Those Who Do Not Flaunt Their Dignity Are Superior

Fifteen minutes earlier.

The setting sun cast its golden glow over the city streets, painting the sky in a mesmerizing hue of amber. In the distance, the mountains stood shrouded in a delicate mist, exuding an air of mystery and allure.

At this moment, a luxurious private car sped through the bustling streets. In the backseat sat two young girls, as quiet as two flowers of contrasting beauty—one vibrant and lively, the other serene and composed.

They wore identical school uniforms, with only one difference: one wore pure white socks, the other pure black. Their slender legs, accentuated by the stockings, appeared even more elegant—black and white, like the complementary forces of yin and yang in the Taiji symbol.

They were none other than the sisters, Li Zhaohao and Li Guanqi.

For Li Zhaohao, it was unusual for her younger sister to reach out to her at school, let alone ask for help. But today, Li Guanqi had suddenly contacted her—even requesting assistance for a boy. This left Li Zhaohao both surprised and curious.

After all, Li Guanqi had never invested so much thought in anyone else before. And according to Hoshino Mirai, Li Guanqi had even defended this boy—an exceptionally rare act.

Li Zhaohao was no stranger to this boy; in fact, he had left quite an impression. During the opening ceremony, he had caused quite a stir, even sparking a dispute between two second-year students.

Though Li Zhaohao couldn’t fully grasp the nature of the argument, she could tell neither side was lying. Everyone had their secrets, so she hadn’t pressed further—but that didn’t mean she had forgotten.

On the contrary, Li Zhaohao had been keeping an eye on those involved. Later, when Cornelia and Ailiya both withdrew from school, it only confirmed that the matter was far from simple.

One thing was certain: their withdrawal was connected to Su Cheng and the Ji family.

Now, the very boy Li Guanqi had suddenly asked to help was none other than Su Cheng. This revelation startled Li Zhaohao. More importantly, Li Guanqi had sought her out right after school, as if summoning her for backup.

Li Zhaohao realized her sister might be facing a problem too big to handle alone—and that problem likely stemmed from Su Cheng. Judging by Li Guanqi’s demeanor, she seemed to hold some kind of expectation toward him. Though the reason was unclear, if her sister cared this much, Li Zhaohao wouldn’t stand idly by.

Thus, the sisters found themselves traveling together today.

Inside the car, silence reigned.

Li Guanqi gazed out the window at the fleeting scenery, her beautiful eyes clouded with uncertainty.

She couldn’t explain why she was heading to Huashan Park—only that it was a gut feeling. Perhaps it was because the other ring bearers were there, and she didn’t want to be left out. But the exact reason eluded even her.

Meanwhile, Li Zhaohao had removed her mask, tucking it into her school bag. Her breathtakingly beautiful face now bore a trace of worry as she studied her sister, who was lost in thought by the window. She hesitated, words unspoken.

Finally, the car stopped at a red light.

Li Guanqi turned away from the window, and Li Zhaohao seized the moment to voice her question: "He’s not just an ordinary classmate to you, is he?"

Li Guanqi wasn’t surprised by the question.

She met her sister’s gaze, those mesmerizing eyes, and spoke slowly, "The relationship is… complicated. How should I put it…"

Here, she faltered. She couldn’t find the right words to define this inexplicable, ambiguous connection. A few terms came close, but she feared they might cause misunderstandings.

In the end, she fell silent, turning back to the window.

"Are we going to find him?" Seeing her sister’s reluctance to elaborate, Li Zhaohao didn’t press further, opting for a lighter question instead.

"Yes."

Li Guanqi nodded—then shook her head.

The conflicted reaction only deepened Li Zhaohao’s concern. She couldn’t help but press further, "And if we do find him, what do you plan to do?"

The question struck a nerve. Li Guanqi remained silent for a long while before murmuring, "I don’t know…"

Her lips pressed together, her eyes dimming.

