Chapter Eighteen
Didn't they just meet today? Why were they meeting again tomorrow?
Sensing the confusion between the two, Lao Gu, who was standing beside Ye Shulian, spoke up to explain.
Aren't you two off tomorrow afternoon? Your mother and I just discussed it. It's better to move during the break so you can adapt to the new environment early and avoid feeling out of place.
These words were directed at Ye Zhenzhen. Then, he turned to Gu Ran and said, We need to pack up properly tonight. Don't let your sister see that pigsty of yours when she comes over tomorrow.
Ye Zhenzhen: ???
Gu Ran: ???
Wasn't this a bit sudden?
Meeting today and moving in together tomorrow? This was moving at more than double speed.
But the two adults had already made up their minds. The opinions of the two children weren't particularly important. After all, once they moved in, it wasn't the two of them who would be sharing a bed.
Furthermore, when Lao Gu took out the loan to buy the house, he had specifically chosen a three-bedroom apartment so that both children would have their own rooms.
So, this was merely an announcement. Gu Ran understood this and remained quietly obedient.
Ye Zhenzhen was also a good girl. Although she was shocked, she could only accept reality.
Regarding the move tomorrow, the four of them reached a pleasant consensus, bringing brilliant smiles to the faces of Ye Shulian and Gu Xiangcheng.
Seeing their parents so happy, Gu Ran and Ye Zhenzhen also began to think calmly about their life together starting tomorrow.
The two shared a tacit glance, which ended when the girl shyly turned her head away.
...
Night.
Gu Ran sat in the passenger seat, watching the lingering smile on Lao Gu's face without saying a word.
Finally, Lao Gu noticed his son's complex expression. His heart skipped a beat, fearing his son might cause trouble, so he tentatively asked.
I didn't ask for your opinion before discussing the move with your Aunt Ye. Are you...
Knowing what he wanted to say, Gu Ran shook his head and said in a flat tone, It's fine, Dad. You bought the house. It's up to you who lives there.
Gu Ran's face looked calm and his tone seemed normal, but for some reason, Gu Xiangcheng felt like the words sounded a bit off, even a little sarcastic.
If... if you feel uncomfortable about it, I...
Before he could finish, Gu Ran raised an eyebrow and asked with a smile, If I feel uncomfortable, are you going to back out at the last minute?
No, I mean you can just bear with it for a bit. Anyway, you'll be going to college soon, so you won't be living at home much, Lao Gu shook his head, offering a blunt solution.
Gu Ran: ...
...
On the other side, Ye Zhenzhen followed her mother upstairs.
As soon as they entered the house, she grabbed her mother's hand and hurriedly asked why they were suddenly moving tomorrow.
Zhenzhen, our lease is about to expire. Your Uncle Gu and I have talked about this before, and we only decided to move after much discussion. As for why we're going tomorrow, it's because the landlord has been pressing us lately. Besides, the location here isn't great, and it's too far from your school. I've seen your Uncle Gu's place. You'll have your own separate room, the environment is good, and it's close to school, making it convenient for you.
Hearing this, Ye Zhenzhen's lips moved as if she wanted to say something.
Seeing this, Ye Shulian tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and continued.
I know what you want to say. The reason your Uncle Gu and I haven't registered our marriage yet was out of consideration for your and Gu Ran's feelings. But seeing how well you two got along today, we've decided to go get the marriage certificate next Monday.
Mon... Monday?!
Ye Zhenzhen's mouth hung open slightly, her eyes filled with shock.
She was completely floored by her mother's speed.
She shook her head, not intending to say anything more, and turned to go back to her room.
In her three years of high school, this was the first night she didn't study. Instead, she organized her room and packed her personal belongings.
She threw away what needed to be thrown and replaced what needed to be replaced; she wouldn't take any old or worn-out items.
She heard her mother say that Uncle Gu's house was in Riverside Garden.
Even if she didn't pay attention to real estate, she had heard of the most luxurious residential complex in the county.
Thinking about her future life under someone else's roof, she turned to look at the little bear on the bed that had been with her for over ten years.
It was a gift from her mother when she was a child. After more than ten years and countless washes, the fabric was poor to begin with, and now it was severely faded with hardly any fur left.
She reached out and stroked the bear's head. After careful consideration, she left the bear on the bed instead of putting it in her suitcase.
