Chapter 29

High body temperature (bonus chapter with 1k nutrient solution)

This is not a discussion, it's a notification.

Wei Jiangxue froze in place at her words, tilting her head slightly to observe Mi Rui'an's expression in the rearview mirror, and found that the latter... seemed somewhat excited.

"Where are we going?" Wei Jiangxue quickly accepted the arrangement because 233 had just spoken in her mind.

[System 233: Please agree to Mi Rui'an's request. After I finished my research, I reported the situation. The notification from above is that everything should prioritize the storyline that the protagonist, Mi Rui'an, needs to follow. Our tasks can be put on hold for now. Since she's willing to take you with her, it saves us the trouble of going through the trouble of finding her again to do our tasks.]

This means that Mi Rui'an's storyline has a higher priority than Wei Jiangxue's and the system's tasks.

Wei Jiangxue glanced at Mi Rui'an without showing any emotion. The other woman didn't turn her head or notice her absent-mindedness, and simply replied casually, "Go to a place that Mi Feng doesn't know about."

But according to the navigation map provided by 233, Mi Rui'an was clearly heading towards the most bustling central area of ​​Linyue City. So, didn't Mi Feng know that Mi Rui'an had a base here? Wei Jiangxue tactfully stopped talking and instead asked, "Aren't we going back to the rented apartment?"

Mi Rui'an smiled but remained silent.

An hour later, Wei Jiangxue stood in the tallest residential building in the area, where Mi Rui'an had bought an entire floor.

Wei Jiangxue looked down at the traffic flowing like ants below, while directly in front of her, most of the city came into view. For a moment, she was somewhat dazed. When she came to her senses, Wei Jiangxue's gaze fell on the reflection in the floor-to-ceiling window, where the robot Xiaodong was standing behind her.

Yes, Xiaodong arrived at the property before the other two.

As Wei Jiangxue and Mi Rui'an entered, Xiao Dong suddenly slid out and greeted them loudly, "Welcome home, masters!"

Wei Jiangxue was so frightened that she leaned against the door and almost fell to the ground, but luckily Mi Rui'an pulled her back in time.

After realizing what was happening, Wei Jiangxue looked at Mi Rui'an in astonishment: "You prepared this in advance?"

"Yes, I messaged my assistant in the car and asked her to bring Xiaodong over so she can take care of your daily needs," Mi Rui'an said casually.

Wei Jiangxue wasn't that cunning and immediately believed her, because she was more interested in the big house she was about to move into than getting to the bottom of things.

Mi Rui'an noticed this, and she nodded casually to Xiao Dong, instructing, "Take her to get familiar with the environment, and then help check on her eyes. If possible, have the family doctor come to take a look today."

Then she said to Wei Jiangxue, "I'm going to take care of the follow-up matters. You can stay here without worry."

After saying that, Mi Rui'an hurriedly turned into the dazzling corridor that had left Wei Jiangxue in a daze, and soon disappeared from sight.

Xiao Dong, being a robot, didn't care that Wei Jiangxue had suddenly regained her sight; she was only focused on showing her around the 400-square-meter house.

Wei Jiangxue noticed that all the sharp edges in the room had been padded with foam. She secretly breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that this couldn't have been something Mi Rui'an had specifically arranged for her. Considering the other party's frail health, it was easy to guess—it was to minimize Mi Rui'an's own injuries.

Sure enough, only those who have suffered in this area would care about such small details. Wei Jiangxue wasn't surprised that Mi Rui'an had added safety measures to the rental house. Anyway, she was the one who benefited now, able to live in a big house without worrying about bumps and bruises, and without having to pay rent and living expenses herself. It was simply too good to be true.

"Huh? Here..." Xiao Dong turned into the bedroom where Wei Jiangxue would be staying these days, and showed her her walk-in closet and rest area.

What made Wei Jiangxue stand at the door was a corner of the room—a place specially furnished with tables, chairs, computers, cameras, and various lamp stands that Wei Jiangxue couldn't understand.

