Li Qingshan woke up to a bright light before his eyes!

He suddenly jolted and leaped to his feet, only to find that the surface beneath him was soft, no longer the rough ground of the wilderness.

It was his own bed in his residence, with a mattress of just the right firmness, snow-white sheets and quilt, and down pillows...

And the chandelier above his head... the furnishings in the room...

He confirmed it; this was his bedroom in the hot spring hotel!

The old man quickly stretched out both hands to touch his face, then his neck, and lifted the quilt to check himself...

After making sure he was unharmed and not missing any parts, Li Qingshan let out a long sigh of relief.

At that moment, the bedroom door was pushed open!

Old Seven, having heard a noise, walked in excitedly, "Boss, you're awake!"

Li Qingshan stared blankly at Old Seven, his eyes spinning around before he finally took several deep breaths.

"I... I'm back?"

"You're back, Boss! You're fine!" Old Seven seemed to want to say something, but Li Qingshan waved his hand to stop him.

"Get me a glass of water, quick!"

Old Seven quickly poured a glass of water from the jug in the room and handed it to Li Qingshan.

Li Qingshan took the glass with both hands and drank most of it in one breath. Only then did his hands start to shake, trembling so much that water spilled onto the old man's clothes.

However, a smile gradually appeared on Li Qingshan's face and eventually, he laughed out loud.

"Ha! Ha! Hahahaha... I, I survived! Hahahaha!!"

Li Qingshan casually tossed the glass onto the floor, jumped vigorously out of bed, and paced a few steps barefoot in the room before turning to look at Old Seven. "Tell me, what happened? How did I get back?"

"After you went missing, I called everyone together to search everywhere... Later that evening, I received a phone call telling me your location. I took people there, and sure enough, we found you! The place was near a provincial road close to Ma'anshan."

"Was it Brother Haonan who saved me?" Li Qingshan let out a breath.

"Yes! When we got there, we saw Brother Haonan guarding you..."

A vicious light appeared in Li Qingshan's eyes. "What about the person who tied me up?"

"We brought him back!" Old Seven hesitated for a moment. "But there's something off about that person."

Li Qingshan looked at Old Seven with suspicion.

"The guy seems to have lost consciousness. I don't know what Brother Haonan did to him, but we can't wake him up."

Li Qingshan's eyes filled with a dangerous air. "As long as he's breathing, that's enough!"

「·」

Chen Nuo was flipping through Harvey's notebook.

The USB drive for the Octopus Monster website, which belonged to Harvey, naturally fell into Chen Nuo's hands.

As for the money in the account...

Actually, it wasn't too much, only about one million or so.

Chen Nuo had already caught onto some patterns.

People from the Underground World have different attitudes towards money depending on ethnicity.

East Asians traditionally like to save for emergencies. For example, the South Korean assassin they captured early on was of a much lower rank than big shots like Harvey, who were at the Destroyer Level, but he had two million on hand.

Whereas Westerners prefer to spend in advance, especially those in the Underground World who wander through danger all year round with no certainty of a tomorrow and no habit of saving. They enjoy life to the fullest as soon as they make money, indulging in a whirl of extravagance, then start earning again when they run out of cash.

For Chen Nuo, having Harvey's USB drive wasn't about how much money could be robbed, but... [Bigfoot]'s identity!

Without any hesitation, after logging in to the Octopus Monster's website, he opened the official assignment.

Using the ID [Bigfoot], he applied for the assignment.

Next, it was just a matter of waiting.

Chen Nuo was 80% sure that the official would accept [Bigfoot]'s application.

In the Underground World, experts in the Mentality Series were not mainstream. Harvey had a reputation, already acknowledged as a Destroyer Level Telekinesis expert.

Unless the official's commission this time could find eight people of the Controller level like the Wizard—which was, of course, impossible.

Moreover, Harvey's credibility in carrying out assignments had always been decent.

So, there was an 80% chance that using Harvey's identity, he could get this assignment.

After that, Chen Nuo did one more thing.

He took half of the jade plaque back from Li Qingshan and then sent an international express mail from Jinling in Huaxia, sending it overseas.

That was the delivery address he had forged for this jade plaque assignment!

That way, if anyone investigated, Harvey's mission in Huaxia was nominally "successfully executed."

He still had great uses for Harvey's alias and wouldn't leave any obvious flaws too easily.

「·」

It took Sun Keke three days to finish two sets of mock exam papers, using the JS province's college entrance examination reserve papers from the past two years.

