After Her Death, They Begged for Forgiveness - Chapter 43

The system cautiously replied to Jiang Ruo, “The points needed for characters not mentioned in the novel aren’t that high.”

Jiang Ruo impatiently said, “What are you trying to say? Exactly how many points are needed?”

“Host, the action you took earlier has depleted most of your points.”

Jiang Ruo frowned. “Are you saying the current points aren’t enough?”

“The current points are sufficient to eliminate one person, but in the long term.”

The system showed Jiang Ruo the optimal result simulation generated by reinforcement learning. “It would be wiser to carefully preserve the current points, as we ultimately need to complete the novel’s plot to return to the main world.”

Jiang Ruo raised an eyebrow and narrowed her eyes.

She had disliked this meddlesome system for a long time.

Moreover, her ultimate goal and the system’s had subtly diverged, placing them on two tracks gradually veering apart at a fork in the road.

If only she could use points to eliminate this obstructive system as well.

Unfortunately, the current situation was too complex, and relying solely on her own strength made it difficult to resolve everything properly. She still needed the system’s powerful assistance, and it was far from time to confront it directly.

Jiang Ruo slowly suppressed this resentment deep in her heart.

“Eliminating this character who doesn’t exist in the novel is also part of the plan.” Jiang Ruo paused before continuing, “Are you questioning my 100% mission completion rate?”

“250,000 points are required.”

The system put away the reinforcement learning model and chose to trust the host. “Your account balance is 320,000 points. Are you sure you want to proceed?”

The host had always been unstoppable in mission execution, never having failed before. Surely she wouldn’t encounter a Waterloo in this trivial world of a harem novel?

“Of course.”

Jiang Ruo smiled slightly and carefully wrote Song Guanjin’s name on the control panel.

“Host, please patiently wait for the results in three days. Feedback on whether Song Guanjin has been eliminated will be provided in real time after three working days. We hope you will continue to monitor.”

Jiang Ruo directly closed the control panel.

Three days, she could certainly wait that long.

To obtain her desired toy while completing these wretched tasks, she had already spent nearly thirty years across two lifetimes. Three more days made no difference.

Moreover, this matter could be presented as a huge surprise to her sister.

She couldn’t wait to see her sister’s reaction upon hearing this news.

Jiang Ruo curled her lips into a smile, the upward curve resembling a poppy blooming in the dark night.

Meanwhile, Song Guanjin was still trying to treat Xu Bingqi according to the “friend standards” suggested by netizens.

She remembered the highly upvoted reply: “Maintain patience and a steady mindset to gradually develop the relationship. The primary task is to help the other party let down their guard and dissolve their defensive mentality. On this foundation, gradually and gently infiltrate the other’s personal boundaries to achieve a smooth transition from friendship to a romantic relationship. Pay attention to nurturing emotions in daily interactions, ensuring the relationship evolves naturally and stably.”

The netizen’s IP address was convincing, so Song Guanjin decided to fully implement the three-step dating strategy provided by the netizen.

“Sister, we’re still in a friend relationship now, right?”

Song Guanjin solemnly turned to face the somewhat confused Xu Bingqi and earnestly sought confirmation, enunciating each word deliberately.

Song Guanjin’s expression was serious, and Xu Bingqi, looking utterly bewildered, thought carefully for a few seconds before cautiously replying, “I suppose so.”

“And we’re good friends, right?”

Xu Bingqi hesitated for a moment before nodding.

“Perfect!”

The cat demon was immensely satisfied with the outcome.

What did this mean?

At the very least, it proved that the bond of friendship between her and her sister was unbreakable. Even after her aggressive and relentless efforts, their relationship remained firmly anchored at the solid level of “good friends.”

All she needed to do was follow the advice of her online advisors gradually and gently infiltrate her sister’s personal boundaries.

But what exactly constituted a gradual and gentle approach? And where were her sister’s personal boundaries?

Song Guanjin had no idea what to do next.

So she stole a glance at her sister and noticed her pulling out her vibrating phone.

This was the perfect opportunity to post another question for her online strategists.

How can I gently and gradually transition from friendship to romance?

While secretly watching Xu Bingqi, Song Guanjin quickly typed and posted the question.

Invite her to watch a horror movie.

Go to an amusement park together.

Go camping in the wilderness.

Watch the sunrise from a mountaintop.

Go river rafting!

The cat demon was pleased as she reviewed the human advisors’ suggestions. They seemed far more reliable than her own ideas of fishing, netting, catching, and eating fish. She decided to start with the simplest option: watching a movie.

With just the two of them in the hotel room, turning off the lights and playing some eerie background music would instantly create a terrifying atmosphere.

Song Guanjin had a two-pronged plan: if her sister was genuinely scared of horror movies, she could step in as a gentle and reliable refuge. If her sister wasn’t scared, she could use her superb acting skills to make her sister play the role of the gentle and reliable refuge.

There was simply no way this could fail.

“Sister, would you like to watch a movie with me?”

Song Guanjin turned her gaze to Xu Bingqi, and the moment their eyes met, she noticed the anxiety in Xu Bingqi’s expression.

But she hadn’t even mentioned it was a horror movie yet.

“Guanjin, I need to go out and take care of something. Can we watch the movie when I get back?”

As soon as Xu Bingqi noticed Song Guanjin’s gaze, she quickly turned off her phone, took a deep breath to calm her slightly flustered emotions, and forced a gentle smile onto her face.

Even though she had changed her phone number and all her social media accounts, Jiang Ruo had still managed to find her.

