Shen Xiaoyu entered Shen Nian'an's room. The little girl had already fallen asleep hugging a stuffed toy, and definitely hadn't heard the sound from earlier.
She took a couple of breaths, replaying the scene in her mind, and couldn't help covering her somewhat heated face.
Who could resist that!
One more time and she would definitely have given in.
No, no, she needed to quickly complete the mission and leave. Who knew when this broken system would return.
Shen Xiaoyu tried hard to calm herself before quietly getting into bed.
She had wanted to hug Shen Nian'an while sleeping but was worried about waking her, so she curled up in a corner. She convinced herself to forget about tonight's events.
She was only here for the pursuit mission. Everyone she met was an NPC. Her goal was to return home. Those who shook her resolve would be eliminated without mercy!
After repeating this to herself countless times, Shen Xiaoyu finally fell into a deep sleep. In her dreams, a soft little body rolled into her arms, holding her tightly.
Shen Xiaoyu held the person in return, nuzzling her little head and murmuring an indistinct "good girl" before falling back into deep sleep.
The next day, Shen Xiaoyu was awakened by a sharp scream.
She opened her eyes to see Shen Nian'an sitting on the bed, clutching a stuffed toy with a bright red face, looking at her in shock. After a while, she finally managed to speak.
"Y-y-you, why are you in my room!" The little girl puffed up like a blowfish again.
Shen Xiaoyu yawned, reached out to pull the little girl back into her arms. "Don't make noise. Let's sleep a bit more."
Shen Nian'an's little face grew even redder. She struggled to escape from her arms but was held even tighter.
"Nian'an, I'm really tired. Let's sleep a bit more, okay?" Shen Xiaoyu said with closed eyes, her warm palm rubbing the little girl's head.
Whether it was because of her words or her actions, Shen Nian'an's struggles gradually diminished until she finally nestled obediently in her arms, tilting her head to secretly look at her face.
She observed Shen Xiaoyu's face, as if trying to find similarities to herself.
The household servants all said her eyes were like Mommy's, so her face must be more like her mother's.
Before, she would look in the mirror imagining what her mother looked like, but seeing her in person, she found that her mother was even more beautiful than she had imagined. No wonder she was her mother.
Shen Nian'an secretly snuggled deeper into her arms, until she was completely enveloped by Shen Xiaoyu.
She could go tell that jerk who had called her a bastard that she had a mother, and her mother was even more beautiful than his!
She would also tell him that the reason she didn't look much like Mommy was because her mouth and nose resembled her mother.
Shen Nian'an hugged Shen Xiaoyu back tightly, took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and fell asleep again.
When Su Huan arrived, she saw the pair sleeping sweetly in each other's arms.
She stood by the bed for a long time, a warm current gradually rising in her bitter heart. Hadn't she persisted all this time for this very day?
Su Huan exhaled, took out her phone to take a photo of the two, then turned to leave. Before going out, she dialed a number.
"Teacher, this is Nian'an's parent. I'm calling to excuse Nian'an today..."
Su Huan's voice gradually faded. On the bed, Shen Xiaoyu finally breathed a sigh of relief and found a more comfortable position to continue napping.
The two slept until noon. When they woke up, Shen Nian'an was still a bit embarrassed, lowering her head and not looking at Shen Xiaoyu.
She didn't bring up the matter of Shen Xiaoyu sleeping in her bed, and Shen Xiaoyu didn't say anything either. She figured that if she faced an embarrassing situation again, she could still come to borrow a bed. If she mentioned it, the little one might become angry and drive her out.
Shen Xiaoyu nodded and swayed, tidying up the bed, and very naturally arranging Shen Nian'an's stuffed toys one by one.
When Shen Nian'an came out, she saw the row of stuffed toys crouching at the head of the bed. Her little yellow duck had been mischievously tossed onto the bed, its expression looking pitiful, as if it had been bullied by the other toys.
Shen Nian'an pressed her lips into a smile, but quickly hid her happiness, coldly walking out the door.
She wouldn't let this woman see her happiness! She still remembered how this woman had caused her to be scolded by Mommy yesterday!
