During the over one year that Xu Youyou lived with Xu Wenyin, the little one remained healthy, not even catching a slight cold.

This also made Xu Wenyin very proud, feeling that she was raising the child well.

Unexpectedly, just as they were about to start their trip, Xu Youyou fell ill.

Fortunately, the family doctor at the Qin family villa was quite skilled, and with the timely discovery by Lu Chenjun, by the time Xu Wenyin arrived, Xu Youyou’s temperature had returned to normal, though she was still asleep.

Qin Yiren was shocked to see Xu Wenyin suddenly appear!

In her flustered state, she had forgotten to inform Xu Wenyin right awy. When she finally calmed down and called, there was no answer.

Qin Yiren thought that Xu Wenyin might be busy with work and hadn’t noticed her phone. Thinking that Xu Youyou’s condition had improved, she decided to wait a while before calling again.

Who would have thought that Xu Wenyin would appear right in front of her?

Qin Yiren had already given Xu Wenyin the address of the villa beforehand, so she immediately took a taxi there as soon as she got off the plane.

Not a single minute was wasted.

“Youyou?”

Xu Wenyin’s current appearance was a bit disheveled. Her hair, usually well-kept, was hastily tied back with a hair tie and now hangs somewhat loosely due to her rushed running.

It seemed she also threw on a random shirt, and it was even short sleeves.

“Youyou is fine now.” Qin Yiren said in a lowered voice. “I called you earlier, but you didn’t answer. Were you on the plane then?”

Xu Wenyin’s gaze first fell straight on the peacefully sleeping Xu Youyou, who was breathing evenly. Indeed, it seemed like everything was fine now.

Only then did she answer Qin Yiren’s question, “Yes. I……”

Xu Wenyin paused for a moment, trying to find an excuse for her sudden appearance there.

“I just-, I just suddenly felt flustered and felt something was wrong!”

Push it off as a superstition when uncertain about something!

Sure enough, Qin Yiren’s expression changed to one of realization. This was what they called a mother-daughter connection, right?

“You just came straight here like this? Why didn’t you call me first to ask?”

It’s only a little after four in the afternoon now. Considering the time spent on the plane and the journey there, Xu Wenyin must have rushed over as soon as she felt something was wrong.

“I forgot.”

Xu Wenyin tugged at the corners of her mouth, trying to smile but finding it difficult to do so all of a sudden.

She approached Xu Youyou’s bedside and gently touched her cheek with her hand.

“Why is it so hot?!”

Xu Wenyin was startled and quickly looked to the doctor beside her, continuing to speak in a hushed tone, “Does she need an injection? Or should we go to the hospital? Can we manage at home?”

Faced with the parent’s rapid-fire questions, the doctor remained patient and composed.

“The child’s temperature has returned to normal now. As long as the fever doesn’t recur, there shouldn’t be any problem. Just let her rest well. I’ll be here to keep an eye on her. Madam, you don’t need to worry too much.”

The doctor’s calm voice, tinged with professional composure, had a soothing effect that made people involuntarily relax upon hearing it.

Knowing that Qin Yiren would be bringing several children over this time, the butler had arranged for a family doctor who specialized in pediatrics. So, with an experienced doctor like this, it wasn’t really a big problem.

But it was hard to contain the nervousness of a certain parent.

Xu Wenyin asked, “Is that temperature normal? She feels so hot to me!”

Qin Yiren, upon hearing that, reached out and touched Xu Wenyin’s hand, then said with a helpless expression on her face, “Wenyin, it’s because your hands are too cold.”

Seeing her friend’s anxious demeanor, she knew that trying to coax her at this moment would be futile. “Youyou needs to have a good rest, and you wouldn’t want her to wake up to see you looking disheveled, right? Let’s go outside for a while. The doctor and the nanny will take care of her. Let’s not disturb Youyou’s rest.”

Indeed, with so many people in the room, even speaking softly felt chaotic. Qin Yiren half-pulled, and half-led Xu Wenyin out of the room, making sure to also tell Lu Chenjun to step outside.

There’s no use of him being inside, he would just be taking up oxygen.

Mother Qin and the others were waiting in the living room. With Xu Youyou falling ill, nobody felt like going out anymore. As they descended the stairs, everyone started asking about the situation.

As soon as Xu Wenyin entered the villa, she headed straight to Xu Youyou’s room. Before anyone else could say a word, they basically felt a gust of wind pass by.

