"Alright then, I won’t interfere for now." After the girl Ye Shuang finished speaking, she went upstairs.
Alice held a cup of water, blowing softly on the steam—she didn’t even understand why she had come here. By the time she snapped out of her thoughts, she was already in this place.
Alice wasn’t the type to trouble others, so when she saw Ye Shuang brush her off and head upstairs, the girl began wondering if she should just leave.
But where could she go?
It felt like nowhere truly belonged to her.
"Tap, tap, tap." Footsteps sounded from the stairs again. Alice turned her head and saw Ye Shuang coming back down.
In his hands was an extra piece of clothing.
"Huh?" Alice was surprised.
"What’s with the ‘huh’? Change into this. It’s Yu You’s," Ye Shuang said. "You’ll catch a cold if you stay in those wet clothes. Go take a shower first."
"……" Alice stared at the clothes handed to her, but before she could say anything, Ye Shuang had already guided her into the bathroom.
……
Steam rose from the showerhead, water droplets splashing onto the damp floor.
Alice soaked in the bathtub, only her flushed knees peeking out above the water.
"Mmm…" The girl sank deeper, half of her face submerged, bubbles rising as she exhaled. Her golden hair fanned out in the water, shimmering under the light like strands of gold.
"He… doesn’t seem to dislike me," Alice thought. But then she glanced toward the door outside.
"Surely… he wouldn’t suddenly barge in, right?"
The warm water had tinted her cheeks a soft pink, her mind growing hazy—but the next second, a voice from outside jolted her awake.
"Alice, I’m heading out for a bit."
"Ah—huh? Oh… got it. Eek!!!" Water splashed everywhere as Alice flailed, nearly slipping entirely underwater.
"What’s wrong? You okay?" Ye Shuang’s concerned voice came through the door.
"D-don’t come in! I’m fine!" Alice blurted.
"Be careful, don’t pass out in there," came the teasing reply, making Alice feel like she was being treated like a child. Instantly, the golden-haired girl’s face burned red.
Soon after, the sound of the front door locking echoed.
"He’s gone?" Alice wondered, relaxing slightly.
"Probably a good person."
Feeling more at ease, she decided to soak a little longer. But barely a few minutes later, the sound of the door unlocking reached her ears.
Footsteps approached, and Alice frowned. "Back already?"
She brushed it off, assuming Ye Shuang had just gone to take out the trash.
Then, the bathroom doorknob rattled.
Alice’s heart leaped into her throat, her eyes widening in disbelief.
W-what’s he doing?!
Is he really trying to sneak in on me?!
Couldn’t resist my charm after all?!
B-but—
The next second, the door swung open, and Alice shrieked, "Eek, no!!!!!!!"
Meanwhile,
Ye Shuang, who had paused mid-step while carrying a basket to buy more groceries, turned to glance at the apartment building behind him.
"Hmm… did I forget something?"
……
"Eek!!! …Huh?"
In the bathroom, Alice’s scream trailed off as she squinted through the steam—only to see a slender, long-haired girl standing there, completely bare.
She blinked. The other girl blinked back. The two stared at each other in silence—
"Ye Shuang… shrank?" Bai Yuyou tilted her head, observing Alice curled up in the tub. "So tiny."
"W-wait, it’s you?!" Alice exhaled in relief upon realizing it wasn’t Ye Shuang but Bai Yuyou. But when she heard the comment about being "tiny," she instinctively looked down, then bared her little fangs.
"I-I’m still growing, okay?! What’s that supposed to mean?!"
Bai Yuyou had only meant that Alice was petite. She studied her a moment longer, then leaned closer. "Ye Shuang, small now."
"I’m not Ye Shuang! I’m Alice!" Alice snapped.
Only then did Bai Yuyou seem to remember. No wonder Alice had looked familiar earlier.
"Don’t just barge in like that! You scared me!" Alice huffed, then suddenly froze. "W-wait, did you think I was him? And you just waltzed in here like this?!"
Bai Yuyou tilted her head. "Is… there a problem?"
"You’re not wearing any clothes?!"
"Showering. Clothes get wet," Bai Yuyou replied matter-of-factly. "Remember that."
"Why does it sound like you’re lecturing me?! That’s not the point—do you just walk in on him like this too?! Naked?!" Alice’s head spun, unsure if it was from the heat or Bai Yuyou’s logic.
"Because… showering means no clothes."
Alice: "……"
"Whatever." Giving up, Alice sulked, her cheeks puffing up like a steamed bun.
Meanwhile, Bai Yuyou began rinsing off under the shower.
Alice peeked over, then muttered under her breath, "How is her figure that good… Didn’t look like it with clothes on."
Noticing the stare, Bai Yuyou glanced back. "?"
"Hmph." Alice turned away, though her hands drifted underwater to poke at herself.
Soon, Bai Yuyou finished showering and stepped into the tub.
"Hey, this tub’s too small for two!"
"It’s fine… I’ll hold you."
"No way!!"
……
When Ye Shuang returned, he found the two girls sitting on the couch.
"Ye Shuang…"
As Bai Yuyou approached, Ye Shuang smiled and patted her head. "You’re back. Did you greet our guest properly?"
"Mm. We showered together."
Ye Shuang paused, then looked past her at Alice—only to find the girl’s face puffed up, as if she’d endured some great ordeal.
What on earth happened?
"Alice will be staying with us for a while due to some circumstances," Ye Shuang said, setting the groceries aside. "Yu You, you’re the older sister here. If Alice needs anything, help her out, okay?"
"Needs?"
"Yeah, girls always need certain things."
Bai Yuyou seemed to understand. She returned to Alice’s side and sat down.
"What now?" Alice asked.
After a brief internal struggle, Bai Yuyou slowly pulled a single chocolate-coated peanut from her pocket—almost reluctantly—and offered it. "Here."
Alice’s eyes widened. "You’re treating me like a kid?!"
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!
m back to his original world. In the end, he realized he had overthought things. [Hey, why is Shen Manni, the female lead, acting strange? Shouldn't she be fawning over the male lead at this point?] [Zhou Qiaoqiao, are you sick? Weren't you supposed to break off your engagement today?] [Damn it! An Youyi, please do your job as an undercover agent and sell my information to the protagonist, you idiot!] ... At this moment, Xu Mo himself didn't know that these female leads had already heard his inner thoughts. Then they decided not to play by the rules. Xu Mo: Please respect my profession as the big villain!
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
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."
