Su Qi took another glance at that plate of suspiciously colored "culinary masterpiece."
Liu Yuan's cheeks instantly burned scarlet.
She would have preferred it if her brother had just bluntly called it disgusting—that would have been easier to swallow.
Though... the reality wasn’t far off.
She had been a flustered mess in the kitchen—adding salt, then panicking and diluting it with water, vaguely channeling the infamous "too much salt? add water; too much water? add salt" cycle.
Then she tried sprinkling in sugar for umami, only to forget to turn down the heat...
"I-I'm sorry, Master..." Liu Yuan's voice was barely louder than a mosquito's hum. "I... I messed up..."
The pair of fluffy fox ears atop her head drooped dejectedly, swaying slightly with her movements.
Su Qi didn’t immediately respond to his sister’s apology.
He set down his chopsticks and pulled out a chair.
Standing had become too taxing; leaning back slightly, he crossed his legs and settled into a more relaxed posture, his gaze fixed on her.
"You spent the whole afternoon on this?"
"Mm!" Liu Yuan jerked her head up, as if grasping at a chance to redeem herself. "I read tons of recipes! And—and I practiced my knife skills for ages! Even though... the results weren’t great..."
Her voice trailed off, her confidence withering by the second.
"Is that so?" Su Qi’s tone remained neutral.
No praise for effort. No consolation for failure.
That very calmness unsettled Liu Yuan even more.
She’d rather he either pointed out her mistakes outright or reassured her that she’d do better next time.
But this... what even was this?
"Brother, I—" Liu Yuan bit her lower lip.
But Su Qi cut her off.
"What ‘brother’?"
"You’re quite the smooth talker for a little fox."
"Weren’t you the one who said you’d do anything if I took you in?"
Liu Yuan: "!!!"
Oh right! They were roleplaying!
So it wasn’t that Su Qi was being unnervingly calm—he’d instantly picked up on her cue and slipped into character!
Her role was that of a homeless, gravely injured fox spirit.
She couldn’t back down over something this trivial!
Her mind raced.
No script, just improv.
"The dinner was a failure... b-but I can still repay you in other ways!"
Her voice regained some of the desperate eagerness of a wounded fox cub trying to prove her worth to her master: "Just give the order!"
The moment those words left her mouth, Liu Yuan felt her shame tolerance plummet—another side effect of the "Fox Wife" persona she’d adopted.
Normally, such a submissive plea would’ve been impossible for her to voice.
But now? It didn’t feel so unthinkable.
She even straightened her posture slightly, meeting Su Qi’s gaze with wide, slightly misty eyes—doing her best to radiate ‘adorable obedience.’
Su Qi studied her.
The fox ears atop her head twitched faintly with her shifting emotions.
That look, paired with her hesitant yet eager-to-please tone...
Su Qi adjusted his seating position again.
This chair must be defective—why did it suddenly feel so warm?
"What can you do, then?" he asked.
"I-I can..."
Liu Yuan blanked.
What could she do?
Play mobile games? Did that count?
Studying?
Not exactly "repayment" material.
Surely her master wouldn’t assign "get into XX University" as a task.
Housework?
She wasn’t... particularly skilled at that either.
Aside from the somewhat salvageable tomato-and-egg stir-fry, the rest...
Her face flushed deeper.
Was she really... that useless?
A wave of dejection hit her.
"I... I can learn!" she blurted, seizing the lifeline. "Whatever Master wants, I’ll learn! I’m a quick study!"
For emphasis, she nodded vigorously, her fox ears bouncing in sync.
Su Qi’s eyes lingered on those ears for a beat.
"Is that so." His voice stayed flat. "Then start by cleaning this up."
He gestured at the table’s spread of "culinary disasters."
"Huh?" Liu Yuan blinked.
That’s... it?
Just clearing the table?
She’d assumed, given the "master and servant" dynamic, the request might’ve been... well... more.
Like a back rub? A massage? Or... other things?
Her brain unhelpfully supplied some decidedly NSFW imagery from her "educational materials."
"Yes, Master!"
Though anticlimactic, she sprang into action, swiftly gathering plates and utensils.
Her "Spirit Fox Steps" granted her unnatural grace—now repurposed for efficiently stacking dishes without a single clatter.
