The dawn light was faint, and dew still clung to the blades of grass in the manor’s courtyard.
“What’s wrong, Mian? You seem distracted during training today,” Xia Lun said, slowly lowering his greatsword, his gaze fixed on Mian.
He had naturally noticed that Mian had made several mistakes during their practice.
“Ah… I didn’t sleep well last night…” Mian scratched his head nervously, unconsciously twisting the hem of his shirt. “Sorry…”
He still wasn’t good at hiding things from others.
“You don’t have to apologize to me, Mian. Training is for your own good,” Xia Lun said with a smile. “If you’re tired, take a break. Don’t push yourself too hard—it could backfire. Besides, this is a magic academy. Honestly, you should spend more time practicing spells.”
“Uh… I understand,” Mian nodded firmly. “I study every day.”
Xia Lun said nothing more, slowly raising his greatsword again.
Mian was off his game. He was hiding something. Xia Lun could see that clearly. Since Mian didn’t intend to tell him, Xia Lun didn’t press further.
But what could Mian possibly hide from him? It had to be about Aise…
That thought made Xia Lun worry. If Mian fell under Aise’s influence, things might spiral out of control.
Xia Lun considered whether, after returning, he should have Aina secretly search through Mian’s memories. He still had serious reservations about such an act, but these were clearly critical times.
“Xia Lun! Come eat breakfast!”
Liyana opened a window and leaned out, the morning breeze stirring her golden hair as she waved to Xia Lun in the yard.
“Let’s go,” Xia Lun said to Mian.
“Oh… oh.”
Mian had lived here for a while now, but he still felt quite restrained in this place. No matter how beautiful and luxurious the manor was, it ultimately wasn’t his, and Mian knew that well.
He kind of missed his little dorm room.
In the dining room, a white linen tablecloth covered the long table. Silverware gleamed in the morning light, spotless.
Liyana wolfed down the food in front of her.
“Xia Lun! I’m taking Mo Lini and Luo Lun out to play!”
Liyana stood up from her seat and announced loudly, as if she were about to do something earth-shattering.
Little Lan, perched on Mo Lini’s head, hopped a few times, clearly displeased at being overlooked.
“And Little Lan too,” Liyana added as an afterthought.
“Go on, then,” Xia Lun waved his hand dismissively.
“We won’t be back for lunch!”
Liyana said loudly again, as if she were reminding him of something.
Usually, Liyana and the others handled the cooking.
“Alright, got it. I’ll cook lunch myself,” Xia Lun replied casually.
“Huh? Why not Aina?” Liyana suddenly asked.
Obviously, it was usually more fitting for the wife to do the cooking.
Xia Lun glanced at Aina. She was seated gracefully beside him, poised like a classical oil painting.
It had indeed been a long time since Aina had cooked.
Back when they lived in seclusion in the cabin in the Silent Forest, Xia Lun had mostly done the cooking. After they moved to the big city, the manor naturally hired a chef.
It had been ages since he’d tasted Aina’s cooking.
Xia Lun raised his brows slightly, as if a little nostalgic.
Aina’s skills were far from lacking—quite the opposite. Her cooking was exquisite, rivaling that of professional chefs. But she wasn’t very interested in it, since she hardly needed to eat.
“Then I’ll do it,” Aina said calmly, taking on the task.
“What?” Xia Lun was taken aback.
“I’ll cook lunch,” Aina repeated, squinting at her husband. “Since you look so eager, Xia Lun.”
Xia Lun nodded vigorously.
“I… I want noodles,” Mian suddenly raised his hand. “I can prepare them myself…”
Mian knew he shouldn’t get involved in this.
After breakfast, Mian retreated to his room and shut himself away, leaving the space to the couple.
Though it was still early, Aina had already started preparing lunch for Xia Lun.
“I’m stepping out to get some ingredients,” she said before leaving, pressing a light kiss to Xia Lun’s cheek, like a devoted wife—no, that’s exactly what she was.
“Alright…”
Xia Lun had assumed Aina was heading to the academy’s market, but instead, she stepped straight into a spatial rift.
Xia Lun: …
He hoped Aina was getting proper ingredients.
Soon, Aina returned from beyond the world, carrying the same small basket she’d appeared with when they first met, looking every bit the diligent, virtuous housewife.
