Chapter 387: Chapter 385: The System Appears
"..."
Mia Grant gave him a placid look. "What are you talking about?"
Her expression was perfectly natural, leaving no room for suspicion.
But perhaps because he knew her so well, Yates Donovan felt that she shouldn’t be this calm if she were truly surprised.
Yates Donovan smiled and walked beside her.
Since they were on campus, many people knew her. Mindful of her status as Felix Sinclair’s fiancée, they had no other physical contact aside from that initial hug.
Instead of an inseparable couple, they looked more like close friends who could talk about anything as they strolled side-by-side.
"It’s not about the Grant Corporation, is it?"
"If it were, you wouldn’t be so secretive about your meetings."
"I don’t know what you’re planning. Logically, I should pretend I don’t know anything and just let you do whatever makes you happy."
"But..."
"For some reason, I’ve been feeling more and more uneasy lately."
"The truth is, I’m just like you. I’ve never been the type to rely on others."
"I don’t like pinning my emotions and thoughts on someone else."
"It’s exhausting. If you don’t have expectations, you can’t be disappointed."
"I also believe that in a relationship, it’s best to give each other some personal space and not bother one another."
"When we’re intimate, we give it our all. When we’re apart, we give each other enough freedom."
"So, you should know that I’ve always been different from them when it comes to you. I’ve never held on too tightly."
"With me, you’re always free to come and go as you please."
"No matter how much I liked you, I never changed that."
"Because I know the reason you like being with me is that I’ve never pressured you in the name of love."
"But lately... I’ve started to waver."
Hearing this, Mia Grant’s brow twitched, and her steps faltered for a moment.
Then, pretending nothing had happened, she caught up to him.
As if he hadn’t noticed her reaction, Yates Donovan kept his hands in his pockets, his gaze fixed forward, and his pace light.
He continued speaking as he walked, as if talking to himself, not expecting a response from her.
"I’m always worried that if things go on like this, one day, I’ll lose you."
"I’m so uneasy—so uneasy that I wish I could fly to your side right now and never leave it."
"I’d probably despise myself for becoming so clingy and insecure."
"But I can live with that result more than I could live with the self-reproach of losing you."
"So."
Suddenly, he stopped and turned around.
Mia Grant nearly crashed into him and quickly stopped short.
"So, what?" she asked, staring at him blankly.
"Until you tell me what you’re planning, I’m not leaving your side."
"..."
"When you go to class, I’ll sit in. When class is over, I’ll walk you back to your dorm and wait downstairs for you."
"If you go to the cafeteria, I’ll go with you. If you go out shopping, I’ll accompany you."
"And if you don’t want me around, I can call someone else to stay with you."
He grinned like a scoundrel, and his words were chilling, "Whoever you want to see today, I’ll be the one to summon them for you."
"..." Mia’s eyes widened in shock. "What nonsense are you spouting?"
Meeting his teasing gaze, Mia Grant knew he wasn’t joking.
It had probably been a while since they’d last met; she had almost forgotten how crazy this man could be.
"Mia Grant."
He called her by her full name, his tone dead serious.
"Let me be perfectly clear: I will believe anything you tell me."
"You just have to say it, and I’ll believe it."
"No matter how absurd it might sound to anyone else, I will stand by your side without a moment’s hesitation."
During their long, silent gaze, Mia Grant’s stubborn defenses began to crumble.
Her eyelashes fluttered. The words trembled on her lips, and just as she was about to speak, a voice suddenly echoed in her mind—
[Host!]
"!" Mia Grant’s fingertips trembled violently.
"I’m suddenly not feeling well. I’m going back to my dorm to get some sleep. Can we talk about this after I wake up?"
Yates Donovan saw the struggle in her eyes and had braced himself for anything, but he never expected her to suddenly shut down.
His shoulders sagged slightly. He smiled. "Of course. I’ll walk you back."
—
At this hour, the laundry room was empty.
Mia Grant tossed a couple of items into a washing machine. As it started to run, the noise quickly drowned out the sound of her ragged breathing.
"System?"
Her voice was unsteady, hesitant.
[Host, I’m here!]
Hearing the familiar voice, Mia Grant closed her eyes and slowly sank to the floor, steadying herself on a nearby table.
After a long moment, she collected herself and asked, "Where have you been all this time?"
[Host, it’s a long story. I was undergoing an upgrade for a while, so I didn’t receive any of your messages. I’m very sorry that during this time...]
Mia Grant cut it off. "I’ll ask you one last time. Where were you?"
[...]
[I’m sorry, Host.]
Mia Grant slowly closed her eyes. "Fine."
"Then erase me. Now."
[Host! Don’t be rash! I never wanted to hurt you!]
[Some things... are out of my control. I can only follow the orders of my superiors.]
"Is that so."
"So you’re saying you won’t erase me?"
"Alright. Then let me give you a big gift."
In the corner, Mia Grant’s fingers dug into the tabletop as she forced herself to stand.
"Since I can’t get the answers I want."
"Then let’s just die together."
[!!!]
Ignoring the frantic alarm blaring in her ears, Mia Grant pushed open the door and walked out, her expression unchanged.
That afternoon, Mia Grant rested in her dorm, her mind a complete blank.
She automatically blocked out the System and managed to get a relatively peaceful nap.
When she woke up, the sky outside had already grown dark.
Her roommates hadn’t returned yet; they had probably gone to dinner.
Usually, when she was resting, her roommates would bring food back for her by default, so they wouldn’t wake her.
After staring at the ceiling for a long time, Mia Grant rubbed the sore spot between her eyebrows.
She thought she could get some clues out of the System.
But the result was disappointing.
Now she felt a little lost.
She didn’t want to resort to extreme measures either, which was why her nerves had been so frayed when the System appeared that she couldn’t calm down.
She had practically fled back to her dorm.
But she never expected it would turn out like this.
She couldn’t pry a single useful word out of it. Did she really have to resort to extreme measures?
Laying an arm across her forehead, Mia Grant let out a long sigh.
The phone by her pillow suddenly lit up with a new message.
She rolled over, picked it up, and saw it was from Yates Donovan, asking if she was awake and wanted to have dinner together.
After a moment, she replied with an "Okay," then got up, turned on the light, and climbed out of bed.
「The Restaurant.」
Mia Grant watched the waiter exit and the door to the private room close.
Across from her, Yates Donovan was still telling her about the restaurant’s signature dishes. "I came here once before with the head of Omnisphere. It’s pretty good. I heard their fish is so fresh it’s brought in every morning from..."
Mia Grant stared at him for a long time before suddenly speaking up, "Yates, let me tell you a little pre-dinner story."
Comments