Defeat the system! Kiss my little monster!

Yu Zhuo secretly observed He Lan's expression. He Lan rarely showed any emotion; most of the time, he wore a subtle, barely perceptible smile, which was flawless, as if he were wearing a mask.

"Rest for a while, then get up and eat. I've made you some medicinal soup." He Lan stared blankly in the direction of Yu Zhuo. "You're not very old, so I didn't know your preferences. I put some sugar in it. I hope you like it."

Yu Zhuo lay motionless on the bed. He looked at He Lan for a while, then turned his gaze toward the door.

The silver system that had been secretly watching had disappeared.

Yu Zhuo lowered his eyelashes and said, "Okay."

After exchanging a few simple words with Yu Zhuo, He Lan stopped and stood up, slowly walking forward. His robe was wide, and the dragon tail trailing behind him made a rustling sound as he walked.

"I haven't asked you yet, what's your name?" He suddenly stopped at the door and turned around.

Yu Zhuo paused for a moment: "Going back."

This was the name the main system gave him when he was first born.

“…Su Hui?” He Lan was somewhat surprised. He smiled and said, “What a coincidence. I have a friend who also has this name.”

"Really? That's quite a coincidence." Yu Zhuo deliberately added a hint of surprise to his tone. "What does he look like? Can I meet him?"

“He won’t like you. He’s a bad-tempered guy.” He Lan’s face showed a hint of helplessness. “Never mind… let’s not talk about him. You should get some rest.”

After he finished speaking, he closed the door, leaving Yu Zhuo alone inside.

Why did you take him in?

Just as He Lan turned to walk downstairs, the silver system hiding around the corner quietly floated to his side. The mechanical voice was calm, as if it were just a routine question.

He Lan had anticipated this situation. He touched the stair railing beside him and walked slowly and carefully, step by step.

“He’s injured, what’s wrong with me taking him in?” He Lan said. “Besides, he’s also a dragon, I can’t just ignore him.”

【Humph. 】

The silver system snorted coldly.

Then why did you speak ill of me?

He Lan frowned slightly, as if puzzled: "When did I say anything bad about you?"

I heard you say I have a bad temper and that you don't let him play with me.

"Oh...you were eavesdropping?"

【…】

He Lan's previously faint smile deepened slightly as he reached out his hand in the direction of the sound. The silver system paused, dodging his palm to avoid being touched.

He Lan stopped, one hand gripping the stair railing, the other still hanging loosely in the air.

"Look, you won't even let me touch you, and you say you're easy to get along with?"

The silver system floated in the air. He gripped the data card on his body and watched as He Lan continued to speak.

I said it a long time ago, I'm not like you, I'm not a dragon.

Please keep your distance from me.

He Lan seemed not to hear him. He stretched out his hand and kept it in the same position in the air: "Touch."

The silver system remained unmoved.

"Hurry up, touch it."

After a brief silence of one or two minutes, the silver system adjusted and finalized its program settings.

Its original shape was just a small sphere, with a cold and hard mechanical appearance. After the program was finalized, it was enveloped in a layer of soft light, slightly yellow and shimmering with gentle waves.

It lifted the ball, glanced at He Lan, and floated down into his hand.

If you weren't my host, I wouldn't have agreed to such an outrageous request.

It said reluctantly.

He Lan kneaded the silver system's exterior with his five fingers. The texture of his palm was delicate and pleasant, like the soft body of some harmless little animal.

"I only want to touch you because I like you." He Lan rubbed the silver system and hugged it to her chest. "You're like a little sun, so warm..."

The silver system trembled, but remained silent.

He simply relaxed his body silently and adjusted his flexibility.

"Are all your systems like this?" He Lan continued walking down the steps, stroking the silver system's head with his fingertips, seemingly asking casually.

The system slightly lifts the ball.

What are they like?

"Pretending to be serious."

Silver Ball scoffed and continued to nestle in his arms.

Then don't touch me.

"I was just kidding." He Lan looked ahead and smiled slightly. "But you never seem to have told me... what kind of system you are, or what you're here for."

The silver system's light gradually dimmed.

[...Do you want to know?]

"There's nothing I can do even if you want to know; you're unwilling to tell me," He Lan sighed.

The silver system rested in He Lan's arms, its light flickering as he held it.

【I……】

“I understand now, you’re a companion system,” He Lan suddenly said. “You pitied me for always being alone, so you came here specifically to keep me company.”

The silver system hesitated, then, upon hearing He Lan's words, it immediately became annoyed.

I'm not pitying you; I have other missions to complete!

He Lan smiled: "For example?"

For example, if I'm going to collect... I... I won't tell you!

The silver system suddenly became agitated, breaking free from He Lan's embrace and soaring into the sky. Data swirled erratically around it, silently revealing something unusual.

He Lan looked up and, relying on her senses, turned her pupils toward the direction of the silver system.

But it had already slipped out of the window and flown away.

He Lan frowned slightly. This seemed to be a taboo subject between them. Whenever anything related to the system was mentioned, the silver ball would quickly flee as if it were being provoked.

He Lan continued walking down the hill, maintaining his pace, and it took him nearly four or five minutes to reach the first floor of the castle.

He walked to the dining table, where the red tablecloth underneath was worn and had many cracks. He Lan moved the plates of pastries to the side and placed some soup in a small bowl on the chair next to him.

"You've been following me for quite a while, come and eat with me." He Lan said, and went to sit down on the other side of the chair.

A few seconds later, Yu Zhuo emerged from around the corner of the stairs. He touched the tip of his nose, observing He Lan's expression as he walked to the dining table.

"Please." He Lan simply extended her hand in a gesture of courtesy.

Yu Zhuo pulled out the chair, his expression slightly stiff: "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He Lan stirred the grains of porridge in her bowl. "Are you feeling better?"

Yu Zhuo said, "I just took the medicine and I feel much better."

"Hmm." He Lan seemed a little absent-minded. He crushed the porridge grains in his bowl, his pupils glancing almost imperceptibly in Yu Zhuo's direction. "Did you just hear that?"

Yu Zhuo paused, and He Lan, for some reason, sensed something and slowly narrowed his eyes.

"Did you hear Su Hui speak just now?" he asked again.