The Host Has Fallen for the Second Female Lead Again - Chapter 117

“Speaking of which, what will happen to the NPCs who were taken back?” Ji Mingxiao put away the props.

“I don’t know. Why bother so much, little girl? Sometimes it’s better to have a harder heart. Besides, they’ve done so many wrong things, it’s only right that they should be punished.”

Ji Mingxiao raised an eyebrow: “I don’t feel soft-hearted at all. I’m not a saint.”

She lowered her head to wipe the blood from her fingertips, her face as pale as paper, and looked around.

“I don’t even want to take Xiang Ying with me.”

After some thought, she bought a dream card from the mall and created a dream for Xiang Ying.

In the dream, she was dragged away to be a vessel for a dark spell, and would experience the entire process of the spell in her dream.

“I feel like I could become a writer if this keeps up,” Ji Mingxiao said, looking at the dream she had set up, feeling very satisfied.

Xiang Ying’s location wasn’t hard to find; she was in a cave on the back mountain.

Ji Mingxiao checked the surroundings, and since there were no life-threatening factors, she left directly.

“You’re really just leaving her here?” System A was a bit shocked.

“Otherwise?”

Ji Mingxiao yawned.

System A had noticed that whenever Ji Mingxiao said she wanted to do something, she would most likely do it.

It was just that this woman would pretend to be a little reserved, but when she actually did it, she was ruthless.

Xiang Ying dreamed for three full days and was completely disoriented when she woke up.

She was very hungry. She shivered as she looked at the surrounding grass and trees, then reached for her phone and checked the time.

She couldn’t understand why no one had come to rescue her after three or four days had passed.

Xiang Ying propped herself up and sat on the ground, looking around before shakily making a phone call.

The search and rescue team arrived quickly. Ji Mingxiao said she hadn’t detected any news of Xiang Ying, and no one else was suspicious, as she was now a great hero, and no one wanted to think ill of her.

Xiang Ying rested in the hospital for a few days; it was less about resting and more about hiding from reporters.

Many people at school speculated that Xiang Ying must have done something bad, otherwise why would things like this always happen to her.

Those people who called, seemingly out of concern, asking all sorts of questions, left Xiang Ying physically and mentally exhausted.

When Xiang Ying was discharged from the hospital, Ji Mingxiao went to see her. The other woman had lost a lot of weight, and her eye sockets were sunken.

She glanced in Ji Mingxiao’s direction.

Their eyes met, and Xiang Ying took a few steps toward Ji Mingxiao.

When she saw Ji Mingxiao, she had a strong premonition.

Those strange dreams she had in the cave last time were arranged by her.

Ji Mingxiao looked at Xiang Ying with cold eyes and curled her lips as she left.

Xiang Ying shivered.

“Host, I’ve found that you’re more suited for a villain system than a scumbag rehabilitation system,” the system said.

She was completely a natural, a villain in her own right.

Ji Mingxiao agreed.

With things here mostly dealt with, Ji Mingxiao returned to school, just in time to go back on the same day as Xiang Ying.

After she returned, her counselor even talked to her, their eyes filled with admiration and curiosity, which made Ji Mingxiao feel a little speechless.

She had originally wanted to keep a low profile, but who knew that Officer Zhou from the police station would send a banner of commendation directly to the school.

Ji Mingxiao’s expression was: …

Great, the school’s focus for the next week would be Ji Mingxiao and Xiang Ying.

“By the way, did you and Xiang Ying both go to K City? What exactly happened?”

Ji Mingxiao heard this kind of question eight hundred times a day, and even some bold strangers she didn’t know would come to ask.

Ji Mingxiao was getting a little annoyed.

Xiang Ying now wrapped herself up tightly at school. She really wanted to say that Ji Mingxiao had harmed her, but as soon as she said anything, the other person would look at her with a strange expression.

Yes, Ji Mingxiao was a person with a commendation banner.

Many people knew in their hearts whether to believe the police or Xiang Ying.

Now, not many people were concerned about the previous relationship between Ji Mingxiao and Xiang Ying.

When Xiang Ying asked to meet, Ji Mingxiao was a little surprised; she had thought this person would avoid her from now on.