It wasn't a particularly sentimental item; it had just been with her for a long time.
But thinking about her stepfather's house in a luxury complex and Gu Ran being there, she was afraid the old, shabby bear would be looked down upon. In the end, she gave up on the bear.
...
Early the next morning.
Sunlight spilled into the room through the curtains, the soft light washing away the gloom of the night and awakening Gu Ran's consciousness.
He sat up lazily, stretched tiredly, got out of bed, and put on his clothes, preparing to start his daily morning run.
Stepping out of the house, the early morning air was a bit chilly. The cold wind brushed against his cheeks, and the bone-chilling sensation instantly cleared his head.
He picked up his pace and ran along the path by the river embankment.
After several consecutive days of exercise, he could feel his body becoming significantly more energetic. An eighteen-year-old body was indeed strong, as evidenced by the tent his shorts propped up every morning.
Bringing breakfast home, he began to tidy up his room since he had spent the previous night writing code.
He carefully placed his books neatly on the bookshelf and organized his messy clothes in the wardrobe, making everything orderly.
He meticulously wiped every piece of furniture and every inch of the floor, doing his best to create a comfortable and clean space.
Having finished the tidying, he picked up an air freshener and lightly sprayed it into the air.
A faint fragrance filled the room, bringing a sense of peace and comfort.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, as if he could smell the scent of flowers and grass and feel the breath of nature.
This was good. Surely that girl, Ye Zhenzhen, would like this scent too. He then turned and entered the adjacent second bedroom.
It was the same size as his bedroom and had been cleaned by Lao Gu last night. This was the room prepared for his future stepsister.
He sprayed a light mist around the room, looking at the empty yet fresh space with great satisfaction.
Walking to the window, he pushed open the French doors. This room also had a balcony, but it was connected to the balcony of his own room.
Seeing that he could come over without using the door, Gu Ran was even more satisfied.
He could come over through the balcony anytime to bond with his future stepsister. Ye Zhenzhen would surely be so moved she'd want to cry.
With a face full of smiles, he walked out of the room and happened to bump into Lao Gu, who was coming out while yawning. The father and son glanced at each other, and Lao Gu's eyelid couldn't help but twitch...
e, Immortal Body, Transmigration, System, Progression Fantasy, Academy Setting, Third-Person Perspective. Alternate Title: Transmigrating into a High Martial World and Reading Live Comments. Bad news: I transmigrated. This is a terrifying high-martial world, and my original, pathetically weak body fell into a coma and never woke up. Good news: I got a Popularity Points system upon arrival. I can see live comments and even create an unkillable alternate identity. Starting out, the alternate identity has all stats at 1. The system tells me that to grow stronger, I must participate in the plot, gain popularity points to allocate stats and grow stronger, and ultimately awaken my original body. And so, carrying my original body on my back, I officially entered Huaqing Academy, where the story's protagonist resides. From that moment on, Chen Guan kicked the original plot to pieces. Live Comments: [Doesn't anyone find this mysterious coffin guy creepy? He can summon indescribable grey misty hands.] [Is this guy a hero or a villain? What kind of onion became a spirit?] [By the way, does anyone know who's in the coffin? Shouldn't the debt for saving his life be repaid by now?] [According to unofficial histories, the person in the coffin was Chen Guan's first love. Their love was once passionate and earth-shattering, but they were separated by life and death due to worldly circumstances. What a star-crossed pair.] ... Years later, the world knew of a demon god born from a coffin, shrouded in grey mist, impossible to gaze upon directly. His foremost divine emissary often wielded a scythe, reaping lives like the god of death. As war approached, facing former friends and a boundless sea of enemies, Chen Guan merely raised his scythe. "Would you like to dance as well?"
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
ing gift was a patch of barren land, and disciples were all picked up along the way. He spent fifty years diligently building three "ramshackle little sects," thinking he could finally live a carefree life relying on his disciples. But right at the fifty-year mark, he was suddenly swept away by a spatial rift and exiled to the Chaos Desolation, the Disorderly Ruins. There was no spiritual energy there, only slaughter. Relying on the cultivation feedback from his disciples, Gu Changyuan hacked his way through a sea of blood for eleven hundred years. When the system finally fished him back out, he discovered the ramshackle little sects he'd built back then had developed a rather... unusual style. Hold on... I vanished for a thousand years, so how did my ramshackle little sects become holy lands?!
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!
