Liu Jian stared at his fingers, wiggling them, in intense concentration. A voice spoke to him in a mechanical manner, starting him out of his exploration.
[This system greets Host. Thank you for taking me up. System hopes we get along for future missions.] The inflections in it's speech made Liu Jian think, fleetingly, that it was human, but he knew better than to trust a disembodied voice.
Without the slightest thought to his Host's internal monologuing and descent into confusion, it continued on in the same humanly-robotic tone, [The body you are going to be residing will be a boy named Mao Cheng, a deathly ill patient stuck in a hospital ward. As he aged from a tender little dumpling to soft, beautiful looking young adult, the doctors told his parents that he would not live to grow any older than the age of eighteen. His parents did their best to make his life comfortable and painless, doting on him extremely. But he was still alone, friendless and sick. In the end, because he was the technical successor to the large business his father had, Mao Cheng died much earlier, succumbing to grievous internal injuries that he received from his own sister, Mao Ling, who wanted to inherit and gain the money that came with the company. Mao Ling is a two-faced character, scheming and evil inside, but looked as pure and lovely as oriental jade. Mao Cheng, not knowing how deeply disturbed his own sibling is as well as his own trusting nature, made him easily taken out. Mao Cheng hid how he felt, causing his untimely end. He is classified as ' tragic side character', 'cannon fodder' and 'white moonlight'. Objective is Perfect End. Perfect End gives extra gifts. System wishes Host good luck.]
Speechless both externally and internally, Liu Jian just looked to be in disbelief, 'What tender child, what soft teen?! Luck?! I don't need luck, I need help!'
Fretting, as if hearing his thoughts, the system tried to soothe him like he was a child throwing a tantrum, [Host do not worry, this system was very good with previous Host. I shall help you. Since it is your first world, I am also able to give you more of a hand than normal. Would Host like a hint?]
"This Host would like to know why he is here first..."
[Host is here because of reasons system cannot reveal. To unlock, must go to hubspace and open 'agenda'. Very easy, you just need points and rank to open. System hint: First, Host must complete missions to gain points and rank. Second, usually, if Host fails, there is no penalty, just sadness and crippling failure. But since this is the first mission, failure to complete leads to dire consequences.]
"Is there anything that you can tell me before I head on?" As much as he wanted to curse the system, it didn't seem to understand what the implications of being tied down to it meant.
[The world is a [tutorial]. It is meant to help Host understand how to work in tandem with hub space, complete missions and gain points. Since you are borrowing a body that is tied to a world, it limits you to its governing set rules. But, since system is here, things can be bent more than normal as long as Host does all everything according to the laws set in place for mission. I shall tell you beforehand if there are any. Right now, no rules are implemented, mission is Perfect End, to have Mao Ling committed into a jail or a mental asylum. Jail gives more points. Once completed, Host is allowed to die.]
Liu Jian just groaned, but accepted nonetheless. Being stuck in this emptiness doesn't seem like a fun idea. As he lost consciousness, he could hear the system speak again in a frank manner, [Host please do not fail. This world is the easiest. Failure to complete leads to eternal unrest, forever to wander the world as a ghost. Best wishes.]
From there, he started his journey, albeit a little unwillingly.
-
Liu Jian awoke to the sound of rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor besides him and the smell of medicine.
"Hurts..." he whimpered, the overwhelming amount of pain he just received as he came to the world made him cry out. Warm, soothing hands gently held him, whispering softly to try and get him to calm down.
"Xiao Cheng," a nurse, old and a little frail, worried over him, "are you alright? You said it hurts? Did you pass out? Ah, poor boy. Don't worry, this nurse shall tell Doctor Huang. Maybe your medication is acting up."
Before he could even get a word out, she skirted to the door and gently shut it.
[...This system apologizes. Was suppose to get here before to include pain modifiers so that death is not prevalent before you reach for mission objective.]
'...'
[Do not worry, shall add it now.]
