wake

The afternoon sun shines obliquely, and the warm breeze blows gently, sweeping through the branches and leaves, making a rustling sound.

A few rays of light shone through the wooden window and fell beside the bed.

Chu Li lay quietly on the bed. His dirty clothes had long been changed. His breath was steady and his cheeks were gradually becoming rosy.

Suddenly, there was a rustling sound.

Chu Li frowned slightly, her face showing the impatience of being woken up. The sunlight outside the window was slightly dazzling, and she blocked her eyes with it. After a while of adjusting, she felt the heaviness in her stomach, and then she lowered her eyes slightly to look.

The little fox was lying on its belly, sniffing the leaked green sachet with its nose, and its front paws were still moving the tassels on it.

Sensing Chu Li's actions, it suddenly came back to its senses from its own world of play and looked up abruptly.

Chu Li exchanged glances with it, then stood up and hugged the fox tightly. She caressed the fox's fur lovingly, then picked up the tassels on the side of the sachet and teased her for a while.

After comforting this clingy pet, Chu Li got off the bed. When his feet touched the ground, Chu Li felt inexplicably more at ease.

The next moment, her consciousness gradually returned.

Where is this place? Where is You Chengze? Has he been rescued?

As Chu Li was thinking, he started moving.

Just as I reached the door, the wooden door was suddenly opened.

Chu Li was stunned, and his steps stopped in an instant.

The man she'd spent so much time and energy trying to save was standing at the door, holding a bowl of sugar water. His long hair was tied high in a bun, and he wore a beige robe with rolled sleeves and a black belt tied in a beautiful bow at the front. The man's face had lost its usual sickly paleness; instead, it looked remarkably vibrant against the sunlight. He seemed to be surprised that he'd woken up, his deep eyes filled with surprise.

Chu Li was also surprised.

Seeing the man in front of her, she couldn't help but feel a sore nose, and then she felt her heart beating rapidly in her chest. Without a moment's hesitation, she subconsciously rushed towards him.

She opened her arms and wrapped them around the man's waist, then tightened her grip, resting her chin on his right shoulder. Perhaps because of the heat, You Chengze's breathing was heavy. From Chu Li's perspective, his temples were glistening with sweat. Chu Li couldn't help but take a deep breath, sniffing the delicate fragrance of his clothes. Only then did she realize she wasn't in a dream; the person she was holding was real.

He was rescued.

He really came back.

Chu Li was so engrossed in her joy and excitement that she didn't notice You Chengze's stiffness. Startled by Chu Li's sudden bear hug, he instinctively leaned back slightly, worried that he'd get too excited and spill the sweet soup he'd worked so hard to make for her, so he could only raise his right hand.

After a long stalemate, the force on Chu Li's waist became stronger and stronger, which made You Chengze smile helplessly. He freed his left hand and touched Chu Li's messy hair soothingly.

Feeling the heat above her head, Chu Li felt that tears were about to overflow. Just as she was brewing her emotions, an inopportune voice suddenly rang out -

"Brother and sister are bad! They actually did something shameful!"

The child's voice was shrill, and Chu Li, who was hugging her waist, was shocked all over. His brain immediately realized something, and he let go of his hand in an instant, putting some distance between him and You Chengze.

The sudden incident made Chu Li unable to look directly at You Chengze.

She turned away, her face flushed, and fanned herself wildly with her hands, thinking that this would dispel the untimely heat.

"Sister, you are still shy. It was you who took the initiative to hug your brother!" The child was still not satisfied. He had run to Chu Li without knowing when. He stuck his head out to take a look and sighed.

Chu Li froze in his fanning motion, his face getting even hotter. He said to the child, "No way! You're seeing things! What does a child know? Forget it!"

As soon as she finished speaking, she suddenly heard a burst of laughter coming from behind her. Chu Li knew who the owner of the voice was without having to think too much.

"Potato, come here." You Chengze didn't continue the previous topic. He called the child to his side and asked, "Why are you here in such hot weather?"

"Mother asked me to come and see if my sister has woken up!" Potato answered every question, his voice particularly innocent and cheerful. "Also, my sister's spirit pet has finished washing up and is playing with the other spirit pets now!"

The child's attention shifted quickly. Thinking of something, he looked at Chu Li, took her hand, and said with a beaming face, "Sister's alpaca is amazing. It made so many delicious treats for me and Erya! When I grow up, I want a pet like this!"

Little foodie.

Chu Li smiled, patted his head, and said, "Okay, I look forward to that day."

After saying this, Potato excitedly rubbed Chu Li's palm for a long time. Suddenly, the child's attention was drawn to the bowl of sugar water in You Chengze's hand. He trotted over to the man, raised his head, and said pitifully, "Brother, I want some too."

Chu Li saw You Chengze in front of her freeze for a long time, his eyes moving between her and Tang Shui, and finally his face revealed a hint of embarrassment: "It's bad for children's teeth to eat too much."

