Chapter 159
In July, the air in Qinglin City felt as if someone had sprinkled Pop Rocks into it, so hot and dry that it made people restless.
At the entrance of Happy Valley, Pei Susu pulled Ye Zhenzhen over and pushed up the sunglasses on her nose.
Her appraising gaze was like an X-ray, sweeping up and down the aloof girl.
"Ye Zhenzhen, is this the ultimate move you've been holding in all night?"
The girl in front of her was wearing a white chiffon dress with hints of pink. This was a gift Gu Ran had given her before, and it was also her favorite outfit.
The lace hem was gently blown by the wind, revealing an ethereal vibe amidst her purity—the absolute ceiling of the pure-and-sexy aesthetic.
In contrast, Pei Susu wore a crop top with hot denim shorts, her long legs dazzling to the eye, looking like a Victoria's Secret supermodel who had just stepped off a plane.
"Stop looking at me... it's embarrassing." Ye Zhenzhen tugged at the corner of her skirt, acting a bit bashful under her stare.
On the way here this morning, Gu Ran had already been staring at her the whole time.
"Embarrassing my ass! You're out to 'hunt', not to be a kindergarten teacher!"
Pei Susu sighed in exasperation and lowered her voice to impart her secret technique, "Remember the 'suspension bridge effect'. Later, when your heart beats fast, just dive into his arms. Do you understand what a tactical retreat is?"
Ye Zhenzhen pursed her lips, her eyes darting around: "Will... will this trick work?"
"Haven't you heard the saying? In front of the woman he likes, a man has to pretend to be Captain America even if he's scared enough to wet his pants." Pei Susu sneered, "Once we get on the roller coaster, we'll know at a glance who's a real tough guy and who's a coward."
Just as they were talking, Gu Ran and Ye Jinliang strolled over with their arms around each other's shoulders.
Gu Ran wore a refreshing white T-shirt and black pants, looking as clean as a glass of soda water.
"Oh, isn't this the 'relationship master', Miss Pei?"
The young man started running his mouth from a distance. His gaze lingered on Pei Susu's legs for 0.1 seconds before sticking firmly to Ye Zhenzhen, as if glued with superglue.
This girl, her outfit today... is totally cheating. No matter how much he looked, it wasn't enough.
"I'm going to charge you if you keep looking!" Pei Susu blocked the space between them and waved her hand grandly. "First stop—the vertical roller coaster. Whoever chickens out is a coward!"
Ye Jinliang looked up at the steel behemoth with its ninety-degree dive, his face instantly turning as pale as freshly applied putty.
"Sister Susu, is that thing... meant for humans to ride?"
"Fatty, if you can't handle it, go ride the merry-go-round. Don't be an eyesore here." Pei Susu said, then provocatively tilted her chin at Gu Ran.
Since she was going to assist her best friend, she had to see it through to the end.
"Fine! A man can never say he can't!" Ye Jinliang gritted his teeth, looking as if he were ready to heroically sacrifice himself to blow up a bunker.
He was clearly provoked by her taunt.
Meanwhile, a certain Mr. Gu didn't even look at her; he just stared fixedly at the terrifying tracks, his heart inevitably drumming a bit.
The memories of his last trip to the amusement park were furiously attacking him.
Seriously, do we absolutely have to ride this thing?
Right at that moment, a soft little hand quietly hooked around his fingertips.
Ye Zhenzhen took a step closer, and that refreshing osmanthus scent instantly took over his sense of smell.
The girl's eyes curved into a smile with a hint of mischief: "Gu 'Dog' Ran, if you're scared, I can lend you my hand to hold?"
Gu Ran's mouth twitched slightly.
Good heavens, this girl was applying what she just learned. Her skills were improving, actually daring to tease him now.
...
The roller coaster slowly climbed. The clack, clack sound of the chain friction felt like the Grim Reaper's countdown.
"Sister Susu, my... my bladder is a bit out of control." Ye Jinliang kept his eyes shut tight, his voice trembling like a sifter.
"Shut up! This is called conquering!" Pei Susu gripped the armrests tightly, her nails practically leaving marks on the safety bar.
In the back row, Gu Ran's body was as stiff as granite.
I am a reincarnator, I am a billionaire tycoon, I have seen great storms and waves...
But I'm still freaking scared!
