Little Sponge

Biodata

Background / History

Little Sponge introduces itself after Xia Zhi transmigrates into the novel, interrupting her attempt to divorce Lu Heng. It explains that the main god assigned her a mission to reform the villain and that big data selected her as a departed soul. Little Sponge does not know why this particular mission was imposed on her 2.

Its immediate priority is keeping Xia Zhi close enough to Lu Heng to influence him. It repeatedly opposes divorce and escape, arguing that either would undermine her chance to complete the mission and return to the real world 2 4 5 19.

Personality

Little Sponge combines an affectionate manner with blunt self-interest. It usually calls Xia Zhi “dear host,” tolerates her insults, and offers conversation and counseling when she is distressed. However, it openly admits that it depends on her missions for experience points: failure would cost Xia Zhi her life, while costing Little Sponge only some experience 4 12 19.

It is teasing, sarcastic, and frequently overconfident about romance. It interprets Lu Heng’s willingness to hold Xia Zhi’s hand as attraction, repeatedly proposes intimacy or pregnancy as solutions, and mocks Xia Zhi’s inability to recognize sarcasm. Despite calling itself “cold, unfeeling data,” it becomes anxious when she considers abandoning the mission, trembles at Lu Heng’s anger, and blushes after encountering explicit material in the system shop 4 5 6 34 47.

Little Sponge can also be frustratingly passive about important information. When Xia Zhi discovers the system shop during an unbearable punishment, it defends its failure to explain the feature by saying she never asked 13.

Abilities & Skills

Mental Communication and Information Retrieval

Little Sponge speaks directly in Xia Zhi’s mind and can supply information for her to consult 2 23.

• Mission display: Presents the reform mission on a screen visible to its host 2.
• Information searches: Retrieves tea-related material through Du Niang, allowing Xia Zhi to quiz Tang Fangjing at her birthday banquet 23.
• Status checks: Checks Lu Heng’s corruption, punishment time remaining, mission instructions, and shop listings 2 13 34 36 39.
• Privacy limitation: Lu Heng can hear Xia Zhi’s exchanges with Little Sponge, giving him access to information neither participant intends to share with him 2 3.

Reform Mission Supervision

Little Sponge explains the rules linking Xia Zhi’s survival to Lu Heng’s corruption. It also warns her that maliciously harming the target counts as mission failure 2.

Little Sponge has no specific system-provided instructions for resolving Lu Heng’s resentment. It suggests either allowing him to obtain revenge or making amends to him, explicitly presenting these approaches as its own guess 20.

Reward and Punishment Guidance

Little Sponge identifies system effects and explains their duration or use. Its childlike speech is distinct from the mechanical voice that announces changes and addresses Xia Zhi as “Host No. 438” 2 36.

Receiving a reward does not immediately cancel an existing punishment: Xia Zhi remains under the Immobility Spell when she receives beauty powder 36.

Side-Mission Assignment

Little Sponge provides access to randomized missions that earn system currency 13 34.

• Targets: People within the novel’s world. Major characters are more likely to be selected than the villain because they have larger roles 13 34.
• Rewards: Depend on difficulty; stated payouts include 10 and 20 coins, with a maximum of 100 13.
• Commitment: An accepted mission must be carried out or the host is punished 13.
• Selection interface: Uses a spherical machine containing tumbling numbers; Xia Zhi selects number eight for her first documented task 34.
• Documented task: Collect one hair from the male lead, Lu Kuo, within twenty-four hours for ten gold coins 34.
• Task restriction: Xia Zhi cannot begin the next task if she fails to complete the previous one 34.

System Shop Access

Little Sponge searches and displays products purchased with system currency. Ordinary money cannot be used, and Xia Zhi initially has no balance because she has completed no side missions 13.

• Little Sponge refuses to provide Itch-Stop on credit without collateral. It says its own low system level makes it worth only ten coins as collateral 13.
• It refuses to reveal the book’s instructions without payment, explaining that cheating could result in a factory reset 34.
• It cannot change Xia Zhi’s host number, stating that each number corresponds to an owner 2 12.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Attempts to Prevent Divorce

• Little Sponge proposes making Lu Heng fall in love with Xia Zhi before the female lead appears, rejecting Xia Zhi’s plan to pair him with that heroine 4.
• It later suggests delaying divorce long enough to complete the reform mission, including making Lu Heng mistakenly believe they have slept together 19.
• When Xia Zhi concludes that Lu Heng is gay, Little Sponge questions her reasoning and suggests that the original novel’s author kept him from touching the female lead to preserve the central pairing 15.

First Side Mission

• During the Immobility Spell punishment, Little Sponge draws the hair-collection task after Xia Zhi asks for a way to earn shop currency 34.
• Xia Zhi obtains Lu Kuo’s hair after Lu Heng pulls it out. When no immediate system response follows, Little Sponge checks the rules and explains that collection occurs automatically when the twenty-four-hour period ends 39.

Dispute over Lu Heng’s Attraction

• After Xia Zhi arranges a male companion for Lu Heng, Little Sponge recognizes his fury but continues to suspect that he likes Xia Zhi 47.
• When Lu Heng makes advances toward her, Little Sponge rejects her interpretation that he is trying to force himself straight, reminding her that they inhabit a romance world 47.

Relationships

• Xia Zhi — Host, mission participant, and frequent sparring partner. Their conversations alternate between practical assistance, teasing, and arguments over Little Sponge’s romantic advice 2 6 13 19.
• Lu Heng — Reform target. He secretly overhears Little Sponge’s explanations and discovers that he can manipulate his corruption to trigger consequences for Xia Zhi 2.
• The main god — Source of the reform mission Little Sponge supervises; Little Sponge follows the assignment without knowing its underlying reason 2.

Notable Quotes

“Host, although I sound like a child, I'm actually just a set of cold, unfeeling data.” 4

“After all, you're gambling with your life. If you fail your mission, all I lose is a little experience.” 4

“No, that's cheating. I'm a first-generation little system. If I'm punished, I'll be reset to factory settings. I still want to level up.” 34