Close the Book, a New World Awaits

When Li Guanqi opened her eyes, she felt as if her head was splitting with pain, her entire skull heavy as lead, making it almost hard to breathe, as though she had been asleep for a very, very long time.

But soon, her eyes snapped wide open, and she sat up from the ground, looking around for any trace of Su Cheng. However, Su Cheng was gone. In his place stood four other people beside her, watching her with varied expressions.

"How long were you unconscious?"

"What's Su Cheng's condition now?"

"You're finally awake!"

Ji Qingyi, Liu Qingyue, and Cornelia all asked their questions in unison. Li Guanqi's expression instantly crumbled, her distress and chagrin spilling over, written plainly across her pale, lovely face for anyone with eyes to see.

"This is bad!"

"Oh no!"

"You actually have an expression now?"

The four widened their beautiful eyes, scrutinizing Li Guanqi closely. Even the usually composed Ji Qingyi couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. But they quickly grasped the severity of the situation.

"He still managed to pull it off in the end."

Liu Qingyue slumped her head dejectedly, her tone low. "Now we have no bargaining chips left."

Ji Qingyi lowered her gaze.

They knew what they were about to face.

Gu Ruoxue's intelligent eyes gazed directly at Li Guanqi, her tone gentle yet laced with concern. "Are you feeling any better?"

"I'm sorry..." Li Guanqi covered her face with her hands, choking back a sob. "I... I didn't know it would turn out like this. I really didn't want this. But..."

"Don't blame yourself too much." Gu Ruoxue reached out and patted her back, comforting the fragile and pitiable Li Guanqi. "You can't be blamed for this. It was all predestined; none of us could have stopped it. We can only let things take their course. The most important thing now is to figure out how to solve the problem."

"Yeah, yeah!"

Cornelia hastily chimed in. "We just need to find out where Su Cheng ran off to and get him back. When sisters unite, their strength can cut through metal; with the four of us joining forces, we can definitely do it!"

"Such noise." Ji Qingyi clicked her tongue impatiently, and Cornelia immediately shrank back like a scolded child, obediently closing her mouth.

"Take out that book." Liu Qingyue, struggling to calm her emotions, stretched her hand out towards Li Guanqi.

"But it's not the next day yet."

"At your pace, the opportunity will be long gone." Liu Qingyue glared at her with a mix of frustration and sternness. "The current situation is a special case and calls for special treatment. We can't afford to delay any longer!"

As soon as the words left her mouth, an abrupt change occurred—

The sun, which had been setting in the west, suddenly leaped back into the sky, casting down scorching, blinding light. Everyone instinctively raised their hands to shield their eyes from the glare.

"What a coincidence. Is he watching us?"

Liu Qingyue looked up at the blazing sun hanging high and murmured, "Now, it should count as the next day, right?"

Seeing this, Li Guanqi hesitated no longer. She retrieved the book "The Basic Laws of Web Novel Heroines" from her ring and handed it to Liu Qingyue, nodding. "Yes, it counts as the next day."

The sun rising meant a new day had arrived.

"It's so hot!" Cornelia cried out anxiously. On the mountainside, the fierce sun scorched her skin, making it burn and sting all over. This intense heat far surpassed the previous conditions in the forest.

The others were in a similar state. Only Liu Qingyue was an exception, as she was intently reading the contents of Chapter Five.

The next second, however, her face darkened, filled with displeasure, as if she had been force-fed a mouthful of dog food, leaving her heart feeling stifled and uncomfortable.

The reason they hadn't deliberately pressed Li Guanqi about how she regained her expressions was to avoid awkwardness and embarrassment. Yet, who could have guessed that Chapter Four would be so blatantly feeding them romantic fluff, adding to her frustration and making her feel as disgusted as if she'd swallowed a fly.

Ji Qingyi noticed the change in Liu Qingyue's expression and asked tentatively, "What's wrong? Is there something off?"

"Oh, it's nothing." Liu Qingyue forced a smile and passed the book to Ji Qingyi. The latter took it, glanced inside, immediately wrinkled her brow in distaste, and snapped the book shut with a "thud."

She tossed the book to Gu Ruoxue.

Cornelia, who had already taken refuge in the shade of a tree, clamored with keen interest, "Me, me? I want to see it too!"

