Shen Jiuyi replied with an utterly calm expression:
"I wasn't running away. I was just finding the best angle for stargazing."
Lin Yu: "..."
Alright, alright.
She sure comes up with lies quickly.
Who would've thought?
Given Shen Jiuyi's usual unfiltered mouth, even in a dream world, she'd actually lie?
Indeed.
When normally composed people lose their balance, unimaginable "little monsters" can sprout in their hearts.
Lin Yu didn't expose Shen Jiuyi's thoughts.
Calling out her panic now would only amplify the tension.
They'd just entered the dream—no reason to let the dream world collapse so easily.
Lin Yu casually lay down on the grass beside her, gazing up at the star-filled sky.
Damn, it's pristine!
Not a single stray cloud to obstruct the view.
A stargazer's dream come true.
"I see now."
"Xiao Jiu, you picked a great spot. The view here is perfect."
Seeing that Lin Yu didn't seem suspicious and even agreed with her, Shen Jiuyi realized there was no chance of sneaking away now.
She had no choice but to lie down as well, joining him in observing the stars' trajectories.
Lin Yu and Shen Jiuyi were equally skilled in stargazing.
Judging by the celestial patterns across the night sky...
Honestly, Shen Jiuyi was a girl who faced facts.
Even in her dreams, she didn't grant her own fate a single extra twist of fortune.
The constellations here were identical to what they'd seen in the real world earlier that night—just with a few more scattered stars, but nothing that changed the reading.
Lin Yu had already shown Shen Jiuyi plenty of respect back in the bedroom.
But here in the dream...
"Xiao Jiu, can I hold your hand?"
Lin Yu suddenly blurted out, catching her off guard.
Shen Jiuyi turned her head sharply, eyes wide with disbelief: "???"
Yao Yao already saw Lin Yu as the sole savior of her romantic world.
Lin Yu was fully aware of this and hadn't resisted the idea.
Even if they hadn't officially started dating, weren't they practically acting like they were?
And now, out of nowhere, he was asking to hold hands?
Was he planning to sneak around right under Yao Yao's nose?
Of course, stripping it down to the core...
The real reason he dared to ask was...
"Lin Yu, is it just because my fate is—"
This time, Lin Yu cut her off directly:
"Yep, of course it's because of your fate."
Shen Jiuyi bolted upright: "!!!"
So it was true.
In Lin Yu's mind, he really saw her that way!
Someone well-versed in Zi Wei Dou Shu would never dismiss destiny with a flippant "I don't believe in fate."
Clearly, Lin Yu had just been humoring her before.
Lin Yu sat up as well, demanding:
"What's with that look? When you were all over me in my bed—touching, moving, even biting—you weren't like this."
"Actions in the subconscious are pure reflections of one's true nature. Do I really need to explain that to you?"
Shen Jiuyi opened her mouth to retort but found no words.
Because...
Lin Yu wasn't wrong!
What happened in his room was something her usual self would never do.
"Xiao Jiu, after how rudely you treated me, the fact that I didn't report you at Ghost Market Street is already me being generous, don't you think?"
"And now, when I just want to hold your hand, you're giving me excuses?"
Shen Jiuyi: "!!!"
Report her at Ghost Market Street?
Wouldn't that mean everyone in the antique industry would learn about her "born courtesan" destiny?
Those involved in the antique trade often dabble in feng shui and metaphysics.
If this were to spread...
She...
No—
It might even drag Yao Yao into it, making them both targets of their peers' judgment!
This was entirely different from Yao Yao's "lonely star of calamity" fate.
This absolutely couldn't be exposed!
As Lin Yu held out his palm, Shen Jiuyi inexplicably placed her hand in his.
[Ding!]
[Masterful move—voluntary self-sacrifice deepens the Starview Pavilion’s honorary elder’s impression of the destined fate!]
[Reward: 20 spirit stones.]
Lin Yu tightened his grip, savoring the cool, smooth touch.
He even deliberately pulled her closer, kneading her hand repeatedly.
