The situation became quite awkward, at least for Shen Yujing.
His first attempt at "playing the hero" not only failed but also led to revealing his secret.
Murong Huan looked back and forth between Song Yi and Jiang Yiheng, clearly unable to connect the dots from what Shen Yujing had said.
Meanwhile, everyone else was staring at Song Yi, obviously waiting for her response.
When faced with everyone's "interrogation," Shen Yujing took three steps back, his face filled with complicated emotions.
Even if he wanted to explain, he didn't know where to begin.
Of course, he had already revealed quite enough information.
Jiang Yiheng rested his hand on his chin, pondering aloud, "The note calling me a pig..."
Jiang Yiheng had caught onto this key point, and Song Yi suddenly remembered too.
Song Yi said, "Right! I remember now, it was that napkin, wasn't it? So you were the one who wrote it?"
"Yes," Shen Yujing nodded in admission. "That day after school, I saw you put that envelope in Jiang Yiheng's drawer, and I couldn't help... couldn't help but open and read it. It was a love letter. Then... then..."
Then he replaced the love letter with a note calling Jiang Yiheng a pig.
Song Yi's brain worked overtime, searching through the dusty corners of her memory, "That was someone else's love letter to Jiang Yiheng. I just accidentally knocked it down and picked it up!"
"What?" Shen Yujing froze, looking at Song Yi in disbelief. "Really?"
"Of course," Song Yi pressed her fingers against her temple, feeling a headache coming on. "How could I possibly write a love letter to Jiang Yiheng? I had only known him for a few days back then?"
More importantly, Murong Huan had liked Jiang Yiheng at that time, so she would never have done something like that.
Shen Yujing mumbled, "Maybe it was love at first sight. Isn't that the type you like - good grades and handsome?"
A flash of disappointment crossed Jiang Yiheng's face before he turned to Shen Yujing and said flatly, "Thank you."
Shen Yujing: "?"
Quan Le explained to him, "He's thanking you for calling him smart and handsome."
Shen Yujing: "?"
Since when did Jiang Yiheng become so shameless? Was that even the point?
But Shen Yujing still confirmed with Song Yi, "You're not lying to me? That love letter really wasn't from you?"
Song Yi sat back down in her seat and said, "I'm certain. I've never written a love letter to anyone."
Shen Yujing let out a long sigh of relief.
Thank goodness, it had all been a misunderstanding.
Shen Yujing took the party popper from Quan Le's hand and pulled it, aiming at Jiang Yiheng.
Golden confetti fell on Jiang Yiheng's face as he removed his glasses, enunciating each syllable, "Shen. Yu. Jing."
Meanwhile, Shen Yujing was already looking for his next victim with the party popper, cheerfully calling out, "Happy New Year!"
Soon, the group was back to their lively celebrations.
Colorful confetti danced in the air, with everyone covered in bits and pieces, looking disheveled yet contentedly lounging in their spots.
"It's eleven fifty-eight!" Murong Huan called out, quickly standing up to brush off the confetti from her clothes, saying, "Quick, get the lighter, it's time to light the fireworks!"
Xu Che was in charge of lighting the fireworks. For some reason, this moment suddenly felt ceremonial, with everyone counting down the final ten seconds in unison.
During the last three seconds, Xu Che lit the fireworks.
These fireworks were specially designed - lighting one would trigger all of them.
As Xu Che stepped back, the countdown ended, and the fireworks burst into the sky.
"Happy New Year!"
Someone shouted first, setting the mood.
Then came a chorus of "Happy New Year" greetings, accompanied by continuous laughter.
Song Yi stood by the half wall, looking up at the sky.
The starry sky, accompanied by the continuous blooming and fading of fireworks, created a truly beautiful scene.
Song Yi had always thought the fireworks scenes in TV dramas and novels were cliché and created artificial romance, but now that she was standing here herself, she finally understood how special it was.
The constant bursting of fireworks drowned out all other sounds, as if allowing her to immerse herself in her own world and truly appreciate this fireworks display.
Song Yi looked back and saw that Quan Le and Murong Huan had somehow started playing around again, with Murong Huan holding a sparkler, laughing happily.
It was wonderful.
Song Yi couldn't help but smile too; she loved the current atmosphere.
Everything felt beautiful and warm to her.
