Though the doctor’s conclusion came one hour later than the system, both had expressed their worries as well as their negative prognosis on the viability of Xiao Yuanmu’s later treatment.
As the owner of this clinic, there was no reason to hide Xiao Yuanmu’s worsening condition from him. Furthermore, Xiao Yuanmu was well aware of how terrible his health was even without the doctor’s conclusion.
His eyes swept across the anxious expressions of several doctors, and retained a calm serenity. Only when he had glimpsed Song Xuanhe’s face did he show a slight stirring under his severe face. He raised his hand to wave them away, before trying to disrupt the stillness Song Xuanhe had descended into after telling him to go back to his own world.
“I want to go back to China.” Xiao Yuan murmured.
Song Xuanhe had kept his eyes trained on Xiao Yuanmu. When the latter spoke, he tilted his head, and agreed.
Xiao Yuanmu was not the type of person who sat around waiting to be killed. He would never be careless in his execution. From hiding his reason for traveling to Country F, to revealing the faces of his subordinates without arousing suspicion, such that Song Xuanhe was the last one to learn about his illness; all this reflected on Xiao Yuanmu’s meticulousness.
If Xiao Yuanmu himself gave up on a cure, it could only be proved that he himself knew that the current level of medical technology was unable to treat his disease. While it could allay his symptoms, it was no true solution.
But even the cutting edge of medical science could do nothing about relieving his illness in full.
Song Xuanhe’s heart seemed to be crushed by something sharp, as though it was being ripped up. Even under this agonizing sadness, his brain continued to examine the facts coldly.
Perhaps because Xiao Yuanmu was the protagonist of this world, or because the system was from a higher plane of technology, even as he fretted, he felt no panic.
For some reason, he felt that Xiao Yuanmu would definitely not die.
If the system had heard this, maybe it would tease him about his intuition. However, it was too focused on investigating the root cause of Xiao Yuanmu’s dying body, such that it had no spare cache to look into Song Xuanhe’s thoughts.
When Song Xuanhe had agreed without any hesitation, shock had momentarily surfaced in Xiao Yuanmu’s eyes. He thought that Song Xuanhe would stop him.
“We will set off after you have rested.” Song Xuanhe said.
“I’ve asked Yang Jie to get the flight approved. I’ll rest on the plane later.” Xiao Yuan uttered.
Until they had sat on the plane, the two mutually decided not to bring up Song Xuanhe’s eventual destination after three days.
Their flight took eleven hours. Once they had boarded, both Song Xuanhe and Xiao Yuanmu had entered the bedroom, and lied on the bed together. The two remained silent as the jet engine started its rumbling.
Time passed on like a swallow through the sky, and Xiao Yuanmu could no longer resist the urge to close his eyes in exhaustion.
Upon hearing the shallow exhalations, Song Xuanhe wriggled, and gently grabbed Xiao Yuanmu’s hand. It was icy.
Xiao Yuanmu’s hands were a lateral reflection from his usual aloof demeanor. It was warm, and a little dry, but now it was cold to the touch, and a little damp, making Song Xuanhe’s heart sink.
He couldn’t help but ask the system: [ Have you found a way to cure Xiao Yuanmu? ]
It took a while for the system to reply. [ No, the way his internal organs are failing isn’t like Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. This isn’t the result of a disease, and I cannot discern the cause. As the protagonist of this world, Xiao Yuanmu’s body should not be like this. I suspect that his current condition has something to do with the plotline of this world. ]
Song Xuanhe frowned: [ Xiao Baicong’s kidnapping? ]
[ Correct. ] The system responded. [This world operates on the author’s timeline according to the various plots written by the author. Because the author has not finished writing this book, this world can only operate according to the fixed timeline determined by the author. Xiao Yuanmu would only undergo the kidnapping incident two years later. Up until that time, he should still remain the protagonist of this world, and there should be nothing wrong with him until then. ]
[But we’ve completed the book’s plot ahead of time. ] Song Xuanhe’s face changed.
[ Xiao Yuanmu is no longer the protagonist of this world. ]
[ Right… ]
As it glimpsed Song Xuanhe’s face, the system stopped mid-sentence, and waited for him to digest this.
