They are still close to me today despite their negative feelings

And actually, I've already seen most of it. To be honest, although these three people were very modest, putting aside other aspects, their creativity is quite surprising.

“In that case, I’ll go back and finalize it first, and then send it to the club leaders for preview in the next few days,” Ling Qingxue said with a smile. “Increasing the number of viewers might bring more useful suggestions and improvement plans.”

Although An Yu and Qiu Luxi seemed a little nervous, it was a nervousness tinged with eager anticipation. Finally, with everyone's confirmation, and taking the school's iconic wisteria-covered corridor as a naming reference, the trial version of the literary society's school magazine, "Wisteria Flower," gradually took shape.

It's always gratifying to see a project progressing steadily and according to plan. Although I felt like I'd forgotten something as soon as I got home, I still stepped onto this unpredictable stage of fate, numbed by this sense of accomplishment.

"Welcome back, brother."

The moment I saw Ning Ruoxin, I remembered.

Oh, I forgot to call the president over to prove my innocence.

……

Why are you sighing like that?

"The ending of your novel left me feeling unsatisfied."

"Thank you very much for the perfunctory response, but please tell the truth."

"...My younger sister seems to be acting a bit strange lately."

I looked at Chen Di in front of me and hinted at it with an awkward expression.

"If it's during puberty, I think there shouldn't be a problem."

"A bit of a yandere."

Chen Di silently moved the stool next to him over, then sat down and moved closer.

"Appreciate further details."

You're quite the gossipmonger, aren't you?!

"Calling her a yandere is a bit of an exaggeration. I just feel like she's a little too insecure. It's so strange. Did I fail to protect her properly?"

Chen Di glanced at me.

Is it possible that the opposite is true?

"I'm not overprotective. I'm perfectly comfortable letting her go out alone to and from school! I might go with her briefly in the evening if she goes to the convenience store..."

This isn't my fault, is it? In my previous life, going to a convenience store at night was a very dangerous thing! There might be drug-addicted lunatics and perverted homeless people on the street.

“This is an interesting topic. You must tell me more about it next time,” Chen Di interrupted my explanation. “What I mean is, her sense of security mainly comes from you now, and in some ways, you make her feel like it’s being taken away from her…”

Before Chen Di could finish speaking, the guy next to me suddenly nudged my arm.

"Hey, Ning Ruoyu, someone's looking for you."

Is it Wu Yuehua, Chu Guyin, or Qiu Luxi?

I subconsciously looked up towards the corridor outside the classroom.

Unfortunately, none of the three people mentioned above appeared. Instead, an unfamiliar girl wearing glasses was nervously looking around. When she noticed my gaze, she gave a somewhat timid smile.

Have you unlocked a new character? I don't recognize this person at all.

[Next chapter preview: I see. I need to seriously consider my future choices and path.]

Excuse me, what's your name? I think I can't hear you.

You are a smart child.

Hey buddy, what are you looking at?

Interlude: "The Demon Queen and the Chosen One" (Qiu Luxi's script I)

time:???

Location: Inside—Reincarnation Hall—Weather unknown

character:

Ning Muqiu is a boy who was transported to another world by accident. He is upright and kind, and currently knows nothing about anything.

The goddess, the deity in charge of reincarnation, bestowed power upon Ning Muqiu.

[Curtain rises, the story begins]

The boy, waking up in the reincarnation hall, looked somewhat bewildered at the smiling goddess and the unfamiliar, white surroundings.

Ning Muqiu: (frowning) Where is this place?

Ning Muqiu: (I think I just... fell into the water?)

Goddess: (Elegantly) My beloved son, welcome to the Hall of Reincarnation. I am the goddess who holds the power of reincarnation, &%￥.

Ning Muqiu: (Surprised) Excuse me, what's your name? I don't think I can hear you clearly.

Goddess: (Smiling) That's only natural. The name of a god is taboo for you prisoners. Just as lower-dimensional beings cannot comprehend higher-dimensional concepts, everything about a god can only be understood by a god.

