46 3.13 Luck, not ability

Shu XinYi called Mrs.Lan on the day Lan Cheng had arranged dinner in the evening.

"Mom, I want to introduce someone to you at dinner today."

Mrs.Lan seemed excited "What? Really? It is what I think it is right."

Shu XinYi "Yes mom, You will know once you meet them. I am just scared about Gege's reaction."

Mrs.Lan "Oh why do you worry, your brother has come to care for you a lot in the past few weeks. He will obviously be happy for you."

Shu XinYi said "I hope so."

Shu XinYi had obviously told Xiang Li about introducing him to his mother. Xiang Li had happily agreed. He had even gone shopping the very day to find matching suits.

Shu XinYi on the other hand was buzy doing research about Song XingChen, career wise. He started out in small time tv serials and only this year did he become popular working in the most high rated dramas and modeling for high end brands. If Song XingChen is convicted, then Yong Yu entertainment will definitely face some loss. It wouldn't be a big loss since, it was not a small company.

Shu XinYi let the matter be. Mrs.Lan was a very skilled business women, she would know how to turn a situation like this in to profit and gain sympathy points. Shu XinYi could imagine a situation where Yong Yu entertainment shows utter disappoint in XingChen claiming that they have been deceived. It would be clear who the audience would sympathize for. Obviously there would still be some crazy fans who would want to protect XingChen no matter what.

Around 5 o'clock Shu XinYi was tying a dark grey tie with a little silver bird pin, on a slightly nervous Xiang Li.

"You nervous?" Shu XinYi.

"A little. I should've cut my hair now that I think about it." Xiang Li.

Shu XinYi ran his hand through Xiang Li's hair fixing it a little saying "No, you look really handsome like this."

Shu XinYi looked at his watch and said "Let's go, It will be a long drive."

Shu XinYi walked towards the door but he suddenly stopped in his tracks saying "Oh wait wait, let's take pictures."

Xiang Li wanted to refute but seeing XiaoXiao's beaming eyes, he compiled.

It really was a long drive since the hotel Lan Cheng had booked, was at the otherside of Lan Xiao's house.

When they arrived, the manager himself came to take them to a private room. Inside the room, Lan Cheng and Xue Yao were already present. Both of them too had matching outfits.

Oh no. Shu XinYi thought. Mrs.Lan wasn't here yet so now he would have to deal with Lan Cheng alone.

Xue Yao was the first one to greet "XiaoXiao you are here and you brought Mr.Detective as well. I just ordered some real spicy stuff. Wanna bet who can last longer?" Xue Yao got no chill man. Shu XinYi thought.

"What is he doing here Xiao'er?" Lan Cheng asked.

"Ahem, Gege I wanted to tell you sooner but I couldn't find the right time but this is Xiang Li... My partner." Shu XinYi.

"Your partner? As in business partner? I already know that. I asked why is he here today?" Lan Cheng.

Xue Yao : silently hides their face in the background from second hand embarrassment.

Shu XinYi *deep breaths* "Gege, Xiang Li is my partner as in my lover. I wanted to introduce him to the family so I invited him here. Hasn't mom told you?"

Lan Cheng : blinks in confusion.

Almost 30 seconds later did Lan Cheng finally register what XiaoXiao said and reacted "W-what? He? This guy? WHY?" Lan Cheng said eyeing Xiang Li with a disgusted look on his face.

Shu XinYi said with a smiling face "Because I love him. Is there a problem with that?

Xiang Li "I love him too. A lot more then you can imagine. If you want to believe that I have any bad intentions against him, then believe what you want. It's enough that I have my XiaoXiao's trust."

Lan Cheng opened his mouth then closed it. Then opened it again then closed it. Finally he formed a voice saying "Alright then. If Xiao'er says that he loves you then I can't do much but if you hurt him in any way then I won't be lenient. Understood?" Lan Cheng sounded much more mature and firm when he said this.

Xiang Li respectfully said "Understood, brother-in-Law."

The mature look on Lan Cheng's face morphed into a very petty disgusted look without break. "Oh.don't.ever. call me that."

Xiang Li "Sure, brother-in-law. I can only oblige."

"Pfftt Hahah." Both Shu XinYi and Xue Yao had started laughing. Later on Lan Cheng too had loosened up a little.

They did have a spicy food eating challenge and a very red faced Xue Yao won.

Their mother arrived half an hour later which was understandable, considering how buzy she is.

Mrs.Lan looked mature and beautiful even now in her 40s. When she arrived she caught the attention of many but she made her way to the booked room without giving mind to any of it.

Shu XinYi introduced Xiang Li to Mrs.Lan saying "Mom, this is Xiang Li. My partner. Xiang Li this is Mrs.Lan Xue. My mother."