Su Qi remained seated, watching his sister work.
She dumped the "failures" into the trash with meticulous care, her movements tinged with... something like regret?
Probably mourning her wasted afternoon.
He didn’t rush her. Didn’t offer help.
Just observed in silence.
Sigh... Letting her efforts go to waste felt harsh, but Su Qi wasn’t suicidal enough to stomach those dishes for the sake of indulging his foolish little sister.
Eating that would be lethal.
"M-Master, all done!" Liu Yuan wiped her hands and trotted back, tail swishing behind her.
"Mn." Su Qi stood.
He wasn’t exceptionally tall, but she was short enough to need to tilt her head up to read his expression.
Which, as usual, gave nothing away.
"The kitchen?" he prompted.
"The... kitchen?" Liu Yuan faltered. "That needs cleaning too?"
Then she recalled the warzone she’d left behind—spilled condiments, greasy stovetop, the sink piled with practice cookware...
"Right! On it!" She spun toward the kitchen.
"Wait." Su Qi stopped her.
She froze mid-step, turning back.
"That outfit’s impractical, no?"
His gaze swept over her.
Visually striking, yes—but hardly suitable for scrubbing grease.
Liu Yuan looked down at herself.
Oh. Right.
"S-So should I change?" she ventured.
"Mn. Go."
With permission granted, she dashed off to her room.
Only once she’d disappeared did Su Qi head to the kitchen.
Predictable chaos greeted him.
He turned on the faucet and began washing the tower of dishes.
Liu Yuan returned quickly, now wearing one of Su Qi’s oversized white shirts—though the fox ears stayed firmly in place.
(Minimal requirements for maintaining the "Fox Wife" persona, after all.)
Su Qi turned around upon sensing movement behind her.
Su Qi: ???
Is this outfit really more convenient?
Well... in a way, I guess it is kind of convenient...
But...
What on earth did my stupid little sister eat today to grow such a bold attitude?
he colors of other people’s emotions. Light red meant anxiety. Gray meant exhaustion. Orange meant excitement. Yellow... meant repression. At the same time, he could gain unlimited control over one of those colors. Pale cyan: relaxation. Using this ability, he started offering “two-yuan hugs,” spending an afternoon exchanging emotional-color experiences with others. Then came his final female customer of the day— a girl whose emotional color was pure black... —— A week later, Xu Chuan had become skilled at using pale cyan—Relaxation—treating it like a bottle of menthol balm whenever he needed it. That was when he discovered he had unlocked another unlimited emotional color: Purple, the color of fear. So these emotional colors refresh every week? Fine, I take it back—I’ll never call you useless again... —— Much later, after Xu Chuan had accumulated countless emotional abilities, one night, he suddenly found himself inside someone else’s dream. There, he could use the emotional colors he possessed to paint. And in her dream, he painted her a shower of pink shooting stars, spreading across the depths of the night sky...
ver to a world of cultivation and returned invincible. Modern medicine is child's play compared to elixirs; technological might crumbles before true cultivation. My name is Qin Ning, Earth's sole cultivator!
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
y came from. The chests contained supplies, currency, class-change scrolls, skills, talents… and even godhood! The laws of the world were completely rewritten. This became a world where everyone gambled with their fate! Some people, despite having nothing, opened a divine artifact and rose to the top, eventually ruling the world. Others went bankrupt, opened nothing but worthless junk, and leaped from skyscrapers in despair. Lin Ye arrived in this world from another reality, utterly bewildered. “What is going on? Why is everyone a gambling addict?!” “Opening chests? No way. I refuse to gamble. I’ll start with myself!” Until— On his first chest, he obtained a Mythic Talent: Void Incarnation! He could become completely intangible, pass through all things, and reduce everything to nothingness! … On his fiftieth chest, he obtained a Mythic Weapon: Blade of Karma! With a single slash, karma shattered, twisting the universe and overturning the myriad phenomena of creation! … On his ninety-ninth chest, he obtained a Mythic Divine Treasure: Primordial Purple Energy! It could split open the heavens and earth, create all things, and evolve countless worlds with a single thought! Lin Ye: “Now that I think about it… shouldn’t someone have told me that every chest is guaranteed to contain something Mythic?!”
