Humans are contradictory creatures.
He both wished for the girl to return to her birth parents and hoped she could stay by his side—when these two desires clashed, Ye Shuang ultimately chose to listen to his and Bai Yuyou’s most direct feelings.
The four elders stood there, and the pressure Ye Shuang would face after speaking those words was unimaginable. He had always been filial and respectful toward his elders, making this one of the rare times he openly opposed them—only twice before, and both times were for Bai Yuyou.
The atmosphere was silent, with no one speaking, until Zhou's Mother finally said, "No… my daughter cannot stay with you."
"No matter what, a young man and woman living alone together…"
"No!" Zhou's Mother’s tone grew firmer. "We appreciate your care for Roumei, but no matter what, you’re unrelated to her. I can’t let her stay with you indefinitely."
"As her birth parents, we’ve missed out on so many years already. Now, we should take her back and properly care for her—make up for all that lost time!"
"Aunt Xian…" Ye Shuang began, but she cut him off. "No… what if you get her pregnant?!"
"Shuangzai, don’t blame me for speaking harshly, but no parent would willingly leave their daughter with a man, especially one around the same age!"
"If something happens by accident, it’s just a man’s nature!"
"And you have no right to say we’re disrupting our own daughter’s life! We’re her birth parents—who are you?!"
Her words were heavy, causing Chen's Father and Chen's Mother to frown. Chen's Father, fiercely protective, immediately spoke up.
"Ah Xian, are you questioning my Shuang’s character?"
"Let me tell you, if it weren’t for Shuang, your daughter would still be eating instant noodles and scavenging the streets—you wouldn’t even have found her!"
"If he really wanted to get her pregnant, she could’ve had three kids by now!"
"To her, you’re just strangers! You’ve done nothing for her, and now you’re making a fuss—why can’t you respect the girl’s own wishes?!"
Then, Chen's Father turned to Ye Shuang, deliberately stern as he lectured, "Shuang, your words earlier were also out of line. How could you say they’re disrupting the girl’s life? No matter what, they’re her birth parents."
"I know you were emotional. Life doesn’t give you a prepared script, but next time, mind your words."
"Yes, Uncle Chen."
Ye Shuang nodded, aware that his emotions had gotten the better of him. But it was clear Chen's Father was giving him an out—after his own parents passed away, Chen's Father had treated him like a son. Though Ye Shuang had been in the workforce for years, he still lacked finesse in handling delicate situations, especially when emotions were involved.
Of course, Chen's Father also knew Ye Shuang was the type to be swayed by feelings—otherwise, he wouldn’t have been strung along by Zhao Mengyao for so many years.
Now, Ye Shuang steadied himself, regaining his composure before speaking calmly.
"Aunt Xian, Uncle Zhou, I misspoke earlier. I’m sorry… But Yuyou’s life has been improving here, so I hope she can stay for now and not return with you yet."
"Fine, it’s not a big deal." Zhou's Mother and Zhou's Father sighed, their expressions conflicted.
The room fell silent again.
At that moment, Chen Qin led Bai Yuyou over—they had been sitting in the living room and heard everything.
The moment Bai Yuyou appeared, she clung to Ye Shuang’s side like a burr. Meanwhile, Chen Qin’s expression was complicated. Ye Shuang’s earlier words reminded her of Zhao Mengyao’s shadow.
When would Ye Shuang ever stand up for her like that?
He was a hero—just not her hero.
Sigh.
What was she missing?
"Yuyou." Seeing Bai Yuyou sit beside him, Ye Shuang smiled gently. "They’re your birth parents… Don’t be afraid. Say hello first."
But Bai Yuyou regarded Zhou's Father and Zhou's Mother with hostility. She didn’t want anyone taking her away from Ye Shuang—yet, kind-hearted as she was, the worst thought in her mind was simply wishing they would go home soon.
"Uncle… Auntie…"
The moment Bai Yuyou spoke, Zhou's Father and Zhou's Mother froze, unsure how to respond—or even if they should.
Zhou's Mother forced a pained smile. "Sweetheart, call me Mom, okay?"
Bai Yuyou hid her face behind Ye Shuang and whispered, "If… you don’t bully Ye Shuang… I’ll call you."
Zhou's Mother immediately turned to Ye Shuang. "Shuangzai, I spoke too harshly earlier. I apologize."
"No, Aunt Xian, I was the one who lost my temper." Ye Shuang quickly replied.
After this mutual concession, Bai Yuyou glanced at Ye Shuang, then at Zhou's Father and Zhou's Mother, before murmuring, "Dad… Mom…"
Though her voice was stiff, she managed to say it. The elderly couple across from her lit up with joy but restrained themselves, afraid of triggering another strong reaction from her.
"I… want to stay with Ye Shuang…" Bai Yuyou added.
Zhou's Father and Zhou's Mother exchanged looks.
"Roumei, is there really no room for discussion? It’s not that I don’t trust Shuangzai, but…" Zhou's Mother was deeply torn. Traditional to her core, she couldn’t accept a young man and woman living together unsupervised.
Bai Yuyou, however, said, "Ye Shuang… I ask to bathe with him… but he refuses… Only sometimes…"
The expressions of Zhou's Father and Zhou's Mother instantly turned strange. Even Ye Shuang coughed awkwardly.
Why bring that up? Now they’ll think I’m a pervert.
"In that case, you two should get engaged first," Zhou's Father declared.
"No!"
"No!"
The Chen family trio immediately objected, with Chen's Father the loudest. "No way! Shuang is ours—he’s supposed to marry Qinmei in the future!"
"If he’s already living with my daughter, who knows what’s happened? Might as well make it official with an engagement," Zhou's Father argued, frowning.
"That’s—bullshit!" Chen's Father nearly jumped out of his seat. "Nothing happened, I swear!"
Seeing the two elders on the verge of a full-blown argument, Ye Shuang hastily intervened. "Uh, isn’t this getting off-topic?!"
Both elders snapped in unison, "Shut it!"
Ye Shuang: "…"
Then, Chen Qin spoke up. "Uncle Zhou, I’ve known Ah Ye since childhood—I can vouch for his character. Right now, the priority should be helping Yuyou accept you both."
Hearing this, Zhou's Father quieted down.
Ye Shuang gave Chen Qin an appreciative thumbs-up under the table.
Chen Qin subtly raised her hand, forming a "six" with her fingers.
"Aunt Xian, Uncle Zhou," Ye Shuang suggested, "why not try integrating into Yuyou’s life first, instead of forcing her to adapt to yours?"
lanned to earn money steadily and take life at a slower pace. But he never expected... his father's remarriage, and the stepmother bringing along a dependent, would completely disrupt his life's plans...
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!
ts me of treason?" "Correct. The host must return to the capital and gradually build up influence." "Wait—I have half a million soldiers, and you want me to go back to the capital to 'build influence'?" "Host, you are currently the Northern Garrison General, loyal to the Great Xia Dynasty." "Of course I am loyal to Great Xia! Absolutely loyal!" "But you keep referring to yourself as 'We'..." "Never mind the details! Summon all the regional commanders and military officers! We suspect treacherous officials are manipulating the court! They shall march with Us to the capital and purge the corrupt!" "......"
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.
