You said you hated men, why are your eyes now full of love?

[Host, do you know what the outcome of Ruan Qingqing's previous life was?]

The system abruptly changed the subject.

Ji Mu thought for a moment. “Didn’t she kill a few scumbag male leads and successfully get her revenge?”

[Do you know what happened after her revenge?]

"Huh?"

[She died.]

The casual tone drifted into Ji Mu's ears, causing his fingers tapping on the table to stop.

[The Mystic Fox Clan survives on vital energy.]

A sigh echoed from the system next to her ear.

[Normally, when this clan can't find any heavenly materials or earthly treasures, they absorb blood like Western vampires to extract their vital energy.]

[In her previous life, Ruan Qingqing was driven to extreme madness by several despicable male leads, but she never harmed anyone.]

Unwilling to harm the innocent, and without a supply of heavenly materials and earthly treasures.

Having lost all means of survival, after personally avenging her enemies, the girl dragged her exhausted body to her mother's grave.

She gently stroked the cold tombstone, hummed the lullaby that had lulled her to sleep as a child, and calmly decided to embrace death.

The world had never treated her kindly, but she still retained the last bit of kindness.

Sigh... 

The system, feeling a bit desperate, couldn't help but curse the wicked author.

That heartless scoundrel! Truly despicable!

Ji Mu remained silent.

He couldn't quite describe his feelings; it was as if all the words were stuck in his chest, unable to be spoken.

His throat moved slightly, feeling dry as he organized his thoughts and asked, "Is there no other way to survive besides absorbing blood?"

[Well… There is, but…]

The system looked at the boy's lower body somewhat awkwardly.

Usually, only partners do that.

Would you still call it pure friendship if you both did it?

To avoid making him feel uncomfortable, the system decided to change the subject.

[Host, I mentioned earlier that Ruan Chuyao's body has always been frail and sickly. Although her constitution has improved somewhat, the root of the disease remains.]

[After escaping from the Ruan family, in order to take good care of the protagonist, she had to work and earn money while regularly drawing her own blood to feed her daughter.]

In this vicious cycle, the day will come when she can no longer hold on and will close her eyes forever.

[And her mother's death is also related to those scumbag male leads, which led to Ruan Qingqing's complete descent into darkness]

[This is the last and most important plot point. According to the timeline, it is expected to happen next month, around the time you give your speech as the freshman representative.]

At this point, the system took a deep breath.

The expression on its young face turned solemn, in stark contrast to its usual playful demeanor.

[Host, you are the only variable.]

Since meeting Ruan Qingqing, the boy has protected the protagonist through various storylines, preventing the tragic events of her previous life from repeating.

He built up her confidence, transformed her personality, and eliminated her shyness.

He achieved true redemption.

Now, all the unstable factors are coming to an end.

[Only by changing the original inevitable outcome will the protagonist's negative perception of men be completely erased.]

Success or failure depended on this time!

The seriousness in the system's words was undeniable, and it was the first time Ji Mu had seen it so serious.

He couldn't help but instinctively clench his fist.

"Mm."

The word were short, but powerful.

The system felt extremely satisfied, but it suddenly remembered something, and its expression changed, a hint of worry appearing between its eyebrows.

[But all of this depends on the hero not getting into trouble...]

Seeing this, Ji Mu couldn't help but feel confused.

"System, what do you mean by that?"

[Host, not long ago, you told me about the drastic change in Silly Goose's personality…]

The eyes of the system were filled with worry.

[According to my judgment, what has taken over Ruan Qingqing's body during this period is not some wandering spirit, but... her negative and evil personality.]

Ji Mu frowned slightly, a sense of foreboding surrounding his heart.

"Her... dark side?"

[Yes. Every human being has a good side and a bad side, of course. Ruan Qingqing is no exception.]

[After suffering so much bullying, anyone's mind would be twisted. But the girl is also the type to bottle things up, to endure and suppress her feelings from a young age.]

[Over time, a different personality was born.]

The system sighed heavily, its tone grave.

[Not only does this personality carry all of Ruan Qingqing's negative emotions, it also carries the memory of witnessing her biological father's murder as a child, which she deliberately tried to forget.]

