Advantage Is Mine

Shen Yi set down his chopsticks with a satisfied sigh.

Looking at the table, he chuckled awkwardly. Apart from some chives left in the garlic chive stir-fried meat and a fish skeleton, everything was cleared out, not even leaving a drop of soup behind.

Having gone without food all day, he had been a bit too unrestrained and ended up devouring everything.

With his special physique, he could eat quite a lot, and this was nothing compared to a full indulgence.

"Sorry, I was a bit hungry. Do you have any more ingredients at home? I can cook a couple more dishes for you," Shen Yi suggested, feeling slightly embarrassed as he looked at Cheng Jun.

Cheng Jun was holding a small bowl with just a tiny bit of rice left, indicating she was still hungry.

"No need, I'm full after a few bites."

"Without you, I wouldn't have been able to finish all this food in one sitting."

Cheng Jun shook her head, her heart brimming with joy. The more heartily Shen Yi ate, the more he approved of her cooking. Whether she was full or not was now a minor detail.

Shen Yi looked at her suspiciously.

"I know your appetite. That little bit isn't even enough to feed a cat."

"I can't let you go hungry after you've cooked for me. It's no problem; I can cook quickly."

Cheng Jun refused again, "Really, no need. Let's not keep pushing this back and forth. I'm truly not hungry."

As she spoke, she stood up to start clearing the table, proving she wasn't lying.

Cooking for Shen Yi and having him cook for her in return would just mean she had been doing all the work for nothing.

What was the point of such back-and-forth when they could just share the duties?

Seeing she had started cleaning up, Shen Yi quickly grabbed her wrist and took the chopsticks from her hand.

"Let me do this."

Cheng Jun wouldn't let Shen Yi wash the dishes. She used her elbow to push him away.

"I'll do it. This is my house; it wouldn't be right for you to do the dishes."

"It's no big deal; anyone can do it."

"It is a big deal."

"What's so different? You cook, I wash the dishes. It's fair."

After a moment of tug-of-war, Shen Yi's last remark made Cheng Jun's grip loosen and her mind wander.

Her thoughts seemed to drift back to that small building where they had a division of labor—one cooked, the other washed the dishes. Back then, she hadn't known how to cook and could only take on the dishwashing.

"Right, like the terms of our agreement," she thought.

Watching Shen Yi busily washing dishes, Cheng Jun leaned against the doorframe with a smile, feeling a sense of contentment she couldn't quite put into words.

"Yes, that's it, that's the feeling I've been searching for!"

Ever since returning to reality, nothing had felt right. She had been listless at work and unable to sleep well.

She had searched high and low, tracked down Shen Yi's address, and moved in near him on instinct.

Now, seeing this scene unfold, her restless heart finally settled. This was exactly what she had been longing for.

"Hey, snap out of it. What were you thinking?"

Cheng Jun, lost in thought, was startled back to reality by Shen Yi flicking his wet hand in front of her.

"Oh... nothing, nothing at all."

She dropped her arms and pushed those thoughts out of her mind.

After finishing their meal, they moved to the living room, where Cheng Jun poured Shen Yi a glass of water.

Holding the cup, she asked him, "Have you had that dream again?"

"Dream? You mean the one about that place?" Shen Yi asked, looking puzzled.

"Yes."

"No."

Shen Yi shook his head, then surprised, he asked her, "You haven't gone back to that world, have you?"

"Of course not. I just often dream about it. It's just an ordinary dream."

Cheng Jun took a sip of water and replied. Recently, she hadn't been able to sleep well, often waking up in the middle of the night due to these dreams.

"It's probably related to your experiences there. But it's just a dream; you'll get over it in time."

Shen Yi didn't know what else to say and could only offer her vague comfort.

Ultimately, it was his fault that had caused Cheng Jun to be stranded alone in that post-apocalyptic world.

"Mmm."

They chatted briefly before Cheng Jun saw Shen Yi to the door.

Despite her reluctance, she was too shy to ask him to stay longer.

However, after today's meal, Cheng Jun felt much more at ease.

She was highly perceptive. Just from a single action, she sensed a subtle change in Shen Yi's attitude. It seemed he was no longer as resistant to her as before.

Though she couldn't figure out the reason, this was excellent news for her.

It bolstered her confidence in her quest to win Shen Yi over and edge out Fu Nanzhi.

Cheng Jun wasn't about to give up. In her eyes, although Fu Nanzhi was a formidable rival, it seemed she didn't take Cheng Jun too seriously—an advantage for her.

She had been keeping an eye on things for a few days and hadn't seen Fu Nanzhi around, reinforcing her belief that she still had a chance.

She wasn't being boastful; whether in terms of looks, background, or personality, she felt she was on par with Fu Nanzhi. Moreover, she had never failed in anything she set her mind to.

Closing the door, Cheng Jun leaned against it, mentally boosting herself.

"Fu Nanzhi, you can't be unaware of the proverb 'the one who gets close to the water gets the moonlight.' Don't blame me for surpassing you if you came first."

Love wasn't about fairness. Cheng Jun didn't believe that, with her persistence and initiative, Shen Yi could remain unmoved.

Humming a tune, Cheng Jun happily headed to the bathroom to wash up. She felt that tonight she would finally have a good night's sleep.

…

The night passed without incident, and Shen Yi woke up early the next morning.

Standing at the toilet to relieve himself, he looked at himself in the mirror, his eyes sharp and bright.

The benefits of having his energy maxed out at ten were evident; he now only needed a short sleep to feel fully refreshed. As soon as he woke up, his mind was clear, without any need to recover.

The downside was that he had been forced to get up in the middle of the night to change his underwear and take another shower.

Following his usual routine, he went out for a run and breakfast, then returned home to change into fresh clothes. Checking the time, it was around nine o'clock. Calculating that the campus should be open by now, he headed out again according to his plan.

On the street, he chose a flower shop and ordered a bouquet of tulips.

After paying, he took a taxi straight to his alma mater, Jingyuan University.

Although he was confident that Shu Yunyi had her memories, he still didn't want to assume too much until he saw her in person.

Bringing flowers for the visit seemed formal and would provide a natural reason if she didn't remember him.

Besides, considering her current state, Shen Yi felt compelled to save her. Without the system's intervention, under normal circumstances, this foolish woman would drink herself to death within half a year.

The taxi stopped at the school gate, and Shen Yi got out, heading inside.

The atmosphere on the university campus was relaxed, and Shen Yi's flower bouquet didn't attract too much attention.

Arriving at the apartment building, he stepped into the elevator and chose the floor from memory.

A few steps brought him to Shu Yunyi's door. Holding the flowers, Shen Yi suddenly felt a bit nervous.

"Knock knock knock..."

Calming himself, he knocked on the door.

After a short wait with no response, Shen Yi knocked again, muttering to himself,

"She can't still be asleep, can she..."