However, for letting her sleep in her arms, she would tell her she was happy. But she would wait, wait until her birthday to tell her.
That's decided!
After that, Shen Xiaoyu settled in at Su Huan's home. Apart from the first day of "not getting along" with Shen Nian'an, in the following days, Shen Nian'an didn't speak to her again, only secretly glancing at her with her eyes.
Shen Xiaoyu pretended not to notice. If she was being watched, so be it. It wouldn't make her lose any flesh.
Occasionally, though, Shen Xiaoyu would look back, mimicking the little girl's expression and rolling her eyes at her, angering the little girl so much that at night she would throw her pillow out of the room.
Then Shen Xiaoyu would sneak in after the little girl fell asleep and hold her while sleeping.
Every day, she ate, slept, and teased the child, in a continuous cycle.
Although she only drank some of the same porridge and soup, she did feel her spirits improving.
Perhaps because they had slept together, Shen Nian'an became increasingly relaxed and lively around her. Even though she still seemed not to like her much, her tone when speaking was no longer so distant. Given time, their relationship would certainly become good.
Under this lifestyle, the kitchen also began to give her other types of nutritious meals. Although the portions weren't very large, it was better than nothing.
This kind of life made her whole being relax. A laid-back life! It was the dream of so many busy people throughout their lives, and she had realized it.
The only imperfection was that she couldn't go online. She couldn't touch computers or phones, and she couldn't even watch TV.
Su Huan said her mental state wasn't good and she needed more rest. These things would affect her recovery. Even Shen Nian'an was unwilling to lend her electronic devices, saying Su Huan had instructed against it.
Shen Xiaoyu boredly trampled the garden grass bare. Another thing that depressed her was that she still couldn't contact the system.
She had tried the place where the system had appeared last time, but no matter how she called, she couldn't make the system appear.
Shen Xiaoyu figured she would try another location after some time. After all, this place was on a hillside, so poor signal was normal.
However, recently, Shen Xiaoyu had another worry: she kept having dreams.
In her dreams, Su Huan would appear with other people. She didn't know these people, but they seemed to have a familiar relationship. She was certain she didn't know these people and didn't know why they appeared in her dreams.
Waking up once more, she sat on the edge of the bed with half-open eyes, dazed and unable to distinguish whether this was reality or the book world.
The dream had more people whose faces she couldn't see clearly. They threw black objects at her. She wanted to dodge but couldn't, and could only watch as they dyed her black with color.
Thinking of the scenes from her dream, Shen Xiaoyu's heart felt blocked, uncomfortable to the point of making her feel wronged.
What was going on?
Shen Xiaoyu raised her hand to wipe the cold sweat from her forehead, lifted the blanket, and sat on the edge of the bed. Just as she was about to pick up the water from the bedside, her hand trembled, and the cup fell, spilling water all over the table.
She hurriedly went to get tissues to wipe the water on the table, when suddenly she heard the crackling sound of the system.
It was the system!
Shen Xiaoyu sat on the edge of the bed, frantically calling out to the system in her mind. [System, is that you? Are you back?]
[Crackle—Ho-host, it's me.] The system's electronic voice still wasn't very stable, but it sounded much better than the last time.
[What's going on? Is your signal this bad?]
Shen Xiaoyu was somewhat disdainful. [If you don't tell me what the mission is soon, I'm going to go crazy.]
The system made another crackling sound. [Host, why haven't you left yet? Didn't I remind you last time to leave quickly?]
[Go where?] Shen Xiaoyu asked back. [I'm unfamiliar with this place. You didn't tell me where to go or how to leave. I can't just go beg on the streets without a penny, can I?]
She didn't even have information on the pursuit target. She wouldn't know who to target even if she wanted to scam someone.
[Ho...host...pursuit...pursuit...]
The broken words sounded again. Shen Xiaoyu knew immediately that the system's signal was unstable again.
[You might as well upgrade. This terrible signal really delays work.]
After quite a while, the system's crackling sound improved, and its voice also became a bit clearer.
[Host.] The system's voice was very serious. [There's a very strong signal blocker here, seemingly developed specifically to counter our system. I've put in a great effort to reconnect with you.]
