The voice came out of nowhere, so sudden and so close—it felt as if it were echoing directly inside her own head. Ye Qing jumped in fright and instinctively reached for a weapon to defend herself.
Glancing quickly around, she spotted an axe standing in the corner. She grabbed it firmly in one hand and steadied herself against the wall with the other, scanning her surroundings warily.
“Who’s there?” she demanded in a sharp tone. “Stop playing tricks and show yourself. This axe doesn’t have eyes.”
“It’s me! I’m right here!” The voice sounded strange—like a machine speaking, but with the tone of a small child. And sure enough, it seemed to come from inside her mind. Ye Qing turned in a full circle, but there was no living creature in sight that could possibly be talking.
The voice continued, “Host! Look down at your feet! I’m that little stone right there!”
“I’m your system, Host! Pick me up, hurry!”
Hearing this, Ye Qing looked down with a mix of doubt and curiosity. Right beside the small wooden chair lay a stone about the size of her palm. It looked completely ordinary—the kind you could find anywhere along the roadside. “You’re a system?”
“Yes, exactly! Host, I’ve finally found you!!” The system’s voice brimmed with excitement. As it spoke, a faint, flickering glow appeared across the stone’s surface, giving it an air of mystery.
Ye Qing felt her own spirits rise!
Could it be true? She actually had a system of her own?
Did this mean she was the chosen one? That with a system in hand, she would soon live a life of plenty and comfort?
Her heart raced with anticipation. “What kind of system are you? What functions do you have?”
“About that… don’t be in such a hurry, Host. Let me tell you something far more important first.” The system paused, keeping her in suspense, then shifted to explain. “Actually, the world you’ve arrived in is the setting of a male-protagonist era novel…”
After a few more exchanges, Ye Qing realized she hadn’t merely traveled through time—she had crossed into the world of a book.
According to the system, in this story she was destined to be the male lead’s eternal “white moonlight and red mole”—the one he would always cherish above all others—and eventually, she too would enjoy a life of ease and abundance.
Ye Qing listened with growing interest. “Get straight to the point. What do I need to do to have more than enough food and clothing?”
She pressed on, wanting to understand her own place in all this. But the system’s next words instantly drained her enthusiasm.
There was a brief pause, then the system launched into a long, detailed explanation: “An unknown force has interfered with this book’s world and disrupted the original plotline. Now, Host, you must follow the story’s course and complete the required tasks, so that the novel can reach its intended ending…”
“Did you think I have endless patience? Just—get—to—the—point!” Ye Qing was already growing irritated by the system’s rambling.
The system quickly clarified: “Your role is that of the long-suffering yet devoted white moonlight—someone who quietly stands beside the male lead and understands his heart. When the male lead and other supporting characters are sent to the countryside as educated youth, you must go there too, grow closer to him, wash his clothes, cook his meals, and keep his quarters clean. When necessary, you must also step in to protect him. Help him live comfortably through those years, and warm his heart. Once economic reforms open up and he returns to the city, that is when your good life will finally begin!”
“Wash clothes, cook, clean up… and also protect him?” Ye Qing latched onto those key points. She thought it over for a moment, then burst out laughing. “Isn’t that just being a nanny and bodyguard rolled into one? I have to run around taking care of his every need, and only then will I become his ‘white moonlight’?”
Her interest vanished completely, and she leaned back lazily into the chair.
The system urged her eagerly, “Yes, exactly! It sounds like a lot of work, but that’s your mission. Only then can the plot proceed, and only then will the male lead rise to success. Once he makes his mark, you’ll reap all the rewards!”
“Come on, Host! Who would turn down the chance to be the male lead’s beloved? Why settle for being just an ordinary wife to a village cook?”
Ye Qing simply closed her eyes to rest, her tone even more indifferent. “You said earlier that an unknown force is interfering with the story. If you ask me, that unknown force is just how useless the male lead really is. He’s sent down to the countryside to help build the rural communities, yet he still needs a personal nanny and bodyguard to follow him around? If he’s that incapable, how could he ever achieve great things? You’d be better off just replacing him with a better main character.”
“Haha… you really know how to joke, Host.” The system laughed awkwardly, then continued. “The male lead isn’t entirely without merit! Anyway, you should start preparing right away. The main cast will be arriving in just over a month…”
It went on and on, pressing her to act.
Before the system could finish its sentence, Ye Qing gave a firm and clear refusal. “I’m not going.”
“No, you have to! You absolutely must!” The system fell silent for a split second, then let out a shrill cry, chattering like a noisy sparrow. “Host, think about it! The good life waiting for you once he succeeds—all the food and comfort you could ever want!”
Seeing that Ye Qing remained unmoved, the system tried a different tactic. “The male lead is tall, handsome, and full of promise. Stay with him, and your future will be filled with ease. He’ll take you out of this mountain village and into the city. Don’t you want to see what the world beyond these hills is like?”
“Host, don’t fall asleep on me!”
Realizing Ye Qing was determined to refuse, the system grew frantic, chattering nonstop inside her head.
Was this system just a born chatterbox?
It kept listing the male lead’s advantages one after another. Already feeling drowsy after a full meal, Ye Qing found its endless babbling more and more annoying. Before the system could finish its latest sales pitch, she straightened up, aimed her foot directly at the little stone, and kicked it hard.
Watching the stone arc through the air, Ye Qing sighed with a frown.
