VAP - Chapter 139
Chapter 139: The Intersection of Illusion and Reality (4)
That night, Yue Du found a place in the Northern Stronghold and settled down.
Yue Du didn't plan to investigate Ji You's situation on her own.
For one thing, she had just arrived and had no connections. Even if she asked, people wouldn't necessarily tell her the truth, and it might even arouse suspicion.
For another, there was no need for her to investigate personally. Judging by the way the man had hurried off during the day, she knew he wouldn't pretend nothing had happened. He would definitely discuss it with others.
The man's name was Jiang Zheng.
Yue Du just needed to listen to him, and that would be enough.
In the freshly cleaned room, Yue Du sat at a table, holding a porcelain bowl and sipping tea. Her eyes were fixed on a paper talisman on the table, which was cut into the shape of a small person.
It was an item she had previously redeemed from the System Store called "Wind-Riding Ears," a name that bluntly stated its function—to eavesdrop on others from the comfort of her own home.
The other end of the Wind-Riding Ears was locked onto Jiang Zheng.
The paper talisman trembled slightly, and the sound of two people talking emerged from it.
"Today was so weird. Someone suddenly asked about Ji You, and it really startled me." This was Jiang Zheng.
"So what if they asked? What are you panicking for? Maybe they just mentioned her in passing. Seeing you act so guilty, they'd probably find it even stranger." This was a woman's voice, sounding quite impatient.
"I'm not acting guilty! I just can't figure out where that newcomer heard about it. How could she possibly know, and then come specifically to ask me? She must have done it on purpose."
"It's not exactly a secret. It wouldn't be strange for her to know."
"You don't get it. I suspect it's someone Miss Ji knew from before, or maybe Ji You is stirring up trouble herself. Every time I see her, I get the creeps. How can she be so eerie?"
"Why are you overthinking it? If you're that scared, just tell the Ji family you quit. It's not like you earn much for helping them anyway."
"How could I do that? If I offend the Ji family, how will I get by around here?"
"What's the big deal? You think that's enough to offend them? Do you really think the Ji family cares that much about this matter...?"
The two of them chattered on for a long time. Yue Du listened patiently until they changed the subject to daily trifles, at which point she cut off the talisman's effect and summarized what she had learned.
Ji You was a member of the Ji family, but she wasn't living with them.
For some reason, the Ji family had expelled her from the stronghold, yet they periodically sent people to deliver her food, drink, and clothing, while also keeping her under surveillance. The Ji family had warned these people not to speak of this to outsiders.
Jiang Zheng was one of them.
He wasn't an ability user, so he could only get by in the stronghold by guiding newcomers and doing odd jobs in exchange for supplies. The assignment from the Ji family was just one of his many part-time jobs.
Putting it all together, Yue Du was a little puzzled.
From the conversation between Jiang Zheng and his family member, she could tell that Ji You's situation was not good, and that it had been going on for quite some time.
But in her impression, the host was never one to let herself be wronged.
Had something unexpected happened?
Forget it, she thought. It's useless to ponder this alone. Jiang Zheng is going to see Ji You tomorrow. I'll just follow him then, and I'll find out everything.
The next day, Yue Du silently followed Jiang Zheng out of the stronghold.
Jiang Zheng was carrying a large, bulging bag, which must have been the items the Ji family had entrusted him to deliver to Ji You.
He looked very nervous, glancing around as he walked, his left hand gripping a strangely shaped instrument.
Yue Du recognized the device. It offered some protection against illusions, serving as a substitute for a Reality ability user, though it was far less effective. Hunter squads unable to recruit a Reality user relied on such devices to travel outside.
For them to equip Jiang Zheng with such a device, it seemed the Ji family still placed some importance on Ji You.
At least, that's what Yue Du initially thought.
Just then, Jiang Zheng arrived at a forest.
