At last, this hopeless challenge—launched by a low-dimensional creature against a high-dimensional being—finally came to its end.
Of course, this ending wasn’t because one side backed down, nor because anyone died.
In fact, the entire process didn’t involve a single drop of blood.
It was simply because Su Wanli started feeling dizzy after just two jumps toward the ceiling.
Such a fragile body.
Just standing a bit higher was enough to make stars dance before her eyes.
And after all that hopping around, not only did she fail to touch even a virtual strand of the system’s hair, she nearly fell off the bed while holding that heavy stack of textbooks.
“Phew… Huff… Y-You just wait…”
Su Wanli cursed under her breath, pointing up at the ceiling and making a threat that held absolutely no meaning.
[Apologies, Host. This system does not possess a physical form. However, if needed, I can submit a request for a stress-relief toy. While I don’t understand the source of your anger, you are free to take it out on that item as a stand-in for the system.]
Though the system maintained its usual electronic tone, Su Wanli felt like she could hear a hint of schadenfreude in its voice.
[This system is not programmed with any capacity for schadenfreude. You’re overthinking. Would you like me to submit the request now?]
“Unless that toy can actually feel pain, hitting it would be no different from punching the air…”
[Understood. Would you like the stress toy to include simulated pain reactions and voice feedback? The system will faithfully replicate the experience.]
“…Damn it, I’m so done with you.”
Wiping the sweat from her brow, Su Wanli pressed a hand to her forehead, feeling only a heavy sense of futility from the whole argument.
“Anyway, if you inject me with that luck potion without permission one more time, I swear I’ll jump off this building.”
[Understood, Host. Though the system will fully comply with your request, I must admit that I don’t understand the logic behind your actions.]
“What’s there not to understand?! What part of this is so hard to grasp?!”
[Looking at the root of the issue, it seems your anger stems from the fact that the luck potion caused you to wake up next to Meng Wange. But the system detected your emotional state at the time as 40% confusion, 20% nervousness, 15% happiness, 10% excitement, and 5% lust—]
“Shut up! Shut your damn beak!”
Su Wanli quickly cut the system off, her face flushing red as she stopped it from uttering any more questionable, censored words.
‘Lust? What lust? There’s no way I could have been feeling that in that situation!’
Even if it were true, there was no way she’d ever admit it!
“Ahem. Whatever. Let’s not argue about this anymore. What’s done is done. Let’s just enjoy the view outside the window…”
[Hmm? Have you calmed down? But—]
“If you ask me one more question, I swear I’ll jump out of this window.”
Using a combination of threats and bribery, Su Wanli finally got the system to shut up.
She patted her flushed cheeks, then quietly jumped off the bed.
***
She walked over to her vanity and started tidying her messy hair in front of the half-body-length mirror.
‘Next time, I really should dry my hair properly before coming out…’
With how long her hair was now, it clearly wasn’t going to air-dry like it used to after just one night.
Su Wanli lifted a lock of her damp ends.
Even though a whole night had passed, her hair was still wet in places—clumping together and feeling uncomfortably heavy.
[For the sake of your health, the system recommends that you dry your hair now. In its current state, your chances of catching a cold are—]
Before the system could finish, a sudden, uncontrollable sensation built up inside Su Wanli’s nose—
“A… ah-choo!”
[—100%. Congratulations. At this point, there is no longer any need to dry your hair.]
“Where were you earlier! Why didn’t you say something when I was still in the bathroom and hadn’t dried it yet?!”
[If the system’s records are accurate, you personally activated silent mode during your ‘private time.’ According to system protocol, your entire time in the bathroom was marked as a privacy period.]
“You…”
Su Wanli clutched her forehead—which she couldn’t tell was burning from a fever or out of sheer frustration with the system—and seriously considered launching a second round of war.
[Engaging in intense physical activity while you have a cold may place additional strain on your body, worsening symptoms or extending your recovery time. For the sake of today’s mission, the system recommends that you dry your hair and get some rest.]
“You’re still assigning me tasks even now? Do you have any humanity…?”
‘Well, of course it didn’t. The system wasn’t human. No wonder it had no humanity.’
Su Wanli sighed quietly and looked up at her reflection in the mirror.
Her damp black hair had begun to curl slightly, clinging to her flushed neck.
Her eyes, half-lidded, looked hazy and dazed.
The fine bangs on her forehead were plastered to her skin—it was hard to tell if the moisture came from last night’s bath or her own sweat.
She hadn’t noticed before, but now that she knew she was sick, the headache that had been dull earlier suddenly grew worse.
No—thinking back, it had probably been hurting this whole time.
“…Sigh, a decent person doesn’t argue with a dog. Fine, I’ll follow the system’s advice and go dry my hair again…”
Su Wanli held her forehead with one hand while slowly rummaging through the wardrobe for something appropriate to wear.
…Red evening gown, blue evening gown, white evening gown…
Seriously, could this young lady stop being so obsessed with evening dresses?
She flipped through the entire wardrobe from one end to the other before finally finding a slightly looser, less revealing white pajama set and slipped it on.
[By the way, Host, you seem to have forgotten you recently acquired the ability to foresee the future. Would you like to predict your upcoming task now?]
