Speaking of which, Xia Lin had never particularly cared about anyone before... except for her parents. Caring for one's parents is ingrained in many people's bones.
At least, for someone with no blood relation, this was the first time Xia Lin had shown such a caring attitude.
Often, when she had nothing to do, she would wonder what Su Bai was doing, if he had encountered any difficulties, and whether he needed her to step in as a counselor to help coordinate things...
Of course, most of the time, Su Bai didn't cause any trouble.
When he elbowed someone on the basketball court, it was a pure accident.
"Xia, I've been training for so long, it's your turn now," Su Bai said.
"Alright, according to the plan, today is leg day. I'm almost done warming up, so you can spot me for squats."
With that, Xia Lin got up from the yoga mat, stretched her joints a bit, and walked over to the squat rack.
She wasn't just all talk and no action.
With Su Bai protecting her from behind, her sense of security was maxed out.
There was absolutely no need to worry about any accidents.
But then again, the thought of Su Bai behind her, pressing close to her, caused a blush to gradually creep up Xia Lin's neck.
As a result, she barely managed to complete today's training volume.
"Not bad, Xia. I really admire girls who can stick to leg day."
"Haha, it's not that exaggerated. There are plenty of people who stick to working out."
"Because training legs is very tiring and painful. You can't even get out of bed the next day."
"Are you talking about yourself?"
"No, I haven't trained. My muscles just grew out of boredom."
"What the heck, then how do you know what it's like for everyone to train their legs... Actually, it's fine once you get used to it. The route for tomorrow's camping trip isn't dangerous, so it can serve as a nice cool-down."
"Oh, true."
Su Bai figured that Xia Lin must have good natural talent.
Over-training and bodily recovery obviously depended on talent as well.
For Xia Lin to treat a simple mountain hike as aerobic recovery was truly impressive.
Taking a sip of water, Xia Lin regained her composure and invited Su Bai to do some yoga together.
The feeling of being so close yet not quite touching while he spotted her squats had genuinely made Xia Lin a bit addicted.
So she decided to do some post-workout yoga stretching to let Su Bai further experience her charm.
However, just as the two of them were in high spirits, Xia Lin's phone rang. It was a rather special ringtone, different from the one she usually used for regular calls.
Su Bai felt Xia Lin's body give a sudden jolt.
"What's wrong?"
"It's my mom... Shh, don't make a sound."
"Okay."
Although he had actually met Xia Lin's mom before and Su Bai had a pretty good impression of her—and felt that her opinion of him probably wasn't bad either.
But Su Bai could understand Xia Lin's mindset. She was working out with him right now, and her mom calling at this moment was indeed a bit awkward.
"Hello? Mom..." Xia Lin quickly answered, trying her best to make her voice sound natural.
Her mother's elegant, caring, yet slightly nagging voice came from the other end of the line: "Linlin, why aren't you home so late? Where are you? Aren't you taking your students camping tomorrow? Have you packed everything? Don't stay up too late. It's cold in the mountains, so bring an extra coat..."
"I've packed everything. Ugh, I'm not a child anymore, why do you worry so much?" Xia Lin paused and corrected her, "Also, I'm not taking students camping. I'm definitely not going as a counselor, but as Su Bai's friend..."
"Hahaha, got it. Take good care of Xiaobai. He's young, and finding an older girl like you definitely means he wants peace of mind. You can't be like a clueless little girl and make Xiaobai worry about you."
"..."
Xia Lin was speechless for a moment. Do I look like that kind of childish woman?
Why did her mom have so little faith in her?
Besides, even if Su Bai dated someone younger, he wasn't the type to worry. The guy was always a hands-off boss. Just look at the female confidantes around him; which one of them wasn't fighting to serve him?
This kind of thing depended on a man's personality; it really wasn't entirely tied to wealth.
Some rich guys could even make themselves the passive party in a relationship, or even become simps.
Bizarre incidents of rich guys tipping streamers over a million and getting absolutely nothing in return weren't unheard of either.
Xia Lin felt her mom was purely overthinking things.
"I'm out, dealing with something. Everything is packed, Mom, don't worry." As Xia Lin dealt with her, she subconsciously turned her back, as if this could block Su Bai's line of sight.
She could feel his gaze landing on her back, carrying a hint of understanding, and perhaps a faint smile, which made her even more embarrassed.
