"Brother Chen, are you okay?" Gao Quan asked with concern as he noticed the dark circles under Ye Liangchen's eyes.
Yesterday, Brother Chen had already shown signs of being off.
They thought he might feel better today.
But unexpectedly, it seemed even worse.
The dark circles under his eyes were almost as prominent as those of a panda on TV.
Ye Liangchen put away his phone and shook his head helplessly.
Last night, he had been waiting for a message from Li Qingxue on QQ.
He thought about how, during the day, he had torn up the love letter and thrown it in the trash.
Then he ignored her for the entire day.
According to the way things unfolded in his dream, Li Qingxue should have taken the initiative to ask him what was wrong, why he had suddenly stopped paying attention to her.
Last night, Ye Liangchen had stared at his phone, waiting for a message from Li Qingxue.
But to his surprise, he waited until three or four in the morning, and still, no message came.
That's why he was in such poor shape today.
But it didn't matter. Li Qingxue wouldn't hold out for long. Once she slowly realized that he was no longer by her side, she would start to remember how good he had been to her.
Then she would regret it and come to her senses.
Taking a deep breath, he said, "It's nothing, I just stayed up late last night."
"Is it because of the pressure from studying lately?"
At this point, a thought suddenly popped into Gao Quan's mind: "Brother Chen, did you give up on confessing to Li Qingxue because of the gap in your academic performance?"
As the class monitor, Li Qingxue's grades had always been in the top five of the entire school.
Meanwhile, Ye Liangchen's grades were mediocre at best, and there was still a noticeable gap between him and Li Qingxue.
Was Brother Chen worried that, given his current academic performance, he might not be able to get into the same university as Li Qingxue, which was why he decided to give up on confessing to her?
Because he didn't want to hold Li Qingxue back.
But at the same time, he didn't want to truly give up.
So he secretly studied at night, hoping to improve his grades through hard work?
Ye Liangchen glanced at Gao Quan. This guy really had a knack for overthinking things.
But there was no helping it. To outsiders, his feelings for Li Qingxue seemed as if they were carved into his very bones.
Suddenly giving up on her would make people think either that he felt unworthy of her and had no choice but to step back, or that he was just trying a different tactic to get her attention.
Even Li Qingxue herself might think the same way.
So it was no surprise that Gao Quan would come up with such an idea.
They were only seeing the surface, while he was already operating on a whole different level.
Some things couldn't be explained, no matter how hard he tried.
Time would prove everything.
But Gao Quan's words did give him a reminder.
The college entrance exam.
In his dream, it was thanks to Hu Yuying's tutoring and his own exceptional performance that he managed to get into the university that both Hu Yuying and Li Qingxue had their hearts set on.
But with his current grades, there was still a significant gap between him and their dream university.
The key issue was that after being reborn, he had forgotten most of what he had learned in high school.
It was time to figure out a way to improve his academic performance.
Thinking this, Ye Liangchen took a deep breath and looked at Gao Quan: "The pressure from studying has been a bit overwhelming lately."
"But there's always a way to solve it. Come on, Brother Chen will treat you to breakfast today!"
With that, he patted Gao Quan on the shoulder, straightened his posture, and confidently walked toward the cafeteria.
After all, he was a reborn individual. Something as trivial as studying wasn't going to defeat him.
Just as he entered the cafeteria, he saw Hu Yuying standing in line, buying breakfast for Long Aotian!
The calm he had just managed to regain instantly vanished, replaced by burning anger.
He scanned the cafeteria for Long Aotian's figure.
Once he spotted Long Aotian's back, he glared at him fiercely.
Doesn't Long Aotian know how poor Hu Yuying's family is? How dare he make her spend money on his breakfast! Long Aotian, you're truly despicable!
If looks could kill, Ye Liangchen's glare would have annihilated Long Aotian hundreds of times over.
But looks couldn't kill, so Ye Liangchen clenched his fists and slowly walked toward the counter where Hu Yuying was standing in line.
He decided to bite the bullet today and pay for Hu Yuying's breakfast.
But he would remember this debt. Once he grew stronger, he would make Long Aotian pay it back tenfold!
