By the villa’s pool.

Ink Orange Ice wore a white lace-trim string bikini. She sat at the edge, pale legs swaying in the water. She turned to him. “Why won’t you say it, yet won’t let me say it?”

“Do you love me, Ink Orange Ice?”

Lin Ran sat up on the lounge chair. He studied her, detail by detail. If he caught even a hint of something off, he might leave right now.

As he’d told Xu Weiyu, in the end, he was fated to walk alone.

He couldn’t keep anyone by his side. They’d only slow him down.

Ink Orange Ice heard him and kept kicking her pale legs. She tilted her head at him. “I don’t even know what love is. So how could I love you?”

Her confusion was earnest. Her voice was cool and clear. Moonlight fell on her collarbones. Her eyes were as pure as clear gems.

So Lin Ran put away that trace of wariness.

His smile held self-mockery. He felt like a little mouse living in the dark, measuring a predator’s range with care. Only then daring to step out and steal a few sweet crumbs.

“That’s fine by me. By the way, you’re lazier than me. You’re the little lazy pig. I fed you so much evolution blood, and you’re still not SS Rank.”

“What can I do? I spent all my time gaming and playing with my toys,” Ink Orange Ice said, perfectly justified.

Lin Ran looked at her, helpless. She suddenly dove into the pool. Her graceful body carved a lovely arc through the water. He watched quietly as she swam two laps, then splashed him.

“Hmph,” she murmured.

“Someone needs a lesson?” Lin Ran stood, then jumped in. Ink Orange Ice spun and fled. He still caught her and pulled her in tight. His fingers gave a light tug at her waist. A pale pink strip of fabric drifted slowly to the bottom.

...

Ink Orange Ice was a cat you could never feed full.

Lin Ran watched the girl’s sleeping face. He reached out and gently pinched her porcelain-soft cheek. She slept deeply, brows smooth, peaceful as a picture.

They had fooled around all night, after all.

Lin Ran had already gotten dressed. He still had to find Xu Zhi today and talk things through. He couldn’t leave her carrying a mental load. Xu Zhi was sharp. He just needed to nudge her.

He didn’t wake Ink Orange Ice. Let her sleep well.

When he finished dressing, he noticed a small notebook on the table. He’d bought it for her. Her memory wasn’t great; she’d forget things. He’d suggested she write down whatever felt important.

Last time, Ink Orange Ice even said she’d written down how he bullied her on the gaming chair.

Lin Ran hesitated and didn’t open it. He dressed silently, closed the door with care, and walked on light feet. He didn’t wake Ink Orange Ice.

Either way, he couldn’t have woken her.

He didn’t know she’d woken even earlier than he had.

...

The girl on the bed sat up and stretched. The curtains were left open. There was no one within miles anyway, so it didn’t matter.

Ink Orange Ice got out of bed. Her legs still couldn’t quite close. It wasn’t Lin Ran’s fault. Last night she… did squats alone for a long time, out of spite, to keep going with Lin Ran.

Lin Ran thought she was unsatisfied. She was just sulking.

In the trash can lay white silk pantyhose and tissues, but no condoms.

Because Ink Orange Ice didn’t like condoms.

Besides, Lin Ran couldn’t get her pregnant. He’d told her that already. With what he was, he couldn’t have children, at least not with her. His abilities had changed parts of his body. They wouldn’t pass on. And Ink Orange Ice’s potential didn’t match his at all.

She kind of liked the heat anyway.

She sat on the edge of the bed and put on a white silk nightdress. Then she pulled on a new pair of white silk pantyhose. Ink Orange Ice loved the feeling of her skin being wrapped. She sat at the desk and started her diary.

She wrote with care. But as she wrote, her brows drew slightly together. Her lashes slowly lowered.

...

The vehicle Lin Ran rode most was the bus.

He’d messaged Xu Zhi that morning to meet for lunch at the mall. There was a seafood place that tasted good and didn’t overcharge. He’d eaten there twice.

He had simple needs. Food, bed, clothes—whatever worked. As for spiritual needs, even less. For years he’d given up socializing. He could live just fine gaming at home.

Maybe Ink Orange Ice was right. He really was kind of a jerk.

Xu Zhi showed up at eleven on the dot, by taxi. She wore a gray camisole dress with a sheer white jacket covering her shoulders. Lin Ran’s eyes brightened a little.

