Xiao Qi noticed that she had been feeling distracted and muddled these past couple days.
Looking back, when she was in the car, the system had sent her a card for reminiscing about life dreams, and she had used it in a confused daze.
Things had felt off ever since then.
In the past, she had always felt that if she knew what would happen in the future, or knew what had happened in the past and could start over and be reborn, things would definitely be different. She could avoid many unnecessary risks and embark on a brand new life.
But the reality was not like that at all. Recently Xiao Qi was often puzzled, and it even seemed like her personality had changed. She had started living according to a dream, with everything revolving around that dream. It wasn't foreknowledge, but rather became shackles that tied her down, an insurmountable hurdle that prevented her from living a normal life.
What was the point in knowing or not knowing certain things?
If she kept dwelling on certain matters just because she knew about them, she would never improve and progress. Going back and repeating things over and over again would only lead to the same outcome.
What truly made her stronger was learning, resolutely learning and looking ahead resolutely, taking steps forward.
Not clinging to the past or the "future" she knew.
After gaining this realization, Xiao Qi felt much more at ease around Li Ruisheng.
To be honest, Li Ruisheng was more mature and experienced than anyone else in their group. His smile was sunny and he looked quite handsome. From his clothing and style, it was obvious he came from a good family background. He also had a vaguely arrogant demeanor.
Especially compared to the other men present, he stood out as the most exceptional. Not only did Honey have feelings for him, but the other girl also seemed interested in him. However, he acted very appropriately, being a little nicer to Honey, taking the initiative to hand her fruit and snacks. He would also occasionally grab some treats for the other girl.
Even when Xiao Qi arrived, Li Ruisheng was polite to her, passing the menu to Honey for her to give to Xiao Qi.
All these details were handled very smoothly.
When Xiao Qi joined them, instead of playing boardgames, she suggested playing Truth or Dare.
The owner also came over with waffles and milk tea.
This time Xiao Qi didn't sit next to Li Ruisheng, but rather next to another male student who was Li Ruisheng's roommate and seemed quite close to him. Still, Xiao Qi was seated right beside Li Ruisheng as well.
That male student instantly turned red in the face.
The owner said she would serve as the judge and started dealing out cards.
The rules were simple. Everyone drew two cards. If the suits matched, you had to accept a penalty. Players whose cards had different suits could make the player with matching cards choose between truth or dare.
It was a pretty straightforward game, also suitable for people who didn't know each other well to get acquainted. Perhaps they could even take the chance to confess their feelings. As for the truths, who knew if they were really truthful or not.
Everyone readily agreed.
Xiao Qi also had a smile on her face, seriously drawing her cards.
The result of the first round was that the only one who drew two cards of the same suit was Honey.
Everyone took turns asking questions, also daring Honey to do bold challenges.
Since they didn't know each other well, they kept things appropriate.
When it was Li Ruisheng's turn, he asked, "Is there any guy here tonight that you're interested in?"
The others hooted.
Honey's wheatish complexion turned slightly red, but she decisively nodded her head.
Li Ruisheng smiled slightly, looking at Honey, and that was the end of his question.
In the second round, two people drew matching suits - the male student sitting beside the owner, and Li Ruisheng beside him.
For his truth, that male student had just asked Honey, "Have you ever been in a relationship?"
He was Li Ruisheng's roommate, clearly trying to assist him.
Honey answered very honestly, "Not yet."
This time Honey dared him to shout "I'm a pig!" out the window. He laughed helplessly but had to stand up and yell it out the window, making everyone burst into laughter.
As for Li Ruisheng, Honey felt a little shy asking him the same question.
"Is there any girl here tonight that you're interested in?"
Li Ruisheng nodded calmly and gazed straight at Honey.
Honey's face grew even redder.
When it was Xiao Qi's turn, she also picked truth and asked the male student, "Are there any girls here you've been involved with before?"
The others were shocked that Xiao Qi would ask such a explosive question right off the bat.
Everyone started hooting, even the owner laughed and egged it on.
The male student turned red in embarrassment and shook his head. Students were still very sensitive to the phrase "been involved with".
