Forced to Act out a Strange Script with a Rival - Chapter 76

The surroundings were a boundless, ethereal expanse of pure white, as if standing atop a sea of clouds shrouded in thick mist, or floating in a digital void that had failed to load. There was no sense of up or down, left or right, nor any passage of time—only absolute silence and emptiness.

It was within this eerie whiteness that Si Xiaoxiao suddenly snapped her eyes open.

The salty, damp sea breeze, the cold, slimy touch of tentacles, and the nauseatingly thick scent of blood from her memory… all of it had vanished.

In its place was a weightless sensation of suspension, a strange state of being a pure consciousness stripped of a physical body.

She blinked in confusion, instinctively trying to move her “body.” The good news: she hadn’t turned into a monster. The bad news: she seemed to have become a ghost.

Immediately after, her gaze was drawn to a massive, floating light screen directly in front of her, occupying almost her entire field of vision.

The screen was broadcasting a live feed—it was Li Ting!

Li Ting was standing on a dilapidated little fishing boat swaying gently with the waves. She was wrapped in a coarse, fishy-smelling blanket, her face pale and her hair disheveled by the wind, but her eyes remained as calm and sharp as ever.

Si Xiaoxiao was utterly bewildered.

??? What’s going on? Have I gone from being a dating show contestant to an observer??!!

The system’s electronic voice, seemingly omnipresent, rang out warmly in the pure white space, its tone carrying a hint of ill-timed cheerfulness: “Congratulations to the Host for passing the ‘Heart’s Desire’ ordeal!! Paji paji! (Clap clap!)”

“What on earth? Heart’s Desire? Me?”

The electronic voice sounded incredibly joyful.

“Yes! Your love for Ms. Li Ting has broken through the barriers of instinct. Even after turning into a non-human creature, you were able to awaken! Therefore, the first stage of the mission is perfectly completed! Congratulations!”

Si Xiaoxiao sat cross-legged, propping up her chin with a wooden expression. She squeezed out a cold sneer from between her teeth: “Heh, you must have made a mistake.”

The system asked very kindly: “Is that so? Would you like to try again?”

“…” Si Xiaoxiao’s entire body stiffened. Memories of being stabbed and her body transforming into tentacles flooded back instantly. A wave of revulsion hit her, and her “tsundere” pride evaporated. She blurted out faster than her brain could think: “No! I love Li Ting to death!”

“(^▽^)” A giant, flashing pink emoticon appeared on the blank screen in the system space, expressing its extreme pleasure. “Sincere emotion detected from the Host. Feedback is valid!”

A second later, the realization of the immense shame and the frustration of falling into a “low-level trap” erupted like a volcano.

She instantly transformed into a cranky, ruffled cat, flopping onto the ground and flailing her arms and legs at the air, performing a frantic “military boxing” routine.

Dammit! I fell for it!!!

“Don’t you dare repeat that sentence to Li Ting!!” After venting, she sat up with a sudden “carp leap” and ruffled her hair irritably, putting on a fake fierce look.

The system, clearly a master of “sinister” behavior, maintained its sweet tone: “ヽ(￣▽￣) Okay, suggestion received. The original audio has been recorded and backed up. It will be released as a mission penalty at a later time.”

Si Xiaoxiao: “…”

However, Si Xiaoxiao was still somewhat puzzled: “So what’s the situation now? Why am I here?”

As she asked, she couldn’t help but glance at the big screen again.

In the footage, Li Ting had already followed the fisherwoman off the boat and was walking toward a barren, isolated fishing village, her eyes still warily scanning her surroundings.

The system explained: “Because this world is special. The theme of the first world was Obedience and Desire; the second world was Sacrifice and Exchange; the third was Love and Hate. Therefore, the themes for this world and the next are Instinct.”

Hearing this, Si Xiaoxiao felt her vision go dark and her mind go blank. She truly didn’t understand and complained: “No, between your lines of man-eating text, all I see written is R! 1! 8!”

“Thank you for your recognition, Host,” the system replied smoothly.

Si Xiaoxiao massaged her temples: “No, I wasn’t praising you.”

She sighed, pointed at the screen, and continued: “So what did you mean by ‘first stage’? Do I have several more stages of missions?!”

She watched the screen as Li Ting finished exploring the clinic and successfully moved into the fisherwoman’s house.

The system confirmed: “Yes! In this world, you will be ‘offline’ for most of the time, leaving behind only a portion of your soul and your entire body. Of course, your body will be transformed into other forms… Don’t worry, it is indeed your body…”

“Wait! Offline?!” Si Xiaoxiao was shocked. What the system meant was—we fixed the ‘bug’ of having two female leads in a Yuri script by forcing one of them offline!

Absolutely ridiculous.

The system continued patiently: “Yes, we are observing your instinct—whether the very color of your soul is her color, and whether you would faithfully choose her even if you lost all logic and memory! The ultimate choice after discarding everything!”

“Is there any point to this?” Si Xiaoxiao countered.

