Xia Lun maintained a perfectly appropriate distance from Ankula.
But as the daughter of the city lord, Ankula was already eye-catching enough on her own. Walking beside her was like standing under the brightest spotlight.
"It's Lady Ankula."
"Who's that man with her?"
"Could he be Lady Ankula's boyfriend?"
"No way! Lady Ankula would never take a boyfriend. I refuse to believe it!"
"Tsk, but that guy is quite handsome. He actually looks like a good match for Lady Ankula..."
"Ah, I remember now! He's the adventurer who defeated the Crimson Dragon! He’s the one who helped Lady Ankula solve the plague crisis..."
"If they're out together like this, could they really be..."
As the so-called "flower guardian," Xia Lun drew even more attention than Ankula herself.
Xia Lun sighed inwardly. He really didn’t want any rumors spreading between him and Ankula.
"Sorry about this… I didn’t think it through," Ankula whispered apologetically, clasping her hands together. "But this is actually the first time I’ve gone out with a man my age."
"It’s fine," Xia Lun waved it off. "We’ll be leaving Olie City soon anyway. The misunderstanding will clear up by then."
"Is that so…" Ankula’s expression didn’t exactly brighten at his words. "Oh, Xia Lun, let me treat you to a meal! There’s a really nice restaurant in Olie City—you’ll love it!"
Before Xia Lun could respond, Ankula had already quickened her pace ahead. Left with no choice, he hurried after her.
The restaurant before them was lavishly decorated, yet with a slightly retro style. Through the pristine glass windows, the elegant and refined interior was clearly visible.
Clearly, dining here wouldn’t be cheap. The patrons coming and going were all well-dressed nobles or wealthy merchants—it might as well have had "No Commoners Allowed" written on the sign.
Ankula had already pushed the door open and found a rather secluded table, waving Xia Lun over.
Surely… nothing would go wrong, right?
But at this point, Xia Lun had no choice but to brace himself and follow, taking a seat across from her.
He cleared his throat softly.
It was just a meal. Nothing would happen.
Stare—
Yet the moment Xia Lun sat down, he felt an intense gaze burning into him from the side.
"A… Aina? What are you doing here?" Xia Lun asked, startled as he noticed her at the neighboring table.
"Why can’t I be here?" Aina replied coolly. "I was here first… I’m just having a meal. Don’t mind me."
Despite her words, Xia Lun couldn’t shake off a sense of unease.
He hadn’t noticed Aina when he first entered, meaning she had deliberately concealed her presence…
What was she up to?
Meanwhile, Ankula narrowed her eyes slightly. She had sensed earlier that Aina seemed to be targeting her, whether intentionally or not.
This one wasn’t here with friendly intentions.
But as far as she knew, there was no special relationship between Xia Lun and Aina—just ordinary teammates.
That meant they were on equal footing as rivals.
Ankula smiled inwardly. She had full confidence in her own charm.
Handsome, powerful, upright… Ankula knew very well that if she were to choose a partner, Xia Lun was undoubtedly the best candidate.
She wasn’t about to let someone else take him.
The food arrived quickly. Ankula hadn’t ordered much, but each dish was exquisite—just enough for two.
Aina, on the other hand, had only ordered a dessert: a honey-drenched pancake so sweet it looked nauseating. After just one bite, she silently set down her spoon.
"Oh, Xia Lun, would you like to try this? It’s really delicious." Ankula speared a piece of perfectly seared lamb with a silver fork, leaning forward slightly to offer it to him.
"Th-thanks." With Ankula going this far, Xia Lun couldn’t very well refuse.
He barely tasted the lamb before hurriedly swallowing it.
Then, he stole a glance at Aina’s table.
Aina still appeared composed and elegant, seemingly focused on her battle with the honey pancake, showing no other reaction.
Except, for some reason, there was now a spoon on her table with its handle twisted into a corkscrew.
Warning bells rang in Xia Lun’s mind.
Danger. Extreme danger.
He couldn’t let things escalate further.
Taking a deep breath, Xia Lun sped up his eating, devouring his portion like a whirlwind before wiping his mouth neatly.
"I’m full. Please take your time, Lady Ankula. Don’t worry about me."
Ankula blinked in astonishment, then puffed her cheeks slightly, shooting Xia Lun a reproachful look.
Honestly, it was adorable—enough to make anyone want to pull her into a hug.
