Chapter 39 "Don't cry."
Azhi had a dream, a rather strange dream.
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Azhi tilted her head and looked at the somewhat arrogant manager in front of her, her lips pursed into a troubled curve—she didn't know if this would make it even more difficult to complete the task.
Say yes quickly.
A sudden mechanical sound rang out, clashing with the ancient surroundings, but no one present seemed to realize anything was amiss, continuing with their own tasks.
Azhi readily accepted the emergence of this groundbreaking "system" because she felt there was nothing about herself that she could covet.
According to the system, she died in a sudden accident. When she was completely plunged into darkness, this thing called "the system" approached her and proposed a cooperation in exchange for life points if she completed certain tasks.
Azhi had little memory of her past life. She was somewhat slow-witted and spent a long time communicating with the system before fully understanding what it meant. Since she didn't know what else to do besides completing the mission, she unsurprisingly chose to cooperate.
With this kind of personality, she usually adopts a compliant attitude when faced with sudden instructions from the system.
Azhi nodded solemnly in her mind and obediently replied, "Understood."
The system was quite satisfied with the girl's attitude. It was initially somewhat reluctant to mentor newcomers, but so far this host had been very obedient, which gave it some comfort.
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There have been too many maids this year, and according to the manager, if they can't find a suitable job, they'll be kicked out. Azhi has a meek personality, so all the chores like gardening and tending plants have been taken away from her, and she's been relegated to her current position.
No one wanted to be sent to serve him, even though he was another young master of the Jiguo Mansion, and even his identity as a young master of the Jiguo Mansion was not widely known.
Following the system's guidance, Azhi turned left and right before finally arriving at her destination. Her current body was too small, only six or seven years old, and her short legs couldn't walk very fast, so it took her quite a while to get there.
She was certain, "He's just a kid now, I'll definitely finish the task quickly." But somehow, she seemed a little unsure, and asked again, "Right?"
The system knew more information than Azhi, especially about the nature of this world, but it didn't reveal too much to Azhi so as not to frighten the seemingly timid girl.
It was silent for a moment before slowly giving an uncertain answer: "Probably." Then, as if to reassure, it added, "As long as you do as I say, there won't be any problems."
So why would such a dangerous place be assigned to a complete novice? And this novice even seems a bit slow and clumsy.
This was the first time the system had thought this way.
They walked in silence for a long time before the system notified them, "[We've arrived.]"
Since no one was willing to take Azhi back, the manager only described the approximate location, and Azhi... the system didn't expect her to find the place, so she could only act as a voice map.
But Azhi didn't grasp the hidden meaning in the system's language. She stopped and realized that the sky had completely darkened and the surroundings were eerily quiet.
Azhi looked around shakily, her petite body trembling uncontrollably. [Are there monsters here?]
No. But there are man-eating demons.
The system didn't tell her everything. The reason it chose to conceal the truth was that if Azhi was lucky enough, she might be able to complete the mission ahead of time, thus avoiding the evil spirit and making it unnecessary to say anything more to scare her.
The system's denial calmed Azhi down a little, but only a little.
Azhi's eyes blinked anxiously, and her soft voice seemed to tremble. She was dressed in coarse cloth, and her thin body looked as if it were about to be swallowed up by the dark alley.
The system sighed softly. [We've arrived.]
Deep within the Jiguo Mansion lies an unnamed wooden gate. This place is remote and narrow, overgrown with withered weeds in winter. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that this is an abandoned place that no one cares about. It's hard to imagine that anyone still lives here.
Azhi took a deep breath, curled her hands, and knocked on the door. "Is anyone home? I'm the maid who was sent here."
Yoriichi Tsugikuni stood behind the door, expressionless, his calm eyes staring straight at the wooden door as if there were nothing blocking his view.
The knocking was intermittent, but not very forceful. Each knock was spaced out after a while, as if afraid of startling some wild beast, extremely timid.
Azhi was indeed a little scared, because of the news she had just heard from other maids who were unwilling to come.
In their description, this person named ■■■■ had a blue-faced, fanged face, and three heads and six arms, resembling a monster. Now, given the surrounding environment, those ominous words seemed to come alive.
That's why she asked the system that question.
But her task is to fulfill the wish of this person named ■■■■, not just a simple, offhand wish, but a wish that comes from the heart and contains the most genuine emotions.
"N-nobody..." Azhi looked a little pitiful. The mission had just started and a problem had arisen, leaving her completely at a loss. She rubbed her red nose and couldn't help but sneeze.
Azhi was a little troubled. "What should I do?"
System: I'm starting to feel hopeless about the mission.
Although it wasn't deep winter yet, a sudden gust of cold wind could still make people feel extremely cold. Ji Guoyuan heard the sound behind the door and quickly pushed it open. He saw the girl standing in the doorway and was so frightened that he staggered backward and almost fell over.
Like that abandoned kitten, it was abandoned before it could survive independently. It was trembling with fear when faced with unexpected situations and unable to solve any problems it encountered.
The thought suddenly popped into Yoriichi's mind: when he was five years old, he saw a kitten at the door. It was also winter. The kitten was curled up in the corner and weakly meowed a few times. Its dark eyes had lost their spirit.
If left unattended, the kitten would soon freeze to death this winter. Ji Guoyuan took the kitten home and raised it for a while, but it ran away once in the spring and never came back.
