However, saying things like raising the rent for the shop manager was probably just An Shiyu joking around. After all, you couldn't expect anything serious from that girl's mouth.
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was the day before Christmas, Christmas Eve.
The weather had warmed up a little, but for this city, it still wasn't warm enough to wander around in short sleeves like before, unless you were one of those fashion-conscious girls who loved wearing miniskirts to show off even in the dead of winter.
Christmas Eve isn't really a holiday; it's just an excuse for some men and women to go out on dates.
After all, Christmas Eve also has a reputation as a "graduation night."
Morning.
"What the heck, apples are twenty bucks each today? So expensive." Tang Keke and Bai Yuyou had gone out together in the morning to buy some ingredients and discovered that the apples at the supermarket downstairs had generally gone up in price. Many individually packaged "Christmas Eve apples" were even selling for twenty yuan a piece.
It was practically robbery.
"Well, merchants love creating gimmicks to make money," Ye Shuang said, opening the refrigerator. Inside were fruits he had bought earlier, which of course included apples.
It was perfectly normal for apples to get more expensive on Christmas Eve, roses on Valentine's Day, and hotel rooms during holiday travel peaks.
"Can't people just buy them in advance? Why give the merchants extra money?" Tang Keke muttered from the side.
"Actually, a lot of people do buy in advance. When I was in university, I had a dorm mate who bought flowers early for a Valentine's Day confession and kept them in the fridge to stay fresh," Ye Shuang said casually, recalling the past.
"And then? Did the confession succeed?"
Ye Shuang smiled. "Nope. He also had a container of stinky tofu in his fridge. The smells mixed."
"Uh..." Tang Keke imagined roses that smelled of stinky tofu. It wouldn't be strange at all for a confession with those to fail, right?
At that moment, as if remembering something, Ye Shuang pointed to a cardboard box nearby. "Are these your packages? They have Yuyou's name on them."
"What did you buy?"
Hearing this, Bai Yuyou thought for a moment but had no recollection. "Didn't buy anything."
Bai Yuyou used to buy snacks online, but she hadn't in the past few days.
"Is that so? I see something about a gift box..." Just as Ye Shuang was speaking, Tang Keke beside him immediately stood up, trotted over to the package box,
"It's nothing! Just some little things!"
Mysteriously, Tang Keke picked up the box, making little "heave-ho" sounds, and whisked Bai Yuyou upstairs.
"Yuyou, let's go!"
"Huh?"
Watching the two girls' retreating figures, Ye Shuang felt a bit puzzled. "Hmm?"
What did they buy that's so secretive?
"Meow." The cat Yīwàn made a sound from nearby.
"You know?" Ye Shuang asked.
"Meow."
"You're right."
...
Ye Shuang didn't disturb the two girls with their strange activities. He simply sat down on the sofa and casually opened his laptop—
He was busy with work yesterday, so he hadn't updated his novel. Glancing at the comments section, he noticed some readers had started urging for updates, and there were even some saying the story was being rushed to an end and he couldn't write anymore.
Ye Shuang: "..."
After looking at his outline prepared for a full two million words, he thought for a moment, then didn't take it to heart and started updating the novel again.
"Hmm..."
"Huh? Lately, no dear readers have even given me a free virtual gift. My heart aches."
But despite that, Ye Shuang finished writing two chapters, published the update, and took the opportunity to do a metaphorical 360-degree roll in the chapter notes, begging for some free gifts.
Just then, his phone vibrated.
Ye Shuang picked it up and glanced at it, finding it was a message from the editor for this very novel—
Editor: The recent plot is too slice-of-life. Add some tragic twists.
Ye Shuang: ...Huh?
Editor: Also, update faster. I'm following it. Kill off a character first.
Ye Shuang: 6 (Note: Internet slang implying "I see" or "got it," often with a sarcastic or dismissive tone)
After casually chatting with the editor for a bit, Ye Shuang slowly closed his laptop. As someone who doesn't even like watching tragic movies, how could he possibly write so-called tragic twists?
"Speaking of which, tomorrow is Christmas," Ye Shuang thought. His schedule for tomorrow was really packed.
Spend the morning with Yuyou, find An Shiyu for her birthday at noon, and he had already arranged a time with Chen Qin for the evening.
"Is there a better way to handle this?" Ye Shuang pondered.
Maybe have them all together? Use An Shiyu's birthday as an excuse for a party or gathering.
That probably wouldn't work either.
Ye Shuang pinched the bridge of his nose. It seemed he could only let things take their natural course. After all, he never imagined things would come to this point.
"Although that girl said I should change my personality, but how to change it..." After pondering without result, just as he was about to make himself some tea and rest for a while, he heard the doorbell ring from the entranceway not far off.
"Ding—"
"Who is it?" Ye Shuang stood up and went to open the door.
After opening the door, Chen Qin appeared at the entrance with a beaming smile. Perhaps because the weather wasn't as cold, she only wore a form-fitting beige knit dress. Her slender willow-like waist paired with her ample, peach-like curves exuded a mature charm at all times.
"Ah Ye, I'm here." Chen Qin's eyes curved into crescents.
"You don't have work today?"
Chen Qin shook her head. "NoNoNo, giving myself a day off. Things are mostly arranged. Besides, we have a date tomorrow, right?"
As she spoke, she playfully blinked,
"I'm staying over tonight."
Ye Shuang let Chen Qin in first, then suddenly remembered something.
Come to think of it, he was supposed to spend time with Yuyou tomorrow, but now Chen Qin was here—wouldn't that mean the two would run into each other? He couldn't very well leave Chen Qin at home and go spend time with Bai Yuyou first.
"Ahem, Qin, I just thought of something," Ye Shuang immediately coughed dryly.
"Hmm?"
"The room isn't tidied up yet. How about we spend the night at a hotel?"
"It's fine. It's still so early, I can tidy it up myself," Chen Qin said. Besides, she was much more capable now than before.
She could even cook without a problem.
Ye Shuang thought for a few seconds but couldn't come up with an excuse right away.
Maybe it's better to just be honest.
Looking at the girl who had picked up Yīwàn, the words reached Ye Shuang's lips, but he couldn't say anything.
Better find the right moment later. Now didn't seem appropriate.
"Fatty Yīwàn, you fat cat." Chen Qin lifted Yīwàn, then turned to ask Ye Shuang, "Ah Ye, where's Yuyou?"
"Upstairs, not sure what they're fiddling with," Ye Shuang said. After all, the two girls had been acting mysteriously earlier. For all he knew, they were preparing some experimental supplies.
Chen Qin, holding Yīwàn, said, "Oh? Then I'll go take a look."
"Okay."
Ye Shuang then watched as Chen Qin, in her slippers, went tap-tap-tapping straight upstairs.
. 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!"
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!
] [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!"
