Xia Lun soaked in the pool, his arms resting on the edge, his back turned. The misty steam enveloped the space, obscuring his expression from Elesha, who stood behind him. All she could see were the defined muscles of his back.
"Thank you for your kindness, Miss Elesha… but I believe you should maintain some distance," Xia Lun's calm voice broke the silence. "I already have a wife."
"I… I don’t mind," Elesha murmured, her voice trembling. "Just once is enough… and no one will ever know what happens here…"
She swallowed hard, convinced that no man would refuse such an offer.
Xia Lun sighed, rubbing his forehead in exasperation.
He was truly being underestimated.
Was this a joke? Even the Demon King had been utterly subdued by him. Did this naive little girl really think she could sway him?
Besides, if he stayed in the bathhouse any longer, Liyana would undoubtedly barge in to see what was going on.
"You should leave, Miss Elesha," Xia Lun waved her off. "I won’t betray my wife."
"Is it because I’m too young? Because I lack charm?" Elesha’s voice quivered. "I… I truly need you…"
"Need me for what?"
"To… to bear your child and continue the bloodline of the Norman Family…" Her reply was barely audible.
"Did Lady Lanxia send you?" Xia Lun immediately saw through the scheme. "Forgive my bluntness, Miss Elesha, but engaging in such an act with someone you don’t love is utterly foolish."
"But… I’ve heard that you’re a kind man, Xia Lun. I don’t dislike you at all." Elesha lowered her gaze, staring at her pale toes.
"I’ll be leaving soon. Do you really think a single encounter would guarantee a child? That’s hardly realistic."
Xia Lun had no intention of acting recklessly and tried to persuade her to leave. If this situation escalated, it would tarnish both their reputations.
"For the sake of the Norman bloodline, I’m willing to take that gamble."
"Is bloodline truly so important?" Xia Lun’s voice softened, as if he already held the upper hand.
"What do you mean, Xia Lun?" Elesha looked startled. "Of course it’s important. The Norman lineage has endured for generations. If it ends with me, how could I face our ancestors in the afterlife?"
"After death, there’s nothing—no consciousness, no meeting your ancestors." Xia Lun spoke with certainty.
He knew this better than anyone.
"Even so… I can’t let it end… The Norman bloodline is noble…"
"Bloodlines aren’t inherently noble or lowly. We’re all just people," Xia Lun continued nonchalantly, drying himself while still submerged, out of Elesha’s sight. "What makes the Norman lineage special? Do you possess something others lack? Or is your magical talent superior?"
Elesha bit her lip, visibly embarrassed by his words.
Xia Lun had already noticed—her magical energy was faint, far from qualifying her as a mage.
After all, the Norman Family wasn’t known for producing great sorcerers.
"There’s no need to cling to bloodline traditions… You should think about living for yourself, Miss Elesha."
Elesha stood frozen, her mind reeling.
No one had ever spoken to her like this before. Her grandmother’s commands had always dictated her life.
"Take the legendary Hero, for example. Do you know if his bloodline still exists?" Xia Lun coughed lightly, pressing further.
"Probably… not," Elesha whispered.
After all, anyone who claimed to be the Hero’s descendant was exposed as a fraud and publicly shamed. Eventually, no one dared to call themselves Xia Lun’s heirs.
"See? Bloodlines mean nothing. Don’t chain yourself to empty ideals. Everyone deserves freedom. Even if your family declines, so what? As long as you’re alive, you should pursue what you desire, Miss Elesha."
Xia Lun stepped out of the pool, a towel wrapped around his waist.
"I… should do what I want…" Elesha murmured, lost in thought.
Xia Lun approached her and gently patted her shoulder. "So, what’s your dream, Miss Elesha?"
After all his earnest advice, she must have understood.
He knew this was Lady Lanxia’s scheme—Elesha wasn’t acting of her own will. Xia Lun could sense her nervousness and innocence; she was still an inexperienced girl.
"Xia Lun… When I was little, I always dreamed that a Hero would come to save me… take me away from the manor, on adventures, to see the world…"
Elesha looked up, her breath quickening, eyes burning with intensity—as if her emotions could materialize into hearts. "I think I’ve found my Hero now… Xia Lun…"
Xia Lun: "…"
This wasn’t how he expected things to unfold.
In his mind, she’d recall some innocent childhood aspiration—"Ah, I wanted to be a painter!"—then pick up a brush and live her dream.
But reality had other plans.
"Xia Lun… Please… take me. I’ll give you everything… I’ll do anything you ask…" Her gaze was fervent, reminiscent of the desire he’d seen in Aina’s eyes.
Xia Lun hadn’t anticipated Elesha’s personality.
Years of repression had turned her emotions into a volcano, erupting the moment she found an outlet.
This was trouble.
Xia Lun could never reciprocate her feelings. To him, Elesha was still a child… and this situation was a world-ending crisis in the making.
"Miss Elesha… I can’t accept your feelings," he sighed. "I love my wife deeply. There’s no future for us."
"I… I see! It’s because of your wife, isn’t it? You seem… afraid of her." Elesha’s eyes widened in realization.
Xia Lun: "…"
How did she figure that out?
Ridiculous. He wasn’t afraid of Aina. She’d fulfill any request he made… probably.
"So… if I become stronger, more exceptional than Aina… you’d choose me instead?" Her eyes sparkled with hope.
"Well… you could try, I suppose." Xia Lun awkwardly averted his gaze.
"Alright, I will! Lord Xia Lun! I'll keep getting stronger!" Elesha clenched her fist, as if filled with boundless determination. "Wait for me, Lord Xia Lun. One day, I'll take you away from Miss Aina's side!"
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
] 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.
with countless casualties. As a top-tier gamer, Liu Xuan volunteered to join the fight, intending to dominate with his skills, but instead he obtained the hidden class: [Pacifist]. Unable to attack. Unable to use active skills. Fortunately, with each level gained, he acquired a new passive skill. And so, armed with a body full of passives, Liu Xuan slaughtered his way through the battlefield of ten thousand races! [You attacked Liu Xuan] [You gained the debuffs: 'Poison', 'Fear', 'Burning', 'Bleeding', 'Freeze', 'Silence', etc.] [Your attack speed has been reduced by 99%] [Your armor and magic resistance have been reduced by 99%] Warriors of the Ten Thousand Races: How the hell am I supposed to fight this?!
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
