Chapter 233: A Month

Mini remained suspended in the air, its tiny wings fluttering innocently as though it had not just casually revealed something horrifying.

"Mini will receive an electric shock if Mini tries to answer any forbidden question," it repeated.

Wang Gege stared at it for several seconds.

Then she slowly turned toward Xie Rong. He was staring at Mini too, his expression unusually speechless.

"Then..." Wang Gege gulped. "I won’t ask..."

Mini blinked in confusion. "No, Host. Mini is really all right. You can try. Ask the question away..."

Wang Gege’s brows furrowed. "You just told me you would get shocked."

"Mhm! But it is really all right..." Mini looked totally innocent.

"Why?" Wang Gege totally looked confused.

Mini puffed out its cheeks. "Because Mini doesn’t know whether the question is forbidden until Host actually asks it!"

Wang Gege stared at Mini.

Xie Rong finally spoke, his voice calm but carrying a hint of worry. "So you’re willing to test it for her?"

Mini’s little wings drooped slightly. "Mhm..."

Wang Gege immediately shook her head. "No. Absolutely not."

"But Host—"

"No." She reached out and gently pressed Mini’s tiny head down. "If there’s even a chance you’ll get shocked, I won’t ask."

Mini blinked at her. "But then how will Host find the Eighth Prince’s female lead?"

Wang Gege fell silent. That was exactly the problem.

She glanced toward Xie Rong, who was still watching Mini with a thoughtful expression. If they wanted to restore Jiang Zhaoyuan’s storyline, finding his female lead would probably be the most important step. Yet if Mini couldn’t tell them without risking a system restriction, they couldn’t simply force the answer out of it.

Xie Rong gently squeezed her hand beneath the warm water. "Furen, don’t worry. There should be another way."

Wang Gege looked at him. "Another way?"

"Hmm... maybe we could ask Bibi?" Xie Rong suggested, but Mini immediately crossed its tiny arms.

"No! Mini is Host’s system. Why should Host ask another system?"

Wang Gege blinked at Mini’s sudden indignation.

"Just ask Mini. Mini could help..." Mini continued to pout, clearly sulking now. "Getting an electric shock is normal for Mini..."

"Normal?" Wang Gege’s eyes widened.

Mini nodded innocently. "Mhm."

Wang Gege stared at the little bee as though she had just heard something completely absurd.

"Since when is getting electrocuted normal?"

Mini tilted its head. "Since Mini became a system?"

"Huh?" Wang Gege looked completely lost. "Mini... even though you are my system, I wouldn’t let you get hurt just because I need to complete my mission. I will find another way, one that wouldn’t hurt anyone..."

Mini fell silent.

It pressed its tiny lips together, its little eyes shifting from Wang Gege to Xie Rong as though it were struggling with a difficult decision.

"Then maybe..." Mini finally whispered, "Mini could help with a trick to trick a system?"

The moment Mini said that, Gemi’s usual Ding! sound rang out.

[MINI!]

A holographic screen appeared in the air, an angry emoticon flashing furiously across it.

[BREAKING THE SYSTEM RULES DOESN’T JUST HURT YOU. IT HURTS ME TOO!]

Mini immediately stiffened.

Wang Gege blinked.

Xie Rong slowly turned toward the holographic screen.

"Gemi?" Wang Gege asked.

The angry emoticon on the screen seemed to become even angrier.

[HOST’S WIFE, PLEASE BEHAVE AND ACT ACCORDING TO THE RULES.]

[IF YOU BREAK THE RULES, MY REWARDS WILL BE PULLED BACK!]

Mini pouted. "Mini wants Mini’s rewards too. Just because Gemi got yours, Mini should wait?"

[THAT’S NOT MY PROBLEM! MY HOST FINISHED HIS MISSION AND ALREADY GOT HIS FINAL REWARD. I WILL GET MINE WHEN HE DEPARTS FROM THIS WORLD. I CAN WAIT AND PLAY BY THE RULES, SO WHY COULDN’T YOU?]

"What reward?" Xie Rong frowned. "Did you get a reward, Gemi, since I already completed my mission?"

The angry emoticon on the holographic screen suddenly disappeared.

[YES.]

Xie Rong raised an eyebrow.

[WHEN HOST COMPLETED THE FINAL MISSION, THIS SYSTEM ALSO RECEIVED ITS OWN FINAL REWARD.]

Wang Gege blinked. "The system gets a reward too?"

[YES.]

Mini’s eyes immediately sparkled. "Then Mini should get a reward too!"

[YOU WILL, IF YOUR HOST COMPLETES THE FINAL MISSION.]

Mini’s little mouth opened. "But Mini’s Host hasn’t completed it yet..."

[CORRECT.]

Mini pouted. "That’s why Mini wants to help Host finish it quickly..."

Xie Rong glanced at Mini before looking back at the holographic screen. "What exactly did you receive?"

The screen paused for a moment.

[....]

"You can’t tell?" Xie Rong asked.

[GEMI CAN.]

[GEMI FINAL REWARD: ...]