Needless to say, the first transformation of a subhuman can amplify the emotions that have been suppressed for so long by dozens of times.

[When the negative personality awakens, its twisted and evil nature will be unimaginable.]

[If it succeeds in taking control of the body, it may never give the primary personality a chance to regain dominance.]

[I have encountered such cases in other dimensions.]

Ji Mu's mind swayed several times.

The sense of foreboding grew deeper. "System, are you saying..."

[Host, that silly goose you know… might never come back.]

The system's heavy sigh echoed in his ears, and Ji Mu felt like he was frozen, his heartbeat slowing down by half a beat.

He couldn't understand this sudden change.

[If that's the case, then the task regarding the silly goose can only be considered a failure.]

[The rest will be handled by the Heavenly Dao. We must go to another city to find news of the next protagonist.]

Listening to the system prepare for the worst, he sat silently in the chair and turned to hide in the dim shadows.

He lowered his gaze to a certain spot, his throat rolling with difficulty.

Twenty-five million, gone... Images of the girl's smiling face flashed through his mind.

He remembered the moments he had spent with her.

A sudden pain pierced his heart.

It felt like the bitterest snake bile in the world was flowing down his throat into his stomach, an indescribable bitterness spreading in his chest.

In Ji Mu's heart, the girl was not only the embodiment of the twenty-five million check, but also his first true friend.

But he hadn't protected her.

Like sand slipping silently through his tightly clenched hand, without warning.

He had lost the silly goose…

"Mu Mu?"

Suddenly someone called his name.

The voice was small, soft, and almost inaudible, yet it startled Ji Mu, who was lost in pain and self-blame.

He lifted his eyes to follow the sound.

The girl was leaning weakly against the door, her clear and beautiful eyes looking over.

Moonlight slanted down from the balcony, spreading a silver-white glow across the floor, with thick darkness behind her. Her entire figure stood on the line between light and dark.

She was very fragile, as if a gust of wind could blow her over, but in Ji Mu's eyes, she was all he could see, as if the whole world had disappeared from his sight.

"Mu Mu."

The familiar call rang in his ears.

In an instant, the dormant emotions in his heart came to life again.

This feeling of hope and anticipation was like the rising sun at dawn.

He stood and walked quickly over to the girl, his gaze fixed on her pale but delicate face, never wavering.

"Silly goose?"

His voice was very soft, with a slight tremor, as if he was afraid that what he saw was just an illusion, trying hard to keep his tone steady.

Ruan Qingqing lifted her face, her smooth black hair clinging to her forehead, her bright eyes shining under thick eyelashes like autumn puddles.

"What's wrong, Mu..."

The evening breeze blew by.

Her worried question stopped abruptly.

The bright moonlight extended the shadows to the corner of the wall, completely enveloping her in shadow. In the quiet living room, only the rustling of the branches outside the window could be heard.

In front of her, the boy held her tightly in his arms.

The air was silent, only the sound of his ragged breathing filled the room.

She suddenly stiffened, feeling somewhat at a loss.

Listening to the sound of his heartbeat, her own chaotic heart strangely began to calm.

She gently patted his back, silently offering a tender comfort.

Time passed for a long, long time.

The sound of the passing wind stopped.

It seemed as if everything around them had stopped, with only the dark shadows of the trees moving.

His slender fingertips brushed through her hair, and the boy's low voice murmured with the relief of having found something precious.

"You're back, silly goose."

The tone was light, as if he were talking about a treasure, but she clearly felt it.

Ruan Qingqing's heart suddenly ached, as if someone had grabbed it unexpectedly, leaving it warm and swollen, unable to speak.

At that moment, both she and the other soul from her past life hidden deep in her heart trembled.

Like snowflakes falling from the branches in winter.

Melting in the palm of the hand, yet flowing with warmth into the bones.

"Mhm."

Turning her face to rest on the boy's chest, Ruan Qingqing puckered her lips and closed her eyes.

After the ice and snow melted, the wildflowers bloomed all over the field.

"I'm back, Mu Mu~"

... In the system room.

The Prajna instrument flickered with light.

Each change in the values displayed on the screen deepened the dark color.

Ten minutes later, the image slowly froze.

Task Goal: Ruan Qingqing

Favorability towards men: -10

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