At the reef.
Waves relentlessly crashed against the rugged rocks, sending sprays of white foam into the air. The briny sea breeze carried a tinge of bitterness, lingering at the nostrils and stirring a faint discomfort.
Su Cheng gazed at Li Guanqi, her silhouette bathed in the golden hues of the setting sun. Her upright posture exuded an air of solemnity and grace. The sea wind tousled her raven-black hair, carrying with it a subtle fragrance, fresh and delicate. Yet, Su Cheng’s attention was drawn to the ring in Li Guanqi’s hand.
After a prolonged silence, he finally spoke, perplexed: "Why are you giving this to me?"
"You need this more than I do," Li Guanqi replied calmly, her tone resolute.
"How could I possibly need something like this?" Su Cheng frowned, baffled. Meeting her earnest expression, he fell silent once more.
He lowered his head, examining the black-gold ring in his palm, and asked softly, "Does it hold some special meaning?"
He knew this ring was no ordinary trinket to Li Guanqi—she wore it daily, even on her ring finger. But he couldn’t fathom why she would suddenly hand over something so symbolic to him.
"Watch," Li Guanqi said, taking the book from Su Cheng’s hand. She lightly tapped the ring with it.
In an instant, the book vanished into thin air, leaving the ring untouched in her palm.
Su Cheng’s eyes widened in disbelief. He blinked rapidly, as if to dispel an illusion.
A moment later, he stammered, staring at her hand, "Is this… a storage ring? No, wait—was that just a magic trick?"
His reaction wasn’t unwarranted. In his understanding, storage rings belonged solely to the realms of fantasy novels and films—something utterly divorced from reality.
Attempting to mask his unease, Su Cheng forced a laugh. "You really went out of your way to distract me with a magic trick, huh? Haha..."
His laughter trailed off awkwardly, met only with Li Guanqi’s silence. She then summoned the book back into existence and handed it to him again.
"You…" Su Cheng’s voice trembled as he took the book, his mind in turmoil. Rational explanations eluded him.
Dismissing it as sleight of hand might have offered temporary solace, but doubt gnawed at him. Was this truly just a performance?
After all, he himself defied logic.
A transmigrator.
Yet without a system—plausible, yet implausible.
"Exactly as you suspect," Li Guanqi affirmed, her voice steady. "This is indeed a 'storage ring.' It can store any inanimate object and retrieve it at will."
"Are you joking?" Su Cheng’s lips quivered, his voice thick with emotion. "I lent you that web novel just days ago, and now you’re pulling this on me?"
"Try it yourself," Li Guanqi countered, extending the ring toward him once more, her gaze unwavering.
Su Cheng hesitated, then leaned forward, placing his hand over hers. The moment his fingers brushed the ring, a chill shot through him, making him shudder. He picked it up, mimicking her earlier motion—touching the ring while silently willing the book away. In a blink, the book disappeared, leaving only the unadorned ring in his grasp.
"Holy—this is real?!" Su Cheng blurted, his face a canvas of astonishment. To test further, he grabbed his backpack and repeated the process—it, too, vanished without a trace.
"......" He stared dumbfounded at the ring, emotions churning within him.
Could she also be a transmigrator?
Li Guanqi stood quietly beside him, observing his reaction. When he finally looked up, she gave a slow, deliberate nod. "I felt the same way at first. But you grow accustomed to it."
Her detached tone suggested she was stating an irrefutable fact, deliberately devoid of sentiment.
Su Cheng took a deep breath, steadying himself, then met her eyes. "You must know how invaluable this ring is. But…"
He hesitated before mustering the courage to ask, "Why would you give something so precious to me?"
"You need it more than I do," Li Guanqi repeated, her expression unchanged, as if she’d anticipated the question.
She continued, "As you once said, protagonists possess 'abilities beyond ordinary comprehension.'"
Her implication was unmistakable. Su Cheng had previously resigned himself to being a side character with only the basic traits of a male lead.
But now, with this ring in his possession—did that elevate him to protagonist status?
"Even if that’s the case, I…"
Su Cheng trailed off, frowning at the ring. Their relationship hardly warranted such a monumental gesture.
Why entrust him with something so extraordinary?
It felt excessive.
Seemingly reading his thoughts, Li Guanqi broke her silence. "The secrets tied to this ring concern us both. So, don’t feel burdened—I have my own reasons."
"Concern me?" Su Cheng blinked. "You need my help with something?"
"I hope that once you uncover the ring’s origins, you’ll assist me," Li Guanqi said solemnly. "I’ve realized I’ve lost memories. I want them back—to find answers. And you might hold the key."
"......" Su Cheng remained quiet for a long moment before shaking his head. "I’m sorry. I can’t accept this."
"Hm?" Li Guanqi’s brow furrowed.
Su Cheng met her gaze unflinchingly. "First, the ring belongs to you. Second, its very existence shatters my understanding of reality."
Pausing, he added firmly, "Please keep it safe and never bring this up again. It’s too much for me to process."
His face showed no trace of greed—only rejection, confusion, and unease.
"Don’t you want to be the protagonist?" Li Guanqi asked, unsurprised. Her eyes bore into his as she murmured, "Isn’t this the 'special ability' you lacked?"
"I'll help you with what you mentioned," Su Cheng said firmly as he returned the ring to Li Guanqi. "After all, I owe you many favors. I can't just pass up the chance to repay you and accept yet another kindness from you, can I?"
"But..." Li Guanqi lowered his gaze to the ring in his hand, pausing in thought before suddenly asking, "Are you sure you don't need this ring?"
"No, I really don't," Su Cheng countered. "There are no shortcuts to becoming the male lead. Even if you gave me this ring, it wouldn’t mean much. It just so happens that I already possess some qualities of a protagonist—with a little more effort, I might actually reach that level."
"So," he continued earnestly, "don’t worry about what the ring might signify for me. Just tell me how I can help you. As long as it’s within my power, I won’t refuse."
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...
world slacker. But a genius female disciple just had to get clingy, insisting that he take her as a disciple. Not only that, she was always making advances on him, thoroughly disrupting his peaceful slacker life...
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
