Từ Tinh Nhã was right about one thing: I’m very poor.
I just landed a high-paying job, but payday hasn’t come yet.
I leaned in and stabbed straight into her Hermès bag with a kitchen knife, demonstrating what an “effective attack” looked like.
Từ Tinh Nhã’s eyes reddened with fury, and she lunged at me to hit me. Từ Sâm stepped in front of me and rolled up his sleeves.
He raised his hand. “Từ Tinh Nhã, do you really want me to hit you?!”
Từ Tinh Nhã let out a shriek, then ran over to Mr. and Mrs. Từ and started throwing a tantrum.
“Dad! Mom! I don’t want to see this woman anymore. Kick her out of our house!”
“She dared to cut up my bag! It’s made of rare leather! Does this country bumpkin even know what rare leather is?!”
Từ Sâm’s mother set down her melon seeds and came over to me.
I obediently peeled an apple for her with a paring knife. “Mom, we were just joking around.”
Từ Sâm’s mother smiled. She took my hand, and I felt my wrist grow heavy.
The jade bangle was translucent and smooth, its color an even green. Anyone could tell it was extremely valuable.
I wanted to refuse, but Từ Sâm’s mother insisted that I take it.
“Thank you, Mom.” I could only offer my heartfelt thanks.
That jade bangle was the last straw.
“Mom!” Từ Tinh Nhã burst into tears, her eyes red-rimmed. “How could you give her that bangle?! I’m your daughter!”
It turned out the bangle was an exceptionally rare treasure that Từ Sâm’s mother had bought at an auction many years ago.
Từ Tinh Nhã had always wanted it, but Từ Sâm’s mother had never agreed to give it to her.
And now she was giving it to an outsider!
Từ Sâm’s mother said coldly, “So you do know we’re family?! Ever since your older brother died, I’d hoped you’d grow up, but you’ve only gotten worse. You cause trouble wherever you go and leave Tiểu Sâm to clean up after you. Then you come home and bully Miểu Miểu, throwing your weight around because you’re part of the Từ family. Do you think I don’t know?”
“Tinh Nhã, this is your sister-in-law and your niece!”
“Go back to your room and think about what you’ve done. Don’t come out until you understand.”
Wine dripped from her dress onto the floor, leaving her looking utterly miserable.
She parted her lips, but in the end said nothing and silently walked away.
Từ Sâm lowered his head, his gaze settling on my swollen, reddened cheek.
“I’m sorry.” The pain in Từ Sâm’s eyes was plain to see.
Two clear scratches marked my fair cheek, left by Từ Tinh Nhã’s fake nails.
Miểu Miểu was so thoughtful that she brought out the first-aid kit to bandage me up.
Từ Sâm picked up the hydrogen peroxide. “Let me put some medicine on Mom.”
Miểu Miểu really wanted to do it herself, but she didn’t seem to know how to treat a wound, so she obediently stood by and watched Từ Sâm intently.
Từ Sâm worked very gently. The cotton swab dipped in hydrogen peroxide stung a little as it touched the wound.
“Does it hurt?”
I shook my head.
He gently patted my head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t expect things to turn out like this.”
I let out a soft laugh. “It wasn’t your fault. You’ve already apologized twice.”
Từ Sâm insisted, “It’s my fault you got hurt. I’m sorry.”
He was so close while tending to the wound that I could count each of his long eyelashes.
“You’re being so caring, you might make me think you like me.” I lowered my voice and teased him by his ear.
Từ Sâm lowered his eyes without saying a word, his lashes fluttering like butterfly wings.
I perked up. “Wait, is that true?”
Từ Sâm shot me a glance and pressed the cotton swab a little harder.
I cried out, “Ow!”
Từ Sâm’s parents were sitting not far away. They watched the scene with great interest as they munched on melon seeds.
In the end, Từ Sâm’s mother and father each pulled me and Từ Sâm aside into separate rooms.
Từ Sâm’s mother linked arms with me and said sincerely, “Tiểu Sâm is so busy with work. He has a lot on his mind, but he doesn’t say much. And Miểu Miểu…”
Từ Sâm’s mother seemed to think of something and leaned closer to me.
She lowered her voice and dropped a bombshell. “Tư Nhiên, did you know that Miểu Miểu is actually the daughter of Tiểu Sâm’s older brother?”
I paused. Although I knew about this because of the system, the original me hadn’t known.
So I pretended to be surprised and froze.
“Từ Sâm didn’t tell you? That boy...” Mrs. Từ sighed as she looked at me, then explained the whole story about Miểu Miểu.
“Though Miểu Miểu isn’t Tiểu Sâm’s biological daughter, he’s been the only one looking after her all this time, ever since she was little. She’s even starting to take after him. When Miểu Miểu was young, she wouldn’t talk to anyone. She scared me half to death.”
“Seeing how well you take care of Miểu Miểu, I’m truly grateful to you.”
