Today was the day the exam results would be announced.
Bai Yuyou woke up early to prepare breakfast. Wearing her Pikachu apron, she skillfully fried eggs in a pan—placing perfectly round sunny-side-up eggs onto a plate before turning up the heat. As white smoke began to rise from the pan, she tossed in diced cucumbers and meat.
The sizzle of oil seemed to wake up the entire morning.
With practiced ease, Bai Yuyou tilted the pan slightly, letting the flames lick its edges. In an instant, the entire pan was engulfed in fire! Unfazed, she gave the pan a quick flick, sending the meat and cucumbers dancing in the flames. She then grabbed the pre-mixed soy sauce and oyster sauce, drizzling it around the edges. Another sizzle—the flames vanished, replaced by an irresistible aroma.
Once the stir-fried cucumber and meat were plated, Bai Yuyou took slices of bread, stuffed them with the eggs and filling, and neatly cut the sandwich in half.
"It's done," she said, placing the meal on the dining table.
Without realizing it, she had learned how to cook.
As she looked at the hearty breakfast she had prepared, a thought crossed her mind—
Tang Keke once said that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.
Bai Yuyou didn’t quite understand the connection between the stomach and the heart, but she had practiced cooking diligently anyway—alongside studying music, academics, and more. Despite the workload, she found it fulfilling.
Especially when she was with Ye Shuang. Everything felt enjoyable around him. She loved this kind of life.
"Meow!" At her feet, Yīwàn (Ten Thousand) rolled around like a fluffy meatball.
Bai Yuyou crouched down and poked its belly. "You need to lose weight, Yīwàn."
"Meow?"
"You’ve grown up." Bai Yuyou studied the cat, comparing it to the frail, injured kitten she had once rescued. Now, with its glossy fur and a plump belly, it looked like an entirely different creature.
"I’ve grown up too," she mused, gently ruffling Yīwàn’s head before standing up.
Just a little more, and she and Ye Shuang could become husband and wife.
The sound of knocking interrupted her thoughts. She walked over and opened the door—
"Yuyou~~~~" Tang Keke stood there, cheeks sunken, arms limp, as if all energy had been drained from her body.
"Keke, you’ve turned into a zombie," Bai Yuyou observed.
"Ugh, I barely slept last night. Today’s the day the exam results come out," Tang Keke groaned, her entire being radiating gloom.
"Even in my dreams, I was eating Chen Qin’s… experimental cooking."
"Oi, what’re you sayin’, lass?" A grinning face suddenly appeared behind Tang Keke. Chen Qin had materialized out of nowhere, resting her hands on Tang Keke’s shoulders.
"Wah?! The Dark Lord of Culinary Catastrophes has arrived!" Tang Keke shuddered, her backpack trembling with her.
"What nonsense are you spouting? Need a lesson in The Analects of Violence?" Chen Qin clenched her fists, twisting Tang Keke’s head playfully. "Seems like you’ve got a lot to say about my cooking, huh?"
"You know what they say—'If a gentleman isn’t firm, then—'"
"Ow ow ow! Sorry, sorry, Sister Chen Qin!"
The sound of slippers shuffling down the stairs interrupted them. Ye Shuang, looking drowsy, yawned as he descended—only to pause at the sight of three girls crowding the doorway.
"What are you all doing at the door?"
"Chen Qin wants to conquer the world," Bai Yuyou explained.
Ye Shuang blinked. "Huh?"
"Seems like you’ve got an opinion too, little Bai Yuyou," Chen Qin teased, pinching the girl’s soft cheeks.
"Mmm."
"Such energy this early," Ye Shuang muttered before heading to wash up.
By the time he returned, Chen Qin and the others had already started breakfast. As he sat down, Bai Yuyou slid a plate toward him—a fragrant sandwich waiting.
"Looks great. What time did you wake up?" Ye Shuang asked. He had set an alarm to make breakfast, but Bai Yuyou must have woken earlier and turned it off.
"Six. Wanted you to sleep more."
"You should rest too. You have classes, while I can nap in the school clinic sometimes."
"It’s okay. You usually make breakfast. It’s tiring." Bai Yuyou shook her head.
Tang Keke giggled. "Don’t worry, Brother! It’s fine if Yuyou cooks sometimes!"
"Alright, better than…" Ye Shuang’s gaze drifted to Chen Qin, who was dressed sharply in office attire—a crisp white blouse accentuating her figure, paired with beige trousers and a diamond-studded Hermès belt.
"Oi, I’m just a slow learner, alright?" Chen Qin huffed, though she was well aware of her culinary shortcomings. Seeing Ye Shuang’s hesitant expression, she grumbled, "Haven’t you heard? 'A scholar’s progress should be reassessed every three days.'"
"Three days, then another three," Ye Shuang began, only to feel Chen Qin’s foot press down on his.
"Never mind," he surrendered, raising his hands.
"What brings you here today?"
"There’s an exhibition nearby. I was invited, so I dropped by since it’s close."
"Even with your packed schedule, you still make time. Impressive."
"And who do you think I’m making time for?" Chen Qin took a bite of the sandwich—only to pause. It was too good.
Last time Bai Yuyou had cooked at her place, the food had been average. How had she improved so quickly?
Was talent really a thing?
In truth, Chen Qin simply lacked time to practice, while Bai Yuyou cooked daily—even at school, where weekly culinary classes were mandatory.
"Summer break’s coming up. You won’t have school duties, right?" Chen Qin asked.
"Nope. Like the teachers, I get paid vacation," Ye Shuang confirmed. Few perks beat summer break—especially for someone with his job.
"Let’s go somewhere!" Chen Qin suggested.
"Like?"
"Abroad. A vacation."
"Abroad?" Ye Shuang considered it, then glanced at Bai Yuyou. "Yuyou, want to go?"
If possible, taking her on a trip would be nice.
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!" "......"
end. Thus one must continue to cultivate, and become a saint or great emperor, in order to prolong one's life. Chen Xia, however, completely reversed this. Since his transmigration, he has gained immortality, and also a system that awards him with attribute points for every year he lives. Thus between the myriad worlds, the legend of an unparalleled senior appeared. "A gentleman takes revenge; it is never too late even after ten thousand years." "When you were at your peak I yielded, now in your old age I shall trample on you." - Chen Xia
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.
