Yu Jiuyuan was satisfied, but pretended not to notice and just looked up at the night sky.

The stars are disappearing one by one, and the inky sky is gradually revealing a faint bluish-gray hue, like rice paper washed with clear water, its light background color slowly spreading out.

"Why do people like to watch the sunrise?" Rong Shenghan suddenly asked, his gaze falling on the distant snow-capped peaks. "Even though it happens every day, it always feels exceptionally rare."

“Because a ‘beginning’ is always something to look forward to.” Yu Jiuyuan looked at the eastern horizon, where a faint glimmer of dawn was breaking. “It’s like a new day, a new opportunity, and you always feel that it can be better than yesterday.”

Her voice was soft, yet it possessed a strange penetrating power. Rong Shenghan turned his head to look at her. The morning light had not yet spread, and her profile was shrouded in shadow, except for her eyes, which shone with an astonishing brightness, as if they held the light of the approaching dawn.

"And what about you?" he asked. "What kind of 'new opportunity' are you looking forward to?"

Yu Jiuyuan turned her head, their distance so close they could feel each other's breath. Looking at the inquiry in his eyes, she suddenly smiled and gently touched his cheek: "Like... seeing the vice president get jealous?"

Rong Shenghan's pupils suddenly contracted, like a young man whose secret had been exposed, his ears instantly turning a light red. He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but was interrupted by a burst of golden light on the eastern horizon.

The sunrise has begun.

The first ray of sunlight pierced through the clouds, like a sharp golden knife, instantly splitting the bluish-gray sky.

Immediately afterwards, a second, a third... countless golden rays surged out, dyeing the outline of the snow-capped peaks a dazzling golden-red, and even the stone steps of the viewing platform and the surrounding pine trees were coated with a warm halo.

A low gasp of surprise rose from the crowd, and the clicking of camera shutters filled the air.

Yu Jiuyuan didn't look; her gaze fell on Rong Shenghan's face. Golden light swept over his eyebrows and eyes, clearly illuminating the astonishment, embarrassment, and barely concealed smile in his eyes.

"Is it pretty?" she asked, a mischievous smirk in her voice.

Rong Shenghan then came to his senses and followed her gaze toward the direction of the sunrise.

The snow-capped peaks gleamed with a sacred luster in the morning light, and the sea of ​​clouds rolled with golden-red waves, a breathtaking sight. Yet, for some reason, the scene before his eyes kept overlapping with the smile of the girl beside him.

"Hmm," he responded softly, his gaze returning to her face. "But not as pretty as you."

These words were so blunt, it was as if they hadn't been thought through, and even Rong Shenghan himself was taken aback when he said them. The wind on the observation deck suddenly became hot, making everyone's ears burn.

Yu Jiuyuan's heart skipped a beat.

She had seen Xie Zhecheng's awkwardness and heard Yuan Xu's bluntness, but she never expected Rong Shenghan to say such passionate words.

On the system panel, his positive emotions had surged to 88, and the favorability rating of 63 cracked open with a "snap," revealing a dazzling light within, now at 65.

Finally, it went up. Yu Jiuyuan breathed a sigh of relief, but her face showed just the right amount of surprise, like a startled deer: "Vice President seems a little different today."

"What's different?" Rong Shenghan's voice was low, almost a whisper, carrying a dangerous allure.

"I can't explain it." Yu Jiuyuan lowered her head, pretending to adjust her scarf, but her ears turned red on purpose. "Maybe... the sunrise was too beautiful, and it made people lose their composure."

She gave him a way out, while also leaving herself some room to maneuver. Rong Shenghan looked at her flushed ears, suddenly smiled, and didn't press further, but simply looked back towards the direction of the sunrise.

The morning light grew stronger, casting long shadows of the two of them as they nestled close together on the stone steps. Yu Jiuyuan looked at the system panel, where the positive emotions were stable at 88 and the favorability rating at 65, and a satisfied smile curved her lips.

This sunrise trip was definitely worthwhile.

As we descended the mountain, the warm sunshine was already bathing us in its glow.

As Yu Jiuyuan passed by the observatory, she subconsciously glanced inside. Xie Zhecheng was standing in front of the spectrometer, his profile as white as jade in the morning light. However, the recording tablet in his hand was not pointed at the data, but rather towards the window, as if he were looking in the direction of the sunrise.

On the system panel, his positive emotions were still 93, but his neutral emotions of 12 were inexplicably mixed with 1 point of negativity, like a grain of sand that irritated his eyes.

Yu Jiuyuan raised an eyebrow. It seemed that someone had heard the news about her and Rong Shenghan coming to see the sunrise from one of the club members.

"What are you looking at?" Rong Shenghan followed her gaze, his tone carrying a hint of probing.

"It's nothing." Yu Jiuyuan looked away and smiled. "I was just wondering if Yuan Xu had forgotten to eat breakfast again."

She quickened her pace as she walked down the road, the morning light falling on her swaying hair, making it shine like it was plated with gold.

Rong Shenghan watched her retreating figure, then turned back to look at the stubborn figure in the observation platform. Suddenly, he felt that this sunrise not only illuminated Changbai Mountain, but also some thoughts hidden in the shadows.

For example, Xie Zhecheng's reluctance to admit his concern, and his own uncontrollable heartbeat.

Meanwhile, Yu Jiuyuan, whom they were all thinking about, was looking down at the numbers flashing on the system panel, her smile growing ever deeper.

Xie Zhecheng's 93, Rong Shenghan's 88, Yuan Xu's 85... These vivid emotions are like entwining vines, gradually binding her, but it's unclear who is taming whom.

The sixth day in Changbai Mountain began with a magnificent sunrise.

Sunlight streamed through the pine forest, over the observation platform, and into the hidden ripples in everyone's heart.

Yu Jiuyuan took a bite of the remaining meat bun. As the aroma of oil mixed with the warmth of the morning light spread, she suddenly felt that this "taming game" might be more interesting than she had imagined.

At least, the jealous look on the people around me while watching the sunrise was quite cute.