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?
his freshman year, Su Bai accidentally bound the "Indulgence Tycoon System." 【Sleeping in? Reward: +$1,000】 【Spent $288 at a street barbecue stall? Cashback: +$2,880】 【Dropped $14,396 on in-game skins? Special reward unlocked: A brand-new Porsche Panamera!】 Luxury cars, penthouses, corporate shares, financial empires… College life was all about living freely and doing whatever he pleased! … When the adorably naive academic genius faced family medical bills and financial struggles, Su Bai waved his hand dismissively: "Your future is on me." "Wuwu~ Big Brother is so good to me! I’ll become a scientist to repay you!" When the genius girl got bullied by a shady professor? Su Bai casually dropped a billion-dollar investment, forcing the university to grovel and beg for her return. A company’s funding chain collapsing? Su Bai smirked—cash was the one thing he’d never run out of. Years later, when people traced the rise of the AI prodigy beauty, who was the man behind her success? Not just that—Su Bai also became the tsundere campus belle’s unattainable dream, the contrast senior’s daily necessity, and the beautiful counselor’s emotional anchor…
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.
to panic—he has a system. As long as an investment target dies, he can claim a reward. And since he is immortal, the one thing he has plenty of is time. ... Countless years later. “Immortal Emperor of Longevity? I invested in him.” “Supreme Celestial Venerable? I invested in him.” “Undying Empress? I invested in her.” “...” “Heh. Once they’ve all died, even the Heavenly Dao will have to kneel and call me Dad.”
lan, the Luo family, tracked him down - along with the babies in their arms. Mo Xuan stared pensively at the paternity test results from over a dozen top institutions, both domestic and international, showing a 99.99% match between himself and the two baby girls. At 23, Mo Xuan, a doctoral student, had become the father of two three-year-old children. The kicker? The mothers weren't even the same person! He gradually realized he was being lured step by step into an elaborate trap designed by these two yandere sisters. "Be good, little Xuan. Sister's life belongs to you entirely." "Brother, if you try to run away, I'll have no choice but to tie you up." Mo Xuan: "Do whatever you want, ladies. I give up."
