The Heroine Fell Deeply For Her [Quick Transmigration] 235

Chapter 235: When the Snow Falls Silently 1

Almost every instance bore the marks of their passage. In the end, the two chose to settle in a low-level instance.

A red brick house filled with flowers was just the right size for two, resembling a fairytale cottage misplaced in this gloomy and eerie instance.

Next door stood a towering black castle, home to the Duchess in a black dress. She was breathtakingly beautiful, but her face had been disfigured in an accident.

So half of her body was voluptuous and beautiful, while the other half was skeletal.

The Duchess had a black cat butler, a group of skeletal maids, and a ghostly knight who appeared and disappeared without a trace.

Life after settling down was peaceful, except for the occasional commotion caused by the players, which Tao Ning, on behalf of Xuan Miao, expressed complete understanding for, given their struggle for survival.

For the first two years, Xuan Miao was very happy, spending her days leisurely, teasing the final boss’s black cat next door.

The black cat butler was always lured away, which displeased the final boss, believing it hindered her game progress.

Unable to bear it any longer, the mistress of the castle finally came to visit during a player-free period, and the two had a fight.

After the fight, they decided that this would harm the black cat butler’s innocent heart, so they jointly signed the “Kitty Can Play Wherever It Wants Agreement.”

The agreement stipulated that if the black cat was staying at one’s house, the other party wouldn’t use unusual methods to lure it away, leaving everything to the black cat butler’s discretion.

But afterwards, Tao Ning, who was giving the black cat butler dried fish snacks, heard from the castle maids that the Duchess firmly believed this agreement was an unequal treaty, all because she wasn’t strong enough to defeat the Eastern witch who always wore red.

The Eastern witch had taken the opportunity to propose this agreement, and the Duchess had no choice but to sign it.

How could a cat lover ever think it was the cat’s fault? It was because the owner wasn’t strong enough that she had to sign this agreement. She would definitely train harder until she had the power to tear up the agreement.

The black cat butler said: “Meow.”

The grilled dried fish was really delicious.

However…

The skeletal maid said, “That mysterious Eastern witch seemed like a straightforward person, I didn’t expect her to propose an agreement.”

It had caught the Duchess completely off guard.

Magic existed in this world, and the Duchess was a wielder of black magic, a former dark witch, now the most powerful being here.

So they considered Xuan Miao, who occasionally exuded resentment, as the Eastern witch.

Tao Ning, who had personally written the agreement and suggested it to Xuan Miao: “…Maybe the people around her in her previous life didn’t keep their promises, so she developed a strong sense of contract?”

The skeletal maid: “That’s truly awful, those who don’t keep their promises should be torn to pieces.”

As she spoke, the skeletal maid revealed her skeletal form, two streams of bloody tears flowing from her empty eye sockets, a frightening and gruesome sight.

Tao Ning nodded repeatedly: “Yes, yes, the people in the place she used to live were too bad, turning her into this.”

The black cat butler finished the dried fish in its paws, and Tao Ning clapped her hands, standing up and going home.

Xuan Miao had recently been learning chess from the Duchess in the castle. This was the only thing the Duchess could beat Xuan Miao at, and both were enthusiastic about it.

A few days later, the Duchess could no longer enjoy the ease of winning against Xuan Miao, because Xuan Miao had learned chess, and the wins and losses became more balanced.

The Duchess: “…That damned Eastern witch.”

Occasionally, when Xuan Miao returned home, she would bring Tao Ning a box of black macarons, which actually tasted like blackcurrant.

Xuan Miao said she had tried a few flavors, and this one wasn’t too sweet, more to her liking.

For Easterners, “not too sweet” was the highest praise for desserts. The Ghost King also didn’t like things too sweet.

Somehow, this comment reached the castle, infuriating the Duchess, who sent over a box of tea.

And she had the black cat butler explain that this was an afternoon tea snack, not bread for filling one’s stomach, and shouldn’t be eaten in one bite.

Xuan Miao looked innocent, saying that it looked just like the egg pancakes she used to eat, so it wasn’t her fault.

The Duchess angrily exclaimed: “That damned Eastern witch!”

Lately, Xuan Miao seemed to be in a bad mood.

She no longer went to the castle to learn new things from the Duchess, almost disappearing for entire days.

