The System is Abstract, Luckily, So Am I

Chapter 197 : A Late Love is Cheaper Than Grass, But I Owe

Bai Bufan retracted his thought. Staying outside was quite comfortable, but staying out there all the time wouldn't be.

"It's not too harsh. She said she could come, but we have to kowtow three times before she'll get out of bed," Lin Li said.

"Then kowtow. I'll record it for you. A man has gold under his knees, and now is the time to cash it in." Bai Bufan immediately became enthusiastic.

"She wants us to kowtow together," Lin Li added.

"Hehe, a scholar can be killed, but not humiliated! If I kneel today, I'll never be able to stand up again in this lifetime. As a man, I will absolutely not kneel!" Bai Bufan's voice was sonorous and forceful.

"I shouldn't have entrusted this to such an unreliable guy. Good thing there's still the Class Rep." Lin Li sighed and continued operating his phone.

"Indeed, that's great. It's the Class Rep, we're saved."

[Lin Li: Class Rep, come down to the second floor and open the balcony door for me. That Ding Sihan is really bad.]

[Chen Yuying: Asleep.]

[Lin Li: Naughty, you can still reply to my messages while asleep.]

[Chen Yuying: I mean your Class Rep is asleep, sleeping very soundly next to me.]

Not good! There's a cuckold!

Bai Bufan, who was watching Lin Li chat, looked sorrowful. He gathered a few leaves from the balcony and handed them to Lin Li: "Tragic, Lin Li. Eat more green vegetables, it's good for your hair."

[Lin Li: ?]

[Lin Li: You couldn't be—]

[Chen Yuying: That's right, it's me, the really bad Ding Sihan.]

Lin Li looked up, and he and Bai Bufan stared at each other in dismay.

"It's fine, I have a plan." The Idea King Bai Bufan leaned against the railing again, took a look, and shook his head: "Holy fuck, the second floor is so high. Then my plan is gone."

Lin Li: "?"

"Do you mean your plan is gone, or you're gone?"

(Translator's Note: A pun on "ji mei le" / plan is gone and "ji mei" / chicken beauty, internet slang for a certain type of person).

Bai Bufan: "? You can even make a joke out of this?"

Then Bai Bufan sighed, looked downstairs, and felt a bit nostalgic:

"Lin Li, when you had PE class in elementary school, did you ever jump off the rostrum? It was less than two meters high, but for me, who was only 1.2 or 1.3 meters tall at the time, it was already very high. But I still enjoyed jumping up and down tirelessly, even if my feet went numb.

"Back then, the little me had big courage, but now I don't dare."

"Watch me."

As his words fell, a dark figure leaped up from beside Bai Bufan with a whoosh. Grabbing the railing and hanging upside down outside the balcony, Lin Li raised his eyebrows at a shocked Bai Bufan.

"Huh?" Bai Bufan was stunned.

Lin Li smiled triumphantly: "Good thing the big me also has big courage."

Relaxing his body, keeping it vertical, then letting go and falling, Lin Li landed on the ground with a dull thud.

However, the ground was a lawn. As long as he didn't sprain his ankle, even if he landed on his butt, it would only hurt for a few days at most.

And Lin Li landed safely, only his feet went numb for a short while.

"Awesome." Bai Bufan gave a thumbs up to Lin Li on the first floor. "I'll give you that, I admit you're a brave warrior."

Lin Li looked at the task bar.

[... (2/4)]

To be honest, jumping right after Bai Bufan finished speaking was partly to get praised.

The number didn't change, but looking at Bufan's expression, it should have been heartfelt.

So does this "4" mean that each person has to recognize me once, and I can't farm points from one person?

Let's assume that's the case for now. Then I still need Ding Sihan and Chen Yuying.

[Ding Sihan: What was that noise just now? Did something happen?] A message came through on his phone.

[Lin Li: Nothing much, just my clothes fell down.]

[Ding Sihan: Why was it so loud if it was just clothes falling?]

[Lin Li: Oh, because I was still in them.]

[Ding Sihan: ??????]

[Ding Sihan: No?]

[Ding Sihan: Huh?]

[Ding Sihan: You jumped off the building?! I was just joking! I'm already going downstairs to open the door for you guys!]

[Lin Li: Hehe, a late love is cheaper than grass. I don't need you anymore.]

"Bufan, strive for self-improvement!" Lin Li clenched his fist toward Bai Bufan above.

"Without ceasing!" Bai Bufan responded, then watched Lin Li leave.

Lin Li came back.

"I have a problem," Lin Li spoke up.

"What's wrong?"

"I didn't bring the homestay key. I can't get in through the front door." Lin Li smiled in relief, and also died in relief.

Why the fuck did I jump?

Bai Bufan: "?"

"Could you have considered a bit more when you proposed this plan?" Lin Li questioned.

"Well, Ding Sihan is coming to open the door for me. You keep striving for self-improvement without ceasing. I'm going to play games. Bye-bye~" Seeming to hear a sound behind him, Bai Bufan looked back and waved at Lin Li.

"No, you fucking stop right there!"

"Bye-bye!"

[You have recalled a message.]

