Snuggling for Survival: A Quick Transmigration Tale - Chapter 5

This was a sincere compliment from Yu Yu; she simply didn’t know how to cook or do much of anything else.

She had never learned, being essentially an incomplete string of data. During her first mission, she had only been a marginal character, barely managing to scrape together enough energy values to survive. She felt a genuine sense of envy toward a “well-rounded” talent like the housekeeper.

The envy in Yu Yu’s eyes was pure, without a trace of malice. It caused a flush to creep across the housekeeper’s deathly pale face, and the resentment he felt about being dragged into the kitchen vanished. Yu Yu’s expression was so earnest, and her heartfelt praise made him so happy that, if he hadn’t been afraid of scaring her, he might have floated a few victory laps around the courtyard.

Li Yuan had to admit that this little liar was not only capable of pleasing her but was also on the verge of charming the very ghosts of the Li Family Mansion. Unfortunately, the game had to continue. No matter how likable she was, she couldn’t leave.

In the end, Yu Yu finally got to eat a delicious meal, though it was nearly evening by then. She had no idea how much effort those ghosts had put into making that dinner happen.

“Lady, could you please not leave me alone in the room?” Wholeheartedly embracing her role as a marginal, “cannon fodder” character, Yu Yu wanted to be glued to Li Yuan at all times.

“Don’t you want to go out for a walk?” Li Yuan asked. Her arm was being held tightly; the little liar was like a piece of sticky candy, wanting to be attached to her every second.

Li Yuan had to admit she was happy. She didn’t know where this charm of hers came from that made the little liar so obsessed with her.

Yu Yu shook her head and blinked. “I’m very lazy. I don’t want to go out.”

In reality, she just didn’t want to waste a single second of the time she had left with Li Yuan. Daytime was never a favorite for Li Yuan anyway, so seeing her like this, she didn’t think too much of it and pulled the girl back onto the bed. “Then let’s rest a bit more.”

One didn’t speak and the other didn’t ask. After lying back in the covers, Yu Yu couldn’t resist the comfort and fell asleep shortly after.

In the kitchen, the little ghosts couldn’t help but sigh. Lai Fu poked at a white radish on the cutting board, his lips pouting. “When has the Eldest Miss ever been so attentive to someone? And why does this girl love clinging to her so much?”

“What do you know? The ones sent before were all smelly men; could the Eldest Miss ever like them? We hated them too. But this girl just praised me!” The housekeeper’s mustache curled up with pride. “I think this girl is quite excellent. she knows how to appreciate talent.”

“I think it is a case of opposites attracting. We didn’t like those big lugs sent here before, so it is normal for us to like a soft, fair little girl. It is just a pity she only gets to enjoy a few days in our courtyard. On the seventh day, the game must be played. Those are the rules.”

The courtyard was only so large, and after living so long, their hearing had become incredibly sharp. Li Yuan, who usually didn’t care about anything or anyone sent to her, felt a sense of helplessness for the first time. She felt a dull tightness in her chest, where a heart should have been beating.

She didn’t need to sleep, and she had no idea how long she had been staring at the little liar. The girl seemed to love sleeping and had absolutely no sense of danger. She liked to curl into a ball when she slept and would subconsciously burrow into Li Yuan’s arms. Her small face would get flushed from the heat of the blankets, and she would mutter in her sleep about being cold.

How could she not be cold? Li Yuan was someone without a body temperature. The only warmth on her came from the little liar’s own heat and scent. Li Yuan reached out, wanting to push her away slightly. Though she was reluctant, she didn’t want the girl to freeze. The weather wasn’t particularly cold, but her own body was ice-cold.

However, the moment she was pushed away even slightly, the sleeping person seemed displeased. In her dreams, as that comforting aura drifted away, a sense of panic made Yu Yu grab hold of Li Yuan. Only when the familiar scent surrounded her again did she feel a bit more at ease.

In her sleep, Yu Yu’s unconscious actions—born from her craving for energy—brought the two of them, who were already close, into a tight embrace. Yu Yu clambered onto Li Yuan, wrapping not just her hands but her legs around her as well.

Her hair wasn’t long; to impersonate her brother, it was only slightly longer than a buzz cut. Fortunately, it was soft. When her fuzzy head nestled into the crook of Li Yuan’s neck, the rubbing sensation felt a bit itchy.

It was a strange feeling. Li Yuan had never had such close contact with anyone, let alone a living person. The little liar’s heartbeat was steady, and her breath was warm and moist. In every way, she was different from herself. No breath, no heartbeat, and a cold body.

How was she not afraid of someone like me? With their bodies pressed together, Li Yuan only had to open her eyes to see that peaceful, sleeping face. It was as if she were the girl’s only reliance.

Li Yuan admitted she was beginning to feel something. She couldn’t help but hold the girl a little tighter. Her emotions were complicated; if this continued, she wasn’t sure if she could go through with it.

