The girl spotted Lin Yuan at a glance and happily stepped forward, pulled open the front passenger door, and got in.
Her name was Liu Yifei. Those close to her called her by her nickname, Qianqian.
Liu Yifei was around the same age as Lin Yuan and already stood over 168 centimeters tall, graceful and slender.
(In this parallel world, the characters were a few years older than their original counterparts.)
Before long, netizens would say that whenever they saw her, they believed that someone really could possess beauty capable of toppling kingdoms in her teenage years.
Looking at the face before him—still carrying a trace of youthful innocence, yet already so beautiful it took his breath away—every word Lin Yuan wanted to say tangled together in his heart.
In the end, he could only say lightly, "Qianqian, long time no see."
"Has it really been that long? Haven't we only gone ten-odd days without seeing each other? Are you blaming me for making you wait so long? Sorry, I was late because..."
"Save the reason for being late for our next trip," Lin Yuan said with a smile, cutting her off.
"That's not right. Since when did you become so good at talking?" Liu Yifei asked suspiciously.
Women were naturally more sensitive to interactions between the sexes. Lin Yuan's answer made him seem generous while quietly locking in their next date.
Was that really something that blockhead was capable of?
"Let's get going. I've been looking forward to this trip for a long time," Lin Yuan said, gently changing the subject. Otherwise, no matter how he responded, he would come out worse for it.
"You rushed back from Los Angeles right after finishing filming. You must be exhausted. Let me drive," Liu Yifei said, noticing the dark circles under Lin Yuan's eyes.
"No need. When I'm in a good mood, I don't feel tired," Lin Yuan replied, shaking his head.
A good mood meant he wasn't tired?
It had the same flavor as "The moon is beautiful tonight, and the wind is gentle too." Unsure whether she was reading too much into it, Liu Yifei's jade-like face warmed slightly.
"Let's go!"
Lin Yuan started the car and was about to set off when a line of golden system text suddenly appeared before his eyes:
On your first date with a Type B girl, you will receive an action skill reward based on the host's performance!
What the hell was a Type B girl?
Did it mean B-cup, among the ABCDE cup sizes?
Or B-level, among SABCDE quality ratings?
Obviously not. Where would a B-cup come from? How could someone this beautiful possibly be only B-level!
So it meant Type B among Type A, Type B, Type AB, and Type O blood?
Lin Yuan thought that guess had to be right. Liu Yifei really did have Type B blood.
Wait, a date with a Type B girl would earn him skill rewards based on his performance?
He risked his life filming action scenes and only got a few attribute rewards, but taking a girl on a date earned him action skills?
And... today it was a date with a Type B girl. Would the system ask him to date Type A, Type AB...
Lin Yuan suddenly realized that this system didn't seem very serious!
On one hand, it encouraged him to risk his life filming action scenes. On the other, it seemed to be tempting him into dating girls of every blood type.
System, I suspected you were implying something, but I had no proof...
Forget it. Lin Yuan didn't want to think too much about it right now.
With or without the system's rewards, he would do his best to make today's date perfect.
What he had failed to do in his previous life, he was fortunate enough to make up for in this one. Could he really ask for anything more?
"Off we go! Smooth sailing!" Liu Yifei was clearly in high spirits.
Their destination for today's outing was Bear Mountain State Park.
Bear Mountain State Park was located beside the Hudson River in New York State. It got its name because the mountain resembled a large bear.
Autumn was the best season to visit. The mountain was thick with trees, its layered peaks rolling into the distance, while sapphire-blue lakes and babbling streams dotted the valleys, making visitors reluctant to leave.
The mountain roads were also in excellent condition, allowing visitors to drive all the way to the summit and admire the magnificent sight of mountains covered in vibrant autumn foliage.
Lin Yuan and Liu Yifei had agreed long ago that they would take a trip together when the maple leaves blanketed Bear Mountain in red, ideally camping overnight at the summit.
The date that had never happened in his previous life was finally becoming reality today.
"I brought a tent, but is it really okay for you not to go home?" Lin Yuan asked.
It was only ordinary outdoor camping, and they would set up two tents, but Lin Yuan knew Liu Mama had always been strict with her. Staying out overnight was something she would never allow.
"My mom went back to China. She'll be on a plane tonight, so she can't call to check up on me."
Now that was some perfect timing.
"It's about sixty kilometers away. We'll be there in an hour." While driving, Lin Yuan casually turned on the car stereo.
"Faint longing is written across my face, deep parting borne upon my shoulders..." A song drifted from the speakers.
