The minibus exited the highway and returned to the area near the hospital, where they had originally boarded.
Su Mu’s driver, Xiao Liu, was still waiting at the same spot. He had originally planned to grab a bowl of rice noodles before driving back to the company to stand by, but just as he finished eating, he saw the minibus his boss had boarded driving back.
So soon?
Xiao Liu quickly wiped his mouth and jogged over to greet his boss.
The first to get off was the self-proclaimed tour guide, a friend of the boss’s younger sister—a sweet-looking but rebellious girl with short, wine-red hair.
Hmm, a girl with a bit of a sweaty smell.
Xiao Liu caught the scent on her and wondered how she could have developed such an odor in such a short time on the bus.
Next, the second person to get off was a handsome young man, who also carried a smell, with several holes torn in his clothes.
The third, the fourth…
Even his boss and the young lady smelled!
Good heavens, what on earth happened on the bus? How did everyone end up smelling like this?
Xiao Liu was screaming internally, but his expression remained earnest and serious.
He said, “Boss, you’re back so soon. Do you have any plans for the day?”
Su Mu pointed at Su Miaomiao. “First, take Miaomiao home, then send her to school for class.”
Xiao Liu blinked, looking at Su Mu. “And what about you, boss?”
Su Mu replied, “I have some matters to attend to. After you drop Miaomiao off at school, come back here and stand by.”
Xiao Liu: “Understood, boss.”
He Mu watched as Su Miaomiao got into the car. “Miaomiao, thank you for today.”
If it weren’t for Su Miaomiao, He Mu wouldn’t have been able to gather the tourists so quickly.
Su Miaomiao smiled and waved. “We’re like family, no need for such formalities. I need to go back and take a shower—I’m covered in this smell.”
After the car drove away, He Mu turned to look at Lu Shiyan. Usually, they didn’t get along well, but now, having shared a life-and-death experience, she felt a bit unsure of how to speak to him.
Lu Shiyan didn’t say much, just gave a cool wave before turning away.
“He Mu, I’ll be waiting for you at school.”
He Mu nodded slightly.
After handling matters with her grandmother, she really should return to school. The coursework for the graduating class was intense, and it was easy to fall behind.
The last remaining tourist was Su Mu.
Their eyes met.
Su Mu said, “The dean of the First Affiliated Hospital of the Medical University is an old friend of my father’s. I’ll go pay him a visit later. You’re heading back to the hospital too, right? Let’s walk together.”
He Mu nodded. “Alright.”
He Mu turned and walked side by side with Su Mu toward the hospital.
Her pace was brisk, and Su Mu had to keep up closely to match her stride.
Su Mu chuckled. “Tour guide He is truly decisive and full of vigor.”
Only then did He Mu realize that this social elite, Su Mu, was following her pace recklessly, losing his usual elegant and composed demeanor.
He Mu slowed her steps slightly. “Sorry, I’m in a bit of a hurry.”
Su Mu said, “The hospital is just ahead. Let’s go our separate ways then. I also need to buy some fruit for the dean—I can’t go empty-handed. What do you like to eat? I’ll buy some for you too.”
He Mu quickly waved her hand. “No need to go to such expense. I don’t really like fruit. Goodbye.”
Since she wasn’t very familiar with Su Mu, He Mu hurriedly ran off.
Su Mu watched He Mu’s retreating figure, a smile on his lips, tinged with a hint of determined ambition.
Su Mu’s phone rang.
“Hello, boss, I’ve found some information…”
After He Mu left Su Mu, the system’s voice rang out in her mind.
【Congratulations, host, for passing the trial.】
【Main mission completion rate: 100%. Sightseeing Mission completion rate: 100%. Rewards have now been distributed.】
As the last note faded, He Mu’s phone vibrated.
Opening her phone, He Mu was utterly stunned.
Her meal card had just been topped up online with 100,000 yuan.
Holy crap!
He Mu was going crazy. “System! Why deposit the money into my meal card?”
【The only card registered under the host’s name is the meal card. Depositing rewards into a phone card would be a bit odd.】
Depositing it into a meal card is odd too, okay?!
He Mu was so angry her heart ached. “First, deduct the money from the meal card. I’ll go apply for a bank card in the next couple of days, and you can give it to me then, alright?”
【Alright.】
Soon, another message popped up on He Mu’s phone: due to a campus card system error, an incorrect notification was displayed, and the balance remained the original amount.
【30 days of lifespan for any designated target. Use immediately?】
Here it comes.
Compared to the 100,000 yuan, this lifespan was what He Mu truly wanted!
He Mu felt a bit nervous. “Use immediately. Bring my grandmother back to life.”
【Host, the 30-day lifespan extends the existing condition. Your biological grandmother passed away long ago. After use, your grandmother will survive as a skeleton spirit for one month.】
What?
He Mu wondered if she had misheard.
He Mu swallowed hard. “My grandmother is Zhao Meimei. She just died, and her body is still fresh.”
【Host, according to system detection, the grandmother with blood ties to you is not Zhao Meimei.】
He Mu: “…”
He Mu opened and closed her mouth, seemingly unable to speak.
What did that mean? She and her grandmother weren’t blood-related? Was she born from Chen Jing’s affair? Or was she kidnapped?
“System, designate Zhao Meimei as the target for the 30-day lifespan. Use immediately.”
No matter what messy stuff was going on, her determination to revive her grandmother wouldn’t change.
【Using now…】
For a while, there was no sound from the system, likely needing time.
By then, He Mu had arrived at the hospital and called He Xiaosa.
He Xiaosa sounded rather irritable, and there was a lot of noise around him, as if many people were present.
“Oh, weren’t you running away quite decisively earlier? Now you know to call me?”
“Didn’t you say you were going to find a way to save your grandmother? Found it already? You’re really something!”
He Xiaosa was being sarcastic toward He Mu, with the sound of a number being called in the background. He was probably handling discharge procedures and paying fees.
He Mu took a deep breath. “Second Uncle, where is Grandma now?”
He Xiaosa said, “Basement level, Building 3, the morgue. Your parents are there.”
After saying this, He Xiaosa hung up the phone—it was his turn to pay.
He Mu’s hand holding the phone trembled slightly. The words “morgue” stabbed at her heart uncomfortably.
The words “parents” also stung her painfully.
He Mu was lost in her own mental storm. In the alternate dimension, she had thought about returning as quickly as possible, but now that she was truly back, she felt a trace of timidity.
Was it the apprehension of nearing home?
She could imagine what she would face next—how her so-called family would treat her before she even saw her grandmother.
It was no surprise that they would blame her for Grandma’s death, then stand on the moral high ground to condemn her. It seemed the harsher and filthier they cursed her, the more they could vent their anger for Grandma, as if that were an act of filial piety.
Over the years, it had always been like this—aside from blaming her for not taking good care of Grandma, they never took any real action. Not to mention giving money for Grandma’s retirement, they even occasionally swindled money from her hands.
Had her parents never loved her because they had long known she wasn’t their biological child?
There was a hint of timidity, but not much. He Mu felt more exhilarated than anything else.
She had completed the system’s task—she was about to bring Grandma back to life!