A personal stats panel?
Lin Shen never expected a scratch-off ticket could reveal stats, let alone give him such a big "surprise."
Kidney Power: 57?!
Lin Shen's cheek twitched.
He didn't care about the other stats, but this one... this one he cared about a lot!
'This "Kidney Power" has to be talking about... that kind of ability, right?'
'Am I really that weak?'
Lin Shen searched his soul. After breaking up with Gu Wanting, he hadn't done that sort of thing at all.
He'd even been abstinent for at least ten-plus days for the sake of his diet.
'And now you're telling me I don't even meet the average for a normal person?'
More training!
I have to train more!
Lin Shen swore to himself. Besides working on his chest and abs, training that other area had to be put on the schedule!
'Otherwise, once I get rich, I won't even be able to be a proper scumbag, will I?'
"Ready to go?"
After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Qin Yuenan looked at Lin Shen, but he just waved his hand.
"It's shady here. Let's rest a bit longer."
"So weak."
???
Lin Shen had just taken a blow from the system, and now Qin Yuenan was twisting the knife in the wound.
Instantly, he narrowed his eyes and glanced at the cool, aloof woman beside him, only to find her pretending to gaze around at the scenery with an air of "this has nothing to do with me."
This made Lin Shen feel a mixture of love and hate. He shot to his feet.
"Let's go! Right now! No more resting!"
"Let's just rest. The afternoon sun is pretty harsh."
Qin Yuenan suddenly changed her mind again.
"Besides, I have some work-related things I'd like to get your opinion on."
"Are you here to relax or to work overtime?"
Lin Shen was a little speechless.
But since he'd taken the job as Qin Yuenan's assistant, he couldn't just take the salary for nothing.
So, the two of them entered into a deep discussion about some operational plans for the pet industry, improving on many of the proposals.
*
「2 PM.」
The two of them toured the Hundred Birds Garden, Little Kunshan Garden, Celestial Horse Mountain Garden, and other Su's Gardens, enjoying the beautiful scenery of pavilions, terraces, and towers amidst clusters of blooming flowers.
Afterward, they left East Sheshan and headed for West Sheshan.
Gradually, the nature of their hike changed into that of a leisurely outing together.
East Sheshan was a bit more crowded than the western part, as it was home to famous attractions like the Catholic church and the astronomical museum.
It was a particularly photogenic spot, so it attracted a lot of female university students.
Among them were quite a few beauties in traditional attire with exquisite makeup!
This made Lin Shen sneak a few extra glances. After all, if a swarm of photographers with high-powered zoom lenses were chasing after her, there had to be a good reason.
And sure enough, the reason was very large. She was quite a beauty, too.
Her ruqun dress flowed with an ethereal grace in a palette of pale orange, moon-white, and light blue, and her thick, jet-black hair cascaded down to her slender waist, held in place by a hairpin.
Her smile was gentle, and her aura was one of quiet virtue.
She matched the surrounding scenery perfectly, as if a lady from a noble ancient family had stepped right out of a book to enjoy a scenic tour.
Of course, her stunning looks alone weren't enough to attract such a large crowd of onlookers.
The most eye-catching thing was this traditional beauty's figure.
Her ample, perky bust stretched the bodice of her top into a full, round arc like a full moon. It was truly exaggerated.
'That's way too big!'
Lin Shen was marveling internally.
In his memory, such exaggerated proportions only ever appeared in manga.
In the real world, Lin Shen had only seen it once, back in university.
She was a senior he met while volunteering. Her name was something like...
Jiang Wan!?
Lin Shen stared at the traditional beauty's makeup, trying to discern her features. After a moment's daze, he called out tentatively.
"Senior Jiang Wan?"
?
Hearing someone call her real name, Jiang Wan immediately turned and looked around, finally spotting Lin Shen jogging over.
"It really is you!"
"You're… Lin Shen?"
Jiang Wan looked Lin Shen up and down, her expression shifting from astonishment to pleasant surprise, before breaking into a gentle, faint smile.
"It's been three years. You haven't changed much. How have you been lately?"
"I'm alright. Barely Living."
Hearing him say that, Jiang Wan knew things hadn't been going well for him lately and comforted him in a soft voice.
"Work is tough for everyone. You've worked hard. Where are you working now?"
"I quit."
Lin Shen sighed softly.
"I've been in a bad mood lately, so I thought I'd come out and relax. What about you, senior?"
"A university counselor."
Jiang Wan smiled faintly. Just then, a photographer beside her hurried her along.
"Wan, we still have a few sets of photos to take today. We have to get them done before sunset."
"Okay, I got it."
With that, Jiang Wan waved her phone at Lin Shen.
"You still have my WeChat, right? Let's chat when we have time. I have to get back to it."
"Okay."
Lin Shen's gaze followed Jiang Wan until she was far in the distance, only then did he reluctantly pull it back.
Just then, Qin Yuenan's cool, faint voice suddenly drifted to his ear.
"An acquaintance?"
"Yeah."
Lin Shen was a little distracted, seemingly lost in memories of his carefree university days.
"I met her in my sophomore year. She was the president of the volunteer club at Lida University. I spent some time with her to earn credits, but we lost touch after graduation."
"I never thought I'd run into her here. It must be fate…"
"Quite a coincidence."
Qin Yuenan crossed her arms. Her previously light and happy mood now felt as if it were blocked by something, leaving her feeling exceptionally lonely and desolate.
Her mind kept replaying the image of Lin Shen laughing and chatting happily with Jiang Wan.
She felt displeased but didn't know why she was unhappy.
This inexplicable unease caused Qin Yuenan to zone out frequently, and Lin Shen seemed to notice something was off with her.
"What's wrong, Nan? Tired from all the walking?"
"Yeah."
Qin Yuenan nodded.
Right now, she just wanted to go home as soon as possible and get her head straight.
'Otherwise, it might affect my work later, which wouldn't be good.'
"Let's head back this way."
Qin Yuenan pointed to a narrow, winding path through the woods.
"This way is faster. There are sightseeing carts at the bottom of the mountain that can take us directly back to East Sheshan."
"Okay."
The full day of hiking had left Lin Shen mentally and physically exhausted, so he didn't pay too much attention to Qin Yuenan's state.
She, on the other hand, kept stealing glances at Lin Shen, her thoughts in a jumble.
'Are all these feelings... because of him?'
'Could it be that I have... some strange feelings for Lin Shen?'
Qin Yuenan's heart skipped a beat. Lost in thought for a moment, her firmly planted next step suddenly slipped sideways, causing her to stumble forward violently.
"Watch out!"
Lin Shen's reflexes were quick. He immediately grabbed Qin Yuenan's arm.
But because they were on a steep slope with nothing to brace against, they slid a short distance before managing to steady themselves.
Lin Shen managed to stay on his feet, but Qin Yuenan ended up kneeling on the ground.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
In response to Lin Shen's concern, Qin Yuenan waved her hand, but after she stood up, she realized something was wrong.
Her left ankle was throbbing with unbearable pain, and her palms were scraped raw by the gravel.
"You sprained your ankle?"
Lin Shen could tell something was wrong with Qin Yuenan at a glance. He helped her over to the paved path and motioned for her to sit down before rolling up her pant leg.
Just as he'd suspected, her left ankle was noticeably more swollen than her right. It was clearly sprained.