The afternoon PE class was free time. Yu Jiuyuan changed into her gym clothes, a white short-sleeved shirt and black sweatpants, which outlined her slender yet well-proportioned figure. Instead of chatting with the other girls, she took a tennis racket and walked to the tennis court.
Rong Shenghan was playing basketball with a few boys. He was agile and lithe, his white tracksuit soaked with sweat, clinging to his body and outlining his smooth muscle lines. Seeing Yu Jiuyuan, he smiled and waved, calling out from afar, "Yu, want to give it a try?"
Yu Jiuyuan hesitated for a moment, but still walked over: "I'm not very good at playing."
“It’s okay, I’ll teach you.” Rong Shenghan walked up to her, picked up a tennis ball and handed it to her. “It’s very simple.” He stood behind her, held her hand, and adjusted her posture. “Raise your elbow a little, yes, turn your body slightly to the side…”
His chest was almost pressed against her back, his warm breath brushing against her earlobe, carrying a faint scent of sweat and refreshing shower gel. Yu Jiuyuan could clearly feel the warmth of his palms and the strength of his arms; it was an aggressive approach, yet he handled it perfectly, like a pure lesson.
Her body stiffened slightly, and a blush rose to her face; she looked somewhat shy. "Senior Rong..."
"Don't be afraid, relax." Rong Shenghan's voice was deep and gentle, with a captivating power. "Try swinging the racket."
Yu Jiuyuan swung her racket as instructed, and the tennis ball was hit out, but it landed crookedly outside the court.
"It's okay, you've done very well for your first attempt," Rong Shenghan said with a smile, his tone sincere. "Let's try again."
He took her hand again, patiently guiding her. Sunlight bathed them both, creating a harmonious and beautiful scene, like a perfect couple.
Under the shade of a tree not far away, Xie Zhecheng held a physics problem set, seemingly reading, but his gaze kept drifting towards the tennis court. When he saw Rong Shenghan holding Yu Jiuyuan's hand, his fingers tightened slightly on the pages of the book, and his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
[System Notification: Xie Zhecheng's favorability is 0, emotional fluctuation +3 (neutral).]
Neutral mood fluctuations!
Yu Jiuyuan was overjoyed. She pretended not to see Xie Zhecheng and continued to learn how to play ball from Rong Shenghan. Her smile grew brighter and brighter, and she occasionally let out a crisp laugh.
Xie Zhecheng, under the shade of the tree, could no longer concentrate on his book. He closed it, stood up, and walked in the opposite direction, his back looking somewhat stiff.
[System Notification: Xie Zhecheng's favorability is 0, emotional fluctuation +2 (neutral).]
Indeed, jealousy and possessiveness are the best weapons to break the ice. Even someone like Xie Zhecheng is not entirely immune to them.
In the evening, Yu Jiuyuan received a message from Yuan Xu: "The larvae have started to spin cocoons. Do you want to come and see?"
She replied immediately, "Coming right away."
When I arrived at the laboratory building, Yuan Xu was standing in front of the incubator, her eyes fixed intently on the inside. Several transparent silkworm cocoons hung on the branches, their pale golden color resembling delicate pieces of amber.
"How long will they stay inside?" Yu Jiuyuan asked softly, afraid of disturbing these sleeping little lives.
“In about a week,” Yuan Xu said with a hint of anticipation, “we’ll be able to see them emerge from their cocoons and become butterflies.” He turned to look at her, his eyes serious. “When that time comes, I’ll call you first to come and see.”
“Okay.” Yu Jiuyuan’s eyes crinkled into a smile, her expression genuine. “I’m really looking forward to it.”
[System notification: Yuan Xu's favorability +3, current favorability 33.]
Yu Jiuyuan looked at the little guy in the bottle, her eyes sparkling with a hint of light, and suddenly explained, "I'm sorry I couldn't come to see the lily of the valley as promised. I was a little busy at the time."
Yuan Xu paused for a moment, then said, "It's alright."
When you're with Yuan Xu, you consistently see a steady increase in her affection level. This is a strategy that doesn't require much skill; all you need is enough patience and genuine interest.
It was already dark when she left the laboratory building. Yu Jiuyuan walked back to her dormitory, the evening breeze carrying a chill, blowing her long hair.
Today's gains were considerable. Although Xie Zhecheng's favorability rating remained at zero, his emotional fluctuations became increasingly complex, evolving from simple dislike to something else. Yuan Xu's favorability rating steadily increased, surpassing 30. As for Rong Shenghan, he remained an enigma, unfathomable yet subtly influencing the course of events.
She took out her phone, which displayed the system panel on the screen:
[Targets: Xie Zhecheng (Affection 0, Emotional Fluctuation: Negative 20/Neutral 5), Rong Shenghan (Affection not displayed), Yuan Xu (Affection 33)]
Hsieh Che-cheng's mood swings have begun to show a neutral tendency, which is an important sign. Just like tiny bubbles appearing under a layer of hard ice, it means that melting is not far away.
Yu Jiuyuan's lips curled into a cold smile. She wasn't in a hurry; she would take it slow. Dealing with someone like Xie Zhecheng required a gradual approach, like boiling a frog in warm water, slowly infiltrating and subtly changing his perception.
She walked down to the dormitory building and saw Xie Zhecheng standing under the streetlight, seemingly waiting for her. He was wearing a black trench coat, his posture was upright, his face was expressionless, but his eyes were softer than usual.
Upon seeing Yu Jiuyuan, he stepped forward and handed her a white box: "This is for you."
Yu Jiuyuan was stunned: "This is..."
“You mentioned last time that you were interested in Renaissance sculptures,” Xie Zhecheng’s voice was still somewhat stiff, but without the previous indifference. “This is a catalog that I had someone bring back from Florence. Perhaps you will like it.”
Yu Jiuyuan looked at the exquisite box, then at Xie Zhecheng, her eyes filled with surprise and confusion. Was he... trying to make amends?
[System Notification: Xie Zhecheng's favorability is 0, but his emotional fluctuation is +10 (positive).]
Positive emotional fluctuations!
Yu Jiuyuan's heart skipped a beat, but her face showed a look of surprise and emotion: "Classmate Xie... how could you...?"
"Consider it... compensation for you breaking my computer." Xie Zhecheng looked away, his tone somewhat unnatural. "From now on, you don't need to think about compensating me for anything."
"Thank you, Xie! I love it!" Yu Jiuyuan took the box, hugged it to her chest, and smiled as brightly as a blooming sunflower. "This is the most special gift I've ever received."
Hearing her praise so directly, Xie Zhecheng's ears turned slightly red. He cleared his throat and said, "If there's nothing else, I'll be going now."
"Yes! Thank you!" Yu Jiuyuan nodded vigorously, a glint of light flashing in her eyes as she watched his departing figure.
The fish are finally starting to show interest in the bait.
Clutching the sketchbook, she turned and walked into the dormitory building. The streetlights cast a long shadow of hers, and the silhouette of the David sculpture printed on the box stood out clearly in the night.
She knew that the real contest had only just begun.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