"It was arranged by the master, who didn't want to interfere with my sister's live stream." Xiaodong stepped forward and began to explain the uses of each tool.

233 listened excitedly: [The protagonist has thought this through very thoroughly! I'll try it out tonight and adjust the lighting to perfectly complement you, guaranteeing you'll look stunning from every angle!]

If we continue the live stream tonight, we'll have to have Mi Rui'an blindfold her... Explaining to others is too much trouble, and Wei Jiangxue is too lazy to use psychogenic blindness as an excuse to fool others.

After following Xiaodong around for a while, Wei Jiangxue found that everything here was suitable for her, and she didn't feel out of place at all as she had imagined.

She lowered her head and thought for a moment, then asked 233: "You said the task isn't urgent, does that mean we don't need to do it, or do we need to do something less extreme?"

[System 233: For now, just tease Mi Rui'an a bit, make sure her character doesn't go too far out of character. I'll remind you at key points. Mi Feng won't let up on tracking Mi Rui'an anytime soon; we need to wait until he shifts his attention to get back on track. Because in the original storyline, at this point, Mi Feng hadn't obtained any clues about Mi Rui'an.]

Wei Jiangxue bent her knuckles and rested them on her chin: [So, it's actually partly my fault, isn't it? Oh well, things have already come to this point, there's no point in dwelling on it. Anyway, if it happened again, I would still try to stop that out-of-control Alpha.]

[System 233: It's not your fault! The host is so kind, it's all Mi Feng's problem! But in general, if you don't switch sides to Mi Feng, the world consciousness will automatically correct itself soon.]

"Wei Jiangxue, come and eat."

The sound at the door brought Wei Jiangxue back to her senses. She turned her head and was once again amazed by Mi Rui'an's beauty—in just a short while, Mi Rui'an had changed her clothes. Compared to the simple and elegant outfit in the car, Mi Rui'an was now dressed as if she were going out on a date.

The misty blue dress looked ethereal, held in place by two thin straps at the shoulders, rippling like water as she moved. A pendant draped from her long neck down to her chest, its teardrop-shaped gemstone shimmering under the light, making her skin appear especially fair and soft.

Wei Jiangxue didn't dare to look any longer and looked away: "Are you going out later?"

"No, why would I think that?" Mi Rui'an tilted her head, her eyes innocent, her lips glistening as if she had applied something to them.

As she spoke, Wei Jiangxue walked up to her and caught a glimpse of the subtle shimmer on her delicate pink lips.

Oh, right, Wei Jiangxue suddenly realized. She had seen girls who exuded fragrance before. They would walk in twos and threes, chatting about popular games and movies, or complaining about their studies. Occasionally, she would even see those girls secretly kissing on street corners, then laughing and separating, letting the other person reapply lip gloss.

Wei Jiangxue only wore lip gloss during art festivals or large school celebrations, when she was often asked by her teachers to be the host. When she first applied scented lipstick as a young child, she couldn't resist licking it and excitedly shared her discovery with the adults around her: "My lips taste like strawberries!"

The teachers just smiled and patted her head, saying, "Although this is edible cosmetic, try not to eat it!"

When she comes off the stage, the teacher will hand her a box of fresh strawberries: "You must have been craving those lip balms earlier, right? This is a reward from the school for you being a host."

It wasn't just strawberries; the teachers would also occasionally bring rice, flour, and oil to Wei Jiangxue's house, saying that Wei Jiangxue had won awards in competitions or received honors as a model student. The ingredients they brought were a form of recognition from the school.

But Wei Jiangxue wasn't stupid; how could the school give these things on its own initiative? It could only be that the teachers bought them spontaneously to help Wei Jiangxue and her family.

Even now, when she recalls these events, Wei Jiangxue still remembers the sweet taste of the lipstick.

"Why are you staring at my lips?" Mi Rui'an held her fingers together and waved them in front of Wei Jiangxue.

"I was wondering, does your lip gloss have a scent? What is it?" Wei Jiangxue, who was busy daydreaming, blurted out her thoughts. When she realized what she was thinking, she blushed deeply. "I don't usually need to wear these, so I'm just curious after I found out about them."

