As the sun set, the last rays of the evening light slipped through the gap in the curtains, casting a long, narrow band of light across the room.
Jiang Yunlu's eyelashes fluttered slightly as she slowly opened her eyes.
Her sleepiness hadn't completely dissipated. She stretched comfortably and habitually reached out beside her, only to grab empty air.
Empty?
She blinked in confusion, her soft, sweet voice carrying the hoarseness of someone who had just woken up.
"Hmm?! Where's the kitty? Where's my kitty?"
Her voice was charming and soft. If anyone else had seen her, they would have realized that the usually elegant and radiant Jiang Yunlu actually had such an adorable side.
She casually groped around the nightstand, but instead of the familiar cold metal of her lamp base, her fingertips touched smooth wood.
Hmm?
Jiang Yunlu's thoughts, like a lake disturbed by a tossed pebble, rippled and gradually began to clear.
This wasn't her room.
This was... Lin Mo's room.
This realization shot through her entire body like an electric current.
Jiang Yunlu's cheeks instantly flushed red. She abruptly shrank back into the quilt, covering even her head.
The quilt was filled with a clean and refreshing scent, like sun-dried cotton, mixed with a faint fragrance that uniquely belonged to Lin Mo.
She couldn't help but take a deep breath, and then another.
This scent... smelled better than any of the expensive aromatherapy in her room.
"I'm doomed, I don't want to get out of bed."
She buried her face in the pillow, muttering softly, feeling as if her whole being was going to melt into this scent.
She really wanted to just stay here and sleep for another day and night.
But the sky outside the window was gradually darkening, and she knew she couldn't sleep any longer.
Jiang Yunlu dawdled as she climbed out of bed, tiptoed to the door, and pressed her ear against the door panel like a little cat, listening carefully for any sounds outside.
Dead silence.
The living room was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
An absurd thought popped up: Could they... have left her here all alone and gone out to have fun?
The more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Feeling anxious, Jiang Yunlu didn't even bother to tidy up her sleep-mussed clothes and hair, and abruptly pulled the door open.
As a result, she immediately saw the young man sitting quietly on the sofa, reading a book by the light of the setting sun outside the window.
Hearing the door open, Lin Mo looked up, his gaze calm as he looked over.
"You're awake?"
His voice wasn't loud, but it acted like a reassuring pill, instantly smoothing away the anxiety in Jiang Yunlu's heart.
Her posture of preparing to rush out froze in place. Jiang Yunlu was stunned for half a second before her brain started spinning rapidly.
She subconsciously reached up and hastily smoothed her hair a couple of times, then tugged at the slightly wrinkled hem of her clothes, terrified that he would remember her in this messy state.
"Mhm, where are the others?" she asked, feigning composure, though her voice still sounded a bit weak.
Jiang Yunlu immediately tidied her clothes and hair again, worried that her messy appearance would be etched into his memory.
"Fang Jun and An Yuexin had something to do and went back. Yuling and Miaomiao are resting upstairs."
Lin Mo closed the book in his hands and casually set it aside. "Seeing how deeply you were sleeping, I was afraid you wouldn't find anyone when you woke up, so I waited for you here."
So... he was waiting for her.
The tip of Jiang Yunlu's heart felt as if it had been gently poked by something, feeling sweet and soft.
"It must be so boring sitting alone."
She said softly, walking step by step to the sofa and sitting down right next to Lin Mo.
As the distance closed, that scent—countless times richer than what was in the quilt—swept over her overwhelmingly, enveloping her entirely.
"It's alright. I just finished taking care of some things and read a book in passing."
Lin Mo said this and, seemingly feeling the atmosphere becoming a bit delicate, prepared to stand up. "Are you thirsty? I'll go pour you a glass of water."
In truth, Lin Mo hadn't been reading for long; he had only picked it up when Jiang Yunlu woke up.
Just as he moved, his wrist was grabbed by a warm, soft little hand.
Lin Mo's movements paused. He looked down, only to see that the young girl had leaned in much closer at some point. Her bright, sparkling eyes seemed to be filled with starlight as she gazed at him without blinking.
The young girl's heartbeat seemed to be magnified countless times in the silent living room, clear enough for even herself to hear.
