Female Protagonist Assistance System

Early the next morning, just as Xiao Han finished her physical exercises, someone knocked on her courtyard gate. Xiao Han opened the door to find, as expected, a Xiao family servant.

Upon seeing Xiao Han, the person feigned respect but made no effort to conceal the disdain and contempt in their eyes.

“Fourth Young Miss Xiao, the Clan Leader has summoned everyone to the main hall to welcome distinguished guests.”

Distinguished guests?

Gu Xun’er?

Xiao Han nodded, indicating her understanding. The servant, without lingering, departed.

[Ding! Female protagonist Gu Xun’er detected at the Xiao family residence. Host, please proceed to the main hall to meet the female lead.]

Xiao Han returned to her room to change clothes. After tidying herself, she set off for the main hall.

Walking along the main road within the Xiao family compound, she noticed the usually bustling path was nearly deserted today. It seemed her father placed great importance on Gu Xun’er’s arrival, having summoned almost all the Xiao family disciples.

However… had she arrived late?

Reaching the front hall, she found the once-spacious area now filled with Xiao family disciples. As soon as Xiao Han entered, nearly everyone turned their gaze upon her—some with disdain, others with disgust, and a few with schadenfreude. Ignoring all the hostile looks, Xiao Han walked straight towards the center of the hall, where four people stood. Two of them were Xiao Zhan, the Xiao family patriarch, and her blood brother, Xiao Yan. Opposite them were two unfamiliar figures—one adult and one child.

Xiao Han glanced at the pair briefly before averting her gaze. She bowed to Xiao Zhan, her demeanor neither subservient nor arrogant.

Xiao Zhan looked at his daughter, frowning: “Today, we have honored guests visiting. As a member of the Xiao family’s direct line, why are you so late? How can we slight our guests like this?”

As expected.

Xiao Han remained internally unmoved. She harbored no affection for Xiao Zhan, so his reprimand elicited no reaction from her.

“Daughter acknowledges her mistake,” Xiao Han replied softly, lowering her head without offering any explanation.

Xiao Zhan felt conflicted about this daughter who had lived alone from a young age and whom he had rarely seen. Overall, there was little familial affection; more prevalent was a sense of perplexity. Why, when they were blood siblings, did the brother Xiao Yan possess such extraordinary talent, while the sister Xiao Han still couldn’t cultivate?

“Enough, come and greet our two guests,” Xiao Zhan sighed, instructing her.

“Yes,” Xiao Han responded, lowering her gaze.

Xiao Yan, standing beside Xiao Zhan, had barely spared Xiao Han a glance when she entered. Afterwards, his attention remained fixed on the two individuals opposite them—or more precisely, on the young girl among them.

Xiao Han shifted her gaze to the two figures at the center of the room.

The middle-aged man had ordinary features, appearing unremarkable in every way. Beside him stood a girl of about five years old, her dark hair cascading over her shoulders. Her slightly chubby face bore a calmness and composure unusual for her age. With delicate features, she was clearly destined to become a great beauty. Though not yet fully grown, one could tell at a glance that she would undoubtedly become a woman of unparalleled beauty in the future.

With just one look, Xiao Han identified the pair: Gu Xun’er and the Dou Huang Ling Ying.

“This is Xun’er. From now on, she will be your cousin,” Xiao Zhan said at an opportune moment, not out of concern for Xiao Han’s potential embarrassment at not recognizing them, but purely worried that Xiao Han might offend the two through a lack of manners.

“Cousin Xun’er,” Xiao Han greeted neutrally.

“This must be the Xiao family’s Fourth Young Miss, Xiao Han?” Ling Ying suddenly smiled and spoke up.

“In response to Your Excellency, I am Xiao Han,” she replied. Even when facing Ling Ying, the legendary Dou Huang who could overturn the world with a wave of his hand, her attitude remained neither subservient nor arrogant, showing no signs of resistance but also absolutely no flattery.

Xun’er looked at her curiously, politely addressing her: “Elder Cousin Xiao Han.”

Xiao Han didn’t speak further. Her presence was already minimal, and now standing there silently, almost no one paid her any attention. Moreover, the most dazzling person in the hall today was clearly this newly arrived Cousin Xun’er—who would spare any attention for Xiao Han? Only Xiao Yan glanced at Xiao Han after Xun’er called her “Elder Cousin Xiao Han,” his eyes filled with undisguised warning and contempt.

Xiao Han was content with the tranquility, and as for Xiao Yan’s gaze, she chose to ignore it entirely.

When it was time to leave, Xiao Han turned and departed without showing the slightest inclination to approach or converse further.

[Host, why didn’t you take this excellent opportunity to chat with the female lead and build some rapport? It would greatly benefit future tasks,] the system inquired, perplexed.

“My task is to assist her, not to curry her favor,” Xiao Han responded.

[But building rapport would be very helpful for future tasks,] the system persisted, still not understanding. Its previous hosts had gone to great lengths to win the female lead’s favor. In fact, half the key to successful missions often lay in the female lead’s goodwill.

“I don’t need it,” Xiao Han replied coolly to the system, so focused that she failed to notice a curious gaze following her as she left.

Watching Xiao Han depart, Xun’er finally withdrew her gaze, suppressing her curiosity.

Xun’er’s earlier reaction had not escaped Xiao Yan’s notice, much to his displeasure. However, regardless of his feelings, he was not truly a five-year-old child. From his father’s attitude towards these two, it was clear their status was far from ordinary. So, he concealed his true expression, feigning curiosity as he asked, “Cousin, what were you looking at just now?”

“That person from earlier…” Xun’er responded reflexively to Xiao Yan’s question.

