The System is Abstract, Luckily, So Am I

Chapter 169 : Lin Li Knows a Little About Poetry

"I meant movies. What's with that expression?" Lin Li added with a smile before she could respond.

"Eww—you'd better mean that." Qu Wanqiu didn't believe him at all, letting out a sound of pure disgust.

"Stop 'eww'-ing. So, do you have any recommendations for normal movies? Name a few. There's still time when we get back tonight, I can appreciate one before going to sleep," Lin Li pressed.

"Of course I do..." Qu Wanqiu immediately nodded and began asking Lin Li if he had seen the movies she considered good.

...

"See? Making conversation is just that simple," Lin Li spread his hands as they stood downstairs outside the boys' dormitory.

If you're going to escort someone, you might as well escort them all the way. If he had only walked them to the school gate, the rest of the walk back to the dorms would have been awkward for the two of them. So, Lin Li simply found an excuse to follow them all the way to the dorms.

Only after Qu Wanqiu entered the girls' dorm and it was just the two of them left did Lin Li summarize his lesson.

"Oh, right. The reason I copied your opening line was because my image is already completely ruined in their eyes. So, if I do something like that, they won't find it too weird. Plus, it helps dilute the impact of that outrageous opening you just pulled. Don't try to copy this; it's different from your 'porn diplomacy'."

Hearing this, Bai Bufan actually felt a rare warmth in his heart. "So you are willing to act like a human being occasionally. I thought you were purely just trying to be a troll."

"That was definitely a factor too," Lin Li didn't deny it.

Bai Bufan: "..."

*Fuck.*

"Alright, I'm going to bike home now. If I dawdle any longer, they won't even let me out the school gates." Lin Li hopped onto his bike, turned it around, and waved goodbye.

"Alright, bye. Thanks for tonight," Bai Bufan nodded.

"We're bros. Oh, right, Bufan, there's something I need to tell you," Lin Li suddenly remembered something. He stopped his bike with one foot and turned his head back.

"What is it?"

"There was a woman in white clothes following us the whole way. She just passed us and went into the boys' dorm. Be careful tonight." After saying that, Lin Li happily pedaled his bicycle away.

Leaving behind a Bai Bufan who wanted to curse but had no target to lock onto, standing paralyzed in the wind.

...

"Monday, Monday, motherfucking Monday. Waking up early every day is worse than passing away!"

Monday.

When Lin Li walked into the classroom carrying breakfast, he surprisingly didn't hear Bai Bufan's unofficial Three Kingdoms history, but instead heard Wang Ze reciting poetry.

*Good poem, good poem. Who knew Wang Ze was a cultured sports student?*

However, Lin Li was also a master of poetry, especially "headless" poems.

*Before my bed the moonlight shines, I suspect it is frost on the ground. I raise my... to gaze at the bright moon, I lower my... to think of my hometown.*

He took a famous poem and literally removed the word "head" from it. This was Lin Li's proudest work.

As for yesterday, Sunday, what Lin Li did was very simple. Except for Chen Yuying, who didn't come because she had to visit her grandma, the remaining four spent another entire day at the library, returning to school in the evening for self-study.

Another full day of studying.

His brain was lubricated, and knowledge was pouring in uncontrollably.

Lin Li was gradually gaining confidence in his science subjects.

After all, it was only the first year of high school. Although the knowledge taught was worlds apart from middle school, in terms of the difficulty of mastering it and keeping up with the pace, it was still relatively simple. With the current teaching progress, the question types only varied between a few specific patterns.

And for the humanities, he had the *Photographic Memory* ability to assist him.

*Will I win? I will win.*

Over the past two days, two more low-grade spirit stones had been credited to his account, but his inventory still only had three—he had used two this morning on the *Eight-Section Body Forging Art*.

As for the system update this Monday, the new option had been refined again, but he still didn't know what it was for, as there were no triggers or feedback.

[You have refreshed "Spatial Reach": 50 System Currency (Daily Purchase Limit: 1). Replace?]

[Spatial Reach: Upon use, temporarily master the "Spatial Reach" ability. For one hour, your forearms and hands can phase through space to reach a desired area. The phasing distance is limited by your power level, with a minimum of two meters.

When using this ability, there are no spiritual energy fluctuations.]

After buying another "Ability Amplifier," Lin Li chose to refresh Slot 2 again, and this was the result.

Lin Li thought about it, chose to replace the slot, and purchased one.

