Chapter 05

"Uh..."

Su Cheng opened his mouth, stunned that the woman had known all along he was following her. He felt a wave of awkwardness.

"If you wanted to catch my attention, you should have done something remarkable—not resort to these cheap, lowly tricks right in front of me!"

Gu Ruoxue's frosty demeanor seemed to drop the temperature around them, as if a biting winter wind had swept through, chilling to the bone.

Su Cheng was taken aback but quickly tried to clarify, stammering, "N-no, you’ve got it wrong. This is just a personal grudge between me and the cat. I wasn’t trying to get your attention."

He hastily rolled up his sleeve to show the scratches on his wrist, explaining, "It scratched me yesterday, so I acted like this."

Noticing he wasn’t lying and seeing the marks, Gu Ruoxue frowned slightly before shifting her gaze to his face.

"From my experience, cats rarely attack unless they feel seriously threatened."

She shook her head.

"Fine, whatever. But if you’re going to feed that cat, take some responsibility and bring it home. Otherwise, your kindness might make it dependent on humans, leading to harm for others."

Seeing she didn’t believe him, he gave up explaining and instead offered a warning.

"Ninety percent of stray cat attacks happen when people approach them despite clear resistance."

"But your cat is different. It’s the kind that—"

"Enough."

Gu Ruoxue cut him off, already losing interest in the argument. To her, this guy was beyond hopeless.

"Just don’t follow me again, or I won’t hesitate to use legal measures to protect myself," she said coldly.

"I was just going the same way..."

Even as the words left his mouth, Su Cheng didn’t believe them—let alone Gu Ruoxue.

"And if you actually have any ideas about me, drop them now. I have zero interest in people like you." She shot him a glance before walking away.

Su Cheng stiffened at her words.

But he didn’t press further. Instead, he stood under a tree, watching her leave.

Once she was gone, he let out a self-deprecating laugh.

"Now the mission’s even harder to complete."

He sighed.

He could feel Gu Ruoxue’s rejection—no, outright hostility and disgust.

Becoming friends in this situation?

Impossible.

Besides, he had his own pride and dignity. He wasn’t about to grovel for a girl’s favor.

As for the mission?

He’d call it a day.

Head drooping, Su Cheng trudged back to campus with no energy left.

…………………………

The next day.

Night.

Only a few hours remained before the mission deadline.

Nervousness and fear gnawed at him. He didn’t know what punishment awaited failure, but he was sure it wouldn’t just be a deduction of 10,000 Flame Currency.

"Hope it’s not too brutal."

Muttering to himself, Su Cheng took a deep breath and left the classroom with the evening self-study bell.

At the school gate, he spotted Gu Ruoxue. Like him, she was alone—but her icy aura made her stand out.

For the past two days, he’d kept his distance. But now, with only hours left, hesitation crept in.

He wanted to try one last time.

After a brief internal struggle, Su Cheng steeled himself and quickened his pace, overtaking Gu Ruoxue before stopping in a dimly lit path.

Turning around, he met her gaze with unwavering intensity and spoke deliberately, "Senior Gu, could you—"

Before he could finish, her next move stunned him.

She flipped open her phone and pressed three buttons—clearly dialing emergency services, even putting it on speaker.

His eyes widened in shock.

He hadn’t expected her to be this ruthless. She’d meant every word last time—she really would use the law against him.

Sure, at worst, it’d be a scolding and a call to his guardians. But given her status, who knew what else could happen?

"I’m sorry. Please forgive me. I promise I won’t bother you again."

Head bowed in shame, Su Cheng apologized. He knew he’d messed up. If this reached the orphanage, he’d never face Sister Xue or the headmistress again.

Silently, he retreated.

Gu Ruoxue said nothing, simply closing her phone and watching him leave.

But just as she turned to head back to her hotel, rustling came from a nearby bush—something moving.

Instinctively, she looked.

A balding orange cat emerged with graceful steps, stopping at her feet before rolling onto its back, belly up, in a display of submission and affection.

Despite its comical appearance, the sight melted Gu Ruoxue’s heart. She crouched, stroking its soft fur, a blissful smile tugging at her lips.

