In the wee hours, the sky was just beginning to brighten.
Niveer stood in front of the mirror, gently removed the bell hanging around her neck, and tossed it onto the dresser.
After a long exhale, Niveer's gaze seemed to wander for a moment before she looked at herself in the mirror.
Anger flickered across the girl's face.
"What did you do last night! Why would you act like that! Don't you realize actions like that will make him think I'm a harlot!"
"My dear sister, you truly are a naive little thing," said the Niveer in the mirror, a strange smile playing on her lips. "Don't worry, men adore that sort of thing."
"I don't like it!"
"Alright, alright, I have my methods. Anyway, our ultimate goal was to find him, wasn't it? And we've found him now."
"But you… why did you agree to swear those vows, those words…"
"You fool, I made the vow, not you!"
Huh? It seems… that actually makes sense.
In the morning, Chen Nuo had just gotten out of bed when he received a phone call: Ms. Gima, a foreign school director, would be visiting the school today.
The entire reception team was to assemble at the school.
Chen Nuo and the Class President, however, were instructed to go to the hotel early to meet with Ms. Gima's reception team.
When he arrived at the hotel, the excited Class President was already there. In the hotel lobby were also Xiao Chen, the receptionist from the education company, and a driver.
The Class President spotted Chen Nuo entering the lobby and waved excitedly. Chen Nuo, yawning, walked over.
"What's wrong? Didn't sleep well?"
"Of course not," Chen Nuo rolled his eyes. "Bro, the final exams are over; it's vacation! Shouldn't this be the time to play games all night, then eat breakfast and sleep until the afternoon? That's a normal schedule, right? Getting up this early for work, of course, I don't have any energy."
The Class President scratched his head. "But we're getting paid."
Chen Nuo glanced at him and continued yawning.
Just then, Xiao Chen approached, thoughtfully carrying three cups of coffee. She handed one each to Chen Nuo and the Class President.
Chen Nuo said, "Thanks," and took a sip.
Americano.
This sugarless, milk-less coffee wasn't to Chen Nuo's taste. He didn't have that pretentious fondness for black coffee.
"Today will be demanding, so I hope we can cooperate well and successfully complete the reception work," Xiao Chen said with a smile to the two boys. "We didn't have much time to talk yesterday. My name is Chen Shasha. You can call me by my name, or Sister Shasha; either is fine. If there's anything you don't understand or don't know how to handle during the reception, you can always talk to me."
With that, Chen Shasha took out her phone. "Do you guys have phones? If so, let's exchange numbers."
Chen Nuo gave his number.
The Class President, not having a phone, smiled a bit awkwardly.
"No problem," Chen Shasha said with a smile. "Don't be so nervous. By the way, Chen Nuo, I met you yesterday, but I don't know your name?" she said, looking at the Class President.
The Class President smiled. "My name is…"
"Ah! They're here!"
Before he could finish, Chen Shasha's expression suddenly changed. The smile vanished, replaced by a serious look as her gaze shifted behind the Class President. "Everyone, follow me!"
Two women were approaching from the direction of the hotel elevators.
Leading the way was a middle-aged Caucasian woman with slightly graying hair. She was dressed in a somewhat conservative women's business suit, her hair pinned up. She was dressed very modestly, with minimal jewelry, giving her a strict, unsmiling, and serious demeanor.
About half a step behind her, Miss Niveer "Squatting Fiend" Devonshire followed, a sweet smile on her face.
Niveer wore a touch of light makeup and a white women's business suit with a pencil skirt. She did give off the vibe of a professional woman.
She was actually only eighteen years old. But being a Caucasian girl with an overly stunning figure made her age seem ambiguous. Niveer had that typical look: appearing mature when young and likely to look younger as she aged.
As the two emerged from the elevator, they immediately drew the attention of many in the hotel lobby—of course, most eyes were on Niveer.
Though her pencil skirt was a standard size, her explosively curvaceous figure stretched it taut, particularly at the hips. As she walked, her slender waist and the rounded curves of her hips drew the gazes of male passersby with every subtle sway.