Instead, she would sit at home, looking out the window at the horizon, sometimes not even hearing Tao Ning when she spoke.

But at night, she would become even more clingy, holding Tao Ning tightly, absorbing her warmth.

After a few days, Xuan Miao became exceptionally clingy, regardless of day or night, never more than three steps away from Tao Ning.

She refused several invitations sent by the Duchess, no longer wanting to spend time in the castle.

Tao Ning thought she was tired of staying here and invited her to go out and travel again, then come back to visit the black cat butler.

Xuan Miao still refused. She wasn’t tired of the scenery, but was trying her best to remember every detail about Tao Ning.

One day, Tao Ning woke up to see Xuan Miao sitting by the bed. She subconsciously reached out to wrap her arms around Xuan Miao’s waist, wanting to cuddle in bed.

But Xuan Miao moved first, turning her head, her eyes filled with conflict and hesitation.

Seeing Tao Ning awake, her gaze instantly became firm, and she held out something in her hand.

Xuan Miao said, “I can’t control it anymore, take this and leave.”

Tao Ning, still drowsy, was startled: “What?”

Then she was blinded by the large ball of light in Xuan Miao’s hand.

Tao Ning covered her eyes with her hand, her voice still carrying traces of sleepiness: “Why are you holding a lamp? It’s too bright.”

“…” Xuan Miao reminded her, “This isn’t a lamp.”

Tao Ning thought, so bright, if it wasn’t a lamp, what was it? She removed her hand from her eyes, finally seeing clearly what the glowing object was.

It was a cage made of numbers, countless 0s and 1s circulating infinitely, forming a perfect sphere, emitting a pale white light.

Inside the glowing sphere was a small pink dot of light.

Compared to the digital sphere, the small dot’s light was as weak as a firefly. It was frantically moving inside, bumping against the walls, desperately trying to find a way out.

However, its efforts were futile. After a while, the small dot, tired, stopped to rest.

After being taken out by Xuan Miao, the small dot, for some reason, became agitated again, constantly bumping against the walls, making faint thudding sounds.

Tao Ning’s gaze lowered, noticing a small crack appearing in one spot.

Once a crack appeared, the sphere wouldn’t last long, it would soon break apart.

This was the system that had been missing for five years, indeed in Xuan Miao’s hands.

A contract bound the system and its host, and there was a connection between them. Although she hadn’t been able to contact the system these past few years, Tao Ning could sense its energy.

It was nearby, just unable to connect. Judging by the energy fluctuations, it was safe and sound.

All these years, Tao Ning had known that her inability to contact the system was related to Xuan Miao, but she hadn’t asked, trusting that Xuan Miao wouldn’t do anything to harm her.

She also hoped that Xuan Miao would feel more at ease.

It had been like this before, and judging by the current situation, it would continue to be so.

Tao Ning sat up, her back against the pillows, but she didn’t immediately reach out to take the glowing sphere: “Why did you suddenly take it out?”

“You know…” Xuan Miao paused, feeling that this question would be embarrassing, it was her fault after all.

But now, every word counted. Xuan Miao said, “The first time I saw you, I felt something about you that I didn’t like. At that time, I really didn’t want you near me.”

This feeling was strange to a Ghost King who had been slumbering for so long. She couldn’t figure out whether she hated Tao Ning or not.

When Tao Ning wasn’t coming up the mountain to look for her, she would think about it alone in the cave, eliminating all possibilities like clothes, hair accessories, and appearance, but there seemed to be nothing that would instinctively make her dislike Tao Ning.

On the contrary, she actually quite liked her, feeling a sense of closeness.

At that time, Xuan Miao thought she was craving Tao Ning’s blood, and her rebellious nature made her resist Tao Ning’s approach even more.

Hearing this, Tao Ning’s expression turned subtle, looking again at the infinitely circulating digital sphere.

She felt a hint of sourness in the air.

After several attempts to speak, she finally swallowed her words and asked, “Then what happened afterwards?”

Xuan Miao was startled, pushing the sphere forward: “After I pulled that thing out of you, I liked you even more. If I had known, I would have done it the first time we met, why waste so much time?”

Tao Ning: “…”

It hadn’t actually been that long.

As expected of a Ghost King, after eliminating what she didn’t like, wasn’t everything else likable?

