Chapter 238
Park Hyatt Hotel, 66th-floor Presidential Suite.
With a soft beep from the electronic door lock.
Ye Jinliang, his forehead covered in fine sweat, carried Pei Susu on his back all the way into the living room.
"Alright, alright, put me down quickly! This carpet is softer than my bed, it won't kill me to fall."
Pei Susu patted Ye Jinliang's broad shoulders, her tone carrying a hint of unconcealable panic.
They had been stared at by all the hotel staff along the way.
It was only because Pei Susu had thick enough skin.
If it were someone with social anxiety, they probably would have died on the spot by now.
"No can do, Sister Zhenzhen said that a bone or muscle injury takes a hundred days to heal! Even if it's not fractured, we can't be careless."
Ye Jinliang panted heavily and shook his head stubbornly.
He carefully walked over to the sofa, slowly bending down with gentle movements.
Gu Ran followed behind them and casually closed the door.
Watching this scene, he couldn't help but give him a mental thumbs-up.
He's getting the hang of it!
He used to just say "drink more hot water," and now he's directly evolved into a "human wheelchair."
With this level of execution, he deserves to have a girlfriend.
Less than two minutes later, a private butler wheeled a small cart in.
On the tray were ice packs, Yunnan Baiyao spray, and a few warm towels.
"Sir, do you need any help?"
The butler asked politely.
"No, no, I'll do it myself."
Ye Jinliang took the ice pack and even specifically tested the temperature with the back of his hand, afraid it would be too cold for Pei Susu.
He knelt on one knee on the plush carpet in front of the sofa, gently lifting Pei Susu's slightly swollen and red ankle.
Normally, this guy would drop his chopsticks three times a meal, but right now, those large, meaty hands were incredibly steady.
He first placed a towel under her ankle, then gently applied the ice pack.
"Hiss..."
The sudden cold sensation made Pei Susu instinctively pull her foot back a little.
"Does it hurt?"
Ye Jinliang's hand trembled. He jerked his head up, his face full of tension.
"Should I be gentler? Or put a thicker towel under it?"
Pei Susu looked down at him.
From her angle, she could just see the small hair whorl on top of Ye Jinliang's head, as well as his eyelashes fluttering slightly due to nervousness.
This guy usually acted like a brainless Husky, but he was surprisingly attentive when taking care of someone.
For some reason, the bellyful of teasing remarks she had ready suddenly couldn't be spoken.
"It's fine, it doesn't hurt."
Pei Susu turned her head away, her voice an octave lower than usual, her ears inexplicably feeling a bit hot.
"You... you should wipe your sweat too, it's dripping onto my foot."
By the bar, Gu Ran swirled a glass of ice water in his hand and raised an eyebrow at Ye Zhenzhen beside him.
The girl understood perfectly and leaned in to whisper in his ear.
"I think this is getting more and more solid."
"Be more confident, take out 'think'. Lao Ye just has dumb luck."
Gu Ran chuckled softly.
The girl nodded in agreement.
"Indeed, to deal with a 'keyboard warrior' like Susu, sincerity is the ultimate finishing move."
Just as they were talking, the doorbell rang.
Several dining carts filed in.
The Australian lobster was still steaming, the pastry of the Beef Wellington was a tempting golden brown, and the black truffle mushroom soup gave off a rich aroma.
Amidst these top-tier ingredients sat a few incongruous bottles of iced cola.
There were also a few cups of fruit-filled milk tea that had just been brought up from downstairs.
"Come on, come on, let's eat, I'm starving!"
After finishing with the injury, Ye Jinliang washed his hands.
He plopped down on the carpet and grabbed a lobster claw without any regard for his image.
Gu Ran pulled Ye Zhenzhen to her seat and, seeing Ye Jinliang looking like a reincarnated starved ghost, couldn't help but tease him.
"Lao Ye, you're eating already? She's incapacitated right now, shouldn't you peel a shrimp for her? Or maybe... chew it up and feed it to her?"
"Pfft—cough cough cough!"
The mouthful of cola Ye Jinliang had just drunk nearly shot out of his nose, and his entire face instantly turned the color of pig liver.
"You... don't talk nonsense! What do you mean chew it up and feed it!"
Pei Susu was holding her milk tea and slurping boba; hearing this, she nearly choked to death and glared fiercely at Gu Ran.
"Gu Ran, even food can't shut your mouth, huh?"
Although she was scolding him, Ye Jinliang silently put down the claw in his hand.
He clumsily picked up a knife and fork, cutting the steak into evenly sized pieces.
He also completely extracted the lobster meat, drizzled it with sauce, and then gently pushed the plate in front of Pei Susu.
"Um... Sister Susu, eat this, you don't need to use your hands."
Pei Susu looked at the mountain of meat piled in front of her, her fingers tightening around the milk tea cup.
She lowered her head, using the motion of drinking her milk tea to hide the uncontrollable upward curve of her lips.
"Thanks, Fatty."
...
The atmosphere at dinner was lively and relaxed, with only the night sky outside the window serving as a reminder of the passing time.
Fully fed and satisfied, the four of them sprawled on the sofa to digest their food.
"What time is the flight tomorrow?"
Ye Jinliang asked, breaking the temporary silence.
"Ten in the morning."
Gu Ran glanced at his phone.
"You guys don't need to rush, you can sleep in and head back to school in the afternoon."
Hearing this, the previously playful and bantering atmosphere faded a bit.
Happy times were like Pinduoduo red envelopes.
They looked like a lot, but in reality, they were full of tricks and vanished in the blink of an eye.
Their two-day trip to the imperial capital, although tiring as a dog, was indeed the most relaxing time they had had since starting school.
"Sigh, I don't know when we'll see each other next."
Pei Susu sighed, shaking the cola can in her hand with some melancholy.
Ye Zhenzhen leaned on Pei Susu's shoulder, her face also showing reluctance to part.
Gu Ran smiled and raised the cola in his hand.
"Why so sentimental? Transportation is so advanced now, we can see each other whenever we want. Besides, the National Day holiday is coming up soon."
"Let's make a date. Over the National Day holiday, we'll meet up again back in City A."
"Alright! It's a deal!"
Ye Jinliang was the first to respond, raising his cola.
"Whoever breaks the promise is a puppy!"
Pei Susu also raised her cup.
"Cheers!"
The four pop cans clinked in the air, making a crisp sound.
Foam spilled over, like the overflowing joy of youth.
Gu Ran stood up and stretched lazily.
"This hotel has an open-air private hot spring on the top floor. It would be an absolute waste of God's gifts not to take a dip."
"Let's go, I'll show you what it means by 'the empire I have conquered for you'."
...