She had never considered this question. Perhaps, even if she found him, she would only watch from afar. She had no right to approach him, no proper reason. Only when he needed help could she muster the courage to step forward under that pretense.

That was her dilemma.

Because of the presence of Ji Qingyi and her attendants, she had no choice but to act this way.

From their exchange, Li Zhaohao had already grasped the turmoil in her sister’s heart. She sighed, reaching out to hold Li Guanqi’s cold hand. "I understand."

Li Guanqi turned to her, puzzled.

"You always keep everything to yourself. If you don’t want to talk, I won’t push. But there’s something I want you to know. As your sister, I’ll always stand by your side and support you."

Li Guanqi froze, warmth flooding her chest at her sister’s encouraging gaze. She bit her lip lightly and nodded firmly. "I understand."

"Honestly, any problem can be solved if you’re willing to open up. So try to let your guard down more—you might be surprised by what happens."

Li Zhaohao spoke each word deliberately.

Li Guanqi listened just as carefully.

In the quiet of the car, Li Zhaohao’s voice seemed to echo, but her meaning reached Li Guanqi’s heart, stirring something within.

A moment later.

Li Guanqi’s breathing, initially steady, grew rapid before settling into calm, measured breaths.

"I know what to do now." Reflexively, she grasped her sister’s arm, her voice resolute.

A determined light flickered in her eyes.

"Did you figure out your relationship with him?" Li Zhaohao asked gently, her gaze tender.

Li Guanqi pondered the question seriously before finally meeting her sister’s eyes. "He’s… probably the male lead."

There were two books in total, each outlining the fundamental laws of web novel protagonists—one for male leads, one for female leads.

And for her, The Fundamental Laws of Web Novel Heroines was especially important.

It was the key to recovering her memories.

Su Cheng had one copy. She had another.

Describing it this way seemed fitting.

But the moment the words left her lips, Li Guanqi realized her mistake.

Her sister was known as the "protagonist" of the world. By her logic, wouldn’t that make Su Cheng her brother-in-law?

Sure enough, Li Zhaohao frowned, looking utterly exasperated as she pressed a hand to her forehead. "Don’t tell me you’re planning to find yourself a brother-in-law? If that’s the case, no wonder you were too embarrassed to say anything."

"No, sister," Li Guanqi quickly shook her head in denial, then cautiously explained, "I just felt like he has the qualities of a male lead from a drama, so I described him that way."

After speaking, she stole a glance at her sister's reaction.

Li Zhaohao let out a relieved sigh and regained her usual liveliness, smiling as she said, "Oh, so that's what it was. You scared me—do you know how many thoughts just ran through my head?"

Just then, a phone vibration sounded from Li Guanqi's student bag.

Without hesitation, she took out her phone and said to her sister, "Sorry, I need to reply to this first," before opening the message interface.

Left with no choice, Li Zhaohao turned her head to the side, staring blankly at the scenery rushing past outside the window while waiting for her to finish.

When Li Guanqi read the message, a flicker of surprise flashed in her eyes. It was from Su Cheng, with an attached phone number. "Sorry, I didn’t know the driver changed numbers. Here’s the new one—please contact this instead," the message read.

Seeing the new number, Li Guanqi’s previously still heart suddenly raced. Based on the "answers" she had, she had assumed Su Cheng wouldn’t offer any help, but now it seemed otherwise.

This only strengthened her resolve and made her even more eager to find Su Cheng and talk to him.

Taking a deep breath to suppress her turbulent emotions, she replied, "Got it, thank you."

After waiting a dozen seconds with no further response from Su Cheng, she exited the chat—only to unexpectedly notice a friend request with an accompanying message: "Hello, Su Cheng referred me. I heard you need a driver?"

She immediately accepted the request, but to her surprise, the other person instantly called via voice chat.

Considering the driver was right there in the car, discussing a replacement felt inappropriate, so Li Guanqi instinctively hit the reject button and typed back, "I can’t talk right now. Please text instead—thank you for understanding."

