Chapter 04

He opened the drawer and found a clay figurine inside—a figurine that, to his astonishment, was none other than himself.

Staring at the little clay figure in disbelief, he recognized it instantly despite the rough resemblance. Those eyes, in particular, seemed to glow with life, as if they held a spark of vitality.

"Wow, Sis Yihe, when did you learn this skill? And you’ve already reached such a level!?"

He couldn’t help but praise her sincerely.

"It’s still far from perfect," Xue Yihe replied with a shy smile.

Su Cheng cradled the figurine in his hands, feeling its cool, smooth texture as if it were a delicate piece of art. A thought struck him: "Sis Yihe, if you set up a stall selling these, you’d make a fortune."

Xue Yihe shook her head at his suggestion. "I just followed a tutorial on TV today and got carried away making one for fun. At this level, I’d only embarrass myself if I tried selling them."

With that, she wheeled her chair to the window, opened it, and let the cold wind tousle Su Cheng’s hair. Seeing this, he hurried over, shut the window, and pushed her back to sit by the bed.

Xue Yihe turned to him, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "So, did you meet any girls at school today that caught your eye?"

"I’m only in second grade. My studies come first," Su Cheng replied, sticking to his usual script.

"Here we go again. You’ve always been precocious—I see right through you." Xue Yihe pouted in mock annoyance. "But when you do find someone, you’d better bring her home for me to meet."

"Don’t worry, you’ll have plenty to see in the future."

Today, having unlocked his system, Su Cheng was in high spirits and decided to play along with a cheeky grin.

Xue Yihe’s cheeks flushed slightly, but she couldn’t resist asking, "What’s that supposed to mean?"

"That fortune teller at the bridge said I’m destined to have a trail of admirers. I’ll bring them all to meet you—enough to make your head spin."

Xue Yihe clicked her tongue in disapproval. "You silly boy… since when do you believe in fortune tellers?"

"Can’t rule it out," Su Cheng chuckled.

Seeing his playful expression, she couldn’t help but smile. "Alright, enough nonsense. You should get some rest—you have to wake up early tomorrow."

"Got it."

Obediently, he scooped her up and placed her on the bed before closing the door and returning to his own room.

Back in his bedroom, he tossed and turned, unable to sleep as his mind buzzed with thoughts of his mission. His hands, however, stayed busy—practicing his skills by storing his blanket in the system space and retrieving it a second later, amusing himself with the abrupt shift between warmth and chill.

The next morning,

he sat at his usual roadside stall, sipping porridge with pickles, an egg, and a steamed bun.

Three yuan bought him a balanced breakfast—carbs, protein, and all.

After wiping his mouth, his gaze drifted to the sidewalk, where he spotted Gu Ruoxue—unexpectedly clad in the school’s blue-and-white uniform.

Logically, the uniform should have looked plain, but on her, it carried an ethereal grace. Paired with white-soled black canvas shoes, her ensemble was effortlessly elegant.

Her bright, clear eyes, porcelain skin, delicate classical features, and serene yet refined aura stood out. A bag slung over her shoulder and her long, straight black hair completed the look—simple, fresh, and utterly captivating.

It was as if she stood at the center of the world, drawing the gaze of everyone around her, while the surroundings paled in comparison, unable to match her radiance.

"Pretty people really do look good in anything," he muttered under his breath.

If she were to model school uniforms, they’d probably sell out instantly, wouldn’t they?

He wiped his mouth and followed her, though he refused to call it tailing—after all, they were just heading the same way.

Gu Ruoxue walked for a long while before finally stopping under a tree, looking around as if she were lost.

His face lit up, sensing his moment to shine, and he quickened his pace to approach her. But to his surprise, she had only paused to search for a cat. Spotting it, she opened a can of food and placed it on the ground before heading off toward the school.

Stunned, he stared blankly at the little orange tabby that emerged from the bushes, scratching his head in frustration.

"Not only is she beautiful, but she’s also kind-hearted?"

At a loss for what to do, he sighed and followed the path to school as well.

As he passed the cat happily munching away, an impulsive urge took over, and he bent down to pet it.

But the moment he reached out, the cat glanced up, swiped at his hand with its paw, and left a few scratches. He hissed in pain.

"It’s just a tiny cat… surely I don’t need a rabies shot for this?"

Examining the marks on his wrist, he muttered to himself.

After all, the vaccine would cost him a hundred bucks—enough to cover his expenses for a whole month.

So, Su Cheng sucked on the wound, cursing his own impulsiveness, then wrapped it hastily in tissue paper before hurrying back to school.

...

The entire school day passed without a single encounter with Gu Ruoxue.

So, after evening self-study, he guessed she might return to the spot where she’d fed the cat that morning.

He arrived early and waited.

Today, he’d try to earn some goodwill.

But after waiting forever, she never showed. Instead, he spotted a girl in a wheelchair slowly rolling out from a nearby convenience store.