If Qin Yiren hadn’t briefed them about Xu Wenyin beforehand and provided the butler with her information, it wouldn’t have been possible for Xu Wenyin to enter the villa so easily.

However, while Xu Wenyin’s body was indeed outside the room, her soul seemed to remain with Xu Youyou. When Qin Yiren spoke to her, her responses were delayed and just like the following:

“Wenyin, have you eaten?”

“Huh? I don’t need to eat.”

Qin Yiren: “……”

You’re human! Forget about humans, which living things doesn’t need to eat?

But Qin Yiren didn’t dwell on it too much. She naturally attributed these words to Xu Wenyin’s anxiousness about Xu Youyou.

“Sorry, I didn’t take good care of Youyou.”

After Qin Yiren reassured Mother Qian and the others about the situation, she led Xu Wenyin to the small dining room on the other side.

As she forced Xu Wenyin to sit down, the butler brought over a glass of fruit and vegetable juice along with some snacks, hoping to provide Xu Wenyin with a bit of energy and hopefully distract her a little.

Otherwise, with Xu Wenyin in this absent-minded state, Qin Yiren was truly afraid that while Xu Youyou would be fine, a certain adult might faint first.

After this series of actions, Xu Wenyin finally seemed to come back to her senses, only to then hear Qin Yiren’s apology.

“No, I’m not blaming you.”

Xu Wenyin waved her hand. “I know it’s normal for children to get sick. It’s just…… I don’t know why, but……”

Her mind was in chaos.

When Xu Wenyin first started living with Xu Youyou, she read many books about raising human infants, most of which mentioned the occurrence of illnesses.

Even physically strong adults couldn’t guarantee they wouldn’t get sick, let alone children.

Back then, Xu Wenyin even planned in her mind that if Xu Youyou did get sick, she would need to hire a temporary caretaker, as she wouldn’t be physically able to accompany Xu Youyou for long periods, especially during intravenous treatments.

She also stocked up on various medications, fever-reducing patches, and so on at home. In short, she had planned everything well, but when it actually happened, Xu Wenyin found herself in a panic.

She felt so useless.

She even boasted about being the most capable system, but in the end, she couldn’t do anything.

If it weren’t for Qin Yiren being there, things would definitely have been chaotic.

“I understand,” Qin Yiren said, taking Xu Wenyin’s hands. The warmth from the other party’s body slowly transferred through her hands. “As a mother, I understand exactly how you’re feeling right now, Wenyin.”

Xu Wenyin murmured quietly, not speaking aloud. Was she really Xu Youyou’s mother? She’s clearly just a system!

I don’t even understand myself!

Then how could she be feeling this way? How could a system have emotions similar to those of a human mother?

Qin Yiren continued speaking as she saw the self-blame on Xu Wenyin’s face. “I know telling you not to worry and to stay calm are just hollow words, but, Wenyin……” Qin Yiren’s expression turned serious. “Besides taking care of Youyou, you also need to take care of yourself. At all times, besides being a mother, you’re also Xu Wenyin!”

Perhaps it might seem like underestimating the word ‘mother’, but before becoming a mother, many women were just ordinary women who loved to eat, play, and have fun. They get sad and scared when bad things happen, and all of that is normal.

Does becoming a mother mean she loses her basic human needs? Does she suddenly become brave and decisive?

Impossible!

It’s just that once she decided to become a mother, she took on an additional responsibility.

Qin Yiren’s family was undoubtedly wealthy and influential enough. From pregnancy to childbirth, her treatment was likely far better than that of most expectant mothers. Yet, she still experienced morning sickness, swelling, and discomfort.

At that time, Qin Yiren had a bad temper and often snapped at Lu Weizheng. Even the smallest things in the eyes of ordinary people could become a trigger.

While Lu Weizheng continued to cheerfully massage Qin Yiren’s legs and poured water for her, seemingly unaffected, Mother Qin approached Qin Yiren.

The mother and daughter chatted in the room for a long time.

Qin Yiren still remembered the words her mother said to her.

“Yiyi, I know being a mother is very hard, especially for someone like you who has never experienced hardship since childhood.”

“But from the moment you decided to become a mother, you took on the responsibility of a new life, which is honestly quite heavy. Many times, you may fear that you’re not good enough, and you might get angry at your child’s lack of understanding and disobedience. But you will also experience a joy that you’ve never experienced before.”

