Chapter 5: She Felt She Needed Company More Than the Little Protagonist
Li Yu was one hundred percent certain that this body the original owner left her did get hungry!
If the original owner didn’t eat earthly food, she must have consumed some kind of immortal elixir or regularly absorbed spiritual energy from the heavens.
In short, she couldn’t have just gone without sustenance.
Reflecting on her past life, from school to work, the questions Li Yu pondered most were—what to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Undoubtedly, she could endure hardships, but not hunger.
Carbs were her lifelong addiction.
Forget that she had absolutely no clue how the original owner practiced inedia [T/N: abstaining from food]. Even if she knew, she would never give up eating!
So, she stammered for a moment before finally managing to utter four words:
“I’ll stay with you.”
Though her reasoning was weak, her tone was firm.
“Master…stay with me…”
Mu Tao almost thought she was hallucinating. She repeated her master’s words in disbelief, trying to confirm their reality.
“With you!”
For a moment, Li Yu’s eyes were as resolute as someone pledging allegiance to a cause.
She picked up her chopsticks and placed a large helping of food into Mu Tao’s bowl, adding, “Eat.”
The action, the tone, as natural as a mother.
Under Mu Tao’s astonished gaze, her character compatibility dropped slightly.
But she didn’t care. As long as it wasn’t a continuous drop, whatever.
Even if she were going to die, she’d eat first.
Thus, the fake master and disciple finished their mediocre meal in a somewhat strange atmosphere.
The little protagonist was very considerate of her master, barely touching the dishes at first, appearing picky. But after Li Yu put down her chopsticks, she silently finished everything left on the plates.
Li Yu’s heart softened as she watched.
This wasn’t pickiness. She clearly wanted to eat, but she was afraid of eating too much and leaving her master without enough, so she waited patiently until the end.
Mu Tao put down her chopsticks and carefully glanced at her master.
Her gaze met those deep blue eyes, as vast and tranquil as the sea, yet no longer as cold and distant as before.
It feels like a dream.
A smile finally appeared on her frostbitten face, her almond-shaped eyes filled with fresh tears and joy.
“I’ll wash the dishes!” she said, sniffing, and began clearing the table.
Li Yu instinctively wanted to offer to do it, but the thought of her precarious character compatibility stopped her.
After a moment of consideration, she silently closed her supposedly noble mouth and watched as her injured, yet eager disciple carried the food box, her tail swaying, her steps unsteady, out of the room.
The moment Mu Tao gently closed the door, Li Yu couldn’t help but sigh.
She had to admit, she felt a twinge of guilt.
But then she thought—
The protagonist has a demonic constitution. Not dead means alive, able to move means healthy.
She cooked the meal. It’s reasonable for the person who didn’t cook to wash the dishes.
It would be suspicious for her, with her status, to wash dishes. A disciple serving their master is perfectly normal.
Okay, no more guilt!
Sitting so straight is tiring.
Li Yu slumped onto the table, lost in thought.
This little girl, barely able to walk steadily, still insisted on washing the dishes. Her life must have been very difficult.
The protagonist in the novel endured all kinds of hardships in the first half of her life, and in the end, she had to resort to darkness to reclaim what was rightfully hers.
Why did she find that satisfying when she read the novel?
The original owner was foolish. She managed to turn such a well-behaved and understanding disciple evil. She clearly didn’t understand the root of the problem.
Did the protagonist destroy the world because she had a Demon Bone?
—NO!
She destroyed the world because she felt her life was miserable!
If she had a good life and was well-fed, would she bother destroying the world?
Although the system’s mission seemed abstract, Li Yu felt she understood everything and had found the right direction.
There were only two things she had to do.
Prevent the protagonist from turning evil, and ensure the protagonist experienced true looovveee!
To achieve these goals, she first needed to understand the original owner’s relationships and use this identity to gain a foothold.
The original text didn’t offer much description of “her” character. The information she could recall seemed to match the string of titles provided by the system.
Aside from those generic labels, there were only three things she remembered.
First, her “colleague,” Qingxuan Revered One, Si Qinglan, didn’t like her.
Second, her other “colleague,” the male protagonist’s master, Lingyao Revered One, Weisheng Xuanzhu, had a well-known, unrequited love for her and had resided on Mount Chao Yao for three thousand years solely because of her.
Third, apart from her two “colleagues” and her disciple, she had almost no interactions with anyone, a pure-blooded, introverted immortal.
Li Yu couldn’t remember anything else.
It was her fault for skimming through the early and mid-sections of the novel. By the time she got invested, the character she was now inhabiting was already dead.
