Reborn not to be a beast of burden, I set the rules.

Shen Zhiyi felt a sense of relief and clenched the hanging rope in her hand. The cotton thread was rough and warm against her palm.

At eleven o'clock, sunlight slanted in through the window, falling on the lab table, on her hands, and on her phone screen.

She put the hanging rope on the table, then picked it up again, then put it down again.

The phone is lit up, but the chat window is empty.

She typed a message: "Is the cafeteria open at lunchtime? I have something I'd like to give you."

I stared at it for two seconds, then deleted it.

Then typed: "Can you come to the cafeteria at noon?" and deleted it.

Type again: "Are you in the cafeteria at noon?" or delete it.

She bit her lip, her fingertips tracing the cool surface of the screen.

What if he thinks she's deliberately looking for an excuse to see him?

What if he finds it strange to give a lanyard as a gift?

She placed her phone face down on the table, screen down, blocking the light.

My heart is pounding.

She took a deep breath, turned her phone over, and typed: "Are you free at the cafeteria at lunchtime? I have something I want to give you." Without looking at it a second time, she pressed send.

The phone was placed face down on the table.

My heart started pounding even harder.

She stared at the development board. How many capacitive sensing chips did she need? How many pages of Duntai's driver documentation did she read? She couldn't remember a single word.

A few seconds later, she turned her phone over and glanced at it.

The screen was dark, there was no reply, so I closed it again.

Pick up a pen and pretend to make a list.

He wrote two characters, the pen tip hovering in mid-air.

I checked my phone again, but there was still no reply.

She got up to pour herself a glass of water, then came back and looked again—it wasn't there.

My phone vibrated.

She flipped it over almost immediately; the screen was lit, and Ye Ming replied with a single word: "Yes."

She stared at the word, her eyelashes trembling slightly.

The corners of her lips wanted to curve upwards, but she held back.

He placed the phone face down on the table, but his fingers didn't leave it; his fingertips rested on the edge of the phone, gently rubbing it, then rubbing it again.

She raised her hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, and when her fingers touched her ear, it was a little hot.

She glanced around discreetly; the senior students in the lab were all busy, and no one noticed her unusual behavior.

She stood up, took off her white coat, hung it on the back of the chair, picked it up again, folded it, and put it down again.

She tidied her hair, picked up her phone, walked to the door, then turned back and clenched the hanging cord on the table into her hand.

The cotton thread against my palm was a little rough, but very warm.

She took a deep breath and pushed open the door.

Sunlight streamed in and fell on her shoulders.

She narrowed her eyes, and this time she didn't suppress the slight curve of her lips.

When Shen Zhiyi arrived at the cafeteria, Ye Ming had not yet arrived.

She stood at the doorway and didn't go in.

Clutching the hanging rope in his hand, a small patch of the cotton thread was already damp from the sweat on his palm.

Someone walked past her, seemingly observing her discreetly.

Footsteps, voices, and the clatter of plates blended together.

She glanced into the cafeteria, then looked down at her phone; the screen was dark, with no new messages.

Someone is walking towards us from a distance.

He was very tall, walked at a moderate pace, and had very flat shoulders.

She recognized him; she remembered the day she was rescued in the alley of Zhujiang Road, he looked just like that.

My heart skipped a beat, then suddenly started racing again.

She took a half step back, her heels bracing against the wall. She tightened the rope in her hands.

She wanted to go to meet him, but after taking a step forward, she pulled her foot back.

I wanted to raise my hand to say hello, but I lowered it halfway up.

His fingers were clenched into fists and tucked into his sleeves.

Ye Ming saw her.

She stood at the doorway, wearing a white dress.

The skirt hem just reached her knees; a gust of wind blew, and it gently clung to her calves before loosening again.

Sunlight shone from behind her, enveloping her in a thin layer of light, making her hair shine.

She was so white she seemed to glow, like the moon just pulled from the water, clean and pure, serene and aloof.

He paused for a moment, feeling as if his parched heart was beating harder.

Ye Ming tried hard to recall his bumpy and ridiculous love experiences in his past life, and the hysterical arguments in his marriage. His heart gradually calmed down.

Beauty can lead to mistakes; today, this general will abstain from lust.

I was reborn for only three things: make money, make money, and make money the most damn thing ever!

And so, Ye Ming walked up to her and stopped.

