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The cannon fodder's wish implied obstructing the protagonist's schemes. This meant the best method would be to kill off the female lead.

Okay, so where is the female protagonist now? Zhou Min hadn't seen even her shadow ever since she took over Lan Min's body. How could she kill anyone if she didn't know the person? Zhou Min didn't even have the time to search for the female lead when 484 showed his existence by throwing another bombing news at her which completely stupefied her.

"Well, 250, did you know~? When the cannon fodder died, it was on her 17th birthday." 484 showed her a fawning smile which annoyed her greatly. Suddenly, an ominous premonition crept into her heart. "Can I ask you something? How long do I have left until her 17th birthday?"

"Two months~!" 484 laughed while announcing her ultimatum.

Zhou Min could no longer keep her calm. "YOU! You are telling me now that I only have two months left?! I am d.a.m.ned! What can I do when I'm stuck on the bed? I don't even know where the f.u.c.k is the female lead. How am I going to complete the mission now, r.e.t.a.r.d?"

"Host, you can't slander people like that." 484 spoke with an aggrieved tone.

"You dare feeling wronged? I should be the one feeling wronged. What you just told me is the same as asking a paralyzed person to go protect the male lead from the female lead, and save the empire at the same time! See what wrong is wrong with you?!" Zhou Min's stress was reaching a new height. If she knew everything earlier, the current impossible situation would not come to be. "Hey, didn't you mention that aside from all those tasks, I still need to make sure the cannon fodder was satisfied with her life. If she is going to die so earlier, how the f.u.c.k am I going to let her satisfied with her demise?!"

"That is… That is… Sometimes, death is a deliverance. Besides, the cannon fodder doesn't really need to die, but unfortunately, the system doesn't have much energy… so it's impossible to change her fate."

"Energy… by energy, you mean the male lead's sperms? I was hovering between life and death the past few days because of him, but you are saying that you didn't receive enough energy? Are you joking with me?"

"The last time, the system only received enough energy to send you the next world, so you must work harder next time. With extra energy, the next world would be easier. You will get more help from the system to complete the next mission. Well, you should be glad the male lead in this world already loves his sister since young. In addition, he already handled the female lead in your stead. When he slept with you the first time, the female lead discovered you two, so in order to silence her, he had swiftly dealt with her. She was killed on your first day in this world."

"What?!" Zhou Min was stupefied. This d.a.m.n system told her such a big new now. She felt the thing inconceivable. She raised her hand to stop 484 from shocking her with more earthshaking news.

"Min'er, are you still unwilling to see me?" While Zhou Min was digesting the load of information 484 gave her, Lan Ziyu was wiping the tears welling at the corner of her eyes. He couldn't stand seeing her like this. At court, he was a resolute and confident sovereign, but in front of her sad expression, he couldn't help being soft.

His heart ached when he sees her tears sliding down her closed eyes. Why is she crying? She was already awakened. Why did she pretend to be asleep when he came in? Why was she frowning so much? Was it because of him? Was it because he forced her into an incestuous relations.h.i.+p?

At first, she didn't want to care about him, but when he whispered into her ears, she opened her eyes by reflex. Without warning, she looked straight into his eyes and saw her reflection inside of his pupils. The complicated look within the reflection showed her internal struggle, her confusion, her shock and how scared she was.

Zhou Min had yet processed all the new information. Her turmoils were understandable as she roared inwardly about his sister complex since young, the unchanged feelings he had for Lan Min which didn't transfer to the female lead on their first encounter, and the absurd end of the female lead. She died as soon as she appeared. Didn't the female receive the blessing of this world? How could she be killed just like that? Wasn't it too easy? Shouldn't she be like those female protagonists in TV dramas? Their resilience is akin to c.o.c.kroaches and they could crawl out of the abyss no matter how many times you push them in. Even dropping them from the sky wouldn't kill them, their fates are such that they could even have a fortuitous encounter in the midst of a disaster.

Obtaining ancient lost martial arts book, rescued by an overpowered hermit or the actual male lead… Anyway, all kind of good fortune came to the female leads. Yet, at that moment, this world's female is already dead… dead, just like that… done… off to Heaven.

