I Really Didn't Want to Have a Happy Ending with the Black Moonlight Female Lead - Chapter 3

The cold moon hung high. The roses merged into the night, and the continuous crimson reflections swayed in the window. Everything seemed to have returned to its usual tranquility.

Only the person sitting on the bed did not appear as composed and calm as they usually were.

“Can your system read the Host’s thoughts?” Lu Shizhen questioned the small sphere, still bothered by the warning it had given her.

“Of course not! The system cannot know the Host’s exact thoughts,” the small sphere immediately denied. “The Host’s thoughts belong to the system data. After high-level processing and filtering, they become the basis for the system’s judgment of the Host’s psychological state.”

Lu Shizhen breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

It must have been that her mental evaluation of the original owner had shown a positive trend, leading to the warning about the risk of assimilation.

After all, if she were assimilated by the original owner, her mission could be declared a direct failure.

“Host, don’t worry. The system is highly dedicated to serving the Host and is committed to ensuring every Host completes their mission perfectly. We won’t hold you back!” the small sphere pledged its loyalty.

Lu Shizhen didn’t have much faith in this seemingly unreliable figure. She asked, half-believing and half-doubting, the same question she had started with: “Then do you know what part of the storyline we’ve reached now?”

“Current Worldline Story Progress: The Host has successfully tricked Xu Shiyue into the villa one week ago. Xu Shiyue’s initial impression of the original owner as a good person has changed to a level one alert and extreme disgust.”

“…”

The system answered much more directly than its earlier stuttering, but Lu Shizhen fell silent upon hearing it.

Those last two words were like two sharp swords, repeatedly plunging into her heart.

Lu Shizhen clutched her chest and let out a faint, lingering sigh: “Then… Is there any saving this?”

The system forced itself to respond: “Give it a try.”

Then it followed up with the phrase no human can resist: “You’re already here.”

“And…” The small sphere, worried that Lu Shizhen’s negative attitude would lead her to refuse the mission, enthusiastically planted the seed of temptation: “‘Give Me Another Chance from Heaven’ also includes you, Host.”

The small sphere was being blunt. Lu Shizhen’s lowered gaze was complex and hard to read.

She looked at her legs, which she could now freely cross, paused, and asked, “So, if I complete the mission, I can completely possess this body?”

“More than that. You can then use the points to choose to live healthily in any world for many years,” the small sphere’s voice was in stark contrast to Lu Shizhen’s calmness, overly enthusiastic, like a pushy salesperson.

Her delicate hand caressed her knee. The warm palm temperature slowly permeated the vibrant skin.

For Lu Shizhen, who previously had to live in a wheelchair, eternal health and the freedom to live as she pleased were truly tempting.

If she hadn’t experienced running and walking, she might have refused to accept the body of a perverse lunatic like the original owner.

But the thing was, she had just experienced it.

“It is precisely because of such a strong desire from the Host that the Main God chose you.”

The small sphere’s words were like a clamp, snapping the chains that had long restrained Lu Shizhen’s inner longing.

The uncontrolled seed burst out of the barren soil like crazy, quickly filling her heart cavity.

She could feel the coolness of the wind rushing past her ears when running fast. She could feel the freedom of not being looked at with pity.

She truly wanted to possess such a normal body.

The Main God mentioned by the small sphere had heard her plea and sent her a gift outside of fate. Why should she choose to give it up?

Lu Shizhen looked at her feet moving under her control and inquired, “Then how do I earn points and complete the mission?”

“Points are composed of Xu Shiyue’s favorability index toward the Host and the Host’s world safety index. The Host only needs to obtain enough points before the pre-determined death to exchange for a new identity and leave,” the small sphere actively explained, but then hesitated slightly. “However, it seems there’s a bug in the system display because the female lead’s favorability toward the original owner is too low, so the current score cannot be viewed.”

“…”

How low must it be!

That damn original owner!

Lu Shizhen leaned back and fell straight onto the bed.

She knew the mission would be difficult, but she hadn’t expected it to be this difficult. The fighting spirit she had just stirred up dropped back down again with a simple sit-up motion.

The small sphere quickly floated above Lu Shizhen’s line of sight and encouraged her: “There’s still more than a year until the ending. Host, don’t worry, I promise to fix the point display bug before the ending! Furthermore, you are already one of the luckier hosts; you’ve already triggered a special power!”

“Within a twenty-meter radius, the system can provide the Host with Xu Shiyue’s situation, physical condition, and make predictions.”

Lu Shizhen remembered the two probability warnings the system had given her at crucial moments and slowly sat up from the bed.

Although twenty meters wasn’t a large range, Xu Shiyue couldn’t attend school right now, so her range of activity was essentially confined to the villa where the original owner was hiding her.

“I can use this special power to help her recover her health. I can also show up in time for any sudden issues. These are excellent tools for raising favorability,” Lu Shizhen summarized from the transmigration novels she had read, counting on her fingers.

The small sphere nodded repeatedly upon hearing this. “Yes! Host’s plan is excellent! As expected of the Host!”

Lu Shizhen wasn’t fond of flattering compliments, but hearing them frequently did feel nice.

The night deepened. Lu Shizhen looked out at the dark window. With knowledge of this world, she finally felt sleepy.

After a long yawn, Lu Shizhen crawled directly under the covers and instructed the small sphere next to her: “Turn off the lights and go to sleep. I need to rest up for tomorrow’s challenges.”

“Yes, ma’am.” The small sphere was extremely subservient, obediently flying over to turn off the room lights for Lu Shizhen.

The sun slowly climbed into the sky, bringing a rare clear day to the world, which was only a few days into October.

The sunlight made the golden leaves by the window feel warm, inspiring a strong desire to stay in bed, and the system was no exception.

