Awakening from a Golden Millet Dream, All Vanishes Instantly

When Cornelia and Li Guanqi laid eyes on Su Cheng, both were utterly stunned.

The Su Cheng before them was a completely different person from usual!

Not only was his skin noticeably rougher, but his demeanor and physique had also undergone dramatic changes. He exuded an indescribable air of dejection, as if he had suffered a devastating blow and lost all motivation. His frail frame looked like it could be toppled by a gust of wind—haggard and sickly, the very image of a "walking infirmity."

Faced with such a transformation, Cornelia couldn’t help but voice her shock: "How… did you end up like this?"

Li Guanqi remained silent, but the slight furrow of her brows and her tightly pressed lips betrayed her inner turmoil. After all, if the person you cared for suddenly appeared before you as a shadow of their former self, who could stay composed?

And this was no mere makeup trick.

The most striking change was in his aura. The confident, spirited young man they knew had vanished, replaced by an inexplicable gloom, as if he had been broken beyond repair.

Had the system suddenly reappeared, granting him some bizarre item?

At the moment, that seemed the only plausible explanation.

Li Guanqi’s mind raced, and soon she had a plan.

She stepped forward, adopting a teasing tone. "Did you skip class today just to hide at home and put on makeup? Trying to surprise us?"

"Ah! So you did put on makeup!" Cornelia’s eyes lit up with realization. Eager to inspect him up close, she hurried toward Su Cheng—only for him to flinch and hastily retreat.

"I’m not feeling well today," Su Cheng mumbled evasively. "Make yourselves at home. I’m going to rest."

With that, he bolted into his bedroom and slammed the door shut, as if desperate to avoid further scrutiny.

“Seriously, how could you?!” Cornelia glared at the closed door, puffing her cheeks in frustration. “I wasn’t even disliking you, and you start disliking me?”

The way Su Cheng had recoiled from her only deepened her hurt.

She had gone out of her way to buy groceries, hoping to surprise him—only to be met with this cold shoulder. How infuriating!

"Maybe he’s dealing with something he can’t talk about," Li Guanqi interjected, trying to defuse the tension. "You know how girls get moody during their ‘time of the month.’"

"Oh, that makes sense—wait, no!" Cornelia paused mid-nod. "But boys don’t have a ‘time of the month’!"

Realizing her cover was blown, Li Guanqi smoothly changed tactics, ushering Cornelia inside. "Let’s just go in first."

Her tone was so natural, it was as if she were the lady of the house.

"Hey, don’t act so familiar!" Cornelia protested—but her feet obediently followed Li Guanqi into the apartment.

---

Alone in his room, Su Cheng sat on the edge of his bed, his expression a mix of confusion, helplessness, and a faint flicker of excitement.

Despite the mess he was in, he couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride for his future self—he’d actually managed to bring Cornelia back from abroad!

But the joy was short-lived. Soon, the weight of his predicament crashed down on him again. He had no idea how to face these people, let alone navigate his relationships with them.

Should he lie and claim to be Su Cheng’s distant cousin?

The more he thought about it, the less plausible it seemed. There was no way the two sharp-eyed women outside would buy such a flimsy story—especially not after the way Li Guanqi had looked at him, as if she already suspected something.

After much deliberation, he settled on a plan: pretend to be asleep and buy himself time.

They wouldn’t spend the night here, right? If he stayed hidden long enough, they’d have to leave eventually.

For now, his top priority was scouring the internet for clues about his future self.

Su Cheng turned to his computer and began searching for anything related to himself—training methods, competition footage, biographical details—anything that might help him piece things together.

Soon, he stumbled upon a gossip post on the school forum, allegedly written by a member of the Archery Club.

The anonymous whistleblower claimed:

"Everyone says Su Cheng won the championship after just two weeks of training, but the truth is, he practiced relentlessly—pulling all-nighters for a whole week, training from dusk till dawn, attending classes during the day, then returning to practice without rest. He barely slept, dedicating every waking moment to archery. Calling him a ‘god of archery’ or even the reincarnation of the art itself wouldn’t be an exaggeration."

Su Cheng broke into a cold sweat.

This was beyond absurd.

Had he become some sort of cultivator? Or evolved into a superhero?

Unsurprisingly, the replies were a chorus of ridicule:

"Archery Club fanboys need to chill. At least come up with a believable lie."

"Right? Spouting this edgy nonsense just makes Su Cheng look worse."

"Is this even human? Check your brain connection before posting."

"Verdict: OP is a certified moron."

"Sure, Su Cheng is the divine amalgamation of every archery hero in history (sarcasm)."

"LOL, you sound like a cheap anime villain monologuing this garbage."