Just in those few seconds of dead silence when the roller coaster hovered at the highest point, with the front car completely suspended in mid-air, a small hand suddenly slipped past the safety bar and firmly grasped his.
"Gu Ran, look at me."
Ye Zhenzhen's voice was very soft, but it acted like a powerful sedative.
Gu Ran turned his head and plunged straight into the girl's bright, sparkling eyes.
"Don't be afraid, big sister is here."
The next second, the feeling of weightlessness instantly erupted!
"Ahhhh!!!"
Pig-slaughtering screams came from the front row.
Pei Susu's painstakingly maintained "queen" image collapsed. Her wavy hair was blown into a bird's nest, and her hideous expression could easily be selected as the meme material of the year.
Ye Jinliang's face was ashen, yet in the chaos, he subconsciously stretched out his arm, firmly protecting Pei Susu in front of him.
And in the back, during the moment his mind went blank, Gu Ran instinctively shrank toward the only source of warmth.
Ye Zhenzhen wrapped one arm around his shoulder like a little lioness protecting her cub, firmly pressing his head into her embrace.
Smelling that refreshing fragrance and feeling the astonishing softness, Gu Ran's heart, which was about to leap out of his throat, miraculously calmed down.
Ye Zhenzhen: "???"
Wait, how did this guy's head end up in my arms?!
This... this script is wrong!
Did the "suspension bridge effect" get reversed?
...
When getting off the ride, Pei Susu was dragged out like a cardboard cutout.
She collapsed in the rest area, her eyes glazed over, her makeup almost ruined from crying, and her soul seemingly still floating on the tracks.
Looking back, Ye Zhenzhen was blushing, carefully helping Gu Ran fix his wind-tousled bangs.
And Gu Ran's expression of lingering enjoyment made him look exactly like a cat that had just stolen a fish.
"What did you two... do in the back row?" Pei Susu's voice was hoarse, but she still couldn't resist her curiosity.
"N-nothing, Gu Ran is just a bit afraid of heights, so I took care of my 'little brother'."
Ye Zhenzhen looked self-righteous, but her voice lacked a bit of confidence.
Gu Ran looked at the girl's radiant face, then bought a pink cat ear headband from a nearby stall.
Smack, he placed it on her head.
"Don't move."
The young man took two steps back, rubbing his chin like an appraiser, "Mm, not bad, Kitten Ye. This is your limited edition skin for today."
Seeing this scene, Ye Jinliang's eyes were practically turning sour with envy.
Playing dress-up with the aloof school beauty?
You even freaking unlocked a skin for her, damn you!
Meanwhile, Ye Zhenzhen froze for a moment. Looking at the doting affection in Gu Ran's eyes, her heart felt as if it had been gently tickled by a feather.
She reached back and grabbed a pure black cat ear headband, then forcefully shoved it onto Gu Ran's head.
"Then you have to wear one too. This is called... a sister-brother matching set."
Gu Ran wearing the black cat ears, his cool and handsome face paired with the cute item, exuded an ultimate sense of contrast moe.
"Ohoho, sister and brother? Looks more like a couple's outfit to me! Are you going to let us single dogs live?" Pei Susu jeered sourly.
Ye Jinliang was itching to make a move on the side, wanting to go buy two for them to wear as well.
But after thinking about it for a long time, he ultimately didn't dare to put it into action, and could only silently nip the idea in the bud.
"Next stop—the haunted house!" Pei Susu gritted her teeth, trying to win back some dignity. "This is a classic attraction for testing courage. I don't believe I'll fail again this time!"
...
At the entrance of the haunted house, the eerie cold air mixed with the mournful background music, maxing out the atmospheric vibes.
"Sorry, but to ensure the best experience, only two people are allowed in at a time." The staff member ruthlessly blocked the group.
Pei Susu was just about to arrange a tactical formation when Gu Ran incredibly naturally took Ye Zhenzhen's hand. His movements were so smooth it actually hurt to watch.
Take Ye Jinliang, for instance—his heart was hurting quite a bit right now.
That classic feeling of "fearing your bro might have it rough, but fearing even more that your bro might end up driving a Range Rover" welled up in his heart once again.
"We'll go in first. You guys can take your time dawdling back here."
Clang!
The heavy doors slammed shut, and the surroundings instantly plunged into a dead silence, broken only by faint, distant weeping.
