It's Snowing, Chen Zhi

Chen Zhi looked down at this attention-seeker who was looking up with cupped fists, his face practically screaming "Teach me the way." His brain short-circuited for two seconds.

What exactly was this kid's brain made of?

Could a carbon-based lifeform really do something like this?

"Class rep, I'm truly in awe."

Li Jiahao remained on his knees. In his eyes burned a raging fire called "desire."

"Please teach me how to be an ultimate badass like you."

Chen Zhi's eyelids twitched wildly.

"I really want to improve myself!"

Anyone who didn't know better would think he was reciting an initiation oath for a pyramid scheme.

Chen Zhi took a deep breath, fighting the urge to kick him into the air.

"No, seriously."

Chen Zhi pointed at Li Jiahao, then at himself, his tone full of disbelief.

"Why the hell don't you have this kind of energy for studying? Coming to me to learn how to flex, are you a dumbass?"

This kid was useless.

Hopeless.

Goodbye.

Without another word, Chen Zhi reached back, grabbed the clueless and bewildered Lin Wanwan, and turned toward the door.

He had to stay away from this kind of idiot.

Otherwise, his own IQ might drop.

"Don't go!"

Jiahao's tragic wail came from behind.

Chen Zhi had barely taken a step when his left leg felt heavy.

He looked down.

Li Jiahao was sprawled on the floor, both hands tightly hugging Chen Zhi's thigh, his face pressed against his school uniform pants.

"Godfather!"

Li Jiahao shouted this with such heart-wrenching, genuine emotion that it would make anyone who heard it weep.

"Please teach me! I don't want to be a clown anymore!"

Chen Zhi: "..."

He tried to pull his leg free.

It didn't budge.

Before Chen Zhi could figure out how to shake off this idiot, Li Jiahao suddenly turned his head.

He looked at Lin Wanwan, who was standing to the side, already petrified.

"Mom!"

The air froze.

Lin Wanwan's beautiful almond eyes widened into perfect circles, her pupils trembling.

Mom?

This fat kid called Chen Zhi his godfather, and called her mom?

Lin Wanwan's cheeks flushed red at a visible speed.

Even though... even though she had indeed thought about being with Chen Zhi in the future...

But!

This was way too fast!

Chen Zhi was also startled by this "Mom."

Chen Zhi narrowed his eyes, looking at Li Jiahao with some suspicion.

Could it be...

Is he a reincarnator too?

He lowered his head, his expression turning serious, and asked in a low, probing voice, "Do you know Valorant?"

Li Jiahao froze for a moment.

He blinked his bewildered little eyes, the smile on his face stiffening.

"Valo... what?"

Li Jiahao scratched his head, looking completely confused.

Chen Zhi stared intently into his eyes.

No trace of disguise.

Only pure, unadulterated stupidity.

Chen Zhi let out a long breath, his tense nerves instantly relaxing.

Thank goodness.

This idiot kid hadn't been reborn.

"Godfather."

Seeing that Chen Zhi wasn't speaking, Li Jiahao thought he was testing his sincerity and hugged tighter.

"Can you please tell me how to become someone like you?"

He really wanted to learn.

Not only was Chen Zhi caught by the teacher with a girl in each arm without receiving any punishment, but he had also fought his way in and out of the Disciplinary Office completely unscathed.

Li Jiahao dreamed of having a highlight moment like that.

Chen Zhi looked down at the idiot clinging to his leg.

"You want to learn?"

Chen Zhi raised an eyebrow, his tone becoming unfathomable.

Li Jiahao nodded madly, his eyes full of hope.

"Yes! I dream about it!"

He patted the dust off Li Jiahao's knees, his movements gentle, like a kindly old father.

Chen Zhi leaned in close to Li Jiahao's ear and said lightly, "When someone asks you this exact question, you'll know what to do."

After saying that.

Chen Zhi didn't spare him another glance.

He took Lin Wanwan's wrist again and walked out of the old classroom.

Leaving Li Jiahao standing there alone.

Sunlight fell on his bewildered face.

"When someone... asks me this exact question?"

Li Jiahao muttered to himself, chewing over the words.

What did that mean?

I have to wait until someone begs me to teach them how to flex, and then I'll know how to flex?

Isn't that just... nonsense?

No!

Li Jiahao slapped his thigh violently.

The class rep meant that the highest realm of flexing is not doing it deliberately, but using your own strength and aura to make others genuinely admire you and take the initiative to ask for advice!

In other words... the invisible flex is the deadliest!

I get it!

I finally get it!

Trembling with excitement, Li Jiahao bowed deeply toward Chen Zhi's departing back.

"Thank you, Godfather!"

...

Time flew by. In December, Jiangcheng was suddenly hit by heavy snow.

The entire city seemed to have been pressed with a pause button, and the schools even issued class suspension notices.

Outside the window was a vast expanse of white. Goose-feather-like snowflakes fell tirelessly, smoothing out all the sharp edges of the world.

Chen Zhi was wrapped in a thick quilt, huddled in his computer chair.

On the screen, Chen Zhi was currently at Long A on Dust 2.

The Counter-Terrorist controlled by Chen Zhi was holding an AWP, locking down A Doors.

Footsteps approached.

