Chapter 07

[Ding—]

[Phase 2 Completed]

[Target: Gu Ruoxue]

[Current Mission Progress: 20%]

[Reward Distributed]

...

[Ding—]

[Ding! Mission Triggered]

[Target: Gu Ruoxue]

[System: Current Target Progress Bar at 20%]

[Phase 3: Establish a Romantic Relationship with Gu Ruoxue]

[Time Limit: Six Days]

[Completion Reward: 10%]

[Failure Penalty: Unknown]

As her words fell, Gu Ruoxue noticed Su Cheng standing there dazed, his eyes open but unfocused, as if lost in deep contemplation, completely isolated from the outside world.

She pursed her lips slightly, quickly realizing that it might be related to the so-called "system" he had mentioned earlier—the system interface or missions that only he could see.

So, he completed a mission and received a reward?

And unlocked the next phase in the process?

Though curious, she remained standing quietly, patiently waiting for him to snap out of it.

After a long while, Su Cheng's eyes gradually regained focus. When he saw the stunningly beautiful girl before him, he suddenly conjured a golden ring out of thin air in his palm and held it out to her.

A ring?

Gu Ruoxue blinked, staring at the rusted golden ring in confusion. But she quickly caught on and raised her head, asking calmly and seriously, "Is this the so-called system reward you mentioned?"

"Yes, but the system didn’t explain much. It just called it a [Rusted Golden Ring]."

Su Cheng’s expression was strange. In his mind, system rewards were supposed to be something incredibly overpowered—like weapons, cultivation techniques, or special abilities. But this? A shabby, low-tier item that wasn’t even pure gold?

This was downright embarrassing.

He had previously hyped up the system as something peerless and omnipotent. Yet, here was this pitiful reward, making him flush with shame.

Still, he reasoned that system rewards must have hidden effects. Clearing his throat, he explained, "Don’t let its rusted appearance fool you. This is a system reward. In the host community, there’s a saying: 'System-made items are always top-tier.'"

He tried to sound lofty, but it was mostly to mask his awkwardness.

"Oh, really?"

Gu Ruoxue tilted her head slightly, resting a bent finger on her chin as she scrutinized the ring in her palm with an unusually serious expression.

At such close proximity, Su Cheng could smell her faint fragrance. Under the moonlight, her face looked so unfairly adorable that his heart skipped a beat, leaving him momentarily dazed.

But when he noticed her doubtful look, he quickly straightened up and said solemnly, "I don’t have a light. Since you have your phone, why not check if there’s anything special about it?"

"Alright."

Gu Ruoxue was also curious. The ring looked like nothing more than an impure gold alloy, but since Su Cheng insisted, she didn’t hesitate.

Carefully picking up the ring with her fingers, she placed it in her palm, then took out her phone and turned on the flashlight to examine it.

Under the bright light, the rusted copper stains on the ring became even more glaring, making Su Cheng cringe internally.

After observing it for a while, Gu Ruoxue frowned and turned to Su Cheng. "No special features detected. The gold purity is low, clearly mixed with impurities or other metals, which explains the poor oxidation resistance causing this effect."

After saying this, she put her phone away and eyed Su Cheng skeptically, as if wondering whether he was trying to trick her.

But Su Cheng wasn’t lying.

This contradiction left her conflicted.

Ahem.

Su Cheng avoided her gaze, coughing awkwardly before forcing a composed tone. "In the fantasy world, items like rings usually require a blood pact to activate their functions."

"Blood pact?"

Gu Ruoxue paused for a moment before handing the ring back to Su Cheng. "In that case, you should try it yourself."

Her reaction surprised him. She grasped the concept instantly without needing further explanation.

A blood pact meant whoever shed blood would become its master.

What’s more, she showed no greed for the system reward, returning it without hesitation or even asking questions.

Her curiosity seemed solely aimed at verifying his claims. After all, a system storage ability alone wasn’t enough to prove everything.

