The System told me to raise the kid. But I was totally useless growing up. The young villain came home holding two perfect test papers: "I'm going to Harvard!" I shoved my Call of Duty controller at him: "What good is Harvard? Help me hit Rank A first!" After finals, the young villain looked crushed: "I got the highest score in the grade, but it was one point lower than last time. I need tutoring." I promised while eating takeout: "Sure thing." I immediately enrolled him in a Gourmet Cooking class. During his rebellious phase, the villain said he was going to the arcade. Afraid he'd get into trouble, I secretly followed him. I watched him detour straight into the public library. I thought, Seriously? Years later, the Harvard-educated villain became a rising star in the business world, achieving massive success. During a speech at his alma mater, someone asked his secret to success. He looked down at me—sitting in the audience, chewing a massive piece of gum, playing a mobile game, and listening to an audiobook—and said coolly, "Having a very fun-loving aunt." I thought, Wait, what? 1 When the System brought me to Luke, he had just lost his mother. He wore a black armband, his long lashes lowered as he quietly wrote at his desk. Hearing the commotion, the thin young boy barely lifted his eyes, gave me a fleeting, neutral glance, and buried himself back in his books. System: "Alright, your current identity is his..." I jumped in immediately: "Aunt." System: "A stepmother wouldn't work? It sounds so much cooler and distant." I argued: "What do you know? An Aunt is the most loving, glamorous person in a kid's life! Rich and stylish! I was my Aunt's most loyal servant growing up! See? Instant connection!" With that, I flipped my big, wavy hair, walked forward on ten-inch heels, and flashed a charming smile. "Luke?" The lean boy didn't stop writing. He murmured a quiet "Mm." "It's almost Christmas break. Why are you still studying?" I reached out to ruffle his soft hair. "Such a good boy..." The moment my hand touched him, Luke violently flinched away. He instantly covered his head with both hands, eyes tightly shut. His whole body was trembling slightly. I froze. Just as I was about to ask what was wrong, I saw the bruises on his wrist—a vivid blue-purple against his pale skin. The System explained: Luke's mother had developed a mental illness after the divorce. When she was well, she'd cook and clean for Luke. When she had an episode, she would see a 99% score on his test and beat him with a willow switch. She would scream hysterically, "I work myself to the bone to provide for you! Is this how you repay me? You won't do anything else! You will only study! I only have you left! If you don't succeed later, I'm ruined!" Eventually, her voice would fade to a thin, strained whisper: "Luke, are you hurt? Come here, let Mommy rub it better..." Luke would crawl up from the floor, raw, bloody stripes crisscrossing his delicate skin. He never cried or hid. He would let his mother vent, then quietly say, "It doesn't hurt, Mom. I'm going back to study." And he would sit perfectly still at his desk. Even though his shoulders ached, he would stubbornly grip the pen and start writing, crookedly. 2 I listened in silence. I felt a pang of relief that Luke’s mother was finally gone. Forgive me, Buddha, for my uncharitable thoughts. 3 I might not know much about raising kids, but I was a kid once. I decided to give Luke the happiest, most unforgettable childhood ever. I grabbed the System’s foot and shook, shake, shook until a stack of cash and a black card fell out. "Thanks for the cash." The System clung to my leg, pitifully. "Host, that's my emergency fund!" I used my best manipulation tactic: "I'm not saying I won't pay you back! I'll give you half the gold coins I earn once the mission is done!" Gold coins were way more valuable than earthly money. The System instantly straightened up, happily wagging its nonexistent tail. "Spend it all! Don't hold back!" That evening, I wheeled a small cart piled with snack bags and burst through the door with a dramatic shout. "Luuuuke! Guess who's here!" I dumped the snack bag onto Luke's book-covered desk. Then I hauled a stack of the newest smartphones, tablets, laptops, and game consoles off the cart. I shoved the whole pile into Luke's arms. "Here, your Christmas gifts from Auntie." Luke looked stunned. His dark eyes flickered between me and the mountain of snacks and gadgets. After a moment, he tightened his lips and said in a quiet voice, "Thank you, Auntie. I will study hard." He bent down to pick up his fallen pen, intending to return to his work. The poor kid! I grabbed his arm. "I didn't buy these to motivate you to study!" Luke blinked, looking utterly confused. I pulled his hand. "Stop studying. Come on, Auntie is taking you out to have some fun!" When it came to fun, no one could beat me. I was the biggest distraction in my circle growing up. My parents were easygoing, thinking that as long as I was healthy and happy, that was enough. I agreed with them. Just existing is hard enough. 