The two then exchanged brief introductions via text. Just as they were about to finalize a meeting time to discuss further, Li Zhaohao suddenly nudged Li Guanqi and pointed ahead at a boy pedaling furiously on a bicycle—none other than Su Cheng.

"Uncle, please follow that bicycle," Li Guanqi quickly instructed, then immediately added, "But don’t let him notice."

"No problem, Second Miss," the driver adjusted the rearview mirror to obscure his face before stepping on the gas, trailing Su Cheng’s bike.

Soon, they settled into a delicate distance—close enough not to lose him, yet far enough to avoid detection.

Li Guanqi pressed her lips together, watching Su Cheng’s back as he rode. Then, Li Zhaohao murmured, "His mood seems off."

The comment made Li Guanqi pause before she hurriedly asked, "What do you mean?"

"Hmm, he seems really down," Li Zhaohao rested her chin on her hand, adopting a thoughtful pose as if recalling details. "Disheartened, lonely, resigned… just not in a good place. Probably hit some kind of setback."

Li Guanqi carefully processed her sister’s words, cross-referencing them with what she already knew, and eventually concluded that Su Cheng and Gu Ruoxue might have had a falling out.

Did Gu Ruoxue say something to him?

Something that shattered him?

Just then, the driver abruptly stopped the car and turned to them. "There’s roadwork ahead—barricades for construction. Only non-motor vehicles can pass. We’ll have to detour if we want to keep following."

Hearing this, the Li sisters both looked up and saw the road indeed blocked off, forcing all vehicles to stop and reroute.

Meanwhile, Su Cheng and his bicycle had already vanished.

"It’s the Ji family," Li Zhaohao instantly identified the construction crew’s uniforms and demeanor, warning, "This is a fake operation to force us to stop. They don’t want us following—or rather, they don’t want us finding Su Cheng."

In that moment, Li Zhaohao’s sharp perception and judgment were on full display. Realizing the reason, Li Guanqi bit her lip, clenched her fists, her eyes and subtle body language betraying her anxiety and inner conflict.

"Uncle, take the detour."

When Li Guanqi didn’t respond, Li Zhaohao urged her again, gently tugging her sleeve as if to say, No more hesitation—once you decide, see it through.

"Mm…" After a brief pause, Li Guanqi finally nodded and instructed the driver, "Uncle, please be careful. Try to catch up to my classmate."

"Understood, Second Miss. I know what to do." The driver nodded before turning the car around and heading down an alternate path.

After several loops, they finally caught sight of Su Cheng again—but the reunion was short-lived. At the next traffic light, they were forced to stop once more.

"This is outrageous!"

Li Zhaohao scanned their surroundings, her expression darkening as she fumed, "They’re actually hijacking the traffic control system—altering the signals to stop us!"

Her words stunned Li Guanqi and the driver before they realized the light was staying red abnormally long, as if manipulated.

Even uniformed personnel were directing the flow of cars at the intersection. Clearly, the Ji family was exploiting the traffic control system to obstruct them—and this wasn’t the only spot.

"What do we do now?" Li Guanqi felt momentarily lost, her usual quick thinking stifled by her sister’s presence. She could only look to Li Zhaohao in desperation, hoping for guidance.

"They have no regard for laws or ethics and can act freely, but we’re bound by rules," Li Zhaohao said, locking eyes with her sister before continuing, "Since Su Cheng is your ‘male lead,’ you should know his preferences. So… do you know where he’d go?"

"I…" Li Guanqi opened her mouth, then closed it. After a long silence, she finally calmed down and began considering possible destinations. Yet she soon realized she knew nothing about Su Cheng—no clue where he might head. Fortunately, she still had one advantage: her recent connection with Sister Qin.

With that thought, Li Guanqi swiftly pulled out her phone and dialed Sister Qin.

"Hello, who is this?"

Sister Qin’s slightly puzzled voice came through.

"It’s Li Guanqi—we just spoke. I need your help. Where would Su Cheng go when he’s upset?" Li Guanqi asked rapidly.