The trees here weren't particularly tall, but their trunks were thick and sturdy, with dense branches and leaves. Everything was black, giving the place a ghostly, gloomy aura. Jiang Zheng seemed to have reached his destination; his pace slowed, but his grip on the instrument tightened.
Following his gaze, Yue Du saw a treehouse.
Yes, a treehouse, built among the branches of a tree. It was well-hidden, concealed by the dense foliage, and appeared large enough to house one person.
Jiang Zheng's knuckles were white from gripping the device. He raised his voice and shouted toward the treehouse, "I'm leaving the stuff here! Come down and get it yourself."
With that, he dropped the bag and turned to leave.
He walked so fast it was as if a ghost were chasing him.
Yue Du hid behind a tree. Once she confirmed Jiang Zheng was far away, she unhurriedly walked to the base of the treehouse and waited quietly.
After a moment, the leaves near the treehouse entrance rustled, and a small head slowly peeked out.
Yue Du: "..."
Her expression froze for an instant.
The person before her was undoubtedly the host. Her skin was a stark, cold white, as if she hadn't seen daylight in years. Those familiar, jet-black eyes were slightly lowered, her gaze landing precisely on Yue Du.
The problem was—this face was full of childishness, her cheeks possessing the roundness unique to a child. She looked to be ten years old at most.
As Yue Du stared, outwardly calm but inwardly blank, the miniature host climbed out of the treehouse. She had long, slightly curly, wine-red hair and wore a loose, ill-fitting dress. She stood barefoot on a branch, gripping a thick bough above her head for balance, perfectly steady.
"Who are you?" she asked, tilting her head. Her voice had the clear, bright timbre unique to a child.
Yue Du said, "I'm your System—"
Before she could finish, the little host let go without any warning, her body tipping sideways and plummeting straight down.
Yue Du reacted in a flash, stepping forward and extending her arms. The little girl landed in her embrace, her oversized skirt blooming like a white flower.
"Still fooling around, are we?" Yue Du didn't even blink. She sighed softly and set the girl down on her feet.
The host clasped her hands behind her back and stared straight at her, saying nothing.
Yue Du: "Ji You?"
Ji You: "Mm."
This close, Yue Du took a good look at her.
The top of Ji You's head was level with Yue Du's chest. Her hair fell messily to her shoulders, the ends looking incredibly soft.
Her face was still the host's, but because she was so young, her features were still developing. The childishness of her age did an excellent job of concealing the stunning beauty inherent in her features.
What did the host look like as a child? Yue Du had wondered about it before. Now, standing right in front of her, this miniature version of the host looked almost exactly as she had imagined.
Black eyes, red lips, snow-white skin, and long hair like a dark red mist—she was like an exquisite, quiet glass doll. Her eyes, especially, were dark and opaque, enhancing the impression of a delicate little puppet.
In a word: adorable!
Ji You blinked. "I know you, don't I?" she said.
Reeling from the critical hit of the little angel's cuteness, Yue Du replied in a gentle tone, "Yes, we knew each other before. You don't remember everything, but you have an impression of me, right?"
Ji You's cheeks puffed out slightly, as if she were deep in thought. After a moment, the corners of her lips lifted into an innocent smile. "Mhm!"
Aaaah, my heart is melting, Yue Du thought.
Ji You took the initiative to open her arms. "Hug."
A grin like a doting, slightly creepy aunt spread across Yue Du's face as she happily swept the little girl into her arms... but she quickly regained her composure. Clearing her throat, she said, "Alright, stop pretending. Let's get down to business."
Ji You looked at her blankly. "What?"
Yue Du sensed something was off. "Don't you know me?" she asked tentatively.
Ji You said earnestly, "I know you, but I'm not pretending. Why would I need to pretend?"
Something was definitely not right.
Yue Du knew her host. Even if she had been deliberately acting cute at first, after being called out, she should have admitted it and used the opportunity to act spoiled. But looking at her expression now, she was clearly genuinely confused.