Taking the ring back, Su Cheng shook his head lightly and extended it toward her again. "You try it. I suspect this ring has a storage function like my system space. Since I already have one, an extra would just be redundant. If it works, you’ll have firsthand proof, and maybe you’ll trust me more."

Gu Ruoxue fell silent briefly before shaking her head. Softly but firmly, she replied, "As curious as I am, I won’t take what isn’t mine."

Her answer caught Su Cheng off guard, but he quickly recovered and grinned. "You said we’re allies—even friends—against a common enemy. Plus, you helped with this mission. The reward is rightfully yours. If you refuse, I’ll just sell it~"

His playful tone made her pause. She knew he wasn’t serious about selling it, but the implications struck her.

If this ring truly had storage capabilities… and if Su Cheng accidentally revealed it to the world…

The consequences could be catastrophic—even triggering territorial wars.

The thought sent a chill down her spine, and she instinctively hugged her arms.

Instead of looking at the ring, she fixed her gaze on Su Cheng, her expression grave. "Promise me… no, you must promise me."

"Promise what?"

Seeing her deadly serious demeanor, Su Cheng had an inkling of what she meant.

"If what you say about system items is true, then my request is this: Whenever you use abilities that defy common understanding, you must inform me and convince me first!"

She took a deep breath, her gaze burning as she looked at Su Cheng, her tone and expression both grave and earnest.

Noticing this, Su Cheng was momentarily stunned before the corners of his lips curled into a bright smile. He held up the golden ring and waved it at Gu Ruoxue. "I promise you. You can rest assured—I’ve never once thought of using the system for anything bad. Trust me."

Only when she heard his last words did the wariness in Gu Ruoxue’s expression finally ease. But as if drained of strength by the answer she had sought, she closed her eyes and exhaled softly.

"Of course I trust you..."

Gu Ruoxue lifted her head, as though infused with new energy. The icy sharpness in her eyes melted into something warm and gentle, like sunlight glinting on a winter lake—serene, beautiful, sacred, and peaceful.

Yet, Su Cheng was certain this was a smile he would remember for the rest of his life.

It lingered in his mind, refusing to fade, until he snapped back to reality and quickly averted his gaze.

"Thank you… for agreeing to such a selfish request."

"Don’t mention it. We’re friends and partners."

With that, Su Cheng handed her the ring again, his meaning clear.

"Alright."

Gu Ruoxue’s face regained its usual frosty composure. Without hesitation, she extended her slender, jade-like fingers, took the ring, and placed it in her palm, preparing to drip blood onto it to claim ownership.

Su Cheng watched attentively from the side.

"Do you have a knife or a needle?"

"No. Just bite your finger—it’ll do the trick."

Gu Ruoxue hesitated.

Biting her own finger…

That was hardly an elegant image.

For some reason, it also felt embarrassingly intimate.

Noticing her reluctance, Su Cheng couldn’t help but chuckle. He had only been joking. "Scared of pain? Never mind. Let’s wait until we get home tomorrow—I’ll get you a needle then."

"No."

Gu Ruoxue shook her head, pressed her lips together, and gently placed her fingertip between her teeth. She shut her beautiful eyes.

The next moment—

"Hiss—"

The sound sent Su Cheng’s heart racing. He cursed his own twisted sense of amusement before quickly composing himself and urging in a low voice, "Hurry, drip it on the ring!"

Gu Ruoxue opened her eyes and, following his instruction, pressed her index finger against the ring, giving it a light squeeze.

A drop of crimson blood welled up. Just as it was about to fall onto the ring, both of them widened their eyes, eager to witness the miracle that would follow.

But to their disappointment, the blood didn’t absorb into the ring. Instead, it slid off the surface and dripped onto her palm.

Seeing no change, Gu Ruoxue frowned and shot Su Cheng a skeptical look.

Su Cheng awkwardly averted his gaze, tilting his head away and feigning ignorance. He even made a strange sound: "Ding—ownership confirmed."