Xiao Qi's expression was calm as she went on to ask Li Ruisheng, "Are there any girls here you've been involved with before?"
Li Ruisheng also hadn't expected his tablemate to ask this sort of question. But he had always been a master of concealing and feigning emotions. In daily life he would unconsciously imitate his father's temperament, keeping joy and anger from showing on his face. So for a truth question like this, it was child's play to him. He answered somewhat bashfully, "Yes."
When he answered yes, everyone was shocked speechless.
They unanimously turned to look at Honey.
Honey was also dumbfounded. She had just met Li Ruisheng, how could she possibly have been involved with him?
She glared at Li Ruisheng with wide eyes.
Only after seeing everyone's reactions did Li Ruisheng realize he had answered yes.
But he had clearly meant to say no!
He didn't understand why he was unable to control his own mouth and had actually answered truthfully.
When he first came to Enhua, it was with a senior girl student. He had been very lost at the time. His father was greatly disappointed that he had only tested into Enhua and subjected him to harsh, stern criticism and education. His father had already planned out his entire future, wanting him to apply for the Outstanding Student program straight out of college to become a civil servant right away with cadre status.
The Outstanding Student program was when provincial Party committees selected outstanding graduating college students across all disciplines to work at the grassroots level as potential reserve cadres for future Party and government leaders, as well as high-quality staff for Party and government agencies at county level and above. Many people didn't actually know about it, and being selected was extremely impressive. Their career paths would be several times faster than an ordinary civil servant's.
His father could have pulled strings to get him into any university in Jingnan Province.
But he had ended up at the privately-run Enhua University, which didn't even have the Outstanding Student program option.
Before coming, his father had harshly and sternly criticized him, expressing great disappointment.
He had been very lost himself, but senior student Chen Lizhen not only accompanied him but comforted him the entire way.
The two quickly became intimate. He had come to Meng City early instead of going straight to school. They had instead wildly stayed in a hotel together for two days.
Those two days had been extremely indulgent, Li Ruisheng's first taste of forbidden fruit.
But he had been very rational. After registering at the school, he realized he couldn't control a woman like senior student Chen. What's more, Chen Lizhen was too aggressive, causing him to become addicted and depraved. It also seemed Chen Lizhen already had a boyfriend.
Knowing he was the son of a Fucheng official, Chen Lizhen didn't actually do much with him. But when she was opening her new shop and asked him to help out, the two still couldn't restrain themselves from fooling around wildly together a few times in this cafe.
This was also why when Chen Lizhen passed peanuts to Xiao Qi, she subconsciously brushed Li Ruisheng's arm with her backside. Physical intimacy lingers, with the body being more honest than words.
Everyone was far too shocked. The girl who also had some feelings for Li Ruisheng suddenly continued asking, "Which girl have you been involved with?"
"Senior student Chen Lizhen," Li Ruisheng blurted out unthinkingly.
But after saying it, his face was pale with embarrassment. He didn't understand why he was unable to control his own mouth and had actually answered truthfully.
That girl nodded slightly, then said plainly, "It's getting late, let's head back."
Honey's face was awkward. Just now she and Li Ruisheng had seemed to feel a connection, blushing and looking into each other's eyes.
But reality...
Xiao Qi pulled Honey along, saying, "Then we'll go first, so as not to disturb you."
The male student who had been teased by the owner also beat a hasty retreat. He felt especially wretched, especially after realizing the owner had actually slept with his roommate. He had thought the owner was interested in him and felt extremely unsettled.
But he figured there was someone even more miserable, computer science student Honey, who had assumed Li Ruisheng was trying to flirt with her and had them all come along...
Chen Lizhen, however, hadn't expected Li Ruisheng to actually have true feelings for her. Saying that in front of the other girls, her heart raced as she asked, "Didn't you say we couldn't be together? I didn't realize you liked me so much that you would say this in front of them. What will your little girlfriend think? I thought you were trying to flirt with her!"
Li Ruisheng and Chen Lizhen were left alone in the room, but then Li Ruisheng said: "I'm going to hit on her, I don't really like you at all, you're fickle, who knows how many men you've been with."
Chen Lizhen:......
She picked up the milk tea in front of her and splashed it at him.
