Chapter 34 The young woman initiates a private chat in the middle of the night 2

As they chatted, Li Sisi's tone became somewhat somber.

With a hint of grievance and sadness, she poured her heart out to Lin Chen:

"The scumbag I met before... we knew each other for over half a year."

"I was always sincere with him, treating him as someone I could entrust my life to, thinking of him in everything I did."

"Later, he said he wanted to start a business but didn't have enough capital, so he borrowed money from me."

"I didn't hesitate for a second and lent him all the savings I had scraped together over so many years."

"But I never expected that once he got the money, he changed completely."

"Not only did he become colder and colder toward me, but in the end, he simply vanished."

"He wouldn't answer my calls and blocked me on WeChat. I searched for him for a very, very long time but could never find him."

"That money was gone for good, and I could never get it back."

Looking at the messages on the screen, Lin Chen felt a slight ache in his heart.

He felt a bit more heartache and pity for Li Sisi.

He could imagine how Li Sisi felt back then when she realized she had been scammed.

With all her savings gone, she must have felt utter despair and helplessness.

Li Sisi sent another message, her tone carrying a bit of stubbornness and strength:

"I've been independent since I was young. After graduating from university, I left my hometown alone to make a living here in Star City."

"I'm usually very frugal, never spending money recklessly, and I never want to depend on others."

"I really like Star City. I like the atmosphere here, and I like the lively hustle and bustle at night."

"I like the sense of everyday life here."

Looking at this message, Lin Chen's fingertips quickly tapped out a reply:

"It's been hard on you. No one will bully you again from now on; you have me."

"Summer in Star City is indeed hot. If you can't sleep, just chat with me. I'll always be here with you."

After sending the message, a wave of warmth welled up in Lin Chen's heart.

He looked at Li Sisi's profile picture on the screen.

A gentle smile curved the corners of his mouth.

Lin Chen was scrolling through his phone, and just as his fingertips tapped out a reply,

A line of jarring system prompts suddenly popped up on the screen, the red and white font looking exceptionally conspicuous in the dim light.

[Detected that the Host's relationship with Li Sisi has warmed up, and she has begun to step out of her emotional trauma. Li Sisi's favorability +30. Current favorability: 85 (Fondness).]

Lin Chen's fingers froze abruptly. The screen's light reflected in his eyes—half astonishment, half an inexplicable inner conflict.

He raised a hand to rub his brow, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly as the scales in his heart were completely thrown out of balance.

"Something's not right, something's really not right."

He murmured in a low voice, his fingertips unconsciously brushing over Li Sisi's profile picture on the screen.

When he first took on this system mission, his original intention was clearly only one thing:

To rely on the favorability prompts from the system to coax Li Sisi and make her happy,

Just to seize the opportunity to make some quick cash. When had he ever thought it would come to this?

At first, it was just perfunctory greetings and deliberate flattery,

But he didn't know when it started—looking at the trivial daily details Li Sisi sent him,

And seeing the vulnerability she occasionally revealed, his heart would actually tremble slightly along with her.

He had even begun to look forward to her messages; even a simple "Are you there?"

Could cause ripples in his heart, which had been stagnant for a long time.

"If this continues and she really falls in love with me, what should I do?"

Lin Chen bit his lower lip as guilt surged through his heart like a tide.

He was clear about his own thoughts; he knew this 'relationship' was built on deception from the start,

But as it turned out, he seemed to have developed genuine feelings in this fake push-and-pull.

That long-lost feeling of his heart racing made him both crave it and feel panicked by it.

The lights weren't on in the dormitory; only the faint glow of the phone screen flickered on his face, mirroring the struggle in his eyes for all to see.

The alarm clock on the desk ticked away, already pointing to one in the morning.

More than once, he wanted to press the power button and tell Li Sisi he was going to sleep,

But every time his fingertips hovered over the screen, he couldn't bring himself to do it.

He knew Li Sisi's vulnerability all too well.

That seemingly mature, beautiful, and elegant young woman hid an unknown loneliness deep in her bones.

Those trivial troubles and silent grievances—she was only willing to tell them to him.

If he just cut off the conversation like that, would she secretly be sad all by herself again?

He clearly wanted to cool things down, yet he couldn't help but take the initiative to get closer.

"Let me tell you, I made a new dish today, and it was a great success!"

Several photos followed. The presentation of the dishes wasn't top-tier,

But it was clear she had put a lot of heart into it. There was also a selfie of her profile with flour on her face, her eyes crinkling into crescents and her smile bright,

Completely devoid of her usual aloofness and vulnerability.

Looking at the photos, Lin Chen's mouth unconsciously curved upward. the conflict in his eyes faded slightly, replaced by a tenderness he hadn't even noticed himself.

He slowly typed:

"Impressive. It looks like I'll be in for a treat in the future."

"By the way, what dishes do you usually like to eat?"

"I'll learn how to make them in advance!"

Back and forth, the two of them continued to chat.

From eating habits to hobbies, from campus anecdotes to life's troubles—even though the topics were completely unrelated, they chatted exceptionally well.

Lin Chen gradually lost track of time, forgetting his original purpose and the conflict in his heart.

He only felt that this moment was exceptionally steady and warm.

Until the phone screen lit up again, showing that it was already three in the morning.

A message from Li Sisi suddenly popped in, carrying obvious surprise and apology:

"Ah! Is it this late already?"

"I actually didn't notice the time!"

Immediately following was another message:

"Hurry up and go to sleep, Lin Chen. If we keep chatting, neither of us will probably be able to get up on time tomorrow, and you still have classes."

Finally, she sent a cute sticker of a bowing apology. Her soft voice seemed to transmit through the screen:

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I was too engrossed tonight and kept you from sleeping."

"Let's chat another day. Goodnight!"

Lin Chen looked at the line of apologetic text and then at the soft, cute sticker. His heart warmed as his fingertips tapped out:

"It's fine, I don't blame you. I enjoyed chatting too."

"You should sleep early too. Don't stay up late. Goodnight."

After sending it, he finally pressed the power button and placed the phone by his bed.

But when he closed his eyes, his mind was filled with Li Sisi's smile,

And the scenes of their conversation. The originally surging sleepiness instantly dissipated by half.

"What a dummy."

He laughed softly, his eyes full of helplessness yet hiding a trace of doting.

"Even though she's so vulnerable herself, she's always worried about bothering others."

"She's so pure, I'm almost reluctant to play her."

He rolled over, his mind repeatedly replaying Li Sisi's appearance,

From the mature aloofness when they first met, to the subsequent gentleness and vulnerability,

And now to this vivid brightness—it was being etched into his heart bit by bit.

As he thought, fatigue gradually set in, and he dazed off to sleep.

In his dream, there seemed to be a gentle figure smiling at him.