I really don't want to date a girl addicted to the internet!

The girl remained silent, seemingly struggling with something, before casually raising her chin. "I'll reluctantly allow you to sit here today."

"Huh?" The boy didn't quite follow her train of thought for a moment.

"You can't even understand that you're allowed to sit here?" Shen Xi pointed to the seat next to her, her face full of disdain.

Cheng Fei met her gaze for a second, understood what she meant, and said, "Okay."

The boy got up and moved his steel pipe chair to her side.

The seating arrangement in the Corridor Research Department has always followed a set of default conventions.

Around the large table in the center of the room, which was made up of six desks joined together, Shen Xi always occupied the side furthest from the door, which was the so-called seat of honor.

Cheng Fei usually sits to her left, close to her, while Nagasaki Asuna prefers to sit to her right, facing Cheng Fei. The others then sit in order of seniority, reflecting the strict hierarchy within the Corridor Research Department.

Now, the boy moved the steel pipe chair to the spot next to the girl, moved all the books on the table over, sat down, and sighed comfortably.

Shen Xi glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, her face indifferent. "I'm just allowing Cheng Feiyu to get closer. Make sure I'm still the head of the club."

"Yes, how could I dare to covet your ministerial position?" The young man bowed respectfully.

"Let's continue our previous topic." The girl said, shifting her posture, lifting the book she had been reading from the table with one hand, supporting her elbow with the other, and straightening her back against the chair.

"Okay?" The boy nodded, glancing sideways at the same time.

As her body shifted backward, her legs, which were originally under the table, were no longer covered, and her posture with her knees together and bent at a 90-degree angle was perfectly upright.

The exposed thighs and rounded knees beneath the school uniform skirt revealed fair and delicate skin, attracting attention.

The girl seemed oblivious to the boy's gaze, and said while reading, "Quite a few guilds have encountered that thing underground, and almost all of them were wiped out, so this matter has already spread."

"I see. Looks like we're pretty strong." The boy said seriously, his gaze first touching her profile before moving downwards.

"While that may be true, Cheng Feiyu doesn't need to boast." The girl chuckled, subtly adjusting her posture, placing one foot slightly forward and reducing the bend in her knee.

The result is that, from the boy's perspective, one of her legs is more visible as it extends forward, along with her small ankle, and her soft white socks and delicate black school uniform shoes are clearly visible.

"So what useful information do you have?" the boy asked seriously.

"People online are calling that thing a ghost." Shen Xi lowered her eyes, seemingly focused entirely on the book, and put her other foot forward slightly, bringing both of her legs into the boy's field of vision.

"Shadow?" Cheng Fei raised an eyebrow.

"Hmm, Shadow is a lone wolf. Once it enters the underground, it could become a target. People online seem to think it's some powerful player. No one has mentioned the weapon destruction aspect; perhaps they haven't noticed." The girl's pure, dark eyes shifted almost imperceptibly as she continued reading, her expression unchanged. The delicate, curved toes of her uniform shoes tapped gently, their gleaming surfaces reflecting the sunlight streaming through the window—indescribably beautiful.

“If it hadn’t had one of its hands cut off, we would have had a hard time being sure it wasn’t a player.” The boy nodded in agreement, rubbing his chin. “So it seems the Shadow was on the defensive?”

"Didn't this kind of enemy really appear in the first two underground levels?" Shen Xi suddenly turned her head to look at him, her eyes narrowing.

Cheng Fei, who looked up with lightning speed, met her gaze and shook his head, "No."

“That’s strange. I asked Isena, and she didn’t know the origin of the Shadow either.” The girl looked away, narrowed her eyes, and switched her legs so that one foot was forward.

"Forget about that desktop wallpaper." The boy shook his head and continued to admire the scenery below out of the corner of his eye.

"We need to pay more attention to this matter. Cheng Feiyu should also read more information online and stop wasting his time on filthy and vulgar things." The girl's sharp gaze fixed on him, as if she meant something.

"Teacher Shen, what are you saying? I'm busy with important matters too, okay? That's a stereotype." The boy shook the pen in his hand, revealing a genuine sense of helplessness.

"Don't think I don't know that Cheng Feiyu has been staring at that spot since just now." The girl put down her book, glared at him, and pulled her legs together.

"Teacher Shen, you knew all along?" the boy asked in surprise.

"What? So I knew? You just stare at a girl's legs and feet the moment you get a chance to sit next to her. Don't aquatic mammals have any sense of shame?" The girl gritted her teeth.

"Isn't this the result of your deliberate seduction? You made me sit next to you, and then you moved around all over there, and now you're going to turn around and curse me. Teacher Shen, you're really a pervert." The boy hugged his arms tightly, revealing a look of disgust.

"Still dare to slander me? Go back to your seat!" The girl raised her voice, her face turning angry.

The boy remained unmoved. "No? You're the one who brought me here, and you're the one who deliberately seduced me with your legs. I didn't do anything, I was just looking, and you still won't let me?"

"You rebellious trash! Dare to make up another word?" The girl glared at him fiercely and kicked him.

"Then can you guarantee with your integrity that you didn't intentionally make me sit here to look at my legs?" the boy retorted defiantly.

