Chapter Nineteen

"Really? Well, it just feels a bit of a shame..."

Though Su Cheng felt somewhat dejected, he understood why Gu Ruoxue had refused so decisively. She was afraid he might encounter another target capable of triggering the system's tasks if he went elsewhere.

He lowered his gaze, his emotions tangled.

The outside world now seemed to him like a desert rose—full of allure and temptation, yet utterly out of reach.

Because between poison and medicine, there was only a single step. The moment he reached out to touch it, the venom on its thorns would seep through his skin and into his veins.

Though regret and reluctance gnawed at him, he had no choice but to abandon the idea.

Perhaps sensing Su Cheng's melancholy, Gu Ruoxue paused her graceful stride. She stood beside him, a faint smile on her lips, and asked, "Aside from this request, is there anything else you wish for? Or any other help you need? Feel free to tell me. If it's within my power, I won’t refuse."

"Thank you."

Su Cheng looked up at her with a smile before slowly lowering his head again.

At the same time, he sank into deep thought.

Suppose the third-stage reward was something capable of erasing memories.

Then what Gu Ruoxue intended to do was eliminate his memories as a transmigrator.

The purpose of this would be to wipe out his past-life memories, thereby rendering the system nonexistent—since the system had come with his transmigration and had taken shape according to his will.

But this also posed a serious problem!

If his transmigrator memories vanished, the original host's memories might become fragmented and incoherent, even incomprehensible.

At worst, his mind could regress to that of a young child, leaving him with only the thoughts and recollections of early childhood. Wouldn’t that reduce the original host to a toddler?

While this was admittedly better than death, it was only marginally so. By the time the original host grew into a fully functional adult, he’d likely be well into his thirties.

As this realization struck him, Su Cheng couldn’t help but imagine a scene—

Himself, years later, sucking on a baby bottle while wearing diapers.

A shudder ran through him.

That was far too cruel, far too horrifying!

Moreover, he also realized that before losing his memories, he’d have to fabricate a plausible explanation—such as a brain injury—to account for his sudden regression into a childlike state.

Otherwise, turning into an idiot out of nowhere wouldn’t make any scientific sense!

Seeing Su Cheng lost in thought, Gu Ruoxue remained silent, patiently waiting for him to speak again.

The two continued walking until they reached the shade of a tree.

Su Cheng stopped and turned to Gu Ruoxue, hesitating before asking, "Um… what if I lose my memories and become a toddler?"

As he spoke, he pointed to his own eyes, which now seemed to brim with childlike innocence.

Yet Gu Ruoxue appeared entirely unfazed, as if she’d anticipated this question. Calmly, she replied, "Don’t worry. If that happens, I’ll hire child development specialists under the guise of volunteer work. They’ll assist you in cognitive, emotional, social, and physical development to help you quickly readjust to normal life."

Hearing this, the worry in Su Cheng’s brow gradually eased.

That… was acceptable. What he feared most was becoming a burden, a ward of the welfare system.

"Then…"

Su Cheng hesitated before steeling himself to ask, "Then… could you… have them take me to an amusement park?"

His voice grew quieter, the request feeling embarrassingly childish.

But Gu Ruoxue’s response made his face light up with joy.

"Of course. No problem."

She didn’t even pause to consider before agreeing.

"Thank you."

Su Cheng smiled faintly.

"Why an amusement park?"

Gu Ruoxue asked curiously. Though she could guess, she wanted to hear it from him directly.

At this, Su Cheng’s cheeks flushed slightly. He scratched his head sheepishly and murmured, "When I was little, I always envied other kids whose parents took them to play there. Now that I might revert to childhood, I want to give myself a happy memory—to make up for what I missed. And I want him… to grow up healthy and normal, too."

His words were simple, yet strangely poignant. The longing and hope on his face were almost tangible, as if he were entrusting his unfulfilled dreams to another version of himself.

"I understand."

Gu Ruoxue’s gentle voice pulled his gaze upward. Her clear, autumn-like eyes met his, a soft smile playing on her lips as she asked, "Is there anything else you’d like me to do for you?"

"No, that’s all. Thank you."

Su Cheng shook his head with a smile.

Strangely, he now felt an odd sense of relief, as if he’d just settled his affairs before passing on. Responsibilities fulfilled, matters resolved—his heart was finally at peace.

"Oh, right—"

Suddenly, Su Cheng seemed to remember something urgent. He quickly asked, "What about you? Will you leave, or…?"

