"Keeping your feet on the ground... Even so, we can't just casually allow a man with an unknown background and unknown identity to keep getting close to Huijie. That's far too careless."
After saying that, Wei Yenwu sat there in silence. Lowering his head, he merely stared at the pipe between his lips without taking a puff, watching the tobacco inside slowly burn away. Only after a long while did he let out a heavy breath and turn to his wife.
"I know you're anxious that Huijie has reached this age and still hasn't found a suitable partner. But this doesn't feel like your style, Wenyue. You've never been this... unrigorous."
Faced with Wei Yenwu's question, Wenyue only shook her head.
"No. In fact, I'm still the same as ever."
As she spoke, she slowly pulled a thick stack of documents from her pocket and set them on Wei Yenwu's desk.
He looked puzzled, but still reached out and picked them up. Opening the kraft-paper outer cover, he poured out stack after stack of reports from inside, then picked up one and began reading it closely.
Yet after only a few lines, Wei Yenwu's pupils abruptly contracted.
"This is..."
He read the contents aloud under his breath.
"When the target speaks with neighbors, his muscles unconsciously relax, and his footsteps become looser. When discussing topics he is interested in, his gaze will drift slightly without realizing it."
"Judging by his bearing, the target has received relatively good public education. His manner is polite—if anything, overly polite. When setting up his stall, the target displays slight emotional fluctuation upon seeing children accompanied by both parents. It is tentatively inferred that his living environment lacked parental companionship."
"...As of the present, it is inferred that the target grew up without parental figures. Yet the traits he displays while interacting with others do not match those of an isolated or withdrawn child left behind. By extension, it is highly likely that the target was raised in an institution similar to an orphanage."
"When... did this start?"
Wei Yenwu wiped the sweat from his brow. Even a man like him felt a chill at such meticulous detail. Especially judging from the sheer thickness of the file, Wenyue had apparently begun investigating that young man even earlier than the Black Cloaks had. When had it started? Could it have been from the very first time Huijie visited his ramen stall?
"Everyone has their specialty. The Black Cloaks are not good at analysis or profiling. But at least from the reports I received, this boy named Zuojian is very likely an orphan, and judging by his behavior, he's not the sort of person who would become trouble for Lungmen—or get mixed up in trouble, for that matter."
"The only thing worth criticizing is probably that, because he's too solitary, he occasionally talks to himself."
"And also, put out that smoke."
After saying that, Wenyue cast him a cold glance, making Wei Yenwu feel a chill run down his spine.
Startled, he hurriedly snuffed out the burning tobacco in his pipe, then wiped his forehead again and said,
"I-Is that so... You really do care more about Huijie's affairs than I do. My mistake. I shouldn't have doubted you."
He gave an awkward laugh, while in his mind he frantically reviewed whether he had recently done anything to displease his wife and failed to confess it.
"You shouldn't have doubted little Chen either."
Wenyue gathered up that thick stack of reports, then expertly fished Wei Yenwu's lighter out of his pocket and set the entire file ablaze.
"She's already grown up. She isn't a child anymore, and she has enough judgment to tell right from wrong."
"Of course, there's one more thing... I do think little Chen is at the age where she ought to have the chance to fall in love. But only that—fall in love, nothing more. After all, the intelligence we have so far all comes from inferred profiling. I've already asked Bai Xue to contact colleagues outside Lungmen. Until this child's background is fully confirmed, the most we are willing to accept is a romance."
"Yes, yes, as Madam says, as Madam says..."
The next day.
[Good morning, Host.]
"Mmm... morning..."
Yawning, Zuojian got out of bed. He glanced at the blazing sun hanging outside, then slowly walked into the washroom, picked up his toothbrush, and turned on the tap.
[Today is a day worth celebrating, Host.]
"Celebrating what? My first simulation?" he asked vaguely, toothbrush still in his mouth.
[No. We celebrate the fact that those hidden presences around you have finally stopped wasting their efforts. Perhaps they are smug because they believe they obtained the information we allowed them to obtain, and thus think they are returning with a full harvest. Or perhaps they have realized that everything they did was meaningless...]
"Speak human."
Zuojian rolled his eyes at the system, then took a big mouthful of water to rinse.
[Put simply, those people who've been intensely surveilling you every day have finally clocked out. At least for a short while, they will no longer maintain such intense interest in you.]
"Pwah!"
Startled by the system's shocking statement, Zuojian sprayed his mouthful of rinse water all over the mirror and turned in confusion.
"Huh? Surveillance? Who? Who's surveilling me? I'm just a ramen vendor... Don't tell me they found out about you, System...?"
[There is no need to worry about that. The system is obligated to ensure the Host's safety. During this period, all information they obtained was adjusted by the system. Every piece of intelligence they gathered was guided toward one result only: reducing the Host's future trouble.]
"...Cognitive distortion? You can do that too?"
Zuojian blurted out in astonishment.
[Merely a standard system configuration. There is no need to specifically question the rationality of this system being a romance system on that basis.]
"You can preempt my complaints now, huh."
[The system's duty is to ensure that you are not disturbed by outside interference while engaging in romantic simulations.]
