The shift from disappointment to delight happened in an instant. Hearing a clear male voice in her mind, Luo Xianxue felt a tiny jolt of fright mixed with surprise.
"Are you... Phantom Sir?" she asked, brimming with curiosity, instinctively covering her mouth with her hand.
Chen Mo's voice echoed in her head, "What's wrong? Is my voice that strange?"
Even Chen Mo was stunned.
When the system notified him that Luo Xianxue's favor had hit 80, he'd planned to wrap things up and leave. But he spotted a new feature—a blur of question marks.
On impulse, he activated it. Instantly, he lost control of his body, slipping into a strange, wondrous state.
Only now did he realize: this feature let him freely control Luo Xianxue's body—and even hand control back to her, while he stayed inside her.
At 75 favor, a new function unlocked. Now at 80, it had already updated.
As he pondered this, Chen Mo sensed Luo Xianxue shaking her head. "No, no! Phantom Sir's voice is lovely," she insisted.
The sensation was surreal. His vision matched hers exactly, yet he felt every move she made.
*Finally, this girl acts like a proper little lady,* he thought.
But time was short—just one minute left before he vanished. He'd have to explore this feature in the next simulation.
Chen Mo asked the system mentally, "How long will this update take?"
Three seconds passed. No reply.
He turned to Luo Xianxue. "This is urgent. I might not return for a few days."
"Eh?" Her joyful expression dimmed into disappointment. "How many days?"
"Hard to say. Tomorrow if I'm lucky. Three to five if not," he replied. The system update shouldn't take long, but he needed answers: with her favor at 80, could his body finally heal? This delay bought him time to find out.
"So... you're leaving now, Phantom Sir?" Her voice softened. Even her walk seemed to lose energy.
Joy had come fast—and fled faster.
"Yeah. See you next time," Chen Mo confirmed.
"Okay!" Luo Xianxue nodded firmly. Half a minute slipped by. There was little to do—just idle chatter that trailed off quickly.
She stuck out her tongue, licking the candy wrapper in her hand, then smiled again.
Gazing at the starry sky, she replayed Chen Mo's last words in her mind.
"Will I really see him?" she murmured, taking a deep breath. A smile spread. "Phantom Sir would never lie to me!"
A nearby stall owner, charmed by her innocent, hopeful grin, asked kindly, "Sweetheart, who's this Phantom Sir?"
"Just Phantom Sir! An all-powerful ghost," Luo Xianxue replied with a pure, guileless smile.
Surprisingly, she wasn't startled.
Amid the bustling street crowd, she felt no fear of strangers—only sweetness filled her thoughts.
Spotting her rookie bodyguard, Luo Xianxue apologized sincerely. "Sorry, Mr. Bodyguard. I was too harsh earlier."
"Ah..." The guard scratched his head. He'd braced for being secretly silenced—defying a Lady usually meant death! Yet this Lady seemed different now.
Back at the hotel, the excitement from Chen Mo's voice faded. Luo Xianxue reverted to her usual timid self around everyone.
Only at the hotel entrance, seeing Rui'an Luo's gentle face, did she brighten. She dashed over and hugged him.
"Grandpa!"
Her sweet cry made Luo Nuo Yan's lips twitch behind them.
*He's her father! Why hug him first?*
*Daughter... I want that too!*
Outwardly stern, Luo Nuo Yan's heart surged with envy. He hadn't held his daughter since she was little. *Woe is me—so pitiful!*
Unaware of his son's turmoil, Rui'an Luo ruffled Luo Xianxue's hair. "You grow more beautiful each day, Xianxue. Walk with me—we'll chat."
"Mm-hmm!" She nodded, falling into step beside him.
The last trace of sadness from Chen Mo's departure vanished.
In her family, only Grandpa Rui'an held a special place. He'd played with her as a child. After she was confined to the Mansion, he'd smuggled in treats and toys—her few happy memories.
Those joys had dwindled as she grew older.
Yet seeing him now, that warmth still rose naturally.
"How have you been, Xianxue?" Rui'an Luo asked as they entered the hotel. He always checked on his granddaughter.
Unlike before—when she'd whisper "Fine" with a perfunctory tone—she beamed now, recalling moments with Chen Mo. "Great!"
Same word. Entirely different spirit.
As Chen Mo said, Luo Xianxue couldn't hide her feelings. Her simplicity showed everything on her face.
Luo Nuo Yan frowned in confusion. But Rui'an Luo's eyes lit with quiet joy.
*How long since I saw a genuine smile like this?*
*What changed at the Mansion?*
In a hotel room, Rui'an Luo chatted about recent events—even how he'd fallen into a river and been saved by Chen Mo's father. Casually, he mentioned Chen Mo still hospitalized.
Luo Xianxue gasped. "So he's the one hit by that baby bus!"
"He risked his life for others. Mind your words, girl," Rui'an Luo chided gently, tapping her head with a fond smile.
Luo Xianxue's eyes darted away. *Grandpa said the same thing Phantom Sir did...*
"By the way, Xianxue," Rui'an Luo shifted tone, studying her. "Ever thought about college?"
She tilted her head, puzzled. A shadow crossed her eyes. "Like high school? I'll go."
"No, no." He waved his hands quickly. "This isn't the family's plan. I'm asking *you*, Xianxue. Nuo Yan can't interfere this time."
"What college?" she didn't answer, but a spark of life returned to her gaze.
Rui'an Luo replied instantly, "Capital University."
