"This..." she began, then suddenly reached out and put her arms around his neck, her long eyelashes nearly touching his eyes. "Mr. Wan, don’t worry. If I go to school, I will definitely focus on my studies. I’ll be well-behaved, leave every morning, and come back every evening. I guarantee I’ll be home every day and won’t participate in any extracurricular activities. Anytime you need me, just call, and I’ll come right back. Is that okay?"
The faint, pleasant scent of her body, along with her fervent breath, drifted into his nostrils. How could he refuse such a request? He immediately nodded.
She released his neck and jumped up, laughing heartily and dancing around. "HAHA! HAHA! This is amazing, this is amazing! I can finally finish university! This is so wonderful!"
It was the first time Wan Donglin had seen her so exhilaratingly happy, spinning and jumping just like an elf in the jungle. He stroked his chin, smiling, and murmured to himself, Am I not like King You of Zhou, lighting beacon fires just to make his beloved concubine smile? Oh well, it’s worth it.
Yan Xixi had never realized that the city sky could also be so high, so blue.
She walked out of the library, strolling slowly across the football field alone, looking up at the sky. She couldn’t remember how many years it had been since she had last looked up at the sky .
Relaxed, content, no longer burdened by the insomnia-inducing anxiety of survival.
No matter how difficult the questions or how hard the exams, she felt they were trivial—certainly not harder than going without food.
To her, this was a great joy.
Her life was surprisingly simple, a typical two-point routine: to school and then back home.
She woke up at six every morning and went to bed late at night. However, she never felt tired; on the contrary, she was always surprisingly energetic.
When Wan Donglin held her report card, he could hardly believe his eyes and exclaimed, "Xixi, are you an Immortal? How did you do this? It’s only been a little over a month! How did you manage to get top marks in all subjects?"
She sat smiling by the rose bushes. By then, the roses had all withered, leaving only dense leaves. The July sun cast a faint rosy hue on her face. As Wan Donglin looked at her, it was as if the roses had suddenly bloomed anew.
He ran over and playfully tumbled her down beneath him, panting, "Xixi, tell me, how did you do it? It’s unbelievable!"
She smiled and said nothing. The secret to success is always the same: focus! When you pour all your energy into something, your creativity will explode, achieving results beyond measure. This is the ultimate key to success—not one of many, but the only one.
She knew her time was limited.
Wan Donglin’s rules of the game were already well established. How much time did she have left? One month? Three months? Five months? She didn’t know the exact duration, but she could estimate. It’s like wondering how long a person can stay interested in a new toy. Moreover, Wan Donglin wasn’t lacking other women these days.
She knew her ’freshness’ period would soon be over, but she still hoped to carve out a path to self-reliance before her time was up.
After his peak of elation, Wan Donglin asked her, "Xixi, I haven’t received any credit card bills yet."
"I don’t have time to spend money at the moment."
"Don’t just bury yourself in your studies. You should go out and enjoy yourself too."
She replied with unusual meekness, "Thank you, Mr. Wan. I will."