After finishing her meal, Chen Yusheng returned her tray and then, like a ghost, made a sudden turn. Under Su Bai's curious gaze, she headed for the cafeteria's side door.
"Why take the side door?"
"...Mm." Chen Yusheng let out an inexplicable hum, her shimmering eyes blinking rapidly.
It was simply because walking with Su Bai drew too much attention!
They had already chosen the most secluded spot to eat, yet passing classmates still kept glancing their way, whispering among themselves.
Honestly, Chen Yusheng disliked being the center of attention.
And she wasn’t the type of girl who thought too highly of herself just because she was pretty.
In her worldview, her skills in League of Legends and computer science held far greater value than her looks.
But others didn’t seem to share that perspective.
Of course, if Su Bai happened to appreciate her appearance, Chen Yusheng wouldn’t mind at all. Maybe that was love—women in love always treated their partners differently.
A classic case of double standards.
"Are you shy walking with me, Yusheng?" Su Bai had already figured it out but asked deliberately.
"..." Chen Yusheng stayed silent, keeping her head down as she walked.
The side door was indeed less crowded, mostly used by kitchen staff. The route also happened to be the farthest from the dorms, requiring a long detour to get back.
Chen Yusheng thought it was perfect—she wanted to take the scenic route and spend more time walking with Su Bai.
It made her happy.
Seizing the moment when no one was around, Su Bai naturally took her hand.
There was no "criminal intent," nor any sense of surprise afterward—it felt as natural as breathing.
Chen Yusheng feigned resistance, but Su Bai held on tightly.
Slowly, her small hand and her entire body softened under his grip.
"Let’s book a couple’s booth at the internet café and play all afternoon. Then I’ll treat you to a Japanese buffet for dinner."
"Mm... okay!"
Chen Yusheng let Su Bai clasp her hand, sticking close to his side.
His hand was so big, so warm.
So this was what it felt like to hold a boy’s hand...
The bookish genius pondered thoughtfully.
They stayed hand in hand until they got into the car. Su Bai started his Mercedes GLE and drove Chen Yusheng to their usual internet café.
If you wanted to push boundaries with a girl, it was best to do it in a familiar setting.
People let their guard down in places they knew well.
In the car, Chen Yusheng turned the AC down—way down.
To the point where it got chilly after a while.
By the time they parked at the internet café, her hands were already icy cold, a side effect of her poor circulation.
This way, she could logically slip her hands into Su Bai’s for warmth.
Su Bai: ?
Under Su Bai’s "You’re up to something~" gaze, Chen Yusheng deadpanned:
"Warm my hands up, or I won’t be able to carry you in the game later."
"...Wait, sis, you make it sound like carrying me is some kind of grueling workout!"
"It is!"
Chen Yusheng stomped her foot. "If you don’t want to, forget it."
"No, no, I do. Very much."
Su Bai grinned, tightening his grip to keep her from pulling away.
Chen Yusheng didn’t grin back.
Honestly, her tactics for holding his hand were painfully obvious.
Compared to the other girls Su Bai had met recently, she was nowhere near as smooth.
But that was exactly what made Chen Yusheng’s clumsiness so endearing.
Chuckling, Su Bai rubbed her small hands as they walked into the internet café.
...
The afternoon’s intense gaming session flew by.
Whenever Chen Yusheng’s screen went dark, Su Bai would take her hand, claiming he was "charging her with winning energy."
His serious expression made it hard for her to refuse.
Then he escalated, placing her hand on her own black-stockinged thigh, seizing the chance to admire those unparalleled legs.
Slender and long, with a perfect curve and just the right amount of softness.
Even through the sheer white dress, their beauty was undeniable.
A stark contrast to Zhou Jialu’s plush, "practical" thighs.
Hard to say which was better.
Chen Yusheng shot Su Bai a few warning glares, but he pretended not to notice.
Embarrassed words lingered on her lips, unspoken.
Truthfully, she liked it when Su Bai got handsy with her.
If he had no such intentions and treated her purely as a buddy, she’d be devastated.
But Su Bai was paying her to accompany him, which made their relationship all the more... complicated.
Hmph. Player.
Lost in her tangled thoughts, Chen Yusheng spent the afternoon with Su Bai before he took her to the Japanese buffet.
Compared to their upscale hotpot night, the ¥1,000-per-person price tag no longer shocked her.
Instead, it reinforced one fact:
Lavish spending that ordinary students could only dream of was just another Tuesday for Su Bai.
Oh no. Her mind was conjuring all sorts of indecent scenarios again.
At a street corner after leaving the restaurant, Chen Yusheng suddenly grabbed Su Bai’s shirt, stepping in front of him with a fierce glare.
"Su Bai, you—you have to clarify what we are right now, or... or I won’t let you touch my legs anymore."
"Huh?" Su Bai played dumb. "Did I?"
"Don’t play coy!"
Seeing Chen Yusheng on the verge of tears, Su Bai found bullying her way too fun.
He decided to take it further.
Cupping her face, he kissed her without warning.
Chen Yusheng jolted, struggling wildly.
But her pathetic stamina was no match for Su Bai’s hold.
The strange, electrifying sensation of her first kiss left her breathless.
Time lost meaning.
When they finally parted, Chen Yusheng slumped against Su Bai, boneless.
Noticing her flushed ears, Su Bai blew a teasing breath on them.
Chen Yusheng squeaked, her face reddening further.
So that was her weak spot.
"Su Bai, you—you bully! On WeChat, you seemed so... so..."
"So what?"
"..."
Chen Yusheng bit her lip.
The truth was, Su Bai was her dream man—someone she’d gladly lose herself to, body and soul.
But his attitude, plus his flirting with other girls, drove her up the wall!
"Oh, about our relationship—I think it’s pretty clear."
Su Bai turned serious, only to drop another bombshell.
"We’re... well, I want to keep you. So you’ll never struggle again, and belong only to me."
"K-keep me?!"
"Yep. I heard your mom’s seriously ill, and treatment costs a fortune... Don’t worry, money’s no object. Let me take care of you for the rest of your life."
Su Bai paused, looking into Chen Yusheng's eyes with sincerity as he said, "I like you, but I can't promise to like only you. So, I believe this kind of relationship is the best choice for both of us."
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
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!
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?!
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
