Pursuing Her Best Friend after Confession Failed

Chapter 414 173: The Nine Great Sacred Bodies of Xiantian, Bai Weixi's Psychological Gap

Chatting and laughing, the two arrived beside the sports field.

Gazing at the university students on the court, drenched in youthful sweat, Li Yuan turned to the shy and demure girl—a rare treasure—and asked with a smile, "By the way, Zhijin, do you have any favorite sports or other hobbies?"

Xia Zhijin's brilliant eyes fixed on Li Yuan as she began shyly, "Does kicking shuttlecocks count?"

"Kicking shuttlecocks?" Li Yuan was taken aback for a moment before he recalled what she was talking about.

It was a little game that children in rural areas often played when he was a child, along with skipping rope and playing with marbles. Li Yuan couldn't help but chuckle and pat Xia Zhijin's head, finding her incredibly endearing.

Among the ten to twenty thousand female students at Daxia University, a treasure of a girl like Xia Zhijin was likely the only one who would claim kicking shuttlecocks as her hobby.

Other girls were into binge-watching dramas, listening to music, traveling, baking, or working out...

Li Yuan laughed heartily. "Of course, it counts. Speaking of which, I used to kick shuttlecocks and skip rope when I was a kid, too. It's a shame children in the countryside don't really play those games anymore."

Xia Zhijin's eyes lit up. She gave Li Yuan a surprised look and asked in a small voice, "Ah, isn't that a game for girls? You liked it too?"

Li Yuan nodded. "Back then, we kids in the countryside didn't have many games to play. We often kicked shuttlecocks, skipped rope, shot marbles, and made paper poppers... Those little games were fun, and most importantly, they were free. My family was poor when I was a child, so I played them all the time."

"Zhijin, do you like any other sports? Like badminton, table tennis, or tennis?"

Xia Zhijin glanced furtively at Li Yuan and shook her head, her voice very soft. "I... I don't know how to play any of those."

Li Yuan understood perfectly. With her family's circumstances, she likely spent all her time outside of studying either reading or working part-time jobs to make money. She never had the time or capital to experience even the simplest forms of entertainment. Compared to Bai Weixi, Zhong Tingyue, and Jiang Zhiyu, her life was painfully monotonous. For instance, this past month, even though she no longer needed to work in the cafeteria because of him, she had been studying finance and computer science with desperate intensity. According to his sister, Li Zixia, during the few days they spent together, Xia Zhijin studied late into the night, every night—working even harder than a high school student like her.

"Li Yuan, am I... very stupid?"

"Silly girl, of course not." Li Yuan smiled warmly, patting her head again. "Zhijin, don't put so much pressure on yourself. It's okay to have your own hobbies. When you're not studying, you can watch some dramas, listen to music, see a movie, or play badminton or table tennis."

Xia Zhijin's beautiful eyes were fixed on Li Yuan as she fidgeted with the hem of her clothes and replied softly, "I... I want to be able to help you."

"How do you want to help me?" Li Yuan teased. "Help me make more money and become the richest man in the world?"

He chuckled. "Silly girl, when I'm with you, I only want to make you happy. I don't want to bring you any stress. As long as you can live happily and freely every day and be a bright, cheerful girl, I can be at ease."

"Mhm, I know. I'm very happy," Xia Zhijin said, looking at Li Yuan. Her lovely eyes curved into crescents, and her cheeks flushed faintly. "Li Yuan, every second I'm with you has been the happiest time of my life."

Hearing Xia Zhijin's unconventional confession sent a wave of happiness through him. Being with her lacked a fierce, tempestuous passion, but this calm, serene, and easy feeling was the very sanctuary his 'old man's' soul craved.

"In a few days, I'll teach you how to play badminton and table tennis. It'll be a good way to get some exercise and stay fit."

"Mhm." A sweet feeling filled Xia Zhijin's heart as she nodded obediently.

Li Yuan continued, "Zhijin, for the time being, you don't need to come to the company."

Xia Zhijin flinched, and her eyes instantly welled with tears as she looked at Li Yuan. She didn't understand why he would suddenly tell her not to come to the company anymore.

"I... I understand."

Seeing her expression, Li Yuan gently touched her small, dainty nose and pulled her into his arms, explaining with a chuckle, "Zhijin, the entrepreneurship support program I applied for has been approved by the university. Our company's website also went through internal testing today. If there are no major issues, it should be officially online within a week...

"I plan to set up the website's operations base on campus to make maintenance easier. That way, you can just go to the entrepreneurship hub at the university whenever you're free, instead of having to run all the way to Longyu Building..."

Hearing Li Yuan's explanation, Xia Zhijin breathed a sigh of relief, her beautiful eyes blinking rapidly.

"Mhm, I'll do as you say."

Seeing Xia Zhijin's obedient and shy appearance, Li Yuan felt a stir of desire. Today, she was wearing a pale blue dress and small white leather shoes. Her fair, slender ankles shone particularly brightly under the setting sun. Her long hair was tied up loosely, spilling over her shoulders but failing to conceal her snow-white neck...

"Zhijin, my legs are tired. Let's go sit over there for a bit."

Li Yuan pointed to a small, grassy knoll on the north side of the field. It was covered in lush greenery, dotted with a few stones, and backed by a lake. Because of its great view and ample sunlight, it was a popular spot for couples.

Students at Xia University jokingly called it Mandarin Duck Slope, as mandarin ducks frolicked in the lake just as couples did on its banks.

It was now around five in the afternoon. Since it was both dinnertime and the end of the National Day holiday, the small hill was nearly deserted.