Chapter 09

In the county library,

A beautiful girl sat engrossed in a book, her focused expression, deliberate page-turning movements, and clear eyes shimmering with intelligence exuding such an intense scholarly aura that it left onlookers breathless.

At this moment—

All the beauty in the world seemed to converge upon her.

If one had to describe her, it would be as the perfect union of beauty and intellect—possessing both in equal measure.

As a result, everyone else in the library couldn’t help but steal glances in her direction, their original purpose for visiting the library shifting from reading to simply admiring such a captivating sight.

Of course, that was as far as it went. They merely observed from a distance, not daring to approach.

An icy, unapproachable aura surrounded the girl, keeping them at bay, as if unwilling to disrupt the picturesque scene before them.

The only thing that seemed out of place was the boy draped in a blanket, fast asleep across from her. The contrast between the two was almost jarring.

Where she had brilliance, he had laziness; where she had grace, he had dishevelment.

In short, their styles couldn’t have been more different.

By now, the library had grown much busier. Unlike the sparse crowd at seven in the morning, it was nearly 11 a.m., and people were still streaming in to borrow books.

Most of them were third-year middle school students preparing for exams. Among them was a girl who happened to be in the same class as Gu Ruoxue. Having arrived early, she had witnessed the entire interaction between Gu Ruoxue and Su Cheng.

What shocked her most was seeing Gu Ruoxue drape a blanket over Su Cheng—an act so intimate it was almost unimaginable!

After all, Gu Ruoxue was famously aloof and untouchable in class, rarely interacting even with her classmates…

Let alone performing such a caring gesture as tucking someone in…

But despite her astonishment, she refrained from interrupting. Before Gu Ruoxue had even arrived at school, their homeroom teacher had repeatedly warned the class not to disturb her.

So even as classmates, they had never exchanged more than a few words.

Still…

She couldn’t help but steal a few more glances at Su Cheng…

What kind of magic did he possess… to make Gu Ruoxue not only cover him with a blanket but also willingly sit with him?

Of course, she knew who Su Cheng was—everyone in school did. Shortly after the term began, he had been publicly reprimanded for getting into a fight and even received a disciplinary mark.

The whole school knew about the orphan boy who had sent a classmate to the hospital. Rumor had it the fight had been so brutal that several teachers couldn’t even pull him away.

………………………

11:30 a.m.

Su Cheng, still slumped over the table, trembled slightly before slowly opening his eyes…

He pushed himself upright, only for the blanket to slip down to his ankles. Instinctively, he bent down to catch it before it hit the floor.

Then it hit him—since when did he have a blanket?

After picking it up, he turned to Gu Ruoxue, who was still absorbed in her book, and asked, "This is…"

"The staff gave it to you. Don’t get it dirty."

Before he could finish, Gu Ruoxue cut him off without even looking up, her eyes still fixed on what appeared to be a dense, challenging text.

Su Cheng coughed awkwardly, folded the blanket neatly, and walked over to the front desk.

"Thank you for the blanket, sir," he said politely, handing it to the librarian.

"You’re welcome," the elderly man replied with a smile as he took it back.

When Su Cheng returned to his seat, he noticed that The World’s Greatest Memory Book was lying open. He absentmindedly closed it, only to freeze at the sight of the title, lost in thought.

The shock of yesterday’s events and lack of rest had left his mind too frazzled to think clearly. But now, after a proper nap, his thoughts were sharp again, his mental state fully restored.

"It seems your nap wasn’t wasted. Care to share your thoughts?"

A cool, slightly husky voice snapped him out of his reverie. He looked up to see Gu Ruoxue resting a pen against her lips, pressing them together lightly.

"True, sleep is essential for physical recovery and mental organization…"

Su Cheng paused, studying her serene, flawless face before asking earnestly, "But never mind me—have you rested at all?"

Gu Ruoxue tucked a bookmark into her book, set it down, and met his gaze for a moment before offering a faint, weary smile. "Learning to steal moments of rest is the key to efficiency. So, what conclusions have you drawn?"

