Early the next morning, the bell for morning reading at Jiangcheng No. 1 High School hadn't rung yet.
Chen Zhi stepped through the back door of the classroom sporting two dark circles under his eyes.
He had barely slept a wink last night.
That kiss, carrying the scent of gardenias, had lingered in his mind all night.
He touched his left cheek.
Even though he had washed it clean long ago, that warm, soft, and moist sensation still seemed to remain.
Who on earth was it?
If she was pretty, he could just write it off as a lucky bonus.
But what if it was a Ruhua...
Chen Zhi shuddered, not daring to think any further.
Chen Zhi's gaze swept across the classroom.
His eyes finally locked onto the figure in the last row.
Pei Ningxue had already arrived.
Today, this young miss was wearing a beige knit cardigan over her neatly buttoned school uniform shirt.
Right now, she was resting her chin on one hand and flipping through an original English book with the other. The morning light spilled across her profile, illuminating the fine peach fuzz on her skin. She was as beautiful as a painting.
She looked incredibly serious and proper.
Chen Zhi stuffed his backpack into his desk cubby and pulled out his chair to sit down.
Pei Ningxue didn't even bat an eyelid. Her slender fingers gently turned a page, treating her seatmate as if he were nothing but thin air.
Chen Zhi propped his chin on his hand, turned sideways, and stared at her without making any attempt to hide it.
As if sensing the burning gaze beside her, Pei Ningxue's page-turning hand paused slightly.
She didn't look up; she merely raised the book a little higher, trying to block his stare.
One second.
Five seconds.
Ten seconds.
Pei Ningxue's page-turning completely stopped.
Her eyelashes, originally as still as an ancient well, began to flutter slightly.
She finally couldn't pretend anymore.
Slapping the book shut, Pei Ningxue turned her head. Her aloof eyes held just the right amount of confusion and impatience.
What?
Chen Zhi didn't speak.
His gaze roamed brazenly over her face.
Finally, his eyes settled on her lips.
They were a very pale pink, like cherry blossoms just blooming in spring.
The lip mark left on his cheek last night was a darker color.
The shade didn't match.
But that didn't rule her out as a suspect. After all, girls had more lipsticks than a painter had colors on a palette; changing shades took only a minute.
Last night during the blackout, Chen Zhi narrowed his eyes, trying to find a single flaw in her expression, where did you go?
I went home.
Pei Ningxue answered as if it were a matter of fact, though her eyes darted away. I went straight home after the power went out. Why?
Is that so?
Chen Zhi clearly didn't believe her.
Chen Zhi leaned forward, instantly closing the distance between them to less than ten centimeters.
Pei Ningxue instinctively leaned back, her spine pressing against the cold wall.
Are... are you crazy?
She bit her lower lip, the tips of her ears already starting to flush uncontrollably. What could I have done?
Chen Zhi ignored her retort.
He suddenly reached out a hand.
The moment his fingertips touched Pei Ningxue's chin, her whole body went stiff.
Her skin was smooth and cool, feeling wonderful to the touch.
Chen Zhi applied a little pressure, tilting her chin up and forcing her to look at him.
Pei Ningxue's pupils shrank, and her breathing instantly lost its rhythm.
Looking at Chen Zhi so close at hand, her mind went completely blank.
What was this guy... going to do?
Here?
There were so many people in the classroom...
Just as Pei Ningxue's heart was about to leap out of her chest, Chen Zhi suddenly leaned his face in.
He brought his nose to the crook of her neck and, like a dog, sniffed carefully.
Pei Ningxue: ...
A fresh fragrance wafted into Chen Zhi's nose.
It was the scent of citrus.
Not last night's gardenia.
Chen Zhi frowned, a flash of doubt crossing his eyes.
Did you change your body wash?
Chen Zhi!
Pei Ningxue finally exploded.
She slapped his hand away. A layer of faint anger colored her normally aloof face, along with a trace of unconcealable panic.
What's wrong with you this early in the morning? Go be a creep somewhere else!
She gave Chen Zhi a hard shove, her strength surprisingly great, pushing him right back into his seat. Then she quickly turned around and grabbed the English book to hide her face, exposing only the tips of her ears, which were red as blood.
Chen Zhi rubbed the back of his stinging hand, his frown deepening.
It wasn't her?
The lipstick shade was wrong, and the scent was wrong.
Did this young miss really just run off last night?
If it wasn't Pei Ningxue, there was only one person left on the suspect list.
Just as he was thinking this, light footsteps came from the back door.
Chen Zhi looked up.
