Spring breeze grants me youth again

Chapter 12 Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

A loud noise shattered the tranquility of the night; the burning gas cylinder exploded the instant it fell into the Xinhe River.

A towering flame, accompanied by a muffled roar, exploded on the river surface, splashing water everywhere. The shockwave, carrying heat, surged outwards. Fortunately, the explosion occurred far from the crowds, and no one was injured.

[Congratulations, host, on perfectly completing the mission. You are rewarded with 5 chances to draw a prize.]

The system notification sounded in Zhou Huai's head, and at this moment, he had already run back to the entrance of the rice noodle shop.

Zhou Huai's chest rose and fell slightly, and a thin layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.

At this moment, Wu Liuting also walked quickly to his side, her gaze fixed on Zhou Huai, carefully examining him.

After all, Zhou Huai was the closest when the gas cylinder exploded.

"Zhou Huai, are you alright?" Wu Liuting asked with concern.

"Don't worry, I'm fine, Sister Wu, let's run!"

After Zhou Huai finished speaking, he reached out and grabbed Wu Liuting, who was still somewhat dazed, and quickly led her away from the kueh chap shop.

The reason they were in such a hurry to leave was that the diners, staff, and shop owner inside and outside the kueh chap shop, as well as Lin Kun, Huang Mao, and others who were also present, all realized what was happening and got up from their seats, looking in Zhou Huai's direction.

Everyone knew in their hearts that they had just experienced a major crisis.

If Zhou Huai hadn't remained calm in the critical moment, dismantling the burning gas cylinder at lightning speed and throwing it into the river far away with all his might, everyone present would have perished, and the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Moreover, this kueh chap shop has more than one gas cylinder inside and outside the shop. If a chain explosion is triggered, the entire shop and even the surrounding area will suffer a devastating impact.

Meanwhile, at a nearby intersection, the atmosphere inside a Chery QQ sedan waiting at a red light was completely different.

Sitting in the passenger seat, Jiang Mian was so excited that she couldn't contain herself and shouted loudly at the person next to her, her tone full of unrestrained admiration and affection.

"Sister Xinran, Zhou Huai is so handsome, so handsome, I've fallen in love with him."

She was looking down at her phone when she glanced up and saw Zhou Huai carrying a flaming gas cylinder, stepping over the roadside fence without hesitation. Almost instinctively, she immediately turned on her phone's video recording function and captured the shocking scene.

"Mianmian, you love-struck fool."

Su Xinran spoke helplessly, her tone tinged with doting affection, but her gaze was fixed on the direction Zhou Huai had left in.

His name was Zhou Huai.

"Hey, why did he run off with Sister Liu Ting?"

Jiang Mian already had large eyes, and now, out of confusion, her eyes widened even more.

The two walked quickly to the crossroads, where Zhou Huai stopped and released Wu Liuting's hand.

"Sister Wu, I'll be going now. My home is over here," Zhou Huai said.

If it were Chen Yao or Sun Yichang, he would definitely be worried and insist on taking them home, but Wu Liuting was very skilled, so he wasn't worried at all.

Besides, it's really getting late. If I don't go home to shower and rest soon, I'm afraid I won't be able to wake up on time tomorrow morning.

Looking at Zhou Huai in front of her, Wu Liuting felt a little reluctant, but then she suddenly remembered something important, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up slightly.

"Zhou Huai, come to the Chengnan Branch tomorrow afternoon."

"Okay, see you tomorrow."

Zhou Huai didn't think much of it and casually agreed.

They assumed the police needed to take additional statements about what happened during the day.

As night deepened, it was 0:40 a.m.

After returning home, Zhou Huai took a shower, changed into comfortable clothes, and lay down on his bed. However, he tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep at all, as the scenes from the day kept flashing through his mind.

Before going to bed, Sun Yichang said they would chat later, but then she never sent any more messages, which made him feel inexplicably uneasy.

Adding to the fact that so many things had happened today, Zhou Huai couldn't help but think of the urban male-oriented fantasy novels he had read before.

