"Why ask this all of a sudden?"

"Just answer it!"

Zhou Zhiyi saw Qin Huan flustered and felt his own panic rising.

Whoa, what’s even happening? Is this some kind of...

"Long, straight black hair, sharp as ice, kind-hearted, stunningly beautiful, adored by everyone..."

"You’re hopeless."

Qin Huan sighed slowly.

"What about you? What kind of guy do you like?"

Since Qin Huan asked, Zhou Zhiyi naturally shot back the question.

Please, don’t say someone like Wu Feng.

"Secret."

Qin Huan put a finger to her lips, looking adorably coy.

"What’s with that? I already told you mine."

"That doesn’t count!" Qin Huan pouted like a child. "I’m almost home. You should head back too."

"Well then, goodbye."

"Goodbye."

The conversation ended. Zhou Zhiyi trudged back through the empty streets.

"Why so late today?" his mother asked.

"Just some stuff came up."

"Found a girlfriend, maybe?"

"No way."

"Why not?" She smiled meaningfully. "Bring her to meet me if you do."

"If I have one, I will."

Zhou Zhiyi shrugged casually, then logged online to read manga again.

He’d ranted about the comments section, but he couldn’t abandon his years-old account. So he logged in...

"Just as expected—all insults."

Staring at the screen flooded with curses and backlash, Zhou Zhiyi spoke stiffly.

They couldn’t crawl through the net to slash him, yet the words still stung.

But it made sense. Most readers project themselves onto the ordinary protagonist. When a side character steals the harem meant for him, feeling NTR’d was understandable.

Zhou Zhiyi, though, was the exception.

"Wait..." He spotted a glimmer. "Who’s this?"

Like a single stain on pure white paper, it stood out vividly.

Amid thousands of hateful comments, he found the one supporter.

"I think you’re right. Why can’t side characters find happiness too?"

Reading those lines, Zhou Zhiyi felt a warm rush. The stranger even left their QQ number—he’d found a kindred spirit.

He added the stranger’s QQ for the first time. Probably not the last.

The request was accepted instantly. The username looked feminine.

Lucky break...

"Um, thanks for defending me online."

"No problem. I was furious too. Why can men have harems but women can’t?"

"...!"

Is that it?! I thought you were a true comrade! Just jealous over harems?

"Well, kidding."

"I figured."

So it was just a joke...

"Know why I shared my QQ?"

"Like-minded souls?"

"Something like that."

She typed the words. The screen showed her typing...

"Do you know about Fate Marks?"

This...

Could it be...