To learn more, she would have to find a way to extract information from the people she knew.
The little protagonist rarely saw her master and held a low position on Mount Chao Yao, so she probably wouldn’t be of much help.
Weisheng Xuanzhu was in love with the original owner and must have known her very well. The risk of her being exposed in front of him was immeasurable—unless absolutely necessary, it was best to avoid him!
That left only Si Qinglan.
This colleague, how to put it…
Carefree, straightforward, not very bright or scheming.
Although she didn’t like the original owner, dislike also meant unfamiliarity, and unfamiliarity meant a lower risk of exposure—she seemed like a good starting point for understanding this world.
Besides, just because Si Qinglan disliked the original owner didn’t mean she would dislike her.
If she could win over this powerful healer, her chances of survival would greatly increase!
Thinking of this, Li Yu couldn’t help but ask, “System, do we have something like a character favorability rating?”
【I apologize, emotions are complex. The system cannot accurately measure them.】
“But other novels have it.”
【This system is unable to provide that!】
“…” So straightforward?
Li Yu gritted her teeth, about to retort sarcastically, but was startled by approaching footsteps. She immediately sat up straight, snapping back into character.
The door opened.
A gust of wind and snow entered the room before the door closed again.
“Master, the dishes are washed.”
Mu Tao was covered in snow, her face pale, her thin body trembling uncontrollably. Yet, she just stood quietly by the door, not taking another step inside.
Her large, innocent, puppy-like eyes looked at Li Yu expectantly, clearly awaiting permission.
“Come in.”
“Yes, Master!”
Mu Tao quickly walked to Li Yu’s side and stood still, like a loyal shadow.
Exasperated, Li Yu pointed to a nearby seat.
“Sit down.”
“Yes, Master!”
Mu Tao obediently sat beside Li Yu.
She lowered her head, clearly unsure of what to do.
The wind and snow were harsh outside, and she was already seriously injured. Her clasped hands, along with her arms and body, trembled slightly.
Li Yu couldn’t help but ask the system, “Can I warm her up?”
【Request received. Assistance for [Basic Cold Dispelling Spell] is ready!】
【Host, please raise your hand.】
Li Yu skeptically raised her left hand towards Mu Tao.
A gentle blue light flowed from her palm, instantly brushing away the snow and dispelling the cold from the girl’s body.
She saw the surprise and confusion in Mu Tao’s eyes as she looked up, and also the fluctuating character compatibility.
When the light faded, Li Yu discreetly withdrew her hand.
After a long silence, the fluctuating compatibility finally settled at 81%.
“For so many years, I’ve only thought about paving your path, but I’ve neglected your feelings.” Li Yu paused, confirming the number hadn’t changed, and continued, “You are so badly injured, it’s all my fault. I’ve wronged you.”
“No, Master! It’s this disciple’s…” Mu Tao tried to explain, but her thoughts were interrupted by the warm touch of fingers on her ear.
She instinctively flinched and didn’t dare speak.
“From now on, I will try my best to make it up to you, to be with you, protect you, and care for you.” Li Yu thought for a moment, deciding to add the most important part, “From today onwards, I will eat every meal with you.”
“Master, really?”
“Of course.”
Of course, this is important.
Eating alone is not as enjoyable as eating together.
Besides, in this desolate place, she felt she needed the company more than the little protagonist.
This was a win-win situation.
“I’m not dreaming?”
“No.”
Although she truly wished it were a dream. A dream where she could wake up, go to the office, submit her proposal, pass, or revise it if needed.
At least then she would still be in a normal world without demons and monsters, where her life wasn’t tied to a percentage.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t a dream.
The little protagonist, unable to contain herself, was moved to tears again by her insincere, yet heartwarming words.
【Protagonist Blackening Value -5%!】
【Current Protagonist Blackening Value: 20%!】
Just having a meal buddy makes her so happy. Not only did her blackening value decrease, but her tail also started swaying unconsciously.
She really is wagging her tail and whimpering!
Li Yu had never liked children crying in front of her, or older people for that matter. She always found it noisy and annoying.
But Mu Tao was different.
Her crying was so restrained, so quiet, as if she wanted to hide all her pain if no one was watching.
Her helpless yet stubborn appearance wasn’t annoying at all. It only made Li Yu want to hug her.
And she has a fluffy tail!
That big, red tail looks so soft and fluffy. I can’t imagine how comfortable it would be to touch!
…
Stop it, Li Yu, you’re not a furry!
Even if you were, you can’t think about that!
As a master, patting your disciple’s head is acceptable, but touching their tail is a bit perverted!
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