Reborn to prepare for the college entrance exam, you're letting me retire and make a comeback?

The two soon arrived at the stone bridge spanning the river.

The bridge is wide, with simple stone railings on both sides, and its gentle outline is now outlined by the warm yellow streetlights and the dazzling neon lights of the city in the distance.

The autumn night breeze, carrying the moist scent of the river, caressed my face, refreshing and pleasant, dispelling the lingering warmth in the café and the slight heat from our earlier hand-holding.

Standing in the middle of the bridge, the view suddenly opens up.

In the distance, thousands of lights twinkled like stars against the night sky, while nearby, the river reflected the lights, shimmering and swaying gently with the ripples, as if a river of shattered diamonds was flowing through it.

The evening breeze was gentle and cool, carrying the faint sounds of the city in the distance and the whispers of couples nearby.

"Wow...this place is so beautiful."

Chen Yufei couldn't help but sigh softly, her eyes slightly narrowed as she savored the moment of tranquility and romance away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

The night breeze lifted a few stray strands of her hair, brushing across her smooth forehead and delicate jawline, creating an almost unreal beauty amidst the interplay of light and shadow.

Lu Qian turned his head to look at her profile softened by the night view, and a smile appeared on his lips.

He followed up on her words, saying, "Yes, I remember there was a text in my elementary school textbook that said that beauty is everywhere in life; the key is whether you have the eyes to see it."

"Sometimes, a corner you've seen countless times will suddenly reveal a beauty you've never noticed before, under a particular sunset or a starry sky like this."

"That's really true."

Chen Yufei was touched by his description and nodded thoughtfully: "I used to think that familiar scenery was nothing special, but now that you say it, from a different perspective and with a different mindset, the feeling is completely different."

She turned to look at Lu Qian, her eyes sparkling in the lamplight.

The girl felt that the biggest gain from going out with Lu Qian tonight was that she learned a lot from him and gained some insights into life.

It always gives people a sense of sudden enlightenment.

Even though I'm two years older than this brat, I don't know why, but when I talk to him, I always feel like I'm being forced to accept him from a lower position.

But she enjoyed the feeling of being dominated, because it gave her a great sense of security, so she let him hold her hand.

"..."

Lu Qian caught a glimpse of the tenderness in Chen Yufei's eyes and realized the atmosphere was right, so he immediately seized the opportunity.

He leaned forward slightly, bringing his face closer, his smile tinged with mischief:

"So, senior, have you noticed that from this angle, don't I look breathtakingly handsome?"

"?"

Chen Yufei was taken aback at first, then couldn't help but laugh.

The atmosphere that had just been built up was instantly shattered by this shameless declaration.

But this doesn't spoil the mood.

After all, the atmosphere can be recreated, but the emotional rollercoaster of these feelings is rarely experienced.

"You're the most narcissistic little boy I've ever met."

She gently nudged him, laughing heartily: "Not only do you know how to praise young girls in all sorts of ways, but when you praise others, you don't even spare yourself! With that mouth of yours, it's a waste that you're not an actress."

"Ha ha."

Lu Qian laughed along and preemptively said, "I know, senior, you're going to say next that the actor you're talking about is a comedian, right?"

"hey-hey."

Chen Yufei's eyes curved into crescent moons: "I didn't expect you to guess right again!"

She actually meant to say crosstalk performers, but that's pretty close.

When she was with Lu Qian, her emotions were always swayed by him, switching seamlessly from the seriousness of a business elite to the playfulness of a young man.

The two leaned against the bridge railing, chatting and laughing as they gazed at the night view, the atmosphere relaxed and intimate.

However, amidst their laughter and conversation, no one realized that their hands had remained intertwined ever since they stepped onto the bridge.

That initial tentative hand-holding, through conversation and strolling side-by-side, has naturally evolved into an interlocking of fingers.

The two were very close, their arms inevitably touching.

Lu Qian could even clearly feel the softness and warmth of Chen Yufei's arm through the thin clothing.

This unconscious intimate contact did indeed bring him a great deal of pleasure.

I'm in a great mood.

The two of them didn't speak again, but simply watched the night view from the bridgehead for a while.

Sometimes it's nice when a man and a woman stand together without saying a word.

As night deepened, the light on the bridge became increasingly hazy and ambiguous.

Lost in their own world, they didn't notice that the atmosphere among the other couples around them was quietly heating up.