However, before it could enjoy it for long, it was hauled up from the windowsill by Lu Shizhen.

Perhaps due to her long-held desire for a healthy body, she quickly adapted to this new body.

She grabbed a random piece of clothing from the closet, put it on, and full of motivation, told the small sphere, which was slowly flapping its wings: “Wake up a little. We’re going to go farm Xu Shiyue’s favorability points.”

“O-kay—” the system drawled, trailing behind Lu Shizhen.

It had reviewed many host cases before starting its job. Lu Shizhen, with such drive, was the first.

Could it be that possessing a healthy body was that important to her?

With this thought, the system floated sleepily behind Lu Shizhen, fluttering its wings as they reached the first floor.

Footsteps were distinct in the quiet villa. Sun Yi, the housekeeper who was making breakfast, looked up uncertainly.

She watched Lu Shizhen calmly sit down at the dining table, utterly surprised that her Miss was up at seven: “Miss.”

“Hmm.” Lu Shizhen nodded, then asked casually, “Where is Xu Shiyue?”

Sun Yi composedly first served Lu Shizhen a cup of coffee. Then, while assembling a sandwich, she answered, “Miss Xu went to the rose garden early this morning. Miss assigned her the task of tending to the roses, and she dare not be negligent.”

Lu Shizhen’s hand, holding the coffee cup, paused.

She was already up early, yet Xu Shiyue was even earlier than her.

Was the original owner even human, making a blind person tend to her flower garden?

It was probably just paving the way for her nefarious scheme again.

Lu Shizhen suppressed her anger and asked again, “Did she eat breakfast?”

Sun Yi paused at the question, then after looking carefully at the kitchen, said, “I don’t think so. There’s no sign that anything in the kitchen has been touched.”

Originally, the original owner’s affection for Xu Shiyue should have been a favorable condition for her to be treated well by the household staff.

However, the original owner’s various actions since Xu Shiyue arrived at the house had become the reason why the servants gradually neglected her.

Even the most capable housekeeper had to judge the situation before giving a tentative, not entirely accurate answer.

In comparison, the seemingly unreliable system was far more trustworthy.

After Sun Yi answered, it immediately reminded Lu Shizhen: [Detection: Xu Shiyue’s health index is C. Low body temperature. Weak physical functions. An excellent time to raise favorability.]

Lu Shizhen’s eyes darkened upon hearing this. In her peripheral vision, Sun Yi used a knife to cut the neatly wrapped sandwich in half.

The thick-cut steak oozed rich meat juice; one bite would be a great satisfaction in terms of energy, especially on a chilly autumn morning.

Not only would it fill her stomach, but it was also a superb tool for raising favorability.

Without delay, Lu Shizhen, full of action, picked up the newly plated sandwich and headed toward the back garden.

It was a rare clear day; the sunlight was bright and warming.

But the wind already carried the chill of autumn, scraping coolly against her fingertips.

Lu Shizhen’s steps were less clumsy than her groping attempts yesterday, but still not very fast.

She carefully held the sandwich close to her chest. Just as she reached the entrance of the rose garden, she heard a sound of harsh criticism coming from inside: “Do you think it’s easy for us to cultivate these roses in autumn? Miss told you to pick one rose, but you went and broke so many. Are you doing this on purpose?”

“Don’t you know these are Miss’s treasures? Miss asked you to take care of them, but you can’t even do that, and now we have to clean up your mess first thing in the morning. Do you think we have nothing better to do?”

The wind swept over the open ground, carrying the scent of freshly turned soil.

The overturned roses were being propped back up, and the marks of being stepped on were clearly visible on a few drooping petals, which were deliberately hidden in the inconspicuous sea of flowers.

Several women in gardening aprons stood with their hands on their hips, their mouths full of complaints.

Their bulky or tall figures formed a dense, air-tight wall, trapping the isolated girl inside.

The wind pushed a cloud to cover the sun overhead, casting a shadow of gloom over the rose bushes.

Sharp, jarring words constantly scraped Xu Shiyue’s ears. She stood there silently, her long hair tied low at the back, revealing her whole face. Her sightless eyes gazed calmly at the people standing opposite her, dead and quiet, sending a shiver down one’s spine.

“Hey, I’m talking to you. Can’t you hear me?” The leading woman was clearly uneasy under the gaze. Seeing that Xu Shiyue didn’t respond, she reached out and shoved her. “Speak up. Are you deaf because you’re blind, too?”

Xu Shiyue was already thin and frail. Pushed in anger by the woman, she staggered a few steps, nearly falling.

The daylight flickered across Xu Shiyue’s eyes. The vivid red of the roses filled her vision.

And the women’s figures were like blobs of paint flung onto a canvas, ugly and repulsive.

Xu Shiyue’s gaze remained calm. She continued to look at the person in front of her. Her tightly pressed lips parted into a line, and her voice was lower than the autumn wind: “I can hear you.”

For some reason, the woman felt a chill when she heard Xu Shiyue’s reply.

But seeing that Xu Shiyue was finally forced to speak, she felt a sense of triumph and commanded recklessly: “Since you can hear, then listen up. Prop up all these fallen roses before noon. Otherwise, Miss might get angry and throw you, the blind girl, out.”

After saying that, the leading woman waved her hand at the women around her, and they formed small groups, sitting on stools and leisurely drinking tea.

The fallen rose stems lay on the ground, their clean petals buried in the soil.

Xu Shiyue didn’t say a word. She bent down and began to grope around in the sea of roses.

The sudden autumn wind blew, shaking the fragile rose stems.

The thorns of the roses mercilessly snagged the girl’s slender calves. Even a shallow scratch left a line, a painful, crimson streak.

The sunlight was bright and beautiful, and the fiery roses stretched endlessly.

Everything looked lovely and full of hope, yet no one was willing to step forward and help her.