Beginning or Hell

【Host: Su Cheng】

【Intelligence: 8】

【Charm: 8】

【Stamina: 6】

【System: A great ship bears a heavy burden; a swift horse runs far.】

【Status: Archery Champion】

【Club: Archery Club】

【Wealth: 3,639 yuan】

【System Skill: Hungry Ghost Path】

【Charm Talent Skill: Abyssal Charisma】

【Intelligence Talent Skill: Adaptability - Enhanced Perception】

【System Items: Mysterious Cigarettes (Hard) 8/pack, Mysterious Cigarettes (Soft) 15/pack, Ringed Dagger, Red Potion, Mysterious Glasses.】

"I like Su Cheng!"

When the voice recorder played this sentence, Su Cheng was initially confused, instinctively wondering how Cornelia's voice could be on the recorder. But as soon as the system notification sounded, he was completely stunned.

【Ding——】

"Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap!"

This time, he blurted out three expletives in a row.

Even with just a single "ding," he knew it was a reward, not a punishment, because his body didn’t show any signs of stress.

Sure enough——

【Ding——】

【Character Information Loading】

【Target: William Henry Cornelia】

【Intelligence: 4.8】

【Charm: 8】

【Stamina: 3】

【Status: Daughter of the British Envoy to Yan】

【Character Level: A】

【Ding——】

【Judgment: Confirmed as her voice, but not a face-to-face confession. Reward reduced. Future rewards of this type will continue to diminish.】

【A- Grade Reward has been sent to the system space. Please check.】

【System Note: A-grade rewards are not random but tailored to the host's current needs.】

"Check the reward!"

Su Cheng took a deep breath. Although the reward was reduced, it was still an A-grade reward. He calmed himself and clicked to view the system reward.

He only hoped it would be an item that could cure Li Guanqi’s facial paralysis. Right now, he had no interest in anything else.

【Time Stop】

【One-time Skill】

【Effect: Stops the flow of time / Halts temporal changes】

【Duration: 10 minutes】

【System: When the host activates this skill, the flow of time will pause, and the concept of temporal change will be suspended across the entire universe. Only the host can move freely within a limited range.】

【Restriction: Can only be activated in subway/bus/tram scenarios and can only be used within those environments.】

"Isn’t this skill stolen from some weird Japanese adult film or something?"

Su Cheng couldn’t help but facepalm as he read the description.

At this moment, he didn’t even know where to start criticizing this skill.

There were just too many issues.

Time Stop was an incredibly overpowered ability, but with only 10 minutes, it might work for dealing with ordinary people.

But he felt the duration should be at least three hours!

"Wait, that’s not the point!"

Su Cheng shook his head, trying to rid his mind of the strange scenes from those adult films he’d seen before.

"Even with the restrictions, it might come in handy someday."

He muttered to himself, turning his gaze to his system interface. He noticed that the "Time Stop" skill was currently grayed out, indicating it couldn’t be used. It seemed he really had to be on a bus or similar transport to activate it.

However...

He glanced at the "Time Stop" skill and then at the voice recorder, his expression shifting unpredictably.

To be honest, he wasn’t too excited about the "Time Stop" skill. He’d already grown tired of playing around with "Time Reversal."

Having experienced so much, he was already accustomed to these unimaginable abilities. But there was something else that excited him.

He held the voice recorder up to his ear and played it again.

"Su Cheng, I like you!"

As expected, the system didn’t make a sound this time.

"Still, not bad."

Su Cheng looked out the window. It was already completely dark outside.

If the reward continued to diminish at this rate, listening to it again at midnight would likely yield a B-grade reward—probably random attribute points, and then money after that.

Although he had previously declared he wouldn’t do system tasks, he wasn’t about to turn down free rewards.

"Senpai really knows how to pick unique gifts!"

Su Cheng grinned. Despite not getting the item he wanted, this gift still pleased him. At least he had figured out the rules and possibilities.

As for the Time Stop skill?

It was probably because he had once been on a bus, desperately wanting to sleep but unable to due to time constraints. At that moment, he had subconsciously wished for a skill like Time Stop.

And now, here it was. Following this pattern, the next A-grade reward might just be the item to cure Li Guanqi.

"Knock, knock, knock~"

Just then, there was a rapid knocking at the door, startling Su Cheng out of his thoughts.