Chen Shasha immediately went up, greeted "Ms. Director" in fluent English, then politely greeted Niveer. Turning, she pointed at Chen Nuo and the Class President. "These two are volunteers arranged by the school to assist you. Both are outstanding students from our school."
Chen Nuo sighed inwardly, then smiled. "Hello, I'm Chen Nuo."
Ms. Gima, the woman pretending to be the school director, must have been briefed by Niveer. Upon seeing Chen Nuo, her initially stern expression immediately softened into a friendly smile, and she shook his hand.
The Class President quickly stepped forward, bowing and smiling deferentially as he recited his memorized English lines, "Ms. Gima, it's a pleasure to serve you! I am…"
"Have you two had breakfast yet?" Niveer asked with a smile.
Although she said "you two," her gaze was clearly fixed on Chen Nuo.
The Class President was about to answer "Yes, we have"…
"…No," Chen Nuo replied lazily.
"Ah!" Niveer's smile grew even brighter as she held up a paper bag. "This is for you."
Chen Nuo took it. Inside the paper bag was a bacon and egg sandwich.
"Uh…" Chen Nuo was momentarily flustered.
Chen Shasha and the Class President beside him looked at Chen Nuo, then at the assistant, with surprised and questioning expressions.
Niveer squinted at them. "Is there a problem?"
"No!" Chen Shasha quickly shook her head and smiled. "It's getting late. Shall we head out?"
"Certainly," Ms. Gima nodded, seemingly oblivious to the preceding scene, maintaining a polite yet dignified smile. "Let's go."
A Mercedes-Benz van, provided by the education company, was waiting.
When boarding, Niveer directly pulled Chen Nuo to sit with her in the last row. Ms. Gima and Chen Shasha took the second row.
The Class President, meanwhile, was squeezed into the front passenger seat.
Chen Shasha was utterly confused but maintained her polite smile. Throughout the journey, she tried to make conversation with Ms. Gima, taking the opportunity to introduce some aspects of the school.
Meanwhile, Niveer and Chen Nuo, sitting in the last row, seemed to be enjoying themselves; the girl wore a happy smile. Moreover, she playfully teased Chen Nuo with polite words, leaving him no choice but to eat the sandwich on the spot.
Chen Nuo felt like he was sitting on pins and needles, so he hurriedly stuffed the sandwich into his mouth in a few bites and forced it down.
Niveer watched Chen Nuo with a smile, then proactively picked up a bottle of mineral water that had been placed in front of the seat, unscrewed the cap, and handed it to him.
"..."
Chen Nuo glared at Niveer.
Seriously, lady! Tone it down a bit! Are you the volunteer, or am I?
Chen Shasha had been enthusiastically introducing the history of No. 8 Middle School to Ms. Gima, but witnessing this scene made her subconsciously trail off.
Ms. Gima's smile remained unchanged as she said slowly, "Niveer is my assistant and also a distant relative of mine. Young people tend to have more in common, and she enjoys their company. I hope it hasn't caused any awkwardness."
"Ah? Oh! No, not at all," Chen Shasha said with an awkward smile. "Young people, yes, having common interests is very good, very good…"
The Class President silently wept in his heart: I'm young too!
Today, No. 8 Middle School was nearly empty.
The first and second-year students had finished their final exams and were on holiday.
Senior year classes had also ended, and most students with little hope for the college entrance exams had stopped attending. The school was focusing on a small group of seniors who still harbored hopes of further education, providing them with intensive last-minute tutoring.
The vast campus, usually bustling, now seemed much more tranquil, almost eerily quiet.
For the director's visit, especially since she was a foreign guest, the entire leadership team of Jinling No. 8 Middle School was present to receive her, along with an official from the Education Bureau and a staff member from the district's Foreign Affairs Office.
After all, Niveer had invested three million British Pounds in this education company.
In 2001, in Jinling City, one of the most economically developed cities in Huaxia, a three-million-pound foreign investment was neither exceptionally large nor insignificant.
But this three-million-pound investment wasn't in manufacturing or industry; it was in the education sector.