“I don’t want to have children anymore! I don’t want to be a mother!” The Qin Yiren at that time was stirred by those words into a rebellious mindset. “Why should I endure so much hardship? Why should I have to sacrifice so much?”

Why do women have to give birth?

Her money, not to mention this lifetime, wouldn’t be spent even in the next lifetime. Without children, she would only live more freely.

If Lu Weizheng insisted on having children, then they would divorce!

As she thought about it, Qin Yiren couldn’t help but cry out in grievance.

Then she was carefully embraced by Mother Qin, gently stroking her hair just like when she was a child.

Such actions gradually calmed Qin Yiren down, even eliciting a hint of embarrassment from her.

Despite being an adult, she still……

“Yiyi, Mom knows. Mom and Dad have never forced you to have children and get married because we both believe that only two people who love each other and choose to have children are responsible.”

“Perhaps it’s unfair that women have to bear the pain of childbirth. But Mom also believes that since my baby has made this decision, she can surely become a good mother, right?”

“Not at all.”

Qin Yiren whispered in retort, “I don’t want to be a good mother. When this little guy comes out, I’m definitely going to give him a good beating.”

Mother Qin chuckled. “Alright, I’ll help you.”

“Yiyi, you must remember, first and foremost, you are Qin Yiren, and only then are you a mother. Your dad and I will always stand by your side!”

With that sentence, Qin Yiren was comforted, and it also prevented her from blindly being angry and complaining.

Sometimes, when craving certain foods, she no longer suppressed herself, allowing herself to have a little bit. After all, it’s not like she’s eating it every day.

Surprisingly, her mood improved, and she no longer wore a frown every day, feeling displeased with everything like before.

Now Qin Yiren has told Xu Wenyin about this experience, and she also wanted to share this lesson with her good friend.

Whether someone’s a wife or a mother, first and foremost, they had to be themselves and be happy before they could take on these new responsibilities.

Then Qin Yiren picked up the snacks beside her and said, “Have some.”

Xu Wenyin quietly glanced at the snacks and then at Qin Yiren. She realized that her emotions did seem a bit off.

As a system, how could she lose even the most basic composure?

That’s a big taboo when it comes to completing tasks!

Although Qin Yiren’s comforting words were somewhat off the mark, Xu Wenyin still thanked her and quickly got up.

“I’m going to the bathroom.”

“Don’t worry, I’m fine, and I’m really not hungry!”

Under the guidance of the butler, Xu Wenyin reached the room on the third floor of the villa, which was originally prepared for her arrival tomorrow.

She entered the bathroom inside. Although she knew that it was unlikely for anyone to install a surveillance camera in the bathroom, Xu Wenyin still carefully checked before disappearing.

When her human body disappeared and she reverted back to being a system, Xu Wenyin found that her confused thoughts seemed to have become clearer, as if it was just her own illusion.

Worried, Xu Wenyin went through another round of antivirus cleaning using the software she had created herself.

Of course, after the scan, there were no issues at all.

The programs used by the system were already the best high-tech in all the universes, and there had never been any mention of viruses infecting systems. Even the term ‘virus’ was something Xu Wenyin only learned about after arriving in this world.

But one never knows, what if there really was something?

Wasn’t there a saying among humans that ‘there are no absolutes in the world’?

So she meticulously checked several times, and her ‘body’ seemed to be running smoothly with no issues at all.

So at least half of the emotions she experienced just now originated from herself, rather than being influenced by having a human body?

The system fell silent.

During classes at the system school, the teacher had talked about the concept of mimicry.

One of the key points emphasized was to be extremely cautious and not to be influenced by it.

For example, if one transformed into a cat, one of the cat’s natural behaviors was grooming its fur, and one might unconsciously mimic that.

This was her first time transforming into a human, and she initially thought that humans wouldn’t have uncontrollable instincts like animals.

But the emotions she just experienced felt unfamiliar to her. Perhaps she was too focused on completing the task objective.

Upon calming down and reflecting on it, Xu Youyou, as the female protagonist of an angsty novel and as the ‘cornerstone’ of this world, might face a lot of unfair treatment, including being abused, falling ill, and so on.

But there was one thing that could be guaranteed.

Before the story concluded, Xu Youyou would not die. Absolutely! Not!