She completely failed to notice the others' strange expressions.

"I'll tell you about it later!" Liu Qingyue said irritably.

After Gu Ruoxue finished reading, she returned the book to Li Guanqi.

Li Guanqi took it and began to peruse it carefully. As she read, she started to choke up, repeating, "So cunning, he's just too cunning." She let tears fall onto the pages, where they bloomed into plum-blossom-like water stains, desolate yet moving.

Because the content of Chapter Four was precisely the words spoken to her.

'Congratulations on becoming the heroine envied by all.'

'Kindness, diligence—these qualities are evident all over you. But the essence of a heroine is far more than that. So, your journey is still long. For now, you need to keep working hard. I hope you can shoulder your mission from now on.'

'And as an unworthy male lead, I too will face my final challenge. This is also my mission. I hope you all can understand me. I will prove to you that a male lead is not just about empty words, but someone who can truly shoulder this responsibility and put it into practice.'

Li Guanqi bit her lip hard, but the sour ache and pain in her throat and chest, threatening to burst forth, still couldn't suppress the emotions on the verge of eruption.

"Alright, stop crying."

Ji Qingyi took out a black handkerchief and dropped it onto the book page, saying softly, "Wipe your face. What we should do now is find that idiot as soon as possible!"

"Thank you, I understand..." Li Guanqi sobbed, trembling as she took the handkerchief to dry her tears, then clenched it tightly in her palm. She turned to look at Liu Qingyue.

"I want to read the next chapter!"

Everyone was stunned, not expecting Li Guanqi to say something so surprising. What was going on?

"Are you sure?" Liu Qingyue asked in astonishment. "Haven't you always abided by your agreement with him?"

"As you said, special cases call for special treatment."

Li Guanqi lowered her head, gently stroking the content of Chapter Five, and slowly explained, "Besides, saving him doesn't require any reason."

With that, she directly flipped to Chapter Six and showed its contents to everyone. At the sight, they all fell into an eerie silence. This silence was different from before—it was a dead stillness that felt suffocating, despairing, frightening, and even infuriating.

The entire mountain seemed shrouded in a layer of gray haze, as if a downpour could start at any moment.

Even the normally steady Gu Ruoxue and Ji Qingyi, despite being mentally prepared, couldn't help but feel a tremor in their hearts the moment they saw the content.

"This... idiot!" Liu Qingyue clenched her fists, her whole body trembling violently, her mind in turmoil, a mix of shock and overwhelming emotion. She gritted her teeth fiercely, her originally delicate, pretty face flushed red with anger.

Li Guanqi's eyes were bloodshot as she stared fixedly at the page, her face etched with unparalleled grief and loss.

She bit down hard on her lower lip, her pearly white teeth almost sinking into the flesh, blood trickling down her chin.

The content of Chapter Six is as follows:

'Greetings, everyone. Between vague happiness and clear pain, while the former can preserve temporary peace, it ultimately cannot last. Therefore, I have chosen the latter. I have decided to use every possible means to destroy the system.'

'However, after several attempts, I found that such a system can only be temporarily suppressed; it is absolutely impossible to completely extinguish it through these methods. So, I thought, I decided to adopt an extreme and misunderstood approach. Please forgive my selfishness and secrecy, for this is a path of no return.'

'Now, the sun above your heads is the embodiment of the system. By attempting to shoot it down, it might be possible to inflict damage upon it. But in this process, I realized one regret—I cannot participate in the competition we agreed upon. To make up for this regret, I wish to request my master and club president, Ji Qingyi, to act as the judge, to evaluate my archery skills and etiquette, and to score me. Furthermore, I also earnestly request my department head, Gu Ruoxue, my classmate Li Guanqi, my senior Cornelia, and Liu Qingyue to serve as witnesses, to bear witness to this personal competition of mine.'

'To return to the main point, according to my research, shooting down the sun is not enough to completely eradicate the system, because it will return to my body once more. To fundamentally kill it, at the moment I shoot down the sun, I need someone to end my life in an equally fatal manner.'

'Therefore, although it will be cruel, I must still beseech my archery mentor—Ji Qingyi, and the agreed-upon witness—Gu Ruoxue, to draw a perfect conclusion for me, to fulfill our shared wish.'

'Finally, please keep walking west. I will be waiting for your arrival there.'

