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

Pei Xiao's gaze did not fall on Fang Cheng, who was obviously a little flustered and excited, but instead looked at Su Nian beside her, speaking in a familiar and natural tone.

"We meet again."

His voice had a deep, masculine quality, and compared to the unapproachable aura he usually exuded at school, his tone was much gentler at this moment.

In fact, Pei Xiao had already noticed Su Nian a few days ago on that nameless island.

When the Jinlan was hijacked, the scene was too chaotic, and Pei Xiao focused all his energy on the fully armed mercenaries, leaving him no time to pay attention to anything else.

After landing on the island, all the armed men were cleared out, and the passengers, having survived the ordeal, mostly wept bitterly by the campfire on the beach.

In that atmosphere filled with weakness and panic, Pei Xiao saw Su Nian sitting on the edge of the fire.

She simply sat there quietly, her clothes damp with sand and her hair disheveled by the sea breeze, but she exuded a rare calmness and aloofness.

The ability to maintain a clear sense of boundaries and emotional control even in extreme environments has a fatal attraction for players of the Tian Shu faction who are used to life and death and hysteria.

Pei Xiao developed a strong liking for this girl at that time, which is why he later went over and casually asked Lin Ye about their relationship.

However, in the following four days, as the highest-ranking official player on site, he needed to follow the instructions of the Queen Mother of the West to repeatedly investigate the remaining islands and participate in the guard work of the rescue ship.

He simply couldn't find the time to develop any extra interactions with an ordinary girl, so he put those thoughts aside for the time being.

He hadn't expected to meet her here again.

Unlike Fang Cheng, Su Nian did not show surprise or bewilderment at Pei Xiao's appearance.

She brought her somewhat unfocused gaze back, her thoughts about Lin Ye still lingering in her mind, and she had no energy to deal with an unexpected social situation.

But out of politeness, she nodded slightly and said in a clear voice, "Hello."

The two simple words conveyed a very appropriate sense of distance, without any intention to extend the topic further.

Fang Cheng, who was standing to the side, was stunned for a moment, his brain working at lightning speed.

With that tone and those opening lines, Pei Xiao, that aloof and unattainable girl from Ningchuan University, actually took the initiative to strike up a conversation, and it sounded like the two of them knew each other before.

Pei Xiao didn't mind Su Nian's somewhat indifferent attitude; in fact, it was one of the reasons he appreciated Su Nian.

"Hello, Senior Pei Xiao! I've attended your lecture before, I didn't expect to run into you here." Fang Cheng smiled brightly.

Pei Xiao nodded to her, the curve of his lips just right. He knew very well how to defuse the awkwardness of unfamiliar social situations and did not neglect Fang Cheng.

"Hello, I remember that lecture. I felt bad that I made everyone wait an extra half hour because of equipment problems. It's quite a coincidence that we meet here today."

Fang Cheng waved his hand repeatedly, saying it was alright.

After a brief exchange with Fang Cheng, Pei Xiao naturally turned her gaze back to Su Nian.

His gaze lingered on Su Nian's face for a moment, and his tone became slightly more formal.

"The incident involving the Jinlan ship only happened a few days ago, and you seem to be in a bad state today. As one of the official personnel who was present at the time, I need to take this opportunity to confirm some follow-up information."

"Among those mercenaries, there are a few players with rather insidious methods. Their magnetic fields have been activated in the enclosed cabins. Tian Shu has been conducting follow-up surveys with disembarking passengers these past few days to prevent anyone from experiencing unknown magnetic field repulsion reactions or psychological trauma. Have you felt unwell anywhere these past few days?"

Su Nian replied calmly, "I'm fine, there's nothing wrong with my body, thank you for your concern."

"That's good, but some magnetic field aftereffects have a latency period. Since we're both at Ningchuan University, for safety's sake, why don't we add each other as friends? If you or your classmates feel any physical abnormalities later, you can contact me directly. Going through the internal process is much faster than you reporting it to the Queen Mother of the West unilaterally." Pei Xiao took out her phone and opened the interface.

Fang Cheng listened with wide eyes, as a prominent figure from Ningda University offered his contact information and even the privilege of an "internal green channel".

If this kind of treatment were posted on the school forum, it would probably drive a bunch of girls crazy with jealousy. She even secretly kicked Su Nian, hinting that she should hurry up and agree.

Su Nian looked at the phone screen that Pei Xiao handed her, which clearly displayed a QR code for adding friends.

She replied, "No need. Tian Shu is very efficient, and west Wangmu's health monitoring system is always connected to my personal terminal. If there really is a problem, I will resolve it through the formal medical reporting process, so I won't take up Pei Xuechang's personal time."

Pei Xiao's hand paused in mid-air. He had seen all sorts of girls who wanted to get close to him, and he had imagined that Su Nian might hesitate, but he really did not expect that she would reject him so decisively and without leaving any room for negotiation.

A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes, but it was quickly masked by his excellent composure.

He didn't show any negative emotions despite being humiliated in person. Instead, he naturally put his phone away, and a gentle smile returned to his lips.

"Okay, I understand. You guys enjoy your shopping, I won't bother you any longer."

After saying that, Pei Xiao turned and left without hesitation, walking calmly out of the clothing store.

The wind chimes rang again, and his figure quickly disappeared into the bustling crowd in the mall.

Only after Pei Xiao was completely out of sight did Fang Cheng grab Su Nian's arm and say, "Su Nian, are you crazy! That's Pei Xiao! Do you know how many people want to add him as a friend? He practically handed you his QR code, and you refused!"

She sighed, "Although Lin Ye is also very good, he still can't compare to Pei Xiao. Whether it's her status in Tian Shu, her reputation at school, or her gentlemanly and humorous personality, she's far superior to Lin Ye. The way she took the initiative to be friendly just now, anyone else would have already accepted it."

Fang Cheng never expected that his casual teasing of Su Nian back in Linhai would now come true.

I don't know what Lin did to make Su Nian so distracted.

After buying clothes, on the way back to Ningchuan University from the mall, Su Nian remained silent, while Fang Cheng tried to lighten the mood by trying to start some lighthearted conversations.

At school, the two encountered Lin Ye, who was alone, on the path, and Fang Cheng's anger flared up immediately.

The two brushed past each other. Fang Cheng stopped, turned around and glared at Lin Ye, throwing out a few words.

"Pah! What a scumbag!"