As I watched Ding Nan leave, I was quite taken aback as Zhou Qin walked in: "When did things get so tense between you two? Didn't you go through thick and thin together?"

Zhou Qin gazed after the departing figure of Ding Nan, letting out a soft sigh, and said plainly, "It is only in adversity that true feelings are revealed."

Li Yundong looked at Zhou Qin with a questioning gaze: "What happened between you two?"

Zhou Qin turned her focus from Ding Nan, sweeping back her curtain of long, dark hair, and smiled faintly: "Nothing much. Time heals all wounds. Oh, by the way, I haven't properly thanked you yet."

Li Yundong chuckled: "It was nothing. To be honest, when you and Zhao Yujian fell, I couldn't tell which one was you; I just picked the nearest one."

Zhou Qin's eyes widened: "Really? You're not lying to me?"

Li Yundong smiled casually: "Why would I lie to you? It was Heaven’s will that you survived, not me! So, you don't need to thank me."

Zhou Qin stared intently at Li Yundong, thinking to herself: Could it be that Heaven ordained for him to save me?

Zhou Qin studied Li Yundong closely. In this young man’s eyes, she detected not a trace of lust—neither envy for the influence behind her nor greed for her stunning beauty.

The last time she invited Li Yundong to her birthday banquet, while she certainly felt an attraction to him, there was also an element of testing him.

So many people swore they could resist all temptation, presenting a sanctimonious, upright facade. Zhou Qin always scoffed at such people. Having grown up in an official family, she had seen too many people slowly degenerate and corrupt themselves under the lure of power and desire.

Whether a person can withstand such a trial depends first on whether they possess vanity, greed, or jealousy. Even if someone is free of these inclinations, once they taste the exhilaration brought by power and beauty, it becomes incredibly difficult for them to maintain self-control.

That is human nature: weak and avaricious, dark and prone to downfall.

The precocious Zhou Qin saw the nature of humanity with stark clarity and profound insight. Because of this, among the men she associated with, she could always instantly see the darkness hidden beneath their pretense and hypocrisy.

In her experience, few men, upon seeing her beauty, did not desire to possess her. Once they learned of her background, they would become frenzied, obsessively dreaming of claiming her and, through her, the power she represented.

But Li Yundong was different. Zhou Qin had observed the young man’s eyes more than once. Although she had seen glimpses of awe directed at her through the windows to his soul, it was a pure appreciation and admiration of beauty, entirely devoid of any possessive greed.

In this young man’s eyes, there was only contentment—the satisfaction that comes from being immersed in the joy of affection. To Zhou Qin, this satisfaction seemed shallow, yet this young man seemed content just being immersed in this sliver of superficial joy, as if possessing this little bit of shallow happiness meant possessing the entire world.

Truly, contentment brings constant joy...

Zhou Qin suddenly sighed: "You are a very strange person. Anyone else would probably try every means to cozy up to me, expecting repayment. Don't you know I possess the power to change someone's destiny?"

Li Yundong inwardly dismissed her words somewhat, saying calmly, "What does that power of yours have to do with me?"

As he spoke, he remembered Su Chan might be waiting anxiously in the classroom. He added, "I'm sorry, I need to go eat..."

Seeing Li Yundong about to leave, Zhou Qin quickly blocked his path and pleaded, "Can you stay and talk with me for a while? Even just a little bit!"

Li Yundong had intended to refuse, but he was fundamentally the type who yielded to gentleness rather than force. Seeing Zhou Qin’s pitiable plea, he sighed, "Alright, go ahead."

Zhou Qin slowly walked up to Li Yundong and pointed toward the small pavilion in the woods: "Can we talk over there?"

Li Yundong walked to the edge of the pavilion. He glanced at the structure, surrounded by dense gardenia trees, and beyond them, a thicket of azaleas. He suddenly recalled: Wasn't this the very spot where he and Su Chan had witnessed Zhao Yujian confessing to Zhou Qin?

Li Yundong couldn't help but recall Su Chan’s words about karma and cycles. He suddenly felt as if everything in this world was cause and effect, a constant loop, causing him to drift into a daze.

Seeing Li Yundong standing motionless beneath the arbor, Zhou Qin assumed he was reluctant to enter. She had never encountered such a situation before—begging a boy only to be refused time and again!

Was he still holding a grudge because she had rejected him before?

Zhou Qin gave a helpless smile—what a petty boy!

Zhou Qin pursed her lips, boldly reaching out to take Li Yundong’s hand, and said softly, "How long are you going to stand out here?"

Zhou Qin's voice was already clear and melodious, but spoken softly now, it twisted and turned beautifully, like a wife calling out to her husband, possessing a magic that truly made a man's heart skip a beat.

Li Yundong was momentarily stunned, and as if guided by some unseen force, he walked into the arbor with Zhou Qin.

