Huangfu Chengshi awkwardly attended these gatherings.
It was simply because he wanted to see once more that dazzling, flamboyant, flame-like red.
If she wasn't there, then no matter how grand the banquet, it instantly became dull and tasteless to him.
He would find a corner and stay there quietly until the end, like a soulless ghost.
If she was there, then his world would instantly light up.
He would immediately become her little satellite, following behind her.
With those sparkling eyes, he would watch her unblinkingly.
Watching her chat and laugh with others, watching her frown impatiently, watching her elegantly sip from her wine glass.
When she grew tired of it and went to the balcony or garden for some air,
he would immediately follow, not speaking, just standing quietly not far behind her, like the most loyal little bodyguard.
Qin Ya naturally noticed Huangfu Chengshi's peculiar behavior.
She found it somewhat amusing, yet also thought it wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
She didn't even consider trying to change anything.
...
The ten-year-old Huangfu Chengshi grew into a handsome fourteen-year-old youth.
He had shot up in height, and his features had gradually defined, shedding their childish roundness.
The only things unchanged were his bright eyes when he looked at Qin Ya,
and that deep-seated obsession.
Over these years, he was no longer content with passively waiting at gatherings.
He had learned more things.
Code, human nature, and methods for tracking prey.
Only this time, he wasn't learning for the sake of the Huangfu family's internal struggles.
In the process of these studies, Huangfu Chengshi grew rapidly.
Especially in mathematics and computers, he displayed extraordinary talent.
His abilities had long surpassed what an ordinary teenager should possess.
He began to take the initiative.
He bribed a few gossipy servants from the Qin household and hacked into the scheduling system for Qin Ya's drivers.
With a meticulousness and obsession completely at odds with his age, he pieced together a rough outline of Qin Ya's schedule for the coming week.
Then, he began his "coincidental meetings."
At one of Jingzhou's most exclusive members-only dessert shops, Qin Ya was sitting by the window.
She had just finished a long, tedious business meeting and needed something sweet to soothe her frayed nerves.
"Ya Jie."
A voice, now carrying the distinctive huskiness of a teenage boy's changing voice, sounded beside her.
Qin Ya frowned and looked up.
It was that little one, Huangfu Chengshi.
He was wearing clean white athletic wear and carrying a black backpack, looking like an ordinary high school student just out of class.
If one ignored the fact that the per-person spending here equaled a month's living expenses for an ordinary high school student.
"What are you doing here?"
Qin Ya's tone held a trace of impatience; she didn't like her private time being disturbed.
"I... I was just passing by."
Huangfu Chengshi's eyes darted away slightly, but his face wore a perfectly feigned look of surprise.
"What a coincidence, Ya Jie."
Qin Ya didn't reply. She took a sip of her coffee, not bothering to expose his clumsy lie.
Getting from the Huangfu residence to here crossed nearly half of Jingzhou city. How exactly was he "passing by"?
"Ya Jie, do you like this?"
Huangfu Chengshi pointed at the exquisite chestnut cake in front of her.
"Hmm."
Qin Ya gave a faint acknowledgment.
Huangfu Chengshi seemed to receive some immense encouragement.
He immediately turned and ran to the counter, using his own pocket money to buy the remaining three pieces of that chestnut cake.
Then, as if presenting a treasure, he had them packed up and placed on Qin Ya's table.
"Ya Jie, you can take these home to eat."
His eyes sparkled, like a little puppy that had retrieved its favorite toy, waiting for its owner's praise.
Qin Ya looked at the beautifully packaged cake boxes, then at his face which was practically screaming "praise me."
The irritation in her heart suddenly dissipated a little.
"Childish."
She uttered the two words, but didn't refuse.
A few days later, at a charity auction gala.
Qin Ya appeared at the venue on her father Qin Yan's arm.
A fiery red gown made her look like the only flame burning in the night—scorching, radiant, with an undeniable aggressiveness.
She moved effortlessly among the various guests, a flawless social smile on her face.
Feeling somewhat tired, she took a glass of champagne and walked to the balcony for some air.
