Cracked

"Phew—"

Su Cheng exhaled heavily, his face etched with deep solemnity. After realizing the book contained nothing beyond its table of contents, he flipped back to the title page—where the directory was printed.

『Your longing is the source of memory』

The sentence was scribbled in pencil, as were the subsequent markings.

He stared at the words, lost in thought.

He could tell the handwriting and the markings were left by two different people.

But soon—

It struck him that this might not have been left by the original owner either.

Could it be someone else?

After all, this book was public property—anyone could have borrowed it.

With this in mind, he closed the book and turned his gaze toward the service desk, where an elderly librarian stood.

Though he could check his own borrowing history, he couldn’t trace who had borrowed the book after him. His only option was to ask the old librarian to check the system for him.

If Gu Ruoxue had borrowed it afterward, it would strongly suggest that both the note and the markings were left by the original owner and her.

But here was the problem: such information was private. It wouldn’t be casually disclosed to a stranger—especially not to someone wearing a mask.

He could try pulling strings, but that would be a waste.

So, when in doubt—activate the Fourth Power!

Fourth Power, engage!

He pulled out his phone and messaged his unreliable senior.

"Senior, what are you up to?"

After sending the message, he waited for Liu Qingyue’s reply. To pass the time, he flipped through The World’s Greatest Memory Book again.

A quick skim revealed the content was utterly vapid—just dry theories explaining memory from various angles.

No wonder it was the kind of book people would flip through briefly before putting it back. The chances of it being borrowed were slim.

Finally, ten minutes later, his muted phone buzzed with Liu Qingyue’s reply.

"We just finished afternoon tea and are heading to the orphanage to visit the kids. What do you need help with?"

Su Cheng sighed inwardly.

He had reservations.

Asking for her help often meant she’d find a way to stir up trouble.

But right now, she was his only option.

He explained the situation and asked for her assistance.

Liu Qingyue: "Got it. A library borrowing system? Give me a few minutes!"

A few minutes later—

Liu Qingyue: "Only two people have borrowed this book~"

Su Cheng quickly typed back: "Who?"

Liu Qingyue: "You and Gu Ruoxue."

Liu Qingyue: "You returned it, and she borrowed it that same afternoon. Fun fact—that day happened to be the anniversary of your river-jumping incident."

The words hit him like a sledgehammer, leaving his head ringing.

Liu Qingyue: "Seems like this book was some kind of message left by ‘past’ you. Otherwise, the timing wouldn’t be this coincidental."

Su Cheng took a deep breath, trying to suppress the storm in his chest, and typed: "When did she return it?"

Liu Qingyue: "A week later. My guess? She spent that week observing ‘current’ you. After returning it, she went back to Flame City Private Academy."

Liu Qingyue: "What’s especially interesting is that ‘past’ you deliberately borrowed this book about memory right before jumping into the river. Makes you wonder~"

The words in the chat box sent Su Cheng’s mind into chaos. It confirmed that the original owner had prepared for memory loss (or possession) before his suicide attempt.

Su Cheng’s brow furrowed.

If he knew someone was going to take over his body, he wouldn’t just sit back and accept it—let alone so calmly.

And yet, Gu Ruoxue showed no resistance toward him.

Unless…

He hadn’t been possessed—just lost his memory!

But then, how did his foreign memories fit into this?

"Could it be that I actually crossed over at birth?"

"So, I had memories from another world?"

And the system punished me by erasing this world’s memories?

Leaving only the memories from my past life?

Making me think I was a transmigrator?

Or were these memories a reward from the system?

Too many questions swirled in Su Cheng’s mind.

It felt like his entire worldview had been overturned.

But whether he had crossed over as a child could still be verified. He typed another message to Liu Qingyue: "How different was I before the river incident compared to now?"

He knew Liu Qingyue had investigated him. If the differences were minor, then the "born transmigrator" theory held weight—after all, his past life memories spanned over a decade.

They would’ve dominated.

If the system erased this world’s memories (the original owner’s), then everything would make sense.

Without this world’s memories, he’d only remember his past life.

But Liu Qingyue’s next message shattered his "born transmigrator" theory, hitting him like a thunderbolt.

Liu Qingyue: "The difference is like night and day. Every aspect—diet, clothing, speech, habits, even personality. It’s like those web novels where an ancient cultivator possesses someone’s body."

Su Cheng had no energy to laugh at her xianxia reference.

