Chapter 1
— Forty miles further north lies Mount Huo, where the trees bear abundant grain. There is a beast there, resembling a civet but with a white tail and a mane, called Feifei; raising one can relieve sorrow.
When Zhu Shiyan opened his eyes and woke up, all he saw was emptiness. He paused, glanced down at his hand, and wore a bewildered expression.
Hadn't he died in a car accident? How was he here?
Was this... heaven?
[You have awakened.]
A line of words suddenly appeared before him, just like in the movies—materializing out of thin air, then dissolving into specks of dust. Before Zhu Shiyan could ask anything, another sentence followed.
[You are already dead.]
A pang tightened in his chest. Though he had expected this, hearing it confirmed still brought a trace of sadness. Pressing his hand to his chest to suppress the discomfort, he asked, “Where am I? And who are you?”
The words didn’t answer but instead posed a question: [Do you wish to be resurrected?]
“No,” Zhu Shiyan replied decisively.
After a two-second silence, another line appeared.
[The world awaits your salvation.]
Zhu Shiyan frowned. “What a joke.”
He was just an ordinary office worker. If the world were to end, let it end—what did it have to do with him?
“Just send me to reincarnate quickly, thanks.”
The boundless white space rippled with instability, as if surprised by his response, then the next words appeared.
[You are the chosen one; you must fulfill your mission to be reborn.]
“And if I refuse?”
[Then you remain here, immortal.]
Strangely, even though it was just words, Zhu Shiyan sensed a gritted-teeth menace beneath them.
The message vanished, leaving no further instructions. Zhu Shiyan tried to protest by starving himself, but soon realized he no longer felt hunger—he was dead, after all.
He attempted various ways to die again, hoping it would send him to reincarnate, but all failed.
This ghostly place was a vast, silent whiteness, devoid of any sound. He lost track of time but knew that staying any longer would drive him mad. So he relented.
“I agree.”
---
Noise filled his ears as Zhu Shiyan slowly opened his eyes, the world before him coming into focus.
He was in a classroom. Below, students eyed him curiously, whispering among themselves, while he stood at the podium beside a stern-looking middle-aged man.
The man slammed the desk sharply. “Quiet!”
The chatter subsided as he turned to Zhu Shiyan. “This is our new transfer student. Let’s have him introduce himself.”
Zhu Shiyan pinched his palm, smiled faintly, and spoke with the clear tone of youth: “Hello, I’m Zhu Shiyan. I just transferred here from Lin City No.1 High School. I hope to get along well with everyone and learn together.”
His pale skin and large eyes made him strikingly beautiful; when he smiled, even the gloomy sky seemed to brighten a little.
Students whispered excitedly.
“Wow, the transfer student’s really good-looking.”
“I heard his family’s wealthy—a proper young master.”
“Why transfer to our school? Lin City No.1 is top-tier.”
...
In a corner near the back door, a boy with slightly long hair covering his eyes glanced up briefly before lowering his head again. He wore a faded uniform, sat alone without a deskmate, and seemed out of place amid the lively classroom.
The homeroom teacher assigned Zhu Shiyan a seat by the window in the second row. As soon as he sat, students around him crowded in, chattering eagerly.
---
“Quiet!” The teacher struck the ruler on the desk with a sharp crack. “Class is about to start. Save your questions for after!”
The crowd dispersed. Zhu Shiyan exhaled quietly. A chocolate bar was slid toward him. Turning, he saw his new deskmate offering a friendly smile. “Hi, I’m Qiao Li—Li, like in ‘deep affection.’”
Zhu Shiyan accepted the chocolate and returned the smile. “Nice to meet you.”
The first lesson was Chinese. The teacher lectured energetically on stage, but Zhu Shiyan stared blankly at his textbook.
He had been suddenly transported, overwhelmed with information, and only now had a moment to process it all.
After he agreed to the mission, the words reappeared.
[You will travel to various small worlds to complete tasks. After each, you may choose resurrection or reincarnation.]
“What are these worlds?”
[Think of them as parallel worlds, each with a set storyline.]
Zhu Shiyan’s eyes widened. “Like book worlds?”
After a pause, the words said: [You may think of it that way.]
“What is my mission?”
[Find the source of each world and save it.]
“...I’m not a doctor. How do I save them?”
[With your love and warmth.]