Instead of answering, Su Cheng held up The World’s Greatest Memory Book, pointing at the word "memory" and waiting silently for her response.

Gu Ruoxue tilted her head slightly, considering the book in his hands before shaking her head.

"Did one earthquake shatter your courage so completely that you’ve made running away your default solution for everything?"

Gu Ruoxue sighed softly.

Su Cheng’s proposed solution was, of course, to make himself lose his memories. Since the system’s reward and punishment mechanisms targeted the people he cared about, wouldn’t losing his memories—and thus having no one left to care about—affect the system’s influence?

It was true that he didn’t need to resort to self-harm again to solve the problem.

And it was certainly a question worth exploring…

But at the same time, it was riddled with uncertainties. Even the idea of losing memories alone was fraught with variables. After all, memory loss wasn’t something one could just will into existence. Artificial intervention in memory was still in a very limited stage of development. While certain techniques and methods could, under specific circumstances, help suppress or alter memories, these approaches came with numerous limitations and risks—and had yet to be widely applied or proven effective.

"Yeah, I was just thinking out loud," Su Cheng nodded, then placed the book back on the shelf.

"You really think turning yourself into an idiot would stop this thing from tormenting you?"

Gu Ruoxue frowned slightly, a trace of concern in her voice.

"Exactly. Isn’t that the whole ‘if I have no value, I can’t be exploited’ logic?"

Su Cheng chuckled but didn’t elaborate further. Instead, he glanced at the wall clock and noticed it was almost noon. "It’s almost lunchtime. Want to grab something to eat?"

Gu Ruoxue hesitated for a moment before giving a slight nod.

"Though, eating out isn’t necessary. Just take me back."

"Alright then."

They returned all the books to their proper places. Once everything was settled—

"Let’s go."

Su Cheng stood up and led the way toward the exit, but Gu Ruoxue lingered, holding a book with some hesitation.

Noticing this, Su Cheng stopped and turned back. "What’s wrong?"

Gu Ruoxue looked at him, then down at the book in her hands, hesitating. "I was wondering if I should check this out. There are still some parts I haven’t finished."

"Ugh, don’t drag it out. I’ll borrow it for you."

Without a second thought, Su Cheng snatched the book and went to check it out, leaving Gu Ruoxue to wait at the table.

While standing in line, Su Cheng grew curious about the book and took a closer look.

The Basic Laws of Web Novel Protagonists

His eyebrows shot up in amusement.

This genre was all too familiar—he didn’t even need to read it to know what it contained. Just a bunch of tropes and clichés about protagonists.

Sure enough, flipping through a few pages revealed the usual: immortality, absurd luck, endless romantic entanglements…

If this had been years ago, he might’ve excitedly imagined himself as the protagonist—after all, he was a transmigrator. But now? He could only scoff.

After living in this world for over a decade, he felt nothing but its relentless malice toward him.

And now, with this system that made life worse than death, the very idea of being a "protagonist" filled him with disgust.

What a damn joke.

He’d rather have nothing and just be an ordinary person.

………………

After checking it out, he handed the book to Gu Ruoxue.

"Hey, you’re not imagining me as some protagonist, are you?"

Gu Ruoxue blinked, then shook her head, fixing him with an icy stare. "No. This just summarizes common patterns. If we’re strictly following these ‘laws,’ a protagonist would need to be resilient and unyielding—nothing like a waste of space who keeps trying to off himself."

She added, "Though, admittedly, some traits do match. But don’t go thinking you’re the main character."

"Tch, obviously."

Su Cheng shrugged, unfazed.

He’d never seen himself as a protagonist. His life had zero highlights—just one long stretch of endurance and frustration.

Who’d even read a story like that?

If someone actually wrote it, he’d question the author’s sanity.

What kind of lunatic…

At least treat your protagonist decently, damn it!

He couldn’t help breaking the fourth wall in his mind.