Su Cheng couldn’t help but laugh. The poster was clearly a troll, spinning this ridiculous tale just to sabotage his reputation.

Just as he was about to close the tab, he noticed the OP had posted a sped-up surveillance video.

The footage, accelerated 100x, showed Su Cheng entering the Archery Club at dusk and leaving at dawn. Though it didn’t capture his actual practice, the sounds of arrows being loosed, footsteps, and target impacts played almost nonstop until his departure.

"This is insane…" Su Cheng swallowed hard and scrolled further.

The comments were just as skeptical:

"You edited a surveillance clip just to ‘prove’ this nonsense?"

"One all-nighter doesn’t mean he trained sleepless for a week. Be realistic."

"The Archery Club was on break then. He could’ve slept during the day."

Knock knock.

The sudden rapping at his door snapped Su Cheng out of his thoughts.

He turned toward the sound, puzzled.

Then, Ji Qingyi’s cool voice filtered through:

"Where is he?"

"He said he wasn’t feeling well. He’s resting in his room," Li Guanqi replied from outside.

A moment later, three sharp knocks landed on his bedroom door, followed by the jiggling of the handle. Fortunately, Su Cheng had locked it.

He hastily burrowed under the covers, pretending to be fast asleep, and mumbled incoherently, "I'm really tired right now. Just let me lie here a bit longer, please."

As soon as he finished speaking, the commotion outside the door finally subsided.

Just as Su Cheng secretly sighed in relief, Ji Qingyi's icy voice came through again: "I'll come get you when it's time to eat. If you keep this up, don't blame me for breaking down the door."

After those words, silence returned outside.

"Why is the future club president still so domineering…"

Su Cheng rubbed his cheeks in frustration, already dreading what was to come.

Should he just tell the truth?

Admit that he had traveled here from the past?

……

At that very moment, four young women—Ji Qingyi, Li Guanqi, Gu Ruoxue, and Liu Qingyue—had gathered in the living room, with only Cornelia absent after being called home by her mother. The four sat solemnly on the sofa, initiating a secret meeting.

Gu Ruoxue was the first to break the silence. She mused aloud, "So, you specifically called me here because his current state resembles how he was when he first enrolled?"

Li Guanqi nodded in confirmation. "Not only that, but his mental state seems terrible—like he's suffered some kind of shock or trauma. He also acts distant toward us, as if he’s lost some of his memories?"

Hearing this, Gu Ruoxue’s expression darkened slightly.

"Could it be that he transformed again, like before? And reverted to his original self?" Ji Qingyi frowned. "Is that why he doesn’t know how to face us?"

At this, Liu Qingyue, who had been silently contemplating, finally spoke. "That’s unlikely. If this were the Su Cheng we know, he would’ve informed us immediately in an emergency, not chosen to hide and evade."

"Then where is the Su Cheng we know?"

Li Guanqi pressed further.

"Well…"

Liu Qingyue glanced around, her gaze lingering on Ji Qingyi for a moment before continuing, "I need to test him first. But before that, I’ll need all of you to play along with a little act."

……

Just as Su Cheng was racking his brain for a way to handle the situation, the lock on his bedroom door clicked open.

His eyes flew wide, and his breath caught in his throat.

Immediately, he ducked back under the covers, feigning deep sleep.

Liu Qingyue eyed the lump under the blanket skeptically, raising an eyebrow.

She strode forward and slapped the quilt urgently. "Junior, it’s an emergency! Cornelia cut her finger while chopping vegetables—it’s bleeding badly! Hurry and get the first aid kit!"

"There’s a medical box on the fridge."

Su Cheng’s muffled voice came from beneath the blanket.

"You’d let her delicate hands scar?"

Liu Qingyue chided, tugging at the covers to drag him out.

"Wait! I’m not dressed!"

Su Cheng panicked, clutching the blanket tightly to stop her.

His reaction told Liu Qingyue everything she needed to know.

She released the blanket and demanded sternly, "What are you, impersonating my adorable junior?"

"I am Su Cheng…" After a pause, he answered timidly but still refused to emerge.

"But you seem to recognize me?"

Liu Qingyue suddenly leaned in, peering at his exposed head, her voice softening. "Junior, tell me the truth—are you hiding something? Or did something inexplicable happen? Li Guanqi mentioned you seem like you’ve regressed to your pre-enrollment state. Did you… travel back in time again?"

The words struck a nerve.

Su Cheng abruptly threw off the covers and sat up, sighing heavily. "You’re right. I did travel—but forward. To be honest, I came here from right before the Archery Club tournament. In other words, I’m from your past."

