Chapter 9
The X-H system was installed throughout the house. Back in her room, Lou Mi asked X-H how to dissolve superglue.
X-H promptly placed an order for superglue remover and asked for payment confirmation.
Lou Mi confirmed, and the system scanned her face, completing the transaction. The order switched to map mode, showing the delivery route from a supermarket 1.2 kilometers away, estimated arrival time: 10 minutes.
Ten minutes later, the security guard delivered the package.
“Your delivery, Ms. Lou.”
Lou Mi tried to take it, but her hands were stuck. She extended her fists. “Hang it here.”
The guard, looking slightly perplexed, complied.
She carried the package to her room using her forearms and tried to kick the door closed, stubbing her toe in the process. She hopped around in pain.
What a cursed day.
She sat on the bed and attempted to open the superglue remover. The simple act of pouring it became an exercise in frustration, as she spilled most of it.
She managed to salvage a small amount.
She tried to grip the bottle with her pinky and ring finger and pour it onto her glued hand.
But the bottle was too large and slippery! She risked spilling the rest.
Didn’t the manufacturers consider that people might need superglue remover because their hands were stuck?
Why make such a large, unwieldy bottle?
Frustrated, Lou Mi wondered if she was overreacting or if the universe was conspiring against her.
Even with advanced technology, some problems remained stubbornly difficult.
She struggled to pull a cotton swab from the container, hoping to apply the remover with it.
She ended up pulling out a clump of swabs, scattering them across the table.
Just as she was about to punch the table in frustration, Tiger, Chi Lin’s corgi, bounded into the room, excitedly wagging its fluffy butt and rubbing against her legs.
“No!” Lou Mi said sternly. “I haven’t forgotten about you peeing in my cabinet! Not now, Tiger. Can’t you see I’m incapacitated?”
Tiger, oblivious to her plight, hadn’t seen her all day and was determined to shower her with affection. It continued to nuzzle her legs, refusing to be deterred.
Lou Mi despaired.
She had scolded this dog countless times. Why was it so attached to her? Did it have no sense of self-preservation?
This day had been a relentless series of misfortunes.
As she battled her bad luck, Chi Lin passed by her room.
“What happened?”
“Get Tiger out of here!” Lou Mi growled.
Chi Lin led Tiger out of the room, stroking its head. “Sister needs some alone time. Let’s not disturb her.”
Her voice was gentle, as if speaking to a child.
Compared to Chi Lin, Lou Mi felt like a monster.
Soothed by Chi Lin’s words, Tiger obediently stayed out of the room.
Chi Lin had cared for the Empress’s hunting dogs. Even the most ferocious hounds obeyed her. A docile corgi was no challenge.
Lou Mi peeked out of her room and quickly sat up straight as Chi Lin returned.
“Sister, may I help you?” Chi Lin asked, sensing her distress.
Lou Mi didn’t want Chi Lin to see her in this pathetic state.
“No,” she said.
Chi Lin saw through her lie and entered the room. She dipped two cotton swabs in the superglue remover and carefully applied it to Lou Mi’s fingers.
So presumptuous…
Lou Mi would normally be annoyed. They had argued countless times over similar incidents. But this time, she couldn’t find fault. She felt a sense of relief.
Neither of them spoke. Lou Mi sat on the bed, Chi Lin kneeling before her, completely focused on the task.
Chi Lin didn’t ask what happened or make fun of her, which surprised Lou Mi.
This wasn’t like Chi Lin at all.
Chi Lin’s spiky hair occasionally brushed against Lou Mi’s nose, tickling her. She suppressed a sneeze.
“Done,” Chi Lin said, smiling.
Lou Mi’s hands still felt sticky, but her fingers were no longer glued together.
She flexed her fingers. “How’s your foot? Did you use the ointment?”
“Not yet. It doesn’t hurt much. I’ll save it for later, just in case.”
Her foot still ached, but Chi Lin was used to injuries from her military service. A minor foot injury was nothing.