Sister Qin hesitated briefly, seemingly sensing the urgency in her tone. "The rock clusters at Golden Coast."

"Thank you."

Hanging up immediately, Li Guanqi turned to the driver. "Head to Golden Coast!"

"Got it—I know a hidden shortcut!"

As a professional and competent driver, the most basic requirement is to be known as a living map. Upon learning the destination, he immediately started the car, pretending to leave, but in reality took a sparsely populated dirt road without surveillance.

It seemed like an undercurrent of storm was quietly brewing along this coastline.

Meanwhile...

"Sounds like they're retreating from the challenge..."

Liu Qingyue, sitting in the passenger seat, couldn't help but smirk as she listened to the report through her earpiece. She then turned to the young mistress and said, "But this doesn’t align with the plot’s progression at all. Please prepare for a direct confrontation."

Ji Qingyi remained silent, her beautiful eyes still closed, her expression as aloof and indifferent as ever, as if she cared little about the matter. It wasn’t until a long moment later that she suddenly opened her eyes—

At the entrance of Golden Coast where they had stopped, a mud-splattered private car slowly pulled up and parked. Two familiar figures soon emerged from it.

It was the Li sisters.

"Look at them, popping up in such a bizarre way," Liu Qingyue suddenly remarked sarcastically before glancing toward the back seat and asking tentatively, "Should we stop them?"

Ji Qingyi nodded.

With that, the two of them stepped out of the car again.

......

Golden Coast.

Since it wasn’t a holiday, the place appeared rather desolate and quiet, mostly frequented by local residents. At this moment, the Li sisters, each carrying a student bag, walked toward the rocky outcrop.

The setting sun cast long shadows, and even with the rocks blocking some of the light, the brightness barely diminished. The sea breeze blew, carrying a damp, stifling heat in the air, occasionally mixed with a faint fishy scent, which only added to Li Guanqi’s irritation and unease.

She broke into a light jog, her thoughts racing as fast as her steps. She pondered the meaning of resolve and whether this course of action was truly worth it. After all, such matters required careful consideration—if things backfired, the consequences could be dire.

The warm wind brushed against Li Guanqi’s fair, jade-like cheeks, flushing them pink. When she caught sight of the rocky outcrop, the emotions lodged in her chest spilled out along with her uneven breaths.

A powerful intuition drove her forward. As the sight of a toppled bicycle on the beach gradually came into view, her heartbeat quickened, and her breathing grew more rapid.

She decided to follow her instincts and didn’t stop.

Until—

"You two up ahead, could you wait for me?"

A soft, feminine voice from behind sent chills down Li Guanqi’s spine.

The two turned around to see Liu Qingyue standing there, smiling sweetly at them. Yet, that smile carried an icy, bone-chilling coldness.

"Fine."

Li Zhaohao stopped in her tracks, set down her student bag, and bent over to retrieve a silver mask from inside, putting it on. With this simple gesture, she unceremoniously ended the meaningless exchange.

Li Guanqi hesitated for a moment but then continued forward without stopping, heading straight for the rocky outcrop. Liu Qingyue turned to watch her retreating figure before Ji Qingyi stepped out gracefully, walking in Li Guanqi’s direction.

To this, Li Zhaohao showed no reaction, standing still and silent, her masked face fixed on Liu Qingyue.

The mask concealed her expression, but Liu Qingyue could clearly see her eyes—calm, unreadable, as if she didn’t care at all that her sister might be disturbed by Ji Qingyi.

Because Li Zhaohao had noticed another presence.

Liu Qingyue frowned slightly, sensing something, and turned her gaze toward the young mistress. Just then, Ji Qingyi suddenly halted.

From the beachside shop ahead, a slender figure emerged.

......

By the rocky outcrop, Su Cheng stood frozen, staring blankly at the distant sunset, his expression filled with confusion. He didn’t even notice when someone appeared beside him.