Li Zhiyi walked in with her backpack, her head bowed like a little quail.
She wasn't wearing a dress today; she had changed back into the loose blue and white school uniform.
Her hair was tied up in a high ponytail, revealing a stretch of pale, slender neck.
The sneak attacker from last night hadn't been very strong and had a soft body. If it were Li Zhiyi, she fit the profile.
Besides, even though this girl seemed soft and timid, she had stayed up all night just to give him her notes, and had specially washed her hair and changed into a skirt just to eat with him. It wasn't impossible that in a moment of hot-headedness, she could pull off an outlaw stunt like that.
Seeing Chen Zhi staring at her, Li Zhiyi's footsteps faltered, and her grip on her backpack straps tightened.
M-morning.
She greeted him softly, her voice sweet and gentle.
Chen Zhi didn't respond.
He simply stood up and took a long stride, blocking the aisle.
Li Zhiyi was forced to stop. She looked up blankly, her large, dewy eyes full of innocence.
Wh-what is it?
Chen Zhi didn't speak as he extended his sinful claws once again.
He pinched Li Zhiyi's chin with two fingers and tilted her face up, just as he had done to Pei Ningxue.
Li Zhiyi instantly petrified.
Her fair little face rapidly heated up at a visible rate, turning red all the way from the base of her neck to behind her ears.
She even forgot to resist, just blankly letting Chen Zhi manipulate her.
Chen Zhi carefully examined her lips.
No lipstick.
Just a light layer of lip balm, colorless and transparent.
But that didn't prove anything. Maybe she wore it last night and didn't wear it today?
Chen Zhi leaned in closer again.
His nose almost touching Li Zhiyi's cheek.
Frightened, Li Zhiyi squeezed her eyes shut. Her eyelashes trembled violently, and she held her breath.
What was he doing...
They were in the aisle...
Everyone was watching...
Chen Zhi took a deep breath.
No gardenia scent.
Only a faint, very gentle smell of lavender.
Mixed with a bit of a sun-dried scent, it was very homely and comforting.
Chen Zhi sniffed again.
It was definitely lavender.
Completely different from the scent that had left him restless even in his dreams last night.
It wasn't you either...
Chen Zhi let go and muttered under his breath.
She opened her eyes, her watery gaze full of shyness and confusion. She buried her small head even lower, almost retreating into her collar.
Wh-what wasn't me?
Ch-Chen Zhi? Li Zhiyi's legs went weak. She had to hold onto the desk beside her just to stand steady, her voice as quiet as a mosquito. Did... did I do something wrong?
No, you're fine. You're a good person.
Chen Zhi waved his hand dismissively and slumped back into his chair in a daze.
It wasn't Pei Ningxue.
It wasn't Li Zhiyi either.
Then who else could it be?
In the chaos of last night, could it be that some passing female student, coveting his good looks, took advantage of the situation to make a move?
Chen Zhi stroked his chin, falling into deep self-doubt.
If it was a beautiful girl who had a secret crush on him, that would be one thing. After all, with his level of attractiveness, being forcefully kissed wouldn't be too much of a loss.
But the problem was...
What if she was a troll?
What if it was a two-hundred-pound tank who usually only peeked at him from dark corners, and finally got her hands on him during the blackout?
At the thought of this possibility, Chen Zhi felt a chill shoot straight up from the soles of his feet to the top of his skull.
He shivered, feeling like he was no longer clean.
"Damn it, my lifelong reputation..."
Chen Zhi slumped in his chair, staring blankly at the ceiling, his face full of worry.
If word got out, how was he supposed to show his face around Jiangcheng First High School?
"Um... Chen Zhi?"
Came the tentative voice of Pei Ningxue from beside him.
She had already turned her book right-side up and was looking at him as if he were an idiot. "Are you okay? Why do you look like you just swallowed a fly?"
"Leave me alone."
Chen Zhi waved his hand, looking world-weary. "I'm mourning my lost youth."
Pei Ningxue rolled her eyes, too lazy to deal with this drama queen, and lowered her head to continue reading.
But the commotion over here was entirely taken in by someone else.
Cheng Jun sat on the other side of the aisle, squeezing his pen so hard it was about to snap.
He had witnessed the whole process.
He had witnessed Chen Zhi's evil deeds all morning.
First, he flirted with the aloof school beauty Pei Ningxue, and before anyone could recover, he went to tease his soft and cute childhood friend, Li Zhiyi.
Bright and early in the morning!
It was only ten past seven!
This guy was getting handsy with the two prettiest girls in the class, right in front of everyone!
And those two girls actually didn't even resist!