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.”

] [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!"

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."

shall grant"] ["Inscribing the glory of our race upon tombstones"] ["All that is threatened, I shall protect"] How his younger sister sees her brother: A brother who only makes eye contact once a day, mostly fading into the background as he tinkers with who-knows-what in his room all day. Their life paths should have remained largely separate. Until one day. Su Qi created an equipment card for his never-met "online girlfriend." His sister fell into silent contemplation upon receiving the "white stockings." [Card can be upgraded] [Upgrade by fulfilling any of the following conditions] [Condition ①: Consume one hundred higher-tier cards] [Condition ②: Complete one 'Heart-Pounding Adventure'] What constitutes a Heart-Pounding Adventure? [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Beginner Level): Equip the card and invite 'Su Qi' to admire it.] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Easy Level): Equip the card, invite 'Su Qi' to touch it, and analyze the equipment's texture.] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Entry Level): Equip the card and invite 'Su Qi' to...] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Challenge Level): Freely combine the words 'Brother' 'Out' 'Brother' 'Me' 'Please' into a complete sentence...] "Please help me analyze both teams' mistakes in this match, brother..." His sister exhaled in relief—surely... surely there couldn't be anything more difficult? [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Suicide Mission Level): Sneak a peek at the names of the galgames in 'Su Qi's' hidden E-drive folder]