Xiao Ming, surrounded by fireflies, looked at Lin Xiaoxiao's back. A strange feeling suddenly surged in his heart, for some reason.
"Sister System, what's wrong with me?" Xiao Ming muttered in his mind.
The system was silent for a moment, its voice tinged with a trace of teasing: "Oh? You're actually troubled by emotions? How rare."
Xiao Ming curled his lips: "Don't talk nonsense, I'm just curious."
"Is that really so?" The system let out a light laugh. "Don't forget, I can see your inner data. Although your emotional starting point toward them was to conquer this world, now… it seems to have changed a little."
"Shut up." Xiao Ming scolded in a low voice, then quickly caught up to Lin Xiaoxiao.
Lin Xiaoxiao was happily chasing fireflies in the grass like a child. She tried to catch one in her hands but failed, and pouted unwillingly: "Ah, too sly!"
Xiao Ming smiled and walked up behind her, gently holding her wrist and guiding her to slow her movements: "Don't rush, they like quiet people."
His palm covered the back of Lin Xiaoxiao's hand and slowly stretched out, the center of his palm slightly turned upward. After a while, a firefly actually landed on their overlapping hands, and its green light flickered in Lin Xiaoxiao's palm.
"Wow!" Lin Xiaoxiao exclaimed with surprise, not daring to speak loudly, afraid of scaring away the little elf.
Under the faint glow of the firefly, Xiao Ming looked at the joyful smile on Lin Xiaoxiao's profile and felt an inexplicable stir in his heart.
"So beautiful…" Lin Xiaoxiao murmured softly.
"Yes, very beautiful." Xiao Ming's gaze, however, wasn't on the firefly but was focused intently on Lin Xiaoxiao's face.
At that moment, the firefly suddenly flapped its wings and flew away, merging into the distant starlight. Lin Xiaoxiao then noticed Xiao Ming's burning gaze, and her cheeks instantly flushed.
"You… what are you looking at?" she stammered.
Xiao Ming casually put his arm around her shoulder: "Looking at you, the way you're lit by the firefly is very pretty."
Lin Xiaoxiao shyly lowered her head but didn't break away from his embrace. The two stood quietly in the night, surrounded by fireflies and starlight.
At this moment, the system suddenly prompted: "Detected high energy fluctuation, suspected protagonist halo plot engine activation!"
Xiao Ming tensed: "What's happening?"
"Someone's coming, and it doesn't seem to be by accident," the system quickly analyzed. "According to the world rules, this should be a forced plot advancement in this world, like… an uninvited guest?"
Sure enough, a male voice came from a distance: "Xiaoxiao? Is that you?"
Lin Xiaoxiao froze, like a startled bunny, quickly jumping out of Xiao Ming's embrace: "Ah? Who… who is it?"
A beam of flashlight cut through the night and landed on them. A tall male figure appeared at the end of the path.
"It really is you! What a coincidence!" The boy walked quickly toward them with a smile of surprise on his face.
Xiao Ming narrowed his eyes, already having a guess in his heart.
"Zhang… Zhang Jiacheng?" Lin Xiaoxiao exclaimed in surprise, "What are you doing here?"
Zhang Jiacheng, the school hunk from the economics department, was rumored to be one of Lin Xiaoxiao's admirers. Xiao Ming had heard of him but never paid attention.
"I came here to the farm with a few classmates," Zhang Jiacheng explained with a smile, but his eyes remained on Lin Xiaoxiao, ignoring Xiao Ming. "Didn't expect to meet you here! What a stroke of luck!"
Lin Xiaoxiao awkwardly touched her hair: "Mm… it is quite a coincidence." She subconsciously stepped back and leaned closer to Xiao Ming. "I came with my sister and some friends."
Zhang Jiacheng only then noticed Xiao Ming, and his smile stiffened slightly, but he quickly regained his composure: "Hello, I'm Zhang Jiacheng, third year in the economics department."
Xiao Ming smiled lightly and nodded: "Xiao Ming, computer science."
After the brief self-introduction, a subtle awkwardness filled the air. Zhang Jiacheng clearly hadn't expected Lin Xiaoxiao to be with a guy in such a romantic setting.