He quickly stood up and walked to the door, peering through the peephole. To his surprise, Liu Qingyue was standing outside, dressed in casual clothes and dragging a suitcase, pressing the doorbell.

Su Cheng was puzzled.

Didn’t Senpai go back to serve Ji Qingyi?

Why was she at his place now?

Without hesitation, he opened the door.

As soon as he did——

"Junior!"

Liu Qingyue stumbled in, collapsing onto the sofa, sweat dripping from her forehead. She looked like she had been running in a hurry.

This woman had a stamina of nine! What could have made her so frantic?

Su Cheng couldn’t help but ask, "Senpai, what happened?"

Liu Qingyue looked up at him, her eyes filled with helplessness and pity. "I had a fight with the young lady, and I ran away."

"Huh? Why?"

This shocked Su Cheng.

Things had escalated so quickly?

A full-blown argument?

Curiosity got the better of him, and he pressed further, "What was it about? It wasn’t because of me, was it?"

He swallowed hard, because it really could have been about him!

"No!"

Liu Qingyue lowered her head and rubbed her eyes for a while before looking up again. She looked like a child abandoned by her parents, her beautiful eyes glistening with tears. "Junior, you’ll let me stay here tonight, won’t you?"

At that moment, her eyes were filled with a mix of expectation and grievance, as if Su Cheng was her only lifeline.

Faced with such a look, anyone would feel pity. But Su Cheng was an exception.

Because the person before him was a troublemaker.

He took a few steps back and quickly shook his head. "Senpai, first explain what happened."

"Are you seriously stepping back like that? Such a small action, yet it hurts so much!"

Liu Qingyue widened her eyes in disbelief, gesturing dramatically with her hands, her beautiful eyes staring pitifully at Su Cheng.

"Ahem." Su Cheng coughed awkwardly. "I know you’re upset, but don’t rush. Take your time and explain. No hurry."

He sat down nearby, ready to listen attentively.

Liu Qingyue’s cheeks flushed slightly, and she bit her lip.

She began slowly, "When I went back tonight, the young lady kept giving me unreasonable orders, one after another. She doesn’t understand how hard I work, and she’s so selfish."

At this point, she wiped away nonexistent tears and continued, "I felt so wronged. I’ve been serving her tirelessly, but she never shows any gratitude. Today, she even found excuses to pick on me. I don’t understand why she’s so dissatisfied with me, even resorting to underhanded tactics."

"I see."

Su Cheng nodded thoughtfully. "From what you’re saying, she really was a bit too much."

"Right, right!"

Liu Qingyue nodded eagerly, her eyes lighting up.

"So, Junior, can I stay here tonight? I really have nowhere else to go."

Su Cheng thought for a moment and then asked, "So you just ran away?"

"Yes, that’s right."

Liu Qingyue nodded and explained, "Tomorrow at 10 a.m., I have to go back to your hometown. So tonight, I need to stay here for a while. I’ll leave quietly tomorrow morning."

"Alright."

Although Su Cheng had a lingering feeling that Liu Qingyue was hiding something, he didn’t press her for details. After all, they were both women, and some secrets were understandable.

"Junior, here are two bags of chips. One for you."

Liu Qingyue took a bag of chips from her suitcase and handed it to Su Cheng, her face adorned with a gentle smile.

"Thank you, Senior."

"You're welcome."

Liu Qingyue opened her bag of chips, tore open the packaging, and stuffed a piece into her mouth. Chewing with her mouth full, she asked in a muffled voice, "By the way, Junior, what reward did you get?"

Her gaze fell on the voice recorder in Su Cheng’s hand, her eyes flickering with curiosity.

"Time stop."

Su Cheng didn’t hide it and handed the voice recorder to Liu Qingyue.

"What?!"

Liu Qingyue exclaimed, then quickly lowered her voice, cautiously asking, "Such an amazing reward must come with restrictions, right? Knowing how your system works."

"Yeah."

Su Cheng nodded.

"What are the conditions?"

"It only lasts for 10 minutes, and it can only be used on subways, trains, or buses."

Su Cheng answered briefly.

Liu Qingyue was stunned for a moment, then a strange expression spread across her face. Her eyes even carried a hint of suspicion, as if she were considering whether to call the police. "As far as I know, A-rank rewards are tailored to your current needs—in other words, your subconscious desires. But this reward... Could it be that..."