Some time had passed, before Song Xuanhe spoke again. [If Xiao Yuanmu is not the protagonist of this book, what will happen to him? ]
[You already know. ]
Song Xuanhe could guess, but he could not help but hold on to a desperate hope, if only for the system to throw him a bone.
[Will he really die? ] The words slid out of Song Xuanhe’s mouth with some difficulty.
The system was silent for a few seconds, before deftly deflecting. It told Song Xuanhe: [You still have sixty-nine hours to think about it. You said before that you have a reason to go back. Since this reason is important to you, I hope that you would consider your final destination. ]
[ Is that your answer for me?]
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
The system remained quiet. Song Xuanhe could not say a word, silently enduring the creeping despair germinating from the bottom of his heart.
Dfobgf atlr, tf tjv yfilfnfv atja Wljb Tejcwe’r qgbajubclra tjib kbeiv jikjsr qgbafma tlw. Snfgs wjpbg qiba qblca, cb wjaafg tbk vjcufgber la kjr, tjv ilaaif ab cb foofma bc tlw yfmjerf bo atlr kbgiv. Qtfc atf qgfmlber qgbajubclra tjv j qgbyifw, atf kbgiv rtbeiv tjnf vbcf fnfgsatlcu lc lar qbkfg ab tfji tlw.
But now, according to the system, Xiao Yuanmu was no longer the protagonist of this world.
He was now one of the many simple beings that existed. The world would no longer care if he were to live or die, just like any other living creature. He would grow old, fall sick, and experience death, just like an unremarkable ant, a speck in the dirt.
[ Xiao Yuanmu has woken up. ]
The system’s voice reverberated in his mind, and Song Xuanhe’s eyelashes flitted. He grasped onto his phone. The plane had reached Chinese airspace, and its clocks had shifted to Chinese time. It was now ten-fifty in the night, the plane landing in half an hour.
Song Xuanhe could not pull his gaze away from his phone; his mind was buzzing with thoughts, and he could not bear to react to anything else.
Xiao Yuanmu suddenly stretched out, hooking around Song Xuanhe’s neck, before pulling him down. His lips made their way to Song Xuanhe’s mouth, parting Song Xuanhe’s teeth with his tongue, before engaging in a careless invasion of Song Xuanhe’s mouth. Passion and lingering affection alternated, as he made a thorough sweep of Song Xuanhe’s jaw.
“Good morning.”
Xiao Yuanmu let go of him, the corner of his mouth curling up in a delighted smirk, mirth dancing like lamplight.
Song Xuanhe stared at the easy expression on Xiao Yuanmu’s face, incomparable in light-heartedness to anything he had experienced before. He paused, before muttering, “It’s night now, but good morning.”
He bit his lower lip, before inching away. “We’re about to land soon, put on your seatbelt.”
Xiao Yuanmu raised his eyebrows, but recalled Song Xuanhe had cultivated a habit of checking their seatbelts everytime he rode their car. He gave a light chuckle, but obediently put on his seatbelt.
The plane landed steadily without any turbulence. Because it was so late, they chose not to inform anyone and directly headed to the city apartment they had stayed in the last time.
Though no one lived there, there would be cleaning done at regular intervals. This was why though they had not given any prior alarm, they only needed to change the sheets.
This was the first time Song Xuanhe had changed the sheets. He pulled at the quilt cover and analyzed its components, before slowly smoothing the quilt into it. As he stuffed the quilt in, he monitored his progress with the seriousness it deserved.
Xiao Yuanmu leaned against the door and watched Song Xuanhe’s struggle, an unconscious grin crawling across his face.
“Let me.”
Xiao Yuanmu walked towards Song Xuanhe, and retrieved the blanket. As he tidied up the stuffed quilt, he slowly explained, “First, make sure that the quilt has been smoothed over. Then, ensure that the four corners of the quilt…”
Song Xuanhe listened attentively as he watched Xiao Yuanmu stuff the quilt into the quilt cover in less than half a minute.
Under this comparison, Song Xuanhe could feel the aching gap.
“This is the first time I’m doing this. I’ll get better with practice.” He refused to admit defeat. “When the time comes, we’ll race each other. The one who loses has to agree to the other’s request.”
Xiao Yuanmu laughed. “How long do you need to practice before you can compete?”
