(Pigeon's Tip: Chapter 12 has been slightly revised, moving some of Yueyue's inner thoughts over, but this does not affect the plot.)
The last trace of orange-red from the setting sun faded completely, and the sky gradually darkened.
A crescent moon hung on the osmanthus tree outside the window, casting its bright light into the room.
The fountain pen, which had just been used, was placed face down on the table, with faint ink stains remaining on the writing pad.
The girl's straight figure was reflected on the empty wall. Xu Shiyue leaned back in her chair, a pair of earphones hidden under her smooth long hair.
Not long after Xu Shiyue returned to her room, Luo Ji sent her a message.
The door to the room was tightly closed, and to make sure no one would come, she turned on the voice chat.
[It's been a long time since I've heard Miss play the piano. Her technique has improved again; it sounds truly beautiful. That madwoman is still somewhat useful, and only a sea of roses is worthy of Miss. It's just that she stared at Miss the entire time; it was utterly disgusting.]
When Luo Ji was working as Xu Shiyue's father's assistant, he was always energetic and outspoken.
Having gone through all this, Xu Shiyue admired Luo Ji's boldness in love and hate even more, and didn't mind her bluntness. After the first video ended, she played the second one.
"I just passed by and saw that crazy woman go to the greenhouse again. It was a plant that was almost dead; a fresh pot would have been fine. I don't know what got into her, but she insisted the greenhouse revive it. I've been tending to it every day for the past few days. It's strange, isn't it? Something that was almost drowned by overwatering actually came back to life... Oh dear, I've been so busy talking about that crazy woman that I almost forgot about the important business I came to see you about."
【Miss, I've already had someone check, and the medicine Lu Shizhen gave you is perfectly safe. Furthermore, Shen Cheng is a top-tier expert in ophthalmology in China; you can rest assured and receive her treatment. With her help, I believe your sight will be restored soon.】
Luo Ji's words were filled with indignation and passion, yet also brimming with hope.
When she heard others wishing her eyes would get better soon, Xu Shiyue no longer felt the disgust and resistance she used to have.
However, his usually flat brows furrowed slightly after he finished speaking, without any change in the slightest.
Whether by accident or not, Luo Ji's second voice message started playing again in Xu Shiyue's ear.
She said that Lu Shizhen saved the plant that she had almost killed by overwatering.
"After all, who doesn't want to live a good life? You're no exception."
Lu Shizhen's words, spoken while squatting in front of the plant, rang in Xu Shiyue's ears for the second time.
The image of that pupil she had seen in the corridor flashed through her mind, as if those words were spoken to her directly. That unwavering determination made her heart skip a beat.
After that fire, whether for their own benefit or genuinely for her own good, everyone was guiding her to associate death with survival and to merge living with forgetting hatred.
Let her find peace, and let her live.
But she couldn't let go of it, so living became a struggle for her.
She was treated like an appendage; everyone expected her to live on for the sake of her deceased parents.
No one had ever told her that "this is actually her own life."
Whether it was by chance or a genuine call to power, Lu Shizhen was absolutely right.
I need to live a good life.
This life belongs to her.
Outsiders all think she has a smooth life and is well-behaved and easy to control.
But how can we know that not all rabbits are white rabbits?
She has the right to choose how she lives.
She will get revenge on those who deserve it and take back what is rightfully hers.
Sun Chenchen, Xu Shouxian...
Xu Shiyue memorized each word in her heart, but hesitated when she saw the name "Lu Shizhen".
It was Lu Shizhen who pointed this out to her.
It was Lu Shizhen who helped her take the first step toward retaliation.
The moonlight outside the window became dazzling, threatening to engulf her from afar.
She heard the screech of brakes almost touching her ear; the enormous monster had nearly hit her.
Her frail body couldn't withstand strenuous exercise, and the taste of blood filled her delicate throat.
In her frantic escape, she saw a blurry figure run out of the passenger seat of the car.
"Xu Shiyue?"
The person's voice was full of surprise, but Xu Shiyue immediately recognized who she was.
There was some resistance, but it was also like grasping at a lifeline.
Her lips, almost pressed together from dryness, parted slightly as Xu Shiyue cautiously called out the name of the person in front of her: "Lu... Shizhen."
“It’s me.” The blurry figure nodded, helping her up from the asphalt road as he said, “What happened to you? Did something happen at home again? Why are you wearing a hospital gown? You…”
But before Lu Shizhen could finish her question, the sound of men talking in the distance interrupted her.
"Damn, I'm speechless. She got away in the blink of an eye?"
"Damn it, where did they go?"
"If the master finds out, none of us will be in good shape!"
"I just saw a figure. Everyone look around, but she's blind. How could she possibly get out of here?!"
...
As if she had quickly grasped the situation, Xu Shiyue heard Lu Shizhen ask, "Did you escape?"
Xu Shiyue remained silent for a long time after hearing this.
She did escape; it was her only chance.
She didn't want to go back to that place, where she was restrained on the hospital bed with straps, like a mindless puppet undergoing their stubbornly insisted treatment.
