Chapter Three: Running Away from Home

Jiang Hu remained unmoved. This was nothing new to him—she had done this before. Sometimes, when she was in a rare good mood and looking for a new way to torment him, she would offer him a bit of kindness as bait.

He had believed her at first, naively, but later realized he was nothing more than a joke to her.

Jiang Hu spoke with careful formality, “I came home late tonight. Please punish me.”

“I told you, get up.” Mo Nianian frowned, her tone sharp and impatient, unable to stand seeing the boy in such a spineless state.

Jiang Hu dared not defy her command. He stood up slowly, and in doing so, his wounded knees began to bleed again, staining his trousers red.

Mo Nianian had never encountered a child so troublesome.

The system, ever patient, whispered incessantly in Mo Nianian’s ear, urging her to be gentle, to be caring, to warm his heart and let him feel the love of the world.

Though impatient, Mo Nianian forced a smile for the sake of this wretched mission. “Look, your knees are bleeding again. Sit down, I’ll help you take care of it.”

She thought her demeanor was already quite friendly, not knowing that in Jiang Hu’s eyes, it was no different from a fox offering New Year’s greetings to a hen.

Jiang Hu of course did not believe her. But he dared not disobey, nor could he guess what trick she might be playing this time. He lowered his eyes. “I wouldn’t trouble you. I can do it myself.”

Mo Nianian tossed him the medicine. “Fine, you do it.”

She watched as Jiang Hu skillfully treated his own wounds. In an unusual bout of kindness, she went to the kitchen herself… and made two packs of instant noodles.

She ate with satisfaction, her eyes crinkling in delight. Jiang Hu glanced at her several times, his gaze growing ever darker.

Whenever she acted this way, his fate was always miserable in the end.

The last time, she gave him five yuan as pocket money, only to fracture his bones that night.

The time before, she picked him up from school and abandoned him in a graveyard all night. He ran a fever for an entire week.

And before that, she treated him to grilled chicken wings, then stabbed him with the bamboo skewer.

He had long understood: this woman was a demon, and behind every small kindness she showed lay a monstrous cruelty.

He dared not imagine what new torment she was planning this time.

That night, Jiang Hu lay in terror, unable to sleep, his mind endlessly replaying all the things she had done to him.

Fear and hatred filled his heart, gnawing away at his reason.

He dreamed countless times of killing her, of perishing together with her. He stood in endless darkness, unable to see a trace of light.

Yet he lacked even the courage to drag her down with him. His mother’s words echoed in his mind over and over—he could not die, not for the sake of such a woman.

He climbed out of bed, his footsteps as light as a cat’s. He quietly opened the door to Mo Nianian’s room and gazed at her for a long moment. For a split second, he truly felt like abandoning everything.

But in the end, reason prevailed. He stole the last bit of money from the house, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and ran away.

Anywhere would be better than staying with that demon. He had no idea what new horrors she had in store for him this time.

All he could do was flee desperately from that hell.

When Mo Nianian woke, she found the house had been burgled—everything of value was gone. Oh, and the brat was gone too.

To be precise, the brat had run off with the money.

Mo Nianian almost laughed in exasperation.

With a flicker of thought, she sensed Jiang Hu’s location.

She considered using her powers to instantly appear and snatch back the unruly boy.

The system was in shock. [Host! What are you doing?]

[Oh, this? Just a little trick, that’s all.]

The system was on the verge of collapse. [Your abilities were supposed to be sealed before entering the small world!]

Those assigned such tasks always had some background, and the higher-ups, fearing they’d wreak havoc, would always restrict their abilities.

[Maybe they missed me?] Mo Nianian replied absent-mindedly, silently chanting a spell.

[Host, stop! Your abilities don’t belong in this world! If you force them, the world’s laws will detect it and the entire small world will collapse!] The system shrieked at breakneck speed.

Mo Nianian paused, pouting. “What a bother.”

[I’ll just take a cab, okay?]

The system was briefly stunned, then gloated, [Forgot to mention, the male lead took all your money.]

Mo Nianian scoffed in disbelief and checked her account balance on her phone. Well, what do you know—she had one yuan and thirty-eight cents left.

Wonderful.

Mo Nianian was unwilling to give up. [Did she never earn any money?]

[Host, you forgot again. This body only just started college not long ago.]

Mo Nianian: [Wait, isn’t there a bug in this world? That means three years ago she was only fifteen or sixteen. What was she thinking, taking in a child?]

She and the system debated the bug for a long time, stopping only when they finally caught up with Jiang Hu.

At the sight of Mo Nianian, Jiang Hu’s heart sank to utter despair. He knew he was finished. With her temperament, even if she didn’t kill him, she would skin him alive.

He bowed his head in resignation, awaiting execution.

Looking at Jiang Hu, who had been reduced to a homeless wretch, Mo Nianian couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief. “Impressive, aren’t you? Learned to steal money and run away from home?”

She extended her hand. “Money?”

Jiang Hu took the money from his inner pocket and placed it in her hand.

Mo Nianian counted a few bills and handed them to the waiting driver.

“Sir, please take us home.”

Dragging Jiang Hu, she climbed into the car.

On the way, she chatted with the driver, but Jiang Hu heard none of it. His thoughts wandered far away, quietly awaiting the arrival of death.

If he saw his parents, what would he say? They had tried so hard to save his life, but he had let them down.

He stared out the window, lifeless as an old man at the end of his days.

Mo Nianian glanced at him. Pitiful, truly pitiful—thin, frail, like a stray kitten.

When they finally got home, Jiang Hu immediately knelt down, presenting Mo Nianian with a fruit knife, eyes shut, bracing for death.

“Do you know what you did wrong?” Mo Nianian nudged him with her toe.

Jiang Hu opened his eyes, his dark gaze fixed on her, murder and malice written plain as day. “My only mistake was not killing you before I left.”

Mo Nianian found herself almost admiring Jiang Hu. She looked at him with interest. “You hate me that much?”

Jiang Hu’s murderous intent nearly became tangible as he answered her.

“Tsk, but it’s a pity—you’re too weak. You can’t even touch a finger of mine. How are you going to kill me like this?” Mo Nianian crossed her legs and spoke lazily. “If I were you, I’d hide my true self until I gained strength, and then strike—one blow, fatal.”