“At least three to five years, that’s only fair, otherwise…”
As he spoke, Song Xuanhe’s words trailed to a halt. The delight in Xiao Yuanmu’s eyes dimmed as well.
He jutted his chin upon seeing the smothered cheer in Xiao Yuanmu’s eyes. “Xiao Yuanmu, you will be fine, trust me.”
Xiao Yuanmu forced himself to meet Song Xuanhe’s sparkling eyes. He clenched his fists to prevent them from trembling, and gave a soft hum through tightened lips.
“Okay, since the bed is made, we’ll go to sleep.” Song Xuanhe acknowledged. “Or maybe you slept too much on the plane, and can’t feel fatigued?”
“Go to sleep.” Xiao Yuanmu changed into his pajamas, “I want to watch you sleep.”
Song Xuanhe stilled. He abruptly started to undo his buttons. “Since you are not sleepy, let’s do something else.”
In the next two days, Xiao Yuanmu and Song Xuanhe went to Jin Ji to eat porridge, went to the orphanage to see the director, went to the Song family to visit Li Nianan, went to the Song family to meet Song Xuanlin, called on Xiao Shenglin and the others for a gathering, and even brought the children from the orphanage on a trip to the playground…
Time passed quickly, and three hours remained for Song Xuanhe to decide if he should stay in this world. Even so, the system had not given a treatment for Xiao Yuanmu’s disease.
Xiao Yuanmu had already given up, but Song Xuanhe still wanted to persevere.
Until the system told him: [ I know the reason for Xiao Yuanmu’s physical deterioration. ]
[ Xiao Yuanmu’s organ failure has to do with his soul and not his body. ] The system laid out its facts. [ Previously, he told us that he had experienced two rebirths, and perhaps because he had used his own soul in reincarnating, his vitality had started to decline, with his physical body deteriorating along with it. And this is almost irreversible. ]
Song Xuanhe leaned back to stare at the star-filled sky with an expressionless face. [ Almost, you say. That means there is a sliver of a chance. ]
[ Yes, soul replenishment elixir. ] The system said. [ It is available in the miracle shop. If you choose to stay in this world, you can exchange for it. ]
Song Xuanhe’s eyes lit up. Just as he was about to speak, the system hastily interrupted him. [ However, everything in the system store can only be utilized by you.]
[ What do you mean? ]
[ The soul replenishment elixir can only be used by you. ]
The light in Song Xuanhe’s eyes dimmed. The hope he had held on to was utterly shattered, his heart suddenly overwhelmed with anger and fatigue. [ What’s the point of giving it to me?]
[ Since you are the system, the store belongs to you. Can’t you take it out? ] Song Xuanhe argued. [ I had two chances to ask for help before, as well as my chance for another rebirth. If I give that to you, could you transfer the soul replenishment elixir to Xiao Yuanmu’s body? ]
[ I can’t do it…] The system uttered. [ I only exist in your mind, so I can only make deals with you. That is the rule. ]
Song Xuanhe stilled for several moments, before revitalizing with a sudden idea. [ Didn’t you have a host before? This means you can change hosts. So if you enter Xiao Yuanmu’s body now, and then inject the soul replenishment elixir to him, how about that? ]
[ Theoretically, it is possible. ] The system noted. [ But I can’t enter other people’s bodies without mission orders. This will violate the system rules, and I can’t bind to another person without breaking my contract with you.]
[ Then when you extract yourself from me… ]
Halfway through his suggestion, Song Xuanhe did not want to continue. The system had once told him that violating the system rules would punish the system with a fate similar to the destruction of the human’s soul. Even if it was just a machine, who was he to determine if the system should sacrifice itself for Xiao Yuanmu?
[ I remember that there is a life conversion device in the system store. What is that for? ]
The system did not want to answer, but it had no choice: [ It is possible to extract the vitality of one person to another, but there are serious side effects. The person who uses the device himself will have to endure the severe pain of having his life force extracted by external means. Afterwards, he would experience a debilitating life. ]
[If I were to give half of my vitality to Xiao Yuanmu, would he survive? ]
The system chose to remain silent, before confirming: [ Yes. ]
[I will redeem the life conversion device. ] Song Xuanhe confirmed with a light smile. [ When I am about to leave this world, help me redeem it. ]
The system refused to reply, and Song Xuanhe treated its silence as consent.
