At this moment, Chen Hai also appeared not far behind Chen Qin, looking over with an awkward expression.
Only then did Ye Shuang realize that perhaps the person who had texted him earlier wasn’t Chen Hai, but the woman standing before him now. Gazing at that familiar face, Ye Shuang smiled. "Long time no see."
Chen Qin was dressed in a pale yellow dress, her mature and alluring figure accentuated by the fabric. She crossed her arms, the diamond bracelet on her snow-white wrist shimmering under the light. Her eyes, brimming with unspoken emotions, lingered on Ye Shuang.
After a long pause, Chen Qin merely let out a soft, disdainful hum. "Hmph. Is that all you have to say?"
Soon, her gaze shifted to the girl beside Ye Shuang, her brows furrowing slightly. "Who is she?"
The scrutiny and pressure in Chen Qin’s eyes left Bai Yuyou bewildered, as if she could sense the hostility radiating from the other woman.
"Alright, alright, let’s head inside first. No point standing around chatting out here," Chen Hai interjected, breaking the tension.
Chen Qin strode back into the house and settled onto the sofa. The fitted dress hugged her tall, curvaceous frame, her wavy hair cascading over her shoulders. The striking red of her lips against her fair skin made her look every bit the haughty princess.
"Some things never change," Ye Shuang remarked as he led Bai Yuyou inside.
"Chen Qin was pacing by the door earlier, changing outfits multiple times before you arrived…" Chen Hai muttered under his breath.
"Chen Hai, what are you mumbling about?!"
"N-nothing!"
Despite being the older brother, Chen Hai was utterly cowed by Chen Qin. But having grown up together, Ye Shuang was long accustomed to such scenes.
Once seated on the plush sofa, Chen Hai tossed over a box of foreign-branded cigarettes. "Here, try these."
Ye Shuang reflexively caught the pack.
"Chen Qin brought them back for you from her business trip abroad," Chen Hai added with a grin.
"They were just a last-minute purchase!" Chen Qin snapped, leaning back on the sofa without turning her head. "I was going to throw them away anyway."
Ye Shuang set the cigarette box on the table and shook his head. "I’ve quit recently."
The room fell silent. Both Chen Hai and Chen Qin stared at him in shock, the latter’s beautiful face etched with disbelief.
"What the hell? Did you get lung cancer or something? You’ve been smoking for over a decade and never once talked about quitting," Chen Hai blurted out.
Chen Qin studied Ye Shuang closely, as if seeing a stranger.
"It was bound to happen sooner or later," Ye Shuang said, popping a candy into his mouth.
Chen Qin scrutinized him before speaking softly. "You’re in a much better state than I imagined… I thought you’d be a wreck after what happened with that woman."
"Yeah, when you disappeared, I half-expected to find you living as a vagrant," Chen Hai joked.
"Pretty much," Ye Shuang admitted, recalling his past state.
His gaze drifted to Bai Yuyou, who sat quietly beside him.
"Your relative’s kid doesn’t seem to follow our conversation," Chen Hai teased. "Is she your cousin?"
Before Ye Shuang could answer, Bai Yuyou spoke up in a soft voice.
"We’re married."
Chen Qin and Chen Hai froze. Chen Qin’s phone slipped from her hand and clattered to the floor, but she didn’t react.
The silence was suffocating.
In the next instant, Chen Qin’s aloof demeanor shattered. She lunged forward, gripping Ye Shuang’s collar, her voice trembling with emotion.
"Ye Shuang, why do you never consider me?! How could you lay a hand on a child like her?!"
"Am I not beautiful enough?!"
"What do they have that I don’t?!"
Tears welled in her eyes. "Tell me… I’ve loved you since we were kids…"
"Why…?"
Chen Qin had grown up alongside Ye Shuang, harboring feelings for him as far back as she could remember. But she had restrained herself—when Ye Shuang became involved with that other woman, she buried her emotions deep, even fleeing abroad to escape her own heart.
Now that Ye Shuang was single again, Chen Qin had felt a flicker of hope. But tonight, his sudden appearance with a girl claiming to be his wife shattered her composure completely.
She had been there first.
The distance between them was so small, yet the final barrier remained unbroken.
Ye Shuang met Chen Qin’s tearful glare before turning to Chen Hai. "Hai, can you take Bai Yuyou to another room for a bit?"
Chen Hai hesitated, then nodded, realizing Ye Shuang needed to speak with Chen Qin alone.
"Bai Yuyou, stay with my friend in the other room for now. I need to talk to her," Ye Shuang said gently.
Bai Yuyou obediently nodded.
The apartment was a duplex. Once Chen Hai led Bai Yuyou upstairs, Ye Shuang turned back to Chen Qin, who was still glaring at him, her eyes red with unshed tears.
"Do you want an explanation?" Ye Shuang asked.
Chen Qin didn’t answer, but her silence was answer enough. Even if he lied, she’d believe him.
"Our relationship isn’t what you think," Ye Shuang began, immediately aware of how clichéd that sounded.
Chen Qin stared at him, her voice barely above a whisper. "Go on…"
Ye Shuang recounted everything from the beginning. When Chen Qin heard that Bai Yuyou might have been locked in an attic for eight years, leaving her with almost no life skills, her expression shifted to shock.
"You’re not lying?" Chen Qin frowned.
"Why would I?"
Another woman might have scoffed and called him out for spinning a ridiculous tale. But Chen Qin wasn’t just any woman—she was the girl who had once stayed up night after night waiting for shooting stars because Ye Shuang told her they granted wishes.
"So you’re really not together? You’re not married?"
"No, she just turned eighteen," Ye Shuang said, then glanced down. "And… how long are you planning to sit on me?"
Chen Qin pretended not to hear, shifting closer instead. The intoxicating scent of her perfume enveloped them as she leaned in, her amethyst earrings catching the light.
"Then let me take care of you instead," she murmured.
"I’m richer than her."
"If you’re willing… everything I have is yours."

transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”

ver to a world of cultivation and returned invincible. Modern medicine is child's play compared to elixirs; technological might crumbles before true cultivation. My name is Qin Ning, Earth's sole cultivator!

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?"

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!