Chapter 42

Shi Ye was abruptly pulled out of that warm darkness by the ringing of her cell phone.

It wasn't that eerie electronic system tone; it was a real, jarring default ringtone. She frowned, her eyes still closed, her hand already groping haphazardly on the sofa, grabbing the constantly vibrating cube, and answering by feel.

"Sister Shi! Are you awake? Are you awake?!" Lin Xiaoyu's energetic voice immediately burst from the receiver, the volume comparable to a small siren, "I'm almost at your building! I brought you breakfast! And super-good news!"

Shi Ye held the phone further away, rubbing his throbbing temples with his other hand. The chaotic thoughts and the brief, warm dream from last night still lingered in a blur, but Lin Xiaoyu's shout shattered them into pieces.

"...What time is it?" Her voice was terribly hoarse.

"It's 8:30! The sun's already high in the sky!" Lin Xiaoyu's voice came from upstairs, accompanied by the sound of footsteps and light breathing. "I bought pan-fried buns and soy milk! I also brought you some eye masks to reduce puffiness! Your eyes must be swollen, right? Didn't you sleep well last night? Were you thinking about your senior so much that you couldn't sleep?"

Shi Ye: "..."

She silently hung up the phone.

Three seconds later, a knock sounded on the door, accompanied by Lin Xiaoyu's persistent shouts: "Sister Shi! Open the door! I know you're in there! Your takeout... oh no, your lovingly prepared breakfast has arrived!"

Shi Ye resignedly got up and limped to open the door. As soon as the door opened, Lin Xiaoyu squeezed in like a cheerful little bird, carrying two large packing bags in her hands and a bulging canvas bag on her back.

"Good morning!" She put the bag on the table, turned around, and looked Shi Ye up and down with bright eyes. "Sister Shi Ye, you look terrible! Your dark circles are almost down to your chin! Come on, go wash your face first, and then put on an eye mask!"

She pushed Shi Ye, who was not fully awake, toward the bathroom, her movements as familiar as if she were at home.

Shi Ye was forced to sit in front of the sink. Looking at her reflection in the mirror—her hair a mess, her face pale, dark circles under her eyes, and still wearing the same wrinkled T-shirt and jeans from yesterday—she sighed silently. Lin Xiaoyu had already deftly pulled out individually packaged eye masks, disposable face towels, and even a small travel-sized bottle of moisturizing spray from her treasure chest-like canvas bag.

"Here, use this first." Lin Xiaoyu handed her the spray, then tore open the eye mask packaging and carefully pulled out two gel-like substances. "Apply these for fifteen minutes, and I guarantee your eyes will be sparkling again!"

As Shi Ye watched her busy herself, the slight annoyance at being disturbed from her peaceful sleep strangely dissipated. Lin Xiaoyu possessed a kind of reckless vitality, like a little sun, capable of dispelling some of the gloom and coldness surrounding her.

She quickly washed up, took the eye masks, and applied them. The cool, smooth texture felt nice against her skin. She went back to the living room and sat down at the dining table.

Lin Xiaoyu had already set out breakfast. The golden, glistening pan-fried buns were packaged in an eco-friendly cardboard box, still steaming. Next to them were two sealed cups of soy milk, with straws already inserted. There was even a small box of cut fruit.

"Eat up, eat up!" Lin Xiaoyu had already picked up a pan-fried dumpling, taken a bite, and squinted her eyes in satisfaction. "This place is super delicious! I waited in line for ten minutes!"

Shi Ye also picked one up. The bottom of the pan-fried bun was crispy, and when you bit into the thin skin, piping hot and delicious broth immediately gushed out, mixed with the firm meat filling. It tasted really good.

"You just said... good news?" Shi Ye asked while eating, her voice a little muffled because of the eye mask on.

"Yes, yes, yes!" Lin Xiaoyu immediately put down her chopsticks, clasped her hands together, and her eyes shone like stars. "Professor Wang messaged me this morning! I passed the preliminary round! I've made it to the semi-finals! I'll be going to the site for a presentation and defense next week!"

Shi Ye paused. They've made it to the semifinals? So fast?

"Congratulations," she said sincerely.

"Thank you, Sister Shi!" Lin Xiaoyu's cheeks flushed with excitement. "And Professor Wang also said that one of the judges is a very famous designer in the industry. If I perform well, I might have the opportunity to work directly with him! Ahhh, I'm so nervous and excited!"

