Chapter 13: The Girl

Could the girl sticking needles into the doll at the school gate be the female lead who was supposed to appear in the second half of the system’s plot?
Or at the very least, a key character?

“Let’s go take a look.”

Lin Cheng nodded almost immediately.
“Okay.”

Li Xiaoran’s eyes curved into crescents as she smiled, gently bumping Lin Cheng’s arm. “Green tea,” Su Wanqing spat coldly.

…

Class ended at 5:25 in the afternoon.
Most students rushed toward the cafeteria, while others headed back to their dorms, eager to get in a few rounds of games. Lin Cheng and Li Xiaoran made their way to the school gate.

Su Wanqing floated beside Lin Cheng in a state of high tension, her gaze scanning the surroundings—especially alert for Zhou Mingyuan, as if expecting him to pop up at any moment.

“Look over there!”

Li Xiaoran suddenly tugged on Lin Cheng’s sleeve and pointed toward a lush phoenix tree across the road from the school gate.

Beneath the shade of the tree stood a girl.

She held a long-handled, pure black umbrella, the canopy lowered to conceal most of her face, revealing only a delicate jawline and the faint curve of pale lips.

“That should be her. I heard from my classmates that she always carries an umbrella, even on sunny days, like she can’t be exposed to the sun. Her skin’s really fair,” Li Xiaoran whispered, a mix of nervousness and curiosity in her voice.

She went on, adding scattered rumors: mysterious… her movements uncertain… like someone from an urban legend.

Lin Cheng watched the figure under the phoenix tree.

He had never seen her before. There was no sense of familiarity.

Suddenly—

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[Special Mission Triggered: The Mysterious Girl]

[Mission Description: She is a foreshadowing laid by the author, who once briefly appeared at the school gate. Her fate seems intertwined with Zhou Mingyuan and Su Wanqing in an unspeakable way. However, in the original plot, she became like a stone dropped in a deep pool—her purpose and origin left unresolved.]

[Mission Requirement: Find this girl and ask the reason for her appearance at the school gate.]

[Mission Reward: Obtain one “Plot Writing” ability]

[Scope of Plot Writing: Limited to the girl and potential events within this class over the next week.]

[Effect: You can attempt to write logical “plot fragments” to guide or influence the development of the target character or event.]

[Limitations: Cannot write a definite fatal outcome for the protagonist (Zhou Mingyuan) or his legal punishment. Cannot write events that directly violate the target’s core personality or the world’s foundational logic. Results are affected by real-world resistance, character willpower, and the worldline’s corrective force. Outcome not guaranteed.]

[Example: You may write “The head teacher announces a surprise test on Wednesday,” but cannot control the exact content or difficulty of the test.]

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The reward made Lin Cheng’s eyes gleam. His heart surged with joy.

Writing the plot—even with restrictions—was an incredible power!

He instantly began brainstorming.

Write “Zhou Mingyuan is arrested on Wednesday and executed on Thursday”?

[Hint: Limitation violated. Cannot write fatal punishment for the protagonist.]

Tch.

Then how about “Ironclad evidence of Zhou Mingyuan murdering Su Wanqing is discovered on Wednesday”?

__________________________________________________________________

[System Hint: Possibility exists. However, success is not guaranteed. Possible outcomes:

• Evidence is discovered but suppressed by the Zhou family.
• Evidence is ambiguous or dismissed.
• Evidence is discovered but Zhou Mingyuan evades punishment.
• Evidence becomes the basis for formal accusation (low probability).]

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“So that’s how it is…”

The corner of Lin Cheng’s mouth twitched.

This protagonist’s halo and the worldline’s corrective force are bundled together, huh?

And who even wrote this original story?

They left foreshadowing everywhere and never cleaned up the mess.

The female-oriented novel he had transmigrated into was full of holes. Trashy plot, everywhere.

And yet, no matter what, Zhou Mingyuan got plot armor at every turn.

Still, this mission reward was worth it.

Even if he couldn’t kill the protagonist, being able to alter the plot could be a lifesaver.

Lin Cheng made a quick decision—run for it and sneak out of school.

“Lin Cheng—”

Li Xiaoran tried to follow but was a step too slow.

The school security guard, who had just exited the office, didn’t see Lin Cheng but spotted her.

His sharp gaze made her instinctively freeze. She shrank back guiltily, helplessly watching as Lin Cheng bolted out the school gate and dashed across the road.

“Idiot! Wait for me!”

Su Wanqing was both panicked and furious. Her translucent body flew after Lin Cheng, wind howling in her ears.

One person and one ghost quickly crossed the road.

But just as Lin Cheng reached the phoenix tree, the girl with the umbrella—whether by foresight or coincidence—turned gracefully and walked toward a sleek black car parked roadside. She opened the door and got in.

The car started.

“Damn it!”

Lin Cheng cursed under his breath, eyes scanning the passing traffic.

Just then, a taxi happened to slow down near the curb.

He flagged it down, yanked the door open, and jumped in. “Mister, follow that black car in front—quick!”

The driver, a middle-aged man, looked stunned by the cinematic request. He examined Lin Cheng in the rearview mirror, eyes narrowing.

“Young man, what’s this? Don’t go learning shady stuff at your age. Stalking’s illegal!”

“That’s my girlfriend! We had a fight—she ran off!”

Lin Cheng pulled out the last red bill in his pocket and some change—most of his food money for the week.

“Ohhh, a fight with your girlfriend? You should’ve said so earlier!”

The driver took the cash and stuffed it into his pocket. “Don’t worry, big brother will help you get her back!”

He stepped on the gas, and the taxi weaved skillfully through traffic, tailing the low-key black car.

The car turned left, then right, like it was following a memorized path.

Eventually, it stopped at the entrance to a high-end residential area.

The taxi pulled up right behind it.

“One-fifty total. Your cash’s just enough.”

The driver cheerfully pocketed all the money, clearly never planning to give change.

Robbery in broad daylight!

The base fare was only seven yuan!

Lin Cheng gritted his teeth but didn’t waste time. He kicked the door open and rushed out.

The girl had just stepped out of the black car and was heading into the residential complex.

“Wait!”

Lin Cheng suddenly reached out and grabbed her wrist.

The moment he touched her, a strange sensation shot through him.

Her skin was smooth and soft—but ice cold.

So slender and fragile it felt less like a human wrist and more like a brittle branch dried out in the dead of winter.

He felt like he could snap it with just a bit of force.

The girl shivered. The brim of her umbrella lifted slightly.

An incredibly beautiful face appeared before Lin Cheng and Su Wanqing.

Her features were as exquisite as a porcelain doll—delicate and inhumanly perfect.

But her complexion was unnaturally pale, completely bloodless.

There were faint dark circles beneath her eyes, and her whole being radiated exhaustion and weakness.

She looked like a rare orchid growing in a dark, sealed room—stunning, but so fragile it seemed she could wither at the slightest touch.

But what shocked Lin Cheng and Su Wanqing even more was the girl’s first reaction.

“Lin… Lin Cheng?”

Her voice was soft, trembling with disbelief and guilt.

“How… how did you find this place?”