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

After hearing the secretary's whispered reminder, Saya Igarashi's dangerous aura subsided slightly.

She took a closer look at the boy standing opposite her. Having seen countless people, she could see through Lin Ye's personality at a glance. He was not afraid of direct threats, but he must be very afraid of trouble.

Having seen through this, Saya Igarashi's lips curled into a smile again.

She adopted a domineering stance, throwing out a sentence in Japanese. The secretary reopened the translation software: "If you don't speak, I won't leave. Let's see who can hold out longer."

The room fell into a stalemate that lasted for ten minutes.

The second hand of the wall clock ticked away, and Saya Igarashi was indeed sitting there, seemingly prepared to stay until dark.

"Riverside Square," Lin Ye finally spoke, breaking the silence.

Upon hearing the name, the female secretary immediately took out her phone and quickly searched for it. After confirming that there was indeed such a place in Ningchuan City, she turned her head and nodded slightly to Igarashi Saya.

Sasaki Igarashi stood up with satisfaction, about to lead her secretary out of the cramped rented room.

Lin Ye's gaze fell on the coffee table: "Take the card away."

Saya Igarashi's cool voice rang out from the entrance hall: "What I give away, I never take back."

With the crisp sound of high heels clicking, the two left the stairwell.

Lin pointed his finger at the bank card, and then the bank card disappeared from the coffee table.

As night falls, the city of Ningchuan is illuminated by its lights.

Lin leaned back on the sofa when his phone, which was lying next to him, suddenly vibrated.

He pressed the answer button, and Zhao Qishan's cheerful voice came through.

"Lin Ye, did Igarashi Saya come looking for you today?"

"I was here this afternoon," Lin replied.

Zhao Qishan chuckled on the other end of the phone, looking like he was enjoying the show.

"Then I must thank you properly on behalf of Song Jing for finding him a good marriage. Song Jing is usually sharp-tongued and has a bad temper, yet he is still likable. That young lady from the Igarashi family really has deep feelings for pursuing us in Xia Shang."

Lin didn't respond, and Zhao Qishan continued to analyze the pros and cons on his own.

"Actually, it's understandable if you think about it carefully. The environment in Japan is very complex, with various families and underworld forces constantly fighting in the shadows. In addition, they retain very traditional class concepts and are notoriously fond of the strong."

"Although the Igarashi family has a Chen-level player, it's clearly far from enough to satisfy their ambition to seize more power. Song Jing is also a Chen-level player, and he's so young; his future potential is immeasurable."

"If Igarashi Saya can really win Song Jing's heart, it will be equivalent to establishing an invisible bond between their family and our Tian Shu. In the future, if the Shen Nai wants to contact Xia Shang, they will probably have to sound out the Igarashi family first and pave the way. On a personal level, if something really happens to the Igarashi family, Song Jing can't just ignore it. Adding another Chen-level to their ranks is undoubtedly a happy event for them."

Zhao Qishan's voice was still flowing on the phone.

"Furthermore, Tian Shu has never placed many restrictions on cross-border relationships, as long as they don't involve core secrets. If the two of them really want to be together, Tian Shu certainly won't force them apart."

"But Song Jing is quite arrogant and sensitive, always deliberately avoiding her. This young lady from the Igarashi family is no ordinary person either; she's very aggressive. If it were me, I would have already given up and lived off her."

After the other party finished speaking, Lin hung up the phone.

Several days have passed in the blink of an eye.

It was as if the pause button had been pressed between Lin Ye and Shen Yi. They didn't meet, didn't talk, and didn't even exchange the shortest text messages.

One evening, Lin picked up his phone, which was on the coffee table, after a brief vibration. A message he had just received was displayed on the screen.

"Can we meet up?"

The sender was Shen Yi, and the address was attached below the text; it was a large ecological park in Ningchuan City.

When Lin arrived at the street corner outside the park, he immediately spotted the figure standing under the streetlight.

Shen Yi wore a rather thin outfit, which made her already slender body look even more delicate.

Her face was slightly pale, and there were faint dark circles around her eyes. She must not have had a good time these past few days.

When Shen Yi saw Lin Ye walking over, she didn't rush into his arms as she used to, nor did she show that bright smile that always tried to make him feel relaxed.

She glanced at Lin Ye quietly, and when Lin Ye approached, the two of them started walking along the gravel path on the outside of the park.

Lin also followed beside her, keeping an arm's length distance between them.

This distance would have been absolutely impossible before. Whenever the two walked together, Shen Yi would naturally link her arm with his or secretly slip her cold fingers into his palm.

But now, that distance is like an insurmountable chasm, untouchable.

Neat ginkgo trees were planted on both sides of the path, and the light from the streetlights pierced through the canopy, casting dappled and swaying shadows on the gravel path beneath their feet.

Neither of them spoke to break the silence. Only the sound of their shoes stepping on the small pebbles repeated monotonously and mechanically.

Just as they reached the vicinity of the park's central plaza, a sharp whistling sound suddenly ripped through the tranquility of the night sky.

Immediately afterwards, an explosion rang out overhead.

The entire night sky was instantly illuminated as a giant golden firework burst into bloom.

Countless streaks of light, trailing brilliant glints, descended like golden willow branches, illuminating the city below as if it were daytime.

Before the first firework had completely faded, the second and third followed in quick succession, their red, blue, and purple lights intertwining and overlapping in mid-air, creating a dazzling spectacle.

The fireworks instantly drew everyone's attention in the park. Pedestrians who were strolling in the square stopped in their tracks, and cheers of amazement and joy erupted from the crowd.

The children excitedly pointed to the sky, jumping and skipping, while young couples snuggled together, raising their phones to capture the magnificent scene.

In the center of the square, less than thirty meters from Lin Ye and Shen Yi, the atmosphere was electric.

It's unclear who planned this romantic event, but as the fireworks went off, a young man in a neat suit knelt down on one knee, surrounded by a crowd, holding a large bouquet of bright red roses.

Standing opposite him was a girl with tears streaming down her face, yet she was smiling with immense happiness.

The girl covered her mouth with both hands, unable to believe what she was seeing. Her friends and passersby formed a circle around her, some clapping and some making a fuss.

When the young man took out a sparkling ring, the girl finally nodded heavily.

The cheers from the crowd blended with the booming sound of fireworks exploding in the sky, bringing the scene to its climax.