Ren Qian was a bit curious.
Or rather, Ren Qian was very curious.
For a man like Lu Chenyuan, who seemed to have everything.
Why did he appear so weary and lonely?
Just then, Lu Chenyuan's phone vibrated.
Very faintly.
But in the quiet seminar room, it was exceptionally clear.
Lu Chenyuan picked up his phone and glanced at it.
For the first time, an extremely complex emotion flickered across his face, which had always been unreadable.
There was helplessness, a hint of a headache, and a trace of... tenderness.
He stood up and walked outside to take the call.
The seminar room was well soundproofed.
But the door wasn't shut completely.
Ren Qian faintly heard his voice.
His voice was very low.
No longer that businesslike, detached calm.
Instead, it carried a coaxing tone she had never heard from him before.
"Qianqian, stop making a fuss."
"Your big brother is busy."
"Be good and go to sleep early."
"Alright, alright, I promise you, I'll come see you this weekend, okay?"
Qianqian?
Was that his sister?
Something stirred in Ren Qian's heart.
So, the man as cool and distant as the moon also had moments of such utterly tender softness.
So, he wasn't without emotion.
He just reserved all his tenderness for his family.
That aloofness of his that kept everyone at arm's length.
That ever-present melancholy.
It all seemed to have an answer now.
He, bearing the weight of a vast family.
Also guarding a willful younger sister.
This "weight of solitude" made that once distant and untouchable silhouette instantly become concrete and vivid.
Ren Qian's heartbeat, traitorously, began to race.
She watched the back of the man standing at the end of the corridor, still on the phone.
For the first time, she felt that moonlight could have warmth.
After finishing the call, Lu Chenyuan walked back.
The expression on his face had already returned to its usual calm.
As if nothing had just happened.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
"It's fine," Ren Qian shook her head.
She refocused her attention on her computer.
But her peripheral vision uncontrollably lingered on him.
She realized she was starting to care about this man, just a little.
The final presentation of their major project unsurprisingly received the highest score in the room.
Professor Zhao gave them an unprecedented "A+".
"Your report is no longer just a student assignment."
"This is an industry analysis report that could be submitted directly to the decision-making level."
“Especially the idea on industry chain risk hedging proposed by student Lu Chenyuan, which is highly forward-thinking.”
Thunderous applause erupted from below the podium.
Ren Qian stood beside Lu Chenyuan.
Sharing in this glory that belonged to them.
She saw the same faint, polite smile on Lu Chenyuan's face.
Not a trace of pride or smugness.
As if all of this was only to be expected.
After the event dispersed.
The two walked side by side on the tree-lined path of the campus.
"Thank you."
Lu Chenyuan suddenly spoke.
Ren Qian was taken aback.
"Thank me for what?"
"This project. I couldn't have completed it alone without you."
He said it very sincerely.
It was the first time Ren Qian had heard him affirm her so directly.
"You too."
Ren Qian said.
Her face felt a little warm.
"Let's cooperate again if there's a chance in the future."
Lu Chenyuan said.
"Okay."
Ren Qian's heart pounded violently because of this polite remark.
She knew she seemed to have fallen for him, completely.
After that collaboration.
Ren Qian became Lu Chenyuan's only fixed project partner at school.
Whether it was reports for elective courses or various academic competitions.
Wherever Lu Chenyuan was, Ren Qian was sure to be there.
They became the undisputed strongest duo in the Business School.
Their relationship, however, remained purely that of work partners.
Together, they pulled countless all-nighters.
Together, they won award after award.
But there was no unnecessary contact in private.
Ren Qian was content with this state.
Being able to be this close to him, to fight side by side with him.
For her, it was already the greatest luxury.
She was like a star chasing the moon, burning herself brightly.
Just to leave a tiny trace of her own light within that cool, distant radiance.
In their senior year.
They took on an even more complex project with a massive workload.
"I found some help."
One day, Lu Chenyuan said to Ren Qian.
Then, he brought along a somewhat shy-looking junior.
"Lin Yuan, a sophomore."
Lu Chenyuan introduced.
"From now on, he'll be responsible for data collection and organization."
Ren Qian sized up this boy named Lin Yuan.
He was very tall, wearing a pair of black-framed glasses.
He looked very scholarly and very quiet.
The look in his eyes when he gazed at Lu Chenyuan held a light akin to worship.
"Senior Ren Qian, hello."
Lin Yuan nodded to her, his voice soft.
Ren Qian nodded back.
"Hello."
She didn't pay much attention to this junior.
She just saw him as a tool to share the workload.
