Think twice before you act to avoid future regrets.

The setting sun cast dappled golden light over the beach, its glow accentuating the rolling waves as the azure sky turned crimson with twilight.

Su Cheng walked forward, searching for his bicycle. Soon enough, he found the spot where he had parked it. Pushing the bike up, he prepared to leave. Yet, almost instinctively, he glanced back at the cluster of jagged rocks. The sun was nearly set now, the evening hues deepening into a rich scarlet. And there, still standing atop the rocks, was Li Guanqi, watching him quietly.

Su Cheng’s movements faltered slightly before he averted his gaze. Mounting the bike, he pedaled away with unnatural stiffness, yet his speed was startlingly fast—gone in the blink of an eye.

Logically, he should have gone straight to question the Ji family’s master and servant. After all, they were the most important people to him in Flame City. But then the same question returned: What would he even say to them?

Would he confront them? Seek confirmation? Or was there something else he ought to say?

And if he did, where would that leave Li Guanqi?

If the Ji family found out, they’d undoubtedly start targeting her again. She might even end up hurt because of it.

He had to take responsibility.

The bicycle creaked noisily as its tires rolled over the sandy beach, leaving faint tracks behind. The sound felt unbearably lonely, echoing in the emptiness.

No matter what, these things would take time to sort through. The sheer weight of the revelations was overwhelming.

For now, his priorities were clear. He didn’t need to dwell on anything else—just keep everything Li Guanqi had told him locked inside until the right moment to confront it.

And right now, his task was simple:

Go home.

Find an opportunity to verify whether Li Guanqi’s claims were true and get to the bottom of it all.

And the method was straightforward.

Ask about the name of his ex-girlfriend.

If it really was Gu Ruoxue, then everything—the amnesia, the ring, even whether he had physically crossed worlds or just his soul—would fall into place.

After all, Li Guanqi had said he’d lost his memories too.

What if he had actually crossed over as a child, grown up here, and then forgotten his life in this world? That would explain why he’d mistakenly believed he’d just arrived.

And then there was the ring.

A classic transmigrator’s item.

Not to mention the Ji family’s relentless efforts to obstruct and conceal the truth.

All these pieces…

After leaving Golden Coast, he didn’t stop, continuing straight toward home.

The scenery along the road gradually shifted—neon lights flickered, cars weaved through traffic, the streets alive with noise and movement. Yet he felt detached from it all, as if none of it existed.

Several dozen minutes later—

He arrived at the apartment building where he lived.

Just as he was about to wheel his bike inside, he nearly collided with a small delivery truck parked downstairs. The window rolled down, and a middle-aged driver with a thick local accent called out, “Hey! Are you Su Cheng?”

Su Cheng looked up, startled. The truck’s cabin was packed with people, and their gazes were all fixed on him—some impatient, others outright annoyed, as if they had a grudge against him.

He blinked, confused, but nodded. “Yeah, I’m Su Cheng.”

The driver leaned halfway out. “We’ve been waiting forever. Finally decided to show up, huh?”

Then he turned to his coworkers in the back. “Alright, let’s unload!”

Su Cheng glanced at the cargo in the truck and saw the label on the box—a high-end refrigerator. Suddenly, it clicked. Zhao Yan had mentioned that the contest prize was a fridge and that it would be delivered to his place in the afternoon. He’d completely forgotten.

Realizing he’d kept these workers waiting, he quickly apologized. “Sorry about that, sir. Didn’t mean to make you wait so long…”

“Which floor? Which unit?” The lead driver’s tone softened slightly at the apology, his expression easing as he urged Su Cheng to hurry up.

Su Cheng guided them to the elevator, then led them into his apartment.

After about half an hour of work, he discreetly slipped them a few hundred yuan as compensation for their wasted time.

The workers left in good spirits.

“Whew…”

Su Cheng flopped onto the couch, eyeing the new fridge in the living room and the old one in the kitchen. He exhaled slowly. Before, everything had been crammed into a single fridge. Now, with two, he could repurpose the old one for kitchen storage.

