Setting Up Stalls – Chapter 282

The System’s Wish

At this moment, the System didn’t know what to say. It was a product without emotions and didn’t know what a heart was. But the instant it saw these things, it wavered: Did I… actually grow a heart?

This thought kept spinning in its mind until Sun Miao started speaking. “Ta-da! This is the System’s farewell party~ I made so much delicious food. Even though you can’t eat, we can still let you experience our feeding¹.”

She said this, then asked the System to fix its viewing angle above the body pillow². The System did as told. Looking from the body pillow’s perspective, it felt as if it were truly right beside Sun Miao and Su Ruixi.

This setup made it seem as if the System and Su Ruixi had broken through the dimensional boundary³, gazing at each other from afar.

The System knew Su Ruixi couldn’t see it; her gaze just landed on the body pillow. But she looked over just like that, as if she could really see it. She not only “saw” it but could also talk to it. “System, thank you for bringing Sun Miao to this world, and for bringing her to my side.”

Su Ruixi wasn’t a frank person. Asking her to speak so sincerely to a thing she’d never seen—and didn’t even know was human or ghost—was difficult for her. But because the System helped Sun Miao a lot, and helped her a lot too, she was willing to bare her heart to the System.

“Miaomiao also said that you’ve been helping her set up the stall beside me. If it weren’t for you, we probably wouldn’t have gone so smoothly. In a sense, you are the Red Lady⁴ for Miaomiao and me; you’re the one who connected our red thread⁵. For this point, I also want to thank you.”

Su Ruixi’s thanks made the System’s non-existent waist straighten up a bit.

At this very moment, the System was quite proud. It felt that other systems definitely wouldn’t be like it—not only receiving the Host’s thanks, but even the Host’s lover was thanking it. During exchange meetings over at the Main System’s side, it knew that Hosts often kept their Systems a closely guarded secret, basically never mentioning them to others.

In a helpless otherworld, they were each other’s only companions. It was a complex relationship of mutual reliance and mutual vigilance.

But here with it, it wasn’t some terrifying existence that couldn’t be spoken of, nor a drag-oil bottle⁶ that might harm the Host. It harvested the sincerest gratitude from the two of them. Just this point alone made the System feel: It’s so good. Choosing Sun Miao as a Host was really so good.

【I… I’m not that amazing…】

The System spoke quietly, though Su Ruixi couldn’t hear it at all.

But it didn’t matter. Between them, there was Sun Miao acting as a medium.

Sun Miao didn’t even need to repeat the System’s words. She just said, “No way, you’re super amazing. You not only helped me hook up with Susu-jie, this rich lady, but also took me to set up a stall near Auntie and Uncle’s place and handled them too. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have had such smooth sailing. Really, System, you truly are an amazing System!”

How smart was Su Ruixi? In a split second, she deduced what the System had said. Just as if she had heard the System speak with her own ears, she responded, “Right, it’s because of the System that Miaomiao passed my parents’ test so easily. System, although I don’t know any other systems, you must be an amazing System!”

Being praised by the two of them, the corners of the System’s non-existent mouth were about to grin all the way to the back of its ears.

After the praise was finished, the candle-lighting and candle-blowing session began. They didn’t sing the birthday song—this wasn’t a birthday party, so that part was skipped. It was just the System making a wish. Since it didn’t have the function to open or close its eyes, it could only pull itself into the Little Black Room⁷. The System actually didn’t like the state of the Little Black Room because it made everything before its eyes pitch black, sensing nothing.

When staying in the Little Black Room, it would usually choose energy-saving mode and go directly into a dormant state. But now, inside the Little Black Room, it felt extremely excited. It didn’t know what wish to make. As a System, its curses were very effective; similarly, the power of its wishes was also great, so no matter what wish it made, it had to be cautious and careful.

It hesitated for a long time before finally making a wish that was, for it, small and insignificant.

When it opened its eyes again, Sun Miao and Su Ruixi were standing to the left and right of the body pillow. They held the two small hands that were specifically added to the body pillow and blew a breath toward the tiny candle on the cake. The candle went out, but the candlelight remained bright within the System’s heart.

Sun Miao asked it curiously, “What wish did you make?”

The System felt coy; it hemmed and hawed for a while but just wouldn’t answer. Sun Miao knew this was the System’s aojiao⁸ side flaring up. She revealed a smile. “Alright then, if you won’t tell me, then don’t. But I think the wish you made, System, will definitely come true.”

This time, the System answered her: 【Yeah, it definitely will.】

After blowing out the candle, Sun Miao and Su Ruixi shared the cake. The first slice cut was placed right in front of the System. The small body pillow sat on the chair, but a folding stool was placed underneath so it sat very high up. Lowering its head, it could see the cake and dinner plate in front of it.