But then—

"Meow!"

The cat suddenly turned feral, hissing as it lunged, claws slashing toward her hand.

Gu Ruoxue jerked back just in time. The cat missed and bolted. But she stared after it, brows knitting together.

This aggression was unnatural.

Determined, she sprinted after it—this "balding menace" had to be caught before it hurt someone else.

But in her moment of hesitation, the cat had already vanished into the dark bushes. After a futile chase, she gave up, staring into the shadows with a troubled sigh before turning back.

Yet, her thoughts drifted to that boy.

……………………………

The night was hazy.

The moon hung high.

11:59.

One minute left.

Su Cheng held his breath, heart pounding, sweat beading on his forehead. His legs trembled, fists clenched—every ounce of focus locked onto the clock on the TV.

Dread of the unknown gripped him.

Because—

The system’s punishment was coming.

"Tick!"

The hour, minute, and second hands all struck twelve.

Right on cue, the mechanical female voice echoed in his mind:

[Phase Two: Failure!]

[System Penalty: Issued!]

Su Cheng’s pupils shrank to pinpricks. His body tensed, lips pressed thin, knuckles white, veins bulging at his temples.

What exactly is the so-called punishment from the system?

It seems the answer is about to be revealed!

Yet, after a full minute in this state, nothing changed—the system gave no further prompts.

This made him relax, the tension in his muscles easing as he slumped into his chair, gasping for breath.

"Was it… just trying to scare me?"

Su Cheng let out a sigh of relief and stood up, swaying unsteadily before nearly collapsing. Staggering, he made his way to the bathroom to splash water on his face.

But then, something unexpected happened.

The entire house began to tremble slightly, the sudden movement causing Su Cheng’s expression to darken. The emotional turmoil of the day had already taken its toll.

Now, his heart convulsed violently, forcing him to clutch his chest and kneel on the ground, panting heavily.

But what filled him with even greater despair was—

The shaking of the room didn’t stop. And then, the piercing wail of the county’s air raid sirens suddenly blared through the air.

At that moment, he finally understood—

"It’s a damn earthquake!"

His face pale, Su Cheng gritted his teeth against the stabbing pain in his chest and forced himself to stand. Suppressing the overwhelming fear rising inside him, he rushed out of the room and into the next one, determined to follow emergency protocols and escape with Sister Xue.

But when he flung open the door, he found Sister Xue already seated in her wheelchair, her expression grave and urgent as she called out to him, "I’m fine! Go check on the other children—make sure they’re safe!"

No sooner had she spoken than the old ceiling fan above her let out a sharp crack, as if it were about to fall—right onto her.

Su Cheng’s heart lurched in terror. In the split second before the fan could drop, he lunged forward, wrapping his arms around Sister Xue and trying to roll them both toward the nearby bed.

But he was too slow.

Gritting his teeth, Su Cheng shielded Sister Xue in his embrace and raised his right arm, bracing to take the full force of the falling fan.

Yet, in that instant—

He suddenly remembered his spatial ability.

Desperately, he chanted in his mind:

Store it in the system space!

The next moment, the fan vanished without a trace the moment it touched his skin.

Su Cheng exhaled in relief, tightening his hold around Sister Xue’s slender waist. The familiar, comforting scent of her filled his senses, easing the frantic pounding of his heart.

Meanwhile, Sister Xue stared at him in disbelief, her eyes wide with shock. She couldn’t fathom how her little Cheng had just made something so large disappear into thin air.

But Su Cheng had no time to dwell on her reaction. Struggling to his feet, he lifted Sister Xue in a princess carry and bolted for the exit. Though he wasn’t particularly strong, in that moment, he felt as if he had boundless energy.

The staff and caretakers of the welfare home were already carrying out an orderly evacuation. Thanks to annual emergency drills, the scene wasn’t chaotic—everyone knew their role.

Su Cheng kept his eyes shut as he held Sister Xue tightly in the middle of the playground. The surrounding noise—shouts, cries, words of comfort—flooded his ears, but he barely registered any of it.

Because his mental and emotional defenses had completely shattered.

