The weeping willows by Yishao Pool swayed wildly in the evening breeze, their leaves brushing against the water's surface and stirring up fine ripples.
The warm yellow halo of the streetlamp stretched Li Zhiyi's shadow long, casting it over Chen Zhi's feet.
Chen Zhi leaned in closer. Li Zhiyi's breathing visibly hitched, her chest heaving. She didn't step back; instead, as if gathering her courage, she raised herself slightly on her tiptoes.
Faced with such a silent invitation, if Chen Zhi could still hold back, then his rebirth in this life would truly be a waste.
Chen Zhi reached out and wrapped his arm around her waist.
Li Zhiyi trembled all over, but then immediately softened, leaning submissively into his embrace.
He lowered his head, aimed for her soft pink lips, and gently kissed her.
Li Zhiyi's lips were cool and carried a faint scent of cream.
She froze completely, her hands subconsciously gripping Chen Zhi's shirt. Her eyes were wide open, and her long eyelashes fluttered uneasily under the streetlamp, brushing against Chen Zhi's cheek with a ticklish sensation.
This was her first kiss.
It took her several seconds to react. She slowly closed her eyes and responded clumsily.
There was no technique, only a clumsy response and absolute trust.
Chen Zhi could feel her teeth chattering. Her green, inexperienced demeanor was agonizingly endearing. He had to slow down, gently guiding her.
After a long while, their lips parted.
A translucent silver thread flashed briefly in the lamplight.
Li Zhiyi buried her face in Chen Zhi's chest, refusing to look up no matter what. Only the red tips of her ears were visible, and she seemed to be radiating heat.
"Chen Zhi... I, I haven't brushed my teeth yet."
Her voice carried a hint of chagrin and shyness.
Amused by her train of thought, Chen Zhi chuckled and kissed her on the forehead.
"It's fine, I don't mind. You didn't put garlic in your food earlier, did you?"
"No."
Li Zhiyi answered honestly, which elicited another low chuckle from Chen Zhi.
She finally dared to raise her head. Her eyes, which were usually timid, were now filled with a watery, sparkling gleam.
"Silly girl."
Chen Zhi reached out and pinched her cheek; it felt soft and tender.
The two just hugged each other quietly, neither saying a word.
The evening breeze blew past, making Yishao Pool sparkle in the light.
Chen Zhi rested his chin on the top of her head. Looking past her hair, his gaze drifted toward the distant stone engraved with the school motto, "Seek Truth from Facts," and his mind began to wander.
He started feeling conflicted.
This silly girl in his arms had emptied all her savings to buy him a phone, while living so frugally herself. A girl her age should be enjoying dressing up, yet she was still wearing clothes from high school.
Chen Zhi's heart suddenly felt a bit heavy.
He subconsciously raised his left hand to check the time.
His sleeve slipped down, revealing an exquisite Longines Master Collection watch.
It was a gift from Lin Wanwan.
The moon phase on the dial was rotating with the time, and the ticking of the hands reminded him of another girl's existence.
Chen Zhi stiffened, then quietly pulled his sleeve back down to cover the watch.
"What time is it?" Li Zhiyi asked in a muffled voice from his embrace.
"It's still early."
Chen Zhi lied, stuffing his hand into his pocket, where his fingers brushed against the iPhone 12 Pro Max that Li Zhiyi had given him.
On one side was his childhood sweetheart who gave everything she had; on the other, a superstar girlfriend who threw money around; and there was also a wealthy heiress waiting for him to "treat her illness" every day.
Chen Zhi felt that if he could meet a peaceful end in this life, God would truly have to be blind.
But he refused to believe in fate.
He didn't want to let down a single one of these three girls.
"Zhiyi."
Chen Zhi released his embrace and pulled her to sit down on a bench.
"Hmm?"
Li Zhiyi sat obediently with her legs together, hands resting on her knees.
"Take out your phone."
Li Zhiyi paused for a moment. Though she didn't know why, she obediently took her phone out of her pocket.
"Unlock it."
Chen Zhi took the phone, opened WeChat, and went to the transfer page.
He typed in a number: 20000.
With a ding,
Li Zhiyi's phone vibrated.
She looked down, her eyes instantly going wide, and shot up from the bench.
"Chen Zhi! What are you doing!"
Her face flushed with anxiety as she reached out to grab the phone back. "I don't want your money! I have money to spend. Grandpa and Grandma send me living expenses every month, and I'm also tutoring..."
"Sit down."
Li Zhiyi gave him a wronged look but obediently sat back down. However, her hands twisted together, showing her inner resistance.
"This money isn't for you."
Chen Zhi shoved the phone back into her hands, his tone flat. "This is a nutrition allowance for our grandparents, and money for you to buy some clothes."
"Grandpa and Grandma are very healthy..." Li Zhiyi muttered in rebuttal.
"Healthy my ass."
Chen Zhi glared at her. "Grandpa and Grandma never bear to spend money; they save whatever they get. Give the money to them, tell them to spend it as they should, and buy more good food."
Li Zhiyi's eyes instantly turned red.
She bit her lip and fell silent.
"And you."