Apart from Cornelia, who was kept in the dark, the others stood dumbfounded, silent and speechless, as if turned to stone.

Because this was beyond everyone's expectations.

They never imagined it would be such a cruel, bleak, despairing, and even sorrowful ending.

What was even more embarrassing and hard to believe was that, under these circumstances, they would have to personally end Su Cheng's life.

How cruel, how chilling!

The other girls simultaneously looked up, their gazes turning towards Ji Qingyi and Gu Ruoxue.

At this moment, Ji Qingyi and Gu Ruoxue remained silent, both merely looking at Su Cheng's message in the book. After several dozen breaths, they simultaneously raised their heads, their eyes meeting.

Yet everyone present clearly caught this scene and understood the immense shock they were enduring within.

The pain and torment they had to bear far surpassed that of anyone else present? But exactly how severe it was, they could not know; perhaps only they themselves were clear in their hearts.

"Can you bring yourself to do it?"

Ji Qingyi took a deep breath, her dark and profound gaze fixed on Gu Ruoxue as she asked, word by word.

"If it is an entrusted task, naturally it must be carried through to the end," Gu Ruoxue met her gaze without flinching, retorting, "Rather, I'm worried that when the moment truly comes, someone might have a change of heart."

"So, shall we change the plan of action?" Liu Qingyue looked at the two and asked softly.

"No need," Gu Ruoxue replied without looking up, her tone calm yet filled with strong resolve.

"The arrow is on the string, the bow drawn like a full moon; matters have reached this point, there is no turning back," Ji Qingyi sighed lightly. "Since that is the case, as a master, I should respect my disciple's wishes; as his fiancée, I should also protect my man's dignity."

"Are you really not going to think of another way? He might really die!" Liu Qingyue tentatively inquired.

However, the standoff between them did not last long before it was interrupted by Li Guanqi's serious words.

"Rather than arguing here, we should just set off to find Su Cheng first and find him before anything else."

Li Guanqi's expression grew increasingly resolute, as if the girl who used to cry easily had vanished.

"While the usefulness of your words is essentially nil,"

Liu Qingyue nodded approvingly, praising with a smile, "the attitude is good nonetheless."

"..." The corner of Li Guanqi's mouth twitched, her face stiffening, clearly feeling very awkward about Liu Qingyue's praise yet having no way to deal with her.

However, this little interlude passed in an instant.

The girls quickly reached a consensus: to set off immediately to find Su Cheng, lest complications arise from delay.

"Let's go," Liu Qingyue took the lead, stepping forward towards the west. The other three followed closely behind.

They discussed continuously along the way, with only Gu Ruoxue remaining silent, head bowed, lost in unknown thoughts.

"What was written in that book just now?"

Cornelia asked curiously.

"Nothing much, just that he's going to put on a thrilling performance for us, having us act as judges and audience, that's about it," Liu Qingyue glossed over it. It wasn't that she wanted to fool Cornelia, but if she told the truth, the other would definitely make a fuss again, not only wasting time but also adding to her grief. So Liu Qingyue preferred not to say.

"A thrilling performance? What kind of performance?"

Sure enough, upon hearing this, Cornelia immediately pressed eagerly for details.

"Do you know the story of Hou Yi shooting down the suns?" A unique smile appeared at the corner of Li Guanqi's mouth. "He wants to rid the people of a scourge, to shoot down that wicked sun in the sky."

"Uh, that smile of yours is really quite ugly," unexpectedly, Cornelia did not question the truth of the matter but instead felt uncomfortable with Li Guanqi's strange smile, couldn't help but purse her lips.

"Ha, junior, seems you don't know how to smile properly," Liu Qingyue teased. "Want me to teach you? As for tuition... how about picking one from those collectibles Su Cheng gave you for me?"

"Thank you for your kindness, senior, but no need," Li Guanqi's expression instantly returned to its usual deadpan, as she unnaturally rubbed her cheeks and continued, "Since someone made me regain expressions, he should take responsibility for it."

"You really are a fool, you believe in something as absurd as shooting down the sun?" Ji Qingyi shot Cornelia an exasperated glance. Perhaps the time spent together had brought them closer, as her attitude was no longer as cold as before.