Shen Xiaoyu's expression froze, her brows slightly furrowing. [Signal blocker? How could there be such high-tech devices here?]
Wait...
Shen Xiaoyu suddenly remembered something. She used her hand to move the bedside table and saw a small device underneath. The water she had spilled had fallen on it, and it was no longer working.
[So, is this the signal blocker you mentioned?]
[That's right! It's this thing!] The system confirmed.
A chill ran up Shen Xiaoyu's back. This was Su Huan's room. Last night, she had argued with the little girl and was driven out of the room at midnight. With no choice, she had slept in the master bedroom, only to discover a signal blocker in the master bedroom today...
[But, why would Su Huan do this?] She was puzzled.
[This is quite complicated to explain, but I can definitely tell you that Su Huan has gone mad!]
The system's warning voice exploded in her ear, so loud it made her brain ache: [Please leave immediately! Please leave immediately!]
She painfully covered her ears, wishing she could pull the system out of her head. [Why would Su Huan install this thing?]
[Wait, you're a system, not a product of this dimension. Why would the blockers here affect you?]
The system couldn't explain clearly. It also wanted to know why something from a two-dimensional world would affect it, but it did!
From the moment Shen Xiaoyu woke up and left that room, it had lost contact with her. It was only when Shen Xiaoyu returned to this villa that it found an opportunity to contact her.
Unfortunately, the system's invasion wasn't very good. It was quickly discovered by the network firewall and isolated outside.
For so long, the system had been trying to find a way to reconnect with Shen Xiaoyu, but unfortunately, with the blocker added, it had no chance.
This time, it was only because the blocker had malfunctioned that it was able to contact the host.
The system wanted to tell Shen Xiaoyu everything, but if it did, it would interfere with the pursuit process and would be captured by the main god and put in solitary confinement. At that point, it would be even harder for Shen Xiaoyu to complete the mission.
Shen Xiaoyu didn't know what the system was thinking and didn't want to dwell any further on these issues. She directly asked: [What should I do now?]
The system was silent for a while before finally uttering words: [Bide your time.]
[Are you sure?]
The system hummed in agreement. [You will soon meet your pursuit target. At that point, as long as you make an appearance, she will find a way to take you away.]
After saying this, the system hesitated, as if it had something else to say to her, but in the end, it said nothing and went offline.
Shen Xiaoyu didn't mind, pondering the system's words before clapping her hands together. If that was the case, then things were simple.
She just needed to wait here for the pursuit target mentioned by the system and let her take her away.
Shen Xiaoyu pretended nothing had happened and continued living like a pig.
Soon, she learned what the system meant by the plot point—
Shen Nian'an's birthday.
According to the household servants, every year Su Huan would host a birthday party for Shen Nian'an, and this year was no exception.
However, the difference was that this year, when the kitchen was about to make a menu, they were suddenly stopped. The person who stopped them was Su Huan.
"No need to make a list. We won't have a party this year."
Shen Nian'an looked somewhat startled, hugging Su Huan and asking, "Mommy, aren't we celebrating my birthday this year?"
"Of course we are. This is your mother's first time participating in your birthday. I don't want other people to disturb us."
Su Huan pinched her little cheek and looked at Shen Xiaoyu sitting nearby. "So I thought just the three of us would celebrate together. Isn't that your childhood dream?"
Shen Nian'an's expression changed. Following her gaze, she looked at the daydreaming Shen Xiaoyu, her expression somewhat conflicted.
But ultimately, her childhood dream prevailed. She nodded, "Alright then, I guess I'll reluctantly celebrate with her."
"So what gift does my baby want? Do you want to play games together?"
"Yes!" Shen Nian'an said decisively. "I'll go prepare now!"
After saying this, she ran upstairs.
This would be her first time celebrating a birthday with her mother. She had to prepare well.
"Xiaoyu, what are you thinking about?"
Su Huan got up and sat in the chair beside her. As if unintentionally, her arm brushed against Shen Xiaoyu's arm, then pressed tightly against it.
Shen Xiaoyu immediately felt her scalp tingle. She quickly removed her arm and shifted away to create distance between them.