After pulling Li Yundong into the pavilion, Zhou Qin released his hand and stood with her back to him, taking a deep breath.

Li Yundong noticed that the roots of the girl’s ears, visible beneath her waterfall of dark hair, were flushed a shade so deep they looked as if they might bleed.

Zhou Qin composed her wildly beating heart and smiled: "Do you know? This is the first time I’ve ever voluntarily taken a boy's hand."

Li Yundong laughed: "Your first time? You’re not expecting me to take responsibility, are you?"

Zhou Qin looked at Li Yundong with her deep, bright eyes, then chuckled, "What responsibility would you take? If I asked you to be responsible, would you agree?"

Li Yundong managed a wry smile and remained silent, secretly scolding himself: Why can't I ever break this habit of flirting when I see a beautiful woman?

Seeing Li Yundong look embarrassed and fail to answer her question, Zhou Qin simply smiled and stopped pressing him. She reached out, plucked a gardenia branch drooping into the pavilion, toyed with it in her hand, and said, "My father is an official, and my grandfather was too; both held considerable positions. I am what you might call a descendant of the 'Red Elite,' perhaps something of a princess."

Li Yundong laughed: "Then I should call you a county princess?"

Zhou Qin glanced at him with a slight smile: "You, with your glib talk, used to strike me as irritating. But now, why does every word you say sound so pleasant to my ears?"

As she finished speaking, Zhou Qin's heart fluttered. Her cheeks were flushed, and her gaze flickered toward Li Yundong, revealing a blend of shyness with a hint of daring and wildness.

Li Yundong grew even more awkward, unsure how to continue the conversation. A silence fell between them. From the distance of the secluded path, faint sounds of people could be heard, but nearby, only the sweet, ethereal fragrance of flowers drifted.

Li Yundong coughed dryly and changed the subject: "With your background and status, you should be able to attend a much better university, right? Aren't all the universities in the country open to you?"

Seeing that Li Yundong had once again failed to pick up on her implied meaning, Zhou Qin’s expression dimmed slightly. She continued, "Precisely because I come from such a family, everything in my life has been predetermined since childhood. My father wanted me to study Economics and Trade at Renmin University of China, so I could enter the system after graduation and eventually take his place."

"You must understand, the country now places great emphasis on female political participation, so if I followed my father's plan, my future would be extremely bright. However, I dislike the feeling of having everything arranged for me. So, I used my father's authority to approach the Education Commission and change the university application he filled out for me."

Zhou Qin showed Li Yundong a rare mischievous expression: "I didn't originally intend to apply to this university, but I was afraid of being discovered, and in a moment of panic, I only thought of local schools, so I ended up here... and met you."

Zhou Qin looked at Li Yundong with bold intensity: "Could this also be considered Heaven's arrangement?"

Li Yundong listened, captivated. He looked at Zhou Qin and realized that this seemingly serene and dignified young lady actually harbored a heart full of youthful restlessness and rebellion.

Li Yundong reflected that, frankly, if he hadn't met Su Chan, and if Zhou Qin had confessed to him like this, he surely would have been overwhelmed with delight and gladly accepted. But then he considered: if he hadn't met Su Chan, he wouldn't have become so exceptional and refined, nor would he have earned Zhou Qin's favor.

It seems that every encounter is predestined!

How truly marvelous the causality of this world is!

Li Yundong smiled and began to speak: "Actually..."

Before he could finish, Zhou Qin anxiously placed her finger over his lips: "Don't say it."

Zhou Qin was terrified that Li Yundong would say something to reject her again, as he might have at the banquet. If that happened, she feared she would never find the courage to face him again.

Li Yundong froze, feeling the slightly cool and smooth tip of the girl's finger against his lips, a small ripple stirring in his heart.

Zhou Qin looked at him steadily and said, "The reason I brought these things up today is only to let you know what kind of girl I am. I just don't want you to misunderstand me; I didn't mean anything else. Don't overthink it."

The slightly timid and immature self-protection shown by Zhou Qin made Li Yundong feel a hint of amusement bubbling up inside. He managed a faint smile and said, "Go on, I’m listening."

Zhou Qin breathed a sigh of relief and continued: "After I arrived at this school, I constantly encountered boys confessing their feelings for me. Can you imagine? Seventy-eight boys proposed in one month! Good heavens, I was going crazy!"

Li Yundong's expression became slightly strange: "What number was I?"

Zhou Qin glanced at Li Yundong, apologetic and anxious: "Sorry, I’ve forgotten. Probably over two hundred."

Li Yundong burst out laughing, saying casually, "It’s fine, I was just asking. It would be strange if a beautiful girl like you didn't have boys confessing!"

Zhou Qin looked at him very seriously, confirming that there was no sign of resentment in his eyes.