Even with a system, it wasn’t some golden ticket to success—just another source of agony.

As they stepped out of the library, the winter air greeted them with thick, swirling snowflakes. The biting cold had left the streets nearly empty.

Given the lunch hour and snowfall, foot traffic was sparse, so the two walked close together. Suddenly, Su Cheng paused outside a café.

"How about eating here?"

Gu Ruoxue glanced at him, then at the café. In this small town, it was a high-end spot—lavishly decorated, quiet, and perfect for intimate conversations.

But she shook her head and declined politely, saying, "No need. The hotel has prepared food for me. I'll head back."

Hearing this, Su Cheng dropped the idea.

"Then I'll go back too."

"I need your contact information."

"I don't have one, but I can get one."

"No need. Let’s meet at the breakfast shop at the same time tomorrow."

"Alright. Get some rest."

With that, the two parted ways, walking in opposite directions.

Back at the orphanage, Su Cheng lay down on his bed, lost in thought. The events of the past few days had left him unsettled, and he couldn’t calm his mind. He closed his eyes, hoping to gather his energy.

But within minutes, he got up again. After lunch at the orphanage, he headed to a hidden spot near the school—a shady internet café.

It had only about a dozen computers.

Two yuan an hour.

At the moment, five students were already seated in a row, engrossed in a game.

Su Cheng handed the owner two yuan, found an empty seat, and sat down.

He began searching for information about the earthquake victims online but found nothing useful.

Eventually, he left the café and visited the disaster zones reported in the news. Narrowing it down to five damaged households, he withdrew twenty thousand yuan from the bank, divided it into five red envelopes, and donated them to the families under the pretense that someone had sent him.

With that done, he returned to the orphanage.

Though he had donated nearly all his savings, leaving himself only a thousand yuan, he felt no regret. Instead, his heart felt lighter.

Even if he had done nothing, no one would have blamed him. But the values instilled in him since childhood made it impossible for him to turn a blind eye.

……………………

The next day.

Saturday.

Snowfall.

The streets outside were blanketed in white.

Su Cheng woke up early. Since it was the weekend, he didn’t have school. Bundled in a thick winter coat, only his clear eyes were visible beneath the layers.

At the breakfast shop, he ordered his usual—soy milk, fried dough sticks, and a steamed bun—and ate leisurely. Once finished, he glanced around, wondering, "Why hasn’t Gu Ruoxue arrived yet?"

Then he spotted her—standing at the entrance of a nearby supermarket, seemingly hesitant to approach.

Su Cheng immediately understood.

Gu Ruoxue was avoiding the overly enthusiastic proprietress again.

To be fair, the proprietress was quite the character—a self-proclaimed judge of good looks who often offered free meals to attractive customers.

Just then, Gu Ruoxue noticed him and met his gaze.

Her outfit today was different—a white coat, thick black leggings, dark ankle boots, and a high-waisted black pleated skirt. Her hair cascaded loosely over her coat, tied at the roots with a red hair clip. Even standing there, she exuded effortless elegance.

She was wrapped up tightly—a hat, gloves, a scarf, and even fluffy ear muffs.

The ensemble made her look adorable, though her natural grace still drew glances from passersby.

Su Cheng left money on the table and walked over, smiling. "Morning. Figured out a plan yet?"

"Let’s put that aside for now. Did you trigger anything unusual?" Gu Ruoxue’s voice was calm, devoid of any urgency.

"No," Su Cheng shook his head lightly. He hadn’t understood why Gu Ruoxue wanted to meet at the breakfast shop, but now it made sense—she was checking in about their system tasks.

"If anything strange happens, tell me immediately."

Su Cheng nodded. "Got it."

"Let’s go."

With that, Gu Ruoxue turned to leave.

"Wait, where to?" Su Cheng asked, puzzled. Wasn’t the check-in over? Shouldn’t they go their separate ways?

Gu Ruoxue paused, glancing back with a half-serious expression. "To deal with the cat you traumatized last time."