Chen Zhi pointed at the shoes on her feet. "You're a law school student, you're going to be a big lawyer in the future. Going out for internships or meeting your mentors, what does it look like dressing like this? Clothes make the man, just like a saddle makes a horse. Don't embarrass your mentors."
"But..."
"No buts."
Chen Zhi interrupted her, his tone softening a bit. "Zhiyi, I know you want to save money. But when you bought me a phone, did you try to save?"
Li Zhiyi lowered her head and looked at the phone in her hand. It was money she had saved for a long time.
"That's because... I wanted to give you the best."
"And I want to give you the best, too."
Li Zhiyi suddenly looked up and met Chen Zhi's eyes, which were brimming with affection.
"Keep it." Chen Zhi patted the back of her hand. "If you don't accept it, I won't use this phone either. I'll throw it in the trash can tomorrow."
"Don't!"
Li Zhiyi panicked and grabbed Chen Zhi's arm. "I'll take it, I'll take it, okay..."
She sniffled, looking at the string of numbers in her WeChat balance, her heart swelling with a bittersweet feeling.
Twenty thousand yuan.
For a current college student, it was a massive sum of money.
But for Chen Zhi, this was just an amount he could take out right now without scaring Li Zhiyi. If he transferred a million or eight hundred thousand directly, this girl would probably faint on the spot.
"I'll transfer money to you every month from now on."
Chen Zhi stood up and dusted off his pants. "Don't think about saving money. Eat what you should eat, drink what you should drink. Fatten yourself up a bit; you're too bony to hug."
Li Zhiyi blushed and muttered softly, "I'm not bony, I clearly have meat on me."
"Alright, let's get you back to your dorm."
Chen Zhi looked at the sky; the moon had already climbed high.
If he didn't leave soon, he'd miss the curfew over at Peking University.
The two walked back along the famous Ginkgo Avenue at Renmin University.
Although it was early autumn and the ginkgo leaves hadn't turned yellow yet, their shadowy silhouettes under the streetlamps created a unique and charming atmosphere.
Li Zhiyi walked very slowly.
She didn't want this road to end.
The lingering warmth of the kiss from earlier still echoed on her lips, and the heat of Chen Zhi's palm seemed to remain on her waist.
"Chen Zhi."
Just as they were nearing her dorm building, Li Zhiyi suddenly stopped in her tracks.
"What's wrong?"
Chen Zhi turned his head.
The area downstairs of the girls' dormitory was filled with young couples reluctantly saying their goodbyes. Some were hugging, others were kissing, and the air was thick with the sickly sweet scent of romance.
Li Zhiyi stood at the bottom of the steps, tilting her head up to look at him.
The look in her eyes was resolute.
"I'll work hard."
She suddenly blurted out out of nowhere.
"Hmm?" Chen Zhi raised an eyebrow.
"I will study hard and become a great lawyer." Li Zhiyi clenched her small fists. "When you run into trouble in the future, I will definitely help you. I will definitely become someone useful."
She seemed to have sensed that Chen Zhi was involved in something big, and she also realized the growing gap between them.
She didn't want that gap to keep widening.
She wanted to stand by his side and be able to help him when he was in need.
Chen Zhi froze for a moment.
Looking at the fragile yet stubborn girl standing in front of him, he felt a tender ache in his heart.
What a silly girl.
"Alright."
Chen Zhi smiled radiantly. "Then I'll be waiting for the great Lawyer Li to watch my back. If I ever commit a crime, you'll have to be responsible for bailing me out."
"Bite your tongue!"
Li Zhiyi hurriedly reached out to cover his mouth. "Don't say such unlucky things!"
Taking the opportunity, Chen Zhi pressed a kiss to the palm of her hand.
Li Zhiyi snatched her hand back as if she had been shocked. Her face flushed completely red, and she immediately turned around and ran into the dormitory building.
After running a few steps, she stopped again.
She turned around.
Standing under the bright lights of the dormitory, she waved at Chen Zhi, who was standing in the darkness.
"Chen Zhi, be careful on your way back!"
She called out, her voice crisp and clear.
Chen Zhi stood in the shadows, watching her figure disappear around the corner of the stairwell. The smile on his face slowly faded.
He glanced back at the grand gate of Renmin University, then at the Longines watch on his wrist, and finally touched the phone in his pocket.
"Chen Zhi, oh Chen Zhi."
"What did you do to deserve her?"
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...
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
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?"
ng to die together with you." Lin Xuan is dead, his body thrown into the river by his scumbag lover and her accomplice. She, the president of the Su Group, is decisive, ruthless, and ice-cold. For three days and three nights, she had his body fished out of the river, and without hesitation, she kissed the bloated corpse of Lin Xuan. She laid down beside him in a cold coffin, their fingers intertwined, a smile lingering on her lips as she closed her eyes. The noble and cold-hearted woman, only bending for one man—Lin Xuan. Lin Xuan, with his golden finger, is reborn and returns to the day of his wedding to the treacherous woman. Su Qiang comes to steal the bride. Lin Xuan's eyes light up, eager to pledge his loyalty on the spot, but instead, her kiss transfers a glass of drugged wine into his mouth, causing him to pass out... 【Male Protagonist with Single Female Lead】【Yandere Tycoon】【Action-Packed】【True vs. Fake Heir】
