Archery Club.
Holding a box of dango in her hands, Ji Qingyi walked gracefully into her private area. Judging by her steps, her mood seemed rather pleasant—at least, that was Liu Qingyue's impression.
"You seem to have encountered something good today, Young Miss."
The moment Ji Qingyi pushed the door open, she heard Liu Qingyue's voice beside her. She turned her gaze and saw Liu Qingyue leaning against the wall, fiddling with her phone, her eyes fixed on the screen as if absorbed in something.
"Hmm..."
Ji Qingyi glanced at Liu Qingyue before switching to an expressionless demeanor, her tone indifferent. "You seem quite idle today. That’s not good."
"No, no, I’m very busy—just taking a short break."
Liu Qingyue smiled and put away her phone, bowing respectfully, though her eyes remained glued to the box in Ji Qingyi’s hands, unblinking. "That box is so pretty. What’s inside?"
Ji Qingyi shot her a sidelong glance and moved the box behind her back, scoffing. "It’s none of your concern. Don’t ask unnecessary questions."
"Alright, alright, my mistake. By the way..."
Liu Qingyue quickly lowered her head in apology before suddenly shifting to a worried tone. "Young Miss, during the first class this morning, your heart rate exceeded 200 at its peak. Did something happen?"
Ji Qingyi stiffened for a moment before replying calmly, "It was nothing. Perhaps I exerted myself too much. A short rest will suffice."
"Is that so?"
Liu Qingyue wore a knowing smile before leaning in closer, her voice dropping to a whisper as she eyed the dango box. "Young Miss, was it because of Su Cheng that you—"
"Enough. Don’t meddle in things you shouldn’t."
Ji Qingyi frowned, cutting her off. "I’m thirsty. Make me a pot of tea. Now."
"Yes, yes, right away."
Liu Qingyue nodded and turned to prepare the tea set.
Ji Qingyi remained standing where she was, finally letting out a quiet sigh of relief.
Though Liu Qingyue’s words were veiled, Ji Qingyi understood perfectly.
She wasn’t sure what was happening either—her heartbeat did become irregular around Su Cheng. But she refused to acknowledge it, let alone confront it.
"Young Miss, it seems you’re still not quite there yet."
As she brewed the tea, Liu Qingyue’s eyes flickered with a trace of regret, though her tone remained light. "You’ll need to push yourself a little harder, my Young Miss."
"It’s not as if I gained nothing."
Ji Qingyi sat down, placing the dango box on the table, her voice indifferent. "The taste is almost the same as before."
"You’re judging whether he’s changed based on sweets?"
Liu Qingyue gazed at the box and sighed softly, shaking her head. "Then who’s the one who changed? Surely it couldn’t be you, Young Miss?"
"Stop speaking in riddles."
Ji Qingyi shot her a cold glare. "Tell me everything you know."
"I do have a few theories... but I’m not yet certain of their credibility."
At this, Liu Qingyue’s eyes lingered on the dango box before she looked up, her expression hesitant yet expectant. "That... could I also try one? To see if the taste is really the same?"
Ji Qingyi’s face darkened. "You’ve never had these dango before. How would you know if the taste is the same?"
"Well, I’ll find out now, won’t I? Thank you, Young Miss~"
Ignoring Ji Qingyi’s glare, Liu Qingyue reached out and opened the box, revealing five dango inside. She picked one up, took a bite, and her face instantly lit up with bliss. "Ah, just as delicious as I remember."
Ji Qingyi watched, her expression growing colder as she glanced at the remaining four dango. "Speak. Now."
"Yes, yes."
Liu Qingyue nodded, then reached out again—but this time, her hand froze mid-air.
Ji Qingyi was glaring daggers at it.
"Alright, fine..."
She withdrew her hand and flashed an ingratiating smile. "Actually, we’ve overlooked something crucial."
Ji Qingyi narrowed her eyes. "What?"
Liu Qingyue nodded seriously. "The concept of the 'Absolute Objectivity' skill. His current motives and behavioral logic must be severely skewed—or rather, the problem he’s facing now is far deeper than before."
"Oh?"