"We're having a barbecue over there," Zhang Jiacheng pointed to a clearing in the distance. Several silhouettes and the light of a bonfire could be vaguely seen. "Xiaoxiao, want to come join us? Your friends are welcome too."
Lin Xiaoxiao hesitated and looked at Xiao Ming: "This…"
Xiao Ming smiled without concern: "Go ahead, I was just about to check in with Senior Sister Lin, we still have some things to discuss." He deliberately mentioned Lin Jie to observe Zhang Jiacheng's reaction.
Sure enough, Zhang Jiacheng's expression slightly changed: "Senior Sister Lin is here too?"
"Yes," Xiao Ming's smile remained unchanged, "the three of us came together."
A flicker of complex emotion flashed in Zhang Jiacheng's eyes, but he quickly returned to normal: "That's great, let's all have a barbecue. The more, the merrier."
Lin Xiaoxiao tugged Xiao Ming's sleeve and said softly: "Let's go together, it should be fun."
Xiao Ming looked at the anticipation in her eyes and sighed inwardly. According to the villain's script, he should firmly reject and assert dominance in front of Zhang Jiacheng. But for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to spoil Lin Xiaoxiao's excitement.
"Alright," Xiao Ming nodded, "but let's bring your sister along first—we can't leave her alone."
Lin Xiaoxiao jumped up joyfully: "Great! I'll go knock on my sister's door!" With that, she ran toward the cabin area.
Only Xiao Ming and Zhang Jiacheng were left standing, and the atmosphere turned cold.
"What's your relationship with Lin Xiaoxiao?" Zhang Jiacheng broke the silence first, a trace of caution in his voice.
Xiao Ming chuckled: "That question... seems a bit sudden, doesn't it?"
Zhang Jiacheng didn't back down: "I'm just concerned about her. Lin Xiaoxiao is pure and kind, I don't want to see her being used."
Tsk, such a protector stance, a textbook white knight. Xiao Ming mocked him in his heart but maintained a calm smile on the surface: "So what you're saying is, you think I have ulterior motives toward Lin Xiaoxiao?"
"I'm just warning you," Zhang Jiacheng's tone grew serious, "Lin Xiaoxiao isn't someone you can toy with casually. I know who you are—there's plenty of talk about you on campus."
Xiao Ming raised an eyebrow: "Oh? I'm curious—what kind of talk?"
Zhang Jiacheng sneered: "Two-faced, playing multiple girls. I even heard you're close with Senior Sister Lin, and now you're getting close to Lin Xiaoxiao…"
"Zhang, you seem to know me quite well," Xiao Ming replied calmly. "But my relationship with the sisters has nothing to do with you, does it?"
Zhang Jiacheng's face darkened: "What concerns Lin Xiaoxiao, concerns me."
"Oh?" Xiao Ming feigned surprise, "I wasn't aware your relationship was that close. Lin Xiaoxiao's never mentioned you."
This sentence clearly hit Zhang Jiacheng's sore spot. His fists clenched involuntarily: "You…"
Just as the tension escalated, Lin Xiaoxiao's voice came from afar: "Hey! Sister said she's coming too!"
Both turned to look. Lin Xiaoxiao was pulling along Lin Jie, who looked helpless. Lin Xiaoxiao, clearly unaware of the tense atmosphere, cheerfully introduced: "Sis, this is Senior Zhang Jiacheng, from the economics department!"
Lin Jie nodded politely: "I've heard of you. Hello."
Zhang Jiacheng immediately put on a courteous expression: "Hello, Senior Lin. I've long heard of your reputation."
Xiao Ming stood to the side, watching the subtle clash with interest. Lin Jie's eyes flickered between Zhang Jiacheng and Xiao Ming, as if she sensed something, but didn't expose it.
"Let's go, they're waiting for us." Zhang Jiacheng made a "please" gesture and took the lead.
The four walked toward the bonfire gathering. Lin Xiaoxiao hopped next to Xiao Ming and asked quietly: "What were you two talking about? The atmosphere felt weird."
Xiao Ming smiled and shook his head: "Nothing, just a little guy-to-guy greeting."
