"I think I saw my great-grandma." Ye Shuang stared at the clear blue sky, then glanced at the yellow object pressing down on him. The sudden fall had left his head buzzing.
The mascot head had rolled off, revealing the girl's delicate face. "Ye Shuang, are you okay?" she asked.
"I'm fine." Ye Shuang reached out and gently patted her head. "It’d be even better if you could get off me, though."
He wasn’t sure if the mascot suit was just that heavy or if the weight was concentrated on a small part of his body, but it felt suffocating.
With Tang Keke’s help, Bai Yuyou wobbled back to her feet. Watching her unsteady movements, Ye Shuang couldn’t help but worry she might faceplant again.
"Mmm..." Ye Shuang also stood up with Zhixia and Linlin’s assistance.
"Teacher Ye, are you alright?"
"I’m fine."
Picking up the fallen headpiece, he noticed a dent on the surface. He reached inside, fiddled around, and—pop—the nose of the headpiece snapped back into place.
"Fixed it!"
"Seems pretty durable." Ye Shuang held the headpiece and tried it on. Perhaps because Bai Yuyou had worn it earlier, the faint scent of flowers lingered inside.
The visibility was terrible, though. And with this weight, how the hell had An Shiyu managed to pull off those complicated judo throws in this clunky thing?
"Where’d this come from?" he asked after taking it off.
"Bought it off Xianyu. It’s leftover stock from that Pokémon-themed amusement park. Hehe, I snatched it up," Tang Keke explained cheerfully. "I was just thinking of having Yuyou wear it for the cosplay event."
"Cosplay event?"
"Yep! Right at the school gate—lots of people are dressed up taking photos." Tang Keke waved a brown wizard hat and an eyepatch. "Behold! I am Megumin, the greatest and most powerful wielder of Explosion Magic!"
She raised a staff dramatically. "EXPLOSION!"
"Hehe, how’s that? Straight out of Konosuba."
Ye Shuang studied her, rubbing his chin. "Hmm… Something feels off, but I can’t quite put my finger on it."
"What about you guys? Joining the event too?" He glanced at Zhixia and the others. They’d earned a fair bit from selling lemon tea lately—might as well enjoy the rest of the holiday.
"We don’t really have costumes," Zhixia said with a smile, waving it off. She spent most of her time on music anyway.
Linlin nodded. "Yeah, never tried cosplay."
"I’ve got more!" Tang Keke rummaged through her bag. "Linlin-senpai!"
"Eh? W-What?" Linlin stiffened as Tang Keke’s eyes gleamed with mischief.
"Wear this!"
"T-This? No way!"
Zhixia clapped her hands together. "In that case, let me help you~"
"W-Wait, don’t strip me—!" Linlin flailed, but Tang Keke and Zhixia had her pinned.
...
Moments later, a wriggling watermelon slice emerged, clutching a megaphone. "Fam, can y’all even—?"
"Ooooh, suits you perfectly, Linlin!" Tang Keke and Zhixia applauded in sync.
"Perfect my foot! What kind of abomination is this?!" Linlin’s voice echoed from inside the watermelon suit, which resembled a giant, squirming caterpillar.
Zhixia blinked. "I think it’s kinda fun."
"I’d rather wear a maid outfit than this!" Linlin crossed her arms, clearly revolted.
Tang Keke gasped. "Linlin-senpai, how did you know I brought a maid outfit?!"
"Huh?!"
"Heave-ho!" She yanked out a piece of blue-and-white striped fabric, glanced at it, and stuffed it back. "Wrong one. But hey, you can wear this later too~"
"Why do you even have that?!" Linlin’s voice cracked.
"Hold on, I never agreed—!"
"Eek?!"
In the end, Zhixia donned the watermelon suit, while Linlin was forced into the maid dress—her face burning as she desperately tugged at the short skirt. "It’s too short… Everything’s showing."
"Relax, I gave you safety shorts," Tang Keke said.
"Those striped things are just an extra layer, not actual coverage?!"
Meanwhile, Zhixia enthusiastically mashed the megaphone. "Fam, can y’all even—?"
"Fam, can y’all—?"
"Fam, famfamfamfamfam—"
"Come here, Yuyou." Tang Keke beckoned Bai Yuyou over. The girl wobbled adorably in the mascot suit as the four of them gathered, creating a bizarre yet charming tableau.
"Quite the lively bunch. Sure you don’t wanna join?" Ye Shuang asked An Shiyu, who stood beside him, hands in pockets and visibly uninterested.
"Meh."
She turned to him. "If you’re keen, I’ve got cosplay props too."
"Really?" He was surprised—wasn’t she indifferent?
"Yeah." An Shiyu pulled a single leaf from her pocket. "Here."
Ye Shuang took it, puzzled. "That’s it? Just… a leaf?"
"Yep. Strip naked, cover yourself with this, and boom—you’re a caveman." She delivered this with utter seriousness.
Ye Shuang: "..."
He karate-chopped her head. "Why don’t you try that?"
"Wouldn’t pass censorship," she deadpanned.
"..."
"If I did that, I’d be having a chat with security."
"Fine. I’ve also got band-aids. Strip, stick them on strategic spots, and you can cosplay as a flasher." She produced a handful.
Ye Shuang: "..."
"Tch. So picky, old man." An Shiyu clicked her tongue, side-eyeing him with disdain.
"Since when are those actual cosplays?!"
"Then how about a school doctor?"
"I am the school doctor."
"So just wear your lab coat and add the leaf. Easy."
"That’s even more degenerate?!"
uld barely embark on the path to immortality. Just as he was on the verge of death, his golden finger awakened. No matter whether it was poison, drained blood and vital energy, diminished lifespan, or any other physical debuff caused by paying a price—once midnight passed, everything would be refreshed. From then on, whenever someone asked what kind of person Chu Ran was, the answer was simple: Forbidden arts that other cultivators dared not learn? Chu Ran would learn them. Prices that even demonic cultivators dared not pay? Chu Ran would pay them. Lifespan that even righteous cultivators dared not burn? Chu Ran would burn it. All the blood essence in his body? Take it. Want both his hands and feet? He would cut them off and send them to you. You say he’s finished? He wasn’t built to sit idle. You think he’s gone mad? No—he was simply waiting for midnight. From that day onward, Chu Ran would respect neither Heaven nor Earth, bow to neither gods nor ghosts. He had only one wish: For midnight to arrive a little sooner.
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.”
world slacker. But a genius female disciple just had to get clingy, insisting that he take her as a disciple. Not only that, she was always making advances on him, thoroughly disrupting his peaceful slacker life...
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…
