Chapter 8: Farewell

"Oh, oh, sorry! I got distracted," Ye Feng quickly released Lin Shiyun's hand and scratched his head in embarrassment.

After all, no matter how he had changed, deep down, Ye Feng was still the same boy-next-door he was before his rebirth—or at least, for now.

"What? I'm standing right in front of you, and yet you're distracted?" Lin Shiyun teased, feigning vanity. But as soon as the words left her mouth, she was puzzled. Here she was, having a lengthy conversation with a stranger she knew nothing about, even holding his hand for longer than she'd ever held anyone's before—even though he did save her.

In Tianjing, she was pursued by so many wealthy suitors, enough to make up a whole regiment. Yet she had never even cracked a smile for any of them, let alone held hands.

She only knew that with Ye Feng, she felt at ease. She didn't need to put on a cold mask to keep others at a distance.

Her coldness wasn't natural but a wall she had carefully crafted. Only in the company of those close to her could she let down her guard. Yet, here, far from Tianjing, with Ye Feng, that wall melted away.

The train journey passed quickly, and the time with Ye Feng flew by even faster as they laughed and bantered. Before they knew it, the train had arrived at the station.

Ye Feng traveled light, with barely any luggage, while Lin Shiyun had three or four bags. Luckily, she had Ye Feng as her personal porter, who helped her carry it all without a word of complaint. Watching him juggle her bags, she felt a slight flush at the contrast between them.

Ye Feng had already told Ye Zhenhua that his time in Beihai would be focused on school, friendship, and savoring the pure camaraderie and romance of high school life—though he'd kept the "romance" part to himself.

He stood by her side, waiting.

"Aren't you going to head on to wherever you need to be? Isn't it a waste of time to keep waiting with me here?" Lin Shiyun asked, feeling a bit self-conscious.

"No worries," Ye Feng replied with a shameless grin, "Wasting time with a beauty is a privilege."

"Spending time with you… that's the most romantic thing I can think of," he quipped, borrowing lyrics from a classic song in his previous life.

Lin Shiyun laughed, cutting off his "serenade." "I've heard of concerts that charge a lot for tickets, but you… your singing might actually be dangerous!"

"Oh, you dare mock me?" Ye Feng feigned outrage, releasing her luggage and tickling her sides. But he froze a moment later.

His hand had landed somewhere soft, and before he realized, he'd squeezed twice.

Lin Shiyun quickly slapped his hands away, her face flushed. "I didn't know you were such a rogue," she said, though her tone held no real reproach.

Ye Feng scratched his head sheepishly, at a loss for words.

"Miss, I'm here. Let's go." An older man's voice cut through the air.

Ye Feng turned to see an elderly gentleman in a white Tang suit with a few bodyguards in black suits standing nearby. They were looking at Lin Shiyun as if he weren't even there.

"Oh, Uncle Lin, let's go," Lin Shiyun replied, a hint of disappointment in her voice. She didn't know whether it was because she was leaving Ye Feng or for some other reason.

Seeing Ye Feng fall silent, Lin Shiyun started to leave. But after a few steps, she turned to the older man and said, "Please take my luggage. I still have something to do."

She walked back to Ye Feng, who stammered, "Um… about just now… I… I didn't mean to…"

Seeing his embarrassed expression, Lin Shiyun couldn't help but laugh. Her smile mesmerized him.

"Dummy! What are you staring at? Never seen a beautiful girl smile?" she teased.

"Relax, I know you didn't mean it. I forgive you," she added gently. "Today was fun. Thank you for keeping me company. Farewell, silly!"

With that, Lin Shiyun turned and quickly walked towards a waiting Bentley. The car pulled away, disappearing into the crowd.

The license plate read Hai A888888, and it was the latest Bentley Angel Arrival. Both the car and the plate suggested she had an extraordinary background.

"We'll meet again, Shiyun… I'm sure of it," Ye Feng murmured confidently as he watched the Bentley vanish.

"Hail, taxi!" He flagged down a cab.

"Take me to the sales office near Beihai First High," he instructed the driver.

"Got it, sir!" the driver replied, stepping on the gas.

Watching the familiar scenery pass by, Ye Feng thought, Having my own car would be pretty nice. Too bad I can't drive yet.

As for money, he was certainly not short of it. With his allowance alone, he could buy dozens of luxury cars. The wealth in his account here was at least six times what he had back on Earth.

Oh right, driving! What am I doing? Can't I just use the system to learn? I should also ask Optic Brain about that favorability thing I keep seeing.

Ye Feng shifted his focus, entering the system's lottery space. "Optic Brain! Come out here!"

"What is it now, dear Host?" Optic Brain grumbled. "I was just about to take a nap! You think I don't need sleep just because you don't?"

Ye Feng rolled his eyes. Sleep? Right. This lazy pervert of a system. "So, what exactly is this favorability score?"

Optic Brain's tone turned professional. "Favorability measures the affection or goodwill your female acquaintances feel toward you. It's a personalized feature of the Supreme Lottery System, perfect for a host like you with ahem room for growth in social skills."

Ye Feng's eyebrow twitched at the subtle insult, but he let it pass.

"As you reach the summit of success," Optic Brain continued, "you'll find that a true gentleman always has many ladies by his side. Increased favorability means they're more tolerant of you."

"For example…"

Please like, favorite, and recommend! Thank you for your support!