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

As dusk crept up from the foot of the mountain, it was like a thin veil, gradually enveloping Qinglu Mountain from bottom to top.

Bai Ci walked slowly on the right side of the winding mountain road, a plastic bag swaying in his hand, inside which were neatly folded old school uniforms that occasionally brushed against his knees.

There were no more cars passing by behind him. The luxury cars rushing to the banquet sped past him one after another, as if they were hurrying to join some kind of excitement he didn't understand.

Now all the hustle and bustle has reached the mountaintop, leaving him alone on the entire mountain path, surrounded by a vast expanse of twilight.

Bai Ci took out another piece of candy from his pocket and unwrapped it. The candy was a bit sticky, and the wrapper stuck to his fingers. He patiently smoothed out the wrapper and folded it into a small square before casually stuffing it into his pocket.

He is an excellent rabbit with good moral character. He doesn't litter, waste food, or poop in places where he shouldn't.

"in vain."

"Um."

Xiaoqi's tone was full of joy as she couldn't help but review their exchange: "When you were confronting that woman just now, your aura was getting more and more stable. I didn't even need to turn on any filters to enhance it! Last time when you confronted Huang Mao at the hair salon, you had to ask me to boost my aura, but this time you did it all by yourself! You handled it so well just now, and you took control of the situation with just a few words. You've improved so much!"

Bai Ci, with a candy in her mouth, said in a soft, indistinct voice, "It's alright."

"The way that man looked down at the soles of his shoes just now was hilarious; he really thought he'd stepped in dog poop! How did you come up with that idea?"

"It's just a matter of improvising."

"And what about your action of reaching out and prying his fingers away?"

"He got too close, it made me uncomfortable."

Xiao Qi asked with some worry, "But speaking of which, when their finger was almost poking your face, I nearly activated my protective amplification. Weren't you worried at all that they might actually attack?"

Bai Ci chewed the candy in his mouth, the soft chewing sound echoing gently in the quiet mountain path.

"He won't do it."

Xiaoqi asked in confusion, "How did you know?"

"He instinctively took two steps after him," Bai Ci said, pushing the crumbs of sugar to the side of his cheek with his tongue, "but he stopped very quickly."

Xiaoqi asked again, "Then why is that?"

"He has a wife," Bai Ci explained in a soft voice, with half a candy in his mouth. "When his wife is around, a man won't easily make a move because of his pride. It's shameful to make a move, but not making a move is also a disadvantage. If he loses, he will lose even more face. He chose one of them, so he had no choice but to give up."

Xiao Qi was stunned for a moment before saying, "...Bai Bai, how do you know these principles?"

"When I was a rabbit, I observed animal behavior in the mountains and learned a lot about how birds and beasts interacted."

Do humans behave like animals?

Bai Ci swallowed the last bit of sugar, the sweetness sliding down her throat into her stomach.

Just as he was about to answer, suddenly, his chest felt empty, and a strange emptiness swept over him. There was no pain or tightness, but for a moment his breath caught in his throat, and his steps came to a stop.

He immediately raised his hand and pressed it to his chest, quietly calming the strange sensation.

A moment later, a steady and powerful heartbeat resumed, pounding against his chest with a rapid and heavy rhythm.

"Bai Bai, are you alright?" Xiao Qi's tone instantly became anxious.

"It's nothing, I was just walking a little too fast."

Once the turmoil subsided, Bai Ci continued forward.

Looking up into the distance, the outline of the hilltop mansion becomes increasingly clear, its gray stone walls shimmering with a warm glow in the twilight.

"They're all animals, they're all the same," he said.

Bai Ci's phone suddenly vibrated slightly in her pocket. She took it out and saw a message from Song Shiyu pop up on the screen.

The school uniform issue has been resolved. The Student Affairs Department will distribute them to the colleges on Wednesday. Remember to pick them up.

By the way, the school allows students to replace one basic school uniform set for free every year. The student affairs department said your previous set was long past its expiration date, so you should be eligible for a new one. Just remember to apply for the new set next time it's due; no special reporting or approval is needed.

Bai Ci's heart sank slightly. The replacement was free, and the time limit was long over, but the original owner had never been to the student affairs department.

Bai Ci typed two words: 【Thank you!】

Another message came from the other end: "[Niu Niu keeps talking about you, asking me when Brother Bai Ci will come again.]"

