In the office of the general manager of the Zhao Corporation in Jiang City.
Zhao Bala had just received a report from Ruan Wanshan, stating that some clueless newcomer had been taken out to dinner by Li Yuebai.
This infuriated Zhao Bala beyond measure.
He, the illustrious Young Master Zhao Bala of the prestigious third-tier Zhao Family in Jiang City, had actually been robbed of his woman by some ignorant fool!
He had made it clear—anyone in Jiang City who dared to mess with Li Yuebai would have to answer to him!
Of course…
Unless the other family’s overall strength surpassed his Zhao Family’s.
Then all bets were off.
This wasn’t about bullying the weak and fearing the strong.
This was about knowing when to yield—a true man’s wisdom.
Endure for peace, retreat for a brighter future.
Though Zhao Bala was a spoiled playboy, he wasn’t some reckless idiot. The moment he learned that Li Yuebai had actively invited a man to dinner, he immediately ordered an investigation into Xu Mo’s background.
Those he could crush, he would annihilate. Those he couldn’t, he’d avoid like the plague.
After some digging, he discovered that Xu Mo was a fresh hire.
His family background was utterly ordinary.
Aside from graduating from a top university with excellent grades, there was nothing else about him that gave Zhao Bala pause.
Damn it! Daring to lay a hand on my woman? Does he want to die?!
BANG!!!
Zhao Bala slammed his palm onto the mahogany desk, his face twisted with fury.
Xu Mo had just returned from out of town and started his job today—ignorance was bliss, but Zhao Bala was no pushover.
Not only had he never even held Li Yuebai’s hand, but he rarely got the chance to stand close to her.
And now, some nobody named Xu Mo had the audacity to challenge him?
"If it weren’t for the fact that I’ve been helping my elder brother keep an eye on Leng Ruoshuang, who’s about to return to Baishang Financial, I’d have already made sure Xu Mo regretted being born."
Leng Ruoshuang was the eldest daughter of the Leng Family, one of the four great families of Jiang City.
Baishang Financial was her personal venture.
And this Leng Ruoshuang had a suitor from another of the four great families—Yuan Aotian, the "elder brother" Zhao Bala had mentioned.
Their romantic struggles were eerily similar.
Both were men who couldn’t get the women they desired.
Not that either of them were good people.
They were cut from the same cloth—doing every vile deed imaginable, treating women like disposable playthings.
The women they "wanted" were just trophies to them.
Before conquest, goddesses. After conquest, mere women—or worse, less than pigs and dogs.
Yuan Aotian was particularly twisted.
In the past, he’d simply taken what he wanted from the women he fancied, no questions asked.
After all, in Jiang City, his word was law!
High school and college beauties never stood a chance.
And every time, there were people to clean up his mess.
His possessiveness was extreme.
Any woman he’d touched, if she dared to get close to another man under his watch?
That man would mysteriously vanish the next day.
Or end up with broken limbs.
Either way, nothing good came of it.
Unless they fled Jiang City and disappeared from Yuan Aotian’s sight forever.
But if he caught wind of them again, death might be avoided—but punishment never was.
As for Leng Ruoshuang…
She was from one of the four great families.
Though the Leng Family ranked last, and the Yuan Family ranked second, Yuan Aotian couldn’t force her.
Mutual destruction would leave no winners.
So Yuan Aotian had to resort to "proper" courtship.
Of course, to ensure success, he’d colluded with other families and businesses to sabotage the Leng Family at every turn.
Combined with the Leng Family’s existing enemies…
Yuan Aotian only had to wait for the day the Leng Family collapsed and handed Leng Ruoshuang over to him.
A marriage alliance would seal the deal.
And that day wasn’t far off.
As for Leng Ruoshuang’s recent return from out of town, it was because the pressure on the Leng Family had become unbearable.
She had no choice but to come back.
——
At the end of the workday.
"Let’s call it a day for now." Li Yuebai massaged her temples in frustration before waving everyone out.