You like having women buy things for you, huh? Fine, I'll buy you a thousand fried dough sticks and watch you eat every single one!
No—ten thousand!
If you dare to spit any out, I'll beat you up!
With these thoughts running through his mind, he arrived by Hu Yuying's side.
"Yuying, let me pay for your breakfast."
Hearing this, Hu Yuying turned and gave Ye Liangchen a puzzled look. "No, thank you."
"Please, let me." Ye Liangchen knew about Hu Yuying's difficult family situation.
She lived with her elderly grandparents, who no longer had any source of income.
Hu Yuying lived frugally, and sometimes even took on part-time jobs during holidays to make ends meet. She worked so hard!
Yet Long Aotian, this scoundrel, had the audacity to make her buy him food.
What he was eating wasn't breakfast—it was Hu Yuying's blood and sweat. How could he stomach it?
In his dream, he hadn't known about this at first. It was only later that he realized how much Hu Yuying had struggled.
He had felt so much regret and remorse!
Now that he knew the truth, he couldn't just stand by and watch Hu Yuying be treated this way.
"No, really, you don't need to. Just pay for your own." Hu Yuying sidestepped, avoiding any contact with the boy in front of her.
"Let me do it. Your family's situation isn't great. The money you spend on breakfast could cover your living expenses for several days!"
"I'm doing this for your own good. Please don't refuse."
Hearing this, Hu Yuying couldn't help but feel a bit annoyed. Noticing that many people in the cafeteria were now looking her way, she instinctively wanted to lower her head.
"My little follower doesn't need your concern." Long Aotian pulled out his meal card and paid for the breakfast himself.
Afterward, he glanced around the room.
Everyone who had been ready to watch the drama quickly averted their eyes.
Long Aotian's actions were a clear message to everyone: Hu Yuying was under his protection.
At this moment, Long Aotian suddenly felt grateful to the author for writing him as an unapproachable delinquent, a villain.
It really came in handy.
Then he turned to Ye Liangchen. "Don't you think you're being too much?"
"Are you just going to stand there? Are you planning to eat while standing?" This last remark was directed at Hu Yuying.
Hearing Long Aotian's words, Hu Yuying pursed her lips and nodded.
Then she carried her tray back to her seat in the cafeteria.
Watching Long Aotian's retreating figure, Ye Liangchen mustered his courage and said, "How am I being too much? You don't care about Hu Yuying, you just want to bully her. Why can't I care about her?"
But his voice was so soft that not only did Long Aotian not hear him, even the cafeteria lady serving food just asked curiously, "Young man, what are you saying? Speak up if you want to order something!"
Ye Liangchen closed his eyes and exhaled. "Two eggs, two cups of soy milk, and six buns. How much is that?"
g Yu was preparing for retirement when her organization decided to eliminate her. She transmigrated to a zombie apocalypse world. However, a tiny unexpected situation occurred: She somehow transformed into an adorable little girl?!
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?"
th】 【No prior gaming knowledge required】【The First Cultivation + Game Design Novel on the Platform】 In a world where the righteous path dominates and crushes the demonic sects, Lu Ze unlocks the "Son of the Demon Path" system. Killing righteous cultivators now grants him power-ups. Wait—deaths in illusions count too? As a former game designer, Lu Ze decides to give the cultivators of this world a little—no, a massive—shock... Sect Elders: "What is this 'Escape from the Demon Sect' game? Why have all our disciples abandoned cultivation to play it??" Elite Disciples: "You're saying... mastering 'Demon Slayer' can help us counter demonic schemes?" Reclusive Masters: "Why did I leave seclusion? Ask that backstabbing rat who ambushed me in 'Eternal Strife' yesterday!" Rogue Cultivators & Civilians: "'Immortal Abyss Action' is addictive! You can even earn spirit stones by loot-running..." Sect Prodigy: "My Dao heart is unshakable... except for that cursed black hammer." Royal Scions: "Can skins have stat boosts? I’ll pay 10,000 spirit stones for one!!" Sect Leader: "WHO IS CORRUPTING MY DISCIPLES?!!!"
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"