And Jiang Ruo’s message even involved Song Guanjin.

From Jiang Ruo’s previous reactions, Xu Bingqi had deduced that Song Guanjin wasn’t a character mentioned in the novel’s plot. She couldn’t figure out why Jiang Ruo was dragging Song Guanjin into this.

Could it be that Song Guanjin was a hidden character in the novel’s storyline?

But Song Guanjin was actually a cat demon.

Sensing Xu Bingqi’s slightly hesitant gaze, the cat demon hesitated for a moment before tentatively reaching out to hold Xu Bingqi’s hand.

“It’s so late. What do you need to take care of, sister?”

She knew Xu Bingqi well. Among all the people she had ever met, Xu Bingqi was a rare health enthusiast, with a daily routine so rigid it was almost inflexible. It was highly unlikely she would rush out for trivial work matters.

Moreover, her sister had briefly avoided her gaze when their eyes met.

Could it be a date with another “sister”?

Before the sour feeling in Song Guanjin’s heart could spread, she dismissed this terrifying thought.

How could something as wonderful as a date cause such anxiety?

Moreover, the cat demon firmly believed that her sister was definitely not the type to fall for someone so easily.

After all, her sister hadn’t even fallen for her yet, she refused to believe there could be any other little sister more outstanding than herself.

“I’m coming too!”

Song Guanjin blocked the doorway and, just as Xu Bingqi was about to step out, swiftly reached out and decisively grabbed her arm, her fingers tightly clutching the fabric of Xu Bingqi’s coat.

Xu Bingqi hesitated for a moment, then checked the message from Jiang Ruo again on her phone. The words didn’t specify that she had to go alone.

Besides, this matter did concern Song Guanjin, the cat demon had a right to know.

In the end, Xu Bingqi gave a slight nod.

“Alright, let’s go together.”

Deep down, Xu Bingqi harbored a feeling she hadn’t even realized herself: Song Guanjin’s presence truly gave her an indescribable sense of peace.

With Song Guanjin by her side, she felt more courageous about keeping the appointment.

Although the naive cat demon sometimes seemed childish, she often brought a reliable sense of reassurance.

“We’re going to meet Jiang Ruo. Do you remember her?”

The cat demon blinked. “I remember. I’ll go with you to see her.”

Thankfully, her sister was with her otherwise, she would have gone alone to meet that two-faced, scheming woman.

Song Guanjin still remembered the look in Jiang Ruo’s eyes when she gazed at Xu Bingqi, a barely concealed obsession, no matter how hard she tried to hide it.

It was like a beast lurking in the shadows, inadvertently revealing a dangerous aura.

She dared to swear on her name as a demon that that two-faced woman definitely had ill intentions toward her sister!

Thankfully, as a sharp-witted cat demon, she had detected the danger in time and nipped it in the bud.

Song Guanjin carefully observed Xu Bingqi’s expression and felt slightly relieved to see no trace of romantic anticipation in her sister’s eyes.

Surely, her sister wouldn’t be swayed by that fake, delicate, two-faced woman, right?

“Be careful.”

Song Guanjin didn’t immediately understand.

Be careful? Of whom?

She, Song Guanjin, had never been afraid of any human!

The cat demon was about to protest, but then her sister’s hand gently yet firmly covered hers, holding it securely.

“Alright, sister, I’ll be careful.”

She was just a weak and vulnerable little cat, after all. She needed to hold her sister’s hand to stand up to that despicable two-faced woman.

When that observant, scheming woman saw their intertwined hands, she would understand that she and her sister shared the closest bond.

Song Guanjin held her sister’s hand all the way, carefully adjusting her expression to radiate happiness and gentleness as she prepared to meet Jiang Ruo.

And so, she smiled all the way, smiling as her sister led her into a hardware store.

Who could tell her was meeting a human rival usually supposed to start at a hardware store? Or was Jiang Ruo a part-time actress and a part-time hardware store owner?

“Excuse me, do you have wrenches and files?”

Under the slightly bewildered gaze of the hardware store owner, Xu Bingqi added, “Some furniture at home is broken and needs fixing.”

After making her selections, Xu Bingqi’s eyes lingered as if drawn by a magnet on the electric hammers and chainsaws for a moment before she calmly looked away.

“Miss, you need two wrenches and two files? I’ll give you a discount, then.”

The hardware store owner casually asked while calculating the price.

“Mhm, the extra one is for backup.”

After leaving the hardware store, Xu Bingqi took a wrench and a file out of her bag and handed them to Song Guanjin. “Put these in your bag, just in case.”

When dealing with the female lead of Group Pet, they couldn’t afford to let their guard down.

This wasn’t quite the meeting Song Guanjin had imagined. She had assumed that meeting Jiang Ruo would at least take place in a café, where she and Jiang Ruo would compete openly and covertly for their sister’s affection.

But with a wrench and a file hidden in her bag, Song Guanjin felt like the meeting would likely happen in a dimly lit alley, the kind fraught with danger, just like in movies and TV shows.

“Sister, if we resort to violence, it’s against the law.”

Her sister was knowledgeable and well-read, surely, she wasn’t ignorant of the law, right?

“I know,” Xu Bingqi said, taking Song Guanjin’s hand again. “I’m just worried someone might harm you.”

Jiang Ruo’s message had claimed that Song Guanjin’s life was on a countdown. She absolutely couldn’t let that happen.

Her kitten was delicate and naive, she had to protect her kitten.

Since her rebirth, she had stopped caring about anyone else, except for Song Guanjin.

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