Liu Qingyue studied him closely, her expression growing graver.

Su Cheng wasn’t wrong. His condition mirrored how he’d been at the start of school—not particularly handsome, but far from ugly, yet exuding an air of exhaustion. His hands lacked calluses, as if he’d endured relentless hardship, leaving him physically and mentally drained.

"You’ve suffered a lot over there, haven’t you?" Liu Qingyue’s voice brimmed with pity, her gaze tender, as if comforting a wounded child.

In just a few exchanges, she deduced that this Su Cheng wasn’t plagued by the system again. His current state was worse than an ordinary person’s—frail, on the verge of collapse. A far cry from the Su Cheng they knew.

"I don’t know where your Su Cheng went," Su Cheng admitted, clenching his fists. "But if I return the way I came, maybe he’ll come back."

"How do you go back?"

Liu Qingyue’s eyes lit up as she pressed for details.

Su Cheng hesitated before answering, "Drink milk, then sleep."

"That’s it?"

"I’m not entirely sure, but I can try."

With that, he moved to get milk from the fridge—only to find Ji Qingyi, Li Guanqi, and Gu Ruoxue blocking the doorway.

They had clearly overheard the conversation, their gazes fixed on him with unreadable expressions.

"Don’t rush back," Li Guanqi interjected, noticing the computer screen filled with searches about Su Cheng’s condition. "You haven’t finished reviewing all the information, have you? Take this chance to learn more about the future. It might help you find answers."

"Exactly. You’re clearly burdened. Relax and steady yourself first," Ji Qingyi agreed. "No matter what, you’re still Su Cheng. That won’t ever change."

Gu Ruoxue met his eyes meaningfully. "If something’s troubling you, talk to us. We might be able to help."

Su Cheng looked at each of them, deeply moved. He nodded. "Thank you. I’ll do some more research. If you don’t mind, I’d prefer not to be disturbed."

Just as he turned back to the computer, Liu Qingyue suddenly reached over and shut off the monitor.

"Senior, what are you doing?"

Su Cheng stared at her in confusion.

Liu Qingyue maintained her graceful smile as she stepped closer, her piercing gaze seeming to read his thoughts. "Junior, digging deeper won’t do you any good. This world isn’t your future, and the Su Cheng here is no ordinary person. You mustn’t recklessly imitate him!"

Her tone was firm, almost a warning—as if dire consequences awaited otherwise.

The other three quickly grasped her reasoning—

This Su Cheng lacked the system’s support, was critically ill, and teetered on the edge of death.

"A parallel world? This Su Cheng is special?"

The questions only deepened his bewilderment. "Senior, what exactly makes him so extraordinary?"

"Well…"

Liu Qingyue hesitated, her eyes filled with concern. "I can't say much, but he possesses extraordinary talent in archery..."

"Talent? I have that too."

Before she could finish, Su Cheng pulled out a bow and arrows from under the bed—equipment he had stumbled upon earlier while searching for money.

The moment he gripped the bow, his entire demeanor transformed. A sharp, formidable aura radiated from him, startling everyone present.

For a fleeting moment, they even mistook him for the real Su Cheng!

"Does this count as special?" he challenged.

"With that frail body of yours?" Ji Qingyi scoffed. "At best, you’d collapse after three shots. How dare you claim to be exceptional?"

Su Cheng fell silent, caught off guard by her blunt assessment.

"As expected of the club president—you spotted my weakness at a glance," he admitted with a bitter smile, putting the bow away. "My body can’t handle the strain of drawing the bow. Winning the championship is probably impossible for me."

"How long until the competition?" Li Guanqi asked worriedly.

"Seven days."

Su Cheng shook his head, his expression grave. "But my club president told me the event won’t happen for another six months."

"She’s delaying it for your sake—to stop you from ruining yourself!" Ji Qingyi saw right through the reasoning. "Look at your condition. Are you even fit to compete?"

Her words made Su Cheng bow his head even lower.

After a long pause, he murmured, "If I don’t win, the future will change..."

"I told you, this is a parallel world, not your future!" Liu Qingyue sighed in frustration, patting his shoulder.

"I know... but in my world, there’s also a 'reincarnator,'" Su Cheng lifted his gaze, his resolve unwavering. "She warned me that if I don’t win in seven days, the future will collapse into something far worse than this!"

"A reincarnator?" The four girls exchanged glances, surprised by this unexpected revelation.

Su Cheng nodded earnestly. "Yes, but I can’t share more details. I hope you understand."

He scanned their faces, his tone resolute. "In any case, I must follow her instructions—compete and win. This isn’t just about my future. Countless lives hang in the balance."

"No other choice?"

"None at all!"