However, she soon discovered that this Lin Yuan was far more capable than she had imagined.
He was extremely meticulous and thorough in his work.
Any task handed to him was completed beyond expectations.
Moreover, he always did everything in silence.
Not asking many questions, not saying much.
Like the most reliable shadow.
"Where did you find such a treasure?"
Once, Ren Qian asked Lu Chenyuan jokingly.
"His mother was ill. I helped out a little."
Lu Chenyuan said lightly.
Ren Qian understood.
This Lin Yuan was here to repay a debt of gratitude.
No wonder his gaze towards Lu Chenyuan was so different.
Ren Qian looked at Lin Yuan, who was buried in organizing materials.
Then she looked at Lu Chenyuan beside her.
She suddenly felt that Lu Chenyuan was like a planet with its own gravity.
Attracting people like her, like Lin Yuan.
Willingly orbiting around him.
And Lin Yuan would occasionally look up.
His gaze would sweep past Lu Chenyuan and land on Ren Qian.
He watched the tacit understanding between her and Lu Chenyuan as they discussed things side by side.
He watched her eyes, shining with light, whenever she looked at Lu Chenyuan.
Then, he would silently lower his head again.
Burying himself back into the mountain of materials.
Only, Ren Qian never noticed any of this.
Her eyes held only that cool, distant moon.
University days were beautiful, and fleeting.
Soon, Ren Qian faced her postgraduate graduation season.
The air was filled with the melancholy of parting and anticipation for the future.
Ren Qian received offers from several world-leading investment banks.
The treatment was astonishingly generous.
Yet she hesitated to make a decision.
She was waiting.
Waiting for Lu Chenyuan's decision.
At the farewell banquet for their professors, it was noisy and chaotic.
Ren Qian, holding a glass of wine, found Lu Chenyuan sitting in a corner.
He was still like that.
Sitting quietly alone.
As if everything around him had nothing to do with him.
"Happy graduation."
Ren Qian sat down beside him.
"You too."
Lu Chenyuan raised his glass to her.
"Decided where you're going?" Ren Qian asked, feigning nonchalance.
"Back to the Lu Family."
Lu Chenyuan's reply held no surprise whatsoever.
As the eldest grandson of the Lu Family, this was his fate—a destiny he could not choose.
"And you?" he asked in return.
Ren Qian looked at him.
She looked into those eyes of his, which even amidst the glittering lights of clinking glasses still seemed tinged with loneliness.
She finally made her decision.
She would go to the place closest to the moon.
Even if there was no light there that belonged to her.
"Haven't decided yet."
She smiled and drained the wine in her glass.
"But, I think we'll meet again soon."
+【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!
Explosive Plot Song Gua crossed over into another world, bringing along a whole crew of his doppelgangers—all of them mischief-makers. This was a world where everyone could choose a class. Song Gua became a "Bondweaver," capable of borrowing power, while his doppelgangers took on a wide variety of classes, covering just about everything. The number of doppelgangers grew day by day, each one a talented individual with a charming way of speaking. Under Song Gua's brilliant leadership, they would "greet" each other daily and engage in friendly "sparring," pulling off one major scheme after another on Earth. Sometimes they were bandits—stealing bosses, plundering mines, snatching resources. Sometimes they were saviors—descending like divine warriors to face world bosses threatening to massacre cities. Sometimes they even went undercover, infiltrating various major factions to stir up trouble from within, keeping their enemies constantly on edge. To prevent their doppelganger abilities from being exposed, Song Gua made them wear masks with mahjong tile patterns and don Taoist robes in various colors. "Remember, in front of outsiders, call me 'The Dice.'" "Got it! Boss!" "Not 'Boss'—it's 'The Dice.' Think about the vibe, pay attention to the vibe." "Yes! Boss!" "For crying out loud..." From then on, whenever they appeared, they would have their own theme song playing: ~Hey~ paying respects at the mountain stronghold at night~ whose arm is draped over whose shoulder~ gather your courage and follow along...
m back to his original world. In the end, he realized he had overthought things. [Hey, why is Shen Manni, the female lead, acting strange? Shouldn't she be fawning over the male lead at this point?] [Zhou Qiaoqiao, are you sick? Weren't you supposed to break off your engagement today?] [Damn it! An Youyi, please do your job as an undercover agent and sell my information to the protagonist, you idiot!] ... At this moment, Xu Mo himself didn't know that these female leads had already heard his inner thoughts. Then they decided not to play by the rules. Xu Mo: Please respect my profession as the big villain!
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!"
