54

The main system didn’t respond to Song Tan’s words.

But not long after, she felt Shen Yin calling her.

In other words, she was now essentially in a comatose state.

Song Tan : “…”

Main system : “Now, instead of assuming what choices he would make if he goes back to the beginning, let’s make a bet?”

One year, if he remains steadfast, then Song Tan wins.

But if he falls in love with someone else, then Song Tan loses.

“What’s the punishment for losing?”

“It seems you don’t have much confidence in him either.”

Song Tan sighed, “It’s you, as the system, who inputted the idea that love is the most important of all things. Rather than him remaining steadfast to me, I hope he can live for himself.”

The main system was silent for a few seconds again. “The punishment for losing is entering a loop of the apocalyptic world and completing the tasks you haven’t finished.”

This time, it was Song Tan’s turn to be silent.

“If you win, you can set the conditions.”

Song Tan smiled, “There’s nothing special I want, I just want a healthy body.”

No matter what she does, without a healthy body, it’s all in vain.

The main system saw Song Tan’s smile, and the data suggested that it might have been fooled by Song Tan.

After reviewing Song Tan’s reaction just now, she probably hadn’t even considered that she might lose; she was just putting on a show to get the system to agree to her condition.

“Looking forward to your performance.”

After the main system left, 007 dared to speak up.

[Host, did you trick the main system?]

Song Tan : [How did I trick it?]

[My data detected suspicious behavior from you.]

The system can analyze various aspects such as facial expressions, speech, and tone, so fooling it is not an easy task.

But Song Tan managed to do it.

She even dared to fool the main system.

Song Tan shrugged : [What kind of trickery is this? I just asked the main system to be more generous.]

Song Tan has read a lot of novels. In other stories, the female protagonists encounter systems with abundant resources, but the system she encountered was stingy.

She calculated that even if she were to exchange at a discounted price, it would cost nearly a billion yuan to make her body healthy.

Earning this billion would be too difficult.

It’s better to get the main system to agree to her request.

That way, she would net a billion!

[Don’t be too happy too soon. That Shen Yin may not be able to resist temptation.]

Although the system is often fooled by Song Tan, it has the most comprehensive data on her.

Song Tan is very open-minded about emotions, which means she doesn’t value emotions very much and doesn’t believe that a man’s actions can define love.

With her mindset, does she really believe Shen Yin will pass the main system’s test?

[I chose him myself, so I have confidence.]

It’s been a month, and Song Tan still hasn’t woken up.

Two months, three months, she’s still not awake.

Fu Ling said to Shen Yin, “The doctor said she might never wake up in her lifetime. Are you really going to stay by her side forever?”

In these three months, apart from dealing with the Huo family’s affairs, Shen Yin stayed in the hospital, guarding Song Tan.

The first and second days were fine, but seeing Shen Yin stay in the ward every day, Fu Ling was really worried that Shen Yin couldn’t bear it.

“Give up, it’s good for her, and for you.”

“Get lost.” Shen Yin’s voice was very soft, but Fu Ling knew Shen Yin was truly angry.

“Shen Yin!”

“I don’t want to say it a second time.”

Fu Ling left in frustration.

In the ward, only Shen Yin and the lying Song Tan remained.

“Don’t listen to him, I know you can wake up.”

Shen Yin said to Song Tan, but he was also saying it to himself.

As he spoke, he wiped her hands with a towel.

“Huo Chaoying and the others have been dealt with, if you weren’t lying here, we’d be holding a pot of wine, sitting in the courtyard, drinking under the moon.”

Shen Yin’s voice was quite flat, as if he was chatting casually.

Originally, Song Tan was reading a novel, but now, how could she concentrate?

Now she just wanted to suddenly open her eyes and then drag Shen Yin to drink.

“I almost forgot, I can’t let you drink, but with your temperament, if I don’t give you any, you’ll throw a tantrum.

“Then I’ll prepare some fruit wine for you.

“What fruit wine do you want?”

Song Tan said, “Plum wine!”

“Plum wine, right? You like the sour and sweet taste, you’ll definitely prefer plum wine a little more.”

Shen Yin had taken care of her for so long, he had already figured out her taste.

Song Tan hadn’t woken up yet, but she was already starting to crave.

Although she wasn’t hungry now, her mouth was still watering.

“I’ve replanted the medicinal herbs in the herb garden.”

Shen Yin would go back to the old mansion every day, but as soon as he returned, he would easily think of Song Tan.

So he found something to do for himself.

For example, he replanted the herb garden.

“You’ll definitely like it.”

Song Tan indeed liked it very much.

She really wanted to go and see it now.

Lying in bed, conscious but unable to move, was truly torturous.

[007, can you ask the main system to shorten this time a bit?]

[No, this is the bet you made with the main system.]

Song Tan : “…”

Now she regretted it, regretted it very much.

