Outside the classroom, even breathing produced white mist, but inside it was relatively warmer.
After all, there were many people, and those coming in or out would casually close the door behind them, preventing the classroom's warmth from escaping.
Shen Nian entered through the front door and the first thing he saw was Chen Qiuyu, propping her round chin on her hand, wearing a look of melancholy.
The melancholy of that day was truly melancholic.
Shen Nian swiftly made his exit. An eighteen-year-old high school boy, afraid of encountering drama.
Ah, I miss the fishing uncle.
During a previous parent-teacher conference, Shen Nian had noticed Chen Qiuyu's father and remembered his name: Chen Guangming.
While he was on stage reading his speech, the fishing uncle kept covering his eyes with his hand. It was hilarious.
He probably thought I was interested in his daughter.
Old man, is my fishing rod safe downstairs?
Coo-coo, cluck-cluck.
Lunch break.
Shen Nian was part of the "eat-first" faction today. He had rushed to the cafeteria early and devoured his food like a whirlwind. While others were still lining up, he had already finished and put away his bowl and chopsticks.
A dozen or so classmates, both boys and girls, were still in the classroom chatting or studying. Even Lan Fukai was there, though he kept to himself, studying alone.
The mock exam was quite important. Even boys who usually wouldn't stick around were using this bit of after-school time. Some were gathered around Xia Yanchun asking questions.
As soon as Shen Nian arrived, those with math questions came over to him.
"Shen Nian, hurry up and hand over your 'Flame Mantra'!"
"I just use the time you all spend resting for studying, that's all. If you only slept three or four hours a day, you'd definitely improve too."
"You're still being evasive, you jerk. I really might have to use the Sea God's Trident on you."
"I tell the truth and you don't believe me."
Shen Nian just wanted to be an honest kid, but no one believed him when he told the truth.
"I want to believe you! But if you really only sleep three or four hours a night, you should at least put on some dark circle makeup to fool us!" Zheng Bu said with a scoff.
Shen Nian shrugged. "Zheng Bu, haven't you heard? People's constitutions are different. I once, in a state of extreme fury, solved ten final, high-difficulty math problems in a row."
Zheng Bu was practically scared to tears.
Faced with a final math problem, he could only be extremely furious in a state of extreme fury.
Fun fact: In a state of extreme fury, it's easier to punch through a wall than to solve a final math problem.
"Xiao Chun, time for lunch."
"Mhm, you guys go ahead. I don't have much appetite today."
"Oh, okay."
Once a few people left first, others gradually followed. Soon, only Shen Nian and Xia Yanchun remained in the classroom.
"Not going to eat?" Shen Nian asked, resting his chin on a pile of books as he looked at her.
"No appetite."
"What's wrong?" Shen Nian looked at her expressionless little face and smiled. "Oh, it's the end of the month."
It was Chun Bao's time of the month.
It was hard for him to forget. He used to tease her and make her angry during her period before.
But it was different now. The grass by his nest needed to be treated well.
Xia Yanchun puffed out her cheeks. "What about the end of the month?"
"Nothing, nothing. I have a few small breads here. Want the purple rice cream one?"
"Hand it over."
"Here."
This was where the benefit of always having various snacks in his backpack came in.
Xia Yanchun ate the one-fifty purple rice bread, washing it down with water. The originally full cup of monk fruit water was almost gone, and what remained was cold. She added more hot water to it.
Shen Nian went and closed the classroom door and drew the curtains. The classroom curtains were quite thick, blocking most of the light. In winter, when the curtains were drawn, the classroom lights were turned on.
"Stomach ache, right?" Shen Nian sat in Li Shiyan's seat, smiling lightly as he brushed aside her hair.
"No, just no appetite."
"Does your stomach hurt during your period?"
Xia Yanchun, nibbling on the purple rice bread, gave a slight nod. "It hurts, but mine is okay, not severe. Some people have it really bad; I've seen online that some even need painkillers."
"We can't worry about others. Want me to make you some brown sugar ginger water tomorrow?"
"Up to you... Don't you have to get up earlier every time you make these things?"
