I Really Didn’t Want to Increase My Favorability!

The two stepped out of the building and saw a thin layer of snow covering the ground, with snowflakes still drifting gently from the sky.

Though the snowfall was light, it had been going on all night.

“The air feels much fresher now. Yesterday, when I first got off the car, all I could sense was the pollution in the air.”

“Linshui’s air is actually pretty decent. It’s a small place—fewer cars, fewer factories. Go to more developed areas, and the air quality isn’t necessarily better.”

“That’s true. Still, nothing compares to the mountains.”

“Let’s go.”

The two of them walked into the snow. In the distance, they saw a husky darting past, followed by a middle-aged man running after it, nearly slipping.

“Hey, why don’t you take your little cat out for a walk too?”

“Come on, Cousin. Walking a cat is asking for trouble. I found her as a stray—if she gets loose and can’t find her way back, she’d starve, and that would be tragic.”

“I mean, I like them, but I’m just a kid myself. Not great at taking care of others.”

Xu Lin found the way his cousin jumped from complimenting his caring nature to asking about kids a bit odd.

“Really? Do you like boys or girls more?”

“Cousin, why are you even asking me this?”

“No reason, just curious. Let’s keep going.”

With that, she sped up, and Xu Lin quickly followed.

He glanced at the ground and noticed how shallow Li Muxue’s footprints were—much lighter than the average person’s. Clearly, her martial arts skills were no joke.

Inspired, Xu Lin adjusted his own footwork. The footprints he left became just as light.

“Your steps are so light,” Li Muxue remarked.

As soon as Xu Lin caught up, she noticed his footsteps were even lighter than hers.

“Yeah.”

“Have you trained in martial arts?”

“Practiced a bit with my ‘Shi-chan.'”

“‘Shi

“It’s an affectionate nickname for my master.”

“You have a master?”

“Yeah, she’s amazing. Like you, she’s a girl.”

“Hearing that makes me curious now.”

[T/N: ‘Shi’ means master and ‘chan’ from japanese. I used ‘Shifu’ before but I searched a little and found Xu Lin uses ‘Shi-chan’. That’s why Chu Fengyi always gets embarrassed Whenever he calls her that in front of others.]

Li Muxue didn’t expect to hear about another girl who liked martial arts as much as she did. If there was ever a chance, she definitely wanted to meet her.

They reached the gate of the community, where they ran into the same two guards from the previous night. Neither had switched shifts yet, and both looked a bit weary.

“Oh, hey! About last night, sorry for the trouble.”

“No worries. Honestly, I didn’t even know I had such a cousin. You guys must have had a tough night too.”

“Just doing our job—keeping everyone safe. It’s no trouble.”

The two guards nodded politely as Xu Lin and Li Muxue prepared to cross the pedestrian walkway. Suddenly, a familiar voice called out behind them.

“Xu Lin!?”

“Shi-chan?”

Xu Lin turned to see Chu Fengyi, dressed in a green jacket just like the one Wu Jing wore in that movie, her hair tied neatly in a ponytail. She walked briskly toward him.

“It really is you. And this is?”

“My cousin, Li Muxue.”

“You have a cousin like her?”

Chu Fengyi gave Li Muxue a once-over. For some reason, she found this woman’s presence irritating.

But since she was Xu Lin’s cousin, Chu Fengyi forced a smile. Li Muxue extended her hand for a handshake, but Chu Fengyi ignored it and instead stepped forward, looping her arm around Xu Lin’s.

“So early, where are you two heading?”

“I’m going out for some exercise. My cousin wants to join me. We’re planning to head to that small sports field.”

“Perfect! I’ll come along. It’s been a while since you’ve trained. Let’s spar a bit, Shi-chan will practice with you.”

“Sure…” Xu Lin nodded, then leaned in to whisper in Chu Fengyi’s ear, “Go easy on me, alright?”

“Alright. Or you can dodge me, right? Isn’t your light-footwork pretty good?”

As Chu Fengyi spoke, she leaned closer and brushed her lips lightly against his cheek. Startled, Xu Lin quickly stepped back.

Great. The second miss of the Chu family is at it again. She’s even jealous of my cousin now. It’s a miracle she hasn’t fought with Ji Yun or the others yet. Seems like her memories of the past life have mellowed her out somewhat.