"Uh..." Cornelia was stunned for a moment, mumbling, "It is pretty absurd. But the moment I think it's something Su Cheng wants to do, I instinctively feel he can do it. Because in my eyes, he can do anything."

Hearing this, everyone fell silent for a moment. Although this reason sounded ridiculous, they found themselves unable to refute it, because deep down, didn't they harbor the same thought?

"Miss, are you still willing to believe in miracles?" Suddenly, Liu Qingyue spoke up. At the same time, everyone's footsteps halted, and they all looked up at Ji Qingyi.

Ji Qingyi nodded gently: "I am willing to believe. Because miracles often arise in the process of conquering misfortune. So I believe that a miracle will surely descend once more."

The five of them set off again, walking westward.

The match had concluded, and they could use the items within their rings to replenish their condition at any time. Therefore, at this moment, they were in excellent form, proceeding at a leisurely, unhurried pace.

"Miss, as the referee, what are your thoughts?" Liu Qingyue suddenly turned to ask Ji Qingyi, "Also, do you think Su Cheng's current level can be compared to yours, his master? Or rather... is he qualified to graduate?"

"He still has a long way to go. He needs much more training before he can graduate," Ji Qingyi said calmly, yet a trace of gratification flickered in her eyes. "However... although he must continue striving, his painstaking efforts will not betray him. One day, when he is capable of surpassing me, I will properly praise him."

"I think it would be better if you said those words to him directly," Liu Qingyue said with a teasing tone. "After all, I've never seen you say such things to him outright."

"I won't say it," Ji Qingyi shook her head, refusing outright. "If I did, he would certainly become smug and arrogant, his tail practically wagging up to the sky. Then he'd look down on me and pester me for matches all day long."

"That does sound like a headache," Liu Qingyue mused thoughtfully. "What if one day your precious disciple really climbs above you? Wouldn't you be furious?"

"That would suit me just fine," Ji Qingyi snorted coldly. "At that time, I could take the opportunity to purge the ranks and dispose of this wicked disciple who dares to defy his master."

The group chatted and laughed, their conversation filled with differing opinions, yet it was strangely harmonious.

This atmosphere lessened the barriers between them, making them seem like friends who could talk about anything. Though somewhat incongruous, this rare harmony was heartening.

However, such an atmosphere ultimately proved as fleeting as a night-blooming cereus.

When they spotted a familiar figure, the previously congenial atmosphere vanished completely, replaced by gravity, seriousness, tension, and unease.

"Su Cheng is over there," Liu Qingyue lowered her voice, quietly informing the others.

Everyone followed her gaze and indeed saw a figure in white standing on a distant hill.

He stood straight-backed, facing away from them, motionless, giving off an aura of loneliness, desolation, and solitude.

"Su Cheng!" Cornelia stood on her tiptoes, cupping her hands around her mouth to call out.

At the sound of her voice, Su Cheng's shoulders trembled slightly, and he slowly turned around.

In that instant, everyone saw Su Cheng gazing at them fearlessly and with dignity.

He wore a smile, his gaze open and warm. At that moment, everyone seemed to feel a surge of warmth rising from their chests, rushing to the top of their heads, dispelling the gloom in their hearts.

"Can we fulfill the promised commission?" Su Cheng's voice was mellow and gentle, asking succinctly.

He was speaking to Ji Qingyi and Gu Ruoxue.

Perhaps due to Su Cheng's composure, or perhaps because the atmosphere he created was too intense, the others fell silent in unison, quietly shifting their gazes towards the two.

"I will fulfill your commission."

Gu Ruoxue promised solemnly. Her face was expressionless, and even her response seemed calm and detached. Only her slightly trembling voice betrayed her true emotions.

"Good." Su Cheng nodded with a smile. Then, he turned his gaze to Ji Qingyi.

Ji Qingyi slightly turned her head away, avoiding Su Cheng's gaze. But her tightly pursed red lips revealed her current state of mind.

"President, may I begin my performance?" Su Cheng's tone was both respectful and sincere, like a disciple seeking permission from his master. But Ji Qingyi was not having any of it.

"You actually dared to deceive me for so long. Did you think I would let you off so easily? Come here!" Rare anger showed in Ji Qingyi's beautiful eyes, but it also contained some indescribable emotion.

Hearing this, Su Cheng turned his back to her, his tone flat as he said, "It seems the President is not yet prepared."

