Chapter 178: The Cannon Fodder Who Can’t Survive Three Chapters (21)
Su Mingxiu finally absorbed Su Jin’s consciousness completely.
And she also found the missing piece—
The system.
The moment it reintegrated, the gaps in her memory, the missing logic, were restored.
But she also felt a stronger pull towards the third soul fragment, the merging now imminent.
[Long time no see,] she said to the system in her mind, now coiled around Bei Xing’s wrist as a black jiao, [you little trash.]
System: [? ]
It had been thinking, since Su Jin had failed, it might as well pretend nothing had happened, treat Bei Xing as the new host, assigning her the original script and mission…
But hearing Su Mingxiu’s voice, it decided there was no need for pretense. Su Mingxiu’s soul was too powerful now, it couldn’t manipulate her memories or actions, it was better to observe and learn, preparing for the next world.
Su Mingxiu, noticing the system’s silence, transformed into her human form and leaned against the bed, casually checking Bei Xing’s homework.
[I thought you would try to deceive me with some poorly written script, finally realized it’s useless?] she asked mentally.
[…]
She continued, “Still no main storyline, no ultimate mission, have you lost your memory, or have you given up?”
The system finally responded in its monotonous mechanical voice: [Does it matter? You wouldn’t follow it anyway.]
[Bingo.]
Su Mingxiu smiled, having found a loophole—the system had always forced a storyline on her, making her fall in love with the protagonist, then abandon them. But now, it had given up, why?
If the storyline was so important, the punishment for failure would be severe, like complete annihilation.
Rewards and punishments, the carrot and the stick, were the best way to control someone.
But the system’s reward was vague, no mention of how many worlds were left, and the punishment, initially memory loss and lightning strikes, now only memory loss, seemed… lenient.
Strange, she thought, can this system really restore my soul? If it’s so powerful, why these… half-hearted attempts?
And now, no storyline, no mission, had it truly given up? Su Mingxiu didn’t think so.
The system had changed its methods in each world, but its ultimate goal had always been to create trouble between her and the protagonist—its true purpose wasn’t the storyline, but…
…to make her fall in love with the protagonist, then abandon them.
This was the system’s obsession.
Why?
She felt like she was close to the truth.
“Susu.”
Bei Xing, after her shower, her mood cheerful, went to find Su Mingxiu. Now that the ghost had a physical body, there were no more restrictions on sharing food.
Her hair still wet, she wanted Su Mingxiu to try the sweet soup the kitchen had prepared. Su Mingxiu, her fingers running through Bei Xing’s hair, drying it instantly,
Bei Xing touched her hair, which had grown longer, but she hadn’t bothered with any hairstyles, the original owner’s hair already beautiful.
She sat on the sofa, her head resting on Su Mingxiu’s lap, playing with her hair. “I want to dye my hair,” she said.
Su Mingxiu, sipping the sweet soup, “Hmm,” a noncommittal response.
Bei Xing started browsing online for hair color ideas, enjoying the feeling of Su Mingxiu’s fingers playing with her hair.
After a while…
“Want to form a contract with me?” Su Mingxiu asked suddenly.
Bei Xing, about to agree, then paused. “Huh?”
“Humans use marriage, but demons use contracts—so, do you want to form a contract with me?”
She rephrased the question,
Certain that Bei Xing wanted to, the only question being when.
Bei Xing, forgetting about her hair, put down her phone, her eyes wide with surprise. Su Mingxiu made it sound so casual, like asking if she wanted a drink.
She wanted to say, Shouldn’t we choose an auspicious date and time for such an important occasion? Isn’t this like getting married?!
Calm down, Bei Xing, she told herself, you’ve seen bigger things, don’t act so excited, you’ll lose your bargaining power!
Be cool, be aloof, act like you don’t really care!
After a long silence, she finally spoke: “How… how do we do it?”
She heard a little bear in her heart roar with excitement.
Su Mingxiu chuckled softly, her fingertip now tracing Bei Xing’s eyelashes, the long, thick lashes like a soft brush against her skin.
Bei Xing blushed, her eyes fluttering.
“You don’t have to do anything.”
There were several types of demonic contracts. One was for partners, to enhance each other’s power, but it was only suitable for those of equal strength, a weaker partner would be consumed.
The other was a master-servant contract, where humans enslaved demons, a one-sided contract that emphasized loyalty, a humiliating restriction for powerful demons.
Su Mingxiu had initially considered the first option, guiding Bei Xing onto the path of cultivation, so they could be together forever.
But remembering the system’s manipulations and the missing heavenly soul fragment, the future uncertain, she was afraid she couldn’t protect Bei Xing completely.
And even more afraid—
That she herself would be the source of harm.
Having made up her mind, she took Bei Xing’s hand, her voice gentle. “This might hurt a little,” then, before Bei Xing could react, she bit her finger, the sharp pain like a needle prick.
Bei Xing, distracted, watched as her blood, welling up from the wound, was pressed against Su Mingxiu’s forehead, forming a strange symbol.
Then, the blood vanished, and on Su Mingxiu’s pale neck, a red mark appeared, intricate patterns slowly forming.
Bei Xing, mesmerized by the sight, watched, not wanting to miss a single detail.
The red lines, like chains, wrapped around Su Mingxiu’s neck, and as Su Mingxiu touched Bei Xing’s fingertip to her neck, Bei Xing was shocked to see a real, red chain extending from the mark, connected to her finger.
As if… the black jiao was willingly submitting to her.
Bei Xing, of course, didn’t know that this was a master-servant contract, all the restrictions on Su Mingxiu, only benefits for her.
With the contract formed, Su Mingxiu, regardless of her form or power, could never harm Bei Xing, and would even share her power and life force, her long lifespan, with Bei Xing.
Only Bei Xing could break the contract, otherwise, it would last until the jiao’s death.
Su Mingxiu, seeing Bei Xing tracing the chain with her fingertip, as if fascinated by it, pulled her closer, their foreheads touching, and asked with a smile: “Happy, little puppy?”
Bei Xing, hearing the nickname again, paused, then tugged on the chain, making Su Mingxiu lower her head, and, laughing softly, kissed the corner of her lips. “You’re the puppy now.”
She felt a surge of energy, a connection to Su Mingxiu’s life force, even her heartbeat, a constant flow of… affection.
The sensation was overwhelming, a sense of shared existence, their breaths synchronized, and she didn’t even realize when Su Mingxiu had kissed her again.
Until the red chain vanished, the contract completed, the marks on Su Mingxiu’s neck fading, her skin pale again.
Bei Xing, only vaguely aware of the contract’s power, not knowing how to summon it,
Touched Su Mingxiu’s neck. “It’s gone?”
“Want to see it again?” Su Mingxiu raised an eyebrow, then, as Bei Xing nodded, she smiled.
Half an hour later—
Bei Xing, lying on the sofa, crying, Su Mingxiu’s teeth on her nape, like a predator holding its prey, realized she had been tricked again. Was this jiao playing her? she thought, her tears falling.
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