Going home for Chinese New Year, I squeezed onto a bus with three energetic young women.

"..."

have to.

I'll pretend she didn't say anything, since I previously thought she was cultured.

Jiang Ruyue placed the wine bottle on the table, somewhat helplessly.

The young women were laughing so hard they were doubled over.

Chen Tingting waved her hand dismissively, picked up the pitcher and filled her own glass, then clinked it against Jiang Ruyue's wine bottle.

"Can culture put food on the table? As long as the words are rough but the meaning is sound, that's fine." Chen Tingting said with a laugh, biting her tongue piercing.

Bai Li tore off a tissue and casually stuffed it into Jiang Ruyue's hand.

"Your parents are such shrewd people, how could they possibly just leave you on the street and not care if you live or die?"

"They just think you're a female student who hasn't suffered, so they cut off your financial support and put you through a test of obedience."

Bai Li picked up a bottle of mineral water, unscrewed it, and leaned back against the leather sofa to continue his analysis.

"They expect you to be unable to withstand the harsh realities of society, and to go home in tears to admit your mistakes."

"If you don't make a scene, they'll think the high-pressure tactics are effective, and they'll only escalate them in the end."

"But since you've made a scene, you probably won't last more than a day before they start frantically searching for you all over the place."

Jiang Ruyue lowered her head, her fingers picking at the edge of the label on the wine bottle, silently processing these words.

"So, take advantage of the freedom you have now."

"Play as hard as you want, dance if you want to dance, sing if you want to sing."

Bai Li leaned forward and tapped the table with two fingers:

"If you're tired, just lie down at my place. I'll hold the sky up even if it falls. There's no need to go back to being that suffocating puppet, and no one can force you."

Jiang Ruyue raised her eyes.

Normally, people only see the aura of the eldest daughter of the Jiang family. Teachers praise her for her outstanding grades, and relatives praise her for her exceptional temperament.

When I get home, my parents always look down on me with an air of superiority, as if to say, "I've given you such good conditions, how come you can't even get first place?"

No one ever told her that she didn't have to be so outstanding.

The stinging in my eyes could no longer be suppressed, and tears welled up in my eyes.

"Do I really... not need to keep striving for first place?" Her voice trembled, her tone extremely pitiful.

Bai Li chuckled and reached out to ruffle the soft strands of hair on her head.

"In my eyes, you're already number one."

[Ding! Target Jiang Ruyue's emotions have fluctuated significantly. Affection points increased by 10, current affection points: 50.]

Jiang Ruyue could no longer hold back and threw herself into Bai Li's arms, clutching his trench coat collar and sobbing.

This girl keeps talking about being a bad girl and rebellious, but all she ever wanted was unconditional acceptance.

Now we have found a safe haven.

With her inner conflict completely resolved, she now had the confidence to face her family with complete self-assurance.

Several sour, sarcastic voices immediately rose from the side.

"Oh my, you've already hugged her. First place is really great." Li Jiaxin rolled her eyes, her purple ponytail swaying twice.

"You're number one to me~" Chen Tingting said in a high-pitched voice, mimicking Bai Li's tone from earlier, her manner exaggerated and affected:

"Brother, your words are so sweet, you really know how to flirt with women."

Lin Xiaoshuang puffed out her soft, chubby cheeks in a huff, and gave Bai Li's waist a light pinch, complaining playfully:

"Big brother is so biased, forgetting his old love for a new one. But considering how pitiful this little girl is, I'll share half of my embrace with her tonight."

Zhang Qian covered her mouth and laughed, her eyes sparkling as she watched the commotion.

The girls, in their own unique and vibrant way, completely dispelled the slightly sad atmosphere from before.

After being subjected to a barrage of sarcastic remarks from the young women, Bai Li felt a little embarrassed and coughed lightly to create some distance between them.

Jiang Ruyue sniffed and stepped out of his arms.

The little girl's tear stains hadn't even dried yet, but she broke into an extremely bright smile.

She grabbed Bai Li's wrist: "Let's go dancing!"

"I'm not going. I won't dance those kinds of twisting and turning dances." Bai Li tried to back away.

"It's okay, I'll teach you." Jiang Ruyue didn't allow any refusal and pulled Bai Li towards the dance floor.

By sheer coincidence, the bar's DJ happened to change the song.

The heavy metal onslaught subsided, replaced by a soothing, retro-psychedelic saxophone dance track.

The crowd that had been shaking their heads and grasping at thin air in the dance floor slowly dispersed.

Jiang Ruyue pulled Bai Li to the intersection of the laser lights.

She put her hands on Bai Li's shoulders, gesturing for him to place his hands on her waist.

It feels great to the touch.

Even through the fabric of her sweatshirt, this girl's waist was slender and toned, a result of years of dance training.

The air around my nose was filled with the sweet fragrance of a young girl, untouched by the world.

