Stepping out of the police station, the air carried a slight chill.
Ye Shuang passed through the gate, lost in thought about how to get home, when he noticed a car with its lights on parked not far away, a slightly chubby figure leaning against it.
"You're here?" Ye Shuang was momentarily taken aback upon seeing Chen Hai.
"Things blew up pretty big—I happened to catch wind of it," Chen Hai said, tossing him a can. Catching it, Ye Shuang realized it was a Tsingtao beer. He popped it open and took a sip.
"Pretty cold."
"Of course. Got a fridge in the car," Chen Hai replied, cracking open his own can.
"Drinking and driving right outside the police station? Got some nerve, huh?"
"It’s guava juice," Chen Hai said, shaking the green can in his hand. The printed label, previously obscured by his grip, confirmed it wasn’t beer.
Seeing Ye Shuang chuckle and drop the subject, Chen Hai turned to him. "Heard you threw hands too?"
"What’s so strange about that?"
"Haven’t seen you throw a punch in years."
"Ever seen a boss throw hands?"
"Ha, fair point… Thought you’d get locked up for sure."
"Just a minor scuffle. Worst case, a fine and a lecture. As for that guy? He’s looking at three years, easy," Ye Shuang said with a faint smile.
"Speak human to humans, speak devil to devils. Sometimes you gotta hit hard, or people’ll think you’re soft."
"With folks who throw tantrums, fists work best."
Chen Hai didn’t disagree. Watching Ye Shuang’s distant gaze, he suddenly asked, "Still thinking about her?"
Ye Shuang lit a cigarette and deflected, "Why do you ask?"
"Just… feels like you wouldn’t move on so easily. You know I get you, man."
Ye Shuang stayed silent for a while before exhaling smoke slowly. "She was never my moon—just moonlight that happened to fall on me for a moment."
"You’re okay with that?"
"It is what it is. Nothing’s perfect in this world," Ye Shuang said, though his mind inexplicably drifted to Bai Yuyou. He shook his head with a wry smile.
"I’m over it."
"Hey, why not just go for Chen Qin? She’s a total catch—rich, beautiful. Keep it in the family," Chen Hai teased, nudging closer.
"She’s like a sister to me. You know that," Ye Shuang retorted, shoving him away with an elbow.
"She doesn’t see you as a brother. More like future husband material. And she’s gorgeous, sweet—"
"Enough. I’m heading back."
"So early? Come on, let’s hit a foot spa."
"With your wife?"
"…Never mind. She’d skin me alive."
The drive back to the neighborhood was quick. After exchanging goodbyes with Chen Hai, Ye Shuang reached his apartment building.
Glancing up, he noticed a single balcony still lit.
At three or four in the morning, even the city’s brightest neon lights had dimmed, but that warm glow felt like an anchor for his weary heart.
"Maybe this kind of life isn’t so bad," Ye Shuang mused before stepping inside.
Unlocking the door, he was met with a pair of eyes the moment he entered the brightly lit apartment.
Seated on a chair facing the entrance was a girl, her cheek resting against the backrest, exhaustion plain in her eyes—until she saw Ye Shuang. Her gaze brightened as she stood.
"You… you’re back?"
"Why aren’t you asleep?" Ye Shuang hadn’t expected Bai Yuyou to still be awake. He’d assumed she’d left the lights on while sleeping.
Bai Yuyou stepped closer, tilting her head up. "You told me to wait for you."
She hesitated. "Did I… do wrong?"
"No, you didn’t. Stop thinking you’re always in the wrong," Ye Shuang said, ruffling her hair.
"Go to sleep now."
"Okay."
Bai Yuyou was out the moment her head hit the pillow, though her fingers still clung to the hem of Ye Shuang’s shirt, as if that small grip was her only tether to safety.
Tucking her in, Ye Shuang watched the faint pink flush on her pale cheeks and smiled silently.
Good night.
Early the next morning, Bai Yuyou was already up.
She rubbed her stomach, still groggy.
Hungry.
Heading to the kitchen, she instinctively reached for instant noodles, only to find someone already there—a figure bathed in sunlight, working a sizzling frying pan.