Bai Ci's finger paused on the screen for a moment, then she typed: "Come whenever you have time."

Song Shiyu replied with a single word: 【Okay.】

A single, simple word made Bai Ci glance at it a few more times. He put his phone away and continued his ascent to the mountaintop.

Just then, a system notification sounded in my mind.

A semi-transparent light screen suddenly appeared before my eyes.

"Life-Extending Counterattack System Notification:"

"A 'key plot point' has been detected at this banquet. The host is about to have his first direct confrontation with several characters who 'disregarded the original owner'."

"Suggested strategy: Maintain a 'fierce and tough' persona and do not be intimidated."

"Quest Reward: Nine-Turn Life-Extending Pill Fragment x1 (Collect 10 fragments to exchange for the complete pill)"

"Mission failure penalty: Lifespan reduced by 7 days."

Bai Ci paused for a moment.

"Xiao Qi".

"exist!"

"This mission... just popped up out of nowhere?"

Xiaoqi's voice sounded a little guilty: "The system detected that the plot trigger point was automatically generated, and I just saw it too."

"Lifespan reduced by 7 days?"

"……right."

Bai Ci remained silent.

He now only has 6 months left. Reducing it by 7 days may not sound like much, but every minute and every second is a gamble with the original owner's life.

"As long as you don't get stage fright and complete the task, it's fine?"

"That should be it. We'll stay calm and confront them head-on. Don't worry, Bye-bye, I'm here."

Bai Ci took a deep breath and looked firmly toward the mountaintop.

The setting sun cast its last rays, gently illuminating the boy's thin eyebrows and eyes, making his complexion appear even clearer and fairer.

But those light brown eyes, clear and bright in the afterglow of the setting sun, were like translucent amber, holding a steadfast and resilient light.

"Set off."

......

On the other side of the mountain road, after Bai Ci had completely walked away, Zhou Jianguo called for a tow truck, while Mrs. Zhou was still standing there cursing.

"What the hell! A little brat dressed in cheap clothes dares to put on airs in front of me—"

Zhou Jianguo lit a cigarette, feeling agitated.

"Alright, alright." Zhou Jianguo irritably stubbed out his cigarette, grinding the embers on the ground with the tip of his leather shoe. "Why are you getting so worked up over a brat?"

Mrs. Zhou glared at him, her words tumbling out in a rapid-fire barrage: "You still have the nerve to talk back to me? When that kid was messing with you, you didn't dare utter a single word! I was embarrassed for you standing there! You act like a big shot in public, but when it comes to real combat, you're a coward. What good are you? I've been married to you for so many years, and I've never seen you enjoy the good life, but I've certainly suffered all sorts of mistreatment!"

Zhou Jianguo's face darkened, he opened his mouth, but swallowed the words back down.

He didn't want to argue with his wife in this desolate wilderness, it would be embarrassing, but it wouldn't hurt to be halfway up the mountain.

He took out his phone, scrolled through his contacts, found a number, and dialed it.

It rang three times before being answered.

"Hey, Young Master Shen—" Zhou Jianguo's voice instantly changed tone, switching from the previous irritation to an almost nauseatingly obsequious tone, "It's me, Lao Zhou. Yes, yes, that's the one... there was a little trouble on the road, the car broke down, here halfway up the mountain."

He paused, listened to what the other person said, and his smile deepened.

"Okay, okay, you've arrived already? Would you mind giving us a ride?"

"That's wonderful, wonderful! We'll just wait by the roadside, we won't go anywhere. Thank you so much, Young Master Shen..."

After hanging up the phone, Zhou Jianguo immediately straightened his back a bit.

He turned around and kicked the tire, then bent down to dust off the dirt on his trouser legs, vigorously rubbing off the mud that had just gotten on him.

"Who wants to come?" Mrs. Zhou asked, leaning closer.

"Young Master Shen." Zhou Jianguo lowered his voice, his tone filled with barely suppressed smugness, and Mrs. Zhou's eyes lit up immediately.

The two stood by the roadside, craning their necks in anticipation.

The sound of an engine came from afar, and a black sedan drove down the mountain.

The moment Zhou Jianguo saw the car logo, he immediately composed himself, hurriedly kicked away the cigarette butt on the ground, straightened his clothes, and put on an extremely ingratiating smile.

The car window rolled down, revealing the face of a young man in his twenties. Zhou Jianguo bent over even more.