Chapter 3408: Severed Ties

‘Marry well rather than do well’—this saying has rooted itself deeply in people’s hearts.

Sometimes, when you were working hard, people around you would use this phrase to mock you.

Since when did working hard become a mistake?

This saying clearly just defined women as reproductive machines.

In the end, it came down to human laziness. It could also be seen as women exchanging their reproductive ability for survival resources.

All roads led to Rome. It was not as if this was the only path available.

Yet people insisted on treating this as the ultimate truth.

Having love in your heart was a good thing, but being completely love-struck was just disgusting. And then they accused others of being cold, heartless, and unreasonable.

Apparently, not enabling their love was being cold, heartless, and unreasonable.

Shu Bai felt a bit sentimental talking about the people she used to know. She said to Ning Shu, “Ah, why am I telling you all this? I’m just making the atmosphere sad for no reason.”

Ning Shu asked Shu Bai, “Have you ever thought about doing tasks again?”

“Sometimes people keep going just on a single breath of determination. Once that string goes slack, you don’t want to tighten it again,” Shu Bai said leisurely.

Then, she gently said, “It’s quite nice like this now—doing a little business, spending my days in leisure.”

Ning Shu nodded. “To each their own pursuit.”

Shu Bai smiled faintly. “There is no having it both ways in this world. If you don’t want to climb up, you can’t be strong, and you can’t do as you please. But I am tired.”

Ning Shu put down her fork. “You really haven’t thought about doing tasks again? A task-taker’s life is long. You have to find something to do. Sometimes doing tasks is quite interesting.”

Shu Bai gave a calm smile. “How can I do tasks now that I am all alone? Back then, I was too tired. In order not to hold back my system, I severed my connection with him.

“At the time, he even tried to persuade me not to sever ties so decisively, saying I wouldn’t have a chance to regret it later.”

Ning Shu: …

“You severed ties with your system?” Ning Shu was astonished. “Aren’t the system and the task-taker supposed to be one entity?

“That principle is correct. If the task-taker is completely erased, the system will also be completely erased. However, the system has the right to apply for separation from the host to switch to a new partner.

“But the price is having their memory wiped again. Everything comes with a price. That means the system I used to share life and death with no longer recognizes me and doesn’t remember me,” Shu Bai said melancholically. “But if I had to do it again, I would still choose this way.”

“Because I was already mentally exhausted. If I continued, I would definitely have dragged him down to be completely erased with me.”

Ning Shu drummed her fingers on the tabletop—tap, tap, tap—indicating that her mind was not at peace.

She hadn’t realized systems had such authority. That meant if 2333 wanted to leave her, it wasn’t impossible.

But it would mean a memory wipe, and they would become strangers again, if they ever met face to face.

2333 spoke up. “It’s not that simple. Otherwise, I would have left you long ago. Generally speaking, this kind of contract is a binding lock. That person must have paid a massive price to let the system leave her.”

Ning Shu looked at Shu Bai and said, “You are the gentlest person I have ever met.”

Shu Bai looked reserved. “With you praising me like that, I don’t know what to say. I don’t have the tenacious mind of the strong. I also understand I couldn’t go far. I was too tired.”

Ning Shu held reservations about Shu Bai. Being able to open a restaurant like this wasn’t simple, especially opening one in the ordinance space.

“Are the restaurants in the other ordinance cities yours too?” Ning Shu asked.

It seemed the layout of all ordinance cities was the same.

Exactly the same.

Shu Bai shook her head. “No, the owners of each establishment are different.”

Ning Shu gave an ‘oh,’ then stretched lazily. “Mmm, that was a good meal.”

Shu Bai said to Ning Shu, “Since you like it, do you want to take some back with you?”

Ning Shu waved her hand. “Eating here and taking some to go? Better not.”

Eating one less bite wouldn’t kill her.

Ning Shu still paid the bill. She spent over 500 faith points.

She wasn’t familiar with Shu Bai, and it wasn’t a huge amount. There was no need to take advantage of her for such a small thing.

Shu Bai shook her head. “I can afford to treat you to these few pastries.”

Ning Shu took back her ID card. “I know you can afford it, but bills that should be paid must be paid.”

She had to maintain her dignity as the city lord.

If rumors spread that she was petty and freeloaded wherever she went…

She represented the image of the City of Water, after all.

Shu Bai smiled faintly, like an elegant and charming white magnolia, full of gentleness and shyness.

The temperament of a woman was displayed vividly in her.

However, Ning Shu didn’t think she was just a simple woman.

The daily cash flow of this restaurant was not a small number.

Moreover, the patrons were all at least ultra task-takers. To be able to intimidate these task-takers, one couldn’t do it without sufficient strength.

Shu Bai walked Ning Shu to the restaurant entrance. Ning Shu said, “No need to see me off. I’ll wander around by myself.”

Shu Bai said with reserved gentleness, “City Lord, please visit my restaurant often in the future.”

Ning Shu gave a grunt of acknowledgment. She understood Shu Bai’s meaning. She wanted to borrow Ning Shu’s name to deter troublemakers.

In the City of Water, Ning Shu was essentially a local emperor and possessed absolute authority.

However, if she went too far, some task-takers might report her.

The city lord’s power was immense, but it was limited to their own city.

Once out of the city, it wouldn’t work. It certainly wouldn’t allow one to do as one pleased in someone else’s city.

Ning Shu wandered around and arrived at the entrance of the auction house. Remembering the 500 merit points entrance fee, she turned around and left immediately.

With 500 merit points, she could exchange for a decent item. Going in there would just mean watching the excitement and seeing how happily others bought things.

It was practically critical damage to her ego.

After strolling around and checking the condition of the barrier, she said to 2333, “Let’s go back to the system space.”

With a dizzy spell, Ning Shu returned to the system space, lay down, and prepared to sleep.

She really felt a bit tired.

She had been doing tasks all alone, but now she was coming into contact with more and more task-takers—all kinds of people, all kinds of personalities.

What they showed on the surface wasn’t necessarily what was in their hearts. Ning Shu would respond to all changes by remaining unchanged.

She was slowly becoming stronger, which was making people start to take her seriously. This was the radiance of the strong.

Regardless of their thoughts towards her—wary, ingratiating, or jealous—it was all due to the radiance of the strong.

Ning Shu sprawled out, found the most comfortable position, and asked 2333, “What are the conditions for a system and a task-taker to separate?”

It took 2333 a while to reply. “I knew you would ask. Generally speaking, we can’t separate. If we die, we die together. If we live, we live together.”

“Is that so?” Ning Shu was a little curious about what price Shu Bai had paid to separate from her system.

Of course, Shu Bai separating from her system was mostly about giving her system a fresh start.

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