Shen Nian hadn't really given much thought to the whole university thing. Given his habit of leaving summer homework until the last day, he'd probably only start looking into it after the exams were over.
Honestly, it was too early to be thinking about it now anyway.
As long as his score was high enough, it would be the student choosing the university, not the other way around. With seven months still to go before the college entrance exam, he felt justified in thinking this way.
Figuring out which university to aim for was something only those with insufficient scores needed to worry about.
If he left it to his parents to choose, they'd probably just mindlessly say Tsinghua or Peking University.
A lot of elders were like that. Ask them about any other university and they'd have nothing to say, but mention Tsinghua or Peking and they'd instantly understand. Getting into one of those could make your own father call you 'dad'.
Who knows, maybe Xia Yanchun would want to go to university in the capital someday.
"If you don't want to go, then I don't want to go either." Shen Nian said, legs crossed, looking utterly relaxed.
"What if I do want to go?"
"Then I'd want to go too." Shen Nian laughed. "You originally hoped I'd study locally anyway, so I'll just follow you."
"Nonsense, I never said anything like that." Xia Yanchun huffed.
"Who says you didn't? Right at the start of the term, you said if I didn't work harder, I'd only get into a decent university in another city. Wasn't that regret? Regret means you hoped I'd stay local."
"Bull, I didn't say that."
"You definitely did."
Xia Yanchun pouted slightly, unsure if it was true. It had been three months, who could remember?
Maybe she had just said it offhandedly back then.
"How do you remember so clearly?"
"I just remember, that's all. No special reason. I also remember that time you set off a firecracker in cow dung and it flew into your mouth."
A maiden's blush speaks louder than any sweet nothings. Shen Nian's words warmed Xia Yanchun's heart.
She wanted to bring up something to counterattack, but after holding back for a moment, she swallowed her words and instead launched into a rapid-fire, chirping tirade against Shen Nian for a good while.
Shen Nian picked his ear, completely unfazed, grinning happily.
"You're laughing even when I'm scolding you? Still claim you're not a masochist." Xia Yanchun muttered under her breath.
Shen Nian stopped laughing then, coughed twice, and patted the edge of the bed. "Chunbao, I've got something urgent. Sit over here and I'll tell you."
Xia Yanchun sighed. This guy needed an excuse just to get close.
He used to just put his arm around her without asking all the time.
She went and closed the bedroom door, then gently sat on the edge of the bed. "What is it? I thought you couldn't care less?"
"I never said that."
"You said it yesterday."
"I don't know, I was dizzy yesterday, can't remember clearly."
"......"
Deja vu. Xia Yanchun huffed and puffed, pinching Shen Nian. "You're impossible, you idiot!"
"Ow, ouch!"
"Remember now?"
"...Yeah, I remember. Damn memory restoration technique."
When she pinched his flesh before, Shen Nian didn't think it hurt that much. She must have gotten smarter, pinching the skin hurt like hell.
Shen Nian grimaced, rubbing the spot she pinched. That's the risk of being a jerk—succeed and you laugh, fail and you wait for death.
Soon he sat up properly, shifting next to Xia Yanchun, and draped his own quilt over her. "Chunbao, cover yourself with the quilt. I'm going to get some fruit."
He was out the door in a flash. Xia Yanchun hummed and grumbled, wrapping his quilt tighter around herself.
Shen Nian didn't turn on the heater, so the room was quite cool. Combined with the low temperature from the rain, Xia Yanchun was indeed feeling a bit chilly. Now, wrapped in the quilt, she felt much warmer.
Secretly, she pinched a corner of the quilt and held it to the tip of her nose, taking a small sniff. It smelled nice, a familiar scent she caught every day sitting behind him on the electric scooter.
Catching her breath, Xia Yanchun pulled her feet up onto the bed, covered herself completely with the quilt, and like a cuckoo taking over a nest, propped Shen Nian's pillow behind her back, leaning against the headboard.
Shen Nian came back with a washed bowl of green grapes and a tablet in hand, looking surprised. "Why are you lying down?"
"I'm just leaning back, okay?"
"Same difference. Scoot over inside, please."
