"Meh?"
"Are you free next Sunday?" Ye Shuang asked Chen Qin after the call connected.
"Of course!" Chen Qin's voice on the other end was cheerful.
Ye Shuang then recounted how Aunt Xian had called Bai Yuyou, especially sharing his own concerns. Upon hearing this, Chen Qin let out a drawn-out "Hmm."
Seated in her office, still busy with company matters, Chen Qin twirled a pen between her slender fingers. "Got it. You're worried Yuyou might get eaten up."
"Not exactly," Ye Shuang replied with a faint smile.
Going back was inevitable, but timing mattered. If the Zhou family tried to force Bai Yuyou to stay, it might only make the girl resistant, leading to an unpleasant situation for everyone.
"I think," Chen Qin said, "just politely decline Aunt Xian. You already said it's not the right time."
"How about we grab a meal together this weekend instead?"
"If you do decide to go, just let me know. I’ll come with you," Chen Qin added. "We can have some boat congee and iced milk tea first."
Ye Shuang smiled. "Alright."
After hanging up, the conversation with Chen Qin eased Ye Shuang's hesitation. If things would only get complicated, it was better to hold off for now.
"Hmm… I’ll just say I’m busy." Ye Shuang picked up Bai Yuyou’s phone and sent Aunt Xian a message, explaining that they had other plans for Sunday but would visit another time.
Soon, Aunt Xian replied with a sad-looking sticker but didn’t press further.
"Maybe I’m overthinking it?" Ye Shuang mused, staring at the sticker. In the end, he decided not to dwell on it.
"Let’s skip this week. It’s not the right time yet," he told Bai Yuyou.
The girl nodded obediently.
With that little episode behind them, the two resumed their activities. Ye Shuang watched some educational videos before switching to lighter content. Noticing the noise from his phone, he glanced up at Bai Yuyou.
The girl had returned to her earlier posture—leaning against the armrest of the sofa, practicing her guitar with her legs stretched out.
Sensing his gaze, she tilted her head slightly.
"Nothing, keep practicing," Ye Shuang said.
Bai Yuyou lowered her head and continued playing. Ye Shuang stopped watching videos and simply listened to the notes she strummed. Though not particularly melodious, the sound brought an unexpected sense of calm.
Night deepened.
"Time to brush your teeth," Ye Shuang said, checking the time.
"Ye Shuang…"
"Make a baby." The girl tugged at his sleeve.
Ye Shuang: "…"
"Not now. Go brush your teeth," he said flatly.
Bai Yuyou obediently closed her mouth and went to the bathroom. But when she returned, she slipped him a note—
【(´,,•ω•,,)♡ Ye Shuang, make a baby~】
Ye Shuang: "…"
"Are we really doing this?"
At that moment, he wanted to smack both this clueless girl’s bottom and Keke’s for putting such ideas in her head.
……
The night passed without further incident. The next morning, after updating his novel, Ye Shuang headed to the school clinic.
No sooner had he sat down than his phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Teacher Bai, are you busy?" The caller was another faculty member. Ye Shuang found the voice unfamiliar. "Not really…"
"How did you get my number?"
"I asked in the group chat if any teachers were free for second period, and someone from HR sent me your contact," the voice explained. "Teacher Bai, could you cover a math class for Class A?"
HR?
Ye Shuang was baffled. He was just a school nurse—HR should know that. Why would they give out his number?
"Which HR person?" he asked.
"New hire, I think. Their nickname in the group is ‘Little Fish.’ Do you know them?"
Ye Shuang: "…"
"What’s their profile picture?"
"Let me check… A black-and-white ninja shuriken."
Ye Shuang fell silent again.
"Teacher Bai, do you have time?" the caller pressed. Ye Shuang had only spoken to this teacher a few times before, mostly to gather intel on Bai Yuyou’s school life.
Normally, class substitutions weren’t arranged so hastily—they required advance notice and approval. This had to be an emergency, like last time with Teacher Chen. He wondered if her fracture had healed.
"Class A—which grade?"
"Third year, of course. Teacher Bai, you’re such a joker."
So, Bai Yuyou’s class. Intrigued, Ye Shuang agreed. "Send me the lesson materials."
"Great! It’s just going over a test—nothing complicated."
"Fine."
After hanging up, Ye Shuang scrolled through his contacts until he found the ninja shuriken avatar—An Shiyu.
Of course it was her.
Now posing as HR? She really had too much free time.
Ye Shuang didn’t know where to begin with this troublemaker. An Shiyu was just here for the chaos.
"Could be interesting to see how they behave in class."
He didn’t mind. Soon, the other teacher delivered the test papers, complete with answer keys. Ye Shuang skimmed through the solutions, ensuring he could explain them smoothly.
"Almost time. Let’s go."
Checking the clock, he grabbed the materials and headed to Class A.
If the students asked, he’d just say he was a passing school nurse. And what’s so strange about a nurse substituting, anyway?
……
Class A.
"What? No luck?" During break, Tang Keke asked about last night’s events. When she learned Ye Shuang hadn’t budged, she looked utterly bewildered.
"This face!" She pointed at Bai Yuyou’s delicate features.
"This figure!" She gestured at the girl’s ample chest.
"Bro’s willpower is insane?!" Tang Keke didn’t get it, but she was impressed.
Finally, she reached a conclusion. "Yuyou, do you think Brother might be…"
She crooked her index finger suggestively.
Bai Yuyou, however, slowly looked up and murmured, "Ye Shuang…"
"Yeah, I’m talking about him," Tang Keke said, then noticed Bai Yuyou’s gaze was oddly fixed—on something behind her.
She turned around and froze.
Standing right there was Ye Shuang.
Tang Keke: OvO...
s + Rent Collection Wealth】 At the start, he inherited a rundown house in the urban village from his grandfather. The house had no tenants, but the moment he was diagnosed with a terminal illness, a self-proclaimed empress from the Tianxuan Continent arrived as his first tenant. Ye Chuan soon discovered that with every new tenant moving in, not only did he receive massive daily payments, but he also obtained unique items related to their backgrounds. 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Tiger Strength Pill—dramatically enhances physical power!】 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Deer Blood Pill—significantly boosts vitality!】 …… From that day on, all sorts of bizarre tenants began appearing in the house: the empress from Tianxuan Continent, an apocalyptic sorceress from the Magic Realm, a mysterious scientific girl who fell through a spacetime rift… Every single day, he received strange, powerful items and endless money. Then one day, he suddenly realized—he had become invincible. Enough, enough! Stop giving me more!
saw a female celebrity tied up and stuffed in the trunk! Little did he know, countless cameras were aimed at him at this moment - this was a new type of reality show. The first randomly selected passerby was caught in less than an hour. But when Xu Moru was selected, things started to take an unexpected turn. "Damn, this isn't how the script goes. This Xu Moru is too bold, he's not following the rules at all." "Crap, is this guy taking it seriously?" "The female celebrity has been scared to tears!"
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?!!!"
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?"