At this moment, a boy stood up.
"Yuling, why don't you introduce your friends?"
The one speaking was one of Xie Yuling's older cousins. They descended from the same great-grandfather, so in terms of bloodline, he wasn't as closely related to her as Xie Yufei was.
They were merely relatives who only saw each other once in a while during holiday banquets at the ancestral hall.
Hearing the voice, Jiang Yunlu looked over. Without waiting for Xie Yuling to speak, she stood up gracefully, a perfectly measured smile playing on her lips.
"Hello, I am Jiang Yunlu, Yuling's friend." She then smoothly pointed to the somewhat reserved Chu Miaomiao beside her. "This is Chu Miaomiao. She is a bit shy."
It had to be said that Xie Yuling had quite a few male cousins. On their side of the family, other than Xie Yuling herself, there was only one other female cousin present.
The older cousin's eyes were practically glued to Jiang Yunlu as he smiled and introduced himself.
"My name is Xie Zhifeng, Yuling's older cousin. You must study at Guangba High School just like Yuling, right?"
From the moment Jiang Yunlu walked through the door, Xie Zhifeng had not been able to look away.
This girl was simply too outstanding. Her aura was excellent, and she was on a completely different level from the girls he usually encountered.
He suddenly felt a twinge of regret. If he had known Xie Yuling had such a beautiful friend, he would have made an effort to bond with his younger cousin more often.
But it wasn't too late now.
Xie Zhifeng's mind was racing with calculations. Being two years older than Xie Yuling and having just finished his final exams, he was at an age where his hormones were running wild.
If he could manage to woo this girl, taking her out on dates would give him so much face.
However, Jiang Yunlu merely gave a polite, smiling nod before sitting back down. Her movements were elegant, yet they carried a hint of aloofness.
A single nod was her way of acknowledging the introduction.
Having met with a soft rebuff, the smile on Xie Zhifeng's face stiffened for a moment.
With a table separating them, he wanted to strike up another conversation but couldn't find an excuse to do so on the spot. He could only sit down resentfully, though his eyes continued to drift toward Jiang Yunlu from time to time.
The prepared dishes were quickly served one after another like flowing water, and Zheng Yuan walked over from another table.
"Miaomiao is here."
Zheng Yuan first smiled and greeted the familiar face of Chu Miaomiao before her gaze landed on the exceptionally eye-catching girl beside her.
"Is this also Yuling's classmate?" Zheng Yuan studied Jiang Yunlu, feeling a bit puzzled. She recognized all the children of their relatives, but this girl was a complete stranger.
Before Jiang Yunlu could speak, Xie Zhifeng, as if seizing an opportunity to show off, suddenly stood up again, his voice carrying a touch of eagerness.
"Auntie, let me introduce you. This is Jiang Yunlu, Yuling's classmate!"
He acted as if he were very familiar with Jiang Yunlu.
Taken aback by his sudden enthusiasm, Zheng Yuan paused, her brow furrowing imperceptibly.
She is Yuling's classmate, why are you the one introducing her?
What was up with this kid today?
Ignoring Xie Zhifeng, Zheng Yuan kept her gentle gaze on Jiang Yunlu.
Jiang Yunlu slowly stood up, her posture perfectly straight. Her clear eyes met Zheng Yuan's gaze, and although her voice wasn't loud, it reached the ears of everyone at the table clearly.
"Hello, Auntie. I am Lin Mo's desk mate. My name is Jiang Yunlu."
This self-introduction carried a massive amount of information.
With a single sentence, she directly cast aside the vague identity of "Yuling's friend" and replaced it with a far weightier label.
Xie Zhifeng froze on the spot, his mouth hanging half-open.
Lin Mo?
Which Lin Mo? Who was that?
But Zheng Yuan understood.
The smile on her face remained unchanged, but something extra appeared in her eyes. In an instant, she sensed that something was off.
"Hello, hello. Please sit down, make yourself at home."
Zheng Yuan smiled and nodded, but waves were already crashing in her heart. She asked with feigned casualness:
"Enjoy your meal, you two. Do you have any plans for the afternoon? Would you like Auntie to take you out for a stroll?"