[You need only devote yourself wholeheartedly to love. The system is the one thinking about everything else.]
"What weird internet catchphrase are you using now... But putting that aside, what kind of people would have nothing better to do than spy on me this hard?"
"There can't possibly be some one-eyed race out there trying to steal Boss Zuo's delicious ramen recipe, right?"
He scooped up another basin of water and splashed it over his face, trying to drive away the last traces of sleepiness.
[How unexpected. You are surprisingly calm about this.]
"I wouldn't say calm exactly... but no matter what happens, panicking never solves anything. Look for clues, figure out where the problem lies, then solve it. That's just the principle I believe in."
[Even so, the system believes the problem does not lie with you. The main cause likely lies with Miss Chen Huijie.]
"Chief Chen? What about her?"
[Besides being a superintendent in the Lungmen Guard Department, she also happens to have a small little connection with the current Governor of Lungmen.]
"A small little connection?"
[She is the Governor of Lungmen's biological niece. Along the original course of events, Wei Yenwu intended to groom Chen Huijie as his successor. And now you have appeared out of nowhere, trying to pluck the cabbage growing right under their noses.]
"Pff—"
Even Zuojian, who prided himself on staying calm under pressure, nearly lost it at that answer. He whipped around, eyes shaking.
"Huh? Chief Chen's uncle is Lungmen's top boss?"
"And she might even be the next ruler of Lungmen?!"
"Why didn't you tell me this sooner...?"
Before he could finish, the system cut him off.
[First: you did not ask.]
[Second...]
As it said that, it suddenly began playing back a recording of Zuojian's own voice.
"What? A romance system...? Damn it, don't look down on me! Now that I've come to another world, I'll prove it to you! Just watch—I can absolutely do this without any outside help! My hundredth confession... will win!"
A proud declaration of invincibility upon reincarnation and awakening—now replayed in full.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have stopped Lord System from using your full power to help me."
Zuojian pressed his palms together in surrender, signaling that he would never act tough again.
"But... shouldn't I be grateful that Chief Chen rejected me?"
Thinking of it that way, he actually felt a little relieved.
But at that moment, the system abruptly asked:
[Host, I am curious. Have you ever considered something?]
"What?"
[Your understanding of so-called 'love' seems somewhat too narrow. From your behavior, it is clear that what you showed Miss Chen Huijie was nothing more than the same fixed routine you have used on every girl before. During that process, you simply noticed a few appealing shining traits in the other person, and from there concluded that the faint goodwill you felt was... 'love.']
"You... what are you trying to say?"
Zuojian took two steps back, his expression turning strange. He clearly did not want a system judging whether a human being understood love or not—but at the same time, he didn't know how to refute it.
[Teaching according to the individual, adapting to local conditions. Since the system is responsible for turning you into a master of love, it must naturally choose the appropriate simulations so that you may benefit from them and realize the problems in your past.]
[And so... let your first simulation begin here. The difficulty is moderate, the target suitable, and more importantly... perhaps here you will gain your first harvest, and come to understand deeply what exactly... 'love~' is.]
"Even setting aside how weird it is for a system to keep emphasizing what 'love' is, and why you had to drag out the last word like that—putting that aside... do you mean your so-called simulation is about to begin?"
"Right now? This instant?!"
"Wasn't it supposed to start at twelve o'clock?!"
The moment he said that, a pale fissure suddenly opened before his eyes, radiating an incredibly powerful suction force that nearly made him lose his footing.
[At this very moment, it is twelve o'clock.]
"The hell? Isn't it morning right now?"
[Clearly, staying up late has caused your sense of time to become disordered.]
"Ahhh—at least let me go back and put on some clothes!"
But before he could do anything, Zuojian—wearing nothing but a thin shirt and sleep pants—was directly hurled into the rift.
[Selecting a location for you.]
Victoria. The home of a pair of twin girls...
[Selecting a timeline for you.]
"Sister... why... why are you covered in blood?"
[Generating new causality for you.]
Walking along the street, a man suddenly noticed two thin little figures. They were two young Vouivre girls, both dressed in clothing utterly unsuited to keeping out the cold, trudging through the bitter winter of Victoria.
"You two are... Mr. Dublin's daughters?! Where are your parents? Why are there only the two of you out on the street?"
...
[Your simulation has now been generated.]
Zuojian woke groggily. In a haze, he felt as though he were standing in a broad but desolate corridor.
The hallway looked terribly old. The decorations in the corners were covered in dust and cobwebs, yet their remaining elegant outlines still made it possible to imagine just how luxurious this place must once have been.
"This is...?"
[In this simulation, your identity is that of a fallen Victorian noble: Zuojian Lefort. As a traditional noble family, the Leforts gradually declined after missing Victoria's period of rapid industrial economic development. By now, this once-great house exists in name only, and the Lefort bloodline has been reduced to you alone. Fortunately, your family fell too early for you to ever experience the stark contrast of dropping from pampered young master to bottom-tier drudge. To you, aside from this oversized ancestral manor with electricity bills far above those of normal homes, you are no different from an ordinary man.]