But Xia Lun remained oblivious, his reaction disappointingly wooden.
Perhaps not wanting to trouble the waitstaff, the twisted spoon on Aina’s table had returned to normal… though the honey pancake remained untouched after that single bite.
"Xia Lun… what are your usual hobbies?"
"Training and swordsmanship."
"Really? I could prepare some body-tempering elixirs for you. They’re quite effective."
"No need, Lady Ankula. Strength gained through elixirs and strength earned through training are fundamentally different," Xia Lun explained matter-of-factly. "Besides, tempering elixirs are more suited for novice warriors. I’ve long since passed that stage."
Under her hood, the corners of Aina’s lips curled slightly.
This was Xia Lun, after all—the man had zero skill when it came to talking to girls.
Well, as his teammate who had been by his side all this time, she was the only one who could keep up with his way of speaking.
"Is that so? You’re amazing! How long have you been practicing swordsmanship? And you have the Goddess’s blessing, right? What does that feel like…?" Ankula’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.
Xia Lun hesitated. "Well… it’s nothing special, really. I’ve been swinging a sword since I was old enough to remember. As for the Goddess’s blessing… it’s an innate power. I don’t really know what it’s like for those without it…"
The faint smile on Aina’s lips faded.
It seemed her opponent wasn’t an ordinary one—she was actively engaging Xia Lun, even keeping up with topics like this…
"Then, could you tell me about your adventures? Since you can’t take me with you, will you come back to Olie City and share your stories with me every time?" Ankula rested her chin on her hands, her eyes shimmering as she gazed at him.
Xia Lun didn’t think much of it. "Of course, Lady Ankula."
But the moment the words left his mouth, he regretted them.
A heavy pressure settled over him.
Along with a faint, unmistakable scent of vinegar in the air.
ts me of treason?" "Correct. The host must return to the capital and gradually build up influence." "Wait—I have half a million soldiers, and you want me to go back to the capital to 'build influence'?" "Host, you are currently the Northern Garrison General, loyal to the Great Xia Dynasty." "Of course I am loyal to Great Xia! Absolutely loyal!" "But you keep referring to yourself as 'We'..." "Never mind the details! Summon all the regional commanders and military officers! We suspect treacherous officials are manipulating the court! They shall march with Us to the capital and purge the corrupt!" "......"
. As long as he maintains the villain image and follows the plot to the grand finale, he can obtain generous rewards and return to the real world. So Gu Chen'an entered the role and began to act as a scumbag villain, but who would have expected that the female leads could hear his inner thoughts. Miss Su from the Su family was shocked: "I originally thought Gu Chen'an was a scumbag, but I didn't expect he turned out to be a gentleman! What? You said I have to call off the engagement? I definitely won't, I'll piss you off!" Bai Yuan Tian was dumbfounded: "Young Master Gu is usually unreasonable and a complete brat, but he actually calls me little sweetie in his heart? What, Young Master Gu even said he likes me?" As the female leads' images collapsed more and more, the plot also collapsed with it. Gu Chen'an looked at all this chaos. "Ladies, don't aggro me, if you keep this up the male lead really will stab me, I still need to survive to the grand finale!"
] This is a dark fantasy-themed dating simulation game. The main gameplay involves containing various monster girls and investigating the truth of a world shrouded in mist alongside your companions. However, due to his love for the dark and bizarre atmosphere, Luo Wei ended up turning a dating game into a detective mystery game. Women? Women only slow down his quickdraw! To Luo Wei, the female leads in the game are more like tools to perfectly clear levels and squeeze out rewards. For Luo Wei, flirting with every girl he meets and then discarding them is standard procedure. Worried about characters losing affection points? No need. With his maxed-out charm stat, Luo Wei is practically a "human incubus." A little psychological manipulation and those points come right back. It's a bit scummy, but the paper cutout heroines in the game won't actually come at him with real cleavers. However... Luo Wei has transmigrated. He's accidentally entered the second playthrough of this game. His past actions have caused all the girls to transform into terrifying yanderes. Due to the game's setting, most of the heroines he once contained are "troubled girls." Obsessive, twisted, mentally unstable, all aggressive yanderes... The type who will kill you if they can't have you... Luo Wei wants to cry but has no tears left. "I really just want to survive..." In short, this is a story of battling wits and engaging in a love-hate relationship with yanderes.
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
