CHAPTER 21 (PART 1)

Shi Li wasn’t surprised by his face—after all, in every world, the male supporting character had the same face and the same name.

That’s right. So in this world, the male supporting character was also named Shen Jingyan.

It was said that this setup was to prevent taskers who had traveled through many worlds from getting confused about different male supporting characters. Only their character settings would change according to the novel, while everything else remained the same.

The tasker’s name and appearance also remained unchanged, always aligning with their real-world self. No matter which world Shi Li traveled to or what role she took on, her name was always the same, and her appearance remained largely unchanged.

Shi Li found this quite convenient. Not only did it eliminate the risk of calling someone by the wrong name, but it also allowed her to quickly identify the target she needed to win over in a crowd.

What shocked her now wasn’t seeing a familiar face—it was the fact that this familiar face looked nothing like the male supporting character in her memory.

The Shen Jingyan she remembered always had messy hair, liked wearing ripped jeans and all kinds of weird T-shirts, and exuded a free-spirited recklessness. But the man before her now… The gold-rimmed glasses on his nose softened his gaze, giving him a mature and gentle look. From his shoes to his hair, everything was immaculate. Even his white lab coat…

Yes, the white lab coat.

Anyone appearing in this kind of biotech company was either a desperate person like her or an employee of the company. A man in a lab coat had to be a researcher or something similar.

Even though the rules of this novel’s world were different from reality, wouldn’t he still need a good academic background to work in such a specialized field?

Shi Li simply couldn’t imagine a version of Shen Jingyan who had studied hard and gone to college. Yet, judging by his attire, he was undeniably a staff member here.

She stared at Shen Jingyan in a daze. After calling out his name once, she found herself at a loss for words.

Shen Jingyan paused when he heard her voice. He followed the sound and looked over, momentarily surprised when he saw her. After a brief hesitation, he asked tentatively, “Shi Li?”

Shi Li snapped back to her senses and quickly met his gaze. “Y-yeah, it’s me, Shi Li.”

Male Lead Hatred Value: 20%

Huh?

Shi Li thought she must have seen it wrong. She rubbed her eyes and checked again—it was still 20%.

Why was it so low? Was the system malfunctioning?

Doubt crept into her heart, but the system immediately provided an answer—

The system is functioning correctly. The male supporting character’s hatred value is confirmed to be 20%.

Shi Li found it hard to believe, but after triple-checking, it was indeed 20%.

Shen Jingyan’s lips curved slightly as he looked at her, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes, like he was seeing an old friend. At 27 years old, he was still strikingly handsome, but the sharpness in his gaze had faded, replaced by the warmth of experience. With his gold-rimmed glasses, he exuded an air of refined elegance.

Seeing how much he had changed, Shi Li’s expression stiffened. “…Yeah, long time no see.”

“It really has been a long time,” Shen Jingyan replied with a faint smile. His gaze shifted to the contract behind her, a flicker of surprise crossing his eyes. “You’re applying to be a volunteer?”

“I was considering it before, but now I’m not so sure. I’m still deciding whether to sign.” Shi Li pushed down the awkwardness in her heart and answered as naturally as possible.

Shen Jingyan asked with concern, “Is there some trouble at home?”

“…Something happened. It’s a long story.” Shi Li chuckled awkwardly.

Shen Jingyan nodded understandingly. Just when Shi Li thought he wouldn’t press the issue, he suddenly said, “Then let’s find somewhere to sit and talk. It’s almost noon—how about I treat you to lunch?”

Shi Li was extremely curious about his experiences. Since he was being so cooperative, she immediately agreed. Setting down the unsigned contract, she left the office with Shen Jingyan.

As they walked, he chatted with her in a friendly manner. “It’s been ten years since we last met. You haven’t changed much.”

“…You, on the other hand, have changed a lot.” Shi Li probed.

Shen Jingyan smiled. “A lot of people say that.”

