Chapter 126: A Gift for You

Mo Niannian aimed at the balloons on the wall and fired. Her posture was professional, striking, and effortlessly cool.

Then... she missed.

"Pfft... Hahaha! The pretty lady talked a big game, but don't worry, you still have nineteen tries left."

Laughter rippled through the crowd. Mo Niannian touched her nose, feeling a bit embarrassed. "It’s been too long since I’ve done this. I’m a bit rusty."

"Hahaha, pretty lady, why not let your boyfriend have a go?"

Mo Niannian ignored them, her eyes fixed intently on the balloons.

"Bang!"

"Bang, bang, bang!"

Sound after sound erupted, and the balloons on the wall fell one after another. Every shot resulted in a burst balloon. By the end, Mo Niannian was even calculating angles to hit two, or even three, at once.

The onlookers shifted from mocking laughter to focused attention, and finally, to pure awe.

Seeing his wall of balloons about to be completely cleared out, the stall owner’s expression soured. He looked as if he were about to cry, slapping his thigh in frustration. "My dear lady, that’s enough! Please, that’s quite enough!"

Mo Niannian fired the final shot, finished with a flourish, and placed the prop on the table. She was met with a chorus of cheers and applause.

Unbothered, she reached out toward the owner. "Boss, where are my prizes?"

The owner hurriedly handed the large teddy bear over to her. "I had no idea you were so skilled, miss. I truly had eyes but failed to recognize a master."

"Don't try to welsh on the deal." Mo Niannian pointed to the game rules posted on the wall; with how many she had hit, she was entitled to at least five large dolls.

The owner was on the verge of tears, but with so many people watching and his business to consider, he could only hand over the rest with a mournful face.

Holding the giant bear—which nearly swallowed her whole—Mo Niannian handed it directly to Jiang Hu. "Jiang Hu, this is for you."

Jiang Hu took the bear, a momentary look of stunned confusion crossing his face. As he stroked the soft, fuzzy plush, his heart stirred. Hadn't he, too, once looked forward to such things, long ago?

[Male lead's malice level -4; current malice level 90.]

Mo Niannian was delighted. *Well, well, this little brat Jiang Hu is actually quite easy to coax.*

Taking advantage of the crowd, Mo Niannian auctioned off the remaining dolls. To attract customers, the stall owner stocked the most popular toys, so they weren't hard to sell at all. She counted the money in her pocket—it was enough. Perfect.

She bought two tickets and walked inside with Jiang Hu.

Jiang Hu carried the two-meter-tall bear with one hand, the sight of a handsome man with a giant bear drawing countless eyes. Mo Niannian checked their items at the amusement park entrance and led Jiang Hu from one attraction to the next.

They rode the pirate ship, the giant pendulum, and the flying cars, leaving nothing out. Jiang Hu remained calm, but Mo Niannian could tell from the subtle shift in his expression that he was enjoying himself.

That scoundrel Jiang Hu—he was truly detestable, yet truly pitiful as well. *Forget it,* she thought, *I’m a generous person; I won't hold it against him.*

"Jiang Hu!" she shouted. With that, she steered a bumper car and slammed right into him. Caught off guard, Jiang Hu was hit squarely.

Mo Niannian laughed, her eyes curving into crescents, shimmering with tiny sparks of light. It was more beautiful than the galaxy, the sunset, or the sunrise. The eyes behind Jiang Hu’s gold-rimmed glasses rippled with change.

[Male lead's malice level -5; current malice level 85.]

*So, Jiang Hu’s malice is pretty easy to lower, isn't it?* In an instant, Mo Niannian’s confidence soared.

She couldn't remember the last time she had been this happy. Before she officially became an ancient deity, she would occasionally sneak down to the mortal realm with her big cat. That little kitten had grown into a large cat that loved to cling to her; wherever she went, it followed, acting both aloof and needy. It had combined those two traits perfectly.

She had loved wandering the streets and alleys with it, and she loved bringing it to amusement parks.

*Forget it,* she thought, *why think about that thing? What good did it do to be kind to it? It just took off without a word, leaving nothing behind.* Mo Niannian couldn't be bothered to think about that heartless cat.

"What are you thinking about, Niannian?" Jiang Hu noticed her distraction, the light in his eyes dimming.

"Nothing. It’s not important."

Mo Niannian quickly cast everything from her mind and pulled Jiang Hu toward the next attraction. Jiang Hu’s gaze was unsettled; he hated this feeling of being unable to control things. He could read everyone else’s thoughts, but never Niannian’s. It made him very unhappy.

[Male lead's malice level +1; current malice level 86.]

*Fine,* she thought, *another stable one, just adding and subtracting malice.* Since it didn't spike, she couldn't be bothered to care.

They played for a long time before heading home. Mo Niannian was exhausted, holding on by a thread until Jiang Hu leaned in. Smelling his familiar scent, she immediately fell into a deep sleep.

Jiang Hu caught her, stared at her for a long time, and finally scooped her up in his arms.

Dazed and half-asleep, Mo Niannian murmured, "Jiang Hu?"

Jiang Hu gave a low hum of acknowledgment. Instantly, Mo Niannian slept even more soundly.

Jiang Hu carried her toward his laboratory deep in the mountains. The sound of cicadas filled the air. He thought he must be insane—having a car and not using it, choosing instead such a troublesome way to travel. She was just an experimental subject; was he spending too much time on her?

However, having someone beside him in the darkness—someone warm and soft—made the difficult nights of the past seem much easier to bear. Jiang Hu held her tighter.

[Male lead's malice level -6; current malice level 80.]

The system covered its mouth in excitement, terrified it might shriek. It had thought this male lead would be the hardest to crack, but he was surprisingly easy. *The host is truly the best!*

The sleeping Mo Niannian was startled by the system's noise and grumbled irritably, "Don't be noisy."

Jiang Hu patted her back soothingly. Mo Niannian felt that familiar scent again—so familiar, as if she had known it for a very, very long time. Her voice was soft and gentle, with a hint of an imperceptible, coquettish tone. "Jiang Hu."

"Hmm."

"I want to eat the good food you make." Bread and sandwiches were truly terrible, and since they were made by robots, they tasted exactly the same every day!

*She knows I can cook? A coincidence, or...?* Jiang Hu’s eyes flickered, and he hummed in response.

Only then did Mo Niannian drift back into a peaceful sleep.

*Niannian... she makes me more and more curious.* Perhaps it wasn't necessary to use her for experiments after all? He had so many other subjects; one less wouldn't matter. Jiang Hu convinced himself, his brow relaxing as he tightened his grip on her.

From now on, would there finally be someone to accompany him? He would never be all alone again.

*Niannian... she will stay with me forever, won't she?*

*If not... I’ll just turn her into a toy.*