For some reason, the pink dot of light frantically bumping against the walls in Xuan Miao’s hand also froze, floating motionless like seaweed.

Since capturing the small dot, Xuan Miao had decided that she would let Tao Ning go when this little thing broke free from its restraints.

One day, she discovered a crack on the cage she had created. She stared at the crack for a long time, it was very small, easily repairable.

But Xuan Miao didn’t do it, only waiting silently as the crack gradually grew larger without her interference.

These days, she tried to keep herself busy, so she wouldn’t be too bored and regretful after losing Tao Ning.

In reality, she hadn’t succeeded, and the crack had only grown larger.

But now, no matter how reluctant she was, she was even more unwilling to see Tao Ning’s wings clipped, trapped here.

Xuan Miao said, “I know you’re not from this world. This place is barren, bloody, and terrifying. It can’t nurture someone like you, you don’t belong here.”

Tao Ning felt that she had to correct this: “You’re wrong, I also came from a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.”

Xuan Miao’s expression said “I don’t believe you,” the cinnabar mole between her eyebrows dimming. She said, “I’m already letting you go, why are you still saying such things to provoke me?”

“Since you don’t believe me, do you want to see for yourself?” Tao Ning extended her hand, palm up, “Do you want to come with me? Leave this place.”

Xuan Miao: “…Come with you?”

She had considered many possibilities these past few days, and this one was among them, the most unlikely one.

Although her world was filled with blood and terror, and fear and resentment were the source of her power, leaving this place was the worst choice for Xuan Miao in the infinite worlds.

If she followed Tao Ning, she didn’t know what would happen.

Perhaps she would disappear, perhaps she would completely escape all this.

As if possessed, Xuan Miao raised her hand and placed it on Tao Ning’s, being held by Tao Ning.

“Bang!”

The glowing sphere in her hand exploded, a pink slime flying out and crying “Woof!”

Xuan Miao was startled by this soft, pink entity.

Before it could say anything, a sudden spatiotemporal tunnel sucked the two and the system inside.

Before being sucked in, 520 only had time to shout, “I didn’t open the portal—!”

The bright white light gradually faded, the figures disappearing. The flowers by the window continued to bloom, swaying in the wind.

The dim sunlight streamed into the room, the bedding messy, as if the owner had just gone out for a while and would be back soon.

[Mission complete.]

In the castle’s hanging garden, the Duchess in her black dress sat under a parasol, enjoying her afternoon tea, served by a skeletal maid.

The Duchess put down her teacup, the fine china clinking softly against the saucer. She said, “Why hasn’t the butler returned yet? Could that Eastern witch’s wife be tempting my butler with grilled dried fish again?”

Xuan Miao’s name was too difficult for the Duchess to pronounce, so she stubbornly called her the Eastern witch.

As for Tao Ning’s name, it was even more difficult. Saying it felt like teasing Tao Ning, and an elegant noble wouldn’t be so disrespectful, so Tao Ning became the Eastern witch’s wife.

The skeletal maid: “Perhaps the butler will bring good news this time.”

The Duchess nodded, agreeing: “That Eastern witch’s wife said that one’s hand softens after petting a cat, and one’s mouth is silenced after eating. She’ll definitely come. I’ve thought of a new game this time, I’ll definitely beat that Eastern witch.”

After losing countless rounds, the Duchess’s competitive spirit had also been ignited. Compared to the highly competitive Eastern witch, those weak humans who often wailed in her castle were no fun at all.

After a while, the butler, wearing a red bow tie, returned, but it was just a cat, no one following behind.

The Duchess: “Is the Eastern witch clinging to her wife again, unwilling to come over?”

The black cat butler, with its long, elegant limbs, stopped before the Duchess, shaking its head and meowing: “Meow.”

“What?” The Duchess and the skeletal maid asked in unison. The Duchess said, “They’re not home? How is that possible?”

The skeletal maid asked, “Does Miss Butler know when they will be back?”

The black cat butler had the ability to see the future, used in the game to predict the players’ next moves, creating exciting scenes like “You predicted my prediction, but I predicted your prediction of my prediction.”

Now, it was being used to see when those two mysterious Eastern witches would return home, a complete waste of its talent.