Ji Mingxiao had recently been looking for any remaining stragglers; since there weren’t many awakened AIs left, Xianyu had already left, and she was responsible for cleaning up.

The two chose a coffee shop with good privacy.

“Please let me go.”

Xiang Ying looked at Ji Mingxiao.

Ji Mingxiao hadn’t seen Xiang Ying’s face in a long time and was startled to see it now. Without makeup, she looked pale and weak, and her cheeks were sunken.

“Let you go from what?”

“Although I had those thoughts, I didn’t actually harm you in the end, did I? Please let me go,” Xiang Ying shivered. “I have nightmares every single night, every single night.”

Ji Mingxiao raised an eyebrow. She didn’t have that many points to set up a monthly dream subscription for Xiang Ying. The subsequent nightmares were probably due to her own reasons.

“As the saying goes, if you have a clear conscience, you don’t fear ghosts knocking on your door. It has nothing to do with me,” Ji Mingxiao scoffed. “What do you mean you didn’t actually harm me? It’s only because I was too strong, and you didn’t have a chance to strike.”

Xiang Ying gripped her cup tightly.

“For the sake of our past relationship, please let me go.”

“I really didn’t do anything, whether you believe it or not.” Ji Mingxiao leaned back in her chair. “Other people pay me millions, so I don’t have time to look for trouble with you.”

Xiang Ying’s face went pale.

“Then I’ll give you money. Will you help me?”

“I won’t. You can find someone else.”

Xiang Ying had already found other people, but they couldn’t figure out what her problem was. She had seen doctors, Taoist priests, and monks, everyone.

She wouldn’t have come to Ji Mingxiao if she hadn’t been desperate.

“I’ll only give you one piece of advice: you can only be free if you truly repent,” Ji Mingxiao said, leaning on her chair. “Your problem has nothing to do with ghosts or gods; it has to do with yourself. When you stop being so self-centered and thinking you’re the most pitiful, you’ll be fine. I suggest you spend some time in a temple.”

After saying that, Ji Mingxiao stood up to leave: “I’ll pay for my own, I won’t pay for yours.”

Xiang Ying: …

Xiang Ying watched Ji Mingxiao leave and slumped onto the chair, rubbing her head.

“You’re not in a hurry at all,” Xi Ruan swayed behind Ji Mingxiao.

“What’s there to be in a hurry about? I still haven’t found all one hundred thousand points,” Ji Mingxiao said with a smile. “At this rate, I can help you get your memories back when we go back.”

Xi Ruan nodded. When she thought about getting her memories back, she still felt a little resistant and scared.

But she didn’t say anything; she had to accept it eventually.

She glanced at Ji Mingxiao.

She wanted to get her memories back, along with the ones of her.

Xiang Ying applied for a leave of absence and really went to a temple to practice.

“How likely do you think it is that she’ll genuinely reform?”

“Who knows?” Ji Mingxiao didn’t care. If she could reform successfully, then so be it. If not, she’d think of another way.

Xiang Ying thought that her dreams wouldn’t be so scary after moving into the temple, but the truth was they were still very scary. And perhaps because of her (hopeful thinking against the odds), the dreams were even scarier than before.

Worried that she might be developing a psychological problem, she would go to a psychologist every so often.

But some things couldn’t be said, and the more she saw the doctor, the scarier her dreams became, so she simply stopped going.

After a few months, her state of mind did become much calmer.

Overall, she was just scared.

Ji Mingxiao visited Xiang Ying a few times and found that her aura did seem to have calmed down a lot. If she stayed in the temple any longer, she might just become a nun.

And the character progress bar had started to move.

“If she can reform herself, there’s no need for me to torture her anymore.”

Xi Ruan: …

“Didn’t you already torture her?” Xi Ruan said with a blank expression.

Sometimes mental harm is more terrifying than physical.

Ji Mingxiao rubbed her chin: “It seems dream-based intimidation is very effective, but it can only scare those with a conscience.”

System A: ???

Just by looking at Ji Mingxiao’s expression, you could tell she wasn’t thinking of anything good again.

After a year in the temple, Xiang Ying really became a nun.

When they heard the news, Ji Mingxiao, Xi Ruan, and the system all fell silent at the same time.

It was said that Xiang Ying’s parents were shocked and cried for a long time while hugging Xiang Ying, but she still didn’t change her mind.