Walking on the other side, Lin Jie gave Xiao Ming a meaningful glance but said nothing.
At the bonfire, a few students were grilling meat. When they saw Zhang Jiacheng return with others, they all greeted them warmly. Xiao Ming recognized several of them as campus celebrities—clearly Zhang Jiacheng wasn't simple.
"Come, have a seat," a bespectacled girl invited enthusiastically, "we've got plenty of food to share!"
Lin Xiaoxiao quickly blended into the joyful atmosphere. Lin Jie remained more reserved, quietly sitting to the side. Xiao Ming sat beside Lin Jie and asked in a low voice: "Don't like this kind of setting?"
Lin Jie shook her head: "It's fine, just feels a bit sudden." She paused. "Just now, you and Zhang Jiacheng…"
"Nothing," Xiao Ming interrupted, "just a territorial standoff."
Lin Jie seemed to want to say more but remained silent in the end. She accepted a skewer of grilled meat passed to her and nibbled at it, her eyes drifting to Lin Xiaoxiao's happy figure.
During the gathering, Zhang Jiacheng clearly tried to show off, chatting with Lin Xiaoxiao and even bringing up academic topics to interest Lin Jie. To be fair, he was good at this—witty, humorous, and considerate without being obvious.
Xiao Ming didn't hold back either, occasionally chiming in with lines that made everyone laugh. He noticed Lin Xiaoxiao's gaze lingered on him the most, which gave him a small sense of satisfaction.
However, he also sensed that Lin Jie seemed somewhat low-spirited, not like her usual self.
"What's wrong?" Taking advantage of everyone's attention being drawn by a classmate's joke, Xiao Ming asked softly.
Lin Jie came back to her senses and forced a smile: "It's nothing, just thinking about work." She pointed at a small path not far away. "I want to take a walk, get some fresh air."
Xiao Ming nodded: "I'll go with you."
They quietly stood up and left the lively bonfire. Lin Xiaoxiao noticed their departure and glanced over curiously, but Zhang Jiacheng cleverly diverted her attention.
On the path, moonlight fell on Lin Jie's shoulders, wrapping her in a layer of soft silver gauze. She truly seemed troubled, walking slowly with her gaze down.
"Worried about Professor Chen?" Xiao Ming asked.
Lin Jie nodded: "Mm, I've been thinking about how to handle it. If I report it directly, the school's reputation will suffer, and our department will be implicated. But if I ignore it, I feel like I'm condoning illegal behavior."
Xiao Ming thought for a moment and said: "Actually, there's another way to look at it. You don't have to choose only between reporting or not reporting. Maybe you could…"
"Could what?" Lin Jie looked up, eyes filled with anticipation.
Xiao Ming stopped walking and looked straight into her eyes: "You could first gather more evidence and understand the structure of the whole trading network. Then, at the right time, discreetly cut off Professor Chen's connection with those businessmen and make them suspicious of each other. That way, even if the issue is exposed, it would seem like internal discord caused their collapse, not external whistleblowing."
A trace of surprise flashed in Lin Jie's eyes: "You… you've thought this through very carefully."
"I'm thinking for your sake," Xiao Ming said softly, "I know you care about the school's and the department's honor, and I understand your sense of justice as a teacher. This plan could have the best of both worlds."
Lin Jie looked at Xiao Ming for several seconds. Her gaze gradually softened: "Thank you. I really hadn't thought of it from that perspective before."
The two continued walking slowly along the path, eventually arriving at a quiet lakeside. The moonlight spilled over the lake like silver, and a gentle breeze stirred ripples on the surface.
"It's so beautiful." Lin Jie stood by the lake and whispered in awe.
Xiao Ming stood beside her. Under the moonlight, he could clearly see the outline of Lin Jie's profile—that mature, rational yet gentle temperament was in sharp contrast to Lin Xiaoxiao's lively cuteness, but equally captivating.
"You know," Xiao Ming suddenly spoke, "you look especially beautiful standing in the moonlight."
Lin Jie paused, then chuckled softly: "Didn't you use that line on Lin Xiaoxiao already?"
Xiao Ming, caught red-handed, wasn't embarrassed. He playfully blinked: "You caught me? But I mean it."
