The sickly one in F4 was the group's darling.

Bai Ci opened his eyes and was met with darkness.

He instinctively tried to strain his ears to hear what was happening, but he couldn't move; it felt empty.

Lying on a genuine leather sofa, the air is filled with a faint leather scent, mixed with a subtle hint of rust.

He sniffed; the smell was completely different from the grassy scent in the cave.

Dried bloodstains clung to the corners of his mouth, his chest felt heavy and suffocating, and every breath was accompanied by a dull, aching pain.

Suddenly, a soft "ding" sounded in my mind.

A translucent screen emitting a faint blue glow suddenly appeared before my eyes.

"Ding, the Life Extension and Counterattack System has been successfully bound."

"Host: Bai Ci."

Current identity: Member of the F4 of St. Andrew's Noble Academy, youngest son of the Bai family (illegitimate child)

"Key characteristics: frail and fragile, stunningly beautiful, marginalized in her family, will not live past eighteen (life expectancy: 6 months)."

"Mission Direction: Break free from the original owner's timid and submissive old path, stand tall and live your own life, slap those who look down on you in the face, and complete the comeback. Failure to complete this mission will prevent you from unlocking the life extension reward."

Bai Ci: "..."

One second he was cultivating and being chased and struck by lightning, the next he was trapped in this fragile body, carrying a "death countdown" that was about to expire.

Fragmented memories flooded my mind like a burst dam.

The original owner was also named Bai Ci. He was an illegitimate child of the Bai family, whose birth mother was unknown. He was frail and sickly from childhood and was always accompanied by medicine.

The three older brothers of the Bai family were all outstanding individuals and never took their "medicine-prone" younger brother seriously.

Through family connections, he was forced into St. Andrew's College.

It is widely rumored that the heirs of the four major families have gathered at St. Andrew's College, and they are known as the "St. Andrew's F4".

But he was never officially recognized as a member of this family; he was only given a nominal title out of respect for the Bai family.

In St. Andrews, nobody took his nominal position seriously.

Even Ji Huaizhou, Lu Ciyuan, and Shen Tinglan in his group never truly considered him one of their own.

The original owner, Bai Ci, was timid to the core, spoke in a whisper, and always covered her eyebrows and eyes with her hair, making her seem like a transparent person in the academy.

He always kept his head down in front of those three people, and his presence was less noticeable than that of a follower.

No one expected that his life would end in such a lonely way.

An hour earlier, he suffered a sudden heart attack in this quiet lounge, his body went limp and he collapsed onto the sofa, his phone falling to the ground in the process.

The screen was still lit up on the contacts page, with the numbers of my three older brothers at the top.

He knew they were always busy with other matters, and even if he called and managed to get through, he would probably only get a distant "What is it now?" and be treated as a pointless nuisance.

Below, in the group chat section, the chat box for "Holy Academy F4" lay quietly, with the names Ji Huaizhou, Lu Ciyuan, and Shen Tinglan standing out starkly.

He knew better than anyone that the door to that circle had never been open to him.

His hand trembled as he reached for his phone, wanting to dial emergency services, but he was too weak to even press the screen properly.

He used his last bit of strength to reach for it, but the phone slipped from his palm again, and the screen went completely dark.

In his long contact list, there wasn't a single person he could call without hesitation in times of despair.

He was all alone, and never woke up again.

When the body, forgotten in the corner, opened its eyes again, its soul had been replaced by another person.

Bai Ci felt a pang of sadness mixed with tenderness, inexplicably feeling sorry for the original owner of this body. She had lived a quiet, uneventful life, like a speck of dust carelessly tossed aside, forgotten and ignored.

Actually, he himself wasn't much better off.

He was originally a rabbit spirit who had cultivated honestly for three hundred years, only wanting to peacefully undergo tribulation and ascend to immortality. Who knew that the heavenly lightning had gone astray and struck down, his soul was picked up by this suddenly appearing system and forcibly stuffed into this weak body that could die at any moment.

"Host, don't be sad. I am your life-extending and counterattack system. If I hadn't protected your soul in time, you would probably have already dissipated." The system's voice was soft and gentle.

"Look how beautiful the body I picked for you is! Fair skin, red lips, and a cute little face—it looks exactly like your original bunny! And your identity is super appealing—a sickly young master, how exciting!"

"This is terrible," Bai Ci thought dejectedly. "This body won't even live to be eighteen."

"As long as you keep going, everything will be different," the system gently comforted you.

