A few days before the wedding, Ye Shuang went home to pick up some things and planned to stay the night.
Perhaps because it was the weekend, Bai Yuyou, Keke, and Yezi were all in the living room. When Ye Shuang opened the door, Keke and the others gathered around.
"Brother, you’re back?" Keke said.
"Yeah, just grabbing some stuff and staying over for a night before heading back. I’ll probably be staying there until after the wedding," Ye Shuang said with a smile. He didn’t want to be running around so close to the wedding, and figured he’d only come back here to live once the ceremony was over.
As he spoke, his gaze fell on Bai Yuyou. The girl was dressed simply in casual loungewear, her waist-length hair cascading down like a waterfall. She stood quietly to the side, not saying a word.
Maybe noticing Ye Shuang’s eyes on her, Bai Yuyou hesitated for a moment before speaking softly, "Welcome home."
"Mm."
Ye Shuang gently patted Bai Yuyou on the head, then grabbed his things and headed straight upstairs.
Bai Yuyou remained standing there, turning her head to watch Ye Shuang’s retreating figure as he climbed the stairs. Keke, standing nearby, walked over and whispered,
"Yu You, why didn’t you hug Brother?"
"I…" Bai Yuyou showed a hesitant expression. "I don’t know—would that be inappropriate?"
Tang Keke was taken aback. Was Yu You... developing a sense of boundaries?
Hearing words that didn’t sound like the old Bai Yuyou, Keke felt her brain struggling to process it. It seemed Yu You really had grown up, no longer the little girl who used to cling to Ye Shuang without moving.
"Mm..." Tang Keke scratched her head, uncertain.
"Mommy!" a voice suddenly rang out from nearby.
Bai Yuyou looked down and saw Yezi tugging at her clothes. "It’s okay, just go hug Dad!"
"I..."
"Come on, I’ll take you to hug Dad!" Yezi said, grabbing Bai Yuyou’s hand and pulling her upstairs.
Watching the big one and the little one run upstairs, Keke, left behind, scratched her head again.
"That little rascal..."
"Looks like she’s got the makings of a strategist."
"But, can she win?"
Keke shook her head and shifted her attention to the refrigerator. "What’s done is done. Time to cook."
...
"Mm..." Ye Shuang was tidying up his room. He wasn’t moving out—he just needed to grab a charger and a few odds and ends. But was it really worth making a special trip and staying over for something this trivial?
Clearly, even Ye Shuang knew he hadn’t come back for those things.
The real reason—
He just wanted to check on Bai Yuyou. Thinking this, he instinctively touched his neck. On his shoulders and a few other spots, faint blackish-red marks lingered.
If he hadn’t been sleeping in separate rooms from Chen Qin these past few days, she would surely have noticed by now.
Ye Shuang was terrified of seeing that look of disappointment in her eyes. He knew Chen Qin wouldn’t be like that, but still...
"Phew..."
He took a deep breath, then noticed footsteps outside the door. He glanced over and saw a big figure and a little one standing there. Yezi held Bai Yuyou’s hand and announced loudly to Ye Shuang,
"Dad!"
Seeing how determined Yezi looked, Ye Shuang was a little stunned, not quite knowing what to make of it.
What was this little radish up to?
You’d think they were arresting a criminal.
"Dad!" Yezi called again, and Ye Shuang just smiled. "What’s with the angry face?"
"Dad! Do you like Mommy?!" Yezi demanded, reaching out to grab Ye Shuang’s clothes.
Ye Shuang paused for a few seconds before asking, "Which mommy?"
As ridiculous as that question sounded, Yezi called both Bai Yuyou and Chen Qin "mommy," so Ye Shuang had no idea which one she meant.
Yezi pulled Bai Yuyou closer. "This one!"
"Uh..."
For a moment, both Ye Shuang and Bai Yuyou fell silent. No one could have predicted the little kid would ask something like that.
But Ye Shuang didn’t stay quiet for long. He gave a definite answer. "Yeah, I do."
Bai Yuyou’s eyes flickered, and her grip on Yezi’s hand tightened a little.
"Then that’s it!" Yezi said eagerly. "Dad and Mommy, give each other a hug!"
"Uh...?"
Even though he didn’t understand what Yezi was trying to do, Ye Shuang still reached out and gently wrapped his arms around Bai Yuyou. Maybe it was because they hadn’t hugged in a few days, but holding the soft, pliant Bai Yuyou stirred an odd feeling in his chest.
Right...
It was because Bai Yuyou hadn’t embraced him back. In the past, she would have held on tightly, but today she didn’t reach out at all. She just let herself be held like a doll.
"Mommy!" Yezi suddenly called out, making Bai Yuyou lower her gaze to look at the child beside her, tilting her head slightly.
"Mommy, don’t you like Dad?"
"I..."
"If you like him, hug him!"
Without thinking, Bai Yuyou wrapped her arms around Ye Shuang. Whether it was intentional or just a reaction to Yezi’s sudden shout, she wasn’t sure.
"See? That’s how it’s done. I don’t get all this lovey-dovey stuff, but if you like someone, you hug!" Yezi said, hands on her hips.
Ye Shuang and Bai Yuyou exchanged a glance. Thanks to Yezi’s interruption, the awkward tension between them seemed to have dissipated.
"Hug—" Bai Yuyou tightened her arms around Ye Shuang, pouring all the longing of the past few days into the embrace.
She couldn’t hold back her feelings for him. When the dam broke, she couldn’t help but press herself into his arms, her grip growing stronger and stronger.
"..." Ye Shuang gently patted the back of Bai Yuyou’s head, then hesitated and began to stroke her silky, smooth hair—like stroking satin.
Ever since he learned of Yezi’s existence, Ye Shuang had come to understand many things. He no longer resisted physical contact with Bai Yuyou. But when it came to that final step, maybe because he was about to get married, he felt an inexplicable guilt.
Chen Qin had said all kinds of things to reassure him, but Ye Shuang didn’t want to hurt her that way—especially not so close to their wedding day.
Chen Qin wasn’t immune to pain; she had simply made the biggest concession she could.
With that thought, Ye Shuang slowly let go of Bai Yuyou and looked down at Yezi. "Yezi, is this good enough?"
"Not enough!"
"Not enough?" Ye Shuang found it almost amusing. He poked Yezi’s little nose. "You little rascal, what exactly are you up to?"
"Make a baby right now!" Yezi declared loudly.
"Pfft—"
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.
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…
or! A blessing for those who struggle with love, a guidebook for dating novices. Quickly match with your dream goddess! Complete walkthroughs earn rewards, and perfect walkthroughs unlock limited achievements!】 Shen Yi, an ordinary office worker, accidentally downloads a mini-game called Dating Simulator. The mini-game is simple: randomly search for dating targets, simulate dates, and receive rewards upon successful confession. Rewards include but are not limited to money, attributes, and skills. The higher the evaluation, the better the rewards, with perfect ratings unlocking mysterious achievements. Shen Yi plans to use this mysterious mini-game to continuously pursue targets and improve himself, making his life better and better. ...... However, after several successful walkthroughs, Shen Yi suddenly notices something strange - the targets he previously simulated dating seem to be searching for him in real life?
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.”
