Chapter 9: Number One in the World

“Hiss…”

Nian Zhi’an clutched her shoulder as she sat on the edge of the bed.

【Host? What’s wrong? Does it still hurt?】 The system anxiously circled around Nian Zhi’an.

Ever since the Main System had tossed her into this world, there had been something off with the area around her left shoulder blade. It had started as an itch, then turned into a faint pain, and finally grown more and more severe.

Yet when she checked herself in the mirror, she hadn’t noticed anything unusual. Even when she had the system run a full-body scan, it hadn’t detected any problems.

She could tolerate the initial pain, but that morning when she woke up, it had hurt like hell—like a knife drilling into her. Even someone as tough as Nian Zhi’an, who had once endured a mecha exploding right in her face, couldn’t help sucking in a sharp breath.

This world’s power levels were relatively low. If it were a problem with her body itself, the system couldn’t possibly fail to detect it. Nian Zhi’an could only guess that the Main System had done something to her soul.

“System, help me submit a request to the Main System…”

【Aaaah!】 Before Nian Zhi’an could finish her sentence, a scream came from the Little System. 【Blood!】

“Plop.” The light orb dropped to the ground and went still, its glow dimming significantly.

Blood? What blood?

“Bang!”

Her door was flung open.

“Quick, look at my test paper—I’ve finished it! You have to take me out for fried chicken today…” Mu Tiantian trailed off as she was stunned by the scene before her. She stumbled back two steps, then turned and ran crying into the living room to find her aunt. “She’s dying! Auntie, come quick! She’s dying!”

That little brat!

Nian Zhi’an sensed something was wrong. Her left arm had gone numb from the pain, but there was a damp sensation around her waist.

She reached down to touch it and saw her hand covered in blood.

Nian Zhi’an’s first reaction was: Live and learn—there was actually a system that fainted at the sight of blood! How many more “surprises” did the Main System plan to throw at her?

Mu Yixuan was startled by her little niece’s wails and hurried over. She immediately saw the huge patch of blood staining the back of Nian Zhi’an’s clothes, while her left hand hung limply and trembled uncontrollably.

Nian Zhi’an nudged the system on the floor with her foot, hoping it would perform an emergency repair on her body. After all, this injury had come out of nowhere, and it was best to avoid the hospital if possible. But the useless thing didn’t even stir after she kicked it under the bed, let alone help her.

Soon after, Mu Yixuan took Nian Zhi’an to the hospital. Although she wanted to say that a simple application of medicine would do, Mu Yixuan’s face darkened, and Nian Zhi’an had no choice but to let herself be dragged along obediently.

Only once they were in the car did she start reflecting on herself. Why had she been such a coward? Why should she be afraid when Mu Yixuan was glowering at her?

Nian Zhi’an silently scolded herself a couple of times.

At the hospital, the examination revealed that her condition was somewhat alarming. The flesh below her left shoulder blade had rotted away, with blood oozing steadily out, and the cause was unknown.

Mu Yixuan had investments in this hospital, so as soon as Nian Zhi’an arrived, they ran a full set of examinations—which, unsurprisingly, turned up nothing unusual beyond the inflamed wound.

The original host had a history of toughing out illnesses, big and small, to avoid spending money. After sending the doctor away, Mu Yixuan sat by her hospital bed. There wasn’t a trace of her usual fake gentle smile on her face now; she looked deadly serious, as if she might scold the girl in the bed at any moment.

The doctor had just explained that the wound had worsened because she’d let it go on too long, but Nian Zhi’an felt truly wronged. The wound had appeared out of nowhere—her skin had been perfectly smooth the day before. Who could have known it would be like this the moment she woke up?

Because of the injury on her back, Nian Zhi’an could only lie prone on the bed. She buried her head in the pillow, acting as if she wouldn’t hear whatever Mu Yixuan had to say.

Mu Yixuan fell silent for a moment. The stern expression on her face gradually softened as she looked at the girl. Her fingers twitched; she had an impulse to stroke her head.

She looked so much alike…

That way of refusing to face reality after getting caught doing something naughty—it was exactly the same.

If Liu Shanyan’s investigation was accurate and this girl hadn’t come into contact with any factions, then why did she resemble her so closely? Was it just a coincidence?

It couldn’t be that Song Qi’an, after rotting underground for ten years, had finally gotten lonely and come back, could it?

Mu Yixuan chuckled wryly at the thought of that drunkard’s ramblings. How could that be? Whatever— she’d just observe the child a bit more.

In the end, Mu Yixuan followed her instincts and reached out to flick her on the forehead.

Nian Zhi’an turned her head in shock to look at Mu Yixuan. It didn’t hurt, but anyone would know how devastating a forehead flick was to someone like her.

“From now on, I’ll come back every day to change your dressing. If I don’t have time, my secretary will do it. I’ve already settled all the medical fees, so don’t even think about skimping.”

“Oh…”

This really was a misunderstanding… Wait! Medical fees?!

Her already unpaid debts were piling up even higher!

Well, whatever. When you’re already drowning in debt, what’s a little more? She’d deal with it step by step.

Suddenly, something cool and refreshing touched her lips. Nian Zhi’an instinctively opened her mouth and tasted something sour and sweet.

