The Truth Is Near Yet Sought Afar

Night fell, and all was silent.

In this abandoned unfinished building district, even the streetlights were dim and flickering from long-term neglect. Occasionally, a few beams of car lights would slice through the lonely darkness, illuminating the ghost-town-like clusters of unfinished buildings in the distance, adding to the desolate atmosphere.

Li Guanqi's slender shoulders slumped powerlessly, her gaze fixed on the school uniform skirt she had changed into that day.

Her brows were knit with complex emotions. She gently bit her red lip, as if hesitating about something. After a long while, she slowly closed her eyes and stored the unsheathed blade into her storage ring.

"What should I do...?" Li Guanqi murmured to herself, a trace of desolation in her tone. She raised her head, looking up at the pitch-black night sky, her heart filled with confusion and uncertainty.

Just then, a streak of black light swept across the sky. Li Guanqi's heart jolted. She took several deep breaths, temporarily suppressing the unease in her heart, and chased in that direction.

Five or six minutes later, following Ya Ya, Li Guanqi arrived outside a deserted factory.

She stopped for a moment, waiting quietly. Suddenly, footsteps sounded from behind.

Li Guanqi glanced back to see Su Cheng frozen in place. Their eyes met in the air before quickly looking away.

Expressionless, Su Cheng walked past Li Guanqi and disappeared straight out of sight, as if blind to her presence. Li Guanqi stared at his retreating back, a flicker of loneliness in her eyes. She looked up at the sky to see Ya Ya circling and fluttering, seemingly searching for a shortcut for her.

Before long, Ya Ya flapped its wings and swiftly flew off in one direction.

Seeing this, Li Guanqi hurriedly followed. Moments later, she arrived beside a small bridge.

Ya Ya perched on the bridge railing, fluttering its wings a few times. Li Guanqi also stopped, carefully examining the small river before her.

The river meandered, its flow shallow, with all sorts of garbage and silt floating on the surface, making it look filthy. Li Guanqi frowned, a wave of irritation rising in her heart.

Soon, the familiar footsteps sounded behind her again.

She turned around to see Su Cheng standing not far away, his expression a mix of disbelief and displeasure.

Suppressing his anger, he walked up to Li Guanqi and demanded, "How did you do that?"

Li Guanqi replied flatly, "A coincidence, purely accidental."

"Cut the crap. I don't believe a word of it."

Su Cheng narrowed his eyes, his gaze sharp, "Didn't you promise to stop bothering me?!"

Faced with his questioning, Li Guanqi chose silence.

Su Cheng turned to leave: "Nonsensical excuses. I don't want you mysteriously appearing in front of me anymore."

However, Li Guanqi stubbornly followed his steps. The two of them were like playing a game of Red Light, Green Light: when Su Cheng looked back, Li Guanqi would immediately stop; when he continued forward, Li Guanqi would silently follow again, always maintaining a distance that was neither too close nor too far.

Su Cheng stopped again, turning to glare at Li Guanqi, his tone unfriendly: "You insist on playing this childish game? Fine, I'm telling you, whether in front or behind, don't appear within my sight again!"

With that, he quickened his pace, trying to shake off this persistent nuisance. Unexpectedly, Li Guanqi took out that mysterious knife and instantly vanished from sight, leaving him in the dark.

Su Cheng looked around but couldn't find any trace of her.

He let out a long sigh, helplessly holding his forehead: "What on earth do you want?!"

"Some things can only be made understood by the other person through willful methods. I'm sorry." Li Guanqi's voice came from the void, calm and firm. She stealthily moved closer to Su Cheng, maintaining her invisible state.

"Then tell me, what do you want me to understand?" Unable to drive her away and not daring to lay a hand on her, Su Cheng was utterly out of patience and could only ask helplessly.

"My feelings," Li Guanqi said plainly. "You, a person whose head is filled only with yourself, would never understand the feelings of those who care about you."

"Ha, my head is filled only with myself?" Su Cheng laughed, but his tone carried a hint of sarcasm. "Then, pray tell, in what way do you think I haven't considered your feelings?"