Holding a red plastic bag—clearly having just bought something—he recognized her immediately as Xue Yihe. Rushing over, he steadied her wheelchair, scanning the area with concern. "Yihe, why are you out here alone!?"

Xue Yihe looked up at him, first surprised, then pouting in displeasure. "And you said you weren’t chasing after a girlfriend! You’ve been gone all evening!"

"You still shouldn’t be out by yourself! These roads are full of potholes and loose gravel—what if you fell?" Su Cheng scolded.

"Relax, I just needed to grab a few things. I was going straight back." Xue Yihe stuck out her tongue playfully and lifted the bag to show him. "See? Just some paint, clay, and dark chocolate."

"Let me push you home, then."

"By the way, what are you even doing out here so late?"

As she spoke, Xue Yihe craned her neck, scanning the area as if searching for Su Cheng’s supposed girlfriend. Her eyes sparkled mischievously. "So, where is she? Did she stand you up?"

"Cut it out!"

He gave a bitter laugh and shook his head. "I don’t have a girlfriend. I just lost track of time studying."

"Liar."

"I’m serious!"

Su Cheng pushed the wheelchair slowly along the bumpy road, the small stones making the ride uncomfortably shaky. He jokingly referred to this as "car vibration" and vowed to repave the road once he had the money.

Just then, a cat suddenly darted out from the grass in the distance. Upon closer look, Su Cheng recognized it as the same orange tabby that had scratched him earlier that morning. Strangely, the cat now seemed docile, rolling onto its back beside the wheelchair as if asking for affection.

Su Cheng stopped, intending to shoo it away.

"So cute~"

However, Xue Yihe stopped him, bending down to pet the cat. But just as her hand was about to touch it, the tabby suddenly leaped up and swiped at her palm, leaving a trail of blood.

"Ah!"

Xue Yihe cried out in pain as the cat scampered off.

"That damn scheming cat!"

Su Cheng's expression darkened as he immediately crouched to check her injury. Though the scratch wasn’t deep, it had drawn blood.

"I’m taking you to the hospital."

"It’s just a small wound. A band-aid will do, and it’ll heal by tomorrow."

"No."

Su Cheng insisted, determined to bring her to the hospital. Unable to argue, Xue Yihe reluctantly agreed.

After the wound was treated and she received a vaccine, she reached for her wallet to pay, but Su Cheng had already wheeled out of the hospital, informing her he’d settled the bill.

Back in the wheelchair, she tried again to hand him money, but Su Cheng refused outright. "Consider it repayment for yesterday’s plushie. That’s final!"

Faced with his stubbornness, Xue Yihe gave up. Both raised in the same orphanage and close in age, they shared similarly headstrong personalities. She knew Su Cheng didn’t need the money—back in school, when she’d once offered to buy him stationery and clothes, he’d shocked her by pulling out his savings passbook, revealing he had even more than she did.

...

Night fell.

As Su Cheng returned to his room to wash up and sleep, a mechanical female voice suddenly echoed in his mind.

[Ding—]

[Side Quest Triggered]

[Seek Justice]

[Target: Stray Cat]

[Coordinates: 567M]

[System: The humiliation of a cherished loved one has left you seething with anger. Punish the culprit.]

[Reward: Unknown]

[Penalty: Unknown]

"Huh?"

A huge question mark appeared on Su Cheng’s face. The quest seemed utterly absurd.

He double-checked, even triple-checked, but the details remained unchanged. For the first time, he found himself deep in thought.

"Is this system broken? It wants me to take revenge on a cat?"

Come on, he was a cat lover!

Shaking his head, he stepped out of his bedroom.

……………………………………

The next morning.

Su Cheng stepped out early with a grin as if he’d basked in the sun for 180 days, his backpack slung over his shoulder as he headed to school.

Weaving through the alleys, his mood was light.

After all, he’d completed yesterday’s side quest!

The reward? A whopping 10,000 Yan coins!

So today, he indulged—swapping his usual steamed bun for a meat-filled one and even adding a carton of milk to his breakfast.

Total splurge: 6 coins!

As he finished eating, he spotted Gu Ruoxue ahead. Seizing the chance, he trailed behind her, looking for an opportunity to make his presence known.

However, he suddenly thought of something and halted in his tracks.

He remembered that Gu Ruoxue would often stop to feed the orange cat—and as it happened, that very cat had been… well, dealt with by him last night.

The realization made him decide it was best to lay low for now.

But just then, Gu Ruoxue, walking ahead of him, began trembling violently, as if she’d stumbled upon something shocking. Her lips quivered, her entire body shook with rage, and her cheeks flushed crimson.

"Stop right there!"

Her voice was icy and restrained, yet brimming with undeniable authority.

Su Cheng froze mid-step, turning his head slowly in disbelief, only to see her beautiful face dark as frost, her eyes blazing with fury.

She glared at him, her gaze sharp as a blade, then pointed a trembling finger at the pitiful orange cat beside her—now sporting a ridiculous "bald patch" from an electric razor—and demanded through gritted teeth, "Was this your doing?!"