"Nothing, just spacing out. Did you just say you won't be hosting a party for Nian'an this year?"
"Yes, this is the first time our family of three will celebrate Nian'an's birthday together. I don't want anyone else to disturb us," Su Huan said.
Shen Xiaoyu let out an "oh" without saying anything more.
If no guests were invited, how would her pursuit target appear? If she didn't appear, she couldn't leave and would have to stay here.
How long would that be?
Shen Xiaoyu silently wondered what the probability was of her suggesting that Su Huan host a party for Shen Nian'an.
Her eyes moved around as she contemplated the possibilities, completely unaware that her thoughts were transparent to the person beside her.
Without the system, Su Huan couldn't hear her inner voice, but the post-amnesia Shen Xiaoyu's expressions were easy to read. Just by looking at her face, she could tell what she was thinking.
Shen Xiaoyu didn't want to stay here.
When Su Huan was at work, she often saw Shen Xiaoyu wandering around the house, especially spending a long time wandering in the garden. Perhaps because of the system's sudden contact last time, she felt she could reconnect with the system in the garden.
But Shen Xiaoyu didn't know that after that time, Su Huan had strengthened the blocking intensity in the garden.
These blockers only targeted the system; all electronic devices in the villa could be used normally. If they weren't so difficult to transport, she would have taken Shen Xiaoyu abroad to relax.
Su Huan's eyes darkened slightly. Once the people in the research institute figured out how to separate the system from Shen Xiaoyu's body, she wouldn't have to live such an anxious life anymore.
The two remained silent, each with their own thoughts.
Time flew by, and soon it was Shen Nian'an's birthday.
The servants wore newly made clothes, moving through the villa, decorating it in a way Shen Nian'an liked. Even without a party, they didn't skimp on effort.
Shen Xiaoyu lay on the staircase on the second floor like someone with nothing to do. She was penniless and couldn't even give a gift.
But if she didn't, Shen Nian'an would probably be disappointed. After thinking about it, she turned and went into the kitchen.
By the time Su Huan returned, Shen Xiaoyu had prepared a table full of dishes and an exquisite fondant cake.
Shen Xiaoyu was a bit embarrassed. "I didn't know what to give, so I'll let these be Nian'an's birthday gift."
Su Huan smiled and nodded. "No matter what you give, Nian'an will be very happy."
Sure enough, Shen Nian'an's eyes were red-rimmed. When making a wish, she deliberately said loudly, "I hope I can eat your homemade cake every year!"
Before Shen Xiaoyu could speak, Shen Nian'an had already blown out the candles.
The moment the candles went out, a knock sounded at the door.
The servant ran to open it, looking somewhat surprised at the person outside. "Miss Tang?" The servant looked back toward the dining room. "Miss Su, it's Miss Tang."
The family of three all paused simultaneously at Tang Tang's arrival.
Shen Xiaoyu, with no memory at all, looked confused, wondering who this unexpected guest was. Looking up, she noticed Su Huan's once-smiling face had become inscrutable. Noticing her observation, Su Huan quickly regained her composure.
The two had varying expressions, while Shen Nian'an happily ran toward Tang Tang.
"Auntie Tang Tang, you haven't come to see me for so long. I'm so happy you came for my birthday."
Tang Tang smiled and hugged An'an, handing her the gift with a smile. "An'an darling, happy birthday!"
"Congratulations to our An'an for growing another year older! Sister Huan, why didn't you host a birthday..."
Tang Tang, who was walking in holding An'an's hand, suddenly fell silent when she saw Shen Xiaoyu sitting at the table. The surprise on her face couldn't be hidden.
Shen Xiaoyu felt somewhat awkward being stared at and quietly stood up to try to slip away, but Su Huan grabbed her hand.
Su Huan calmly looked at Tang Tang and said flatly, "I've already notified everyone that we won't be having a birthday party this year. I just want our family to accompany An'an for her birthday. Now that you've delivered the gift, Miss Tang, please leave!"
The dismissal in Su Huan's words was too obvious, making Tang Tang's expression very awkward.
But she clearly wasn't so easily sent away. She forced a smile, bent down to hug An'an, and said, "An'an, would you like auntie to stay and celebrate your birthday with you today?"