*Since it's here, I might as well buy it.*

After this series of operations, Lin Li only had 300 System Currency left. In his [Inventory], he had three low-grade spirit stones, three "Limit-Breaking Talismans," two "Ability Amplifiers," and one "Spatial Reach."

But Lin Li didn't use it.

After all, just like the poop-holding Limit-Breaking Talisman, it cost 50 System Currency each and was limited to one purchase per day. Using it just to test it out would be too much of a waste.

Based on the literal meaning, it probably allowed him to grab objects through the air.

It sounded pretty awesome, and it was a true immortal technique. He would wait until he had a chance to use it to see it in action.

Returning to his seat, Lin Li slapped the sleeping Bai Bufan on the head. "Wake up, time for breakfast. Why are you so out of it today?"

"It's all your fault..." Bai Bufan opened his eyes and yawned.

"No wonder you stayed at school this weekend, Bufan. You guys even went to the library together. It's understandable that young people have strong cravings, but you should still practice moderation," Zhou Baowei, who was picking up his breakfast, heard this and said with concern.

"Get lost," Bai Bufan raised his middle finger.

"How is this my fault?" Lin Li was shocked.

"It is your fault. I'm used to staying up late on weekends. But the problem is, both days this weekend, we went to the library to study early in the morning. I calculated it, and even though I woke up later than usual, my actual sleep time was even less than on a school day.

"I didn't feel it while the weekend was happening, but now that Monday has started, the backlash hit me instantly. How is this not your fault?"

Lin Li: "..."

"For someone like you, even the ghost responsible for sleep paralysis at 3 AM would see you staying up late and complain with concern, 'Damn, is this guy going to become my coworker in a few days and increase my performance pressure?'" Lin Li shook his head and sighed.

Ever since this damn system arrived, Lin Li had basically never stayed up late for entertainment again. His daily routine was incredibly healthy.

"Staying up late feels good for a moment, staying up late all the time feels good all the time. In my emptiness, I'm not staying up late, I'm staying up for the freedom I can't pursue," Bai Bufan was still making excuses. After all, during the day, a certain bastard would confiscate his phone.

However, Bai Bufan then rubbed his armpit, his tone carrying a bit of worry. "But sometimes, I really do feel a sudden sharp pain in my armpit. Although it goes away after a while, could this be a sign of sudden death?"

"That's armpit pain, it can be considered a warning sign from your body. But you don't need to worry too much. Take tsao-ko, angelica root, aurantium, cinnamon, nutmeg, amomum, and licorice, 15 grams each. Grind them into a powder and take it orally with water every day..."

"Wait, wait, wait, you know Chinese medicine too? Hold on, let me take notes. Okay, say it again, a bit slower." Bai Bufan hurriedly stopped Lin Li, took out a pen and paper, and signaled him to repeat it.

"Tsao-ko, angelica root..."

"OK, so this will relieve the symptoms, right? I'll ask for leave later to go get the prescription filled," Bai Bufan was very happy.

If you asked Bai Bufan why he was alive, he'd say he didn't know, he just saw everyone else living too.

But if you actually told him to die, that was a completely different story.

"Uh, not exactly. It's just that if you do this, when you die suddenly and get cremated, you'll smell incredibly delicious. Everyone will think you're awesome, and they might even actively pick through your ashes for relics. Oh right, when the time comes, can I borrow your skull to play soccer?" Lin Li shook his head.

Bai Bufan: "..."

*You motherfucker.*

The paper with the "prescription" was crumpled into a ball and thrown at Lin Li's head, accompanied by Bai Bufan's perfectly straight middle finger.

"A healthy routine is the fundamental way to solve the problem. You really should pay more attention to yourself, Bufan. Your mind is already perverted enough, your body absolutely must stay healthy," Lin Li said with amusement.

"I'll try. Anyway, to avoid dying suddenly today, I'm going to sleep for a bit now. Don't wake me up during morning reading either, unless Teacher Kou comes, then warn me." Quickly finishing his breakfast, Bai Bufan went back to sleeping on his desk.

Due to exhaustion, his consciousness was already hazy.

"What if I come?" The bell for morning reading hadn't even rung yet when someone spoke up first.

"Who the fuck are you?"

"I'm the fuck Xue Jian."

"You're the fuck... huh?"

Bai Bufan wasn't sleepy anymore.

*What a miraculous cure, Dr. Xue.*

(End of Chapter)*