Chapter 16: A Beauty Like Jade

"Thank you. If it weren't for your help, I truly wouldn't have known what to do."

Hearing Li Fu's words, Wang Yun smiled gratefully.

"It's already past eleven. Is there something particularly difficult that you're dealing with? Let me help you; I might be able to handle it faster," Li Fu said, glancing at the time. It was already half past eleven. Wang Yun looked anxious, beads of sweat forming on her delicate face, showing just how urgent the matter was.

"It's all right. I'm already grateful you fixed the computer. The rest I can handle myself. It's getting late, you should head back and rest," Wang Yun replied with a smile, shaking her head. Still, Li Fu's words struck a chord. She'd lost time earlier after accompanying her roommate to a movie to cheer her up after a breakup, so the report remained unfinished. It seemed she would have to work late into the night.

"It's nothing. It's not safe for a girl to be out too late, and if you return much later, the dorm supervisor might complain, right? I know a thing or two about computers. If you need help, just tell me," Li Fu said, smiling. Seeing her alone, he thought if it were daytime it would be different, but at night, it was only right for classmates to help each other.

"Well... all right," Wang Yun finally nodded after some hesitation. Li Fu had a point—she'd never returned to the dorm past midnight, and she’d heard from friends how strict the dorm supervisor could be. Once it was past midnight, getting the supervisor to open the door meant enduring a barrage of complaints.

The thought of her roommates giving her strange looks made two bright patches of red bloom on Wang Yun’s cheeks.

"Where's the raw data? What format does the report need to be in?" Li Fu asked, nodding in understanding. Meanwhile, he commanded Xiao Ying in his mind to search for relevant materials and began quickly learning on the spot. Recently, through practicing the Yuan Energy technique, not only had his body grown stronger, but most importantly, his mind had been further developed through the absorption of Yuan energy, allowing him to learn at a remarkable speed.

"The data is..."

In the administration office of the Entrepreneurship Center, Li Fu's fingers danced across the keyboard, quickly working according to Wang Yun's required format.

"He can actually work without a mouse, using only keyboard shortcuts!" Wang Yun marveled, watching Li Fu's hands move rapidly. The mouse lay untouched, yet the report quickly took shape. Even the complex formulas were handled with ease. He seemed just like an experienced accountant, his Excel skills impressively proficient.

"Wang Yun, check if this works?"

In just over ten minutes, Li Fu saved the file with a shortcut. The entire report was complete—far faster than Wang Yun could have managed, especially considering it was his first time making such a report.

"It's perfect. You're incredible. It usually takes me at least two hours to finish this report, and you did it in just over ten minutes. That's amazing," Wang Yun praised, carefully checking the finished report. There were no errors; in fact, the details were handled even more meticulously. The charts were more logical and beautiful. She couldn’t help but compliment him as she sent the file off to the finance department for review.

"Thank you so much. Otherwise, I really wouldn't have known what to do," Wang Yun said sincerely, feeling a weight lifted from her shoulders now that the work was done, her face lighting up with a genuine smile.

"No need for thanks. We're classmates. Pack up quickly, the dorm will close soon," Li Fu replied with a smile, feeling that earning the gratitude of such a beautiful woman was a reward in itself.

By now, the entire Entrepreneurship Center was cloaked in darkness, except for the administration office where they remained. Wang Yun packed up, switched off the lights, and prepared to head back.

The bell rang.

"Would you mind taking a ride on my Number 12 bike?" Li Fu was already waiting outside with his bicycle, smiling.

Wang Yun hesitated, then smiled, "All right, sorry to trouble you again."

"Hold on tight," Li Fu reminded her gently as a faint fragrance drifted over and he felt the warmth against his back.

Wang Yun gripped the cold metal frame with both hands. The winter in the Imperial City was bitter, and though she was bundled up, she couldn't fend off the biting northern wind. She instinctively hunched her shoulders.

