It was five in the afternoon. The lingering glow of the setting sun spilled over the eaves and streets of the ancient town, draping the rooftops in a thin, shimmering veil of light.
A sliver of that light fell on Ren Lingxi, making her deep brown hair glint and sparkle.
Su Yang followed slowly behind, intending to observe a while longer.
Walking one after the other, Ren Lingxi finished the hot dog in her hand and tossed the wooden skewer into a roadside trash bin.
Then she stood still, took a sip of water, wiped her mouth, and continued on her way.
After Su Yang had followed for about two minutes, he saw Ren Lingxi arrive at the front of a shop selling Jidou Liangfen (chickpea jelly).
"Boss, how much for this jelly?" Ren Lingxi asked, looking at a middle-aged man behind the stall.
The man replied with a beaming smile, "Eight yuan a bowl. You're here traveling, aren't you, miss? This Jidou Liangfen is a very famous snack in Licheng. Would you like to try a bowl?"
"Sure, I'll have one."
"Great! Eating here or taking away?"
"I'll eat here."
"Alright, miss, you can find a seat over there first. Any of these empty spots is fine."
"Okay, thanks~" Ren Lingxi replied with a smile and walked to sit at a wooden table beside the shop.
Su Yang, standing behind, thought to himself, 'She really loves to eat, even more than Qianyu.'
'Here's my chance. I'll go try some too.'
Su Yang smiled slightly and strode toward the shop.
Just then, the boss looked at Ren Lingxi and asked with a smile, "Miss, do you want more or less chili?"
"More, please."
"Coming right up!"
As they were talking, Su Yang also reached the front of the shop.
Noticing him, the boss inquired, "Young man, want a bowl of Jidou Liangfen? It's really delicious."
Su Yang looked down at the stall and smiled. "Alright, one bowl, please."
"Great! Just a moment, you can sit over there."
"Okay. Give me plenty of chili too."
"Oh, you like it spicy too, young man?"
"What do you mean, 'too'?" Su Yang asked deliberately.
The boss turned his head toward Ren Lingxi sitting nearby and chuckled, "This young lady here just asked for extra spice too."
Su Yang followed the boss's gaze and looked at Ren Lingxi.
At that moment, Ren Lingxi happened to be looking at him too, and their eyes met instantly.
Only now did Su Yang get a clear, detailed look at Ren Lingxi's face. To put it simply, her front view was even more beautiful than her profile, with not a single flaw visible—flawless from every angle.
Moreover, she wasn't wearing much makeup. Many beauties with meticulously applied makeup couldn't compare to her semi-natural look.
In short, she appeared sweet, sexy, and with a touch of cool elegance, like a fairy who had transcended the mundane world.
After two seconds of eye contact, they nodded and smiled at each other.
From that one look, Su Yang was already stunned by her beauty. He wondered if Ren Lingxi had noticed his appearance.
After the glance, Su Yang walked over and sat at a table next to Ren Lingxi's.
Although he acted casually, he kept scanning Ren Lingxi out of the corner of his eye.
Under his observation, Su Yang noticed that Ren Lingxi was also looking at him frequently.
Soon, their bowls of jelly were served one after the other.
Ren Lingxi stirred her bowl while looking up to examine Su Yang, who was sitting diagonally across from her.
Unconsciously, their eyes met again.
Su Yang smiled slightly and nodded politely once more.
Just then, Ren Lingxi picked up her bowl, stood up, and walked over to Su Yang's table.
Seeing this, Su Yang's heart raced for a second. He thought, 'Has my charm worked again?'
"Hi there," Ren Lingxi spoke first.
Su Yang looked up with a smile. "Hello, you..."
"Oh, the spot I was sitting in was getting a bit hot from the sun, so I moved over. Is that okay?"
"Of course, of course. Please, have a seat."
"Okay." Only after getting Su Yang's agreement did Ren Lingxi put down her bowl and chopsticks and sit properly.
They both stirred the jelly in their bowls. After finishing, Ren Lingxi took the lead, lowering her head to take a bite.
As she ate, she nodded. "Mmm, it's really good. You should try it."
"Oh? Really? Let me taste it then." Su Yang said, picking up some jelly with his chopsticks and putting it in his mouth.
He chewed while looking at Ren Lingxi and nodded with a smile. "Mmm, it really is good."
"Right? Hehe."
Su Yang turned to the boss and gave a thumbs-up. "Boss, your jelly is delicious!"
"Haha, it has to be! I've been selling this Jidou Liangfen in the ancient town for five years. My recipe is the most authentic around."
"It really is excellent. I'll bring friends to try it next time."
"Great! Then I thank you in advance, haha."
After saying that, Su Yang turned back and continued eating. Ren Lingxi ate while looking at Su Yang and asked, "Are you also traveling alone in Licheng?"
"No, I came with friends on a road trip."
"Then... why are you eating here alone?"
Hearing this, Su Yang thought to himself, 'Forget it, I'll just be direct. I thought about making up an excuse, but if she accepts the invitation and I get exposed later, it'll leave a bad impression.'
Su Yang lowered his head, took a bite of jelly, and then smiled. "It's like this. My friends and I plan to go play an escape room tonight, but you need more people to play. We have enough guys, but a few of the girls are too scared to go."
"The guys are really interested, so we agreed to each go find one more person to join our team tonight."
"Ohh~" Ren Lingxi nodded after listening.
"So, you all split up to find people?"
"Mmhmm." Su Yang smiled. "But I've been looking for over half an hour and couldn't find anyone willing to go. I got tired from walking and came here to grab a bite."
Ren Lingxi rolled her eyes playfully and smiled. "I thought you were trying to ask me."
"Huh?" Su Yang deliberately looked up, laughed, and played it off. "I actually really wanted to ask you, but I've been rejected seven or eight times already. I didn't quite know how to bring it up."
"What's there to worry about? I'm alone anyway. I'll go with you."
"You... are willing to go with me?"
"Sure, why not?"
Su Yang looked at Ren Lingxi with some surprise. "Maybe I should explain in detail first? After you hear it, you probably won't want to go."
"Is that so? Then tell me about it~" Ren Lingxi stared at Su Yang, the corners of her mouth lifting in a sweet smile, before lowering her head to continue eating.
Su Yang took a sip of water and continued, "The main reason I kept getting rejected is that the place isn't in the ancient town. It's a large-scale escape room made from a renovated abandoned factory in the suburbs."
As he spoke, Su Yang observed Ren Lingxi's expression, but it seemed completely unfazed. He couldn't tell what she was thinking.
Not overthinking it, he went on, "So the place sounds a bit scary just from the description. Everyone I asked earlier refused as soon as I mentioned it was out in the wilderness."
"True, that kind of place is quite remote. And since we're asking strangers, people we don't know, it's only natural to have reservations."
"That's pretty much it. On our side, including me, there are six guys. If each of us finds one teammate, that makes twelve people."
Su Yang paused here and glanced at Ren Lingxi, who was eating the noodles. Seeing that the other hadn't spoken, he also picked up his chopsticks and started eating again.
Ren Lingxi had finished by now. She took a tissue, wiped her mouth, looked up at Su Yang, and said with a smile, "That's it?"
"Huh? Yeah, that's all. I'm finished."
"Oh, I thought you were going to say more. Sorry for not replying right away."
"No problem, no problem."
"I'll go with you~" Ren Lingxi crumpled the tissue she used to wipe her mouth into a ball, tossed it into the trash bin on the floor, and said with a laugh.
......

grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)

ver to a world of cultivation and returned invincible. Modern medicine is child's play compared to elixirs; technological might crumbles before true cultivation. My name is Qin Ning, Earth's sole cultivator!

Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"

invincible power, Gu Changge transmigrates into a fantasy world, bound to a sign-in system that grants him cultivation rewards and various peerless treasures daily. While others struggle desperately to break through their cultivation realms, he has long since reached the pinnacle of the Great Dao, becoming a reclusive Emperor whose true strength even he himself cannot fathom. Originally planning to lie low and retire peacefully on Purple Bamboo Peak, the system suddenly issues a new task — take on disciples. With no other choice, Gu Changge casually picks up a few disciples: The eldest disciple, born with a War God Constitution, is thrown a copy of "War God Stratagems" by him, and ends up conquering the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, becoming a peerless War God who sweeps across the cosmos. The second disciple, possessing a Chaos Sword Body, can break all techniques with a single sword, his swordsmanship unmatched throughout history. He points his sword at the heavens: "My master said, the sword and the man stand together. If the sword perishes... my master will give me another one." The third disciple, a reborn Empress who returns to her throne, her elegance and grace overshadowing all beings. And without anyone noticing, his own sect, the Qingxuan Sect, has become the number one sect on the continent. Looking at these unbelievably formidable disciples, Gu Changge, holding the "Primordial Purple Qi" he just signed in for, falls into deep thought: — Wasn't this supposed to be a peaceful retirement? How did I become the ultimate master?!