“The anesthetic is wearing off. Does it hurt now?” Mu Yixuan peeled a segment of orange and fed it to Nian Zhi’an.

“Mm… It’s, it’s okay.” In truth, it didn’t hurt at all. Anesthetic? Had the doctor really given her any? It hadn’t provided even a hint of pain relief! She’d endured every treatment through sheer grit!

Nian Zhi’an’s delicate brows furrowed. Sure enough, she needed to ask the Main System about this.

“If you’d come in for treatment sooner, it wouldn’t have hurt this badly.” The girl’s face was pale, her voice feeble—she was clearly just putting on a brave front and must be in a lot of pain now. Mu Yixuan couldn’t bear to admonish her harshly.

“Next time… next time for sure…” Nian Zhi’an, who never fell behind when it came to reckless stunts, replied guiltily.

Painkillers couldn’t be overused, so Mu Yixuan chatted with Nian Zhi’an to distract her. If any of Mu Yixuan’s acquaintances saw this, their jaws would drop. They might suspect something, but over these years, aside from her own sister, who else could make the perpetually busy President Mu personally tend to a patient for half a day? And chat with her, no less—Eldest Miss Liu, who claimed to be Mu Yixuan’s old friend for years, would die of jealousy.

Mu Yixuan wasn’t much of a talker. After chatting about literature and art until Nian Zhi’an’s soul had nearly flown away, she finally realized that the girl wasn’t interested in those topics. Instead, she perked up at gossip, especially when Mu Yixuan mentioned having a friend—her eyes lit up instantly.

“That friend of mine… she had a very special friend.” Mu Yixuan might not have realized it, but when she spoke of that special friend, her eyes and tone were filled with genuine tenderness.

“Mm-hmm!”

“She saved her and helped her too.”

Oh~ A life-saving debt of gratitude!

“Even though that friend of hers had a sharp tongue and they often argued, she actually cared about her more than her own parents did.”

This was pure tsundere behavior! Hiss… But tsunderes weren’t in vogue anymore—straightforward affection was the way to keep your partner from being stolen away! Nian Zhi’an was anxious for that person!

“Later…” Mu Yixuan paused, and Nian Zhi’an nearly stuck her head out in anticipation.

“Later, a lot happened, and they never saw each other again.” Mu Yixuan smiled bitterly. She didn’t even understand why she was sharing these past events with this girl.

“Huh?” Nian Zhi’an was a bit dazed. How had they just never seen each other again? The ship she’d just started rooting for—an instant bad end?!

“What happened? If there’s a misunderstanding, you have to clear it up right away!” Nian Zhi’an probed tentatively.

“The situation back then was very chaotic.”

Song Qi’an and Long Chendong had both tripped up her company and her father, plunging it into a bankruptcy crisis. Her father, desperate to save himself, had made her the scapegoat. But the very next day, after that scumbag father fled with the money and his illegitimate son, someone brought key documents from Song Qi’an and Long Chendong’s companies and defected to her side. The tables turned in an instant, and within less than half a month, the one on the brink of bankruptcy was them instead.

She hadn’t wanted to push Song Qi’an to the brink. She figured that as long as Song Qi’an apologized and backed down—even if she made up some excuse to placate her—she’d turn a blind eye.

But Song Qi’an was stubborn as a rock-headed idiot. They hadn’t exchanged two sentences before they were arguing fiercely.

What she hadn’t expected was that before her car had driven far, chaotic screams erupted behind her. Song Qi’an had fallen from the eighteenth floor and died on the spot. The police ruled it a suicide.

The Song Family collapsed, the Long Family collapsed. Even when her scumbag father returned, he had no say anymore and was kicked out of the company by her. Under her leadership, the Mu Family’s enterprises soared to new heights. It seemed like she was the only ultimate winner in the whole debacle.

She had stood blankly in the position her father had schemed so desperately to obtain, gaining everything—yet somehow losing it all.

“That friend of mine… felt there was something off about the whole thing, but unfortunately…” She could never get answers from Song Qi’an’s mouth again. Mu Yixuan wasn’t sure what her expression looked like, but Nian Zhi’an could see the dimness in her eyes.

“Then just go ask!” Nian Zhi’an slapped the bed. The motion was too big, and it immediately tugged at her wound, twisting her face in pain.

“President Mu! If your friend truly likes her, don’t hesitate—just go for it! If that doesn’t work, conquer her in bed! With the right moves, there’s no secret you can’t pry out!”

“…”

“…”

Silence filled the air, as if a crow had flown by.

Oh no—she’d let her true colors slip!

Nian Zhi’an silently crawled back to her original spot and pulled the blanket over her head. Having s-232 was still somewhat beneficial, at least; it kept her on her guard so she wouldn’t get too carried away.

Mu Yixuan unobtrusively covered her slightly flushed ears with her hair. “What nonsense are you talking about? How do you think… she likes her too?”

From your description, I already felt like… Wait.

Nian Zhi’an’s expression suddenly changed as she hid under the blanket. The poor bedsheet trembled on the verge of shredding beneath her claws. “That whole ‘I have a friend’ line usually refers to themselves, doesn’t it? So that means Mu Yixuan might… have someone she likes?”