She gestured wildly, almost knocking over the soy milk cup.

"Be careful." Shi Ye steadied the cup.

"Oh, oh!" Lin Xiaoyu quickly sat up straight, but still couldn't contain her excitement. "Sister Shi Ye, what do you think I should wear to my defense? Something formal or something with a bit of a design? What do you think of that dress your senior gave me before? The misty blue one!"

Shi Ye recalled the dress Qi Jin had prepared for Lin Xiaoyu at the charity gala. It really suited her.

"Okay." She nodded.

"Right, right! I think so too!" Lin Xiaoyu cupped her face in her hands. "Senior has such good taste! By the way, Senior will definitely be happy for me if she knows this news! I have to tell her!"

She immediately picked up her phone and started typing away, her face beaming with pure joy.

Seeing her happy expression, Shi Ye felt a surge of mixed emotions welling up inside him again. Lin Xiaoyu genuinely regarded Qi Jin as an admired senior and a reliable mentor. She was so hardworking, so talented, and had such a wonderful personality—like a little sun… If Qi Jin were really with her, perhaps…

The moment the thought crossed my mind, I felt a sudden tightness in my chest.

She put down the pan-fried bun she was eating, having lost her appetite.

"By the way, Sister Shi," Lin Xiaoyu said after sending the message, then remembered something, leaned closer and lowered her voice, "Last night... were you and Senior Sister alright afterwards? I thought she was still in a bad mood when she left?"

Shi Ye lowered his eyes and stirred the soy milk with the straw. "It's nothing."

"Really?" Lin Xiaoyu was skeptical. "I feel like your senior cares about you a lot. The way she looks at you is different." She paused, then added softly, "Just like the way my crush looks at me... although he's not as obvious as your senior."

Shi Ye's fingers stiffened for a moment.

"Oh, let's not talk about this!" Lin Xiaoyu probably realized she had said something wrong and quickly changed the subject. "Sister Shi, are you wearing this today? Do you want to change your clothes? Your leg is injured, I can help you!"

Shi Ye glanced at his indeed sloppy clothes and nodded.

Lin Xiaoyu immediately stood up: "Come on, let's go to your room! I'll give you some advice!"

Shi Ye was pulled towards the bedroom by her. Lin Xiaoyu opened the wardrobe and exclaimed "Wow!" as if she had discovered a new continent: "Sister Shi Ye, you have so many clothes! But why are they all... um..." She carefully chose her words, "...colors that look expensive but seem a bit unhappy?"

Shi Ye looked at the cabinet full of black, white, gray, and cool colors, and remained silent. She couldn't change the original owner's aesthetic sense.

"How about this one?" Lin Xiaoyu took out a beige knit sweater, which was soft in texture. "It looks warm! It goes well with these khaki pants!" She then pulled out a pair of loose-fitting casual pants.

Shi Ye had no objections. Lin Xiaoyu's judgment was indeed better than the original owner's (and her's).

"Then you change, I'll wait for you outside!" Lin Xiaoyu shoved the clothes into her hands, skipped out, and thoughtfully closed the door behind her.

Shi Ye slowly changed her clothes. Off-white did indeed make her look softer than black, white, or gray, and the pants were comfortable, not constricting her ankles. She looked at herself in the mirror, still pale but at least more presentable, and forced a smile.

Stepping out of the bedroom, Lin Xiaoyu had already cleared the dining table and was washing glasses in the kitchen. Seeing her come out, her eyes lit up: "Beautiful! Sister Shi, you should wear more warm colors! It makes you look less... well, less distant!"

When asked, he remained noncommittal.

The doorbell rang again.

"Who is it?" Lin Xiaoyu wiped her hands and ran to open the door.

A well-dressed woman with several elegant paper bags stood outside the door, wearing a standard smile: "Hello, Mr. Qi instructed me to deliver some things to Miss Shi."

Qi Jin?

Shi Ye walked over. The woman handed him a paper bag: "It contains some clothes and daily necessities. Mr. Qi said your previous clothes didn't fit well, and you need more comfortable shoes due to your foot injury. Also, this is your phone charger; you left it in the car last night."

The paper bag was indeed filled with clothes and shoes, from innerwear to outerwear, from flats to slippers—everything imaginable, even a few brand-new pajamas with the tags still on. The sizes were perfect, the styles were simple and comfortable, and the colors were mostly off-white, light gray, and oatmeal—much more pleasing to the eye than what was in Shi Ye's wardrobe.