The rich aroma of cooking oil snapped her awake. The scene felt so surreal she couldn’t resist reaching out—
"Hm? You’re up?" Feeling the tug on his clothes, Ye Shuang glanced back. "Hold on, let me flip this egg."
With practiced ease, he flicked the egg over, the sound of crisp edges filling the air.
"Cool, right?"
"Mm." But Bai Yuyou’s eyes never left him. She pressed closer, burying her face against his chest.
"I’m covered in grease. Go wash up," Ye Shuang said, steering her toward the bathroom.
By the time she returned, breakfast was ready.
Simple fare—fried egg and bacon sandwiches, about seven or eight of them. The bread, toasted in butter, smelled perfect.
As for why he’d made so many—
Bai Yuyou, cheeks stuffed like a chipmunk, had already polished off six in ten minutes.
A bottomless pit, truly.
"What about lunch? Do you eat at school? They have a cafeteria, right?" Ye Shuang asked.
Bai Yuyou shook her head. "No lunch…"
"Why not?"
She looked down. "The cafeteria… doesn’t take cash. So my stomach… hurts… at noon."
"No cash?" Ye Shuang frowned, then remembered his own school days—meal cards were the norm.
Had Bai Yuyou been turned away for trying to pay with cash because she didn’t know how to use a card?
"Did you not load your meal card?"
"Mm." She nodded. She’d never figured out where those cards came from. Everyone else had one, but no one told her.
Eventually, she’d stopped going altogether—sparing lunchtimes with nothing but water to dull the hunger.
"No wonder you eat like this. Starving all day, then binging on instant noodles at night—you’ll ruin your stomach," Ye Shuang sighed, eyeing her pale, almost sickly complexion.
With a smile, he added,
"Tell you what. I’ll go to school with you today."
Bai Yuyou blinked, tilting her head.
"Eh?"
ey change clothes. Li Chuan contributed all his possessions, only to find that things were not as they seemed. Almost a year after joining, he hadn’t managed to get a single Daoist consort. Thinking he had been deceived, he was approached by a stunning senior fellow disciple who asked if he would like to form a spiritual bond. For those who don’t practice cultivation, they might not know what “forming a spiritual bond” is. Let me put it this way: A long-term relationship is called a “Daoist consort,” while a short-term relationship is known as “forming a spiritual bond.” From then on, Li Chuan discovered the true way to interact with the Yin-Yang Sect’s Daoist consorts. As long as he had enough spirit stones, he could form a spiritual bond with anyone, Whether it’s Senior Sisters, aunts, Daoist consorts of aunts, female elders, Daoist consorts of elders, or even the Daoist consort of the sect leader, anyone can form a spiritual bond as long as there are enough spirit stones.” I've already joined the Yin-Yang Sect, and you're telling me to focus on cultivation? Do you even know what the Yin-Yang Sect is all about?
] 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.
and couldn't return to the real world. Finally, I gave up and decided to go with the flow, only to discover that writing a diary could make me stronger. Since no one could read it, Su Luo wrote freely, daring to pen anything and everything. Female Lead #1: "Not bad. This diary helped me steal all the protagonist's opportunities. I just want to get stronger." Female Lead #2: "I don’t care about reaching the peak of the cultivation world. Right now, I just want to enjoy the chaos." Female Lead #3: "What? Everyone around me is a spy? I’m the Joker Demon Lord?" ... It’s so strange. Why is the plot completely off track, yet the ending remains the same? Are you all just messing with me?!
n] Top-tier player Zhou Yi died and was reborn into the body of a hopeless simp who shared his name. His first love callously dumped him for a rich heir, his childhood sweetheart saw him as an embarrassment, the ice-cold campus beauty looked down on him—every woman he ever loved treated him like a pathetic doormat. But later, his ex came crawling back in tears: "Yi, I was wrong. Please take me back." His childhood sweetheart became hopelessly devoted: "Yi, just one more glance from you is all I ask." The aloof campus belle blushed as she handed him a love letter: "Zhou Yi, I was blind before. Will you accept my feelings?" To all of them, Zhou Yi just smiled. "Sorry, too late. I’m done with love." Oh, and he also gained a system—every time he earned a woman’s affection, his looks improved and his bank account grew. Soon, he became the nation’s most eligible bachelor, with socialites and heiresses begging for his attention...
