That Dropped Chinese Novel’s Useless Me Says No to the System

A faint fragrance lingered in the room, as though sandalwood incense had been burned here for many years.

The furnishings were sparse: a pearwood writing desk, a potted camellia by the window that was neither fully withered nor truly alive, and several thread-bound books lying casually on the tabletop, as if someone had only recently set them down after reading.

The gauze curtain by the window stirred gently. Whether it was the breeze passing through or something else entirely was impossible to tell.

The woman sat alone on the edge of the bed, facing the doorway. She was strikingly beautiful, though slender to the point of fragility. Dressed entirely in white, she resembled a translucent blossom.

When she lifted her eyes, her expression seemed veiled behind layers of mist. She looked as though she were welcoming guests...

Or bidding farewell to the dead.

Calmly, she lifted a teacup. Her sleeve drifted softly as steam rose from the teapot in a thin ribbon of white mist.

"You've come a long way," she said. Her voice was gentle, yet carried an undeniable composure that made refusal feel impossible. "Please, have some tea."

I muttered inwardly.

She's being far too polite.

So polite... it's starting to feel suspicious.

But with everything arranged so courteously, refusing the tea would only make me seem like the uncivilized one.

Seeing Lian accept his cup without changing expression, I reluctantly took mine as well.

The porcelain felt strangely cool in my hand, as though it had just been lifted from the bottom of a well.

The tea itself, however, was warm, carrying a delicate fragrance unlike any blend I recognized.

The moment it touched my lips, my throat began to tingle.

The numbness crept downward from my throat toward my chest, while the world before my eyes blurred as if someone had splashed water across a painting, dissolving everything into a mass of darkness.

"Urgh—"

I didn't even have time to curse the system.

My entire body went limp, collapsing onto the floor like a heap of mud.

Just before unconsciousness claimed me, one miserable thought crossed my mind:

System, damn you! If you'd just told me the tea was poisoned, I wouldn't have drunk it!

...

When I opened my eyes again—

Darkness.

So complete it felt as though I could reach out and smear ink across my fingers.

My wrists and ankles were icy cold.

Instinctively, I struggled.

Clang.

Chains rattled loudly.

I was shackled inside a damp stone cell by four thick iron chains.

The air reeked of moisture and rust. Cold dampness seeped from the stone walls.

Lian was nowhere to be seen.

My head buzzed violently, and an icy chill spread through my body.

"Lian? Lian!"

Only my own voice echoed back and forth through the chamber.

No answer came.

The darkness seemed capable of swallowing a person alive.

I struggled into a sitting position. The chains dug into my limbs, making me suck in a sharp breath from the pain.

At that moment, the all-too-familiar mechanical voice lazily sounded beside my ear, as though it had merely cracked open one sleepy eyelid.

"Reminder repeated: I told you not to enter the room on the right."

My entire body felt cold and numb. My wrists and ankles were secured so tightly that even the slightest movement sent the chains crashing together, startling even me.

Now this was something new.

I'd been thrown into dark cells before.

But this was the first time I'd been restrained so thoroughly.

A full set of deluxe accommodations.

Practically VIP treatment.

Grinding my teeth, I said weakly,

"You could've warned me in advance that there was a demoness living in that room!"

The system remained silent for half a beat before replying in its infuriatingly calm, perfectly objective tone.

"I gave the warning. Choosing the room on the right was your own decision."

"..."

Right.

"Your own decision."

Since when had this useless system learned to pass the blame?

If I hadn't been chained up, I would've jumped to my feet just to yell at it.

Just as I was about to launch into another tirade—

Footsteps echoed outside the stone chamber.

Soft.

Measured.

Approaching slowly, carrying an eerie chill that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

"W-Who's there...?"

The footsteps stopped outside the door.

Then—

Click.

It sounded like someone twisting an iron lock.

Every muscle in my body went rigid.

I scarcely dared to breathe.

Then...

Nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

It was as though someone had deliberately opened the door to my heart just enough to terrify me, only to quietly close it again, leaving me hanging by half a life.

Unable to bear it any longer, I lowered my voice and called out,

"Hello? Is anyone there? Lian? Hua? Mu Cangli?... Old Liu?"

Only silence answered me.

A silence so complete that even the air seemed to be holding its breath.