“Don’t be stubborn. Use it now! Or you’ll use your foot as an excuse to skip school,” Lou Mi said. “Come on, I’ll get you more if you need it.”
Chi Lin, unsure why Lou Mi seemed so impatient, said, “Don’t be angry, Sister. I’ll use it now.”
I told you not to call me Sister… Lou Mi thought, but didn’t bother repeating herself.
“Go ahead.”
After Chi Lin left, Lou Mi went to wash her hands. As she returned to her room, she said, “X, what’s the weather tomorrow?”
The AI didn’t respond.
Lou Mi stopped, tapped the wall, and raised her voice. “X?”
Still no response.
“Did it break?”
Chi Lin emerged from her room, holding a book. “Teacher, how can I purchase other books?”
The AI lit up, responding to her voice. “You can purchase books from the following websites…”
“Wait a minute,” Lou Mi said, pointing at the AI. “Did you rename it? ‘Teacher’?”
That’s why it hadn’t responded to her.
“Yes,” Chi Lin replied. “Because it’s so knowledgeable.”
Lou Mi remembered seeing Chi Lin bowing to the wall earlier.
She had been bowing to the AI.
Teacher… knowledgeable…?
Lou Mi slowly backed away, retreating to her room.
“…Whatever makes you happy.”
She couldn’t sleep, tossing and turning, her mind still racing.
She picked up her phone and sent a message to the Nine Heavens team chat:
“Anyone up for some slashing?”
It was their code for playing “Return to Jianghu.”
Thirty seconds later, Pagoda replied.
“Mi-jie… it’s almost 1 am. You’re still up?”
Lou Mi: “So, slashing or not?”
Xie Buyu appeared: “Slashing!”
Only the three of them remained in the group chat, along with Zhuo Jinglan. When Xiao V and A Bao were still around, the chat was constantly buzzing, 24/7.
Now, it was much quieter.
Lou Mi, who used to find their constant chatter annoying, now missed it. She often initiated conversations to liven things up.
The three of them logged into the game and headed straight for the most challenging dungeon, the snowy peak.
It was the time when the rare Snow Child might appear.
The Snow Child was difficult to find but easy to defeat, with a high drop rate for rare equipment. It only appeared on the snowy peak, at unpredictable times.
Lou Mi had spent months tracking its appearances, sacrificing sleep and accumulating dark circles in the process.
She had a feeling, a champion’s intuition, that tonight, she would finally capture a Snow Child.
Chi Lin couldn’t sleep either.
The bed was comfortable, the room quiet and fragrant, the dim nightlight providing a sense of security.
Anyone else, having traveled through time and endured a long day, would be fast asleep.
But Chi Lin’s mind raced, processing the day’s events.
Based on the information from the system, she estimated Dayuan, absent from the history books, existed approximately 500 to 800 years before the current year, 2043.
She had also observed the night sky and located the guiding star next to the moon.
Each glance at the star filled her with anxiety.
Though the Preceptor had assured her she could spend as much time as needed in this era, returning to the moment she entered the lake, she couldn’t shake her worries.
After a full day, she had found no clues. She feared unforeseen events might be unfolding in her homeland.
Would the person behind the Empress’s murder allow the loyal ministers to resist?
Where was General Chen’s army? Would they reach the capital safely?
If she were orchestrating the coup, her first move would be to eliminate the remaining loyalists…
Restless, she tossed and turned, debating whether to wait until morning to resume her search or to utilize the night as well.
As she fretted, Tiger jumped onto the bed and curled up beside her.
It rested its furry head on her arm, its dark eyes shining brightly in the darkness. Its adorable presence eased her anxiety.
“Are you here to comfort me?” she whispered, stroking its head.
Tiger licked her hand, its wet tongue tickling her skin.
Chi Lin snuggled closer to Tiger, closing her tired eyes.
Wandering around at night would be unproductive.
She needed to rest and conserve her energy for tomorrow’s search.
With Tiger’s companionship, she drifted towards sleep.
Just as she was about to fall asleep, she heard a distant cry.
