Chapter 51 Reveals a lamp that will light the way home.
"They've gone into the ditch?" someone exclaimed.
Shen Mi stood up with the lamp in hand. The warm yellow light shone on Jing Yuan, and she noticed that Jing Yuan was covered in black mud, and his trousers, shoes, and sleeves were all torn to varying degrees.
"I was going to tell you, but then I realized my phone was broken too."
Jing Yuan reluctantly took his phone out of his pocket. Not only was the screen shattered into a spider web shape, but the frame was also deformed.
Shen Mi asked in shock, "Are you alright?"
"fine."
After saying that, he picked up the lantern and circled around Jing Yuan, ignoring what he was saying, and carefully looked him up and down.
She knew Jingyuan well; to avoid causing trouble for others, he would silently swallow everything himself.
Shen Mi felt both heartache and resentment towards his forbearance. Those who are too sensible are always the first to yield, and are most easily overlooked. It's like dividing a cake as a child; the sensible one always chooses the smallest piece, smiling and saying, "I'm not hungry," but deep down, doesn't he also want something sweeter, something more?
Humans are selfish, and Shen Mi hoped that he could be a little selfish towards himself.
"From now on, no matter if you are injured or what, you must speak up."
Only by speaking out can people see you, and realize how much you've done behind the scenes, how much you've borne, and how much you've endured.
After Shen Mi finished speaking, she looked up and saw Jing Yuan standing there. He neither spoke nor nodded, but simply looked at her with a smile. Shen Mi thought to herself, wondering how much of what she had just said had he actually taken in.
Jing Yuan felt as if he had lost control of his body, letting Shen Mi raise and lower his hand, roll up his sleeves and look at him again and again, even checking the armor on his back without being sure.
After a while, the examination was over. Fortunately, they were all minor abrasions, without any large wounds. Shen Mi breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Seeing her smile turn from worry to joy, Jing Yuan said in a lighthearted, teasing tone, "Is this a body search? I don't have any contraband on me."
Shen Mi glared at him; even at a time like this, he was still in the mood to joke.
"It's all Yonghai's fault. Once I learn how to drive a star raft, I'll be your driver," Shen Mi said indignantly.
“Okay.” Jing Yuan smiled.
Looking at his face, Chen Mi suddenly remembered that there was one more place he hadn't checked, so he stood on tiptoe, raised his hand, and tried to hold the lantern higher to illuminate his face more brightly: "Did you bump your head?"
"No." He smiled and looked at her, deliberately bending down and tilting his head to the side. "Why don't you knock on it and see? Just to confirm."
Shen Mi pouted and said in a huff, "I'm not going to knock it. If I break it, I don't have the money to pay you back."
"No need to compensate me, just please take care of me for the rest of my life." Jing Yuan blurted out his true feelings without hesitation.
As soon as he finished speaking, the room fell silent.
Shen Mi looked at him, her ears suddenly turning red. She didn't know how to respond, her heart suddenly racing. She even lost her grip on the lantern, causing it to sway. The light flickered, making her eyes shine brightly, sometimes bright, sometimes dim.
Jing Yuan stopped speaking, only looking at her with his usual gentle gaze, but a hint of probing hidden within it. He knew the consequences of those words, but still wanted to find the answer from her.
A breeze swept through the treetops inside the wall, making the night air slightly cool, and the two seemed to quiet down, even their breathing.
After a long while, Shen Mi finally spoke softly: "Aren't you afraid I'll take these words seriously?"
She didn't look up, but her voice was like a drop of ink falling into the water, silent yet spreading for a long time, leaving a deep and colorful mark.
Jing Yuan was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Whether it's true or not is up to you."
"So you're handing the decision-making power over to me?" Shen Mi looked up at Jing Yuan.
The other person's gaze was intense and unwavering, their thoughts and intentions clearly revealed in their previous words.
Through his eyes, Shen Mi could clearly see a pool of water, rippling in circles as the wind blew.
"I……"
Shen Mi stammered "I" for a long time but still couldn't come up with a conclusion. She instinctively wanted to ask the system for help, but at the crucial moment, no matter how she called out to it in her mind, the system remained unresponsive.
Jing Yuan could see Shen Mi's dilemma and knew that Dan Heng was not the only factor standing between them.
She still has room for consideration and can make other choices, after all, she is far inferior to others.
From childhood to adulthood, he was never considered "outstanding." Becoming the apprentice of the former Sword Master of Luofu was the result of his own hard work and dedication. He lacked talent, but he was willing to endure hardship and work harder than others. At the same time, he knew that opportunities only come to those who are prepared.
Everything that had happened in the past had made him cautious from some point in time. He would think about a matter over and over again, considering what the consequences would be if he did it. He would think about the good and the bad. He would not do anything that would harm Luofu, and he would try his best to grasp anything that would benefit Luofu.
To uphold righteousness, he killed his own master; to quell public anger, he signed the document exiling his close friend…
From the moment he took the helm of the great ship Luofu, he lost his rights as "Jingyuan." The burdens he had to bear grew heavier and heavier, to the point that apart from eating and sleeping, he had no control over any of his remaining time.