"..." The girl's eyes flickered, and her pink lips opened and closed again.

"Can't speak anymore?" The boy looked at her with the air of a victor.

The girl narrowed her eyes and turned her face away, leaving him with a thick head of black hair. She took a deep breath, as if declaring to the wall, "Get this straight, no one here is trying to seduce you. They're just kindly allowing you to sit close. Anyway, this Cheng Feiyu, who has no ambition, likes to stare at me like this the most. I'm just barely satisfying your incurable fetishes. If you dare to be arrogant over there again, it won't happen again!"

As soon as she finished speaking, the girl clenched her teeth and remained motionless.

A few seconds later, the boy still didn't react. The girl shifted her gaze, as if she wanted to turn around and look but held back.

The boy peeked into her field of vision, softening his tone, "Sweetie, since you're deliberately trying to please me, don't be so fierce, okay? How about this, we each take a step back and pretend nothing happened, and make peace?"

"Make sure you understand that nobody here is trying to be aggressive. It's Cheng Feiyu who's talking nonsense and causing trouble over there." The girl glanced at him and then looked away, her voice becoming muffled.

"Yes, yes, yes, then please turn back first, Teacher Shen? There's nothing interesting on the wall, is there?" The boy nodded in agreement.

The girl then reluctantly returned to the front, her face cold.

"Sigh, so arrogant..." Cheng Fei sat back in the steel tube chair and muttered to himself.

"What did you say?!" The girl's eyes narrowed as she glared at him.

“I said Her Highness is cute.” The boy raised his hands in surrender.

"You despicable scoundrel." The girl kicked him again, seemingly having barely calmed down, her face gradually returning to its expressionless state.

The boy gazed at her profile with a look of doting affection.

"Cheng Feiyu, don't stare at me like that, it's disgusting." The girl glared at him, covering her chest with her hands.

"Shen Xi, don't you think there's no difference between what we're doing and actually dating?" The boy looked into her eyes.

"Stop trying to confuse things. We're just friends who are closer than before." The girl kicked him again.

"Yes, whatever makes you happy." The boy could only nod. "Shall we continue with the main topic?"

"The topic is over. Everything that needed to be said has been said. Tell Cheng Feiyu to pay more attention to the intelligence on Youying." The girl picked up her book with a cold expression.

"Okay, got it." The boy smacked his lips, a hint of regret in his voice, and turned his attention back to the task at hand.

Shen Xi glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, stared ahead in silence for a moment, and then said, "Trash."

"Huh?" The boy didn't even look up.

The girl stretched her legs forward slightly and said in a tone that revealed neither joy nor anger, "Letting you sit here means that you are allowed to look. In the future, you are allowed to sit next to me like this whenever it's just the two of us. This decision is based on the changes in our relationship so far. Of course, the premise is that you don't do it too deliberately or in a disgusting way. I won't mind if you just look normally."

The boy looked at her seriously, "Teacher Shen, are you a magnet or a copper pipe?"

"What magnet or copper pipe?" The girl frowned slightly.

"Lenz's Law? I just saw you scolding me, and now you're telling me I can see it. The phenomenon is too obvious!" the boy said seriously.

The girl stared at him for a second, her brows furrowing, her face showing a look that she wanted to curse but barely held back. "Find out that it was Cheng Feiyu who was spouting those slanderous and crazy things, refusing to admit that he was staring at my legs and feet."

"Teacher Shen, I was just joking. You're taking it too seriously." The boy opened his mouth.

"So don't blame me for getting scolded all the time for using sweet talk." The girl glared at him without any politeness. "And don't pretend to be innocent. Doesn't Cheng Feiyu like being scolded?"

"Little cutie, you really have a deep misunderstanding about me." The boy slapped his forehead in silent mourning.

"If you dare to say another word of stubbornness, I'm going back over there." The girl became impatient.

"Wrong."

"That's enough. I want to read now. Cheng Feiyu, stop babbling on and on." The girl seemed to have lost interest and turned her gaze back to the book in her hands.

"Okay, please feel free to do as you please." The young man continued with what he was doing.

The atmosphere in the club activity room became quiet again.

After waiting a moment, the boy's gaze shifted and fell on the legs of the girl beside him who was engrossed in reading.

Shen Xi noticed this out of the corner of her eye, but remained expressionless as she stared at the book. Her leg, which she had just pulled back, stretched forward slightly again, allowing the delicate and beautiful artwork to be displayed even more.

In a tacitly understood atmosphere, the two maintained this state.

"Trash, is it really that good?" the girl said casually, staring at the book.

"Of course." The boy nodded as he looked away from the corner of his eye.

The girl's eyelashes trembled slightly, her voice still icy, "Would you like to stretch your arms out or sit up straight?"

"Shall we move forward a bit?" the boy said calmly.

As soon as she finished speaking, the small black uniform shoes seemed to receive a command and moved forward more, their legs straightening slightly from the knees to the ankles, making them appear even longer. Her delicate skin was gently caressed by the dappled sunlight streaming in from the window, making her skin dazzlingly white.

