It was late at night. Jiang Lijin lay on the cold bed, her eyelids incredibly heavy.
Just as she was in a daze, about to fall asleep, she seemed to hear that voice again. It was very, very soft, as if coming from a place far away.
[Host...] It was Xiao Er's voice. [I hope that this time, you can be happy.]
Jiang Lijin's eyes snapped open, and she bolted upright in bed.
The room was dead silent. Only the faint, ceaseless hum of the capital planet's aerial traffic lanes could be heard outside the window. Other than that, there was nothing.
Was it a hallucination? Or had she finally gone mad?
She screamed frantically in her mind: [Xiao Er, is that you? Answer me!]
There was no response. Only the sound of her own heartbeat pounded in her ears.
She lay back down, but this time she couldn't fall asleep. She stared at the ceiling, where there was a tiny crack. The room the original owner lived in was completely different from the rooms of those three. It had no decoration at all, and the entire space exuded an air of dilapidation.
Just like her current self.
"It doesn't matter," she said dryly to the empty air. "I don't care. I'm free."
The words fell into the empty room and echoed back into her own ears. They sounded so light and flimsy that even she lacked confidence in them.
Freedom meant no one to hold her back, but it also meant no one to rely on.
She lay in bed with her eyes wide open, watching the artificial moon outside the window slowly sink, and the artificial sun slowly rise.
Until a rhythmic knocking sounded at the door.
She got up, patted her cheeks to wake herself up a bit more, ran her fingers haphazardly through her hair, and walked over to open the door.
Kieran stood at the door, wearing a dark gray suit that looked quite expensive, holding a thin data pad in his hand. His expression was placid, but the dark circles under his eyes revealed that he hadn't slept well last night either.
"Morning," he said calmly. "We've discussed it. This is the final acceptable figure."
He handed the data pad over.
Jiang Lijin took it and scanned it quickly. The compensation amount was much less than what she had calculated yesterday, but it was still far better than fifty thousand. Estimated across the three of them, she would receive about one million star coins in compensation. The additional clauses had also been changed, no longer requiring her to leave the capital planet. The scope of the non-disclosure agreement had been narrowed down to "shall not maliciously fabricate and spread false information to damage the other party's reputation."
Although this number was far from what she had expected, for some reason, she suddenly had no energy left to fight. Her stomach was aching faintly as the painkillers wore off, and staying up all night made her temples throb.
"Fine." She handed the data pad back. "Let's go with this."
Kieran visibly stiffened for a moment, his movements slightly sluggish as he took the data pad back. He looked at her, a trace of scrutiny in his gaze. "You... agreed?"
"What else?" Jiang Lijin gave him a speechless look. "Do you really want me to keep dragging this out with you guys?"
Kieran was silent for a few seconds, his fingers tapping on the data pad. "The compensation will be transferred to your account within three days. The revised version of the agreement has been sent to your optical computer. Once you sign it, our marriage will be officially dissolved. Also, this property is Rex's premarital asset. Please move out as soon as possible after the divorce."
"Got it."
Right in front of him, Jiang Lijin walked over to her old optical computer, opened the latest email, and without even reading it carefully, signed her name at the very end.
The light screen flickered and a pop-up window appeared: "Signing complete, submitted."
Kieran had followed behind her. Looking at the prompt on the optical computer, a trace of complex emotion flashed through his eyes. He thought she would throw a fit, haggle over the price, or cry about the coldness and grievances she had suffered over the past three years. But she didn't. She was as calm as an outsider.
"Please ask them to send the other two copies to my optical computer as soon as possible," Jiang Lijin said. "Do you have any other questions?"
Kieran withdrew his gaze, his tone returning to a businesslike manner. "Arden insists on suing you."
"Oh." Jiang Lijin nodded. "Let him. Do you need me to provide some trending search title inspiration? For example, 'S-Rank Beastman Sues C-Rank Ex-Wife, Allegedly Over Marriage Compensation Dispute,' or 'Former Partners Go to Court: Which Will Prevail, Law or Human Sentiment?'"
The corner of Kieran's mouth seemed to twitch.
"I don't mind putting him on the trending list," Jiang Lijin smiled. "Really. Anyway, I have nothing left to lose. I'm just a C-rank; I can't compare to you prestigious S-ranks. If he wants to make a fuss, I'll play along."