Gu Ruoxue stared at him blankly as he mimicked the system’s notification tone. Then, rubbing her forehead in exasperation, she realized she’d been fooled yet again.

"Quick, try the ring’s ability. Put it on and focus on storing an item in your mind," Su Cheng urged with a forced smile, desperate to salvage the situation despite his own embarrassment.

"Fine. I’ll trust you one last time."

Taking a deep breath, Gu Ruoxue slipped the ring onto her ring finger, pulled out her phone, closed her eyes, and silently willed it into the ring.

To their astonishment, the phone vanished the next second.

Gu Ruoxue’s eyes flew open in shock—her phone had truly disappeared into thin air.

Even she was stunned.

Could this ring really have spatial storage abilities?

She blinked dazedly at her empty hand, finally willing to believe in the ring’s extraordinary power.

Her emotions, however, were anything but simple.

"Wait!"

She suddenly remembered Su Cheng’s fake "ownership confirmed" announcement. It was entirely possible he had used his own system to remotely store her phone while her eyes were closed!

But when she looked up, Su Cheng appeared even more shocked than she was, gaping at her empty hand like he’d seen a ghost.

Recovering quickly, he swallowed hard and stammered, "Taking things out works the same way!"

This time, Gu Ruoxue didn’t close her eyes. She kept them fixed on her right hand, determined to see how an object could materialize out of nowhere.

A moment later, her eyes widened in disbelief.

Her phone reappeared instantly—no warning, no logic, just suddenly resting in her palm. The weight of it in her hand confirmed its reality, yet it still felt surreal.

Though she had seen Su Cheng demonstrate this ability many times, experiencing it firsthand was an entirely different matter.

Gu Ruoxue inhaled deeply, exhaled slowly, and suppressed her excitement before carefully testing the ring several more times. Finally, she looked up at Su Cheng.

By now, Su Cheng had puffed out his chest, hands on his hips, lips twisted into a smug Nike-swoop grin. His handsome face radiated pride as he looked down at her with an unbearably cocky attitude.

"Believe me now? I’m a transmigrator! In novels, guys like me are called protagonists!"

His tone was exaggerated, his demeanor even more so—clearly relishing his moment of triumph.

But Gu Ruoxue didn’t laugh or deny his claim. Instead, she asked a far more pressing question:

"So, Mr. Ancient Transmigrator, what exactly is your Phase Three task? And what’s the deadline?"

At that, Su Cheng deflated like a punctured balloon, his head drooping in embarrassment. After clearing his throat awkwardly, he muttered, "Uh… to deepen our relationship. Deadline: six days."

"That’s pushing it..."

Gu Ruoxue frowned. The system’s impatience was blatant—especially considering there were still seven more phases ahead!

She fell into deep thought, urgently strategizing how to handle this predicament. Time was of the essence.

Su Cheng, of course, knew exactly why she wore that expression. He had been just as shocked when he first saw the task.

If "deepening the relationship" in Phase Three meant becoming a couple, the next seven phases would likely spiral into absurdity.

For example:

Phase Four: Engagement.

Phase Five: Marriage.

Phase Six: Wedding night.

Phase Seven: Offspring.

Phase Eight: Shared grave.

Phase Nine: Reincarnation.

Phase Ten: Reunion in the next life.

Given that each completed task doubled the next deadline, the first three phases had to be completed within a month.

What kind of ridiculous "Instant Life Completion System" was this?!

After a long silence, Gu Ruoxue sighed and turned to Su Cheng beside her, saying, "I need time to think this through."

Su Cheng nodded. "Okay, you have six days. I hope you can come up with a solution. Otherwise..."

He trailed off, leaving the rest unsaid.

Gu Ruoxue naturally understood what he meant—choosing to take his own life again. She absolutely didn’t want to see him do something so reckless, especially since they had just become friends.

So now, her emotions were tangled, a mix of worry and frustration.

"It's already dawn. We should head to school."

