Sunlight filtered through the leaves of the trees along the edge of the playground, casting dappled shadows.

Lin Manman was still excited and chattered away, sharing her recent life with Lin Yuan, completely oblivious to the stares from those around them.

Her voice was very clear and crisp, like a cheerful little bird chirping and circling around Lin Yuan's ear.

"Lin Yuan, do you think this school is out of its mind? We have to get up at 7:30 every morning and get up at 8:00. This is so unfriendly to someone like me who's a lazybones!"

Lin Manman frowned dramatically, as if protesting the injustice of the world, "I'm a college student, and I'm severely sleep-deprived, this is not scientific!"

Lin Yuan's lips unconsciously curled up at her words, and as he turned his head slightly, a hint of tender affection flickered in his eyes.

"In that case, why not try applying to reschedule the class to 10 a.m.?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Manman rolled her eyes at him, her lips slightly downturned, and muttered in dissatisfaction.

"Do you think I want to get up early to catch an 8 o'clock class? The problem is that the school is heartless in this regard. Rescheduling classes? No way! Every day I have to be dragged out of my warm bed by the alarm clock as if I'm being haunted by a nightmare. That feeling is even more agonizing than staying up all night."

As she spoke, she sighed helplessly, her tone full of complaints, "What's even more outrageous is that the school has a bizarre rule that mandates every student to participate in at least three club activities every month. Isn't that just making things difficult for people?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Yuan's eyebrows arched slightly, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"No matter how complicated the rules are, there is always a way to break the deadlock. How can there be no solution?"

"Oh dear, this is a difficult situation!"

A look of helplessness appeared on Lin Manman's face as she gently waved her hands in the air, trying to dispel the invisible troubles.

"The school claims to cultivate our all-round development, and you will lose credits if you don't participate. I joined the Hanfu club on a whim, and at first it was quite interesting, but the price of Hanfu was really expensive! I gritted my teeth and bought a set, but I only wore it a few times before losing interest. Looking back now, it was such a waste."

"Then you can wear it a few more times, and maybe you can become the Hanfu spokesperson on campus."

Lin Manman rolled her eyes, her tone full of disdain.

"Don't joke around, I don't want to wear Hanfu around every day."

Furthermore, the club also requires members to cosplay anime characters, which always costs a lot of money on props and costumes—it's really painful.

"Manman, if you don't like it, don't force yourself."

"How could that be!"

Lin Manman sighed.

“Club activities are one of my joys, but the actions of those boys annoy me a bit. They always act so clumsily in order to get close to me, it’s obvious at a glance.”

Lin Yuan frowned slightly, but before he could speak, he heard Lin Manman call his name.

"Lin Yuan, look over there, those are the ones!"

Lin Manman lowered her voice, a hint of vigilance flashing in her eyes, as she quietly fixed her gaze on a hunter lurking in danger.

Lin Yuan followed her subtle gaze and saw several boys gathered together not far away, whispering something and occasionally casting envious glances in their direction.

One of them, unable to contain his curiosity, stepped closer, his words tinged with a hint of mockery.

"Hey, Lin Manman, remember you mentioned having a boyfriend? How come we've never seen you bring him out in public? Is it all just a fabricated story, just something to tease us?"

Lin Yuan smiled faintly, but his eyes held a barely perceptible chill: "Whether she has a boyfriend or not is none of anyone else's business."

The boy paused for a moment, then forced a slightly awkward smile: "Haha, I was just curious..."

Lin Yuan's lips curled into a cold smile, his tone laced with a hint of sarcasm.

“I advise you to stay away from her. She’s my friend. If anyone dares to have any funny ideas, don’t blame me for not warning you.” He emphasized the word “friend” and his eyes flashed with an undeniable warning.

The boy trembled under Lin Yuan's imposing aura and involuntarily took a few steps back, muttering under his breath, "Okay, okay, let's go..."

Lin Manman nodded, looking helpless.

"Look, these are the people. Yesterday, a guy even blocked the entrance of the bubble tea shop, insisting on inviting me to dinner while I wore Hanfu (traditional Han clothing), and even said he wanted to invest in my shop. I refused him, and he started making a scene at the entrance, saying I was pretentious. There are also a few other guys who always follow me around the school, asking if I have a boyfriend, and even saying they want to help me manage the bubble tea shop. I told them I'm already taken, but they don't believe me at all, and even said I was lying."

Lin Yuan's expression subtly hardened, a barely perceptible chill flashing in his eyes: "Besides these, is there anything else?"

This was a blatant attempt to poach his partner, which made his voice even deeper, subtly revealing an undeniable air of authority.

Lin Manman sighed softly, her tone tinged with helplessness.

“There are also a few boys who always follow me around the school like a shadow, constantly asking me if I have a boyfriend, and even offering to help me manage the affairs of the bubble tea shop. I have clearly told them that I have someone I love, but they don’t seem to have listened to a word of it, and they stubbornly believe that I am just making excuses.”

As she spoke, she slowly raised her eyes and looked at Lin Yuan, a hint of expectation flickering in her clear eyes. "That's why I hope you can walk around the campus with me, so that they..."

She paused slightly at this point, her anticipation evident.

Upon hearing this, Lin Yuan couldn't help but tease him.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!