Lin Jie shook her head: "You… really know how to sweet-talk people." She paused, then suddenly turned serious. "Xiao Ming, are you serious about Xiaoxiao?"
Xiao Ming hadn't expected her to ask that and was momentarily stunned.
"I can tell Xiaoxiao really likes you," Lin Jie continued, "She may be simple, but she never gives her feelings easily. If you're just playing around…"
"I'm not that kind of person," Xiao Ming interrupted firmly. "I'm serious about Lin Xiaoxiao." As the words came out, even he was surprised by how genuine they felt.
Lin Jie stared into his eyes, as if trying to see through him: "I hope so." She turned her face away. "Because… if you hurt her, I'll never forgive you."
Xiao Ming was momentarily silenced by her firmness.
Then he softly asked: "But what if… I'm serious about you too?"
That sentence was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, stirring ripples. Lin Jie turned around sharply, staring at Xiao Ming in disbelief: "What?"
"I said," Xiao Ming took a step closer, shortening the distance between them, "if I'm serious about you too, what would you think?"
Lin Jie stepped back, a trace of panic flashing across her face: "Xiao Ming, don't joke like this…"
"I'm not joking," Xiao Ming's voice was low and steady. "From the first time I saw you, I was attracted to you. That maturity, rationality, and gentleness… I couldn't ignore it."
Lin Jie's breathing quickened. She unconsciously touched the heart-rate bracelet on her wrist: "This is ridiculous… you're clearly pursuing Xiaoxiao, how could you…"
"The heart isn't something you can control, is it?" Xiao Ming smiled slightly and pointed at her bracelet. "Your heartbeat accelerated—I can feel it."
A flash of anger appeared in Lin Jie's eyes: "Xiao Ming, that's enough! You're playing with fire! You know Xiaoxiao and I are sisters, and yet you… you're driving a wedge between us!"
Xiao Ming shook his head: "No, I'm just expressing my true feelings. Can't I admire you while liking Lin Xiaoxiao?"
"Of course not!" Lin Jie almost shouted, then lowered her voice, "Feelings aren't a game, Xiao Ming. You can't pursue two sisters at the same time—it's absurd."
"Maybe it seems absurd in logic," Xiao Ming replied calmly, "but emotions aren't rational. And I can feel that you don't completely dislike me."
Lin Jie's face turned pale: "Enough! I don't want to hear it anymore." She turned to leave, but Xiao Ming grabbed her wrist.
"Let me go!" Lin Jie struggled, her voice trembling slightly.
Xiao Ming released her, but stepped in front of her: "Lin Jie, don't be so quick to deny it. The heart-rate bracelet doesn't lie—I can sense your emotional fluctuations."
Lin Jie stopped struggling, took a deep breath, and tried to calm herself down: "Xiao Ming, I don't know what you're trying to do. But no matter what, I won't betray Xiaoxiao. She's my sister, the most important person to me."
"I understand," Xiao Ming said softly. "I also don't want to create a rift between you. But feelings…"
"No, you don't understand!" Lin Jie cut him off, eyes filled with pain. "You don't understand what I've sacrificed for Xiaoxiao. Ever since our parents divorced, I've raised her by myself. I'd rather suffer than see her hurt. So, no matter how I feel about you, it doesn't matter. What matters is—I will never do anything that could hurt her."
Xiao Ming was stunned by her determination and didn't know how to respond.
Lin Jie took the chance to walk past him and quickly headed back: "Forget everything we said tonight. Just pretend it never happened."
Watching her retreating figure, Xiao Ming felt complicated inside. His heart, like the surface of the lake, had been stirred by an unavoidable ripple.
He took a deep breath, gathered his thoughts, and walked back toward the bonfire party.
Halfway there, Xiao Ming suddenly remembered something, stopped walking, and looked at the heart-rate bracelet on his wrist. Is this thing really that accurate? Can it truly sense my inner thoughts?
Xiao Ming shook his head, throwing off those distracting thoughts, and continued walking forward. No matter what, the plan had to proceed.
