Chapter 224
The moment the prelude of the ending theme played, the originally dim and romantic lights in the theater suddenly brightened.
The light pierced through the darkness, and it also pierced through Ye Zhenzhen's final psychological defense.
She abruptly sat up straight, her fingers flying as she adjusted her slightly messy collar.
She haphazardly tucked the loose strands of hair behind her ears, wishing she could find a hole in the ground to crawl into right then and there.
It was completely and utterly mortifying!
Everything that had just happened was simply the "darkest hour" of her life, where all her reasoning had completely collapsed.
She didn't even dare to look up at Gu Ran.
She didn't even need to think to know that the scoundrel was definitely wearing a highly punchable smirk!
"L-let's go!"
Ye Zhenzhen grabbed her bag, ready to flee the "scene of the crime."
However, expectations are one thing, reality is another.
The moment she stood up straight, her legs turned to jelly like cooked noodles.
The aftereffects of oxygen deprivation, combined with a certain someone's highly aggressive offensive just now, fully erupted at this very moment.
Seeing that she was about to have a close encounter with the seat in front of her, a warm and powerful hand firmly gripped her waist.
The world spun, and she fell right back into that familiar embrace.
"What? Legs feeling weak?"
Gu Ran looked down, his words carrying undisguised teasing.
"It seems Student Ye's endurance needs some strengthening. This is nothing."
"Shut up!"
Ye Zhenzhen was dying of embarrassment. How could this guy make such dirty jokes so casually!
"Okay, okay, I'll shut up."
Gu Ran surrendered verbally, but his hands became even more brazen, half-hugging and half-carrying her as he acted as a human crutch.
"Since you can't walk, just enjoy your boyfriend's exclusive after-sales support service. Free of charge."
What the hell kind of after-sales service is that!
Furious and flush-headed, Ye Zhenzhen raised her hand and threw a punch.
She didn't use any force at all; at most, it counted as lovers' flirting.
"Hiss—"
Gu Ran suddenly gasped, clutching his chest as he bent over in pain, his brows tightly furrowed.
"Cough, cough... trying to murder your own husband..."
Ye Zhenzhen, who was originally still embarrassed and angry, instantly panicked. Her medical student DNA activated.
Forgetting her shyness, she hurriedly leaned in, frantically wanting to check on him.
"What's wrong? I didn't hit you hard!"
Diagrams of chest anatomy flashed quickly through her mind as she wondered if her punch had accidentally hit a vagus nerve.
"It hurts... my heart hurts..."
Gu Ran's voice was weak.
With this acting skill, it was an absolute loss to the entertainment industry that he didn't go win an Oscar.
"I'm taking you to the hospital right now!"
Ye Zhenzhen was so anxious her eyes turned red, and her voice carried a hint of a sob.
Just as her hand was about to touch Gu Ran's chest, she caught sight of his lowered eyes.
There was a fleeting, completely irrepressible sly smile.
The air went quiet for three seconds.
Ye Zhenzhen's hand froze in mid-air.
She! Was! Tricked!
"Gu! Dog! Ran!"
Ye Zhenzhen gritted her teeth and squeezed out the three words.
Seeing things taking a bad turn, Gu Ran instantly reined it in and straightened his back.
"Oh? Suddenly it doesn't hurt anymore. It must be the power of love that healed me."
"Heal my foot!"
Ye Zhenzhen shoved the drama king away and turned to leave.
Liar!
Big liar!
Her heart had almost stopped from fright just now, and this guy was actually putting on a performance of 'An Actor Prepares' for her?!
The young woman practically sprinted toward the underground parking lot.
The Love Bible that Pei Susu had given her suddenly popped into her mind.
There was a golden rule boldly circled in red ink:
[Men cannot be spoiled. The more you spoil them, the more they become jerks. When he starts pushing his luck, you must maintain a sense of mystery and distance to give him a sense of crisis!]
That's right!
Pei's Art of War never deceives!
Ye Zhenzhen took a deep breath and adjusted her facial expression.
Chin tilted up fifteen degrees, gaze focused in the distance, she firmly welded the aloof mature woman persona onto her face.
Her back looked resolute.
Gu Ran froze for a moment.
This wasn't the script, was it?
According to normal procedure, shouldn't she bashfully punch him a couple more times in annoyance?
And then he would naturally coax her, ultimately winning the beauty back in his arms?
"Zhenzhen?"
Gu Ran called out tentatively.
The young woman ahead walked with a steady pace, turning a deaf ear.
"Doctor Ye?"
Still no response.
"Sister? Pay attention to me."
The only thing in the air was his own echo.
Gu Ran's heart skipped a beat.
Crap, I took it too far.
This girl actually learned the silent treatment?
Looking at the retreating figure, Gu Ran hurriedly chased after her.
"Zhenzhen, I was wrong, I was really wrong."
"That was just a reflex earlier. Wasn't I just trying to make you laugh?"
