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.
+【Epic Battles!】 "Your Highness, they say Linxi Temple is miraculous. Won’t you make a wish?" "A wish? It should be making wishes to me." "That may be so, but since you’re already here..." "..." "Fine. Then grant this princess a consort to play with." "He must be obedient, devoted, and utterly infatuated with my body—so much so that he’d kneel and kiss my feet." "Your Highness, that’s not a consort. That’s a dog." "Then add clever, witty, heroic, ambitious yet pragmatic..." "Hmm, that’s enough for now. I’ll add more later." After tossing out these words half in jest, Princess Anle departed the temple—only to catch a fleeting glimpse of the Bodhisattva statue smiling at her. Meanwhile, Yang An, fresh out of university, was having a very bad day. Good news: He’d transmigrated into another world with a cheat granting tenfold combat power. Bad news: He’d immediately fallen into the clutches of a certain villainess. Good news: Said villainess possessed peerless beauty and royal status. Bad news: She was absolutely monstrous!!! In the frozen wilderness, Yang An knelt beneath Qin Guo’er’s feet, drenched in sweat despite the cold. Desperately clutching her porcelain-perfect foot—the very one poised to crush his throat—he could only think: How do I survive this?! Need answers NOW!
u Chenyuan transmigrated into a female-oriented novel about a real and fake heiress, becoming the CEO elder brother of both. Unfortunately, the entire Lu family—including himself, the CEO—were mere cannon fodder in the story. Determined to save himself, Lu Chenyuan took action. The spoiled, attention-seeking fake heiress? Thrown into the harsh realities of the working class to learn humility. The love-struck real heiress? Pushed toward academic excellence, so lofty goals would blind her to trivial romances. As for the betrayed, vengeful arranged marriage wife… the plot hadn’t even begun yet. There was still time—if he couldn’t handle her, he could at least avoid her. "CEO Lu, are you avoiding me?" Mo Qingli fixed her gaze on Lu Chenyuan. For the first time, the shrewd and calculating Lu Chenyuan felt a flicker of unease.
reezy rom-com) Good news: Jiang Liu is quite the ladies' man. Bad news: He’s lost his memory. Lying in a hospital bed, Jiang Liu listens to a parade of goddesses spouting "absurd claims," feeling like the world is one giant game of Werewolf. "Jiang Liu, I’m your first love." "Jiang Liu, you’re my boyfriend—she’s your ex." "Jiang Liu, we’re close friends who’ve shared a bed, remember?" "Jiang Liu, I want to have your baby." The now-lucid Jiang Liu is convinced this must be some elaborate scam... until someone drops the bombshell: "The day before you lost your memory, you confessed your feelings—and got into a relationship." Jiang Liu is utterly baffled. So... who the hell is his actual girlfriend?! ... Before recovering his memories, Jiang Liu must navigate this minefield of lies and sincerity, fighting to protect himself from these women’s schemes. But things spiral even further out of control as more people show up at his doorstep—each with increasingly unhinged antics. On the bright side, the memories he lost due to overwhelming trauma seem to be resurfacing. Great news, right? So why are they all panicking now?
saw a female celebrity tied up and stuffed in the trunk! Little did he know, countless cameras were aimed at him at this moment - this was a new type of reality show. The first randomly selected passerby was caught in less than an hour. But when Xu Moru was selected, things started to take an unexpected turn. "Damn, this isn't how the script goes. This Xu Moru is too bold, he's not following the rules at all." "Crap, is this guy taking it seriously?" "The female celebrity has been scared to tears!"