She had just leaned against the railing.
"Ya Jie."
That familiar voice sounded again.
Qin Ya almost reflexively rolled her eyes.
She turned her head, and sure enough, it was him again.
Huangfu Chengshi.
Today he was wearing a very proper little suit.
His hair was also carefully styled, giving him somewhat the appearance of a little adult.
Only, those eyes of his instantly lit up when they saw her, like two small flames ignited in the dark night.
"Passing by again?"
Qin Ya raised an eyebrow, her tone teasing.
"No, not this time."
Huangfu Chengshi quickly shook his head.
"Grandfather... Grandfather brought me."
He pointed not far away, where the Huangfu family's elderly patriarch was chatting with some old friends.
Qin Ya glanced in the direction he pointed, then her gaze returned to him.
"And so?"
"I..."
Huangfu Chengshi seemed a bit nervous.
"I was afraid you might be bored, so I came to keep you company."
As he spoke, he magically produced a piece of chocolate from his pocket.
It was her favorite brand.
Eighty-five percent cocoa content, with a pure bitterness.
Qin Ya was stunned.
Only a handful of her closest people knew she liked this brand of chocolate.
How did he know?
"How did you..."
"I guessed."
Huangfu Chengshi quickly cut her off, pressing the chocolate into her palm.
"Ya Jie, you'll get cold standing here. Let me go get you a shawl."
Without waiting for Qin Ya's reply, he turned and dashed back into the banquet hall like a little top.
Qin Ya looked down at the chocolate in her palm, still warm from his body heat, then at his somewhat slender but swiftly retreating back.
The corner of her mouth lifted slightly in a curve she herself didn't even notice.
This little one was... somewhat interesting.
From that day on, Qin Ya's life thoroughly gained a small, inescapable "pendant."
No matter which gathering she appeared at.
Whether it was an art exhibition, a concert, or a brand's new product launch.
She could always "coincidentally" run into that little brat named Huangfu Chengshi.
He would always look at her with those sparkling eyes, then find all sorts of opportunities to get close to her.
"Ya Jie, this juice is the kind you like, no ice."
"Ya Jie, let me hold your bag for you, you'll get tired in those high heels."
"Ya Jie, that person keeps looking at you, does he want to come over and talk? I'll go block him for you."
"Ya Jie..."
e, Immortal Body, Transmigration, System, Progression Fantasy, Academy Setting, Third-Person Perspective. Alternate Title: Transmigrating into a High Martial World and Reading Live Comments. Bad news: I transmigrated. This is a terrifying high-martial world, and my original, pathetically weak body fell into a coma and never woke up. Good news: I got a Popularity Points system upon arrival. I can see live comments and even create an unkillable alternate identity. Starting out, the alternate identity has all stats at 1. The system tells me that to grow stronger, I must participate in the plot, gain popularity points to allocate stats and grow stronger, and ultimately awaken my original body. And so, carrying my original body on my back, I officially entered Huaqing Academy, where the story's protagonist resides. From that moment on, Chen Guan kicked the original plot to pieces. Live Comments: [Doesn't anyone find this mysterious coffin guy creepy? He can summon indescribable grey misty hands.] [Is this guy a hero or a villain? What kind of onion became a spirit?] [By the way, does anyone know who's in the coffin? Shouldn't the debt for saving his life be repaid by now?] [According to unofficial histories, the person in the coffin was Chen Guan's first love. Their love was once passionate and earth-shattering, but they were separated by life and death due to worldly circumstances. What a star-crossed pair.] ... Years later, the world knew of a demon god born from a coffin, shrouded in grey mist, impossible to gaze upon directly. His foremost divine emissary often wielded a scythe, reaping lives like the god of death. As war approached, facing former friends and a boundless sea of enemies, Chen Guan merely raised his scythe. "Would you like to dance as well?"
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.
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)
world slacker. But a genius female disciple just had to get clingy, insisting that he take her as a disciple. Not only that, she was always making advances on him, thoroughly disrupting his peaceful slacker life...
