Chen Zhi, I'm Not Competing for the Moment, I'm Competing for a Lifetime

Wanda Plaza in the center of Jiangcheng City.

"How about this one?"

Lin Wanwan popped out of the fitting room and twirled in front of him.

It was a couple's outfit.

And it was the kind of high-profile style that practically stamped the words "We are a couple" right on their foreheads.

The women's version was a red off-the-shoulder dress, passionate and flamboyant; the men's version was a shirt of the same color, with a heart pierced by an arrow embroidered on the chest.

Chen Zhi looked at himself in the mirror, his mouth twitching uncontrollably. "Wanwan, we're going out to eat, not getting a marriage certificate. Isn't this... a bit too red?"

If he held a 'Double Happiness' sign in his hands, they could head straight to the bridal chamber.

"What's wrong with red? Red is exactly what I want!"

Lin Wanwan adjusted her skirt in the mirror, the battle lust in her eyes undiminished. "I just want to show that Bad Woman what the aura of the main girlfriend looks like! It has to be red, blindingly red, so red that she'll be too ashamed to even take out her so-called special gift!"

As she spoke, she clapped her hands in satisfaction and made the final decision. "Excuse me, we'll take these two. No need to wrap them up, we'll wear them right out!"

Chen Zhi was speechless.

This girl was completely crazy now.

While Lin Wanwan was lining up at the cashier to pay, Chen Zhi felt the need to temporarily avoid her sharp edges.

"I'm going to the restroom."

After letting Lin Wanwan know, Chen Zhi left their pile of spoils at the counter and fled the clothing section.

He didn't go to the restroom. Instead, he turned a corner and slipped into a bookstore in the mall.

Soft, light music drifted through the air.

Listening to the music, Chen Zhi felt his anxiety finally subside a little.

He wandered aimlessly between the bookshelves, his fingers trailing over the covers of the books.

When he reached the corner of the literature section, Chen Zhi's footsteps suddenly halted.

In front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, the afterglow of the setting sun slanted in, golden dust dancing in the air.

A girl in a light blue floral dress was sitting quietly on the wooden floor, her back against a bookshelf, an open book resting on her knees.

She had her head down, a few stray strands of hair falling by her ears.

Li Zhiyi.

Why was she here too?

Chen Zhi instinctively wanted to turn around and leave.

After all, he and Lin Wanwan had just established their relationship, and he still had an unfaded hickey on his neck. Seeing Li Zhiyi alone at this time made him feel somewhat guilty, like a thief caught in the act.

But just as he turned around, Li Zhiyi seemed to sense something and looked up.

Their eyes met.

A hint of surprise flashed in those clear eyes, which then melted into a gentle smile.

"Chen Zhi."

She closed the book, pushed off the floor, and stood up with light, graceful movements.

Since he had been spotted, running away now would seem too deliberate.

Chen Zhi braced himself and walked over, giving a dry laugh. "What a coincidence, you're here to buy books too?"

"Yeah, just looking around."

Li Zhiyi hugged the book to her chest. Her gaze lingered for a second on the eye-catching red shirt he was wearing, then shifted away incredibly naturally.

"Well... Wanwan insisted on buying this shirt, saying it was on sale..."

Chen Zhi didn't know why he was explaining. As soon as the words left his mouth, he wanted to slap himself.

Wasn't this a guilty conscience giving itself away?

But Li Zhiyi merely smiled and didn't dwell on the topic.

"I finished reading this book, Fortress Besieged." She held up the book in her hand. "Mr. Qian Zhongshu wrote it so well. The people outside the fortress want to rush in, and the people inside want to escape."

Chen Zhi froze for a moment, not expecting her to talk about this.

"Yeah, marriage is a besieged fortress," he replied, following her train of thought.

"What about love?"

Li Zhiyi suddenly took a step forward.

The distance between them closed.

The faint scent of lavender on her drifted into Chen Zhi's nose.

It smelled wonderful and was very comforting.

Chen Zhi looked at the girl standing so close to him.

Li Zhiyi seemed a bit different today.

Usually, she was always so gentle and soft-spoken, never even daring to raise her voice.

But at this moment, she had her head tilted up. Her clear black and white eyes reflected Chen Zhi's silhouette, pure, yet revealing an unprecedented resilience.

"Chen Zhi, I saw it."

She suddenly spoke, her voice very soft.

Chen Zhi's heart skipped a beat. "Saw... saw what?"

Li Zhiyi reached out a finger and pointed at his neck.

"And on WeChat Moments." Li Zhiyi lowered her eyelids, her long eyelashes trembling slightly. "The photo Wanwan posted, I saw that too."

Chen Zhi felt his throat go dry, as if something was blocking it.

He wanted to say something, like "I'm sorry," or "Actually, it happened like this," but all explanations seemed pale and powerless at this moment.

He and Lin Wanwan were together.

That was a fact.

"Zhiyi, I..."

"You don't need to explain."

Li Zhiyi raised her head again, interrupting him.

There was no disappointment, sadness, or tears on her face like Chen Zhi had expected.

On the contrary, she smiled peacefully, even with a hint of relief.

"Chen Zhi, do you know? I actually guessed it a long time ago."

Hugging the book, she took a half-step back and leaned against the bookshelf behind her. Her gaze passed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, looking at the slowly sinking sun outside.

"Wanwan is a very good girl. She is passionate and brave, like a little sun. It's completely normal that you would be attracted to her."

