The second day of the school sports meet.
A light sun shower fell from the sky, and the scorching track seemed to emit steam, its surface faintly white as if dusted with powder.
Since Bai Yuyou and Tang Keke were participating in the three-legged race, Ye Shuang had arrived early to secure a good spot in the stands. But as he settled in, he noticed a familiar figure moving up and down the steps, carrying a bag.
[Sunflower seeds: 8 yuan, soda: 4 yuan, peanuts: 5 yuan…]
Ye Shuang was surprised—it was Taozi, small and timid, selling snacks with a hint of shyness.
Her business seemed decent, having already sold a few bags of sunflower seeds in a short time, her movements quick and efficient.
The prices were only about a yuan higher than usual, so many students were willing to pay.
The atmosphere was reminiscent of vendors selling snacks in the front rows, all for the sake of fun—some students even bought peanuts and soda and immediately started playing mobile games with their friends.
"..." Ye Shuang paused for a moment. "Such a hardworking kid. Is the money from the library not enough?"
Though the system hadn’t mentioned it, he could guess why Taozi needed money so badly. After a brief thought, he waved her over.
"C-coming!" Taozi hurried over, freezing slightly when she saw it was Ye Shuang.
Then she smiled awkwardly.
"The sunflower seeds look pretty good," Ye Shuang said, scanning the snacks. "Where do you get your stock?"
Taozi hadn’t expected the question. "The wholesale market. It’s quite far from Yinshan Academy."
"Does the profit cover the transportation costs?" Ye Shuang smiled.
"Haizhu City buses only cost one yuan per trip. I transferred three times, so it’s still worth it," Taozi replied promptly.
Ye Shuang nodded in understanding before pointing at her remaining stock. "I’ll take it all."
"Huh?" Taozi blinked in surprise.
"Y-you really need that much?"
"The kids at home have big appetites, and it’s nice to have snacks in the school clinic when counseling students," Ye Shuang explained.
It made perfect sense.
"But..." Taozi hesitated before murmuring, "You’re too kind to me."
"It’s just some snacks." Ye Shuang chuckled and gestured for her to sit beside him. "Take a seat. Let’s chat."
"O-okay!"
Taozi sat down next to him. For some reason, this man had a calming presence that eased her nerves.
"Show me your QR code. I’ll transfer the money," Ye Shuang said.
Taozi immediately lifted the green QR code badge hanging around her neck—
Ye Shuang scanned it but frowned slightly.
"Is this number yours?" he asked.
"My mother’s," Taozi explained.
Ye Shuang thought for a moment before completing the transfer. "Done. Sent."
"Thank you!"
"Why not use your own QR code?" he continued.
"..." Taozi flushed, fidgeting before pulling out an old, battered flip phone from her pocket.
"I... can’t afford that kind of phone."
Her face burned with embarrassment.
Ye Shuang: "..."
"Do you give all the money you earn to your parents?" he asked.
"Yes! That way, my younger sisters can go to school!" Taozi’s face brightened at the mention of her sisters, a rare, sweet smile appearing. "They’re all very well-behaved."
"What about your brother?"
"His schooling isn’t a problem. My parents pay for it," Taozi said. "He’s also very good."
Ye Shuang fell silent for a beat before turning his gaze to the field. "Taozi, you’re always thinking about your siblings..."
"But what about you?"
Taozi’s smile froze. His words seemed to dig up something she had buried deep inside. The girl fidgeted helplessly before finally lowering her head.
"It’s fine... I’m fine..."
"You’re a good kid," Ye Shuang said after a pause.
"But parents don’t need a license to raise children..."
"Are you sure the money you earn is really being used for your sisters?"
Taozi stiffened. She wasn’t foolish—his words struck a chord. Yet, after a moment of hesitation, she chose to trust her parents.
"They wouldn’t do that."
Seeing her stance, Ye Shuang didn’t press further.
Watching the girl, he shifted to lighter topics. "How’s the dorm at Yinshan Academy?"
"It’s wonderful! The rooms are so nice!" Taozi’s eyes sparkled as she spoke. The academy’s dorms were shared between two students, each with private bathrooms—far better than anything she’d ever lived in before.
And since she had been admitted as a first-choice student, her accommodation fees were fully waived.
"What about your roommate?" Ye Shuang asked.
"She’s a pretty girl. Her personality... is nice too. She talks to me." Taozi paused before giving a simple, earnest smile.
Ye Shuang found himself growing fonder of Taozi—not in a romantic sense, but with the warmth of an elder appreciating a younger’s spirit.
"Taozi."
"Yes?"
"After you graduate in a few years, I can arrange a good job for you. Interested?"
"Really?!"
"Yes. So your task now is to study hard," Ye Shuang said. "If you can’t wait, I can arrange an internship for you in your seventh year."
"I can wait!" Taozi stood up and bowed deeply. "You’re my benefactor!"
Her sudden gesture drew stares from those nearby.
"Ahem, sit down," Ye Shuang said, waving her back.
Taozi’s face flushed as she obediently sat.
Ye Shuang couldn’t help but laugh. "I said I’d arrange a job, but aren’t you afraid I might trick you into some shady work?"
"Not at all!" Taozi said firmly.
She didn’t know why, but she trusted him completely.
"Next up is the three-legged race from the School of Business. All participants, please prepare." The announcer’s voice echoed over the speakers.
Ye Shuang and Taozi turned their attention to the track, quickly spotting Bai Yuyou and Tang Keke.
The two girls stood side by side, one leg each tied together.
"Hmm..." Ye Shuang watched them, but as his gaze drifted lower, he caught sight of a vaguely familiar figure in the stands.
A middle-aged woman in sunglasses, holding a handbag.
For some reason, she looked strikingly familiar.
[Character: Xu Huixian
Struggling with how to mend her relationship with her daughter.]
"Aunt Huixian..." Ye Shuang excused himself from Taozi and headed toward the lower stands.
ng to die together with you." Lin Xuan is dead, his body thrown into the river by his scumbag lover and her accomplice. She, the president of the Su Group, is decisive, ruthless, and ice-cold. For three days and three nights, she had his body fished out of the river, and without hesitation, she kissed the bloated corpse of Lin Xuan. She laid down beside him in a cold coffin, their fingers intertwined, a smile lingering on her lips as she closed her eyes. The noble and cold-hearted woman, only bending for one man—Lin Xuan. Lin Xuan, with his golden finger, is reborn and returns to the day of his wedding to the treacherous woman. Su Qiang comes to steal the bride. Lin Xuan's eyes light up, eager to pledge his loyalty on the spot, but instead, her kiss transfers a glass of drugged wine into his mouth, causing him to pass out... 【Male Protagonist with Single Female Lead】【Yandere Tycoon】【Action-Packed】【True vs. Fake Heir】
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!
tions: attribute allocation, analysis, proficiency, and simulation. Specializing in mechanical alchemy, from crafting sorcerous battle armor to handcrafting mechanical maidens, his mechanical legion conquers endless realms... Relying on his wits, he begins with a student-teacher romance, wins over a female director, enslaves a female assassin and a underworld queen, becoming the husband of a Grand Duchess... He enslaves the Goddess of Magic from the divine realm, developing his power simultaneously in both the Wizard World and the Realm of Gods...
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?"
