During the break, the classroom buzzed with youthful energy.
Yet, Su Cheng seemed detached from this lively atmosphere, seated by the window in that legendary spot—like a solitary king.
As a king, it was his duty to guide others forward.
He flipped open The Basic Laws of Web Novel Protagonists, only to discover traces of erased pencil marks behind each protagonist rule. Though carefully rubbed out, the faint imprints were still visible under the morning light.
Was this Li Guanqi’s doing?
At this thought, he glanced toward the corner.
There, Li Guanqi wasn’t chatting or playing around like the other students. Instead, she was engrossed in a literary work, occasionally jotting down notes.
Now that fit the image of a literary girl.
Su Cheng withdrew his gaze and looked out the window again.
His mind drifted back to this morning’s encounter with Li Guanqi in the parking lot, prompting some self-reflection.
Had he been too rash and impulsive?
But if it were anyone else, he wouldn’t have bothered. The issue was, this web novel was something he had given Li Guanqi, and she had helped him multiple times before. By reason and sentiment, he owed her a timely warning.
He knew all too well how murky the world of online literature could be. Most books were packed with fluff, training readers to skim rather than absorb.
Over time, it would become harder to focus on—let alone comprehend—content with real substance.
And that would undermine one’s ability to self-study.
Besides, if she dove into male-oriented works, she’d likely find them jarring, reinforcing stereotypes about authors and readers. If she turned to female-oriented ones, most were riddled with skewed morals, easy to lead her astray.
Sighing, Su Cheng fell into thought.
Though his actions might come off as presumptuous, staying silent would gnaw at his conscience.
So the real question was—was he doing this just to ease his own guilt?
After some deliberation, he realized the crux might lie in the fact that he was the one who introduced her to this world.
Had she stumbled into web novels on her own and gotten hooked, Su Cheng would’ve simply lamented the waste of a promising literary girl—but it would’ve been her choice to make, her responsibility to bear.
Yet he was the one who brought her in, and he’d already tripped into plenty of pitfalls himself.
As a veteran, he felt obligated to warn newcomers about the treacherous paths and traps ahead.
Intervening now might well steer her clear of those pitfalls—but at the cost of coming across as overbearing or paranoid.
If he chose not to interfere, she’d likely plunge in headfirst, learn the hard way, and later resent him for not stopping her before she reached that point.
Even if he wasn’t actually responsible to that extent, he’d still feel guilty.
"Maybe I should apologize first?" After a moment’s hesitation, Su Cheng stood and walked to Li Guanqi’s desk, lightly tapping its surface.
Li Guanqi closed her book, turning its cover toward him as if to prove her innocence.
"I came to apologize for this morning," Su Cheng cut straight to the point.
"Hm?" Li Guanqi seemed caught off guard, her eyes flickering with confusion.
Lowering his voice, Su Cheng spoke earnestly, "Let’s talk somewhere else. This might take a while."
Li Guanqi nodded, and the two moved to the end of the hallway.
"Go ahead," she said calmly.
Su Cheng gathered his words. "I was too impulsive this morning. I bulldozed over your feelings and stance, demanding you comply with my wishes. That was wrong of me."
To his surprise, Li Guanqi shook her head. "I understand why you did it."
"No, that’s not the point," Su Cheng insisted. "I should’ve first understood your situation, then figured out how to help—not just bark orders at you. That went against my own intentions, and causing you trouble was entirely my fault."
"Then why were you so impulsive?" Li Guanqi asked curiously. This morning’s wall slam had been wildly out of character for this usually reserved and distant guy.
Su Cheng smiled wryly. "I already owe you favors. When I found out you’d picked up a bad habit because of me, I lost control."
Li Guanqi’s eyes widened slightly. "So, besides apologizing, is there something else you want to say?"
"Yeah." Su Cheng nodded. "After calming down, I realized my words this morning were just self-righteous moral grandstanding. So I’ve decided to help you my way—if you’ll give me the chance."
"How do you plan to help?" Li Guanqi’s interest was piqued.
"You can keep reading, and I can even recommend books. But before you start, let me vet the content first to make sure it’s safe for you." Su Cheng proposed. "How does that sound?"
This was his new idea: instead of enforcing a ban, it would be better to guide and work together to bring about change.
Li Guanqi fell into silence.
She was surprised that Su Cheng would go to such lengths for her. Almost no one had ever paid such intense, sustained attention to her existence. Though his sense of boundaries was lacking, it gave her a peculiar thrill. She began to understand why their relationship was that of lovers.
This little trick of yielding first and then pressing forward—she had now experienced it firsthand. Simple, blunt, yet remarkably effective.
Seeing Li Guanqi remain silent, Su Cheng grew nervous, afraid she might refuse.
He hastily added, "This way, we can occasionally discuss the plot too. Isn’t that better?"
