Chapter 1

The intense headache jolted Xun Xi awake from his daze.

This headache was no ordinary one; it felt as if someone had poked their fingers into his temples and was stirring around wildly, causing blood to splatter.

What's going on? What happened? Where am I?

After the usual three questions, Xun Xi strained to open his eyes. The darkness gradually faded, revealing a blurry vision tinged with a faint red.

Xun Xi found himself sitting at a desk, facing a wall with a mirror hanging on it. The mirror clearly reflected the image behind him, which turned out to be a well-appointed large bed, brightly lit, seemingly a private room in a hotel, and by the decor, it was at least a five-star establishment.

"Phew..." Taking a deep breath, Xun Xi's expression gradually calmed down.

"Dark circles, dry skin, slight bloodshot eyes—clear signs of lack of sleep." Xun Xi examined himself in the mirror and pinched his cheeks: "Eyes like bright stars, face like a jade crown, nose like a hanging bell, lips like painted rouge, eyebrows like swords, and a well-defined jawline."

It's definitely me.

However, Xun Xi couldn't remember at all why he was here. He remembered he should be at home, diligently preparing for his arts exam.

Unfortunately, his memories were fruitless, so Xun Xi had to put his doubts aside for the moment.

In front of him, on the desk, lay an open notebook. The paper was yellowed, and the cover felt like leather but wasn't quite.

But in his current situation, this notebook was undoubtedly the only clue, so Xun Xi didn't hesitate and opened the notebook.

The preface on the first page made Xun Xi chuckle: "Dedicated to my struggle."

Well, that sounds like something I would write.

Xun Xi continued flipping through the pages:

"My name is Xun Xi. I am in a different world, having just crossed over."

"Single for twenty-four years, this is my first time crossing over. As a serious person, I've decided to keep a diary to record my life in this new world."

"Though I've crossed over, it's not a big deal."

"After all, having grown up in an orphanage, I've long developed the ability to find a way out in crisis situations."

"For example, when watching 'Journey to the West.'"

"I keenly observed that if I were a demon in the story, I could easily subdue Sun Wukong by recording the Tightening Spell chanted by Tang Sanzang."

"Or when reading mythological stories."

"I also keenly observed that Yu Gong could hire Jing Wei to move mountains, and Jing Wei could get Kuafu to help fill the sea, and Kuafu could directly get supplies from Hou Yi."

"Wouldn't that make everyone happy?"

"From this, it's clear that I've always been a peace-loving, positive, helpful, tragedy-averse, and happy-ending-seeking good kid."

"So, I get along well with the other orphans."

"For example, when someone is sad because they did something wrong, I would comfort them, telling them not to be sad because their life is still quite amusing."

"And when a little girl in the orphanage comes over, blushing, and says she likes me, I can keenly understand her feelings and smile, telling her that I like myself too, thus avoiding awkwardness due to a lack of common topics."

"......"

This part made Xun Xi lose his composure. He had to admit that the person who wrote this knew him quite well.

Could it be an orphan from the orphanage?

That doesn't seem right.

The diary covered his entire growth experience in the orphanage, and he was the only one who grew up there without being adopted. Even if other orphans knew him, they would only know him for a certain period, not his entire life.

Could it be a staff member from the orphanage?

That's unlikely too.

After all, the diary also contained psychological descriptions that he had never told anyone. Thinking about this, Xun Xi couldn't help but continue reading.

"In short, I decided to do something."

"At exactly eleven o'clock, there was a knock at the door. Looking through the peephole, I saw a curvaceous and beautiful young lady."

"This might be my only chance in life."

"For so many years, beauty has always been my Achilles' heel. So this time, I decided to muster the courage to challenge my weakness."

A sudden stroke of good fortune? Xun Xi was instantly excited. Just as this line ended at the bottom of the page, he eagerly flipped to the next page:

"Damn, I'm dead."

Xun Xi: "???"

Is this me? How embarrassing! A goldbug! Xun Xi cursed, but then he saw that the next page of the diary even had a black-and-white photo of himself with a toothy smile. Below the photo was a life summary like an epitaph: "My struggle, utterly meaningless..."

...This is a major breach of my defenses!

At the same time, the digital clock on the wall showed eleven o'clock.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

Xun Xi turned his head and was surprised to find that someone was really knocking on the door. He walked to the door, looked through the peephole, and saw a fair-skinned, beautiful, curvaceous young lady standing outside, her alluring eyes glistening, seemingly hesitant yet hopeful.

But Xun Xi was unmoved.

"Is that it?"

He calmly adjusted his grip, then not only didn't open the door but also locked the chain from the inside and sat back down in front of the diary.

But then he noticed that the diary had changed.

The original handwriting quickly faded, as if absorbed by the pages, and after a moment, new words appeared on the diary.

"Running away is shameful, but it works. So I resisted the temptation and didn't open the door. A minute later, I saw the young lady turn and go to the next door. The person next door couldn't resist, and as soon as the door opened, the young lady's face split into three parts, and she devoured the person alive."

"Damn!"

Seeing this, Xun Xi couldn't sit still. He quickly left the desk, went to the peephole, and peered at the alluring young lady outside.

The young lady patiently knocked for a minute. Seeing that Xun Xi didn't open the door, she turned with a hint of regret and went to the next door.

The person next door clearly couldn't hold back.

The young lady knocked a few times, and the door opened. As soon as it did, her head split into three parts like a blooming flower.

"Ah---!!"

The scene was extremely bloody, with blood spreading from the next door to Xun Xi's door, seeping in from under the door.

"...Damn." Xun Xi clenched his teeth.

He was a firm materialist and couldn't ignore the facts: the diary on the desk that could predict the future and the monster outside that had literally devoured a person were telling him that he had been caught up in some supernatural event.

To be honest, he was a bit scared.

Thinking about this, Xun Xi quickly ran to the bedside, used a bit of force to pry open the drawer of the bedside table, and held it as a makeshift weapon.

But he still wasn't reassured.

That's a ghost, and physical attacks might not be effective.

I've heard that child's urine can ward off evil. Should I try it? Thinking this, Xun Xi immediately took off his pants and picked up the prophetic diary from the desk.

But the diary again showed new words.

"I seem to have escaped a crisis."

"Beauty is a double-edged sword."

"Escaped a crisis... Is it over?" Xun Xi blinked: "I took off my pants for this? Can't you write something more substantial?"

Despite his words, Xun Xi actually felt relieved.

Recalling his fear, Xun Xi suddenly realized how shallow he had been. What is the meaning of life? What lies beyond the universe? Does time have an end? In the vast expanse of the universe, humans are so insignificant, and their desires are so trivial.

"This thing..."

After thinking it through, Xun Xi immediately realized the significance of this future diary to him, which could be summed up in one word:

"Dad!"