Yun Huang had initially been watching quietly, but after being nudged by Liu Yuan, she grew somewhat intrigued.
She took the cheongsam and held it up against the mirror.
The reflection showed a woman with a graceful figure and gentle demeanor, perfectly complementing the understated elegance of the cheongsam.
"It really is lovely," Yun Huang murmured in agreement.
"Try it on, try it on!" Liu Yuan urged, practically pushing her into the fitting room without waiting for a response.
Su Qi had been reclining on the sofa with his eyes closed, but at the commotion, he lifted his eyelids for a glance.
He had little interest in women's shopping sprees...
The wait wasn’t long.
The fitting room curtain was drawn aside gently.
Liu Yuan gasped in admiration.
Yun Huang stepped out.
The moon-white cheongsam accentuated her slender, curvaceous frame, the tailored fit highlighting her best features.
The fabric shimmered like flowing water, making her skin appear even fairer, her aura ethereal and detached—like a celestial maiden under the moonlight, untouched by the mortal world.
All she needed was a sword to complete the image of an aloof female sword immortal.
Yun Huang fidgeted slightly, smoothing nonexistent wrinkles from the dress.
She usually preferred loose, comfortable casual wear, so this form-fitting attire was her first time trying something so revealing in public.
"Well?" she asked Liu Yuan, her voice tinged with uncertainty.
"Stunning! Sister Yun Huang! It’s like it was made just for you!" Liu Yuan circled her, showering praise.
The shop assistant chimed in with perfect timing, smiling warmly, "This cheongsam suits the young lady’s temperament flawlessly. It’s our latest arrival—you have excellent taste."
Su Qi finally roused himself, resisting the urge to roll his eyes at the shop assistant’s scripted flattery.
Everything was always the "newest," every choice "excellent," every fit "perfect."
A faint blush colored Yun Huang’s cheeks as she glanced at Su Qi on the sofa.
Su Qi spoke: "It suits you."
Hearing his words, Yun Huang seemed to relax.
"Then... I’ll take this one," she decided.
Liu Yuan was even more thrilled than her. "Yes! Sister Yun Huang, you look absolutely gorgeous in this!"
Next, Liu Yuan enthusiastically picked out her own outfits, dragging Su Qi into giving his opinion each time.
But his answers remained consistently lukewarm: "Not bad" or "Just okay."
Su Qi leaned back on the sofa again, his fingers tapping rhythmically against the armrest with dull thuds.
He didn’t close his eyes this time, just stared blankly at the ceiling as if lost in thought.
After a while, Liu Yuan bounded over, brimming with excitement. "Su Qi! Guess what I picked?"
Su Qi shifted his gaze back to her, his tone indifferent. "No idea."
"Ugh, can’t you at least pretend to be curious?" Liu Yuan pouted playfully before darting into the fitting room.
A few minutes later, she emerged with a rustle of fabric.
She wore a pale yellow sundress—simple in design but adorned with delicate sequins that caught the light. The asymmetrical hem swayed lightly with her movements.
Liu Yuan twirled in front of Su Qi, the skirt flaring around her like a burst of sunshine. "Well? Well? How do I look, brother?"
Her eyes sparkled with anticipation, like a kitten waiting for praise.
Su Qi straightened slightly, giving her a proper once-over.
"Not bad," he said flatly, his attention already drifting back to his data.
[Punishment Mission: Collect 9,999 points of Joy within 24 hours as this round’s "protection fee." (999/9,999)]
Liu Yuan’s smile faltered, her enthusiasm deflating instantly.
"Just... not bad?" she repeated, her voice tinged with disappointment.
"That’s all?"
She had thought the dress was beautiful—surely it deserved more than such a bland reaction.
What kind of response had she wanted?
She wasn’t sure.
But Su Qi’s indifference made her feel oddly defeated.
"Whatever," Liu Yuan forced a smile, though the earlier excitement was gone. "Brother just doesn’t understand women’s fashion."
She turned to Yun Huang instead, her tone turning sweetly pleading. "Sister Yun Huang, what do you think? Does it look good?"
Just as she turned, the hem of her dress brushed against Su Qi.
A large hand settled on her head.
Before Yun Huang could answer, Su Qi spoke first.
Fine.
If this was supposed to be a "fun" outing, why ruin the mood?
"Because," he said, "A-Yuan is already so pretty."
"That’s why the clothes can only ever be just ‘okay.’"
] [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!"
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!
end. Thus one must continue to cultivate, and become a saint or great emperor, in order to prolong one's life. Chen Xia, however, completely reversed this. Since his transmigration, he has gained immortality, and also a system that awards him with attribute points for every year he lives. Thus between the myriad worlds, the legend of an unparalleled senior appeared. "A gentleman takes revenge; it is never too late even after ten thousand years." "When you were at your peak I yielded, now in your old age I shall trample on you." - Chen Xia
ts me of treason?" "Correct. The host must return to the capital and gradually build up influence." "Wait—I have half a million soldiers, and you want me to go back to the capital to 'build influence'?" "Host, you are currently the Northern Garrison General, loyal to the Great Xia Dynasty." "Of course I am loyal to Great Xia! Absolutely loyal!" "But you keep referring to yourself as 'We'..." "Never mind the details! Summon all the regional commanders and military officers! We suspect treacherous officials are manipulating the court! They shall march with Us to the capital and purge the corrupt!" "......"
