When Ye Shuang returned home after grocery shopping, he found Chen Qin had already arrived—two girls were curled up on the sofa watching TV, while Yiwang (Ten Thousand) lay asleep on Bai Yuyou's lap, its fluffy orange tail occasionally twitching and brushing against the girl's snow-white calves.
"Having kids isn’t necessarily a blessing…" the TV murmured.
"You're back," Chen Qin glanced over, grinning.
"Ye Shuang…"
Carrying bags of groceries, Ye Shuang smiled at the sight of them. It felt nice to have someone waiting for him at home, even if he’d only stepped out briefly to shop.
"Yongwang didn’t have any crucian carp, so I bought a black chicken instead. I’ll make soup with cordyceps flowers," Ye Shuang said.
"Black chicken? The ones at the supermarket are all frozen. The freshly slaughtered ones at the wet market are way better," Chen Qin remarked.
"Fine, don’t drink it if you’re so picky," Ye Shuang retorted.
Chen Qin chuckled. "Who said I wouldn’t? I love your cooking the most."
Bai Yuyou got up to help Ye Shuang, though her skills were limited—mostly washing ingredients or handling garnishes like ginger and garlic.
Ye Shuang picked up the cleaver and began chopping the chicken into pieces. With each thud of the blade, Chen Qin, watching from the side, blinked reflexively, looking rather comical.
"Miss Chen, want to learn how to cook?" Ye Shuang asked.
"Seems a bit hard."
"Give it a try?" He offered her the cleaver.
Chen Qin eyed the greasy blade, hesitated, and ultimately didn’t reach for it.
As a young lady who’d never lifted a finger for housework, overcoming this mental hurdle wasn’t easy. Ye Shuang didn’t press her and continued chopping. "Auntie Chen knows how to make good soup, you know."
"Give it to me!"
"You sure?" Amused by her sudden determination, Ye Shuang grinned.
"No problem!" Chen Qin took the cleaver, pressed one hand against the remaining chicken, and raised the blade high.
With a self-encouraging "Hyaa!"—
"Wait, wait—!" Ye Shuang nearly had a heart attack. The angle looked like she was about to chop her own hand. "Go peel garlic with Yuyou instead."
"Fine."
Ye Shuang worked quickly, preparing tomato scrambled eggs, pan-fried beef ribs, stir-fried loofah with pork, and shrimp paste water spinach before serving everything.
"Just home-style dishes. Don’t expect the fancy stuff from your place—I can’t make that," he said, handing Chen Qin chopsticks from the sterilizer.
"My family eats the same things over and over too. The chefs never try anything new," Chen Qin replied.
"Sure, sure."
Twenty-some dishes daily, and you barely touch any of them.
"Eat more later."
"My stomach’s been acting up lately, but I can drink more soup," Chen Qin said, holding up a finger.
Ye Shuang frowned. "If you’re unwell, see a doctor. Don’t let a minor issue turn serious."
"I’ll just take some medicine. Hospitals are a hassle." She didn’t have time for that.
Seeing how careless she was about her health, Ye Shuang studied her face closely—
[Character: Chen Qin
Your ultra, ultra-loving childhood friend. Currently suffering from a stomach ulcer. Maybe take her to the hospital?]
Under his gaze, Chen Qin tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, averting her eyes shyly. "What? Something on my face?"
Ye Shuang looked away. "I’m taking you to the hospital tomorrow."
"Huh? No way!"
"You’re going, whether you like it or not."
Faced with his firm tone, Chen Qin softened like a lamb. "Fine, you’re the boss."
Secretly, she was delighted. If Ye Shuang accompanied her, it might not be so bad—was he worried about her just now? So commanding… she loved it.
After dinner, Ye Shuang headed for a shower.
The moment he stepped in, Bai Yuyou began stripping off her jacket outside. Chen Qin stared, baffled. "Yuyou, what are you doing?"
