Morning sunlight spilled across the campus courtyard like golden threads. Birds chirped lazily in the trees, and students hurried to classes, coffee cups in hand, half awake, half alive.
Li Cheng stood by the vending machine, one hand in his pocket, the other holding a can of cold milk tea. His sharp red eyes reflected the sleepy bustle around him.
After last week's chaos, the Divine Envoy battle, and the System's crazy upgrades, it felt strange to stand here in his school uniform again—as if he were just an ordinary student.
Ordinary, my foot, he thought with a smirk.
The System's mechanical voice hummed softly in his head:
[Daily Sign-In Complete. Reward: +100 Charisma, +1 Mystery Aura.]
"Charisma again, huh? System, are you trying to turn me into a model or what?" Li Cheng muttered under his breath.
[Host must maintain an image worthy of future face-slapping scenes.]
He almost choked on his drink. "You make it sound like I'm on a TV show…"
[Correction: You are the protagonist of the world's greatest show — Your Enemies' Regret!]
"...You're impossible."
As he walked to class, whispers followed him. Ever since the campus "incident" where he humiliated Young Master Zhao in front of the entire student body, his name had become legend.
"Isn't that Li Cheng?""Yeah, the guy who made Zhao kneel in public!""Damn, I heard he's rich now! Drives a sports car to school every Friday!"
Li Cheng grinned inwardly. Not all rumors were true—but he wasn't correcting them either.
Then came a voice like soft bells, cutting through the chatter.
"Li Cheng."
He turned—and nearly dropped his drink.
Standing in front of him was Qin Ruo, the transfer student from Class 2-A. Long black hair shimmered in the sunlight, her eyes a calm storm of mystery. She was beautiful—no, dangerously beautiful—the kind of girl who could silence a room with one look.
And right now, she was staring straight at him.
"Uh… hey," Li Cheng said, scratching his head. "You're Qin Ruo, right? Need something?"
She tilted her head, smiling faintly. "You could say that. I've been observing you."
"Observing?" he repeated. "Like... a science experiment?"
Her lips curved into a smirk. "You could call it that."
Li Cheng felt his heart thud. Something about her tone—half teasing, half serious—sent an involuntary chill down his spine.
[Warning: Host's heart rate rising rapidly.][Possible attraction detected.]
"Shut it, System."
Qin Ruo's gaze sharpened. "You talk to yourself a lot, don't you?"
"Eh—uh, bad habit!" Li Cheng waved it off. "Brainstorming… business ideas."
"Business ideas, huh?" She crossed her arms. "Funny, I saw you make Zhao Ming apologize publicly and then somehow he dropped out of school the next day. That doesn't sound like business to me."
Li Cheng blinked. "Coincidence?"
She leaned in closer, eyes glinting. "Or power."
Her breath brushed his ear, and Li Cheng nearly forgot how to breathe.
"Relax," she said softly, straightening. "I'm not your enemy. Not yet, at least."
[Host Danger Level: 50% confusion, 50% arousal.]
"System, shut the hell up."
She chuckled. "You talk like you're arguing with someone only you can hear."
Li Cheng gave a sheepish grin. "You have no idea how accurate that is."
The classroom bell rang, saving him. As he walked away, he could feel Qin Ruo's eyes still on him—like she could see through him, into the secret depths of his System.
Later that afternoon — Gymnasium
"Today's sparring session!" the instructor barked. "Pair up!"
Li Cheng was about to team with his friend Minghao when a voice rang out again.
"I'll pair with Li Cheng."
Every male student froze.
Qin Ruo.
The new goddess of the school wanted to spar him.
The instructor's eyes gleamed with amusement. "Alright, let's see what the school's golden pair can do."
Qin Ruo smirked as she raised her wooden sword. "Try not to cry, Li Cheng."
He grinned. "I'd say the same to you."
[New Side Quest: Survive Qin Ruo's Attack Without Looking Pathetic.]Reward: Random Stat Boost + 5% chance to trigger hidden event.]
The spar began.
She lunged fast—faster than anyone he'd fought before. Her strikes were precise, almost too precise, like she'd been trained by someone serious.
Li Cheng blocked instinctively, the System enhancing his reaction speed. Wooden swords clashed again and again, echoing through the gym.
Students gathered, whispering.
"She's actually pushing him back!""No way—Li Cheng never loses!"
Just as Qin Ruo went for a finishing strike, Li Cheng grinned.
He sidestepped—and with a smooth motion, flicked her sword aside, spinning her off-balance. In one playful move, he reached out and caught her wrist—steadying her before she fell.
The gym went silent.
Qin Ruo blinked, her face inches from his. "You…"
Li Cheng smirked. "Gotcha."
For a moment, her expression softened. Then, just as fast, she kicked his leg and broke free, cheeks faintly pink.
"Don't get cocky."
The crowd erupted in cheers and laughter.
But it was too late—Li Cheng had already earned himself a new nickname by sunset:
"The Guy Who Flirted His Way Through a Duel."
After School — Rooftop Scene
The city skyline burned with orange light. Li Cheng sat on the edge of the rooftop, sipping another can of milk tea.
[Daily Task Complete: 3 Successful Face-Slaps/Embarrassments Detected.][Reward: 10,000 yuan + 1 Charisma Upgrade.]
He chuckled. "So even flirting counts as face-slapping now?"
[Efficiency is key, Host.]
Then the rooftop door creaked open. Qin Ruo stepped out, her school jacket slung over one shoulder.
"Didn't expect you here," she said softly.
"I could say the same."
She leaned on the railing beside him. For a while, neither spoke. The wind played with her hair; the sunset painted her in soft gold.
Finally, she said, "You're not as simple as you look, Li Cheng."
He smiled faintly. "Neither are you."
Their eyes met—something unspoken passed between them.
[Warning: Emotional resonance detected.][New Quest: Discover Qin Ruo's Secret.]
Qin Ruo looked away, her voice barely above a whisper. "Be careful who you trust. Power attracts attention—and enemies."
Before he could reply, she turned and left, her silhouette fading into the twilight.
Li Cheng watched her go, feeling the faint hum of his System in his chest.
"Guess things are about to get interesting again," he murmured.