The System required me to win the heart of the male lead, a boy born with telepathy who would grow up to be a ruthless, cold-blooded, and brooding psychopath. I pondered for a moment and chose to enter the world when the male lead was exactly one year old. The System: [?] "Starting today, I will be his legal guardian. I will teach him to obey the law, respect women, stay optimistic, and be a decent human being," I said without batting an eye. "A truly excellent romance strategy should start with a proper education." The System was convinced: [You make a valid point.] So, on a day with heavy snow, I picked up the one-year-old male lead, Robin Winter, who had been abandoned at the hospital. Six years later, at the children's home I opened, he asked me in his sweet, childish voice, "Miss Ellie, what does it mean to win someone's heart?" I gently patted his head. "It means I want you to feel all the care and love this world has to offer." Seven-year-old Robin's eyes sparkled, and he spun around in pure joy. "I love you too, Miss Ellie!" Around him, the male lead's future subordinates, business partners, mortal enemies, and childhood sweethearts all swarmed around me, chirping, "We love Miss Ellie the most!" The System: [The male lead's affection meter is maxed out. Host's mission is complete... Wait, you can do it like this?!] 01 After dying from severe overwork, I was forced to bind with a System and accept a romance mission. The System transmitted the original plot to me. I looked at the files showing a handsome but utterly apathetic teenage boy and fell into deep thought. He was being trampled underfoot, covered in bruises and cuts. His eyes were filled with an inorganic, dead gray, so indifferent that he looked entirely detached from the world. The System spoke in a rigid, mechanical tone: [Once you enter the world, you can take him home. Right now, he is working odd jobs on the streets and suffering endless bullying. He might not trust you at first, so you will need to melt his frozen heart with love. Also, he has a childhood sweetheart, his first love. According to our projections, after he reunites with her, the two of you will have a massive misunderstanding...] I interrupted it. "How old is he? He looks like a young teenager." It paused for a second. [This is a photo of him at fourteen.] "Then why is he working on the streets?" I frowned. "At that age, he should be in middle school." The System: [...He has no money. He dropped out.] "Public education is free and mandatory through high school. The foster system should also be covering his basic needs," I pointed out the glaring issue. "The group home he was placed in is clearly non-compliant and violating regulations." The System was baffled by my logic. [Is... is that how it works?] "It seems the child welfare system in this region is severely flawed," I mused for a moment. "Just send me into this world. I already know exactly what I need to do." The System perked up. [Great! So which timeline would you like to drop into? When he's fourteen and being humiliated by customers? Or when he's eighteen and unconscious in a dark alley? Or maybe when he's twenty-three...] I said, "When he is one year old, obviously." The System: [?] When Robin Winter was born, he was sickly and frail. His father was unknown, and his mother died in childbirth. When he was just a year old, his distant relatives abandoned him at the entrance of a local hospital. It was the dead of winter, with a massive blizzard howling. Robin spiked a dangerously high fever and permanently lost a portion of his hearing. Yet, as the male lead, he possessed a unique protagonist perk—telepathy. From that day on, even though his physical world grew muted and quiet, the malicious thoughts of everyone around him constantly screamed in his head. I stood at the hospital entrance, looking down at the baby sleeping soundly in my arms, and said bluntly, "Since you expect me to complete a mission, you need to give me a cheat code. Like unlimited funds, for example. Otherwise, your male lead is going to starve to death." [Is this really allowed?] The System sounded incredibly anxious after unlocking the funds for me, asking for the thirteenth time, [Should I just fast-forward you ten years into the future?] "Let's not be a predator," I wagged my finger. "I am twenty-two years old. When it comes to a romance mission, raising a one-year-old is acceptable. Hitting on an eighteen-year-old is not. Sixteen is absolutely out of the question, and eleven is just criminal." The System: [...] Bathing in the radiant light of my morality and respect for the law, it fell into a daze, utterly speechless. "Let's go," I said. "We have a lot of work to do." For starters, I needed to look up the licensing requirements and qualifications needed to take over an orphanage. The Haven Children's Home, where Robin was originally supposed to end up, was horribly mismanaged. But that didn't matter. I could overhaul it myself. I wrapped the baby's blanket a little tighter and carried him into the hospital. "Hopefully we're not too late, and his hearing can still be saved." 