Clad only in her underwear, Bai Yuyou answered, "Shower… with Ye Shuang."
"No! Put your clothes back on!"
"No…"
Chen Qin chased the expressionless girl around the table, clutching her discarded clothes.
Inside the bathroom, Ye Shuang rinsed his hair under the showerhead, listening to the commotion outside. "What are they up to?"
……
Freshly showered, Ye Shuang towel-dried his hair and glanced toward the sofa—only to find Chen Qin pinning a naked Bai Yuyou down. His expression twisted.
"Chen Qin, you—"
"It’s not what it looks like!" Chen Qin released her grip, and Bai Yuyou darted behind Ye Shuang.
"She tried to follow you into the shower!"
Ye Shuang glanced at the girl clinging to his waist, now bare and surrounded by strewn clothes—clearly, a struggle had ensued.
"Don’t catch a cold. Go shower properly," he told Bai Yuyou.
"Okay."
Once she disappeared into the bathroom, Ye Shuang gathered the scattered clothes and tossed them into the washer.
Chen Qin sat on the sofa, propping her chin in her hands. "Ye Shuang, does she do this every day?"
"Pretty much," he replied without turning. "She doesn’t understand these things. Treat her like a kid."
He’d tried educating her before, but Bai Yuyou always circled back to "married couples can do anything." He’d given up.
"With that body? How?"
"……" Ye Shuang had no rebuttal. Bai Yuyou’s figure was undeniably stunning, her skin flawless. If he weren’t determined not to be a scumbag, he might’ve succumbed long ago.
Still, he said, "I treat her like a kid. If you’ve got time, maybe teach her some basics."
"Gladly." Chen Qin’s eyes sparkled.
After Bai Yuyou finished showering, it was Chen Qin’s turn—but she hadn’t brought spare clothes. "Want me to drive you home tonight?" Ye Shuang asked.
"Ugh, I don’t wanna drive."
"I’ll take you."
Chen Qin puffed her cheeks. "What, am I in the way?"
"You have a dryer, right? Dry my clothes. I’ll borrow yours tonight," she said, then froze when she noticed Bai Yuyou nearby.
The girl stood there, bare legs peeking from under an oversized T-shirt.
That shirt…
Ye Shuang’s?
iemie, male, Race: Moon. Hobby: Collecting anomalies. At first, he thought he possessed two systems: the Crimson Rainbow Moon and the Clear Cold Frost Moon. One day, he discovered that he himself could also become a system for others, holding the chessboard of fate. The Eighth Epoch, also known as the Eternal Moon Epoch. Humans, witches, elves, bloodline descendants, specters, demons, and spirits together compose a new history. Walking the path on behalf of the moon, before he knew it, Chen Miemie's footsteps were followed by all manner of strange and wondrous anomalies. As time passed, many titles circulated about him—The King in Yellow, Lord of Anomalies, Heart of the Eternal Moon, and more. "Me? I'm just a traveler who enjoys collecting interesting creatures," Chen Miemie said.
close your eyes and open them again, only to find yourself transmigrated into the role of a villainous male supporting character. Readers familiar with urban wish-fulfillment novels know that it is only through the relentless antics of the villainous male supporting character that the plot between the male and female leads can progress. As the villainous male supporting character, Long Aotian not only has to bully the female lead, harass the second female lead, and flirt with the third female lead, but he also has to go all out to antagonize the male lead. In the end, when his body is discovered, he is still clutching half a moldy fried dough stick in his hand. Fully aware of the plot, Long Aotian is determined to change his fate, starting with the female lead! In the beginning, the female lead lacks confidence: "Big brother, I hope I didn't scare you?" In the middle, the female lead treads carefully: "Brother Long, please don't hit me, okay?" Later on, the female lead becomes coquettishly clingy: "Aotian, it's time to pay the 'public grain' tonight." Long Aotian's legs go weak, and he feels like crying: "I taught you to be thick-skinned, not shameless!"
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
