Martial arts have become extinct worldwide, yet I am forced to have a large family.

At the entrance of Chengwu University.

"Bye-bye! Let's hang out again sometime!"

A white sedan was parked on the side of the road, and Xu Huanhuan leaned out, her two small tiger teeth faintly visible.

Seeing this, Yang Xian's lips twitched.

There will be a next time?

Please spare me!

But Xia Ming was right next to her, and she didn't know that the other person was her "Boss Xu," so she naturally had to play the part completely.

"Next time for sure." Yang Xian waved his hand expressionlessly.

Xu Huanhuan blew a kiss to Yang Xian, and the car window slowly closed.

The white sedan quickly merged into the traffic and disappeared from sight.

"well--!"

Yang Xian shook his head helplessly, then turned to the girl beside him, "Let's go back."

"Hmm!" Xia Ming responded softly, his mood seemingly much better than in the restaurant.

The two walked side by side on their way back to school, passing a row of shared electric scooters.

Xia Ming suddenly grabbed his sleeve:

"Yang Xian, could you... not sit there...?"

"Will you walk with me a bit more?"

Her voice was soft, but full of pleading.

Yang Xian looked at Xia Ming and noticed that the other man's eyes were still slightly red.

That's true. She was the one who solemnly invited me to dinner, but Xu Huanhuan ruined it halfway through, so I guess she didn't get to enjoy the rest of the meal.

Out of a sense of compensation, Yang Xian nodded.

"Of course, no problem."

The two continued walking along the sidewalk.

Xia Ming clenched his fists tightly, his expression hesitant.

She knew that if she didn't speak up soon, everything she had done today would have been in vain.

If we miss it this time, when will we get another chance?

"Yang Xian!" Xia Ming mustered his courage and said, "Thank you for coming out to dinner with me today."

"You treated me to dinner, so I should be thanking you," Yang Xian replied casually.

"No! This is different!" Xia Ming shook his head violently, then slowly spoke:

"Yang Xian, do you know? My father became addicted to gambling when I was in junior high school."

"Because of this, my parents argued day and night, all the valuables in the house were sold... and we are now drowning in debt."

"Later, they got divorced..."

Yang Xian listened quietly, never expecting her to bring this up suddenly.

No wonder she worked so hard at part-time jobs as soon as she entered university, trying to make the most of every penny.

It turns out that this kind of thing happened in the family of that always cheerful and outgoing girl.

Gambling never just harms one person, but an entire family...

Xia Ming chuckled self-deprecatingly and continued, "My mother paid for my admission to Nanhai No. 1 High School. But... until she found a new home and started a new family..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but the meaning was already clear.

"My contact with her gradually faded away."

"To support myself and to pay off that bottomless debt, I had no choice but to practice martial arts and take on missions..."

Even so, the money earned from completing tasks was still a drop in the bucket compared to that huge hole.

A broken family and heavy debt weighed on the young girl like two mountains, making it hard for her to breathe.

Because of all these reasons, Xia Ming became increasingly self-conscious and had fewer and fewer friends.

But she kept telling herself to be strong and optimistic.

That lively and cheerful exterior was nothing more than a thin layer of disguise she used to protect herself from external harm.

Beneath the facade lies a heart already scarred, sensitive, and fragile.

By the end, Xia Ming's eyes were completely red, tears welling up but stubbornly refusing to fall.

Yang Xian looked at her, unsure of what to say for a moment.

"Thank you, thank you for listening to me. Thank you for being my friend." Xia Ming forced a smile and spoke cautiously:

"Yang Xian, could you... hug me one more time?"

Just once!

Faced with such a vulnerable and pleading look, Yang Xian simply couldn't bring himself to refuse.

He stepped forward, opened his arms, and gently embraced her:

"If you want to cry, then cry."

"It will make you feel better if you cry it out."

At that moment, he inexplicably thought of the girl he had met in Zone G.

Tao Tao's situation is not much better than Xia Ming's.

At least, Xia Ming still has the option of practicing martial arts as a fallback, allowing him to struggle on his own.

But Tao Tao...

Ugh.

Yang Xian sighed inwardly.

Xia Ming in his arms didn't cry; she just buried her face in his chest, remained quiet for a few seconds, and then took the initiative to separate from him.

"Yang Xian, I'm so glad you didn't dislike me." She raised her hand to wipe the corner of her eye.

"Is it much better?" Yang Xian asked.

Xia Ming sniffed lightly, then a bright smile returned to his face: "I'm not that fragile!"

Then, she suddenly grabbed Yang Xian's wrist:

"Yang Xian, could you come with me? I want to show you something!"

------

Xu Huanhuan's little shop.

Xia Ming used his key to open the shop door and led Yang Xian inside.

"Yang Xian, please make yourself at home!" She pointed to a booth by the window. "I'll go get it for you, just a moment!"

After saying that, she plunged into the room behind the shop.

Yang Xian found a seat and sat down, feeling somewhat uneasy.

Mysterious.

What is Xia Ming going to show me?

Could it be a newly developed cake?

To be honest, Xia Ming's cakes are really delicious, sweet but not cloying, with a smooth and creamy texture.

……

Ten minutes passed.

Yang Xian was scrolling through short videos, waiting idly.

Suddenly, my phone received a message from Lin Qingxue.

[Lin Qingxue]: "Yang Xian, just accept my senior! Lingling and I both agree!"

Yang Xian was completely stunned when he saw the message.

Ok?

What does this mean?

"Squeak!"

Just as he was completely confused.

The door to the lounge opened...

Xia Ming came out from inside.

This time, when she came out, she was a completely different person.

A delicate lace headdress adorned her long, flaxen hair.

She was no longer wearing that off-white dress, but a magnificent blue and red Lolita dress, with layers of lace swaying gently with her movements.

Her straight, slender legs were encased in a pair of pristine white knee-high stockings, and she wore adorable round-toe Lolita shoes.

Xia Ming lowered his head, his hands resting uneasily in front of him, seemingly feeling extremely shy and nervous about his daring outfit.

After a short while, she slowly raised her head.

Her cheeks were flushed crimson, and her amber eyes flickered uncertainly as she avoided eye contact with Yang Xian.

"Yang, Yang Xian... I'm sorry to have kept you waiting!"