He turned his grin onto Xiao Yuanmu. When he saw how the latter had fallen asleep again, the mirth in his face dimmed for a bit. Song Xuanhe combed through Xiao Yuanmu’s hair, his grin widening.
He knew that there was a way to save Xiao Yuanmu.
Xiao Yuanmu was a light sleeper, and when he felt Song Xuanhe’s touch, he woke up.
He had been lying on Song Xuanhe’s lap. When he opened his eyes, he saw Song Xuanhe’s relieved smile, and could not help but freeze. Though he could vaguely guess, he found his own conjecture unbelievable.
“Are you awake?” Song Xuanhe had discovered Xiao Yuanmu’s little movements, and bent his head down. “Want to sleep for a while longer?”
“I don’t want to.” Xiao Yuanmu sat up and glanced at his watch. “I’ll rest after you leave.”
Song Xuanhe raised his eyebrows. “Then you will have to wait for a long time before you can rest.”
Xiao Yuanmu’s face was an apathetic calmness. “You promised me before that you would return to your world.” He coolly stated.
Song Xuanhe blinked as his smile wavered. “That’s on the premise that you can’t be saved.”
Xiao Yuanmu twitched, shock slowly enveloping his expressions. However, he continued to stare into Song Xuanhe’s eyes, unable to even rebut.
“You’re saved.” Song Xuanhe could not help but laugh at the explosion of astonishment that he had seen displayed for the first time. He clasped Xiao Yuanmu’s shoulder, and wrapped an arm around the latter’s neck.”I told you that there will be a way. ”
“What way?” Xiao Yuanmu skillfully unwound Song Xuanhe’s hand, his flabbergasted expression slowly ebbing away to be replaced by placidity.
“My system has a way.” Song Xuanhe grinned. “If I choose to stay in this world, I can choose an item in the system store to redeem. I have been unable to see the system’s store before today afternoon, there is something –”
Song Xuanhe wanted to make his case, but Xiao Yuanmu refused to accompany him, as his face grew increasingly unaccommodating.
“Soul replenishment elixir.” Song Xuanhe clicked his tongue. “The reason why your organs are failing is because your soul is exhausted. That’s due to your two rebirths. So the doctors aren’t able to solve this, but the soul replenishment elixir can. ”
Xiao Yuanmu’s eyelashes shivered. He had always needed to react quickly; but his mind was still torpid and lethargic. One by one, he could understand what each of Song Xuanhe’s sentences meant; but he could not believe the conclusion that Song Xuanhe had come to. The life that he had planned for could be so easily unwound, reversed.
“What’s the catch?”
Xiao Yuanmu’s eyes bore through Song Xuanhe like unceasing lasers, as though he could unveil all of what Song Xuanhe was hiding this way.
Song Xuanhe pouted. When he saw how Xiao Yuanmu had tensed up, he broke into chuckles. “I bargained with the system for three chances for help, and I have only used one. You can say that soul replenishment elixir is what I used those two other chances to redeem. If I don’t remain here, won’t that be a waste?”
Xiao Yuanmu had known how Song Xuanhe could hide falsehoods with ease for a long time. But he had no way of tearing apart the concealment Song Xuanhe used from his eyes. This was the case now; how could he tell if Song Xuanhe was telling the truth?
Xiao Yuanmu wanted to believe in Song Xuanhe. He… Xiao Yuanmu was a greedy person. He would always want more, and this time he wanted a few more days with Song Xuanhe, even if it was just for a few hours.
But if what Song Xuanhe said was false, the price was Song Xuanhe being left alone after he passes on. In this sorry world where Song Xuanhe held no attachments.
He can’t do it.
“You don’t believe me?” Song Xuanhe frowned.
Xiao Yuanmu’s mouth twitched. “I’m just afraid.”
“I’m… I’m afraid you will love me more than I fell for you.” Xiao Yuanmu wrapped his arms around Song Xuanhe. “I’m afraid you will be alone in the future.”
Song Xuanhe fell into a state of stupor, his eyes reddening. As his Adam’s apple wobbled, he pushed away Xiao Yuanmu and declared, “The time has come. Very soon you will know, we aren’t limited to these few minutes. We’ll have days, months, years to come for who knows how long.”