-
After a few days, Mao Zhi Yu and Xue Su Ning, the original body's parents, came to visit him. They were intercepted by Doctor Huang Wei. In his office, he showed them a document. They stared at the clipboard showing off Liu Jian's vitals in a mix of disgust and horror. Their son's physician brought to their attention a fatal and deadly poison that ran inside Liu Jian's blood. If he hadn't found it in his daily check ups, then the poison, quiet but mortally fatal as time passed, would've eaten up his organs, made him braindead and eventually killed him off, dying in pain but being unable to express it.
"He felt that there was something wrong with him for the past days. At first, we figured it was the medications taking a toll on his body and put him off it, but his complexion still paled rapidly and he became feverish. With numerous tests, we were able to find this. A potent toxin in his body. Any later, he would've been too affected by it, but Xiao Cheng was very insistent and we compiled readily after seeing if it wasn't the prescribed medicines." The doctor reported back, not hiding anything from them. If he did, and Liu Jian died, his head would be placed on the chopping board. Plus, Liu Jian has been with him since he was young, how could he do anything that could cause him any grievance.
"How did this get into him?! Who dare do this to my child?" Xue Su Ning was inconsolable. Her son was already sickly and frail, now there's someone out there trying to kill him off? Despicable!
The man hesitated, but with the look on Mao Zhi Yu's face, he continued, "There are only few people allowed in your son's room, including the three of us here. Nurse Wu, his main caretaker since birth , and your daughter Mao Ling are the last two that visited in the past weeks. The poisoning correlated with her visit two weeks prior when the incident happened.
"Ling Ling?" Mao Zhi Yu's face grew stricken, as if he aged years, while Xue Su Ning collapsed onto a chair.
"Doctor Huang, surely there has to be another answer? Are you-"
Huang Lei cut him off and nodded, "I affirmed it with the staff and the security footage we obtained. Xiao Cheng had been recovering well, though not as well as we hoped, but good enough to warrant a small celebration. Our progress with healing him might be set back because of this, as well as cause the percentage of dying to increase by at least 20% within the couple of months he'd have the poison in him until it's flushed out of his body completely."
"My own- no, no she can't- what would she even gain-", Xue Su Ning couldn't believe her ears or the man that delivered the news. Mao Ling was so innocent and caring, why would she try to kill her own brother off?
The doctor offered no answer, just sighing as he walked out of his office and into the ward's hallways. For a moment he paused to give the couple some advice, "I'll leave you to this. But if it isn't too presumptuous of me to say, distance Mao Ling from him. Preferably, make sure they have no more contact. I get that you care for both of your children, but Xiao Cheng has been in our care for so long. Our staff doesn't want him to hurt anymore, even at the expense of your daughter's fate. Please think carefully about this."
As he turned, Huang Lei quietly said his goodbyes and headed towards Liu Jian's room.
"Xiao Cheng, how are you feeling?" He greeted the child warmly. Because of his great genetics, he looked so soft and fluffy, like a little bunny.
"Hello Huang ge, I'm very good. May I go out and play?" Liu Jian straightforwardly asked, itching to go and explore.
The man shook his head, giving him a disapproving look as he crossed his arms and sternly said, "You have to rest."
[System agrees. If body gets worse, failure is more evident. Must complete mission before dying.]
Liu Jian sighed, but nodded. The voice couldn't be heard by the doctor, so Huang Lei assumed he was listening to his words and ruffled his hair.
"Ah, Huang ge, I'm a sick patient! You shouldn't hurt me!"
He teased him, replying back in tandem, "You're ill, but so lively. Are you sure?"
"I'm not the doctor here. Hmph."
As they continued their banter, his parents bustled in.
"Daddy, mama, why are you here?" Liu Jian looked around eagerly and put forth a look of displeasure when he didn't see the main character, Mao Ling. Huang Lei stared at the two meaningfully and left them to talk after handing him a treat.
[System is surprised, Host's acting is top notch.] Liu Jian thanked it inwardly, glad that the system had told him how to act before anyone met him, as he waddled towards Xue Su Ning and Mao Zhi Yu. She hugged the boy tightly, not wanting to let go in fear that someone else would try to hurt him.