"Then I'll share it with Erya and the others!" Potato answered happily, his eyes moving around smartly. While You Chengze was not paying attention, he jumped lightly, grabbed the sugar water in the man's right hand, and immediately ran towards home.

Only You Chengze was left behind in a mess.

Chu Li, who witnessed the whole process, couldn't help but smile with his hands covering his lips.

The child's sudden visit made the atmosphere between her and him less awkward than before. Chu Li walked over to You Chengze, stood shoulder to shoulder with him, and asked, "Is the sugar water for me?"

The man tilted his head, and Chu Li met his slightly panicked eyes after being caught. Although it was fleeting, it made Chu Li more certain of the answer in his heart.

Originally, Chu Li thought You Chengze would not respond and would remain silent as usual. But the next moment, Chu Li saw the man nod slightly. Although he didn't utter a single syllable, this small movement was deafening.

She couldn't help laughing, and her heart was filled with unknown emotions. She felt very content.

After this interlude, she glanced around.

This is a separate courtyard filled with flowers and trees. The courtyard building is made of felled wood, but with the green plants as a backdrop, the courtyard is particularly quiet and pleasant.

Looking up slightly, Chu Li could see a small courtyard not far away.

She couldn't help but feel puzzled and asked, "Where is this place?"

"Jiangning Town, the next chapter collection point." You Chengze didn't explain how she ended up there after fainting. He simply gave a concise answer and added, "Tu Dou is the mayor's child."

Although she scribbled a few words, Chu Li still sorted out her thoughts. However, when she heard "next chapter collection point", her brows still subconsciously frowned.

She had forgotten that You Chengze still didn't know about her exchange of the seal.

Although this person appeared calm and composed, deep down she still harbored aspirations of winning the championship. But how could she express it?

Chu Liyu glanced at You Chengze, but happened to catch that the man was also looking at him.

In an instant, her whole body tensed up, and she said instinctively, "I...I have something to tell you."

Forget it, I have to know it sooner or later.

You Chengze has the right to know, and it is his freedom to express his emotions and make decisions.

Chu Li felt that everything was worth it since he was able to come back to life.

"Well, you go ahead." You Chengze lowered his sleeves that were rolled up at his arms and spoke.

Chu Li took a deep breath and said, "I don't plan to collect chapters anymore."

The man in front of him froze as he adjusted his sleeves.

"I...I made an exchange with the system, using the stamps I collected to redeem an upgrade, and the Maine Coon cat saved you."

Chu Li actually couldn't bear to say these words. After all, he had given him special instructions before he died.

This is the common wish between her and him.

"Whether it's a championship or something else, they're all external things." Chu Li didn't want to overthink it, so he continued, "In a person's life, the most important thing is life. You Chengze, I just want you to live. Even if I can't win the championship this year, there are still many years to come..."

"Thank you."

Before Chu Li could finish her words, You Chengze interrupted her with his thanks.

The next moment, a shadow suddenly fell in front of her eyes. She looked straight ahead and saw You Chengze approaching her. His deep eyes were filled with emotions. If he looked at her a few more times, he would swallow her up.

"You...you are not angry?" Chu Li asked in surprise.

She saw the man's lips curled slightly, and his wanton tenderness dissipated at this moment, and his extremely magnetic voice fell: "Little fool, you are my savior now."

What he didn't say was that he never bothered to participate in these competitions. For him, fame and fortune were never sought, he just wanted to find a decent place to live a good life.

Chu Li's appearance was unexpected. She was like a ray of morning sun, falling precisely into his heart. Sometimes she transformed into a hand, pushing open the heavy door of his heart and pulling him out of the swamp. Sometimes she was a gust of wind, as quiet as a virgin and as fast as a rabbit, each gust soothing his anguish.

He couldn't speak. If he had a chance to start over, he would just want to watch the diamond shine and respect all her decisions.

-

You Chengze's soft words instantly made Chu Li blush.

She took several steps back, exhaled several times, and then gently patted her cheek, pretending to be calm and said, "That's right! I'm your savior now. Have you thought about how to repay me?!"

"I've thought about it, but you don't seem to be missing anything." You Chengze smiled, and suddenly touched his chin, looking like he was thinking.

"I'm short of money! I'm short of everything!" Chu Li was a little anxious, moving closer to You Chengze. "I'm short of money, and I'm short of delicious food and fun things! And my spirit pets, they need your care!"

Seeing Chu Li's impatient expression, You Chengze smiled even more and suddenly said, "I've made up my mind."

"What? Tell me about it."

Chu Li was very excited and looked at the man expectantly.

In the next frame, You Chengze's face suddenly enlarged in front of her.

Her appearance was reflected in the man's eyes. The distance between them was very close, and even through the clothes, Chu Li could clearly feel the other person's extremely fast heartbeat.

After a while, the pair of thin lips she was staring at opened and closed slightly, and uttered a few words: "I will pledge my love to you."