Ji Qingyi raised a brow, considering this. "You mean his current goal isn’t to resolve his previous biggest issue? He no longer wants to erase his own existence or make everyone forget him?"
"Exactly."
Liu Qingyue nodded emphatically, then seized the opportunity to snatch another dango, stuffing it into her mouth as she mumbled, "If yesterday was uncertain, then based on my observations of you this morning, his most urgent goal right now is..."
"What?"
Ji Qingyi pressed, though she already had an inkling—her own changes were proof enough.
"It’s—"
Liu Qingyue swallowed the dango, her expression turning solemn. "To establish a truly equal and profound relationship with you, Young Miss. That is his real objective now."
At this, Ji Qingyi’s eyes flickered, an inexplicable tremor passing through her heart as she momentarily lost herself in thought.
But Liu Qingyue wasn’t done.
"Now do you understand why he so openly revealed all his skill effects to us?"
"Just as he said—'doing nothing.'"
She pursed her lips, her eyes gleaming with insight. "Right now, Young Miss, you’ve lost the ability to perceive his emotions. You can no longer dominate the situation as you once did. Like this morning, when facing him, you grew flustered and uncertain."
She paused, studying Ji Qingyi’s expression before continuing. "You’re slowly adapting to this new dynamic. In this state, you’ve begun rediscovering your own emotions, needs, and identity—exploring every corner of your inner world, even your psyche."
Ji Qingyi’s mind went blank.
"Just like this morning, when you faced him, your emotions and state of mind shifted."
Liu Qingyue pressed on. "Unable to grasp his feelings, you became hesitant, nervous, your heartbeat—"
"Enough!"
Ji Qingyi’s eyes snapped open, her pupils contracting as she cut Liu Qingyue off, her breathing uneven. "Stop talking!"
"What he wants is genuine understanding and respect—to break free from pretense, to escape the vulgarity of reality. That must be his true desire."
Liu Qingyue closed the dumpling box and pushed it toward her, speaking softly, "Now that you're on equal footing, this experience can help you build a deeper and more honest relationship. Feelings might even blossom, young mistress."
"Shut up!"
uld barely embark on the path to immortality. Just as he was on the verge of death, his golden finger awakened. No matter whether it was poison, drained blood and vital energy, diminished lifespan, or any other physical debuff caused by paying a price—once midnight passed, everything would be refreshed. From then on, whenever someone asked what kind of person Chu Ran was, the answer was simple: Forbidden arts that other cultivators dared not learn? Chu Ran would learn them. Prices that even demonic cultivators dared not pay? Chu Ran would pay them. Lifespan that even righteous cultivators dared not burn? Chu Ran would burn it. All the blood essence in his body? Take it. Want both his hands and feet? He would cut them off and send them to you. You say he’s finished? He wasn’t built to sit idle. You think he’s gone mad? No—he was simply waiting for midnight. From that day onward, Chu Ran would respect neither Heaven nor Earth, bow to neither gods nor ghosts. He had only one wish: For midnight to arrive a little sooner.
lanned to earn money steadily and take life at a slower pace. But he never expected... his father's remarriage, and the stepmother bringing along a dependent, would completely disrupt his life's plans...
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
he colors of other people’s emotions. Light red meant anxiety. Gray meant exhaustion. Orange meant excitement. Yellow... meant repression. At the same time, he could gain unlimited control over one of those colors. Pale cyan: relaxation. Using this ability, he started offering “two-yuan hugs,” spending an afternoon exchanging emotional-color experiences with others. Then came his final female customer of the day— a girl whose emotional color was pure black... —— A week later, Xu Chuan had become skilled at using pale cyan—Relaxation—treating it like a bottle of menthol balm whenever he needed it. That was when he discovered he had unlocked another unlimited emotional color: Purple, the color of fear. So these emotional colors refresh every week? Fine, I take it back—I’ll never call you useless again... —— Much later, after Xu Chuan had accumulated countless emotional abilities, one night, he suddenly found himself inside someone else’s dream. There, he could use the emotional colors he possessed to paint. And in her dream, he painted her a shower of pink shooting stars, spreading across the depths of the night sky...