4 I took Luke out. We ate snacks, played video games, and even sang karaoke until almost midnight. We then went outside and set off fireworks together. Luke wanted to go to sleep. I yawned. "Auntie is getting old. I can't hang anymore." I stumbled inside and collapsed on the sofa. The System also collapsed near my feet, exhausted. "You are such a chaos agent..." When I got up later to use the restroom, I saw the light on in Luke's room. Through the crack in the door, the slender-shouldered boy in a clean white shirt was writing, head bowed. The clock showed 3:30 AM. I burst through the door. "Luke!" The boy jumped, turning to me with a flicker of genuine fear in his eyes. "I'm almost done reviewing this week's content! I won't play anymore! Auntie, please don't be mad..." I was confused. "What are you talking about? I just wanted you to sleep..." The System whispered in my ear: "Before, Luke's mom took him out for fun, and then had an episode that night. She beat him and forced him to study all night to 'make up' for the lost time..." Oh, Luke had PTSD. He automatically assumed I would do the same. The shadow his mother left was bone-deep. My heart ached. I walked over and took the pen from his hand. "You're already doing great. But rest is more important. Health comes first. I don't care about grades. I just want you to be happy and healthy, okay?" Luke looked puzzled, but he responded obediently. "Okay, thank you, Auntie." System: "He didn't listen at all. His mom's influence is too deep." I smiled. "It's okay. We have plenty of time." 5 I stayed up late again. Half-asleep, I heard the System reciting vocabulary. "Hysterical... what's the English word for hysterical?" I didn't open my eyes. "Hysteria is 'meltdown.' Histeri is 'delicious'..." Wait a minute. Something was wrong. Seriously wrong. I shot out of bed and saw the System sitting there, holding a textbook, looking smug in a pair of fake gold-rimmed glasses. I kicked the book away. "What are you doing? Are you studying for a PhD?" The System pushed up its glasses. "Seeing Luke study has deeply moved me. I don't want to be an ignorant schmuck anymore. I want to improve myself." I caught the important part. "Luke is still studying!" I looked at the wall clock. 4:00 AM. Seriously? I rushed to Luke's room. Sure enough, he was hunched over his books. "No, no, no. He's going to study himself to death." I negotiated a deal with Luke. He could only study until midnight every day. Otherwise, Auntie would blast karaoke in his room. Luke frowned but agreed. System: "Hehe, Host, do you know why he agreed so fast?" Me: "Why?" System: "Because your singing is absolutely terrible." I thought, You just wait. 6 It was Luke's birthday. I baked a strawberry cake with messy writing: "Happy Birthday, Luke!" I forced the System to transform into a cute tabby cat. When Luke saw the little cat in my arms, his eyes lit up. I handed him the cat generously. "Feel free to pet him!" The System wasn't used to being held and opened its mouth to bite Luke's arm. I coughed. The System instantly snapped its mouth shut, glaring at me furiously. The candles were lit. The warm, yellow glow reflected in the boy's dark eyes. "Happy Birthday to you~" System: "Meow meow meow~" I cut a slice and handed it to Luke. "For our cute birthday boy!" System: "Meow meow meow meow meow!" Luke looked at the cake, hesitated, then took it and ate it in small bites. Satisfied, I was about to cut another slice. Then, Thump. Luke fell straight down, eyes closed. A rash of red hives quickly spread over his pale neck. I gasped. System: "MEOW!!" I swatted it. "You're too old to be cute, got it? Call 911!" At the hospital, I learned Luke was severely allergic to milk and couldn't eat anything containing it. When I returned, the boy on the hospital bed was awake. His small, thin face looked fragile in the cold light. Our eyes met. His dark eyes flickered with a brief hint of fear. I rushed over, my eyes tearing up. "Luke!!!" Luke stammered, his eyes wide with panic. "Auntie, I'm fine. I won't fall behind in my studies. I can go home right now..." Before he could finish, he felt a warmth settle on him. He looked up to see my worried face. I was pulling a gigantic, bright red, floral-patterned puffer jacket onto him that I'd bought from a shop downstairs. "Come on, arms up." Luke was confused but obediently raised his arms. I quickly bundled him into the jacket, stepped back to admire my work, and couldn't help but laugh. "A little festive, huh?" Luke thought, Seriously? "You must be warm now. I rushed out and didn't grab a proper coat, so I just bought this." Luke nodded hesitantly, then whispered cautiously, "Auntie, I'm sorry. I wasted your time..." I ruffled his hair. "Nonsense." "Do you know you're allergic to milk? You have to remember that! You scared me half to death..." "I know." My smile froze. "What?" Luke turned his head, his long lashes fluttering. "I knew I was allergic to milk." "Then why did you eat it?" I was genuinely frustrated. Was this kid trying to hurt himself? "But you spent a long time making that cake..." I froze. The noise around me seemed to fade. A warmth spread from my chest to my eyes. I sighed and stroked his head. "It was my fault for not checking. But listen, I made that cake because I wanted to. It wasn't a form of moral blackmail to make you eat it even if you're allergic." "I only want you to take good care of yourself first, not prioritize other people's feelings." "Got it?" Luke nodded. I wasn't sure if he understood, but his eyes seemed to brighten a little, like packed snow reflecting the winter sun.
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