(With a flick of her wrist, an embryo appeared at the goddess's fingertip. Then, the embryo went through growth, development, aging, and death, until it turned into bones and vanished from the world.)

Ning Muqiu: (Quickly regaining her composure) ...I believe you now, at least you're not a fraud. But isn't using biological methods to verify this a bit cruel?

Goddess: (Shaking her head dismissively) Gods have no concept of cruelty. Cruelty arises from the strong tormenting the weak, but we see no distinction between strong and weak.

Ning Muqiu: (Realizing that they could not reach a consensus on the topic) Then may I ask, Your Majesty, what brings you here to me?

Goddess: (Looking directly at Ning Muqiu) Your previous life is over, and the balance of power in another world has been disrupted. I hope you can go to that world and help me resolve some troubles.

Ning Muqiu: (Cautiously) Why me? And didn't they say God doesn't care about these things? Why are they interfering?

Goddess: (Smiling, but without genuine joy) I chose you only because at that moment you happened to have a regret, and that regret made your soul respond to my call. And the reason I defeated that evil queen was because she disobeyed the rules set by the gods—we don't care about the growth of all things, we only care about balance.

Ning Muqiu: (Thinking)

Ning Muqiu: (Realizing that she had no other choice) I understand.

Goddess: (Approving smile) You are a smart child.

[The curtain falls, the end.]

Time: Sacred Calendar 19017

Location: Outside—St. Green suburbs—Night, light breeze

character:

Ning Muqiu: A young man from another world who received a mission and power from the goddess, became a "Chosen One," and is now joining a hero's party (Note: He is distant and wary of the hero's party and has not developed feelings for any of them!).

Anke: Female Hero. (A somewhat ditzy girl. Although she possesses the power of a Hero, she's indecisive and easily swayed by others. Note: She only has a one-sided crush on Ning Muqiu and will absolutely never be with her! Because she's an idiot.)

Hu Mingxi: A young swordswoman from the East. (She joined the hero's party to protect the hero who saved her. She wields a special "Tang sword" and refers to herself as "this humble one.")

Green Lamb: A wizard. (Although he's intelligent, his excessive intelligence leads him to choose to remain aloof and protect himself even when he knows many things.)

[Curtain rises, the story begins]

After a day of adventure, the group, who had set up camp to rest, gathered around the campfire after dinner.

An Ke: (Looking at Ning Muqiu with admiration) You are amazing, Mr. Ning! You actually killed such a big, LV60 Ghost Leopard King with just one sword!

Ning Muqiu: (Looking at a history book about this world, her attitude somewhat indifferent) You flatter me.

Hu Mingxi: (frowning) Your Excellency Ning Muqiu, it is basic courtesy to look directly at someone when they are speaking to you.

An Ke: (Quickly waving her hand) Oh, it's alright. Mr. Ning must be tired too, and we're just chatting! Miss Mingxi, you don't need to be so reserved. We're already partners in battle!

(An Ke smiled at Hu Mingxi)

Hu Mingxi: (blushing) H-How could this be? I'm so apprehensive about becoming partners with Miss Anke.

Ge Lin: (Sits down next to Ning Muqiu) Brother, what are you looking at?

Ning Muqiu: (Slightly pulls away) It's just some history of this world. I'm trying to see if I can find my lost memories from it.

(Ning Muqiu's cautious nature prevented him from revealing his true origins to these people. They were unaware of his otherworldly identity and assumed he had lost his memory after becoming a "Chosen One.")

Anke: (Quickly interjecting) It's alright! We'll definitely find it! Besides, Mr. Ning, you're a "Chosen One," which is more powerful proof than any other qualification. Your actions are the will of the Goddess! You will definitely save this world from the Demon Queen!

Green: (Smiling) Just like Anke said, Brother Ning, our savior team doesn't just agree to anyone's request to join. But in history, the "Chosen One" class is a more noble existence than "Saintess," "Hero," and "Demon King." Every time this class appears, it represents the goddess making her choice.

Green: In other words, you are proof that the goddess's will walks on the earth—so please lead us to defeat that monster queen.