"You...!" Su Cheng's nonchalant attitude completely infuriated Ji Qingyi. She strode up to him, placed a hand on his shoulder, forcing them to face each other.

"You plan to just walk away like this?"

"President." Su Cheng gently grasped her wrist, moving her hand from his shoulder, his tone gentle yet firm. "What I owe you, I will repay. But not now."

"And if I insist on settling it now?" Ji Qingyi retorted word by word, her tone full of dissatisfaction and irritation.

"Then, it's over there." Su Cheng raised his head, looking directly into Ji Qingyi's eyes, and pointed to a flowerpot under a nearby tree.

In the flowerpot, a gorgeous, vibrant peony was in full bloom. The petals were plump and delicate, the color bright, the stem slender and graceful—truly beautiful.

Liu Qingyue walked to the flowerpot, bent down, picked it up, and cradled it in her arms. She lowered her head slightly, her voice somewhat muffled and unhappy, very much like a puppy abandoned by its owner.

"Miss, look, life. This is a miracle he created alone, without any external aids!" Liu Qingyue held up the flowerpot. "Don't you believe in miracles?"

"President, are you ready?" Su Cheng's tone grew more earnest, his attitude humble yet resolute, as if he had already made up his mind, waiting only for Ji Qingyi's nod of approval.

Ji Qingyi took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the turbulent emotions in her heart, and without a word, began to adjust Su Cheng's kyudo uniform.

Her movements were quick and meticulous, completely focused, as if it were a wife's first time attending to her husband—serious and solemn, striving for perfection.

After quite a while, Ji Qingyi finally looked up, her gaze complex and distant.

Her voice was somewhat hoarse, as if something was stuck in her throat, extremely uncomfortable. "If I were the referee, the competitor's appearance and bearing would be an important judging criterion. Even the slightest oversight could lead to a serious deduction of points."

"I understand, President," Su Cheng nodded in acknowledgment. He took a few steps back, putting distance between himself and Ji Qingyi, and bowed respectfully, expressing the highest reverence for his teacher.

"Good." Only then did Ji Qingyi withdraw her gaze with satisfaction, her tone authoritative. "Then let me witness your true skill! I hope you can surprise me once again."

With that, Ji Qingyi turned and walked towards the others, leaving Su Cheng standing alone. He looked up at the blue sky, the sunlight falling on his face, casting a golden hue, enveloping everything around him in a sacred halo.

And at this very moment.

What was Li Guanqi thinking in her heart?

Her dark, bright eyes were fixed intently on Su Cheng, as if she had come to some realization.

In any case...

She had resolved to overcome the difficulties together with him.

She prayed deeply in her heart.

Praying for a miracle to descend.

"I am ready!" When Su Cheng's deep, powerful voice echoed across the entire hillside, the surroundings immediately fell silent. Everyone looked up, holding their breath as they gazed at his back.

"Very well," Ji Qingyi also said in a low voice.

"Do you have an extra bow and arrows? Could I have one?" Gu Ruoxue walked up to Ji Qingyi and asked softly.

"Hmph, no. Either you come and draw the bow with me, and release the arrow on my command." Ji Qingyi smiled as if speaking to an old friend, taking out a bow and an arrow.

"Then I'll trouble you." Gu Ruoxue stood beside her, gently placing her right hand on the bow.

"Since you're ready, let's begin."

As Ji Qingyi's words fell, the two moved in unison, nocking the arrow, drawing the bow, and taking aim, preparing to shoot the man who was once their lover, their almost-husband.

"Go on! You must shoot down that damned sun!" Cornelia waved her small fists, cheering for Su Cheng. Because aside from this, she could do nothing.

Liu Qingyue stood beside Ji Qingyi, holding a flowerpot.

Li Guanqi remained standing in place, clutching the book "The Basic Laws of Web Novel Heroines" tightly in her hands.

Now, this had become her last hope.

None of them had read the contents of the final, seventh chapter.

It was simply to leave a sliver of hope for everyone.

At this moment, everyone's gaze was fixed on Su Cheng. No one spoke, letting time pass second by second.

Finally, three minutes slipped away quietly. A sudden gust of wind blew, sweeping a few leaves to Su Cheng's feet.

Everyone's eyes followed those green leaves, only to see Su Cheng clear his throat and utter: "Begin."