Li Guanqi stood next to him, equally silent as she watched the fading glow of the sunset. In that moment, time seemed to stand still—the only sounds were the crashing waves, the howling wind, and the quiet rhythm of their breathing and heartbeats.

Finally, after much deliberation—

"What are you thinking about?" Li Guanqi asked softly.

"Huh?" Su Cheng startled, quickly glancing at her before looking away again. "Why are you here? Is something wrong?"

"I came to find you," Li Guanqi replied slowly. "I noticed you looked troubled while riding your bike, so I asked Sister Qin. She said you’d be here."

"So you’ve already gotten in touch with her," Su Cheng murmured, as if relieved. "Don’t worry, I’ll head home on my own soon."

"I think you need to open up and talk to someone," Li Guanqi said gently but earnestly. "My sister told me that as long as someone is willing to open their heart, any hardship can be overcome. I may not know how to comfort you... but I still hope you’ll give it a try."

Su Cheng let out a low chuckle, his lips curling into a sardonic smile. "I don’t think that approach works for me, so there’s no need."

"I’m sorry," Li Guanqi apologized, lowering her head as she studied his expression. "I just... wanted to help."

Perhaps it was the sincerity in her gaze or the tenderness in her voice, but Su Cheng hesitated before finally speaking again.

"Have you ever felt utterly hopeless?"

Li Guanqi shook her head.

"Do you know what despair feels like?"

Again, she shook her head.

"Can you imagine what it’s like to feel helpless?"

Still, she shook her head.

"I know saying all this makes me sound like some edgy middle schooler going through a phase," Su Cheng sighed deeply, his voice laced with bitterness. His eyes reflected a mix of confusion and resignation, as if he were wrestling with something immense. "But the way I feel right now... you wouldn’t understand."

Li Guanqi lifted her gaze to meet his, wanting to say something but holding back. In the end, she simply listened with rapt attention, silently urging him to continue.

"I used to have so many dreams, so many goals I set for myself. I even fantasized about the kind of person I’d become. Every time, I took it seriously—made careful choices. But in the end? Challenge, failure, giving up... it’s an endless cycle I keep repeating without ever getting tired. Only now do I realize... the special setting fate gave me still exists."

His words hung in the air, lonely and melancholic, like a soliloquy drifting through time, heavy with sorrow.

Li Guanqi parted her lips, searching for the right words to soothe him, but found none. She could only think carefully, knowing that the wrong response might lead to a bad outcome.

"Are you thinking I’m being ungrateful?"

Su Cheng suddenly spoke up.

Li Guanqi immediately shook her head, launching into a rapid denial. "No! Not at all! Absolutely not!"

"To outsiders, having the world's most noble beauty as my fiancée must seem like I saved the galaxy in a past life." Su Cheng let out a self-deprecating chuckle before continuing, "But the truth is, what I'm up against isn't just some person—it's fate itself. Something no human can fight. Right now, I'm completely powerless, like..."

His voice trailed off as he bent down to retrieve his student bag at his feet, pulling out a book.

Li Guanqi noticed the title: The Basic Laws of Web Novel Protagonists.

"Read it," he demanded, pointing at the cover.

"Web novel prota—"

Before she could finish, Su Cheng cut her off, jabbing a finger at his own temple with sudden intensity. "Exactly! A protagonist! Damn protagonists! Do you have any idea how it feels to be a side character stuck holding the main lead's script!?"

Yet Li Guanqi seemed to latch onto something crucial in his outburst. She met his gaze squarely and asked, "Then what do you think a protagonist should be like?"

"A walking miracle—unstoppable. Maybe not flying or teleporting, but at least gifted with talents or abilities beyond ordinary people. Definitely not... well, me." He shrugged, but before he could react, Li Guanqi's next move left him stunned.

"Here. Take this."

She slid off a black-and-gold ring and placed it in his palm, her expression solemn. "A true protagonist," she said, "if he opens his heart, can overcome anything."