At the field edge, Lin Zhi lightly kicked his feet. Song Mian set the little doll down, pinching its waist. Lin Zhi gave Song Mian another shoot-you-dead gesture.
Song Mian warned, “One gust of wind and you’ll fly off.”
Lin Zhi’s doll hand wiggled with nonstop “shooting.”
Song Mian let go.
Lin Zhi toddled slowly, then spread his arms and floated lightly into the field, flopping down flat. He rolled over, drifting in the mud. Seeing Song Mian reach to grab him, Lin Zhi raised a hand to keep shooting.
The doll’s front, including its face, was now caked in mud.
Song Mian: “…….”
Song Mian: “You know who’s washing you when we get back?”
Lin Zhi switched to a fist bump pose, offering thanks. For the first time, Song Mian hoped he didn’t understand the doll language.
Lin Zhi rolled again and slowly stood in the field.
Light as it was, the doll’s shoes didn’t sink into the mud. Occasional breezes required Lin Zhi to struggle for balance. After two steps, he exclaimed, “Little System, I’m awesome!”
The Romance Survival System, enjoying the breeze, didn’t forget the mission: [Host, seize the moment—run! Once far from the Male Lead, I’ll use my ability!]
Lin Zhi was deeply puzzled. “Little System bro, am I misunderstanding?”
Romance Survival System: [Lin Zhi, no chit-chat! Run!]
Lin Zhi didn’t run. “Little System bro, didn’t you say the soul can’t leave for seven days? I could leave the bedroom later. So ‘leaving’ means away from Song Mian, right? It’s not seven days yet. If I run now, won’t I get flung back at some distance?”
The Romance Survival System fell silent.
It had been anxious lately from mission glitches, fearing the boss’s notice. Only arriving in the countryside lightened its mood a bit. It had overlooked that!
The Romance Survival System admitted its mistake bravely: [Sorry, host—you’re right! Lin Zhi, you’re a fool with hidden wisdom!]
Lin Zhi: “Hmph.”
Romance Survival System: [Seven days end after 8 PM tonight. Slip out once the Male Lead sleeps!]
Lin Zhi: “Yeah!”
Song Mian stood at the field edge, brows furrowing tighter. Uncle Jiang finished transplanting and approached, chatting briefly with Song Mian. Following his gaze, he spotted the Lin Zhi doll.
Uncle Jiang puzzled, “A doll? Walking on its own?”
Song Mian: “Smart remote-control.”
Uncle Jiang eyed Song Mian. “Didn’t see you controlling it.”
Song Mian lied through his teeth. “Pre-programmed.”
Uncle Jiang marveled, “Even does flips.”
Song Mian’s brows knotted further. Not flips—it was falling! Now filthy head to toe, no clean spot.
Song Mian waded into the field.
He picked up the muddy doll from afar. Uncle Jiang handed him a black trash bag to put it in.
Lin Zhi’s soul grumbled, “I’m not trash!”
But to no avail.
Lin Zhi was bagged and hauled by Song Mian.
“Little Mian, still the same as ever. No one else can touch your stuff. Uncle could’ve fetched it—no need to go in the field. Now your shoes and clothes are dirty.” Uncle Jiang laughed. “That doll’s a handsome one. Must’ve cost a fortune.”
Song Mian picked up the bag and locked eyes with Lin Zhi’s soul inside the doll. “What do you think? How much are you worth?”
Uncle Jiang found it eerie.
Lin Zhi believed he was priceless!
After returning, Uncle Jiang told Aunt Jiang about it, only to get a fierce smack on the back. “What a sin! Little Mian has helped our family so much. So what if he likes a doll? You’re the one making a fuss all day!”
“I didn’t even say anything! You nagging hag, you just wanted an excuse to hit me, didn’t you?”
“You were supposed to bring back a fish. Where is it?”
“What fish? Nobody told me to bring any fish.” Uncle Jiang was truly wronged.
On the second floor, in a spacious and clean bedroom furnished simply, old-fashioned sliding windows flanked both sides of the room, and a ceiling fan hung above the bed. Lin Zhi found all these things quite novel.
Listening to the argument downstairs, Lin Zhi’s soul stared straight at Song Mian.
“Song Mian, it’s your fault Uncle got scolded!”
Since Song Mian couldn’t hear the soul’s voice, Lin Zhi made a gun gesture to “shoot” him.
Song Mian was undressing the mud-caked doll when he saw the gesture. He patted the doll’s head. The head bounced, leaving Lin Zhi depressed. After stripping off the dirty clothes, Song Mian washed the doll’s head and ears, then wrapped the hair in facial tissue.
Next, Song Mian rummaged in the bag for wet wipes and cleaned the doll’s entire body.
