I Can Still Salvage It

Shen Mian had never imagined in his life that he would hold hands with his good friend Pei Zhiyi during Chinese class, right under the watchful eyes of their classmates and the enthusiastic teacher.
They held each other’s hands tightly with their fingers intertwined.

Anyone who saw them would think they were a couple.

Shen Mian didn’t know whether to thank Pei Zhiyi for being considerate enough to change seats and successfully becoming desk mates.
They sat at the last row by the window, away from everyone’s attention.
They could do whatever they wanted without easily being noticed.

However, Shen Mian’s heart was pounding nervously.
He kept his head lowered, only revealing his slightly reddened ears.
Like a vigilant rabbit, he occasionally glanced at the teacher to make sure he was still standing at the front and not coming towards them.

In contrast to Shen Mian’s anxious demeanor, Pei Zhiyi remained calm.

Shen Mian’s palms were sweaty from nervousness, while Pei Zhiyi naturally had cool hands, providing a pleasant sensation in the scorching summer.

Pei Zhiyi held him with one hand while working on his math homework with the other, hiding the paper under the Chinese textbook.
He remained composed and somewhat arrogant, as if challenging the teacher’s gaze.

Shen Mian couldn’t help but admire him.
He shook the hand they were holding to get Pei Zhiyi’s attention.

Speaking in a low and sticky voice, he asked, “Brother, how can you be so calm?”

His composure was remarkable.

They were secretly holding hands under the desk, and even though they were covered by their school uniforms, there was still the risk of being discovered.
The students next to them were distracted, and the teacher occasionally walked around at the front.
If they were caught, their seventeen years of innocence would be ruined.

Pei Zhiyi’s expression remained unchanged.
His fair face glistened in the sunlight.
“What’s there to be nervous about? Haven’t you held my hand before to ask for snacks when you were a kid?”

Shen Mian had a toothache once as a child, so his mother didn’t allow him to eat snacks.
He would sneakily go to Pei Zhiyi, and together, they would raid the snack cabinet.

Caught off guard by that statement from Pei Zhiyi, Shen Mian muttered with a pout, “Is it the same thing?”

But he quickly stopped speaking because he saw Pei Zhiyi solving the last few math problems.
Shen Mian knew well that challenging math problems had a charm of their own for someone like Pei Zhiyi, a top student.
So, he obediently closed his mouth and focused on drawing stick figures with his mechanical pencil in the Chinese book.

He glanced at his watch.
There were still five minutes left until half past ten.

In five minutes, he and Pei Zhiyi would be released from that ordeal.
They would let go of each other’s hands, temporarily completing another task.

Shen Mian and Pei Zhiyi were holding hands in the classroom, not for fun or some boring truth-or-dare game.

If it were that simple, Shen Mian wouldn’t have to put on  a troubled and anxious expression.

That whole situation was so strange that Shen Mian seriously doubted whether it was just his imagination running wild, influenced by the countless manga he had read.

But Pei Zhiyi shared the same situation, so it couldn’t be explained as a mere hallucination.

Just a week ago, Shen Mian was hurriedly doing summer homework at Pei Zhiyi’s house when he heard an inexplicably cold electronic voice in his mind.

“Detecting host Shen Mian.
Match rate with host Pei Zhiyi: 100%.
Installation in progress.”

“Installation complete.”

“Host Shen Mian and host Pei Zhiyi, hello.
I am Love Brain System, Model 007.
It’s a pleasure to meet you.
Our slogan is ‘Love Saves the World,’ and our goal is to unite all lovers in the world.”

The cold electronic voice didn’t sound cold at all; it was more like a crazy person speaking off the cuff.

Shen Mian held his head in horror, his voice trembling as he tightly grabbed Pei Zhiyi’s sleeve.
“Brother, it feels like my brain is malfunctioning! I can hear someone talking inside my head!”

However, Pei Zhiyi was much calmer than him and said calmly, “I can hear it too.
It calls itself 007.”

Shen Mian inexplicably felt relieved once he knew that Pei Zhiyi heard it too.
Even though having a voice in his head was terrifying, knowing that Pei Zhiyi was experiencing it with him made him less panicky.

The self-proclaimed 007 system then briefly introduced itself to them.

It claimed to be a system specifically designed for love services.
Detecting a 100% match rate between Pei Zhiyi and Shen Mian, it perceived them a perfect match destined to become an inseparable couple.
Thus, it came from above to bind them together, initiating their love story and urging them to become a couple as soon as possible.

The system made a special note: Completing love missions would reward them generously.
They were a legitimate system and wouldn’t withhold rewards.

Shen Mian: “…”

As someone who had read countless novels and manga, he wasn’t entirely unable to accept the situation before him.

But why did everyone else get matched with the “Dominating Dragon” system, gaining power and dominance, while he ended up with this odd Love Brain System?

It just didn’t sound serious at all!

Sincerely and politely, he asked the self-proclaimed 007 system, “Is your detection device malfunctioning? Pei Zhiyi and I are both males.
Although we do share a strong bond, it’s a brotherly affection, you know.”

He patted Pei Zhiyi’s shoulder firmly to show the purity of their relationship.
They had known each other since childhood, and their families had a close relationship.
Pei Zhiyi had spent a significant portion of his childhood at Shen Mian’s house.

They were like blood brothers.

Pei Zhiyi remained expressionless, seemingly speechless about the whole system situation.

However, the system paused for a moment before stubbornly insisting, “True love knows no gender…Such a great example of love knows no gender.
Should I send you a rainbow flag?”

“Sorry, I advise you to change your target.
Pei Zhiyi and I won’t date,” Shen Mian said seriously, finding it a bit strange to negotiate with something in his own mind.
“I have nothing against same-sex relationships, but Pei Zhiyi and I are true brothers.
If our feelings could change, then there will be no pure friendship left in the world.
So, I suggest you don’t waste your effort.”

It’s unknown which point of Shen Mian’s words touched the system, but that cold and expressionless Agent 007 made a mocking sound with an electronic tone.

After a moment, System 007 coldly asked, “Does the host confirm giving up on completing the love mission? If you choose to do so, you will face a life-threatening situation after six m