That evening, Wu Ya's punishment was finally decided. Perhaps because the incident was too egregious, the principal even looked into the conflict between the two students.
The investigation revealed more than expected—the principal hadn't imagined students in his school could go so far. In the end, Wu Ya wasn’t just given a disciplinary record; she was outright expelled, with the incident permanently noted in her file. The other students who had helped fabricate evidence all received major demerits and were suspended for a year.
Ye Shuang felt that simply expelling the girl was letting her off too lightly. Had he known, he would’ve kicked her one more time—after all, she had fought back too. At worst, they’d both spend half a month in detention.
But after this commotion, no one would likely dare trouble Bai Yuyou again.
Once he taught her how to live independently, Ye Shuang thought it might be time for him to leave.
"But after leaving… what would I even do?" Ye Shuang glanced at the girl beside him, who was carefully chopping ginger and garlic. The evening glow streaming through the window draped over her like a sheer veil.
Noticing his gaze, Bai Yuyou slowly looked up. Her eyes reflected the hues of the sunset, so beautiful it seemed almost surreal.
"Be careful not to cut your fingers," Ye Shuang reminded her gently.
Bai Yuyou nodded lightly and resumed chopping.
Eventually, he would have to leave.
Ye Shuang walked to the fridge and took out some eggs, his eyes inadvertently drifting to the living room—
No longer cluttered and messy, the space now felt warm and cozy despite the old furniture. The white linen curtains swayed in the evening breeze, accompanied by the faint chime of wind bells. Everything felt so peaceful.
"Without realizing it, this place has started to feel like a home…" Ye Shuang murmured.
It was as if, at some point in the past, he had longed to see this very scene in his home. When had he forgotten?
A tug at his sleeve pulled him from his thoughts. Turning, he saw Bai Yuyou holding onto his sleeve, her head tilted slightly as if puzzled by why he was standing frozen in front of the fridge.
No wonder she had tugged at him—he hadn’t even noticed the cold air wafting from the open fridge.
"It’s nothing." Ye Shuang smiled faintly and tapped her forehead lightly with a finger. "Next time, don’t grab someone’s clothes with dirty hands, got it?"
Bai Yuyou glanced down at her fingers, still stained with bits of ginger, garlic, and chili. Without much thought, she stuck them into her mouth.
The sudden spiciness made her eyes well up instantly, her usually calm gaze now watery and slightly aggrieved as she looked at Ye Shuang.
"I—I’ve told you so many times not to put your fingers in your mouth!" Startled by her teary expression, Ye Shuang quickly turned to grab milk from the fridge for her.
Watching her sip the milk clumsily, he found himself staring at the living room again.
He realized he didn’t need to leave so soon.
Bai Yuyou still had a ways to go before she could truly take care of herself.
Maybe he could stay a little longer—live with this girl, and let his life take a slightly different turn.
As he watched her, the thought settled in his mind.
……
……
"Come out with me tonight. We’ll buy some daily necessities," Ye Shuang said. Though they had stocked up on many things last time, small essentials like nail clippers only came to mind when needed.
Bai Yuyou nodded. She had no objections to going out with Ye Shuang—in fact, she loved being with him. She didn’t quite understand the emotion, only that it felt comfortable and warm.
As night fell, the city lights flickered to life, making it the perfect time for a stroll.
"Early evening really is the best time to go out—not too hot, not too cold," Ye Shuang remarked, enjoying the cool breeze.
Bai Yuyou walked beside him, hugging his arm. Her body warmth and a faint, soothing fragrance reached him. Still in her school uniform and a head shorter than him, a slight glance downward revealed the pale expanse of her neck and collarbone.
"……" Ye Shuang reached over and buttoned one more of her shirt’s buttons, his wrist brushing against her skin—soft and warm.
He pushed aside distracting thoughts. Bai Yuyou was watching him calmly, entirely unfazed by the contact, her innocent eyes sometimes making him feel guilty under their gaze.
"Ye Shuang?" Bai Yuyou suddenly spoke.
"What is it?"
"Sometimes, I hear classmates say they really like this part of girls." She placed a hand on her chest and looked up at him. "Do you like it too?"
"Cough—"
Caught off guard, Ye Shuang choked slightly.
Then, very seriously, he said, "Of course guys like it. But you must never let anyone touch you there, understand? That’s something only for someone you truly love."
"Mm." Bai Yuyou nodded earnestly. "I’ll save it for Ye Shuang."
"Why me?"
"Because I like Ye Shuang," she replied.
Ye Shuang stopped walking and looked at her. "Do you know what ‘like’ really means?"
Bai Yuyou thought for a moment, then shook her head.
"Liking someone is a complicated feeling. The way you like me isn’t any different from how you like your favorite foods."
Ye Shuang smiled and pinched her soft cheek. "When you understand what real ‘like’ is, you’ll have grown up."
"Understand?"
"Right."
"Then, Ye Shuang, do you want to touch here?"
"……"
"Did you even listen to what I just said?"
By now, they had reached the night market near their old apartment complex. The air was thick with the smell of frying food.
"Didn’t we just eat?" Ye Shuang chuckled as he noticed Bai Yuyou’s eyes fixed on a grilled squid stall.
"Hungry."
"That was fast." Despite his words, he led her to the stall. "One large squid, please."
"Coming right up!"
The stall owner’s voice sounded familiar. When Ye Shuang got a clear look, he froze.
"Why is it you again?" He stared in disbelief at An Shiyu, now dressed as a squid vendor.
Just how many jobs do you have?
"It's you, old man." An Shiyu deftly flipped the squid on the grill. "Since you're a regular, I'll give you a deal—15 per squid stick. But the combo's better—just 35 for two."
. As long as he maintains the villain image and follows the plot to the grand finale, he can obtain generous rewards and return to the real world. So Gu Chen'an entered the role and began to act as a scumbag villain, but who would have expected that the female leads could hear his inner thoughts. Miss Su from the Su family was shocked: "I originally thought Gu Chen'an was a scumbag, but I didn't expect he turned out to be a gentleman! What? You said I have to call off the engagement? I definitely won't, I'll piss you off!" Bai Yuan Tian was dumbfounded: "Young Master Gu is usually unreasonable and a complete brat, but he actually calls me little sweetie in his heart? What, Young Master Gu even said he likes me?" As the female leads' images collapsed more and more, the plot also collapsed with it. Gu Chen'an looked at all this chaos. "Ladies, don't aggro me, if you keep this up the male lead really will stab me, I still need to survive to the grand finale!"
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
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!