Li Guanqi raised her head and asked slowly, "I have a question. Weren’t you always keeping your distance from me? Why are you suddenly willing to sacrifice so much? Aren’t you afraid your girlfriend might misunderstand and affect your relationship?"
"She’ll understand," Su Cheng declared firmly. "The other day, when you handed me a glass of water in my moment of need, she knew about it. We never got the chance to express our gratitude, and this is the perfect opportunity."
As he spoke, he began praising Ji Qingyi: "She’s a very understanding girl. Once I explain this to her, she’ll definitely support me."
Are you really talking about the Ji Qingyi I know?
Hearing this, Li Guanqi felt thoroughly unsettled. In her eyes, Ji Qingyi was anything but reasonable. If Su Cheng told the two of them about their interactions, not only would he fail to gain support, he might even land himself in hot water.
By then, she’d likely find herself trapped with no way out.
"Sorry, I can’t accept your suggestion," Li Guanqi refused expressionlessly. "You’ve convinced me. I’ve decided to give up reading web novels. You can rest assured."
Su Cheng’s expression shifted at her words, a mix of relief and disappointment.
Relieved that Li Guanqi was willing to "turn over a new leaf," yet disappointed that he hadn’t been able to help or repay the favor.
"I see," he sighed dejectedly, turning to leave.
"Wait." Li Guanqi’s voice called out from behind.
Su Cheng turned back to see her gazing steadily at him.
"Is there something else?" he asked nervously.
Li Guanqi bit her lip lightly. "I think... you might be able to help me with something."
"With what?" Su Cheng perked up immediately.
"My family’s driver recently went back to his hometown for a break," Li Guanqi said carefully. "I’m not familiar with the new one yet, and it’s a bit uncomfortable. I heard you know a female driver—could you give me her contact information?"
Su Cheng paused, then nodded readily. "Of course." He pulled out his phone and sent the number to Li Guanqi.
"Thank you." Her tone softened slightly. "I’d like to hire her as my driver for a while, but I’ll need your help to arrange it."
"No problem, but..." Though he agreed, a hint of hesitation flickered across his face.
"What’s wrong?" Li Guanqi asked, puzzled.
"She reads web novels often. I’m worried..."
"Don’t worry. I have enough self-control for that," Li Guanqi cut him off.
Su Cheng finally relaxed. "That’s good then."
"Thank you very much."
Li Guanqi stood and bowed to him in gratitude.
"No, no, it’s nothing, really," Su Cheng stammered, flustered, his smile earnest.
"But to me, you’ve done me a great favor." Li Guanqi straightened up, her expression as composed as ever.
Yet, to Su Cheng, her demeanor only made him feel awkward. Her poker face made it impossible to sense any sincerity—it almost felt like pity.
Fortunately, Li Guanqi quickly picked up on his discomfort. She hurriedly apologized, "I’m sorry. My facial nerves aren’t very flexible due to certain reasons."
"Huh?" Su Cheng’s eyes widened in disbelief.
She’s actually expressionless?
"Yes, please bear with me." Li Guanqi apologized repeatedly, then lifted the corners of her lips with her slender fingers, forcing a stiff smile.
Though the smile was strained, she still made a sincere effort to show it to Su Cheng.
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
he colors of other people’s emotions. Light red meant anxiety. Gray meant exhaustion. Orange meant excitement. Yellow... meant repression. At the same time, he could gain unlimited control over one of those colors. Pale cyan: relaxation. Using this ability, he started offering “two-yuan hugs,” spending an afternoon exchanging emotional-color experiences with others. Then came his final female customer of the day— a girl whose emotional color was pure black... —— A week later, Xu Chuan had become skilled at using pale cyan—Relaxation—treating it like a bottle of menthol balm whenever he needed it. That was when he discovered he had unlocked another unlimited emotional color: Purple, the color of fear. So these emotional colors refresh every week? Fine, I take it back—I’ll never call you useless again... —— Much later, after Xu Chuan had accumulated countless emotional abilities, one night, he suddenly found himself inside someone else’s dream. There, he could use the emotional colors he possessed to paint. And in her dream, he painted her a shower of pink shooting stars, spreading across the depths of the night sky...
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
. As long as he maintains the villain image and follows the plot to the grand finale, he can obtain generous rewards and return to the real world. So Gu Chen'an entered the role and began to act as a scumbag villain, but who would have expected that the female leads could hear his inner thoughts. Miss Su from the Su family was shocked: "I originally thought Gu Chen'an was a scumbag, but I didn't expect he turned out to be a gentleman! What? You said I have to call off the engagement? I definitely won't, I'll piss you off!" Bai Yuan Tian was dumbfounded: "Young Master Gu is usually unreasonable and a complete brat, but he actually calls me little sweetie in his heart? What, Young Master Gu even said he likes me?" As the female leads' images collapsed more and more, the plot also collapsed with it. Gu Chen'an looked at all this chaos. "Ladies, don't aggro me, if you keep this up the male lead really will stab me, I still need to survive to the grand finale!"
