After looking around, there wasn't anything particularly noteworthy.
Mao Ruirui was itching to ask questions.
But she politely restrained her curiosity.
If Lin Yu wanted to share, he would have brought it up himself.
What if it was something private he didn’t want to discuss? Prying might only make him uncomfortable.
Judging by Lin Yu’s expression, the message seemed to have put him in a sour mood.
"Ah…"
A long sigh cast a subtle atmosphere over the scene.
Mao Ruirui, seizing the cue, quickly asked:
"What’s wrong, Lin Yu?"
"Did something happen?"
"Is it… related to yesterday?"
She hadn’t forgotten today’s morning jog—she had another mission.
Her youthful, vibrant sportswear.
Was partly meant to be seen by "that girl."
At the very least.
She had to show that Lin Yu hadn’t chosen some… older woman.
She was still in the prime of her youth.
Lin Yu nodded along with Mao Ruirui’s words and said:
"That classmate from yesterday showed up again."
The moment he said it.
Mao Ruirui immediately scanned the surroundings, looking for her.
Lin Yu stopped her just in time:
"Ruirui-jie, don’t look around!"
"If she notices us searching for her,"
"Everything we do from now on will seem like an act to her!"
Mao Ruirui: "!!!"
Right!
Lin Yu made perfect sense!
She’d almost made a huge mistake.
In this situation, they absolutely couldn’t go looking for her.
"That girl" was truly terrifying and extreme.
Hiding somewhere in the shadows of the field, secretly watching them?
What could they do to help Lin Yu shake off her obsession for good?
Just as Mao Ruirui was lost in thought.
Lin Yu presented the perfect solution…
"Ruirui-jie, can I hold your hand while we walk around the field for a bit?"
Mao Ruirui: "!!!"
Holding hands…
The two of them?
This… might actually be the best way forward, right?
Couples in love often held hands or linked arms in public.
If "that girl" saw how inseparable they were as a couple.
She’d probably back off… right?
Mao Ruirui’s body reacted faster than her brain.
By the time she processed the thought.
Her hand was already hovering mid-air.
Flustered, she hurriedly said:
"Of course I’ll help Lin Yu…"
"So… let’s hold hands!"
Her outstretched hand.
Was like an olive branch—but also more than that.
It wasn’t just about the physical touch.
It was the first crack in a dam!
Once a trickle of water seeped through.
There’d be no stopping the flood that followed!
Lin Yu firmly took Mao Ruirui’s hand in his.
Despite the long jog and the summer heat.
Her hand remained cool, smooth, and pleasant to hold.
But the way it tensed and relaxed, relaxed and tensed.
Made one thing clear.
Its owner was nervous!
[Ding!]
[Masterful move—your first intimate contact with your destined soulmate sends her heart racing!]
[Reward: 50 Spirit Stones]
Mao Ruirui: "!!!"
The last time a boy had held her hand like this and walked with her.
Was probably back in kindergarten, lining up for dismissal.
Even though she knew it was just pretend.
Being led by Lin Yu like this… felt eerily like the real thing.
Was this how couples in love acted?
No wonder that single mom who often boarded pets at her shop always said:
Haven’t dated yet? Girl, find a guy and try it—it’s amazing!
Just pretending was enough to make her heart flutter.
If she were really dating Lin Yu…
Mao Ruirui: "!!!"
What was she thinking?!
This was just a necessary act, nothing more.
Yet she’d practically imagined their future kids’ names.
Since when was she this… unrestrained?
Lin Yu stammered:
"Ruirui-jie, should we… talk about something?"
Mao Ruirui: "Yeah, probably…"
Lin Yu: "Ruirui-jie, I’m… really nervous. So nervous I don’t know what to say. This is my first time holding a girl’s hand like this."
Hearing this, Mao Ruirui’s nerves settled a bit.
The best way to calm your own anxiety?
Have someone next to you who’s even more nervous!
With her mind clearer now.
She took the initiative:
"Want to talk about that girl? If you’re comfortable sharing?"
Lin Yu squeezed her hand slightly and nodded:
"Of course. Out of respect for her privacy, I won’t mention her name."
"My story goes like this—back when I was eighteen, and so was she…"
For the next five minutes of their hand-in-hand stroll.
Lin Yu spun a tale on the fly, half-improvising as he spoke.
The "unrequited love story" between him and "that girl."
He’d only learned about it himself seconds before.
By the time he finished, his expression was grave.
His story perfectly aligned with the trending romantic tropes that would later dominate pop culture:
Loving a yandere is a story; being loved by one is a disaster.
After hearing this, Mao Ruirui completely believed the impromptu tale.
Her heart ached a little for Lin Yu.
Of all people, why did he have to run into such a terrifying girl?
This only strengthened her resolve to help him.
"Ding dong!"
"Ding dong!"
"Ding dong!"
"..."
The sound of WeChat notifications struck again!
Lin Yu suppressed a grin as he eagerly pulled out his phone.
Beside him, Mao Ruirui politely turned her head away, avoiding any glimpse of his screen.
Such manners!
This was exactly the kind of girl who respected privacy—no peeking at phones!
Equally admirable was the girl who knew just the right time to send messages.
「Shen Buyao: Exhausted. My whole body hurts, but I can’t pinpoint where (sad).」
「Shen Buyao: Please tell me you didn’t make something delicious again this morning (sad).」
「Shen Buyao: I’m a woman deprived of culinary blessings (sad).」
「Shen Buyao: (moon) Goodnight—no, good morning (sun).」
Who said this antique of a sister was a lone wolf?
Wasn’t she just a little sunbeam here to brighten the world?
Just these two perfectly timed messages alone meant Lin Yu owed her a special treat later.
Especially this barrage of four texts in a row.
Each chime hammered straight into Mao Ruirui’s heart.
"Lin Yu, that girl’s still nearby, right?"
"With so many messages, does she not believe we’re actually a couple?"
Mao Ruirui hadn’t read the texts, but she’d shrewdly guessed their gist.
Lin Yu sighed, nodding in confirmation.
Then he added:
"She still thinks I’m just using someone to trick her, trying to make her give up..."
"Ruirui, the steps over there aren’t wet from the rain. Want to sit for a while?"
...
(Bonus chapter delivered! Next bonus unlocks after 483 more 'powered by love' clicks. Thanks for feeding this little author with ad views—back to the grind tomorrow!)
ver to a world of cultivation and returned invincible. Modern medicine is child's play compared to elixirs; technological might crumbles before true cultivation. My name is Qin Ning, Earth's sole cultivator!
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
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
