After Gu Chengyu left, Su Qianqian called out softly in her heart: [System? Are you there?]
After a brief silence, a voice that sounded somewhat childish and also seemingly weak echoed in her mind.
System: [Qianqian, I'm here...]
Su Qianqian pressed her lips together and asked her first question: [Is there a time limit for winning over Gu Chengyu? I mean, when that death calamity's time point arrives a little over a year from now, if I haven't succeeded yet, what will happen to me? Will I die?]
The system's voice became a bit more serious: [The task of winning him over itself has no time limit.]
[However, Qianqian, the death calamity is real. It's an unavoidable node in the original owner of this body's fate line.]
[If, by the time that point arrives, you cannot successfully win over the Son of Fortune, you will dissipate directly, both body and soul. That is, complete death.]
Although she had anticipated it, hearing the confirmation firsthand still made Su Qianqian's heart sink.
She was silent for a moment, then asked her second question: [Then, what is Gu Chengyu's current favorability towards me, exactly?]
The system seemed to stall, hemming and hawing for quite a while before answering in a small, milky voice: [Well... it's still just a little short... just a tiny bit away, Qianqian!]
As if afraid Su Qianqian would be disappointed, it hurriedly added: [Qianqian, he really, really likes you already!]
[But, Gu Chengyu is innately sharp, with astonishing intuition. You chose the right path, using genuine feelings to exchange for genuine feelings. It has also made him give his true heart and fall in love with you.]
[However, it's still just a little short...]
[Perhaps, maybe, your sincerity isn't enough yet? You might need to be even more sincere?]
Su Qianqian was stunned, confusion and incomprehension rising in her eyes: Still a little short? It actually still is?
She thought that after all they had been through, with him protecting her, doting on her, canceling the arranged marriage for her, and always being willing to lower his head in front of her, his heart should have completely opened up to her by now.
Moreover, her intuition had always been accurate.
The system muttered softly: [Yeah... just the final push is needed.]
Suppressing the doubts in her heart, Su Qianqian asked the third question she had been pondering for a long time: [System, I've always wanted to ask, back when I signed that unequal contract, it seemed like 007 proactively reminded me, but it was actually you, right?]
[Because a purely mechanical 007 shouldn't have consciousness. It would only follow instructions and shouldn't proactively remind.]
[Also, every time 007 pulled up surveillance or information for me to see, it was so crucial, as if specially filtered.]
[Has all of this been you helping me from behind the scenes all along?]
The system stalled again, seeming to struggle with itself. After quite a while, it spoke as if having made a decision: [It was me.]
Its voice carried a hint of dejection: [But I didn't mean to not appear. I had some malfunctions myself and needed to recuperate. I couldn't stay in your mind all the time, so I could only remotely keep an eye on you and try to give you some hints and help as much as possible.]
Su Qianqian understood in her heart. So that's how it was.
She then asked the last, and the one she cared about the most: [Then why, last time in the garden, when that doctor lured me into saying I didn't like Gu Chengyu, didn't you come out to stop me? You clearly could have warned me.]
The system instantly bristled, not expecting her to be so perceptive.
Its milky voice became extremely flustered: [That... that...]
[It was because I thought it would be beneficial for the development of your relationship! Yes, that's it!]
[Look, didn't he become more heartbroken for you afterwards, more unable to leave you? And you said it out loud, felt a bit better yourself, and weren't so bothered anymore, right?]
Listening to the system's clearly guilty explanation, Su Qianqian didn't press further: [Alright, I understand. You rest well at your headquarters.]
The system acted as if granted amnesty: [Bye, Qianqian! Call me anytime if you need anything. 007 is also on standby!]
Its voice quickly vanished, slipping away in a flash.
Her mind returned to quiet.
But Su Qianqian's gaze gradually grew complex.
She only half-believed the system's explanation.
Its failure to stop her back then was definitely not for the reason it gave.
Then, what was it really for?
Reasoning backwards, if it had stopped her, what would have been the impact?
Su Qianqian felt a headache coming on, unable to figure it out.
Forget it. This life was essentially picked up from the brink anyway. Every extra day lived is one less day.
Winning him over is important, but living well in the present, every single day, is also important.