Not because he was paralyzed with fear or anything like that.

Sure, the day’s events had left an indelible mark on him, but the real reason was far simpler—

[Ding—]

A crisp, cold, synthesized female voice rang out.

[Ding—]

[Ding! Mission Triggered]

[Target: Gu Ruoxue]

[System: Current progress—10%]

[Phase 2: Become friends with Gu Ruoxue]

[Time limit: Three days]

[Completion reward: +10%]

[Failure penalty: Unknown]

Su Cheng’s entire body trembled violently, his mind buzzing with white noise.

He had known the punishment was coming. He’d braced himself for it.

But this…

This was worse than death.

He would rather endure a punishment that flayed him alive.

Yet…

Even if he failed, the mission would just reappear.

He had to complete it.

"According to the Flame Nation Seismic Network, at 00:01 on XX/XX/XXXX, a magnitude 4.2 earthquake occurred at the junction of XX County, X County, and XX County in XX Province (25.3°N, 104.9°E), with a focal depth of 12 kilometers."

The broadcast from a nearby radio snapped him back to reality. He lifted his head, scanning his surroundings.

The welfare home was a cacophony of noise—shouting medical personnel, the wails of children, the general clamor of chaos—turning the night into a scene of bedlam.

He knew this disaster was his fault. Because of him, this had happened.

A storm of emotions surged inside him. His heartbeat accelerated, his blood pounding so hard it felt like his skull might burst. His thoughts grew sluggish, his mind shutting down.

"It was a minor quake, and no one in the welfare home was hurt."

Sister Xue, still in his arms, seemed to sense his distress. Gently, she patted his shoulder and spoke in a soothing voice.

She didn’t ask about the disappearing fan, suppressing her curiosity. Instead, she focused on comforting him, recognizing how unsteady he was.

Her voice was like cool water soothing his parched soul, easing some of the terror gripping his heart. Clutching her wrist tightly, he steadied himself and whispered, "Thank you, Sister Xue."

"You can put me down now. I can stand on my own."

Su Cheng hesitated but ultimately obeyed, carefully setting her down beside him.

That night, with the help of emergency responders, temporary tents were set up in the playground for everyone to stay in.

The situation had unfolded too suddenly, leaving little time to prepare, so conditions were far from ideal.

Fortunately, there were no casualties in the welfare home. Everyone was safe, though the full extent of the earthquake’s damage wouldn’t be known until the next day.

At three in the morning, Su Cheng wandered out of the welfare home in a daze, his eyes hollow as he drifted aimlessly through the streets.

Even as someone who had already "died" once in his past life, he couldn’t suppress the fear, panic, and helplessness clawing at him.

After what felt like an eternity, he stopped beneath an abandoned, half-constructed building.

The place reeked of damp rot and decay, but Su Cheng barely noticed. He climbed to the highest floor, found a concrete pillar, and slumped against it.

His hand accidentally brushed against something—a liquor bottle. Without thinking, he grabbed it and hurled it at the wall with all his strength.

The sound of shattering glass echoed through the ruins as he collapsed onto the debris, howling and screaming in anguish.

His entire being was consumed by sorrow, frustration, rage, and confusion.

He never imagined…

That the punishment would be like this.

And he now fully understood—his existence only brought misfortune to this world. He hated this powerlessness, this inability to change or resist.

Minutes later, his tears had long dried up. All that remained was a numb emptiness in his eyes, as if his very soul had drained away with his cries.

A long silence followed.

A glimmer of clarity returned to him as he lay atop the unfinished building, turning his head to gaze at the pitch-black void beyond the unrailed edge. A faint smile curled at the corners of his lips—a smile of release.

Then, swaying slightly, he pushed himself up, ready to leap into the abyss below.

Death was the only way to defy this damned fate.

The only way out.

He thought, perhaps if he died,

he might just seal away—or kill—this cursed system once and for all.

But just as he was about to jump, an immense force yanked him backward violently. Staggering, he nearly crashed to the ground, the solid feel of the concrete beneath his feet snapping him back to reality.

He lifted his eyes—and what met his gaze—