If she had known earlier, she would have negotiated with the main system to shorten the time.

Song Tan’s eyes rolled again.

[Host, I’ve detected that you’re up to something again.]

[Given my current situation, what can I possibly be up to? I just want to ask, doesn’t the main system have any punishment for the male and female leads?]

She has already told the main system so much, so does the main system not have any disposition regarding that couple?

[Yes, this is a bug fix notification issued by the main system.]

Although 007 has retired and is no longer in service, it still receives notifications from the main system.

Huo Yanlin and Su Ran are no longer the male and female leads in this world. What happens next in the plot will unfold naturally.

[Is that all?]

Song Tan is very dissatisfied : [After all the trouble I’ve been through, now you just cancel their roles as the male and female leads? I don’t accept it.]

Song Tan is extremely unsatisfied.

[This is just the bug fixing. I heard… they were thrown into the apocalyptic world and still haven’t met the conditions to come back.]

Upon hearing this, Song Tan became interested.

[So, what I’ve experienced, they have to go through it all too?]

007 gave her a definite answer.

Song Tan reluctantly accepted this outcome.

Why reluctantly?

Because she still doesn’t accept being chosen to go to the apocalyptic world, nor does she accept that Huo Yanlin and Su Ran can be the main leads while others have to sacrifice for their love.

[I think that’s not enough, they should be given more tests.]

Without hesitation, 007’s mechanical voice pierced through her : [Host, you’re thinking of bad things again.]

Song Tan : [I’m just bored.]

[You’re bored as soon as your husband leaves.]

007 has seen through Song Tan.

When Shen Yin is around, Song Tan never bothers it.

When Shen Yin is away, she goes out of her way to scheme against it.

Eight out of ten sentences she says are doubtful, and the other two are definitely just trying to fool it.

[I’m so pitiful, my husband is right here but I can’t kiss or touch him.]

007 : […If you keep going, don’t write stories in LuJiang anymore, go to the neighbor’s grandma’s house!]

Shen Yin doesn’t know that Song Yan is currently engaged in a battle of wits with the system.

He has had extremely poor sleep in recent months, and every time he closes his eyes, it’s the same dream as before.

That dream, it feels too real, as if it actually happened.

He and Song Tan, were just one step away from a different outcome.

But he still couldn’t protect Song Tan.

So, no matter what choice he makes, he feels guilty towards Song Tan.

Today, he woke up from another nightmare, and in his mind, there was a familiar voice : “Do you feel guilty?”

He had heard this voice before, it was during the first time he had that dream, this voice conversed with him.

“Yes, as a man, I failed to protect her.”

“If I gave you a chance now to save her, but you must accept a test, would you?”

“What test?”

“A test to see if you’re willing to sacrifice for her.”

On an ordinary morning, Song Tan opened her eyes.

Wait.

She opened her eyes?

Wasn’t she in a comatose state, conscious but unable to wake up?

So, what was happening now?

Song Tan didn’t dwell on it. She got up and checked her body first.

Because she had been lying down for quite a while, her body was weak, but within an acceptable range.

[Little Seven, did you persuade the main system to end the bet early?]

[No.]

[Then why did I wake up early?]

“Because someone else made a bet with the main system, and he won.”

Without needing the system to explain, Song Tan knew who this person was.

Now, she had to go see him immediately.

Outside, it started to drizzle again.

Pitter-patter.

It felt like time was rewinding to that spring day when it rained lightly.

Song Tan maneuvered her wheelchair through the corridors of the Song family’s old mansion and arrived at the pavilion.

But there was no sign of Shen Yin in the courtyard now.

The raindrops tapped against the dried leaves in the courtyard.

It seemed like nobody had cleaned here for a long time.

Where was Shen Yin?

Just as Song Tan’s heart tightened, she felt warmth enveloping her.

She raised her head and saw Shen Yin appearing behind her.

Tears welled up in Song Tan’s eyes.

She heard Shen Yin say, “It’s cold today. You’re dressed so lightly. Are you trying to make me angry?”

“I didn’t mean to make you angry, but I wanted to see you.”

She wanted to see him so much.

She had wanted to for a long time.

“I wanted to see you too,” Shen Yin said.

He had been waiting for this day for a long time too.

Every day, he had been thinking that when he saw her again, he would hold her tightly.

But when he saw her wearing a thin skirt in this cold weather, his first reaction was to wrap a scarf around her.

Now, he wanted to hold her tightly.

As she reached out her arms, he lifted her up.

The warmth of their bodies pressed together made them feel like they were back in reality.

Outside, the leaves were falling, and the two stood where they had first met, kissing.

Actually, there was never any assumption.

Even if they were back to the beginning, they didn’t know what the future held.

It was just in that moment that she reached out her hand to him.

And he happened to catch her hand.

As for the result, they would only know when the sun set and never rose again.