Chapter 8: Where Did You Take My Little White?
That kind of joy was akin to the pride one feels upon crafting a perfect work of art with their own hands.
“What do you want to eat? My treat.”
Lin Bai turned to look at Qin Ruowei, and when their eyes met, Qin Ruowei quickly averted her gaze like a shy thief.
“Anything is fine. There’s a place called Xiu Yu nearby; I’ve heard it’s quite good.”
“Then let’s go to Xiu Yu.”
On the way to Xiu Yu Restaurant, Lin Bai pulled out his phone and glanced at the group-buying deals for Xiu Yu before letting out a long sigh of relief.
The deadline for the task had passed, and he was really afraid he wouldn’t have enough money to pay for the meal.
Right now, he had just over six hundred yuan on him, plus a hundred yuan stored in the system that hadn’t been withdrawn yet but could be accessed anytime.
A meal for two at Xiu Yu would cost at most one or two hundred yuan, which used to be a luxury for him, but now…
First, he had the system; having money was just a matter of time.
Second, Qin Ruowei had accompanied him all afternoon, and he felt a bit sorry for her; it was only right to treat her to a meal.
On the other hand, Qin Ruowei was somewhat puzzled by this poor young man in front of her.
She had seen with her own eyes the blisters on Lin Bai’s feet caused by the cheap street vendor shoes.
She had witnessed how he never allowed himself meat, eating only vegetables at every meal.
And she had even watched him labor for over three hours in the scorching heat just to repay her two hundred yuan.
All of this now seemed precarious after today’s shopping spree of over thirty thousand yuan.
Lin Bai had wrapped himself in a veil of mystery before Qin Ruowei, making her irresistibly curious.
…
At Xiu Yu Restaurant.
Under the candlelight, Lin Bai and Qin Ruowei sat facing each other, the atmosphere tinged with a subtle intimacy enhanced by the flickering flames.
“Sorry, I—I didn’t realize it would be like this. Should we put out the candles?”
Lin Bai felt a bit embarrassed.
Qin Ruowei smiled softly, “It’s fine, leave them on. I’m not shy, and you shouldn’t be either.”
Lin Bai said no more.
Qin Ruowei’s choice was spot-on; the food at Xiu Yu was indeed delicious—arguably the best Lin Bai had ever eaten outside his home.
“Thank you for spending the whole afternoon with me. You’ve worked hard.”
Lin Bai expressed his sincere gratitude. Qin Ruowei lowered her head.
“It’s nothing. I often shop alone anyway.”
“That’s good. If you ever want to go shopping, just call me.”
At those words, Qin Ruowei lifted her head, set down her knife and fork, rested her chin on her hand, and blinked her beautiful eyes at Lin Bai.
“Lin Bai, I’m really curious about something. You must have seen Li Yu’s and Chen Shuya’s social circles. Aren’t you angry at all?”
Lin Bai looked up and smiled slightly.
“What’s the use of being angry? I have no money and can’t give Chen Shuya what she wants. Even university admissions are merit-based. It’s only natural she chose Li Yu.”
Lin Bai’s answer made Qin Ruowei glance sideways before lowering her head to continue eating.
“You don’t have to care too much. Chen Shuya isn’t worthy of you.”
“There’s no such thing as worthy or unworthy in love, only whether one is willing or not,” Lin Bai said naturally, sharing his own insight.
Just then, the system’s voice rang out unexpectedly.
“Beep! Congratulations, host. Side quest 2 completed! Task rewards have been issued. Tomorrow, a dedicated delivery will bring your car to your doorstep. Please keep your phone accessible.”
Lin Bai froze at the system’s announcement.
At this moment, the allure of the Mercedes-Benz GLE paled in comparison. More than the luxury car, Qin Ruowei’s affection for him was what truly delighted him.
He had thought this task would be a drawn-out battle with a high chance of failure, but unexpectedly…
Watching Qin Ruowei poke at the steak on her plate, Lin Bai took a deep breath, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and seized the moment.
“Would you like to be my girlfriend?”
Qin Ruowei’s hand paused mid-motion, then slowly lifted her head.
“Ah? Why are you asking me this all of a sudden… I—I don’t know.”
She stammered nervously, avoiding Lin Bai’s gaze.
In the candlelight, the blush on her cheeks said more than a thousand words ever could.
With the system backing him, Lin Bai felt more confident than ever. He reached out and gently took Qin Ruowei’s soft, boneless hand, his voice sincere.
“Ruowei, I like you.”
Qin Ruowei did not resist. She slowly lifted her eyes to look straight at Lin Bai, her face flushed deeply.
After several seconds, she quickly withdrew her hand and pretended to eat.
“Oh, let’s eat first, eat first.”
Lin Bai smiled. “Alright, take your time. Don’t choke.”
…
After the meal, the two returned to campus.
Lin Bai saw Qin Ruowei off at the entrance of her dormitory. Among the curious gazes of passing classmates, he waved.
“Go on in, get some rest. See you tomorrow.”
“Mm.”
Qin Ruowei replied softly and turned toward the dormitory entrance.
Halfway there, she stopped, turned back, and hurried over to Lin Bai, throwing herself into his arms.
Caught off guard, Lin Bai’s hands holding the bags froze mid-air, his body stiffened.
“See you tomorrow.”
Qin Ruowei smiled, then released him and ran into the dormitory.
Only then did Lin Bai relax, sniffing his clothes, which still carried her familiar, distinct fragrance.
The wind on the way back felt sweet, and Lin Bai felt an unprecedented lightness.
…
“I! Damn!”
A distorted shout echoed from the men’s dormitory 306.
Lin Bai casually stuffed the grocery bags into his locker and raised an eyebrow at Zhao Fangting.
“Are you crazy?”
Zhao Fangting cautiously approached Lin Bai, “Hey, where did you take my Xiao Bai? Give him back! I’m going to fight you!”
He jokingly reached out to grab Lin Bai’s neck.
Lin Bai was speechless and gently pushed him away. The next second…
Bang!
The tall and burly Zhao Fangting was pushed back three or four meters, only stopping when he slammed into a table.
Zhao Fangting stared blankly at Lin Bai, and Lin Bai stared blankly at his own palm—both wearing the same expression.
“You dare push me?”
“With that much force?”
They spoke simultaneously.
“You’re quite proud, huh?” Zhao Fangting looked innocent.
Lin Bai realized it must be from his recent workouts combined with the system’s secret modifications that his strength had increased so rapidly.
To verify his suspicion, Lin Bai immediately called the system.
“Brother Gua, show me my current attribute panel!”
“Beep! Received!”
Host: Lin Bai
Strength: 4
Speed: 3
Endurance: 4
Overall Rating: Poor
System Level: 1 (0/100)
Daily Withdrawable Cash Subsidy: ¥100
System Balance: 100
After reading the stats, Lin Bai thought to himself, Just as I thought!
Strength, speed, and endurance each increased by one point, and the overall rating improved from very poor to poor.
An extra system balance appeared, storing his daily withdrawal amount.
The only unchanged elements were the system level and the daily withdrawal limit.
Having become somewhat familiar with the system over the past few days, Lin Bai asked based on his assumptions:
“Brother Gua, does completing main quests grant points, and do points increase the system level?”
“Beep! Correct.”
Lin Bai nodded silently.
In that case, he had to hurry to complete the main quests, make Chen Shuya regret and beg for reconciliation, and earn one hundred task points.
With those one hundred points, the system could level up to level two, increasing the daily cash subsidy withdrawal.
That was the long-term plan! The fundamental path!