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."
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…
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.
u Chenyuan transmigrated into a female-oriented novel about a real and fake heiress, becoming the CEO elder brother of both. Unfortunately, the entire Lu family—including himself, the CEO—were mere cannon fodder in the story. Determined to save himself, Lu Chenyuan took action. The spoiled, attention-seeking fake heiress? Thrown into the harsh realities of the working class to learn humility. The love-struck real heiress? Pushed toward academic excellence, so lofty goals would blind her to trivial romances. As for the betrayed, vengeful arranged marriage wife… the plot hadn’t even begun yet. There was still time—if he couldn’t handle her, he could at least avoid her. "CEO Lu, are you avoiding me?" Mo Qingli fixed her gaze on Lu Chenyuan. For the first time, the shrewd and calculating Lu Chenyuan felt a flicker of unease.
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.”
