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.
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)
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?!
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
orn and Humiliation】【Forced Love】 In his past life, Lin Ran was betrayed and murdered by his girlfriend and family, while the yandere female aristocrat, who had treated him as a mere plaything, avenged him by doing in his enemies. Upon seeing the yandere female aristocrat lying in the same coffin, ready to die with him, Lin Ran realized how profoundly mistaken he had been. Reborn, he abandoned the fickle campus beauty and wholeheartedly embraced the yandere female aristocrat's arms. "Ran! If I dig out your eyes and turn them into a specimen, you'll only be able to look at me!" Lin Ran: "Darling, kiss me!" "Ran! If I break your legs, you won't run away anymore, right?" Lin Ran: "Love, hold me tight!" "Ran! If..." Lin Ran: "Hush now! Love me more!" Luo Yao: ... Seeing his scumbag dad: "Take him out!" Seeing his stepmother: "Get rid of her!" Seeing his brother: "Eliminate him!" Seeing his white moonlight: "Send that to Southeast Asia!"
