Beneath the shade of a large roadside tree, a young man and woman stood shielded from the sun. The exceptionally beautiful girl stood before the completely innocent-looking boy, relentlessly pounding her fists against his chest.

Zhong Yun looked down at Liu Yunqi, who was pouting like a wronged little girl, a smile playing on his lips. He recalled the Liu Yunqi of a few months ago, who had always maintained an air of serene indifference; it was truly difficult to reconcile that person with the girl before him now.

Tired from hitting him, Liu Yunqi looked up and saw his smile, which instantly reignited her anger. "You're still smiling." She pinched his arm hard. "It’s all because of you, making me lose face in front of the whole class."

Zhong Yun winced at the pinch but couldn't help laughing when he heard her words. "Can you blame me? I didn't tell you to hit me."

"It's your fault, your fault." At that moment, Liu Yunqi was just like a petulant child throwing a tantrum.

Several hundred meters above them, a white shuttlecraft hovered in the air. The occupants were observing the pair below through high-powered visualizers.

Inside the craft were Yang Yunrong and his assistant, Li Pingze. They had been passing nearby, sensed his sister was close, and decided to swing by for a look. Little did they expect to witness this scene.

Every core member of the Yang family carried a specialized device capable of sensing the others’ locations.

The expression on Yang Yunrong’s fair and handsome face shifted rapidly, reflecting his complicated emotions. He seemed to be speaking to his assistant, yet perhaps more to himself, "I have never seen this side of Yunqi..."

As her elder brother, they had lived together for over a decade, but his sister had always been remarkably sensible, maturing far beyond her peers from a young age. She never played with children her own age, always remaining solitary. Even as her brother, he could sense the unusual detachment emanating from her.

His sister had been different since childhood. She possessed a talent unmatched by anyone else. She grasped everything she studied instantly. Perhaps all geniuses were lonely. She had no friends. Even he, her brother, found it difficult to truly converse with her.

The expression that dominated her face most often was one of detachment, as if she were an outsider observing the world. She would frequently sit, lost in thought, no one knowing what occupied her mind. However, whenever he saw that gaze—a look that suggested she had seen through the vanities of the world, one usually reserved for the elderly—he felt an inexplicable shiver of apprehension.

Fortunately, as she grew older, she became more cheerful, immersing herself in music. She spent far more time on music than before, no longer staring blankly at the sky as she often did. Yet, occasionally, he could still feel that chilling coldness radiating from her.

Deep in Yang Yunrong’s heart lay a persistent fear: that one day, his sister might simply leave. To vanish silently and without a trace.

After watching for a while longer, Yang Yunrong instructed, "Let's go."

Li Pingze was surprised to see a genuine, heartfelt smile appear on his young master’s face. He lowered his head, and a hint of a smile softened his usually reserved features.

The shuttlecraft zipped forward with a whoosh.

Kid, take good care of my sister. If you dare to make her sad, hmph... Yang Yunrong thought to himself. Because of the display of tender affection his sister had never shown before, he no longer cared about Zhong Yun’s background or abilities. What did a lack of skill matter? The Yang family had plenty of outstanding talent. As long as he could make his sister happy, what did it matter if he was useless?

"Heavens above," Zhong Yun slapped his forehead in disbelief. "How did I never notice you were this violent? I’ve been completely fooled. Tell me, can I return this merchandise?"

This comment was like throwing gasoline on a fire. Liu Yunqi lunged at him, face fierce, hands clamping onto his neck, shaking him back and forth. "Told you to stop talking nonsense, stop talking nonsense..."

Nearby, Tian Hai and Chen Wen had appeared at some point, both completely stunned, standing motionless with their eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.

"I... I..." Tian Hai’s legs trembled as he stammered, "Am... am I dreaming?"

"Don't... know," Chen Wen had never been so flustered, his voice like a sleepwalker's murmur. "Either way, I must be dreaming."

Zhong Yun noticed his two friends had arrived and said to the still-clinging Liu Yunqi, "Let go quickly."

"No way," Liu Yunqi, having been "bullied" severely by him before, was determined to retaliate now.

"Really not letting go?"

"Absolutely not."

"You'll regret it if you don't let go," a hint of amusement already laced Zhong Yun's voice.

"I won't regret it!" Liu Yunqi shook her head stubbornly.

"You said it then."

Truthfully, the soft, plump hands of Liu Yunqi gripping his neck felt more like a massage than a chokehold; it was quite comfortable, and he didn't actually want her to release him—it was just unbecoming in front of his friends.

Liu Yunqi suddenly realized something and whipped her head to the left, spotting two familiar, stunned faces. With a sharp gasp, she snatched her hands back as if electrocuted and instinctively hid behind Zhong Yun.

Tian Hai and Chen Wen slowly, slowly turned their heads, exchanged a glance, and then walked over, reaching out to touch Zhong Yun’s body.

"It has texture," Tian Hai stated.

"It has warmth," Chen Wen added.

Three dark lines appeared on Zhong Yun’s face as he flicked both their foreheads. "What are you two playing at?"

"Ouch." Both rubbed their foreheads in unison, "It has pain."

"This probably isn't a dream," one said; "Then it must be a hallucination," the other countered.

Seeing the antics of these two clowns, Liu Yunqi couldn't help but let out a small laugh.

"The hallucination is back. Sigh, I've been studying too hard lately; I must have a bit of nervous exhaustion today," Chen Wen said, rubbing his head.

"Yeah, yeah, my head is swimming from those exams," Tian Hai chimed in.

Zhong Yun was caught between laughter and exasperation. Seeing how embarrassed Liu Yunqi looked, he stepped in to diffuse the situation, telling Tian Hai and Chen Wen, "If you keep spouting nonsense, I’ll give you nervous exhaustion."

Tian Hai and Chen Wen knew where to stop, chuckling weakly, not daring to tease further.

"With acting skills like that, why aren't you auditioning for a film company?" Zhong Yun said dryly.

Chen Wen grinned sheepishly. "Well, being startled by her just now caused a temporary speech nerve malfunction."

"I truly thought I was hallucinating," Tian Hai sighed dramatically.

Zhong Yun rolled his eyes at them. "Stop wasting time. The movie is starting soon. We finally got four tickets for the premiere; let's not be late."

The four of them boarded Chen Wen’s shuttlecraft. Liu Yunqi got in first. Just as Zhong Yun was about to follow, Chen Wen pulled him back, asking with suspicion, "The one inside, is that really Liu Yunqi? She doesn't look like her to me."

Zhong Yun glanced at him. "Besides Yunqi, can you find another girl that beautiful?" He then stepped into the vehicle.

Chen Wen sighed, looking at Zhong Yun's receding back with an intensely complex gaze. His admiration for Zhong Yun had reached an absolute peak. Was this really the cold, clear-as-water Liu Yunqi? She was no different from any ordinary girl deeply in love.

Before, he would have died before considering marrying Liu Yunqi, not just because of the halo of superiority above her head that discouraged men, but also because of the icy gaze that could freeze a man’s blood. Although she appeared easygoing on the surface, he could see the iceberg hidden within her.

Now the iceberg had melted. The goddess who was once as cold and untouchable as frost had transformed into an ordinary woman deeply in love. Such a drastic contrast made it momentarily difficult for him to process.

P: Pleading wholeheartedly for votes; this is the only strong recommendation slot left, and the story is nearly finished.

Finally, I recommend this heartwarming new book: The First Great Otaku War, Book ID 1251075. It’s a new work by an established author, ensuring consistent updates. Any readers who feel affectionate toward it should check it out—a book carrying the love and dreams of the otaku community. It’s quite good.