Language, Mathematics, Foreign Language plus Politics, History, Geography.

All this time, Sun Keke's weak point was Mathematics, which had been the case since her childhood.

Math is either you get it or you don't.

But with her recent tutoring, Sun Keke suddenly seemed enlightened, and her math scores soared.

This news delighted the Sun family immensely.

Having worked in high school education all his life, Old Sun was very clear on the tricks to boosting scores. Math was also a major subject.

Theoretically speaking, for a poor student wanting to boost their marks, it's much easier to raise a failing grade to an eighty percent score than it is for an already top student to strive for even greater heights.

As for other subjects, Politics was Old Sun's strong suit—he not only taught the subject but was also the only outstanding teacher at No. 8 Middle School.

Other subjects like geography and history mainly required a good memory.

The teachers who tutored Sun Keke were personally found by Old Sun from among the excellent educators he had known over the years in the industry.

After sitting through two rounds of mock exams, the teachers and Old Sun came to a conclusion.

Sun Keke was a promising student!

Originally, with her grades, she was likely to get into a junior college.

A university would really be a matter of luck!

But after the first round of exams, when the grading was complete and the scores tallied, Old Sun was unexpectedly thrilled!

If they went by last year's cut-off scores, she'd comfortably secure a spot in a Tier 2 university.

"I don't know if this child had been held back before, or if she has suddenly had an epiphany lately. But now, there's still a year to go! A year to buckle down even harder. I think you can aim for a Tier 1 university!"

That was the mathematics teacher's assessment.

Old Sun wholeheartedly agreed.

On the third day, after completing the second round of mock exams, Sun Keke actually began to feel unwell.

Leaving the teacher's house, Old Sun felt that his daughter was rather silent as they headed home.

At first, Old Sun didn't pay much attention to it, just assuming his daughter was tired from sitting through three days of exams consecutively.

However, once home, Sun Keke said she felt tired and went to her room to sleep, and didn't come out even when it was time for dinner.

Yang Xiaoyi went in to check on her daughter and panicked.

"Keke has a fever!"

The couple immediately dropped everything they were doing and rushed their daughter to the hospital's emergency room.

With a temperature of 39 degrees Celsius, she clearly had a high fever.

After a thorough examination, the doctor looked over the report...

"There's nothing wrong," said the emergency doctor, shaking his head. "It must be due to recent overexertion. The child is under too much academic pressure, and it's a stress response from her body."

"Yes, yes, our daughter is facing college entrance exams next year, and recently she's been tutoring a lot," Yang Xiaoyi told the doctor. The doctor nodded and said, "Remember to balance work and rest. I'll prescribe some antipyretics to bring down the fever. Observe afterward, and if the fever subsides, stop the medication. We won't prescribe anything else for now. Go home and continue to observe her condition."

"Doctor," Sun Keke hesitated, her voice weak, "I've been having trouble sleeping lately."

"What kind of trouble?" asked the doctor.

"It's just that I can't seem to fall asleep. Even if I do, I keep waking up. And when I do sleep, I wake up after at most three or four hours. Though I'm tired, I just can't get back to sleep."

The doctor thought for a moment. "Any other symptoms?"

"Other symptoms?"

"Like memory loss or something?"

"No," Sun Keke shook her head. "I actually feel like my memory has gotten better lately. I memorize texts and textbooks faster than before."

The doctor smiled. "Then there shouldn't be a problem... It's probably due to you studying too hard and being too diligent, putting too much pressure on yourself. The insomnia is likely caused by psychological stress."

"Should we get some sleep aids for her?" Yang Xiaoyi asked.

"Sleeping pills are not something to be taken lightly!" the doctor warned sternly. "You need to properly guide your child's mental state at home, not put too much pressure on her. Each year, before the college entrance exams, I see many patients her age experiencing minor health issues due to excessive tension and pressure. Study is important, but you shouldn't overwhelm your child with pressure."

"Yes, yes!" Yang Xiaoyi nodded repeatedly.

"Go home, take the fever reducer, and if the fever goes away, rest well for a couple of days. Relax." The doctor quickly wrote the medical advice and prescription.

On the way home, like all parents in the world, Yang Xiaoyi and Old Sun couldn't help but blame each other a bit, both feeling that they had put too much pressure on their daughter.

Once home, they coddled Sun Keke excessively. Old Sun took care of his daughter, giving her the fever reducer and helping her lie down.

Meanwhile, Yang Xiaoyi rushed to the kitchen to wash and chop vegetables, preparing some lean meat porridge.

