A Sweet Chapter

Just got home.

Jiang Yunlu changed into her slippers, originally planning to go straight to wash up and rest, but after a moment's thought, she decided to practice some martial arts first.

Ever since she started training, her physical functions had changed.

A late night used to leave her half-dead the next day, but now she could function with just four or five hours of sleep and still be full of energy in the morning.

This Qi stuff was really mysterious.

She was about to get into stance when her phone rang.

Three words popped up on the screen: Zhou Youbai. (A character who appeared around chapter seventy-six.)

That girl.

Jiang Yunlu pressed the answer button, casually turned on speakerphone, and tossed the phone onto the bed.

"Hey, Youbai."

"Jiang Yunlu! Have you forgotten about me?" An accusing voice came through the line. "It's been so long, and you haven't invited me out once!"

"Don't pull that 'the guilty party files the lawsuit first' trick on me."

Jiang Yunlu stretched her limbs as she talked back. "You post eight updates on your Moments every single day—dining at Michelin restaurants one day, shopping at luxury boutiques the next, then running off to Disneyland. You're a busy woman. I wouldn't dare bother you."

Zhou Youbai's Moments were basically a massive humblebrag showcase.

They still kept in touch, but their different personalities meant the frequency of their meetups had dropped off a cliff.

"That's because you're either playing badminton or studying every night! Getting you out is harder than climbing the sky."

The complaints aside, Zhou Youbai's tone quickly softened. "Anyway, serious talk. This Saturday is my coming-of-age party, held at my place. You have to come."

"Alright, I'll definitely be there." Jiang Yunlu agreed without hesitation.

There was a two-second pause on the other end, then the topic shifted.

"By the way, that guy you were crushing on so hard... What's his name... Lin Mo? How's it going between you two? Want to bring him along on Saturday?"

At the mention of Lin Mo, Jiang Yunlu stopped moving, her ears growing hot.

"It's going pretty well, but I'll have to ask him if he wants to come."

"Oh, my dear lady."

Zhou Youbai sounded like she was watching iron fail to become steel. "What do you even see in him? You're gorgeous, you've got a great figure—guys chasing you could form a line all the way to Paris—and you're practically throwing yourself at him. By the sound of it, you still haven't won him over, have you?"

In Zhou Youbai's memory, Lin Mo was still that short, dark-skinned ordinary guy.

His features were handsome enough, but he wasn't some jaw-dropping heartthrob.

With Jiang Yunlu's qualities, going after him was like using a cannon to kill a fly.

"If you haven't caught him by now, cut your losses,"

Zhou Youbai continued to offer advice. "There'll be quite a few sons of old family friends at my party on Saturday. They're all decent enough. I'll scope out some good ones for you."

Jiang Yunlu couldn't help but laugh.

Zhou Youbai just didn't understand.

She had never seen the current Lin Mo, nor did she grasp just how extraordinary he had become.

That kind of complete transformation was far beyond what ordinary students could even comprehend.

Smiling, she said, "You don't get it. He's different, or rather, no one could be better than him."

"Great, great—you're terminal with love brain, no saving you!" Zhou Youbai huffed in frustration. "Fine, do whatever you want. Don't come crying to me when you hit a wall. Just make sure you show up on Saturday. Bye!"

With that, Zhou Youbai hung up.

Jiang Yunlu looked at the ended call and shook her head.

With Lin Mo around, how could she ever fancy anyone else?

Still, she didn't keep practicing. Instead, she sent Lin Mo a message:

"Can you come with me to a friend's coming-of-age party on Saturday?"

"No problem."

Lin Mo replied instantly, without asking about any of the details. If she said to go, he'd go.

That put a little happiness in Jiang Yunlu's heart, but after thinking it over, she couldn't help sending another line.

"It'll just be you and me, okay?"

"Sure."

Seeing his response, Jiang Yunlu joyfully rolled around on her bedsheets.

On second thought, it was a coming-of-age party—she'd have to dress up nicely, right? So maybe she should take Lin Mo shopping for clothes?

That was settled!

Jiang Yunlu was already looking forward to Saturday.

On Friday night.

Jiang Yunlu bustled about packing her things, then headed out.

Before leaving, she glanced back at Lin Mo.

Lin Mo certainly understood the meaning behind that look, but he didn't say anything.

The two of them were like secret agents.

Xie Yuling seemed to notice something, looking from Jiang Yunlu's retreating figure to Lin Mo.

"Where are you going tonight?"

"Back home. I need to burn some incense for my parents."

Lin Mo said it so casually that Xie Yuling didn't suspect anything.

Of course, in truth, Lin Mo really was going home.

Before heading out, he noticed Fang Jun slowly gathering his belongings.

Fang Jun had been quiet these past few days. Everyone was fully aware it was because of his broken heart, so they refrained from bothering him.

Guys mostly just need some time alone. Don't ask who alone is.

When Lin Mo got home, he lit the incense, cleaned the house with his own hands without using any mystical energy, and tidied up his parents' room again.

It had originally been intended as Ning Qingcheng's room, but plans had changed.

After all that, he sat cross-legged on his bed and began to cultivate.

While others trained, he wouldn't stop moving forward either.

Although his system had rarely spoken up lately, the daily tasks were still there, and they gave him things that suited his current level of growth.

A little past nine in the morning, Lin Mo's phone rang.

He picked it up casually, but his spiritual sense had already spread out.

Then he couldn't help smirking.

"Ah, spiritual sense really takes the surprise out of things."

He answered the call, and a song came through the receiver:

"Little bunny, be good, open the door."

Lin Mo got up from the bed, walked straight to the living room door, and opened it to see Jiang Yunlu standing there in an emerald-green floral long dress.

"Hey! I forgot..."

Before she could finish, Lin Mo pulled her inside and pinned her against the wall.

Just like that moment, here and now.

"Why are you dressed so nicely today?"

He murmured softly by the girl's ear.

"You're talking nonsense. This is the same dress I wore the first time we met at the Book Center."

"Then you looked really good in it back then too."

The girl melted, gently resting her head on Lin Mo's shoulder.

"You're so smooth with your words—you must have fooled a lot of girls."

"Who have I fooled?" Lin Mo lifted her chin and gently pressed his lips to hers.

A pause.

"You're the one who's tricked me. You have to trick me for a whole lifetime."

"A lifetime is very long. And today is already long enough."

Another kiss.

Several minutes passed.

They parted again.

"Coming to ambush me so early—what's on your mind?"

"To buy clothes for you. It's Zhou Youbai's birthday, and she said she'd introduce me to a bunch of guys, so I have to make you look super handsome."

Jiang Yunlu gazed at Lin Mo with dreamy eyes, slowly straightening his clothes.

"You don't have any childhood sweethearts hiding out there, do you?"

This was clearly a veiled reference to Xia Yusheng, who had appeared before.

"I don't think so. Not that I remember, anyway."

"I'll grudgingly believe you. Then today, I'll entrust myself to you."

Lin Mo took Jiang Yunlu's hand.