She wondered—had her superhuman strength from her old life not traveled over with her, or was it simply that her current body was still far too weak and recovering slowly? Before crossing into this world, she could have kicked that same stone more than fifty meters across the fields. Now?
She watched as it sailed straight into the cracked water jar by the courtyard gate. Rubbing her knee, she settled back down.
No sooner had she closed her eyes than the system began making noise again, shouting from beneath the water.
“Glug, glug, glug… Host… glug… I still have more to tell you… something that can help you get enough to eat… glug…”
Hearing that, Ye Qing slowly got up, walked over, and fished the stone out of the jar.
The system let out a dramatic sob, then quickly hurried to explain, sensing Ye Qing’s mood turning sour. “The main characters are blessed with extraordinary luck and fortune—and the male lead is the luckiest of them all. Even when he was sent here as an educated youth, he barely suffered any hardship. Take a walk up the mountain, and he’ll stumble across wild pheasants and rabbits. Get thirsty, and he can just reach up and pluck ripe wild fruit. Go swimming in the river, and he’ll catch fish with ease. Stick by his side, and you’ll never go hungry—at the very least, you’ll always have enough to fill your belly!”
“Wild pheasants, rabbits, fruit, and fish—there’s really all that up in the mountains?” Ye Qing seized on the key point and pressed for details, still half skeptical. “Food is scarce in the Xiao family, and every other household in the village isn’t doing much better either. Their ancestors have lived here for generations. If the mountains truly held so much bounty, why would they still be struggling to feed themselves?”
Seeing a glimmer of hope, the system rushed to clarify. “The villagers have different circumstances. Strong men spend their whole days working the fields, and by the time they finish, they’re too exhausted to do anything but sleep. So most of the people who go into the hills are women and children. They only dare wander along the outer edges—they’d never risk going deep into the mountains.”
Its tone turned smug. “But the male lead is different! Protected by his immense luck, he’ll never face any real danger to his life. That’s why he can venture deeper into the hills and find all sorts of resources.”
“These villages are nestled deep in the mountains, surrounded on all sides by endless ranges. How much could the villagers possibly gather from the fringes? The mountains behind hold riches beyond count—game like pheasants, rabbits, and wild boars, all kinds of medicinal herbs, fish, fruits, and more. It’s impossible to list everything. The male lead will find countless opportunities and treasures here. Follow him, and you’re sure to live well! So, Host—what do you say? When will you start preparing to ‘accidentally’ run into him and win his favor?”
The system rambled on and on, but Ye Qing only paid attention to the first half. Her mind was already filled with thoughts of all the hidden resources in those mountains.
It seemed those vast ranges surrounding the village weren’t entirely a curse—at least to Ye Qing, they looked like an endless treasure trove, rich and abundant with life and supplies.
Her interest flared up instantly. But she had no intention of tagging along behind the male lead.
In her previous life, she had survived for ten years in mountains far more dangerous and unforgiving than these. She knew the terrain and the wilds far better than he ever could. Why would she need to wash his clothes and cook his meals just to earn a share of food?
Her gaze turned toward the looming hills, and inside she felt a surge of excitement, ready to spring into action.
She had been given a second chance at life! Why should she care about some male lead or his destiny? She would go up into the mountains herself, find what she needed, stockpile food and supplies, and prepare for the long cold months ahead!
If she had felt a little lost and uncertain earlier, now her heart was filled with nothing but eagerness. She wished she could recover her strength by tomorrow and head straight into the hills!
“Host, why aren’t you answering? Snap out of it! Let me tell you more about the male lead…” The system had no idea what was going through her mind and kept chattering away. Suddenly, its voice cut off, and it shrieked in alarm.
“AAAAH! Host—what are you doing?!”
Ye Qing had hauled the axe over with effort, set the little stone firmly on the chopping block, and was now squinting, aiming carefully.
“Smashing you to pieces,” she replied simply.
“I—no! Please don’t!” The system wanted to leap away in terror, but could only flash brighter and brighter, its voice rising into a panicked wail.
Ye Qing lifted the axe without emotion. “You talk far too much—chattering on and on nonstop. It’s extremely annoying.”
She was truly serious about it. Having something constantly yammering inside her head was more than she could tolerate.
She also guessed that the system had no real power to stop her; otherwise, it wouldn’t have wasted so much time explaining itself earlier.
As the axe hovered just above the stone, ready to strike, the system felt its end had come. It quickly pleaded for mercy, its tone turning pitiful. “I may be talkative, but I’m not completely useless!”
At the very last second, Ye Qing stopped the axe. She stared down at it. “What functions do you actually have?”
“I have a built-in storage space! You can put things inside, and they won’t get lost, go bad, or rot!”
“Show me.”
Following the system’s instructions, Ye Qing checked carefully and confirmed it was true—there was indeed a private dimension, roughly two cubic meters in size.
Though it was rather small, too limited to hold all the food she might find, it was still more than enough to carry supplies down from the hills and store essential provisions for emergencies.
Seeing the space was real, Ye Qing finally agreed to let the system stay. But she laid down strict rules: it was never to speak unless necessary, and absolutely no more endless rambling!
Tucking the stone safely away, Ye Qing settled back lazily into the wooden chair, her mind already planning how to regain her strength quickly so she could set off into the mountains and claim those hidden treasures.