The boy's face was expressionless, lifeless like a sculpted doll. His dark red hair was somewhat messy, and irregular red marks spread across his forehead. His eyes were fixed on Azhi, and the shadow of his body almost completely enveloped her in the moonlight.
He suddenly appeared in front of her without any warning, and the boy's clothes were not exactly neat. Azhi's heart trembled violently, and she barely managed to control herself from turning around and running away. Her whole body stiffened.
Like a cat with its fur standing on end.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni frowned, suddenly regretting that he hadn't meant to scare her.
It was pitch black outside, as if to enhance the eerie atmosphere. The wind howled, and the dry grass rustled softly. In times like these, every second felt incredibly long. Azhi suddenly closed her eyes, her lips pressed together until they were almost white. [There really is a monster!!!]
He is [■■■■].
The system couldn't stand it anymore, and it was also a little helpless. It didn't know what to say. If a normal person really encountered something, they would have run away long ago. Who would close their eyes and wait to die?
Her long, curled eyelashes trembled incessantly, and as if engaged in some internal struggle, the girl slowly opened her eyes and stared at him blankly.
—Are you too scared?
—Won't something bad happen if we leave it unattended?
Yoriichi Tsugikuni thought to himself that he remembered the cat had done the same thing when he approached. It first bared its teeth, but then seemed to have run out of strength and could only close its eyes as if resigned to its fate, trembling as he held it in his arms.
"[He is...■■■■.]" Having shed the initial terrifying impression described by others, Aori, thinking she had been very careful, took another careful look at Yoriichi Tsugikuni. "[He doesn't seem so scary after all.]"
Azhi's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she pursed her lips nervously, calling out in a low, soft voice, "Young Master."
"I...I am a maid who was sent here."
Upon hearing the girl's address, Yoriichi Tsugikuni's eyes trembled slightly. He didn't speak, but simply stepped aside to make more space, gesturing for the girl to follow him inside first.
Time seemed to stand still for a few seconds. It took Aori a moment to understand what Yoriichi Tsugikuni meant. With a heart full of trepidation, she gently stepped into the courtyard.
—It's too dark.
It was pitch black; you could barely see anything from outside the door, but after the door was closed, almost no light was left.
If they were to meet under these circumstances, Azhi felt she would be terrified. It seemed that the current situation was somewhat better, and she inexplicably comforted herself.
Her mind was racing, and despite being very careful, the pitch blackness and completely unfamiliar surroundings caused A-Zhi to trip over something she didn't recognize.
Her head slammed heavily against Yoriichi's back. Almost at the same time, Aori heard a muffled groan from the boy. She shook her dizzy head and groped for Yoriichi's back, gently massaging it to try and ease his pain.
A red mark appeared on her forehead, and fearing a scolding, Azhi's voice held some unease, "Are you alright? I didn't mean to..."
—They'll probably be kicked out.
—How can I complete the task if I've been kicked out?
The emotions that had been building up all day collapsed at this moment. The confusion about the current situation and the anxiety about the future filled her heart all at once. Azhi had been following the system's instructions from the very beginning, but she didn't know why she was so stupid, making all sorts of mistakes even in simple things.
A surge of heat welled up in my eyes, and tears streamed down my face uncontrollably.
As several tears fell onto the back of his hand, Yoriichi Tsugikuni realized what was happening. His body froze, and for the first time, his usually calm heart felt utterly helpless.
He has never spoken to anyone other than his mother since birth, and he rarely speaks even to his mother. People think he is deaf because he cannot hear and therefore cannot speak.
However, Yoriichi Tsugikuni simply didn't want to talk. Because of what his father said to him when he was young, he believed that anyone who talked to him would bring misfortune. In addition, no one would usually take the initiative to talk to him.
Azhi's breakdown was sudden, but her crying was quiet, like a small animal licking its wounds alone. Even the system was startled and stammered in comfort, "Oh dear, don't cry..."
The girl's tears were becoming increasingly intense. She seemed unaware that her tears had been noticed, and soon Yoriichi's hand was completely soaked.
If left unattended, it will wither and die like a plant starving.
As soon as Yoriichi Tsugikuni realized that the girl was crying, he turned around and saw that Aori's face was covered in tears. Her nose was red from crying, but she still didn't make a sound. She looked so pitiful.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni frowned, looking rather helpless, and awkwardly wiped away the tears from Aori's eyes with his fingers.
"Don't cry." This was the first time he had spoken in front of a stranger. A hint of embarrassment appeared on his expressionless, youthful face, but his drooping eyes held a touch of helpless tenderness. Yoriichi Tsugikuni repeated, "Don't cry."
A hoarse but not frightening voice came from above. The cold wind blew on her liquid-stained cheeks, and the rough but warm fingertips stung her skin. Azhi squinted and forgot to cry.
She stared blankly at the boy in front of her, who was a little taller than her, and her out-of-control emotions gradually subsided.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni didn't withdraw his hand until his tears were wiped away, but he glanced at the dark road and saw that there was still a short distance to go. As if he had made a decision in his heart, he slowly reached out his hand again.
On this lonely, cold winter night, which was no different from any other, Yoriichi Tsugikuni found a little girl.
"Follow me first."
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Author's note: You didn't expect that, did you? Hehe.
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