Sun Miao and Su Ruixi took their seats. Just as if the System truly existed, they chatted with it while putting food on its plate.

The System had no sense of taste, nor any organs to eat with; it didn’t even have a physical body. But at this moment, it seemed to truly understand the deliciousness of food. Especially when friends were right in front of it, the deliciousness of the food directly doubled. From time to time, it would rotate its viewing angle to look at the dinner plate in front of it. That plate had already piled up with quite a lot of food, stacked high, showing just how much Sun Miao and Su Ruixi were looking after it.

This was especially true for the small cake on the side. It didn’t know how Sun Miao cut it, but the characters for “System” were entirely framed inside—it was specially given to it.

The System was truly happy. It recorded everything before it, then added several layers of passwords and placed it deep within its memory storage. This way, other Systems wouldn’t be able to see its memories, nor would they have any way of knowing it once had such a happy time.

Regrettably, happy times are always short. Even though Sun Miao and Su Ruixi ate very slowly, this dinner gradually came to an end, and it was time for the System to say goodbye.

The System was also a huge aojiao, but today, it put down its arrogance and spoke words of farewell to Sun Miao very sincerely: 【Host, you said you’re very grateful that I chose you and brought you to this world, but I feel the same. I’m also very grateful to you; thank you for becoming my Host.】

【It really was so good to choose you as my Host.】

【I’m very sorry, but the time has come to part ways. But I’m also very happy that you could become an amazing chef, bringing delicious flavors to others, and also letting me complete my first mission. Although we may never have the chance to meet again, this body pillow will accompany you in my place, and I will miss you forever.】

【Even after a hundred years pass, and your body and soul have perished, you and your partner will never experience humanity’s second death.】

When reading human books, it had seen a very unique perspective. Humans die twice: once is the disappearance of life, and once is when all memories regarding them have disappeared. But as long as the System existed, it would forever record this past of Sun Miao and Su Ruixi.

Their existence would be forever carved into the bottom of the System’s heart, until eternity.

Sun Miao laughed despite herself. “Thank you, System, but there’s no need for all that.” She smiled truly brilliantly, brilliant enough to make the System think of the Main System’s light. “For me, these few decades together with Susu-jie are enough. Being able to grow white hair together and spend a complete life together—I feel that’s already extremely happy.”

“I’m also very happy to be remembered by the System. But your future is still very long; you’ll definitely meet even more outstanding Hosts. Just don’t always be thinking about me and then be too excessive to your next Host, okay!”

While she said these words, Su Ruixi walked over to Sun Miao’s side. She reached out and secretly slipped her hand into Sun Miao’s palm; their hands clasped naturally. Perhaps her lover gave her strength, allowing Sun Miao to lift her head and mask the reluctance in her eyes, leaving only a soft warmth. “Thank you once again, System. I also wish you a future like brocade⁹!”

【Mhm… Goodbye.】

“Goodbye.”

The System completely severed the link with Sun Miao. It returned to the Main System’s side to report for duty. It didn’t notice at all that when it recounted its experiences with Sun Miao, its inorganic voice also became gentle. The Main System understood one thing: being with humans really could make a System generate emotions too.

【The wish you made—are you sure you won’t change it?】

Facing the Main System’s question, the System gave a very firm answer: 【I won’t change it. It’s just this wish; I hope the Main System can satisfy me.】

【Allowed. You must head to the next mission immediately. Given your outstanding performance in the previous mission, the difficulty coefficient of the next mission world will increase geometrically, and the Host may face the risk of death. Please depart.】

【Received.】

The System was thrown directly into the next world by the Main System. During the process of shuttling through worlds, it returned to the familiar darkness. But now, it wouldn’t be lonely. Because it had a precious memory that would always remain in its heart.

The wish it couldn’t frankly tell Sun Miao was actually a hope that Sun Miao and Su Ruixi could live a long life, loving each other and growing white hair together. There are too many sudden fortunes and misfortunes in the human world; even in worlds with extremely low difficulty coefficients, accidents exist. It had left Sun Miao, but it didn’t wish for Sun Miao or Su Ruixi to suffer any accidents.

So, as a System, it made such a wish.

Of course, this wish absolutely couldn’t be told to Sun Miao and Su Ruixi. Otherwise, they’d definitely be very smug, and it didn’t want to see them looking smug.

As for Sun Miao and Su Ruixi, after saying “Goodbye,” they waited a while longer to confirm the System was really gone. Sun Miao stepped forward and patted her customized “System” body pillow. “Susu-jie, it still didn’t take this with it.”

“Maybe it wanted the body pillow to keep you company.” Su Ruixi hadn’t heard it, but Sun Miao knew that was exactly what the System had said. She nodded and sighed.

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