"Completing the mission will reward you with the Nine-Turn Life-Extending Pill, which will allow you to live a peaceful life in this world. After this life ends and your soul is stabilized, you can go back to continue your cultivation without any delay."

"You've always cultivated in the mountains and have never lived in the human world before. This is a perfect opportunity to experience it. It's much more interesting than staying in the mountains. Don't you want to give it a try?" the system said in a tempting tone.

"And don't worry, someone has helped him fulfill the original owner's regrets."

"What happened?"

"Before the original owner left, a system that helps people leave with regrets fulfill their wishes," the system said. "I've met that system; it's quite reliable."

Bai Ci didn't speak, waiting for it to continue.

"The system asked him if he was willing to give up his body to a destined person and be reborn into a completely new life. He said he would have a family, someone to love him, and a healthy body in the new life."

"He agreed?"

"Without even thinking about it," the system's voice softened slightly. "It also asked me to pass on a message to you."

A string of neat characters slowly appeared on the screen:

To the person who will inhabit this body next:

I was too timid and too sensitive. I never learned how to get close to people in my entire life, and in the end, no one even cared when I was gone.

I hope you can live more bravely and freely, instead of living as cautiously as I have.

If you can, please let me experience what it feels like to be cared for, so that the world will remember that such a person once existed.

Bai Ci stared at that text for a long time.

He had cultivated alone for three hundred years, always by himself. The loneliness that the original owner had hidden between the lines made his heart feel slightly heavy, as if something had gently tugged at it.

"Doesn't he... have anyone who truly cares about him?" Bai Ci asked.

"No." The system's voice softened slightly.

"His health is poor, and the Bai family finds it troublesome, so they only send caregivers to look after him in shifts. The caregivers have changed one after another, and there isn't a single person who truly cares about him."

Bai Ci remained silent for a while.

"Will he be okay from now on?"

"Yes, he will." The system replied softly, "In his next life, he will have his own fulfillment."

"That's good." Bai Ci lowered her eyes and quietly read the passage again.

Let this world remember that such a person once existed.

He silently repeated it to himself, then again.

After a moment, he raised his eyes, his voice soft but unusually serious:

"Okay, what do I need to do?"

"Let's follow the plot!" the system exclaimed cheerfully. "In the original book, you were a pitiful little thing that no one cared about, ignored by everyone, and died all alone in the end."

"But now that you're here, we're going to take the path of revenge, no more cowering and swallowing our pride. You're going to live boldly and brilliantly. If anyone looks down on you, you'll be ruthless, fight back, give the bad guys a good thrashing, build your career, become stronger, and then amaze everyone!"

Bai Ci: "..."

He is a rabbit who likes to eat grass, bask in the sun, and curl up in a ball to sleep.

Do you want him to be ruthless?

"Don't worry, Bye-bye, I've got your back, and I've even prepared a newbie gift pack for you!" the system excitedly introduced.

"I'll give you an exclusive [Fierce Aura Filter], plus the Rabbit Spirit's exclusive [Instant Dodge] and [Strength Boost], so you won't be at a disadvantage if something really happens. I can exchange for healing potions, style cards, temporary buffs, and all sorts of other items here, they're absolutely useful, and I'll support you throughout."

"in vain?"

"This is my nickname for you. Isn't Bai Bai a cute and cuddly bunny? Bai Bai can also call me Xiao Qi," the system said cheerfully.

Fortunately, there's the "fierce filter," so he doesn't actually have to yell and lose his temper; just standing there, he can project an image that's not to be messed with.

Bai Ci took a soft breath, her voice as soft as if it had a milky smell, and with a slightly sickly hoarse tone: "Alright, Xiao Qi."

On the sofa, he curled up his legs, shrinking himself into a small ball.

This was his habit when he was a rabbit: when he arrived in a new place, he would first shrink back and observe quietly, and then move only after he had seen everything clearly.

But he was still a little worried.

Even pretending to be fierce requires the system's help. Can he really make others care about him from the bottom of their hearts?

"Of course! Let's get down to business and make things happen!" Xiao Qi immediately chimed in excitedly.

No sooner had he finished speaking than footsteps approached from afar in the corridor.

Bai Ci's body stiffened almost imperceptibly. It was as if instinct was etched into his body; as soon as he heard someone approaching, he would subconsciously try to hide and shrink even tighter.

"Don't be afraid!" Xiao Qi immediately encouraged him in his mind, "Just deal with them normally, I'll handle the situation with my presence!"

Bai Ci clenched her fists gently and took a slow breath.

The footsteps stopped outside the door.

Someone grabbed the doorknob.