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

After an unknown amount of time, the sounds of water on both sides gradually subsided.

After soaking in the hot springs, it was almost noon. People gradually emerged from the changing rooms and returned to the spacious side hall on the first floor.

After soaking and relaxing in the hot spring water, everyone's faces had a natural rosy glow.

The manor's maids had already set out a sumptuous lunch on the long, solid wood dining table, with exquisite dishes and several pitchers of brightly colored fruit drinks.

Fang Cheng was feeling thirsty after soaking in the hot spring. When he saw the pot of drinks, he couldn't wait to pour himself a full cup and gulp it down several times, praising the sweet and refreshing taste.

Shen Yi and Su Nian each poured themselves a glass and slowly drank it along with the dishes on the table.

This seemingly harmless pink drink only has the sweet taste of fruit when you take a sip.

Less than ten minutes.

Fang Cheng drank the most and was the first to react. She was originally talking non-stop about gossip about a certain celebrity, but for some reason her tongue started to get tied, her speech became slurred, her head kept nodding down, and finally she simply slumped over the edge of the table and fell into a deep sleep.

Two distinct blushes appeared on Shen Yi's fair cheeks, and her peach blossom eyes became watery and dreamy. She leaned back in her chair, feeling weak and powerless.

Su Nian's reaction was the quietest. She remained seated upright in her chair, her back ramrod straight, but her usually cool eyes had lost focus and were now misty with tears.

She held the empty glass in both hands, her slightly reddened earlobes betraying her true state; she knew she had fallen for it again.

Lin also noticed something was wrong. He picked up a small card next to the pink drink and glanced at it, only to find that it indicated the alcohol content.

Gu Qingxin put down her chopsticks, looked at the three girls who were slumped over, and smiled apologetically.

"I didn't pay attention to the drink menu and thought it was just regular juice." Gu Qingxin stood up, walked to Fang Cheng's side, and gently helped her up. "I'll take them back to their rooms on the second floor first."

Lin also stood up, walked to Shen Yi's side, bent down and picked her up in his arms.

Shen Yi leaned against Lin Ye's broad chest, snuggled comfortably to find a stable spot, mumbled a mumbled word in her sleep, and then fell into a deep sleep.

Lin also escorted Shen Yi back to her room, covered her with a blanket, adjusted the air conditioning temperature, and then turned and went downstairs.

In the restaurant on the first floor, Su Nian was still sitting in the same position, holding an empty cup.

Lin walked over and stopped beside Su Nian, his voice steady.

"Go back to your room and rest."

Hearing the sound, Su Nian slowly turned her head, her hazy eyes struggling to focus on Lin Ye's face.

She didn't give her usual rational and aloof response; she simply nodded slightly, her movements somewhat slow.

Lin also stretched out an arm for Su Nian to lean on. Su Nian's fingers grabbed his sleeve, and due to the effects of alcohol, she stumbled as she stood up.

Lin also took the opportunity to support her shoulders, stabilizing her balance.

Su Nian's body was very soft, and she did not resist this contact. She leaned against Lin Ye, and the two of them slowly walked up the wooden spiral staircase.

A scent that blends the steam from the hot springs with the sweet aroma of fruit wine wafts from Su Nian's hair and lingers around Lin Ye's nose.

Reaching Su Nian's room on the far side of the second floor, Lin also pushed open the door and led her to the large bed.

"We're here." Lin also released his hand from her shoulder, indicating that she could lie down on the bed.

Su Nian did not immediately let go of Lin Ye's sleeve. She stood by the bed, the dim light giving the room an indescribable tranquility.

"Lin Ye".

Su Nian suddenly spoke, her voice not loud.

Lin also turned to look at her. Su Nian slowly raised her head, and her perfect, flawless face was right in front of her.

Her dreamy eyes met Lin's.

"I like you."

These four words struck Lin Ye like a thunderclap.

Lin Ye's mind, which could remain calm even when facing high-level players capable of destroying the world, experienced a brief lapse at this moment.

Just as he was momentarily stunned, Su Nian suddenly stood on tiptoe and pressed herself against him without reservation.

The warm, moist touch pressed against Lin Ye's lips, carrying a rich aroma of fruit wine, which abruptly and quickly overwhelmed all his senses.

At the same time, Su Nian lost her balance due to intoxication, and her weight, along with Lin Ye's, caused her to fall backward onto the soft bed.

The girl's long hair fell down and brushed against his cheek.

Lin Ye's pupils became vacant, and for more than ten seconds, the only sound in the room was the sound of their breathing.

He finally snapped out of that near-blank state.

He raised his hands, grasped Su Nian's slender shoulders, and gently pushed her away from him.

Lin Ye walked out of the room into the corridor, and then gently closed the wooden door behind him. As soon as he turned his head, he saw Gu Qingxin in the corridor.

"Is everything settled?" Gu Qingxin asked softly.

"Yes, she's asleep," Lin nodded in response.

Lin also brushed past her, walked to his own room, and closed the door.

Lin sat down by the bed. After the surroundings quieted down, his brain began to automatically process what had happened in those brief ten seconds.

When did she start liking him?

Is it the time the Jinlan cruise ship was hijacked?

Or even earlier?

Lin also recalled Fang Cheng's indignant and gritting expression when he stopped him on the school's tree-lined path, and the words "scumbag."

At the time, Lin also thought it was because Fang Cheng found out that Su Nian had given him artificial respiration on that nameless island, and as a friend, he felt wronged for her.

Looking back now, I realize that my thinking at the time was far too simplistic.

As dusk fell, the sky above Qiyun Manor was gradually filled with the darkness of night.

The sound of doors opening echoed from the second-floor corridor, as several girls woke up after a deep afternoon nap.

At the dining table, Fang Cheng drank two bowls of hot soup, and his whole body was completely revitalized.

She was scrolling through the manor's interior map on her phone when her eyes suddenly lit up.

"Turns out there's a huge night ski resort on the back of this estate! Judging from the reviews, the slopes are wide, and the nighttime lighting is absolutely gorgeous. Shall we go skiing together later? I haven't skied in ages!"

Gu Qingxin smiled and agreed to the suggestion, as she herself had invited everyone out to relax as the host.

Shen Yi turned to Lin Ye beside her: "Do you want to go skiing?"

Lin also wasn't interested in these kinds of physically demanding outdoor recreational activities. He shook his head and said, "I don't want to move. You guys go have fun."