He who gathers firewood for the multitude should not be allowed to freeze in the snowstorm.

Holy crap! Save her!

Without a moment's hesitation, Ye Shu leaped into the river, swimming straight toward the white figure.

Pushing aside the driftwood, he found a woman in white inside.

Her entire body was submerged under the water, with only her face and the two balloons on her chest floating on the surface.

Seeing that it was indeed a person, Ye Shu's face turned bitter.

This could be considered accidental injury.

Carrying the woman onto the riverbank, he gently placed her on the ground.

The woman's face was pale, her lips purple and bruised, and her skin was swollen. Ye Shu tried pressing it with his hand; the skin caved in and didn't bounce back for a long time. Obviously, she had been soaking in the water for a long time, completely bloated.

Seeing this, Ye Shu immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

This definitely wasn't because he accidentally injured her and knocked her into the water, but rather she had been floating in the stream for a while and just happened to be pinned by the wood.

He checked her breathing again.

Her breath was weak, but she was still alive.

If it weren't for those two large fruits keeping her afloat on the surface, she probably would have drowned long ago.

Tsk, tsk, tsk, I didn't expect them to have this kind of function.

Ye Shu clicked his tongue in wonder.

Since he had already saved her, he might as well follow through and help her to the end.

It definitely wasn't because he was attracted to her or anything.

On the other side, Xiaobai and Danxia stepped forward to check at the same time. After seeing the woman's face clearly, they both let out an exclamation of surprise.

How could it be her?

Who?

Ye Shu was using his spiritual energy to dry the woman's clothes. Seeing their expressions, he couldn't help but feel a little confused.

She is Xia Hanmo!

Xiaobai shouted loudly.

Huh?

Ye Shu froze.

Xia Hanmo? The pure, cute, elegant, beautiful, and kind-hearted healer sister in this world's setting?

Is she the same species as this swollen woman?

She, she is Xia Hanmo! Xiaobai waved her little hands, looking certain. Although her face is a bit swollen, it's definitely Xia Hanmo. How could she have drowned?

But now is not the time to think about this. Her big eyes darted around. She must have been reborn too!

Danxia beside her also frowned and said lightly.

Shu'er, this girl must have also been reborn. Maybe, like Feng Mengli, she hates you to the bone.

Although I don't know why she is like this, but...

She didn't finish her words, but her meaning was already very clear.

There was no need to take on potential risks for a girl who wasn't injured by them.

Xiaobai didn't speak.

Although the female lead was very important, she also clearly knew that these female leads were no longer the female leads in her settings.

They had very likely become the system's minions.

However.

Ye Shu kept his head down, his hands not stopping.

Seeing this, Danxia thought he didn't hear clearly, so she continued to speak: Shu'er, there's no need for you to take on potential risks for someone you didn't injure. Throw her back into the water.

That is her own fate.

Ye Shu still kept his head down.

No need? I don't understand!

Wh-what?

Danxia was stunned, and Xiaobai was also stunned. She couldn't help but speak: You guy, you're clearly not the type who can't walk when seeing a female lead, right? You even hacked Feng Mengli to death, how come you're now...

I'm not saving her because she's a female lead, Ye Shu said lightly.

Then why are you?

Xiaobai frowned, a bit puzzled.

Let me ask you, let me ask you, Ye Shu asked while skillfully pulling off the Little Fairy Doctor's storage ring. Is she a good person? Has she helped many people, allowing those who should have died to survive?

Y-yes...

Xiaobai nodded.

This was a matter of course. Among all the female leads, only Xia Hanmo would offer free medical consultations and go into the mountains to gather herbs herself. The number of people she had saved was countless, making her a modern-day Hua Tuo.

Otherwise, she wouldn't be called the Little Fairy Doctor.

Then let me ask you again.

Ye Shu continued, Am I a good person?

Before Xiaobai could answer, Ye Shu had already answered first: If I am a good person, and I see a good person who has saved countless lives fall into the water, shouldn't I save her?

Y-yes.

Xiaobai nodded with difficulty, then stomped her foot.

But! She was reborn! What if she wakes up and instead of thanking you, attacks you? Even if she is a good person, to you, she is a threat!

You still don't understand.

Ye Shu gently shook his head.

In the end, she hasn't done anything yet. She is unconscious right now, and I don't know how she will treat me, but it is a hard fact that she has saved countless people in the past. If I judge an innocent person now because of what might happen in the future.

Then, what is the difference between me and Feng Mengli?

And those who want to kill me after being reborn.

What's the difference?

Mr. Lu Xun once said, 'Do not let the one who gathers firewood for the masses freeze to death in the wind and snow.'

I'm saving her not because she is the female lead.

But because she has done a lot for the weak.

Xiaobai was completely stunned. B-but they, but, you were hunted down by Feng Mengli. Under such circumstances, even if you became like them, it would be understandable, right?

Hearing this, Ye Shu chuckled.

Have you ever heard of soil erosion?

Soil erosion?

Xiaobai frowned, not understanding the meaning.

Of course I've heard of it. Isn't it just when the river flows and takes the soil from the riverbank into the river?

Exactly.

Ye Shu nodded, pointing at the riverbank of the stream: The environment is like the river water. There are far too many people in this world who are changed by the environment, as many as the grains of sand carried away by the water.

The people who are not changed are few.

As few as the big trees on the riverbank.

There is no fault in being sand. Everyone wants to have an easier time and just go with the flow, there is nothing wrong with that. But if everyone wants to be sand, who will be the tree?

As the river washes over, the riverbed gets higher and higher.

Eventually, the river breaks its banks, and the people are left destitute and homeless.

I don't have the right to force others to be a tree, but I can choose to be a tree, holding onto the sand around me. Maybe new trees will grow from this sand.

Most importantly—

Ye Shu smiled slightly.

I am the protagonist. If the protagonist is just sand going with the flow, then what kind of protagonist is that?

The protagonist, of course, should be a big tree.

Y-you guy... Xiaobai looked at Ye Shu's lowered back, speechless and infatuated.

For a moment, she was actually entranced.

And Danxia had been watching silently from the side the whole time.

Finally, she spoke.

Shu'er, is that a healing pill you're feeding her?

Ah? You mean this?

Ye Shu held a dark green pill and placed it into Xia Hanmo's mouth.

It seems to be poison.