Most of the time she wore leg-baring hot pants or skinny jeans. A sporty big-sis type. In that gray slip dress, she didn’t look plain at all. She looked a bit cold and stunning.

Xu Zhi wore light makeup and waved.

Lin Ran smiled back. She jogged over and they took the elevator up together.

He ordered the big seafood platter. They sat across from each other. Xu Zhi pulled out her phone to show him.

Her phone cost a little over a thousand and was two years old. With all the forced bloatware now, even opening apps was a chore. Lin Ran waited a while to see her Weibo follower count.

399,876.

To be precise, that growth was scary. Xu Zhi only had that one Weibo post. Plus a few simple selfies with a slice-of-life feel.

Her short video account had nearly 800k followers now. The comments were friendly. Everyone was looking forward to her next video.

Xu Zhi hadn’t slept well last night.

She scrolled through comments again and again. Sleep wouldn’t come. Her head kept filling with all sorts of things.

Most of those things… had probably been brought by Su Nisheng.

Not earned by her own effort.

And Su Nisheng did it for Lin Ran’s sake.

But they’d already broken up. That’s not how friends work.

“You’ve misunderstood Su Nisheng,” Lin Ran said. He peeled a shrimp with gloves and held it to Xu Zhi’s lips. She bit it without thinking, then had to chew and listen.

“Su Nisheng’s actually very childish. She’s not as complicated as you think. To her, if I’m her friend, you’re her friend too. Call it affection by association. She isn’t being malicious, and she’s not showing off. To her, this is trivial. She has a lot of resources. This was just a tiny gesture.”

His tone was gentle, yet Xu Zhi’s chewing slowed.

“If you still feel uneasy… try another angle. This is something I’m doing with you, so she wants to help me too. You’re my model. We’re partners. At most, she’s the angel investor.”

Xu Zhi blinked. She was listening carefully. She swallowed the shrimp and muttered, “So what do I do next?”

“How long will your money last? Short on cash right now?”

“You gave me twenty thousand last time. Even with Mom’s post-op care, it’ll last at least three more months.”

“Then let’s shoot two more photo sets this month. And we’ll make a few trending short videos. Pick some skits and simple dances. It’s all pretty light work.”

“And then… livestream selling?” Xu Zhi asked softly.

“That’s an option. I think you could handle it easily. But let’s not. We can attach product links under the short videos. Take some ads on Weibo. There’s a big anime con at the end of the month. We’ll go again and really push your name. I don’t recommend livestreaming. It’s exhausting. Mostly mentally. What do you think?”

“I’m fine with it. If it earns money, being tired is okay. I’ve gotten through worse for years.”

“Do you urgently need money?”

“I still owe you four hundred thousand.” Xu Zhi peeled a shrimp and held it to his lips, then corrected herself. “No, four hundred twenty thousand and six hundred. With interest, it’ll be four hundred fifty thousand.”

“I said no rush.”

“But Sis said I could pay you back with my body, and you won’t even take that. So I keep thinking I should repay some first,” Xu Zhi mumbled. Lin Ran looked into her eyes, helpless, and just smiled lightly.

“We’re not in a rush. We’ll get on track. Put in some effort, then wait quietly. Balance work and rest.”

“Okay.”

She nodded hard.

“Then… I’ll find a chance to treat Su Nisheng to a meal? I can’t pay it back, but I want to thank her.”

“I’ll try to set it up. She’s probably really busy this month,” Lin Ran said offhand. Xu Zhi took it as truth and nodded.

Lin Ran felt a bit helpless.

He hadn’t even sounded out Su Nisheng. He didn’t know what she really thought. He’d already turned her offer down.

Still, at least the result was good.

Lin Ran looked at Xu Zhi. She looked back. They held each other’s gaze for two or three seconds. Lin Ran was the first to look away.

Xu Zhi suddenly snorted a laugh. The sound tickled his ears. Lin Ran muttered, “What’s so funny?”

“You’re a big rock, but sometimes you look so pure. Like you’re easy to trick.”

“You too. You look easy to get along with. But who’s really gotten into your heart?” Lin Ran said softly.

“There’s already someone, isn’t there?”

Xu Zhi tilted her head. Lin Ran dodged her gaze. “I’ll grab drinks. What do you want?”

“Pepsi.”

“Mm. Ice?”

“With ice, Mr. Lin Ran. Don’t tell me you’re finally moved and starting to test me?”

“This rat isn’t crawling out of his sewer!”