Chen Zhi fell silent.

It was true.

Lin Wanwan was like a ball of fire, recklessly crashing into his life and burning everything hot.

And Li Zhiyi...

She was water.

Water that nourished things silently and delicately.

"But."

Li Zhiyi suddenly turned her head, her eyes looking at Chen Zhi once again.

This time, the light in them was no longer weak; instead, it carried an inexplicable firmness.

"Chen Zhi, I won't fight for just a day and a night."

She took a step forward, closing in on Chen Zhi. Although her voice was soft, every word struck Chen Zhi's heart like a heavy hammer.

"I will fight for a lifetime."

Chen Zhi stared at the girl in front of him in astonishment, as if meeting her for the first time.

Was this still the same Li Zhiyi who would blush just talking to people?

"The college entrance exam is over, but that is merely a comma in life."

Li Zhiyi hugged the book in her arms a little tighter and smoothed a strand of hair by her ear. "Four years of college, working afterwards, there is still a very, very long road ahead. Wanwan runs fast; that's her skill. But I have good endurance, so I won't necessarily lose."

Looking at Chen Zhi's dumbfounded expression, she couldn't help but let out a giggle.

She reached out and helped Chen Zhi straighten the slightly crooked collar of his red shirt.

"Alright, stop spacing out. Wanwan must be getting anxious waiting for you."

Li Zhiyi withdrew her hand and turned to walk towards the cashier. "I will go to the dinner gathering tonight. I also want to see exactly what kind of gift our classmate Pei Ningxue has prepared."

Long after her figure disappeared around the corner of the bookshelf, Chen Zhi was still standing there, his mind buzzing.

I won't fight for a day and a night, I will fight for a lifetime.

Was this really something the soft and sweet Li Zhiyi could say?

...

By the time they got home, it was completely dark outside.

Lin Wanwan was in a great mood, humming a song in the room while trying on her red battle gown. She also insisted on styling Chen Zhi's hair, vowing to dress him up as the most handsome guy tonight.

Chen Zhi collapsed on the sofa, feeling completely drained.

Right at that moment, the phone in his pocket vibrated.

He took it out to take a look.

[Bad Woman: Image.jpg]

Chen Zhi's eyelids twitched.

He tapped to enlarge the image.

The photo must have been taken in Pei Ningxue's luxurious villa.

In front of the mirror, Pei Ningxue stood sideways.

She was wearing a black evening gown.

The backless design accentuated her already pale shoulder blades, making them look as flawless as jade. The skirt had a high slit, revealing glimpses of a long, straight leg. She wore a pair of stilettos, her ankles so slender that one would want to hold them in their hands and play with them.

This outfit was cold, glamorous, and noble—a completely different style from her usual self.

She looked like a proud black swan.

Since graduation, she had started to show off her sharp edges even more.

The phone vibrated again.

[Bad Woman: Are you looking forward to it? My good desk-mate.]

[Bad Woman: Tonight, let's have a really good time.]

Chen Zhi's hand trembled, and he nearly dropped the phone on his face.

Crazy.

Everyone was freaking crazy.

...

Six o'clock in the evening.

Haojue Grand Hotel, Peony Hall.

As the venue for the graduation dinner of Jiangcheng No.1 Middle School's Senior Class 1, it was exceptionally lively tonight.

The boys had taken off their school uniforms and changed into their best outfits, pretending to be adults as they offered each other cigarettes. The girls wore slightly immature makeup, competing for attention with their glamour.

Everyone wanted to put a perfect end to the best years of their youth.

The doors to the hall were pushed open.

The originally noisy banquet hall instantly fell silent for a second.

Chen Zhi walked in, holding Lin Wanwan's hand.

The two of them dressed in red were indeed eye-catching enough.

Lin Wanwan clung to Chen Zhi's arm, her chin slightly raised like a proud little peacock.

"Holy shit! Brother Zhi! Sister-in-law! Are you two finally making it official?"

Zhao Kai was the first to jeer, leading the applause.

"Awesome! Making it official just like that?"

"That's our Brother Zhi, working fast!"

"The ship I've been sailing for three years finally got a happy ending." "Then what about the other two?"

"Shh, do you have no brains?"

Amidst the chorus of teasing, Lin Wanwan laughed brightly, waving generously as she pulled Chen Zhi toward the main table.

However, the moment Chen Zhi took a step, he sensed something was wrong.

Although the gazes of the people around them were initially on them, they quickly looked past them, focusing on the very center of the main table.

Chen Zhi instinctively followed the crowd's line of sight.

In the seat of honor at the main table.

A figure was leaning lazily against the back of the chair.

Pei Ningxue.

She was actually wearing that black backless evening gown.

Amidst a group of students wearing T-shirts, button-downs, and simple dresses, she stood out from the crowd, her aura overwhelmingly strong and suffocating.

Her long black hair was casually pinned up at the back of her head, with a few loose strands falling against her snow-white neck.

Seeing Chen Zhi and Lin Wanwan walk in, she didn't join the others in teasing them; she didn't even change her posture.

She merely tilted her head slightly.

Those cold, clear eyes looked past the crowd and landed on Chen Zhi.

Their eyes met.

The corners of Pei Ningxue's lips curled up slightly.

She put down her phone.

Then, she silently mouthed a word.

Chen Zhi understood it.

"Per-vert."