Around eleven o'clock at night.
Xu Mo returned home with An Youyi in tow.
No more pretending—it was time to come clean with the old man.
He had to break the news about going out to make his own way in the world.
Sure, he could drag it out day by day,
but who knew what his father-in-law would think?
Better to come back and reassure them first.
Besides,
dinner time had long passed.
The family didn’t have a habit of eating late-night snacks.
Su Ting was firmly against anyone having midnight meals.
They were probably all asleep by now.
So, timing his return like this was perfect.
Xu Mo knew he couldn’t shake off the "Dragon Queen."
Even if he booked two hotel rooms,
An Youyi would still slip silently into his room.
It was a headache.
Might as well just bring her home.
Clean and simple.
"Youyi, while you were away, the cleaning lady kept your room tidy. Just head upstairs, take a shower, and go to sleep... Huh? Why is the living room light on?"
Xu Mo’s eyebrows shot up.
This wasn’t the scene he’d imagined at all!
Shouldn’t everyone be asleep by now?
Had a burglar broken in?
No, no… that couldn’t be.
Xu Mo quickly dismissed the idea—
because he heard Xu Fuqiang’s furious voice booming from inside.
"You little brat! You dare show your face here?!"
Xu Fuqiang was seething, storming toward them in long strides.
From a distance, he spotted a woman standing beside Xu Mo.
Though he couldn’t make out her face clearly yet,
Xu Fuqiang was already certain—
this unfilial son had gone too far.
Playing around outside was one thing,
but bringing her home?!
Disgrace! Absolute disgrace!!!
Cutting off his bank cards had been the right move.
A stroke of foresight.
In fact,
Xu Fuqiang now felt he’d been too lenient.
"You unfilial wretch!! How dare you bring some floo—"
Xu Fuqiang’s disappointment was immeasurable. The "Seven Wolves" belt was about to be unleashed.
It wasn’t that he wanted to break his promise,
but how could he face the ancestors with this shame?!
However, when he recognized the familiar face,
his hand froze mid-motion.
The old man was now stuck in an absurd pose—
one hand on his belt,
as if about to undo it,
while he stared at An Youyi, lost in thought.
An awkward, silent contemplation.
Xu Mo cleared his throat. "Dad, if you want to play, you’ll have to ask Mom first."
Xu Fuqiang wasn’t deaf to the teasing tone.
Then An Youyi calmly added, "I don’t agree."
Xu Fuqiang felt blood rising in his throat.
Were these two conspiring against him?!
He shot Xu Mo a glare. "Youyi, you can go ahead. This brat stays."
An Youyi didn’t budge, glancing at Xu Mo instead.
Xu Mo’s lips twitched. "Listen to Dad."
An Youyi nodded, then wheeled her suitcase inside.
None of them seemed to notice the strange, unspoken tension lingering in the air.
Once An Youyi was gone,
Xu Fuqiang glared daggers at Xu Mo.
"You’re married now, a grown man. Can’t you give your mother and me some peace of mind?"
Xu Mo’s mouth twitched again. "I understand."
Xu Fuqiang scoffed. "Understand? If you understood, we wouldn’t be worrying like this!"
Xu Mo nodded.
No matter what Xu Fuqiang said,
he’d respond with the same flat,
"Yes, yes, you’re right."
No impatience.
Just detached agreement.
Ironically, it was Xu Fuqiang who grew impatient.
He could see it now—
Little Xu was just humoring him.
"To prevent you from making unforgivable mistakes in the future, starting today, all your bank cards are frozen! And don’t even think about selling your cars for cash to fund your reckless lifestyle. Let’s see who in Shanghai dares buy them!"
Old Xu had laid down the law.
Money made people reckless.
Xu Mo had been born with a silver spoon in his mouth,
never knowing hardship.
Partly because Su Ting couldn’t bear to see him suffer,
and partly because Old Xu couldn’t bring himself to toughen up the family’s only heir.
But times had changed.
Xu Mo was married now.
If he kept acting like a spoiled child,
how could he ever inherit the family business?
So Old Xu hardened his heart.
He’d discussed this with Su Ting last night.
She’d agreed.
That meant this wasn’t just his unilateral decision.
He expected Xu Mo to beg,
to bargain.
Old Xu had even prepared his bottom line:
A million at most!
Three months, one million!
Not a cent more.
Otherwise, go starve.
As for whether Xu Mo might actually starve without money—
what a joke.
Was there no food at home?
No meal card at the company?
Weren’t his office snacks and drinks enough?
He wouldn’t starve.
But as for luxuries?
Old Xu’s stance was clear:
Not a chance!
Yet to his surprise,
Little Xu just nodded and gave an "OK" gesture.
"Got it."
Old Xu blinked. Was this some reverse psychology?
"All your cards are frozen."
"Mm."
"You’ll have no money for food."
"Mm."
"You’ll pay for your own gas from now on."
"Mm."
"And don’t ask Qiaoqiao for cash. Your mom talked to her this morning—no secret handouts either."
"Understood. Dad, if there’s nothing else, I’d like to rest now."
Xu Mo yawned lazily.
Xu Fuqiang’s face darkened.
Was this brat truly unfazed,
or just biding his time until tempers cooled before begging for mercy?
Old Xu ranted on for a while longer,
but Xu Mo remained unmoved.
If anything, he looked amused.
Using money to pressure him?
Did they forget who Xu Mo was?
As Xu Mo stepped inside,
Xu Fuqiang stood frozen for a long moment.
Finally, he gritted his teeth and muttered to himself,
"Keep pretending!! Let’s see how long you last. You’ve never had to manage a household—you don’t know the cost of firewood and rice. Just wait till reality hits you."
To seal all escape routes,
Old Xu made Xu Mo swear not to borrow from his "good-for-nothing friends."
Little Xu agreed.
Still uneasy, Old Xu rambled on,
only to find Xu Mo completely indifferent.
Old Xu was rattled.
But he was sure—
Xu Mo wouldn’t last long.
Soon, he’d come crawling back,
forced to accept his penniless reality.
Meanwhile, as Xu Mo entered the living room,
he spotted two figures waiting by the sofa—
one tall, one short,
chatting and laughing.
The taller one was petite, the shorter one… surprisingly not.
Dressed in pajamas,
the smaller figure’s "primordial energy" was barely contained.
A phrase popped into Xu Mo’s mind:
"Small in stature, mighty in presence."
The taller figure was his mother, Su Ting,
and the shorter?
No need to guess—his little sister, Xu Shi.

