Qiu Qichen reached her house. A small villa not far away from her school, though as per the memory, she took a long route..
"Uncle Hei." She smiled at the old man who tried to take her bag but failed.
It was the old housekeeper who stayed with the girl since she was little.
"Did something good happen?" Wrinkles appeared on the old man's face as he smiled.
Sitting on the sofa exhausted, Qiu Qichen thought of the cousin who is addicted with 'Brother Zhe' and.... the big puppy eyes. "Perhaps."
"Go take a shower and then come for a meal." Housekeeper Hei urged her.
Stretching her waist, she nodded at Housekeeper Hei and then went upstairs with her bag.
When she entered her room, she found it was very much in her own taste. There was simplicity and elegance.
Setting her bag on the small couch, she headed for her wardrobe. Once opening, she was blinded.
She never imagined that the wardrobe would be 50% punk, 30% neutral and 20% fancy.
Her outfit was pretty neutral right now... cause it was school uniform. And the girl didn't use any accessories such as chains, pins and others that gave away a punk aura. So, she didn't think that the wardrobe would be like this. And this wasn't her taste.
Taking out a light blue top with a small white ribbon as neck decoration and a denim blue jeans, she went for shower.
After coming back with her hair braided, the first thing she did was to... throw, throw and throw the punk style clothes. She couldn't stand them.
She then hesitantly looked into the mirror of the dresser. The face was hers...
Is this an alternative world of her own?
"Little Chen, ….what's this?" Looking at the punk clothes that covered half the bed and became a pile, Housekeeper Hei smiled at Qiu Qichen.
Qiu Qichen shook slightly and her eyes cleared, "I had a change of heart." Qiu Qichen pursed her mouth as she looked at punk clothes.
Housekeeper Hei nodded. A little elated. "I will had them taken away. The meal is served now."
Qiu Qichen nodded, closed her wardrobe and headed downstairs.
Housekeeper Hei smiled as he looked at the departing back of the girl. His eyes reflecting paternal love and care.
Little Chen must have come out of her sadness. Young Master and Young Madam had only one regret. They wanted to let the little girl know that they loved her very much and all wasn't what it seemed. Others may not know, but he knew since he had followed the Young Master most of his lifetime.
When the Young Master left the old house, he was eyed by many competitors. In order to protect the little girl, he played a play of parents not loving the child with the Young Madam. Even their villa wasn't safe. Many times some servants were discovered sending intel to the competitors for money. If the news that child was loved very much reached the ears of those bloodthirsty competitors, they would have tried to kidnap the little girl.
Now, their soul would be able to rest in peace.
Qiu Qichen looked at the meal in front of her. It was plain, just as she liked.
Taking up a spoon of corn soup, she smiled. Tasty...
Even if this world is an illusion, she wanted to stay here. Maybe her grandfather is same too.
By the time, she was done with her meal and reviewing her textbooks, it was late evening.
Qiu Qichen stretched her hand towards her smart phone. She looked through the contacts. There weren't many. Her parents, Uncle Hei, a Little Bai and... Puppy Cheng.
Her lips twitched and she stared at the word 'Puppy'.
Puppy Cheng....?! Is it the person she's thinking of?
Diving through her memories, she finally turned out the scene when the girl got Li Cheng's number. It was when she found out that Li Cheng once saw her fighting some bullies. Then there was a threatening drama... The girl told Li Cheng that if he told the teacher, she would call him at night and scare him. Then... classmate Li Cheng shook as if a leaf attached to a branch swaying when encountering a strong wind... with puppy eyes of mercy. Finally, he was defeated and had his number taken away.
Twitch, the lips moved again.
Only 5 contacts... either the girl was autistic or hated people or there's another phone of hers. Once again diving into memories, Qiu Qichen found that there were really... only.... 5 contacts. "..."
As for Little Bai, he's her accomplice in bullying the bullies. He's the one who decides whom and when to ambush. Most of the targets in the start were the ones whom had bullied him before.
It may be that he felt the superiority of bullying that one day, he started bullying others too.. in the name of 'Qiu Qichen'. After which the girl beat him until he regained his senses, she even took him to a psychiatrist. Fortunately, Little Bai regained his wit and also realised the evil that he was about to commit.
Thus, 'Qiu Qichen' and Little Bai became heroes who save the poor ones by bullying the other bullies. A typical Robin Hood type.
Unfortunately, 'Qiu Qichen' heavily maintained her gloomy image to scare away the bullies but also scared other students away. She also faced enmity of many bullies, so avoided other classmates to prevent them getting hurt.
Knock. Knock.
Turning off her phone and putting it back, Qiu Qichen went and opened her door. A maid was standing there. She bowed slightly, "Miss, the dinner is ready. Please come down to the dining room." As if thinking the credibility of her words was low, she added, "Housekeeper Hei told so."
With a nod, the maid was sent away.
After arranging her study desk, Qiu Qichen slid her phone into her jeans pocket. And headed downstairs.
"Uncle Hei." She smiled at the old man. Although not her grandfather, she felt the similar care of an elder.
"Little Chen." Housekeeper Hei smiled back. and gestured towards the dining table. "Today most of these are your favorites."
