The cold moon hangs high, roses blend into the night, and the continuous crimson sways and is reflected in the window, as if everything has returned to its former tranquility.
However, the person sitting on the bed did not seem as calm and composed as before.
"Can your system read the host's thoughts?" Lu Shizhen was still bothered by the warning the system had given her earlier, and questioned Xiaoqiu.
"Of course not! The system cannot know the host's thoughts." Little Ball immediately denied, "The host's thoughts belong to the system data. After being highly processed and filtered, they become the basis for the system to judge the host's psychological state."
Lu Shizhen breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.
It must be because her evaluation of the original owner in her mind just now was positive that the warning about the risk of being assimilated appeared.
After all, if she were assimilated by the original owner, her mission would be declared a failure.
"Don't worry, host. The system is dedicated to serving you and ensuring that every host completes their mission perfectly. It won't hold you back!" Little Ball declared loyally.
Lu Shizhen didn't trust this seemingly unreliable person much, and asked the same question she had at the beginning again with some skepticism: "So, do you know where the story's timeline is now?"
"The current progress of the story in the world line is: The host has tricked Xu Shiyue into coming to the villa for a week, and Xu Shiyue's impression of the original owner as a good person has changed to level one vigilance and extreme disgust."
"..."
The system's answer was much more concise than its initial hesitant response, but Lu Shizhen fell silent after hearing it.
Those last two words were like two sharp swords, piercing her heart from the left and right.
Lu Shizhen clutched her chest and let out a faint whisper: "Is there... any hope?"
The system reluctantly said, "Let's give it a try."
Then he said the words that no human would refuse: "Since we're already here..."
"And..." Little Ball was worried that Lu Shizhen would be negative and refuse to complete the task, so it enthusiastically planted the seeds of temptation in her, "God, give me another chance, including you, host."
Xiao Qiu spoke bluntly, but Lu Shizhen's lowered gaze was obscure and difficult to decipher.
She looked at her legs, which she could now cross freely, paused, and asked, "So, once I complete the mission, I can completely possess this body?"
"Not only that. At that time, the host can choose to live healthily for many years in any world based on the points." The little ball's voice contrasted sharply with Lu Shizhen's calmness, and it was overly enthusiastic, like a salesman from some company.
Delicate palms caressed the knees, the warmth of the hands slowly seeping into the vibrant skin.
For Lu Shizhen, who used to be confined to a wheelchair, the prospect of permanent health and living as she pleased was indeed very tempting.
If she hadn't experienced running and walking, she might have refused to accept the body of such a perverted and crazy person as the original owner.
But she had just experienced it.
"It is precisely because of your strong desire, host, that the Supreme God has chosen you."
Xiao Qiu's words were like a pair of pliers, snapping the chains that had been binding Lu Shizhen's inner desires.
Uncontrolled seeds burst forth from the barren soil like madmen, quickly filling her heart cavity.
She could feel the cool breeze from her running brushing past her ears, and she could feel the freedom of not being looked at with pity.
She really wanted to have a normal body like that.
The god in the little ball's mouth heard her yearning and gave her a gift beyond fate, so why should she choose to give it up?
Lu Shizhen looked at the feet that she was controlling and asked, "How do I get points to complete the task?"
"The points are composed of Xu Shiyue's favorability index towards the host and the host's safety index in the world. The host only needs to obtain enough points before the predetermined death to exchange for a new identity and leave." Xiaoqiu answered actively upon seeing this, but hesitated for a moment, "However, it seems that because the female lead's favorability index towards the original host is too low, the system display has a bug and cannot be viewed at the moment."
"..."
How low is that?!
Damn the original owner!
Lu Shizhen leaned back and fell directly onto the bed.
She knew the mission would be difficult, but she hadn't expected it to be this difficult. Her fighting spirit, which had just been ignited, collapsed again in an instant.
The little ball quickly floated above Lu Shizhen's line of sight and cheered her on, saying, "There's still more than a year until the ending, so don't worry, host. I will definitely fix the points display bug before the ending! Besides, host, you are already one of the luckiest hosts. You just triggered a cheat code!"
"Within a radius of twenty meters, the system can provide the host with information about Xu Shiyue's situation, physical condition, and make predictions."
Lu Shizhen remembered the two probability reminders the system had given her at the crucial moment, and slowly sat up from the bed again.
Although twenty meters in radius isn't a large area, Xu Shiyue is currently unable to attend school, and her activity range is limited to the villa where the original owner of the body hid her.
"I can use this cheat code to help her recover her body, and I can also appear in time if there are any unexpected problems. These are all powerful tools to increase her favorability." Lu Shizhen summarized the transmigration novels she had read, counting on her fingers as she made her calculations.
Upon hearing this, the little ball nodded repeatedly, "Yes! The host's plan is excellent! You truly deserve to be called the host!"
Lu Shizhen didn't really like flattery, but after hearing it so many times, she started to find it quite nice.
As night deepened, Lu Shizhen looked out the dark window and, knowing the world all too well, finally felt sleepy.
After letting out a long yawn, Lu Shizhen crawled into bed and instructed the little ball beside her, "Turn off the lights and go to sleep. I need to conserve my energy for tomorrow's challenges."
"Yes, sir." The little ball was exceptionally obsequious, flying over to turn off the lights in Lu Shizhen's room.
The sun slowly climbed into the sky, bringing a rare sunny day to the world that had only been in October for a few days.
The sunlight warmed the golden leaves outside the window, making one want to stay in bed longer, and even the system was no exception.
But before it could enjoy it for long, Lu Shizhen pulled it off the windowsill.
Perhaps because she had longed for a healthy body, she adapted to her new body very quickly.
