Chapter 29

Shi Ye did not wake up naturally.

She was abruptly awakened by a sharp, scratching sound in her head, like fingernails scraping a blackboard.

"Holy shit!" She sprang up from the sofa, her heart pounding and her vision blurring. The sound continued, and Shi Ye felt like her skull was about to be ripped open. "System! 007! What the hell are you doing, drilling and decorating?!"

"Zzz... Host... External... Interference..." The system's voice was intermittent, mixed with even more severe static, sounding like a radio about to fall apart struggling in a typhoon. "Detected... Abnormal data stream... Impact... Emotional simulation module... Imminently... Overloaded..."

"What happens if there's an overload?!" Shi Ye covered her head, feeling as if the noise had a physical form, bumping around inside her skull.

"Perhaps... the bullet screen function... will... permanently... proliferate..." the system buzzed, "Or... the host will temporarily... gain... mind-reading abilities... but the range... is uncontrollable..."

Shi Ye imagined walking down the street, her mind filled with the inner monologues of passersby: "What are we having for lunch?", "The boss is an idiot!", "That girl has such long legs!"... She'd rather just let her overload and burn out!

"Repair it! Repair it now!" she practically shouted.

The bullet comments that had previously faded to a light gray background now seemed to have been doused with concentrated sulfuric acid, beginning to flicker, distort, and multiply wildly:

[Warning! Warning! The system is about to crash!]

[Overload? Is it the overload I'm thinking of?]

Mind reading?! How exciting!

[The host's expression is so ferocious, hahaha!]

[Screenshot taken! New emojis available!]

[Mr. Qi, come quick! Your son, Shi Ye, is about to go brain dead!]

"Shut up!!!" Shi Ye roared at the air. Of course, the comments section ignored her completely and instead spammed even more enthusiastically.

She told us to shut up! She can see it!

[The host can interact now?]

[Has the system been upgraded due to a malfunction?]

[Quickly ask her if she likes Qi Jin or not!]

Ask Lin Xiaoyu who she likes!

Ask Qin Ming when he's going to make his move!

Just as Shi Ye felt his temples were about to explode, the noise in his head and the barrage of comments in front of him suddenly stopped for a moment.

It's like a movie being paused.

Immediately afterwards, all the comments disappeared in a flash. The noise in my mind also subsided into silence.

Shi Ye, panting, looked around in surprise and uncertainty. The living room was still the same living room, so quiet that he could hear his own heartbeat.

"...System?" she tentatively called out in her mind.

There was no response.

"007? Is the problem fixed?" she asked again.

A deathly silence.

Just when Shi Ye thought the system had finally completely failed, and maybe he could even set off some electronic fireworks to celebrate—

"Ding-dong."

The doorbell rang.

Shi Ye jumped in fright, his heart nearly leaping out of his throat. At this hour? Who?

She tiptoed to the door, but didn't dare open it immediately. Instead, she peered through the peephole.

Qi Jin was standing outside the door.

Qi Jin looked... a little off. She wasn't wearing the casual suit she'd worn during the day; instead, she was wearing a simple black T-shirt and trousers, her hair was disheveled, and she was carrying... a thermos?

Most importantly, her expression. It wasn't her usual calm and composed demeanor, nor the restrained tranquility she displayed during their farewell tonight, but rather a rare expression, tinged with bewilderment and... grievance?

Before Shi Ye could fully process this bizarre scene, a sudden "ding" sounded in his mind, accompanied by a crystal-clear, emotionless mechanical voice:

[Target: Qi Jin]

[Emotional state: Confused (Worried 83%+, Confused 12%+, Feeling wronged 5%)]

[Inner monologue: Does she really hate me? Did she take her medicine? Is she feeling unwell? Should I not have come? But I brought soup… Did she not eat dinner? The fried chicken Lin Xiaoyu bought isn't healthy… I'll just look at it from the doorway and not say anything.]

Shi Ye: "..."

She stood stiffly behind the door, looking at Qi Jin's struggling face through the peephole, the unvarnished inner monologue echoing in her ears.

Is this what the system called "mind reading"? The "uncontrollable range" means it automatically triggers as soon as the door opens and can't be closed?! And it even includes emotion percentage analysis?!

