097 Melting

“Annoying, annoying, annoying…”

Under a large tree by the roadside, a young man and woman stood in the shade, shielding themselves from the sunlight. The exceptionally beautiful girl was standing in front of the boy, who wore an innocent expression, repeatedly pounding his chest with both hands.

Zhong Yun looked down at Liu Yunqi, who was pouting like a little girl who had been wronged, and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. Recalling the composed and calm Liu Yunqi from a few months ago, it was hard to associate her with the girl before him now.

Liu Yunqi, tired from hitting, happened to look up at his smile, and her anger flared anew. “You’re still smiling.” She pinched his arm. “It’s all your fault that I was embarrassed in front of the whole class.”

Zhong Yun twisted his mouth in a grimace but couldn’t help laughing. “Can I blame myself? I didn’t tell you to hit me.”

“I blame you, it’s all your fault,” Liu Yunqi said stubbornly, like a petulant child.

A few hundred meters away in the sky, a white shuttle hovered. Inside, someone was watching the two through binoculars.

It was Yang Yunrong and his assistant Li Pingze. Passing nearby, they sensed the presence of Yang’s sister and decided to take a look. Unexpectedly, they witnessed this very scene.

Every core member of the Yang family carried a special device that could detect each other's locations.

Yang Yunrong’s fair and handsome face flickered with complex emotions, reflecting his inner turmoil. He seemed to be speaking to his assistant, or perhaps to himself, “I’ve never seen Yunqi like this before…”

As her older brother, having lived together for over a decade, he knew his sister was always exceptionally mature for her age. She never played with peers and was often alone. Even he could feel the unusual coldness in her.

Since childhood, she was extraordinary. Gifted beyond compare, she could master anything at once. Perhaps geniuses are always lonely. She had no friends. Even her brother found it hard to connect with her.

The most common expression on her face was one of detachment, as if she didn’t hold anything to heart, like an outsider. She would often sit silently, and no one knew what she was thinking. But whenever he saw the look in her eyes—those wise, world-weary eyes—he would feel an inexplicable pang.

Luckily, she had become somewhat more cheerful as she grew up, thanks to her love of music. She spent more time immersed in it and no longer stared blankly at the sky as before. Yet, at times, that chilling aura would still emanate from her.

Deep down, Yang Yunrong harbored a vague fear—that one day his sister would disappear suddenly, without a trace.

After watching a while longer, Yang Yunrong said, “Let’s go.”

Li Pingze was surprised to see a genuine smile brighten the young master’s face. He lowered his head, and a faint smile softened his usually reserved expression.

The shuttle sped forward with a swift “whoosh.”

“Boy, take good care of my sister. If you ever make her sad, humph…” Yang Yunrong thought to himself. Today, seeing his sister show such rare affection, he no longer cared about Zhong Yun’s background or abilities. What did it matter if he wasn’t outstanding? The Yang family had plenty of talented people. As long as he could make his sister happy, even if he were useless, it wouldn’t matter.

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“Oh my god.” Zhong Yun tapped his forehead in disbelief. “How come I never realized you were so violent before? I’ve been tricked. I say, can I return you?”

His words were like pouring fuel on the fire. Liu Yunqi flew at him like a fierce beast, her hands clutching his neck, shaking him with a ferocious expression. “How dare you say that! How dare you say that…”

Nearby, Tian Hai and Chen Wen appeared without anyone noticing. Both stood there dumbfounded, eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.

“I… I think…” Tian Hai’s calves trembled, and he stammered, “Am I… dreaming?”

“I don’t… know,” Chen Wen, unusually flustered, murmured like a sleepwalker. “Anyway, I must be dreaming.”

Zhong Yun noticed his friends’ arrival and said to the still-persistent Liu Yunqi, “Let go now.”

“No.” Liu Yunqi was still bitter from his earlier “bullying” and was determined to get revenge.

“Really not letting go?”

“Absolutely not.”

“You’ll regret it if you don’t.”

“I’d rather regret it than let go.” Liu Yunqi shook her head stubbornly.

“You asked for it.”

Actually, Liu Yunqi’s delicate hands pinching his neck felt almost like a massage—soft and strangely pleasant. He didn’t want her to stop, but didn’t want to be too obvious in front of his friends.

Suddenly, Liu Yunqi noticed something and turned sharply to her left. She saw two familiar, stunned faces and shrieked, instantly withdrawing her hands as if shocked by electricity, instinctively hiding behind Zhong Yun.

Tian Hai and Chen Wen slowly turned their heads to look at each other, then approached and reached out to touch Zhong Yun.

“Feels real,” Tian Hai said.

“Warm too,” Chen Wen added.

Three black lines of frustration appeared on Zhong Yun’s face as he flicked each of their foreheads. “What are you two up to?”

“Ouch!” They both rubbed their foreheads, complaining in unison, “That hurts.”

“Seems like it’s not a dream,” one said. “Then it must be a hallucination,” the other replied.

Watching his two goofy friends, Liu Yunqi couldn’t help but giggle.

“Hallucinations again. Sigh, been working too hard lately, feeling a bit neurotic today,” Chen Wen said, rubbing his head.

“Yeah, yeah, exams make me dizzy,” Tian Hai added.

Zhong Yun was both amused and helpless. Seeing Liu Yunqi blush with embarrassment, he covered for her. “You guys keep talking nonsense and I’ll really give you neurotic nerves.”

The two friends knew when to stop and chuckled softly, no longer daring to tease.

“Your acting skills are so good, why don’t you try out for a movie studio?” Zhong Yun said with mock annoyance.

Chen Wen chuckled, “I was just scared by her earlier, caused some speech disorder.”

“I really thought I was hallucinating,” Tian Hai sighed.

Zhong Yun rolled his eyes. “Enough nonsense, the movie’s about to start. We finally got four tickets—don’t be late.”

The four of them boarded Chen Wen’s shuttle. Liu Yunqi went in first. Just as Zhong Yun was about to enter, Chen Wen pulled him back, looking puzzled. “Is that really Liu Yunqi inside? She doesn’t look like her at all.”

Zhong Yun glanced at him. “Besides Yunqi, can you find anyone as beautiful as her?” Then he stepped inside.

Chen Wen sighed, his gaze toward Zhong Yun’s back complex beyond words. He admired him immensely. Was this still the cold, aloof Liu Yunqi? She seemed no different from any ordinary girl in love.

He never wanted to marry Liu Yunqi before; besides the aura that discouraged men, she had eyes so cold they could cause impotence. Though she appeared approachable, he could see an iceberg hidden within her.

Now, the iceberg had melted. The once untouchable, icy goddess had become an ordinary woman in love. The stark contrast was hard for him to accept.

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P.S.: Unwaveringly asking for votes, the only strong recommendation. The story is about to conclude.

Lastly, I recommend a new heartfelt novel titled The First Otaku World War, book number 1251075. It’s by an established author, with guaranteed updates. Fellow lovers of the genre should definitely check it out—a story bearing the love and dreams of otaku. It’s quite good.