Kieran said no more. He just gave her a deep look, turned around, and left.
Jiang Lijin immediately walked over and closed the door, standing with her back against it for a moment.
It was time to pack. As soon as the money arrived, she had to move out immediately.
But where was she going to go?
Jiang Lijin searched her memory. She vaguely remembered that the original owner, just like her, was an orphan with no family and not even any friends... This was probably the reason why the original owner was so desperate to maintain this marriage.
The original owner's belongings were pitifully few. Aside from a few drab clothes, there were only some miscellaneous personal items. She pulled open the bottom drawer of the wardrobe, preparing to stuff everything into a suitcase, but her fingertips brushed against a hard object.
She pushed aside the old clothes and saw a dark green tin box hidden inside. It wasn't big, about the width of two palms, and an old-fashioned physical lock hung on it.
Jiang Lijin pulled it out; it was quite heavy.
Her memories of the original owner were somewhat fragmented. She couldn't remember anything more detailed or private, like passwords or keys. She could only search the room herself, the cracks in the drawers, under the bed, on top of the wardrobe... Nothing at all.
"Tsk," she felt a bit frustrated. Looking at the bothersome lock, she cursed in a low voice, "Trash."
[Ding! Detected that the host has a tendency toward self-deprecation. According to Article 3, Clause 7 of the "System Mental Health Care Regulations," comfort points are now issued: +0.1.]
The moment she realized this voice was ringing in her own mind, Jiang Lijin felt all the blood in her body freeze! But she quickly realized that this wasn't Xiao Er's voice... Who was it?
[Who are you!?]
[Hello, Host.] That gentle voice sounded again. [I am your auxiliary system, designated number 3001.]
[Where is Xiao Er?] Her heart pounded wildly in her chest. [My original system, number 332, where is it?]
3001 was silent for two seconds.
[I am very sorry, Host.] 3001's voice remained gentle, but it carried a hint of programmed evasion. [There is no record of a system named 'Xiao Er' or designated number 332 in my database. I am the first and only auxiliary system you have activated in this world.]
[Bullshit!] Jiang Lijin roared in her mind. [I clearly was in the last world—]
[Based on my core protocols, I cannot access or trace any experiences you may have had with other systems prior to binding with me. My mission is to assist you in exploring and surviving in this world.] The system's steady voice interrupted her.
Jiang Lijin understood. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. She clenched her hands tightly, her nails almost digging into her palms; the pain helped steady her chaotic thoughts.
[Alright,] she said. [Then tell me, what kind of missions do I have to do in this world?]
She had already made up her mind. If she was forced to do any more bootlicking missions in this world, she would drag the male lead and the supporting female characters of this world to hell with her.
[Main quest of this world: Exploration.] 3001 answered quickly. [As long as the host remains alive, you will automatically earn 0.01 points per minute. Exploring new maps, learning new knowledge, or achieving certain life milestones will trigger additional point rewards. This system has no mandatory plotlines, no out-of-character penalties, and no obliteration mechanism for failure. Core objective: to assist the host in living in this world for as long as possible.]
Listening to this, Jiang Lijin froze, as if in complete disbelief. After a long while, as if the information had finally registered, the corners of her lips pulled up bit by bit, revealing a smile that looked uglier than crying.
What did that mean?
Then what kind of life had she been living for the past three years? The moment she slightly deviated from the female lead's character setting, or showed even a hint of disgust towards the male lead, the system's electric shocks would instantly fall upon her. It got to the point where all the meager points she earned later on were spent solely on redeeming immunity from punishment.
But now she was being told that she could earn points just by staying alive?
[Just... staying alive?]
[Yes, Host.] 3001's voice was gentle yet firm. [Explore the world and experience life—that is the entire purpose of your journey here. Points can be used to redeem items, knowledge, or physical enhancements within the technological limits of this world. But most importantly, you possess completely free will.]
Jiang Lijin raised her hand and haphazardly wiped the tear tracks from her face, looking out the window at the cold and unfamiliar sky of this world.
Free will.
She softly repeated those words.
Then, she dragged that heavy green suitcase back to the edge of the bed and stared at the glaring lock.
Fine. She would just live first. Everything else could wait.