"Would you like to try some?" Mi Rui'an pressed herself against Wei Jiangxue almost instantly, blinking and staring intently at her.

Wei Jiangxue was completely taken aback by what she was about to do and stood there stunned. When Mi Rui'an got closer, the two were so close that they could count each other's eyelashes.

The lips that Wei Jiangxue had looked at several times were also brought close to her face. If she wasn't careful, they might leave a mark on her face or touch another pair of lips.

The rich rose scent on Mi Rui'an now had a sweet fragrance mixed in.

Wei Jiangxue couldn't quite place what it was, but it felt somewhat familiar.

"What are you saying!" Wei Jiangxue pushed Mi Rui'an away with a flushed face, but unexpectedly touched the latter's bare shoulder. In comparison, the former's hand was burning hot.

Mi Rui'an appeared completely at ease, even somewhat aggrieved: "I just wanted you to smell it... When you get closer, its scent is quite obvious, you smelled it just now, didn't you?"

“…Hmm.” Wei Jiangxue’s hand froze. She had thought Mi Rui’an was deliberately teasing her, hence her tactless behavior. Why was it that after the other person’s explanation, Wei Jiangxue felt she was the one reacting more strongly and strangely?

She cautiously observed Mi Rui'an, trying to find clues in his eyes. But all Wei Jiangxue saw was innocence, confusion, and bewilderment.

So, was there really no intention behind what I did just now? Wei Jiangxue thought for a moment and explained, "I... I'm just not used to people getting too close to me. It was a bit too intimate just now, and I felt scared, so I pushed you. I'm sorry."

"It was my fault, I'll be more careful next time." Mi Rui'an's tone and expression were extremely innocent and naive, her eyes bright, reflecting only Wei Jiangxue's image. She seemed to have realized her mistake and intended to make amends, swearing to the heavens.

Next time... she will test Wei Jiangxue's bottom line little by little.

Having such a beautiful face right in front of you, and then sincerely apologizing to Wei Jiangxue, is incredibly powerful.

Mi Rui'an merely frowned, and Wei Jiangxue felt there was no need to fuss over such a trivial matter. She waved her hand and said, "Just treat each other normally."

Then, seemingly worried about Mi Rui'an's lack of boundaries, Wei Jiangxue hesitated before speaking, "You shouldn't treat others like that in the future, unless it's someone you like. Otherwise, it's easy to cause misunderstandings and make your lover jealous and dissatisfied..."

“I don’t have a lover, and I’ve never been in a relationship before.” Mi Rui’an walked beside Wei Jiangxue. The two were about the same height, so when Wei Jiangxue turned her head, she saw Mi Rui’an staring at her intently.

That look in her eyes… it felt like he was glued to her. Wei Jiangxue inexplicably flinched, but quickly realized she was just being paranoid. Mi Rui'an's expression was more like that of a naive and innocent little animal, full of curiosity about all living things it encountered.

It's really strange. I've bullied her so many times, how come Mi Rui'an doesn't hate her yet?

Wei Jiangxue became increasingly puzzled. Since regaining her sight today, Mi Rui'an had been extremely attentive and responsible towards her. Was this the attitude one would expect from a benefactor? But Wei Jiangxue hadn't forgotten how she often bullied Mi Rui'an during missions. Didn't Mi Rui'an dislike her at all?

[System 233: That's just how the protagonist is. She's only vicious towards bad guys and villains. As for other characters, if they help her even a little, she'll warmly accept them. Because policy dictates that the protagonist must embody truth, goodness, and beauty; what she does is always right, and always in line with the will of the people.]

Okay, in the original plot, Wei Jiangxue was a cannon fodder villain, so it's normal that she had a tragic end.

233 was prompted to answer Wei Jiangxue's question, but Wei Jiangxue only sighed after hearing it: "So soft-hearted, how many losses will she suffer along the way?"

[System 233: What? Are you starting to feel sorry for the protagonist? Actually, that's not all. Mi Rui'an's career path is quite difficult. If you're interested, I can tell you everything that will happen after the mission is completed.]