"Dream Water Town," a classic old song.
"Ah, I like this song too. Your taste is pretty good!" Liu Yifei said with a smile.
"You like old songs?" Lin Yuan asked.
"Yeah. I can't get into modern songs. Old songs still sound better."
Lin Yuan teased, "I like old songs too. I love beauties even more than I love Jiang Shan."
Liu Yifei froze for a moment, then immediately realized that Lin Yuan was referring to the singer Jiang Shan—the phrase sounded like "I love beauties even more than I love the country."
She nodded. "I like Jiang Shan too. She's really beautiful. She fulfills all my fantasies about Jiangnan beauties."
Could she compare to you? You had no idea how many people's imaginations of Eastern beauty you would carry in the future, Lin Yuan thought to himself.
Liu Yifei continued, "A lot of us girls have a dream of a Jiangnan water town. Delicate girls picking lotuses on the lake, jade-like young men on country paths, lotus blossoms stretching for miles, lilacs in rainy alleyways, beautiful women aboard painted boats—those things carry so many of our wonderful fantasies."
"Too bad the dream water town turned into the Jiangnan Leather Factory..."
"Pfft!" Liu Yifei couldn't hold back her laughter. "You're awful!"
"The graceful young man waits upon the shore through a lifetime of time. Why could he not become the groom you hoped for..." The song continued through the speakers.
"Because the graceful young man grew up, turned into a potbellied Yellow Crane, and ran off with his sister-in-law," Lin Yuan said with a wicked grin.
She blanked for a moment, then burst into laughter. "Hahaha... You're the one who ran off with your sister-in-law... You're the one with the potbelly... You childhood-ruining bastard... Hahaha..."
Hey! Were you giving up on your image entirely? Lin Yuan grumbled inwardly.
But a Celestial Fairy was still a Celestial Fairy. She looked good no matter what!
With songs and laughter accompanying them, the car headed north and soon arrived at Big Bear Mountain Park.
"It's so beautiful, like a richly painted canvas."
Standing at the foot of the mountain, Liu Yifei gazed at the hills covered in red and sighed with emotion.
"It really is. Wherever there are lakes, the clear water reflects the crimson leaves all over the mountains. It looks a lot like Jiuzhaigou back in China," Lin Yuan replied.
"When we return to China someday, let's go to Jiuzhaigou together." Smiling, Liu Yifei held out the little finger of her right hand toward Lin Yuan.
Lin Yuan skillfully hooked his little finger around hers, then sealed the promise with their thumbs.
"Let's go. I'll take you somewhere even prettier." Lin Yuan started the car and continued up the winding mountain road.
After another twenty-odd minutes of driving, the car reached a broad stretch halfway up the mountain. Lin Yuan pulled over by the roadside and got out.
"There's a small waterfall and stream valley up ahead. The scenery is incredible. We'll walk in from here."
"Huh? There won't be brown bears in the wilderness, will there?"
Liu Yifei's concern was not without reason. This was North America, and the place was called Bear Mountain.
"It's fine. There are so many cars on this mountain that any bears would have been scared off long ago. Even if we do run into one, there's nothing to worry about. I brought this."
Lin Yuan pulled a small bottle from his pocket: bear spray. It was extremely effective against bears with sensitive senses of smell.
"Then let's go. We should make the most of our time." With her concerns eased, Liu Yifei was eager to get started.
The two followed a deserted mountain path thick with wild grass.
After walking a few hundred meters, the rugged trail became increasingly difficult to navigate. They had to watch their footing at all times and keep their balance.
"You doing okay on this mountain path?" Lin Yuan, walking ahead, turned around and asked.
"I'm fine, I can still... Ah..."
Perhaps she had been distracted while answering. Liu Yifei stepped into empty air and was about to fall.
Lin Yuan reacted quickly, stepping forward and grabbing her hand to pull her back.
Her small, fair hand rested in his palm. Her skin was delicate, her touch soft, with a faint warmth to it.
Seeing that she had steadied herself, Lin Yuan did not let go. Instead, he asked, "Don't fall again. The path is pretty rough here. Let me hold your hand while we walk?"
"Okay."
His right hand held that soft little hand, yet he felt as if that hand had tightly gripped his heart. His heartbeat thudded so loudly that he could hear it himself.
Lin Yuan did not look at her. Instead, he deliberately avoided her gaze. Some things were better left unspoken; once exposed, they would only make things awkward between them.
"Do all you guys like taking girls into little woods?" the Celestial Fairy behind him suddenly asked.
"Ah?"
Before you continue