Xiao Yan’s tone was full of disdain: “Oh, her? Xiao Han? It seems she was born unable to cultivate. Even now, she can’t sense the existence of Dou Qi. The family has probably given up on her already.”

Xun’er, however, furrowed her brow. For reasons she couldn’t explain, that person gave her a feeling that things weren’t so simple. If she had to describe it, it was perhaps intuition.

“Don’t worry about her, Cousin Xun’er,” Xiao Yan suddenly said enthusiastically. “Let me show you around the Xiao family compound, help you get familiar with the place.”

Xun’er glanced at the middle-aged man beside her, pondered for a moment, then nodded.

Meanwhile, Xiao Han had returned to her courtyard when the system’s mechanical voice suddenly resonated in her mind.

[Host, please note that Gu Xun’er tamed the Golden Emperor Skyscorching Flame at a very young age. However, due to her low cultivation level, she cannot truly suppress it, causing her to expend vast amounts of time and energy on it. This slows her cultivation progress and provides an opportunity for the male lead to win her heart. Please find a way to help Gu Xun’er suppress the Golden Emperor Skyscorching Flame, allowing her to dedicate more time and energy to cultivation.]

Xiao Han’s expression remained impassive: “Any method is acceptable?”

System: [Uh… preferably something gentle and friendly.]

“I recall in the original text, Xiao Yan thoroughly examined the female lead from head to toe,” Xiao Han returned to her room, poured herself a cup of water, took a sip, and furrowed her brow.

[To be precise, he channeled Dou Qi into the female lead’s body,] the system clarified, then paused before continuing: [Host, this water was boiled yesterday.]

“I know,” Xiao Han set down the cup. “Do you think it’s possible?”

[Hm?] The system emitted a single, questioning syllable.

“How did the original text describe it?” Xiao Han asked the system instead of answering directly.

[Please wait a moment.] The system actually began to search through the original text, returning shortly after: [Found it, Host. The original text states that Xiao Yan did this to verify if Dou Qi truly existed.]

A fleeting look of mockery flashed across Xiao Han’s expressionless face: “Do you believe that?”

The system hesitated: [N-not really… What do you think, Host?]

“At what age did Xiao Yan begin cultivating Dou Qi?”

[Four years old.] The system finally understood, [Host, are you saying…]

Xiao Han poured the water from her cup onto the ground. Silver lightning flashed at her fingertips, and the spilled water evaporated before it could touch the ground. “After cultivating for a full year, he only sought to verify the existence of Dou Qi after the female lead arrived at the Xiao family, and he had to verify it on her body. Moreover, the female lead’s Heterogeneous Flame outburst occurred in the middle of the night. Xiao Yan’s courtyard, while not far from the female lead’s, is certainly not close. How do you explain him coincidentally passing by the female lead’s courtyard in the dead of night, coincidentally entering her inner chambers, coincidentally discovering her discomfort, and finally coincidentally examining her entire body to channel Dou Qi and nourish her meridians?”

Xiao Han then gave another cold laugh and continued: “And don’t forget, inhabiting Xiao Yan’s five-year-old body is the soul of an adult man. Doesn’t he understand the propriety between men and women?”

System: [He did it intentionally?]

“Otherwise, I can’t explain all these ‘coincidences’ of his,” Xiao Han said calmly. She set the cup aside and entered the inner room.

[What do you plan to do, Host?] the system asked curiously.

“Just watch,” Xiao Han removed her shoes, sat cross-legged on the bed, formed hand seals, and began circulating the Nine Heavens Thunder Technique. “Wake me when it’s time.”

[Understood, Host.]

That night, in Gu Xun’er’s courtyard.

A small figure stealthily appeared where he shouldn’t have been. Xiao Yan, looking at the dark house before him, had a glint of determination in his eyes.

He wasn’t sure of the exact identity of the girl who had arrived today, but he knew she must have an extraordinary background. After all, how could someone who made his father so respectful and mobilized the entire clan to welcome her be ordinary? Moreover, this girl was clearly destined to be a great beauty. If he could establish a good relationship from childhood…

Xiao Yan took a deep breath and was about to climb over the wall into the courtyard when suddenly, a burst of energy struck his knee. Xiao Yan cried out in pain, his foot slipped, and he tumbled back.

With a loud “thud,” he fell hard on the ground, raising a cloud of dust.

“Who—” Xiao Yan clutched his knee, raising his head angrily to find who had attacked him. As he looked up, he froze in place.

Atop the wall he had intended to climb sat a figure completely shrouded in a black robe. The face was indiscernible, the figure slender, but the gender impossible to determine. “It” tilted its head slightly downward, and Xiao Yan could feel an ice-cold gaze upon him, filled with killing intent.

Xiao Yan shuddered, fear instantly flooding his heart.

“Scram!” A somewhat hoarse voice suddenly rang out, deep and magnetic, particularly striking in the dark night.

Xiao Yan let out a terrified scream and fled towards his own courtyard, crawling and rolling, afraid this person might kill him without hesitation.

Watching Xiao Yan flee, Xiao Han, under the black robe, gave a cold laugh: “Male lead?”

What a sorry state.

The system also found it hard to watch, after all, he wasn’t truly a five-year-old child.

At this moment, Xiao Han had reverted to her appearance from just before her death in her previous life: 175 cm tall, with a shapely figure concealed by the black robe, her long black hair carefully tucked into the hood, her dark eyes deep and unfathomable.

This was thanks to the system’s assistance, allowing her to maintain this form for an hour, saving her considerable trouble.

An adult body is indeed more convenient, Xiao Han thought as she flexed her wrist. In a flash, she disappeared from sight.