She opened her eyes instantly.
The cry was sharp and clear in the quiet night. Her years of military experience made her acutely aware of sounds.
She listened intently. There it was again.
It was Lou Mi, crying for help.
“What the f*ck—where’s the healer?! I’m dying!”
Lou Mi had found the Snow Child, but it came with a surprise: three Snow Demons.
Snow Demons were among the most dreaded monsters on the snowy peak. As a damage-dealer, Lou Mi was vulnerable to their attacks. Her health was plummeting.
Pagoda, the tank, had been stunned by the first Snow Demon, failing to draw its aggro. He was stunned again by the second demon. While Lou Mi was near death, Pagoda was still reeling from the stuns.
Xie Buyu, the healer, had abandoned them to chase the fleeing Snow Child.
Lou Mi: “??”
Lou Mi: “If no one comes, I’m really going to die!”
Xie Buyu: “The Snow Child is more important! It’ll disappear if we don’t catch it. You can respawn. We’ll give you a grand funeral!”
Lou Mi: “…”
Maybe Nine Heavens should just disband.
As Lou Mi’s health reached critical levels, a loud crash startled her.
It wasn’t an in-game sound. It came from the real world.
Confused, she suddenly felt herself lifted into the air.
Chi Lin, hearing her cries, had rushed to her room and found the door locked.
No problem. She had kicked down a door before.
Ignoring the pain, she kicked the door open, the lock flying across the room. She scooped up Lou Mi and ran.
Lou Mi opened her eyes, bewildered by her situation and the unexpected strength of this little brat. “Put me down!”
Real-world disturbances could affect in-game characters.
Pagoda, finally recovering from the stuns, saw Lou Mi floating through the air and froze. What kind of new movement technique was this?
Unintentionally, Lou Mi had avoided the Snow Demons’ attacks. She unleashed her ultimate ability, killing all three.
Pagoda applauded. “Brilliant, Mi-jie! Your tactics are as unpredictable as ever!”
Despite being carried like a sack of potatoes, Lou Mi’s professional instincts kicked in. She exploited the monsters’ weakness and turned the tide of the battle.
Adrenaline pumping, Chi Lin carried Lou Mi to the kitchen island.
“Fear not, Elder Sister! Hide here while I deal with the intruders!”
Lou Mi grabbed her arm, glaring.
Xie Buyu, having finally captured the Snow Child, announced her victory in the team chat and asked Lou Mi, “Mi-jie, are you okay?”
“Fine,” Lou Mi replied, removing the access crystals. “Just a minor domestic disturbance.”
“Who are you talking to?” Chi Lin asked.
“My teammates… Are you addicted to kicking down doors? If you can’t sleep, read a book!”
“Teammates?” Chi Lin looked around. “Where are they?”
What kind of new prank was this?
But Chi Lin seemed genuinely confused…
And she had inadvertently saved Lou Mi’s life in the game.
Lou Mi placed the access crystals on Chi Lin’s temples. Instantly, Chi Lin was transported into the game, facing a towering snow-capped peak, feeling the icy wind on her face.
Chi Lin gasped.
Lou Mi removed the crystals.
“This… this is!” She remembered her own arrival in this era. “The same technique!”
Lou Mi looked at Chi Lin sternly. “I was on that snowy peak. It’s dangerous. If I die, I lose hours of progress. Last time you used my account and wasted all my resources, I let it slide because of your mother. The Winter World Cup is coming up. It’s important. This might be my last season. I can’t afford any mistakes. So please, don’t mess with me.”
Chi Lin considered her words and expression, then nodded.
“I don’t understand everything, but I won’t bother you again.”
Lou Mi felt a pang of something she couldn’t quite identify, directed at both Chi Lin and herself.
Chi Lin returned to her room without another word.
Lou Mi stared at her broken door, replaying the day’s events. Despite the late hour, she sent a message to her dad.
She’s lost it. Not a single normal moment all day.
Better warn them before they accuse me of driving her insane.
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