He then conjured a bow out of thin air. It was not like the rising sun, nor the midday sun, but the bow named 'Sinking Moon' that Ji Qingyi had once gifted him.

Using 'Sinking Moon' to shoot the sun seemed somewhat inappropriate, even carrying a hint of irony.

"What's in the sky is not the sun; I am." As if sensing everyone's puzzled looks, Su Cheng explained.

Everyone involuntarily looked at Ji Qingyi and Gu Ruoxue.

The bows in their hands were a deep red all over, with bowstrings of dazzling silver-white, and grips made of fine wood. Though simple and unadorned, their texture was exceptionally tough and solid, worthy of being called masterpieces.

They stared intently at Su Cheng, not uttering a word.

Only their hands, tightly gripping the bows, trembled slightly, betraying the turmoil within.

Finally, Su Cheng also took out an arrow, raising it above his head with a solemn and dignified posture. His movements were slow and elegant, like a knight raising a halberd, meticulous and precise.

A faint smile hung on his face,

as if declaring to the world—

"We will win!" Holding the arrow in his right hand and the bow in his left, he effortlessly drew the bowstring. His movements were fluid, done in one smooth motion, elegant and composed.

But an accident still occurred. While drawing and aiming, someone's hand suddenly trembled, making it impossible to accurately aim at the center of Su Cheng's forehead.

The hearts of all the women felt as if they had been violently wrenched.

"Calm down!" Seeing that Su Cheng's arrow was about to be released, the two women spoke out in unison, then bit their lips hard, using the pain to dispel distracting thoughts and focus their minds.

In that fleeting instant, the three seemed to be of one mind, each gathering their full strength.

The bows were drawn full like the moon, the arrows poised like meteors. Waiting only for the next second to thunderously shoot towards their respective destinies.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment.

"Everyone, close your eyes!"

Su Cheng's deep, resonant voice echoed in everyone's ears. Hearing it, everyone instinctively closed their eyes.

The next second, as if by prior agreement, the three simultaneously released their fingers.

Two arrows left their strings, whistling as they tore through the sky, streaking towards their target with lightning speed.

Immediately after, a deafening roar sounded, accompanied by the crackle of burning flames.

The earth began to shake violently. Everyone felt the world spin, their bodies swaying uncontrollably.

Su Cheng's gentle call vanished in an instant, turning into nothingness.

It wasn't until a strange sensation washed over them that everyone suddenly opened their eyes and saw the scene before them.

What met their eyes was a world turned black and white, shattered into countless tiny fragments. It was as if it had suffered a fatal blow, beyond repair.

And what shattered their hearts the most was that Su Cheng's figure had vanished without a trace.

"The rings! Your rings are all gone!"

Liu Qingyue cried out. Only then did everyone react, stretching out their hands or looking down at where their rings should be.

Sure enough, it was empty. There was nothing.

At that moment, their hearts clenched.

The rings disappearing... what did that mean?!

Su Cheng had succeeded!!

But soon, their hearts sank into despair.

Because Su Cheng was nowhere to be found, alive or dead.

"The flower and the book are still here!" Liu Qingyue, tightly guarding the peony in her arms, reminded them: "If nothing goes wrong, this 'stage' is over, and we must return to our real world!!"

"Why did you shoot Su Cheng?!" Cornelia, who had been kept in the dark all along, could no longer hold back her tears, crying out heart-wrenchingly. She had never imagined the outcome would be like this.

But soon, the world changed again, as if about to be utterly destroyed, bit by bit dissolving into nothingness and vanishing completely.

Li Guanqi clutched the book tightly, her face filled with sorrow and stubbornness. Gazing in the direction where Su Cheng had disappeared, she murmured to herself, "Will you be waiting for us at home?"

Just as the chaotic void was about to swallow her, it made her involuntarily take a step forward, breaking into a run towards what lay ahead.

Yet, she was still swallowed by the void.

However, at the last possible moment, she threw the book in her hands towards the other girls with all her might, attempting to let them safeguard this last hope. Just as the book flew out, it flipped open, landing precisely on the contents of the seventh chapter.

"?"

"?"

"?"

"?"

When the book's contents entered everyone's sight, a huge question mark popped up above all their heads simultaneously.

Because...

The seventh chapter had only three large characters—

『The End』