Su Cheng didn’t say anything more. He had said all he needed to, and the rest was up to Gu Ruoxue to figure out. There was nothing else he could do but wait.

After all, if he had a solution, he wouldn’t have considered ending his life in the first place.

Hearing this, Gu Ruoxue looked outside. Sure enough, the sky was gradually brightening. She nodded, stood up, and straightened her clothes. "Promise me you won’t think about anything extreme these six days, okay?"

Su Cheng pursed his lips and muttered a reluctant, "Fine."

"Let’s go back first."

"Yeah."

……

The two walked one after the other toward the staircase of the abandoned building. But to Su Cheng’s surprise, Gu Ruoxue suddenly took two steps back, as if struck by a wave of acrophobia.

"Hey, are you okay?" Su Cheng frowned, his voice laced with concern.

This was bizarre—just moments ago, she had climbed up here and even saved him. Yet now, she was acting terrified of heights.

"I-I’m fine." Gu Ruoxue shook her head, forcing a stiff smile.

She bit her lip and forced herself to take another step down, but with each movement, her body trembled slightly, as if she might collapse at any moment. The sight made Su Cheng’s lips twitch.

How had someone so timid managed to climb up here earlier?

And how had she dared to reach out and save him, even yelling at him?

Had she forgotten about her fear of heights in the heat of the moment?

That was the only explanation that made sense.

Either way, the stark contrast in her demeanor gave her an almost comical charm—one that only deepened Su Cheng’s shame.

Still, he didn’t offer to help her down. He sensed that Gu Ruoxue was the type who valued her pride. She probably wouldn’t want anyone assisting her on the stairs.

A few minutes later, they finally reached the ground floor. As they stepped out of the abandoned building, Gu Ruoxue exhaled in relief, her tense nerves finally relaxing as her expression reset to its usual calm.

By now, the sky was fully lit.

Su Cheng studied her carefully. She wore a white coat over a black skirt and thick black leggings, paired with black boots. Her long hair cascaded like a waterfall, framing her delicate features.

But her clothes were slightly dirty, and her leggings had a few snags, revealing glimpses of smooth, fair skin beneath—likely from when she had rescued him.

Su Cheng found himself staring at her legs, lost in thought, until Gu Ruoxue frowned and snapped, "Stop looking."

"Oh… sorry." Su Cheng quickly averted his gaze and cleared his throat. "Alright, I’m heading home now."

"It’s 5:30. Meet me at your usual breakfast spot at seven." Gu Ruoxue spoke coolly, then turned and walked away without another word.

Su Cheng blinked, surprised she had chosen his regular breakfast place for their meeting.

……………

6:00 AM.

The moment Su Cheng returned to the orphanage, he found Sister Xue waiting anxiously at the entrance in her wheelchair. The moment she saw him, she wheeled herself over.

Su Cheng frowned at her pale face. "Sister Xue, why aren’t you asleep?"

"Last night…" Sister Xue hesitated before speaking seriously, "You weren’t in your tent."

"After what happened yesterday, how could I sleep?" Su Cheng waved her off and continued, "I just went out for a walk. You should get some rest."

"But…" Sister Xue’s delicate brows remained furrowed.

"Come on."

Noticing that the other residents had already returned to their rooms, Su Cheng quickly pushed her toward the dormitory, ignoring her protests. Once inside, he tucked her into bed and scolded gently, "You need to sleep."

Sister Xue simply stared as he fixed her blankets. Only when he turned away did she point at the ceiling and murmur, "Fan."

Su Cheng paused, then deliberately scanned the room before asking, "Your room’s never had a fan. What’s wrong?"

There were things he didn’t want to discuss with her—things that would only worry her or add to her burdens.

At his words, Sister Xue’s lips pursed in disappointment. "There is…"

"There isn’t."

"Fine, there isn’t."

She tugged the blanket over herself in a huff.