After a few soft mumbles, Yu Yu felt a bit cool. She opened her eyes blearily, saw the familiar face, and buried her head back in. She didn’t wake up, sleeping incredibly comfortably.

Because she had gone to sleep so early, Yu Yu woke up before dawn. The bed was already warm. She blinked, feeling a bit dazed.

[It is 3:00 AM!] The System’s voice entered her mind, answering her confusion.

It took a while for her brain to catch up. Yu Yu counted on her fingers; today was already the third day. She had three more days to absorb energy, and on the morning of the seventh day, she would leave this world. With such a massive amount of energy flowing into her body, this was a guaranteed profit.

Feeling the small movements of the person in her arms, Li Yuan stayed still, pretending she hadn’t woken up. She really wanted to know what Yu Yu was planning to do.

After rustling around under the covers for a while, Yu Yu looked up at the “sleeping” Li Yuan. The window was closed and no light came in, so she had to move closer to see. In the darkness, her features weren’t very clear, but she could still see the outlines.

She moved so close that her breath hit Li Yuan’s face. Li Yuan didn’t think the little liar would do anything inappropriate, yet she found herself becoming nervous. Even without opening her eyes, she could perceive every move the girl made.

After staring at her in the dark for a long time, the little liar’s lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she remained silent. She silently retreated back into the blankets and hugged Li Yuan. She couldn’t fall back asleep, but holding onto her felt wonderful.

[Liu Liu, if I die in this world, do I immediately leave?]

[Correct. But we have already gained a lot of energy here. Even if we encounter a difficult target in the next world, the energy from this world will sustain your body for a while,] the System said.

[Will there be people with such great energy in the next world too?]

[That depends on luck. We were very lucky in this world to meet someone with such abundant energy. There is so much that Liu Liu can even upgrade!]

[Mhm.] Yu Yu bit her lip, feeling happy. A System upgrade meant she could take on better identities in the future. If she could one day become a character at the level of a supporting female lead, she would have much more screen time, making energy absorption even easier. Her current identity was just a bystander who could only live for seven days. Getting this much energy was purely down to luck.

Thinking of this, Yu Yu felt even more grateful to Li Yuan. She nestled her head into Li Yuan’s chest and nuzzled, which allowed Li Yuan to feel her emotions.

The little liar was clearly happy about something, squirming around in her arms. She really had no sense of boundaries! It was frustrating; the girl was becoming better and better at affecting Li Yuan’s emotions.

Li Yuan clenched her hands, suppressing the urge to pin down the squirming little liar. She could even feel a heat on her cheeks. This was a reaction she shouldn’t have; it shouldn’t appear on her face. How could a ghost blush? It was all illogical.

She never thought of herself as a greedy person, but in this moment, Li Yuan realized she was reluctant to let go. She suddenly didn’t want Yu Yu to participate in the game.

Unaware of Li Yuan’s thoughts and having already calculated her own time of death, Yu Yu had no desire to play games or do anything else. Other than eating, she just wanted to cling to Li Yuan.

Even the ghosts in the mansion had never seen someone so content to stay indoors and do nothing but stick to the Eldest Miss. In this courtyard, the one with the heaviest ghostly aura was the Eldest Miss; she was the most terrifying one. Being beautiful didn’t change the fact that she was a powerful spirit. How did this girl not find it strange?

Being constantly clung to, relied upon, and trusted made Li Yuan feel a bit lighthearted. Even after only a few days, she had to admit she liked this little liar. She even thought about observing more; if the little liar showed any suspicious behavior, she would have an excuse to send her into the game.

But the person asked nothing. She seemed to have zero curiosity about the Li Family Mansion. Finally, by the sixth day, Li Yuan couldn’t help herself.

“Husband, don’t you think the Li family is strange?”

“Hmm? A little, I suppose.” Yu Yu nodded honestly. Realizing it was already the sixth day, she sighed but still felt it was worth it. “But I am very happy to have married in. I don’t want to be apart from you. No matter how strange this place is, as long as you are here, I want to stay.”

This sentence completely shut Li Yuan down; she couldn’t bring herself to ask another word. In all her long life, this was the first time she had to deal with such words.

Since she couldn’t ask, Li Yuan sent the little ghost instead.

“Groom, have you gotten used to living here these past few days?” Lai Fu asked with a smile. It was his first time meeting someone who wasn’t afraid of this place and was also good-looking. By tomorrow, they might be companions. Perhaps the Eldest Miss would even betroth her to him. The thought made him giddy.

“I’m used to it.” Yu Yu nodded. She looked around but didn’t see Li Yuan. This was the first time in all these days she had been away from her, and she was clearly unhappy. Her answer became dismissive. “Where is my Lady?”

Li Yuan, listening from outside: “…”

Searching for her after being apart for such a short time; it was truly a sweet kind of trouble.