Mygo, you guys seem to be getting a bit heavy-hearted.

Page 14

I'm so sorry! I know I was wrong... but the odds of winning this lottery are completely random, and there's nothing I can do about it...

The system looked like it was about to cry.

【(?д?; )】

I take back what I just said; I've already started crying.

'...'

It would be wrong to be soft-hearted at a time like this. Since they have done something immoral, they should be disciplined properly.

There's no need to feel guilty; after all, he's not the one in the wrong.

【Waaaaah——(?д?; )】

'...'

"I'll handle this for you, but this absolutely cannot happen again, or I'll throw you out. I don't care about any of that weird probability stuff, you figure it out yourself. This is the last time I'm cleaning up your mess, understand?"

【Mmm, mmm... (T ^ T)】

“Gao Songdeng,” Yanming called out to the girl whose face was flushed with excitement, “that notebook is indeed in my home right now, it’s neither damaged nor missing.”

Takamatsu Akari clutched her clothes at her chest: "That's great, that's really great..."

Her initial despair was reignited by the positive response, and the rollercoaster of emotions almost suffocated her, forcing her to take deep, forceful breaths to alleviate the pain.

But the feeling of relief could not be hidden no matter what, and it poured out as visible tears along with the suppressed sobs.

"It's not over yet...it's not over yet...!"

Yanming was frightened

That notebook was really that important...

'...Damn system!'

【Hey! Yes, yes!】

Okay, it's so cold... I feel like my whole body is frozen.

Sit up straight, apologize a thousand times, begin now!

【I……】

"Sit upright."

Yes... (┯_┯)

[But... Host, there's something else, I'm not sure if I should say it now...]

'put.'

This is it...

[Interaction detected between the host and a romanceable character. Information being entered, please wait—]

[Information loading complete]

[Name: Takamatsu Tomo]

[Current Intimacy Level: Average (30)]

[First Phase Task Released:]

[Please help Takamatsu Tada to overcome the shadow cast by someone.]

[Current completion rate: 0%]

[Current prompt: Takamatsu Akari is a fragile but sensible child. Just sit down and have a good talk with her, and things will be fine.]

This system really knows how to pick its timing.

But why have both targets so far been underage children?

Could it be that the system actually has a bit of "that" tendency?

I guess I should just throw it away (no mercy).

They even mentioned the shadow cast by 'someone,' but I think it's because they stole someone else's laptop!

This guy's misdeeds are too numerous to list!

"Excuse me! My notebook..."

“It’s safely stored at my home. Don’t worry, we can arrange a time to meet up when we have some free time, and I can return it to you then.” Yanming took a sip of his black tea and gestured for the other person to sit down and take their time.

A person's psychological problems are usually not caused by just one aspect, but by a lot of contradictions that accumulate and become redundant, eventually turning into a heavy stone pressing on the chest, making it hard to breathe.

Returning the notebook so directly and simply would not only fail to resolve the hidden dangers within the child, but would also deprive us of the reason to communicate with her face-to-face again.

Sorry, Takamatsu Akari

It's a bit underhanded, but I'll have to keep that notebook with me for a while.

He couldn't just stand by and watch a vibrant life perish.

Since I've already been an unlicensed doctor once, I might as well do it again.

No matter how short his life may be, he always wanted to illuminate something.

“…Thank you so much, thank you for keeping it safe for me!” Deng stood up and bowed, his voice much louder than before, even though he was still bowing his head.

Yanming quietly slipped away.

It was his mismanagement that led to the mistake, so how could Yanming have the face to accept this gratitude?

"Let's eat something first. The pancakes here are delicious, but they get worse when they get cold, so we need to finish them quickly."

"Ok!"

Chapter Twenty-Three: Comparing Xiaodeng and Daxiang

Girls of this age can't resist sweets, even something as simple as a small, dark treat.

Although I was a little hesitant when I picked up the fork, that hesitation melted away the moment the sweet muffin entered my mouth, along with the sweet honey, and it became soft and delicious.

It looks like it feels really good.

As Yanming watched Gao Songdeng eat, he recalled the emperor penguin chicks drawn in the green-covered notebook, which bore a striking resemblance to the girl before him—almost ten or even nine out of ten.

Both are fluffy and have similar colors.

Did penguins transform into humans, or did humans acquire non-human souls?

An interesting girl.

"Hiss—" Suddenly, a tingling sensation ran through his knee, followed by a surge of pain.

Although the pain was still within Yanming's tolerable range, he was caught off guard and didn't have time to stop his gasp.

As expected, the little penguin, who was quietly eating, heard it.

The downy fur on its body trembled, and its two pure amber-red eyes narrowed in tension.

The fork in Deng's hand fell onto the half-eaten muffin due to gravity. Deng herself stood up in a panic, quickly swinging her short, penguin-like legs, and ran over to squat down next to Yanming's seat.