"Can't it be now?" A question flashed through Wei Jiangxue's mind, but as she turned the corner, she saw a table full of delicious food in the restaurant and instantly forgot about her conversation with the system.

"I haven't seen such beautiful food in a long time!"

The dishes on the table overwhelmed Wei Jiangxue. She scanned the shrimp, fish, and other dishes, finding it difficult to choose and completely unsure where to begin.

Behind them, Xiao Dong pulled out chairs for her and Mi Rui'an: "I wish you two a pleasant meal. Please call Xiao Dong if you need anything. Xiao Dong is always at your service!"

"Do you need me to introduce each dish here to you?" Mi Rui'an brushed her long hair behind her ear, revealing her beautiful profile.

"No need, I've already made up my mind!" Wei Jiangxue fixed her gaze on the strawberry cream cake on the table and decided to start eating from her favorite food.

"Then I won't bother you any longer." Mi Rui'an raised an eyebrow and smiled, reaching for the shrimp on another plate.

Just as Wei Jiangxue finished enjoying her cake, a bowl of shrimp was pushed towards her. Wei Jiangxue looked up and saw that Mi Rui'an had a pile of shrimp shells and heads next to her, while the other's bowl was clean, clearly unused.

“You eat too, don’t worry about me,” Wei Jiangxue said, puzzled.

"It's nothing, just something I did on the spur of the moment," Mi Rui'an shook her head.

Previously, because of her advanced age and demanding part-time job, Grandma couldn't keep an eye on the two children all the time. It was always Wei Jiangxue who took care of her younger sister and cared for Grandma. She had never been treated like this at the dinner table before, and she rarely ate meat. This was the first time someone had peeled shrimp for her.

Wei Jiangxue felt a warmth in her heart. The protagonist of "True Goodness and Beauty" was too kind; she completely repaid evil with kindness...

If only she had met Mi Rui'an in the original world, she wouldn't have needed to bully Mi Rui'an for the sake of mission rewards. Perhaps the two could have become good friends?

Unfortunately, there are no "what ifs." Wei Jiangxue sighed inwardly, then divided the shrimp meat in the bowl in half, took half for herself, and pushed the other half back to Mi Rui'an: "Let's eat together. If you don't accept it, I'll suspect that you've poisoned the food."

She deliberately threatened Mi Rui'an in a fierce tone, and the latter had no choice but to smile and take a few bites to put her at ease.

“See, there’s no poison.” Mi Rui’an spread her hands. “I just thought you’ve finally regained your eyesight, so don’t overwork yourself.”

"And you're talking about me? You're the one who's more tired, aren't you?" This answer coming from Mi Rui'an's mouth was utterly unbelievable, and Wei Jiangxue couldn't help but shudder. "You didn't even rest when you got here today, you went straight to take care of your uncle's business. You even had time to change clothes and get dressed up. I truly admire you."

"I still need to do your hair and makeup later. How can I manage if I don't have the energy?" When Mi Rui'an shrugged, the hollow in her collarbone became even larger, making Wei Jiangxue's hands itch to poke it.

She forced herself to look away from the impolite gaze, and then heard Mi Rui'an say, "Why do you dislike Mi Feng? Is it just based on your first impression?"

“I just hate him, there’s no reason why,” Wei Jiangxue said through gritted teeth. She simply disliked those calculating and profit-driven businessmen. Especially after learning that Mi Feng had killed Mi Rui’an’s parents, and that he even wanted to squeeze Mi Rui’an dry and completely deplete her last bit of value, Wei Jiangxue disliked him even more.

“And what about me?” Mi Rui’an asked again.

Wei Jiangxue looked at her and snorted, "I hate you too. I hate all rich people, let alone you pretending to be a Beta to fool me. If Mi Feng hadn't mentioned yesterday that you were an Omega, I would still think you were a Beta."

But her completely different attitudes toward the two people with the surname Mi clearly indicated that she didn't dislike them, so Mi Rui'an's dimples deepened as she smiled.