Without another word, she walked off, leaving Su Cheng standing there dumbfounded before he hurried after her.

Eventually, they found the balding orange cat at a small shop near the school, run by an elderly woman. The cat was lounging contentedly by a heater, basking in the warmth.

Watching the lazy, comical creature sprawled by the heater, Su Cheng couldn’t help but twitch his lips. "Look at it. Living better than I am."

Gu Ruoxue, however, seemed unsurprised, as if she already knew the cat’s whereabouts. She shot him a cool glance. "You should be grateful it was taken in by someone kind."

Without waiting for a response, she approached the old woman and struck up a conversation.

Just as Su Cheng was about to follow, the petty and vindictive "Mediterranean cat" arched its back and assumed an attacking stance, forcing him to stay outside and eavesdrop on the conversation between the two inside.

From outside, Su Cheng learned that the cat had been entrusted to the elderly woman by Gu Ruoxue on the day of the earthquake.

Over ten minutes later...

Gu Ruoxue stepped out and said to Su Cheng, "Let's go."

Su Cheng followed her but couldn't help asking, "Where to now?"

"To the mall, naturally, to buy it a warm and cozy bed," Gu Ruoxue replied flatly.

"I don’t think I need to tag along, do I?"

"No!"

Gu Ruoxue immediately rejected the idea, fixing him with an icy stare. "You’re the one responsible for this, so of course you’re coming with me."

"You just don’t know where to buy a cat bed in the mall and need a guide, right?" Su Cheng blurted out, unable to hold back the sarcastic remark.

Caught off guard, Gu Ruoxue seemed exposed, pausing briefly before regaining her composure. With an expressionless face, she said, "That’s part of it. But since you’ve figured it out, you might as well lead the way."

"You could’ve just been honest. I wouldn’t have refused."

Su Cheng sighed. Honesty would’ve made things easier, but who knew Gu Ruoxue could be so tsundere?

They walked to the commercial district near the school and entered a pet store. Su Cheng sat and waited while observing Gu Ruoxue’s conversation with the clerk.

To his surprise, she didn’t just buy a cat bed—she also picked up toys, treats, cat food, and even an electric heating pad for cats.

It made him feel like dogs had it rough.

And by dogs, he meant himself.

Half an hour later, Su Cheng had transformed into a pack mule, struggling to carry the cat bed, toys, a large bag of food, and another hefty bag of cat kibble.

Of course, he had volunteered for this.

The commercial street was lined with shops, and Gu Ruoxue frequently wandered into one or another. At least this gave him a chance to set the bags down and catch his breath—though the breaks never lasted long before she moved on to the next store.

He briefly entertained the thought of stashing everything in his system space, but reason reminded him that surveillance cameras were everywhere.

So, he trudged along silently, laden with bags, watching as Gu Ruoxue explored the shops with childlike curiosity, as if she’d never ventured far before. She couldn’t resist buying anything that caught her eye.

This side of her took Su Cheng by surprise. He hadn’t expected her to have such a girlish side.

He’d assumed Gu Ruoxue was all logic, no emotion.

Finally, around mealtime, Gu Ruoxue hit a snag.

She somehow led them straight into a dead-end alley.

"Even a place this out-of-the-way—you still managed to find it," Su Cheng gasped, arms straining under the weight of the bags, unable to suppress his exasperation.

Gu Ruoxue remained unruffled, her lips quirking into a half-smile as she stared at him. "That didn’t sound like a compliment."

"So you do know you’re directionally challenged?"

Looking at her beautiful face, Su Cheng couldn’t resist teasing her again.

"Since you’ve worked so hard, I’ll treat you to lunch as a reward," Gu Ruoxue said lightly, clearly in high spirits after the shopping spree.

"Then I’ll graciously accept the young lady’s generosity," Su Cheng grinned, not refusing.

Soon, they arrived at a private kitchen.

Gu Ruoxue handed the menu to Su Cheng.

He ordered a few simple, inexpensive stir-fried dishes.

