Though Ji Nian was a girl who loved to flirt and talk big, when it actually came down to the real deal, she couldn’t help but feel a little nervous.
System: [Wow, I’ll just block myself for a while.]
Lu Jinghuai held Ji Nian in his arms, burying his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling the familiar scent of their shared shower gel as he nuzzled against her.
For some reason, his eyes were already reddened, as if stained with peach juice, and he whispered to her in a pleading tone, "I want you…"
His voice was soft, almost coquettish, but a closer look would reveal that his silver-gray eyes held no trace of fragility. Instead, his gaze was like the sticky flicker of a serpent’s tongue, licking over every inch of Ji Nian’s skin, brimming with greed.
Ji Nian was nervous, but she forced herself to maintain a composed demeanor. "We’re going back in a few days—don’t leave any marks."
——Heh heh——
When Ji Nian woke up, it was already afternoon.
Instinctively, she called out for her pink-headed turtle smart assistant, only for her voice to come out hoarse.
As her consciousness fully returned, she realized she wasn’t at home. She rubbed her face against the pillow before feeling the mattress dip beside her.
Someone brushed her hair aside and leaned in to kiss her cheek. "Hmm? What do you want?"
Realizing the suggestive tone in Lu Jinghuai’s voice, Ji Nian suddenly jolted awake, struck by the unfortunate realization that her smart assistant’s name wasn’t exactly… dignified.
Without even looking, she shoved Lu Jinghuai’s face back into the pillow, her voice tinged with panic. "I don’t want anything!"
Lu Jinghuai lifted his eyes, looking at her with an expression of wounded accusation.
Ji Nian remained unmoved.
From this day onward, she would completely erase the word "gentle" from any description of Lu Jinghuai!
System: [Replaced by "little motor."]
Ji Nian: […When did you come back?]
The system picked its nose and flicked away a stray wire: [Right around the time you slapped Lu Jinghuai twice.]
Why only two slaps? Because Ji Nian quickly realized that, for Lu Jinghuai, it felt more like a reward.
"Are you hungry? I made food."
"Eat first, then rest, okay?"
Lu Jinghuai didn’t mind Ji Nian’s indifferent attitude.
When she ignored him, he simply brought the food over himself, then scooped her up and began feeding her, bite by bite.
He was as eager as a golden retriever.
Fortunately, Ji Nian had good stamina. After eating, she quickly regained her energy, and by evening, she was back to her usual lively self.
"Let’s go back tomorrow. Shen Qingtang’s been asking about me."
Naturally, whatever she said was fine.
Lu Jinghuai would have preferred if she stayed with him forever, just the two of them, until their bones rotted together, indistinguishable from one another.
But voicing such thoughts was pointless.
In front of Ji Nian, he only ever had the right to nod—except for…
When she took a shower, she mercilessly kicked Lu Jinghuai out, ignoring the way his damp eyes lingered on her, and locked the door behind her to enjoy a long, relaxing soak.
She had warned Lu Jinghuai not to leave marks, and thankfully, she could still wear a swimsuit without issue—though everywhere else was covered in a dense, overlapping mess…
Gritting her teeth as she examined herself in the mirror, Ji Nian stormed out after her bath and bit Lu Jinghuai hard in retaliation.
...
Clearly unhappy with Lu Jinghuai’s unauthorized escapade with Ji Nian, Gu Xiuyuan and He Xiang confronted him as soon as they reunited, each grabbing an arm and dragging him away.
Ji Nian yawned and leaned against Shen Qingtang. "I’m exhausted."
While others might not notice anything unusual, Shen Qingtang immediately sensed something was off.
She studied Ji Nian’s flushed, healthy complexion and narrowed her eyes.
The scent of Lu Jinghuai clung to her.
"Ji Nian."
"Hmm?"
"Remember to pace yourself. And protection is non-negotiable."
Ji Nian stiffened.
She lifted her gaze to meet Shen Qingtang’s, her expression unreadably complicated.
"...Is it that obvious?"
Shen Qingtang patted her shoulder. "Don’t worry, only I can tell."
At the very least, no one else would notice.
Relieved, Ji Nian leaned against her again.
Shen Qingtang, however, was no longer focused on the conversation. She regretted not following Gu Xiuyuan earlier—even if she couldn’t openly join in, she could’ve at least sneaked in a few hits on Lu Jinghuai.
The brighter her smile, the stronger her urge to punch someone.
That damn Lu Jinghuai.
Who would’ve thought he’d move so fast? As if Ji Nian would vanish overnight if he didn’t claim her immediately.
Typical sly fox.
Meanwhile, Lu Jinghuai was being punished by Gu Xiuyuan—forced to walk on stilts while He Xiang timed him.
Yet he showed no resentment. In fact, he seemed to be enjoying himself.
Right now, even if Ji Tingzhou showed up and shot him, Lu Jinghuai would only say, "Just don’t aim for the face."
Gu Xiuyuan and He Xiang watched with gritted teeth, frustrated by the inexplicable smugness radiating off him.
From his perch on the stilts, Lu Jinghuai cast them a faint glance.
Ah, typical virgins.
He shook his head, which only made Gu Xiuyuan inexplicably angrier: ???
...
On the day the college entrance exam results were released, the entire family crowded around Ji Nian—so absorbed that Ji Tingzhou didn’t even notice Wei Yang farting.
Compared to her anxious relatives, Ji Nian, the center of attention, was the calmest of all.
Instead of checking each subject one by one, she yawned and went straight to the total score.
Hmm. Perfect.
More than enough for S University.
"WOOOOOOW!!!!!"
Wei Yang let out an ecstatic scream, nearly shoving Ji Tingzhou aside in his excitement.
Ji Nian stepped back to give them space to celebrate while she called Shen Qingtang.
On the other end, it was still nighttime, but Gu Xiuyuan had come over to wait with Shen Qingtang for Ji Nian’s call.
When they heard her score, both sighed in relief.
They’d never doubted she’d get in, but they still cared deeply.
Gu Xiuyuan grinned as if he’d been accepted into S University himself.
They’d even prepared gifts for her in advance—proof of their unwavering confidence.
Meanwhile, He Xiang was at Lu Jinghuai’s place.
He’d come to borrow Lu Jinghuai’s computer, and since it was also time to check scores, he stayed to wait, figuring it’d save Ji Nian from calling twice.
Lu Zhi sat beside Lu Jinghuai, both father and son wearing identical expressions of calm.
When the results appeared, Lu Zhi smiled faintly. "Congratulations."
Lu Jinghuai nodded, unsurprised.
Though expected, Lu Zhi still seemed pleased. He turned to He Xiang. "Haki Xiang, stay for dinner. Let your Uncle Lu show off his cooking skills."
"I once cooked for Princess Feia, you know. Missing out would be a shame."
He’d picked up the nickname "Haki Xiang" from hearing Ji Nian and the others use it.
After a moment’s thought, He Xiang agreed—he had no plans for the evening anyway.
"Thank you, Uncle Lu."
As Lu Zhi hummed and headed to the kitchen, Lu Jinghuai and He Xiang received Ji Nian’s call.
She shared her score first, then asked about Lu Jinghuai’s.
Their scores were nearly identical, so attending S University together wouldn’t be a problem.
He Xiang listened quietly nearby, his dark eyes flickering with a hint of envy.
He had been recommended for admission to Capital University and couldn’t accompany Ji Nian to S University. After tomorrow, he would even have to leave early to begin his studies there.
But He Xiang didn’t regret it.
Only by becoming outstanding could he one day stand confidently by her side—ensuring no one else could ever take his place.