Ye Zhenzhen's palms were slick with sweat, and her body subconsciously pressed against Gu Ran. The domineering "big sister" aura she had flaunted on the roller coaster just moments ago had instantly dropped to zero.
"Scared?" Gu Ran's deep voice rang out in the darkness, carrying a hint of amusement.
"Who's scared? I'm the older sister, after all..."
Barely had the words left her mouth when a "female ghost" with disheveled hair descended from the ceiling on a wire, her eyeballs practically shoved right into Ye Zhenzhen's face.
"Ah—!"
Ye Zhenzhen immediately crashed into Gu Ran's embrace, her arms locking onto his waist for dear life.
Taking advantage of the situation, Gu Ran wrapped his arms around her slender waist. He lowered his head and chuckled softly by her ear, his warm breath making half her body go weak.
"Sister, you brought this upon yourself."
Outside the doors, listening to Ye Zhenzhen's piercing screams from within, Pei Susu's face turned from pale to green.
Well... this newly opened Happy Valley really lived up to its reputation. The immersive experience of every attraction was miles better than the old amusement park.
...
Ten minutes later, the iron doors of the haunted house swung open, revealing the staff inside muttering curses under their breath.
What the hell was that? They just came in and started making out, leaving the ghosts jumping around them like absolute clowns...
Gu Ran looked thoroughly refreshed, while Ye Zhenzhen kept her head down, her face as red as a ripe tomato.
Her skirt was a bit rumpled, and even the cat-ear headband on her head was sitting crooked.
"You two... didn't do anything decent in there, did you? Why do you look like that?" Pei Susu eyed the pair suspiciously.
"N-nonsense!" Ye Zhenzhen retorted, then bolted toward the vending machines without looking back. "I'm thirsty, I'm going to buy some water!"
Gu Ran strolled leisurely behind her. As he passed Pei Susu, he lowered his voice and dropped a totally devastating line:
"Teacher Pei, your theories are very useful. Please don't teach them next time."
Pei Susu: "???"
Was he provoking me?!
nd fell into a coma while saving his younger sister from an out-of-control car. He became a vegetable. No one knew that his consciousness had crossed into a world of cultivation. Over the course of sixty years, he began as the lowest kind of mine slave, struggling to survive amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. By sheer chance, he eventually obtained the complete memories of a fallen Immortal King. Alchemy, medicine, formations, feng shui, physiognomy, artifact forging… Every great inheritance of the cultivation world was now his. But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that ten full years had passed in the modern world. To pay for his treatment, his father had sold the family’s shop and house, leaving himself covered in lasting injuries and illness. His mother had cared for him day and night, and more than half of her hair had already turned white. His younger sister, who had been only fifteen back then, was now twenty-five. To help repay the family’s debts, she had been forced to lower her head and put on a smiling face in places of glittering lights and endless revelry. Only then did Chen Xuan understand that what he had lost was not merely ten years. He had lost the life his entire family was meant to have. The good news was that he had brought back the memories of an Immortal King’s entire lifetime. The bad news was that his soul had returned alone—his cultivation had not come with him. Spiritual energy was scarce, resources were depleted, and the modern world still had firearms, surveillance, capital, and laws. If he wanted to protect his family, break free from everyone’s control, and become truly invincible beneath the heavens, he would have to start all over again.
Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"
s the Eldest Princess, renowned for her cold and aloof detachment, became the most docile of lambs, obeying his every command without question. But when the final move was played on the chessboard, as Gu Chenghan seized everything and ascended on the verge of apotheosis, that very Princess suddenly embraced him from behind, her tone carrying a dependence never heard before: "Wait... you haven't yet... commanded me to love you forever." Gu Chenghan froze abruptly. She... hadn't been hypnotized?! ... [The Eldest Princess's Diary] [When my soul was extracted, becoming the sole spectator outside my own shell] [At first, there was overwhelming fury, until I saw] [How he used my sword to effortlessly shatter my inescapable doom] [How he wielded my authority to eradicate fatal conspiracies I had never even detected] [Like a deity, he rescued me from the deep mire I was trapped in] [If not for those annoying vixens, he and I would be a match made in heaven] [I think I am ill, gravely ill] [My deity should belong to me alone] ... "Hypnosis? Oh, it succeeded, my dear Master." "Only this time, it's my turn to hypnotize you."
] [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!"
