Shen Nian always had a way of saying things that Xia Yanchun couldn't handle, completely out of the blue.
It was the same before, and it's the same now.
Hearing Shen Nian's words, Xia Yanchun's eyes immediately became evasive, her head drooped lower and lower, and a blush she couldn't control spread across her cheeks.
"W-what nonsense are you talking about..." She smoothed her hair on her own, taking a long, long time to calm down before pretending to be nonchalant and blowing a bubble of words.
"It's not nonsense."
Was this a confession?
Xia Yanchun didn't know, and didn't know how to reply, so she just bit her lip, waiting for Shen Nian to continue.
But Shen Nian showed no intention of explaining further. He just stared at her youthful face for a good while.
Shen Nian grinned, boldly grabbing her hand and holding it between both of his, kneading and rubbing it, determined to make her hand as red as her face.
The girl's hand was cool, her skin tender. Perhaps because Xia Yanchun was already in a shy state, it didn't take long for Shen Nian's touch to make her hand warm.
"What do you like about me?" Xia Yanchun couldn't help but ask.
Shen Nian thought about it... and got stuck.
He hemmed and hawed for a while, unable to come up with anything.
Xia Yanchun pouted slightly, her eyes instantly filled with exasperation. "You're just joking, right?"
"Buddy, I only speak the truth. Although you have many flaws, your good points are also very few."
"..."
Shen Nian quickly moved to Li Shiyan's seat, pulling the chair closer to her. "Chunbao, that's not what I meant. The classroom is for studying. Let's talk about something academic instead."
Xia Yanchun gave him a resentful look, ignoring his big hand that had taken the opportunity to creep onto her arm. "So you do know this is a classroom. You clearly don't take it seriously, saying such things suddenly..."
"Haha, you're right." Shen Nian didn't want to explain. He stroked her cheek with his thumb. "But I wasn't talking nonsense either. If you don't want to hear it, I won't say it."
The blush on her face never faded. She felt she probably wouldn't be able to sleep at noon today.
Being told she was liked by the boy next door she'd grown up with...
This wasn't a confession. Shen Nian hadn't said anything about wanting to date her or the like. It was more like stating a fact, something he just said because he felt like it.
As for what he liked about her...
She didn't really care.
Just like how she disliked Shen Nian, but didn't know exactly what she disliked about him.
Feeling inexplicably awkward again, Xia Yanchun hunched her shoulders slightly. "I wasn't talking nonsense either, about disliking you."
"Chunbao, don't be upset, okay? Let's go import some snacks later. My treat, for real this time. I won't scam you."
"Have you heard the story of 'The Boy Who Cried Wolf'? Your credibility with me is completely depleted. If I had to choose between trusting you and trusting 'Qin Shi Huang, V me 500', I'd choose the latter without hesitation."
"Really? Actually, I am Qin Shi Huang. Back then, I sought the elixir of immortality, but was tricked. The immortality pill was actually a reincarnation pill that lets the user retain memories through rebirth. You V me 500, and I'll secretly take you to the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang to find my mount, the polar bear."
"..."
Xia Yanchun just watched him spout whatever nonsense came to his mind.
More terrifying than being liked by a yandere is being liked by an idiot.
After listening to his passionate performance, Xia Yanchun nodded with feigned seriousness. "You being from ancient times might not know, but 'buy now, pay later' is all the rage now. You take me to find the polar bear first, then I'll V you 500. Okay, I'm going to sleep now."
"Then sleep."
Xia Yanchun took out her small pillow, obediently rested her head on it, and closed her eyes.
But the lingering warmth on her face wouldn't dissipate. With Shen Nian, who had said those things, sitting beside her, she couldn't completely ignore him anymore.
Especially since Shen Nian's hand was still resting on her arm, not even pretending otherwise.
Xia Yanchun quietly turned a little, opening one eye a slit to peek at the person next to her, who was also resting his head on the desk but with his entire face turned towards her. She blinked.
"Shen Nian..."
"Hmm?"
"...Do you really like me?"
"Mhm." Shen Nian countered, "Then do you really dislike me?"