Su Cheng lifted her gently, settled her properly on the bed, and pulled the covers over her. Then he explained, "A fan’s useless in winter. When summer comes, we’ll ask the director for an air conditioner."

The phrasing was odd, but Sister Xue caught the underlying meaning. She fell silent, then finally nodded in agreement.

Just as Su Cheng turned to leave, however, she suddenly called out, "Drawer."

He stopped and turned back, only to find Sister Xue had buried her head under the blanket, as if refusing to engage further.

"……"

Su Cheng walked to the drawer and pulled it open. Inside, he found a pair of hand-knitted orange gloves and several bars of dark chocolate.

He picked up the gloves and examined them. They were well-made, vibrant in color, and soft to the touch—though clearly unfinished, with loose threads still hanging.

She must have been working on them last night.

That was why she hadn’t been in bed during the earthquake.

He grabbed a pair of scissors, trimmed the loose threads, and tried the gloves on. They fit perfectly. A smile broke across his face. "I love them. They’re so warm—my hands won’t get frostbite this winter."

"Mhm."

A muffled sound came from under the blanket.

……

Su Cheng left the room, washed up in the bathroom, then layered on thermal underwear, a sweater, and thick pants before finally changing into a clean school uniform. Satisfied, he checked his reflection in the mirror.

The outfit was ugly and outdated, but it was warm and comfortable.

With that, he left the orphanage and headed toward his usual breakfast stall.

But as soon as he stepped onto the street, something felt off. It was nearly seven, yet there were no other students in sight.

"Is today a holiday?"

Thinking about this, he felt it was quite possible, especially since a natural disaster had occurred the day before. But he didn’t stop walking—instead, he quickened his pace toward the breakfast stall.

"Landlady, a bowl of sweet tofu pudding, a fried dough stick, and an egg, please," he said as he arrived at the stall, sitting at one of the tables and addressing the busy Landlady.

The tofu pudding and egg cost one yuan each, while the fried dough stick was fifty cents.

Breakfast totaled two and a half yuan.

"Coming right up!" The Landlady responded cheerfully with a smile before getting to work.

Meanwhile, shivering from the cold, he stomped his feet to warm up while observing his surroundings. Soon, his peripheral vision caught sight of a stunningly familiar figure approaching.

It was Gu Ruoxue.

Her white coat had been swapped out, and she wasn’t wearing her school uniform either. Instead, she had on a blue jacket with a matching blue scarf, layered over a black wool sweater and a collared shirt underneath. Below, she wore a black skirt with stockings and a pair of boots—though this time, they were a darker shade.

Aside from her striking looks and figure, her outfit was downright eye-catching in this small county, drawing frequent glances and even causing a minor stir among passersby.

The only flaw was that certain areas still seemed underdeveloped, but to Su Cheng, this wasn’t an issue at all.

Since she was still growing, he was confident that in less than a year, those areas would become the envy of many.

"Have you eaten yet?"

Su Cheng greeted her with a smile as Gu Ruoxue walked closer.

Just then, the Landlady placed his breakfast on the table and glanced at Gu Ruoxue—only to widen her eyes in admiration.

"My, this girl is so pretty—even more so than the stars on TV!"

The Landlady couldn’t help but praise after staring for a while.

Gu Ruoxue gave a slight nod in response. "Thank you."

"So polite! Have you had breakfast yet?"

The Landlady asked out of courtesy.

Gu Ruoxue hesitated, glancing at the food on the table before shaking her head. "Not yet."

She had been busy at the hotel until nearly seven, so she had rushed over right on time. But she had never eaten breakfast at a place like this before, leaving her feeling awkward and unsure of the routine.

"Come, come, sit here! It’s on the house today." The Landlady enthusiastically pulled her into a seat. Gu Ruoxue, clearly overwhelmed, shot Su Cheng a pleading look.

But Su Cheng, ever the righteous bystander, simply lowered his head and slurped his tofu pudding, pretending not to notice.