(The summer night wind blew through the campfire, and the wood crackled as it burned. Seeing the three people around her, though their emotions differed, all looked at her with trust, Ning Muqiu nodded.)

Ning Muqiu: I understand. But I have a question. What exactly did that evil demon queen do? The Ghost Leopard King we killed today seemed to be merely holding onto his own territory.

Anke: (Shakes her head) The Church says that's territory they stole from us. The Church says that when the Queen first ascended the throne, she freed all the slaves in the country and declared that they should also enjoy the same citizenship rights. She also ordered commoners to defile healing potions and distributed Church assets among the commoners.

Green: (Continuing) She also demanded that vagrants and ordinary people be given access to the Royal Library, hoping to spread knowledge downwards and prevent the nobility from monopolizing it. This behavior also led many commoners to harbor inappropriate thoughts.

Hu Mingxi: (Coldly) She sent guards to monitor the nobles' properties and demanded that the labor of their subordinates be limited to eight hours a day. She imposed too many constraints and restrictions on the nobles, but implemented a so-called basic guarantee system for commoners, slaves, and vagrants—and those who opposed her, whether ministers or dukes, were exiled to the border.

Ning Muqiu: (Shocked) ? ? ? ?

Anke: (As if it were perfectly natural) You also think it's going too far, Mr. Ning! She even refuses to acknowledge the hierarchy of professions, claiming that all professions are honorable labor, and that there is no essential difference between heroes, saints, prophets, blacksmiths, farmers, and shepherds.

Ning Muqiu: (Pupil dilation) ? ? ? ?

Green: But it was precisely because of this that the ten noble families of the continent united like never before and overthrew her tyranny. However, she was eventually forced to flee the palace surrounded by those lowly people, and after some unknown ordeal, she became the queen of the monsters.

Ning Muqiu: (Pinched between her eyebrows)

Ning Muqiu: I see. I need to think carefully about my future choices and path.

The conversation by the campfire ended. Everyone said goodnight and went to their tents. Only Ning Muqiu stared at the red flag hanging from the treetop as a marker, lost in thought.

After a long while, he resolutely hummed a familiar melody and, with determined steps, walked towards his tent.

Background music: The Internationale

[Next chapter preview: The other party seems unable to understand.]

"Isn't this ridiculous?"

"No, I see?!"

Ning Ruoxin shifted her position, resting one cheek completely against my leg, lying on her side looking at her phone, and then moved over more comfortably.

Bonus Chapter: My First Dragon Boat Festival

(This is a follow-up to what happened on June 10th of the first semester, when Ling Qingxue greeted me in the park.)

"The girl who just greeted you, Ning Ruoyu, are you very familiar with her?"

"I don't really remember it."

Ning Ruoyu stared blankly at the girl's back, which didn't seem like she was lying.

"Hmm, maybe they mistook me for someone else?"

As soon as An Yu finished speaking, she saw the boy next to her looking at her with a complicated expression.

"?"

"...No, it's okay. I'm just once again impressed by how fresh and unconventional your thinking is."

Ning Ruoyu said this.

An Yu tilted his head, then suddenly clapped his hands as if he had remembered something.

"Um! I suddenly remembered, it seems like the Dragon Boat Festival is coming up soon."

"Hey! I'll get you some zongzi! Don't let my appearance fool you, I'm pretty good at wrapping zongzi! My parents say the red dates in my zongzi are especially sweet!"

"Thank you for the giant rice dumpling, but this shouldn't have anything to do with your cooking skills, right?"

Ning Ruoyu held her forehead.

“But the red dates I wrapped are right in the middle!” An Yu said, unconvinced. “And for meat dumplings, the fresh meat I wrapped is also right in the middle. You won’t take forever to get to it when you take a bite, and you won’t eat it all at once and then it will taste bland!”

"Actually, I usually eat rice that's already salty... okay."

Feeling that further arguing wouldn't be very meaningful, the boy shrugged.

"Hehe, it's settled then, stay tuned~"

The girl said this and waved vigorously at Ning Ruoyu.

……