Chaos Era, Year 1813.
Aina frowned deeply as she stared at the man before her.
Something was off. Very off.
She had already joined the hero’s party and embarked on adventures with them. Alongside Liyana, the three of them had successfully conquered an underground labyrinth.
But… she still couldn’t gauge this man’s true strength.
No matter what kind of monster they faced, without exception, he would slay them all with a single strike.
Of course, those monsters weren’t particularly high-tier—Aina could also dispatch them in an instant. But this meant she had no way to test Xia Lun’s limits.
As a result, she remained cautious around him, never daring to truly act against him.
She would have to keep biding her time…
Inside the tavern.
"Cheers!" Liyana raised her mug, trying to clink it against Xia Lun’s and Aina’s.
Xia Lun obliged, tapping his cup against hers, while Aina remained silent, taking a sip of her juice without reciprocating.
Liyana didn’t push it. After spending these past days together, she had already learned that Aina was the aloof type.
"Should we venture into more dangerous dungeons?" Aina proposed bluntly. "Given our strength, the monsters we’ve been facing are hardly worth our time…"
She said this, of course, in hopes of quickly uncovering Xia Lun’s true power so she could formulate a plan to deal with him.
But Xia Lun merely shook his head lightly. "Rushing headlong into danger isn’t wise, Aina. If you’re eager to hunt stronger monsters and gain renown, you could always join a more powerful adventurer party. They certainly wouldn’t refuse a mage of your caliber."
Aina’s voice turned icy. "Are you telling me to leave?"
Xia Lun met her gaze earnestly. "Of course not. I truly hope you’ll stay. Your strength is indispensable to me—you can accomplish things I cannot. I need you, Miss Aina."
He paused briefly before continuing, "But if our goals diverge, I have no right to keep you by my side."
If he wanted her to stay, why say such things?
What a strange man, Aina thought to herself.
She took another sip of juice. "As you wish. You’re the leader."
After all, her objective wasn’t yet fulfilled… If she were truly driven out of the party, things would only become more troublesome.
"You’re willing to stay? That’s wonderful." A hint of joy flickered visibly across Xia Lun’s face.
Liyana downed her mug of craft beer in one go. "Phew— Don’t mind him, Aina. Xia Lun’s just being honest. He really is thinking of your best interests, not trying to push you away."
"It’s fine." Aina’s replies to others remained as curt as ever.
Liyana then blurted out again, "Xia Lun, you know what? You act like you’re totally smitten with Aina."
"Do I?" Xia Lun mused before glancing at Aina. "Strong, elegant, beautiful… Miss Aina is indeed captivating. If I had to choose someone to court, she would undoubtedly be my first choice."
This guy… How could he say such shameless things so casually?
Aina’s cheeks flushed slightly, but she didn’t respond, continuing to sip her juice, her lips never leaving the rim as tiny bubbles formed on the surface.
"Hey! Xia Lun, what about me?" Liyana pointed at herself, puffing out her chest proudly. "I’m not any worse than Aina, am I?"
Aina’s eyes flickered briefly downward at her own figure.
"Ahem…" Xia Lun coughed as if choking. "Liyana… You’ll always be my best bro."
"Ugh— How boring." Liyana pouted. "Not that I’m interested in you like that, but if you begged me, I might grit my teeth and let you have some fun—"
"Disgusting." Aina, seated across from them, scoffed coldly.
"Hah, Xia Lun and I grew up together." Liyana slung an arm around Xia Lun’s shoulder, shooting Aina a challenging look. "Not like some random newcomer who just joined out of nowhere."
Thud!
Aina slammed her glass onto the table and stood up without another word, striding away.
"Ugh, what a rotten attitude." Liyana grumbled as she poured herself another beer. "Xia Lun, don’t spoil her. That arrogant look of hers… If she weren’t so strong, who’d want her as a teammate? We don’t have to act like her servants—"
Xia Lun sighed. "Liyana… You’re drunk."
"I’m not!" Liyana shouted. "Seriously, what’s her problem? The way she talks is so infuriating… And we don’t even know her background. I bet she’s up to no good—"
"Liyana." Xia Lun’s voice was calm and gentle, yet brooked no argument. "Calm down."
"Fine…" Liyana slumped onto the table, muttering like a scolded child.
"We haven’t known Aina for long. We can’t judge her based on first impressions. It’s natural for her to be wary of us." Xia Lun spoke softly. "She may be a bit solitary, but I don’t think she’s a bad person."