The whispers subsided, replaced by more intimate sounds.

Suppressed breathing, soft smacking of lips, and the occasional low moan from the girl…

In this relatively quiet environment, even though he tried to keep his voice down, it still drifted clearly into Chen Yufei's ears.

The girl's smile froze on her face instantly, her fair cheeks flushed bright red, and her ears looked like they were about to bleed.

That voice… she knew it so well!

That ambiguous night, outside the cramped bathroom, she heard similar sounds, and then... and then she met Lu Qian...

"Ugh, why do these people do things like this without considering the occasion? Is it really necessary to do it here? And I just happened to run into it..."

"Why does this always happen when I'm with him? It's so annoying!"

A strong sense of embarrassment and panic welled up inside me.

The girl instinctively wanted to take a step back, trying to create distance between herself and Lu Qian.

However, she forgot that she was standing on a slightly sloping bridge and overestimated her ability to maintain her balance in her panic.

He stumbled and lost his balance.

With a startled cry, her body fell backward uncontrollably.

The same scene repeated itself.

"Be careful!"

Lu Qian reacted quickly. The hand he had been holding became the best support. He pulled hard and quickly wrapped his other hand around her waist.

"Hmm!"

Chen Yufei threw herself into Lu Qian's arms, her face slamming into his firm chest.

Time seemed to have been paused.

Both of them were stunned.

Lu Qian felt a warm, feminine scent wash over him, and the soft body in his arms trembled slightly.

Chen Yufei's mind went blank, her cheek pressed against the boy's warm chest.

Even through his clothes, I could clearly feel his strong heartbeat, and I seemed to have accidentally brushed against him in the chaos just now...

She suddenly raised her head.

Lu Qian happened to be looking down at her.

Eyes facing each other.

The lights at the bridgehead danced in his deep eyes, reflecting her current panic.

The posture, the distance, the exchange of glances...

It instantly overlapped with the memory of that night at the KTV.

"Lu Qian, you...you're taking advantage of me again!"

Chen Yufei was the first to react, feeling both ashamed and angry, and tried to struggle to stand up straight.

But the warm embrace made him unable to exert any strength, and he even wanted to hold on tighter.

Lu Qian simply enjoyed the moment silently, remaining silent.

The warm, soft body in his arms, the fragrance of a young girl lingering around his nose, and the pretty face so close to his eyes.

Everything is the best catalyst.

The impulses of a young body instantly overwhelmed him.

"Senior, this isn't my fault."

Lu Qian's voice was somewhat low: "You were the one who pounced on me, so this was just self-defense."

Instead of letting go, he subconsciously tightened his embrace.

"Eek..."

Chen Yufei felt flustered and confused by his roguish gaze. Her face flushed even more, but her legs inexplicably felt weak.

This feeling was both unfamiliar and intense, leaving her at a loss.

Boom boom, boom boom.

The girl felt that the defenses she had built up over a long period of time were crumbling away bit by bit.

A slight warmth in the lower abdomen and a surge of dopamine in the brain.

There's a sense of resignation, but also a certain longing.

At this point, there's no need to be shy anymore.

Then let's be honest.

An impulse welled up in her throat, and she looked up at Lu Qian, her eyes glazed over: "Lu Qian, didn't you just say you liked someone?"

"Yes, that's what I said," Lu Qian said.

He probably knew what she was going to say, so he went along with it and backed down.

After saying that, he opened his eyes and looked at the girl in front of him, waiting for the boy to say something next.

In his eyes, the girl's face visibly grew redder and redder...

The sound of a heartbeat still pounding could be heard.

After a long while, Chen Yufei stammered again, "I don't know why, but I think... I think I'm starting to like 'being alone'..."

The "liking someone" she mentioned is naturally not the same as the "liking someone" he just teased her about.

Therefore, this statement is worth exploring.

She was responding, she was hinting, she was almost confessing her feelings.

If I succeed, it means I like you; if I fail, I'll leave myself an out and say that I only like one person.

As for how the girl should respond, that depends on how Lu Qian responds.

Lu Qian's brain immediately began to work at lightning speed.

If he were to go along with Chen Yufei's words right now and respond with a heartfelt "I like you too," or even go a step further, it's very likely that tonight they could complete the qualitative change from ambiguity to a formal relationship.

But his past experiences as a scumbag taught him not to give up the whole forest for one tree.