No one ever asked him if he was tired; everyone was waiting for him to make a mistake. He couldn't, and he wouldn't allow it. When "leaving no stone unturned" became a habit, the collective honor took precedence over individual will. He couldn't even remember the last time he had let himself go.
Desire? What's the point of even talking about it?
Can……
Why should I savor it and then spit it out? Would someone accustomed to drinking berberine willingly let go after tasting its sweetness?
He was unwilling, reluctant, resentful, and dared not...
Thinking of this, he suddenly felt a surge of confidence. Compared to others, the thing he had in abundance was patience. In the past, he could spend decades practicing just one move, and now he could also spend decades waiting for an answer that satisfied him.
What tempered him would eventually become a part of him. He no longer needed to be timid and hesitant as before. He was no longer the boy who was driven away from the palace.
"No need to rush to answer." I have plenty of patience and time.
This was the last conversation between Shen Mi and Jing Yuan.
She was shocked by Jingyuan's revelation, and she was also aware of her own inner hesitation. It would be a lie to say she wasn't happy; after all, that was Jingyuan, a character she never dared to dream of. It was just like a plot that existed only in her imagination, but it had actually happened.
Why can't I say the word "yes"?
[Because I've put a gag on you.]
Lying in bed, the "person" who had been missing for a long time appeared.
Shen Mi was too lazy to pay attention to it. This system, which was nowhere to be found at the crucial moment, actually had the nerve to joke in front of her!
[Don't be angry, host. We have two good news items and one bad news item. Which would you like to hear first?]
Just as she was feeling troubled, Shen Mi chose the good news without hesitation. The strategy was already so difficult (and agonizing), she had to hear the good news first to comfort herself.
[The good news is twofold: First, the target character Jing Yuan's conquest value is 70%. Second, the opportunity for multi-line conquest has been achieved; the host can now simultaneously pursue the target characters.]
Shen Mi frowned, not understanding. At the same time, hadn't the difficulty of the strategy increased? This couldn't be considered good news.
[No, no, no, the host hasn't thought things through enough. You should first ask me what prompted you to start this multi-pronged approach.]
The system acted mysteriously, its true intentions unknown, and insisted that Shen Mi ask it directly.
What is it?
As if it had been holding back for a long time, the system said excitedly.
[Of course—all the targets are located in the same star system!]
What does that mean? Shen Mi thought for a few seconds and suddenly understood why the system was so excited—Dan Heng had arrived!
Great news! She's going to take back her earlier doubts. That's great news, fantastic news!
Shen Mi couldn't contain her excitement. She was about to send a message to Dan Heng asking why he hadn't told her he was back, but she stopped abruptly as soon as she opened the chat window.
From Danheng's perspective, no one should know he's back, right? It's hard not to suspect that she's planted some kind of tracking device on him, since she suddenly asked him this question so quickly.
"Calm down, calm down!" Shen Mi thought to himself, "Let's hear the bad news first."
What's the bad news?
The bad news is, you don't need to complete all fifteen tasks to max out the system.
Isn't this good news?
[However—there is a major mission that is more difficult than fifteen missions, and although it is dangerous, the rewards are plentiful. Would you like to give it a try, host?]
The system pulled out two buttons, one red and one blue. The red one was labeled "Try," and the blue one was labeled "Stable."
Shen Mi licked her lips, her heart constantly leaning towards trying, but her past experiences with bad luck told her: gambling is a dangerous thing, and in the end, you'll have nothing.
After hesitating for three seconds, she pressed the red button.
So what if I'm unlucky? I'm prepared to force myself into marriage. If I fail, I can just do those fifteen more tasks.
Now you can tell me what the big mission is, right?
The system shook its finger.
[The available mission slot is currently occupied by another mission and cannot be unlocked. Please obtain the Starship Driver's License first.]
Upon seeing this sentence, Shen Mi felt a sense of familiarity, as if she were seeing a long-lost friend. As a story-driven player, she was always the first to update and rush into the game to progress through the story whenever a new version was released. However, every time she got to the main quest, a prompt would appear telling her to complete other tasks first.
It's been so long, I really miss it. It's just a pity that she's now completely transported here and has no idea what version the outside world is in now. TT
Please update slowly; she doesn't want to come back to a mountain of unfinished tasks.
[Alright, report complete. Please continue your efforts, host, and complete the mission as soon as possible.]
Another goodbye that ends with a blessing.
Shen Mi thought to himself, since the big task is stuck, I should finish the task I'm occupying as soon as possible and get my driver's license soon!
Shen Mi sat up and stretched his limbs, full of energy like a warrior about to go to battle.
The only thing that can defeat her right now is lowering her strategy points.
-----------------------
Author's note: When I was writing this chapter, I didn't expect that Jing Mimi would be the first to speak her mind. I just felt it as I wrote, and it seemed like this was the right way to write it.
Dan Heng will return in the next two chapters. [doge][doge][doge]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com