Sudden Arrival

Chu Lian stood in front of the full-length mirror, looking at herself in cosplay attire, feeling a sense of helplessness. She had tried on all the clothes several times, but found that none of them seemed suitable. Although she had provided precise measurements, it still wasn't perfect.

It wasn't that the clothes didn't fit or were uncomfortable, but rather a feeling that this attire wasn't meant for her.

After trying for a long time without shaking off this strange feeling, she felt resigned. Wearing regular clothes was fine, but as soon as she donned cosplay attire, this feeling emerged.

Regardless of whether the clothes were exchanged from the system or purchased, there seemed to be some inexplicable obstruction hindering her. Although she could ignore this issue, for Chu Lian, who had mild OCD and was a perfectionist, such cosplay photos might be acceptable but would fall far short of her desired standard.

Frowning, she looked at the cosplay attire in her hand, hesitated for a while, and then put it down. She decided to ask Ayase about it when she woke up, to understand why this was happening.

However, since the system was currently upgrading, many items she wanted couldn't be exchanged.

The sun outside was quite intense, making Chu Lian, who was accustomed to staying indoors, reluctant to go out.

Moreover, even if she did go out, there were no classmates or friends nearby; she would have to travel far to meet anyone.

Going out meant constantly being among people, and she knew very well that, after causing numerous headlines yesterday, going to crowded places now would be asking for trouble.

With some time before lunch, Chu Lian, who had just had a cup of milk, didn't feel hungry and didn't know what she wanted to eat.

So, on this weekend without classes or homework, Chu Lian suddenly felt a bit aimless.

After putting away the clothes, she lay on the bed, bored, tossing and turning, thinking about what she should do.

Suddenly, she heard some light music from outside, which sounded familiar. Listening carefully, she realized it was the flute version of "Emerald Waves Reflecting The Moon" that she played yesterday. This piece of music made Chu Lian happy, and she finally knew what to do.

She could edit the video she recorded yesterday and upload it online for others to see. Even though it wasn't part of her mission to cover songs, it could still increase her popularity.

Although many people might have already uploaded and reposted it, she could guarantee that no one's video quality would be better than the one she recorded with various high-tech gadgets. Uploading the video herself would also serve as a counterattack against any slander and allow her to interact with her fans.

Another task was that she had written tens of thousands of words for her new book, "Legend of the Immortal Sword," which she had been working on to enrich the characters and make the story more exciting and tragic. She had already communicated with her parents and planned to release the new book next month.

This month, her parents' company and Chu Lian herself would handle the promotion, aiming for at least one out of every hundred people to know about the book. Otherwise, such an excellent story would go unnoticed.

"Editing the video and preparing for the new book release—these two tasks can keep me busy today. The new book promotion starts in a few days."

"As for the video, I know it doesn't count towards the system's main tasks. But that's fine; the publicity from this video is reward enough. At this rate, I won't need ten cover videos to meet the task requirement of over three million total views." Chu Lian, barefoot, ran off the bed, walked to her computer desk, and turned on various devices. Then she picked up her cup, intending to go downstairs to get some milk.

It wasn't that she didn't want to drink other beverages, but her parents insisted on providing the healthiest environment for their daughter. In their house, the only drinks were red wine, milk, and canned herbal tea. Other than that, the only flavored drinks were instant tea and coffee.

Given her age and the limited options, it was clear what she would choose to drink. Of course, she couldn't drink milk all the time, which is why she loved tea—she had been drinking it continuously for over a decade in her previous life. She didn't intend to change this habit in her current life either.

"I'm not drinking milk because I like it; I'm doing it to grow, to avoid being flat-chested, to avoid becoming a rare resource, and to become a well-endowed goddess! Most importantly, I need to surpass those who developed early. Why is it that my younger sister is so much bigger than me?"

As she silently poured a full glass of milk from the fridge, she ignored the pleas of the spirit cat seeking her help. "Well, mom is still having fun; better not disturb her. She'll get bored eventually."

"Stupid master, drinking milk won't help! You'll be flat-chested forever! For not rescuing me, for selling me out, for ignoring my pleas, you'll stay flat-chested! ...Oh, but if she becomes a rare resource, where will I cuddle? Should I cuddle a washboard? Hmm, let me think."

Each having their own thoughts, the person and the cat passed by each other. Chu Lian slightly raised her head, seemingly looking at something. Tīna, on the other hand, lowered her head, appearing to be dozing off but actually thinking about something else.

"Huh, why is there another phone call?" Back in her room, she immediately noticed the phone on her desk flashing continuously. She walked over, picked it up, and unlocked the screen, revealing a missed call.

Opening the contact list, she saw the missed call was from "Wang Tingsi." Her long eyebrows furrowed slightly. Why did he call?

After hesitating for a moment, she decided if he was calling to say something trivial, she would hang up immediately. But if it was something important, she would listen. So, she tapped the screen a few times, and a call was returned.

On the other end, Wang Tingsi looked at his phone, his expression both anxious and hesitant. He knew Chu Lian didn't like him and had stopped pestering her as he did initially. But this time, the matter was important, and if he didn't notify her quickly, it might be too late.

However, his last call went unanswered, ringing until it cut off. He wasn't sure if she didn't want to answer or wasn't near her phone. If it were the latter, fine, but if it were the former, calling again would likely get him blocked.

"No matter what, I can't delay this. Whatever the outcome, it's my responsibility. If I avoid this out of selfishness and something happens, what then? I don't want to regret it, even if the result is unchangeable." Just as he resolved to keep calling until she answered, unexpectedly, Chu Lian called back.

"Please use thirty seconds to explain what you want to say. If it's nonsense, then don't bother. Thanks." Chu Lian's voice was as cold and sharp as ever, but Wang Tingsi didn't mind. If she was in a good mood to call back, it would be easier to talk.

Suppressing his slight smugness, he took a deep breath and said gravely, "Chu Lian, someone is coming to capture you. You're in danger. Please be vigilant and careful of any strangers around you."

Hearing Wang Tingsi's words, Chu Lian was momentarily stunned and instinctively asked, "What does this have to do with me? Why should I be careful?"

However, Wang Tingsi's answer unsettled her: "Last night, several powerful beings from different worlds, using a large group of people as cover, forcefully broke through the blockade and entered this world."

"We captured one of them and used every means to find a piece of information buried deep in his soul: 'Use all possible means, even sacrificing everything, to find the Daughter of Destiny and bring her back to our world.' The description of the Daughter of Destiny matches you 80%...so..."

"I understand. This has nothing to do with me, but thank you for the warning. I'm just an ordinary person, not the Daughter of Destiny. You've got the wrong person." Chu Lian quickly said and hung up the phone, staring blankly at the screen.

"Daughter of Destiny? What is that? Why am I suddenly their target? And why such a huge sacrifice just to find me?" Chu Lian knew that the so-called "Daughter of Destiny" was most likely her. Given the situation, she was clearly in constant danger.

At this moment, the system, which was supposed to be upgrading, sent her a message. She opened it and saw it was a new task...