Awakening Elementary School System in University
Chapter 25 - 24: A Reward of 1 Little Red Flower

Chapter 25: Chapter 24: A Reward of 1 Little Red Flower

Chen Lin looked at Yaoyao’s big, expectant eyes and couldn’t help but smile, reaching out to ruffle her hair.

"I’ve already got a plan!" he said, lowering his voice in a mock-mysterious tone. "I guarantee you’ll have an amazing time today!"

Chen Lin’s plan was simple. It was all about convenience and efficiency, with no backtracking. Yaoyao’s house wasn’t far from the Hai River, so they would start at one end, by the Yongle Bridge.

"Let’s go! First stop, the Eye of Jinmen!"

With a spirited wave of his hand, Chen Lin hailed a taxi.

The early summer weather in Jinmen was impossibly perfect. The sky was clear, the air was crisp, and a gentle breeze made one feel utterly refreshed from the inside out.

On the Yongle Bridge, the massive Ferris wheel known as the "Eye of Jinmen" stood, spanning majestically over the sparkling Hai River.

"Woooow—" Yaoyao tilted her little face upward, letting out a heartfelt sigh of amazement.

Chen Lin didn’t rush her to get in line. Instead, he found several perfect spots on the second-floor viewing platform beneath the Ferris wheel, raised his phone, and started snapping away at Yaoyao. CLICK! CLICK! CLICK!

"C’mon, Yaoyao, look over here! Smile! Give me a peace sign!"

"Great! Now open your arms wide, like you’re about to hug the entire Hai River!"

"Yes, yes, yes! That’s the one! Hold that pose!"

Even though Yaoyao was only in elementary school, she was a natural performer, striking all sorts of cute and playful poses under Chen Lin’s direction.

After the photoshoot, Yaoyao leaned in to look, and Chen Lin handed her the phone. The little girl scrolled through the pictures one by one, her face blooming with joy. But a moment later, she looked a little sad. "It’s a shame I don’t have a phone. You can’t send them to me so I can look at them again later."

"Don’t worry," Chen Lin said, patting his chest in assurance. "Next time I come over, I promise I’ll print out all of today’s pictures and sneak them to you!"

"Really? Pinky swear!" Yaoyao held out her pinky.

"Pinky swear," Chen Lin said with a smile, hooking his pinky with hers.

After the Ferris wheel, they boarded an open-top, double-decker tour bus. The bus cruised slowly along the Hai River, and the open view was exhilarating.

The bus stopped in front of the Dabei Zen Temple.

Chen Lin took Yaoyao’s little hand and led her into the quaint, ancient temple.

The moment they stepped through the gate, they were captivated by the sight before them.

It was April or May, the height of the season for the magnolia trees in the courtyard to bloom.

The tall magnolia trees were adorned with snow-white, immaculate petals that glowed with a soft, gentle luster in the sunlight.

A soul-soothing fragrance filled the air, instantly calming the spirit.

"It’s so beautiful..." Yaoyao whispered in awe, her voice naturally softening.

Chen Lin couldn’t agree more. This kind of unadorned, natural beauty was far more moving than any artificial landscape.

After leaving the Dabei Zen Temple, they walked to the nearby Vajra Bridge. The view from the bridge was superb.

Looking in one direction, they could see the Eye of Jinmen in the distance. Turning the other way revealed a wide river confluence where several waterways met.

After crossing the Vajra Bridge, they soon came to an even more distinctive bridge—the Lion Forest Bridge. Its railings and posts were adorned with small, lifelike stone lions in various poses—some reclining, some standing, some roaring, some smiling. Curious, Yaoyao went along counting them one by one.

And just west of the Lion Forest Bridge lay Chen Lin’s final destination for the day: the Ancient Culture Street.

Clusters of antique-style buildings with blue bricks and dark tiles, quaint memorial archways, and a street buzzing with the clamor of a lively crowd. The mixed aromas of various snacks filled the air, whetting the appetite.

"Let’s go. For the grand finale, I’m taking you somewhere big. This place is packed with good food and fun things to do!" Chen Lin said with a smile.

The guide Chen Lin had looked up said the street was filled with enough food and fun to keep Yaoyao busy for the rest of the afternoon.

However, they had only walked a short way past the entrance to the Ancient Culture Street when something unexpected happened.

Not far off, a little boy of about four or five took advantage of the moment his mother was haggling with a sugar-painting vendor. He wriggled free from her grasp and, like a little bird let out of its cage, laughed and darted into the middle of the street.

At that very moment, a vendor selling tanghulu was pushing his large, sturdy bicycle, which was laden with skewers of the candied fruit. He swerved to avoid an oncoming tourist, and the front of his bike veered, heading straight for the little boy!

The bicycle wasn’t moving fast, but the display rack holding dozens of tanghulu skewers was tall and heavy. If that hit the boy squarely, he would surely be hurt.

"Watch out!"

The boy’s mother shrieked in terror. The surrounding tourists gasped, but they were all too far away to react in time.