This was quite novel and carried a certain special significance. It was significant enough for the district's relevant investment promotion or foreign affairs departments to take special notice. This also provided an opportunity for media coverage, allowing it to be showcased and promoted as an important political achievement.
Inside the school, leaders from the school, the Education Bureau, and the district's foreign affairs department all clustered around Ms. Gima, treating her like a celebrity as they headed towards the new campus of the International Department.
The exhibition hall and display room were newly constructed. Typically, this space would showcase the glorious history of No. 8 Middle School.
But there was none to speak of!
A vocational high school converted into a general high school—what glorious history could it possibly have?
It merely displayed some old photographs from the school's arduous and simple founding days, meant to evoke nostalgia for past struggles. There were no major honors or impressive admission rates to speak of.
However, the hardware facilities were impressively built. It was clear that a substantial portion of the investment had been genuinely spent on tangible improvements: beautiful teaching buildings, attractive dormitory buildings, and a visually appealing, well-equipped audiovisual room, as well as a computer lab.
Due to insufficient land area, a standard sports stadium couldn't be built, which was unavoidable. But there was a basketball court, and it was even an indoor facility. The library was also newly built, spanning two floors. Rows upon rows of bookshelves were already filled, presenting quite an imposing sight.
In short, judging solely by the hardware facilities, it compared favorably even with some established key high schools. Its weakness still lay in its teaching staff.
Touring just these hardware facilities would consume an entire morning.
However, Chen Nuo didn't join the tour.
As the school leaders flocked around Ms. Gima, Chen Nuo and the Class President, being minor figures, naturally faded into the background.
Chen Nuo had originally planned to seize the opportunity to slack off or even slip away…
After all, he was at school, and Old Sun was busy with the tour group. He could sneak off to the Sun family's place and cuddle with the adorable Sun CC on the sofa while watching TV. Wouldn't that be nice? He could just slip back around noon.
But before he could make his escape, he was caught by Niveer.
"Uh… Don't you need to join the tour?"
"Stop pretending. It's all for show anyway. If you were willing to come with me, I could even withdraw the investment at any moment."
"…Let's not do that," Chen Nuo sighed. "Even if it's just for show, you're nominally the assistant right now. Don't you have to follow?"
"Gima will handle it. She can just make up an excuse, say she sent her assistant on an errand. The education company will definitely take good care of her. And don't worry, Gima will manage things perfectly; she'll say you accompanied me on an errand," Niveer said with a smile.
"Then…"
"You're spending the day with me!" The girl's tone was firm, leaving no room for argument.
Sighing, Chen Nuo decided not to resist directly. "Alright, what do you want to do?"
"What were you originally planning to do today?"
I was planning to cuddle the fragrant and soft Sun CC on the couch and watch TV—can I actually tell you that?!
Chen Nuo rolled his eyes.
"Whatever you were planning to do, I'll do it with you," Niveer said smiling, proactively linking her arm through Chen Nuo's.
Chen Nuo quickly pulled his arm away. "This is a school! What kind of behavior is this, linking arms?"
"You touched my butt in Kathmandu!"
Well, bringing up that kind of embarrassing history really left Chen Yanluo feeling rather sheepish.
"Fine, fine, fine. Come with me."
「A few minutes later」
In a small alley a few minutes' walk from the school, inside a dingy internet café.
The small room was crammed with over a dozen computers. However, since it was morning, the occupancy rate wasn't very high, and about half the computers were free.
Chen Nuo slapped fifty yuan on the counter, paid for two computers, and pulled Niveer to a couple of empty seats.
The sudden appearance of Niveer, a pretty blonde girl, in the small internet café was naturally extremely conspicuous. But after a few glances, the numerous gamers in the café returned their attention to their screens.
After all, those whiling away their time in an internet café at this hour were all prime candidates for future hardcore otaku shut-ins. What about a blonde foreign girl with a peachy butt? Is she cuter than my paper-thin waifu at home? No! The scenario of someone approaching to chat her up simply wouldn't happen—people's English skills weren't that advanced back then.
Chen Nuo first launched Red Alert and played a few online matches…
Niveer curiously joined in.
And then Chen Nuo realized he'd been completely sabotaged by her.
