Chapter 123: Formidable Combat Power

Gan Yanyan made a gesture, miming the zipping of her lips. Just as Luo Yixia pulled her hand back to her lap, Song Chengyi reached out and took it. Her little heart began to thump wildly.

On the large screen, the movie *City of Angels* was playing. Luo Yixia had never been interested in old films. She had expected the film class to show something novel that fit modern aesthetics, but it was nothing like that. Every day, they screened these American blockbusters. As someone as unrefined as Luo Yixia, she couldn't grasp them at all. Watching one occasionally was fine—it was still better than Philosophy or Advanced Mathematics—but watching them day in and day out, from start to finish, became unbearable.

It wasn't just the repetitive old movies; since Luo Yixia started attending this class, she had already watched *Titanic* three times. Watching it was one thing, but afterward, she had to write reflections, analyze character portrayals, delve into their psychology, and finally write about the pros and cons, along with classic scenes.

The final assignment was usually a film review, which was one of the few subjects where Luo Yixia could pass without failing. By the end, she had fallen fast asleep, leaning against the chair. As she swayed back and forth, Song Chengyi reached out and pulled her onto his shoulder, letting her sleep against him.

When she woke up, the movie was drawing to a close. Luo Yixia rubbed her sleepy eyes and stretched. On screen, Maggie had met with a tragic car accident. Seth arrived at the very last moment, and Maggie departed from this world in his arms.

Luo Yixia had seen this movie a long time ago. The visuals were beautiful, the dialogue was poetic, the songs were lovely, and the ending was so poignant it made one sigh. He had fallen into the mortal world for her, and she was off to the heaven that belonged to her. Beside her, Gan Yanyan was crying her eyes out, sniffling incessantly. Luo Yixia remembered that when she first watched it, she had been a sobbing mess too.

As the credits rolled, the crowd gradually dispersed. Before this, many had left sporadically when they couldn't find Song Chengyi in the theater. Song Chengyi leaned over to her ear and whispered, "I'm heading out first. See you outside the school later."

Reminded by him, Luo Yixia remembered that Brother Zeming was taking them out to dinner tonight. Song Chengyi let go of her hand, stood up, and vanished into the dim space. His warmth still lingered on her palm. With his sudden departure, Luo Yixia felt a wave of loss; she silently clenched her hand, trying to hold onto his temperature.

The curtains of the film classroom were pulled back, and the room was instantly flooded with light, causing Luo Yixia to squint. The two of them tidied up their trash and left the classroom.

Once the crowd thinned out, Gan Yanyan leaned in: "When did you two hook up? I was looking for you for ages, and it turns out you were sitting right next to him."

"I have no idea. He just suddenly appeared beside me," Luo Yixia said, truthfully. She had been startled at first, fearing she was being harassed. She never imagined it would be Song Chengyi—the person she had been thinking of constantly.

The movie lasted over two hours, and the afternoon slipped away. Many students were finishing their classes and heading toward the cafeteria.

"I wonder if those two are done with their club activities," Gan Yanyan asked while sitting in her chair. Meanwhile, Luo Yixia was trying on clothes.

"What are you doing?" Gan Yanyan watched her holding an outfit up against the full-length mirror.

"Going out for dinner," Luo Yixia said, switching to another set. These clothes had been bought by their two mothers after she and Song Chengyi had "run away" together. Each piece was carefully selected and looked wonderful. Yet, Luo Yixia always felt they were either too mature or the skirts were too short.

"It’s different when you have a husband," Gan Yanyan teased with a smile. She didn't need to ask to know that Song Chengyi was the one taking her out. Having lived together for over a year, she knew Luo Yixia was a homebody who didn't have many friends to go out with, and with the other two roommates still out, it was clearly Song Chengyi.

Luo Yixia pulled out a white tulle dress and asked, "Does this look good?"

"It’s pretty, it’s pretty. You look good in everything," Gan Yanyan replied perfunctorily, though it was the truth. Luo Yixia took the dress into the bathroom to change. When she emerged, she looked like a literal fairy. The tulle gave off a hazy, ethereal vibe, and with Luo Yixia’s great figure, she looked stunning in anything.

"Yanyan, I’m heading out now," Luo Yixia said, slinging a banana-shaped bag over her shoulder.

"The dorm monitor might check the rooms tonight, you might need to come back," Gan Yanyan reminded her.

"Mhm, I know. I’ll definitely be back before eleven," Luo Yixia said, grabbing her phone and skipping away happily. Perhaps her pace was too buoyant, as it attracted quite a few curious glances.

She happened to run into the other two returning from their club activity. "Dressed like a fairy, off to see your lover?" Lin Ya asked, grabbing her shoulder.

"Hehe, going out for dinner," Luo Yixia said with a silly grin.

"Go on then," Lin Ya waved her off.

