"Then I won't bother you any longer." Yu Jiuyuan stood up and waved the handbook in her hand. "I'll return the book to you later."

Xie Zhecheng watched her figure disappear around the corner of the observatory before slowly loosening his grip on the folder. His palms were already sweaty; the draft paper with star trails drawn on it had been pressing against his skin and making his hands feel hot.

He looked down at the folder and suddenly felt that those observation data, accurate to the second, didn't seem so important anymore.

Yu Jiuyuan didn't go back to her dormitory, but instead headed towards Yuan Xu's dormitory.

On the system panel, his positive emotions were stable at 85, and the golden light next to the numbers 76 in favorability was getting brighter and brighter, clearly waiting for an opportunity.

Yuan Xu's dormitory door wasn't closed properly, leaving a crack. When Yu Jiuyuan pushed the door open, she saw him hunched over the table, writing and drawing in front of a microscope, his cheek pressed against the cold surface, his nose almost touching the lens. His school uniform jacket was tossed on the chair, revealing the thin white shirt underneath.

"Forgot to wear your coat again?" Yu Jiuyuan walked over, picked up the coat and draped it over his shoulders. Her fingertips touched his cold shoulders, and she couldn't help but frown.

Yuan Xu was startled, dropping the pencil in his hand. He turned around abruptly and saw Yu Jiuyuan. His eyes lit up instantly, then reddened: "Why are you here?"

"Let's see if our biologist is going to catch a cold again." Yu Jiuyuan picked up his draft paper full of formulas and feigned surprise. "This is... data analysis on moss symbiosis?"

"Hmm!" Yuan Xu's embarrassment immediately vanished when her expertise was mentioned. Pointing to the curve on the paper, she excitedly said, "Look, this peak shows that the activity of symbiotic fungi increases at low temperatures, which is consistent with my previous guess!"

His eyes shone like stars, and his speech was rapid-fire yet clear and logical, carrying the fervor of a researcher. Yu Jiuyuan listened quietly, occasionally nodding or reaching out to tidy his disheveled hair, her movements natural and affectionate.

Yuan Xu's voice gradually lowered, her cheeks flushed slightly, and her eyes darted away, not daring to look at her. She only dared to stare at the tips of her shoes, like a cat being stroked.

"That's amazing." Yu Jiuyuan put down the draft paper, her tone filled with genuine admiration. "When we get back, I'll have the student council approve the best lab for you. Just let me know if you need any equipment."

"R-really?" Yuan Xu suddenly looked up, her eyes brimming with surprise. "No need for that..."

“It’s no trouble at all.” Yu Jiuyuan interrupted him, her fingertips lightly touching his cheek. “After all, I also want to see your results as soon as possible.”

Her fingertips, warm to the touch, sent a jolt through Yuan Xu's skin like an electric current. His breathing became erratic, his eyes widened like a startled fawn, and he remained speechless for a long time.

On the system panel, Yuan Xu's favorability rating jumped to 79 with a "snap," and her positive emotions broke through 90 and stabilized at 92, like a small sun that had been lit, shining brightly.

Yu Jiuyuan nodded in satisfaction. It seemed she had found the right opportunity.

"Oh, by the way, the astronomy club is having a bonfire party tonight, wanna go together?" She withdrew her hand, her tone light. "I heard they'll also grill, you'll definitely like that."

“Okay!” Yuan Xu nodded without thinking, her eyes shining as if they held the entire starry sky.

As I left Yuanxu's dormitory, the sun was already setting, painting the outline of Changbai Mountain in a warm orange-red hue.

As Yu Jiuyuan walked back to her dormitory, looking at the positive emotions displayed on the system panel, she suddenly felt that this trip to Changbai Mountain was like a huge fermentation tank, brewing everyone's thoughts into something scalding hot.

Xie Zhecheng's 95, Rong Shenghan's 88, Yuan Xu's 92... These numbers are like entwining vines, gradually wrapping around her, yet she holds them firmly in her hands.

As she passed the observation platform, she saw Rong Shenghan standing at the entrance, talking to Xie Zhecheng.

Xie Zhecheng's expression was not good, and his lips were pursed tightly, while Rong Shenghan still had a gentle smile on his face, but there was a hint of sharpness in his eyes.

Upon seeing Yu Jiuyuan, the two stopped simultaneously, their gazes falling on her like two searchlights, each carrying a different emotion.

Xie Zhecheng's evasiveness, Rong Shenghan's probing.

Yu Jiuyuan smiled, quickened her pace, and naturally stood between the two: "What are you talking about? It's so lively."

“We were talking about the bonfire party tonight.” Rong Shenghan spoke first, reaching out to brush a fallen leaf off her shoulder in an intimate gesture. “President Xie said he’s bringing a telescope so everyone can see Venus at sunset.”

“Really?” Yu Jiuyuan looked at Xie Zhecheng, her tone filled with anticipation. “That must be very interesting.”

Xie Zhecheng watched the natural interaction between her and Rong Shenghan, his fingers clenching tightly, then slowly relaxing, and finally he just nodded, his voice so low it was like a mosquito's hum: "Mm."

On the system panel, his positive mood was still 95, but it was pulsating with a hint of tension, like a string stretched to its limit.

Yu Jiuyuan watched the silent undercurrent between the two, and the smile on her lips grew deeper and deeper.

It looks like tonight's bonfire party is going to be very lively.

As dusk deepened over Changbai Mountain, the distant snow-capped peaks shimmered with a golden-red light under the setting sun, resembling a melted gemstone.

The lights on the observation deck came on one by one, casting long shadows of the three people that wove into a complex web on the ground.

And this game has only just entered its most interesting phase. Yu Jiuyuan watched the last ray of golden light disappear on the horizon, silently reciting to herself—

The show is about to begin.