Zhao Xiaolan knelt beside Su Yang's right side, rubbing her palms together to warm them before naturally lifting his arm onto her lap.
Su Yang was momentarily puzzled, thinking to himself, Huh? What's this about?
But seeing nothing unusual about Zhao Xiaolan's demeanor, he didn't comment further. Who would refuse such a thing? He simply closed his eyes and enjoyed it.
Zhao Xiaolan smiled faintly, exhaling lightly onto her palms before rolling up the sleeve of Su Yang's bathrobe to his shoulder.
Then, with nimble fingers, she began kneading and pressing along his right arm in rhythmic motions, each movement precisely easing the tension in his muscles.
As she worked, she remarked with slight surprise, "Mr. Su, your arm muscles are really well-developed."
Su Yang chuckled. "No need for formalities like 'Mr.'—it feels awkward. Just relax."
"Alright~ With muscles like these, you must work out often, right?"
Su Yang nodded. "Yeah, I like to train in my free time."
"No wonder! These muscles are seriously impressive~" Zhao Xiaolan unconsciously swallowed as she spoke.
Su Yang smirked silently.
[Ding! Detecting the host's current state of relaxation and enjoyment. Reward: 800,000.]
As the massage continued, the fragrance of the essential oil in Zhao Xiaolan's hands grew stronger.
Su Yang sniffed and commented, "This oil smells nice."
"Right? It's specially made for our spa—you can't buy it elsewhere. Plus, it's infused with natural herbal extracts and ingredients that help balance hormones, soothe emotions, and boost energy."
Su Yang laughed. "How long did it take you to memorize that script?"
"Took me... Hey! You're so mean! I was seriously explaining it to you." Zhao Xiaolan pinched his arm playfully in protest.
Su Yang grinned. "Alright, go on. I won’t interrupt."
Zhao Xiaolan blinked and resumed her work. After finishing his right arm, she adjusted her posture to massage his shoulders, chest, and stomach.
Due to the positioning and areas she worked on, she had to press close to Su Yang.
Between the scent of the oil and the dim lighting, the atmosphere grew subtly intimate.
Zhao Xiaolan leaned in, occasionally exhaling softly near his ear—whether intentionally or not, it felt like she was testing boundaries.
Su Yang was fully aware. A man and woman alone in a room, this close—anyone would understand the implications.
If both were willing, they could easily take things elsewhere, but Su Yang wasn’t here alone. He tried to rein in his restless thoughts.
Hold it together! This isn’t the place! Wasn’t this supposed to be a legit massage? What’s with these tactics?
His mind raced, but his expression remained calm, unmoved by Zhao Xiaolan’s teasing.
She, however, paid no mind to his thoughts and continued her routine.
For a while, neither spoke.
A few minutes later, as Zhao Xiaolan reached his abdomen, she gasped in surprise. "Mr. Su, you even have abs?"
Without waiting for a reply, she lightly lifted his bathrobe, revealing perfectly defined muscles.
Covering her mouth with both hands, she looked both shy and excited.
Su Yang casually pulled his robe back down. "Alright, enough looking. Keep going."
"Oh, right~ Mr. Su, your physique is amazing. You’ve got the best body I’ve ever seen in real life."
"Really?"
"Honestly! I’ve only seen bodies like yours on TV—usually athletes or actors. Most people are either overweight or skinny."
Su Yang rested his hands behind his head and laughed. "Plenty of people look like this. You just don’t meet them often."
"Well, today I got to see it up close. Even better than on screen."
"You flatter me."
Zhao Xiaolan smiled and resumed the massage.
Su Yang closed his eyes, making small talk to distract himself. If he lost control now, things could get messy.
If I were alone, who knows what might’ve happened...
Soon, the session ended.
Zhao Xiaolan slipped her shoes back on and packed up her wooden case.
Su Yang lay on the bed, exhaling contentedly. What a great place! A full-body massage—nice.
Once she finished organizing her bottles and tools, Zhao Xiaolan turned to him. "Mr. Su, that concludes today’s service. Someone might come by later for feedback—if possible, could you give me a five-star rating?"
Su Yang grinned. "Absolutely. Five stars, no question."
"Great! Thanks so much~" With that, she picked up her case and left.
Alone again, Su Yang checked the time on his phone. Liu Bo and the others were probably still in their sessions.
He lit a cigarette, but after two puffs, another knock came at the door.
"Come in," Su Yang called, eyes still on his phone.
The door opened, revealing an elegant woman in a qipao holding a tablet.
Su Yang looked up, stunned. Damn, she’s gorgeous too!
—System, what’s her rating? Just the looks.
[83]
—No kidding. A small massage place with this many beauties scoring over 80? No wonder it’s the second biggest attraction here after the hot springs.
—Wait, scratch that. It’s the top attraction.
"Sir, I’m from Tranquil Pavilion. Were you satisfied with your service today?"
Su Yang nodded. "Very much."
"Wonderful. Could you spare a minute to leave a quick review?"
"Sure, hand it over."
She approached with a smile, passing him the tablet.
Su Yang skimmed the options, typed a brief comment, and tapped the five-star rating.
"Thank you for your time. Enjoy your stay at Crescent Bay Resort."
"You’re welcome. Thanks."
Once she left, Su Yang stubbed out his cigarette, stretched, and grabbed his phone.
Stepping into the lobby, he spotted Meng Wenzhou already waiting on the couch.
"Done already? How was it?" Meng Wenzhou asked, waving him over.
Su Yang sat beside him. "Pretty good. Better than most spas out there."
"Thought so too."
"So what exactly do they do there?" Su Yang asked Meng Wenzhou with a grin.
Meng Wenzhou glanced around before winking at Su Yang. "You know how it is."
"What do you mean, 'I know'? I don’t. Spill it."
"Honestly, it’s just the usual routine, but their technique is way better than the places outside."
"Get to the point."
"Well, the key is in the name of my project—'External Adjustment, Internal Sculpting.' Read between the lines."
Su Yang furrowed his brow slightly. "Hide-and-seek?"
Meng Wenzhou laughed. "No way! This place is legit, and even if it weren’t, I wouldn’t have time for that."
"But..." Meng Wenzhou paused for a second, then lowered his voice. "Even though it’s all aboveboard, there’s always room for... flexibility. Nothing over the line, just skirting the edges of what’s acceptable. You get what I mean—use your imagination."
Su Yang’s eyes widened. "Damn, you’re something else!"

rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!

close your eyes and open them again, only to find yourself transmigrated into the role of a villainous male supporting character. Readers familiar with urban wish-fulfillment novels know that it is only through the relentless antics of the villainous male supporting character that the plot between the male and female leads can progress. As the villainous male supporting character, Long Aotian not only has to bully the female lead, harass the second female lead, and flirt with the third female lead, but he also has to go all out to antagonize the male lead. In the end, when his body is discovered, he is still clutching half a moldy fried dough stick in his hand. Fully aware of the plot, Long Aotian is determined to change his fate, starting with the female lead! In the beginning, the female lead lacks confidence: "Big brother, I hope I didn't scare you?" In the middle, the female lead treads carefully: "Brother Long, please don't hit me, okay?" Later on, the female lead becomes coquettishly clingy: "Aotian, it's time to pay the 'public grain' tonight." Long Aotian's legs go weak, and he feels like crying: "I taught you to be thick-skinned, not shameless!"

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."

ive and Ruthless] Before his transmigration, Ye Xuan was playing a game called "Severing Emotions to Attain the Dao." The game's core wasn't about leveling up by fighting monsters, but about conquering various "bad women" with wicked personalities and cold, fickle natures. There was only one method to conquer them: stay unwaveringly by their side, then die at a critical moment, driving them to madness after losing the protagonist. The higher their level of regret, the higher the player's score. To dominate the server, Ye Xuan conquered all the bad women. In the early stages, he showered them with boundless tenderness, only to choose to sacrifice himself for them later, making them weep bitterly and drown in regret. Among them were: Xia Lengyue, the unfaithful immortal wife who chased after powerful men and discarded her husband like trash. Ye Qingcheng, the Demonic Venerable of the Joyous Union Sect, who appeared pure and innocent but was, in reality, promiscuous. Wu Lingxiao, the Empress of the Great Xia Dynasty, who lusted after men and loved maintaining a harem. Bai Qiangu of the Endless Demonic Sect: a bloodthirsty mass murderer. However, when the protagonist transmigrated into the game world, he made a horrifying discovery. Eight hundred years had already passed. The bad women he had conquered had now each become deities and revered ancestors. Faced with the endless stream of toxic women coming for him, Ye Xuan could only rely on his god-tier acting skills to carve a path of survival through this world of treacherous women.