I hesitated. “You’re not upset about what I just did to Từ Tinh Nhã…?”
Từ Sâm’s mother casually waved a hand and sighed.
“Tinh Nhã’s been spoiled rotten. The whole family has given up on her. When you come back to the old house, just hit her more often. With that kind of personality, who knows what she’ll be like in the future?”
“I heard from Tiểu Sâm that your home is very far away. If she bullies you in the future, just come stay at the old house.”
“The reason I’m telling you this is that I was afraid you might worry. Now that you know, if you and Tiểu Sâm decide to have children of your own someday, you’ll be prepared for that, too.” She smiled happily.
She was sincerely wishing Từ Sâm and me well.
13
For some reason, the system suddenly sounded an alarm in my head.
The shrill siren made my head buzz.
[Are you malfunctioning?]
The system yelled, [No!! Emergency! The survival rate of target Từ Tri Miểu is dropping rapidly!!!]
I immediately ran outside.
Từ Sâm’s mother called my name from behind, but I had no time to explain.
Từ Tri Miểu was no longer in the living room.
As I ran down the stairs, I tried to keep calm. [Where’s Miểu Miểu?]
The system screen froze at the worst possible moment.
[It hasn’t been maintained in a long time, so there’s a little glitch.]
I couldn’t help swearing. [Where did all that experience you’ve built up go? You’ve upgraded to the ultimate, invincible version and gotten so good at completing missions that you’re feeling smug, huh?!]
The system trembled as it repaired itself. [The pool! The pool!!]
I wasn’t familiar with the layout of the Từ family’s old house, and the system had chosen that moment to malfunction.
I hurriedly grabbed the butler and asked where the pool was.
Following the direction he pointed, I rushed into the courtyard and spotted the pool in the distance, its surface perfectly still.
I gritted my teeth. [Miểu Miểu had better be down there. If she isn’t, I’m uninstalling you.]
Seeing Miểu Miểu’s survival rate plummet, I didn’t have time to take off my clothes. I dove straight into the pool.
A patch of pale yellow caught my eye.
It was the dress Miểu Miểu was wearing today.
I swam over as fast as I could, wrapped my arms around her tiny body, and pushed her up to the surface.
Once we were on shore, I quickly performed first aid, clearing the water from her lungs and giving her rescue breaths.
Only when Miểu Miểu’s vital signs began to stabilize did I finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Just as I stood up to call for help, I slipped on the wet ground, hit my head on the tiles, and fell back into the pool.
Talk about dramatic.
Before I lost consciousness, I thought I saw Từ Sâm’s face, wearing an expression of panic I’d never seen before.
14
In theory, after I died, I would leave this world.
But Từ Sâm was amazing. At the critical moment, he brought me back.
The system and I were sitting in the control room. It had taken the form of a little cat and handed me a box of popcorn. “Want some?”
I grabbed a handful of popcorn and happily munched away.
On the big screen in front of us, the mission world played in crystal-clear detail.
I said coolly, “So you traded all the experience you’d earned for this Dolby movie theater?!”
The system wagged its tail, pretending not to hear me.
I grabbed it by the scruff. “You think you’re really a cat now?!”
The system shrieked and pointed at the screen. “Master, look! Từ Sâm is kissing you!”
My hand slipped, and the system got away.
On the screen, Từ Sâm looked gravely serious.
He pulled me out of the pool and immediately began alternating rescue breaths with chest compressions.
During a pause, he shouted for the butler to hurry and get the AED.
Từ Sâm knelt beside me, took off my shirt, and placed the pads on my chest. His hands shook uncontrollably as he called my name over and over.
The system wagged its tail and stood up high, jeering, “Ooooooh!”
It chuckled slyly. “Master, you’re falling in love.”
I turned and shot it a cold glance. The system immediately fell silent.
15
As soon as Từ Tri Miểu woke up, she started crying and demanding to see me. No one could stop her.
When she saw me lying in bed, unconscious and unresponsive, she sobbed uncontrollably. No one could comfort her.
Her sparkling eyes had swollen like two walnuts. She spread her arms to hug me, but was so afraid of hurting me that she moved with utmost care.
Exhausted from crying, she rested her head on my pillow and fell asleep beside me, murmuring, “Mommy, don’t go. Don’t turn into sea foam.”
“Miểu Miểu misses you so much, Mommy.”
…
“Mommy, you lied.”
“You and Miểu Miểu made a promise. You said you’d never leave me.”
…
“Mommy, Daddy said you hit your head on a rock. Does it still hurt when you’re asleep?”
“If it doesn’t hurt when you’re asleep, then sleep a little longer, okay? Open your eyes and look at me when it stops hurting.”
…
“Miểu Miểu wants to hug Mommy.”
…
“Hug me a little longer.”
“Just one hug, and it won’t hurt anymore.”
My heart clenched, and my nose stung.
After leaving the body, it takes time for the system to load the program before I can return.