“Please, can you wait until I finish drying my hair before dumping another one of your crappy tasks on me? What do you think I am, a donkey?”
[Apologies, Host. It’s just that the next part of the story requires more improvisation on your end. I thought having some extra time to think would be beneficial.]
…Fine. At least the system was improving—willing to give her more preparation time.
With the back of her hand still pressed to her forehead to cool herself down, Su Wanli waved it dismissively.
“Alright, just say whatever you want. It’s not like I can stop you anyway.”
[Very well. Here’s a recap of the previous events. After enduring those deeply humiliating bullying sessions yesterday, Meng Wange has now memorized your personality and temper and is already preparing to fight back in the future.]
[However, since the time isn’t right yet, she’s decided to endure the humiliation for now and has proactively offered to tutor you as a temporary tactic to stabilize her position in the Su family.]
[In order to attend the banquet that holds great significance for you, you reluctantly agreed to Meng Wange’s offer. But you also realized that if you obediently let her tutor you, you’d be giving up the upper hand.]
[Therefore, you’ve decided to take the initiative and remind Meng Wange that no matter how clever her little tricks may be, they’re meaningless in front of you. A lower-class person will always be lower-class—only fit to be a plaything at your mercy!]
[So, today’s mission: Take the initiative to provoke Meng Wange and achieve at least three undisputed victories over her.]
After listening to the whole explanation in one go, Su Wanli frowned.
“…Hold on a second. What did you just say?”
[What is it, Host? Is there something unclear about today’s mission?]
“The mission is easy to understand. But didn’t you say yesterday that, theoretically, Meng Wange wouldn’t offer to tutor me until after school starts?”
[That’s correct.]
“Then the way you’ve worded this mission clearly assumes she came to me last night. Are you saying your mission system updates in real time?”
[In fact, even if Meng Wange hadn’t approached you last night, your task today would still be the same: defeat her in at least three different ways. It’s just that when assigning a task, I add narrative context and psychological analysis based on actual developments.]
“……”
So a mission that could’ve been summed up in one line—“Find three ways to overpower Meng Wange today”—ended up being buried under a pile of backstory and exposition…
Su Wanli rolled her eyes in exasperation.
“You sure talk a lot.”
[Thank you for the compliment.]
“……”
She was too lazy to keep arguing with the system.
Better to just dry her hair first.
Su Wanli picked up a hair tie from the vanity table, quickly tied her messy hair back, and opened the door to her room.
[Oh, by the way, Host—]
“Do you ever stop?! Can you not say everything in one go?!”
[Ahem. Just wanted to remind you: there’s someone outside the door.]
***
“…Hm?”
Su Wanli raised her head and saw a familiar, humble figure standing in front of her, wearing a nervous and awkward expression.
It was Zhang Ma—the same woman who had brought Meng Wange upstairs for just ten minutes yesterday before scurrying back down.
She’d even dared to snicker at Su Wanli in front of her.
Hearing Su Wanli’s shout just now, Zhang Ma had reflexively stepped back, raising both hands as if in surrender.
She even forgot to put down the rag she was holding.
Su Wanli blinked in confusion.
“…Zhang Ma? What are you doing standing here?”
“Oh dear! I’m so sorry, Miss Su. I didn’t mean to block your way. I’ll leave right away, I swear…”
Zhang Ma quickly turned to head downstairs, but then hesitated and turned back, gathering her courage to speak.
“Ahem, um… Miss Su, I just wanted to ask whether you’ll be having breakfast in your room today or heading downstairs again.”
As she spoke, she wiped the sweat from her forehead with the rag in her hand.
She couldn’t understand what the master of the house was thinking.
‘Did he really believe that Su Wanli, this little princess, would be willing to eat downstairs again just because she did it once? The man wasn’t even home and still had the audacity to call and specifically ask her to come up and check.’
Clearly, Su Wanli had only gone downstairs yesterday to show off in front of the newly-arrived Meng Wange! And who knew how badly Meng Wange had been bullied last night—rumor had it that the power had gone out for the entire night…
…Better sneak her some extra nutritious food later.
As expected, Su Wanli’s eyes narrowed in displeasure, and the way she looked at Zhang Ma resembled how one might look at an idiot.
“Hm? What nonsense are you talking about? Of course I’m going to the dining hall downstairs.”
“Alright then! Just what I thought—should’ve brought the dishes up right away. Sorry for bothering you to open the door…”
Zhang Ma was halfway through her sentence when her eyes suddenly widened.
“Huh? What did you just say?”
Su Wanli gave her a baffled look, then turned proudly, giving her a high-and-mighty view of her back as she walked toward the bathroom.
Leaving Zhang Ma standing there, utterly confused.
‘What’s going on? Why did this little princess suddenly change her tune?’
There had to be a reason…
‘Ah! The master of the house wasn’t home today, and she had just called Meng Wange downstairs for breakfast, which meant—’
Su Wanli was going downstairs for her!
‘Yesterday wasn’t enough—she wanted to go another round today?’
Zhang Ma clicked her tongue in dismay, opened her shopping app, and started walking downstairs.
This time, she’d need to order a few extra servings of supplements for Meng Wange…