In a flash, Chen Lin’s body reacted faster than his mind could even process the thought.

The physical enhancement from his "Little Champion" title activated at full power!

To the onlookers, Chen Lin’s figure became a blur. He crossed several meters in a single stride. Despite reacting last, he arrived first. A split second before impact, he dove, pulling the boy into a tight embrace. They rolled once on the ground, safely dispersing the momentum.

CLANG!

The bicycle crashed to the ground. Skewers of bright red tanghulu scattered everywhere. It was a real shame.

The surrounding pedestrians were stunned into a moment of dead silence.

It took two or three full seconds for the crowd to snap out of it.

"Great job, young man!"

"That was so cool! What amazing reflexes!"

"With reaction speed like that, he must be a trained professional, right?"

Someone started it, and a moment later, the street erupted in thunderous applause and cheers.

The boy’s mother snapped back to her senses and scrambled over. She hugged her son tightly, and after confirming he was unharmed, she turned to Chen Lin and showered him with a torrent of incoherent thanks.

Yaoyao stood on the sidelines, her mouth agape in an "O." All she had seen was Chen Lin shoot forward like a cartoon superhero. WHOOSH!

Now, as she watched Chen Lin surrounded by the crowd, her eyes sparkled with pure adoration.

"Chen Lin! You were so cool! You’re amazing!" she yelled, running up to him and lavishing him with praise.

Being the center of attention and praise from so many people actually made Chen Lin a little embarrassed. He scratched his head, helped the vendor to his feet, and picked up a few of the tanghulu that were still edible. Then, he took Yaoyao’s hand, ready to slip away.

Just then, a system prompt, which hadn’t appeared in days, suddenly popped up.

[Ding!]

’No way, this triggered a quest?’

However, the message that appeared wasn’t a quest.

[Detected that Host’s heroic act has received praise from adults!]

[Detected that Host’s actions have received admiration from a peer (Yaoyao)!]

[Performance Evaluation: Excellent!]

[Rewarding Host with one Little Red Flower!]

Chen Lin: "..."

’Fine, a Little Red Flower it is.’

He was already completely used to how weird his system was, and this wasn’t the time to figure out what a Little Red Flower was good for.

"It’s nothing, really! Happy to help!"

Chen Lin waved to the crowd, and holding Yaoyao’s hand, he quickly disappeared into the throng of people.

Once they were far from the scene, Chen Lin finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He began leading Yaoyao on a leisurely stroll through the Ancient Culture Street. First, he bought her a giant skewer of tanghulu that was bigger than her face. The sweet and sour flavor made the little girl grin from ear to ear.

Afterward, they visited the bustling Tianhou Palace (Mazu Temple) to pay their respects. By the entrance, they watched a dough figurine artist’s deft hands sculpt a lifelike Sun Wukong. At the next stall, they saw a sugar-blowing master create a translucent, crystalline Huluwa.

As they passed an old pharmacy with a sign that read "Daren Hall," a mischievous idea struck Chen Lin.

"Yaoyao, want to try a local specialty? I guarantee it’ll leave you feeling refreshed and cure whatever ails you," he said, pointing to the bottles of herbal remedy on the counter and trying to trick her with a mysterious expression.

Yaoyao eyed the small, dark-brown bottle warily, then glanced at Chen Lin’s mischievous grin. She shook her head decisively. "No way! I bet it tastes awful!"

"Tch, you’re no fun," Chen Lin muttered, his little prank having failed. He pouted.

In the end, he bought Yaoyao a sweet milk tea. For himself, he stopped at a trendy coffee shop and ordered the menu’s recommended "Dark Plum Jam Cold Brew."

He had expected it to be some kind of culinary disaster, but after one sip, he was pleasantly surprised. The sweet and sour plum flavor blended perfectly with the slightly bitter coffee. The taste was unexpectedly delicious.

They spent a full hour wandering through the Ancient Culture Street. When he saw it was nearly five in the afternoon, Chen Lin started to lead the reluctant Yaoyao back.

As they were about to part ways, Yaoyao tugged on the hem of his shirt, reluctantly reminding him again, "Next time you come, you have to remember to bring me the pictures from today, okay?"

"Don’t worry, I won’t forget," Chen Lin promised with a smile.

After leaving her apartment complex, Chen Lin glanced at the time, hailed a taxi, and gave the driver the address for the Back Street Bar.

He could grab a staff meal at the bar for dinner. It would save him the cost of a meal, so he wouldn’t have to find somewhere else to eat.

Sitting in the taxi, he finally had a moment to examine the Little Red Flower the system had just awarded him.

He focused his mind and opened the system interface.

He selected the Little Red Flower, and a system message popped up: [Little Red Flower: Contains the pure power of encouragement and praise. Can be used to enhance any existing title, permanently increasing its effect by 100%! (Note: Each title can only be enhanced with a Little Red Flower once!)]

(A big thank you to reader Ling Linrao! I’m so excited to receive my very first monthly reader pass! QAQ)