Here they come.

Chen Zhi's brain issued the command to fire, but his hands clearly refused to listen.

His right index finger was stiff, and at the moment he pressed down, he was half a second too slow.

Bang!

The screen turned gray.

A Terrorist did a crouch-peek combined with a pop flash, the AK47 in his hands spitting flames, landing a one-shot kill.

With Long A lost, his teammates were quickly routed.

[Terrorists Win]

"Damn it!"

Chen Zhi slammed his mouse down and leaned back, sliding half a meter backward in his chair.

He shoved his hands under his armpits and cursed while shivering, "If my hands weren't frozen stiff, could these noobs have even made it out of A Doors? I would have dropped them one by one as they came."

Just as he finished speaking.

A bone-chilling cold suddenly pressed against the back of his neck.

"Hiss—"

Chen Zhi gasped, springing up from his chair and nearly throwing off his quilt.

He snapped his head around.

Lin Wanwan was standing behind him, her wicked little hands still suspended in mid-air, a mischievous smile of successful trickery on her face.

She was wearing a beige puffer jacket with a red scarf around her neck. Even though she was bundled up tightly, she still looked cute and charming.

"Lin Wanwan!"

Chen Zhi gritted his teeth, reaching up to cover the back of his neck.

"Why didn't you knock again? Is this your house or mine?"

Ever since this girl got the key to his house, she had completely let loose.

Before, she would at least pretend to knock twice, but now she treated this place like her own home, coming and going as she pleased.

Lin Wanwan completely ignored his complaints.

With her hands behind her back, she leaned forward slightly, her bright almond eyes curving into two crescent moons.

"Chen Zhi, stop playing games."

She leaned in a little closer, carrying a pleasant fragrance.

"Let's go out and play!"

Chen Zhi rolled his eyes and wrapped his thick quilt tightly around himself again, bundling up until only his head was exposed.

"Not going."

He refused without hesitation.

"It's snowing so heavily outside, only an idiot would go out to suffer. In this kind of weather, I should just rot in bed and spend the rest of my life with my quilt."

Saying that, he turned back around, ready to throw himself back into the counter-terrorism cause.

"Come on—"

His sleeve was tugged.

Lin Wanwan hugged his arm with both hands and started swaying it back and forth.

"Zhizhi, come outside and build a snowman with me, please?"

Zhizhi.

The moment that nickname slipped out, Chen Zhi felt goosebumps erupt all over his body.

Ever since they started middle school, in order to maintain his "mature and reliable" image, Chen Zhi had strictly forbidden Lin Wanwan from calling him by that childhood nickname in public.

Lin Wanwan usually cooperated and just called him by his full name.

But whenever she needed a favor, or simply wanted to gross him out, the repetitive moniker would make its grand return.

Its lethality was off the charts.

"Stop, stop, stop!"

Wearing a pained expression, Chen Zhi tried to yank his arm out of her demonic clutches.

"Talk normally, stop using that fake baby voice. I'm about to throw up my breakfast."

"So, are you going or not?"

Lin Wanwan blinked her big, innocent eyes, giving him absolutely no chance to escape.

"If you don't go, I'm going to tell your mom that you've been dumping money into your video games every day."

"..."

Chen Zhi glared at her.

How was this a childhood friend? This was an absolute menace!

But if his mom found out about the game top-ups, he would definitely be in for a good thrashing.

There was nothing he could do. He was still a minor and at their mercy.

Chen Zhi let out a long sigh and resignedly shut down his computer.

"Lin Wanwan, you are truly the bane of my existence."

He grumbled as he struggled to drag himself out from the warm covers.

"It's freezing out, why do we have to go outside?"

Even though his mouth didn't stop complaining, he still obediently dug out his long black puffer jacket from the closet.

Seeing this, the smile on Lin Wanwan's face grew even brighter.

Like performing a magic trick, she pulled a pair of black knit gloves out of her pocket.

"Here, give me your hands."

Chen Zhi had just slipped into the puffer jacket and hadn't even zipped it up yet when she grabbed his wrists.

Lin Wanwan lowered her head, looking intently as she carefully helped him put the gloves on.

His fingers slid through the fleece lining.

In that moment, Chen Zhi froze slightly.

The inside of the gloves was actually warm.

A cozy warmth spread from his fingertips, accompanied by a faint, lingering sweet scent.

It was the scent of Lin Wanwan.

Chen Zhi looked down at the top of her fluffy head, and a soft spot in his heart felt like it had been gently poked.

This girl must have been keeping these gloves warm inside her coat or pockets before coming over.

"All done!"

Lin Wanwan adjusted the cuffs of the gloves and patted the back of his hands in satisfaction.

"Now you won't be cold."

She looked up. Her fair little face was flushed with excitement, and her eyes looked as if they held fragments of starlight.

Chen Zhi wiggled his fingers.

They really were warm.

He swallowed the sarcastic remark that had reached the tip of his tongue. Reaching back, he pulled the hood of his puffer jacket over his head and zipped the jacket all the way to the top, leaving only his eyes exposed.

"Let's go."

Chen Zhi opened the bedroom door and took the lead, stepping outside.

"It's not like we've never seen snow before. I don't know why you insist on going out to join the fuss."