"Yes..."
"Shen Nian'an!"
Just as Shen Nian'an was about to say yes, she heard Su Huan's warning voice and was frightened into looking up at her.
She saw Su Huan staring at her with a serious expression. How scary! Mommy was really angry!
Despite being a little bear, Shen Nian'an was particularly observant of people's expressions. She immediately withdrew from Tang Tang's arms, obediently stood beside Su Huan, and murmured softly, "Um, auntie... maybe you can come play with me another day!" After saying this, she secretly glared at Shen Xiaoyu.
Bad person. She must have said bad things about Auntie Tang Tang to Mommy, which is why Mommy wouldn't let auntie play with her.
Shen Xiaoyu, who had been glared at fiercely by An'an, became even more confused.
What was this situation? She could smell the strong scent of melodrama.
This useless system didn't explain the plot and character relationships to her in advance, making her like an idiot now, not daring to say anything or do anything!
Shen Xiaoyu could only silently criticize the system while anxiously maintaining her silence, trying her best to hide her presence.
But Tang Tang obviously wouldn't ignore her. Her gaze lingered on Shen Xiaoyu for a long time, making Shen Xiaoyu feel uncomfortable. Just as she was about to force herself to say something to break the awkwardness, Su Huan suddenly stepped forward and blocked her.
Seeing this, Tang Tang couldn't maintain her composure any longer and said with a forced smile, "Sister Huan, you didn't even tell me that Xiaoyu had woken up."
"It's none of your business," Su Huan responded coldly.
"What do you mean by that?" Tang Tang's expression immediately changed. "Su Huan, are you planning to kick away the ladder after crossing the river?"
Su Huan looked at Tang Tang with a grim face, containing a warning: "Tang Tang, today is An'an's birthday. We can discuss anything else later."
Seeing Su Huan's displeased expression, Tang Tang moderated her anger: "Fine, let's talk privately."
Su Huan didn't immediately agree. Instead, she instinctively looked back at Shen Xiaoyu, as if afraid she would misunderstand, her spine momentarily stiffening.
Shen Xiaoyu, in turn, felt somewhat guilty under her gaze, uncomfortably averting her eyes, not daring to meet her gaze.
Oh my, had she been caught out somehow?
With the two exchanging glances, Tang Tang's expression grew increasingly gloomy. She scoffed, "Su Huan, do you really want me to say everything that happened in the past here? Do you think that knowing the truth..."
"Shut up!"
Su Huan's expression suddenly changed, hurriedly stopping Tang Tang's next words, instinctively looking back at Shen Xiaoyu.
Shen Xiaoyu could no longer pretend to be mute. She could only pretend to be casual and say, "Um... if you two need to talk, I'll go back to my room first."
She had just turned to leave when Su Huan immediately grabbed her hand. The warm touch startled Shen Xiaoyu, who instinctively tried to pull away but was held by Su Huan and placed in Shen Nian'an's hand.
"An'an, take your mother upstairs. I need to talk with your Aunt Tang."
Su Huan's tone brooked no refusal. Shen Nian'an nodded obediently for once, "Alright."
Despite her curiosity, the uninformed Shen Xiaoyu didn't dare ask too many questions and could only be reluctantly led upstairs by Shen Nian'an.
Watching the two go upstairs, Su Huan gestured for Tang Tang to follow her into the study. Closing the door, she looked at Tang Tang with a vigilant expression. "What do you want?"
Tang Tang frowned at Su Huan: "What do I want? Su Huan, why didn't you tell me about something as big as Shen Xiaoyu waking up?"
"I told you, this matter is unrelated to our cooperation."
"How is it unrelated?" Tang Tang gave a cold laugh, "Don't forget, if it weren't for the information I provided, you would never have been able to research the system blocker, and Shen Xiaoyu wouldn't have woken up."
Su Huan looked at Tang Tang impassively: "Tang Tang, what exactly do you want to say?"
"Su Huan, I just hope you don't forget our objective. Don't think that everything is fine just because Shen Xiaoyu has returned. As long as the system still exists, she can come back today and leave again tomorrow."