Inside the basket were unfamiliar purple cuts of meat and various odd-shaped fruits and vegetables Xia Lun had never seen, one of which—a multi-angled fruit—was pulsing faintly. Staring at these unusual ingredients, Xia Lun couldn’t help but swallow instinctively.
“Aina…” Xia Lun opened his mouth, unable to hold back.
“What is it?” Aina turned around, revealing a bright, meaningful smile, sunlight dancing on her silver lashes.
“Uh… nothing. Keep at it,” Xia Lun replied, ultimately not wanting to let down her good intentions.
Aina slipped into the kitchen and began bustling about with a clatter.
She even set up a barrier to keep Xia Lun from peeking…
By midday, Aina had even prepared silver-domed serving plates. She elegantly placed the platter in front of Xia Lun, keeping up the mystery.
Aina lifted the dome herself, releasing a rich aroma of meat that jolted Xia Lun’s spirits.
On the plate lay a perfectly seared steak with a gorgeous brown crust, glazed with glistening sauce, surrounded by roasted vegetables from another world. Aside from the faint purple sheen of the meat itself, the dish looked flawless.
Xia Lun glanced at Aina, who gave him a radiant smile. “Eat up, Xia Lun. Don’t worry about me.”
Even if it were the flesh of some eldritch god, since Aina had made it, Xia Lun would devour it without hesitation.
The moment a small piece entered his mouth, the layered texture made him stop caring about the ingredients’ origins. He dug in heartily.
“Is it good?” Aina sat across from him, chin resting on her hand, smiling softly.
“Delicious!” Xia Lun nodded enthusiastically barely able to stop eating.
After all, she was his wife—she’d never harm him. No matter what kind of meat it was, as long as it tasted great, that was enough. Others couldn’t enjoy it even if they wanted to.
“If it’s good, eat plenty,” Aina said, her smile growing richer in a way Xia Lun couldn’t quite read. She turned and walked back into the kitchen. “Eat well until you’re full. There’s plenty.”
ive and Ruthless] Before his transmigration, Ye Xuan was playing a game called "Severing Emotions to Attain the Dao." The game's core wasn't about leveling up by fighting monsters, but about conquering various "bad women" with wicked personalities and cold, fickle natures. There was only one method to conquer them: stay unwaveringly by their side, then die at a critical moment, driving them to madness after losing the protagonist. The higher their level of regret, the higher the player's score. To dominate the server, Ye Xuan conquered all the bad women. In the early stages, he showered them with boundless tenderness, only to choose to sacrifice himself for them later, making them weep bitterly and drown in regret. Among them were: Xia Lengyue, the unfaithful immortal wife who chased after powerful men and discarded her husband like trash. Ye Qingcheng, the Demonic Venerable of the Joyous Union Sect, who appeared pure and innocent but was, in reality, promiscuous. Wu Lingxiao, the Empress of the Great Xia Dynasty, who lusted after men and loved maintaining a harem. Bai Qiangu of the Endless Demonic Sect: a bloodthirsty mass murderer. However, when the protagonist transmigrated into the game world, he made a horrifying discovery. Eight hundred years had already passed. The bad women he had conquered had now each become deities and revered ancestors. Faced with the endless stream of toxic women coming for him, Ye Xuan could only rely on his god-tier acting skills to carve a path of survival through this world of treacherous women.
ng to die together with you." Lin Xuan is dead, his body thrown into the river by his scumbag lover and her accomplice. She, the president of the Su Group, is decisive, ruthless, and ice-cold. For three days and three nights, she had his body fished out of the river, and without hesitation, she kissed the bloated corpse of Lin Xuan. She laid down beside him in a cold coffin, their fingers intertwined, a smile lingering on her lips as she closed her eyes. The noble and cold-hearted woman, only bending for one man—Lin Xuan. Lin Xuan, with his golden finger, is reborn and returns to the day of his wedding to the treacherous woman. Su Qiang comes to steal the bride. Lin Xuan's eyes light up, eager to pledge his loyalty on the spot, but instead, her kiss transfers a glass of drugged wine into his mouth, causing him to pass out... 【Male Protagonist with Single Female Lead】【Yandere Tycoon】【Action-Packed】【True vs. Fake Heir】
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.
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
