After AFK for five years, I returned to be number one in the entire server.

Lin was sitting at his desk in Songyuan dormitory when his phone lit up.

He glanced at it and saw that it was a message from Tian Shu:

"Target Shen Yi was detected with an abnormal magnetic field fluctuation during the Bone-Corroding Operation, but the branch was unable to attend to it at the time. Subsequent independent monitoring by the branch and your month-long close observation have shown that the target has not exhibited any abnormal behavior or ability fluctuations, and she is deemed safe. The observation mission is terminated. Thank you for your cooperation."

Lin finished reading and put his phone down.

The sky outside the window was overcast with low-hanging clouds; it looked like it might rain later.

He was the only one in the dormitory; his roommates were all busy with their own things, some in the library, some in internet cafes.

Lin didn't want to stay indoors, so she changed her clothes and went out.

The commercial street was nearly deserted today; only a few students wandered among the milk tea shops, snack stalls, and stationery stores.

Lin also stopped in front of a convenience store and bought a bottle of water.

After he paid the bill and went outside, he happened to run into the person who had come in.

Su Nian.

She was wearing a light-colored knit sweater over a white round-neck top, dark blue straight-leg jeans, and casual shoes.

A few strands of her long hair were blown by the wind. She reached out and brushed them back down. When she saw Lin Ye, she paused for a moment.

"Going out to buy something?"

Lin also replied, "Let's take a walk."

"Wait me a moment."

After Su Nian went inside to buy her things, she and Lin Ye walked along the street.

Ginkgo trees are planted on both sides of the road. Most of the leaves have turned yellow, and some have already fallen, carpeting the sidewalk. Stepping on them makes a slight rustling sound.

There weren't many pedestrians around, and occasionally a few people on electric bikes would pass by.

After walking for a while, Su Nian asked, "How did things go with what happened during the National Day holiday?"

After the National Day holiday, she asked Lin Ye, who said that it was still ongoing.

"It's over, nothing serious."

Su Nian nodded and didn't ask for any more details; she just wanted to confirm Lin Ye's safety.

Last time, Lin also told her about joining Tian Shu in order to get her to help him deal with his parents.

"What did you tell my family during the National Day holiday?" Lin wasn't good at lying or making excuses, so she left this matter entirely to Su Nian.

"Tell them you went out on a research trip with your classmates; it's a practical activity organized by the school, and you shouldn't be disturbed."

Lin also hummed in agreement.

The two continued walking forward, turned a corner, and saw a cake shop on the side of the street with all kinds of bread and desserts displayed in the window.

"When do you plan to tell your uncle and aunt about joining Tian Shu? Are you going to keep it a secret forever? They'll be so happy to know."

"I don't know, maybe next time."

"Are you worried that your aunt will keep calling you and lecturing you on manners? But in your aunt's eyes, joining Tian Shu means you'll have something worthwhile to do, and maybe she'll nag you less. Before, in her eyes, you were always doing nothing all day long."

Su Nian continued, "Tian Shu has an official position with a salary. In my uncle and aunt's eyes, it's a secure job, even better than taking the civil service exam."

By evening, it was completely dark.

The streetlights on campus lit up one by one, and the cold wind rustled the leaves.

Lin stood by the flower bed below Building 9 of Guiyuan, holding her mobile phone with the screen lit up, showing the time as 8:05.

He and Shen Yi made plans to go to the movies tonight.

There were quite a few girls coming and going at the dormitory entrance. Occasionally, a few would glance at him, then whisper to their companions and walk away.

Lin was also a celebrity at school because of his status as a monthly-level player.

In a dormitory room on the fourth floor, Zhou Ran and Zhao Jiaxin were leaning over the balcony railing, looking down.

"I saw it! I saw it! It's still standing there!" Zhou Ran said with delight.

Zhao Jiaxin, with a face mask on, spoke somewhat unclearly: "Shen Yi just went downstairs, right? These two have been inseparable lately, always together."

"What do you know? That's just a testament to their friendship." Zhou Ran looked downstairs. "But things are progressing a bit too fast. Just a while ago, Shen Yi was acting like she was going to die and wouldn't talk to anyone, but now they're actually going on dates and watching movies together."

"A lone man and a lone woman watching a movie late at night, what time is it?" Zhao Jiaxin's tone was filled with gossipy excitement: "You know, Lin is also a level one player, he usually seems aloof, did he just sleep with Shen Yi tonight? There are plenty of those hourly hotels near the movie theater."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Zhou Ran patted her on the shoulder. "Shen Yi knows what she's doing; she's not stupid. But Lin Ye has been incredibly good to her lately. It takes skill to pull her out of that state."

downstairs.

Shen Yi walked out of the dormitory.

Today she wore a light blue dress, the fabric soft and clinging to her body, the hem cascading naturally along her leg lines, revealing a section of slender, fair calves. Her long hair flowed smoothly over her shoulders, and her lips were a warmer red than they had a few days ago.

Her stunning features appeared even softer and more vivid against the backdrop of the night and streetlights.

The deathly stillness that seemed like it could shatter at any moment had mostly dissipated. Although a hint of fragility, not yet fully healed, could still be caught in certain moments when her eyes were lowered, it was replaced by a vibrant beauty.

When she saw Lin Ye, a beautiful smile curved her lips, and she quickly walked up to him.

"Have you been waiting long?" Her voice was a little lighter than before, with a slight rise at the end.

"Just arrived." Lin also put his phone into his pocket.

The two walked side by side out of the school.

Once they were on the street, Shen Yi's hand somehow and naturally slipped into Lin Ye's palm, her fingers slowly opening and slipping between his fingers.

Lin Ye paused almost imperceptibly, his fingers feeling the warmth and softness of her palm.

Just a few days ago, they were only pulling on a few fingers, but now they're so skilled.

Shen Yi moved even closer, her shoulder almost touching his arm.

On the way to the movies, she pulled him along, stopping frequently to look at this and that, like it was the first time they were shopping together.

Finally, as they approached the cinema, Lin asked, "What movie are we watching tonight?"

"A horror movie." Shen Yi's lips curled up slightly, showing both gentleness and a hint of mischief. "I heard it's really scary, and many people screamed and ran out halfway through."

"You like watching this kind of thing?"

"I don't like it, I'm a scaredy-cat," Shen Yi said, looking at him. "So if I get scared in the movie theater later, I might hug you, and you can't find me annoying."

The two walked on the street outside the mall, the autumn night wind was a bit chilly.

Shen Yi wasn't that cold, but she deliberately hugged her arms and pretended to be shivering.

Unlike the time at the artificial lake, Lin was wearing a coat today, so he took it off and draped it over the other person's shoulders.

She kissed Lin Ye's cheek.

"I like you, Lin Ye."