His mind felt like it had exploded, leaving only one thought:

He wasn’t a born transmigrator.

The original owner had never shared his memories either—otherwise, he wouldn’t have been completely unaffected.

So the truth was—he was just an outsider who crossed over after the river incident?

But then why didn’t Gu Ruoxue resist him, the interloper who took over her boyfriend’s body?

Why did she even save his life?

Su Cheng’s thoughts were a tangled mess. He rubbed his temples, trying to clear his head.

But more questions kept surfacing.

A particularly dark theory took shape in his mind:

Gu Ruoxue’s behavior was all an act.

Her rescuing him, her lack of resistance—it was all a facade.

Everything was for some hidden gain.

With this in mind, he looked back at The World’s Greatest Memory Book on the table. He flipped to the title page again, staring at the sentence left by the original owner.

Was this the only thing the original owner left behind?

No—there was also the inherited coronary heart disease.

But now, through sheer luck, he had cured it. He truly had a healthy body now.

And right after gaining this healthy body, Gu Ruoxue appeared—as his savior, displaying extraordinary abilities before bringing him back here.

As these pieces connected, Su Cheng felt a chill crawl down his spine, cold sweat drenching him.

Of course, this was just speculation.

But his "revival point" had been in that small town.

Everything had started by that little river.

Su Cheng fell into a long silence.

Although this speculation was absurd and unrealistic, he preferred to deceive himself into thinking that Gu Ruoxue had brought him back for some hidden reason—not just to wait until his health recovered...

At this thought...

What should he do about it?

Su Cheng suddenly felt as if he had sunk into quicksand, aware of the treacherous path ahead yet unable to extricate himself.

He closed his eyes, and memories from the past three years since his transmigration flashed before him like a revolving lantern—

It had been over three years since he crossed into this world.

In that time, he had already fulfilled the meaning of his life, even becoming an archer worthy of being recorded in the annals of history.

Could this be considered a perfect life?

Yet...

At this thought, his eyes snapped open, a flicker of pain flashing in their depths. He couldn’t accept it.

He couldn’t accept that his thoughts and the meaning of his life were intertwined, while his body was merely a vessel carrying that entanglement. This sense of disparity left Su Cheng struggling to come to terms with it.

If his speculation turned out to be true...

What should he do?

Should he submit to fate or resist?

His fists clenched involuntarily, his lips trembling slightly.

Finally, he closed his eyes again, and images of Flame City Private Academy’s familiar scenes flooded his mind—the helplessness, fear, and confusion he had felt when he first arrived at the school.

The next moment, he abruptly stood up. The fear, loneliness, and uncertainty gradually faded, replaced by a renewed passion for life.

Ji Qingyi hadn’t given him an answer yet.

His relationship with Li Guanqi wasn’t officially confirmed.

There were still so many things worth cherishing and protecting.

Su Cheng had already made up his mind. Taking a deep breath, he pulled a pencil from his pocket, intending to leave a message at the bottom of the book’s table of contents—

But just as he was about to write, a voice suddenly echoed through the library: "No writing in public books! Please respect the library’s rules!"

Su Cheng was startled, and the pencil slipped from his fingers.

He quickly looked up and saw an elderly professor with silver hair holding a feather duster, glaring sternly at him.

Su Cheng: "......"

"My apologies."

Su Cheng hurriedly picked up the fallen pencil and bowed in apology.

The old professor snorted and walked past him with the feather duster.

Su Cheng exhaled in relief, the solemn atmosphere he had built now completely shattered. How awkward.

Closing the book, he carried it to the shelves, observing the surroundings, waiting for the old man to look away so he could sneakily write his message.

When he saw the professor dusting the shelves ahead, Su Cheng quickly took out his pencil and scribbled a line at the bottom of the table of contents—something more impressive than what the original owner had left.

After finishing, he returned the book to its original spot.

But once it was back in place, he stood there, staring blankly at the title. His purpose in doing this...

If Gu Ruoxue and the original owner could interact...

Then he wasn’t alone either.

He had Ji Qingyi and her attendant, as well as Li Guanqi.

Three against one.

Clearly, he had already won!

A faint smile curled at Su Cheng’s lips, though it carried both bitterness and a sense of release.

With one last glance, he turned and left the library, stepping outside with a surge of emotion—a feeling that always accompanied his most significant decisions.