"If we confirm our relationship now, wouldn't that be like tying our own hands? How will we be able to freely flirt with other women in the future?"

Even if confirmation is required, it must be the other party who explicitly expresses their feelings first, and then one must "reluctantly" accept.

That way, if anything goes wrong in the future, it will be because the woman "misjudged the man," not because she "met the wrong person."

The responsibilities are clearly defined.

Moreover, given his understanding of Chen Yufei's personality, it would be a little too early for him to directly confess his feelings.

Before that hug, Lu Qian and Chen Yufei's relationship was one where Lu Qian was always moving forward while Chen Yufei was standing still.

In this way, the distance between the two rapidly closed until just now when they broke through a critical point and were about to break through the wall between them.

After that hug, Chen Yufei began to take a step forward and break down that wall herself.

Therefore, what Lu Qian needs to do is take a step back.

This way, the distance between the two people can continue to grow back to that ambiguous, almost-close relationship before the embrace, which is the optimal solution.

Thinking of this, the momentary excitement and agitation on Lu Qian's face quickly faded, and he deliberately misinterpreted it, saying:

"It's good to like someone, senior."

"Isn't it great to be free and unburdened, living a relaxed and happy life? We really are kindred spirits."

As he spoke, he even symbolically loosened his grip on her arms and leaned back slightly, as if he genuinely agreed with her assertion that she "liked someone."

Chen Yufei: "???"

The girl could hardly believe her ears.

She had almost completely abandoned her reserve; it was as if the words "I like you" were written all over her face.

Turns out, this guy actually pretended to be stupid at the crucial moment!

Are you a master of verbal sparring?

What an inhuman and despicable statement!

Shame, anger, and resentment instantly shattered the courage she had just mustered.

Her pretty face turned even redder with anger, and she glared fiercely at Lu Qian.

"You little rascal, all you do is flirt, but when it really comes down to it, you chicken out!"

She cursed Lu Qian fiercely in her heart.

He's usually the one pushing her relentlessly, making her flustered and confused. Now that she's finally mustered the courage to take a step forward and try to break through that barrier, he's actually backed down.

But this time, Chen Yufei has no intention of giving up.

Why is it always him who controls the pace? Why is it always him who is in control? Why is it always me who is the one who gets teased until I blush and feel flustered?

When has Chen Yufei ever been so passive?!

As Lu Qian had expected, the campus belle from Fujian Normal University did not retreat. Instead, as Lu Qian took a slight step back, she suddenly took another step forward.

The distance between the two instantly closed again.

A pair of clear eyes stared straight at him:

"Lu Qian".

"I'm asking you, what kind of relationship do we have right now?"

A direct, powerful strike.

"Our relationship...?"

Lu Qian's heart skipped a beat; he was somewhat surprised by Chen Yufei's sudden question.

He never expected that Chen Yufei, who was always reserved and passive, would suddenly become less aloof after being repeatedly teased.

Instead of backing down, she directly forced her way out.

This question is practically forcing him to take a stand.

If he continues to be vague or pretend to be clueless, he might completely enrage her and even ruin the goodwill and ambiguous atmosphere that has been built up.

"So... that's the only option?" Lu Qian thought to himself.

He looked into those clear eyes and slowly counted to five.

"one."

"two."

"three."

"Four."

"five."

The other person's gaze didn't waver; instead, they locked eyes.

When a girl dares to gaze at you tenderly for five seconds, it means one thing—

You can kiss her now.

Since words can't give her a satisfactory answer... then let's respond with actions!

After all, 99% of the conflicts between couples in the world can be resolved with a passionate kiss.

Lu Qian stopped retreating and instead met Chen Yufei's gaze, slowly taking a step forward.

"So, senior, what do you think... should our relationship be?"

He deliberately dragged out his words.

His voice was deep and magnetic.

At the same time, the arm that was originally around her waist suddenly tightened, pulling her tightly towards him.

"...Our relationship?"

"Of course..."

Chen Yufei's heart skipped a beat at his sudden movement and gaze. Just as she was about to say something, she felt a powerful sense of oppression coming over her.

The next moment, in her astonished and dilated pupils, Lu Qian's unbelievably handsome face suddenly loomed large before her eyes!

"Ugh—!"

As the stars twinkled, all the voices—questions, shame, anger, and resentment—were silenced and swallowed up, merging into the boundless, gentle night.

A kiss that lasts forever.