It was rumored that after a year in the temple, Xiang Ying had really grown to love Buddhism.

What could Ji Mingxiao say? She didn’t know what to say.

This was definitely the most bizarre person in all the worlds so far. She was a little dazed when the mission was shown as complete.

Xiang Ying arranged to meet Ji Mingxiao again, this time at the temple. She looked at Ji Mingxiao with a peaceful expression and a calm mind.

“I haven’t had a nightmare in six months.”

“I’m very sorry for the harm I caused you before. I will atone for it with the rest of my life and do more good deeds.”

Ji Mingxiao looked at Xiang Ying.

Would Qin Wan forgive her?

“I don’t ask for your forgiveness. After all, what’s done is done. Fortunately, it didn’t cause you any harm.”

“Do more good deeds in the future. I can see that your sins are deep.”

Xiang Ying was stunned for a moment, but she didn’t refute it and just nodded.

Ji Mingxiao thought for a moment, then took out a prop again and clutched the other person’s neck.

This time, the prop lit up.

Xi Ruan: ???

System A: !!!

Xiang Ying’s expression was still peaceful.

“You know I’m not her?” Ji Mingxiao raised an eyebrow.

“I had a pretty good guess later. She’s completely different from you,” Xiang Ying opened her eyes and looked at Ji Mingxiao. “Are you going to take me away?”

Xi Ruan looked at Xiang Ying’s pitiful expression, standing beside her, and narrowed her eyes: “Of course we are!”

Xiang Ying glanced in Xi Ruan’s direction. Xi Ruan was stunned. Can this person see me now?

Ji Mingxiao narrowed her eyes. Xiang Ying belonged to the category that could be captured or not, plus she was the protagonist, so she had privileges.

She was now curious if the system could correctly detect an AI that had already gained sentience.

Would the system’s detection of a reformed mindset be influenced by the sentient AI?

“It won’t,” System A exclaimed. “She doesn’t have any special powers. Do you think big bosses are everywhere?”

“One hundred thousand points,” Ji Mingxiao looked at Xiang Ying again, then turned back to Xi Ruan. “Do you think we need to take her away?”

Xi Ruan blinked. She had indeed yelled just now, but when asked seriously, she couldn’t say for sure.

Should she give a reformed person a chance, or choose the one hundred thousand points that would benefit her?

“How about this? We’ll play rock-paper-scissors. If I win, I’ll take you away. If I lose, you stay here.” Ji Mingxiao saw Xi Ruan’s hesitation and knew that no matter how much she yelled, this girl was still soft-hearted.

Xi Ruan: ???

“Is that so random?”

“Otherwise?”

Xiang Ying won.

After leaving the temple, Ji Mingxiao felt a little regretful.

“That was one hundred thousand points!”

“Host, you can go back and capture her again now. With your thick skin, you’re not incapable of doing something like that,” System A said.

Ji Mingxiao: …

“Am I that kind of person?” Ji Mingxiao’s expression was blank. “I’m clearly a righteous person.”

System A laughed unkindly.

“It’s a good thing you’re not a physical being.”

“Hmm?”

“I’m afraid I would become an extremely violent person.”

System A: …

Ji Mingxiao and Xi Ruan left the temple and went straight back to the system space.

This time, Ji Mingxiao finally realized her previous wish and saw Xi Ruan as soon as she opened her eyes.

Xi Ruan also just opened her eyes. The two of them looked at each other, and then the other person quietly looked away.

Ji Mingxiao smiled and put her arm around the other person’s waist.

“What’s wrong?”

Xi Ruan patted Ji Mingxiao’s hand twice, but the other person had no intention of letting go.

“I haven’t washed up yet, don’t look at me.”

Ji Mingxiao raised an eyebrow: “It’s nothing, I don’t mind you.”

“Oh, I mind you.”

Ji Mingxiao: …

She quietly let go of her hand and went into the bathroom. Xi Ruan laughed.

The two of them came out after tidying up.

Ji Mingxiao opened her bracelet. In the last world, she had earned two hundred thirty thousand points by herself, so there was no problem with helping Xi Ruan retrieve her memories.

Xianyu probably knew she was back and sent her a message.

[Xianyu: You let the protagonist go?]

