"Hey! I haven't even said anything yet!"

Chen Mo was utterly lost on how to retort to Luo Xianxue’s bizarre train of thought. *I’m teasing you, sis—can’t you give me even a tiny reaction?*

The very next second, Luo Xianxue delivered her reply: "Phantom Sir… do you know how to make… you know… *these* smaller?"

Chen Mo’s mouth fell open. He glanced down slightly—two days of firsthand experience confirmed it: a genuine C-cup, maybe even edging toward C+.

After a long silence, he finally managed: "Honestly? I think you’re already plenty smart."

"Mm-hmm!" Luo Xianxue beamed with visible delight.

Rubbing his temples, Chen Mo picked up the phone from the table, stepped onto the balcony, and settled into a chair. Warm sunlight spilled over her long hair, wrapping Chen Mo in quiet comfort.

The screen lit up—a news alert popped at the top:

**"SHOCKING! Baby Bus Murder Case Strikes Again!"**

*Baby Bus?* That phrase had become Chen Mo’s personal arch-nemesis. But why—why would this headache-inducing term appear *here*, in a simulated world?

Admittedly, the clickbait headline hooked him. He tapped in. Nearly identical to this morning’s report: a week ago, a heroic teen hospitalized after a Baby Bus incident; now, another in Guian District.

*Seriously? Why keep beating a dead horse? I saved that girl—can’t you spotlight *me* for once?*

But Chen Mo’s focus sharpened. *This is a simulation… so why does it mirror my reality exactly?*

He’d inhabited Luo Xianxue’s body for days, never bothering with the world beyond the Mansion. Outside info felt pointless.

Until now.

*System… what’s really going on?*

[The simulated life is built upon the host’s real-world foundation. Simulated elements are layered onto that framework.]

*So… everything else is real? Only Luo Xianxue and this Mansion are fabricated? Is that why her backstory traps her in this "birdcage"?*

*And the "me" in the news?*

[Consider the host an NPC within this game world.]

*Got it. Reinforces authenticity.*

Relieved, Chen Mo opened his comic platform: Bobo Bao Gezi Comics. Under two years on the site, yet solid rep—one completed work, current serialization clinging to the bestseller list (bottom tier, but still impressive).

"Does Phantom Sir enjoy comics?" Luo Xianxue asked, peeking at his screen.

"Yeah," Chen Mo said lightly. "As a phantom, I can’t touch anything… so I savor beautiful things with my eyes."

"But if you can’t touch… how do you *read* them?" she pressed.

Chen Mo smiled faintly. "By possessing other girls’ bodies."

"Huh?!"

Unaware his joke sent her reeling, Chen Mo found his ongoing series: *I Beg You, Stop Trying to Romance Me!*—structured like *Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun*, weaving standalone romance vignettes. Fresh art style, loyal fans.

He checked: updated yesterday.

*In reality, I’ve been hospitalized over a week. This comic would’ve been abandoned.*

Yet here it thrived. Proof: beyond the Mansion, the world ran on NPCs and background lore.

He closed the phone. Then froze.

Luo Xianxue’s affection: 77 → 76.

*Wait… it *drops*?*

Her status shifted: Happy → Conflicted.

*What happened? What’s she overthinking?*

Next second: 76 → 77. Status: Relieved.

Then back to 76. Conflicted.

Up. Down. For three full minutes.

Finally stabilized at 77. Status flickering between Conflicted and Relieved… then settled on: *Mentally Checked Out*.

*Whoa. Bouncing like a piston.*

Ruling out a system glitch… was this the legendary "female thought process"? Chen Mo had zero clue.

He hesitated. "What were you just thinking about?"

"Huh? I-I… wasn’t thinking anything!" Her voice stammered. "Say, Phantom Sir… wanna draw comics *together*?"

"Your topic-switch is painfully stiff." He didn’t push. "Not interested. I prefer watching."

*Teaming up with a cute girl sounds ideal… but this is simulation. No real connection waits at the end.*

To Chen Mo, Luo Xianxue was simple: a vessel. Her talents accelerated his skill-learning—efficient, practical. A tool.

Also… a daughter to raise. The "parenting" fantasy in this simulated life? Not unpleasant.

After a beat, she asked tentatively: "If *I* drew comics… would you read them?"

"I would. But my standards are high."

"I’ll never let you down, Phantom Sir!"

Inside the room, Chen Mo and Luo Xianxue basked in easy banter.

Elsewhere? Not so calm. Especially Head Maid Jiang Jie.

Returning from reporting to Luo Xianxue’s mother, she stared at her files, deep in thought.

In just two days: Luo Xianxue grew firm with the Mansion staff, won over new maids, secured the new butler’s loyalty.

Every move screamed one truth:

*Luo Xianxue—and Luo Xianxue alone—is the true master of this Mansion.*