Having chosen to enter Shen Jiuyi’s dreamscape, Lin Yu had no intention of pretending to be some hypocritical gentleman.
Tonight, he’d indulge in a more unrestrained dream.
"Your skin is so well-maintained—so soft... and fragrant!"
As he spoke,
Lin Yu brought her hand to his face, inhaling deeply with intoxicated delight.
The moment he did,
he could clearly feel Shen Jiuyi shudder.
Playing the pervert? He was a professional.
"Why stay so far away? You didn’t hesitate to hide under my covers last night."
"Come, sit closer. Let me analyze your astral readings and predict your fortune for the coming days."
"Self-analysis is never truly objective."
Shen Jiuyi’s eyes brightened—she was genuinely intrigued by his offer.
When interpreting her own fate,
she often skewed ambiguous signs toward favorable outcomes.
After all,
who’d willingly predict their own misfortune?
Perhaps
only Lin Yu’s words could be truly impartial.
Shen Jiuyi braced against the grass, preparing to shift closer.
But just as she rose,
Lin Yu seized the moment to strike.
In one swift motion, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her onto his lap.
"Lin Yu!"
Her icy tone held no real threat.
This was just Shen Jiuyi’s usual demeanor.
Far from anger,
it sounded almost like a coquettish protest.
"Last night in my room, you went much further than this."
"Consider this a small payback—how else do I restore my pride?"
"You didn’t think you could just brush it off, did you?"
Shen Jiuyi’s brow furrowed briefly before her expression smoothed back into indifference.
On second thought,
if this settled last night’s incident, perhaps it wasn’t so bad.
The only thing unsettling her was...
Shen Jiuyi: "Lin Yu, if Yao Yao finds out about this, how will you explain it to her?"
Lin Yu: "I answer to no one. If Yao Yao learns about last night, how will you explain it?"
Shen Jiuyi: "..."
His shameless attitude left her speechless.
Compared to this,
last night’s incident was far harder to justify.
"Let’s get this over with. The sooner we finish, the sooner we leave."
Seeing Shen Jiuyi resign herself to staying put,
Lin Yu boldly wrapped an arm around her waist and lifted her slightly, declaring:
"Tsk!"
"Little Jiu, I foresee a blood calamity in your future."
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
with countless casualties. As a top-tier gamer, Liu Xuan volunteered to join the fight, intending to dominate with his skills, but instead he obtained the hidden class: [Pacifist]. Unable to attack. Unable to use active skills. Fortunately, with each level gained, he acquired a new passive skill. And so, armed with a body full of passives, Liu Xuan slaughtered his way through the battlefield of ten thousand races! [You attacked Liu Xuan] [You gained the debuffs: 'Poison', 'Fear', 'Burning', 'Bleeding', 'Freeze', 'Silence', etc.] [Your attack speed has been reduced by 99%] [Your armor and magic resistance have been reduced by 99%] Warriors of the Ten Thousand Races: How the hell am I supposed to fight this?!
end. Thus one must continue to cultivate, and become a saint or great emperor, in order to prolong one's life. Chen Xia, however, completely reversed this. Since his transmigration, he has gained immortality, and also a system that awards him with attribute points for every year he lives. Thus between the myriad worlds, the legend of an unparalleled senior appeared. "A gentleman takes revenge; it is never too late even after ten thousand years." "When you were at your peak I yielded, now in your old age I shall trample on you." - Chen Xia
spital. Good news: I've bound a system. Bad news: I'm still a baby. "Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river, do not bully the middle-aged for being poor — Divorce Comeback System." "Your marriage may have failed, but your luck in love has never run dry. Your childhood sweetheart, out of contact for twenty years, reappears. Her beauty remains, yet her eyes are brimming with tears." [Listen to the childhood sweetheart's sorrowful story.] Chen Zhi looked down at the diaper he was wearing, then at the little childhood sweetheart crying her heart out beside him, and fell into deep thought. Can anyone relate? I'm having a midlife crisis at an age where even rolling over is a struggle.