“”Z48”.” Song Xuanhe tried to give an encouraging smile. “Thank you for taking care of me during this time. Though I haven’t told you, it’s been a pleasure to encounter you. I’m thankful for you bringing me to this world. Even though we may not meet again, I’ll always remember you.”
“Do it.”
Xiao Yuanmu was a wound up rubber band, his line of sight trained on Song Xuanhe.
Nothing visible had happened. Song Xuanhe was unchanged. Yet he could feel how his weakened, useless flesh had started to improve. His limbs that once felt like lead started to feel like a lively extension of himself, and that sluggish brain started to become clearer. Even his internal organs, which had ached as he breathed no longer felt pain…
Three minutes in, and he could verify for himself that his body had started to feel healthy again. Song Xuanhe was still beside him.
Xiao Yuanmu was unable to accept how his desperate dreams had turned to reality.
He stretched out a trembling hand, and grasped Song Xuanhe’s own. “You are still here.” His hoarse voice carried a rare emotion: unsuppressable, hesitating delight.
Song Xuanhe’s eyes curled into crescent moons. “Of course I’m still here.”
As soon as he said that, he could feel something being pulled slowly from within his mind. He quickly realized what was going on, and quickly called out: [ Thank you, Z48. ]
[ You are welcome. ] There was a warmth in the system’s tone, as the tugging feeling disappeared. [Bye bye.]
Song Xuanhe was stunned. [ Aren’t you supposed to extract my vitality? ]
He can’t feel any pain, nor did he find his body weakening. In other words, other than the general sense of having the system extracting itself, there was no other discernible observation.
[ I’ve already extracted it. ] Perhaps because the majority of the system had been extracted out, the system’s voice was wavering and more weak than before. It rushed out: [Though this may be the first time I’ve told you this, getting to know you was the happiest thing of my life. The fact that you are happy and fortunate is my greatest hope for you. Please be happy, be brave… ]
Before it could finish, it had dissipated. Song Xuanhe raised his head, and stared blankly at the starry sky above him. It was as if a piece of his heart had been broken away, but something else was taking its place with a light and tender hand.
“I love you.”
Xiao Yuanmu tugged Song Xuanhe’s head down, and pushed his lips against the latter’s mouth. The warmth in his eyes was enough for a person to sink within its depths.
Song Xuanhe pushed down his thoughts, as he figured what had been filling his heart was the happiness and luck he had been blessed with. He cupped Xiao Yuanmu’s chin, and reversed their positions. “I love you too.”
Within the darkened night, a dimly lit star flashed once, twice, before disappearing into the constellation-filled sky.
The author has something to say: This is the official end of the text!
I’ll take a few days off to type out the extras, and I can’t confirm when I’ll release them. Those who want to binge read can wait until I’ve ticked the ‘completed’ box, so that you won’t have to wait.
Finally, thank you all for accompanying me on this journey. I’m ever grateful for your tolerance and acceptance. Though my pen is immature, and I might stop mid-way or choose to stop posting, because I am no-good as an author, but you guys are the best readers I have. I love y’all! (Bows.)
Translator has something to say:
Big thanks to Tweetsongs on tumblr for TL’ing the three chapters! You can find the other set of translations here!
Thank you for the translation! ❤️😘😍❤️
I’m crying ༼ಢ_ಢ༽
I did not see that coming, RIP system Z48 we’ll always remember you (இ﹏இ`｡)
Thank you for the chapters!
Thank you for the chapter ❤️
thankyou system.. you helped my fav cp to get their happy ending.. I wish you get reborn to the next life as human.
Why…why did it feel like kurama and naruto? Did the system use itself for ml?
Bye bye, system. We’ll miss you.
Mumu is not allowed to die! Neither is our little system, but I have no power… TT^TT
Thank you for the chapters!!! I MTLed this ages ago, but it just isn’t the same as having a proper translation. My days of hopeful camping were not in vain! XD
Same. Also mtled it. This hits differently.
Thank you for translating.
The system… Could it be that friend Song Xuanhe used to have? The one who died??