Lin Zhi felt quite embarrassed. He had truly synced with the doll. It was as if his own body was being wiped down by Song Mian, making his soul tremble. Lin Zhi made another gun gesture, only to get his head knocked again.
What a black history! Black history!
But after wallowing in the mud for so long, even waterproof fabric had absorbed water from such thorough wiping. So Song Mian told him to move around and air-dry.
Song Mian went to the bathroom to wash the clothes.
Lin Zhi stood on the floor. The entire doll wasn’t even half as tall as Song Mian’s calf. To Lin Zhi, Song Mian loomed like a giant. Lin Zhi punched lightly with his fists—very lightly—but Song Mian still felt it and looked down.
Lin Zhi stiffly extended both arms straight out, like a little zombie.
Song Mian squatted down. “This’ll do for now. Tomorrow, I’ll have new clothes sent over. You can model them for me. I didn’t get the flowers, but at least I’ll see you in the clothes.”
Lin Zhi lowered his arms. The doll stood alone, pondering for a long time before turning stiffly and walking away.
Lin Zhi called out to the ghostly form blowing wind by the window. “Systie, if I leave tomorrow, will my soul dissipate?”
The ghostly form turned, its electronic voice puzzled. [No. But why? You’re such a closet perv—actually enjoying life as a doll?]
Lin Zhi said sadly, “Of course not! Song Mian was expecting me to buy him flowers, but I didn’t, and I died right in front of him. Now he’s getting new clothes for me, wanting me to show them off. If I leave without wearing them, how disappointed will he be?”
“Sigh Sure, he’s a bit twisted and crazy now, but he was my brother for three years.” Lin Zhi sighed.
The Romance Survival System hesitated. Enjoying the refreshing breeze, it mulled for a few seconds before saying, [Fine, one more day won’t hurt. If you can warm up to the male lead, when the boss finds out I botched the mission, I can say it was to help you two build a relationship and get together.]
Lin Zhi murmured, “Systie, you’re so human-like.”
Romance Survival System: [No choice! This system’s just a wage-slave too. But the air here’s better than any world I’ve been in before. I can even go out for a stroll. So, host, I won’t keep you company tonight.]
Lin Zhi pretended to admonish it earnestly. “Okay, but don’t scare anyone.”
The Romance Survival System floated away, leaving one last line. [Humans can’t see me anyway. Host, you be careful!]
After the Romance Survival System left, Lin Zhi controlled the body to float lightly around the room. Song Mian finished washing and hanging Lin Zhi’s clothes to dry before going to shower himself.
Lin Zhi lay on the floor, panting. After resting a bit, thanks to his super short height, he spotted a yellowed photo on a low cabinet as soon as he stood up. Lin Zhi walked over. The photo showed a little boy holding a chubby white rabbit.
The rabbit was really fat—Lin Zhi worried the boy couldn’t even lift it. But that boy… Lin Zhi looked closely.
It was Song Mian! Basically a one-to-one miniature. He’d been such a poser since childhood.
Lin Zhi grew even more curious about the rabbit. Song Mian had actually raised a rabbit! Lin Zhi had no idea—he’d never heard Song Mian mention it, and this was his first time seeing it.
Lin Zhi stared a few more times, feeling an odd familiarity beneath the plumpness, even a touch of heart-fluttering appeal.
The doll’s hands rested on the cabinet, eyes fixed on the rabbit. It was so familiar—he was sure he’d seen it somewhere! But Lin Zhi swore he’d never owned any pets.
The doll’s hands stayed on the cabinet, motionless. Soon, Lin Zhi was gently picked up. Smelling the faint sandalwood scent, he snapped back and instinctively wanted to snuggle against Song Mian.
Song Mian’s voice rang out. “That’s the rabbit I raised before. See its eyes? Don’t they look familiar?”
Eyes?
The eyes weren’t familiar. Lin Zhi stiffly shook his head.
“Not familiar?” Song Mian chuckled. He lowered his gaze to the doll’s eyes, which weren’t much different from the rabbit’s, and said leisurely, “If they’re not familiar, then get ready to be thoroughly watered tonight.”
Lin Zhi got it instantly. Embarrassing, but tolerable. Wait, why?
Song Mian didn’t explain, adding meaningfully, “And sleep with it while you’re at it.”
Lin Zhi got it again and sharply inhaled. His soul suddenly lost all strength. Without the soul’s support, the doll instantly went limp and collapsed to the floor. Then Lin Zhi rolled over, sprawling in hopeless despair.
The male lead had gone crazy again!!
A few seconds later, Lin Zhi’s hands defiantly formed a gun pose, trying to shoot Song Mian.
Song Mian looked at the pitiful, helpless Lin Zhi doll and wickedly picked it up.
“Let’s go, baby.”