"I-Imperial Brother…" Zhou Min called him using a saccharine voice. Her sweet call melted his heart. He pulled her into his embrace. "Lan Min, don't leave me. It doesn't matter if you think I am evil, but don't leave me. Or… or I don't know what I might do. So, you have to stay by my side until death do we with parted. You don't need to love me, but leaving me is impossible… You hear me?"

His voice was sub-zero cold but very steady. Yet, his firm hug and his trembling hands betrayed his restlessness. Zhou Min didn't respond to him right away. In fact, she was busy calling 484 like crazy because she was exulted the female protagonist had died. With her opponent's death, she had already completed the main mission. Didn't that mean she could leave?

484 gave her a meaningful glance when it perceived her excitement. It was disappointed by her low IQ. "Please refrain from thinking you're done with the mission. Take a look…" 484 opened her tasks page. On it, the tasks related to the female lead were marked complete. Under the section related to the male lead, there are two sub-categories. The first one is the progress bar of the male lead's affection which showed 100%. The second one is the progress bar for "Harvested Energy" which showed only 30%!

Zhou Min imagined herself pointing a trembling finger at that incomplete progress bar. She looked at 484, not knowing how to react. She asked, "I didn't think I would be like that!"

"You think, you think, you think! You still have a month or so to do it. If you can't fill the progress bar to 100, you won't have enough energy for a smooth transfer to the next world. I won't be able to help you with the mission next time. This is what happens when you slack off at the beginning and refused to hook up with the male lead as I had suggested. Tsk, tsk, tsk! 250, it's not too late. You better do it right and speed up the process this time. Your life is in your hands. You don't want your existence to be erased just like that, right?"

Meanwhile, Lan Ziyu was waiting for her answer which never came. He couldn't help letting out a pained laugh. He forced himself to smile as he let her go. Then, he tucked her under her quilt. "You… Take a good rest. When you are better, I will come to see you again. During this time… take some time to think carefully about what I just told you…"

He turned around, ready to leave, but suddenly, he felt his clothes being tugged. His heart shuddered, but he didn't dare to look back. At that moment, Zhou Min had opened her eyes again and was clear on what to do. She only had at most a month to everything so she had to be a temptress, seducing him to her bed every day. She didn't believe she won't be able to reach 50% with this method.

"This is already the fourth time. Do you still want to abandon me again?" Zhou Min used an aggrieved and pained voice to appeal to him.

"What do you mean the fourth time?" He turned back abruptly and was. .h.i.t with the sight of her teary eyes. It made him feel sorry for her.

"The first time was when I was 10. You let me go. The second time was in Clear Jade hall. You did that to me, but the next day when I awoke, you were already gone. The third time was in your bedchamber. You also left silently after making a mess out of me for days. You threw me to the imperial physician. Now that you are back to my side, are you still planning to leave me? After leaving, when will you come again? Lan Ziyu, who do you take me for? Am I someone to be used to strengthened your hold on the harem and stabilized the court?"

The more she spoke, the more her tears fell. Every teardrop was like a knife shredding his heart painfully. He went back to her bedside and took her into his arms. She feigned struggling – pulling away from him and hammering his chest weakly. "Evil! Brother, you are an evil man. How can treat me such way? When you remember about me, you will find me; Only to forget the next moment, leaving me hanging, alone… abandoned… You still forced me in that way regardless of my will. You never listen to me. Do you know how much it hurts? It hurts so much… sob…"

"Don't cry. Please don't cry. It's my fault. Everything is my fault. Min'er, don't cry anymore. Brother will not leave you again. I will protect you, okay?" He carried her on his laps, cuddling her like a child and coaxing her to dry her tears. However, Zhou Min continued to cry until her nose was red and her reddened eyes swollen before stopping.

When he saw her quiet and meek side cuddling in his arms like a rabbit, hope rose inside his heart again. "Min'er, tell me. Are you going to leave me?"

"Brother, are you going to leave me again?" She replied with a rhetoric question.

"I won't. In this life, I will never leave you. You are the only one for me, forever by my side." He swore with an overbearing att.i.tude while holding her tighter in his embrace.

"That's good. If Brother doesn't let go of my hand, I will forever stay by your side! I love you, my dear brother. I have always loved you. I love you very, very much!" She sketched out her hands and hugged his neck. Then, she pulled him down and offered her tempting red lips.