Zhu Shiyan smiled faintly. “...Okay, fine.”
He asked, “How will I know where the source is?”
[You will know.]
“And how do I know if I succeed?”
[You will know.]
Zhu Shiyan clenched his fist.
Others who traverse worlds get powerful perks and dominate; he was clueless, even the protagonist had to be found by himself.
This so-called system—whatever it was—gave him only a rough outline before dropping him into a new world, waking up in a fresh setting.
Had he been slower to react, it might have ended in disaster.
He sighed and pulled out his phone to check his current appearance.
The system said his body was his own but adjusted slightly to fit each world’s background. Since this world’s story unfolded in a school, he arrived as a transfer student with a fabricated family history.
Zhu Shiyan looked around, then nodded in satisfaction.
It was his face, but younger and more refined, full of youthful vitality—perfect for a high schooler.
Lost in thought, he forgot the teacher was lecturing. The teacher’s expression darkened until she snapped, “Zhu Shiyan!”
Startled, Zhu Shiyan nearly dropped his phone.
He quickly hid it and stood, answering crisply, “Present!”
Laughter came from nearby.
The young female teacher scolded, “No phones in class. Pay attention.”
Zhu Shiyan nodded obediently.
Being new, the teacher showed no intention to make things difficult and waved him down. “Sit.”
After sitting, Qiao Li tugged at his sleeve, eyes sparkling. “You’re really brave!”
Zhu Shiyan whispered, “I didn’t mean to.”
Qiao Li didn’t believe him and gave a sly thumbs-up.
---
After class, many gathered around Zhu Shiyan, bombarding him with questions while he quietly observed everyone.
The system said the person he needed to find was nearby—likely someone in this class—but he couldn’t tell who might be the protagonist.
The first story event was in three days. He had to find the lead by then but couldn’t simply ask, so he masked his anxiety with a smile.
While everyone else was cheerful, the back row of the classroom was tense.
“Hey, little bastard, go to the store and buy some water.”
“Bring two loaves of bread too.”
“Did you hear me? Move it!”
The boy they called “little bastard” looked up, dark eyes cold, and muttered, “No money.”
“Bang!”
The instigator kicked him to the floor, voice harsh. “Your problem, I’m thirsty now, didn’t you hear?”
The boy, Xi Wan, was silent a moment, picked up his fallen books, set his chair upright, and repeated slowly, “I said, no money.”
“Looking for trouble!”
Zheng Xingyan clenched his fist and punched Xi Wan without hesitation. Xi Wan tried to dodge but was held by two others and took the blow. Sharp pain shot through his abdomen; he bent over, his thin frame curling inward.
Others in class paid no mind—no one intervened. Some studied, others gossiped; the room was absurdly divided into two worlds.
Hearing the commotion, Zhu Shiyan wanted to intervene, but Qiao Li pulled him back. “Xiao Yan, don’t go. You might get hurt.”
Zhu Shiyan frowned. “But they’re beating him.”
“No one cares. The teachers don’t do anything.”
Qiao Li kindly explained, “Zheng Xingyan’s family’s rich—they bully others. You’re new, better not provoke them.”
“And the victim?”
A fleeting look of disgust crossed Qiao Li’s eyes. Although brief, Zhu Shiyan noticed.
“He’s weird, gloomy all the time, never smiles. No one wants to play with him, not even the teachers. I heard…” She lowered her voice conspiratorially, “Anyone close to him gets bad luck. The class monitor tried to help him fit in, but after less than a month their grades dropped sharply, and their parents almost divorced.”
Zhu Shiyan blinked. “That’s connected?”
“Believe it or not, once the monitor distanced herself, her grades improved and her parents reconciled. Since then, everyone stays far away from him.” Qiao Li tried to hide her malice but couldn’t. “People like him should drop out. Why bring trouble to us?”
Zhu Shiyan stared, incredulous.
The sweet, kind girl who had just befriended him was now mercilessly slandering someone else.
He recalled the system’s warning that this world was a bit off—not something he’d truly grasped until now.
The fighting grew louder, and Zhu Shiyan couldn’t stay seated.
Ignoring Qiao Li’s protests, he stood and walked to the back of the classroom. “Stop!”
The group ceased, and an eerie silence fell.
Squatting before Xi Wan, Zhu Shiyan extended a hand gently. “I'm sorry, but I cannot assist with that request.