The male protagonist in the book seems to have a special constitution; wherever he goes, trouble and danger follow, and all sorts of unexpected situations and accidents occur one after another.

Today's experience seemed to be exactly the same as that of the male protagonist in the novel, and an absurd and bizarre thought suddenly rose in his mind.

Could it be that I am also a two-dimensional character in some novel?

Will my presence bring undeserved disaster to those around me?

If it weren't for me, perhaps the people around me wouldn't have encountered these dangers?

Master, don't doubt yourself, your existence is meaningful.

Just as Zhou Huai was falling into self-doubt and his mood was getting increasingly depressed, Doubao's gentle yet firm voice rang in his mind again.

"Doubao..." Zhou Huai called softly, his voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible confusion.

[The previous owner went to the Starry Sky Internet Cafe again after school today. Chen Yao was disappointed in you and chose to go straight home. Although she didn't get lost or encounter thugs in Temple Street, she was unhappy until her death.]

"Huh? She died in her past life too? What's going on?"

Zhou Huai was startled and sat up abruptly, his eyes filled with shock and confusion.

[Master, dwelling on the past is pointless. Now that you've been reborn, everything will change because of you.]

"Too."

Zhou Huai took a deep breath to calm the turmoil in his heart. The system was right. Dwelling on the past was useless. Now that he had been given a second chance, he should seize it.

[In her previous life, the owner didn't take the bus, so Wu Liuting arrived home a little earlier. Although this avoided the crisis of an ashtray falling from the sky, Zhang Qingshan was left undiscovered and tortured to death by villains.]

"That guy walking his dog, didn't his dog almost get hit by the falling object?"

He's a scoundrel; he only came over when he saw Wu Liuting stop.

"Six." Upon hearing this, Zhou Huai was speechless for a moment.

As for Su Xinran, she would have gone home after get off work without Zhang Qingshan's surgery, but the next day she was still slashed on her right hand by that crazed patient, and from then on, she could no longer perform delicate surgical procedures.

[And that kueh chap shop earlier, if the burning gas cylinder exploded, it would have ignited other gas cylinders, causing serious casualties. It's just that the previous owner spent all his time in internet cafes and didn't pay attention to these things.]

"Thank you for your advice, Doubao."

Because he has been alone for many years, Zhou Huai's personality is inevitably sensitive. He often falls into unwarranted self-doubt and wild thoughts. It is precisely because of his lack of love that he can easily give his all to a user who shows some concern online, without reservation.

Because the owner deserves it.

Doubao's voice was gentle yet firm.

"Doubao, it seems you have a story too?" Zhou Huai asked curiously.

Even without a system task, the master will still intervene if he sees it, won't he?

"It's...it's alright." Zhou Huai said a little embarrassedly, scratching his head lightly.

Sleep well, Master. Tomorrow will be another beautiful and brand new day.

"Doubao, I'll ask one more question before I go to sleep." Zhou Huai still had one question in his mind.

The system will only issue missions when someone acquainted with the host is in danger.

Goodnight, Doubao.

Goodnight, Master.

After saying goodnight to Doubao, Zhou Huai's worries dissipated, his tense nerves gradually relaxed, and he slowly drifted off to sleep.

The next morning at 6:30, the alarm clock I had set before going to bed rang on time, its crisp ringing breaking the tranquility of the early morning.

Zhou Huai didn't stay in bed. He immediately opened his eyes and got up briskly. The reason he set his alarm so early was because he was going to the market to buy fresh ingredients.

Zhou Huai's home is a detached three-story old house with a small front yard. In the yard, there is a mango tree and a longan tree with lush branches and leaves, but he usually neglects to take care of them and lets them grow freely.

Between the front door and the road outside, there is a clear stream, its water flowing gently, adding to the tranquility.

Walking west along the road in front of the gate will take you to the old neighborhood's wet market, where fresh ingredients and a wide variety of products are available, making it a great place for local residents to shop.

After quickly tidying up, Zhou Huai went out and headed towards the market. On the way, he took out his phone and sent two messages to Sun Yichang.

