“Good morning. Did you not sleep well?” Xu Qing asked with concern, holding a breakfast tray as he noted the faint dark circles under the youth’s eyes.
Mu Ran let out a small yawn and whispered, “I’m just a little unaccustomed to it.”
Thinking of the script they had rehearsed last night, he added, seemingly as an afterthought, “Because it’s never been like this before...”
Xu Qing immediately realized this was a good opportunity to probe, but he didn't rush to throw out questions. Instead, he gestured for the boy to sit. Only after seeing him hold the warm glass with a soft, relaxed expression—like a small animal letting its guard down—did Xu Qing speak naturally. “It’s a Western-style breakfast. If you prefer Chinese style, I can make that instead.”
Recalling the persona he had freshly minted yesterday, Mu Ran allowed just the right amount of dazed hesitation to show, as if he were hearing completely foreign options. “...Either is fine.”
“Want to watch the news?” Xu Qing asked tentatively. Upon receiving an affirmative nod, he turned on the projection. “I need to make a phone call first. Make yourself at home.”
He used the excuse to leave, leaving Mu Ran alone at the dining table.
Left behind, the youth took small bites of his sandwich, his bright eyes fixed on the shifting projections, a hint of overwhelmed awkwardness flashing through them. He looked like a small animal suddenly pushed out of a greenhouse into the world, terrified by the unfamiliarity of everything he encountered, yet carrying a sliver of cautious curiosity.
Standing in a room behind a wall, Xu Qing reconstructed the youth’s subtle expressions in his mind.
The information he gathered left him somewhat puzzled. *Has this child lived a completely secluded life until now?*
However, compared to the young man Zuo Xiu had asked him to observe remotely yesterday, this child was much easier to read. It seemed the only way forward was to start with him.
***
The Previous Night:
[Mu Ran: Doesn't the protagonist’s team suspect you’re capable of killing but let yourself be caught too easily? Then let’s just act as if you were caught on purpose, specifically to lure out this mole.]
“You...! Did you know all along that I would contact you?”
“Heh, indeed.”
Actually, no, but thank you for providing such a convenient stepping stone.
[Mu Ran: And didn't he mention those ‘ancient texts’? Just pretend you came here for that. The motive is perfectly solid!]
“So, you’re here for that book... You’ve calculated everything?” The voice on the other end grew weak and dry; even with the voice changer, his shock was palpable.
“Yes. I have your cooperation to thank for that.”
*I don’t know what he’s so shocked about, but I’ll just roll with it.*
[Mu Ran: Hmm, if we need ‘evidence,’ I’ll go set some up over the next few days. Tell him to wait a few days before creating an opportunity for you to escape. I’ll play my part here too. Then, after you escape, I’ll sell you out and let the protagonist’s team round you all up. That way, they won’t suspect a thing!]
[Mu Ran: Whatever he says, just act like you know everything and agree. In short, sell him a dream! A massive, impossible dream!]
[Mu Ran: Cough...! Anyway, as long as I sell you out fast enough and you fail before you even start, the dream you sold won’t be exposed as a lie!]
“You’re an ordinary person too, right? You used the talismans and arrays mentioned in there to achieve this... such singular power...”
“Mm...” The System caught a key term and gave a non-committal hum in response.
But clearly, the System’s act of being a mastermind had completely overawed the other party, who took the hum as a confirmation.
“Ha...!” The other man sounded utterly soul-crushed.
Seeing that the other side had gone silent, the System decided to take the initiative to prevent this golden opportunity from slipping away.
“What does it matter if one is an ordinary person?” The soft, soothing voice slithered into the man’s ear like a serpent, wantonly provoking his already sensitive and fragile nerves. “Do you not crave transcendent power? Are you content to be so mediocre?”
He let out a short laugh, like a devil’s whisper.
“Stop pretending. Since you’ve come knocking on my door, why are you still feigning restraint?”
“Look at the people around you. They all look down on you in this state, don't they?”