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?"

shall grant"] ["Inscribing the glory of our race upon tombstones"] ["All that is threatened, I shall protect"] How his younger sister sees her brother: A brother who only makes eye contact once a day, mostly fading into the background as he tinkers with who-knows-what in his room all day. Their life paths should have remained largely separate. Until one day. Su Qi created an equipment card for his never-met "online girlfriend." His sister fell into silent contemplation upon receiving the "white stockings." [Card can be upgraded] [Upgrade by fulfilling any of the following conditions] [Condition ①: Consume one hundred higher-tier cards] [Condition ②: Complete one 'Heart-Pounding Adventure'] What constitutes a Heart-Pounding Adventure? [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Beginner Level): Equip the card and invite 'Su Qi' to admire it.] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Easy Level): Equip the card, invite 'Su Qi' to touch it, and analyze the equipment's texture.] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Entry Level): Equip the card and invite 'Su Qi' to...] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Challenge Level): Freely combine the words 'Brother' 'Out' 'Brother' 'Me' 'Please' into a complete sentence...] "Please help me analyze both teams' mistakes in this match, brother..." His sister exhaled in relief—surely... surely there couldn't be anything more difficult? [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Suicide Mission Level): Sneak a peek at the names of the galgames in 'Su Qi's' hidden E-drive folder]

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?

ial death, also known as "shè sǐ" in Chinese, generally refers to... well, never mind, it's not important. My name is Ye Cheng, and I'm about to experience social death firsthand. ... 【Host, your mission is to confess your love to the young lady of the Dongfang family, the current student council president, in a way that will be unforgettable for everyone at the freshman ceremony!】 【Host, assist the girl with a sprained ankle in front of you to reach the infirmary, and fulfill the wicked thoughts in your heart!】 【Host, act on your desires and punish the arrogant young lady before you mercilessly!】 【Host, follow your instincts—abandon shameful surrender, begging, or groveling, and ruthlessly criticize the domineering, ill-mannered young lady in front of you!】 【Host...】 Ye Cheng: "Here, here, you take this host role—I quit!" Wait, why is the girl with a sprained ankle the daughter of a mafia boss? And what kind of punishment method is this for the arrogant young lady? Also, who the heck said anything about wicked thoughts in my heart? Come out here, let’s settle this one-on-one!!! ... The haughty student council president, the scheming mafia princess, the fragile yandere young lady, the airheaded maid-in-waiting, the mixed-blood loli/...