Not a single useful suggestion had come from the entire meeting.
Pathetic.
What? Why didn’t Xu Mo just offer a solution?
Please.
He might be short on cash, but he wasn’t an idiot.
Carrying a dozen deadweights to success?
That wasn’t something Xu Mo would do.
Or rather, he simply refused to.
Unless they pooled all their extra earnings and handed them to him, he wouldn’t even consider solving the problem.
But carrying a bunch of freeloaders?
No way.
The others quickly filed out of the conference room.
This time, Li Yuebai didn’t ask Xu Mo to stay behind.
He left with the rest.
Li Yuebai pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and took a slow drag.
Before she could finish, her phone rang.
She glanced at the caller ID, her expression darkening as she flicked ash from her slender cigarette.
With a sigh, she answered.
"Miao Miao, you took the wrong keys yesterday. Why didn’t you check?"
On the other end was Chen Miao, her best friend and drinking companion from last night.
Chen Miao’s jaw dropped.
The audacity! The villain strikes first!
"Yuebai, if I recall correctly, you were the one who grabbed the keys first. And yours has a keychain—how could you mix them up?"
Both of them had been blackout drunk.
They’d called a female coworker to pick them up.
At Chen Miao’s words, Li Yuebai felt a pang of guilt.
If she’d had a place to crash, what about Chen Miao? Had she been locked out?
"Where… where did you sleep last night?"
"Oh, that?"
Chen Miao chuckled. "I felt so sick I almost threw up in the car. Couldn’t make it home, so I just checked into a decent hotel nearby."
Li Yuebai’s face fell.
"You should’ve taken me with you!!!"
Chen Miao got a hotel.
Meanwhile, Li Yuebai had ended up at a stranger’s place—Xu Mo’s.
Thankfully, Xu Mo hadn’t tried anything.
Otherwise, she might’ve regretted it for life!
Even if she could’ve broken Xu Mo’s legs afterward…
What good would that do?
Would it undo anything?
Chen Miao giggled. "I was just creating an opportunity for you! You’re almost forty—when are you going to find someone?"
Li Yuebai’s eye twitched.
"Almost forty?! I’m nowhere near that!"
A woman’s age was a forbidden topic.
Even best friends didn’t get to joke about it!
Chen Miao dropped the teasing and turned serious.
"I saw your message this morning. Only after confirming you were okay did I go to work. If something had happened, do you think I’d just carry on like nothing was wrong?"
Li Yuebai nodded.
This was a true friend—one who’d drop everything to help.
"Where are we eating tonight?"
"Hmm… no idea. I’m sick of the usual spots. It’s your turn to pick, Yuebai."
"Me… me…"
Li Yuebai hesitated.
The question had been casual, but the answer that popped into her mind shocked even herself.
Dinner at Xu Mo’s place!
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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.
th】 【No prior gaming knowledge required】【The First Cultivation + Game Design Novel on the Platform】 In a world where the righteous path dominates and crushes the demonic sects, Lu Ze unlocks the "Son of the Demon Path" system. Killing righteous cultivators now grants him power-ups. Wait—deaths in illusions count too? As a former game designer, Lu Ze decides to give the cultivators of this world a little—no, a massive—shock... Sect Elders: "What is this 'Escape from the Demon Sect' game? Why have all our disciples abandoned cultivation to play it??" Elite Disciples: "You're saying... mastering 'Demon Slayer' can help us counter demonic schemes?" Reclusive Masters: "Why did I leave seclusion? Ask that backstabbing rat who ambushed me in 'Eternal Strife' yesterday!" Rogue Cultivators & Civilians: "'Immortal Abyss Action' is addictive! You can even earn spirit stones by loot-running..." Sect Prodigy: "My Dao heart is unshakable... except for that cursed black hammer." Royal Scions: "Can skins have stat boosts? I’ll pay 10,000 spirit stones for one!!" Sect Leader: "WHO IS CORRUPTING MY DISCIPLES?!!!"
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?
] 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.