She seemed to have truly fallen in love with everything here.
Compared to the loneliness of her real life, she preferred growing up in this kind of atmosphere.
For Song Yi, this was no longer just a story in a book; everything happening around her felt real.
And they were all living, breathing people who laughed, played, cared for her, and showed her kindness.
Xu Che stood on the other side, turning to look at her, mouthing a few words.
Although Song Yi couldn't hear him, she could see what he was saying: Happy New Year.
Happy New Year, may everyone stay happy forever.
*
Everyone had worked hard today, staying up late and playing around, before finally retiring to their rooms to rest.
Murong Huan was already fast asleep in bed, but Song Yi couldn't sleep.
Because after a long time, it was the first time the system had initiated conversation with her.
[Don't be so surprised, I'm really leaving, just saying goodbye]
[As systems, we choose people who aren't very happy in their real lives to come to the book world, giving them a chance to change their fate]
[Making our hosts happy is the destiny of every system's existence]
[Now you've completely avoided the Bad Ending, and you have your own life, plus you've gained many friendships and love that weren't calculated in the data. So host, from now on, don't treat this as a book world anymore, because everything here belongs to your brand new life]
[My mission is complete, and I need to find my next host]
[I'm glad to have known you, and honored to have accompanied you]
[Goodbye, my Host #0113]
The mechanical voice faded, accompanied by an electrical sound, just like when she first came to this world, as if something was being extracted from her body.
Song Yi opened her lips, murmuring, "Goodbye."
Her voice was so soft it was barely audible, and the system had already left.
Though she had initially been forced into this world and compelled to execute this mission, it hadn't been the best start.
She hadn't even particularly liked the people she first met.
But somehow, at some point, she had completely integrated into this world, becoming one of them.
Like these people at the castle now - in the original plot, they weren't supposed to gather here, let alone become friends.
Song Yi pressed her lips together, trying hard to make her lips curve upward into a smile.
But for some reason, her eyes still couldn't help but turn red.
Perhaps it was because of the system's departure - its familiar presence, which she had grown accustomed to, was now completely gone.
Suddenly, Song Yi wanted to feel the cool breeze.
So she got out of bed, put on her slippers, and tiptoed out, careful not to wake Murong Huan.
On the balcony.
The traces of earlier fireworks had already been cleaned up by the servants. She sat on the long bench with a cup of hot milk in her hands, looking up at the moon in the sky.
This was a rare moment of tranquility.
Until the door opened.
Song Yi turned around and, seeing who it was, asked in surprise, "Shen Yujing? Why are you here?"
The young man stood at the door, instinctively hiding something behind his back when he heard Song Yi speak.
Song Yi naturally noticed this and asked, "What are you holding?"
Shen Yujing hesitated for a moment, then walked over and sat down beside Song Yi, handing her the gift bag before seriously turning away, no longer looking at her.
Song Yi looked down at the bag in her lap, poked Shen Yujing's shoulder with one finger, and asked, "What's inside?"
Shen Yujing wouldn't look at her, but his voice sounded awkward as he said, "New Year's gift."
A gift?
Song Yi became curious and lowered her head to open the bag. Inside were two boxes, one large and one small.
Song Yi first opened the small box, and what caught her eye was a necklace, though it was quite unique.
It was a hammer-shaped necklace, with the handle made of pink crystal and the head composed of diamonds.
Song Yi couldn't help but laugh, asking, "Is this your New Year's gift?"
She then held the gift box up in front of Shen Yujing.
"You don't like it?" Seeing Song Yi's gesture, Shen Yujing pressed his lips together, suddenly feeling at a loss.
Song Yi looked at him helplessly and said, "I want you to help me put it on."
Hearing this, Shen Yujing froze for a moment, then broke into an almost disbelieving smile, quickly saying, "Alright, I'll help you put it on."
Though he agreed, when it actually came to helping Song Yi with the necklace, Shen Yujing was all thumbs.
It was just a matter of fastening the clasp, yet he failed several times despite repeated attempts.
Looking at her fair neck before him, with the young woman's beautiful shoulder line exposed as she bent her head, perhaps because he was so close, he caught a faint fragrance from her skin.
Startled by his thoughts, the necklace slipped from his hands.
Song Yi caught the falling necklace and turned to ask him, "What are you doing? How can you not manage such a simple task?"