[Xiaoxiao: Yes.]

[Xianyu: ???]

[Xianyu: That was one hundred thousand points.]

[Ji Mingxiao: !!!]

Ji Mingxiao suddenly regretted it, even more so now.

[Xiaoxiao: Why didn’t you tell me?]

[Xianyu: Who knew your heart would be so soft? You’re still a little girl who just came in. Let me tell you, being soft-hearted here has no benefits. I thought you knew. Goodbye, I won’t call you next time.]

Ji Mingxiao was a little helpless. She sighed and glanced at Xi Ruan.

It didn’t matter. As long as she could help her get her memories back, points could be earned slowly, no need to rush.

Xi Ruan was stunned when she received the large point transfer.

“One hundred thousand is enough, you don’t need to give me so much.”

“The rest is for pocket money.” Ji Mingxiao found that Xi Ruan was particularly reluctant to buy things from the mall. “Buy whatever you want to buy, don’t be reluctant.”

Xi Ruan looked at the money in her account.

“Let’s go eat hot pot after I get my memories back.”

“Okay.” Ji Mingxiao nodded, looking at Xi Ruan’s slightly pale face. “If you’re scared, you can take a break. There’s no need to rush.”

Xi Ruan shook her head: “There’s no need. Today is the day. It has to happen eventually. The more you’re afraid, the more difficult it will be.”

Ji Mingxiao ruffled Xi Ruan’s hair, then lowered her head and kissed her on the lips.

“Let’s go.”

Xi Ruan held Ji Mingxiao’s hand, a little tightly.

Ji Mingxiao knew she was nervous and didn’t say anything.

The two of them went to the service center.

When the one hundred thousand points were given away, Xi Ruan took a deep breath.

Only one person could go in, and Ji Mingxiao had to wait outside.

There were many people at the service center. Ji Mingxiao sat alone on a bench, watching people come and go.

“Host, don’t worry, nothing will happen. Retrieving memories is very safe,” System A said.

“I’m not afraid of that.”

Ji Mingxiao looked at the closed door.

After waiting for about two hours, Xi Ruan came out.

Her face wasn’t as bad as she had imagined; on the contrary, it looked a little better.

She ran towards Ji Mingxiao. Just as Ji Mingxiao was about to speak, the other person hugged her waist.

“What’s wrong?” Ji Mingxiao ruffled Xi Ruan’s hair.

Xi Ruan buried her face in Ji Mingxiao’s arms.

After a while, Ji Mingxiao felt her clothes getting wet.

She was stunned for a moment.

“What’s wrong?” Ji Mingxiao’s voice softened.

“Nothing.” Xi Ruan tugged at Ji Mingxiao’s clothes. “I feel sorry for you.”

“Hmm?”

“I actually chose to seal all my previous memories for some very annoying people,” Xi Ruan bit her lip.

Ji Mingxiao smiled: “It’s okay, I’m not angry. If anyone bullies you, we’ll bully them back later. How about we go eat hot pot first?”

“Okay.” Xi Ruan nodded.

Xi Ruan had many things she wanted to talk to Ji Mingxiao about.

And indeed, just as she thought, when all her memories returned, looking at the previously unacceptable things didn’t seem so hard to accept anymore.

There were always many disgusting people.

Su Hui was nothing.

Not many people were eating hot pot.

Ji Mingxiao and Xi Ruan asked for a private room.

The two of them ordered a pile of dishes.

“Su Hui.”

Xi Ruan rested her chin on her hand: “She’s someone I met in the first two worlds.”

“That’s quite a coincidence,” Ji Mingxiao was a little surprised.

“Not really. She’s been here for a long time. There are unspoken rules everywhere, and she has a special way of knowing which world I went to.”

“Or maybe she really just thinks I’m an idiot,” Xi Ruan took a sip of her drink.

“What did she do to you?”

Xi Ruan thought for a few seconds: “She didn’t really do anything, just scammed me out of some money. She might have wanted to do something else, but I didn’t give her the chance. I’m not an idiot. It’s just that she looked a bit like you, and in a new environment, I instinctively gravitated toward something familiar.”

“Her face isn’t enough to cover up her weird behavior for long.”

“Then I came back in the second world and completely forgot about her, but I was left with a feeling of disgust toward her.”

