People Nowadays Are Mostly Selfish

Li Guanqi returned to her seat and opened the book titled "The Basic Laws of Web Novel Male Protagonists." On the title page, she found yesterday's apology and confirmation of the amnesia incident, but nothing else. This made her delicate brows furrow slightly as she sank into deep thought.

It wasn’t the content of the book that bothered her—in fact, the writing was sincere and earnest. Rather, it was Su Cheng’s attitude toward her.

Full of wariness and rejection.

What exactly had happened?

Why did he harbor such intense resistance and unfamiliarity toward her? She couldn’t make sense of it.

Lost in thought, she couldn’t help but glance toward a seat not far away, her beautiful eyes flickering with uncertainty.

Just as she was about to look away, Su Cheng coincidentally turned his head and met her gaze.

The moment their eyes locked, Su Cheng immediately averted his, pretending to continue reading with an unruffled expression.

But Li Guanqi’s heart sank once more. Because in Su Cheng’s eyes, she detected something beyond the previous resistance and wariness—

A clear sense of disgust.

A thick sense of crisis rose in her heart.

Why was this happening?

Li Guanqi bit her lip, filled with frustration and confusion.

Could it be that something in the notes she left had offended him, provoking this disgust?

Unable to find an answer, she instinctively turned her attention back to Su Cheng’s message in the book.

Judging by his words, there was no trace of resistance or indifference—every stroke of his handwriting was meticulous, even carrying a hint of respect.

So why did he now seem hostile toward her?

Could it be… someone had fed him negative information, tainting his impression of her?

At this thought, Li Guanqi’s eyes darkened, and two figures surfaced in her mind—the master-servant duo.

Was it them?

Yes, very likely.

Only they could get close to Su Cheng, and with their legitimate status, it was natural for Su Cheng to trust them.

The more Li Guanqi thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Moreover, using such methods to drive a wedge between her and Su Cheng was entirely within reason.

But another question arose—

Why had they suddenly taken action?

Was it because of yesterday’s lunch break incident? Did they think she had crossed a line?

But she had only been searching for answers—not trying to steal "their man."

Alright, maybe fanning the flames on the grass was a bit questionable, but that wasn’t the point.

Li Guanqi’s mind raced, piecing together every detail in search of an explanation.

Yet soon she realized that even if she uncovered the truth, she had no way to break the deadlock!

She was completely cornered—this was bad.

Her delicate brows knitted tightly as she leaned on the desk, fingers pressing so hard against the book that her knuckles turned white without her even noticing.

She was strategizing—how should she handle this situation? If she didn’t find a way to turn things around soon, Su Cheng’s attitude toward her might only grow colder and more distant.

The graver possibility was that, if things continued this way, her only advantage—proximity—would vanish entirely.

And in the end—

Would she even have a chance to talk to Su Cheng again?

"Hmm?" Just then, she noticed something unusual about the book in her hands. Some terms were unfamiliar, but most were understandable, and she even vaguely grasped a few concepts.

"Protagonist traits…" Li Guanqi flipped to the first page and found a section on protagonist archetypes. What she read next genuinely surprised her.

Because many of these "laws" aligned eerily well with Su Cheng!

For example—the protagonist’s seat: back row, by the window.

Su Cheng fit that perfectly.

Peach blossom luck and childhood sweethearts…

Su Cheng matched those too.

Gu Ruoxue and Ji Qingyi could both qualify as childhood sweethearts.

The Protagonist’s Infallibility Law: "The protagonist is always right. If they seem wrong, they must have a hidden reason."

The Protagonist’s Framing Law: "The secondary male/female lead is always a villain, scheming between the main couple, creating misunderstandings. Eventually, the heroine/hero will leave heartbroken, only to return later, leading to a fiery pursuit—the 'crematorium' phase."

The Protagonist’s Persuasion Law: "Early-stage antagonists who oppose the protagonist for some reason may, if given a chance to explain themselves, become key allies—either as main characters or supporting roles."

………………

At this point, Li Guanqi closed the book, her expression shifting dramatically, as if she had stumbled upon a revelation.

Because she had found a way to break the deadlock—she needed to come clean with Su Cheng about everything!

And by "everything," she meant everything—including her motives. Her motives stemmed from the spatial ring, so she had to lay it all out. Though admitting her ulterior motives might be risky, it would surely clear the air and restore their friendship.

But before she could act, her phone buzzed in her skirt pocket, making her frown. She pulled it out.

The message on the screen was from Liu Qingyue:

"Junior, don’t do anything that would break your promise~"

Her face instantly darkened, a wave of helplessness washing over her, bringing with it a deep sense of defeat and resignation. Because Liu Qingyue’s words had struck right at her weakest point.

This was both a warning and a threat—but more importantly, it made her feel powerless.

The Ji family’s master and servant had anticipated her every move, calculated her every step.

They might even have countermeasures ready.

At this moment—

They held all the advantages: timing, position, and influence.

How could she possibly contend with them?

In this situation, trying to outmaneuver them was a losing strategy. All she could do was wait and watch for an opportunity.

"Ding ling ling—"

The class bell rang.

Li Guanqi put away the book, lost in thought, a faint melancholy lingering between her brows and weighing on her heart, refusing to fade.

Only when Su Cheng walked into her line of sight did she snap out of it, instinctively raising a hand to her forehead as she secretly watched him leave the classroom.

………………

Meanwhile.

"Miss, the current situation is within our predicted range."

Liu Qingyue spoke respectfully to the young mistress beside her. "Li Guanqi did consider telling Su Cheng about the ring and her deductions. Unfortunately for her, she made a prior agreement with us—and we have evidence. If she insists on revealing these things, not only will she prove her ulterior motives, but she’ll also be breaking her word! That would only give us more room to maneuver."