Chapter 46: 996 Lets Out a Piercing Burst?

Pei Yan chose this moment to “come clean,” feeling there was no need to keep hiding it anymore.

He couldn’t guard Shen Ju’s side every single moment.

So, getting a clear picture from others about what exactly was happening to Shen Ju was inevitable.

Rather than letting the Guan Family notice something off through other probes, it was better to lay it all out from the start.

Thus, Pei Yan stood before the Guan Family members.

…

Not long after calling Guan Mulin, Pei Yan showed up at their door.

Fortunately, Qin Soxi and the others were still on holiday at home.

Just like Guan Mulin’s reaction, the rest of the Guan Family wore expressions of complete surprise.

They had never imagined there could be someone else who could hear Shen Ju’s conversations with the System.

And that person was Pei Yan…

Guan Muya’s eyes flickered as he asked the key question: “Since when have you been able to hear it?”

Pei Yan paused, then answered truthfully: “From the very beginning.”

Guan Muya exchanged a glance with the others.

Those few short words carried a lot of information.

Guan Muya: “So that means…?”

“You’ve not only been able to hear our family’s Shen Ju talking with the System from the start, but you’ve also known from the beginning that we could hear Shen Ju and the System’s conversations too, right?”

Pei Yan raised an eyebrow and said, “Yes.”

“And what do you want now?”

“I feel the same way you all do.”

Pei Yan looked at the Guan Family members present: “I want to help Shen Ju too, and he’s run into a problem right now, hasn’t he?”

“Besides, I’m sure you all know by now—I’m one of Shen Ju’s ‘task targets’ too.”

Pei Yan emphasized those last four words deliberately.

He was telling the Guan Family that he could assist Shen Ju with tasks as well.

At the thought of that task, Guan Muya’s face suddenly turned cold.

“You’ve known all along…”

Not only did he know about Shen Ju and System 996 just like them—he’d known early on, could hear Shen Ju and Brother 996’s conversations from the start, and knew about the tasks Shen Ju had to do.

Yet he’d pretended so well all this time!

…

What were his intentions?!

And now he was coming to them to lay his cards on the table.

Guan Muya couldn’t help narrowing his eyes, staring sharply at Pei Yan.

Especially since Pei Yan had the nerve to call himself Shen Ju’s “task target”—thinking of that task…

It wasn’t just Guan Muya; even Guan Lifeng let out a “tsk.”

Pei Yan showed no reaction, taking it all in stride.

Right now, he just wanted to know what new problem Shen Ju had encountered.

A issue cropping up halfway through the tasks was probably no small matter—especially since Shen Ju had shown that expression.

Pei Yan turned directly to Qin Soxi, who hadn’t spoken yet, and called out, “Aunt Qin.”

Qin Soxi stared at Pei Yan for several seconds. She hadn’t expected Pei Yan to be like them either, but recalling that the first time they’d heard Shen Ju and System 996’s conversation was right when Shen Ju and Pei Yan had their accident falling into the pond together—it wasn’t that surprising that Pei Yan could hear it too. It was just that he’d realized back then they were in the same boat.

With that in mind, Qin Soxi spoke up: “There is a new problem. The baby, he…”

Her words were cut off as Guan Mulin’s phone suddenly rang.

Guan Mulin pulled it out a bit awkwardly and glanced at it—Jian Yi was calling.

Shen Ju was at Jian Yi’s right now.

Guan Mulin answered on instinct…

Soon, Jian Yi’s voice came through from the other end, laced with urgency but a hint of restraint: “Mulin, has anything happened to Shen Chirp lately?”

Jian Yi’s voice came clearly from Guan Mulin’s phone. Pei Yan immediately looked over, and the others fell silent too.

Guan Mulin frowned: “What’s wrong with Shen Ju?”

Jian Yi sighed on the line: “He’s running a fever and talking nonsense. He’s up on the top bunk right now. My mom and I can’t get him down.”

Qin Soxi overheard and rushed forward: “The baby’s feverish?!”

“Wait there—we’ll be right over!”

Pei Yan spoke up immediately: “I’m going too.”

