Are you out of your mind?

Chen Ling was thoroughly enjoying this moment—the beauty in his arms, the curious and envious glances from those around him, and the low hum of whispered gossip. Yet, after so many years of being invisible, he couldn't help but remain cautious.

"Xinyue, do you think we're being too high-profile? Is this going to cause you any trouble?" Chen Ling asked. "Like, will some knight in shining armor suddenly jump out and challenge me to a duel for your sake?"

"Let them jump if they want to—I wish they would! Then you'd see that I'm actually quite in demand," Liu Xinyue joked. But before her words had even faded, a male voice called out from behind them.

"Liu Xinyue! Xinyue, wait up!"

Hearing a man shouting, Chen Ling silently cursed his own big mouth; speak of the devil and he shall appear.

He sighed inwardly but kept his arm firmly around Liu Xinyue as they turned to face the newcomer. There was no intention of letting go—better to be decisive in such matters; hesitation only breeds misunderstanding.

"Xinyue—" Zhou Jing strode up, glancing at Liu Xinyue before sizing up Chen Ling with a critical eye, which quickly gave him a sense of reassurance.

Judging by this guy's clothes, his family background must be quite average. His looks, too, were nothing remarkable—certainly not as good as mine. He must have used some trick to lure Xinyue in. As long as I don't give up, victory will be mine in the end!

With this in mind, Zhou Jing's confidence surged. He completely ignored Chen Ling, flashed a self-assured smile, and said, "Xinyue, would you have dinner with me tonight? There's something I'd like to say to you."

He looked at Liu Xinyue with hopeful expectation. In his view, even if he wasn't her boyfriend, he had been her classmate for two years and taken great care of her. Out of sentiment and propriety, surely she would at least give him this courtesy.

But Liu Xinyue only frowned, her anger flaring as she snapped, "Are you out of your mind?"

"Uh? Xinyue, what did you say?" Zhou Jing could hardly believe his ears.

Completely losing her temper, Liu Xinyue spat, "I said you're out of your mind! Can't you understand that? Who do you think you are, calling me Xinyue? Asking me to dinner in front of my boyfriend? Did you expect me to agree? What do you take me for—some kind of public bus?"

"No, not even a bus! At least you have to pay to ride a bus!"

She didn't bother to lower her voice; everyone nearby heard her outburst, and sensing drama, the crowd began to gather.

Zhou Jing was dumbfounded, unable to process what had just happened. He only caught the last part—about having to pay.

Reflexively, he pulled out the diamond ring he'd prepared, holding it out to Liu Xinyue. "Xinyue, this is the ring I bought for you..."

Before he could finish, Liu Xinyue slapped his hand away, sending the delicate velvet box flying.

"I warn you—if you keep doing things that might make my boyfriend misunderstand, don't blame me for forgetting we were ever classmates!" she declared. With that, she snorted, looped her arm through Chen Ling's, and swept away in style—leaving Chen Ling without a single chance to speak.

Truth be told, not only was Zhou Jing bewildered by what had just transpired—even Chen Ling felt a little dazed.

"So..." Chen Ling began, but Liu Xinyue hurried to explain, "Don't get the wrong idea! He's just a classmate. He's been secretly pursuing me because of my family background, and seeing me with you must have set him off. But don't worry, I won't pay him any mind, and I certainly won't meet him alone."

Chen Ling couldn't help but laugh and sigh. "That's not what I meant! I was going to say—how did you steal all my lines just now? You didn't leave me a single chance to shine!"

Liu Xinyue looked up at him, firm and unyielding. "You're wrong. That was my chance to shine! If I didn't reject him completely to his face, how could I give you a sense of security? Without that, what if you broke up with me?"

"Uh... well..." Chen Ling was at a loss. Wasn't this all unfolding the wrong way? Did he have the wrong script?

Liu Xinyue went on, "For pests like him, I swat them as they come. If two appear, I'll bring out the insecticide. I won't give them any chance at all!"

Chen Ling burst out laughing. "So you always knew he was after your family background?"

"Of course, I'm not an idiot."

"But I'm the same," Chen Ling teased. "I used your father's influence to get a favor from Li Mingjiang. Why didn't you use the insecticide on me?"

"Because I want to!"

Those four simple words made Chen Ling's heart jolt as if struck by lightning. He reached out, lifted her face, and pressed a hard kiss to her lips.

They hadn't walked far, so this scene was perfectly visible to Zhou Jing, who watched with a heart full of resentment.

Why? Why? Zhou Jing screamed silently inside. Why is my sincerity trampled like this? Why is my effort worth nothing to you? Why must you grind my dignity into the dust?

He stood there dazed for a moment, then, full of bitterness, turned to leave. But after a few steps, he stopped, doubled back, and picked up the diamond ring before hurrying away.

"Well, that was a letdown—didn't even come to blows!" Wang Xiaobo, an onlooker in the crowd, pouted in disappointment. He'd hoped to see a dramatic duel between rivals, but in the end, all he saw was Liu Xinyue using Zhou Jing as a stepping stone.

"Old Wang, that guy's something else! He's got Liu Xinyue completely wrapped around his finger!"

"Yeah," Wang Xiaobo grinned. "Liu Xinyue isn't some naive girl—if she's that devoted, the guy must be extraordinary."

Staring at Chen Ling's retreating figure, his interest in the man only grew.

…

After having dinner with Liu Xinyue at the University of Science and Technology and walking her back to her dorm, Chen Ling finally set off for his own campus.

On the way, he kept thinking about the way Liu Xinyue had handled Zhou Jing.

Clearly, Liu Xinyue was no airheaded beauty. On the contrary, her sharp perception of Zhou Jing's motives—and her quick thinking when Li Mingjiang questioned her—proved she was both intelligent and emotionally astute.

Which raised a question: with such a beautiful, smart, and emotionally mature woman as his girlfriend, did he still need to play the role of the Sea God?

As time passed, with growing wealth and rising status, he was bound to meet many more outstanding women. No doubt, some would surpass Liu Xinyue in every way.

What should he do then?

Suddenly, Chen Ling recalled the system's description of the Sea God:

"Whether wanton or restrained—it's all a matter of will. Whatever you desire is yours for the taking; nothing stands in your way. Unstoppable in conquest, invincible in battle—that is the Sea God!"

At this, Chen Ling shook his head with a wry smile. Wanton or restrained?

His musings yielded no answers.

At the same time, Liu Xinyue sat at her desk, dazed before the mirror.

The reflection showed a girl who was cute, beautiful, with a hint of charm—and she was fully confident in her looks.

But when it came to Chen Ling, she didn't understand why she felt so insecure. In fact, she felt as if she was close to losing her very sense of self.

Yet her intuition told her that this man was impossible to control or predict, and it was precisely this mixture of fear and longing that drew her deeper and deeper in.

"How annoying," Liu Xinyue pouted, a little angry—at herself. "If only I were a bit more foolish..."