One merely pushed him away with a coquettish glare, while the other obediently let him do whatever he wanted.
Was there any justice left in this world?
Was there any law?
"Chen Zhi, be a decent human being."
Cheng Jun's heart ached so much he couldn't breathe. "Do you really have to show off like a peacock in front of us single dogs first thing in the morning? Isn't it enough that you stole my life, do you have to trample my dignity underfoot too?"
Chen Zhi was currently annoyed and had no time for him.
"Get lost, get lost, I'm busy. I'm pondering major life events."
"Ponder my ass! You're just a full man who doesn't know what it's like to starve!"
Why?
Why could this guy sleep and play games all day and still get perfect scores?
Why could he look like a complete scoundrel and still have a girl in each arm?
The more Cheng Jun thought about it, the angrier he got, and the more he felt the world was unfair.
He took a deep breath and decided to stop looking at that heart-attack-inducing scene.
He pulled a small round mirror from his backpack's inner pocket.
He had bought it specifically to maintain his image at all times.
Facing the mirror, he flirtatiously adjusted his somewhat messy bangs, trying to cover the pimple on his forehead.
"Actually, I'm pretty handsome too."
"I'm just lacking an opportunity to show it off..."
Cheng Jun raised his eyebrows at the mirror, completely absorbed in his narcissistic world.
At the window of the classroom's back door, a terrifying face silently appeared.
It was the Dean of Students, Xie Ding.
Morning reading hadn't started yet, and Director Xie Ding loved doing these surprise inspections to catch students goofing off.
His gaze swept around the classroom.
He saw Chen Zhi wailing on his desk.
Whatever, this kid was ranked first in the grade and was the principal's darling. As long as he didn't tear the roof off, let him lie there.
He then saw Pei Ningxue reading an English novel in its original text.
She was in the top five of the whole school, and more importantly, a wealthy heiress who shouldn't be provoked.
Finally, Director Xie Ding's gaze locked onto Cheng Jun, who was making faces at his mirror.
Good heavens.
Instead of memorizing vocabulary early in the morning, he was here preening himself?
Director Xie Ding pushed open the back door and silently drifted behind Cheng Jun.
Cheng Jun was still making a heartfelt confession to the mirror: "Actually, if you look closely, I look quite a bit like Daniel Wu..."
A large hand suddenly descended from above.
"Look like Daniel Wu, do you?"
Director Xie Ding's sinister voice rang in his ear.
A low roar of laughter erupted across the class.
Cheng Jun was so startled his hand jerked, sending the mirror flying.
Director Xie Ding was quick-eyed and deft-handed, snatching the mirror out of the air before casually giving Cheng Jun a hard smack on the back of the head.
"Not studying bright and early in the morning, but looking into a monster-revealing mirror instead?"
"Confiscated."
Director Xie Ding scoffed coldly, stuffing the mirror into his pocket. "Stand up for the morning reading period and clear your head!"
With that, Director Xie Ding clasped his hands behind his back and slowly strolled toward the back door.
Cheng Jun covered the back of his head, completely dumbfounded.
He glanced aggrievedly at Chen Zhi next to him.
Chen Zhi was still slumped on his desk, pondering life with an expression of absolute despair, showing no intention of studying at all.
Yet Director Xie Ding had acted like he was blind, ignoring him completely.
Cheng Jun stood there, looking at the empty corner of his desk and then at Chen Zhi, who was lying there sleeping.
His mindset completely shattered.
Why?!
That guy was just lifting chins and doing wall-pins, turning the classroom into his personal harem selection, and you, sir, didn't see a single thing!
I just look in the mirror to appreciate the Creator's gift, and I get my crime tool confiscated and forced to stand as punishment?
"Damn it!"
Cheng Jun was filled with grief and indignation, sighing up at the heavens.
"You don't catch those three for underage romance, but you catch me for being a narcissist?!"
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.
ing gift was a patch of barren land, and disciples were all picked up along the way. He spent fifty years diligently building three "ramshackle little sects," thinking he could finally live a carefree life relying on his disciples. But right at the fifty-year mark, he was suddenly swept away by a spatial rift and exiled to the Chaos Desolation, the Disorderly Ruins. There was no spiritual energy there, only slaughter. Relying on the cultivation feedback from his disciples, Gu Changyuan hacked his way through a sea of blood for eleven hundred years. When the system finally fished him back out, he discovered the ramshackle little sects he'd built back then had developed a rather... unusual style. Hold on... I vanished for a thousand years, so how did my ramshackle little sects become holy lands?!
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...
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?"