"Follow my lead." Jiang Ruyue stood on tiptoe.

She truly deserves to be called the only unparalleled beauty in Ping County.

Even when wearing the most ordinary hoodie, her posture, demeanor, and steps are precise and elegant when she dances a traditional ballroom dance.

Although Bai Li is an amateur, he has top-notch physical attributes due to system modifications.

With exceptional coordination, she quickly caught up with Jiang Ruyue's rhythm after just a couple of tries.

His tall stature, paired with that high-quality trench coat, gave him the air of a typical tycoon's son.

This stunningly good-looking couple moved back and forth on the dance floor, instantly becoming the focus of the entire event.

The men and women around them, all drunk and staggering, were completely stunned.

Several rich kids, holding wine glasses, stood by the table, their eyes filled with envy.

"Where did these god-like looks come from? The guy is ridiculously handsome, and the girl is so pure."

"This vibe is amazing! It elevates a nightclub to the level of sophistication of Vienna's Golden Hall. I'm so jealous!"

Under the spotlight, vanity is at its peak.

The song ended.

Jiang Ruyue, slightly out of breath, smiled radiantly as she led Bai Li back to their booth.

This girl showed no signs of depression at all; she radiated youthful vitality from the inside out.

As soon as I sat back down on the sofa, several energetic young women turned their gazes toward me.

Although they were secretly jealous, they had to admit that the girl looked really good when she danced.

"You danced pretty well, Yueyue." Chen Tingting handed her a glass of juice and teased, "It's just that our big brother's body is as stiff as a steel plate, so you're the one setting the rhythm."

Bai Li raised his wine glass, about to return the toast.

But someone patted me on the back.

When that hand retracted, its nail accidentally scratched Jiang Ruyue's arm.

Jiang Ruyue frowned.

The conditioned reflex to avoid being approached was activated; without even turning her head, she rattled off a string of formulaic lines at lightning speed.

"I forgot my phone, I don't have WeChat, I'm a lesbian."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a cloying female voice came from behind.

"Who are you, little sister? I don't need your WeChat."

A figure walked around to the side of the sofa and stood there unsteadily.

This is a woman with heavy club makeup.

Her eyelashes were extremely long, her tight-fitting pencil skirt was so short it was almost revealing, and she reeked of perfume and a pungent smell of alcohol.

She squinted her eyes, which were covered in eyeshadow, and looked past Jiang Ruyue, her gaze fixed on Bai Li's handsome face.

"I want this young man." The woman hiccuped, flicked her hair with her finger, and leaned closer to Bai Li.

"I'm so heartbroken today. My darling boyfriend is so cold and heartless, he dumped me..."

She deliberately used a high-pitched, coquettish voice:

"I think this young man is so handsome, generous, and surrounded by so many pretty girls."

"I just wonder... what kind of woman is good enough to be considered for a place in your fishpond?"

Encountering this cliché nightclub pickup line, especially in front of four spirited young women ready to fight at any moment, the situation suddenly became quite awkward.

Chen Tingting slammed the wine bottle in her hand heavily on the table, her temper flaring up as she was about to start cursing.

Jiang Ruyue, who was sitting next to her, spoke first.

"It's nothing." Jiang Ruyue lifted her eyelids and glanced at the heavily made-up woman:

Even the most cold and ruthless man has a place where he feels warmth.

Still starting from zero frames, still using the Thunder language system.

The heavily made-up woman's expression froze instantly.

She stared in shock at the innocent-looking girl in front of her, wearing a hoodie.

Did she really say that?!

She preferred to believe that the sofa had said those words!

Lin Xiaoshuang's hand holding the wine glass trembled slightly, while Li Jiaxin and Zhang Qian simply turned their heads away and tried their best to suppress their laughter.

Bai Li pressed her temples, feeling a headache coming on.

He had to get rid of this eyesore of a woman as soon as possible, otherwise Jiang Ruyue might utter some shocking remarks.

"You want to join my fishpond?" Bai Li leaned back on the sofa and looked the heavily made-up woman up and down.

"If your looks are out of ten, I can only give you a four." Bai Li's voice was completely calm.

"If you want to enter my fishpond, the threshold is eight points. You haven't even touched the passing mark, so get out of here."

Being mercilessly belittled in terms of appearance would make any normal person turn their back and leave.

But this woman was a seasoned veteran, with an unusually thick skin.

Instead of getting angry, her eyes lit up and she swayed her hips even more enthusiastically.

"Little brother, don't be so sure of yourself." She pointed to Jiang Ruyue and Lin Xiaoshuang sitting next to Bai Li, showing off her bright red manicure.

"I'm different from them. They're still young and don't understand anything."

The woman winked at her:

"Even though you only gave me a four out of ten, I'd give myself a six. Because—"

"I'm only 4 points away from a perfect score!"