02 The System forged all the necessary legal identification for me. First, I got Robin fully treated at the hospital. Then, I officially took over the dilapidated Haven Children's Home. The facility had been bankrupt and effectively abandoned for years. There were no children and no staff. It was only temporarily seized by the county this year, leaving everything in complete chaos and desperate need of rebuilding. My previous job in the real world had been at a foster facility, so I was incredibly familiar with the protocols—especially with the System helping me cut through the red tape. Robin was an abandoned infant. After the hospital handed his case to the police, I pulled some strings, officially fostered him, and brought him into Haven Children's Home as its very first and only child. It was the exact same trajectory as the original plot, but the difference was that this time, the director of the orphanage was me. While caring for Robin, I simultaneously reconstructed the entire facility, systematically upgrading the infrastructure and living conditions. Everything progressed incredibly smoothly, which left the System in a state of profound shock. Because Robin's affection meter toward me was skyrocketing. It was already at eighty. I wasn't surprised in the slightest. For a toddler, the person they love the most is obviously the one who feeds and cuddles them every single day. Even though Robin didn't understand the complex concept of "love" yet, he had already learned to reach his chubby little arms out whenever I approached, flashing me a goofy, toothy smile. Whenever this happened, the System would mutter to itself: [How is this happening? You can do it like this? I didn't know you could do it like this...] I ignored its existential crisis, looking up at the beautifully renovated children's home. "The efficiency is great. Now I just need to figure out if there are decent educational facilities nearby." I had reviewed the local zoning laws. A children's home was legally permitted to operate its own on-site school, but Haven currently didn't meet the strict educational standards. I was going to have to work harder. The System: [...] It didn't understand human zoning laws, so it chose to remain silent. Because I got him to the hospital in time and took meticulous care of him, Robin grew up to be exceptionally healthy. By the time he was three, he was running and jumping everywhere, calling me "Miss Ellie" in his sweet, milky voice. Little Robin looked up at me and asked, "Miss Ellie, what does my name mean?" I picked him up and told him that on the day he came into this world, it was snowing. And his mother happened to love robins, the little birds that brave the winter. He was still too young to grasp the permanence of death and separation, but I didn't want to erase the beautiful origin of his name just to protect him. Robin nodded, half-understanding. "My name means the bird mommy liked. And mommy liked me too." "Yes," I gently stroked his hair. "She loved you very much." He beamed, flashing that same goofy, adorable smile. On the day I taught Robin how to write his own name, I asked the System, "Are there different types of Systems out there?" [Umm...] The System was stumped by my question and thought about it seriously. [I don't know for sure, but we are all Romance Systems.] "You guys," I caught the nuance in its phrasing. "You have coworkers?" [Yes, but I don't have a name.] "Do they have names?" [They all picked names for themselves,] the System said blankly. [My friends are named Clemency, Justice, Medic, and Scholar...] I asked, "Why don't you give yourself a name like they did?" The System hesitated for a few seconds. [Because some of the older Systems said they were slacking off. They said that once you pick a name, you end up getting distracted by other things instead of the mission.] "You can do other things too. Like helping me run this children's home," I said. "I'm still technically doing the romance mission, so it's not slacking off." [Really?] The System sounded suddenly excited. [I can pick my own name too?] "Yes," I said warmly. "What do you want to be called?" [Then... I want to run this home with you,] it said. [I want to be called Felix. It means lucky and happy.] I smiled. "Felix. I like it." It went quiet for a long time, but I guessed it had probably run off to share the good news with its friends. 