This girl could handle actual combat, rock climbing, diving, skydiving, skiing, hang gliding… you name it. But when it came to gaming, she was an absolute novice! Even worse than Chen Yanluo!
After a few games of Red Alert where her base was quickly overrun, she started shouting and yelling next to Chen Nuo, distracting him… and soon Chen Nuo's Command Center was blown up too.
Fine, switch to StarCraft!
The same scenario repeated itself several times.
Chen Nuo was speechless.
He thought for a moment…
"Don't play this anymore. Just play a single-player game," Chen Nuo sighed, clicking an icon on the desktop for Niveer.
"What game is this?"
"It's very fun."
(And it'll keep you focused so you don't bother me.)
"Games are so boring," Niveer complained, looking a little bored.
Hmm… Chen Yanluo thought for a moment. "If you play well, I'll take you out for dinner tonight."
"Really?"
Niveer's fighting spirit was instantly ignited!
"Really!" Chen Nuo said earnestly. "I swear I'm not lying."
Smiling, Chen Yanluo handed the mouse back to Niveer.
The game that flashed onto the screen was…
Civilization II.
And so…
「A day went by…」
「Ten hours later」
Niveer's eyes were red-rimmed. As Chen Nuo pulled her out of the internet café, she was still reluctant. "Wait a minute! Just a little longer! I'm about to wipe out one more… Ah! How is it dark already?!"
Looking at the star-filled sky, Chen Nuo sighed. "Young lady, it's already past eight in the evening. Time for dinner."
"Then, can we come back and play after dinner?"
Seeing the gleam in Niveer's eyes, Chen Nuo was somewhat speechless.
Have I accidentally turned an extreme sports enthusiast into a gaming addict? An extreme sports enthusiast transforming into a couch potato gamer?
Dinner was at a street stall not far from the internet café: a bowl of assorted spicy Ma La Tang, a few skewers of fried pork loin, and a platter of spicy crayfish.
Looking at the food before her, Niveer, the fitness enthusiast, hesitated. "Isn't this all too high in calories?"
Chen Nuo said nothing, simply picked up his chopsticks, chose a piece of fried tofu, and popped it into his mouth.
Niveer hesitated for a moment, then also picked up a piece.
At the first bite, the young British noblewoman's eyes widened in amazement!
Chen Yanluo watched her.
Ah, the poor girl. After all, she was raised on Britain's 'dark cuisine'; how could she possibly imagine the delicacies of Huaxia, the empire of foodies? Gutter oil, such an exquisite and aloof ingredient, guaranteed to get you hooked from the first taste!
In Chen Nuo's two lifetimes of experience, he had rarely met a girl who didn't like Ma La Tang.
It was strange, really; Chen Nuo himself didn't understand why girls loved this stuff so much.
Chen Nuo only ate a small portion of the Ma La Tang; the rest went into Niveer's stomach.
Then Chen Nuo peeled a crayfish and popped the meat into Niveer's mouth…
The young British noblewoman completely surrendered!
"What is this! Is it shrimp? Why is it so delicious?"
"If it's delicious, then eat more."
Chen Nuo only peeled one crayfish for Niveer, letting the young lady learn to fend for herself with the rest.
June weather, a roadside stall. Spicy crayfish paired with beer—it was simply one of life's greatest pleasures.
In less than an hour, they were full and slightly tipsy.
Chen Nuo and Niveer had finished six bottles of beer. The first platter of crayfish was long gone, and the second was nearly empty. During this time, Chen Nuo had also gone to a nearby barbecue stall for a handful of lamb skewers and a few grilled kidneys.
Niveer had eaten with gusto, sauce smearing her face and causing her makeup to run. Her white suit was also splattered with numerous oil stains.
Once full, Niveer's rationality gradually returned. The girl looked worriedly at the large pile of shrimp shells in front of her.
"I ate so much… Today's calorie intake is way over the limit! How much exercise will I have to do to burn all this off…"
"Then we won't eat it tomorrow."
"No way!" Niveer immediately shook her head. "At worst, I'll just add two extra sets of exercises to my daily routine starting tomorrow."