"Are you alright...? Your knee is bleeding a lot, I need to use a band-aid... otherwise it won't stop! But... I left it at school and at home, I didn't bring it with me." The girl seemed to be talking to Yanming, but upon closer inspection, it was clear that she was just talking to herself.

Yanming understood the current state of the lamp.

It is a mental problem caused by not communicating with outsiders for a long time. Although it cannot be considered a mental illness, if this continues, one day no one will be able to understand the words she speaks.

After their initial conversation, Yanming labeled Gao Songdeng as a girl who easily gets lost in her own world.

Perhaps it is precisely because of this that Deng's mental state is becoming increasingly worrying, to the point that he has reached the point of having to stand on the bridge in the wind.

People with this kind of personality are easily bullied by others. When they suffer injustice, they have no one to confide in, and are forced to swallow their grievances alone, creating a vicious cycle where they become increasingly withdrawn and isolated.

boom.

Therefore, the system's suggestion is for you and her to sit down and have a proper talk.

Someone has to take the initiative and be assertive in approaching her, understanding her, and helping her so that this child can break free from the vicious cycle of self-destruction.

Honestly... Xiao Xiang and I are completely opposite.

Although they all kept their own affairs to themselves and were unwilling to communicate with others.

But Teacher Da Xiang has enough ability and the execution to fully utilize that ability. Even if no one cares about her, Xiao Xiang can still operate like a cold, super battleship, overloaded, sailing towards the galaxy or turning into a sky full of shooting stars...

The only difference is that Yanming has now been added, serving as a safety device and power limiter for this warship.

But what about the Takamatsu lamp?

Unlike Xiangzi, her situation would only worsen if no one discovered her.

Not everyone can be alone without companions; the lamp is the most typical example.

Sometimes feeling lost, sometimes suffocated, wavering, in unbearable pain, isolated from the crowd, with no clear future ahead.

"What should I do..." Deng futilely tried to catch the blood seeping from Yanming's wound with her palm; anyone could see the helplessness on her face.

Because the only solution in his mind was not feasible, and due to his personality, he was unable to find a new way out from the existing conditions.

This is the problem with Takamatsu lamps.

"You can first rinse the mud and sand off the wound with cool water, do some simple disinfection, and then wrap the wound with a cloth. My teacher taught me this when I was in school, and I still remember some of it."

"Yes, yes...!" Gao Songdeng's eyes lit up, and she stood up from the ground. Her bloody palm was still dripping with liquid, but she seemed to ignore it and eagerly searched for the 'cold water' in the first step, just as Yanming had told her.

"There should be cool water in the restroom... Yes, Mr. Yanming, let's go to the restroom to clean the wound first!"

Yanming nodded, deciding not to give any more detailed instructions for the time being.

His first priority was to see how far the girl could go on her own with just simple guidance.

To prevent the wound from tearing further, Deng raised Yanming's arm, wrapped it around the back of his neck and placed it on his shoulder, then forcefully lifted him up.

The two were 30 centimeters apart in height, but the strength emanating from that petite body was so undeniable that Yanming only needed to exert a little force to be lifted up from his seat by Gao Songdeng, who was only a little over 1.5 meters tall.

This kid is surprisingly strong.

Yanming, thinking to himself, skipped and hopped into the bathroom following the light.

"Wait, wait, wait! This is the women's restroom! There are sinks outside too, you don't need to go inside!"

Yanming was just one step away from being violently dragged into the women's restroom and forced into sexual activity by the lamp. Fortunately, he reacted in time, thus preventing his lifelong reputation from being ruined.

"oh oh……"

A close call

"Splash—" The white jet of water fell from the turned-on faucet, shattering on the ceramic sink with a crackling sound, while some of it was caught by the small handkerchief that Deng carried with him.

"Gently, gently." Deng held a wet handkerchief, squatted down over Yanming's wound on his knee, and kept muttering to himself.

Yanming understood what she meant: "The main thing is to get it clean. Actually, it won't hurt that much..."

"so?"

"Ouch—" Okay, it does hurt a little.

He probably hasn't been injured in a long time.

Yanming's face twisted slightly as he praised, "Well done."

After cleaning the wound, Deng rinsed the handkerchief again, wrung it out, and put it back.

Then, Deng helped Yanming back to his seat and began to ponder: "Then there's... disinfection. For disinfection... we need to use alcohol or high temperatures."

"..." Hopefully, this kid isn't thinking of borrowing an oven from the coffee shop.

He really couldn't handle that stuff; he would die.

"The ingredients for brewing wine include..."

"..." Good, at least he's not going to be roasted.

But Gaosong, have you ever considered that by the time you successfully distill the alcohol, my wound might have already healed?

Yanming shook his head inwardly; he had roughly figured out where Gao Songdeng's limits were.

To be honest, such a single-threaded processor was quite rare even a decade or so ago. It was enough to handle some everyday tasks, but if it encountered any trouble, this thing would probably immediately go into super-reclusive mode.