Chapter 201: Want to Eat Something?

The mechanical bird soared into the air. Its once-empty pupils now flickered with a faint, intelligent glow.

System had successfully entered the mechanical bird’s body and become its soul.

Hovering in midair, she gazed down at An Yu, who was holding her palms upward.

Let me take a look.

Whether testing her new abilities or simply staying vigilant, System activated the mechanical bird’s scanning function on An Yu.

Detection and analysis.

It could identify any abnormal components—if someone had secretly hidden something on her, System would see it crystal clear.

Light flashed in the mechanical bird’s pupils as it swept the entire rooftop.

Just as Cheng Shimumeng had said, no one else could come up here.

The rooftop held only An Yu.

Hm?

Nothing strange was on the rooftop itself, but something far stranger caught System’s attention.

Just now, the instant the skill activated, she had detected a faint anomaly on An Yu.

Something strange on her Host was emitting a soft glow.

But when she looked again, it was gone.

System flapped her wings in confusion and activated the mechanical bird’s ability once more.

This time, she found nothing at all.

It was as if the previous detection had been nothing more than an illusion.

What was going on?

It had been there a moment ago, yet now it had vanished.

It was impossible for An Yu to possess anything capable of blocking System tools. Such a thing could not exist in this world.

This true-and-fake heiress world might be full of people with questionable sanity, but at its core it was still an ordinary world.

No one here could own something that could block System tools.

Besides, System watched An Yu every single day. If anyone had managed to slip something onto her without System noticing, that would be impossible.

So… had it really just been an illusion?

Was it because this was her first time inside the mechanical bird’s body, seeing through her own eyes instead of borrowing her Host’s vision, and she simply wasn’t used to it yet?

No matter how System thought about it or how many times she ran the skill, something that wasn’t there simply wasn’t there.

An Yu tilted her head, watching the mechanical bird that refused to land. She asked curiously, “System, what’s wrong?”

System bobbed her small head but ultimately said nothing.

[I’m fine, Host.]

No matter how many times she checked, she saw nothing. Telling An Yu would only worry her for no reason.

Although System was almost certain she had simply seen wrong, she would not treat it so lightly. Anything involving An Yu’s safety—even a one-in-ten-thousand chance—was not something she would gamble on.

System slowly descended and flew back into An Yu’s hand.

[Host, we did it!]

For now, she decided to share the good news first.

“Mm.”

An Yu nodded. She was genuinely happy that System now had a body.

[Still, using this body consumes quite a bit of energy. I’ll turn back into the Hairpin for now!]

In truth, System had used too many skills and her energy was nearly depleted, so she had no choice but to revert.

“Okay.”

An Yu nodded again, her face showing little expression.

The instant she finished nodding, the mechanical bird in her hand began to transform. In the blink of an eye, it had changed back into the Hairpin.

An Yu looked at the Hairpin in her palm, curiously poking it with a finger.

No reaction. She poked it again.

[Host, when I’m in Hairpin form I don’t have any sense of touch!]

Even as a bird she hadn’t felt much, but as a Hairpin she felt absolutely nothing at all.

Besides, once she became the Hairpin again she could actually return inside An Yu’s body.

Still, if she could gain a human form someday, all her senses would probably become completely normal, right?

“Oh, got it.”

An Yu’s eyes were half-lidded. She stopped poking the Hairpin and casually placed it back in its usual spot in her hair.

Even when System wasn’t possessing the mechanical bird, An Yu had always treasured this Hairpin.

Because it was a gift from System.

She cherished every birthday present she received.

Once the matter seemed settled, An Yu slowly took out the rice balls she had brought with her.

Standing alone on the rooftop, she looked out at the scenery below and nibbled on them in small bites.

Lunch was important. Only when she was full could she nap properly.

“Ah-woo~”

Today’s rice balls had been made by Aunt Wang at her request. They were as delicious as always. Ever since she had transmigrated, she had never once gone hungry.

Oh, right…

As if remembering something, An Yu lifted the rice ball in her hand and waved it in front of System.

“System, want to eat?”

[Eh?]

System was stunned. This was the first time An Yu had ever asked if she wanted to eat something.

“Not eating?”

An Yu blinked with an expressionless face, looking for all the world like she was thinking, What a shame to miss out on something this delicious.

It was rather helpless. She was a system. Even with a body, she was still just a Hairpin—how was she supposed to eat?

[Host, neither a system nor a Hairpin can eat anything… Even when I turn into the scouting mechanical bird it doesn’t work, because the body is mechanical!]

Though completely speechless, System still explained.

“I see.”

An Yu simply nodded calmly and continued eating her rice ball by herself.

[……]

So why had she suddenly asked? Just a casual thought that popped into her head?

An Yu took a small bite of the rice ball. Her amber eyes sparkled with a faint light. No one knew what she was thinking.

“Ah-woo~”

Then… once System becomes human, will she be able to eat?

[……Eh?]

“Can you?”

An Yu tilted her head, seemingly very concerned about the answer, and pressed for confirmation.

[Mm… I should be able to.]

Although it was an upgraded mechanical bird, the most basic functions would still exist once she gained human form.

Still… An Yu seemed really concerned about her.

“I see. That’s good.”

An Yu nodded, looking relieved.

“Aunt Wang’s cooking is really delicious. Once you can, I’ll let you try some too.”

That was her only reason. Good things were meant to be shared with family and friends.

[……I see.]

“Mm.”

An Yu remained perfectly calm.

As for why she had asked System if she wanted to eat, it was probably because she had never treated System like some cold, emotionless tool.

An Yu knew System could sleep, could space out, and even thought about all sorts of random things.

So… wanting to eat something was perfectly normal, wasn’t it?