After dinner, Chen Nuo escorted Niveer back to her hotel. He then declined her invitation to accompany her upstairs to her room, making his escape as soon as they reached the hotel lobby.
Are you kidding me? Go back to her room? If this girl decided to put on that string of bells again and play that 'the louder the bells, the more you like me' game, Chen Yanluo wasn't sure he'd have the willpower to refuse a second time.
After going upstairs, Niveer returned to her room and sent a text message to Gima, letting her know she was safe.
The girl stood in front of the mirror in her room…
"You went over your allotted time today. We agreed: daytime belongs to you, nighttime belongs to me."
"…"
"You need to compensate me."
"…Alright. How should I compensate you?"
"Find a way for us to be alone with him. Just get him alone with you, and I'll take care of the rest!"
"I'm warning you, don't create another scene like the one in the gym yesterday! I don't want him to think I'm a promiscuous woman!"
"Don't be foolish, my sister. Men actually enjoy that sort of thing."
"No!" Niveer shook her head, her tone firm. "I don't like it that way! Being able to find him, to be by his side, is enough for me now. I had a wonderful time today."
"Platonic? My God! How did I end up with such a foolish sister! If nothing physical happens between a man and a woman… of course, you wouldn't know the pleasure of it!"
"I haven't experienced it, but have you? Stop joking! We're essentially the same person!"
Niveer sounded somewhat agitated. "Stop it! I'm happy with how things are now, and I don't want you to ruin it!"
"But…"
"No buts! From now on, you're confined, my dear sister!"
"What? You can't do this!"
"That's enough. I'm the dominant personality, and I won't let you out!"
"Ha! Just you try! Let's see if you can actually keep me confined!"
「The next morning」
Chen Nuo arrived at the hotel lobby to meet up with the Class President and the others.
The Class President seemed very happy. Yesterday, when Ms. Gima, the director, visited the school, her assistant was sent out on an errand, and the Class President was called to the director's side to serve as a temporary attendant. This made him feel valued and important. He had even managed to get a grand meal out of it last night. So, when he came to "work" today, the Class President was brimming with confidence, eager to make a good impression.
When Gima and Niveer came downstairs, Chen Nuo couldn't help but frown as he looked at the young noblewoman. The girl was clearly not in good shape; her face showed signs of exhaustion, and she was clutching a cup of coffee.
Chen Shasha, as usual, was the first to step forward and greet them, then led everyone out.
Chen Nuo deliberately hung back to walk beside Niveer.
"You didn't sleep well last night?" Chen Nuo frowned.
Niveer yawned and took a sip of coffee. "I downloaded that Civilization II game last night and played until morning."
"…Uh, alright."
It's over! The extreme sports enthusiast has truly been corrupted, turned into a gaming addict!
Actually, the more important reason Niveer had stayed up all night was to prevent her sister's personality from emerging. But Niveer wouldn't tell Chen Nuo that.
After touring the school yesterday, today's agenda involved the Education Bureau inviting Ms. Gima, the foreign school director, to visit famous historical sites in Jinling City, such as the Ming Dynasty City Wall and the Qinhuai River Scenic Area.
As a local, Chen Nuo had little interest in such tours. So, when they first arrived at the Zhonghua Gate Castle, Niveer quietly pulled Chen Nuo away to slip off—this time, Chen Nuo didn't resist much.
Climbing the Zhonghua Gate Castle in this heat? Chen Nuo had no interest in that.
As for Ms. Gima, the director, dispatching her assistant on errands again, it wasn't something outsiders could question. The only one who was probably happy about it was the Class President.
So, the Class President once again filled Niveer's spot, temporarily acting as Ms. Gima's attendant. Using the English introduction he had prepared and memorized the night before, he enthusiastically described the long history of the Zhonghua Gate Castle to Ms. Gima.
It had to be said, the Class President was indeed a very diligent person.
"What are we doing today?" Niveer asked, having pulled Chen Nuo half a street away. She glanced around; seeing no one paying attention, she relaxed.
"What do you want to do?"
"It's up to you. This is your hometown, after all," Niveer said with a smile.
