Chapter 836: The Grand Finale (Part 5)

The purpose of this video call between Li Yilan and Huang Zhiyi really was exactly that, but seeing everyone sitting together with such a harmonious atmosphere, they could finally rest easy. They chatted a bit about this and that, and only under Huang Tianxuan’s guidance did they hang up.

But once the video was cut off, the office fell quiet as well. Children’s minds aren’t hard to guess; the adults all knew the kid had been frightened by that cold war during everyone’s New Year trip back to Ningyuan last time…

“Hurry up and blow the candles.”

Zhao Qingge said this in a neither-warm-nor-cold tone, then slapped Wu Wenyue: “How about we pack our luggage in advance and take the kid to Ningyuan tonight? Let’s not wait for those two.”

Wu Wenyue thought for two seconds, then agreed: “The four little rascals at Manning’s and my place have been clamoring to play with their big brother too, so let’s head over early.”

Li Peifeng nodded repeatedly: “Tianxuan and I will be quick too, we’ll get there tomorrow morning… you go on ahead.”

With that said, he was about to blow out the candles. His wish? Naturally, that there’d be a day like today every year, that every year would have a today like this; that his five wives could always be as calm and at peace as they were now, and that everyone could keep living happily together.

“Wait.”

He Yimeng suddenly reached out to stop him and said with a smile, “I suggest you make a wish that’s about yourself, don’t include us. If you drag us in, it won’t work…”

“What do you mean?”

“For example, make a wish to find out what that thing inside your body actually is in essence.”

Li Peifeng immediately felt it was strange, even a little funny: “If I make the wish, it’ll come true? And that thing…”

He Yimeng let out an “mm”: “I feel like it’s more realistic than a wish for us to always stay harmonious and loving.”

Noticing the eye rolls and disdain from the women present, Li Peifeng conceded: “Alright, we’ll go with what you say.”

“Silently repeat it five times to deepen and reinforce it, then blow the candles!”

“…”

Li Peifeng was a bit speechless, but seeing how serious He Yimeng looked, he still did as she said and began praying in his heart. But as he prayed, he couldn’t help letting his mind wander, drifting to that question he usually ignored.

The system—what exactly is it?

From his experience, a system is the golden finger the author gives the protagonist in online novels. Whether it’s transmigration, rebirth, innate extraordinary talent, or a grumpy old grandpa tagging along, though they look different on the surface, in essence they’re the same as a system—they’re all the protagonist’s golden finger, only a system is a bit simpler and more brainless.

So, is he, this web novelist, also the protagonist of some online novel?

Whenever his thoughts reached this point, Li Peifeng wouldn’t go any further. There was no need. Because he wanted to “go to the docks to get some fries,” because he wanted to kiss and hug his lovers and lift them high, because he wanted to watch his sons and daughters grow up bit by bit…

Everything he had right now left Li Peifeng feeling completely content.

Just enjoy it, just experience it—that’s enough. Why bother digging into where his system came from, or whether he was actually a character in some book? That would be asking for trouble for no reason.

But now, following He Yimeng’s advice, as Li Peifeng repeated that wish in his heart, some images suddenly flashed through his mind… scenes from that dream-world. Somewhat familiar, yet also very strange.

“That’s enough, blow the candles.”

Li Peifeng felt like he’d spaced out for a long time, though it had only been a few seconds. He only came back to himself when he heard He Yimeng’s words.

“Hoo~”

Li Peifeng instinctively blew them out in one breath, then picked up the table knife to cut the cake. Halfway through, he stopped, looked at He Yimeng, as if recalling something: “Earlier you cut Dr. Zhi off… he said that because his computing power had increased, he’d come up with a new view on the thing inside me, and that this was today’s real surprise for me, not you guys celebrating my birthday. Was he right?”

Standing still to the side, Dr. Zhi scratched his head in a very humanlike way; the screen on his head showed a playful blinking sticker. Seeing this, He Yimeng smiled: “Maybe.”

Then her expression turned serious: “I’ve always thought that thing you talk about doesn’t actually exist, and Dr. Zhi’s latest calculations say the same… and Dr. Zhi has also analyzed its essential need.”

“On the surface, it looks like it needs girls to spend money on you and give you gifts, but in reality it needs sacrifice, it needs love, it needs you to establish emotional connections with others… or rather, it’s really you yourself who needs that.”

Li Peifeng frowned and stayed silent, looking a bit confused: “I just saw the prompt again after I finished receiving the gifts.”

“You’re the only one who can see that. It’s always been inside your body, inside your heart.”

He Yimeng shrugged: “From the perspective of psychology and science, both Dr. Zhi and I believe it might be the manifestation of your subconscious. Because logically speaking, no alien would be this bored, parasitizing something like that in your body as a prank, right?”

Zhao Qingge suddenly cut in: “If it doesn’t exist, there’s no way to explain how he took out all those things, nor how his organs mutated and how he got superpowers.”

“Actually, it can be explained.”

He Yimeng sounded not entirely sure: “For example, what if Li Peifeng already had those abilities himself? What if those things were originally his, and he just forgot? And Peifeng needs other people’s sacrifice and emotional connections with them in order to gradually find himself again. That thing is the last bit of Peifeng’s subconscious, constantly reminding him what he should do… doesn’t that make it all add up?”

Li Peifeng seemed not to fully understand. He tilted his head, deep in thought, looking like his soul had gone wandering.

Meanwhile, Xu Manning, seeing him still holding the knife without cutting, finally lost patience: “Cut the cake first. I’m starving here; how are we supposed to get through lunch like this? Hurry up and cut me a slice.”