Xia Qiuzhi called out to Zhou Yi with a hint of urgency in her voice.
Earlier, she hadn’t even been able to squeeze through the crowd!
Zhou Yi had been surrounded by a swarm of girls asking for his WeChat, and from the edges, her shouts had gone completely unheard.
Seeing Zhou Yi become this popular was something she still couldn’t quite get used to.
Just looking at Zhou Yi’s handsome profile made Xia Qiuzhi’s heart race uncontrollably.
She was a sucker for good looks—always had been. Back then, she’d gotten together with Wang Xuan simply because she liked his face.
Now, Zhou Yi had undergone such a dramatic transformation that after the initial shock, she found herself somewhat infatuated with his appearance.
"Yi-gege."
Hearing the voice, Zhou Yi turned and saw a girl standing before him, delicate as a porcelain doll.
This was Xia Qiuzhi, the childhood friend the original owner of this body had once doted on with all his heart.
There was no denying she was beautiful—her slightly downturned eyes gave her an innocent, vulnerable look, the kind that easily stirred a man’s protective instincts.
Dressed in a simple white sundress, her face still glowing with youthful vitality, she radiated purity.
Compared to Qiao Xi’s delicate fragility, Xia Qiuzhi was more about sweet, youthful charm.
Every boy’s youth had a girl like her—maybe not the idealized "white moonlight," but certainly someone unforgettable.
Zhou Yi didn’t react with the same delighted surprise the original owner would have. If it had been him, Xia Qiuzhi taking the initiative to seek him out would’ve sent him over the moon.
Instead, Zhou Yi smiled faintly and asked, "Ah-Zhi? What’s up?"
That smile of his momentarily dazzled Xia Qiuzhi, making her heart skip a beat.
So this was how Zhou Yi looked when he smiled—like the male lead in a drama, radiant and captivating.
Strangely, now that his face had become so attractive, even his voice seemed to carry a magnetic quality.
Xia Qiuzhi blinked, momentarily stunned, before curving her eyes into a smile. "Can’t I just come see you? Yi-gege, it feels like forever since we last visited the orphanage together."
She was subtly reminding Zhou Yi of their shared past—something she always did when she needed a favor, using their history to ensure he’d comply.
"Last time I asked you to go, you said you were too busy to join me."
"And didn’t you say it’d be better if we pretended not to know each other at school? Aren’t you worried people will see us talking now?"
Xia Qiuzhi’s face paled, her eyes snapping up to meet Zhou Yi’s.
The warmth that had always been there when he looked at her was gone—replaced by something detached, almost indifferent.
How was this possible?
They’d known each other for over a decade. Zhou Yi had loved her for ten years. Even if he’d fallen for the school beauty now, surely he wouldn’t treat her like this?
"Yi-gege, what’s wrong... Are you upset because I didn’t invite you to my birthday party last time?"
Xia Qiuzhi still hadn’t figured out why his attitude had changed.
A perpetually kind, patient person suddenly turning cold—there had to be a reason.
But Zhou Yi could tell from her reaction: Xia Qiuzhi had never truly reflected on her own behavior.
She just assumed he was angry about one specific incident.
Shoving his hands into his pockets, he looked down at her. "Ah-Zhi, I’m not angry with you."
Xia Qiuzhi exhaled in relief—until his next words froze her in place.
"I’ve just realized a lot of things. Since you don’t like me bothering you, I won’t intrude on your life anymore."
A flicker of panic crossed her face. "Yi-gege, what do you mean? We’re best friends!"
Even when she’d disliked Zhou Yi the most, she’d never imagined him disappearing from her life.
She was used to his presence—more than Wang Xuan, Zhou Yi was the one who’d been with her the longest.
He knew her truest self—her humble origins, her flaws, everything.
The thought of losing even an outlet for her emotions terrified her.
She’d go crazy without that!
"Best friends who pretend not to know each other at school?"
"Best friends who can’t even attend your birthday party?"
"Best friends you order around like a dog?"
"Ah-Zhi, if I was blindly devoted to you before, now I see you—and myself—clearly."
"To you, I’m nothing. Not even worth as much as a dog."
Zhou Yi watched impassively as Xia Qiuzhi’s expression grew increasingly flustered with each pointed question.
Her face drained of color, she grabbed his sleeve. "Yi-gege, that’s not what I meant! You know me—I’ve got a bad temper, and I like teasing you sometimes, but I—I—"
She couldn’t come up with a reasonable explanation. Anyone would’ve been fed up with how she’d treated him.
She’d just never considered the possibility that Zhou Yi might walk away.
His decisiveness left her scrambling.
"Ah-Zhi, don’t bother explaining. The person you should be holding onto isn’t me. Think things over when you’re alone."
With that, Zhou Yi checked his watch. "Message me if you need anything. I’ve got to go."
He left without hesitation. Xia Qiuzhi stood rooted to the spot, feeling as if something had hollowed out her chest, leaving only cold wind whistling through. A chill seeped into her bones.
Maybe she hadn’t understood herself either. She’d taken Zhou Yi’s unwavering affection for granted, acting out without restraint. But did she actually have feelings for him?
Before, she’d have said no without hesitation.
Yet now, hearing him say he was leaving her life, she felt... hurt.
The girl stood there, dazed, watching Zhou Yi’s retreating figure until it vanished from sight.
[Xia Qiuzhi’s Heartbeat Points +10, Regret Points +10.]
Hearing the system’s notification, Zhou Yi wasn’t surprised.
Women were all like this—taking a man’s devotion for granted, only realizing its value when he was ready to walk away.
He pulled up his stats panel to check:
[Character Attributes:]
[Name: Zhou Yi]
[Level: LV5 (Bronze)]
[Wealth: ¥7,998,650 (Affluent)]
[Appearance: 95 (Top-tier Heartthrob)]
[Combat: 30 (Average)]
[IQ: 135 (Brilliant)]
[Reputation: 19 (Notable)]
[Attribute Points: 7,904]
[Quest Progress:]
[Xia Qiuzhi’s Regret Points: 10]
[Chu Han’s Regret Points: 0]
[Su Ning’s Regret Points: 0]
[Comeback Progress: 5%]
[Heartbeat Points Earned: 6,948]
[Number of Devoted Admirers: 0]
[Achievements Unlocked: None]
[Items/Skills Acquired: Photographic Memory, Exceptional Recall]
[Current Ranking: 60,652]
[System Store: Locked (Insufficient Level)]
The numbers startled him.
"What? I’ve got over seven million now?"
"Holy—how did I end up with seven thousand attribute points?!"
"How come there are over six thousand heart points? The system never notified me about this?"