"Because you've never asked for my opinion on whether I'm willing to accept the future you speak of. You've never tried to understand what I truly feel inside." Li Guanqi's voice held a trace of sorrow, as if melancholy were woven into her very bones. "A future bought with your sacrifice is not what I want. Even if we could uncover the truth and cure the illness, I wouldn't cherish it."

Su Cheng's face stiffened slightly, and he remained silent for a long time. After a while, he spoke coldly: "As far as I know, there seems to be no extra relationship between us. From beginning to end, it was just a matter of each taking what they needed, to obtain the answers we each wanted. Please don't taint our pure exchange of interests with those nauseatingly clichéd emotions."

"What about them?" Li Guanqi suddenly raised her voice. "Senior Ji and Junior sister Gu, have you considered their feelings? You moved yourself, you decided to leave on your own, how can you face them?"

"That's none of your business."

Su Cheng's tone carried a note of impatience. He turned again, trying to bypass Li Guanqi, but unexpectedly she dispelled her invisibility and blocked his path.

"Since meeting you, my world has been turned upside down. The feelings I've experienced in this period are more than all the ones before." Li Guanqi gazed at him calmly, but her words were even heavier. "Perhaps I came into this world precisely to meet you."

"If only one person can be saved in the future, I hope it's you."

"Alright, take a break, aren't you tired?"

Su Cheng waved his hand somewhat impatiently.

"Then you have to wait for me."

Li Guanqi said stubbornly.

"Can't you just shut up?"

Su Cheng was nearly driven mad by her persistence.

With no other choice, the two called a temporary truce. Li Guanqi stood still, trying to calm her breathing, while Su Cheng leaned leisurely against a pillar, arms crossed over his chest.

After about five minutes, Li Guanqi suddenly brushed off her skirt and began gesturing with her hands.

Although Su Cheng only knew a smattering of sign language, he roughly understood what she was trying to convey.

『I will stay by your side.』

Hah, I didn't expect you to be quite multi-talented.

Su Cheng curled his lip. "I told you to be quiet, and you actually went quiet. So if I told you to leave, shouldn't you obediently listen too?"

Li Guanqi shook her head and continued signing. This time, her meaning was even clearer.

『As long as it's within my power, I'm willing to do anything for you. Even if there's only a sliver of hope, I want to give you a chance for a second choice.』

Su Cheng stared at her blankly, seemingly stunned by her sincerity and determination. Though her face was expressionless, the resolve shining in her eyes was enough to move anyone's heart.

"My heart, soul, and life belong only to myself." Su Cheng's tone was somewhat gloomy, but he quickly forced himself back to his usual brightness. "I just want a period of freedom, free from being controlled by others. That's all."

'You haven't been alone for a long time.' Li Guanqi shook her head gently, continuing to gesture, 'Open your heart. Any difficulty can be resolved, as long as...'

"Enough!" Su Cheng interrupted her impatiently, his voice laced with weariness. "The reason I don't want to face you all is precisely because I know that once I speak up, you will inevitably try every means to obstruct me. You'll veto my decision without hesitation, even resort to coercive measures against me."

"I have no real choice at all." Su Cheng gave a bitter laugh. "In your eyes, am I just being stubborn? Recklessly brave? Do you think I don't understand the preciousness of life and death, or that I simply disregard them?"

At this point, he took a deep breath and spoke word by word: "Then let me tell you, I truly am not afraid of death. Because if I cannot become the future self I have seen, I would rather choose death! Better to burn out my life than to live in cowardice!"

Li Guanqi stared at him blankly, not speaking for a long while.

Su Cheng's emotions did not soften because of her attempts at comfort; instead, they grew more resolute. Finally, she made a 'stop' gesture and retrieved that book, "The Basic Laws of Web Novel Heroines," from her storage ring.

Although this book was the culprit behind Su Cheng's current state, to untie the bell, the one who tied it is needed.

She felt this book could offer her some enlightenment, helping her find the right solution.

"Dawn is almost here, it's time to read the next chapter."

Li Guanqi said softly, "Since you believe in the future, you must believe in this book too, right?"

Su Cheng nodded. After all, it was precisely this book that had allowed him a glimpse of his own future. Though inexplicable and somewhat unbelievable, he was utterly convinced.