I twisted my wrists anxiously.

The chains clattered loudly.

Lots of noise.

Very little effect.

They wouldn't budge.

My hands and feet had gone numb from the cold, locked inside restraints that seemed custom-made for prisoners.

The harder I struggled, the more panic crept into my chest.

Where were Lian and the others?

Had something happened to them too?

Had the Eighth Prince—that pompous... no, that well-read prince—also been taken down along with everyone else?

The more I thought about it, the more frightened I became.

"System! System! Are you there? Come out!"

Fortunately, for once the useless thing didn't fail me.

It answered even faster than usual.

"Host, there is no need to shout. I have been here the entire time."

Hearing that maddeningly composed tone made me want to drag it out and beat it senseless.

It continued at its usual leisurely pace.

"I advise you not to struggle. Based on the current environment, you are most likely being held in an underground dungeon."

I threw my head back and groaned.

"A dungeon again? Have I somehow become blessed by the Dungeon God lately? Why does every place I end up have a dungeon?"

"Can you get me out?"

Its voice remained infuriatingly steady.

"I can. However, you have already used your reward. At present, you have no unused rewards available."

I panicked.

"Then... can I borrow against future rewards? Banks let people do that, don't they?"

The system fell silent for a moment.

"If the rewards belong to the future, how can you guarantee there will certainly be rewards in the future?"

It was the first time I'd ever heard the system argue with logic.

Worse, it was right.

Finally, however, it relented.

"I can calculate the probability of you obtaining another reward within the next thirty days."

It seemed to perform an actual calculation.

A moment later, it announced calmly,

"Based on the projected course of events, the probability of obtaining another reward within the next thirty days is... forty-five percent."

"Would you like to borrow against it?"

What kind of question was that?

I was practically dying!

"Of course! Hurry!"

A moment later—

Clang. Clang.

The chains around my ankles suddenly loosened.

The heavy shackles around my wrists dropped away as well.

I blinked.

"Huh? I'm free?"

The system immediately added,

"Host, your available credit limit is currently rather limited. I could only advance enough reward to remove your restraints."

I stared blankly.

Then roared,

"That's not a discount—that's highway robbery! Are you taking advantage of me while I'm down?"

The system answered without emotion.

"Borrowing naturally carries risk. The borrower assumes all responsibility."

"..."

I was furious.

And unfortunately, still couldn't hit it.

At least I was half-free now.

I stood up and stretched my sore, stiff limbs before feeling my way around the chamber.

At first, the darkness revealed nothing.

But as my eyes gradually adjusted, I finally made out the damp stone walls surrounding me.

High on one wall was a square opening no larger than the palm of my hand.

A faint ray of light filtered through it.

The opening was barely wide enough for my arm.

To squeeze through...

I'd have to dislocate every bone in my body.

I gave a bitter laugh.

What else could I do?

Some people were simply born unlucky.

I continued searching for another exit.

Back when Shangguan Fengliu had imprisoned me in Qingyin Hall, there had at least been a convenient little dog hole.

But this time...

No dog hole.

No dog.

Nothing.

Just me.

And this cursed place.

I couldn't help muttering,

"A dog would actually be nice right about now... though the system is enough of a dog already."

The system immediately replied,

"Host, that evaluation falls outside the scope of our services."

I ignored it.

Still annoyed.

After staggering around for quite a while and confirming there truly wasn't a door anywhere, I gave up in frustration and flopped onto the floor.

The cold, damp stone chilled my back.

Talking to myself, I muttered,

"Who exactly is that woman? Did the Eighth Prince and the others drink that deadly tea too?"

The system suddenly replied,

"The fact that you're still worrying about other people suggests you're in reasonably good mental condition."

I rolled my eyes.

"So... what now?"

"The other party has not taken your life. They merely imprisoned you. That indicates they have another purpose."

"So?"

"So instead of complaining, you should consider how to respond to whatever comes next."

"Then give me a hint!"

"You've already exhausted your rewards. I'm unable to assist."

Just as I was about to curse it again—

Crack...

The sound came again.

This time it didn't resemble a door opening.

It sounded more like...

A mechanism.

I looked up toward the source.

And then I saw the small square opening above my head—

Water had begun pouring through it.