Jiang Yunlu picked up her cup and took a sip of water. Her movements were as elegant as ever, but the words that came out of her mouth hit like a heavy hammer.
"No thank you, Auntie. We are going to Lin Mo's house to eat zongzi this afternoon."
As soon as she said this, the atmosphere at the table instantly froze.
Zheng Yuan could no longer maintain her smile. She slowly turned her head to look at her daughter, Xie Yuling.
Her eyes were full of question marks.
No way, right? Is her own precious daughter going to lose? Has someone already come right to their doorstep to declare sovereignty?
Xie Yuling felt her mother's death stare, but she unhurriedly put down her chopsticks and added, "Mom, didn't you guys make zongzi last night? Didn't he say he wanted to share some with his classmates to try?"
Put that way, Zheng Yuan immediately understood.
She quietly withdrew her gaze and looked back at the girl named Jiang Yunlu, her eyes having completely changed.
This wasn't just her daughter's classmate; this was clearly her number one rival!
However, matters between children were best left to the children to resolve themselves.
Zheng Yuan simply glanced at Xie Zhifeng and then returned to her seat to eat.
She knew exactly what Xie Zhifeng was trying to do. In her heart, a sudden hope actually arose that Xie Zhifeng would succeed.
But she couldn't say it out loud. After all, this Jiang Yunlu had a very distinct aura about her.
After Zheng Yuan walked away.
Jiang Yunlu also picked up her chopsticks and placed a piece of chicken into Xie Yuling's bowl.
"Actually, I thought you wouldn't have pulled me away with you just now."
Xie Yuling was stunned for a moment, but quickly realized what Jiang Yunlu was referring to.
She shook her head. "I definitely wouldn't have left you there."
At this time, after eating a few bites, Xie Zhifeng couldn't help but walk over to Xie Yufei and whisper in a low voice.
"Hey, that Lin Mo, is he the Brother Mo you were talking about?"
Hearing this, Xie Yufei secretly glanced at Sister Yuling before lowering his voice to say, "Yeah, he is Sister Yuling's tenant... I just asked Brother Mo, and he said he will be coming over in a bit."
Hearing that he was just a tenant, Xie Yufei couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Xie Yufei's family owned three apartment buildings for rent. The reason was simple: his grandfather had only one son, and he himself was an only child, so he would eventually inherit the family's real estate.
Looking at Jiang Yunlu sitting across from him, he was suddenly filled with confidence.
Because of this, he didn't even hear the second half of what Xie Yufei had just said.
The girls' side didn't eat very fast, but they didn't eat much either.
Jiang Yunlu even put down her bowl and chopsticks after just a few bites.
People generally didn't use serving chopsticks when eating in the ancestral hall. Jiang Yunlu didn't use serving chopsticks at home, nor did she use them when eating with Lin Mo.
But here, not using serving chopsticks actually made her quite uncomfortable.
She still had the refined habits of a young lady from a wealthy family.
So she only ate a few bites of the dishes facing her before setting her chopsticks down.
She was looking forward more to tasting the zongzi Lin Mo had made that afternoon.
However, the next second, she heard Xie Yuling's younger cousin seemingly mention that Lin Mo would be coming over in a bit.
She was already starting to look forward to it.
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."
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
uld barely embark on the path to immortality. Just as he was on the verge of death, his golden finger awakened. No matter whether it was poison, drained blood and vital energy, diminished lifespan, or any other physical debuff caused by paying a price—once midnight passed, everything would be refreshed. From then on, whenever someone asked what kind of person Chu Ran was, the answer was simple: Forbidden arts that other cultivators dared not learn? Chu Ran would learn them. Prices that even demonic cultivators dared not pay? Chu Ran would pay them. Lifespan that even righteous cultivators dared not burn? Chu Ran would burn it. All the blood essence in his body? Take it. Want both his hands and feet? He would cut them off and send them to you. You say he’s finished? He wasn’t built to sit idle. You think he’s gone mad? No—he was simply waiting for midnight. From that day onward, Chu Ran would respect neither Heaven nor Earth, bow to neither gods nor ghosts. He had only one wish: For midnight to arrive a little sooner.
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
