Since I've already time-traveled, of course I'm going to take the shortcut!

Girls like Chen Yun'er are very popular; they are beautiful, have a lively and cute personality, and are also very poised and generous.

With all these features combined, Chen Yun'er is already a top-tier (T1) female player.

The restaurant where Chen Yun'er treated everyone to dinner was also near the campus. It was a Northeastern Chinese restaurant. The characteristics of Northeastern Chinese cuisine are that the portions are generous and the flavors are strong, making it especially suitable for drinking. In addition to stir-fried dishes, Chen Yun'er also treated everyone to a lot of grilled skewers.

In the height of summer, outdoors, a group of young men and women gathered to drink and eat.

During the meal, everyone raised their glasses and drank heartily amidst laughter and cheerful conversation, a scene that left Lü Yao somewhat dazed for a moment.

It's quite wonderful to have both youth and the feeling of youth at the same time.

Because Chen Yun'er had invited all the girls from her dorm to come out, Lu Yao's roommates were quite lively. After a few rounds of drinks, they quickly started hanging out in small groups.

Some were playing drinking games.

Some were sharing their interesting experiences.

However, amidst the commotion, Xu Pingan and Xie Wendong remained quite restrained.

Xu Pingan already has someone he truly likes, so even though he used to be the most outrageous in these kinds of situations, he's much more restrained now.

Xie Wendong, on the other hand, had a girlfriend whom he met at a boxing gym. He was honest and upright, and even when his girlfriend wasn't around, he adhered to the principle of not crossing the line.

As for Lü Yao... with his roommates around, there's no need for him to stand out.

So tonight he only interacted with Gu Xiaoshu and Chen Yun'er the whole time, occasionally pulling Xu Ping'an and Xie Wendong over to play a couple of rounds of dice.

After everyone had finished eating and drinking, when it was time to part ways, everyone tacitly left space for Lü Yao and Chen Yun'er, and the others disappeared without a trace.

Lu Yao, being an old hand, naturally knew what this meant.

Of course, a smart girl like Chen Yun'er would know that too.

So both Lü Yao and Chen Yun'er knew exactly what was going on, but precisely because they both understood, the atmosphere between them became strange, to the point that there was a moment of awkward silence, and neither of them knew what to say.

Lu Yao was actually fine. He quickly composed himself and smiled, "Let me take you home."

Chen Yun'er nodded: "Okay."

The two walked side by side.

After walking for a while, Chen Yun'er asked, "You said before that you were dating a senior from another school. How did you two meet?"

Lu Yao didn't hide anything: "When I was tutoring outside, I ran into my senior classmate, and after we met twice more, we added each other as friends."

Chen Yun'er turned to look at Lü Yao, her eyes filled with curiosity: "So you two are together just like that?"

Lu Yao laughed and said, "Your statement is not quite accurate. We shouldn't be considered lovers."

When he said these things, Lü Yao was very calm and his tone was very peaceful, as if he were talking about something very ordinary.

This made Chen Yun'er very curious: "Huh? Then... why?"

Having drunk quite a bit tonight, and with the evening breeze blowing gently, Chen Yun'er, slightly tipsy, was finding it hard to process Lu Yao's inappropriate words.

Looking at Chen Yun'er, who seemed a little dazed but was also adorably confused, Lü Yao laughed and said, "Because she's the chairperson, and I—"

"Precocious."

what?

Chen Yun'er was stunned for a moment.

What kind of talk is that?

That's weird!

But it seems quite interesting.

Looking at the composed and carefree Lü Yao, Chen Yun'er couldn't help but take a deep breath, then exhale forcefully, her tone suddenly becoming particularly wistful as she said, "I'm so envious of you, being able to do whatever you want."

Lu Yao smiled and said, "That's just how people are. In this realistic world, a pop-up window won't suddenly appear before you do anything to tell you that you can't do it. That in itself is a kind of miracle that we've become accustomed to."

Chen Yun'er tilted her head and thought for a moment.

That seems to make sense?

But reality seems to be different?

Because in reality, there are always various rules and regulations that restrict the heart that wants to indulge itself.

That's why Chen Yun'er was so envious of Lü Yao's state of mind—so carefree, unrestrained, and completely unconcerned about the opinions of others.

This carefree and composed demeanor was like a light in the darkness, drawing Chen Yun'er closer and closer to Lü Yao...

As they approached the dormitory entrance, Chen Yun'er suddenly said to Lü Yao, "My birthday is on the 21st of next month. You have to come then."

With her hands behind her back, Chen Yun'er suddenly turned her toes as she spoke, and like an elf in the night, she turned around to face Lü Yao. She tilted her head slightly, as if waiting for Lü Yao's answer.

Under these circumstances, how could Lü Yao possibly refuse?

He smiled and said, "Okay, I'll definitely be there."

Chen Yun'er suddenly smiled happily. Her delicate and charming smile was like a blooming Udumbara flower, exceptionally bright and beautiful.

She laughed and said, "Then it's a deal."

Lü Yao nodded in agreement, "Okay, it's settled."

But Chen Yun'er still seemed uneasy and reached out her hand: "No, pinky promise. Only a puppy wouldn't come."

Lu Yao smiled and hooked his little finger with Chen Yun'er's little finger: "Okay, pinky promise."

Feeling reassured, Chen Yun'er happily skipped two steps: "Then I'll go back now~ Bye-bye~~"

Watching Chen Yun'er walk lightly into the dormitory, Lü Yao didn't look away until her figure disappeared.

It's so good to be young.

After suppressing his emotions, Lü Yao's smile gradually faded.

He coldly surveyed his surroundings. On the way back, Lü Yao had sensed that something was wrong.

The feeling... was like someone was lurking in the shadows, watching us.

Since becoming an alchemist and advancing to Lv2, Lü Yao has not only improved his alchemy skills, but also become more proficient in the use of magic and mental energy. In addition, he studies "General Alchemy Cultivation" whenever he has free time, and can always learn something new from it. His mental acuity has already created a huge gap with that of college students.

Therefore, he can sense many things that he couldn't sense before, such as the malice of others.

However, this wisp of malice was too elusive or distant, so much so that Lü Yao could not pinpoint its location.

So where did this malice come from?

Recalling his recent experiences, Lü Yao wondered if it was Li Qi'an.

That shouldn't be the case...

That guy probably doesn't have the guts.

Lu Yao's mind raced, and the faint malice seemed to sense Lu Yao's probing and quickly dissipated, leaving Lu Yao unable to track it down.

It's quite unpleasant to be targeted by thieves.

It was only at this moment that Lü Yao suddenly realized that this world was no longer the same as before he transmigrated. Because of the existence of "human body cultivation", violent incidents should occur more frequently and often.

But oddly enough.

Most people don't seem to fully understand this situation; at least in Lü Yao's body's memory, everyone seems to be living quite comfortably.

Is the world's official government also playing the "cognitive isolation" game?