Taking a break

All instances were born from resentment rooted in reality, while the Instance Main System was responsible for keeping them running.

Though instances had all kinds of origins, at least they were all under the Instance Main System's control.

There was just one special case: an instance had formed and been cleared, but the culprit responsible for its creation had yet to be punished.

Take Xie De's first instance-the factory. It had formed from the workers' resentment, but the boss who had caused their deaths was still alive, enjoying himself in the real world.

This made the factory instance very unhappy, and even affected other instances.

The cooperation the Instance Main System proposed involved having Xie De deal with these culprits who had slipped through the net. In return, it would let him choose items.

Wow.

Overtime? Interesting.

TC730 waited inside the phone for Xie De's answer.

Xie De remained expressionless as he saw the Xiaodu speaker on the bedside table put on a pleading face: ๐·°(৹˃̵﹏˂̵৹)°·๐.

455, you really are nothing but trouble.

"I agree to cooperate."

"Then here's to a pleasant partnership, Mr. Xie. If you have any questions, you may call 252-5-361, and I will provide whatever assistance I can. Please forgive me for being unable to remain in the real world for long. It was a pleasure to meet you. Goodbye."

The phone's light went out.

Xie De braced himself against the wall and stood up, then checked his phone's battery. Good grief, only 5% remained. The main system drained more power than 455.

"455, do you have anything to explain?"

455 said guiltily, "I'm sorry, Host. Love went to my head. We kept chatting, and I accidentally agreed. I'm sorry. I'm ashamed. I'll reflect on my actions. I swear I'll never let love turn my brain to mush again."

"I'm skeptical when you say things like that."

Xie De snorted and went over to charge his phone. He had come back through the rain to get his painkillers, and being soaking wet felt pretty miserable. "455, I'm not actually against you dating. You just have to discuss things with me. I have a right to know. I'll let it slide this time. Getting a connection to the Instance Main System isn't bad, anyway."

455: "(˵˚ ω ˚˵), you're so nice, Host."

"Keep charging."

Xie De picked out a few clothes and was about to go take a shower. When he opened the door, he saw the little villain still standing beside it, eyes lowered and the syringe clutched tightly in his hand.

"What are you doing here?"

Wei Yunmo looked up, and only then did Xie De see that the little villain's nose was red. His voice even sounded a little fierce. "Why are you hurt so badly? What exactly did that organization do to you? Were you carrying out some dangerous mission during the two days you were gone?"

Huh?

Amused, Xie De asked, "Have you been watching too many cartoons?"

"You!"

Sure enough, he had been mocked. He had only been concerned about him! Furious, Wei Yunmo turned and ran back to his room, slamming the door with a bang, just like a brat going through a rebellious phase.

Xie De couldn't be bothered with him. He tossed his jacket onto the sofa and went to take a shower.

Only after running back to his room did Wei Yunmo realize he was still holding the syringe. His expression was unreadable, and he felt a little dispirited. If only I knew what that organization was. If only I were a little older.

If I were a little older and a little stronger, maybe people wouldn't be able to push me around however they liked. Maybe I'd be able to learn a little more...

By the time Xie De emerged from the bathroom with a yawn, the light in Wei Yunmo's room was off. Apparently, the brat had gone to sleep.

Drying his hair, he turned his head and found himself staring eye to eye with a black cat.

The black cat was soaking wet too. It gave him a sweet, obedient meow, looking up at him with big, innocent eyes as it acted cute. It also had the jacket he had tossed onto the sofa in its mouth, apparently intending to chew it up and make a nest.

Xie De remained expressionless.

This cat looked a little familiar. He remembered seeing it in a garbage heap, and had even fed it before meeting 455. But this cat had held everyone in equal contempt. Getting to pet it had been nothing but a dream.

It might be behaving now, but doesn't it have fleas? Also, who let it in?

Wait, where's the little house centipede? Don't tell me this cat ate it?

Speak of the devil, and there it was. The little house centipede dropped from the ceiling, and Xie De reached out to catch it. It immediately launched into a tearful complaint, probably saying that the villain hadn't fed it and had even let this cat inside! Outrageous! Utterly heartless!

All right, all right, stop crying.

With a headache brewing, Xie De went into the kitchen and took mealworms and silkworm pupae from the cupboard, letting the picky little house centipede eat its fill. Honestly, it could command insects itself, so couldn't it go out and find its own food? It was just being picky, wasn't it?

He left it in the kitchen and closed the door to keep the cat from eating it. With the little house centipede taken care of, it was time to deal with the cat.

"Listen, I'm a clean freak. If you want to stay here, I have to give you a bath."

"Meow."

"I'll take that as a yes."

To be fair, the kitten was pretty perceptive. It behaved unbelievably well while Xie De bathed it, a world away from its former aloofness, making him suspect it was a sucker for a pretty face.

By the time everything was taken care of, it was already ten at night.

Exhausted, Xie De collapsed onto his soft bed. The black cat lay on his chest, swishing its tail. They had the same dark green eyes, now both lazily narrowed.

"455, don't wake me tomorrow. I want a full day of rest. As for the mission, we can talk about it the day after tomorrow."

"You're planning to lie in bed all day tomorrow?"

"Mm-hmm."

"All right, but someone just called you. I think it was one of your relatives. Do you want to check the message?"

A relative?

Surprise flashed in Xie De's eyes, followed by impatience. He didn't reach for his phone at all, remaining exactly where he was as he asked 455, "What did they say?"

"Let me see. Oh, it looks like your eldest uncle wants to set you up on a blind date. He told you to come home. Tsk, what a condescending tone. Pretty annoying."

"He was always annoying." Xie De chuckled and began petting the cat.

455: "(˙꒫˙`), I replied for you. I told him there was something wrong with his head. He said I didn't respect my elders, so I blocked your eldest uncle and told him he was a complete moron."

"Haha, won't they badmouth me to death behind my back if you do that?"

"So what?!"

Xie De's laughter was rich and resonant, shaking his chest and making the kitten curl its ears and tilt its head to look at him.

Xie De was twenty-seven this year. His education was nothing special, and his age was neither here nor there. He had neither started a family nor established a career.

As it happened, everyone else in his generation had done both, their businesses flourishing. That only made his ordinary self seem even more ordinary.

Xie De had known long ago that those relatives looked down on him.

Unfortunately, they all looked down on him, and he wasn't exactly doing anything to prove them wrong. No one helped him reach his lofty ambitions, and he couldn't get there himself. Everyone laughed at him, and he really was the biggest joke. If he'd had even a little talent, he wouldn't have had none at all. So rather than push himself harder, he might as well cut himself some slack.

Ah, this fucking life.

455 huffed. "Actually, you're already very impressive, Host. You're highly accomplished in music. You can play the violin and the piano, and you even bought a home through your own efforts. Everyone has their own strengths..."

"Enough. You're really awkward at comforting people. You'd better think more about the Instance Main System's mission. Try to win it over sooner, so we can start pulling strings."