The System Teaches You How to Be Human

The old landlord leaned heavily on his cane, casting a sinister glare at Si Yisi before lowering his gaze to the coins Si Yisi handed over. His murky eyes suddenly lit up with greed.

He snatched the coins from Si Yisi’s hand and stroked them obsessively, his expression bordering on ecstasy. Then, with surprising speed, he tossed a room token to Si Yisi.

The token was crudely carved, the lettering worse than a child’s scrawl, its meaning blatantly obvious.

“1-Day Death Exemption Token. It works only once, only once, hehe. 5 days left, only 5 days.” The old landlord chuckled eerily before turning to hobble away, his cane tapping against the ground in a slow rhythm.

But then, his withered arm was firmly grabbed by Si Yisi.

Si Yisi yanked the old man’s arm with such force that it creaked, as if it would fall apart at any moment.

His expression darkened as he said, “Take back the token and return the coins.”

The old landlord froze. “?”

What the hell? What kind of weirdo is this? Doesn’t even want a life-saving item?

The landlord tried to jerk his arm free, putting up a surprising amount of strength for someone so frail. His unnatural power only confirmed his non-human nature.

However, he couldn’t break free.

It was an awkward stalemate.

Man and ghost stood locked in place, while Mo Wuchang observed with an indifferent expression. This old bag of bones has no idea what the boss is thinking!

To be fair, Mo Wuchang hadn’t expected Si Yisi to be this bold either.

They only needed to survive 7 days in the haunted house. A death exemption token was essentially one-seventh of a guaranteed survival. What kind of player wouldn’t cling to it for dear life?

Oh, right, the boss.

Mo Wuchang had already begun imagining Si Yisi beating the ghostly landlord to a pulp. The scrawny old man wouldn’t last a second, would he?

But then, a mechanical voice echoed throughout the rental house, carrying an undertone of what seemed like begrudging exasperation.

[Transactions with NPCs are irreversible.]

[Transactions with NPCs are irreversible.]

[Transactions with NPCs are irreversible.]

The voice repeated itself three times, each time growing louder and angrier. To Mo Wuchang’s ears, it sounded downright irate.

Si Yisi reluctantly loosened his grip. The landlord, freed at last, waved his cane and bolted away at a speed that defied logic.

“Damn, an Olympic sprinter!” Mo Wuchang muttered, unfazed by yet another ghost fleeing from them.

Then he noticed Si Yisi clutching the death exemption token in his hand, gripping it so tightly it seemed as though he might crush it.

Mo Wuchang swallowed nervously, his mind flashing to the image of a ghost whose rotten flesh had been ripped off by hand. He quickly tried to stop Si Yisi. “Wait! Boss, calm down! That’s one-seventh of a life!”

He was terrified that the one-seventh chance of survival wouldn’t last even three seconds in Si Yisi’s hands.

Si Yisi stood quietly for a while, his expression devoid of any emotion, as mechanical as a robot.

After a moment, he finally turned to Mo Wuchang and said, “Call Chen Mengxi over.”

Si Yisi didn’t use the term “cousin,” which subtly revealed the attitude of either himself or Shen Chen.

***

Knock, knock!

When Mo Wuchang knocked on Chen Mengxi’s door, she was curled up on her bed, trembling.

Chen Mengxi valued her life, and now she had stumbled upon a dangerous secret; a secret that could easily cost her life.

An old player wanting to kill another old player. Should she intervene?

Impossible. She would rather keep this secret buried in her heart. Besides, the true identity of that player was quite handsome, and this thought, mingling with her fear and doubt, gave rise to another idea.

Yes, she didn’t need to stop this from happening. On the contrary, she could even help remove some obstacles and cover up any traces.

That’s right, this is the way.

Chen Mengxi finally made up her mind and convinced herself. Just as she did, she suddenly heard the knock at the door…

Thupm, thump!

Her heart began pounding wildly, making her breath quicken.

She glanced at the unconscious young woman on the bed, then called out through the door, “Who is it?”

Chen Mengxi studied Mo Wuchang carefully as he stood at her door. In her mind, this man was a soft-hearted fool who actually wanted to protect her utterly useless cousin.

Little did she know, Mo Wuchang was also observing her. His scrutiny, however, wasn’t clouded by aimless thoughts like hers.

Mo Wuchang wasn’t stupid; in fact, he was sharp. When he focused his mind on something serious, his thoughts became meticulously precise.

Chen Mengxi’s gaze was filled with pity, even a condescending sense of superiority, which thoroughly disgusted Mo Wuchang.

When Si Yisi saw Chen Mengxi, a deep, bone-chilling hatred and anger rose naturally in his chest.

His body reacted instinctively, and tears began to fall, making him look pitifully weak.

“Cousin,” Si Yisi said slowly, his voice trembling. “I… I found this token while searching. I want you to have it.”

He gazed at Chen Mengxi with “sincerity.”

Chen Mengxi’s heart skipped a beat when she saw the token, quickly followed by a surge of joy. She glanced at Mo Wuchang, who stood like a stone sentinel by the door, and then at her cousin. Her expression subconsciously turned disdainful and scornful.

It must have been Mo Wuchang who found it. Her cousin, Shen Chen, was merely borrowing the credit.

What a fool. Acting this way, he’s bound to wear out Mo Wuchang’s goodwill sooner or later. Look, doesn’t that soft-hearted guy’s expression already show signs of impatience?

She decided not to hold back and reached out to accept the token.

As Si Yisi handed over the death exemption token, he suddenly leaned closer to Chen Mengxi. In a low voice, he whispered into her ear, pouring out the hatred and resentment that had been simmering within Shen Chen’s soul.

“Cousin, you put on this façade, but deep down, you look down on me, don’t you?”

“You despise me, don’t you? You think I’m useless, right? Don’t forget, everything you’ve gained has been handed to you by Shen Chen. Pathetic, selfish, and vain. That’s what you are, cousin…”

“What’s on your mind? Plotting something nasty, are you?”

These were the dark, unspoken truths from Shen Chen’s heart, whispered from the abyss.

It was as if the voice had come straight from hell, each word slicing through Chen Mengxi’s polished exterior, exposing the sticky black blood beneath.

Chen Mengxi’s body trembled. She stared at Si Yisi in disbelief, as if she were looking at a demon.

But the demon’s voice fell silent. He stepped back, his face still streaked with tears, and transformed once again into a harmless, soft little lamb.

“Cousin, Shen Chen trusts you,” Si Yisi said with a faint smile.

He deliberately used the name ‘Shen Chen’ instead of ‘I,’ this separation of identity making Chen Mengxi shiver instinctively.

He thought to himself that Shen Chen’s dear cousin would probably be unable to eat or sleep peacefully.

No, no—perhaps she’d even dream of ways to kill him?

Si Yisi licked his lips, recalling how unlocking a high rating had granted him access to part of the system’s shop. A mischievous smile spread across his face.

See you in your dreams, Shen Chen’s cousin.

****

Chen Mengxi stumbled back to her room, collapsing onto her bed. She sat there, replaying Si Yisi’s words and expressions over and over in her mind.

The death exemption token was hung outside her door, and as soon as Chen Mengxi placed it there, it melted seamlessly into the door itself.

That night, Chen Mengxi had a dream.

In the dream, she stood tall, looking down on Shen Chen with a condescending gaze. Using knives, guns, swords, and an array of torture devices, she tormented the devil to death.

But amidst her dream, she suddenly heard a faint rustling sound.

Chen Mengxi turned her head and saw a devil with her cousin’s face walking slowly toward her. He wore a mechanical smile and held a single black rose in his hand.