Xiao Xue Left

Sno's figure disappeared into the Academy of Death Songs

"Sno."

Carl's voice rang clearly through the silent Academy of Death Songs.

"My god."

As soon as the words fell, a dark silhouette quietly emerged from the shadows in the corner.

The shadow slowly took shape, revealing Sno's respectful figure. He bowed slightly, his posture humble.

Carl raised a hand, and an object appeared out of thin air in his palm.

"Take this and go find Shi Yan."

"Yes."

Sno asked no questions and showed no hesitation. His figure faded into the shadows of the academy.

[I ate so many delicious things.]

Carl raised a hand and tapped the air. A blue planet appeared on the virtual panel before him.

"Earth... the suspected birthplace of the former Pangu Civilization." He murmured, "As expected... it's not that simple."

His gaze settled on the planet, and a faint but genuine interest flickered in his eyes.

"Let's see... just how many 'surprises' you can bring me."

[In the evening, Qilin and Azhui took me to Snack Street~]

[I ate so many delicious things!]

[Well, Azhui isn't very smart, but she's still a pretty nice person.]

Azhui: ...Who, who isn't very smart?!

Angel Yan: Pfft, poor little Azhui~

Zhixin: Azhui... She may not be a research angel, but that doesn't mean she isn't smart, does it?

Zhixin: Angels have highly developed brains. No matter how you look at it, she shouldn't be unintelligent...

[Not only did she take me to find the Taotie, but when I got a little sleepy on the way back, Azhui even considerately slowed down.]

Azhui: Hmph! If I'd known you were so ungrateful, I wouldn't have been so nice to you!!

[But Qilin said friends should be understanding of each other, so even if Azhui isn't very smart, I'll still be a good friend to her!]

Azhui: ...Am I supposed to thank you?

Angel Yan: Hahahaha, little Azhui, did you just get handed a "good person card"?

Zhixin: Logically speaking, "being understanding" usually means accepting the other person's shortcomings.

Zhixin: So Su Bai's sentence still assumes that Azhui has the shortcoming of "not being very smart"...

Zhixin: Azhui, would you like me to design a brain-activation training program for you?

Azhui: Zhixin!! Even you?!

[I don't know why, but whenever I write in my diary, my head feels itchy...]

Angel Yan: Your head feels itchy?

Hexi: Pfft, the little guy's about to "grow a brain"?

[All right, Xiao Xue says I can claim today's reward~]

The diary stopped updating there.

Su Bai looked at the reward panel that had appeared before him:

[Congratulations, host. You have obtained: Magical Music Player]

A flash of white light passed, and a strangely shaped device appeared in his hand.

It was silver all over, with a small black metal wing extending from one side and a small white one from the other.

Su Bai turned it over and examined it from every angle, then looked over at Xiao Xue.

"Xiao Xue, what is this?"

"Didn't I tell you? It's a music player." There was a hint of helplessness in Xiao Xue's voice.

Su Bai went quiet for two seconds, then tried asking a different way.

"Xiao Xue, what... is this thing for?"

"What else would a player be for? Playing music, of course." Xiao Xue's luminous patterns swayed faintly.

Su Bai fell silent.

Su Bai thought.

Su Bai opened his mouth—

"Stop, stop, stop! I know what you're about to ask!"

Xiao Xue quickly cut him off before he could ask another question.

"But..." It drifted a little closer as a string of tiny data patterns rippled across its surface.

"There wasn't an instruction manual with it, so I'm not sure what 'effects' it might have."

Su Bai suddenly understood.

"So Xiao Xue doesn't know either."

The "Magical Music Player" lay quietly in Su Bai's palm, its black and white wings reflecting a faintly cold sheen under the light.

Su Bai examined it for a long time but couldn't find a power button.

He tried poking the white wing, then felt the black one, and finally even blew on it.

There was no response at all.

"Is it broken?" Su Bai looked up and asked Xiao Xue.

"...Try putting a little energy into it," Xiao Xue suggested. "Since it's a system reward, it should be compatible with your energy."

"Energy?" Su Bai thought for a moment, then extended his index finger and lightly touched the center of the player.

A faint white glow flowed from his fingertip and entered the player.

The next second—

Click.

The black and white wings spread at the same time, fluttering lightly like real wings.

And then...

Nothing happened.

Su Bai looked at Xiao Xue, who seemed just as surprised.

It circled the player once, the luminous patterns across its surface brightening and dimming.

"That's not right... How could it have no effect?"

"Could it be..." Su Bai ventured, "broken?"

"Impossible!" Xiao Xue sounded like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, its voice suddenly rising. "How could an item from the system be broken? Are you questioning my expertise?"

Watching her reaction, Su Bai began to wonder.

Judging by that reaction, maybe this item really is broken...

Since that was the case, Su Bai stopped worrying about it.

"If it's broken, then so be it." With that, he casually shoved the player into his pocket.

"Hmph! You don't believe me!" Xiao Xue's luminous patterns shook in agitation. "Just you wait! I'll check the item encyclopedia... It's definitely not broken! You must be using it wrong!"

As soon as she finished speaking, she disappeared with a whoosh before Su Bai could reply.

Su Bai didn't react much.

He refocused and continued writing in his diary in his mental space.

As for why he was writing...

Well, that itchy feeling in his head while writing—

It felt good.

[Xiao Xue left.]

???

Staring at the diary entry that had suddenly appeared—especially that utterly out-of-the-blue sentence—all the women reading it froze.

Hadn't Xiao Xue said she'd take full responsibility after her own mistake damaged Su Bai's soul?

How long had it been... and she was already gone?

Was this system really that irresponsible?

In the room next door.

When Qilin saw those words, she immediately sat up in bed, hesitating over whether she should go check on Su Bai.

She was a little worried.

To Su Bai, Xiao Xue was more than just a system. She was more like a companion.

If Xiao Xue really left, would Su Bai...

But the next second, the diary updated again.

[Today's system reward was something really strange.]

[It was a music player with black and white wings.]

[But the system didn't tell me what it was for.]

[Xiao Xue didn't know either. After I put energy into it, its wings spread, and then nothing happened.]

[I think it's broken, but Xiao Xue said it isn't. She also said I was using it wrong.]

[She went back to check the item encyclopedia. She said she'd figure out how to use it.]

The women: ...

So that was what "left" meant!

Qilin lay back down with a dark look on her face and rubbed her forehead helplessly.

What a false alarm.