Could it be that Ji You didn't have her memories from outside this world?
Was it like with Yun Yijiu, where her consciousness and memories from beyond this small world had been suppressed?
And yet, Ji You recognized her...
Yue Du met the little host's wide, innocent eyes and swallowed her many questions. "It's okay if you don't remember. Come, let me explain things to you."
Ji You: "Wait."
Yue Du: "What is it?"
Ji You wanted to go to where Jiang Zheng had left the package, but she didn't want to leave Yue Du's embrace. So, she raised a hand and pointed insistently at the bundle. Yue Du understood and carried her over, just as she wished.
Ji You opened the package in a flash, skillfully pulled out a bag of biscuits, and tore open the thick packaging with ease.
She took one out, offered it to Yue Du first, and said, "You eat."
Yue Du: "Okay, thank you."
The biscuit was fruit-flavored, but it was dry and had a coarse, hard texture that was gritty to bite into. It was clearly not a quality snack, but Ji You ate it quickly, as if she were famished and trying to suppress a ravenous appetite.
She swallowed each biscuit after only a few chews. She ate several in a row like this, never once choking.
Yue Du found a bottle of water in the package. "Here, drink some."
Ji You drank a few sips from her hand, her eyelashes lowered, looking incredibly well-behaved and adorable.
It only took Ji You three minutes to finish the entire bag of biscuits. Afterward, her gaze swept over the other food in the package before returning to Yue Du's face.
"You can start now," she said. "I want to know what's going on."
Her voice was suddenly very polite, tinged with a strange sort of restraint.
Yue Du told her about the System, mission points, and the rules that governed the worlds beyond. Ji You listened with rapt attention, like a top student concentrating on a teacher's lecture.
As soon as Yue Du finished, she understood.
"I've told you about my situation, so may I hear about yours?" Yue Du asked softly.
Ji You paused, then said in a small voice, "Can I choose not to?"
Yue Du: "Of course."
It was fine if she didn't want to talk. Yue Du was going to investigate anyway.
Ji You flashed that beautiful, pure smile again. She seemed to know Yue Du had a weakness for it, always using it at the most opportune moments to express herself.
Yue Du said, "But I need to know something. For instance, how old are you?"
"Nine," Ji You answered obediently.
"How long have you lived here?"
"A few years, I think. I don't remember clearly."
"Why were you sent here?"
Ji You covered her mouth, her voice slightly muffled. "I can't talk about that."
Yue Du smiled, tapped the girl's cheek with her fingertip, and didn't press the matter.
Now that things were out in the open, the mission should have been complete, logically speaking.
But the Main System's notification never came.
One of the mission requirements was to find the host—needless to say, that part was done.
There was another requirement: to complete the binding with the host.
It was strange for the mission to specifically emphasize this point. In the previous world, the Main System hadn't even mentioned the word "binding"; she and Sheng Xuejiu seemed to have bound automatically the moment they met.
So why was the binding process a specific requirement in this world?
Yue Du sent out a stream of data to attempt the binding, but it failed.
She couldn't enter the little host's mental space; it was as if it were surrounded by an invisible barrier. This had never happened before.
But judging by Ji You's demeanor, she probably didn't even know she had a mental space.
Strange. It was all too strange.
Yue Du couldn't figure it out, so she decided to set it aside for the time being. The mission deadline was still two years away; she had plenty of time.
Before that...
She would first investigate why Ji You had been left all alone outside the stronghold.
Yue Du glanced at Ji You's ill-fitting dress, then at the crudely made food in the package, and a cold light glinted in her eyes.
Behind Yue Du, Ji You's gaze never once left her.
Ji You quietly pressed a hand to her stomach, her lips tightening. Within her beautifully shaped eyes, the black of her pupils slowly expanded until they took up nearly two-thirds of the visible space.
They were not the eyes of a human.
She made a slow, silent swallowing motion.
So hungry.
So hungry. How could someone be so sweet?
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