Shen Nian squeezed onto the edge of the bed, forcing Xia Yanchun to move towards the middle, further in. "Are you going to watch a movie?"
"Yeah, tired of studying."
Even if Xia Yanchun hadn't come over, Shen Nian had planned to watch videos or play games to kill time. The hours he'd spent studying today already amounted to two or three days' worth for others.
A high school student who can study diligently even on a Sunday will succeed at anything.
"What do you want to watch? I'll pull it up for you."
"Just watch whatever you want."
"I'm afraid if I watch something you don't like, you'll just leave."
Xia Yanchun was taken aback, blinking. "It's fine. I can just hang out here for a bit."
Xia Yanchun was even more diligent than Shen Nian. Like him, she had studied all morning. With the heavy rain outside and not being much of a mobile gamer, she had come over to consult Shen Yue about buying clothes precisely because she was a bit bored.
"Chunbao, you're the greatest. Let me kowtow to you." Shen Nian was moved to tears.
"Then go ahead and kowtow."
"I was just saying! You'd really make me kowtow? Baby, we're the best in the world, don't hate me so much, okay?"
"Who's the best with you? And who's your baby?"
"At the very least, we're not pure-blooded rivals anymore, since we've already slept together."
"......"
That was true.
Xia Yanchun smoothed her hair, unsure how to respond, and could only awkwardly pull the quilt, covering herself more completely, her restless feet pressing down on Shen Nian's foot.
Her size 36 feet looked quite small next to Shen Nian's.
"Give me your phone." She changed the subject, her face having turned rosy at some point.
"Checking up on me?"
"What checking up? Don't talk nonsense." Xia Yanchun grew more flustered, patting Shen Nian's leg seriously. "Hurry up. Why so alert?"
"...No reason. I just feel insecure if you don't say what it's for." Shen Nian handed her his phone.
His phone was full of study materials.
While others were still ignoring risks to install apps, he was downloading "Teacher Huang's 12 Advanced Sessions on College Entrance Exam Physics Finale Problems: Detailed Explanations by a Famous Teacher."
This was the real deal, a secret manual. After watching it, scoring points on physics finale problems would be a breeze.
He often watched it secretly with headphones on during dark, windy nights. This was his unspeakable secret.
It had been a while since she last entered Shen Nian's password. Xia Yanchun thought for a moment at first, unlocked it, swiped left and right a couple of times, then opened Shen Nian's photo gallery.
He actually really did take a screenshot...
Shooting a sidelong glance at Shen Nian, Xia Yanchun deleted the screenshot from yesterday's video call right in front of him, not even sparing the 30-day recoverable recycle bin.
"Damn it, pay up!"
Shen Nian was genuinely getting worked up.
·
[Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! Wishing everyone reunion and happiness every day!]
Yan Xi reminds you: Due to Tomato's request for over 3 million daily visits causing excessive server pressure, it is now recommended that you use sources from other big shots.
] This is a dark fantasy-themed dating simulation game. The main gameplay involves containing various monster girls and investigating the truth of a world shrouded in mist alongside your companions. However, due to his love for the dark and bizarre atmosphere, Luo Wei ended up turning a dating game into a detective mystery game. Women? Women only slow down his quickdraw! To Luo Wei, the female leads in the game are more like tools to perfectly clear levels and squeeze out rewards. For Luo Wei, flirting with every girl he meets and then discarding them is standard procedure. Worried about characters losing affection points? No need. With his maxed-out charm stat, Luo Wei is practically a "human incubus." A little psychological manipulation and those points come right back. It's a bit scummy, but the paper cutout heroines in the game won't actually come at him with real cleavers. However... Luo Wei has transmigrated. He's accidentally entered the second playthrough of this game. His past actions have caused all the girls to transform into terrifying yanderes. Due to the game's setting, most of the heroines he once contained are "troubled girls." Obsessive, twisted, mentally unstable, all aggressive yanderes... The type who will kill you if they can't have you... Luo Wei wants to cry but has no tears left. "I really just want to survive..." In short, this is a story of battling wits and engaging in a love-hate relationship with yanderes.
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!
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?!
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