“It’s good that you hate him. I hate him too, I even want to stab him to death.” Mi Rui’an said with a smile, making Wei Jiangxue’s body stiffen. “Just kidding, don’t take it to heart.”

Wei Jiangxue shakily fed herself a spoonful of soup: "Mmm."

She quickly replied with a "233" emoji: [Is the main character a lawbreaker? She just said she wanted to stab her uncle to death! I remember the original plot you told me wasn't this gory?]

[System 233: Don't make a fuss, she was just thinking about it, she didn't actually do it, relax.]

That makes sense. When Wei Jiangxue was annoyed by school before, she also thought about blowing up the school, but she never actually did it. It was all just in her imagination.

It doesn't matter who I stab, just don't stab Wei Jiangxue.

After finishing the meal, Wei Jiangxue took Xiaodong to the balcony. She lay down on a chair to digest, while Xiaodong checked on her body.

Mi Rui'an crossed her arms and looked at Wei Jiangxue, who was swaying wildly in the rocking chair, and asked Xiao Dong, "How is it?"

"The eye examination showed no abnormalities. The symptoms do indeed match those of functional vision loss. Should Xiaodong notify the family doctor to come quickly?"

"Just trust what I say, there's no need for a doctor. Even if a doctor came, it wouldn't do much good," Wei Jiangxue lazily advised. "Just do your own thing and don't worry about me. It's not like you're the one who ruined my eyes."

In fact, after using the reward, Wei Jiangxue's emotions calmed down surprisingly, because she had verified the system's and the Transmigration Bureau's abilities, and completely believed that this was not her imagination. Therefore, her wish to return to her family and regain her sight was just around the corner.

"Xiaodong, you can go now. There's no need to call the family doctor." Mi Rui'an was silent for a few seconds before agreeing to Wei Jiangxue's request.

After reporting the situation, Xiao Dong, no longer needed here, obediently retreated to the corner to recharge.

“Your eyes… I personally recommend that you get treatment as soon as possible if possible.” Mi Rui’an sat down on another stool next to Wei Jiangxue.

As soon as she said that, Wei Jiangxue's gaze softened considerably. But Mi Rui'an was oblivious and continued to urge Wei Jiangxue to seek medical attention: "Are you afraid to go to the hospital? I can accompany you, or you can find someone else you trust to accompany you."

"It's not that I'm scared, I just don't want to go."

Nonsense, you can recover after completing the task, why bother going to the hospital? Besides, the system and the Transmigration Bureau are far more powerful than the hospital in this small world. The system brought Wei Jiangxue back to life and allowed her to transmigrate to another world.

Of course, Mi Rui'an couldn't possibly understand this Buddhist-like attitude, so Wei Jiangxue immediately stopped the conversation: "Let's talk about something else, as long as it's not about persuading me to see a doctor."

"So, what exactly caused your blindness? There must be some external factor, right?" Mi Rui'an asked.

"Are you curious? It's nothing, just a minor car accident," Wei Jiangxue said, half-jokingly. "I was lucky I didn't die, but the price was that I went blind."

Another price she paid was being confined to this world by the Transmigration Bureau to do missions and become cannon fodder. However, compared to what she lost, Wei Jiangxue gained much more; one should be content.

After speaking, Wei Jiangxue waited a long time without hearing Mi Rui'an's response, so she turned to look at her: "Say something, okay? What, after hearing this, you feel even more pitiful, so you want to give me this house, is that it?"

But when Wei Jiangxue made this joke, she didn't see Mi Rui'an laugh at all; instead, she noticed that the other person's expression became even more unpleasant.

"Isn't it funny? Then I won't say it again next time," Wei Jiangxue said awkwardly.

"No... have you felt unwell anywhere today?" Mi Rui'an asked her abruptly, her expression strange. "Your face is so red, and your temperature is so high."

A cold, icy hand touched Wei Jiangxue's face.

[Author's Note]

The nutrient solution level has reached 1k, so this chapter contains a bonus of 3k words.