Xiao Qi noticed that she had been feeling distracted and muddled these past couple days.
Looking back, when she was in the car, the system had sent her a card for reminiscing about life dreams, and she had used it in a confused daze.
Things had felt off ever since then.
In the past, she had always felt that if she knew what would happen in the future, or knew what had happened in the past and could start over and be reborn, things would definitely be different. She could avoid many unnecessary risks and embark on a brand new life.
But the reality was not like that at all. Recently Xiao Qi was often puzzled, and it even seemed like her personality had changed. She had started living according to a dream, with everything revolving around that dream. It wasn't foreknowledge, but rather became shackles that tied her down, an insurmountable hurdle that prevented her from living a normal life.
What was the point in knowing or not knowing certain things?
If she kept dwelling on certain matters just because she knew about them, she would never improve and progress. Going back and repeating things over and over again would only lead to the same outcome.
What truly made her stronger was learning, resolutely learning and looking ahead resolutely, taking steps forward.
Not clinging to the past or the "future" she knew.
After gaining this realization, Xiao Qi felt much more at ease around Li Ruisheng.
To be honest, Li Ruisheng was more mature and experienced than anyone else in their group. His smile was sunny and he looked quite handsome. From his clothing and style, it was obvious he came from a good family background. He also had a vaguely arrogant demeanor.
Especially compared to the other men present, he stood out as the most exceptional. Not only did Honey have feelings for him, but the other girl also seemed interested in him. However, he acted very appropriately, being a little nicer to Honey, taking the initiative to hand her fruit and snacks. He would also occasionally grab some treats for the other girl.
Even when Xiao Qi arrived, Li Ruisheng was polite to her, passing the menu to Honey for her to give to Xiao Qi.
All these details were handled very smoothly.
When Xiao Qi joined them, instead of playing boardgames, she suggested playing Truth or Dare.
The owner also came over with waffles and milk tea.
This time Xiao Qi didn't sit next to Li Ruisheng, but rather next to another male student who was Li Ruisheng's roommate and seemed quite close to him. Still, Xiao Qi was seated right beside Li Ruisheng as well.
That male student instantly turned red in the face.
The owner said she would serve as the judge and started dealing out cards.
The rules were simple. Everyone drew two cards. If the suits matched, you had to accept a penalty. Players whose cards had different suits could make the player with matching cards choose between truth or dare.
It was a pretty straightforward game, also suitable for people who didn't know each other well to get acquainted. Perhaps they could even take the chance to confess their feelings. As for the truths, who knew if they were really truthful or not.
Everyone readily agreed.
Xiao Qi also had a smile on her face, seriously drawing her cards.
The result of the first round was that the only one who drew two cards of the same suit was Honey.
Everyone took turns asking questions, also daring Honey to do bold challenges.
Since they didn't know each other well, they kept things appropriate.
When it was Li Ruisheng's turn, he asked, "Is there any guy here tonight that you're interested in?"
The others hooted.
Honey's wheatish complexion turned slightly red, but she decisively nodded her head.
Li Ruisheng smiled slightly, looking at Honey, and that was the end of his question.
In the second round, two people drew matching suits - the male student sitting beside the owner, and Li Ruisheng beside him.
For his truth, that male student had just asked Honey, "Have you ever been in a relationship?"
He was Li Ruisheng's roommate, clearly trying to assist him.
Honey answered very honestly, "Not yet."
This time Honey dared him to shout "I'm a pig!" out the window. He laughed helplessly but had to stand up and yell it out the window, making everyone burst into laughter.
As for Li Ruisheng, Honey felt a little shy asking him the same question.
"Is there any girl here tonight that you're interested in?"
Li Ruisheng nodded calmly and gazed straight at Honey.
Honey's face grew even redder.
When it was Xiao Qi's turn, she also picked truth and asked the male student, "Are there any girls here you've been involved with before?"
The others were shocked that Xiao Qi would ask such a explosive question right off the bat.
Everyone started hooting, even the owner laughed and egged it on.
The male student turned red in embarrassment and shook his head. Students were still very sensitive to the phrase "been involved with".
