Chapter 8: The System Is So Angry It Shuts Down

The two little ones stuck in the hospital room were so hungry their stomachs practically clung to their backs.

“Wuwu… Auntie, why haven’t you come back yet?”

System: [Little host, your auntie is deliberately starving you. She is really mean!]

Hearing the unfamiliar voice again, Xiao Su Luo’s big eyes showed a flicker of confusion.

“Who are you?”

System: [Little host, I am the system inside your mind, here to help you become the great villain of the future.]

Xiao Su Luo was still puzzled. “What’s a system?”

[The system is…]

The system wanted to boast proudly about how amazing it was. But then it suddenly realized its host was just a baby under three years old. Explaining all that would be pointless.

It sighed dejectedly. [Little host, just know that you will be an incredibly powerful villain in the future.]

Tilting his head, Xiao Su Luo bit his finger. “A big villain? Is that something you can eat?”

System: […]

[No.]

Xiao Su Luo: “Then what is it?”

[…Well, it’s a character role. The big villain is the main character in it.]

“Pig’s feet?” Xiao Su Luo’s chubby face scrunched up. “Pig’s feet smell stinky.”

System: […]

When the voice in his head fell silent, Xiao Su Luo called out, “What are you doing? Why are you hiding in my head? Are you playing hide-and-seek?”

[…]

System’s words were organizing slowly...

Ah! Talking with kids is exhausting!

[Little host, let me tell you about your auntie.] The system changed the subject.

[Your auntie is a super mean, super cruel woman. In the future, she will keep mistreating you, not giving you food, beating you every day. What you need to do now is find your uncle, have him defeat the wicked auntie, and punish her thoroughly!]

After hearing this, Xiao Su Luo frowned and softly retorted, “… Auntie isn’t mean anymore.”

System: [Don’t believe her. She’s just tricking you. Look, she went outside and didn’t even give you food. She left you hungry while secretly sneaking out with a thermos to eat by herself.]

Xiao Su Luo hesitated. “But… auntie has been better these past few days.”

System: [That’s all a facade. If you believe her, your little sister will end up very miserable.]

Xiao Su Luo hesitated again. “Does auntie really want us to starve and not give us anything to eat?”

[Yes! I just saw her standing outside eating alone.]

The system lied.

Of course, in its eyes, their aunt was a cruel pawn. Taking the thermos away or eating the food herself fit perfectly with her villainous image. The system assumed that’s exactly what the wicked aunt would do, so it said this without hesitation.

Xiao Suhua turned to her muttering brother. “What are you talking about?”

Xiao Su Luo said, “Sister, there’s someone living in my head, talking to me.”

Xiao Suhua’s eyes lit up.

“Brother, is this your superpower?”

Xiao Su Luo was confused. “Superpower?”

Xiao Suhua nodded happily. “Yes! Brother has superpowers just like me now.”

Xiao Su Luo suddenly understood. “So the system is my superpower!”

System: […]

Screw your superpower! I’m a system! A powerful, badass system!

Then Xiao Su Luo lowered his head, twisting his fingers. “But I don’t like this superpower.”

Xiao Suhua tilted her head and asked innocently, “Why don’t you like it?”

Xiao Su Luo frowned. “Because it talks bad about auntie.”

Xiao Suhua was unhappy. “Why does it say bad things about auntie?”

Xiao Su Luo: “It said auntie took the food outside to eat by herself. It said auntie wants us to starve and won’t let us eat.”

Xiao Suhua fell silent.

The system’s eyes gleamed: Exactly! Soon you’ll see your wicked aunt’s true colors.

Suddenly, Xiao Suhua looked up. “Then tell it to stop talking. I believe in auntie. Auntie is better now, not mean anymore!”

Hearing his sister’s firm voice, Xiao Su Luo nodded. “Yeah, auntie is better now, not mean.”

System: …

Xiao Suhua put her hands on her hips. “Right! Auntie’s changed for the better.”

Xiao Su Luo asked again, “What if my superpower doesn’t listen to me?”

Xiao Suhua tilted her head, thinking. “Then just threaten it. Say you don’t want it anymore, it’ll definitely be scared!”

In TV shows, kids always cried and obeyed adults when threatened with being abandoned.

System: …

Xiao Su Luo thought his sister was right, so he mustered courage and told the system, “Auntie is better now. She’s not mean anymore. You can’t say bad things about her!”

System ground its teeth: [Are you guys crazy in the head?]

Xiao Su Luo was puzzled. “Sister, it said I’m crazy in the head.”

“Crazy in the head? Like a brain tiger?” Xiao Suhua said, then suddenly giggled.

Seeing his sister laugh, Xiao Su Luo couldn’t help but smile too.

The system, watching these two little fools, was so angry it shut itself down.

The moment Su Xingwan walked in, she heard the two little ones’ bell-like laughter and smiled warmly. “What’s so funny? Why are you both laughing so happily?”

“Auntie! We were just talking about the brain tiger.”

“Yes! A very fierce brain tiger!”

Su Xingwan chuckled. “A big tiger?”

Just then, both their stomachs growled loudly.

Xiao Suhua immediately looked pitiful. “Auntie, we’re hungry.”

A flicker of guilt passed through Su Xingwan’s eyes.

“Sorry, Auntie left you waiting.”

She had waited outside the bathroom but didn’t see the person, so she brought the thermos back.

Now the two little ones were hungry.

She decided to feed them the corn and pork rib soup from the thermos. She thought that when the person came to claim it, she would transfer the money for the soup to him.

Su Xingwan opened the thermos lid, and the two little ones instantly smelled the rich aroma of the meat broth they had noticed before. Their eyes brightened—was the fragrant food still there?

Su Xingwan served each of them a bowl.

The pork ribs were tender and well-cooked, and the corn was sweet, soft, and mellow.

The two little ones had never tasted such delicious food.

The tender, fragrant meat melted in their mouths, and they were so happy they kicked their little feet.

Xiao Suhua said, “Meat is even better than little cakes!”

Since they became aware, they had never eaten meat before. They thought the noodles auntie made were the most delicious food in the world, but today’s meal was even more fragrant.

As Xiao Su Luo ate the rib soup his aunt served him, he thought to himself:

Auntie is not mean at all. That system is lying. It’s the real villain.

“Auntie, can we have this yummy meat again sometime?” Xiao Suhua asked, looking up after finishing the last sip of soup.

“I want some too!” Xiao Su Luo said after her.