The pain from the IV catheter stuck in Xu Shiyue's bent wrist, and the damaged straps seemed to be clawing at her, trying to drag her back into the abyss.
Just when things seemed to be going to get hopeless, a hand, somewhat blurred by light and shadow, reached out towards Xu Shiyue's line of sight.
Lu Shizhen's voice was gentler than ever when she had bothered him at school. She said proactively, "Come with me. I won't let them find you. My house is big enough to accommodate you."
The car headlights illuminated the darkness, and the girl's empty, unreal eyes swayed gently.
Home……
Xu Shiyue once thought it was a ray of light that she could grasp to help her escape the abyss.
She was indeed carried away from that abyss by this "light," but this light also pushed her into yet another abyss.
abyss……
So, which abyss is she planning to push herself into this time?
The girl leaned back in her chair with her body straight, her fingers brushing over her phone, which was still on screen, and Luo Ji's voice message was activated once again.
The night breeze blew through the osmanthus tree outside the window, and the golden buds were about to bloom, yet they swayed precariously.
The school uniform skirt, with its sharp folds, rose and fell, the night wind stirring up the girl's long hair as she strode about.
The shrubs were shaken by the passing wind, and many leaves fell, but there was no sense of desolation or decay.
Lu Shizhen held the notification that flashed through her mind, her lips pressed tightly together, her face showing unprecedented excitement.
She ran quickly back to her room, unable to contain herself any longer, and a wide smile spread across her face. The light reflected in her eyes, which were filled with pure joy.
"Were you there just now? Did you hear me? I...I...I got points!" Lu Shizhen excitedly whispered to the little ball that had flown with her all the way, and then she lay down on the bed and started rolling around.
After working so hard for so many days, she finally saw some hope for the future.
Xu Shiyue finally saw her good side! It's truly a rare sight!
The little ball excitedly circled around Lu Shizhen's head, showering her with compliments like a machine gun: "Congratulations, host! Congratulations, host! This is truly a momentous occasion! Today is a milestone day!! I believe that soon, host will definitely gain a huge amount of favor from Xu Shiyue, and the perfect completion of the mission is just around the corner!!"
Unlike usual, Lu Shizhen wasn't embarrassed at all. Under Xiao Qiu's flattery, she smiled even more and even started bragging: "Although I had a bad start, I might become the person who completes the mission the fastest in your system! I'll debut at my peak and break the system record in one fell swoop!"
Then, she reached out and hooked the little ball that was flying around in front of her face, wanting to say something more, but then suddenly realized something and asked, "Oh right, do you have a name? It feels so awkward to always call you System."
Upon hearing this, the little ball calmed down and replied, "My code name is 0523. You can call me by my code name from now on."
Lu Shizhen frowned and asked curiously, "Didn't you have hosts before? Did they give you any names?"
The little ball paused for a moment upon hearing this.
Then she twisted her body and flew out of Lu Shizhen's hand, facing the side with the "x" drawn on it towards her, and said, "They... no, no."
"How could they do this? You're a teammate who fought alongside me!" Lu Shizhen said with some dissatisfaction, then quickly said to the little thing in front of her, "It's okay, if they don't get up, I'll get up for you."
After thinking for a moment, Lu Shizhen asked, "Qiuqiu, how is it?"
The little ball turned around and tilted its head: "Ball?"
Lu Shizhen shook her head, sat up and gestured to the ball in her palm, saying, "Three dots of water, and a 'qiu' radical for autumn."
“When I was little, I thought that if I had a pet, I would name it Qiuqiu, which sounds like the chirping of a sparrow. It’s a pity that I didn’t get to have my own pet until I came here with you.”
At this point, a hint of regret appeared on Lu Shizhen's face.
Then she felt that her regret shouldn't be attributed to the little ball either, since it was, after all, its first name.
Before Lu Shizhen could take back her name, the little ball landed on her head, its voice clear and cheerful: "Okay, host, I'll be called Qiuqiu from now on!"
Lu Shizhen was overjoyed. The smile that had just faded from her face instantly returned, even becoming more pronounced. Her eyes were full of anticipation as she imagined, "Qiuqiu, do you think that since Xu Shiyue has even a little bit of affection for me, her eyesight will be restored soon after she receives treatment?"
Little Ball nodded, its voice full of motivation: "Of course! From now on, Qiuqiu will keep a closer eye on Xu Shiyue's monitoring system! I won't miss any opportunity for the host to gain points!"
"As expected of my Qiuqiu." Lu Shizhen said as she pulled the little ball into her arms.
The warm white light filled the room with brightness, and the two of them rolled around on the bed, each absorbed in their own happy thoughts.
The quilt and pillow were tucked together, and the quilt that Aunt Sun had spread out neatly in the morning was now so crumpled that it was unrecognizable.
The quiet night was filled with the girl's unrestrained revelry of her first success, and the moon rested on the window frame, watching her tenderly.
Just then, a delayed system notification sounded.
-0.5.
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