Whether her daughter could eat it or not, she wanted it ready!

Fortunately, less than half an hour after taking the fever reducer, Sun Keke's temperature dropped.

She still felt weak and limp, lying on the bed not wanting to move—yet without any sleepiness.

Taking advantage of her parents being busy in the kitchen, Sun Keke picked up her phone and sent a text to Chen Xiaoguo.

"I have a fever."

「·」

Within an hour, Chen Nuo arrived at the Sun family's house, carrying a plastic bag from the supermarket.

Old Sun was surprised by Chen Nuo's late visit, but after learning his daughter had messaged him, he was satisfied—glad to know the boy cared.

When Chen Nuo took out the items from the bag, Old Sun was even more pleased.

A bag of Taiwanese pork floss, very popular in that era—not the soft kind like that found inland, but somewhat crispy, with sesame seeds added to it.

It was something Sun Keke usually enjoyed.

There was also a bag of millet and some milk.

And even a prepared free-range chicken.

"Where did you manage to buy all this so late?" Old Sun was puzzled.

Chen Nuo just smiled, didn't say anything, handed the items to Old Sun, and then went into the room to see Sun Keke.

Sun Keke lay in bed, holding a book, but it was clear that she wasn't actually reading it, as she stared blankly into space.

As soon as Chen Nuo entered the room, the girl immediately threw the book aside with excitement and opened her arms toward Chen Nuo.

"Hug!"

Chen Nuo smiled, turned around to leave the bedroom door ajar, walked over to the bed, and took Keke into his arms.

It was natural for a girl, especially when feeling unwell, to want to cuddle and be pampered.

Chen Nuo just held Keke for a while, then pulled up a pillow to prop behind her back, helping her to lean back in a more comfortable position.

He also picked up the book from the bed and tossed it aside.

"When you're sick, you should just rest and regain your strength, not read books."

"...I'm just bored. It's so uncomfortable lying here, and I can't even fall asleep."

Chen Nuo pinched Keke's cheek with a bit of distress—she had indeed lost some weight!

"You, don't mess around," Keke's voice was weak, and her face was flushed. "My parents are outside."

"Hmm, so if your parents weren't here, we could mess around, is that what you mean?"

Keke bit her lip, looking at Chen Nuo.

Chen Nuo, smiling, reached out and touched Keke's forehead.

"I don't have a fever anymore. Yeah, I went to the hospital, had an examination, and saw the doctor. It's nothing serious," Keke said softly. "It's just that I've been really tired from studying lately."

Chen Nuo didn't say anything but quietly sent a thread of spiritual power to check on her. After a moment, he nodded with relief. "Mm, don't put so much pressure on yourself. Even if you don't get into college, I can still take care of you."

"...Who needs you to take care of them."

"Your dad mentioned that you've been sleeping poorly lately. What's wrong?"

Keke hesitated, looking somewhat lost. "I don't know what's wrong, but I just feel this emptiness inside, a lot of pressure... and also, I'm a little scared."

"Scared?"

"Yeah, scared."

Chen Nuo sighed, took the girl's hand, and tenderly caressed it. "Keke, we'll always be together in the future. You don't have to be scared."

"I know... but I'm still scared," Keke said in a low voice.

"Scared of what?"

Keke looked up. Their faces so close that Chen Nuo felt like there were little stars in her eyes as she gazed at him.

Then Keke said softly, "I'm scared because... I can't imagine what the future holds. My parents definitely want me to go to college. But what then? We won't be able to see each other often after that. And now that I know so much about you, you already seem so far away from me... Chen Nuo, even now when we're in the same school and class, I already can't see you often. Sometimes, I don't know what you are doing or where you are. Sometimes, I can't contact you for days. And that's just now. In the future, once I go to college and we're not in the same place... Won't our distance grow further and further apart... And as it grows, we might just drift apart..."

At this, Keke suddenly said, "What if I tell my dad I don't want to go to college? What if, right after I graduate, I just stay with you, and I help you with whatever you do, like your business, would that be okay?"

"Your dad would come after me with a knife," Chen Nuo laughed.

"Sigh!" Keke also knew what she was suggesting wasn't realistic, and said with a troubled expression, "Then what should I do..."

Chen Nuo looked down at the girl, at her thin chin, chapped lips, and the unreserved tenderness in her eyes.

He was very clear that this ordinary girl, Keke, had placed all her thoughts and unchecked devotion onto him.

"How about... I go to college with you."

