“Doesn’t look like it.”
“I didn’t think so either.” Ye Shuang quietly zoomed in on the photo, staring at the twins before murmuring, “What a shame…”
“Why… a shame?”
Ye Shuang glanced at Bai Yuyou but ultimately smiled without answering. Some things were still too heavy for her to bear.
“Let’s sleep. It’s already very late.”
“Oh…”
After turning off the lights and lying down, Ye Shuang rested his hands behind his head. Seeing that photo had unlocked a long-sealed box of memories.
The thick darkness of night didn’t lull him to sleep. Instead, he lay there staring at the ceiling, his mind flooded with memories that seemed determined to overwhelm him.
Then, the girl nestled against him stirred. In the dim room, she slowly lifted her face and whispered, almost inaudibly, “Ye Shuang…”
“Hmm?” Ye Shuang blinked, tilting his head slightly—Bai Yuyou was looking at him. The faint glow of streetlights and stars outside seeped into her eyes, casting a soft shimmer.
Seeing she was still awake, he asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Ye Shuang… isn’t sleeping,” Bai Yuyou said.
“It’s nothing. Just thinking about some things. Go to sleep.” He gently ruffled her hair and smiled.
“Want to know… what Ye Shuang is thinking.”
Bai Yuyou had noticed it earlier—ever since Ye Shuang saw that photo, his mood had shifted strangely, as if he’d recalled something painful.
“Don’t be sad…” Her small hand slipped out from under the covers and slowly intertwined with his. She lifted her face slightly. “Tell me…”
The warmth of her palm caught him off guard. He sighed softly. “Didn’t expect to be comforted by you, little one.”
“Do you really want to hear it?”
“Mm…”
“It might be heavy for you. I wasn’t going to say it, but…” Ye Shuang hesitated before continuing, “What kind of person do you think Fugui is?”
“Kind. Good person,” Bai Yuyou answered.
“But he used to be rebellious, with a rough-and-tumble personality. His twin sister, Li Fuyao, was the gentle one—timid, too. But with Fugui and the rest of us around, no one dared bully her at school.”
“They were twins… brother and sister.”
“Twins… siblings…”
“Yeah. Like in the photo, Fugui looked very different back then.” Ye Shuang went on, “The reason is complicated. It all started—”
“When Fuyao died.”
“Died?” Bai Yuyou tightened her grip on his hand.
“Yeah. She slipped and fell. Just a few school steps, but she hit the back of her head. Even after the hospital tried to save her… she didn’t make it.”
“That period was the darkest time for Fugui. Fuyao’s death made their father lose focus while driving… and he died in a car accident.”
“Their mother… couldn’t handle the grief. She lost her mind.”
“Fugui himself developed psychological issues.”
Ye Shuang recounted it all calmly, but the weight of his words pressed heavily on Bai Yuyou. Though she didn’t fully grasp many things, his explanation was clear—so clear that she couldn’t reconcile it with the cheerful man who called her “sweetheart” and “darling.”
“Still want to hear more?” Ye Shuang asked gently when she stayed silent.
“Mm.” Bai Yuyou nodded.
“Like I said, after Fugui’s mother lost her sanity, she couldn’t even take care of herself…”
“But Fugui was strong. After a brief period of therapy… he took on the responsibility of caring for her.”
“The problem was, his mother only recognized Fuyao. It was like she’d forgotten Fugui existed.” Ye Shuang continued, “One day, while Fugui was cleaning out Fuyao’s clothes, he got the idea to wear them for his mother.”
“Unexpectedly, his mother mistook him for Fuyao… and her condition actually improved.”
Bai Yuyou listened, stunned.
“Strange, right? So, for his mother’s sake—and to care for her better—Fugui decided to live as Fuyao. He played the role of her daughter in front of his mother… and over time, it became his reality. He never went back.”
Ye Shuang sighed. “You know what Fugui once told me?”
“What…?”
“He said—living this way made him feel like his mother and Fuyao were still with him.”
“And this was a guy who used to be the straightest, most macho guy around.”
“In a way, he’s still plenty manly.”
Lowering his voice, Ye Shuang added, “Oh, and don’t tell Fugui I told you any of this. That guy’s always smiling, but his temper’s no joke.”
“Okay.” Bai Yuyou nodded obediently, though her spirits remained low.
Empathy came easily to her, and such a tragic story left her heart heavy.
“Yuyou.” Ye Shuang stroked her hair. “Remember what I once said? True death is being forgotten.”
“A person dies three times.”
“First, when their breath and heartbeat stop—the death of the body.”
“Second, at their funeral—the death of their place in the world.”
“Third, when the last person who remembers them dies… or forgets. That’s when all traces of them vanish. That’s true death.”
“Fugui’s just living in Fuyao’s place. He’s the last one keeping her memory alive.”
Ye Shuang exhaled slowly.
“It’s his choice.”
“But ever since that day… he’s never lived for himself.”
“Auntie Li… so sad,” Bai Yuyou murmured.
“Alright, story’s over.” Ye Shuang lightened his tone, trying to shift the mood. He touched her cheek—cold under his fingers. “Time to sleep, yeah?”
“Mm.”
Bai Yuyou settled down, though she pressed even closer, as if seeking more of his warmth.
Ye Shuang patted her back soothingly. Truthfully, he hadn’t wanted to share this story—not just for her sake, but for his own. Even if he tried to forget, seeing that photo brought it all back.
But Fugui had never forgotten. Not for a single day in fourteen years.
“Sleep…”
Ye Shuang whispered to Bai Yuyou—or maybe to himself.
Goodnight.
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.
pression Bureau] Transported to a fantasy world overrun by demons and monsters, Gu Qingfeng becomes a jailer in the Demon Suppression Prison of the Great Yan Dynasty's Demon Suppression Bureau. From this point on, bizarre cases frequently occur in the Demon Suppression Prison, once known as hell on earth and infamous for its gloomy, terrifying atmosphere! Why do the demons and monsters in the prison wail miserably every night? Why has the corpse demon, capable of transforming into various beauties, donned black stockings and switched careers to become a foot massage therapist? Why has the eye demon, expert in soul-snatching and illusions, turned into a VR headset? Why is the fox spirit performing otaku dances? Are all these occurrences a twisted expression of demonic nature, or a descent into moral depravity? After peeling away layer upon layer of mystery, all clues ultimately point to a jailer named Gu Qingfeng. Gu Qingfeng: "Hehehe... My dear demons and monsters, whose card shall we flip today?"
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
ts me of treason?" "Correct. The host must return to the capital and gradually build up influence." "Wait—I have half a million soldiers, and you want me to go back to the capital to 'build influence'?" "Host, you are currently the Northern Garrison General, loyal to the Great Xia Dynasty." "Of course I am loyal to Great Xia! Absolutely loyal!" "But you keep referring to yourself as 'We'..." "Never mind the details! Summon all the regional commanders and military officers! We suspect treacherous officials are manipulating the court! They shall march with Us to the capital and purge the corrupt!" "......"
