Tan You rolled her eyes. "You’re asking me? That thing looks like a system, doesn’t it? Let’s get out of here. Who knows if it’ll snatch you up?"
The Beauty System moved even faster than Tan You. "Right, right, right! We have to go, now... I don’t wanna die..."
The human and system duo quickly vanished from Yun Lan’s living room. Before disappearing, Tan You glanced toward the northwest corner. She had a feeling something was off over there, but when she looked, she didn’t see anything. ’Am I just being paranoid?’
The moment they vanished, a figure suddenly appeared in the northwest corner of the living room. "Looks like they got a good scare. 01, it seems they mistook you for a counterfeit system, too."
"That little system is just ignorant," the silver ball of light said, pleased as it stowed away the counterfeit system it had captured. "Once it calms down, it’ll figure things out."
"But this Host is really something else. We’ve come up empty three times in a row, and it was probably her doing. She could even sense you were there. What did you feel?"
"I didn’t feel anything special. She’s still too naive, after all." The man spread his hands and shrugged. "Isn’t it nice to have someone do your work for you? But she’d better be careful. Not every task-taker is as easygoing as I am. Leaving when she did was the smart move."
Tan You and the Beauty System fled a long way before finally stopping. The Beauty System was panting, "HUFF... PUFF... Host, that... that was terrifying!"
Tan You calmed down before it did, her brain finally coming back online. "Why do I get the feeling that system was what you’d call a ’cleaner’?"
"Huh? It was?" The Beauty System tilted its head, its CPU practically burning up. "I-I don’t know. I’ve never seen one."
Tan You was speechless. "So my gut feeling wasn’t wrong. There was another person in the living room—or a task-taker, I should say."
"There was another task-taker in the living room?" The Beauty System was shocked. "I didn’t notice anything! Host, how did you know?"
’If this little system had spotted them, wouldn’t that make me look completely useless? So, in the end, it just means I’m still too weak.’
"For a system to enter a mission world, it must have a client. Otherwise, the system has no anchor point to exist in reality," Tan You said softly. "It’s because the task-taker exists in the real world that the system can return after completing the mission. Do I really need to explain something so basic?"
"That’s true," the Beauty System said, nodding. "That task-taker must be really strong, then. Even you didn’t notice him, Host."
Tan You said, "Exactly. That’s why we had to run. This is only my second intermediate-level mission. I’m definitely still a newbie task-taker. Looks like we’ll have to put this system-hunting mission on the back burner for a bit."
The Beauty System wasn’t greedy. "Okay. The Host’s safety is the top priority."
A smile touched Tan You’s eyes. She wasn’t a particularly soft-hearted person, but whenever she was with this little system, she couldn’t help but feel her heart soften.
’This little system really knows how to provide emotional support.’
Putting the encounter with the task-taker to the back of her mind, Tan You didn’t delay any longer and returned with the Beauty System to Zhu Sha’s apartment. Her relationship with Zhu Sha was... well, it was a fairly ordinary one. You couldn’t say they told each other everything.
After all, she had helped Zhu Sha get a divorce, eliminated the direct threat to her life, and even made her career a resounding success. Even if Zhu Sha were a complete idiot, she couldn’t possibly mess up her career at this point, right?
Zhu Sha was not pleased. "I’m not an idiot, Ms. Tan. That’s going too far."
Tan You shot her a look. "I just can’t stand you people who act like your life is over because of a man. It’s been over a year. You still haven’t gotten over it?"
Zhu Sha threw herself onto the sofa in a fit of self-pity. "He left me with so much pain. You know, the more pain..."
"I don’t know," Tan You cut her off. "I just think you invested too much into Lu Mofeng and Lu Chenling. So now that you’re being asked to pull back that investment, you’re just unwilling to let go."
"Let’s analyze this. What exactly did you like about that scumbag Lu Mofeng? In terms of money, you have plenty of your own now. In terms of status, you’re a famous streamer on the platform."
"In terms of looks, you’ve always been gorgeous, and you’re even more beautiful now."
"In terms of principles, does a scumbag like Lu Mofeng even have any? So what is it about this spineless scumbag that you’re still clinging to?"
Tan You sighed. "Do you know why I don’t stay by your side for long?"
Zhu Sha paused. "Why?"
"Every time I see you, I get so frustrated by your lack of fight. You’re always so wishy-washy and indecisive," Tan You said in a low voice. "If you stay like this, I think I’d better just go back early. A few more visits with you, and I’m afraid I won’t outlive a prisoner on death row."
Zhu Sha let out a snort of laughter, but seeing Tan You’s serious expression, she sheepishly tucked her smile away. "I don’t get it. Even now, I just don’t get it. Ms. Tan, you clearly sent him a dream to tell him the truth."
"He knows that Shen Mo wasn’t as good as he imagined. He even understands that what happened to him and Lu Chenling all those years ago was because of Shen Mo. But why can’t he see me? I dedicated my youth to him, helped him raise his child, and for what? What did I get in the end?"
Tan You said, "So what you can’t accept is why, even after knowing the truth, he still couldn’t see your good qualities?"
Zhu Sha nodded. "That’s what I can never figure out."
Tan You scoffed. "Let’s just suppose that right now, Lu Mofeng came back, wanting to get back together with you. And Lu Chenling also accepted you with all his heart. Your little family of three, happy and harmonious—is that the life you want?"
"Could you completely accept the fact that Lu Mofeng cheated and that Lu Chenling is an ungrateful brat? If you can, then you can never bring up the past again and must leave it all behind completely."
"The question is, can you truly accept it?"
Zhu Sha was silent for a long time. "I can’t. You’re right, Ms. Tan. I’m just unwilling to let it go."
"The reason I can’t let it go is that I gave so much for them, so why couldn’t either of them see it? Is it true that in this world, the eager seller makes no sale?"
"I was so good to Lu Chenling, wasn’t I? Shen Mo abandoned him and took off. When I helped Lu Mofeng take care of him, he wasn’t even a month old. Later, when he was diagnosed with autism, I took him everywhere looking for doctors..."
Tan You said softly, "There’s no shame in admitting you’re a poor judge of character. I think you’re just too conflicted. Even farming doesn’t guarantee a harvest, let alone matters of the heart."
"Otherwise, why would the world be so full of lovesick men and resentful women?"
"Maybe," Zhu Sha said, wrapping her arms around herself as if to draw some warmth. "Ms. Tan, when will I ever be as carefree as you? I really hate the person I am right now."
"Just like you said, I’m just too conflicted."