The man on the other end was thrown into a state of agitation. Suddenly realizing the youth was revealing too much information, his heart skipped a beat in fear. He lowered his voice to stop him. “Stop! Don’t say so much. I told you I can’t guarantee if anyone is...” *listening.*
“There is no one. I can guarantee that,” the System interrupted his panicked tone. “Now, give me your answer.”
His tone was dismissive, as if he were already certain the response would be one of submission.
The person on the other side was silent for three seconds before answering with a tremor.
“As long as you... can do what you promised...”
“Let me get... just a little closer to that world...”
The words were vague, as if even the speaker couldn't distinguish his own thoughts anymore.
***
Having successfully bamboozled the other party following Mu Ran’s logic, the System informed Mu Ran that the escape would take place in one week.
[System: I heard the keywords ‘talismans’ and ‘arrays.’ I think we can work with that.]
[Mu Ran: Mm... I get it.]
He had been struggling with how to rationalize the System’s ability to kill the girl; now, he could simply follow the mole’s imagination.
However, relying on talismans... that term seemed to transcend this world’s power system. Would it be a problem?
Hmm...
Wait, no—introducing a power system completely foreign to them was even better! Any suspicious points the protagonists deduced based on existing knowledge could be forcibly explained away!
After all, the right of interpretation belonged to the author who proposed the system!
And that author... could be the System, or it could be... Mu Ran.
But before that, he had to go to the scene to set things up. There had to be “evidence,” after all.
***
A middle-aged man in a suit hurried through a bustling commercial street, but as he passed a certain bakery, he inexplicably came to a halt.
An inexplicable sense of bitterness and guilt welled up from his heart.
“Strange...” He shook his head, muttering as he quickened his pace again. “I’ve been so jumpy these past few days.”
When he brushed past a skipping little girl with twin ponytails, those emotions suddenly receded from his heart like a tide.
He stopped and looked back at the bakery again, but he had forgotten why he had stopped in front of it in the first place.
He shook his head and checked his watch. Having no time to overthink, he hurried away.
Mu Ran, wearing the shell of a little girl, felt a bit guilty. He now knew this uncle was the passerby originally chosen for the experiment, but with the experiment evolving like this, he wasn't sure if the man's memories would fade normally. He could only apply to the Main System to make the uncle forget everything related to him the moment they crossed paths.
*Sigh, I must avoid the protagonist’s team next time.*
Mu Ran had a bottle of red ink hidden in his pocket. Under the System’s guidance, he had skillfully avoided all surveillance cameras. He had left faint red patterns in several corners.
While people wouldn't pay attention to a little girl, it would be a different story if a girl was seen drawing something.
According to the excuse of taking a nap, it was about time. He had to go back.
The girl walked into an alley and vanished without a sound.
***
Mu Ran pushed open the door and was surprised to see Zuo Xiu in the living room.
His body tensed for a moment, and then he attempted to slowly close the door, trying to create the illusion that he hadn't woken up at all.
But obviously, that wouldn't work.
“Yo, you’re awake?” Zuo Xiu had sensed him the moment he pushed the door. Seeing the boy trying to close it, Zuo Xiu twitched his fingers and sat on the sofa, watching the other’s futile efforts with leisure.
*What kind of weird abilities are these...* Mu Ran tried to tug the door, but it felt as if the hinges were jammed solid by something.
“Alright, stop teasing him.” Bai Yu, her hair in a ponytail, walked out of the kitchen. She carried a plate of sliced fruit and gave Mu Ran a gentle smile. “Come have some fruit now that you’re awake.”
Bai Yu was naturally gentle and kind-looking; her friendly greeting made it easy to feel well-disposed toward her.
In contrast was Zuo Xiu. His naturally casual and wild aura, combined with a messy chin sporting a bit of stubble, made him look nothing like the captain of a special squad and more like a wandering rebel youth.
Mu Ran naturally preferred Bai Yu. Since he really couldn't close the door, he accepted her invitation and slowly shuffled to the living room sofa, sitting on the side furthest from Zuo Xiu and picking up a piece of fruit.
Before speaking, however, he asked hesitantly, “Where is Mr. Xu?”