This aloof young woman still held the book in one hand and rested her elbow on the other, as if she was just relaxing her legs when she got tired of sitting between reading sessions. Her expression was blank, her eyes lowered, and her pure, dark eyes remained unmoved.

905. It's not impossible for Shen Xi to do that.

In the quiet club activity room, the two sat side by side, each focused on their own tasks, with only the occasional rustling of paper turning and pen scratching breaking the silence.

A cool, aloof girl with long, dark hair sat reading a book, her eyes lowered. She pulled one leg back and stretched the other forward, switching legs every now and then, her uniform shoes making a soft sound as they touched the floor.

The boy next to her, who was writing furiously, would occasionally glance over, admiring her fair and delicate knees, before casually looking back at her.

At these times, the girl would glance at him out of the corner of her eye, her long, thick eyelashes trembling slightly, her cold face making it impossible to guess her thoughts.

"Teacher Shen, I have a question." Cheng Fei said without looking up.

"What?" Shen Xi asked, holding the book.

"It seems that Teacher Shen really likes things like this today?" the boy said in a casual tone.

"What do you mean? Please explain clearly first." The girl didn't even look at him.

"Aren't they being too cautious?"

"If we don't explain it clearly, who knows what absurd interpretations Cheng Feiyu's stupid and filthy brain will come up with over there?"

"Okay, so it's like this, sitting together reading, and letting me see your legs and stuff. Does Teacher Shen like this way of getting along?" The boy observed that delicate profile with curiosity.

The girl paused for a second, still reading with a blank expression, her voice revealing neither joy nor anger. "I wouldn't say I really like it, it's just that I happened to want to read here today. Besides, I don't dislike Cheng Feiyu as she is now. Since you also want to study, sitting together is a good way to keep each other company. After all, humans are social animals, and it's certainly more reassuring to be with companions. As for showing you my legs..."

She paused, her eyes flickering. "That's not included. It's just that after knowing you for so long, I've gotten used to Cheng Feiyu's boring nature. Besides, it's a fact that we've done more intimate things. Compared to that, just showing you my legs isn't that serious. Plus, I can understand your pathetic male instincts. And although we're still friends, it's undeniable that there's a possibility of things developing further, and I don't object to that. So, within this self-aware limit, I'm willing to satisfy you."

After he finished speaking, the room fell into a long silence, with the autumn breeze making a sound as it blew through the windows.

The girl frowned slightly, her gaze shifting before returning to her book, her voice becoming slightly displeased, "Is Cheng Feiyu deaf?"

"No, Teacher Shen is not here." The boy suddenly clutched his chest and gasped for breath, like someone who had just finished freediving and surfaced.

"Then why aren't you responding to me? Is there something you're unhappy about?" The girl narrowed her eyes.

"I'm not dissatisfied, it's just been so long my hearing is exhausted and I've just caught my breath." The boy breathed a sigh of relief in an exaggerated manner.

"Pretentious Cheng Feiyu." The girl glanced at him with disdain, then raised her chin to continue reading. "So, what's the response?"

"What response?" the boy asked, puzzled.

"A response to what I just said." The girl emphasized her words slightly, sounding a little displeased.

"Uh, didn't I say there were no complaints?" the boy asked cautiously.

"Is that all?" The girl narrowed her eyes and stared at him, making a sound as she pulled her legs back.

"No." The boy's expression hardened, and he quickly organized his thoughts. "First of all, I am honored to be praised by Teacher Shen as someone who is not unpleasant and who can make Teacher Shen feel at ease when she is with me."

"And then?" The girl turned back to her book, her expression softening slightly, and stretched one foot forward again.

"Also, thank you, Teacher Shen, for understanding my pathetic male instincts. You truly are a gentle and tolerant teacher," the boy said while observing her.

"Hmm." The girl's face was expressionless, and the chill on her face slowly melted away like ice being warmed by the spring sun. Her fair and soft cheeks made one want to kiss them.

"So, what you mean by not being against the relationship developing further is that you also want to date me?" the boy asked tentatively.

“Not resisting is not resisting. Cheng Feiyu, stop being so self-righteous.” The girl subtly turned her face away to look at the wall, as if there were words written on it.

"Understood." The boy nodded seriously, then pondered for a moment, "Then, Teacher Shen, I have another question."

"What?" The girl turned around, her pure, dark eyes remaining unmoved.

"What exactly are the boundaries of what Teacher Shen calls 'knowing when to stop'?" The boy stroked his chin thoughtfully, then gestured seriously. "For example, could you push her skirt up a little? Could you touch her? If so, where would you stop? To be honest, I'd prefer at least above the knee, the higher the better. If Teacher Shen finds that a bit disgusting, how about we compromise and maintain the level we set at the meeting that day? If there are no objections, let's make a new agreement now. From now on, I can touch your legs whenever we're alone. Of course, I won't go too far; it'll just be a little touch now and then to cultivate our feelings. By the way, it would be even better if Teacher Shen were willing to take the initiative to touch me, preferably with her small, delicate feet as well. What does Teacher Shen think?"

After he finished speaking, the room fell into a new silence, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Shen Xi stared at him without moving, her brows furrowed, when suddenly she shivered, a chill running down her spine.