She leaned back abruptly, her face filled with undisguised disgust and a look that screamed "pervert."

"You’ve got it all wrong."

Su Cheng’s face darkened, realizing she had misunderstood. He quickly explained, "Last time I was on the bus, I was really tired, but I didn’t have time to rest. So, I just thought how great it would be if I could stop time."

"Oh, I see."

Liu Qingyue’s expression finally returned to normal, and she ate another chip.

"How big is the range of effect?"

"The entire universe."

"That powerful?"

"Can the people affected still think and react?"

"I’m not sure. It only says I can move freely."

"Well, be careful when you use it. And let me know beforehand if you’re planning to play around with it."

"Got it."

Su Cheng then looked at Liu Qingyue hesitantly and asked, "Senior, how did you escape President Ji’s clutches?"

Liu Qingyue shook her head. "Let me tell you, she might send someone to capture me soon!"

"No way, she’s sending someone after you?"

Su Cheng frowned. Was it really that serious?

Did Liu Qingyue commit some unforgivable sin?

"Exactly."

Liu Qingyue nodded. "So, Junior, you’ll have to protect me later, okay?"

"Ding dong~"

Just then, Su Cheng’s phone buzzed. He picked it up and saw a message from Ji Qingyi.

He instinctively looked up at Liu Qingyue, who had stopped eating her chips. She shook her head and mouthed, "Just say I’m not here."

Ji Qingyi: "Is she with you?!"

Seeing this menacing message, Su Cheng broke into a cold sweat. He swallowed hard, trying to figure out how to respond.

But before he could, a video call popped up.

Su Cheng hesitated for a moment, then pressed the accept button.

The screen flickered, and Ji Qingyi’s face appeared.

Her expression was completely different from usual. Normally, she was cold and elegant, exuding an air of nobility. But now, her face was filled with rage and murderous intent.

This was the first time Su Cheng had ever seen the Club President in such a state.

Seeing Su Cheng on the screen, Ji Qingyi demanded coldly, "Answer me!"

Su Cheng’s heart skipped a beat, but before he could react, Ji Qingyi’s voice turned even darker. "You actually gave her the item?"

Su Cheng’s heart raced. He turned to look at Liu Qingyue in disbelief.

Item?

What did the Club President mean by that?

Did Senior really use something on her?

*Clatter~*

Suddenly, the bag of chips in his hand fell to the ground.

Senior is really bold!

Su Cheng’s gaze shifted back and forth between Liu Qingyue and the screen, finally landing on Ji Qingyi’s face. His expression was complicated.

"Club President..."

"Speak!"

Ji Qingyi’s tone rose an octave, clearly on the verge of exploding.

Su Cheng swallowed hard and mustered the courage to say, "I was the one who gave her the item. I take responsibility for what happened. But I hope we can talk this through calmly."

He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. After all, if this situation escalated, the consequences would be unimaginable.

As the middleman, he felt it was his duty to step in and find a resolution to their conflict.

"Talk this through calmly?"

Ji Qingyi laughed coldly. "Su Cheng, you continue to surprise me. She’s done something unforgivable, and yet you’re still trying to defend her. Do you even realize she’s betrayed me?"

"I..."

"Enough! Don’t say another word!"

Before Su Cheng could argue further, Ji Qingyi cut him off. She stared coldly into his eyes. "This is between her and me. It’s none of your business. I know you’re close to her, but don’t forget—she’s my subordinate. She’s made a mistake, and I will punish her. If you dare to speak up for her again, don’t call me Club President anymore."

Hearing this, Su Cheng’s heart sank.

Liu Qingyue had been observing his every move. Seeing his reaction, she couldn’t help but roll her eyes and mutter, "What a spineless man..."

"And whose fault is that? You have the nerve to say that!"

Su Cheng immediately shot back, glaring at her.

"I won’t shut up!"

Then, Su Cheng turned back to the screen, his voice rising an octave as well. His face was flushed with anger, as if it were about to burst into flames. His eyes, filled with determination and stubbornness, locked onto Ji Qingyi’s through the screen. "I don’t know exactly what happened between you two. But you’re both my most important wings—no, friends! So now that I’m involved, I won’t let this escalate, no matter who’s right or wrong."