“What… what did you just say?”

Chen Yuan wasn’t sure, so he asked tentatively.

“I just said hello… Good morning,” Xia Xinyu said, puzzled.

[I’m so hungry, did he eat breakfast at home…]

That’s right, it was Xia Xinyu’s voice. He wouldn’t mistake it.

So, this must be what she was thinking, and he could hear it?

Then, his ‘life countdown’ ability had been updated to ‘hearing other people’s thoughts’.

But, last night he could still see other people’s lifespans. At around 11 PM, there was a small mosquito inside the window, and its lifespan was [4], Chen Yuan remembered it clearly.

But now, he couldn’t even see the lifespan of a big living person like Xia Xinyu.

Let's summarize the patterns…

His superpower appeared on Monday morning, or rather, after seeing a living being on Monday morning.

On this Monday morning, Chen Yuan woke up and his ability had been updated to something else.

So, logically speaking, the real time node was Sunday night, at 12 AM when Chen Yuan was still asleep.

My superpower refreshes every week!

“Want to go get breakfast together?”

Chen Yuan knew very well what Xia Xinyu not dying after that meal meant—the person lived, the money was gone.

She’s probably been barely surviving on noodles at home these past few days, poor thing…

And with this kid’s perseverance, she definitely wouldn’t ask her aunt for money. She hasn’t been back home yet, and as a daughter, it’s not appropriate to ask for money instead of observing mourning.

To put it bluntly, Chen Yuan, whose monthly living expenses were only 1,500 yuan excluding rent, could even…

Hate uncle, question uncle, understand uncle, become uncle.

[I want to eat too, but I don't have any money…]

"Xia Shu… no, Xia Xinyu, you treated me to such a big meal the other day. I'd feel bad if I didn't return the favor. I should treat you to breakfast these next few days, right?"

Honestly, Chen Yuan really couldn't handle this kind of Chinese-style social nicety.

It’s like fighting to pay the bill, he just finds it awkward.

People who really want to pay the bill can go to the bathroom and secretly pay it, so why make such a show of it?

It’s precisely because he sees everything too clearly that Chen Yuan always feels secretly ashamed of some of his deeply buried hypocrisy when people aren’t treating each other sincerely.

So, this mind-reading superpower is really twisted!

Can you even test human nature?

You can't freaking test human nature!

[Did he realize I don't have any money?]

[And he's offering so stiffly, to take care of my self-esteem…]

[So embarrassing, so embarrassing.]

[But I'm really hungry…]

After hearing these thoughts, Chen Yuan secretly glanced at Xia Xinyu, whose eyebrows were so furrowed they looked like a tilde.

Honestly, testing human nature is really fun.

“Then…” Xia Xinyu grabbed one of the straps of her shoulder bag, hesitant, but still opened her mouth, embarrassed, "Then I'm really sorry, for making you spend money again."

[What will I eat later…]

She says she's sorry, but she's thinking about ‘what Xinyu will eat today’, what a contrast.

But since he's recommending breakfast, he naturally has to take her to his best breakfast place. Chen Yuan said confidently, "Don't be polite, I'll take you to eat something you'll definitely like."

"Then don't get anything too expensive, just something simple. That last time was too extravagant, we're just students, we don't have much money," Xia Xinyu quickly urged.

"That's natural, often the inconspicuous little shops on the streets are able to make the real delicacies. As for those magnificent hotels…"

Saying this, Chen Yuan shook his head.

"What about those magnificent hotels?" Xia Xinyu asked curiously.

"I haven't eaten there, why are you asking me?"

………

"I didn't expect to be able to eat authentic Jingnan rice noodles in a place like this… So good."

As a Jingnan native, Xia Xinyu was eating her hometown breakfast, and in Haidong, where they call Lao Gan Ma chili sauce and consider minced garlic slightly spicy, her cheeks flushed from the spiciness, and she gave it a very high rating.

But just as she was happily eating her rice noodles, she noticed Chen Yuan was propping his forehead with his hand, frowning, as if he was being chanted at by a monk, with a complex expression.