Although Xiang Li was nervous he still politely introduced himself "Good evening, Miss Xue. I hope we get along."

Even a nervous Xiang Li was really charming. Mother was easily swept by his polite and kind behaviour.

After they had ordered Lan Cheng opened "Mom, I have decided to admission in Strings Academy. I have already gotten a letter of acceptance and I wished to inform you about it."

Strings Academy was the an elite music school of the country. It wasn't first in the charts but definitely came in top ten. The Young Yu entertainment has sponsored some artists from that very Academy as well. So the potential was clearly visible.

Mrs.Lan sighed a little. Seems like her retirement plan wasn't going to arrive any sooner. Well, if her sons had decided not to interfere in the company matters as more than board members then, what more could she do.

Mrs.Lan settled her mood quickly saying "Strings? Why not Euphoria? Isn't that a more viable option?"

Lan Cheng "I have evaluated and I think Strings is a better option. Moreover I won't have to shift cities or even houses."

Mrs.Lan "Won't you live in the dorms?"

Lan Cheng "No, I will not. Xue Yao will be moving in with me soon so.."

Mrs.Lan smiled saying "Ok then. What about work?"

Lan Cheng "I will still work as a manager as I always did for new clients but I want to have revised working hours. The academy has trainings for the first 3 days of the week. From morning to evening. So you can decide appropriate work hours yourself for me. Oh and you can compromise the pay where necessary."

Mrs.Lan "Don't worry about it. Xue Yao what about you? Are you happy with my son?"

Xue Yao "Oh yes Miss.Xue. Thank you for worrying for us. I don't know what I want to do yet but I have started applying resumes to modeling companies. I hope to hear from them soon."

Mrs.Lan looked at Lan Cheng then looked at Xue Yao with shining eyes "Oh so you do model. With the way you look, it comes as no surprise for me. Why don't you sign with us?"

Lan Cheng said with a sigh "Mom we discussed about this."

Mrs.Lan "What? I am not making this offer because they are your partner. I have seen some works of them. Do you really think I would let such a gem go? Xue Yao, think about it okay."

Xue Yao "Miss.Xue I would like some time to think about it,"

Mrs.Lan "Oh sure don't worry about it, You can sign up with whoever you want comfortably. I won't interfere. Xiao'er how is your second show coming along?"

Shu XinYi replied "The preparation is going well. I have made 11 articles already. This time I will not host the show just join the crowd. The security has to be better this time but I am optimistic enough to believe the events from last time won't repeat."

Mrs.Lan "You made 11 articles already? That's amazing. What about the ones you displayed in your previous show?"

Shu XinYi "Those too, I will display them again. Mom I am thinking of buying my own shop to host this show. Not only that but I want to keep it on display there. My new works even. Xiang Li suggested that I sell my experimental works or minor projects, which I think is a good idea. I can sell them in the shop along with displaying the major projects."

Mrs.Lan looked at Xiang Li saying "That is not a bad idea but how are you going to manage a shop? It's not something you can just do easily."

Shu XinYi "I know mom, I am not neglecting the obvious stuff. You have to trust me on this."

Mrs.Lan "Sure then."

They talked for some while and the environment was very peaceful. Shu XinYi didn't know if he had a family in the real world but if he did, it should feel something like this.

"Haa, amoung them Mrs.Lan is an Npc, Lan Cheng is a npc who used to be human, Xiang Li is still an unidentifiable being. Xue Yao is the only one with the human source code. Family it is." Shu XinYi said to snow.

Snow corrected "Wrong, Lan Cheng has a human source code. Xue Yao does not."

Shu XinYi had just made a random comment but with Snow's reply he became a bit vigilant "What? Lan Cheng has a human source code?"

"Yes." Snow said.

"Wait a minute, tell me, From the 7 protagonist who has a human source code and who doesn't."

"Lan Cheng has a human source code. Xin An has one. And Bai Meng has one. There are no other human source codes. Not Xue Yao, who shows up as Npc and even Song XingChen. Meanwhile the detective is an "unidentifiable" Is something wrong master." Snow said.

"Oh something is definitely wrong. This is a trial world to progress to E class worlds right?"

"Yes.."

"So, let's take this world as an example. Right now this world is complete. But when it was incomplete, there should be 7 human source codes right?"

"Naturally yes."

"Now there are 3, that means that after the world completed, some of the protagonist progressed to E class worlds."

"Yeah so.."

"But Isn't the purpose of these worlds, to become the protagonist and to become a higher existence? So why is it that the 4 who DIDN'T become higher existence, were the ones who passed the trial?"

"Maybe the requirement for passing the trial world is to NOT become a protagonist?"