The screen flickered for a few moments before Gemi finally revealed the answer.

[GEMI FINAL REWARD: RESTORATION OF THE SYSTEM’S BODY.]

Silence fell over the hot spring.

Wang Gege stared at the words on the screen, while Xie Rong’s expression softened slightly.

Then, a few seconds later, Wang Gege suddenly exclaimed, "Gemi! That’s great! I couldn’t wait to see your bee form!"

The holographic screen froze.

Mini’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped.

Wang Gege nodded excitedly. "Mhm! You said your body could be restored, right? Then you’ll finally be able to come out of the system and have your own body again!"

The screen remained completely silent.

Then a small line appeared.

[GEMI IS... ALSO LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.]

Mini immediately flew closer to the screen, its eyes sparkling. "Mini is also happy for Twinnie..."

The holographic screen flickered.

[MINI WILL GET ONE TOO... JUST DON’T BREAK THE RULES.]

Xie Rong smiled faintly. "This one is happy for you too... Sometimes, this one really felt guilty after knowing that my eye uses a part of your body, causing you to be unable to appear in your original form."

The screen remained silent for a moment.

Then the angry emoticon disappeared, replaced by a simple line of text.

[HOST DOES NOT NEED TO FEEL GUILTY.]

Xie Rong looked at the screen.

[THIS SYSTEM AGREED TO IT.]

[AND BECAUSE OF HOST, THIS SYSTEM WAS ABLE TO EXPERIENCE THINGS IT NEVER COULD BEFORE.]

Wang Gege’s expression softened.

Mini tilted its head, quietly listening.

Xie Rong’s gaze remained on the holographic screen. "Still, this one took something that belonged to you."

[HOST DID NOT TAKE IT.]

The words appeared slowly.

[THIS SYSTEM GAVE IT TO HOST.]

A brief pause followed.

[AND WHEN HOST RETURNS, THIS SYSTEM WILL GET ITS BODY BACK.]

Xie Rong’s smile deepened. "Then this husband will make sure you get it back."

The screen flickered once.

[THANK YOU, HOST!]

Xie Rong smiled as he stared at the screen before suddenly scoffing. "This husband suddenly feels awkward. Gemi is acting different now. You always used to speak in that robotic tone."

The screen remained silent for a moment.

Then the familiar robotic text appeared.

[GEMI IS STILL THE SAME.]

Xie Rong raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

[YES.]

"You used to answer everything with that same cold tone, even when this husband asked something ridiculous."

[HOST OFTEN ASKED RIDICULOUS QUESTIONS.]

Xie Rong’s mouth twitched. "There. That’s more like you."

Mini immediately giggled. "Gemi is back!"

[...]

Wang Gege suddenly huffed in excitement. "Then I will work harder to give Mini the same final reward..."

Mini’s pout appeared again, its tiny eyes becoming watery. "Host... Mini is touched!"

Wang Gege smiled and reached out to gently pat its little head. "Of course. If Gemi can get its reward, Mini should get one too."

Mini sniffled dramatically. "Host is the best!"

Wang Gege’s eyes suddenly brightened as she raised one finger with determination. "So... from now on... our mission is to find the female lead!"

Mini’s eyes sparkled. "Mhm!"

It immediately flew upward, its tiny fists clenched as though it had just received the most important mission of its entire existence.

"Find the female lead!"

Xie Rong looked at his wife, then at the overly enthusiastic little bee. "Both of you are really alike..."

Wang Gege blinked. "Of course! We are besties!"

Mini immediately nodded enthusiastically. "Mhm! Mini and Host are besties!"

Xie Rong raised an eyebrow. "Besties?"

Wang Gege nodded proudly. "Yes! Besties!"

Mini flew closer to Wang Gege and held up its tiny hand. "Besties forever!"

Wang Gege happily bumped her finger against Mini’s tiny hand. "Besties forever!"

Xie Rong watched them for a moment before shaking his head with a helpless smile. He then glanced at Gemi’s screen.

"Still here?"

[HOST, GEMI NEEDS TO INFORM HOST ABOUT SOMETHING.]

Xie Rong raised his eyebrows. "What is it?"

The holographic screen flickered for a moment before several lines appeared.

[SINCE HOST HAS ALREADY FULFILLED HOST’S MISSION, THIS WORLD CANNOT HOLD HOST FOR LONG.]

Xie Rong glanced at Wang Gege, who was still busy talking with Mini, before turning his attention back to the holographic screen. "So how long do I have?"

The screen flickered.

[GEMI CANNOT GIVE HOST AN EXACT TIME.]

Xie Rong’s brows furrowed.

The screen flickered again, as though Gemi was calculating something before another line finally appeared.

[THE LONGEST GEMI COULD ESTIMATE IS A MONTH.]

Xie Rong’s expression became even more serious. "A month..."

He stared at the screen for a moment before nodding, "Thank you for telling me... I will be carefull..." Then he glanced at Wang Gege and whispered to himself, "Let’s go back as soon as possible."