[That damn kid is eating so slowly, I'm going to be late for work]

[I really want to take a shit after eating, I'll find a toilet to shit in later]

[Did the boss's hand shake today? Why is there so much salt, I'll have to say something sarcastically later—if you're adding salt, why put noodles in?]

[So annoying, so annoying, so annoying, so many people so early, when will I be done wiping tables, when will my parents' broken shop close down]

[I want to pee as soon as I leave the house, where can I pee!]

Stop it, stop it, I don't want to hear your thoughts at all!

Recalling the millions and millions of red twisted numbers he saw at the Jinling Road intersection, Chen Yuan should have predicted what kind of torment he would suffer in public after the ability to hear voices appeared.

And for some reason, a lot of the thoughts involve shit and pee.

You guys like carrying poop in your bodies?

Annoying, annoying, annoying, hurry up and get through this week, and quickly update to the next ability.

Since it's an ability that I can't control anyway, just give me x-ray vision.

Even seeing Lao Mo's naked body every day is better than this buzzing in my head…

Just as Chen Yuan was frowning, he suddenly felt someone’s fingers pressing on his temples.

He raised his head, opened his eyes, and saw Xia Xinyu, who was slurping noodles with moist lips and flushed cheeks, massaging his temples with both hands.

"Did you stay up all night last night? You don't seem to be in good spirits…"

Xia Xinyu probably knew why Chen Yuan suddenly asked her what she said that morning.

People who stay up late and aren't in good spirits, besides having headaches and blurred vision, also have more scattered attention, so he probably had an auditory hallucination.

Two hands, gently massaging Chen Yuan's temples.

It's really magical, all the noise has flown away.

No… I know this line.

[Why is he staring at me… is there red oil on my mouth?]

After being stared at by Chen Yuan for a while, Xia Xinyu's face clearly showed panic.

And the reason behind it is laughable.

Red oil… there really is, who can eat Jingnan rice noodles without getting oil on their mouth, are you some delicate idol eating meat?

But that layer of deep red, on her soft lips, actually looked even hotter.

Xiang girls are really awesome.

And more importantly, there's no Shu Dao Mountain there.

"I did study a bit late last night. No way, roaming in the ocean of knowledge, the more I roam, the better I feel," Chen Yuan nodded, explaining earnestly.

"Um…"

Xia Xinyu showed a subtle expression.

"What, you don't believe me?"

"No, I believe you."

[I don't believe you]

Chen Yuan: "..."

Human nature is truly ugly.

Even Xia Xinyu, who takes ‘saying what she thinks’ as her ninja way, is so two-faced.

I'm despaired, despaired at this world full of lies.

"Speaking of studying… if it's homework, we can do it together," Xia Xinyu said proactively, "After all, we're both transfer students, we can help each other with subjects we don't understand."

[Saying I'll tutor him directly will make him lose face, boys have strong self-esteem, if I say it this way he'll accept it]

Yes, you really have high EQ.

"With a Fourth High School top student tutoring me, it's naturally no problem to sprint for a 985/211 university."

Although he doesn't know Xia Xinyu's level yet, since she's at Fourth High, she's not an ordinary top student. Even if he just does problems with her, he can get one-on-one tutoring.

This is definitely a good thing.

Although it's a bit embarrassing, what's face compared to the future.

Chen Yuan doesn't have any grand ambitions, he just wants to get into Ji University or Huaqing University or something, and then serve the people well.

In this era where opportunities are getting scarcer, promotions are getting more difficult, and the economy isn't as good as before, it's more stable to serve the people.

Xia Xinyu smiled and nodded at this ambition: "Yes, you can definitely do it."

Come on, what are you really thinking?

The painful wound will never heal, I can't be hurt any worse anymore.

What are you thinking, tell me honestly.

Looking at Xia Xinyu, who was tilting her head slightly, smiling and pursing her lips, if the messy thoughts of the surrounding uncles and aunts weren't still drilling into his head, Chen Yuan would have thought that his mind-reading superpower was gone.

So…

Xia Xinyu isn't thinking anything right now?

Chen Yuan lowered his head, slurped his noodles, and said nonchalantly, "Definitely, I'll definitely get in."

This Xia Xinyu, believes in me more than my mom.