He grabbed a piece of clothing from the dressing room and put it on, then said energetically to the little ball that was slowly flapping its wings, "Wake up, we're going to try and win over Xu Shiyue."
"Okay—" the system followed Lu Shizhen with a drawn-out tone.
Before joining the company, it had seen many host cases, but Lu Shizhen, who was so motivated, was the first one.
Is having a healthy body really that important to her?
With this thought in mind, the little fan, still a bit dazed, flapped his wings and followed Lu Shizhen to the first floor.
The footsteps were particularly noticeable in the quiet villa, and Aunt Sun, the housekeeper who was making breakfast, looked up uncertainly.
She watched as Lu Shizhen calmly sat down at the dining table, and was particularly surprised that their young lady had gotten up at seven o'clock: "Miss."
"Hmm." Lu Shizhen nodded, then casually asked, "Where's Xu Shiyue?"
Aunt Sun calmly served Lu Shizhen a cup of coffee first, and then answered while assembling a sandwich, "Miss Xu went to the rose garden early this morning. Miss entrusted her with the task of taking care of the roses, and she dared not neglect it."
Lu Shizhen paused for a moment as she picked up her coffee.
She got up early enough, but Xu Shiyue got up even earlier.
Was the original owner even human? How could she need a blind person to take care of her flower garden?
This is probably just setting the stage for her ulterior motives.
Suppressing her anger, Lu Shizhen asked again, "Did she have breakfast?"
Aunt Sun paused for a moment after hearing this, and after carefully looking at the kitchen, she said, "There shouldn't be any. There are no signs that anything in the kitchen has been touched."
Originally, the owner's affection for Xu Shiyue should have been a favorable condition for her to be treated well by the servants in the house.
However, the original owner's behavior after she came to this family became the reason why the servants gradually stopped paying attention to her.
Even the family's most capable housekeeper had to make a rough judgment before he could give an inaccurate answer.
In comparison, systems that seemed unreliable turned out to be much more reliable.
After Aunt Sun finished answering, it immediately reminded Lu Shizhen: [Xu Shiyue's health index is detected as C, her body temperature is low, and her bodily functions are weak. This is a good opportunity to gain her favor.]
Upon hearing this, Lu Shizhen's eyes darkened slightly. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Aunt Sun taking a knife and cutting the sandwich wrapped in paper in half.
Thick-cut steaks ooze rich, flavorful juices, and a single bite is a burst of energy, especially on a cool autumn morning.
Not only can it fill your stomach, it's also an excellent tool for winning people's favor.
Without delay, Lu Shizhen quickly picked up the freshly plated sandwiches and headed towards the back garden.
It was a rare sunny day, the sun was shining brightly, and the warmth made people feel cozy.
But the wind already carried the scent of autumn, blowing across my fingertips with a chilling coolness.
Lu Shizhen's steps were less clumsy than yesterday, but still not very fast.
She carefully tucked the sandwich in her arms, and as soon as she stood at the entrance of the rose garden, she heard a harsh voice coming from inside: "Do you think it's easy for us to cultivate these roses in the fall? The young lady asked you to pick one rose, and you stepped on so many of them and broke them. Did you do it on purpose?"
"Do you know these are the young lady's precious darlings? The young lady asked you to take care of them, and you can't even take good care of them yourself, so you expect us to clean up your mess first thing in the morning? Do you think we're just being silly?"
The wind blows across the open land, carrying with it the scent of freshly turned soil.
The fallen roses were righted and placed back on the ground. The marks on a few drooping petals, where someone had pressed them, were particularly noticeable, as if they had been deliberately hidden in the otherwise inconspicuous sea of flowers.
Several women wearing aprons, responsible for pruning the flowers, stood with their hands on their hips, complaining loudly.
Those bodies, whether muscular or tall and thin, formed an impenetrable wall, trapping the isolated girl inside.
The wind pushed the clouds aside, obscuring the sun overhead and casting a gloomy shadow over the rose bushes.
Sharp, grating words kept piercing Xu Shiyue's ears. She stood there, her long hair tied back, revealing her entire face. Her dull eyes stared calmly at the person standing opposite her, lifeless and unsettling.
"Hey, I'm talking to you, can't you hear me?" The woman in the lead felt very uncomfortable being stared at. Seeing that Xu Shiyue didn't respond, she reached out and pushed her. "Speak up, are you blind and deaf?"
Xu Shiyue was already thin and weak. When this person pushed her as if venting his anger, she staggered a few steps and almost fell.
Sunlight dazzled Xu Shiyue's eyes, and the vibrant red of the roses filled her vision.
The woman's figure was like paint splattered on an oil painting canvas, ugly and repulsive.
Xu Shiyue's gaze remained calm as she stared at the person in front of her. Her tightly pursed lips parted slightly, and her voice was lower than the autumn wind: "I can hear you."
For some reason, the woman felt a chill run down her spine upon hearing Xu Shiyue's response.
Seeing that Xu Shiyue had finally been forced to speak, she felt a little smug and brazenly ordered, "Since you can hear, then listen carefully. Pick up these fallen roses before morning. Otherwise, be careful that Miss gets angry and throws you out, you blind woman."
After saying this, the woman in the lead beckoned to the women around her, and they sat down in twos and threes on small stools to leisurely drink tea.
The fallen rose stems lay flat on the ground, their clean petals buried in the soil.
Xu Shiyue remained silent and bent down to explore the sea of roses.
The autumn wind suddenly blew, swaying the weak stems of the roses.
The thorns of the rose mercilessly snagged the girl's slender calves, leaving a shallow, glaring, crimson scratch.
The sun shines brightly and beautifully, and the fiery roses stretch as far as the eye can see.
Everything seemed so beautiful and full of hope, yet no one was willing to go over and lend her a hand.
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