*And why are you two here?*
Though the second half went unsaid, the boy’s eyes were filled with confusion.
“He went to buy some things.”
As soon as Zuo Xiu finished speaking, Mu Ran felt a body suddenly lean in close.
“Otherwise, how would we get a chance to question his ward?” Ignoring the boy’s suddenly stiffened back, Zuo Xiu nudged the arm that was frozen mid-air holding a piece of fruit. His tone was mischievous. “Not eating? Good, then let’s ask some questions.”
Bai Yu received the boy’s somewhat pleading gaze and offered a soft, gentle apology.
Mu Ran: !!!
On the surface, he was panicked; internally, he was ecstatic.
*Great, I can finally throw out those freshly baked settings from last night and blow your minds.*
“I remember he originally wanted you to do the deed, right?” Zuo Xiu draped an arm around the boy’s shoulder, feeling his thin frame—frail even for his age—and asked curiously, “Hey, how were you going to do it?”
“With these tiny arms and legs, you couldn't even hold a heavy knife steady, could you?”
Encircled by Zuo Xiu’s arm, the boy was first startled by the question, then flushed red at the subsequent teasing. For a moment, his lips moved as if by reflex, seemingly wanting to retort, but he quickly bit it back, merely shooting Zuo Xiu an indignant glare.
*That reaction... it seems he really does know a method.* Watching from the side, Bai Yu kept a smile on her face while silently analyzing him.
“Hmm? Not convinced? But you don't have a speck of spiritual energy on you; you’re just an ordinary person. Ah, my mistake—you’re actually a bit weaker than the average ordinary person.”
The flash of unfamiliarity in the boy’s eyes at the mention of “spiritual energy” and his slight frown did not escape Bai Yu’s observation. The result of her observation made her heart sink.
*It seems they really did use a method currently unknown to us...*
His micro-expressions showed he didn't agree with the status of being an “ordinary person.” This belief didn't seem like a stubborn insistence, but a natural thought formed through long-term indoctrination.
Bai Yu used her spiritual energy to quietly send an affirmative signal to Zuo Xiu, indicating they could proceed with further questioning.
Seeing that the boy didn't intend to answer directly, Zuo Xiu began a broad-spectrum interrogation:
“Let me guess, what method did you want to use?”
“Science-based or magic-based... Hmm, you don't seem to understand? Okay, basically, can the method you use be detected by the police or some scientists?”
“Okay, looks like it’s a no. So it’s magic-based then.”
“So, does it require preparation in advance?”
“It actually does... how surprising. Then, does it require some kind of props?”
“Oh? That too? Are you guys using some kind of summoning array?”
“Eh, that reaction—so it’s somewhat similar to a summoning array, right?”
The boy, who had remained tight-lipped, watched with wide, cat-like eyes as Zuo Xiu’s conclusions steadily advanced. His eyes brimmed with terror.
He began to struggle under Zuo Xiu’s arm.
“No! I don't want to hear anymore!”
Mu Ran: *Holy crap, what is this? Mind reading?!*
*Why is he actually able to pick the option closest to the ‘truth’ out of two choices so quickly?!*
*That’s enough! I only made up that much information, stop squeezing me! I don't want to write any more scripts, ahhh!*
Seeing the boy’s mental state collapse, a satisfied Zuo Xiu gave Bai Yu a look.
“Alright, alright, no more questions.” Bai Yu quickly walked over to Mu Ran and comforted him softly, “It’s okay, it’s okay. I’ll make Xu Qing kick this guy out later.”
The boy huddled into Bai Yu’s embrace, trembling.
What he didn't see was Bai Yu’s hand, which was patting his back in comfort, taking a moment to give Zuo Xiu a thumbs-up. Zuo Xiu winked back at her.
Another successful collaboration.
Bai Yu’s phone vibrated silently. She had received several more messages from Xu Qing.
[Even though I worked hard on the kid’s mental state yesterday, don't go too far with your ‘good cop, bad cop’ routine today.]
[By the way, when can I finally ‘finish shopping’?]
***
