Shen Nian was wearing a jacket, so even if Xia Yanchun had her little canine teeth and bit down hard on his shoulder, it probably wouldn't hurt much.
Shen Nian patted the back of the fragrant little person in his arms. "Hey, hey, I just gave you a hug. Why did you bite me?"
"If you don't let go, I'll bite you to death." Xia Yanchun released her bite, leaving a faint damp mark on the clothes. Her throat was dry, and her voice was low.
"It hasn't been that long. I have to say, for someone so small, you feel surprisingly nice to hold." Shen Nian let go of her by her shoulders, and they faced each other. Seeing the blush that had spread across Xia Yanchun's face, he suddenly chuckled.
"Shut up. And you feel terrible to hold, like hugging a pillar."
"Ahem."
Shen Nian decided to be honest and not provoke Xia Yanchun's anger. If she didn't let him hug her like this next time, he'd really be losing the big picture for a small gain.
But.
Holding Xia Yanchun was truly healing.
It healed him right to the core, his nose filled with nothing but a sweet scent.
Shen Nian straightened his clothes and gently smoothed Xia Yanchun's hair, smiling softly. "We have class this afternoon. Sleep peacefully, I won't disturb you."
"You'd better really not disturb me."
Pulling out her small pillow, Xia Yanchun flopped down, turning her head away to ignore him. Her movements were a bit awkward, a bit hindered, and her expression was very unnatural. It only improved slightly with her back to Shen Nian.
To be teased into such a state by Shen Nian... the legend of her high offense and high defense was shattered, the pure mutual dislike between her and Shen Nian was shattered, everything was shattered!
What sworn enemies? That title had probably been in name only for a long time now!
Ugh, if she didn't resist, she'd be utterly devoured by Shen Nian sooner or later!
Unable to calm her rapid breathing, her mind was a tangled mess. Xia Yanchun didn't know what it was—impossible to cut through, impossible to sort out.
Only when Shen Nian poked the finger she had tucked under her arm did her thoughts abruptly settle. She didn't say a word, just quietly curled her finger in, allowing no one to touch it.
Clatter, clatter.
Shen Nian left Li Shiyan's seat. He said he wouldn't disturb Xia Yanchun, and he meant it.
He went to the restroom to wash his face, then slipped to the school store and bought two Chocliz bars to cool himself down. Since Chun Bao was already asleep, he simply spent the whole noon break sitting on a bench along the school path.
Enjoying the breeze and such.
The autumn wind was mild, a streak of azure breaking through the clouds.
......
The bell signaling the end of the noon break rang, and students began trickling out of the dormitory buildings. Only then did Shen Nian head to the classroom.
The classroom was still empty, with only Xia Yanchun inside. Seeing Xia Yanchun's dazed, just-woken-up look, Shen Nian felt like punching her to see how long she'd cry.
But if it were Xia Yanchun, she'd probably hit back.
"Awake?"
"Mmm..." Xia Yanchun glanced at him briefly. She hadn't really wanted to talk to him, but seeing the bottle of iced cola in his hand, she couldn't help adding, "How many bottles of cola do you drink a day? Be careful of getting diabetes young."
"No need for you to worry about that. It's sugar-free, and besides, I burn through a lot of sugar daily. I just crave something sweet after working out."
"Did you just work out then?"
"No, I'm just greedy."
"Then what are you talking about?" Shen Nian chuckled mischievously. "It's unopened. Want a sip?"
"......"
Xia Yanchun smacked her lips. Her mouth was dry from just waking up, and since it was unopened, she really did want a taste.
In the past, Xia Yanchun's favorite piece by Lu Xun was "The Doctrine of Taking."
"Hand it over."
"You're really going to drink it? I was just kidding. If you drink it, pretend I never said anything."
Xia Yanchun flushed slightly. "Stingy! I let you hug me when you wanted to!"
"Oh, come on. If you put it that way, I'll just give you the whole bottle. We're buddies, after all."
"……"
Taking the iced cola, Xia Yanchun thought about tilting her head back to drink without touching her lips to the bottle like boys do, but was afraid of accidentally staining her clothes. So, she took out her own water bottle and poured about two-thirds of the cola into it, leaving only a mouthful for Shen Nian.
"Seriously, bro? Playing like this? That's too much."
"Can't I have a bit more?" Xia Yanchun's upper lip lifted slightly. "I'm helping you share the burden because I'm worried about your diabetes. Instead of being grateful, you're criticizing me? If you don't want me to, I'll pour it back for you."
"Dude, the tea vibes are overflowing. Are you a green tea?"
"Not only criticizing me but also calling me a green tea?"
The corner of Shen Nian's eye twitched, and he was at a loss for words.
Fine. Whatever Chun Bao says goes. Whatever she says is right. Chun Bao often indulges him, so he should indulge Chun Bao a little too.
Chun Bao indulges him playing with her hair, touching her shoulders, pinching her fingers, and now even hugging. He indulges Chun Bao by letting her have an extra sip of cola. It's fair. Love from Shen Nian.
Xia Yanchun hummed triumphantly, a smile playing on her lips. She took a small gulp. The carbonated drink fizzed sharply in her mouth. She let out a breath, and even the gloom in her heart seemed to vanish.
This happy drink really has something to it.
Not long after, Li Shiyan also bounced into the classroom like a little bunny.
"What's got you so happy?" Shen Nian initiated the conversation.
"Hehe, I just bought a pair of shoes online and triggered Alipay's 'no charge' promotion." Li Shiyan's eyes curved into crescents, grinning from ear to ear.
Hearing this, Shen Nian felt a bit like dying. He had a feeling Li Shiyan would one day snatch all the good deals in the world.
Damn, I want to plunder some of that luck. Any evil cultivator brothers online to teach me how?
Xia Yanchun was also slightly astonished, covering her mouth with a laugh. "Your luck is just too good."
"I don't know how either. It's the third time this month."
"Hey, next time let's go to the mall and try those scratch-off tickets together!"
"Okay!"
Shen Nian stroked his chin, his gaze gradually clearing.
"Do you know Sanguosha?" he asked.
"Huh?" Li Shiyan immediately grew tense. "Is... is that the highly acclaimed Sanguosha?"
"Correct. Are we good friends?"
"I guess so..." Li Shiyan thought about how Shen Nian often shared snacks with her and was her good friend's childhood friend, then nodded.
"Would you help me draw a card in Sanguosha?"
"Ah... I, I've never played..."
"It's fine. You just need to click. I'll let you try it sometime when there's a chance."
"Oh, okay..."
You know, I have never spoken ill of Miss Li Shiyan.
Drawing an epic general in one try... maybe, just maybe, she could really do it.
Yan Xi reminds you: Due to Tomato's request for over three million daily visits causing excessive server pressure, it is now recommended that you use sources from other experts.
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.
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)
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
world slacker. But a genius female disciple just had to get clingy, insisting that he take her as a disciple. Not only that, she was always making advances on him, thoroughly disrupting his peaceful slacker life...