Shen Zhiyi stood still, watching him approach.

His eyes were bright, like the light on an autumn lake, shimmering for a moment, then shimmering again.

Ye Ming felt his heart skip a beat.

I have given up pornography and am now engaging in elegant and sophisticated aesthetic activities!

He spoke calmly, though his throat felt a little dry: "Have you been waiting long?"

Shen Zhiyi shook her head. She was about to snap the hanging rope in her hand.

She opened her mouth, as if to say something, but her throat felt like it was stuffed with cotton, and in the end she just shook her head.

Ye Ming glanced at her; her eyelashes were trembling, her lips were pursed, and a small patch of her earlobe was red.

He looked away and walked into the cafeteria, his steps slow, waiting for her to catch up.

Why should I run away? I'll just look, look openly and honestly—that's what aesthetics are all about!

Shen Zhiyi followed behind him, half a step behind, clutching the hanging rope tightly in her hand.

The two walked into the cafeteria side by side. Sunlight streamed in through the glass windows, falling on their shoulders—very close, yet not touching.

Shen Zhiyi sat down by the window in the cafeteria and placed the hanging rope on the corner of the table.

The plate contained a few dishes she had casually picked out; she wasn't in the mood to choose.

Ye Ming went to get the food trays, and when he came back, he sat down opposite her.

She reached out and pushed the hanging rope towards him, then pulled it back, her fingers resting on the edge of the table.

"This," she said, her voice soft, like a warm spring breeze, "is slip-resistant."

Ye Ming took it, and the moment his fingers touched the cotton thread, Shen Zhiyi's eyelashes trembled.

He hung the lanyard on the white Apple 3GS, letting it dangle and sway, his fingertip brushing against the knot.

"Thanks."

Ye Ming's heart was not as calm as his face. Although the lanyard was not worth much, it was the only gift he had ever received from a girl.

Shen Zhiyi nodded slightly, her cheeks flushed, and she poked at the rice in her plate with her chopsticks, but couldn't pick it up for a long time.

After hesitating for a long time, she finally spoke: "Wang Chao came to see me yesterday."

Ye Ming looked up at her, his brows furrowed slightly.

Is this grandson's business too?

"He said bad things about you." The chopsticks froze in mid-air. "He said you flirt with all sorts of girls, even those with boyfriends."

Ye Ming didn't say anything. He felt that their relationship hadn't reached the point where these things needed to be explained.

He felt this all too well: the more you talk, the more passive you become, and when you're passive, you instantly turn into a clown.

Shen Zhiyi raised her head and looked at him.

Her eyes were clear and bright, like the water of an autumn lake. She looked at him for two seconds, then three seconds.

"I don't believe it, really," she said, her voice not loud, but very steady.

Ye Ming felt a ticklish sensation in those eyes, so he turned his head away, trying to remain calm: "I understand, thank you."

Shen Zhiyi lowered her head, her gaze falling on the phone beside him.

It's a white Apple 3GS, not the one that was broken before.

Did he buy it? Or was it a gift from someone?

The hanging rope dangled down, swaying back and forth.

"How's your game coming along?" Shen Zhiyi noticed the atmosphere was getting a bit awkward and changed the subject.

Ye Ming said it was alright and gave a brief explanation of how to play.

As Shen Zhiyi listened, her eyes slowly brightened, like a patch of light falling on a lake.

"Can I take a look?" she asked.

"I'll be in the server room tonight, just come over." Ye Ming paused, "Oh, and we need to sign a confidentiality agreement."

Shen Zhiyi paused for a moment, her chopsticks resting on the edge of her bowl, a sudden tightness in her chest.

Does he think she's loose-lipped? Is he afraid she'll reveal the game?

"The game hasn't been released yet."

Ye Ming explained calmly, "Everyone I've been in contact with has to sign. Senior Li Yue, Senior Zhang Yuan, and the classmates who helped me write the incident report, as well as the classmates who tried out the game, have all signed."

Given his personality, he rarely explains these things to anyone other than his family.

But seeing the broken look in Shen Zhiyi's eyes, he couldn't help but soften his heart.

Her worries were put aside, and Shen Zhiyi's lips curled up slightly.

"Okay." Her voice was soft and gentle, like a cotton candy.

The two continued eating, the sunlight streaming in through the window and falling warmly on the table.