Chapter 60: Our First Mission
Mini stared at Wang Gege in complete disbelief.
Its tiny wings, which had been fluttering rhythmically a moment ago, suddenly beat so fast that it accidentally flew in a crooked circle before bumping into the wooden beam above.
"Ouch..." It rubbed its little head before hurriedly flying back in front of Wang Gege, "Host... doesn’t want to go home?"
Wang Gege tilted her head. "I don’t think so."
The little bee froze. Its tiny antennae drooped instantly.
Without saying another word, Mini suddenly spun around and a miniature scroll no bigger than its own body appeared out of nowhere. It hurriedly unrolled it, mumbling to itself while its tiny eyes darted from one line to another.
"Impossible... It should be here... It says..." Mini turned the scroll upside down before flipping it back again. "Every host longs to return to their original world..."
The little bee slowly lowered the scroll and looked at Wang Gege again, "Host didn’t even hesitate."
Wang Gege shrugged. "I’ve only been here for four days, but they’ve been... rather interesting."
Mini blinked in confusion. "Interesting?"
It scratched its tiny head with one of its little legs, "But... but the previous Host..."
Wang Gege immediately caught onto the unfinished sentence. "Who was your previous Host?"
Mini stiffened. Its tiny wings stopped fluttering for a brief moment before it quickly turned around, presenting only its tiny back to Wang Gege.
"U-Umm..." The little bee nervously rubbed its forelegs together, "According to the System Protocol, Mini is forbidden from revealing any information regarding previous Hosts."
Wang Gege raised an eyebrow. "Not even the name?"
Mini shook its tiny body vigorously. "No! It is to protect every Host’s privacy."
It slowly turned back around before cautiously adding, "Likewise... if Host ever completes the journey, Mini also cannot tell the next Host about Host."
Wang Gege nodded in understanding. "I see..."
She had no intention of prying into someone else’s secrets anyway. However, one sentence from earlier continued to linger in her mind.
She looked at Mini once more, "How many Hosts have you taken care of?"
"Two!" Mini’s tiny wings fluttered excitedly as it proudly puffed out its little chest, "Host is the second one!"
Wang Gege blinked, "Only two?"
Mini’s proud smile instantly stiffened. Its little antennae slowly drooped. "It... it isn’t a small number."
Wang Gege looked at the tiny bee with a doubtful expression. "It sounds like a very small number."
Mini hurriedly waved its tiny forelegs, "T-That’s because every Host stays with Mini for a very long time!"
Wang Gege looked at the thumb-sized bee before letting out a small laugh, "I was only teasing you."
Mini blinked, "Really?"
"Mm." The little bee visibly relaxed before puffing out its tiny chest once more.
"Mini will definitely do better this time!"
Wang Gege tilted her head. "Better?"
Mini nodded repeatedly. "The previous Host completed every mission."
Wang Gege pressed her lips together thoughtfully.
"What should I do...?" She looked at the tiny bee hovering before her. "I don’t really feel like going back."
She paused for a moment before asking, "If I choose not to complete the missions... Will it affect you?"
The cheerful expression on Mini’s tiny face gradually faded. Its little wings slowed until it merely hovered quietly in the air, "I don’t know."
Wang Gege blinked. "You don’t know?"
Mini slowly shook its tiny head, "This is only Mini’s second assignment. I’ve never met a Host who didn’t want to return before."
It lowered its tiny head, gently rubbing its forelegs together, "The manual doesn’t mention what Mini should do in this situation..."
For the first time, the cheerful little bee looked genuinely troubled. Fortunately, the gloomy expression did not remain on its tiny face for long. As though a sudden thought had crossed its mind, its little antennae immediately perked up again.
"Host!" It happily hovered back in front of Wang Gege, "If returning to the original world isn’t what Host wants..."
It tilted its tiny head, "Then... is there another reward Host would like to replace the main reward with?"
Wang Gege blinked, "Replace it?"
Mini nodded eagerly, "Mm! Every Host’s greatest wish is different."
"If Host doesn’t wish to return home... Then Mini can submit an application to change the main reward!" Its tiny wings buzzed excitedly.
"So..." The little bee clasped its tiny forelegs together, "What is Host’s greatest wish?"
Wang Gege lowered her eyes, falling into thought.
"My wish..." She murmured the words softly, almost as though she had never spoken them before.
The room gradually fell silent. Even the evening breeze drifting in through the open window seemed to slow.
After what felt like an eternity, Wang Gege slowly shook her head, "I don’t know."
Mini blinked. "You don’t know?"
Wang Gege gave a helpless smile. "I’ve never really thought about it."
She looked toward the moonlit courtyard outside the window, her voice remaining calm.
"In my previous life, I was always busy dealing with whatever happened in front of me. Studying, finding work, paying bills, handling family matters... before I knew it, another day had already passed."
She chuckled self-deprecatingly, "By the time I finally had a moment to stop and think... I realized I had spent so many years living that I had forgotten what I actually wanted."
Mini looked at Wang Gege for a long moment before its tiny wings fluttered gently.
"Then..." It smiled brightly. "Let’s make finding Host’s greatest wish our first mission together."
Wang Gege blinked, "Our first mission?"
"Mm!" Mini nodded enthusiastically, "Mini doesn’t know what makes Host happiest yet, but Mini believes we’ll definitely find the answer one day!"
Looking at the tiny bee’s determined expression, Wang Gege couldn’t help but let out a helpless laugh. "You’re quite optimistic."
"Of course!" Mini proudly puffed out its tiny chest. "Mini is the Fortune System!"
Just as Wang Gege was about to reply, a familiar voice suddenly came from the doorway.
"Furen."
Her entire body stiffened.
Wang Gege instinctively turned toward the entrance.
Xie Rong had returned. His long hair was still slightly damp from bathing, and he stood quietly outside the room, one hand resting behind his back.
"I heard you speaking." His calm voice echoed softly through the room, "Who were you talking to?"
Wang Gege’s heart skipped a beat. She hurriedly turned back toward Mini.
"I..." The words caught in her throat.
The little bee... had disappeared.
Her eyes widened.
"Mini?" She whispered, calling for the little bee.
Silence.
The spot where the tiny bee had been hovering just moments ago was now completely empty.
Wang Gege blinked several times before hurriedly looking around the room.
Above the window, beside the vase, even beneath the table, there was nothing and her scalp tingled instantly, "Did I just hallucinate?"
Behind her, Xie Rong quietly asked once more, "Furen?"