Xia Yanchun blinked twice, her breathing becoming a little hurried. Her feet even restlessly stepped onto the crossbar under the desk, making an unpleasant scraping sound.
Her voice was soft, "Going to sleep."
"?"
Shen Nian knew the answer. Hearing Xia Yanchun say it herself wasn't strictly necessary.
Such a tsundere, this Chun'er.
But Shen Nian still had to pretend to be annoyed. He leaned close to her buried head and rubbed his forehead against hers. "The hell, leaving a sentence half-finished, keeping me hanging again, huh?"
Before she could fall asleep, Shen Nian moved closer, vigorously tickling her arms and waist with both hands. Xia Yanchun, her face buried, let out muffled giggles and light hums, trying to hold back her laughter.
She held out for a long time but finally couldn't help lifting her head a little, puffing out her cheeks like a pufferfish.
"Dammit, still laughing. Seems you know you're keeping me hanging."
"Hmph, as if!"
"Bad woman."
Shen Nian nuzzled her cheek, along with her hair, and gently took her delicate little earlobe into his mouth for a moment.
The warm, damp sensation startled Xia Yanchun. She immediately jerked her neck back, covering the ear Shen Nian had just taken into his mouth with an incredulous look. Her eyes reflected Shen Nian's face, and her lips pressed into a straight line.
She thought she could hear Shen Nian swallow, or maybe it was just her imagination—until she actually saw his Adam's apple bob up and down.
Xia Yanchun lowered her gaze. "You even bit my ear..."
"I wanted to kiss you originally." Shen Nian bared his teeth in a grin. Even his face, which had been normal when saying he liked her, now showed a hint of barely suppressed flush.
"...In your dreams! I'm really going to sleep now!"
"Okay, okay."
Around one o'clock, Shen Nian stopped bothering Xia Yanchun. Although he felt a bit restless inside, this was originally Xia Yanchun's naptime.
Xia Yanchun wasn't exactly full of vigor; catching up on sleep was important.
He shouldered his backpack and went outside the school to stock up on snacks.
The classroom was empty. Xia Yanchun rested her cheek on her hand, her thoughts in disarray. The moment she remembered Shen Nian saying he liked her, little flowers seemed to bloom in her heart one after another. The ear Shen Nian had bitten felt warm, the heat lingering for a long, long time.
At two in the afternoon, the clouds parted, and the sun dispersed the traces of yesterday's heavy rain.
Shen Nian returned to the classroom with his backpack. Xia Yanchun seemed to have just woken up, sitting dazedly in her seat without moving, her eyes barely open.
This sleepy, drowsy Chunbao was super cute.
Shen Nian hung up his bag, leaned over her desk, and gently stroked her soft lips with his finger.
Xia Yanchun reacted as if startled, first covering the ear closer to him, then belatedly switching to a defensive expression, ready to hiss at him.
"I washed my hands after using the restroom," Shen Nian predicted directly.
"Who asked?!"
Shen Nian said nothing, just kept grinning foolishly.
Silence.
People gradually trickled into the classroom, most looking as if they'd been dead for two days, immediately flopping onto their desks to continue sleeping as soon as they sat down.
Nothing much happened in the afternoon. Even the teachers seemed listless, explaining a few problems before letting the students study on their own.
It made no difference to Shen Nian, though. It was all just doing test papers.
Eighty test papers were a huge project. Without his usual vigor, Shen Nian would probably wear down two of his 'magic pills' writing them.
Yan Xi reminds you: Due to Fanqie's daily requests exceeding 3 million+, causing excessive server pressure, it is now recommended that you use sources from other big-name providers.
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
m back to his original world. In the end, he realized he had overthought things. [Hey, why is Shen Manni, the female lead, acting strange? Shouldn't she be fawning over the male lead at this point?] [Zhou Qiaoqiao, are you sick? Weren't you supposed to break off your engagement today?] [Damn it! An Youyi, please do your job as an undercover agent and sell my information to the protagonist, you idiot!] ... At this moment, Xu Mo himself didn't know that these female leads had already heard his inner thoughts. Then they decided not to play by the rules. Xu Mo: Please respect my profession as the big villain!
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."
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!