If she died, this still fragile little world would collapse instantly.

As the system heard Qin Yiren’s words, she even speculated whether her human body mimicked Xu Wenyin, and thus somehow inherited Xu Wenyin’s feelings towards the child.

However, once the body was relinquished, the system realized she had guessed wrong.

Mimicry only simulates the body; it doesn’t simulate emotions.

The anxiety, self-blame, and other emotions just now were indeed partly due to having a human body, but more of it stemmed from the system itself.

Unscientific!

How was this possible?!

She’s a system! Not a living thing!

No matter how advanced and impressive the technology was, she ultimately still had fundamental differences from carbon-based life forms.

No one would find any system out there behaving as flustered as she just did.

So, it must be a virus! She must have contracted a very powerful virus that hadn’t been discovered yet.

Then what should she do?!

Report to headquarters?

However, during the task, headquarters wouldn’t provide any assistance, and any feedback on issues had to wait until after the task was completed.

Can she even wait until the task is over?

Could this virus be slowly eroding her programs, causing her to become less like herself, just like what happened this time?

The more Xu Wenyin thought about it, the darker her future seemed. She even considered whether she should write her will while she hadn’t been completely overrun by the virus and hand it over to the next system to complete the task.

Tell the next system that Xu Youyou likes to sleep while hugging a stuffed toy, so make sure to buy her a big one.

Also, although Xu Youyou wasn’t picky about food, she preferred sweet and sour flavors.

And there’s more……

Wuu, why am I so miserable?

“Knock, knock——”

“Wenyin?”

The voice of Qin Yiren came from outside the door. It turned out that she became worried when Xu Wenyin didn’t come out of the bathroom for a long time, so she hurried over to check on her.

“I’m fine.”

Qin Yiren who was looking at Xu Wenyin’s disheartened appearance as she said those words: “……”

You don’t look fine at all! Did my attempt at comforting you just backfire?

Just as she was about to say a few more words, the voice of Liu Miaomiao sounded.

“Youyou’s awake!”

Worried that too many people inside the room would disturb Xu Youyou, in the end, only Xu Wenyin and Qin Yiren were left inside— oh, there’s also Lu Chenjun who refused to leave.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Xu Wenyin looked at Xu Youyou, whose complexion seemed a bit wan. She couldn’t help but feel that familiar sensation of being infected by the virus again.

“Want some water?”

Xu Youyou nodded slowly and drank about half a cup of water before looking at Xu Wenyin. “Mom, Youyou’s fine.”

She felt a bit guilty.

Her mother’s time had already run out for today. She must have used that other method to appear there. Although her mother said it’s okay to use it occasionally, she had just used it during Children’s Day. Would it hurt her mother?

“Mmhmm, Youyou’s great. You’ll just feel slight discomfort now, but you’ll be fine after a good night’s sleep~”

Xu Wenyin brushed a strand of unruly hair behind Xu Youyou’s ear and then lightly touched her forehead with the back of her hand.

Online sources say that this could help determine if someone still had a fever.

However, after ten seconds…… Xu Wenyin gave up.

She couldn’t feel anything at all, it’s just…… warm?

Thinking that Xu Youyou’s unhappiness was due to feeling unwell, Xu Wenyin tried hard to cheer her up, even telling a few jokes that she thought were funny. However, Qin Yiren and Lu Chenjun, shivering from the cold, found the jokes quite cold as well.

Thankfully, the butler promptly brought some light and easily digestible food, saving the mother and son.

Otherwise, not laughing would really be awkward, but laughing also seemed even more awkward.

“Alright, alright, you two go downstairs and have dinner. Youyou and I will be fine here.”

Xu Wenyin waved her hand. The butler brought up a large amount of food, and it was more than enough for her and Xu Youyou.

Plus, Xu Youyou was still in a weakened state and needed someone to look after her. Xu Wenyin also wasn’t interested in going downstairs to eat.

After forcibly pushing Qin Yiren and Lu Chenjun out the door, along with the nanny and the doctor, the spacious room quickly became empty, leaving only Xu Youyou and Xu Wenyin.

Xu Youyou was able to feed herself when she was in the orphanage, and even after living with Xu Wenyin, she was never fed by anyone. At most, Xu Wenyin would help by serving dishes on her plate.

But now she didn’t have much strength, and Xu Wenyin couldn’t let her eat on her own.