03 On the day Haven Children's Home officially reopened its doors to the public, I brought Robin with me to welcome the new kids. I had read the files. Likely due to the gravitational pull of the original plot, Robin's former childhood sweetheart and future white moonlight, Chloe Bennett, was among the new arrivals. Her parents had both died in a tragic car accident, after which she was sent to the orphanage. In the original timeline, when she was eight, her adoptive parents took her and immigrated overseas. The plot didn't dwell much on that period, but for Chloe to go from a sweet, innocent little girl to a classic, vicious antagonist later on, her time overseas must have been utterly miserable. I carefully reviewed her file and realized that the couple who originally adopted her hadn't actually met the strict legal requirements for adoption at all. It was another failure of the welfare system's lack of oversight. So, looking at the timid, trembling little girl in front of me, I crouched down and gently rubbed her head. "Don't be scared, Chloe. This is your home now." She looked at me with wide, innocent eyes. Perhaps because my gaze was entirely patient, and sensitive children could easily detect the absence of malice, she cautiously reached out her chubby little hand and grasped my finger. The adorable little girl still had tear tracks on her pale cheeks, but as I held her in my arms and gave her a piece of candy, she showed her very first smile of the day, softly mirroring the others and calling me, "Miss Ellie." Robin, meanwhile, kept a very serious, tight expression on his face, nervously but proudly leading the new kids on a tour of the facility. I had officially assigned this task to him. He took his responsibility very seriously, acting like a true senior resident, weaving in and out among the crowd of new children. I watched him comfort one crying toddler, hand a piece of candy to another, and pump his little fist, swearing that this was the absolute best home in the world. I couldn't help but laugh. That afternoon, I put the kids down for their naps. Robin was clearly too excited to sleep. He even leaned in and whispered to me, "Miss Ellie, out of all the new kids today, I like Caleb the most. He's so cool!" Me: "Oh? Is that so?" The name Caleb Thorne... why did it sound so familiar? I looked at the birthmark on the little boy named Caleb's face and finally remembered: Wasn't this Robin's future mortal enemy, the terrifying mob boss Caleb Thorne?! Me: Looks like I need to move the legal and ethics classes up the schedule. Right now, Caleb was incredibly timid. He kept his head down and rarely spoke. Because of the large birthmark on his face and some minor developmental delays, his biological parents had abandoned him. Abandonment is a felony. Seeing the deep insecurity and sadness in Caleb's eyes, I pulled Robin aside. He must have heard my internal thoughts, because his face crumpled into a sad expression. He said gloomily, "Miss Ellie, did Caleb's mommy and daddy really not want him?" Robin, with his telepathy, never hid anything from me. But we had pinky-promised that his ability was our special secret. So I answered him seriously. "What his mommy and daddy did was very wrong. They broke the law, and they will be punished." Robin looked confused but nodded. "I want to be his friend." "Then take him out to the garden to play," I suggested. "Didn't you tell me yesterday that you wanted a friend to go on the seesaw with you?" Robin's eyes lit up, but then he wilted again. "But it's nap time right now." "That's okay, today is a special exception," I ruffled his hair. "Robin, from now on, we are Caleb's family. I want Caleb to be happy. Can you help me do that?" Robin puffed his chest out, full of energy. "I can!" I unlocked the garden doors, waved them out, and watched the two tiny silhouettes cheer quietly as they ran toward the seesaw in the sunlight. I walked back into the dormitory. Sure enough, a bunch of little heads quickly ducked back under their blankets. I stifled a laugh. "Can't anyone sleep?" Dead silence. Only Chloe peeked her head out, pointing a tiny finger toward the garden window. "I want to play with Miss Ellie too," she said in a babyish voice. "Then let's all go out to the garden," I smiled warmly. "But just remember, it's nap time. This is a one-time exception, okay?" "Okay!" The previously anxious and rigid kids instantly lit up, responding in unison. Like a flock of happy little birds, they rushed out into the garden. I strolled leisurely behind them, chatting with Felix. [Why is their affection for you so high, Host? I've never seen a mission progress this fast...] "Have you ever heard a certain story?" I thought for a moment. "A demon sealed in a bottle once promised that whoever freed him would be granted infinite power and wealth. But when a fisherman finally found him centuries later, the demon had grown resentful. He decided to punish the fisherman because he had taken too long to arrive." [That story is in my database.] "Love works the same way," I said calmly. "Winning someone's heart is essentially an exchange. You give love, you receive love. But if someone goes their entire childhood