"Who says I can't? My... my hands are stiff from the cold!" Shen Yujing quickly made up an excuse, hastily taking the necklace back from Song Yi's hands and pushing her to turn around. "It's your fault for moving around, otherwise I would have fastened it already."
Song Yi rolled her eyes heavenward, not bothering to argue with him.
Shen Yujing was still nervous, but thankfully heaven finally gave him a break, and this time he managed to fasten the clasp successfully.
Shen Yujing breathed a sigh of relief, quickly withdrawing his hands and turning his face away, suddenly too shy to look at her.
Song Yi turned back around, wrapping her fluffy robe more tightly around herself, and reached for the larger box in the gift bag.
This time when she opened it, inside was... a piece of fabric???
Song Yi curiously took it out and asked, "What's this? A blanket?"
This blanket was really ugly, with red and white colors haphazardly pieced together.
But it felt nice to touch, and would probably be warm to cover her legs with...
"Blanket? What blanket?" Shen Yujing became agitated, looking at Song Yi. "Look carefully at what this is!"
Huh? It's not a blanket?
Song Yi paused, holding up the piece of fabric higher.
It was fluffy and extremely large; she had to spread her arms completely to hold it up, and it almost blocked her entire field of vision.
Song Yi stared at the fabric for a minute, while Shen Yujing stared at her for a minute, determined to wait for an answer.
Song Yi was silent for two seconds before saying, "...If this isn't a blanket, what else could it be?"
Shen Yujing grew anxious and exclaimed, "It's a scarf!"
Song Yi: "?"
So she draped the piece of fabric—no, scarf—over herself in front of Shen Yujing.
The scarf was so large it was like a bath towel, enough to wrap around most of her body with plenty left over.
Song Yi repeated Shen Yujing's words, but this time as a question: "This is a scarf? More like a bath towel."
Shen Yujing's pride instantly crumbled. He reached out to pull at the scarf Song Yi was wearing, his face showing traces of anger as he said, "I knitted this myself! If you don't like it, give it back!"
Song Yi was stunned for a moment, and suddenly understood why the scarf's quality was so good, why the color combination was so ugly, and why Shen Yujing was angry.
He knitted it himself?
Imagining Shen Yujing frowning while holding yarn and eventually getting himself tangled up in it, Song Yi found it incredibly amusing.
So Song Yi protected the scarf wrapped around her, partly wanting to tease him, and said, "No way, you said this was my New Year's gift. Who takes back a gift after giving it?"
"Aren't you complaining about it? Then I'll take it back!"
I'll take it back and knit a better-looking one to give her.
Thinking this, Shen Yujing put more strength into trying to grab the scarf from Song Yi.
Song Yi hadn't expected Shen Yujing to actually try to take the scarf back, and when she didn't use enough strength to resist, she fell forward toward him.
Shen Yujing had originally intended to leave the gifts at Song Yi's door, but when passing by, he had noticed the balcony light was on and decided to check if she was there, which she actually was.
So he was dressed quite thinly, wearing only pajamas with a light jacket, and after standing in the cold wind for so long, his limbs had become stiff with cold.
When something suddenly fell into his arms, warm and fluffy, Shen Yujing's first thought was... this feels quite warm?
Instinctively, Shen Yujing held the young woman in his arms a bit tighter, and when he realized what he had done, his face instantly turned red to the ears.
This embrace came too suddenly, but surprisingly, Song Yi didn't feel any aversion to the physical contact.
Perhaps it was because she suddenly remembered earlier that evening, when Shen Yujing had mistaken the party popper for a firecracker and frantically shielded her with his body, and those eyes that, though red with fear, still looked at her with concern.
The young man's thoughts might be clumsy, but they were sincere enough to make one feel helpless or amused, yet impossible to truly dislike.
Just as Song Yi was lost in thought, she felt the hand around her shoulders and back not only didn't let go but actually held her more tightly.
The young man lowered his head, his chin resting on her forehead, his voice very low, suddenly carrying an inexplicable mix of melancholy and sincerity.
He said, "It's okay if you think this scarf is ugly. I'll learn, I'll definitely knit you prettier ones until you like them."
"It's okay if I have flaws you don't like, I'll learn and change those too. I'll definitely do better than others, until..."
Until you like me too.
