It was fortunate that it hadn't rained for the past few days, making it easy to barbecue outdoors. The task of collecting firewood, starting the fire, and skinning the rabbits was left to the dark guards. The elder dark guard was clever enough to run back to the camp's kitchen for barbecue seasonings. Before long, Ye Qingcheng emerged.
Xiao Wangye asked the dark guards to take back the remaining rabbit as a reward for them, leaving two dark guards to keep watch.
The bonfire crackled as the wood burned, and rabbit oil dripped into the flames. Xiao Wangye and Ye Qingcheng sat facing each other, and an almost unsettling quiet fell between them.
Xiao Wangye gazed at the woman before him. The firelight on her face made her seem like a rose blooming in the flames. She stared intently at the rabbit meat, her hunger evident on her face.
Seeing her like a wolf eyeing meat, Xiao Wangye let out a laugh.
Hearing his laughter, Ye Qingcheng looked up at him. "Are you laughing at me?"
"Mmm, I think you look very cute right now." His voice carried a joyful tone.
Ye Qingcheng was stunned. This was the second time tonight Xiao Wangye had acted so unusually. She wondered if he had been possessed.
"Don't look at me like that. I'm perfectly normal and know what I'm doing," he said calmly, holding the hot tea the dark guard had just delivered. "It's ready, eat quickly."
He took out the dagger he carried and handed it to Ye Qingcheng, gesturing for her to cut and eat.
Ye Qingcheng was once again shocked by Xiao Wangye's thoughtfulness. Not only that, but he also handed Ye Qingcheng a clean handkerchief to wipe her mouth.
"Host, don't be seduced by his charm," Sansan said solicitously in her mind.
Ye Qingcheng snapped back to attention, shaking her head. She had been staring at Xiao Wangye, mesmerized.
"Qingcheng, your mission is to fix bugs, don't get caught up in the male lead's tricks," Sansan reminded her again.
"You won't tell me what to do next, so how am I supposed to know what my next move is?" she replied mentally to the worried system while eating.
"Haven't you realized that your side quest in the border region is complete?" there was a clear hint of annoyance in its voice.
"Hehehe, don't be angry. It's just that Xiao Wangye, that scoundrel, has been upsetting me." To do tasks well, she needed to appease the system.
After replying to Sansan, Ye Qingcheng asked Xiao Wangye, "When are we going back to the capital? Things here are mostly settled. Can't we leave the rest to Zhou Hu and the others?"
"Mmm, I was planning to depart tomorrow. The border is far from the capital; it takes over half a month to get there. It will be just a few days before the young emperor's birthday."
She suspected that returning to the capital would be anything but peaceful.
"Alright, I'm full. Ah~ truly delicious. Have someone clean up the remaining trash and extinguish the fire. I'm going back. I feel sleepy after eating." Ye Qingcheng stood up and stretched her arms comfortably overhead, a movement that revealed her slender waist.
Xiao Wangye's gaze darkened.
"Thank you for the meal." With that, Ye Qingcheng walked back first.
Xiao Wangye extinguished the still-burning fire with a gust of palm wind, not a speck of ash touching his clothes. The summoned dark guards were inwardly startled by this display, realizing their prince's internal energy had grown even stronger.
"Your Highness, scouts from the palace report that the Emperor intends to make the banquet grander than usual this year," said another shadow guard who had just received the news.
"Mmm, I understand. Prepare the things for our return journey tomorrow."
Back in her tent, Xiao Wangye was still pondering the meaning of Ye Qingcheng's expression that evening. He had been so sincere, yet why was she still so calm? He decided to stop thinking about it and ask her properly when they returned to the capital. He turned over and soon fell asleep.
In Ye Qingcheng's tent, she found herself unable to sleep.
"Sansan, are you there?"
"Yes, I am. Systems don't need to sleep."
"Actually, I've been wondering these past few days why you appeared, and about what you mentioned earlier regarding 're-awakening'." These questions had been troubling Ye Qingcheng for a long time, and she finally asked them tonight.
Strangely, Sansan did not answer her immediately.
There must be something going on, Ye Qingcheng thought.
"Host, don't forget that I can hear your thoughts," Sansan replied.
"First, you didn't appear when I transmigrated. Second, why are we fixing bugs in this world? Third, the two tasks right now are too strange. They all target Xiao Wangye alone." She fired a string of questions at Sansan.
Sansan felt awkward. Ye Qingcheng was as sharp as ever, asking questions that she was forbidden to answer, and that were also part of "Yuan's" rules.
After a few minutes passed without a response from Sansan, Ye Qingcheng became agitated, and that familiar sense of unease returned.
"Why aren't you answering my questions? Are these questions precisely the reason for your existence?" she asked urgently.
"Qingcheng, we are like helpers assigned to you by an organization. We don't know these deeply rooted questions either. We are only responsible for recording and transmitting information." It was a unconvincing reason, and its voice carried a hint of appeasement.
"Then tell me, is Le Hu a重生者 (reborn person)? What is the meaning of his rebirth?"
"He is a重生者. Rebirth and transmigration are governed by 'Yuan.' We don't know why he was arranged to be reborn." This question could be answered, and Le Hu's side quest had now served its purpose.
"'Arranged'? You used that word, Sansan, it sounds strange," Ye Qingcheng accurately pinpointed the term.
Sansan stammered. Damn, she'd been caught. She thought about how to gloss over it.
"Qingcheng, let me tell you, completing tasks comes with corresponding rewards. For example, if you complete the 'Apology Count' task, you can get our exclusive stethoscope," Sansan said.
Ye Qingcheng was captivated by the word "stethoscope." Indeed, it was one of the essential tools for any doctor.
"And what about 'Sincerity'? What reward can I get after completing it?" She was striking while the iron was hot, or rather, capitalizing on her advantage.
"This, this, this, I can't tell you yet," Sansan replied guiltily.
"Oh~ you can't say now. Then let me guess, are the重生者 regulated by 'Yuan' without a quantity limit, like game prompts? And the timing of your appearance is too strange. Is it because the previous Ye Qingcheng was your host?" What a wild idea.
Sansan was once again shocked. Ye Qingcheng was indeed someone from the apocalypse.
"This, this, this... unspeakable, unspeakable!" If Sansan had a physical form, it would be sweating profusely right now.
"Let me guess again, the tasks revolving around Xiao Wangye are to change him..." Before she could finish, Sansan's anxious voice interrupted her.
In a fit of desperation, Sansan blurted out, "Fixing world bugs is to maintain the balance of this world! And after you complete all the tasks, you can return to your original world!"