Gu Ran buzzed around her, chattering non-stop.
One moment he ran to her left, the next he darted to her right.
But this time, Ye Zhenzhen was dead set on executing Pei's Art of War.
Looking straight ahead, she was determined to carry out her aloofness to the very end.
Seeing that she was immune to both hard and soft tactics, a certain someone rolled his eyes and launched a menu reading attack.
"I heard a new charcoal-grilled crawfish place opened near the school. Their thirteen-spice flavor is top-notch, with rich tomalley and bouncy meat..."
Ye Zhenzhen's throat bobbed uselessly as she swallowed.
Hold it in! Ye Zhenzhen!
Those are the enemy's sugar-coated bullets!
"And that Hokkaido ice cream cake you said you wanted to eat last time. It's just downstairs, limited daily supply. If we're late, it'll be gone."
Ye Zhenzhen's footsteps paused for an imperceptible moment.
Ice cream cake...
No! I can't lose!
The aloof persona absolutely cannot collapse!
Gu Ran keenly caught her hesitation. The corners of his lips curled up as he threw out his ultimate trump card.
"Let's go eat Korean BBQ! Thickly sliced pork belly sizzling with oil on the grill, roasted until it's golden and crispy, paired with a sip of ice-cold cola..."
Gulp.
A clear swallowing sound echoed in the quiet elevator lobby.
Ye Zhenzhen closed her eyes in despair.
This damn, useless stomach!
The girl silently raised a white flag in her heart, but she still stubbornly maintained her facade.
She gritted her teeth until the elevator doors opened, rushing out first and heading straight for the parking lot.
As long as she got in the car, she would unilaterally declare this battle over!
Ye Zhenzhen walked straight to the passenger door, just about to reach out.
A dark shadow instantly flashed by.
Gu Ran beat her to it, blocking the car door.
Ye Zhenzhen looked confused, just about to speak.
Then she saw Gu Ran suddenly stand up straight, adjust his collar with one hand, his expression solemn and dignified.
Then, under Ye Zhenzhen's bewildered gaze.
He placed his left hand behind his back and gracefully pulled the car door open with his right.
At the same time, he leaned forward slightly, performing a standard British butler's bow.
"Your Majesty, please get in."
Gu Ran looked up, a flattering yet sincere smile hanging on his handsome face.
"Pfft—"
Ye Zhenzhen's tight lips finally failed to hold the last line of defense.
She looked helplessly at the guy in front of her, whose shamelessness was as thick as a city wall.
"Smooth talker."
She playfully scolded, cooperatively reaching out and placing her hand in his palm.
Seeing this, the heavy stone in Gu Ran's heart finally dropped.
Phew... these days.
Dating takes more brain cells than fighting a corporate war.
He shielded Ye Zhenzhen as she got into the car, helped her buckle her seatbelt, and then walked around the front to get into the driver's seat.
Just when Ye Zhenzhen thought he was going to start the car, Gu Ran suddenly leaned in, closing the distance between them.
Inside the cramped cabin, the romantic atmosphere heated up once again.
He reached out and gently pinched Ye Zhenzhen's soft cheeks with his fingertips. They felt so incredibly soft that it was almost addictive.
"Well, well, Ye Zhenzhen. You've really grown bolder, haven't you?"
Gu Ran narrowed his eyes, his tone laced with a dangerous edge yet carrying a hint of undeniable affection.
"Learning how to play mind games now? Did Pei Susu teach you that? Hmm?"
Ye Zhenzhen swatted his hand away and lifted her chin with a proud, haughty expression.
"Hmph! I'm not telling you. Let's just say a brilliant master makes for an outstanding apprentice! This is called tactical warfare!"
She bobbed her head smugly, looking just like a victorious little peacock.
"You'd better watch out from now on. I've got plenty of tricks up my sleeve!"
Watching the young woman's vibrant and lively demeanor, the amusement in Gu Ran's eyes deepened.
He leaned in closer until the tips of their noses were practically touching, their warm breaths intertwining.
"You are absolutely right, My Queen."
His voice was low and husky, loaded with implication.
"Since the first round has concluded, shouldn't we... move on to the next phase?"
Ye Zhenzhen froze. She instinctively shrank back, staring at him with sudden wariness.
"W-what phase?"
This guy...
He wasn't going to try anything funny again, was he?
......
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
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."
] [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!"
lities. One day, Qi Yuan was buying groceries when he unfortunately came face-to-face with a monster. Just when he thought he was going to die on the spot, he suddenly heard the monster's thoughts... "This aura, he's definitely not an ordinary master!" "So terrifying, so terrifying." "A fight with my back against the wall, I can't take it anymore." Qi Yuan: Ah, no one told me that my awakened ability isn't telepathy, but rather the stronger my enemies imagine me to be, the stronger I truly become. PS: Zhou Hai in the first chapter is not the protagonist.