Although she and Li Ting used to be very close, Li Ting had betrayed her!

And back then, she only saw Li Ting as a sister! Just a sister!!!

And now?

Heh, just colleagues forced together as a couple.

The system’s electronic voice stated very seriously: “Of course. It’s a very ‘ship-worthy’ trope.”

“Heh, then you’re going to get slapped in the face!” Si Xiaoxiao crossed her arms and tilted her chin up disdainfully, trying to salvage her crumbling dignity. “Li Ting and I don’t get along at all. If it weren’t for her having a face I happen to like—bah, I mean, if it weren’t for our years of history, ‘Love based on instinct’? How could such a thing exist in this world!”

The system seemed to have anticipated her tough talk: “Oh, the way you act ‘tsundere’ by saying you don’t like her when you actually like her a lot is also a very ship-worthy point.”

“AAAAAHHH!!” Si Xiaoxiao snapped. She went into “cat-scratch mode” again, her eyes wide with rage, practically fuming: “I’m not! I don’t! I don’t like her at all!! Absolutely not!!”

However, as soon as her protest ended, her earlier shout—clear and ringing—echoed through the pure white system space:

“No! I love Li Ting to death!”

The voice lingered, hauntingly clear.

Dammit, the system actually recorded it.

Si Xiaoxiao: “…”

The system landed another precise strike: “Please face your feelings, Host. You should know that it was only because you met the target for the first stage that you are able to sit here in the system space listening to my explanation.”

Low attack, low defense, and thin-skinned, Si Xiaoxiao was completely broken.

She covered her bright red face, but she couldn’t cover her burning ears: “No, I beg you, stop talking. Don’t tell me the truth that I’m actually a ‘love-brain,’ okay?”

Clearly, she and Li Ting had fought so bitterly before. Clearly, she had sworn in her heart never to like Li Ting again. But!

How could it be instinct!!

Ahhh, clearly, clearly at most there was just a tiny bit of liking, and that was only because Li Ting was the one who was “ill-intentioned” first!

Right, it must be because Li Ting likes her!

Yes! That’s it!!

Si Xiaoxiao quickly finished her mental gymnastics and asked: “Fine. What is Li Ting’s mission? Surely she doesn’t have to do that… instinct thing too?”

The system then recited Li Ting’s mission.

“??!! Why is her mission style completely different from mine!!” Si Xiaoxiao was shocked, and her shock was mixed with a bit of grievance.

In Li Ting’s mission, there was truly not a single trace of “Xiaoxiao content.”

The system seemed to enjoy her agitation. Its voice took on a playful, teasing tone: “Her blessing lies in the next world.”

Si Xiaoxiao immediately gave a deep bow and reached out her hand: “Fine. Give me the Speedrun Pass, please.”

“Please clear the stages honestly, Host,” the system replied mercilessly.

So, Si Xiaoxiao could only sit back down. The story on the screen continued to progress.

She had to admit, Li Ting’s initiative and intelligence were incredibly strong!

Especially when she took a knife from the kitchen for self-defense before sleeping—having such a teammate was indeed reassuring.

“Eh! Wait, are you going to broadcast Li Ting taking a shower too?”

“Camera! Camera, why are you following Li Ting inside!!”

Si Xiaoxiao covered her eyes in shame, her mind in a tug-of-war, but curiosity eventually won out. she carefully peeked through her fingers…

The screen went black.

“Host, peeping is bad behavior! Especially since you haven’t confirmed your relationship yet. The system will protect your privacy!” Perhaps because Si Xiaoxiao’s resentment was too palpable, the system noticed and offered a reminder.

“Who wants to watch! She’s not as big as me!! And not as pretty!! It’s better to just look in a mirror myself!” The “tsundere cat” immediately reacted, her response quite explosive.

“Understood. So after the relationship is confirmed, there is no need to set up ‘flavor’ in this area for you, correct?” The humanized system suddenly turned into a literal machine, completely failing to understand a young girl’s heart.

“!!! Wh-what do you mean by ‘flavor’ in this area…” Si Xiaoxiao was hit again. She was speechless, her brain fried. “I, the great Si Xiaoxiao, am not looking forward to your weird PLAY at all! Definitely not!!”

“Understood. So, do I need to arrange it for you?” the system continued to ask.

“…” Si Xiaoxiao lowered her head, curling into a ball. She squeezed a few words out of her vocal cords with difficulty: “No… please make sure to arrange it.”

“Copy that!” The system’s voice was both doting and cheerful, as if watching a child throw a tantrum.

Si Xiaoxiao was hit by another wave of shame. Refusing to be honest, she defaulted back to her usual stubbornness: “No! Wait! Who—who wants to confirm a relationship with her!! Just colleagues!! Ahhh!!”

The system, non-committal, continued: “I advise you two to confirm your relationship sooner. It makes it easier for me to steer the script toward ‘home base’ and set up some adult sexual tension for you!”

Si Xiaoxiao blurted out instantly: “Can’t you arrange that even without confirming the relationship?!”

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