Qiao Xi had a gentle personality—kind-hearted, innocent, and easily content. For a girl like her, there were only two possible outcomes when it came to finding a partner in the future.
The first was finding a man who truly loved her, treated her well, and was willing to give his all for her.
The second was being deceived and hurt by a scumbag.
Between the two, the latter was far more likely.
Especially these days, where some scumbags didn’t just play with emotions—they swindled money too.
Qiao Xi came from a well-off family and was strikingly beautiful. Her harmless demeanor and naive, unworldly charm made her the perfect target for such men.
Qiao Xi was like a rabbit, and the men around her were wolves. Zhou Yi looked into her innocent, wide eyes and felt a surge of fatherly protectiveness.
He couldn’t even imagine what would happen to her if he left for City A while she still had years to spend here.
In Zhou Yi’s mind, he wasn’t a scumbag—he was just an ocean, his heart divided among many girls. He believed he was different from the typical definition of a scumbag.
Of course, that was just his own perspective (author’s disclaimer).
There was always someone worse, and in the hierarchy of scumbags, Zhou Yi wasn’t the absolute worst.
With some concern, Zhou Yi asked, "Xiao Xi, are there any boys in your class chasing after you?"
Qiao Xi wasn’t sure why he suddenly brought this up. She bit down on her milk tea straw, lowering her head shyly before answering obediently, "There are."
Perhaps afraid he’d misunderstand, she quickly added, "But I turned them all down. I don’t like any of them."
A girl would never let the person she liked think she was entangled with too many men. She’d fear giving the wrong impression.
Quite a few boys had confessed to Qiao Xi, but she had no interest in them, so she rejected them outright—never stringing them along or leaving room for false hope.
It might have been a little harsh, but it was better than leading them on ambiguously.
Zhou Yi raised a teasing brow. "Not even one you’re interested in?"
Qiao Xi shook her head vigorously. "No! Not a single one!"
Her heart raced with urgency as she insisted, "Yi-ge, did you hear something? I really don’t like them. I didn’t even stay friends with them."
Qiao Xi was still young and had never been in love. Zhou Yi was the first person she’d ever liked, and in front of him, she couldn’t hide her feelings at all.
Thinking he’d misunderstood, she panicked and stumbled over her words, even her milk tea tasting bland now.
"I know they only like me for my face. That kind of affection doesn’t last. With a personality like mine, anyone who spends time with me would eventually get annoyed..."
Her words grew increasingly flustered.
"No, that’s not what I meant—I just... I don’t like them. I only like..."
Zhou Yi cut in at just the right moment. "Like what?"
Qiao Xi met his deep, captivating gaze, and her heartbeat instantly quickened.
Her lashes fluttered as she tightened her grip on her drink, her voice dropping to a whisper. "...Someone like Yi-ge."
She bit her lip, too shy to look at him.
A reserved girl could never hold eye contact with the person she liked—it would betray her heart too easily.
Qiao Xi’s nervousness was plain to see, her emotions written all over her face for Zhou Yi to read.
She didn’t know why she’d blurted that out in a moment of impulsiveness, nor how he’d take it.
Head bowed, she clutched her milk tea straw like a timid little quail.
Zhou Yi couldn’t help but laugh at her expression.
Ruffling her hair gently, he said, "Why so nervous? I was just asking. If you ever like someone, I’ll have to vet him for you. You’re so naive—I don’t want you getting tricked."
Only then did Qiao Xi dare to peek up at him. Seeing no unusual reaction, she wasn’t sure whether to feel relieved or disappointed.
Zhou Yi hadn’t acknowledged her confession. Was it because he hadn’t heard, or because he didn’t want to respond?
Qiao Xi was more sensitive than most, so her mind raced with possibilities.
"If I ever like someone, will you really vet him for me?"
"Of course."
"...That’s all?"
What was she hoping for when she asked that?
Zhou Yi knew exactly what she wanted to hear.
He deliberately kept her waiting, letting her stew in anxiety before finally giving in.
Playing dumb, he asked, "What else would there be?"
Her eyes dimmed as she shook her head. "Nothing. I don’t like anyone right now anyway. If I ever do, you’ll be the first to know."
"First to know, huh? Guess I still matter to you a little."
"Yi-ge is different from everyone else."
Suddenly, Qiao Xi met his gaze firmly as she said this.
Zhou Yi smiled. "Good. Right now, I could smile and say I’d bless your relationship, but if you really did fall for someone..."
He trailed off with a bitter laugh, as if hiding something.
077: "Tch."
Qiao Xi’s heart leapt. Eyes bright with hope, she pressed, "What then?"
Zhou Yi sighed. "I don’t think I could bring myself to bless it. I have my own possessiveness over you, Xiao Xi. The thought of another man by your side... it doesn’t sit right with me. Even though... I probably have no right to feel that way."
[Qiao Xi’s Affection +2]
Her smile widened, her eyes curving happily as she propped her chin on her hand. "If Yi-ge doesn’t like him, I won’t be with him either."
"You’d listen to me that much?"
"I would. You’d never hurt me, but others might."
No one could match Qiao Xi’s trust in Zhou Yi. To her, he was the best man in the world.
Zhou Yi’s gaze grew complicated. "Xiao Xi, I’m leaving for City A next month. Once I’m gone, you have to be careful around other men."
Her expression froze. "City... A?"
Zhou Yi nodded. "Yeah. I’ll be based there for the foreseeable future."
Her eyes filled with reluctance. City A was so far away. Even when they were at the same school, they barely saw each other. If he left, wouldn’t it be even harder?
Sadness and longing flooded her heart instantly.
[Qiao Xi’s Affection +2]
She stared at him unblinkingly, memorizing every detail of his face.
Maybe once he left, he’d forget all about her.
Maybe once he left, there’d be no one left to listen to her troubles.
Maybe once he left, no one would hold her in the middle of the night to comfort her.
She’d become that pitiful little girl no one cared about again.
She was Qiao Xi—unnoticed by her family, friendless. The only light in her life was this boy before her.
And now, even that light was about to fade.
Her secret crush seemed destined to end in silence...
Just the thought of it left Qiao Xi dazed, unable to speak.
But Zhou Yi’s next words reignited a flicker of hope.
"Don’t worry, though. I’ll still come back often—to see you."
It felt like a promise, his voice steady and sure.
"Really?"
Qiao Xi sniffled, fighting back the tears threatening to spill again.
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?"
nce】【Lighthearted Comedy】【Ultimate Gentleman's Novel】【Viewer Discretion Advised for Under 16】 The mightiest human hero, Sharen Morian, is resurrected after a thousand years by his wife—the Demon King. This is not your typical hero-vs-demon-king tale.
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...
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.