The black cat butler, however, didn’t feel that its talent was being wasted. It truly liked the dried chicken and fish made by the Duchess, licking its whiskers at the thought.

But unfortunately, the black cat butler shook its head, its meow soft and low: “Meow…”

The Duchess and the skeletal maid were finally shocked: “What did you say? They’re not coming back?!”

The black cat butler was a little sad, it wouldn’t be able to eat the crispy dried fish anymore. The sound of a teacup shattering echoed, and the Duchess abruptly stood up from under the parasol.

Her body trembled, her beautiful face showing disbelief: “Not coming back?”

The skeletal maid was about to comfort the Duchess when she saw her excitedly pull something out and set it on fire, the black flames engulfing the charred paper.

The Duchess burned the agreement, saying happily, “Great, those two Eastern witches are gone, no one will dare covet my butler anymore!”

Black cat butler: “…”

Skeletal maid: “…”

So it wasn’t trembling from sadness, but from excitement.

The missed individuals finally returned to the place they had long left, a place beyond the worlds, a vast expanse of stars.

The original world was still bustling, countless stars circulating.

A pink slime carefully navigated the tall buildings, passing by many people, all carrying a system.

But those systems were cool digital entities, different from 520’s soft, pink body, looking very advanced.

Like the digital sphere trapped by its host’s seventh wife. Recalling those years of confinement, 520 felt a pang of sorrow.

Although it hadn’t been disconnected from the internet during its confinement, and could still entertain itself, being unable to contact its host made it very anxious. It didn’t want to be a system that couldn’t bring its host home!

With this thought in mind, 520 started banging against the barrier day and night. It believed that constant dripping wore away a stone, and compared to the cage, it was tiny, but it was a system produced by the original world, nothing could be more stubborn than it.

But there actually was!

It couldn’t break the sphere created by its host’s seventh wife!

This was an insult to its system dignity. It mustered all its strength to try and break the digital sphere, its most diligent effort since passing the entrance exam.

Its slime brain became as hard as iron, but it took longer than it had imagined to break through the barrier.

Speaking of which, who had opened the spatiotemporal tunnel back then?

520 still hadn’t figured this out.

After its host returned, she had run off with someone in her arms, only having time to entrust it to the receptionist, then hurriedly leaving.

It didn’t know what the receptionist had seen, but her confused expression instantly turned to awe, and she even treated the system in her hand more politely.

The receptionist said, “I’ll be assisting you now, number 520, is there anything I can help you with?”

The politeness made 520 anxious, and it quickly refused, making the excuse of needing to find a friend and leaving the silver-white hall.

Not long after, 520 received a message, informing it that its host was in the central building, but she might be busy for the next few days and wouldn’t have time.

But the message was sent by the system of Zang Hongyu, the head of the Marriage Group, which made 520 even more anxious.

What had happened to its host these past few years? Everything felt different after she returned.

These past few days, 520 had been visiting the central building almost daily.

The first time it came, 520 was worried about being turned away, not having the qualifications to enter. However, after reporting its number, the doors of the central building quickly opened, welcoming it.

Following the directions, 520 arrived at the floor below the top floor, its decor also silver and white, exuding a cold and mysterious aura.

Soon, 520 found the room where Tao Ning was.

From afar, through the observation window, it could see Tao Ning with a serious expression, surrounded by many people speaking to her politely.

It chose not to disturb Tao Ning, turning to leave, because the drama it was watching was airing its finale today! If it didn’t go back, it would be spoiled by those gossipmongers in the system group!

Today, 520 came again.

The central building was the core of the original world.

It didn’t know how many times it had been here, but every time, 520 felt nervous, because not only did everyone look advanced, their levels actually were very high.

The numbers of the other passing systems were either single digits starting with zero or double digits within the top fifty. Only it, ranked far beyond the top hundred, was a pitiful three-digit system.

As usual, 520 headed towards the upper floors of the central building, but on the way, it heard a few systems chatting.

These systems looked like gradient-colored slimes, their ranks likely double digits beyond fifty.

The pink-gray gradient system said, “This meeting is probably going to last for hours, so boring.”

The blue-green gradient system came over, joining the other systems with a “duang” sound: “Huge gossip, huge gossip, want to hear it?”

520, passing by, was about to leave, but was stopped by these words.

Who would pass up on gossip?