However, he hadn’t walked far down the street when he ran into two young women.

What’s more, three more girls were hiding not far behind them.

The two in front were none other than Liu Qingyue and Ji Qingyi.

At this moment, Liu Qingyue was beaming with a mature charm, exuding a flirtatious allure, as if she were a newlywed bride, her brows radiating happiness.

Su Cheng was momentarily stunned.

Beside her, Ji Qingyi gave off an air of serene elegance. Though she was wearing makeup, he recognized her instantly—her ethereal, otherworldly grace, like an orchid in a secluded valley, couldn’t be concealed by cosmetics.

And the three girls peeking from behind were Li Guanqi, Xuan Ying, and Zhao Yan.

Su Cheng instinctively stopped in his tracks.

Liu Qingyue and Ji Qingyi walked straight toward him. With a warm, affectionate smile that felt like a spring breeze, Liu Qingyue raised an arm and exclaimed in feigned surprise, "Junior! What luck running into you here! You’re back, and you didn’t even tell us?"

Su Cheng blinked, momentarily dazed, before remembering that these two were putting on an act in front of Xuan Ying and Zhao Yan. Playing along, he feigned astonishment. "Senior?!"

"Ah, look who’s with me!"

As the three of them drew closer, Liu Qingyue suddenly nudged the expressionless Ji Qingyi beside her, shooting Su Cheng a frantic look.

Su Cheng nearly gasped aloud.

She still hadn’t given up on this idea?!

Did she expect him to hug Ji Qingyi?!

Yet, as he stared at Ji Qingyi’s coldly beautiful face, he couldn’t bring himself to even consider it.

Ji Qingyi’s eyes were frosty—but that glare was directed at Liu Qingyue. On the contrary, she had already sensed the strange emotions emanating from Su Cheng.

Moreover, the three of them had briefly discussed Su Cheng’s earlier request for Liu Qingyue’s help.

So, at this moment, seeing Su Cheng in this state, she instinctively extended her slender, jade-like arms.

Su Cheng, however, was dumbfounded.

What was happening?!

This cold, tsundere girl was actually opening her arms for a hug?!

No way!

"Has it been so long that you’re speechless at the sight of your own sister?" Liu Qingyue teased lightly, though her eyes screamed, 'Hurry up!' and 'Don’t hesitate!'

And so, under these circumstances—

"Sis!"

Su Cheng called out, "It’s been too long!"

Without hesitation, he pulled Ji Qingyi into an embrace.

Instantly, her unique fragrance enveloped him. Contrary to expectations, her body, which he had assumed would be cold, was surprisingly warm and soft.

Ji Qingyi stiffened.

Her lashes fluttered in disbelief as Su Cheng’s scent filled her senses. His arms wrapped around her slender waist, her head resting against his shoulder, his broad chest radiating warmth—causing her ears to flush faintly.

Her slender arms, which had been hovering in the air, finally relaxed and settled around his back. The scene resembled a breathtaking oil painting, glowing under the sunlight.

"President."

"Hm."

Bystanders couldn’t help but stop and watch.

Especially the trio not far away.

"Such a touching sibling bond."

"Though… I still think it’s a bit too intimate. After all, men and women should maintain some distance. Even if they used to be so close they slept together, they’ve grown up now!"

Zhao Yan didn’t seem particularly bothered, but Xuan Ying couldn’t hide her envy, muttering sourly.

Meanwhile, Li Guanqi’s eyes were wide, her small fists clenched tightly.

Soon, the two separated. After a brief exchange, Su Cheng bid them farewell.

Once he was gone, Xuan Ying and the others regrouped with Liu Qingyue and Ji Qingyi before continuing toward the welfare home.

Night.

Six o'clock.

Ji Qingyi, Liu Qingyue, and Li Guanqi arrived at the library.

Upon entering, Liu Qingyue picked up The World's Greatest Memory Book, flipped through it briefly, then handed it to her mistress, indicating that only the table of contents contained any meaningful notes.

Ji Qingyi studied it in silence for a long moment before closing the book and passing it to Li Guanqi, who had been waiting nearby.

Li Guanqi took the book, opened the table of contents, and immediately recognized a familiar handwriting. After reading the message left behind, her hands trembled slightly. She shut the book and began pondering the meaning behind those words.

"My soul and body are so far apart. Yet my existence depends so deeply on this world."

"Has he begun to doubt his own origins?"