"Little one, tell me, are you alright?"
He didn't really know how to console her, never having an experience where a person would hug him so tightly and look at him with slight grievance, so Liu Jian just shrugged, "Your child feels a little sick, but is okay now. I threw up a little while ago but don't worry sister Wu helped clean me. Say mama, when can my sister visit again? She hasn't come by... Mama, tell elder sister that her brother misses her very much."
Getting Mao Ling to look bad was no trouble. All he had to do was lather the sweetness on thick and up this body's cuteness factor to the max, then they would definitely hate her.
"Daddy, why do you look angry? Is work hard? Don't worry, when your child grows big, I shall inherit company so you, Mama and Ling jie can rest! We shall eat sweets everyday and sleep long."
Mao Zhi Yu's face turned solemn but gently patted his son's shoulder, expression lighting up as he watched Liu Jian bury his head into his mother's arms, "My son will surely grow up and make me proud."
"Really? Sister said that I'm too little, very weak. Will your child stay small forever?"
His face scrunched up, cheeks red in slight indignancy. The two adults minds instantly raced as they imagined the words in another meaning, their son dead, eternally a child. Never to grow into a man. Their hearts cooled at the thought of their daughter and what her plans may be. Can they even call her their child anymore?
[Host is doing well. They are very moved.]
Liu Jian just smiled and hummed, accepting the quest and cuddling into Xue Su Ning's arms.
-
"Bring my daughter here Zhou Qiang."
"But sir, she hasn't come down from her room. Do you still want to call young miss here?"
Mao Zhu Yi's face turned dark, "No matter what she says, bring her here. Tell Mao Ling her father wants to see her urgently."
"If the young miss refuses?"
"I shall deal with that myself."
Zhou Qiang bowed and left Mao Zhi Yu's study, nearly tripping himself out of the room in order to get away from his boss, who looked like he was going to burst.
Alone, he weaved his hand into his hair, cursing loudly. Stewing in his seat, Mao Zhi Yu grabbed a paper on top of a manila folder. For the first time in his life, he felt that he almost made a grave mistake.
"Daddy?"
"Mao Ling, sit."
"I was busy with something. Why did you interrupt me?" She complained to him, thinking that with a couple of fake tears and whines, her father will just let her go.
"You have no right to ask anything from me. Right now, I'm angry and disgusted."
"Daddy-"
"You will call me father. I can't bare to hear you call me so informally."
Mao Ling realized that something was very wrong, "Your child apologizes, father. Please-"
Mao Zhi Yu cut her off, his eyes dark, "From now on, our Mao family is not your family. Intelligence gathered shows that each time you visit Xiao Cheng, you berate him, humiliate him, and tell him that he would not grow and is weak."
"Father, whoever said that is a liar! I would never do such a thing to my precious brother," Her heart shook. Mao Ling thought that she threatened her brother to the point that he can't even speak. What changed? Why did he suddenly start to talk about her?
"You call him precious? Even your words are two-faced. My black heartened daughter, Zhou Qiang got the information. You think you could hide such a thing from me and your mother?" Mao Zhi Yu sneered, his mind finally made up after seeing his daughter's act.
"I expect you out of here in a few days time, you shall stay with your newly betrothed fiancee, Tan Ru Min. Xiao Cheng is going to stay at home. I can't have someone such as you staying near him."
"Fa-father, you said that you would refuse that contract! Tan Ru Min is much older than your child, almost twenty years apart. I haven't done a thing to him, I care so much for my brother, why do you refuse to believe me?"
"Do you think this is the only evidence we have against you. Despicable child, you poisoned your own kin. To do such a thing to someone you were suppose to cherish... you must have no heart. Not even blackened, just gone. Leave my sight and pack your bags."
"Father-"
"Zhou Qiang, escort her out."
"Yes Master Mao." Zhang Qiang none too gently showed her out of the office.
- - -
Sorry but there's still going to be some sparse pinyin here and there.
Ge - A suffix used for an older male friend or relative.
Jie - A suffix used for an older female friend or relative.