In the distance, the bonfire was still burning brightly, and laughter continued. Xiao Ming saw that Lin Jie had already returned to the crowd, but she deliberately sat at the farthest spot from Lin Xiaoxiao. Her expression had returned to calm, as if nothing had happened.
Lin Xiaoxiao saw Xiao Ming return and happily waved at him: "Xiao Ming! Come quick! Senior Zhang is telling a joke, it's super funny!"
Xiao Ming lifted the corners of his mouth and walked over to sit beside her. Zhang Jiacheng's eyes dimmed slightly, but he continued telling the joke.
Lin Xiaoxiao leaned in and whispered: "Where did you and my sister go? She looked kind of strange when she came back."
Xiao Ming pretended to be casual: "Nothing, just went for a walk and chatted. Maybe she's still worrying about work."
Lin Xiaoxiao seemed to accept this explanation and nodded: "Sister works too hard, always stressing herself out."
Xiao Ming's gaze drifted past Lin Xiaoxiao and landed on Lin Jie in the distance. She was sitting with her head down, using a stick to draw something on the ground, seemingly lost in thought.
The system suddenly spoke: "Host, detected Lin Xiaoxiao's affection level has increased—now over 90%. But Lin Jie's emotional fluctuations are intense, her affection level is unstable."
Xiao Ming asked softly: "What's the exact number?"
The system paused: "Currently 65%, but it peaked at 75% while by the lake, then dropped rapidly. Now it's slowly rising again."
Xiao Ming curled his lips into a smile: "Looks like things are getting more interesting than I expected."
The bonfire party lasted until late at night. Everyone reluctantly said their goodbyes. Zhang Jiacheng made a point to say goodbye to Lin Xiaoxiao and even invited her to go fruit picking at the farm the next day.
Lin Xiaoxiao looked at Xiao Ming with some hesitation, clearly seeking his opinion. Xiao Ming smiled slightly: "Go ahead. I need to handle some work materials in the morning anyway. We can hang out again after you finish picking fruit."
Lin Xiaoxiao's eyes lit up: "Really? That's great!" She turned to Zhang Jiacheng, "Then we'll go picking in the morning!"
Zhang Jiacheng's face showed a victorious joy, but when he looked at Xiao Ming, his gaze carried a trace of provocation. Xiao Ming simply smiled faintly, as if completely unconcerned.
The three of them walked back to the cabin area. On the way, Lin Jie was silent the whole time, walking ahead and keeping her distance from Xiao Ming. Lin Xiaoxiao, on the other hand, was still energetic, bouncing around and chatting about the bonfire party.
In front of the cabin, Lin Xiaoxiao yawned and said: "Today was so much fun! But I'm tired now, going to sleep!" She waved at Xiao Ming and Lin Jie, then bounced into her cabin.
Only Xiao Ming and Lin Jie were left standing under the moonlight, and the atmosphere grew awkward.
"I should go back too," Lin Jie said calmly. "Good night, Xiao Ming."
"Lin Jie," Xiao Ming called out to her, "about tonight…"
Lin Jie shook her head and cut him off: "Please forget it. Just think of it as a misunderstanding."
Xiao Ming stepped forward: "But everything I said was sincere." He paused and looked into her eyes. "You can't deny that you have feelings for me too."
Lin Jie's gaze flickered, but she quickly returned to her firm expression: "That doesn't matter. What matters is, I won't do anything to hurt Xiaoxiao."
She turned and entered the cabin, gently closing the door—locking both Xiao Ming and his words outside.
Xiao Ming stood where he was. The moonlight poured over him, casting a lonely shadow.
The system's voice sounded right on cue: "Host, what do you plan to do next?"
Xiao Ming smiled bitterly: "Follow the plan, of course. But…" He looked up at the starry sky and muttered to himself, "Why do I suddenly feel like things are getting more complicated than I thought?"
The system was silent for a moment. For once, it didn't tease him, and only said softly: "Maybe… this is the wonder of human emotions."
Xiao Ming shook his head, turned, and walked back to his cabin. Lying on the bed, his mind kept replaying everything that happened tonight—Lin Xiaoxiao's innocent smile while chasing fireflies, Lin Jie's sorrowful eyes under the moonlight, and that unexplainable stirring within his own heart.