Volume 1, Chapter 21: The True Heiress Is a Mastermind 21

[Page 1/3]

"Host! You muted me! Wah... wah..."

The system’s wailing echoed in An Qianqian’s mind like a maddening drone, giving her a splitting headache.

"If you keep crying, I’ll keep you muted indefinitely."

"Wah... *hiccup*..."

"I... I’ll stop..."

"Since I can mute you, can I also lock you in the 'dark room'?"

"Wuu... Host, have mercy! I was wrong, I was wrong!"

"You are the greatest, Host! The coolest Host in the entire universe! I’ll be obedient from now on, I promise never to cry or scream again. Look at how cute I am—please forgive me just this once~"

As it spoke, it projected a round, chubby little orb in An Qianqian’s mind. The orb even wagged a tiny tail, trying to curry favor with its fluffy appearance.

An Qianqian remained unmoved, her tone flat yet carrying an indisputable sense of oppression: "What is the 'dark room' like?"

"!!!"

The system’s virtual orb stiffened instantly; it stopped wagging its tail, and its voice trembled. "Th-there is no dark room! You must have misheard, Host! There’s no such thing as a dark room; that’s all just a rumor!"

"Oh?"

An Qianqian drew out the syllable, pausing for two seconds to watch the orb bristle with nerves, and continued to probe. "But I recall reading in storybooks that when a system is disobedient, the host can lock it away for reflection? They say it’s pitch black and freezing in there, and you can’t hear a single sound."

"Ab-absolutely not! Don't believe those nonsensical tales, Host!"

The system’s voice grew thinner, and the virtual orb even began to spin in place, looking completely at a loss.

"I-I’m so well-behaved, I don’t need any dark room... Look, Host, I can even issue mission rewards for you. I’m incredibly useful!"

Seeing the system panicking to the point of nearly revealing its hand, An Qianqian already had her answer.

"Lock in the dark room."

An Qianqian’s mind was instantly emptied. The annoying child-like voice, the panicked excuses, and even the phantom image of the tail-wagging orb vanished without a trace.

Total silence.

It wasn't just quiet; it was absolute void.

It was as if the system that had been jumping about and crying just moments ago had never existed.

An Qianqian’s fingertips paused, her hand, which had been resting casually on her knee, tightening slightly.

It really worked.

She closed her eyes and carefully sensed that "void."

No echoes, no fluctuations; it was like a stone dropped into the deep sea, failing to stir even a single ripple.

This "dark room" was more thorough than she had imagined; it not only imprisoned the system’s voice but seemed to isolate its very presence entirely.

[Page 2/3]

A moment later, she murmured in her heart: "Release it."

"Host, you really are heartless."

The system’s voice was filled with resentment.

"Alright, I understand your situation now. I’m about to undress and sleep, and it wouldn't be appropriate for you to be watching. I think I'll put you back in the dark room."

No sooner had An Qianqian finished speaking than the system vanished again, just as it had before.

She flicked her wrist, and pale golden light patterns rippled outward, instantly weaving a translucent barrier around the room, completely sealing out the bustle of the outside world.

Next, she fished a metal capsule from her robes and tossed it onto the floor.

The capsule unfolded upon impact. With the soft whir of gears, a female robot, indistinguishable from a real person, stood before her.

"Activate." An Qianqian’s voice was calm.

The robot’s eyes lit up. She bowed her head, her voice as steady as a mechanical flow: "Interstellar Android 01, awaiting instructions."

"Receive information on this world. Your identity is a fifteen-year-old girl fleeing from the south. Tomorrow, you will sell yourself at the West Market."

"01 has received the instructions and is currently integrating world information."

Android 01’s deep blue pupils flickered twice. Her sharp features blurred into a gaunt, hollowed-out appearance, her hair becoming dry and yellow, pulled into a loose, messy bun. Strands of hair stuck to a face covered in "grime."

Her interstellar uniform rapidly rearranged itself into a faded, coarse cloth dress. Several deliberate tears were ripped into the hem, and the exposed ankles were stained with mud. Even her posture shifted from upright to slightly hunched, as if she were exhausted from a long journey.

"Information integration complete."

01’s voice was no longer mechanically steady, but instead took on a timid, hoarse quality, her tone even trembling slightly. "Ling... Yi. Tomorrow... tomorrow I go to the West Market to sell myself."

"Very good. Now, leave the Duke of Rong’s mansion. Tomorrow, I will go to the West Market to purchase you."

"Acknowledged."

Ling Yi climbed out the window, disappearing from the Duke of Rong’s mansion in a few nimble leaps.

Now, she could release the system.

"Release."

"Wah... wah... Host, you really do love me after all. Please don’t abandon me."

"I was just joking with you earlier. I’m going to sleep now. If there’s nothing important, don’t disturb me."

"Understood, Host. I promise to be good."

An Qianqian slept until the next morning.

"Today’s mission: Purchase the horse farm. Budget: Two million taels of silver."

As soon as she opened her eyes, the system began issuing missions.

An Qianqian remained dazed for a long while before pulling the bell cord by the bed, allowing Chuntang and the others to help her dress.

[Page 3/3]

"Miss, I just heard a rumor in the streets. Princess Heqin doesn't know what she ate, but her entire mouth has swollen like a sausage. She can't even speak. The imperial physicians have made several trips, but none of them have a cure."

"Mm. I see."

"Host, do you want to know who attacked Princess Heqin?"

"I don't."

System: "..."

"Host, how can you be so uninterested in gossip?"

"Why should I care about people who have no impact on me? I have so many things to do every day. As long as I haven't fulfilled Si Chengnian’s wish, I have to keep spending money. I don’t have the energy to manage other people’s affairs."

"That actually sounds quite reasonable."

"But I still want to tell you: it was Si Chengnian who ordered the attack."

"Him? A penniless hostage prince? What kind of people could he possibly command?"

"That’s where you’re wrong... Wait, Host, you’re trying to trick me into talking!"

"I am not."

"You’re lying!"

"Show me the proof!"

"I... I have no proof."

"If you have no proof, don't spout nonsense. So, you should tell me the truth: how can Si Chengnian, someone who is constantly being beaten and whom I need to save, be capable of attacking Heqin?"

"He is the legitimate eldest son of the Empress of the Yan Kingdom. If it weren't for the civil unrest back then, he never would have been sent to the Shang Kingdom. Now that civil unrest has broken out in Yan again and the Emperor is critically ill, the people who were keeping an eye on him have been recalled, so he is finally free."

"So, he actually has a group of followers after all, and he isn't the one who would get beaten to death as you previously claimed?"

"I... I suppose so? I’m not entirely sure. After all, those people are in the shadows and couldn't save him openly."

"Fine, I get it. Is he leaving the Shang Kingdom soon?"

"If he wants to return and fight for the throne, he must leave."

"That won't do. It takes two months by carriage to get from the Shang Kingdom to the Yan Kingdom. If he leaves, how am I supposed to complete my mission?"

At the thought of failing her mission, An Qianqian immediately took Chuntang and left the mansion.

"System, locate Si Chengnian."

"He is currently at his own residence."