far ahead; after all, he had successfully confessed at the beginning of this playthrough, so Xia Weichan didn't actively try to win the girl's heart.

There's no need to worry too much about this bit of goodwill...

.......

Upon arriving at the talent agency, Zhou Juzi, who was clearly still somewhat unaccustomed to being part of the debut group, was immediately noticed.

Besides offering comfort, Xia Weichan said as she parted ways with the girl at the company:

"I have something to do this afternoon, I'll arrange for someone from the company to take you home."

"Huh, why?"

Zhou Juzi clearly showed a wronged expression.

Does that mean today is the last time I'll see Xia Weichan?

"Do you have anything to do this afternoon?"

"I have my own things to do."

Xia Weichan simply raised a finger to the girl, signaling her not to ask any more questions.

Making those three rules with Azusa Tachibana back then was definitely the best decision I ever made.

If it wasn't agreed upon at the beginning, how should he explain it?

He explained, "I was going to see a new girlfriend this afternoon?"

Although Xia Weichan did indeed do such a thing in the first playthrough.

But to say it in front of Zhou Juzi would be just asking for trouble.

In fact, Xia Weichan had considered the possibility that the binding wouldn't happen; if it did...

There's nothing we can do about that...

If she can survive, Xia Weichan will still try her best.

Even if a second one is indeed bound, it's actually no different from Zhou Juzi's situation; the system just needs to approve it, and that's it.

There's no emotional foundation between them.

He himself is a disguised angel investor, a rare "benefactor" in the "success literature" books that middle-aged men love to read.

He raised the girl without asking for anything in return. Where in the world is there such a good person as him?

Xia Weichan has made up his mind this time and will not waver, nor will he go back on his word.

With his thoughts settled, he returned to his old office, only to find that Kurimaki Tsuruo was there before him.

The girl was wearing a very Japanese-style brown coat and pleated skirt, but she wore brown ankle socks instead of her classic black stockings.

Xia Weichan's entrance disturbed the girl who was busy with something.

The two exchanged a glance, then Kurimaki Tsuruo looked away expressionlessly.

"You don't seem to have slept well last night?"

Xia Weichan sat back in his familiar office chair. The eye contact they had just made was enough for him to see the faint blood vessels in Kurijuu Tsuruo's eyes.

"..."

Kurimaki Tsuruo ignored him, placing her pale fingers on some papers and then clipping them together.

Then, the girl's beautiful eyes, clearly tired, turned around, and she softly asked:

"Do you know how to transfer foreign currency?"

"Yes, do I need to exchange for Japanese yen?"

Xia Weichan felt that Kurimaki Tsuruo's words made her think that the other party was already prepared to return to his hometown.

There are bound to be some regrets.

"Ms. Kurimaki, are you really planning to go back to your country after this performance?"

"I plan to... transfer some money to my mother."

Hearing the girl's words, Xia Weichan was stunned for a moment. He remembered that last week, after Kurimaki Tsuru became famous, he entrusted Xia Weiyu to transfer a considerable sum of money to Shibuya's mother.

That sum of money, enough to buy a property in downtown Shibuya, shouldn't have been spent by a single mother in less than six months.

"Why do you do this? Is there some difficulty?" Xia Weichan asked疑惑地问道,

He remembered that Kurimaki Tsuruo's relatives, who wanted to leech off him, had already been taught a lesson by the local yakuza he had hired in the previous playthrough.

They probably won't try to take advantage of Kurimaki Tsuruo again.

The girl simply lowered her eyes and shook her head, her clear voice tinged with numbness:

"I don't need that much money. And all the proceeds from the songs I sing next should be given to the artist management company."

"...?"

"But don't worry, I'll still give that junior some guidance before I finish singing the lyrics Xia Weiyu left behind..."

Suddenly, Kurimaki Tsuruo, who was looking at Xia Weichan, froze.

As if something had pierced her heart, her previously calm expression twitched slightly, she bit her lip lightly, and her delicate brows furrowed.

"Sorry, I'm going to the rehearsal room now."

Before Xia Weichan could react, Kurijuu Tsuruo bent over, clutching her chest, and left the office.

"..."

Xia Weichan paused for a moment, then chased after him.

"Are you feeling unwell?"

Kurimaki Tsuruo's condition didn't allow her to walk too fast; one hand was clutching her chest, and the other arm was bracing against the wall.

Xia Weichan frowned and caught up in two steps.

Out of instinctive concern for patients who haven't fully recovered,

He reached out to support the frail, swaying body before him, but just as he grasped Tsuruo Kurimaki's slender arm,

As if triggered by stress, he was slapped away hard by the girl. The feeling this time was not the gentle slap Xia Weichan remembered from last week's game.

Instead, he used a lot of force, and even felt a tingling pain in his arm.

"Stay away from me..."

"..."

"I'm just... a little sleepy."

Kurimaki Tsuruo didn't even glance at Xia Weichan's face; she didn't want to see that face so strikingly similar to his.

Especially when two people are remarkably similar in personality, habits, and even the strength with which they grip each other's arms.

It will only worsen Tsuruo Kurimaki's chest tightness and dizziness.

"This guy..."

Seeing that Kurimaki Tsuruo didn't turn around, Natsumi's brows furrowed noticeably.

The girl now gives the impression of a withered leaf in late autumn, ready to fall at any moment.

He recalled what Kurimaki Tsuruo had said in the office just now, and a bad feeling crept into his heart.

"..."