"Then… I won’t stand on ceremony," Gu Ruoxue said hesitantly, reluctantly sitting down after the Landlady’s persistent hospitality.

"Your skin is so delicate—just sitting here makes me think of that saying… what was it again?"

"‘A feast for the eyes.’"

Su Cheng lifted his head and chimed in.

"Yes, that’s the one!" The Landlady clapped her hands cheerfully. "Now, tell me what you’d like to eat."

"The… the same as him," Gu Ruoxue replied, stealing a glance at Su Cheng’s meal, her tone slightly uneasy.

"Sweet or savory tofu pudding?"

"Sweet."

"Got it! Just a moment, it’ll be ready soon."

Once the Landlady walked away, Gu Ruoxue shot Su Cheng a reproachful glare.

Unfazed, Su Cheng continued eating without a hint of guilt.

Soon, the Landlady returned with Gu Ruoxue’s tofu pudding and other items, beaming as she set them down. "Give it a try—my breakfast is pretty decent, if I do say so myself."

"Thank you." Gu Ruoxue nodded but only stared at the fried dough stick, already feeling full. Seizing the moment when the Landlady wasn’t looking, she slid the dough stick and egg over to Su Cheng.

"You eat it."

She even gave him a meaningful look.

Su Cheng understood immediately and dug in without hesitation.

After all, he knew full well that the person in front of him came from wealth.

There was no way she’d be used to commoner food like this.

Relieved, Gu Ruoxue finally turned her attention to the small bowl of tofu pudding on the table.

She was going to give it a try.

Having grown up abroad, even after returning to the country in elementary school, she hadn’t had much exposure to local cuisine.

But the next moment, something happened that left Su Cheng stunned—Gu Ruoxue actually reached into her chest and pulled out a spoon!

"Hey, don’t tell me you turned the ring into—"

Noticing she wasn’t wearing the ring, Su Cheng immediately guessed she had hung it around her neck like a pendant. He couldn’t help but laugh—she was already this proficient at it.

If she pulled out a sword next…

But Gu Ruoxue only glared at him.

Then, she slowly began eating with the spoon. Before long, a look of surprise crossed her face. "It’s… unexpectedly good."

"Next time, try the savory one—with chili and cilantro."

At this, Gu Ruoxue’s brows furrowed slightly, clearly uncomfortable with the idea, but she quickly composed herself and continued savoring the tofu pudding in silence.

Just as the two were quietly enjoying their breakfast, the news playing on the TV in the shop suddenly made Su Cheng’s expression freeze.

"According to reports, the recent earthquake caused no casualties among humans or livestock, though some residential buildings suffered wall cracks and collapsed ceilings. Currently, six households have been affected to varying degrees, with five homes damaged and eleven people relocated. Preliminary estimates place direct economic losses at 200,000 yuan, with further assessments underway."

Gu Ruoxue naturally noticed the shift in Su Cheng’s mood and asked softly, "Do you want to do something about it?"

"I want to…"

Su Cheng fell silent for a moment before speaking slowly. "I want to donate to them. It might ease my guilt a little."

Hearing his explanation, Gu Ruoxue understood, but she still advised, "Su Cheng, there will be disaster relief efforts—"

"No. Since I’m the cause, I have to take responsibility."

Su Cheng shook his head, cutting her off.

"Do you even have the money for that?" Gu Ruoxue retorted, her delicate brows knitting together.

"Hah."

Su Cheng let out a light chuckle, as if money meant nothing to him, a transmigrator. Calmly wiping his mouth, he raised two fingers without another word.

The gesture left Gu Ruoxue baffled. The same man who had once sold himself for 600,000 yuan was now acting so self-righteous—it made her doubt everything for a moment.

Had it all been an act before?

But Su Cheng’s next words made her expression darken, veins faintly bulging on her forehead.

"All I need to do is find that orange cat, let it scratch me, and see if it triggers a reward. If it does, I’ll just repeat it twenty times—that should cover it!"