This younger brother is so bad!
Su Bai was the type of person who loved to smile, but not every smile was well-intentioned. Whenever he wanted to be mischievous, the smile on his face was exceptionally bright, like an autumn peony, so lively it was almost scary.
"Out? Who are you with? It's not safe this late."
"With Su Bai, uh, we're working out together..."
"Haha, I see. Then Mom is relieved. Working out is good. You guys need to keep up this good habit. When I had you, I took the therapist's advice for postpartum recovery and stuck to light strength training. You see, at my age, my body is much better than my old sisters'..."
Mother Xia started rambling about her glorious past deeds again.
Relying on his acute hearing modified by the System, Su Bai heard Mother Xia's words and couldn't help but marvel inwardly.
Auntie looked quite elegant; he didn't expect her to be a fitness veteran as well.
Sure enough, a person's habits had a lot to do with their family upbringing.
Xia Lin patiently listened to her mom's nagging, but Su Bai continued with the yoga, making her very embarrassed.
When the phone call finally ended, Xia Lin felt like her whole body was drained of energy.
"Let me carry you upstairs, Xia. We can take the private elevator here straight to the top floor."
"Hmph..."
Xia Lin indicated she had no objections; she really couldn't have any objections right now.
Returning to the top-floor suite, only a few ambient lights were on in the living room. The lighting was soft, and the dotted lights of cruise ships on the river could be seen outside the window.
This night view really isn't bad.
Su Bai realized that he only learned to appreciate such scenery after his wallet became flush.
"You go take a shower first, little brother..."
"What do you mean I go first? There are clearly two showers in this suite."
"I, I need to rest for a bit."
Xia Lin's eyes flickered.
Just now in the gym, she had really consumed too much stamina.
With Su Bai beside her, the physical exertion required had directly doubled.
Plus, the catalytic reaction caused by her mother's phone call was comparable to the elemental reactions in Genshin Impact.
"Xia, if it's inconvenient for you, I can actually help you..."
"Don't! I'll wash myself!"
Xia Lin stumbled off to take a shower.
This couldn't help but make the corners of Su Bai's lips curl into a smile. This girl really couldn't handle being teased, just like a little girl.
It was fine to leave this innocent side just for him, Su Xiaobai. On the outside, she was still the dignified Xia.
Tonight, Su Bai would show some mercy, after all, they still had to go up the mountain to play tomorrow...
he colors of other people’s emotions. Light red meant anxiety. Gray meant exhaustion. Orange meant excitement. Yellow... meant repression. At the same time, he could gain unlimited control over one of those colors. Pale cyan: relaxation. Using this ability, he started offering “two-yuan hugs,” spending an afternoon exchanging emotional-color experiences with others. Then came his final female customer of the day— a girl whose emotional color was pure black... —— A week later, Xu Chuan had become skilled at using pale cyan—Relaxation—treating it like a bottle of menthol balm whenever he needed it. That was when he discovered he had unlocked another unlimited emotional color: Purple, the color of fear. So these emotional colors refresh every week? Fine, I take it back—I’ll never call you useless again... —— Much later, after Xu Chuan had accumulated countless emotional abilities, one night, he suddenly found himself inside someone else’s dream. There, he could use the emotional colors he possessed to paint. And in her dream, he painted her a shower of pink shooting stars, spreading across the depths of the night sky...
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?"
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】
uld barely embark on the path to immortality. Just as he was on the verge of death, his golden finger awakened. No matter whether it was poison, drained blood and vital energy, diminished lifespan, or any other physical debuff caused by paying a price—once midnight passed, everything would be refreshed. From then on, whenever someone asked what kind of person Chu Ran was, the answer was simple: Forbidden arts that other cultivators dared not learn? Chu Ran would learn them. Prices that even demonic cultivators dared not pay? Chu Ran would pay them. Lifespan that even righteous cultivators dared not burn? Chu Ran would burn it. All the blood essence in his body? Take it. Want both his hands and feet? He would cut them off and send them to you. You say he’s finished? He wasn’t built to sit idle. You think he’s gone mad? No—he was simply waiting for midnight. From that day onward, Chu Ran would respect neither Heaven nor Earth, bow to neither gods nor ghosts. He had only one wish: For midnight to arrive a little sooner.