“Why are you staring at me? Let’s go! After our workout, I’ll treat you both to breakfast.”

“Thank you… you..”

“Chu Fengyi. Cousin can just call me Chu Fengyi. We’re family, after all.”

Li Muxue wasn’t naive. She could tell right away that this blonde girl liked her cousin.

But was this “Shi-chan” he mentioned really her? She didn’t seem all that impressive.

Still, having a girl like her cousin should’ve made her happy as an older relative.

But… Master, please give me some advice, I don’t know what to do!

Crossing the road, Xu Lin felt Chu Fengyi’s arm looped tightly around his, her warmth and fragrance so close. He found the feeling oddly pleasant.

Li Muxue, though quieter, still talked more than Chu Fengyi. She kept up the conversation with him as they walked.

Bit by bit, Chu Fengyi started to believe that Li Muxue really was Xu Lin’s cousin. At first, she had thought he’d somehow picked up another girl.

But even so, she remained wary of this warm and lively cousin, especially the way she looked at Xu Lin—it felt… off.

Then again, with their blood relation, it couldn’t be anything like that, right? They’d only just met, after all. Maybe I’m overthinking things.

The three walked along the shopfronts. It was 5:30 in the morning, and the streets were quiet, with only a few cars and pedestrians around.

But a number of elderly folks had already started clearing the snow. Large sections of the sidewalk were shoveled clean, and they were still working further ahead.

“They probably don’t earn much, do they?” Li Muxue glanced at Xu Lin.

“Not really,” he replied.

“They really deserve respect for their hard work. I’d like to get them something.”

“What do you have in mind?”

“Isn’t that a soy milk stall over there?”

“It is. You have sharp eyes, Cousin.”

“It’s nothing. And don’t think I’m pitying them—I’m not the type to just give out money, nor do I have much to give.

But I truly respect people like them. Hardworking individuals who earn their keep deserve honor, regardless of how much they make.

For people like them, out here so early making life easier for others, I naturally want to do something to make them feel a bit warmer. It’s just a small gesture within my means.

After all, I can only help the people I encounter. The world is vast—who could possibly care for everyone? The best we can do is focus on changing and protecting ourselves.”

“Agreed. Let’s go buy some. We could use something warm ourselves to chase off the chill.”

The three headed to the stall and bought ten cups of hot soy milk for 10 yuan.

Xu Lin wanted to pay, but Li Muxue insisted on doing it herself, so he didn’t argue further.

“Auntie, it’s cold today, isn’t it?”

Carrying the bag, Li Muxue approached one of the snow-clearing ladies, her face full of smiles, radiating warmth like a flame in the snow.

Though the older woman had been interrupted, she couldn’t help but smile warmly back at her.

“It’s not too cold, just a bit below freezing. What’s up, dear?”

“I brought you a cup of soy milk.”

“Oh? No, no, I don’t need it. You all drink it instead. I’ve got hot water here.”

“Come on, we already bought it. We’re giving some to those uncles up ahead, too. Just take it, please.”

“Alright, alright. Thank you so much, you three!”

“It’s no problem at all.”

Xu Lin watched as Li Muxue bent at a 70-degree angle, speaking warmly to the older woman. Turning to Chu Fengyi beside him, he said,

“You could never pull that off.”

“Who says I couldn’t? Tomorrow, I’ll buy something and hand it out to sanitation workers—only the priciest hot drinks!”

“No, I mean bending over, lowering your head, and smiling like that.”

“Now that’s just asking too much,” Chu Fengyi admitted, knowing she couldn’t manage it.

“Of course, I’m not saying you don’t have a kind side. My Shi-chan is still a very kind-hearted person. You’ve donated so much, and helped build schools in remote mountain areas.”

“Glad you know that~ But my thoughts are similar to your cousin’s. Simply handing out money isn’t very effective; it just makes people more likely to wait around for handouts instead of working for themselves.

What I truly care about is education. Only when children receive proper education can they change their own lives. Even if they don’t become wealthy, at least they’ll have knowledge. With effort, they can make their lives better than before and see a future they created with their own hands.”

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