The Self-Cultivation of a Scumbag

Right now, Chen Zhi was hanging on by a thread of sheer willpower.

He had pulled an all-nighter last night and still hadn't slept a wink.

This was the price of keeping a harem.

He was exhausted from all the time management.

Standing at the East Gate of Renmin University, Chen Zhi took out his phone and dialed Li Zhiyi's number.

"Hey, Zhiyi. I'm here."

A slightly flustered rustling came from the other end of the line, followed by Li Zhiyi's gentle voice.

"Ah, you're here already? I'll be right down! Just wait for me for a tiny bit!"

"No rush. Take your time and don't trip."

Less than five minutes after hanging up, Chen Zhi saw a figure in a white puffer jacket running quickly toward him from the girls' dormitories.

Li Zhiyi wore little to no makeup, her face fresh and natural, and her hair was tied back in a simple ponytail.

But that face of hers was just so captivating to look at.

Because she had run in such a hurry, two patches of pink flushed her cheeks.

Arriving in front of Chen Zhi, Li Zhiyi panted softly for a few moments.

She looked Chen Zhi up and down, her brows furrowing slightly.

"You're not wearing enough."

Looking at the open collar of Chen Zhi's jacket, Li Zhiyi reached out with a look of distress, wanting to pull it tighter for him.

"I'm not cold. Just seeing you warms my heart."

Chen Zhi took the opportunity to grab her outstretched hand.

Li Zhiyi held his large hand in return and felt that his palm was much colder than usual.

She paused for a moment, didn't say a word, and simply cupped both of Chen Zhi's hands, bringing them up to her mouth.

"Haa—"

She gently blew warm breath into his palms.

White mist dissipated between the two of them.

As if feeling this wasn't warm enough, Li Zhiyi glanced left and right. After confirming no one was paying attention to them, she pulled Chen Zhi's hands up and pressed them directly against her cheeks.

Chen Zhi's palms instantly felt a wave of comforting warmth.

Her cheeks were soft and smooth. She leaned against his hands so obediently, looking up at him with sparkling eyes.

Looking at the girl in front of him, Chen Zhi's originally groggy mind suddenly blanked out for a second.

Unable to hold back, he pinched her cheek slightly.

It felt incredibly soft.

"Ah, wha are you pinchin me fow?" Li Zhiyi's face was squeezed out of shape, making her words slur.

Chen Zhi found her silly, adorable look absolutely irresistible.

She had applied lip balm today, making her lips look glossy and hydrated.

In a rush of impulse, Chen Zhi lowered his head and kissed that little mouth.

It tasted like oranges.

And a bit sweet.

Li Zhiyi completely froze.

Her eyes went wide and round as she stared blankly at Chen Zhi.

She didn't understand.

She was just helping him warm his hands, so how... how did it suddenly turn into a kiss?

Her face instantly turned beet red.

"Chen... Chen Zhi..."

She stammered his name, clumsily letting go of his hands. She wanted to step back, but couldn't quite bear to part from him.

"Orange flavored?" Chen Zhi licked his lips, wanting more. "Pretty sweet. Wear it more often."

"Let's go. Where are we hanging out today?" Chen Zhi naturally took her hand, trying to shift the girl's attention.

Li Zhiyi kept her head down, obediently following his steps. "W-whatever you say."

...

Huayu Shopping Center.

It was too cold outside, so Chen Zhi suggested they go see a movie.

He browsed the ticket machine and chose Be Somebody, which had just premiered recently. It was a suspense comedy with a fast pace and plenty of laughs, perfect for a couple's date.

Most importantly, Chen Zhi wanted to use the lively comedy to keep himself awake.

But he still overestimated his own stamina.

The theater was dimly lit, the heating was on full blast, and the sofa seats were wide and comfortable. For someone who hadn't slept a wink all night, it was practically a sedative.

For the first twenty minutes of the movie, Chen Zhi forced his eyes open and discussed the plot with Li Zhiyi.

Half an hour later, the voices of the actors on the screen gradually turned into a lullaby in his ears.

His head began to nod uncontrollably, and his body slowly leaned to the side.

Li Zhiyi had long noticed that something was off with Chen Zhi.

She turned her head and, by the faint light of the screen, looked at his exhausted profile.

If it were any other girl, finally going on a date only to have her boyfriend fall asleep in the theater, she would probably throw a fit on the spot, thinking he didn't care about her.

But Li Zhiyi wouldn't.

She only felt heartache for him.

She even blamed herself a little, wondering why she had agreed to come out for a movie when she should have just told him to go back to his dorm to rest.

Li Zhiyi quietly shifted closer to him.

She reached out and carefully guided his swaying head, resting it gently against her shoulder.

Feeling the support, Chen Zhi subconsciously found a comfortable position and completely drifted off to sleep.

To let him sleep peacefully, Li Zhiyi straightened her back and didn't move an inch for over an hour, even keeping her breathing light. Even when half her body went numb from the weight, she just bit her lip slightly and didn't make a sound.