Qi Jin seemed to hesitate for a long time before finally pressing the doorbell again, this time very softly, as if afraid of disturbing her. At the same time, the mechanical voice in Shi Ye's mind rang again:

[Movement Analysis: The force of pressing the bell twice decreased by 37%, indicating hesitation and withdrawal.]

[Predicted Behavior: If there is no response within 10 seconds, there is an 89% probability that the person will leave the insulated container at the door and then leave.]

Shi Ye watched as Qi Jin lowered his eyelashes slightly and actually took a small step back, seemingly intending to put the thermos down.

As if possessed, she turned the lock with a "click".

The door opened.

The corridor lights flooded in, and Qi Jin, still half-bent over placing something, suddenly looked up, his eyes widening slightly. At the same time, Shi Ye's mind echoed:

[Emotional fluctuations: Surprise (+40%), Nervousness (+30%), Panic (+20%).]

[Real-time inner monologue: Is she not asleep? Did I wake her up? Why are her eyes a little red? Has she been crying? Because of me?]

Shi Ye opened her mouth, looking at the silly cartoon cat-patterned insulated bucket in Qi Jin's hand, then at the complex expression on her face that she couldn't hide in time, and then at the string of inner monologues in her mind that were like a live broadcast. For a moment, she didn't know which absurd thing to deal with first.

"I..." Qi Jin spoke first, his voice a little hoarse, "I was just passing by... and saw your light was still on." This was a lie. Shi Ye immediately marked it in his mind.

[Language analysis: Excuse, credibility 12%. Real motive: Worried about the host's condition, unable to leave with peace of mind.]

[Additional note: Actually, I parked downstairs for half an hour.]

Shi Ye: "..."

She stepped aside and said, "Come in."

Qi Jin seemed surprised by her decisiveness, pausing for a moment before carrying the thermos in. The door closed, leaving only the two of them in the living room. The atmosphere was somewhat awkward.

"I brought you some soup." Qi Jin placed the thermos on the coffee table, his movements somewhat restrained. "Fried chicken isn't good for digestion tonight..."

[Honest thought: Lin Xiaoyu only knows how to buy junk food! My homemade soup is much better for the stomach.]

[Underlying expectation: That she will take even a sip, just one sip.]

Shi Ye looked at the thermos, then at Qi Jin's seemingly calm but actually slightly curled-fingers hand, and listened to the incessant "off-screen voice" in her mind. Suddenly, she felt a strong sense of unreality. The aloof, calm, and decisive CEO Qi actually had such a... such a nagging, anxious little theatrical actor living inside him?

"Thank you," she said dryly, walking over to open the thermos. A warm, fragrant aroma wafted out—a simple vegetable and pork rib soup, clear broth, skimmed of oil, looking like it had been carefully prepared.

[Emotional Feedback: The host accepts food, and their stress level decreases by 15%.]

[OS: She didn't refuse... Okay.]

Shi Ye ladled out a small bowl of soup and took a sip. It tasted great, light and sweet, and the temperature was just right.

[Behavioral feedback: Host eats. Satisfaction +25%.]

[OS: She drank it! She drank it! I'll stew something else tomorrow.]

Shi Ye almost choked on her soup. She silently put down her bowl and looked up at Qi Jin. Qi Jin was looking at her intently, but when she looked at him, he immediately looked away and pretended to look around the living room.

[Behavioral analysis: Avoiding eye contact, slightly tense.]

[OS: She looked at me... Should I say something? What should I say? Apologize? Or...]

"System..." Shi Ye cried out in despair, "Can this function be turned off? Or at least muted? It's rude and noisy to keep listening to other people's inner monologues!"

"Buzz... Repairing a fault... Mind reading module... Failed to close... Trying to lower the volume..."

The volume of the mechanical voice in his head did indeed decrease a little, changing from a "broadcast" to a "whisper," but the emotional status bar above Qi Jin's head and the occasional "OS" bubble still stubbornly floated there, like a character's status bar in a game.

Qi Jin seemed to have finally gathered his thoughts, looked at her again, and tried to keep his tone steady: "Shi Ye, what I said tonight..."

[Core demand: Clarify our position and avoid misunderstandings.]

[OS: I'm not forcing you, really not.]

“You don’t need to feel pressured,” Qi Jin continued. “I said those things just to let you know my thoughts. Whatever you decide, I will accept it.”

[True Emotions: Sad 62%, Persevering 38%]

[OS: But could you please not push me away... at least not with that kind of excuse...]