He trailed off, swallowing the rest of his question before forcing an awkward chuckle.

"Me?" Gu Ruoxue blinked, momentarily taken aback.

Then, her expression smoothed into its usual composure. "I’ll observe you discreetly for a while before returning to Flame City."

"Flame City…"

Su Cheng’s face lit up with wistful admiration.

He wondered what the world’s premier metropolis—the so-called capital of the globe—was truly like.

"Then… if you ever run into him after you leave, please don’t tell him about our past. Let him live an ordinary life, like any other child. Can you promise me that?"

Su Cheng looked at her earnestly.

"You have my word."

"Ah, there’s one last thing I need to do."

Su Cheng exhaled in relief before suddenly slapping his forehead. His eyes brightened as he turned to Gu Ruoxue. "Can you give me an hour?"

Gu Ruoxue brought a finger to her lips in mock thought before smiling. "Very well. But don’t take too long—our date is almost over."

"Got it! Wait here for me!"

Su Cheng nodded excitedly before spinning around and dashing off into the distance.

Watching his retreating figure, Gu Ruoxue’s lips curled into a faint smile.

She could guess exactly what he was rushing off to do—something for their evening plans.

But soon, her expression settled back into its usual elegant poise. She took a seat on a nearby bench, retrieving a book titled The Fundamental Laws of Web Novel Protagonists from her bag, and began to read.

……

Su Cheng raced toward the upscale Western restaurant in the county.

Tonight’s dinner was his treat, which meant the arrangements were his responsibility.

And in his experience, Western restaurants required reservations.

He needed to secure one now—otherwise, showing up tonight only to be turned away would be beyond embarrassing.

Though he’d never been there before, he remembered the route perfectly. Soon, he arrived at the restaurant, nestled in the heart of the county’s busiest shopping district.

This was a French restaurant.

"Good evening, sir. Do you have a reservation?"

The waiter greeted him politely.

Affected by the atmosphere and environment, Su Cheng coughed awkwardly and replied, "Uh... can I make one now?"

"Of course."

The waiter smiled and nodded, gesturing for Su Cheng to follow him inside.

Taking a deep breath, Su Cheng followed the waiter to an empty table and sat down.

He then proceeded to finalize the dining time, number of guests, special requests, and even the menu. Finally, he looked at the waiter and asked, "Can I go to the private room to set things up myself?"

"Okay, no problem."

The waiter picked up a pen and quickly jotted down Su Cheng's requests:

Private room, violinist, song selection, two set meals.

Once inside the room, he arranged small figurines of pandas and cats on the table, instantly livening up the atmosphere and filling the space with warmth and romance.

After finishing the setup, he left the restaurant.

Honestly, he had thought this meal would cost him nearly his entire budget of ten thousand yuan, but to his surprise, it turned out to be much more affordable.

The whole package only cost a little over a thousand.

This came as a relief. Though still expensive—the most he had ever spent on a meal—it was worth it. After all, some things demanded a sense of ceremony. He couldn’t just confess his feelings on the street, could he?

Or bring a speaker, arrange a heart-shaped pattern of roses, and then set the character "Gu" ablaze with flames in the middle?

Followed by a dramatic dance move before dropping to one knee and pouring out his heart to Gu Ruoxue?

If he went through with all that—

Gu Ruoxue would probably cringe so hard she’d roll on the ground, suffering yet another emotional scar and lifelong trauma.

The mental image made him chuckle.

But then, something unexpected happened—

"Boom!"

A loud crash echoed from nearby as he was walking back.

Dust scattered through the air, and Su Cheng froze in shock, turning toward the source of the noise.

A black luxury car had smashed through the guardrail and collided violently with a wall. The windshield was shattered, and the front of the car was severely crumpled.

Bystanders crowded around the accident scene, their faces pale with shock and fear, clearly unprepared for the sudden tragedy.

The people inside the car, having endured such a brutal impact, lay unconscious in their seats, blood seeping from the doors.

Su Cheng stared blankly at the scene, his mind going numb, his body stiff.

Having died once before, he wasn’t afraid of death itself.

But what stunned him was recognizing the two people in the front seats—the couple who had adopted him as a child.

At first, they had doted on him, but the kindness didn’t last. Within days, they began humiliating him, growing increasingly hostile. The slightest provocation earned him slaps or belt lashes.

Eventually, they forcibly sent him back to the orphanage, cutting all ties.

To him, they had adopted him on a whim—infertile and unfit to be parents.

