460: Hesitant to love

The work was decent, the salary was generous, and while her fellow Ghost Messengers looked strange and varied, they were straightforward and quite cute once you got to know them.

Those high-ranking Yin God Lords looked majestic but were actually reasonable. Every time they visited the Healing Zone, they would give a tip at the end, never once falling behind on payments.

Mobile phones, the internet, TV series from the mortal realm, the dazzling array of snack stalls in Fengdu City... every single thing was a novelty that didn't exist on the Ativi Continent.

Linore occasionally thought of her hometown now; the attachment was still there, but it no longer felt heartbreaking.

She had even secretly thought about something.

How wonderful it would be if Her Crown Highness Avila could also sign a contract with Her Majesty, just like Her Crown Highness Olexia, and become a part of the Underworld.

Then the Elf Race could rightfully take root here, and maybe in the future, they could even apply for business trips to other planes to see more of the world.

Unfortunately, His Highness Kailanthos and Elder Arathmir were firm in their stance.

At the mere mention of the Underworld, their brows would furrow so tightly they could crush a mosquito.

On the contrary, when Highness Lia and Highness Ilena came to visit last time, they were quite interested in the management of the Healing Zone and even asked if they could introduce ancient Elven aromatherapy formulas.

[Sigh!]

Linore shook her head and put the folded Shark Silk into the cabinet.

Take it slow!

The days ahead are long.

At the same time, under the corridor of Jiaotai Palace, Shang Wan Ning pulled out her phone and took a look.

The post on the forum had already turned red, with the number of replies exceeding three hundred thousand.

The latest few comments began to veer in a strange direction:

“Am I the only one who thinks this set of photos of Her Majesty has an incredible atmosphere? A lazy beauty emerging from her bath, *huff huff*. [Drooling]”

“The person above is getting bold; aren't you afraid the Secretary-General will check your water meter?”

[Dog head for protection!!!]

“So Her Majesty’s post is really just a pure recommendation? I don't believe it; there must be a deeper meaning. [Sherlock Holmes adjusting glasses]”

“The deeper meaning is: My Ghost Messengers, don't save your wages once they're paid, come spend them in the Healing Zone and boost the Underworld's GDP. [Smile :)]”

“Her Majesty: The profit will be split 30-70. Healing Zone: Why only 70%? Her Majesty: 70% is Mine; whether you get the remaining 30% depends on My mood. [Funny]”

Shang Wan Ning gave a light snort and locked the screen.

Looking up, the doors of Jiaotai Palace were right before her eyes.

Lamplight leaked through the door cracks, casting a warm yellow glow on the floor tiles.

Her footsteps paused for a moment.

The one inside should have finished reviewing the dossiers by now, right?

If she went in now, would she be walking into a trap, or would she be able to get a cup of tea?

The image of Ling Qi grabbing her collar and kissing her flashed through her mind—eyes rimmed with red, misty with moisture; that sentence 'It wouldn't be impossible to go to the couch now' still carried a lingering heat in her ears.

Shang Wan Ning rubbed her chin.

[How about I wander around for a bit longer?]

Just as she moved half a step, Xiao Si's mischievous shouting exploded in her mind: “Host, wouldn't it be great if two flower pistils ** each other!”

Shang Wan Ning's face heated up, and she hissed through gritted teeth, “Shut up!” Her fingers tightened around her phone, her ear tips turning red as she added, “What kind of lewd talk is that?”

Xiao Si wasn't afraid at all, instead leaning in closer as if to say: “What are you afraid of? The one inside must have been waiting impatiently for a long time. Going in won't just get you tea, maybe there will be other sweeteners.”

“It's better than dawdling out here.”

Shang Wan Ning held her phone, her thumb pressing against the runes on the black iron casing, leaving a shallow mark.

She didn't move her feet.

All those messy thoughts churned in her head, finally settling on one point.

It was different now.

Before, when she teased Ling Qi, it was purely out of desire—wanting to see her blush, wanting to see her try to stay calm and fail. She'd floor the accelerator whenever she felt like it, and whether she hit the brakes depended entirely on her mood.

Now... now as she stood before this door, it felt like her feet had grown roots.

Was she afraid to go in?

It wasn't exactly fear.

It was... timidity.

The kind of timidity where you carry something heavy in your heart, something so precious you're cautious about even touching it.

“You don't understand,”

Shang Wan Ning said to the air.

Xiao Si: “?”

“Before, it was desire, so I could speed as I pleased, driving however I wanted on the highway.”

“But now.”

She paused.

A very faint sound came from the hall, like the sound of a page being closed, or the clink of a brush being placed back on its rest.

Ling Qi was still working.

Perhaps she was reviewing the last few documents, perhaps she had just picked up a teacup for a sip, or perhaps, she was also waiting.

Shang Wan Ning took a breath and spoke the words out loud.

“But now there is love.”

“With love, I would rather drive a Mobility Scooter on the way to a kindergarten.”

Xiao Si's data stream went quiet for a moment.

“A Mobility Scooter?” A hint of genuine confusion emerged in the electronic voice. “That slow-moving tricycle?”

“Yes.” Shang Wan Ning curled her lips. “Drive slowly, drive steadily, don't speed, don't cut people off. The child is in the back seat; safety first.”

Xiao Si stopped talking.

In the System Space, that shiny data ball rotated slowly, the light spots on its surface flickering.

She had always felt that human emotions were complex.

Code could analyze behavioral patterns, predict reaction probabilities, and calculate optimal solutions. But 'love' was something that had no formula, no threshold, and no standard answer.

In the years they had been bound together, she had watched her Host start from scratch and climb step by step to the position of the Lord of the Underworld.

She had seen her be decisive in killing, purging the Demon Race without blinking an eye.

She had seen her calculate human hearts, playing various forces in the palm of her hand.

She had seen her be lazy and casual, curled up on the phoenix couch browsing forums, laughing improperly.

And she had also seen her like this.

Standing before a door, hesitating, timid, and for the sake of a sentence like 'there is love,' willing to let go of the gas pedal completely and drive a slow Mobility Scooter.

Xiao Si suddenly remembered how she used to lurk in the system forums and listen to other senior systems complain.

Some Hosts became emperors and within half a year began to be promiscuous, treating all the concubines in the harem as pawns to be discarded after use. In the end, they were deserted by everyone, the mission failed, and the system was formatted along with them.

There was another Host who transmigrated as a wealthy wife; once she gained power, she tormented the original wife's children to death, only to be killed in return, meeting a miserable end.

They always said: Power is a poison; once tasted, it becomes an addiction. Once those Hosts gained power, they only had eyes for themselves, treating everyone around them as tools.

Missions? Merely a front to grab benefits.

Xiao Si hadn't said anything at the time.

Now she kind of wanted to argue.

Not all Hosts were like that.

At least the one in her family was different.

Over these years, Shang Wan Ning had really been learning.

Learning how to be an emperor.

It wasn't just about relying on slaughter to establish authority; one also had to balance various forces, understand human hearts, make subordinates both fearful and respectful, and at the same time, leave a glimmer of hope.

Learning how to restrain desire.

There were many things desired, but they couldn't all be taken into one's hands. One had to distinguish between the important and the trivial, calculate the cost, and know when to stop.

Learning how to 'love someone'.

It wasn't possession, nor was it plunder; it was careful nurturing, rather driving a Mobility Scooter oneself than letting the other person feel the slightest discomfort.

Xiao Si's data stream became smooth.

“Host,” she called out softly, her electronic voice rarely solemn, “you have made some progress.”