Tang Tang spoke rapidly, emphasizing each word, "Only by quickly finding a method to completely eliminate the system can you keep Shen Xiaoyu permanently in this world."
"Rest assured, Xiaoyu's awakening won't affect our cooperation. The experiment is progressing smoothly. The range of the system blocker continues to expand. I believe there will be greater progress soon. I need you to provide me with more information."
While Su Huan was speaking, Tang Tang kept staring intently at her eyes, trying to discern something from those beautiful orbs.
However, to her disappointment, Su Huan's eyes remained calm, showing no ripples.
"Su Huan, are you going to continue this pretense?"
"I don't understand what you're talking about."
Tang Tang couldn't help but sneer, "Su Huan, the internet is flooded with information about your past together, and there's Shi Qiubai who's always targeted you. She will definitely find out soon and come looking. How long do you think you can deceive Shen Xiaoyu? Once she knows everything, will she still obediently follow your manipulation?"
Su Huan pressed her lips together, a gloom flashing across her eyes. Finally, she gritted her teeth and said, "That's none of your business. You can leave now."
Tang Tang's face showed a trace of unwillingness, but she still held back. However, before leaving, she left a harsh remark: "Su Huan, I hope you don't forget the purpose of our cooperation."
After Tang Tang left, Su Huan sat alone at the desk, looking out the window, lost in deep thought for a long time.
She knew Tang Tang couldn't be trusted, but she had no other option.
When she decided to let Shen Xiaoyu leave, she thought she could let go, could endure the pain and wish her happiness in another world.
But when Shen Xiaoyu actually lost consciousness in her arms, she felt her world completely collapse. In an instant, nothing else mattered. She just wanted to keep Shen Xiaoyu, no matter the cost.
But she had no way to do so. She didn't know what the system controlling Shen Xiaoyu was, let alone how to go to Shen Xiaoyu's world to find her.
She could only wait silently, humbly hoping that the child in her belly would bring a connection, making Shen Xiaoyu come back to see her once more.
But such waiting was too long, so long that she didn't know if even a lifetime would be enough to wait for the person she wanted. As time passed, she gradually despaired and increasingly regretted why she had let Shen Xiaoyu go in the first place.
She shouldn't have let Shen Xiaoyu leave. Even if they—no, the whole family—died together, it would be better than this endless waiting, this bitter torment.
Until Tang Tang came to find her, and she heard again a voice claiming to be a correction system.
That system told Tang Tang: "This world has been altered from its original storyline by Shen Xiaoyu, an intruding pursuer. Now that the pursuer has been removed, please begin correcting this world's plot immediately, host."
Su Huan learned from Tang Tang that the world they lived in was a book. She was originally the villain of this book, while Tang Tang was the main female character. Her awakening was to escape from the main male character, Ning Yu.
But the rebellious Tang Tang would be forcibly controlled by the system, continuing the original plot and becoming entangled with the main male character, Ning Yu.
Tang Tang said: "Su Huan, I've told you everything. I can help you find Shen Xiaoyu, but you must agree to cooperate with me and help me research a way to escape the system."
She said: "Why should I believe you?"
"Besides believing me, do you have any other options? Just like I have no way out right now."
Tang Tang laughed despairingly: "After Shen Xiaoyu leaves, the system will begin to correct this world's storyline. People outside the story will be eliminated. Guess who will be the first to be eliminated?"
Almost instantly, Su Huan knew.
Shen Nian'an, her daughter, who was never meant to be born in this world.
Shen Nian'an's health had been poor since birth, and she had received several critical condition notices after birth.
Su Huan had always thought it was because her emotions fluctuated too much during pregnancy, causing Shen Nian'an to be born prematurely. She never imagined it was this world correcting the plot.
Su Huan could only temporarily pretend to cooperate with Tang Tang, researching the system blocker based on her information while also studying and gathering information from her conversations with the system, trying to find a way to bring Shen Xiaoyu back.
But it was too difficult. She thought she would gain nothing in this life, but unexpectedly, Shen Xiaoyu really came back.
Then nothing else mattered.
She just wanted to protect Shen Xiaoyu and their daughter, no matter the cost.