Shi Li chuckled along with him. She was about to ask how he became a researcher when he suddenly murmured, “Watch your step.”

She hesitated, missing the perfect moment to ask. She had no choice but to let it go for now.

They descended the stairs in good spirits, heading toward the building’s exit. Just then, Shi Li spotted two burly men standing guard at the entrance. The men saw her too. Perhaps assuming she had already signed the contract and received the money, they immediately gestured for her to come outside.

Shi Li froze.

Shen Jingyan noticed the oddity and frowned slightly. “Are you in some kind of trouble?”

“…Um, is there a side exit or something?” Shi Li asked awkwardly.

Shen Jingyan looked at her steadily before responding with gentle understanding, “We can take the staff passage.”

“Thank you,” Shi Li quickly said, feeling grateful.

Shen Jingyan glanced at her, the corners of his lips lifting in just the right way. “No need to be so polite—it’s the least I can do.”

Shi Li’s mind was still preoccupied with the men outside, so she absently muttered a few more thanks. Shen Jingyan lowered his gaze, his expression calm as he turned and led her in another direction.

Following him closely, Shi Li successfully made it to the underground parking lot through the employee passage.

After walking a bit further, Shen Jingyan turned to her. “Wait here. I’ll go get my car.”

Shi Li nodded and glanced around, shifting toward the side of the walkway.

Once she was in place, Shen Jingyan added, “This parking lot is huge. People who don’t come often tend to get lost. Just stay put, alright?”

Shi Li responded obediently, “I’ll wait for you.”

Shen Jingyan gave her a warm smile before walking off, soon disappearing from sight.

Left alone, Shi Li found herself thinking about how much Shen Jingyan had changed, then about her five-million-dollar debt. But since she had no idea how the story would unfold, her thoughts were a jumbled mess.

She sighed, rubbed her aching temples, and decided to stop thinking altogether, focusing only on waiting for Shen Jingyan.

It was already past eleven, prime lunchtime, yet the parking lot remained eerily empty. The place was so quiet that even the sound of the ventilation system echoed through the vast space.

The wind howled through the lot, drowning out any other noises. Shi Li could only hear that one sound in her ears.

Bored, she began examining the parking lot’s surroundings, realizing how perfect it was for filming a horror movie. Rows of neatly parked cars obstructed her view. The overhead lights, though bright, were too far from the ground to provide adequate illumination, leaving the lot dim and shadowy. And with no one else around, the place felt like a breeding ground for crime.

She imagined a few unsettling scenarios and managed to scare herself. Checking the time, she realized Shen Jingyan had been gone for over ten minutes, yet he still hadn’t returned.

Could something have happened?

Shi Li muttered to herself. Forgetting his warning not to wander off, she cautiously started moving in the direction he had gone, intending to find him.

The wind was still loud. She deliberately made her footsteps heavier, but the sound was swallowed up instantly.

Just as Shen Jingyan had said, the parking lot was massive, with no signs or markers. After walking for a while, she lost her sense of direction. Without a way to contact him, she had no choice but to press forward blindly.

Not sure if it’s because of her overactive imagination just now, but Shi Li couldn’t shake the feeling that a pair of eyes was watching her intently from some unseen corner. The thought made her increasingly uneasy. Groaning inwardly, she turned around without hesitation, intending to retrace her steps. However, since she had already lost her sense of direction, even following the same path back didn’t lead her to her original position.

This parking garage was driving her crazy. Frustrated, she glanced around before deciding to head toward the nearest wall. She figured that if she followed the wall, she would eventually find the elevator, and from there, she could navigate back to where she had been.

With that plan in mind, she started walking toward the wall. After taking a few steps, her gaze landed on a black SUV, and her footsteps came to an abrupt halt.

The SUV sat there quietly, just like all the other unoccupied vehicles in the garage. Yet, for some reason, Shi Li couldn’t stop staring at it, trying to peer through the windshield to see inside.

