You Man did not show her worries, instead she smiled and pulled Zhou Yi back to the private room.
The meal brought Little Jia and You Man much closer, and they even added each other on WeChat.
After eating, Zhou Yi and Little Jia didn't linger in the restaurant for long, as You Man, being the boss, was quite busy.
Zhou Yi and Little Jia drove to the seaside. Although winter was approaching, the sunshine was quite nice today, making a walk by the sea rather pleasant.
The sunlight spilled onto the sand, warming people up, yet the slightly cold sea breeze still carried a chill.
"This sea is so beautiful."
Little Jia sat on the sand, closing her eyes to savor the beauty of the moment.
Seeing the ocean now, Zhou Yi suddenly fell silent.
Noticing his silence, Little Jia opened her eyes, leaned against his shoulder, and asked, "What are you thinking about? Why so quiet?"
Zhou Yi shook his head: "It's nothing. I just thought of some things all of a sudden."
Little Jia held his hand and said softly, "So, you also have things you can't let go of?"
Zhou Yi's tone also became light: "Life is full of disappointments; of course I have my share."
Little Jia couldn't discern anything from Zhou Yi's expression, and she guessed he wouldn't tell her even if she asked.
She always felt that Zhou Yi seemed sometimes close, sometimes distant.
With a complex expression, Little Jia looked into the distance and said:
"Sometimes I feel like I already understand you very well, like I'm very close to you. But other times, I feel like I've never truly gotten close to you at all."
Zhou Yi just gave a faint smile in response: "Don't try to pry into the depths of a person's heart. What you find might not be what you want."
Little Jia sighed: "Fine, just treat me like a fool then. I'm willing anyway."
Only then did Zhou Yi turn his face, ruffled her hair, and said, "You're adorable just like this. Actually, often there's no need to overcomplicate things and trouble yourself. Why bother?"
Little Jia hummed and said, "So you're telling me to be a fool. Well, I've been muddling along for so many years anyway, it doesn't matter. People who are too clear-headed are never happy."
The two chatted by the seaside. Little Jia had long forgotten about her plan to take photos, and the pretty clothes she brought didn't get used.
But compared to taking beautiful pictures, chatting with Zhou Yi made her happier.
Only this conversation today made Little Jia feel that she and Zhou Yi had genuinely gotten a little closer.
It also made her sense that this person might not be as simple as she had thought.
The Zhou Yi she understood before was just the tip of the iceberg.
What is he really like?
Little Jia was filled with immense curiosity.
She was naturally a very curious person. For Little Jia, this was like solving a puzzle; both the process and the outcome were important.
"When are you going back to City A, Jiajia?"
"Tomorrow."
"So soon? You just got here yesterday."
"There's an important event the day after tomorrow that I absolutely must attend."
Although she was very reluctant to leave Zhou Yi, she couldn't miss it. If Zhou Yi weren't still in Huaihai, Qu Hongzhuo would probably have taken him along too.
"Then I'll take you to the airport tomorrow. I'll be going to City A soon myself. Don't you go taking cold showers every day again."
"No way. If you don't come, I'll take cold showers every day. See if you feel sorry for me or not."
Zhou Yi felt somewhat helpless: "Be good. It's not good for a girl to always take cold showers. Don't be unreasonable."
Little Jia said with a giggle, "Actually, you get used to it after a while."
Zhou Yi fell silent with a cold face. Immediately, a look of infatuation appeared in Little Jia's eyes.
That's it! She absolutely adored this deadpan, cold-faced look of Zhou Yi's.
Cupping her chin, she gazed at Zhou Yi, her eyes sparkling like stars, her voice unbearably sweet:
"Brother Xiao Zhou, you're making me even more unable to resist. I should have chartered a yacht. Then it would have been convenient to do whatever we wanted. Ah, the more I think about it, the more I regret it. I haven't tried a yacht yet. It must be a different kind of fun, right?"
Zhou Yi was truly at a loss with her. He rubbed his forehead, looking exasperated: "How can you be so improper anytime, anywhere? I've never met a girl like you......"
"Well, you've met one now. Hey, Brother Xiao Zhou, how about you scold me again?"
"What do you... mean by that?"
"I feel like taking a cold shower."
"I don't understand. If you freeze to death taking another cold shower, I won't care."
"That's the tone! Scold me a few more times. I love hearing it."
"......"
"Don't stop talking. Be fiercer, fiercer. I don't mind you being fierce with me."
Zhou Yi stood up to leave, and Little Jia quickly got up too.
She followed behind him, calling out, "It's still early. Why are we leaving already?"
The man in front paused his steps. He slightly turned his face and said, "I'm afraid you might do something beastly to me here."
Little Jia doubled over with laughter, squatting there laughing until she was out of breath.
She remembered the first time; she had also forcibly kept Zhou Yi at the Wang residence and pressured him into being with her that once.
Truth be told, she was indeed a bit "beastly."
But hearing it from Zhou Yi's mouth was just hilarious. Little Jia grabbed his sleeve, still laughing uncontrollably: "Don't be afraid. What could I possibly do in such a public place? There are so many people on the beach."
She continued, batting her innocent big eyes: "How about we go rent a yacht now? There's still time."
It was hard to imagine Little Jia, with such a pure and cute face, always saying the most shocking things.
Zhou Yi pulled her up and poked her forehead: "In your dreams. Let's go, time to go home."
Little Jia's eyes immediately lit up: "Okay! Going home works too!"
Zhou Yi could already tell from her expression that this girl was probably thinking about some R-rated stuff again.
After returning home, things went as Zhou Yi expected. Once home, they ended up in bed again.
Zhou Yi did indeed give her a stern "punishment" with a cold face, until Little Jia promised she wouldn't take cold showers.
However, in Little Jia's eyes, Zhou Yi's cold, stern demeanor was no different from a reward; she loved it to death.
Saying she wouldn't take cold showers was just to placate Zhou Yi.
She would still take them when she needed to. How could she help it when her longing for Zhou Yi ran so deep?
The next day, Zhou Yi took Little Jia to the airport.
Both were wearing masks, so Zhou Yi wasn't worried about being recognized.
Little Jia clung to his arm, extremely reluctant to part. If it weren't for her commitments, she would have planned to stay until going to City A with Zhou Yi.
"What am I going to do? It'll be so long before I see you again."
"It won't be that long. In less than ten days, I'll come find you."
"A day apart feels like three years. The days without you are simply like years to me."
"Once I'm there, I'll make you feel like it's New Year's every day."
Only then did Little Jia break into a happy smile.
Seeing that the boarding time was approaching, Zhou Yi had to urge her onto the plane.
Little Jia kissed him through their masks before reluctantly boarding the plane.
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
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?"
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...
