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

A raindrop fell at Lin Ye's feet. The night sky was bright, fireworks were still going off, and it wasn't raining.

Lin stood still, gazing at the end of the path until the frail, thin figure completely disappeared into the dark night before he slowly looked away.

It was already very late when I returned to that familiar rented room.

Pushing open the door, the room was deathly silent.

There was no warm light, no clattering of pots and pans from the kitchen, and no girl who would run to greet him in slippers the moment she heard the door open.

Lin also turned on the switch on the wall, and the cold white light filled the small living room.

On the coffee table sat a pair of matching mugs, and on the sofa cushions, faint wrinkles seemed to remain from Shen Yi leaning against the sofa while watching a movie.

Lin stood at the door, his gaze sweeping over the small room of a few dozen square meters for a long time.

He walked into the bedroom, stood there for a long time, and then began to pack his things. The moment he zipped up his suitcase, those warm days, along with that brief but real sense of belonging, were sealed away.

Lin walked to the door and closed it behind him.

With a crisp sound, the rented room that held so many memories for the two people lost its two owners after these past few months.

Lin also moved back to the male dormitory at Ningchuan University. His life was very regular, going back and forth between the dormitory, the teaching building and a few fixed canteen stalls every day.

From a certain perspective, Ningchuan University is neither too big nor too small. In this campus of tens of thousands of people, if two people are living their own lives, they will inevitably brush past each other a few times.

After moving out of the rented apartment, Lin never saw Shen Yi on campus again.

Whether it was the bustling tree-lined school paths in the early morning or the crowded and noisy cafeteria at noon, she seemed to have completely evaporated from this school.

Lin Ye knew very well that with his very fixed range of activities, it would be incredibly easy for the other party to avoid him.

Days passed by, and as evening fell, the sky was dyed a dark orange by the sunset.

Lin also walked out of the school gate alone, passing through several streets, and her pace unconsciously slowed down.

He looked up and saw a bluestone path paved along the river.

The river flowed quietly, and tender green buds had sprouted from the bare branches of the trees along its banks.

Lin Ye wandered aimlessly down this path, as if being guided by some invisible thread.

A few months ago, on a snowy day, he was walking on this same road. The wind was very cold and the snow was falling heavily.

He turned his back to the person who was afraid of falling because of the slippery road, and steadily supported her as they walked forward.

The girl lay on his back, her warm cheek pressed against his neck, and she recited that poem to him in a soft, persistent voice.

Lin stopped and looked at the bluestone slabs under his feet, a strange emotion spreading in his chest.

He didn't know why he had unconsciously walked here, nor did he know when he had become so sentimental.

Lin continued forward along the bluestone path, lost in thought, until she unknowingly reached the edge of the riverside square.

The square was quite empty in the evening, but on the edge of the road, a ostentatious luxury car worth tens of millions of yuan was parked there, attracting the attention of passersby.

A huge black parasol was set up on an open space not far from the luxury car.

Saya Igarashi, dressed in a gorgeous and elegant black dress, leaned back lazily in a custom-made folding chair.

On the small round table beside him sat an elegant drink still emitting cold air. His ever-present female secretary stood with her hands folded in front of her abdomen, in a standard posture behind the back of the chair.

This Japanese heiress, who came from afar, transformed this ordinary public square into the grandeur of a private estate.

Saya Igarashi slightly raised her cold and beautiful face, looking at the center of the square with a bored expression.

On that open space, Zhao Qishan and Song Jing were holding badminton rackets, engaging in an ordinary match.

Zhao Qishan happened to catch a glimpse of Lin Ye walking slowly down the path out of the corner of his eye. He gestured with his chin towards Lin Ye, beckoning him over.

"Hey, over here!"

He glanced at Lin Ye briefly, then dropped his joking tone and tentatively asked, "Are you in a bad mood?"

Lin did not answer the question; his gaze fell on the badminton racket in Zhao Qishan's hand.

"To fight or not to fight?"

Actually, Lin also liked playing badminton when he was a child. Back then, the world was still very simple in the eyes of children. He felt that holding that light racket in his hand and swinging it was like a sword that could cut through everything.

Anything he sets his sights on, as long as he can hold it and wave it around as he pleases, can make him temporarily forget the troubles around him.

Zhao Qishan could tell that Lin also wanted to relieve his depressed mood by playing ball. He was never one to refuse a friend's request, so he readily agreed.

"Go ahead and fight! I'd love to have someone willing to spar with me."

Zhao Qishan turned his head and glanced at Song Jing, then gestured with his chin towards him.

Song Jing pursed his lips, showing little reluctance, and tossed the racket over with a backhand.

Lin also raised his hand to catch the racket in mid-air, his fingers gripping the frosted handle, a familiar yet unfamiliar sensation washing over him.

The two tossed the shuttlecock into the air and began to exchange shuttlecocks, neither of them using any player's strength, as if it were just an ordinary sport.

After tossing the badminton racket to Lin Ye, Song Jing turned and retreated towards the edge of the square.

He walked straight past the huge black parasol and sat down on a bench in the square a few meters away from Saya Igarashi.

Song Jing casually draped his arms over the back of the bench, and a series of very light footsteps approached him.

The female secretary in the business suit had come over at some point, carrying an exquisite silver tray with a high-end ice silk towel that was air-conditioned and a glass bottle of mineral water that was still leaking water droplets.

The entire service process was silent and impeccable, making it hard to refuse.

Song Jing turned his head and glanced at the contents of the tray, without even touching it.

His notoriously foul mouth came into play again as he spoke to the woman in the black dress sitting a few meters away under a parasol, his tone mocking.

"Hey, Miss Igarashi, are there no men left in Japan? A dignified heiress of a conglomerate, abandoning such a huge family business, comes to Xia Shang and stares at me like a ghost every day. Don't you feel ashamed? If word gets out, people will think that you, a dignified young lady, are throwing yourself at me here. How awful!"