Chapter 3

[Host! Host! What are you thinking?! You'll catch a cold this way! You'll fail the mission if you die!]

This development caught little Fairy off guard, and she didn't know what she should do in this situation.

I know, so shut up.

After jumping into the water, Jun Zishu took a moment to locate Ning Qinghuan before swimming in that direction. Even though the cold water soaking her body made her feel incredibly uncomfortable, Jun Zishu persisted.

A successful businessman needed to have an adventurous spirit and the courage to take risks. Otherwise, he would never know what miracle he could achieve if he didn't take a leap of faith.

According to Jun Zishu's analysis, she needed to secure an important position in Ning Qinghuan's heart and gain the ability to influence the girl's life if she wanted to complete her mission. Meanwhile, the first step to do so would be to change the outcome of the situation in front of her.

Hence, Jun Zishu did not hesitate in taking action, even though this action of hers carried hints of a gamble.

Jun Zishu was gambling on the fact that her body would survive this situation and that her actions would move Ning Qinghuan's heart.

Jun Zishu had indeed come to save Ning Qinghuan. However, she also knew that her current body lacked the ability to actually rescue Ning Qinghuan out of the pond.

Rather than saving Ning Qinghuan, Jun Zishu was only trying to show others her courage and selflessness. Although Jun Zishu knew that her actions came with risks, the closer she was to death, the greater her returns.

While Jun Zishu was making her way to Ning Qinghuan, the latter struggled to stay afloat. Despite being in great pain and on the verge of death, Ning Qinghuan did her best to keep herself awake and stayed afloat when she heard Shaoyao's cries for help.

Then, amidst her struggle, Ning Qinghuan suddenly saw someone frantically swimming toward her.

That's…Wan'er?

Ning Qinghuan was shocked. She couldn't understand why her delicate cousin had come into the water as well. Was the girl looking to die?

Eventually, Jun Zishu reached Ning Qinghuan and quickly extended a hand, saying, "Big Sister, hold onto me."

After sensing Ning Qinghuan grabbing onto her hand, Jun Zishu pulled the girl toward herself and wrapped her other arm around the girl's waist. Then, she began swimming back to shore with all her might.

Meanwhile, when Ning Qinghuan looked at Jun Zishu, she saw that her little cousin looked to be in a terrible state. Not only had the girl's face turn white as a sheet, but even her lips had changed colors to purple. Yet, despite this being the case, Ning Qinghuan noticed that her cousin's eyes remained bright and clear.

"What did you jump down for?! Don't you know that you're sick?!" Ning Qinghuan chided while mimicking Jun Zishu's paddling motions. However, she could also feel that strength was rapidly leaving her body.

"But I couldn't help myself when I saw you like that, Big Sister," Jun Zishu said. Like Ning Qinghuan, she, too, was running out of strength, and her paddling arm was moving slower and slower. "I no longer have a family, so Big Sister is very important to me.

"Big Sister, I think...I'm running out of strength.

"Sorry… I think I ended up creating more trouble."

Jun Zishu's voice grew softer and softer each time she spoke. Only through looking at the ripples coming from her submerged mouth and arms could one tell that she was still struggling.

"Why are you still talking when you're already in such a state?!"

Finally, the servant capable of swimming arrived. Then, he jumped into the water without hesitation and dragged the two little girls out of the pond.

After being rescued, Ning Qinghuan remained conscious. Jun Zishu, however, was already half-unconscious.

At this time, Madam Ning had also arrived at the scene. Seeing the two drenched girls, she commanded, "Quick! Quick! Call the doctor! Dry off my daughter and my niece and change their clothes!"

Meanwhile, when Jun Zishu thought about how she was saved, she breathed out a sigh of relief before fainting.

Little Fairy was rendered speechless by this scene.

While Little Fairy found it comforting to have a host who was willing to go to such lengths to complete a mission, she couldn't help feeling that more such incidents were bound to happen in the future.

Though, when she recalled Jun Zishu's rescue performance just now, she couldn't help but sigh in admiration. If one wasn't in the know, one would probably be led to think that Jun Zishu and Ning Qinghuan were blood-related sisters who shared a close relationship.

Jun Zishu woke up with a dizzy head around midnight. However, she couldn't open her eyes as her eyelids felt incredibly heavy. Her head also buzzed incessantly, making her feel very uncomfortable.

Little Fairy, will this body survive?

[You won't die, but you'll need to stay in bed for some time. You currently have a fever.]

What about the mission target?

[She's in a much better state than you. She's even keeping watch by your bed right now.]

Ning Qinghuan originally already had a much tougher body than the average girl, so she recovered from the incident in no time. However, Jun Zishu's efforts had also played a significant role in her recovery.

In the original plotline, Ning Qinghuan had already drowned and sank to the bottom of the pond by the time the servant came to her rescue. As a result, the cold invaded and weakened her body. Sometime later, she also suffered an injury. The two injuries might not seem problematic when separated, but the two combined made it difficult for Ning Qinghuan to get pregnant.

Now that Jun Zishu had bet her life to save Ning Qinghuan, not only did the girl get to avoid that tragic fate, but she also recovered back to health in no time at all.

Unfortunately, Jun Zishu didn't get to enjoy such a speedy recovery. She had nearly thrown her life away because of her weak body, so she was currently in a perilous state.

Ning Qinghuan didn't expect Jun Zishu to end up in such a terrible state, either, so she was shocked when she heard the doctor's prognosis. Now, she sat guard beside Jun Zishu's bed, waiting for her cousin to wake up.

Did she tell her parents about the words I told her in the pond?

[No, she only told them that you saved her. What's wrong? Are they not allowed to find out?]