"Alright, I get it, it’s my fault. Stop lecturing me." Liyana waved a hand. "I shouldn’t have provoked her… It’s just the way you side with her that pisses me off. Feels like she’s stealing you away from me. Even if I’m your bro, I’m still a woman. I don’t want to lose to her…"
Xia Lun looked remorseful. "Sorry, I didn’t consider your feelings."
After a moment of thought, he added, "While I can’t see you as a romantic partner… I’m sure any other man would find you quite charming—"
"Whatever. I don’t need men drooling over me." Liyana pushed herself up from the table. "Alright, I’ll go apologize to our esteemed mage princess… I’m good at sweet-talking girls."
Unnoticed by any of them, a blood bat hanging from the tavern’s rafters silently flapped its wings and flew away.
Back at the inn, Liyana knocked gently on Aina’s door.
Xia Lun stood behind her.
The door opened slowly, revealing Aina no longer in her usual robes but a dark, form-fitting dress that accentuated her graceful figure.
"Yes?" Her expression remained as placid as an undisturbed lake.
"Uh… Sorry about earlier. I had a bit too much to drink and acted out of line." Liyana scratched her head. "Ahem, Xia Lun and I were just joking around. There’s no way I’d actually… you know, even if he begged."
"It’s fine." Aina gave a slight nod. "See you tomorrow."
"Uh… Yeah. See you tomorrow."
Aina closed the door softly behind her.
Liyana turned to Xia Lun. "Does that mean she forgave me?"
Xia Lun also seemed uncertain: "Probably."
u Chenyuan transmigrated into a female-oriented novel about a real and fake heiress, becoming the CEO elder brother of both. Unfortunately, the entire Lu family—including himself, the CEO—were mere cannon fodder in the story. Determined to save himself, Lu Chenyuan took action. The spoiled, attention-seeking fake heiress? Thrown into the harsh realities of the working class to learn humility. The love-struck real heiress? Pushed toward academic excellence, so lofty goals would blind her to trivial romances. As for the betrayed, vengeful arranged marriage wife… the plot hadn’t even begun yet. There was still time—if he couldn’t handle her, he could at least avoid her. "CEO Lu, are you avoiding me?" Mo Qingli fixed her gaze on Lu Chenyuan. For the first time, the shrewd and calculating Lu Chenyuan felt a flicker of unease.
reezy rom-com) Good news: Jiang Liu is quite the ladies' man. Bad news: He’s lost his memory. Lying in a hospital bed, Jiang Liu listens to a parade of goddesses spouting "absurd claims," feeling like the world is one giant game of Werewolf. "Jiang Liu, I’m your first love." "Jiang Liu, you’re my boyfriend—she’s your ex." "Jiang Liu, we’re close friends who’ve shared a bed, remember?" "Jiang Liu, I want to have your baby." The now-lucid Jiang Liu is convinced this must be some elaborate scam... until someone drops the bombshell: "The day before you lost your memory, you confessed your feelings—and got into a relationship." Jiang Liu is utterly baffled. So... who the hell is his actual girlfriend?! ... Before recovering his memories, Jiang Liu must navigate this minefield of lies and sincerity, fighting to protect himself from these women’s schemes. But things spiral even further out of control as more people show up at his doorstep—each with increasingly unhinged antics. On the bright side, the memories he lost due to overwhelming trauma seem to be resurfacing. Great news, right? So why are they all panicking now?
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
+【Epic Battles!】 "Your Highness, they say Linxi Temple is miraculous. Won’t you make a wish?" "A wish? It should be making wishes to me." "That may be so, but since you’re already here..." "..." "Fine. Then grant this princess a consort to play with." "He must be obedient, devoted, and utterly infatuated with my body—so much so that he’d kneel and kiss my feet." "Your Highness, that’s not a consort. That’s a dog." "Then add clever, witty, heroic, ambitious yet pragmatic..." "Hmm, that’s enough for now. I’ll add more later." After tossing out these words half in jest, Princess Anle departed the temple—only to catch a fleeting glimpse of the Bodhisattva statue smiling at her. Meanwhile, Yang An, fresh out of university, was having a very bad day. Good news: He’d transmigrated into another world with a cheat granting tenfold combat power. Bad news: He’d immediately fallen into the clutches of a certain villainess. Good news: Said villainess possessed peerless beauty and royal status. Bad news: She was absolutely monstrous!!! In the frozen wilderness, Yang An knelt beneath Qin Guo’er’s feet, drenched in sweat despite the cold. Desperately clutching her porcelain-perfect foot—the very one poised to crush his throat—he could only think: How do I survive this?! Need answers NOW!