Xiao Qi's expression was calm as she went on to ask Li Ruisheng, "Are there any girls here you've been involved with before?"
Li Ruisheng also hadn't expected his tablemate to ask this sort of question. But he had always been a master of concealing and feigning emotions. In daily life he would unconsciously imitate his father's temperament, keeping joy and anger from showing on his face. So for a truth question like this, it was child's play to him. He answered somewhat bashfully, "Yes."
When he answered yes, everyone was shocked speechless.
They unanimously turned to look at Honey.
Honey was also dumbfounded. She had just met Li Ruisheng, how could she possibly have been involved with him?
She glared at Li Ruisheng with wide eyes.
Only after seeing everyone's reactions did Li Ruisheng realize he had answered yes.
But he had clearly meant to say no!
He didn't understand why he was unable to control his own mouth and had actually answered truthfully.
When he first came to Enhua, it was with a senior girl student. He had been very lost at the time. His father was greatly disappointed that he had only tested into Enhua and subjected him to harsh, stern criticism and education. His father had already planned out his entire future, wanting him to apply for the Outstanding Student program straight out of college to become a civil servant right away with cadre status.
The Outstanding Student program was when provincial Party committees selected outstanding graduating college students across all disciplines to work at the grassroots level as potential reserve cadres for future Party and government leaders, as well as high-quality staff for Party and government agencies at county level and above. Many people didn't actually know about it, and being selected was extremely impressive. Their career paths would be several times faster than an ordinary civil servant's.
His father could have pulled strings to get him into any university in Jingnan Province.
But he had ended up at the privately-run Enhua University, which didn't even have the Outstanding Student program option.
Before coming, his father had harshly and sternly criticized him, expressing great disappointment.
He had been very lost himself, but senior student Chen Lizhen not only accompanied him but comforted him the entire way.
The two quickly became intimate. He had come to Meng City early instead of going straight to school. They had instead wildly stayed in a hotel together for two days.
Those two days had been extremely indulgent, Li Ruisheng's first taste of forbidden fruit.
But he had been very rational. After registering at the school, he realized he couldn't control a woman like senior student Chen. What's more, Chen Lizhen was too aggressive, causing him to become addicted and depraved. It also seemed Chen Lizhen already had a boyfriend.
Knowing he was the son of a Fucheng official, Chen Lizhen didn't actually do much with him. But when she was opening her new shop and asked him to help out, the two still couldn't restrain themselves from fooling around wildly together a few times in this cafe.
This was also why when Chen Lizhen passed peanuts to Xiao Qi, she subconsciously brushed Li Ruisheng's arm with her backside. Physical intimacy lingers, with the body being more honest than words.
Everyone was far too shocked. The girl who also had some feelings for Li Ruisheng suddenly continued asking, "Which girl have you been involved with?"
"Senior student Chen Lizhen," Li Ruisheng blurted out unthinkingly.
But after saying it, his face was pale with embarrassment. He didn't understand why he was unable to control his own mouth and had actually answered truthfully.
That girl nodded slightly, then said plainly, "It's getting late, let's head back."
Honey's face was awkward. Just now she and Li Ruisheng had seemed to feel a connection, blushing and looking into each other's eyes.
But reality...
Xiao Qi pulled Honey along, saying, "Then we'll go first, so as not to disturb you."
The male student who had been teased by the owner also beat a hasty retreat. He felt especially wretched, especially after realizing the owner had actually slept with his roommate. He had thought the owner was interested in him and felt extremely unsettled.
But he figured there was someone even more miserable, computer science student Honey, who had assumed Li Ruisheng was trying to flirt with her and had them all come along...
Chen Lizhen, however, hadn't expected Li Ruisheng to actually have true feelings for her. Saying that in front of the other girls, her heart raced as she asked, "Didn't you say we couldn't be together? I didn't realize you liked me so much that you would say this in front of them. What will your little girlfriend think? I thought you were trying to flirt with her!"
Li Ruisheng and Chen Lizhen were left alone in the room, but then Li Ruisheng said: "I'm going to hit on her, I don't really like you at all, you're fickle, who knows how many men you've been with."
Chen Lizhen:......
She picked up the milk tea in front of her and splashed it at him.
