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?"
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
d intelligence to keep the plot moving, and sometimes even the protagonists are forced into absurdly dumb decisions. Why does the A-list celebrity heroine in urban romance novels ditch the top-tier movie star and become a lovestruck fool for a pockmarked male lead? Why do the leads in historical tragedy novels keep dancing between love and death, only for the blind healer to end up suffering the most? And Gu Wei never expected that after finally landing a villain role to stir up trouble, she’d pick the wrong gender! No choice now—she’ll just have to crush the protagonists as a girl!
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
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?!