There was no time to debate whether to let Pei Yan come along. They were in a hurry and could only tacitly allow it. Fortunately, one car was big enough for everyone.

Guan Lifeng drove, with Qin Soxi in the passenger seat.

Guan Muya, Guan Mulin, and Pei Yan sat in the back row.

Guan Mulin was in the middle, squeezed between two big guys. He hunched his shoulders, sighing inwardly multiple times.

He had no idea how things had escalated like this.

He was still a bit dazed.

And then there was Pei Yan…

Guan Mulin fiddled with his pant leg, recalling scenes of Pei Yan and Shen Ju interacting in the past. The more he thought, the more off it seemed—the more problems he spotted. Now Pei Yan had shown up on his own. Could it be…

But with all that on his mind, he couldn’t say anything now.

The space was cramped as it was.

If a fight broke out, stuck in the middle like this, he wouldn’t be able to do much.

Not to mention, they reached Ankang Hutong soon enough.

Everyone got out and knocked on the door.

Jian Yi opened it and froze for a second at the crowd.

But he quickly snapped to and ushered them in.

“Shen Chirp’s still on the top bunk bed. I gave him some medicine and put a fever patch on him. If you’re taking him to the hospital, you’ll probably have to carry him down.”

Jian Yi hadn’t had time to wonder why so many people had come; he hurriedly explained the situation.

In fact, he’d noticed something off with Shen Ju the moment he arrived.

But Shen Ju insisted he was fine and said he was tired and wanted to sleep.

Then, after climbing up to the top bunk, perhaps from suddenly relaxing or something, his forehead heated up completely. Before long, he grew dazed and started saying things Jian Yi couldn’t understand.

Something about Brother 996, somewhere being hot.

He said he’d only be there a bit, then go back to do tasks.

What Brother 996? What tasks?

Jian Yi stood by the bed asking Shen Ju, but got no clear answers.

With just him and his mom at home, the two of them couldn’t move Shen Ju. Worried he might have some troubles on his mind, Jian Yi had called right away.

Jian Yi explained in detail while scrutinizing the Guan Family’s expressions.

Perhaps from the shock of Pei Yan’s earlier confession, Qin Soxi and the others couldn’t fully control the looks on their faces this time.

Jian Yi frowned.

“What exactly is going on? What’s happened to Shen Chirp?”

“I’ll go check on the baby first…”

Qin Soxi was anxious. As she spoke, she headed toward the small bedroom with the door ajar.

Shen Ju was bundled under a thick quilt, curled into a little ball inside it.

A fever patch was on his forehead, only his small face peeking out—cheeks flushed red. A touch confirmed it: scorching hot.

None of them had noticed Shen Ju was burning up.

“Baby, it’s Mommy.”

Qin Soxi stood by the bunk bed, tiptoeing slightly to touch Shen Ju’s face.

The room was too cramped for everyone to fit inside.

But the others mostly stood at the doorway.

Qin Soxi called to Shen Ju several times. He finally seemed to register it, murmuring groggily: “Mommy…”

“Yes, it’s Mommy, baby.”

“Mommy…”

Not sure what crossed his mind, tears welled at the corners of Shen Ju’s eyes: “Sorry, Mommy…”

“Why say sorry to Mommy?”

Qin Soxi was heartbroken. She wiped the tears from Shen Ju’s eyes: “No sorries. Baby hasn’t done anything wrong to anyone.”

“I have…”

Shen Ju kept his eyes closed, burying his head into the pillow like a turtle shrinking into its shell, murmuring: “I have… Sorry, it’s all because of me…”

“Mommy, Daddy, Bro… Sorry…”

Jian Yi’s brow furrowed instantly, keenly sensing that the “Daddy and Mommy” Shen Ju mentioned might be…

[Ah! Host, it’s so hot! Why hasn’t the fever gone down yet?!]

996’s voice suddenly burst out. Everyone present except Jian Yi and Xu Ru heard it.

[So hot, so hot…]

[My program code’s gonna burn up! ]

996 was hopping around anxiously in Shen Ju’s mind.

