On Behalf of, I Love You

In the original work from Lu Ze's past life, the affection Mathilda held for Leon was love.

A love that was scorching and youthful.

However, within this phantom realm, the trajectory of these emotions would shift slightly based on the players' various choices.

Su Di'er's intense feelings toward the player might stem from affection, admiration, or perhaps a longing for family...

In short, while everyone's experience was similar, no two were exactly alike.

...

...

Inside Zhong Yi's phantom realm.

Su Di'er seemed to take great pleasure in teasing a "blockhead" like Zhong Yi, clearly enjoying herself.

Zhong Yi could only change the subject to diffuse the awkwardness.

Handling girls was something that truly gave him a headache.

Following Li Ang's preferences, Zhong Yi spoke to Su Di'er about opera.

Su Di'er, having heard this many times by his side, began to hum along.

"Li Ang, do you know what these lyrics and this melody represent?"

Su Di'er looked at Zhong Yi with a mischievous grin.

"Wha... uh..."

Zhong Yi froze for a moment, only then realizing that the piece he had inadvertently chosen described a woman's pursuit of love.

"Thump... thump, thump, thump... thump..."

Su Di'er tapped a rhythm on the table with the back of her fingers while murmuring the words.

"It means: I love you."

"Cough, cough, cough!!!"

Zhong Yi broke into a violent fit of coughing, hurriedly cutting off the conversation.

"Alright, Su Di'er, you can't say things like that anymore..."

The young girl pouted. "Fine, but you have to promise me one thing."

Zhong Yi asked curiously, "What is it?"

"I hate seeing you sleep on the floor, Li Ang."

Su Di'er's expression was incredibly serious, as if she were discussing a matter of grave importance.

"I want you to sleep on the bed with me."

Upon hearing this request, Zhong Yi felt the world spin around him, his face flushing crimson.

"Uh, that wouldn't be appropriate..."

...

The girl spent quite some effort talking Zhong Yi into it.

In this segment of the plot, Zhong Yi's mindset overlapped perfectly with Li Ang's, triggering absolutely no backlash from the behavior system.

In fact, agreeing immediately would have resulted in a point deduction.

With Su Di'er's assistance, Zhong Yi lay stiffly on the bed, not daring to move even a finger.

"Yes, just like that. Put your legs up on the bed."

Su Di'er removed Zhong Yi's boots and settled him down bit by bit.

Zhong Yi lifted his head nervously, only to be gently pushed back down by the girl's soft hand.

"It's okay, Li Ang. Relax, put your head down..."

After some fussing, Zhong Yi was finally "arranged" on the bed by Su Di'er like a doll.

The girl looked at her masterpiece with satisfaction, lifted one of Zhong Yi's arms, and lay down on it quite naturally.

She pulled up the quilt and blew out the candle.

In the pitch-black night, the girl's crisp voice echoed:

"Goodnight."

...

The phantom realm faded to black.

When it brightened again, the realm had transitioned back into a cinematic sequence.

Li Ang woke from his sleep with a look of panic, his first reaction being to reach for the dagger beside his pillow.

For a top-tier assassin who slept with one eye open and remained vigilant all night, falling into a deep sleep was an absurd and terrifying occurrence.

Li Ang stubbornly denied having fallen asleep, only to be teasingly mocked by Su Di'er, who claimed he had snored like a baby throughout the night.

"I'm going to go buy you some goat milk."

The girl stretched and got out of bed.

"Don't forget our signal," Li Ang reminded her, clutching his chest.

"Three short, one long, right?"

Su Di'er waved with a smile, pushed the door open, and walked out.

At the same time, Zhong Yi finally regained control of the character.

The main mission in the top right corner updated once more.

[Main Mission Updated!]

[Main Mission: Wait in bed for Su Di'er's return]

Zhong Yi lay on the bed, regulating his breathing.

He looked down at his neatly fastened clothes, then recalled the posture in which Li Ang had woken up in the cinematic sequence.

"Thank goodness, thank goodness. I didn't do anything beastly..."

Zhong Yi patted his chest, still feeling a lingering trepidation.

Clearly, he and Su Di'er had simply slept side-by-side; nothing of that sort had occurred.

He viewed Su Di'er more as family than as a lover.

At least, not for the time being.

"She should be back soon, right?"

Zhong Yi calculated the time, muttering to himself.

He and Su Di'er had an agreed-upon code: knocking on the door required a specific rhythm before it would be opened.

Three long and one short meant safety; three short and one long meant there was trouble.

This time, Su Di'er had been gone buying goat milk for longer than usual.

Just as Zhong Yi began to wonder, a series of knocks came from the door.

"Thump, thump, thump... thump—"

Zhong Yi's heart instantly sank.

Three short, one long.

Su Di'er was in danger!

He sprang up from the bed in an instant, snatching the dagger from beside the pillow.

Just then, another rhythmic series of knocks resonated.

"Thump... thump, thump, thump... thump..."

Zhong Yi's eyes instantly reddened.

The girl's crisp voice from the night before seemed to echo in his ears.

"Li Ang, do you know what these lyrics and this melody represent?"

"It means: I love you."