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

Lin also stopped and looked at Fang Cheng with a puzzled expression.

Fang Cheng met Lin Ye's gaze, raised his chin slightly, and adopted a protective stance, as if he had the urge to go up and have a good talk with him.

Su Nian knew Fang Cheng's straightforward personality too well, so she tightened her grip and pulled Fang Cheng back.

"fine."

She looked at Lin Ye, her voice returning to its usual coldness, and then forcefully dragged her resentful best friend away.

"Niannian, why are you pulling me like that? I just can't stand it..."

"Stop talking, let's go back."

The two figures gradually disappeared.

Lin stood there, pondering the reason. Could it be that Su Nian had given him artificial respiration on the nameless island last time, and Lin hadn't gotten over it yet, and then told her friend about it?

A guy who already has a girlfriend, even unintentionally and passively, stole another innocent girl's first kiss or intimate contact, causing that girl to be restless lately.

As the woman's best friend, she would naturally adopt the victim's perspective and blame the man for the mistake.

Lin nodded to himself, it was that simple.

He put his thoughts aside and went to the entrance of Ningchuan University.

At 2:30 p.m., the sunlight dispelled some of the chill and fell on the sidewalks on both sides.

Shen Yi was already standing under a tree by the door waiting for him.

Today she wore a pale white chunky knit sweater, paired with a chestnut-colored pleated skirt, and a soft scarf casually wrapped around her neck.

Seeing Lin Ye walk over, her previously calm eyes instantly lit up, her lips curled up, and her eyes curved into two beautiful crescent moons.

She rubbed her hands together and hurried forward, her hands so cold that she put them into Lin Ye's pockets, her entire weight resting on Lin Ye's arm.

"Let's go." Shen Yi tilted her head back, exhaling a small puff of white breath from her nose, her smile sweet and gentle.

Lin looked at that face quietly. He was never really sure what kind of feelings he had for Shen Yi.

Initially, it might have been out of pity, or perhaps Lin also noticed that Shen Yi resembled a female anime character he liked in elementary school.

That character was also a girl who had experienced countless hardships but could still smile sweetly. At that time, he didn't understand what it meant to feel sorry for someone; he just thought that the girl's smile was very beautiful.

As he got older, he found it increasingly difficult to feel strong emotions for anything.

The situation seems to be improving now.

The early winter sun was bright, but it had little warmth.

Shen Yi buried most of her face in the soft scarf, revealing only her bright and beautiful eyes.

As they passed a shop, Lin Ye's gaze lingered for a moment on the red and yellow GG paper, and he suddenly asked, "Have you thought about what you want to do in the future?"

The question was asked casually, like a whisper carried on the wind.

Shen Yi slowed her pace, staring blankly at the bluestone pavement in front of her.

In the days following her mother's burial, her world was utterly desolate. She had no concept of "the future" at that time. Every day when she opened her eyes, all she could think about was working and making money. The day she cleared all her debts would be the day she put an end to her life in this world.

Later, on the dark rocks of Shihejiao, Lin also pulled her back from the brink of falling with a blunt confession.

From that day on, she had important people again and found meaning in her life.

Her mind was filled with thoughts of how to see him, how to eat with him, and how to smile more beautifully in front of him.

She was so enveloped in the warmth of this unexpected return that she didn't really look to the future.

Feeling the small hand in his pocket, Lin turned his head to look at her.

Shen Yi raised her head, her beautiful eyes reflecting the winter sunlight. She thought about it very seriously, her eyebrows furrowing together.

After a long while, she answered in a very soft but exceptionally clear voice.

"I've thought it through carefully. With Chinese language and literature as a major, if I take the civil service exam or get a job in the system, the job is indeed stable, but with a fixed salary, it's very slow to save money. I plan to start looking for internships from my sophomore year and apply for copywriting or corporate marketing positions at several large companies. In a city like Ningchuan, with a good internship, the base salary after graduation and becoming a full-time employee can probably reach seven or eight thousand yuan. With project performance bonuses and year-end bonuses, I should be able to barely exceed ten thousand yuan."

She looked at Lin Ye, her clear eyes revealing a down-to-earth attitude and a hint of longing: "Besides my full-time job, I can also take on some part-time jobs in business writing and new media operations on weekends, which can save an extra two or three thousand yuan a month. After deducting the most basic living expenses, I don't buy luxury goods or spend money recklessly, and I can save eight thousand yuan a month, which is nearly one hundred thousand yuan a year."

Lin listened quietly as she diligently calculated the accounts.

"I want to save half of the money for buying a house myself." Shen Yi met Lin Ye's gaze, her smile turning into a stubborn seriousness.

While her mother was still alive, she lived in the cramped town of Changshui, her mind filled with thoughts of how to climb the social ladder.

But now, Mother is gone, forever left on that desolate hillside.

Those thoughts of trying to climb the social ladder by relying on others were also buried in the earth.

She now has someone she truly loves, and it is precisely because of this love that she no longer wants to take shortcuts.

People on the street were hurrying by, and no one noticed the young man and woman standing in the cold wind, gazing at each other.

Shen Yi's eyelashes trembled slightly, and a faint blush spread across her fair cheeks as she avoided Lin Ye's gaze.

"Once we've saved enough money and bought our own house, we'll get married."

She bit her lip, her fingers gently tapping Lin Ye's palm in his pocket, and whispered a sentence.

"Then have a child."

Lin stared at her, somewhat stunned: "That's amazing."

He genuinely thought she was incredibly capable, able to organize all these points so clearly and comprehensively in such a short time.

It's as if as long as you follow the route she drew, that concrete future will truly arrive as scheduled.

Upon hearing this slightly awkward and somewhat clumsy compliment, Shen Yi's shyness from uttering those words faded somewhat, and a gentle smile appeared in her eyes: "And you? What do you want to do in the future?"

Following her question, Lin also pondered his own future.

In his mind, although he was chosen by Xingyuan to become a player and even had an official position in Tian Shu, he never thought about how high he would stand in that supernatural world full of fighting, power and rules.

His magnetic field covers such a wide area that he can sense countless life and death events every day, which makes him not obsessed with power itself.

If nothing unexpected happens, he will probably follow in his father Lin Changhe's footsteps and find an ordinary job after graduation.

I go to get off work and leave work on time every day, receive a fixed salary, and live a mundane but stable life.

"Find an ordinary job," Lin replied frankly.

Shen Yi stared at his calm face and did not think he lacked ambition.

Having experienced the malice of Changshui Town and the death of her mother, she knew better than anyone how precious this tranquility and peace truly were.

As long as I can be with him, a peaceful life is the best outcome.

"fine."

"Yes, that's good."