Ji Mingxiao took a sip of tea and tapped the table, looking pensive.

Xi Ruan saw Ji Mingxiao’s expression and knew what she was thinking: “You better not do anything rash.”

“I won’t.”

“I’m serious. Hitting people here is not practical.”

Ji Mingxiao: …

“Then we’ll find another way, it’s fine,” Ji Mingxiao smiled. “System, how can I arrange to have someone put into my world?”

System A: …

I knew you’d come looking for me.

“It’s a bit difficult, Host, because you know the NPCs choose their own missions.”

“Then why do I always run into Ruan Ruan?”

System A: …

“To be honest, I’m also curious why,” System A said. “I even had people investigate, and the final conclusion was that there was no special reason, just because you two have a tacit understanding.”

Ji Mingxiao: …

Xi Ruan had already looked at Ji Mingxiao several times. This person wanted to stir up trouble again.

She narrowed her eyes and poked Ji Mingxiao’s arm with her chopsticks.

“What are you thinking about now?”

“Nothing.” Ji Mingxiao was just asking what the punishment would be for hitting someone here.

“The first time is three days of solitary confinement, the second time is a week, and after that, the time will get longer and longer. You’d better not mess around here. Her connections are wider than yours, and you might not win against her,” System A reminded her.

Ji Mingxiao tapped the table, glanced at Xi Ruan, then put some vegetables into the pot. She planned to ask Xianyu about it after she got back.

Xianyu looked like she had done a lot of things.

“The taste is really good,” Ji Mingxiao returned to normal, took a bite of fatty beef, and looked at Xi Ruan with some surprise.

Xi Ruan nodded: “Of course. If it wasn’t delicious, why would I have been thinking about it so much?”

The two of them ate hot pot for more than two hours. Because it was too expensive, they had to force themselves to eat the leftovers even when they were full.

“Let’s take a break before the next mission. I’m too full,” Ji Mingxiao said, walking Xi Ruan to the door of her room.

Xi Ruan nodded and didn’t think much of it: “Then I’ll go back to sleep. I’m so tired.”

“Eat, sleep, and then eat again. That’s really the life.”

Xi Ruan let out a soft hmph: “A life fit for a god.”

On her way back from Xi Ruan’s place, Ji Mingxiao ran into Su Hui. Their eyes met.

“You took her to get her memories back?” Su Hui looked at Ji Mingxiao.

“Does it have anything to do with you?” Ji Mingxiao’s face was expressionless.

“Did she tell you about me and her?”

Ji Mingxiao scoffed: “I watched her grow up and I know what kind of person she is. You don’t think a few words from you will make me not trust her and be suspicious of her, do you? Provocation is useless against me, and she trusts me, never once asking me about the scumbag system.”

“What, do you think our relationship is fake?”

Su Hui clenched her fists. She hated Ji Mingxiao’s confident look.

“She did hide it from you. We had a very happy time together.”

“She looked down on you. You probably romanticized that happy time,” Ji Mingxiao looked Su Hui up and down, her disdain obvious. “You don’t need to say anything more to me. I’m quite afraid I won’t be able to resist punching you.”

“Fighting is prohibited here.” Su Hui took a step back.

Ji Mingxiao looked at Su Hui and curled her lips. After she got back, she contacted Xianyu.

[Xiaoxiao: Boss, do you have any ways to teach someone a lesson?]

[Xianyu: You made an enemy?]

[Xiaoxiao: Yes.]

[Xianyu: What’s in it for me if I help you?]

[Xiaoxiao: Five thousand points.]

[Xianyu: Hmm, let me think. I can help you find a bug to put the person into your next world.]

[Xiaoxiao: Thanks. I’ll send you their information.]

Xianyu quickly sent an “OK.”

[Xianyu: Let me know when you’re leaving.]

[Xiaoxiao: Okay, don’t worry.]

Although they said they would rest, Ji Mingxiao and Xi Ruan only rested for one day.

When they started the mission, she told Xianyu about it.

The system let out a long sigh. Who would have thought that these two, who clearly couldn’t stand each other, would end up getting along?

Even though it was a transaction.

“Your wife is so frugal, and you just spend five thousand points like that, being so extravagant.”