That’s what I was thinking😭😭😭😭
crying for tongtong QAQ
Thank you so much for finishing this!! I have been waiting for so long…. I really love this novel.😭
Thank you so much for finishing this translation, I love this story so much… hope the extras let us see how the supporting characters are getting on/end up too~~~
THANK YOU FOR THE TRANSLATION MU FAVORITE NOVEL IS FINALLY FINISHED AFTER A YEAR JUST A FEW CHAPTERS FROM THE END THANKYOU THABKYOU THABKYOU
This story is one of those heartbreaking ones I’ve read before that never fail to make me cry.
Can’t you… Use the life conversion then drink the elixir??? T-T systeeemm!!
Only one thing to redeem from the shop so I don’t think that’s possible.
😭😭😭
NOOOOOOOO 😭😭😭😭😭 I LOVE YOU Z48, GODDDD THE FEELINGS🚶🚶🚶🚶🚶🚶, WE WILL NEVER FORGET YOU.
Ty for the chapter ying ying ying
after so long, this novel has ended… thank you all the translators so much for translating! i hope we get to meet our darling system again, and i hope that these two can finally live happily 🎊🎊
No! No guys! His main body is hybernating!!! No you… Er gou, Zeddie! Don’t leave, you still have a prequel book about your new host that you’ll find love with! This cant be! Aaaaa
This is so saddening, we will miss you system 😔
Good detail owo that the cause for physical failure is because the soul’s old old. Pshh 😆😅 i thought we’ll get angst with mc. Or lile a quick death/coma, say final goodbye to og world, and wake back up. The author loves the mc much la, it’s always the others suffering 😅 Poor system 😭😭😭💔
Sweet end to main story. I read this 3 times before (it wasn’t completed yet) this is first time I reached the end. Thanks for translation. I enjoyed the story. Onto the extras. I hope we can find out what happened to the system. I have a feeling he didnt extract his vitality
Z48 is an angel, guardian angel to be specific ❤
I never expected myself to finish this, but now it feels so melancholy 😭
Wait, i still want to know why song xuanhe that chosen to do this mission ? I still dont get it, care to explain please ??
Wait only thing I still didn’t get was who was in the picture that managed to persuade OG Song Xuanhe to give away Yuanmu? Maybe it’ll be answered in the extras but we’ll see
Oh no z48……😢😢 thank you for the chapter.
I can’t stop crying
Thanks for the chapter
Waaaa!!! This was really a good read, thanks!!
This is too much for me, MY EYES ARE SWEATING
I’ve finally finished reading this, huh? I’ll come back to reread this. Some how when reading this, it had helped me during some very rough times this past year.
I’m a little sad, but I really loved reading this.
Even through all the angst and the ups and downs from the beginning until now, I have never shed a single tear. Yet when Z48 died, I choked up and cried. It was a good system. Thank you Z48.
Also, thank you to the author for such a unique story. And thank you translators and editor for bringing this story to is. You did a wonderful job.
I’m crying orz I hope they stay happy, together. Thank you for translating this wonderful story! TT
F#ck why?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Author nim did we not agree on Happy Ending ? Why are you tearing my heart like that ?
Z48!!!! OUR PRETTY SYSTEM!!! 😭😭😭😭😭
I think there is something in my eyes 😭😭
did the system used his own vitality? 😭😭😭
‘ [When I am about to leave this world, help me redeem it. ]’ this sentence made me confused bcs I thought he suddenly wanted to leave in exchange for his life but ig he’s referring to the system being extracted?
Eventho the system is annoying and kinda useless, it sad when it’s gone :((
Btw thank you for the translation!
NOOOOOOO! Z48 PLEASE COME BACK 🥺😭😭😭 I’m very grateful to the author for making this wonderful story. Kudos to the translator, thank you so much for translating this novel…..please tell me z48 will have his(?) own happy ending 🥺
NOOO DID THE SYSTEM DIEEEE AAAAAAAAA
I just ugly crying in the corner ༼;´༎ຶ ༎ຶ༽
Thank You for the chapter ʚ♡⃛ɞ(ू•ᴗ•ू❁)
This chapter was painful 😣 it made me bawl like never ｡:ﾟ(;´∩`;)ﾟ:｡ಥ╭╮ಥ Er gou my useless little Z48 system, you broke my heart like no other. This brotherly sacrifice was painful to see. (っ˘̩╭╮˘̩)っ This author really weaved her characters well. Thankfully I didn’t read this when it was still ongoing my heart wouldn’t have been able to take it.