Yet as she drew closer to Li Fu, a wave of warmth emanated from him, as if he were a living heater. She barely felt the cold at all. Glancing up, she noticed that Li Fu wasn't wearing much, yet he radiated a comforting heat, making the winter chill fade away.

"How can he be dressed so lightly and not feel the cold? It’s strange," she thought, feeling the wind whistle past her ears as the bicycle glided along. Unconsciously, she leaned closer and closer to Li Fu, drawn by the warmth he exuded. In this frigid night, he was like a hearth she couldn't help but cling to.

Surrounded by Li Fu's warmth, and the inexplicable aura he gave off, Wang Yun's cheeks burned. She'd never been so close to any man before, and she didn't know why she had agreed to ride with him tonight.

The aura Li Fu unconsciously radiated made Wang Yun feel safe, as if she were nestled in a warm harbor, protected from the howling winter wind.

Without realizing it, she let her hands slip from the iron rack to Li Fu's waist, as if they were a couple. Her delicate face grew redder still, her body pressed close to his back.

Li Fu pedaled through the quiet campus. It was nearly midnight; even the most reluctant lovers could no longer resist the chill.

He didn't ride fast—perhaps not wanting to expose Wang Yun to the cold, or perhaps, as it was his first time giving a ride to such a beauty, he wished this road back could last a little longer, to spend just a bit more time together.

In the silent campus, amid the biting winter and the roaring northern wind, a bicycle carried a pair of young people who looked for all the world like a couple, making their way from the Entrepreneurship Center to the dormitory area. As time passed, more and more students appeared on the road.

At this late hour, only pairs of lovers reluctant to part remained outside. In the windswept darkness, couples clung fiercely to one another, expressing their longing before a brief separation.

Wang Yun pulled her wide hat lower, burying her face, mortified that someone might see her. Her cheeks grew even hotter, and a strange feeling stirred inside her.

As one of the most renowned beauties at Yanhuang University, Wang Yun had countless admirers—handsome young men, heirs to powerful families, and brilliant talents of all kinds. But she’d never taken interest in any of them. She was polite to those who relied on their own abilities, understanding that love and attraction were normal. But for the so-called "second-generation heirs" like Qian Jin, she had nothing but disdain.

She came from one of the most elite families in the Imperial City and had seen far too much. She knew that among those heirs, many were truly excellent, but she was acutely aware that those pursuing her were drawn either by her beauty or her family’s influence.

Thus, she always presented a cold, aloof facade, the archetypal ice queen, turning away suitors without hesitation, and leaving many brokenhearted.

Yet tonight, for reasons she couldn't explain, being with Li Fu didn't make her uncomfortable at all. She had even accepted a ride on his bicycle, a choice that made her cheeks flush hotter still. Surrounded by fellow students, she wished she could dissolve into the earth.

She buried her head deeper into her hat, not daring to look up for fear of being recognized. In her heart, this unfamiliar feeling seemed to be quietly taking root.

"Here we are. Get some rest— the supervisor is about to lock up," Li Fu’s voice broke the long silence as he brought the bike to a gentle stop outside her dorm. For Wang Yun, this had been the longest journey of her university life, the minutes ticking by more slowly than ever before.

Relieved, she quickly hopped off the bike, burying her head even deeper.

"Thank you. You should rest too," she whispered, barely audible, afraid anyone might hear. With that, she hurried into her dorm, her graceful figure even more captivating in the winter night.

Li Fu watched her disappear inside, smiled, and shook his head. Not thinking too much about it, he climbed back on his bicycle and headed toward his own dorm. After a full day of classes and a night of extra work designing his game, he was tired but content.

Meanwhile, in her dorm, Wang Yun curled up under the covers, listening to her roommate quietly sob over her breakup, while her own mind replayed the events of the evening, making her cheeks flush all over again.

"What does it really feel like to be in love? My roommate is always so sad after a breakup, but when she's in love, she’s so happy. Is love happiness, or is it sorrow?"