Liu Yuan froze in place.
The sensation on her head was unmistakable, carrying an air of undeniable authority.
She blinked, momentarily stunned.
Pretty?
So, it wasn’t that the dress looked bad, nor was it just "alright"—it was because she herself was…
A wave of heat surged from her neck to her cheeks, instantly tinting the tips of her ears red.
Her heartbeat skipped a beat, then pounded like war drums.
Thump!
Thump!
Thump!
Reverberating in her chest.
The earlier disappointment and frustration over the "alright" comment dissipated like morning mist under sunlight, vanishing without a trace.
In its place was an indescribable, slightly bashful joy.
"B-Brother…" Liu Yuan stammered, her gaze darting away, unable to meet Su Qi’s eyes. "W-What nonsense are you saying…"
Despite her words, the slight upturn of her lips and the dazzling brightness in her eyes betrayed her true feelings.
Yun Huang observed everything from the side.
She saw Liu Yuan’s expression dim momentarily, then brighten again at Su Qi’s unexpected praise.
She also noticed the shy, rain-cleared happiness radiating from Liu Yuan now.
The relationship between these siblings… seemed more complicated than she’d imagined.
Not that she planned to meddle in such tangled emotions.
She knew kindness in this world rarely came without reason.
She could vaguely sense that Su Qi seemed to "want something" from her—though not in a romantic way.
Whatever it was, she’d find a way to repay his kindness someday.
"Hmph, I-I guess Brother has some taste…" Liu Yuan lowered her head, fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her skirt, her voice barely above a whisper. "Then… this one is… just alright…"
Her mouth said "alright," but her face screamed "I love it."
Clearly, both of them had secretly invested skill points in "stubbornness."
Who had more points, though? And who would cave first when they clashed?
"If you like it, buy it."
"Mm!" Liu Yuan nodded vigorously, her smile dazzling.
She turned back to the mirror, admiring herself again, her steps light as a feather.
"Yun Huang-jie, don’t you think… it looks nice on me?" she asked, a hint of pride in her voice as she sought validation.
Yun Huang gave a slight nod. "It suits you."
With this double approval, Liu Yuan beamed and hurried to the shop assistant. "I’ll take this one!"
The shop assistant smiled knowingly, her eyes flickering between Su Qi and Liu Yuan.
After changing back into their clothes, Liu Yuan practically floated to the checkout counter, her sweet grin making her look like a fox that had stolen candy.
Humming a tuneless melody, she was practically glowing.
Her brother’s praise, Yun Huang’s agreement, and the reflection of a genuinely pretty version of herself—everything lifted her spirits.
She used to struggle with insecurity, but Su Qi’s words had given her confidence.
The shop assistant, eager to please, stepped forward with a practiced smile.
Honestly, business was getting harder these days.
Boutiques like theirs, neither famous nor budget-friendly, were being crushed by online stores.
Who cared about "handmade" or "traditional craftsmanship" when the shop next door sold similar-looking items for a fraction of the price?
This store hadn’t made a sale in a week.
Time to butter up the big spenders.
"You have excellent taste! This is our newest design this season. The designer—"
"The one you’re holding is a sample. Let me put it back. Could you share your measurements? I’ll check if we have your size in stock. If not, we can have it custom-made in about two weeks, with free delivery."
Su Qi, who had been drowsy from the afternoon lull, suddenly perked up, listening intently.
"B: 69, W: 55, H: 8…"
Her voice cut off abruptly.
As the shop assistant rehung the dress, the price tag swung into Liu Yuan’s line of sight.
The number hit her like a bucket of ice water.
Her smile stiffened.
She looked again, just to be sure.
No mistake.
This price…
Liu Yuan had never imagined a dress that was merely "nice" could cost so much.
In her mind, 800 or 1,000 would’ve been the limit…
Excluding her card game expenses, this was nearly—no, more than—her living costs for the past year or two combined.
Her heart clenched, the earlier joy replaced by crushing guilt.
Su Qi must’ve worked hard for his money…
She’d only seen the three million he’d made…
But what about the costs?
He might’ve even borrowed to cover them.
And what about the future?
Would he earn three million every year?
Just to buy her a dress she thought was "kind of pretty"?
It wasn’t worth it.
"Um…" Liu Yuan took a sudden step back.
The color drained from her face, leaving only a faint pallor.
The shop assistant's smile faltered. "Is something wrong?"
"N-Nothing…" Liu Yuan avoided her gaze and Su Qi’s watchful eyes. "I… I just think…"
She scrambled for an excuse, forcing her tone to sound casual, even critical. "Two weeks is too long. I don’t want to wait…"
But her distracted expression and slight frown gave her away.
Su Qi noted Liu Yuan’s odd behavior.
This silly sister couldn’t hide her feelings—they were always written all over her face.
The way she dodged and deflected…
He walked over calmly.
"What’s wrong?" His voice was even, betraying nothing.
"N-Nothing…" Liu Yuan kept her eyes down, fingers tightening on her clothes. "It’s just… girls are hard to understand. Maybe in two weeks, I won’t like it anymore…"
"Brother should just buy one for Yun Huang-jie."
She’d peeked at the price of Yun Huang’s dress earlier—3,998. Still painful, but manageable.
"I’ll pass on this one."
Su Qi raised a brow, already guessing the reason.
Too expensive?
The sales assistant lingered nearby, her smile now politely professional, not daring to interrupt.
But another clerk seemed oblivious to the tension.
She approached Su Qi and said, "Excuse me, sir, I’m so sorry to bother you, but may I have a moment?"
Su Qi turned slightly. "Hmm?"
The older sales associate wore a perfectly measured smile. "Sir, the outfit your sister is trying on is a piece by our lead designer. The materials and craftsmanship are top-tier, and there are also some additional complimentary gifts included."
Liu Yuan was puzzled. Why mention the gifts to Su Qi specifically?
Or had the salesperson figured out that Su Qi was the one footing the bill?
Lowering her voice slightly, the associate added, "I can take you to the back to see the extra gifts if you’d like."
Su Qi’s expression remained unchanged as he listened quietly.
A standard sales tactic.
He was definitely going to buy the outfit—after all, his sister loved it so much.
But he wasn’t particularly swayed by the idea of small freebies.
Noticing his lack of interest, the older associate dropped her voice further. "...Would you like to take a look at the design sketches for these gifts?"
Su Qi glanced at them indifferently. Just some ordinary—
The next second, the salesperson barely registered how quickly Su Qi had snatched the sketches from her hands.
The first line read:
【Battle-Damaged Young Fox Spirit】
lan, the Luo family, tracked him down - along with the babies in their arms. Mo Xuan stared pensively at the paternity test results from over a dozen top institutions, both domestic and international, showing a 99.99% match between himself and the two baby girls. At 23, Mo Xuan, a doctoral student, had become the father of two three-year-old children. The kicker? The mothers weren't even the same person! He gradually realized he was being lured step by step into an elaborate trap designed by these two yandere sisters. "Be good, little Xuan. Sister's life belongs to you entirely." "Brother, if you try to run away, I'll have no choice but to tie you up." Mo Xuan: "Do whatever you want, ladies. I give up."
] [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!"
lanned to earn money steadily and take life at a slower pace. But he never expected... his father's remarriage, and the stepmother bringing along a dependent, would completely disrupt his life's plans...
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!