"Then if the book gives us instructions, telling us what to do, will you follow them?"

Li Guanqi asked cautiously.

"Read it out first, then."

Su Cheng looked at her curiously.

"Alright." Li Guanqi flipped to the latest chapter, cleared her throat, and read word by word: "There's a bench over there. Why don't we sit down and have a proper chat."

"That's it? That's an instruction?"

Su Cheng's face was full of disbelief.

"This is the first step of the instruction, called 'a heart-to-heart talk'." Li Guanqi explained with a straight face.

So, the two walked to a nearby bench and sat down, one on the left, one on the right. They kept a subtle and strange safe distance of about two fists between them.

"The book tells you to let go of your resistance and relax." Li Guanqi said in an authoritative tone: "Stop frowning all the time, and don't hold your breath. Oh, and no peeking at the book's contents."

"You're not just fooling me, are you?"

Su Cheng eyed her suspiciously.

"These are the book's exact words, I read them verbatim." Li Guanqi snapped the book shut with a 'pa', her expression serious. "Only by doing these things can we proceed to the next step."

"Give me the book to see." Su Cheng reached out to grab it, but Li Guanqi swiftly stored it back in her ring. Not only that, but as if performing a magic trick, she stretched out an arm to hug Su Cheng, while her other hand mischievously probed towards his waist.

"Hey, what are you doing!" Su Cheng laughed until he was breathless, desperately trying to evade her clutches.

Simultaneously, a special fragrance wafted into his nostrils, making him blush involuntarily.

He quickly covered his mouth and nose, retreating while shouting, "I never thought you were this kind of person! You always seemed so dignified and elegant, and now you're tickling me?"

"Don't run away!"

Li Guanqi puffed out her cheeks, pouting like a child who didn't get her favorite toy. "The book says the next thing we need to do is speak frankly and hold nothing back!"

"Who would believe that."

Su Cheng was speechless. "Do you take me for a three-year-old?"

Li Guanqi pursed her lips, falling into thought.

Su Cheng stood to the side, annoyed, waiting to see what other tricks she might pull.

After a moment, Li Guanqi reopened the book and held it up before him. Surprisingly, the latest page was completely blank, with nothing written on it!

"Look, today's chapter is blank." Li Guanqi explained. "This is our book, to be written by us together. Come on, let's complete this chapter together."

As she spoke, she conjured a pen from thin air and began writing vigorously on the blank page, muttering as she wrote: "I hereby solemnly request that Su Cheng come sit by my side, so we may have a heartfelt chat, confide in each other, and renew our contract..."

"Pfft, you're really dedicated."

Su Cheng rolled his eyes disdainfully. "I can't believe you can say such corny lines with a straight face."

Li Guanqi's head drooped instantly. She dejectedly closed the book, putting on a tearful expression.

Just as she thought this attempt at persuasion was going to end in failure again, Su Cheng's voice suddenly sounded from behind her.

"What are you standing there like an idiot for? Aren't you coming over?"

Li Guanqi looked up in surprise to see Su Cheng already sprawled casually on the bench, patting the empty space beside him, signaling for her to sit.

Could this book really have magic?

Or was Su Cheng actually pretending to be clueless?

A series of questions swirled in Li Guanqi's mind. Half-convinced, half-doubting, she walked to his side and carefully sat down. An awkward silence descended.

After a long while, Su Cheng finally spoke leisurely: "Go on, what else do you want from me?"

Li Guanqi clenched her fists, gathering her courage to say: "I want to know, why are you pushing us away? Why won't you accept our help? Do you think our concern is fake?"

"No, I've never doubted your sincerity." Su Cheng gave another bitter smile. "It's just... some things, I have to face on my own. I don't want to trouble you all, and I especially don't want you to worry about the problems I have to deal with."

"But..." Li Guanqi wanted to say more, but Su Cheng cut her off.

"You know, actually, I envy you."

He gazed into the distance, his eyes somewhat unfocused. "Even though you've lost some memories and the ability to express emotions, at least you still have the right to choose. As for me, I can only choose the fate shown to me."

"That's not true!"

Li Guanqi stubbornly shook her head: "The future has always been in our own hands! As long as you're willing, we can definitely find a way to change it!"