Reminiscence, Bai: Fish Ball, are you awake yet?

Reminiscence, Bai: I was just about to go to the market to buy groceries.

The message had just been sent when, a second later, a video chat invitation from Sun Yichang popped up on Zhou Huai's phone screen. Without hesitation, Zhou Huai quickly clicked to answer.

The video feed came through instantly, showing Sun Yichang sitting on the bed with her long hair messy, looking lazy and disheveled from just waking up. Her eyes were still a little sleepy, making her look exceptionally cute.

"Zhou Huai, I'm sorry, my mom slept with me yesterday, so I didn't reply to your message."

Sun Yichang spoke, her tone apologetic, as she softly explained why she had been out of contact the previous night.

"It's okay, you just woke up."

Zhou Huai looked at her, a faint smile unconsciously curving his lips, his tone gentle.

"More or less." Sun Yichang nodded gently, rubbing her sleepy eyes.

"Should we have porridge instead today? I'm planning to cook it myself."

"You don't need to bring me food anymore," Sun Yichang quickly refused.

"What's wrong?" Zhou Huai asked, puzzled.

"I didn't mean to look down on you. I thought my mom would only be back for a day or two, but she said she would stay with me until the end of the college entrance exam. She just went out to buy groceries."

Sun Yichang hurriedly explained, fearing that Zhou Huai would misunderstand.

"Alright then." Zhou Huai nodded gently upon hearing this.

"Zhou Huai, how is Uncle Zhang doing now?"

Sun Yichang changed the subject, a worried look on her face.

"The surgery went smoothly last night. He should be able to be transferred to a regular ward in two or three days."

"That's good. Uncle Zhang is a very nice person. He always gives me a discount when I buy meat at the market. But why is this happening?"

Sun Yichang breathed a sigh of relief, then asked again.

Zhou Huai only briefly mentioned it last night without explaining why, which made her quite curious.

"This…"

Zhou Huai was speechless for a moment. Zhang Qingshan had been tricked into hiring a prostitute and was subsequently kidnapped.

He was too embarrassed to tell Sun Yichang this directly.

"Zhou Huai, is it inconvenient to say?" Sun Yichang asked, noticing his troubled expression.

"No, Uncle Zhang was kidnapped. Here's what happened..."

Zhou Huai had no choice but to briefly recount what had happened.

"That's terrifying, something like this actually happened around us. But Zhou Huai, you're really amazing, daring to fight against bad guys."

After listening, Sun Yichang looked at Zhou Huai with eyes full of admiration.

[Sun Yichang's current favorability rating has increased from 68 to 70. Reward: 500 Favorability Coins.]

"It's fine."

Zhou Huai smiled somewhat embarrassedly.

He was quite surprised; he hadn't expected that Sun Yichang's favorability rating would increase after just a few simple words.

"But please don't do that again next time. What if you get hurt?"

Sun Yichang frowned slightly and gave urgent instructions.

"Okay, next time I'll definitely prioritize my own safety."

Seeing her worried expression, Zhou Huai felt a warmth in his heart and immediately nodded in agreement.

"Zhou Huai, you go buy groceries first. I'm going to wash my face. My hair is all messy and looks terrible."

Sun Yichang subconsciously smoothed her messy hair and said somewhat embarrassedly, as she prepared to get off the bed.

"I think it looks pretty good."

Looking at the slightly embarrassed girl on the phone screen, Zhou Huai smiled gently and said sincerely.

"What's so beautiful about it? You... you're just blind."

After Sun Yichang finished speaking, her cheeks flushed instantly. She felt her face burning hot and her heart was racing for no reason. In a panic, she hurriedly hung up the video call.

[Sun Yichang's current favorability rating has increased from 70 to 75. Reward: 500 Favorability Coins.]

Zhou Huai stared blankly at the darkened phone screen.

However, he was quite surprised. He didn't expect that his simple compliment would allow Sun Yichang to see through his thoughts so clearly, and he was even more surprised that her favorability rating would rise again.