So now they were having their first mother-daughter feeding session.

Using gentle and cautious force, Xu Wenyin followed the instructions she found online. She blew gently on the spoon twice before bringing it to Xu Youyou’s mouth, all the while reminding her, “Slowly, slowly. If it’s too hot, I’ll blow on it again!”

“Ah——”

Xu Youyou obediently opened her mouth, hardly needing to chew at all. The warm temperature and the slight aroma of minced meat in the congee slid smoothly down her throat into her stomach.

It injected fresh vitality into her somewhat empty stomach.

“Wow, Youyou’s great! Another mouthful, ah——”

Xu Youyou quickly polished off almost half a bowl of congee and couldn’t eat anymore.

“Mom, you should eat too. You won’t get sick if you’re full.”

Xu Wenyin was about to say her usual line, ‘Fairies don’t get sick’, when she thought of herself getting infected with the virus.

Could it be because she didn’t eat properly?

Relying on the fact that her body would refresh itself every day, Xu Wenyin never understood the concept of restraint when it came to eating. During the day when Xu Youyou wasn’t home, she often ordered fried and spicy foods, among other items labeled as unhealthy.

In the evening, after Xu Youyou had fallen asleep and there was even a little time left in the day, she would indulge in late-night snacks.

Roasted pork trotters, crispy pork, and ice cream milk tea all at once.

The more she thought about it, the more Xu Wenyin nodded in agreement, as if being enlightened. “Mom knows. Mom will definitely eat healthy food from now on.”

Any vegetables or fruits, whichever was healthy, she would eat.

It’s best if this hateful virus dies from hunger!

After Xu Youyou had eaten her fill, she quickly became sleepy again. Xu Wenyin tucked her into bed, then went outside and chatted with Qin Yiren and the others for a few moments before sending them off. She also asked the doctor to check on Xu Youyou again to ensure everything was fine.

The door was locked with a click and Xu Wenyin’s body vanished.

What happened today was truly beyond her expectations.

Looking back now, she realized she had used up almost five points in one day.

It’s truly heartbreaking!

But if someone were to ask Xu Wenyin whether she regretted it or not?

Then the answer would definitely be no.

Because it’s all for the task.

Afterward, Xu Wenyin started deliberating. It was certain that Xu Youyou’s body wouldn’t fully recover by tomorrow, but she could let Qin Yiren and the others play by themselves.

The reason was…… she didn’t want to disturb everyone’s enjoyment because of her and Youyou, otherwise, they would truly feel guilty!

That sounded completely convincing.

Once the others left, she could spend time alone with Youyou and save a lot of points.

As for the day after tomorrow, the original plan for a full day of entertainment would have to be altered.

This sudden illness of Xu Youyou made Xu Wenyin realize even more the importance of points, so she decided to save wherever she could.

She would see how Xu Youyou’s recovery progresses the day after tomorrow before making any decisions.

Right now, the most pressing issue was her own ‘health’ problem. The virus seemed to be dormant again and she’s currently very clear-headed and devoid of any chaotic emotions.

It seemed that the virus’s potency wasn’t as strong for the time being.

She would first try to control it. If she can manage to control or gradually eliminate the virus, that would be the best outcome. If not……

Xu Wenyin glanced at Xu Youyou, tears welling up in her heart.

She’s still a young system, she really doesn’t want to be scrapped so soon!

Damn virus, I, 5874, is incompatible with you!

Determined not to sit idly by, Xu Wenyin contacted Ace. After all, he was arguably the best computer expert in this world she knew about. Perhaps he could offer some good ideas.

So, in a quiet house thousands of miles away, Ace received a message from Xu Wenyin.

【What to do if a system is infected by an unknown virus?】

What kind of virus even Xu Wenyin couldn’t solve? Ace instantly became interested.

He quickly replied to the message.

【Is formatting not possible?】

Format?

Isn’t that the same as asking me to die?!

Inside Xu Youyou’s mind, Xu Wenyin stared resentfully at the virtual chat box in front of her.

She knew it; this human must be holding a grudge against her for defeating him, seizing the opportunity to try and eliminate her!

Clearly, in her rage, Xu Wenyin had forgotten one thing.

Ace had no idea that Xu Wenyin was ‘the’ system.

If there was an award for the most unjustly accused, a certain hacker bigshot who was still diligently inquiring and trying to solve the virus problem would definitely win it today.