Lin Xiaoyu stared in disbelief, muttering under her breath, "Senior is so... thoughtful! She even prepared pajamas?"

The woman in professional attire completed her task and politely took her leave.

Shi Ye looked at the paper bags on the ground, her heart filled with mixed emotions. Qi Jin... he even thought of these details. After she pushed her away like that last night.

“Sister Shi Ye,” Lin Xiaoyu squatted down, curiously rummaging through the contents of the paper bag, and took out a pair of light gray flat shoes that looked incredibly soft. “These shoes look so comfortable! Try them on and see if they fit!”

Shi Ye took the shoes. The leather was soft, the lining was fleece, and the sole was thick. She put them on; they fit perfectly, wrapping around her injured foot, warm and comfortable.

"It's beautiful!" Lin Xiaoyu exclaimed in approval. "Senior, you have amazing taste!" She picked up a beige cashmere cardigan and held it up against herself. "This one is so pretty too! The fabric is so comfortable!"

Seeing her excited expression, Shi Ye suddenly spoke up: "Xiao Yu, you like Qi Jin... I mean, you admire her, right?"

Lin Xiaoyu was taken aback, then nodded vigorously: "Of course! Senior is amazing! She's beautiful, capable, and willing to help someone as insignificant as me! She's practically my idol!"

“Then if…” Shi She carefully chose his words, “if Qi Jin treats you very well, takes good care of you, and helps you realize your dreams, would you… develop… other feelings for her?”

Lin Xiaoyu blinked, seemingly not quite understanding: "Other feelings? What feelings?"

“It’s…a feeling that goes beyond appreciation and worship,” Shi Ye said with some difficulty.

Lin Xiaoyu tilted her head and thought for a moment, then answered very seriously, "No."

Shi Ye was stunned.

“My senior is very nice, and I like her a lot,” Lin Xiaoyu said, her eyes clear. “But this liking is like liking a really great older sister who takes good care of me. It’s different from how I liked that other person…”

A blush rose to her cheeks, and her voice softened: "With that person, my heart races, I overthink, I'm happy for a long time because of a single word from him, and I feel disappointed when he doesn't reply to my messages. When I see something delicious or fun, I want to share it with him immediately. When I encounter difficulties, I want to hear his encouragement. I don't have that kind of feeling for my senior."

She looked at Shi Ye, her eyes sparkling: "Sister Shi Ye, liking someone and admiring someone are different. It's like... like you liking to draw and you liking to eat ice cream, both are liking, but the feeling is completely different, right?"

Shi Ye stared at her blankly. Lin Xiaoyu's words were simple and direct, yet they were like a small pebble thrown into the turbulent lake of her heart.

Liking and worshiping are different.

What about her feelings for Qi Jin?

Is it a mission objective? A key figure in the collapsed world? Or a trouble that must be dealt with?

still……

She remembered the warmth of Qi Jin's fingertips as he ruffled her hair, the taste of that bowl of tomato and egg noodles, her quiet figure accompanying her in the darkness, and the undercurrent in her eyes when she asked, "Will you regret it?"

The barren, frozen ground in my heart seems to have been pried open a little more.

Tiny, unfamiliar buds are trying to break through the hard surface.

"Sister Shi?" Lin Xiaoyu saw her in a daze and waved her hand in front of her eyes. "Are you alright? Are you experiencing low blood sugar again? Do you want to eat something?"

Shi Ye snapped out of his daze and shook his head. "I'm fine."

She looked at Lin Xiaoyu's innocent and concerned face, and then thought about the thoughtful gifts that Qi Jin had sent.

The system was as quiet as a chicken in her mind, probably calculating the next round of task prompts.

Should the mission continue?

How to bring together Lin Xiaoyu, who only admires and feels sisterly affection for Qi Jin, and Qi Jin, whose heart may only belong to her (Shi Ye)?

Is the task itself a huge "mistake"?

The thought flashed through her mind clearly and sharply.

"wrong".

The words I had written on the computer screen reappeared.

Perhaps the "wrong" the system is referring to is not just about the world line mutation, nor is it just about her being a transmigrator.

It also includes... this mission itself, which was absurd from the very beginning?

As Shi Ye looked out the window at the gradually brightening sky, the vague thought in his mind slowly took on a clearer shape.

Perhaps, what she should have done was not to force a match according to the system's instructions.

Instead, we should... find a way to correct this "mistake".