Chen Nuo thought for a moment.
Oh well, might as well just take this young noblewoman out for some food and fun.
The closest place to the Zhonghua Gate Castle… was the Confucius Temple.
The ancient capital of the Six Dynasties, the Ming Dynasty Imperial Examination Hall…
And Chen Nuo chose not to go.
What a joke. What's so fun about the Confucius Temple? It's just a bunch of souvenir shops catering to out-of-town tourists. As for the Ming Dynasty Imperial Examination Hall… it's just where they held the imperial exams. As a student, what's so interesting about a test site? No way!
So, he pulled Niveer into an arcade.
First, Chen Nuo soundly defeated Niveer in several rounds of The King of Fighters—the young lady was a gaming novice, after all! Then he dragged Niveer over to play some basketball shooting games.
But this time, Chen Nuo miscalculated.
Niveer was clearly a monster whose athletic talents were maxed out. Although the basketball machine was a game, it was sports-related. After a brief period of unfamiliarity, Niveer quickly found her rhythm, her shots becoming increasingly accurate.
If Chen Yanluo hadn't used his Special Ability, he probably couldn't have beaten this girl.
After Chen Yanluo successfully preserved his dignity by soundly defeating the young lady once more using his Special Ability—his 'cheat'—Niveer went to the restroom. When she returned, she pulled Chen Nuo away.
The arcade was just to the left of a movie theater's lobby. Exiting the arcade led directly to the cinema's front counter.
"Come watch this movie with me," Niveer said, pointing to a large poster in front of the cinema.
On the poster, two protagonists in orange climbing gear stood on a vast, snowy mountain.
Vertical Limit.
A 2001 film. It told the story of a man climbing K2 Peak to bravely rescue his girlfriend, who was trapped on a snow mountain after an accident…
"Uh…" Chen Nuo looked at Niveer, slightly surprised.
Although the movie was quite well-made—professionally produced, realistic, and hardcore in its depiction of snow mountain climbing techniques, extreme sports, and rescue operations…
But…
You're an extreme sports expert! No matter how realistic a movie is, to a true climbing expert, it's probably just so-so.
"I just want to watch this one. Watch it with me," Niveer said, gazing at Chen Nuo, a hint of tenderness in her eyes.
Chen Nuo immediately understood.
The plot of the movie… mm, got it. The male protagonist climbs a snow mountain to save the female lead. No wonder Niveer was somewhat moved by the scene.
Seeing the tenderness in the girl's eyes, Chen Nuo's heart softened, and he didn't refuse. He obediently bought two tickets and then led Niveer into the theater.
The cinema was quite empty in the morning. In the spacious auditorium, there were only a few scattered moviegoers.
Niveer pulled Chen Nuo to the last row. Soon, the lights in the auditorium dimmed, plunging them into darkness.
Chen Nuo had seen the movie in his previous life. The beginning followed the standard rhythm of a commercial feature film. The snow mountain's special effects were also considered top-notch for that era.
The only drawback was that the lead actress wasn't quite a stunner... Shouldn't girls who are into extreme sports have fit, striking figures?
As he watched, Niveer, beside him, had already leaned her head on his shoulder. Chen Nuo sighed internally but didn't move.
Niveer whispered in Chen Nuo's ear, "Back then, you came to save me just like this, didn't you?"
"…" Chen Nuo was silent for a moment, then said softly, "Actually, I…"
Before he could finish, soft lips pressed against his in the darkness, silencing the rest of his sentence.
The girl's tongue was soft but moved with a slight, endearing clumsiness, as if she were inexperienced, earnestly and gently nibbling on Chen Nuo's lips.
Chen Nuo was initially passive, but soon, a fire ignited within him, and he began to respond…
A few moments later, in the darkness, Niveer, breathing rapidly, drew back slightly. Her head rested on Chen Nuo's shoulder, her forehead gently nuzzling his neck.
In the dark, the girl's voice was very gentle:
"Chen Nuo, I really, really like you. Please don't push me out of your life, okay?
If you absolutely have to push me away, don't push me too far…
Okay…?"