Those words of mine were mainly for my cousin to hear. A little girl is much easier to fool than an adult. If her parents find out about my words and ask me about them, I'd have to put on another act to maintain my character's setting.

[I see. By the way, Host, can you please inform me beforehand the next time you are going to do something so dangerous? I thought you wanted to resign from the job for a moment there. You really gave me a scare.]

You'll never understand the deep friendship my cousin and I share.

[What an actress you are. This Little Fairy is in awe of your capabilities.]

Don't worry. I'm treating this job very seriously; I won't recklessly play with my life. Everything is within my expectations. If I accidentally die, then all I can say is that I went too far.

[Not only did your words not comfort me, but they even made me more afraid.]

What happens if I fail the mission?

[You are allowed one restart for each mission, but doing so will negatively affect your internship evaluation. Even after you become an official employee or an excellent employee, failures will still negatively affect you.]

I didn't manage to ask my superior before, but must I head to the next world as soon as I complete a mission?

[No, we provide employees with breaks. As you are currently only an intern, you won't receive a salary and can only stay in the employee dormitory. However, once you get through your internship, you will start receiving a salary, and you can buy houses and cars and strive for a wealthy life.]

Before Jun Zishu had time to understand the Department of Transmigration's world, she had completed her tests and was rushed to start her internship. Hence, she still wasn't aware of the Department's situation. However, she managed to understand the Department's world after asking Little Fairy about it. In a sense, the Department's world was similar to the world she came from.

Jun Zishu stopped chatting with Little Fairy after satisfying her curiosity. However, as her body's current state didn't allow her to open her eyes, she quickly fell asleep again.

The next time Jun Zishu opened her eyes, she found Ning Qinghuan sitting on the side of her bed.

"Little Sister Wan'er! You're finally awake! Shaoyao, quickly go and call Mother here!"

Ning Qinghuan sighed in relief and gently caressed Jun Zishu's forehead.

"Thank goodness your fever faded. Do you know how long you slept? Three days! Three whole days! When the doctor came to check up on you, he said that if you couldn't get through this fever, then you might really…"

Ning Qinghuan never thought that this younger cousin of hers would go to such lengths to save her despite the two of them only knowing each other for a day. Seeing Jun Zishu in such a state now, Ning Qinghuan felt laden with guilt.

"I'm fine, Big Sister. Look, aren't I awake now?" Jun Zishu weakly said. Then, she looked toward the water jug on the nearby table and continued, "Big Sister, I want to drink water."

"I'll pour a cup for you," Ning Qinghuan said before momentarily leaving Jun Zishu's side and returning with a cup of water. Then, she asked, "Do you have strength left? Can you drink it by yourself?"

Jun Zishu nodded.

Ning Qinghuan then passed the cup to Jun Zishu and watched her cousin sip the water. Amidst her observation, she couldn't help but find Jun Zishu's appearance to be exceedingly cute and lovable.

"That day… Why did you say that?"

"Hmm?"

"Why did you say that…I'm important to you?"

Ning Qinghuan had been pondering over Jun Zishu's words for the past few days. She couldn't help but wonder why Jun Zishu had jumped into the water to try and save her despite knowing that she might lose her life in doing so. Was her cousin doing so to win her family's favor? But the girl could still do so without having to risk her life. The girl was practically gambling with her life by taking such an action. There should be no way the girl was this crazy and desperate to win her family's favor.

Ning Qinghuan's guess was, in fact, correct. Unfortunately, she was unaware of Jun Zishu's deep-seated motives and goals. Hence, she found her conjecture to be absurd.

"Because…I want to stay by Big Sister's side. I liked you the first day I entered the manor. I don't have anyone to rely on. I am very grateful to Uncle and Auntie for adopting me, and I know my status, so I don't dare ask for a lot. I only ask that I can follow Big Sister. Also…" Jun Zishu let her words trail off, a faint blush appeared on her pallid complexion. Then, she softly glanced at Ning Qinghuan and continued, "Also, I admire Big Sister a lot. I think Big Sister is very amazing."

"I'm not that amazing… Cough, cough…"

Ning Qinghuan turned away in embarrassment. She had never received admiration from a girl of her age before. She never really bothered interacting with the other girls in the capital since they had different preferences and no common conversation topics.

"Don't worry. You can keep on following me so long as I remain in this manor. Nobody will dare to bully you. You and I will be sisters from now on. If you have any requests, feel free to tell them to me."

"Mhm. Big Sister is the best." Jun Zishu nodded, portraying the look of an infatuated girl.

Jun Zishu had dealt with many people before. So, she knew that befriending some people required her to follow after them and go along with their wishes, while others required her to actively compete against them to attract their attention. In Ning Qinghuan's case, the best way to deal with the girl would be to play along with her.

Despite being young, Ning Qinghuan had a big temper, was stubborn, decisive, and bold. If she were born a man, she would probably grow into an individual resembling her father and elder brother. If it meant being able to secure a place in Ning Qinghuan's heart, Jun Zishu was willing to take even a blade to the gut.

"Rest for now. I'll go get the kitchen to prepare some porridge for you. You haven't eaten anything proper for the past few days already."

"Mhm, mhm." Jun Zishu obediently nodded.

After Ning Qinghuan closed the doors and left, Jun Zishu relaxed her expression and laid back down on the bed.

Meanwhile, Little Fairy, who had been spectating the entire conversation, started applauding excitedly.

[It's such a waste that you didn't work as an actress in the past, Host.]

Jun Zishu smiled but did not comment. After all, she used to be labeled as a "sly fox" in the business industry, and she had been known as a woman with a thousand faces.

Hence, putting on an act was child's play for her.