When the Side Character Gets a System and Travels through Difference Worlds

The Beauty System stood up on its hind legs. "Host, don’t be sad."

"I’m not sad at all right now," Tan You said, lowering her gaze with a small smile. "From the moment I was framed for stealing my roommate’s money—that moment when no one stood up for me—I decided I would never again feel sad because of those people."

"Do you know what the most ironic part was? The homeroom teacher who ruled that I had stolen the money was actually a relative of Tan Ying’s grandmother. Now that was the ultimate irony."

"She was so quick to judge, so arbitrarily certain that I had taken my classmate’s money, when in fact, it was money Cheng Wenhui had given me for school supplies. She gave me a large bill, and I’d gotten change for it at the little shop by the school gate."

"If I hadn’t managed to track down the shopkeeper, I would have been branded a thief for good."

Tan You leaned back in her chair. "Do you know what it’s like? To have everyone stare at you strangely, to feel like everything you do is wrong? To walk into a room where everyone was chatting away, only for them to fall silent the moment you appear?"

"I do. That was my life for my entire eighth-grade year. All I could think back then was, ’When will eighth grade end? Why can’t they just reassign the classes already?’ It was pure torture."

"I especially despised the teacher who slandered me. All it took was a few careless words from her. Even after they caught the real thief, I was the one who continued to endure being ostracized."

"In fact, people seemed even more resentful that I *wasn’t* the thief. It was as if they were thinking, ’How come it wasn’t you? It would’ve been so much better if you really had stolen it.’"

"It was the hardest time of my life, but I couldn’t tell Cheng Wenhui or Tan Lin. I knew they had it tough working away from home, and I also knew they wouldn’t understand even if I told them."

"All they would’ve said was, ’Why can’t you get along with your classmates? Isn’t it your fault? Why do they single you out to bully? Why would they only frame you?’"

"Because I could never expect any comfort from them. All I ever got was blame and complaints. Occasionally, I’d even get a beating from both of them. That’s why I grew quieter as I got older, and I learned not to tell them about these things."

"What was the point? I wouldn’t get any comfort, and I’d just be setting myself up for another verbal beating. I’m not a masochist, after all."

Tan You said softly, "Everyone can say it’s not easy being a parent, and I tried to be understanding. But in all my life, the only time I’ve been truly happy is after I met you."

"For the first fourteen years of my life, I was miserable. The pain only grew worse as I got older and began to understand more. Life just felt so hopeless."

"No one ever asked if I was happy. They just demanded I be obedient and listen. But then, when I didn’t get a red envelope from Tan Desheng, they’d blame me for being too awkward and not knowing how to speak sweetly."

"But they were the ones who taught me not to speak out of turn, that I’d get a beating if I did. And now they blame me for turning out the way I am. It used to make me feel so wronged and miserable."

The Beauty System burst out crying. "Host, you’ve been through so much..."

Tan You chuckled. "Doesn’t everyone have it hard? I’m just a product of my time. There must be countless people like me all over the country. Back then, people only recognized physical pain. No one paid much attention to emotional suffering."

"If I were to speak up, people would just call me melodramatic or needy."

"A lot of people think that since our parents have it hard raising us, we have no right to complain. We’re supposed to remember their sacrifices and never be ungrateful. But parents are people, too. They have their own flaws and shortcomings."

"They might be first-time parents, but I’m a first-time child. Why should I have to be the one to endure their favoritism and their abuse, both hot and cold?"

"Some say the greatest loneliness in the world is having to go through surgery by yourself. But for me, the greatest loneliness is eating at the same table and sleeping under the same roof as your family, yet having nothing you want to say to them."

"Because every word you speak can and will be used as a weapon against you, a tool for them to attack and criticize you. They just have a knack for striking the most sensitive and fragile parts of your heart."

Seeing the Beauty System hang its head, its ears drooping, Tan You decided not to go on. "It’s all in the past. I meant to talk about Tan Ying, but I ended up rambling on. I’m not usually this talkative."

"I’ve never told anyone any of this before. But somehow, I found myself telling you."

The Beauty System kneaded its small paws. "Host, from now on, if anything is bothering you, just tell me. I can’t help you with much, but I can be your emotional dumpster."

"I couldn’t bear to do that," Tan You said, reaching out to stroke the Beauty System’s head. Ever since she’d returned from the Western Fantasy World, she had been able to touch the little system’s physical body.

The little system nuzzled against her hand, its eyes half-closed in obvious enjoyment.

After indulging in a good petting session, Tan You smiled. "You should process your own emotions. Being someone’s emotional dumpster is draining. I can’t bear to wear you out like that. You’re supposed to be with me for a long, long time."

"Besides, I’m not as pitiful as I sound. Maybe because I was constantly in that situation, I started avoiding the dorm room. It became nothing more than a place to sleep for me."

"Perhaps because I spent so much more time in the classroom, my grades in eighth grade were actually quite good. And the better my grades got, the sourer their faces became, which gave me a secret, twisted sense of joy."

"My grades were still good in ninth grade, too. If it hadn’t been for the novels... well, never mind. Let’s not get into that. In any case, I’m doing great now."

As she spoke, Tan You shook out her hair. Once it was dry, she casually grabbed a nearby pencil and deftly twisted her hair up into a bun.

The Beauty System fidgeted. "Host, what about those girls who bullied you? Where are they now? Are they in high school, too?"

"Of course not," Tan You said, the corners of her lips curling into a smirk. "Their grades were always rock bottom. When the high school entrance exam results were posted, I went to check their scores. The total was over eight hundred, and they only scored in the three hundreds. With scores like that, they had no chance of getting into high school."

The Beauty System nodded, only half-understanding. "I see. I think they were just jealous of your good grades, so they decided to bully you about other things."

"Whether it was because of my grades or because of Tan Ying, I don’t care anymore," Tan You said with a shrug. "We’re on completely different paths now. Our lives couldn’t be more different."

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