But she couldn’t see anything.

Realizing she was being overly paranoid, she silently mocked herself. Taking a deep breath, she relaxed slightly and continued forward. However, just as she took two more steps, a sudden change occurred.

A pair of blinding headlights flashed on without warning.

Shi Li instinctively raised her hand to shield her eyes, and in the next moment, she heard the roar of an engine. Stunned, she looked up and saw an intense white light rapidly approaching her.

Her body reacted before her mind could process what was happening—she hunched over and covered her head. The screech of tires skidding against the ground sent a chill down her spine, her breath caught in her throat.

For a brief moment, time seemed to freeze.

It wasn’t until she heard the sound of a car door opening that she finally lowered her trembling arms.

The headlights were off now, but the afterimage of the harsh brightness left her vision blurry. Amidst the swirling shadows, she vaguely made out a tall figure approaching. When the person was about three steps away, they stopped and looked down at her.

Still dazed, Shi Li barely had time to react before a warm, steady hand reached out and grabbed her arm, gently pulling her to the side.

“What are you doing here all of a sudden?” the person asked.

Shi Li blinked a few times, her vision slowly clearing. Though her eyes were still adjusting, she could now see the person’s face clearly.

Male Lead Hatred Value: 20%

“You okay? Did I scare you?” Shen Jingyan waved a hand in front of her face, his expression filled with concern.

Shi Li’s throat was dry. “You—you almost hit me just now.”

“Sorry, there was a blind spot at that turn, and I was in a rush. I didn’t expect you to be here,” Shen Jingyan apologized sincerely. “Did you get hurt? I can take you to the hospital.”

Now that she had calmed down, Shi Li quickly shook her head. “N-no need. I’m fine.”

Shen Jingyan carefully looked her over before finally relaxing. “I’m glad you’re okay… But weren’t you waiting for me up front? Why did you come here?”

“I waited for a long time and didn’t see you come back. I was worried something had happened, so I thought I’d come find you,” Shi Li admitted sheepishly.

Shen Jingyan sighed. “It’s my fault. I was about to drive over when I noticed one of my tires had blown out. I was going to tell you before changing it, but I didn’t want to bother you, so I just handled it myself. I didn’t expect it to take so long. And then, to make things worse, I nearly ran into you. If something had happened to you, I wouldn’t have known what to do.”

His apology was sincere and polite, and Shi Li, who had initially been suspicious of him, found her doubts fading. “It’s okay. Don’t worry about it. Let’s just go eat.”

“Alright. Get in,” Shen Jingyan said gently.

Shi Li nodded and followed him to the car. He opened the passenger door for her, and she thanked him before getting in.

Once Shen Jingyan was seated in the driver’s seat, the car started smoothly, exiting the parking garage.

Even when they arrived at the restaurant, Shen Jingyan kept asking if she was really okay. Shi Li was almost exasperated. She had to reassure him several times before he finally let it go.

After spending about twenty minutes together in the car, Shi Li was starting to believe that the Male Lead Hatred Value: 20% was real.

After all, Shen Jingyan’s friendliness didn’t seem fake. If his hatred value were at 100%, he wouldn’t be treating her this nicely.

She didn’t know what had happened to him over the years, but the fact that he didn’t seem to hold much resentment toward her was definitely a good thing.

Feeling reassured, Shi Li relaxed. By the time they got out of the car and walked toward the restaurant, her demeanor was much more natural.

Shen Jingyan had chosen a mid-to-high-end restaurant. Since it was lunchtime, the place was packed. As they arrived at the entrance, the hostess gave them a somewhat hesitant look.

Shi Li found it strange and wondered why the woman looked conflicted, but before she could ask, Shen Jingyan spoke up first.

“I have a reservation—Room 304.”

Hearing this, the hostess looked relieved and quickly led them inside.

Shi Li followed Shen Jingyan toward the private dining area, noticing that several people in the restaurant were staring at them.