Now, they lay dead before him in such a gruesome manner. He took a few deep breaths.

Just then, an ambulance wailed in the distance.

"None of my business. I have more important things to do."

Finally snapping out of it, Su Cheng felt neither schadenfreude nor pity. With a cold glance, he turned to leave, heading toward Gu Ruoxue.

But he hadn’t even walked a kilometer before stopping.

"No, I need to make sure."

Muttering to himself, he backtracked all the way to the scene. By then, the bodies had been covered with blue sheets, as if the deceased were unharmed. The situation seemed stable.

Relieved, his face twisted with sorrow, his heart swelling with sympathy. After all, the dead deserved respect. To honor them, he hopped away cheerfully, ready for his candlelit dinner with Gu Ruoxue.

But after just one energetic leap, exhaustion hit him. Noticing a library nearby, he hesitated before stepping inside and renting out a copy of The World’s Greatest Memory Book.

In a way, this book had inspired them both.

To him, losing his memories didn’t mean he had truly lost anything. On the contrary, it proved he had been reborn.

Death wasn’t scary—being forgotten was.

But at least Gu Ruoxue would remember him.

She would remember that a traveler from another world had once been here.

He felt he should leave some trace behind.

For example—

"Your longing is the source of memory."

But as soon as he wrote those words, his face burned with embarrassment.

Glancing around to make sure no one was watching, he stored the note in his system space. Since the library was close to the orphanage, he made a quick detour to leave a few things in his drawer, including the book.

With everything settled, he finally left to keep his date.

Unbeknownst to him, the moment he stepped out, a girl in a wheelchair emerged from a nearby room, watching his retreating figure with a puzzled expression.

…………………………

8:00 PM.

The French restaurant.

In a white-themed private room, warm lighting cast a hazy glow. The candlelight on the table and the panda figurines added a dreamlike touch, making the space feel exceptionally cozy.

Across the table, Gu Ruoxue sat primly.

She looked up. "So this is what you spent half the day preparing? A panda-and-cat-themed candlelit dinner?"

Su Cheng explained, "I know you like pandas and cats, so I asked the kids at the orphanage to make these."

"Is that so? Then I’ll have to thank them properly."

Gu Ruoxue tilted her head slightly, a soft smile playing on her lips as she examined the figurines.

"As long as you like them, their effort wasn’t wasted—"

Before he could finish, a knock interrupted him as the food arrived.

"Enjoy your meal."

Once the server left, Su Cheng turned back to Gu Ruoxue. She rested her cheek on one hand, elegant and composed, her lips curved in a faint smile.

"I can tell you put a lot of thought into this. Thank you," she said softly.

Soon, the courses arrived one after another in perfect order.

Outside the room, the sound of a violin began to play—a sweet, lively melody that further harmonized the atmosphere between them.

At that moment, Su Cheng abruptly stood up. Under Gu Ruoxue’s curious gaze, he began patting his clothes and pockets frantically, as if searching for something.

His clumsy, flustered demeanor mirrored the dinner itself—unpretentious, devoid of extravagance, yet brimming with the sincerity and passion of a young man pouring his heart into every detail.

It stirred something in Gu Ruoxue’s chest.

She didn’t understand where this feeling came from.

Yet she knew that in the next moment, the fool Su Cheng, after fumbling with the ring for so long, would find it in the so-called system space.

He extended his palm toward her.

And in her hand—

A rusted golden ring materialized out of thin air.

"I like you."

Su Cheng's cheeks flushed slightly, his expression a mix of mustered courage and nervousness as he gazed at her with complicated emotions.

That loving gaze, devoid of any pretentious lines—just the most sincere and natural expression of his feelings in four simple words. But it wasn’t just a confession. His voice, tender yet tinged with sorrow, carried a depth of unspoken emotion.

It was telling her—

This was both a confession and a farewell.

Even though she had anticipated it, even though she had imagined this moment countless times, Gu Ruoxue still froze, her heart pounding uncontrollably as if it might burst from her chest at any second.

At that moment, the violin melody reached its climax, shifting from a cheerful, lively tune to one of melancholy and sorrow.

Like an announcement of the outcome after the confession—

Desolate, tragic.

Gu Ruoxue stood up and slowly placed her pale, slender left hand into Su Cheng’s palm.

Su Cheng grasped her delicate hand gently, holding his breath as he carefully placed the ring in her palm. Then he folded her fingers into a fist and enveloped it tightly with his own hand.

Simultaneously—

[Ding—]