Shi Ye looked at the bright "Sadness 62%" mark above her head, then at the calm she was trying to maintain on her face. A tiny pebble had been thrown into the stagnant water of her heart, causing extremely faint ripples, barely perceptible even to herself. Could this be considered... a different kind of "feeling"?

“Qi Jin,” she said, her voice a little hoarse, “I don’t hate you.”

Qi Jin's eyes lit up for a moment, though he quickly concealed it.

[Emotional peak: Surprise (+55%).]

[OS: She said she doesn't hate me!]

"I just..." Shi Ye stammered. What should he say? That I have a system forcing me to matchmake you and Lin Xiaoyu? That I'm sick and can't feel it? That we might be living in a fictional world that's about to collapse?

She couldn't bring herself to say it.

[Host language interrupted, reason: concealment.]

[Target person's emotions: Expectation → Confusion.]

Qi Jin waited a few seconds, and when he saw that she didn't continue, his eyes dimmed, but he quickly regained his composure: "It's okay, no need to explain."

She paused, then looked at the empty bowl in Shi Ye's hand: "Is the soup... good?"

[True intention: Seeking approval.]

[Underlying need: To confirm that their efforts are valuable to the host.]

“…It’s delicious.” Shi Ye nodded, then added, “It’s very warming to the stomach.”

Qi Jin's lips curved upwards very slightly, though she quickly smoothed them out. Shi Ye noticed that her satisfaction rating had quietly increased by 10 percentage points.

[Improved mood: Increased sense of satisfaction.]

[OS: She said it's good for her stomach. I'll ask Dr. Chen tomorrow if there are any other suitable recipes for her.]

Shi Ye: "..."

She now seriously suspects that, besides the photos and words, Qi Jin's thick diary of unrequited love might also contain a complete set of "Timely Pet Breeding and Care Guide".

“You…” Shi Ye looked at the faint dark circles under Qi Jin’s eyes, “Go back and rest early.”

Qi Jin nodded, but didn't move immediately. She looked at Shi Ye, then at the thermos, and hesitated for a moment: "This... I'll leave it to you. You can heat it up and drink it tomorrow."

[Delayed action: Reluctance to leave.]

[OS: Just one more minute, just one more minute.]

Looking at her, clearly wanting to leave but unable to move, and coupled with the honest thoughts running through his mind, Shi Ye felt a strange urge to laugh. Not mocking, but a rather unfamiliar feeling, similar to "helplessness but also a bit of 'I can't do anything about you'."

"Mmm," she replied.

Qi Jin finally turned around slowly and walked towards the door. As her hand touched the doorknob, she turned back and glanced quickly at Shi Ye: "Lock the door tonight..."

[Final inner monologue: Goodnight.]

Then she opened the door and went out.

The door closed gently.

Shi Ye stood there, listening to the footsteps outside the door gradually fade away. The mechanical voice in his mind finally quieted down completely, and Qi Jin's status bar and OS bubble also disappeared.

The living room returned to silence, with only the cartoon thermos on the coffee table and the faint aroma of soup lingering in the air.

"System," Shi Ye asked in his mind, "is the fault fixed?"

"Buzz...Some functions...are temporarily stable...Mind-reading module...has entered dormant mode...but emotional simulation disorder...is still ongoing...the bullet screen function...may...reactivate at any time..."

“What I mean is,” Shi Ye concluded, “I don’t have to listen to Qi Jin’s inner monologues for now, but who knows when a bunch of audience members’ complaints will start floating in front of me again?”

"That's one way to understand it."

Shi Ye walked to the window, lifted a corner of the curtain, and looked down. Qi Jin's car was indeed still parked in the same spot, but this time it quickly turned on its lights and slowly drove away.

She lowered the curtains and looked back at the thermos.

His mind was blank, without the noise of the system, the comments, or Qi Jin's inner monologue.

But she seemed to have "heard" something else.

It's not a sound, it's a feeling.

It was very faint and blurry, like looking at a landscape through thick frosted glass.

But she knew that something was different.

“System,” she said softly, “what if… I mean, what if the mission failed and the world started to collapse…?”

The system remained silent for a long time.

Then, it answered in that tone, still carrying a slight electrical hum, but with exceptional clarity:

"Perhaps... just like what you see now."

"Bullet comments, mind reading, chaotic data..."

"Little by little, starting from the edge, it collapses."