starved of affection, do you really think some calculated, impure affection later in life will win them over? If I had shown up when Robin was fifteen or sixteen, there is absolutely no way I could have ever competed with Chloe, who would have grown up beside him." [So you chose the one-year-old timeline purely to guarantee the mission's success?] "Not entirely." I smiled, scooping up a little girl who ran toward me, gently patting her head. "I just wanted to teach you something." [What is it?] "The word 'romance' or 'capture' is far too narrow," I said. "There are so many different kinds of love in this world. Teaching them what true love looks like—that counts as winning their hearts, too." [Host, you really are different from anyone else I've ever met.] "How many people have you actually met? To me, you're just a kid too," I sat on a swing, holding the little girl in my lap. "Maybe in your System's background check, they saw that 'nurturing' was my actual profession—and that's why you chose me." [Wait, what did you do for a living before?] Felix sounded confused. [But so many people loved you in your old world, Host.] "Did they?" I paused, letting out a very soft laugh. "I used to work in special education." I was the undeniable black sheep of the Vance family. All my siblings had grand ambitions; they either took over corporate empires or became shining stars in the art world. I was the only one who buried myself in a tiny, rural town, volunteered as a teacher for years, then transferred to a special-needs school, and finally just opened my own foster home. Most orphans are not perfectly healthy children. They often carry various physical or psychological traumas. At first, when my family came to visit me, they would be horrified by the occasional bruises or scratches on my arms. They asked me more than once, "Eleanor Vance, have you completely lost your mind?" Outsiders understood it even less. The Vance children were raised in the lap of luxury. Why did Eleanor turn out so thoroughly devoid of aristocratic grace? But in a person's life, there are always one or two defining moments that completely change who they are. I had no intention of judging what was "noble" or "low-class," nor did I want to use grandiose words to prove how "transcendent" I was. In truth, I was just an incredibly ordinary person among the masses who happened to choose this specific path. So, I brushed off their doubts and mockery with a simple smile. "Just like the rest of you, I'm just doing what I want to do." Felix asked me, [So, what was the event that completely changed you?] "Who knows," I said. "My childhood memories are pretty blurry now. But there must have been something like that." Actually, I did remember. I remembered when my elite private school held a charity event. We dressed up in our fancy little dresses and tailored suits and went to the special education school next door to hand out gifts. But we didn't actually meet a single student that day. I overheard their teachers saying they were worried the kids might hurt us, so they locked them all in their dormitories. We just placed books and clothes on their empty desks, took some PR photos, and prepared to leave. I saw a book sitting on one of the desks. It was a fairy tale book, and scrawled on the cover in crooked handwriting was a single line: Timmy asked, what do stars look like? I want to know too. Do they taste like candy? In that fairy tale, the stars in the sky were all made of candy. Could Timmy not see the stars? And what about the owner of the book—had he never tasted candy? I looked down at my pristine, expensive dress, reached into my pocket, and struggled to pull out a single piece of candy. I quietly slipped it inside the pages of the book. Before we left, I glanced back at the dormitory building. I saw a few smudged, dirty little faces pressed against the windows, watching us. I suddenly felt incredibly sad. I had only brought one piece of candy, and I had only left one. I could only let one child taste the stars. 04 I spent the next week working non-stop. The arrival of the new kids brought life and vitality to this small patch of land, but it also brought a mountain of new responsibilities. From things as small as choosing the brand of milk the kids drank, to things as massive as hiring new teachers—as a one-woman management team, I had to handle everything personally. Thankfully, I had the ultimate cheat code, Felix. He helped me monitor the children's status to prevent any accidents. Otherwise, even if I split myself into three people, I wouldn't have been able to keep up. Our home wasn't huge. I had already hired cooks, cleaners, nurses, and care aides. But the role of academic educators was crucial, especially since I planned to set up actual classes soon. I needed people who were absolutely reliable. After several rounds of interviews, I finally found someone who