1. 20. Nobody Must Know, Nobody Would Know (Part 1)

Standing in front of everyone, eager to hear the results of her tests, the doctor uttered, "Congratulations to both of you. It appears that you are expecting twins. They are healthy and stable right now, but to be sure, we will need to check again in the next few days."

+++++

Everyone in the room was delighted except for Li Mei, who forced a smile with a look of confusion in her eyes.

By the fifth week, Li Mei discovered she was pregnant. Upon undergoing a test, she confirmed her pregnancy, but the revelation of twins came as a surprise. It had not been mentioned during the examination. Yet, her main concern was who the father was.

Using Wang Haoran's hair from their time together, Li Mei underwent a paternity test. The negative result devastated her, and she kept it from Wang Haoran. The stress kept building up until the day of the accident when she fell down the stairs.

Even the attending doctor at present has not mentioned the possibility of twins.

"Twins?" It was Wang Haoran who asked, his emotions a mix of joy and nervousness.

"Ah, we weren't certain before, but we are now. We can see the twins clearly, but more tests are needed to know if they are identical or fraternal. However, for more accurate results, these tests can only be done after the twins are born," the doctor explained.

Hearing the doctor's mention of additional tests, Li Mei became frightened. "We don't need more tests. I don't care if they are identical or fraternal," she exclaimed, her voice strict as she gazed seriously at the doctor. She was determined to prevent them from testing the twins lest they discover that Wang Haoran was not the father.

Nobody must know.

She realized her outburst and glanced nervously at Wang Haoran after a few seconds.

"Yes, we will follow Mei'er's decision," Wang Haoran agreed, nodding at the doctor. He then turned to Li Mei, offering her a reassuring smile.

He assumed that Li Mei must be anxious about the twins' safety.

Back in Liu Leah's room...

"Host, may I remind you that your role is Wang Haoran's jealous fiancee. You should call him now and ask why he is not here caring for you," the system, which had been silent for several days, suddenly spoke.

Out of nowhere, Zero felt a strong presence from the God system. This presence gave him the courage to meddle in his host's shenanigans. So when Zed and Leah talked about their future daughter, he interrupted.

"I'm going to use the toilet. I'll be right back," Leah announced, rising from her chair without acknowledging Zed and Zhou Chun. Distracted by Zero, she excused herself from Zed's intense gaze and her assistant's piercing stare.

Leah hurried to the washroom without looking back, closing the door behind her. She glanced at herself in the mirror, realizing she hadn't taken a proper look at the body she now inhabited.

In the reflection, a woman with raven-black hair falling below her shoulders and fair skin stared back at her. Liu Leah had almond and phoenix eyes with a light blue hue reminiscent of the ocean. Her aquiline nose and heart-shaped face framed her features. When she smiled, it was as if the world revolved around the person she smiled at.

Without shoes, her height would likely surpass 167cm. Her assets, both at the top and rear, are well-proportioned. Her breasts are not overly large, avoiding back and shoulder aches, while her buttocks provide ample cushioning when she sits.

Leah washed her face before settling onto the toilet, lifting her hospital gown, and pulling down her underwear.

"Zero," she called out.

"Why do you need to pee when you talk to me?" Zero complained, feeling disrespected by his host. "I can hear everything clearly." Zero sat in his chair, frowned, and glanced around the tiled room, mirroring Leah's current view.

He remained within the bird-like metal cage that Leaf had enclosed him in, which contained only a tiny throne chair and a full-body mirror. This space was a fragment of Leaf's sea of consciousness. She deliberately confined Zero within a vast whiteness similar to the one the system had placed her in.

"Look at this, I gave you a pinch of humanity and now you're being sassy with me," Leah said, amused.

Zero stiffened at Leah's words. "What did you do to me?" he asked, shocked.

"Just think of yourself as half human, half A.I.," Leah answered, shrugging her shoulders.

While Zero mulled over his altered state, unaware of the changes that had occurred until now, Leah flushed the toilet, wiped herself down, and washed her hands.

Time suddenly slowed down, and Leaf appeared in her sea of consciousness. "Alright, what were you yapping about earlier?" She crossed her arms and squinted, peering down at Zero inside the cage.

The view irritated her as she couldn't see Zero's perfect visage and body. She minimized herself and reappeared in front of Zero. "This is better," she thought with a smile, then frowned again.

Zero gulped nervously and said, "Host, have you checked your mission status?" Like now, leaf sometimes unconsciously released an intimidating aura, which made Zero nervous. "She must be angry because I disturbed her," he thought anxiously.

Leaf paused, pondering for a moment. "It looks like I didn't," she mused to herself.

Recalling the lengthy tutorial she had gone through when she first met Zero, she summoned her status window.

"Status Window – Mission Status"

~Mission Status Overview~

Main Quest - incomplete 

[Title: Liu Leah's End

Liu Leah will die at the hands of Wang Haoran within two months of entering the mission.

Reward: +100 Pbuck

Penalty: -100 Pbucks]

Mandatory Side Quest 1 - completed

[More Details…]

Mandatory Side Quest 2 - completed

[More Details…]

Countdown: 55:06:13:08

Leaf: (╯°Д°)╯︵ ┻━┻

"This main mission is easy, but I don't want to do it," she thought. "Infiltrating the God system is too complicated. I need more time—a lot of time," Leaf added.

Suddenly, she thought of Zed. Her expression softened, but then hesitation flickered across her features.

"I'm supposed to be on vacation. Damn it," Leaf muttered, a hint of frustration in her tone.

"There's always a way," she added with determination.

The interface disappeared, and she directed her gaze toward Zero. She smiled and said, "Behave yourself, and I might take you for a walk."

Looking at the forced smile on Leaf and sensing her threatening aura, Zero instantly felt fear. "What kind of being is this in front of me?" he asked himself.

Zero wanted to say something, but the strong force emanating from Leaf overwhelmed him. He was forced to kneel, cold sweat forming on his brow.

When Leah disappeared, his tensed body relaxed. He dropped to the ground, breathing heavily. Only then did he realize that he had been holding his breath.

The more time Zero spent with Leaf, the more questions formed in his mind. "She will slip up one of these days, and the God system will notice the abnormalities," he hoped.

When Leah exited the washroom, she saw Zed standing near its door like a door god, his eyes blank and his facial expression empty. With his hands in his pockets, he looked at Zhou Chun as if she were an insect.

On the other hand, Zhou Chun pointed at him with an angry expression. She appeared constipated, as if struggling to release a fart but was unable to do so due to embarrassment.

"What happened?" Leah looked back and forth between them, confused.