A god-level beauty system? But I'm already a god-level beauty!

The car was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, with only the faint hum of the air conditioning vents.

Shen Ye sat on the soft leather seat and turned his head to look at Chu Cihan, who was sitting opposite him with his arms crossed.

The girl leaned against the window, her back ramrod straight, her face tense, her chin slightly tucked in, her gaze fixed on the receding street scene outside the window.

Her blurry silhouette was reflected in the car window, and the coldness in her eyes seemed to be etched there.

The car drove on for a while, and no one spoke.

The camphor trees outside the window flashed by one after another, casting alternating shadows on her face.

Chu Cihan suddenly spoke, his voice very soft: "Shen Ye, you don't need to come looking for me anymore."

That gentle detachment in his tone has returned.

She turned her head and looked directly into Shen Ye's eyes.

His gaze was extremely calm, like a frozen lake, with no bottom and no ripples.

"Even if you come again, I will not see you."

Shen Ye was stunned for a moment, silently processing the girl's words.

Her lips parted slightly, her Adam's apple bobbed, as if she wanted to say something, but her next words cut her off.

"You don't need to apologize to me anymore." Chu Cihan raised his hand and gently tidied a stray hair behind his ear, his movements unhurried and his demeanor composed. "Anyway, we were just classmates to begin with. Now that you've transferred schools, it's fine for us to go our separate ways."

The air inside the car seemed to freeze.

"that......"

Shen Ye scratched his face with his index finger, as if he hadn't heard those words, and continued to speak to himself.

"Didn't you say you wanted me to come to your house as a guest?"

He paused, then looked up at her: "Does it still count now?"

"..."

Chu Cihan fell silent.

Chu Cihan was furious.

"...Are you deaf?!"

She slammed her fist on the seat, pressing a wrinkle into the leather cushion, which quickly returned to its original shape.

"I told you! We were just classmates! At most, ordinary friends! Now that you've transferred schools, we have nothing to do with each other anymore!"

"Yes, I used to enjoy playing with you, but that was in the past. I don't like it anymore. I'm doing just fine without you. Please be considerate and don't bother me!"

Chu Cihan spoke for almost twenty seconds straight. When she uttered the last word, she was hunched over, gasping for breath, her chest heaving violently, her breathing rapid.

"Okay, okay, I know. You should rest for a bit. You've almost sucked all the oxygen out of the car."

Shen Ye leaned forward and gently patted Chu Cihan's arched back, helping her catch her breath.

"You have no idea!"

Chu Cihan shook off his arm, yelled at him, and then started panting again.

"Yes, yes, I don't know, I don't know."

Shen Ye used his usual tactics to coax Chu Cihan—disobeying, disagreeing, and not opposing.

Stir the water until it's muddy, then stroke her hair.

Numerous experiences have proven that this tactic is quite effective on her.

Sure enough, Chu Cihan stopped breathing, but his shoulders were still heaving.

Seeing this, Shen Ye quietly placed his palm on her back again, gently and slowly.

Chu Cihan's body trembled, his back tensed for a moment, but in the end he did not dodge.

Shen Ye gently stroked her, his touch even and tender, waiting quietly for her to recover.

His fingertips felt the girl's slightly trembling shoulder blades through her clothes, like soothing a stubborn kitten with its fur standing on end.

After a long while, Chu Cihan's breathing finally returned to normal.

She lowered her head, staring intently at the soft carpet beneath her feet, her thoughts wandering.

It's happening again...

Shen Ye comforted him, and he couldn't resist anymore...

She had clearly made up her mind to ignore him, but as soon as he softened his tone or reached out a hand, the wall she had painstakingly built crumbled into pieces.

Why am I so pathetic, so easily swayed by emotions...?

Chu Cihan grew angrier the more he thought about it, and suddenly raised his head to glare angrily at Shen Ye.

Shen Ye was completely unaware of what was happening, and gave her a bright smile, even waving at her in a very professional manner.

"Awoo—"

The haughty young lady bit Shen Ye's hand hard.

"ah--!!"

Shen Ye screamed in pain and instinctively tried to pull his hand back.

"Chu Cihan, are you a dog?!"

But Chu Cihan's bite was in a very tricky spot, making it not easy to break free.

If Shen Ye moves around randomly, his fingertips will touch something warm and soft.

This made him freeze instantly, and he dared not make any big movements.

Chu Cihan let out a series of humming sounds, her eyes full of smugness.

I'll bite you to death, you bastard.

However, she held back a little to avoid actually breaking the skin.

The two remained locked in a standoff for a long time.

It took so long that Chu Cihan's cheeks ached, and the soreness in her mouth crept up her teeth before she finally had to open her mouth.

"hiss--"

Shen Ye looked down and saw that on the distinct knuckles, each of the four fingers had a row of neat teeth marks on the side, like a string of small crescent moons, with a light purplish-red hue.

He disgustedly shook his saliva-covered, sticky hands, and turned to complain, but was choked by the girl's reddened eyes.

Chu Cihan sniffed and pursed her lips tightly, trying to hold back her tears.

But her eyes, already brimming with tears, could no longer hold back. With a slight tremor of her eyelashes, large tears rolled down her cheeks and landed on the backs of her hands clasped together on her knees.

"You bad guy..."

The girl's tears, which she had been holding back, finally burst forth, and her voice became hoarse and barely audible.

She suddenly rushed into Shen Ye's arms, her forehead pressed against his chest, her two small hands clenched into fists, and punched his shoulders again and again.

The force was light and soft, like a release of emotions or a playful act.

"Why did you come looking for me again! Why can't you just let me have some peace and quiet?!"

Chu Ci questioned him with a cold voice and tears streaming down her face, her sobs breaking the rhythm of her words, each sentence ending with a choked sob.

"I was worried about you." Shen Ye raised his hand and gently wiped away the tears rolling down her cheeks with his fingertips.

The spot touched by her fingertips was wet and hot; the girl's skin was burning from being soaked in tears and her emotions.

"Who asked you to worry!" Chu Cihan grabbed his collar and shouted, his swollen eyes still brimming with fresh tears.

"Okay, okay, don't worry me. I can live a good life on my own." Shen Ye patiently agreed with her, his tone extremely soft and gentle.

"no......"

"What?"

"That's not how it works..."

Chu Cihan looked at Shen Ye with teary eyes.

Those beautiful eyes were washed bright and clear by tears, and there was a surge of grievances that had been building up for too long.

"Nobody at school wants to play with me, and the teachers don't dare to say anything to me. I eat lunch alone, and no one keeps me company. I go home alone after school, and I have to go to math and foreign language classes on weekends..."

As she spoke, her voice grew softer and softer until it was almost a whisper.

"I'm unhappy every single day here..."

Chu Cihan buried her face in Shen Ye's chest, her muffled voice coming through the fabric, carrying a damp warmth.

I want to stay with you...