His quality of life had just leveled up.

After resting for a few minutes, he went to the bathroom and splashed water on his face. Droplets slid down his forehead as he grabbed a towel and roughly wiped his face dry.

Returning to the bedroom, he picked up his phone and scrolled through his contacts.

In this situation, a single call to an old friend from his hometown could clear everything up.

But…

Aside from the orphanage, he didn’t really have anyone close.

If he called the orphanage, would the Ji family find out? After all, the orphanage was now fully funded and operated under the Ji family’s support.

What if they realized he was asking about his ex-girlfriend and pieced things together? They might take their anger out on Li Guanqi. That would be disastrous.

Pressing his lips together, he hesitated. This wasn’t something he could rush. One wrong move, and it could spiral into an irreversible tragedy.

He paced around the living room for a long time, considering his options.

Finally, he dug through his WeChat payment history and found an old transaction—a breakfast shop, with the owner’s contact number attached.

After some deliberation, he returned to the bedroom and dialed.

Beep—beep—beep—

Three rings later, a middle-aged woman’s voice answered, thick with the familiar accent of his hometown. “Hello, who’s this?”

“Aunt Wang, it’s Su Cheng.” He forced his voice to stay steady, suppressing the restlessness inside.

“Huh? The Su Cheng?” She sounded surprised.

“Yeah, ‘Cheng’ as in ‘orange.’ The one who used to eat at your shop every morning. Last year’s graduate, the kid from the orphanage who only spent three yuan a day on breakfast.” He rattled off every identifying detail he could think of.

At the mention of the orphanage, Aunt Wang gasped in recognition. “Oh! It really is you! Haven’t seen you in ages. Heard you got into some fancy school, went off to the provincial capital?”

“Yeah, Flame City.” Her confirmation eased his nerves slightly.

“Flame City?! That’s the capital! My, my, look at you go! I always knew you’d make something of yourself, not like my useless son who dropped out of high school to work odd jobs. Ugh, some people just have all the luck. Ah, never mind him—what’s up? Why’re you calling all of a sudden?”

“Well… I wanted to ask you something.” Su Cheng took a deep breath, steadying himself. “Two years ago, I had a girlfriend. Do you remember?”

"Remember? How could I forget?" Aunt Wang replied immediately. "That girl was absolutely stunning. You even brought her here for breakfast once. How come you don't remember?"

Su Cheng's heart pounded as she pressed further, "Do you recall her name? Or remember what she looked like?"

"Young people these days, can't even remember their own sweetheart," Aunt Wang muttered before adding, "Back then, I kept hearing students from your school mention her. I think her surname was Gu?"

"Gu Xiangxue?"

"Gu Ruoxue?" Su Cheng's voice trembled slightly.

"Yes, yes! That's the name. Fits her snow-white complexion perfectly," Aunt Wang confirmed with certainty.

………………………………

Meanwhile, Li Guanqi left the rocky shore, her footsteps heavy and her heart even heavier. She dreaded the confrontation with the Ji family's servants, unsure how to handle it.

To her surprise, only her older sister stood on the beach, waving her over.

"Sis, where are they?" Li Guanqi scanned the area but saw no sign of the Ji family's attendants. A wave of relief washed over her.

"They left first," Li Zhaohao said with a bright smile, her mask now removed as she held her schoolbag.

Li Guanqi studied her sister carefully, ensuring she was unharmed before relaxing. "How did you stop them?"

"It wasn't me."

Li Zhaohao shook her head and pointed toward a figure in the distance. "It was Xiaoxue—she pulled some trick."

Li Guanqi followed her sister's gaze and froze momentarily when she recognized the person.

Senior Gu Ruoxue?

Gu Ruoxue was crouched in front of a vending machine, seemingly having bought a drink. As she stood, her glossy black hair fluttered in the wind, the machine's glow illuminating her profile—so breathtaking it was impossible to look away.

She appeared to be leaving Golden Coast.