"But isn't that shitty of whoever controls these worlds? The world itself is designed to make the protagonist become a higher existence but when becoming a higher existence and completing the world, you will be stuck in the world you are in, repeating it over and over again. While the ones who didn't complete it, get to progress. Isn't that the opposite of how it's suppose to work?"

"Well that is true, but would you honestly find it shitty if you become the head of an organization that controls half the country, like Xue An?" Snow suggested.

"But over and over and over again... That is definitely shitty."

"Their memory is erased everytime the world resets, it's the same with normal worlds like the ones we did previously. Once you leave, the original story line would repeat itself normally." Snow stated.

"Ah that makes sense, but still. Take Lan Cheng for example. He became the head of Young Yu entertainment when he became a higher existence, but you can clearly see how happy he is with Xue Yao and while he is playing violin."

"I guess you can call Lan Cheng's human source code unlucky. because both Bai Meng and Xue An were happy with their fate." Snow reasoned.

"But it isn't fair. If someone lives a shitty life or not, if someone gets to progress or not, is all based on luck? Not ability? What kind of shitty logic is this?"

"Master, these worlds rely on luck to produce it's code. So it is only natural that the progression process is based on luck."

Shu XinYi was angry, he saw a smiling Lan Cheng and thought of the same person mercilessly plotting against his brother, then living a life of loneliness and regret. When I leave this world and the story repeats, Lan Cheng would again become that vile pitiful thing. Although Lan Cheng wasn't his real brother, he was still human. How can a human endure all this? Even if their memory is erased, the imprints on the heart can't be erased.

If there was someway he could free Lan Cheng from this world.. Shu XinYi took a deep breath. He will work hard to get the virus code. Who knows how many more humans are stuck in situations similar to Lan Cheng. And who knows if progressing to E class worlds would make the situation any better for the human sources.

"a sick game, a gruesome parody of reality itself." Leo had said. It was true indeed.

Shu XinYi was sleepless that night. He looked at Xiang Li beside him. He remembered the dream he had previously when Leo was injured. He was standing in an endless white space with a pheonix eyed man beside him, Shu XinYi remembered that in the dream he said something like "The evolution system has set up a strong firewall. even I can't break it." Then something happened and he was pushed out by the man, from that white space.

It seemed that, that was when he ended up in these worlds, Whan the man had pushed him out of that white space. What was that place? And what was I and that man doing there?

Xiang Li was sleeping so peacefully. Shu XinYi held his hands and went to sleep as well. There was no point in brooding over it. Slowly but surely he will understand what these worlds are for. What that evolution system is. And who the pheonix eyed man really is.

The next morning Shu XinYi woke up late. The first thing he saw after opening his eyes was Xiang Li with glasses on reading some files beside him. Shu XinYi felt a hand above his head softly rubbing his hair.

"Sleep some more, you were awake all night." Xiang Li said.

Shu XinYi didn't say anything so Xiang Li continued "Whatever it is you are worried about, We will face it together. I am here with you and I will be with you no matter what. So trust me a little ok. I won't leave you again."

Shu XinYi smiled with droopy eyes. Why is it that his amnesiac husband always knows what to say to him? Last night, he wasn't worried about how he would deal with these worlds, it was okay to learn and counter it patiently. The thing that worried him was, what if Xiang Li or that unidentifiable being decides to leave him again. Like he did in that dream. Although it was to protect Shu XinYi, it still hurt Shu XinYi. Moreover who knew till when this amnesiac husband of his would follow him.

Xiang Li was ofcourse talking about the kidnapping incident but maybe he too knew somewhere deep in his heart what XiaoXiao really wanted to hear.

Shu XinYi asked "You won't leave me? Even when I die?"

Xiang Li closed his ears when XiaoXiao said this, he didn't like hearing it. But he still replied with his hands covering his ears "I want to be with you even when I die. If death means I get to be with you again then I wish to die a million deaths."

Shu XinYi slowly pulled his hands from his ears and said "Then don't back out on your words. Xiang Li. Don't leave me again."

"I won't, I won't, I won't. I won't ever. It's the worst. I don't like being away from you. But I can't let you get hurt either. " Xiang Li said. It sounded childish but Shu XinYi could see that it was that unidentifiable being really saying these words.

"Okay, okay. Don't go deciding things on your own. Next time let's face whatever it is together. Like you said. Okay?"

"Okay. Should I make breakfast?" Xiang Li finally relaxed.

"No, I'll make some today. Ugh.. I have to find a shop now. Haa." Shu XinYi.

"I'll contact a broker. Let's review some places in the evening."

"Hehe, hide your face well Mr.detective. You can't be seen until the trial."

"Will Song XingChen really come to the trial?"

"Yes, he would want to witness the down fall of his last enemy." Shu XinYi said confidently.