"...Huh?"

「·」

"Do you want to go in and check?" Old Sun stood at the kitchen door, looked at his daughter's bedroom door for a while, then turned to Yang Xiaoyi and asked.

"Check what? Let the kids talk. We are all at home; what inappropriate thing could they possibly do?" Yang Xiaoyi seemed more relaxed about it at the moment.

"..." Old Sun felt mixed emotions about the change in his wife's attitude.

The change in attitude was certainly positive.

But the reason behind the change... Old Sun somewhat disagreed.

However, it wasn't good to say anything more about it now.

After all, as a father, even if he acknowledged Chen Nuo, having that young man in his daughter's room for too long inevitably sparked some unnamed irritation inside him!

"No, I'll go in and take a look," Old Sun said as he started to walk, but Yang Xiaoyi grabbed him.

"What's up?"

"What's up?!" Yang Xiaoyi said with a smile that was not quite a smile. "When I was sick and you sat by my bed, showing concern and wanting to have a few personal words with me—if my parents had stood by your side watching you, would you have been comfortable?"

"..."

Yang Xiaoyi laughed as she pulled Old Sun back into the kitchen and let out a gentle sigh.

Old Sun's temperament was something Yang Xiaoyi was all too familiar with.

In the future, the day Sun Keke gets married, Old Sun's probably going to cry like a dog.

「·」

"You, taking the college entrance exams with me?" Sun Keke was first surprised and delighted. "Really?"

But then, Sun Keke shook her head and sighed, "You're teasing me again. You don't even attend classes regularly. How could you possibly pass the exams?"

"Don't worry about that. When the time comes I'll take the college entrance exams with you, and whatever university you apply to, I'll apply to the same one! I guarantee we'll go together."

Since Chen Nuo had put his words out there, he had also eased his mind.

Since the girl had so many worries in her heart, accompanying her to college for four years—if that's what she wanted, then so be it.

Anyway…

What does it matter where I skip classes...

As for whether or not I can pass...

You must be joking!

With a cheat code in hand, not to mention passing, do you believe I could score first in the country for you?

Thinking it over, it seemed too immoral, using a cheat code to snatch someone else's top spot was too showy and not a good move.

Hey, what was the 2002 JS college entrance exam essay question again?

「·」

Under Chen Nuo's care, Sun Keke drank a bowl of lean pork congee made by her mother and ate a bit of the pork floss Chen Nuo had brought, then continued to lie in bed to rest.

Chen Nuo stayed in the room, keeping the girl company with conversation.

Unable to read, with no TV in the room—and even if there was, she wasn't allowed to watch.

"Then you should lull me to sleep~~"

When Sun Keke was sick, she seemed to forget her shyness, coquettishly playing up to Chen Nuo without any restraint.

"How should I lull you?"

"… Tell me a story."

Telling stories? I'm good at this!

So, what do you want to hear? Infinite series, farming series, breaking off engagements series, system series, check-in series? Or chat groups?

A joke elbow, or an emperor uncle report, I can whip up any of these in minutes.

If not, four steps back in the bathroom, just ask if you're scared.

The thing is, you might end up even more awake after hearing them.

Okay, actually, Chen Nuo didn't know how to do it.

His name was Chen Nuo, not that Chen Xiaolian who was both a savior and an online writer.

Scratching his head in helplessness and under the begging eyes of his girlfriend, Chen Nuo mustered his courage and gave in.

First, he helped his girlfriend lie down, pulled the blanket over her, and tucked her in.

He cleared his throat...

"Winter is coming!…"

「·」

He was narrating about how old Stark had given the wolf pups to the children when Chen Nuo saw Sun Keke close her eyes.

By the time he got to the part where the queen has an affair in the northern castle and the Stark children catch her...

Chen Nuo stopped the story and glanced at Sun Keke, who had closed her eyes and seemed to have fallen asleep.

Just as he was about to get up and leave...

"Pervert."

"Huh?" Chen Nuo turned back.

Sun Keke on the bed opened her eyes, her gaze carrying a hint of shyness. "What's this about a queen having an affair... You lull me to sleep and you tell me this kind of story?"

"…" Chen Nuo smiled mischievously.

He leaned in slowly and kissed his girlfriend on the forehead.

"Chen Nuo…"

"Mmm."

"Are you really, going to college with me?"

Chen Nuo looked at Sun Keke and softly said, "Really!"

The girl was reassured and closed her eyes.

This time, she truly fell asleep with peace of mind.