Her cheeks were as red as a ripe apple, yet she mustered all her courage and said softly, her voice carrying a slight tremble:
"Sit with me for a while."
Lin Mo sat back down, but the young girl never let go of his hand.
At this moment, a cell phone suddenly rang.
Startled, the young girl immediately released his hand.
Lin Mo took out his phone and answered the call.
"I made some sweet green bean soup. Is Jiang Yunlu awake yet? Or should I bring some down for you guys?"
Xie Yuling's voice came from the receiver.
Jiang Yunlu felt a little unhappy hearing this. If she had known, she would have woken up earlier; maybe then she could have spent a bit more time alone with Lin Mo.
Thinking of this, she couldn't help but grab Lin Mo's hand again, tracing little circles on it.
Lin Mo looked down at it.
"No need, she just woke up. We can just come up."
"Mm, alright then."
Xie Yuling hung up the phone. Sitting opposite her, Chu Miaomiao said somewhat bashfully:
"So, cooking the sweet soup was just an excuse to get them to come up?"
Xie Yuling put her phone down and said with a serious expression, "Of course not. I was just kindly inviting them up, plus it's already quite late."
Chu Miaomiao nodded, a bit confused.
Back downstairs, after hanging up the phone, Lin Mo looked down at Jiang Yunlu, who was drawing circles on his hand.
"Let's go, time to head up and drink some sweet soup."
"Mhm!"
Just drawing circles on his hand had already improved Jiang Yunlu's mood significantly.
She also wanted to go up and see what Xie Yuling's home looked like.
Jiang Yunlu adjusted her clothes and followed Lin Mo upstairs.
Upon reaching the top floor, she realized that Xie Yuling's home was much larger than Lin Mo's apartment.
The decor also looked very cozy and warm.
"How was it? Did you sleep well?" Xie Yuling asked casually.
Jiang Yunlu paused. This felt exactly like a hostess checking in on a guest.
So Jiang Yunlu merely smiled and replied, "I got used to it very well. Lin Mo's bed is very comfortable."
Xie Yuling raised an eyebrow, then walked into the kitchen. As she ladled the soup, she replied, "It is indeed very comfortable, which is why I really like sleeping in his bed."
Amidst this invisible clash of swords, Lin Mo looked at Chu Miaomiao. "Do you understand what they're saying?"
Chu Miaomiao nodded with a bewildered expression, and then shook her head.
"It's better if you don't. When did you make the sweet soup?"
Lin Mo changed the subject.
"I started prepping it as soon as we came up. To save time, I used a pressure cooker."
A moment later, Xie Yuling walked over carrying two bowls of sweet green bean soup with kelp.
Adding kelp to sweet green bean soup is a culinary tradition from the southern coastal regions.
After all, both green beans and kelp are ingredients known for clearing heat and dispelling dampness, so they simply combined the two.
Lin Mo reached out and took them.
"Thank you!"
"You never used to be this polite," Xie Yuling said, rolling her eyes at Lin Mo.
agon king storylines. At the start, I obtained the "Ultimate Lackey System" - the more I act as a lackey, the stronger I become. What else could I do? I chose to become the personal henchman of the ultimate villain, Su Muwan. I provoke all sorts of chosen ones, snatch away their opportunities, and commit every evil deed imaginable. You ask who's behind me? Hmph! You're not worthy of knowing my lady's name! ...... ....... I am Su Muwan, the eldest daughter of the Su family. Since childhood, I've possessed extraordinary talent in martial arts, which led to my arrogant and domineering personality in my past life. I was even foolish enough to repeatedly challenge those favored by heaven, ultimately resulting in a tragic death. In this life, I must behave and absolutely cannot walk the same path again!! However... SLAP!! "So you're the Dragon King, huh?!" When I saw my little lackey swagger over and viciously slap the Dragon King who was hiding his identity, I felt my heart sink. Su Muwan's suspended heart finally died as she watched Qin Luo, her utterly loyal lackey, standing before her. She fainted on the spot from shock. Heaven is determined to destroy me!! (Pure love 1v1, light-hearted, no angst, single female lead, villain, reincarnation, lackey)
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?"
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.
