Dawn of a New Era

Chapter 760 - 733: Fifth Optimization of Entering Stillness to Refine the Self (Part 1)

Today, the wind is mild, the weather is clear, and there isn’t a single cloud in the sky, spotless and clean as if washed.

Two days ago, a typhoon brought a bit of coolness to the sweltering heat, making it a great day for studying.

Zhonghai University Library, silent as a pause.

Only the slight sounds of pages being turned and pens scratching against paper can be heard.

As one of the top universities in the Great Xia Country, the atmosphere for studying is undoubtedly intense, with solitary souls lamenting their loneliness, couples feeding each other dog food all day, and best friends of all sorts forming their unique cliques.

Chen Dongliang belongs to the in-between.

Although he is also a solitary soul, he does have a secret crush.

It’s like white horses and black dogs; through set theory in math, you could easily deduce they are all horses. Likewise, a crush is naturally a type of romance!

It is absolutely beyond doubt, unquestionably so.

Even from five meters away, he can faintly smell her gentle fragrance wafting over.

This fragrance gives him the illusion that she’s right beside him, moving him with happiness and warmth, filling his heart with boundless energy.

As long as she’s there.

He feels like he could stay in the library forever until the end of time, until the seas dry up and rocks decay, until the universe is destroyed.

Of course, he hopes to sit a little closer to her.

Like two meters closer, or three.

He just isn’t fully prepared yet.

If she notices him, what should he do then?

Smile, or nod politely?

If smiling, should he show just two teeth, or eight?

If nodding, is it better to nod 15 degrees, 30 degrees, or even 90?

If he goes further and initiates a conversation with her, how could he appear graceful and humorous while casually and subtly mentioning his second-place scholarship and class leader achievements?

This is really difficult.

This problem, he simply cannot solve.

Luckily, quietly watching the adorable angelic face of his goddess is already satisfying enough for him.

At this moment, he felt a sudden urgency to pee and got up to go to the bathroom.

However, upon returning, he noticed that the atmosphere seemed slightly different.

Like countless flies buzzing around, the library was filled with whispers, leaving him utterly confused.

Did something major happen just now?

He immediately looked toward the goddess.

Only to find her stealing shy glances now and then at a stranger sitting at the table opposite him.

This man was exceptionally handsome, tall, and upright; the afternoon light streamed through the windows, shining on him as if he glowed. It seemed impossible for someone to be this handsome, even as a guy, he felt a sense of attraction.

The scene before him was like a bucket of cold water suddenly pouring over his head, chilling him to the core.

He sat back in his seat, crestfallen, watching as within a few minutes, a dozen girls or so pretended to fill their water bottles or go to the bathroom, walking past the stranger with flushed faces, some even more than once, including his goddess.

Is it that they are parched from staring, hence water gets consumed fast, or have they drunk too much water, causing frequent urination?

Or maybe both.

A strong jealousy arose in his heart.

Why do such people come to the library?

Don’t they know they’ll cause a disturbance?

Why not just stay in the dorm quietly reading?

He thought bitterly to himself, feeling as desolate as an old dog curled up in a corner.

And his goddess, why couldn’t she be a bit more reserved; the guy wasn’t even looking at her.

Pretty boys like these, what are they good for besides their looks? They’re all unfaithful scoundrels, completely unreliable.

Moreover, he noticed the guy staring at a book for over ten minutes without turning a page.

The more he thought, the angrier he got. When the goddess went to the bathroom for the third time, he finally couldn’t stand it, gritted his teeth, adjusted his glasses, and silently stood up.

He couldn’t let a bad apple ruin the bunch; the library is a place for studying, not for harassing girls... If this continues, his goddess will be lost to him.

He took a deep breath and went over to the librarian’s desk.

"Teacher, I want to report something."

"What’s the matter?" The middle-aged librarian looked up surprised, for some reason, her face was also slightly red.

"Someone is disrupting the library’s order; we can’t focus on our studies."

"I haven’t seen anything." The librarian glanced at the library, her gaze quickly sweeping past Chen Shouyi, and blatantly lied.

"Someone is too handsome, affecting many girls’ ability to study." Chen Dongliang hesitantly said, somewhat uneasy.

"That’s not right, being handsome shouldn’t affect studying, should we drive people away just for their looks? Should ugly ones be kicked out too then? One shouldn’t be narrow-minded because of oneself... cough, cough." The librarian said, coughing slightly, paused, and then continued:

"If you feel affected, you might consider studying elsewhere."

Chen Dongliang opened his mouth, wishing to ask, because of what?

But ultimately, he didn’t have the courage to speak.

Afraid to hear any discouraging words.

"But... but he isn’t here to study?"

"And how do you know he’s not studying? Enough, stop now." The librarian’s gaze turned unfriendly.

Chen Dongliang retreated in embarrassment.

When he returned to his seat, he found his seat occupied by his goddess, with his books moved aside.

"Excuse me, I couldn’t find a seat, and this one looked empty. Is it okay if I sit here?"

"Ah... oh... sure, go ahead." His face turned crimson, flustered and unsure.

Even the acne covering his face flushed like tiny glowing bulbs,

"Thank you, you’re really a kind person."

"You’re welcome, not at all. My name is Chen..." Chen Dongliang was just about to seize the rare chance to introduce himself, but saw his goddess shyly glancing at the handsome guy opposite, completely ignoring what he was saying!

...

Chen Shouyi, absorbed, was completely lost in his studies.

He had long been accustomed to all the fervent gazes in the library.

Anyone who experiences this daily, wreaking havoc even on the streets, would eventually get used to it.

After all, looking handsome is something beyond one’s control.

Chen Shouyi suddenly felt something and stopped reading.

Then he opened the attribute panel.

Strength: 26.1

Agility: 26.6

Constitution: 26.1

Intelligence: 26.1

Perception: 24.9

Will: 24.9

Energy Accumulation: 81.01

Faith Value: 43450.2

A trace of delight appeared on his face.

Energy Accumulation had finally reached 81 points, and he stood up, restraining his excitement, put the book back on the shelf, and quickly walked out of the library.

Refined self-cultivation could finally be optimized.