Xu Jiayu rubbed her sore shoulders, exhausted from playing badminton all afternoon. "It’s different when you have a boyfriend." The two exchanged a look and sighed simultaneously.

Luo Yixia left the school gate and searched for a while before finding "someone" under a camphor tree not far to the left. Seeing her, Song Chengyi waved. Luo Yixia jogged over.

"Why didn't you drive?"

"The car is at the apartment. I've been walking to school lately to get some exercise," Song Chengyi said, taking her hand and leading her forward. Luo Yixia checked to make sure no one was looking before feeling at ease. She knew his apartment wasn't far from school; he had rented it for convenience, only a ten-minute walk or a two-minute drive. But Song Chengyi didn't usually drive; he only did so these few times to make it easier to pick her up.

Crossing the road, a car pulled up in front of them. Song Zeming rolled down the window: "Get in."

Luo Yixia instinctively opened the back door and hopped in. Song Chengyi hesitated for a moment before sitting in the passenger seat.

"Brother Zeming, where are we going to eat?" Luo Yixia poked her head forward to ask.

"I’ve booked a restaurant ahead," Song Chengyi replied.

"Sit properly," Song Chengyi said, watching her through the rearview mirror. Luo Yixia pouted but obediently sat back.

The car stopped slowly in front of a restaurant, and the three of them stepped out. Song Zeming parked the car and led them to a private booth upstairs. It was quiet and sparsely populated. Luo Yixia could tell this was a high-end restaurant, several grades above the Jingyue Pavilion they had visited before. It was filled with lush greenery, giving it a serene, otherworldly atmosphere.

A waiter soon brought the menu, and both men let Luo Yixia order. Knowing Song Chengyi preferred light flavors, she ordered steamed sea bass and winter melon meat soup for him. Of course, she didn't forget to order Mapo Tofu and Bang Bang Chicken for herself. Finally, she asked Song Zeming, "Are there any dietary restrictions or things you don't eat?"

"Anything is fine," he replied.

She then ordered spicy boiled meat and a vegetable dish. Luo Yixia felt the waiting time was agonizingly long; she sat in her chair, bouncing her legs... *I’m starving... starving...* She hadn't eaten much at noon, and it was already nearly six o'clock... she was famished.

Song Chengyi glanced coldly at her constantly bouncing legs and immediately looked away. Luo Yixia waited eagerly for the dishes. Song Chengyi and Song Zeming chatted idly. Seeing her impatient look, Song Zeming laughed, "Are you hungry, Xiaxia?"

"It's alright," Luo Yixia replied insincerely, for the sake of appearances.

The corners of Song Chengyi's mouth twitched. *Alright? You look like you could devour a person right now.*

Fortunately, just as Luo Yixia was about to lose patience, the dishes finally arrived one by one. Once the food was on the table, appearances meant nothing to her. She began to wolf down her meal. Song Chengyi couldn't bear to watch. How did he end up with such a little foodie? It was a waste of the beautiful outfit she was wearing today.

After a full meal, Luo Yixia let out a satisfied burp, completely disregarding her image. She noticed the two men had finished eating long ago. "Are you both full?" Luo Yixia asked, embarrassed, taking the tissue Song Chengyi handed her to wipe her mouth.

"As long as you're full," Song Chengyi replied. Luo Yixia silently shut her mouth again.

The meal lasted two hours, and by the time they left, it was past eight. "I remember there's a night market nearby. Shall we go for a stroll?" Song Zeming suggested after settling the bill.

"Yes, yes! Perfect for digesting," Luo Yixia nodded vigorously.

Thus, Song Chengyi helplessly followed them to the night market. He hadn't expected there to be so many street vendors. The air was filled with mouth-watering aromas. Luo Yixia patted her round belly and sighed; if only she had saved some room for this.

"I'll pack some to take back for my roommates as a midnight snack," Luo Yixia declared.

"Is it really for them?" Song Chengyi ruthlessly exposed her true intentions.

"Well, that's possible too," she replied, completely unbothered by being called out, nodding instead.

"Are you still hungry?" Song Zeming asked, surprised. He was well aware of Luo Yixia's appetite.

"Full, I'm full! I'm just thinking of my girls back at the dorm," Luo Yixia immediately shifted the blame to her three roommates.

The night market was bustling. Luo Yixia looked at the spicy crawfish on one side and the deep-fried skewers on the other, calculating how much of each she would need to pack for later. As she walked, she craved everything, and before she knew it, it was nearly ten o'clock.

Luo Yixia went to the stalls she had noted earlier and packed a large portion of crawfish and many skewers.

"Can you guys eat all that?" Song Zeming asked, looking at the bags.

"They are all heavy hitters," Luo Yixia said, tying up the bags and heading toward the car.

"Eat less tonight," Song Chengyi said after they got into the car, having held back several times.

"Got it, got it."

Song Chengyi knew she was just humoring him, but he couldn't bring himself to scold or punish her. What could he do? He could only indulge her.