perfectly matched what I was looking for. She was a girl who, based purely on looks, could have been a movie star. She was young, with a neat bob cut, bright eyes, a gentle personality, and a small red mole near the corner of her eye. Honestly, I could tell her family was probably quite wealthy. From her elegant speech to her natural grace, she gave off the aura of a girl who had been cherished her entire life. Yet, her skin was tanned, and her cheeks carried the distinct, rosy flush of someone who had spent a lot of time working outdoors under the harsh sun. "My name is Clara Hayes," the girl said, her eyes shining like stars. "It's wonderful to meet you, Miss Vance." I reached out and shook her hand. "Welcome aboard, Clara." Clara's hiring freed up a lot of my time to focus on getting the kids' education sorted out. Well-funded orphanages usually had their own on-site classrooms, while smaller ones sent the kids to local public schools. Considering the special needs of several of our children, I decided to set up separate, in-house classes for them. After finalizing the paperwork, Clara and I hired a few more subject teachers and officially launched the in-house curriculum. Since we didn't have that many kids, we only formed one main class. We held a democratic vote for the name, and the kids loved the word "Seedlings." And just like that, Haven Children's Home's very first class, the Seedlings Class, was born. I was highly experienced in this field, and Clara had clearly done extensive homework, so the classes ran incredibly smoothly. In early childhood development, the priority isn't just cramming facts; it's about building good habits and forming healthy personalities. I set up a Storytime class, reading them a new fairy tale every single day. In the world of fairy tales, the storm always passes, the villains always lose, the princess meets her prince, the ugly duckling becomes a beautiful swan, and the little animals you save always return to repay your kindness. Life is obviously more than just fairy tales. Maybe when they grow up, they'll realize the world isn't exactly like the stories. But I still wanted them to believe in the magic of those tales for now. However, right after my Storytime, Clara would come in to teach Safety Education. While you shouldn't harbor malicious intent toward others, you must always stay guarded. I could teach them to be kind to the world, but someone also needed to teach them that not everyone is kind. They needed to learn to be vigilant and know how to protect themselves. I appointed Robin as the Class President of the Seedlings Class. The little boy immediately awakened to a fierce sense of "civic duty," dedicating every day to maintaining peace and harmony in the classroom. The little president was usually brimming with fighting spirit, but occasionally, he faced setbacks. Like today. "Miss Ellie, Caleb cried today," he said, resting his chin gloomily on my knee. "I heard him thinking about why his mommy and daddy didn't want him." Ever since Caleb moved into the home, he had become much more cheerful, but sometimes, in the late afternoons, he would still cry secretly. Robin couldn't solve his friend's emotional distress, so he came to me for advice. When I told Robin his story, I said his mother loved him very much. Because of that, Robin couldn't comprehend why Caleb's parents would abandon their own child. I rubbed Robin's head gently. "Robin, people are all different. Some parents... just don't love their children." Robin pursed his lips. "Then why did they have him?" "There are many reasons, and we can't always know them. But what I want to tell you is that Caleb's parents abandoning him is a crime," I said. "There are a lot of abandoned children in this world. Caleb is lucky to have a friend like you to care about him, but many other kids don't even have friends." Robin's dark eyes went wide. "Really?" "Yes," I offered him a suggestion. "When you get a little older, you and Caleb can work together to protect all the kids out there who are just like him." Robin listened intently, stood up, and his little feet pitter-pattered toward the door. "I'm going to tell Caleb! Bye, Miss Ellie!" I smiled warmly. "Go on, Robin." In truth, in the original novel, Caleb was fiercely protective of his people. The subordinates in his mafia syndicate were mostly street orphans—kids without parents. I didn't believe that was a coincidence. Even though the photos from the plot files showed a terrifying man with a birthmark and eyes devoid of emotion, perhaps, in his own lonely childhood, he had desperately craved that exact kind of protection. They say that the things people do as adults are often ways to overcompensate for their childhood traumas. I thought to myself: At the very least, Caleb definitely isn't going to become a mob boss this time around.
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