It wasn't until the movie ended and the theater lights snapped on with a click.

The people around them began to stand up and leave, and the noisy chatter jolted Chen Zhi awake.

"Hmm?"

Chen Zhi groggily opened his eyes and suddenly sat up straight.

A wave of soreness hit his neck, and he instinctively rolled it.

"Crap... did I fall asleep?"

Chen Zhi rubbed his face and looked at the blank screen in complete bewilderment.

It's freaking over?

Who was the killer?

He turned to look at Li Zhiyi and found the girl rubbing her right shoulder with her left hand, her brows slightly furrowed. Clearly, holding one posture for too long had stiffened her muscles.

"I'm so sorry, Zhiyi..." A wave of guilt washed over Chen Zhi, and he quickly reached out to massage her shoulder. "I slept like a log and completely missed the movie."

"It's okay," Li Zhiyi shook her head, offering a gentle smile. "I finished watching it. I'll tell you all about it later."

The two walked out of the theater.

For someone who stayed up all night, taking a short nap actually makes them even more tired.

So Chen Zhi's mental state was even more sluggish now; he felt top-heavy, and his steps were a bit floaty.

"Chen Zhi."

Li Zhiyi stopped in her tracks. Looking at Chen Zhi, whose soul seemed to have left his body, her tone was unusually serious.

"Did you not sleep at all last night?"

Chen Zhi yawned so hard tears almost came out. "I stayed up a little late... It's fine, I'll just go buy a coffee to wake myself up."

"No!"

The usually docile Li Zhiyi was uncharacteristically firm this time.

She clung tightly to Chen Zhi's sleeve, refusing to let him walk toward the Starbucks.

"You can't drink coffee, your heart won't be able to take it." Li Zhiyi put on a stern little face, her eyes full of worry. "We have to find a place for you to sleep."

Chen Zhi paused. "Go to a hotel?"

"Yes, we'll book an hourly room. You can sleep for three hours, or even just two." Not giving him any chance to refuse, she pulled him toward the elevators.

After exiting the mall, Li Zhiyi looked left and right, then directly dragged Chen Zhi into the nearest budget hotel.

Walking up to the front desk, Li Zhiyi's face was already completely flushed, but she still feigned composure as she pulled her ID card from her bag and handed it over.

"Hello, I need a room with a large bed, hourly rate."

The girl working at the front desk looked up, her gaze darting between the two of them with a strange expression.

In broad daylight, a pretty girl with a flushed face was dragging a guy who was so sleepy he couldn't even open his eyes to book an hourly room. No matter how you looked at it, the scene felt a bit off.

But the receptionist had seen it all. She efficiently swiped the card, collected the money, and handed over the room key.

"One hundred and twenty for three hours, plus a one hundred deposit," the receptionist said as she took the ID and scanned it. "Checking in as a couple?"

"Y-yes." Li Zhiyi's face reddened a bit more, but she nodded.

They took the room key and entered the elevator.

It wasn't until they swiped the card and entered the room that the tight string in Chen Zhi's mind finally loosened a little.

The room wasn't large; apart from a large bed and a nightstand, there wasn't much space left.

The moment Chen Zhi saw the bed, he felt as if he had reunited with a long-lost relative. Without even taking off his shoes, he threw himself forward, crashing onto the quilt and burying his face in the pillow, remaining completely motionless.

"So comfortable..."

He let out a sigh of satisfaction, his face still buried in the pillow.

Li Zhiyi closed the door, inserted the key card into the power slot, and walked over to the bed.

"Take off your jacket before you sleep, or you'll feel uncomfortable when you wake up."

Like a dutiful little wife, she gently took off Chen Zhi's shoes and placed them neatly by the side of the bed.

Then she climbed onto the bed, kneeling beside him, and reached out to unzip his puffer jacket.

"Don't worry about me... I just need to nap for a bit..."

Chen Zhi mumbled, truly too lazy to move a muscle.

"Be good."

Li Zhiyi coaxed him softly.

She helped him out of the heavy puffer jacket and hung it on the coat rack nearby.

Only after doing all this did she pull the quilt over to cover him.

Looking at Chen Zhi's tightly shut eyes, Li Zhiyi crouched by the bed, reaching out her fingers to massage his temples with an aching heart.

The gentle pressure made Chen Zhi feel incredibly comfortable.

Half-asleep, he reached out a long arm, scooped up the crouching Li Zhiyi, dragged her straight into the covers, and held her tightly in his arms.

"Ah..."

Caught off guard, Li Zhiyi let out a short, startled gasp.

She was locked firmly against Chen Zhi's chest. Through her thin sweater, she could even feel his heartbeat.

Li Zhiyi tensed up, her body going stiff, not daring to move an inch.

But after waiting for quite a while, Chen Zhi made no further moves. He just held her, his breathing steady as he continued to sleep.

Li Zhiyi's anxious heart slowly settled down.

She adjusted her posture slightly to lean against him more comfortably.