Chapter Nine: What Is the System?

Li Le sat on the stool, her hands resting on the wooden table, fingers unconsciously picking at its surface. Her face was pale.

Had she aroused Brother Bai’s suspicion?

She’d even asked about the patterns of the Death Mist—knowledge so basic in this world that everyone was aware of it.

If Brother Bai began to suspect her and decided to stop being her “guardian,” how could she survive in this world?

She hadn’t missed the fact that Brother Bai had just mentioned the Inner City, which only included a small number of minors and absolute elites.

It was obvious that the minors in the Inner City were either like Lie, possessing extraordinary potential, or, like her, had some connection to high-ranking members of the Inner Circle.

Someone like her—a fragile, bloodless, solitary minor—would never make it into the Inner City without Brother Bai’s protection.

…

Just then, the sound of washing dishes from the kitchen ceased, and a tall figure stepped out.

Li Le’s expression was taut. Her obsidian-like eyes watched Bai Ye, and she pulled at the corner of her mouth, trying to smile:

“Brother Bai, are you curious about my past?”

She had decided to tell him everything; she had no other choice, at least not in her mind.

If Brother Bai decided to abandon her, she would become an ordinary mist dweller, expelled to the Outer City, forced to eke out the last days of her life—barely thirty left.

At that point, she couldn’t even hope to extend her lifespan through faith; whether she could survive until then was an unknown.

Bai Ye, meanwhile, seemed oblivious. His face was cold as he sat cross-legged on the ground, quickly unpacking the bundle he’d brought back during the day.

He turned his head slightly at Li Le’s words, his brows cold, his tone brusque:

“If you don’t want to talk, don’t. It’s almost time for ‘night rest.’ You sleep in the main room.”

Li Le was stunned; she hadn’t expected such a reply.

As he spoke, Brother Bai efficiently took item after item from the bundle: a large animal pelt with long white fur, linen cloth, some unknown ceramic jars, and even some oddly shaped… dolls?

This bundle had been purchased when Bai Ye decided to bring Li Le back, leaving her to wait at the city gate while he shopped.

Why had Brother Bai bought these things?

…

Bai Ye stripped the sheet from the wooden bed, laid down the newly bought soft beast pelt, added a blanket, a pillow, and even placed a strange doll at the bedside.

Li Le remained frozen where she was, a bold thought stirring faintly in her heart…

Were all these bought for her?

---

Li Le had assumed the bundle would contain daily necessities, but never expected that everything inside was meant for her.

Time slipped into quietude, and Li Le fell silent as well. The central tower of the city continued to emit a faint yellow glow, shining through the window onto Brother Bai, softening his severe features.

For a moment, Li Le felt as if this scene overlapped with something from her previous life.

Brother Bai quickly finished arranging the bed, picked up his old thin blanket, and headed toward the storeroom.

Caught up in conflicting emotions, Li Le called out to him, “Brother Bai…”

She glanced at the bed, wanting to say something to ease the atmosphere, but what came out was:

“Brother Bai… that pelt looks so soft. Where did you buy it…”

She instantly wished she could bite her tongue off: When would her rotten mouth ever learn?

Damn it, am I an idiot?

Her smile was stiff as she watched Bai Ye’s back, mentally berating herself.

Bai Ye didn’t respond, just paused in his steps. “…Bought it at a street stall,” he said, then headed into the storeroom and closed the door.

Li Le collapsed into the soft pelt, burying her head in the pillow, needing a while to recover.

This was truly embarrassing…

Heaven knew why, with all her emotional intelligence and the basics of psychology she’d studied, she always blurted out nonsense.

She could handle strangers, but once she became familiar, she couldn’t control her mouth, constantly landing herself in awkward situations—

Just like now…

After a while, Li Le rolled halfway across the soft wooden bed and finally let out a long sigh.

She had a rough grasp of Cloud City’s situation;

She’d successfully latched onto Brother Bai’s golden thigh, and for the moment didn’t have to worry about dying prematurely.

Now—

Li Le’s face tensed for a moment as she finally opened the system interface she’d avoided all day.

The blue screen slowly unfolded, reflecting her pale, tightly pressed lips.

[Host: Li Le
Current Faith Value: 0 (Note: Please collect faith value as soon as possible)]

---

[Bound: Death Mist (Note: The eerie mist born from death)]
[Body Attribute: Mist Body (Note: In a situation deemed impossible, you created a miracle, gaining the ability to manipulate mist as a child of Death Mist, but your body is on the verge of death)]
[Location Domain: Ghost Domain - Death Mist Territory (Note: One of the notorious demon domains)]
[Remaining Life: 29 days, 706:28:46 (Note: Please collect faith value to exchange for time.)]

Li Le stared coldly at the blue interface before her, lowering her voice with icy determination: “You’re conscious, aren’t you?!”

The blue screen floated listlessly, freezing cold, showing no reaction—utterly lifeless.

But Li Le acted as if she hadn’t noticed, staring fiercely at the blue text, enunciating each word:

“Suddenly transported to this world…”

“Meeting the requirements?”

“System forcibly bound?”

“Lucky enough not to encounter anything filthy in the Death Mist?”

“You want me to collect faith to exchange for life?”

“What are you? What do you want from me?”

…

Li Le was a clever girl, the only child raised under elite education. Rational and stubborn.

The most rebellious thing she’d done was choose a music major she liked, and pursue Zhang Ziran.

But she remained vigilant, never missing a suspicious detail—even when the system appeared at her lowest point.

She always suspected the worst, for her businessman father once told her: Always prepare for the worst.

Li Le fixed her gaze on the blue screen, her eyes swirling with turbulent thoughts:

Who said that anything appearing in her darkest hour must be a savior?

Perhaps the system itself had kidnapped her from her original world, forcing her through near death and darkness—maybe it was the culprit behind it all.

If so, the fleeting joy she’d felt in her confused state was nothing more than being played—a bitter joke.

As if sensing her emotions, the blue system interface pulsed gently, and familiar characters began to emerge…