There were only 4 dishes with 2 of her favorite ones. Steamed stuffed buns, fried dumplings, gong bao chicken and shrimp & ham soup.
Qiu Qichen felt very happy. She wanted to stay in this world forever now although she transmigrated instead of reincarnation.
Wiping her mouth with tissue, she yawned slightly. Her black eyes held a tear drop in them making them shimmer. "Good night, Uncle Hei." She smiled and waved at the old man who was gesturing to the servants.
"Good night, Little Chen." When she was halfway up the stairs, she heard the voice of the old man with a slight quiver.
When she entered her bedroom, she headed for the wardrobe to look if she had any appropriate nightgown. She finally found two at the end. A white and another black. Both made of cotton with laces at the hem that would reach the ankles.
Picking up the white one, she went to change in the bathroom.
When she came back with her hair open, she looked as if a fairy descended. Wavy black hair that fell freely on her shoulders and the long white cotton nightgown. Her black eyes that seemed to pull people in and a smile that was hanging on the corner of her lips.
Unfortunately, there was none to appreciate this scenery.
When her her head touched the soft pillow, she dozed off into sleep.
[Drip! Connected with the host.]
An electronic voice took away Qiu Qichen's calm. Does she have to complete a task now... when she finally felt that she was free?
She opened her eyes quickly and found herself in a white space. Her eyes calm as if she knew she would see this scene.
A blue translucent ball floated in front.
[Host~] A sweet peachy voice came as that ball vibrated.
This time the system was more humane. She concluded. "Yes?"
[As an apology from the reincarnation staff, they have sent the 'wish system' to you.]
Apology? Her eyebrow raised slightly. A new selling point? "So?"
[With the wish system, you can complete your wish with the wish points~] The blue ball floated and circled Qiu Qichen as if telling what a great gift she got.
"Wish points? How to get them? What's the limit? And how many wishes can be completed?" Ignoring the circling ball, she bombarded one question after another.
The blue ball stopped circling and dimmed a little as well, pointing out its sadness as if to accuse her of her fierceness and ignoring the cutie ball.
[Wish points are needed to complete a wish. Completing wishes of the task object gives you wish points. You have to preset your wish to determine the limit of the points needed. And only one wish is completed.]
Qiu Qichen suddenly found the danger points of this wish system, the task object. If the person that is the task object is a kind and good person, it's okay. But if it's a two-faced person, who's actually bad, she might be forced to do things she shouldn't just for the sake of a wish.
"Can you return to the reincarnation staff?" She didn't want to go and fulfill wishes of an unknown person that might even turn out to be a danger.
[Buzzzz.... No host! Once bonded, can't be returned until the wish is granted.] The ball shook fiercely in air and circled a few laps.
Closing her eyes, she whispered. "....Who's my task object?"
[The person you saw first in this world.]
Then as if a movie that she personally rewound, she saw herself banging the table with her eyes closed and then opening them towards the frightened pale... Puppy Cheng.
Opening her eyes, the first thing she did was... stretching her hands towards the ball. After grabbing it forcefully, she shook it heavily and then asked. "You are really a wish system, right? Not some matchmaker?"
After all.... Li Cheng the puppy type was quite her favourite. This blue ball won't look at the favorability rating, right?
[Buzz... no... zz.... not at all.... I.. am... a.. wish... system..... with...….. integrity.]
The ball floated left and right with its light getting dimmed and strong now and then as if it was an alcoholic system.
With a light smile on her lips, she helped steady the ball. "Okay."
[Thanks host...] Once stabilized, the blue ball flew farther from Qiu Qichen as if she would suddenly attack it again.
"Do I have to set the wish before I go to acquire the wish points?"
[No, host. It's only necessary to know the limit required to fulfill that wish.]
"Can I change my wish?"
[Unfortunately not.]
Qiu Qichen looked at the blue ball as if trying see its 0s and 1s and finding if what it said was true or not.
The ball floated a little more back.
"This world... is it connected to mine?" She stared into the empty white space as if looking at something else after piercing her vision through it.
[It is, host. This is an alternate world that grew after the book it was derived from was completed. Though the setting of the plot is in country M, not here.]
Qiu Qichen nodded and looked at the ball. "What do I call you? Lanqiu?"
[Host~ You are so good~ You are the first one to give me a name~]
She looked at the stupid ball who didn't realise that there was no special meaning in Lanqiu and it was totally literal.
"How many hosts you had?"
[Zzz.... You are my first.] The ball shook slightly and two pink shades appeared on its left and right that were very prominent on its blue color.
Qiu Qichen's mouth twitched. This sounded so wrong...
"I want to go sleep now. Can I exit this system space now?"
[Yes, host. If you are unable to sleep, I can sing you a lullaby too.]
"No need." She looked at the ball that dimmed, "Good night."
[Good night, host~]
Qiu Qichen closed her eyes. When she reopened, she was in her room, still on bed during the night.
"...sigh." She tried to doze back into her sleep again.
Buzz!!
Opening one of her eye, she peeked at light that was sprinkling out from her phone. With a hand stretch, she grabbed the phone, and looked at it.
'Puppy Cheng: Thank you. Good night.'
"Good night...." Putting back her phone, she slipped under the covers for more warmth that made her sleepy and finally dozed off into her dreams.