"Not really. Boiling some water isn't hard. I get enough sleep, don't worry."
"Heh, remember to tell your mom you like Orleans roast chicken. If you die from overwork, I'm going to eat it heartily."
"Damn, such a poisonous tongue. I'll punch you to death." Shen Nian made a fist and gently pushed it against Xia Yanchun's cheek, squishing the soft flesh into a lump, making her look like a little pig.
Xia Yanchun was speechless. Whose idiot had escaped and wasn't being watched properly?
The hot water went down her throat, making Xia Yanchun feel warm inside. "Your monk fruit water is really good."
"Of course."
Under the effect of [Cooking Mastery], the natural heat-clearing property of monk fruit was enhanced and also imbued with a warming effect.
Good for drinking when it's cold, and also when you have internal heat.
Even if Xia Yanchun ate extremely spicy hotpot or fried food three meals a day and got internal heat, a sip of this monk fruit water would pretty much take care of it.
Next time he brewed brown sugar ginger water, it would effectively relieve menstrual cramps and keep her warm too.
Over the past two weeks, he had pretty much figured out [Cooking Mastery]. It felt a bit like health cultivation. The usual scammy health supplements, after being processed by him, could genuinely promote health.
After finishing the purple rice bread, Xia Yanchun threw the wrapper into the small trash bag tied between their desks and sniffled.
"Want more?"
"No. I'll read for a bit and then get ready to sleep."
"Still reading? The mock exam is tomorrow. Wouldn't balancing work and rest be better? I'm telling you, the harder you cram before the exam, the more exhausted you'll be during it."
"Then what should I do?"
"Xia Yanchun, I've realized your life is really too dull. Day in, day out, it's nothing but studying. Study, sleep, wake up, study. You'll become a heartless studying machine!"
"What are you trying to say?"
"Let me get close." Shen Nian grinned, leaning in to sniff the girl's hair and nuzzling her tender ear.
Xia Yanchun felt her face itch from his nuzzling. She tucked her chin in slightly but didn't stop him. Nor did she put down her book, instead holding it up for him to see.
"It's a novel, borrowed from someone else. Satisfied?"
"Good Chun Bao."
"Ugh... Don't lift my clothes..."
"I'm helping you massage your stomach."
"..."
Even though she was dressed warmly, Shen Nian's large hand still slipped under her long-sleeved base layer, resting on her stomach over the thin undershirt.
Xia Yanchun kept her legs together, breathing a little heavily. It felt somewhat comfortable. With Shen Nian pressing on her stomach, the slight discomfort from her period actually lessened a bit.
She felt like an emperor, reading comfortably while someone gave her a massage. Mhm, mhm.
"I still have some monk fruit water left. Do you want it?"
"Bring it here."
"Right away."
The monk fruit water had long gone cold. Xia Yanchun added hot water to it before drinking.
Holding the cup, the monk fruit water was slightly sweet and very soothing for the throat.
With no one else around, she didn't feel like putting on an act. It was just drinking from the same cup, after all.
They used to drink from the same cup often before.
Yan Xi reminds you: Due to the Tomato Novel App requesting over 3 million daily visits, which is causing excessive server pressure, it is now recommended that you use sources from other big shots/platforms:
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
ng to die together with you." Lin Xuan is dead, his body thrown into the river by his scumbag lover and her accomplice. She, the president of the Su Group, is decisive, ruthless, and ice-cold. For three days and three nights, she had his body fished out of the river, and without hesitation, she kissed the bloated corpse of Lin Xuan. She laid down beside him in a cold coffin, their fingers intertwined, a smile lingering on her lips as she closed her eyes. The noble and cold-hearted woman, only bending for one man—Lin Xuan. Lin Xuan, with his golden finger, is reborn and returns to the day of his wedding to the treacherous woman. Su Qiang comes to steal the bride. Lin Xuan's eyes light up, eager to pledge his loyalty on the spot, but instead, her kiss transfers a glass of drugged wine into his mouth, causing him to pass out... 【Male Protagonist with Single Female Lead】【Yandere Tycoon】【Action-Packed】【True vs. Fake Heir】
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.
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