These past few days, it’d been running self-diagnostics and trying to reinforce its connection with the host. No wonder it felt so slow—the host was feverish, messing with the program processes!

And now the host’s body heat was spiking dramatically, fully disrupting 996’s code.

Its program was starting to glitch…

996 was in a total panic.

First time dealing with this—it had no idea what to do.

It was just a newbie little System, after all.

Normally, it could submit a request for higher-ups to help.

But thinking of the host’s situation these days, for some reason, 996 didn’t go that route.

It extended two little tendrils, trying to fix and adjust things itself.

Reinforcing the connection with Shen Ju once more…

It was reinforced.

But…

Some bug must’ve cropped up somewhere. It was like a “buzz” sounded in his mind. At that moment, the scene in Shen Ju’s head turned into a shared consciousness…

“Was the amusement park fun?”

In the vision, a woman with a bright smile leaned back from the passenger seat toward the two kids in the back: “Want to go again next time?”

“Yeah!”

“Sure, thanks, Aunt.”

“Thanks, Mommy!”

The 8-year-old boy finished, and the 5-year-old followed suit without missing a beat: “Thanks!”

The woman laughed, and the man driving laughed too.

“Alright, play with your toys. We’ll be home soon.”

Both kids clutched dolls from the park. The younger one hugged a blue dolphin; the older, an elephant.

Little Jian Yi played with the elephant for a bit, then eyed the blue dolphin in Shen Ju’s arms. Wanting to play, he said: “Little bro, let’s swap.”

Tiny Shen Ju shook his head: “No, I haven’t played enough yet.”

“Just for a little while.”

“No.”

“I’ll give it back when we get home, okay?”

“Nooo.”

Xu Ning turned from the passenger seat: “No fighting, Chirp. Want to let big bro play? The elephant’s fun too.”

Little Shen Chirp pouted, still reluctant.

Little Jian Yi looked unhappy too.

He went quiet.

Shen Sheng An, driving, worried the kids might fight and turned to look back.

That’s when the accident happened…

A truck ahead suddenly swerved left to turn—no signal. It cut right across, and Shen Sheng An’s car was on its left. The truck bore down fast. Shen Sheng An couldn’t brake in time and yanked the wheel hard—but the left side hit the median barrier with no room to spare. The car slammed into it…

Then collided with oncoming traffic, flipped… The whole view tumbled with the car.

In his hazy memory, Shen Ju only remembered the car upside down on the road, Jian Yi draped over him, left hand crushed by the twisted door, covered in blood.

Xu Ning and Shen Sheng An went completely silent.

Shen Ju’s consciousness faded.

If only I’d agreed to swap dolls with big bro sooner…

Maybe Mommy and Daddy wouldn’t have been distracted. Maybe no accident…

He saw Jian Yi’s left hand amputated.

Saw Xu Ning and Shen Sheng An’s funeral.

Saw himself passed around, no one wanting him.

Saw Xu Ru take him home, but her and Jian Zhan Guo fighting over him every few days.

Saw them divorce.

Saw Jian Yi mocked endlessly for his missing left hand…

If only I hadn’t been so stubborn about that doll…

Her voice trembled, her eyes red-rimmed. “What was that just now?!”

“I think it’s better if it explains, rather than us telling you.”

With everyone’s emotions running high and unsteady, Pei Yan stepped forward.

He drew a deep breath of his own, unclenching the fists he’d been gripping so tightly. He walked over to stand beside Qin Soxi and Jian Yi, then turned his gaze to Shen Ju on the upper bunk. He reached out, gently touching Shen Ju’s sweat-dampened hair, and wiped the perspiration from his forehead. Restraining himself with effort, he took another deep breath before continuing. “Since it’s all out in the open now, let’s just lay our cards on the table.”

“996, can you come out and talk?”

996, who hadn’t dared to budge or make a sound since the consciousness sharing began: […]

In that instant, at Pei Yan’s words, it shuddered like an old hen with its neck pinched, unleashing a piercing explosive screech…

【AAAAAAAHHH!!】