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."
Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"
't think I'm that capable, I'm just trying my best to stay alive. I've been kind all my life, never did anything bad, yet worldly suffering spared me not one bit. The human world is a nice place, but I won't come back in my next life. A kind young man, who wanted to just get by singing, but through repeated deceits and betrayals, has gone down an irredeemable path.
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…
] This is a dark fantasy-themed dating simulation game. The main gameplay involves containing various monster girls and investigating the truth of a world shrouded in mist alongside your companions. However, due to his love for the dark and bizarre atmosphere, Luo Wei ended up turning a dating game into a detective mystery game. Women? Women only slow down his quickdraw! To Luo Wei, the female leads in the game are more like tools to perfectly clear levels and squeeze out rewards. For Luo Wei, flirting with every girl he meets and then discarding them is standard procedure. Worried about characters losing affection points? No need. With his maxed-out charm stat, Luo Wei is practically a "human incubus." A little psychological manipulation and those points come right back. It's a bit scummy, but the paper cutout heroines in the game won't actually come at him with real cleavers. However... Luo Wei has transmigrated. He's accidentally entered the second playthrough of this game. His past actions have caused all the girls to transform into terrifying yanderes. Due to the game's setting, most of the heroines he once contained are "troubled girls." Obsessive, twisted, mentally unstable, all aggressive yanderes... The type who will kill you if they can't have you... Luo Wei wants to cry but has no tears left. "I really just want to survive..." In short, this is a story of battling wits and engaging in a love-hate relationship with yanderes.