Zhou Yi declined Fei Fei's request to add him on WeChat.
He also refused Wang Yuyan's offer to return the money to him after she got her paycheck.
He had gone there to spend money for enjoyment, just like buying a million-dollar luxury watch—how much he spent or how he spent it didn’t matter.
The next day, when Zhou Yi returned to school, he saw a banner hanging at the entrance.
[Congratulations to Zhou Yi from Visual Communication Class (3) for winning first place in the Mathematical Modeling Competition!]
The banner was impossible to miss, placed right on the path from the school gate to the teaching building, where almost every student would see it on their way to class.
Originally, the banner hadn’t included the words "Visual Communication Class 3," but Liu Wei had insisted on adding them.
Zhou Yi became the golden boy of the school. No matter what competition it was, the department would submit his name. Liu Wei was practically beaming with joy just looking at Zhou Yi.
Thanks to Zhou Yi’s national award, Liu Wei’s year-end bonus was bound to be substantial!
When Zhou Yi entered the classroom, his classmates all came to congratulate him, and he responded politely to each of them.
Zhang Wu, meanwhile, proudly showed Zhou Yi his recent "achievements" in countering online trolls, proving he had been diligently completing his tasks.
Zhou Yi’s first-place win undoubtedly boosted his fanbase even further, leaving those who had doubted him utterly humiliated.
Still, a few bitter critics continued to leave envious comments in his fan community, only to be ruthlessly torn apart by Zhang Wu.
Then, Su Ning sent him a message, asking if he would walk with her in the school’s small grove after class.
This was the first time Su Ning had taken the initiative to invite Zhou Yi.
He remembered that she had mentioned having something to tell him after he returned from the competition.
Could it be... that Su Ning was going to confess her feelings to him?
But that was just his speculation. He checked Su Ning’s "regret value," which had quietly climbed to 85. With a little more effort, it might reach its peak.
For the sake of that regret value, Zhou Yi agreed to her invitation.
When Su Ning saw Zhou Yi’s reply—"Sure"—she let out a heavy sigh of relief.
"He said yes..." she murmured, slightly dazed.
Zhang Lili cheered excitedly. "So, have you figured out what to say to him? What about the letter? Want me to take a look?"
Su Ning’s face flushed as she pulled out the letter she had prepared.
Zhang Lili had a way with words, so her input might help.
But as soon as Su Ning handed it over, Zhang Lili hesitated.
"No, no, this is your confession to Zhou Yi. I shouldn’t read it. The most genuine emotions come from your own words—no amount of eloquence can replace sincerity."
"Alright... but how should I say it? I’m so nervous."
Su Ning had never done anything like this before. In the past, when others confessed to her, she had brushed them off without a second thought. Now, she understood just how much courage it took to lay one’s heart bare.
"Ning Ning, just tell him what you truly feel. Don’t overthink the outcome—whether it’s good or bad, it’s unavoidable."
"Mm. Honestly, I already have a rough idea of what the result will be. But no matter what, I don’t want to miss this chance. At the very least... I want to know I was brave enough to try."
Su Ning’s eyes dimmed slightly as she stared at the envelope in her hands.
In this day and age, handwritten letters were outdated, but she felt it was the most sincere way to express herself.
The bell rang, signaling the end of class. Since there was only one lecture that morning, everyone quickly dispersed.
Zhou Yi stayed behind, waiting for Su Ning. The girl approached him, her face turned slightly away, too nervous to meet his gaze.
Zhang Lili, standing behind her, frantically signaled for her to stay calm. Su Ning managed a faint smile.
"Should we... go now? Or maybe take a walk around the track field first?"
Su Ning bit her lip, her beautiful eyes filled with unease.
Zhou Yi could tell from her expression that she had something important to say.
He didn’t refuse. "Let’s go. I’ll treat you to bubble tea."
Since he was about to break her heart later, he might as well be nice to her now—the greater the contrast, the deeper the pain.
Especially for someone like Su Ning, a privileged girl who had never faced real setbacks.
If Zhou Yi wanted to make a woman suffer, he could be utterly merciless.
If he had resorted to violence from the start, he would have only earned their hatred, not their regret—nor their affection.
Besides, physically harming someone was the crudest form of revenge.
What he wanted was to break their hearts. What could be more painful than unrequited love? Especially when the man they longed for had once been within their grasp but now treated them with indifference.
When Su Ning heard Zhou Yi offer to buy her bubble tea, her eyes lit up. The usually reserved girl broke into a radiant smile.
"Okay, let’s go."
She was overjoyed.
Before this, she had desperately sought Zhou Yi’s forgiveness, hoping to become his friend. But no matter how hard she tried, nothing had changed.
Zhou Yi remained distant, while her feelings for him only grew stronger.
She knew that if she didn’t speak her heart soon, she might never get another chance—the distance between them was only widening.
As they walked, Su Ning gazed at him with admiration. "Zhou Yi, you’re really amazing."
"You mean the competition?"
"Not just that. I admired you even when you started your company. And your singing... I saw the video of you performing on the trending page. You were... really cool."
"Just singing casually."
Zhou Yi responded indifferently, as if none of it mattered to him.
Su Ning insisted earnestly, "But even your casual singing is better than most professional singers. Seriously, very few people your age have achieved so much."
With every new virtue she discovered in Zhou Yi, her regret deepened.
They left the school gates together, and Zhou Yi spotted a bicycle not far from the entrance.
"I’ll give you a ride, Su Ning."
Her lashes fluttered slightly—this might have been the first time Zhou Yi had ever said her name so gently.
She smiled softly. "Is this a new bike?"
Zhou Yi shook his head. "It’s Zhang Wu’s. I’m just borrowing it. Hop on."
Su Ning was nervous—it was her first time riding a bicycle. But the thought of Zhou Yi being the one pedaling made her heart swell with happiness.
As Zhou Yi cycled ahead, Su Ning tilted her head slightly. The sunlight seemed to envelop him, his hair glowing at the edges. For a moment, it felt like a dream.
"Hold on tight," Zhou Yi reminded her.
A breeze lifted strands of her hair as she wrapped her arms around his waist, her eyes filled with sweetness.
The two on the bicycle looked like a perfectly matched couple. The road was lined with plane trees, the scene as picturesque as a movie frame.
"Zhou Yi."
"Hm?"
"Originally, I wanted to tell you something in a quiet place... but I think I’d rather say it now."
"Go ahead."
"I like you."
ts me of treason?" "Correct. The host must return to the capital and gradually build up influence." "Wait—I have half a million soldiers, and you want me to go back to the capital to 'build influence'?" "Host, you are currently the Northern Garrison General, loyal to the Great Xia Dynasty." "Of course I am loyal to Great Xia! Absolutely loyal!" "But you keep referring to yourself as 'We'..." "Never mind the details! Summon all the regional commanders and military officers! We suspect treacherous officials are manipulating the court! They shall march with Us to the capital and purge the corrupt!" "......"
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...
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