Li Guanqi quickly turned to her sister. "Sis, go ahead without me. There's something I need to discuss with Senior Gu."

With that, she hurried after her.

Soon, Gu Ruoxue reached a secluded bench and sat down, her drink in hand. The dim streetlight cast a dreamlike glow over her delicate features.

Li Guanqi stood at a distance, silently watching her.

Hearing footsteps, Gu Ruoxue glanced up. Li Guanqi approached and asked politely, "May I sit here?"

"Be my guest," Gu Ruoxue nodded.

Li Guanqi sat beside her and spoke earnestly, "Senior Gu, thank you for stepping in today. If it weren’t for you… well, I’m truly grateful."

Gu Ruoxue twisted open her bottle cap leisurely, her tone indifferent. "No need to thank me. Subjectively and objectively, I wasn’t helping you. They retreated mainly because they were worried Su Cheng’s emotional state was too volatile today. Another shock might land her in the hospital, so they decided to leave."

The words doused Li Guanqi’s enthusiasm, but she maintained her politeness. "Regardless, I still owe you my thanks."

Gu Ruoxue took a sip of orange juice, her voice calm. "Instead of wasting time with pleasantries, you should focus on how to handle the Ji family’s next move." Her flat tone carried an inexplicable weight.

Li Guanqi had assumed Gu Ruoxue’s intervention meant she was on her side, but the senior saw right through her and promptly shattered that illusion.

Suddenly, Gu Ruoxue stood. Li Guanqi rose as well. "Senior!"

"Haven’t you figured it out yet?"

Gu Ruoxue turned to face her.

"I…"

Li Guanqi was at a loss. Without Gu Ruoxue’s help, she had no idea how to counter the Ji family’s retaliation. Gritting her teeth, she mustered her courage. "Senior, you might think I’m shameless, but I really need your help!"

"Do you know what I’m most curious about right now?"

"No." Li Guanqi was confused.

"I wonder if the Li family has a genetic flaw—losing all sense of judgment the moment emotions run high." Gu Ruoxue’s voice was icy.

The remark made Li Guanqi frown in displeasure. "Senior, today’s decisions were mine alone. Don’t drag my family into this!"

"Now you care about protecting them? But did you ever consider that your actions today will ultimately hurt them the most?" Gu Ruoxue sighed. "Did you even give your sister a single word of warning? Did she have any preparation at all?"

Li Guanqi’s anger instantly turned to dread.

"I just wanted to recover my memories and uncover the truth. Is that wrong?" she argued. "Isn’t honesty the right thing?"

"Doing what you believe is right doesn’t guarantee a good outcome." Gu Ruoxue shook her head. "Do you really think you were honest with Su Cheng?"

"Of course! I told him everything I knew." Li Guanqi was baffled.

But Gu Ruoxue’s next words struck like lightning, freezing her in place.

With a disappointed look, as if scolding a lovestruck junior, she said, "Oh? Then I suppose you also blabbed about my past with him."

"And tell me—did you ever once mention, in all the information you shared, what your current relationship with him is?"

Li Guanqi’s lips parted, but no sound came out.

"Let’s end this here." Gu Ruoxue delivered her final blow. "My advice? Rest well tonight and brace yourself. Don’t assume the Ji family will remain oblivious to today’s conversation forever."

With that, she walked away, leaving Li Guanqi standing there, stunned.

For a long time, Li Guanqi remained motionless, Gu Ruoxue’s words echoing in her mind like a chilling verdict.

She suddenly realized how reckless she had been—acting without considering the consequences.

But then—

Ten meters away, Gu Ruoxue abruptly stopped. A soft sigh escaped her.

Hearing it, Li Guanqi’s eyes brightened, a spark of hope igniting within her as she watched eagerly.

Gu Ruoxue didn’t speak. Instead, she slowly raised her hand midair. Just as Li Guanqi wondered what she was doing, the sound of fluttering wings approached rapidly. A dark shape swooped down, slowing just before landing gracefully on her hand.

"Yaya, I can return her to you now."