"These hardly seem like a proper reward. Let me handle it," Gu Ruoxue remarked, glancing at the menu before circling several rare and pricey dishes.

Su Cheng inwardly winced but stayed silent. When the food arrived, the sheer extravagance stunned him.

"There’s no way we’ll finish all this."

"Isn’t there a word for that... takeout?"

"..."

Her response left Su Cheng speechless.

Gu Ruoxue said nothing more, picking up her chopsticks to delicately nibble on a piece of greens, her refined and unhurried movements exuding elegance.

The two ate in silence, though Su Cheng noticed Gu Ruoxue seemed particularly fond of the dishes he’d ordered, helping herself to generous portions.

By the end of the meal, Su Cheng was stuffed. He glanced at Gu Ruoxue, who was leisurely sipping soup, having barely touched her food.

"You’re full already?" Su Cheng asked curiously.

"Dieting," she replied dismissively.

"Huh?"

Su Cheng’s eyes widened in disbelief. Her figure was practically flawless—since when did she need to diet?

Then it hit him. His gaze drifted downward, landing on her flat chest.

Ah. So the young lady’s weight loss goals were... unconventional.

"From the look in your eyes, I feel offended."

Gu Ruoxue set down her chopsticks, narrowing her sharp, blade-like gaze at Su Cheng as if she could pierce through all his secrets.

Su Cheng coughed awkwardly and quickly changed the subject, calling out, "Waiter, could we get this to go?"

Gu Ruoxue didn’t press further and instead took the bill to the counter.

Soon after, the two stepped out of the restaurant.

However, this time, Gu Ruoxue paused when she came across an archery stall, her expression briefly distant and distracted.

This made Su Cheng glance curiously at the stall, then back at Gu Ruoxue beside him.

Then it suddenly dawned on him—could it be that Gu Ruoxue had a particular fondness for this kind of thing?

Or was she interested in the plush toys at the stall?

"Want to give it a try?" he ventured.

"No."

Gu Ruoxue snapped out of her thoughts and shook her head, explaining, "I was just reminded of an old friend."

This was the first time Su Cheng had ever heard her mention having friends, and he couldn’t help but remark, "I can only imagine someone who becomes your friend must be exceptional too, right?"

Gu Ruoxue nodded. "Yes, she is indeed remarkable."

Then, as if realizing something, she suddenly turned to Su Cheng with a grave expression. "So, are you now wondering if she could also trigger a system quest?"

"No, no, I was actually thinking about her gender."

Su Cheng couldn’t help but smirk at Gu Ruoxue—this was a classic case of outsmarting herself.

"Though, I only started wondering after you brought it up."

He rubbed his chin, studying her with feigned seriousness, while she, unusually, showed a hint of frustration, her cheeks flushing slightly as she realized her slip.

"I was lost in memories just now. My mind wandered back to the past without meaning to," she murmured.

"Hey, it’s fine. Who hasn’t had a dumb moment?"

Su Cheng chuckled. Though Gu Ruoxue had been distracted, the matter had piqued his curiosity.

After all, characters who could trigger system objectives were exceedingly rare. But he absolutely wouldn’t seek her out—if it led to a mandatory quest, he’d be in for a living nightmare.

"I advise you to drop that idea."

"Of course, I get it. But someone who’s your friend must be as kind as you, right?" Su Cheng said with a grin.

"Kind?"

To his surprise, Gu Ruoxue fixed him with a stern look, her tone firm. "No. On the contrary, she’s a refined egoist. You shouldn’t just avoid her—you should stay far away. Until things are resolved, you must not go to Flame City."

With that, she gave him a deep, meaningful look, the gravity in her expression sending a jolt through him.

"Alright, I understand."

At that moment, Gu Ruoxue recalled something from the book The Basic Laws of Web Novel Protagonists she’d read earlier and, without thinking, blurted out, "Also, under no circumstances should you have any connection with anyone surnamed Ji."

"Got it, no problem."