[But fortunately, you have not yet fallen to the level of a true beast of burden. You possess a slight natural gift for medicine, and together with the tuition you earned through working odd jobs, that was enough for you to become a country doctor with a small clinic of your own.]
[You have obtained temporary skill: Medicine (Lv. 2)]
Still half-dazed, Zuojian listened to the system's explanation. Only when the crisp chime for acquiring a skill sounded did he finally snap back to himself.
"Temporary skill...?"
[In simulations, you will assume different identities. Some of those identities, in order to fit their background, will come with temporary skills. These are usable only within the simulation.]
The system thoughtfully explained it for him.
Then another glowing panel popped up in front of him.
Only this time, the contents looked more like the item-selection screen from some roguelike game.
[Simulation start — Initial phase. You have obtained one chance to choose an item or strategy.]
Three separate windows entered Zuojian's view.
Item Name: Dimensional Jumper (Lv. 1)
Appearance: A pair of jet-black rubber gloves.
Effect: Allows the holder and another person to temporarily enter a fantasy world contained within virtual media such as discs or books. No objects may be brought out from that world, and all effects received within it will be erased upon leaving.
...
Item Name: Rose Revolver (Lv. 1)
Appearance: A large-caliber revolver with a red, black, and gold color scheme. Its mahogany grip is carved with delicate rose motifs.
Effect: Wounds inflicted by this item, and the blood spilled by those wounds, will be replaced by drifting rose petals. In addition, when used against a target who has no opposite-sex romantic partner, it deals an extra 2.5x critical damage.
...
Strategy Name: Unfettered
Effect: While holding this strategy, you gain temporary skill: Unfettered. This reduces the effects of all restraint-type terrain, items, and spells upon you, making it easier for you to escape trouble. In this simulation, you will also be more likely to obtain items and skills associated with the 'escape' trait.
"...To be honest, none of these have anything to do with romance..."
Zuojian let out a sigh, though he had expected as much.
Just as he was about to think it over carefully, a long, resonant doorbell suddenly sounded from the entrance.
"Ding-dong—"
Someone was at the door?!
In an instant, thrust into an unfamiliar environment, Zuojian's whole body tensed. He stared toward the passage at the end of the corridor, remembering the system's earlier warnings about just how... "terrifying" these simulations could be, and couldn't help swallowing hard.
"System, someone's at the door..."
Instinctively, he tried to ask the system—but got no reply.
Zuojian froze for a moment. The interface was still stuck on that three-choice selection screen. Other than the cold recorded explanations, there was no response at all.
"So once the simulation starts, you basically turn into an NPC, huh..."
[Please select your initial item or strategy...]
The system's voice now sounded even colder and more lifeless.
Zuojian only sighed, then a trace of ruthlessness flashed through his eyes as he reached directly for the least romantic "romantic item" of the three.
"The Rose Revolver!"
In an instant, a heavy weight spread from his fingertips through his entire body. Following the routine he remembered from messing around with military-model replicas in his previous life, he swung open the cylinder, checked the ammunition, then—while the ringing outside the door grew increasingly urgent—confirmed the revolver was ready to fire. He hid it behind his back, forced a smiling expression onto his face, and walked forward to open the door.
The smile on his face was so stiff it was almost strained, and sweat had already begun to seep into his palms.
If anything at all seemed wrong, he would retreat two steps without hesitation and show whoever stood outside the door the American quick-draw technique he had once learned from online videos.
He pushed the door open, his nerves tightening even further.
But the next second, when the door fully swung wide, he suddenly froze.
Because what he saw was...
Two children?
More precisely, two white-haired little girls in white stockings.
And they were dragon girls.
Both of them wore timid, soft expressions that instinctively stirred a protective urge in the heart...
Apparently, Zuojian's own expression had frightened them, because they both took a tiny step back. The tails behind them also began swishing faster from side to side, as though reflecting the anxiety in their hearts.
"What... is going on here?"
Just as he stood there utterly dumbfounded, at last an adult who looked like he could actually communicate stepped forward from the side. The man's face lit up with relief the moment he saw Zuojian, and he hurried over.
"Doctor Zuojian, thank goodness you're home..."
"Uh... and you are?"
He looked blankly at the man outside in the brown trench coat, certain he didn't know him at all. Or rather, to put it bluntly, the system had given him an identity, but it had certainly not given him any corresponding memories. There was no way he could recognize the man.
Fortunately, the other party also seemed to realize that.
"You may not know me, Doctor, but I know you. Back when you treated those Taran residents for free, I was among them. I came today to ask a favor of you..."
The man hesitated for a moment before continuing:
"There's tragic news. Lord Dublin is dead. His wife as well... It seems they were assassinated. What remains of their family now are only these two children. Lord Dublin probably mentioned them to you before—the elder sister is Eblana, the younger is Loughshinny."
"I'm worried the two of them will be..."
He paused, glanced around cautiously, then lowered his voice.
"You understand... their identities are special, and very few people know the secret. I'm afraid the two girls will be used by others... But I can't possibly raise them myself. So... considering that you were Lord Dublin's close friend, I thought perhaps you might be willing to help these two poor children."
-------
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