[Lin Li: Sister Ding, since you're already on the second floor, could you go down to the first floor and open the front door? Urgent.]

"But a late love is cheaper than grass." Ding Sihan's head poked out from the second-floor balcony, smiling.

"But wealth and honor cannot corrupt, poverty and lowly status cannot change."

"Three kowtows on the second floor, six kowtows on the first floor. Fair trade," Ding Sihan shook her head.

Lin Li: "..."

Fuck.

"Did you jump down from here just now?" Ding Sihan looked at the height difference and asked curiously.

"Impressive, right? Not a scratch on me," Lin Li immediately "reacted."

"Heh, impressive," Ding Sihan nodded, but her expression was "hard to evaluate."

The system didn't react.

It seems this kind of praise doesn't count.

Fortunately, Master Ding was kind-hearted. She didn't make Lin Li kowtow and went downstairs to open the door for him.

Because he hadn't actually sweat much, Lin Li went straight back to his room, while Bai Bufan still went to the esports room to play games.

After completing two tasks, his System Currency had reached 190, enough to buy another set of "Luck Rune" + "Random Quality Spirit Stone." But after thinking about it, his cumulative System Currency earned was 1450, and he was about to unlock the third shop slot. So Lin Li decided to save it for now. He wasn't too short on spirit stones at the moment anyway.

Lying on the communal bed, Lin Li closed his eyes.

But the conversation with Bai Bufan started flashing back.

...

Beep beep beep—beep beep beep—

"Baowei, turn off your damn alarm!" Bai Bufan irritably covered his head with the blanket.

"Wait, that's not right."

"Baowei isn't here."

Bai Bufan sat up abruptly: "Then whose Apple alarm is that?"

Bai Bufan made eye contact with Lin Li, who had just opened his eyes. Lin Li turned off his alarm while spreading his hands: "I don't know. You probably miss Baowei so much you're hallucinating."

...

"Lin Li, wake up. Why are you sleeping here?"

Feeling his arm being shaken, Lin Li opened his eyes.

Chen Yuying was holding a cup of steaming hot tea. The mist rose curlingly, dancing gently across her face, adding a touch of hazy beauty.

Isn't this much more comfortable than waking up and seeing Bai Bufan's face first thing in the morning?

But Lin Li was Lin Li after all. Bai Bufan's words, although difficult, still came out.

—By "came out," he meant stepping over his body to get out of the room.

"Good morning, Class Rep. What time is it?" Lin Li shook his head to wake himself up.

"It's 8:30."

"I slept a bit late last night, and I didn't have anything to do after exercising this morning, so I lay down here to catch up on some sleep." Only then did Lin Li answer Chen Yuying's initial question.

"What happened last night? Why did Sihan use my phone to send you those messages?" Placing the hot tea on the table, Chen Yuying was a bit curious. Waking up and seeing those messages indeed left her confused.

Her confused look was also quite cute.

"The thing is—eh? Class Rep, how about I perform my building jump for you?" Lin Li suddenly said enthusiastically.

Maybe I'll get a compliment.

"Hmm?"

"..."

After learning from Lin Li what "building jump" meant, Chen Yuying not only firmly shook her head but also looked at him reproachfully:

"That's too dangerous. You knew Sihan was joking. Jumping down like that, even if you're experienced, you could get hurt if you're not careful. Don't jump like that."

Looks like it's a no-go.

Forget about being praised, I should thank my lucky stars I wasn't scolded.

"Next time for sure."

"It has to be this time for sure," Chen Yuying stared at Lin Li.

"Then this time for sure." Lin Li had no firm stance, smiled and nodded, stood up and stretched, then asked: "Class Rep, do you want to eat breakfast?"

Yawning and stretching are contagious. Seeing Lin Li's actions, Chen Yuying also raised her arms, revealing her beautiful curves.

So pretty.

The only person who can defeat today's Chen Yuying is probably tomorrow's Chen Yuying.

"I already ordered delivery just now. It should be arriving soon. I was going to ask if you wanted to eat, but you didn't reply," she said.

"That's a pity."

"It's not a pity. So you haven't eaten yet? I'll just place another order." Hearing this, Chen Yuying took out her phone again.

"No need, no need, I've eaten. It's not a pity for me, it's a pity for you, Class Rep," Lin Li spoke a bit faster.

"Hmm? What's a pity?"

"Come outside with me and you'll see."

Chen Yuying followed Lin Li outside. Chen Zhongping bringing umbrellas wasn't without reason; it must have rained for a while last night. The ground was wet, but the weather was just cloudy now.

However, this wasn't what Lin Li wanted Chen Yuying to see. At the door, compared to last night, there was an extra electric scooter parked there.

Lin Li took a key out of his pocket, raised it above his head in a chuunibyou manner, and with two beep beep sounds, the scooter was unlocked.

Lin Li looked at Chen Yuying and raised his eyebrows: "Class Rep, now do you know what's a pity?"

"Lin Li, stealing a scooter is wrong," Chen Yuying said earnestly.

Lin Li: "?"

Class Rep, you're the one who's wrong here, right?

(End of Chapter)