Inside the Rolls-Royce Cullinan, Su Yang glanced at the rearview mirror and said, "Mengyun, Little Qi, you two should get some sleep. We’ve got a long way to go."
Jiang Mengyun nodded. "Yeah, I’ll take a nap. I’m a bit tired."
Chen Qi turned her head and replied, "Go ahead and sleep, Mengyun. I already slept for a few hours earlier, so I’m not sleepy yet."
"Alright."
Jiang Mengyun agreed, adjusting the rear seat to recline slightly before activating the massage function. She then closed her eyes and tilted her head to rest.
Su Yang looked at Song Anquan, who seemed slightly tense, and chuckled. "How are you feeling now?"
"Kind of like I’m dreaming. I still feel like a kid, and suddenly, I’m getting married."
Su Yang turned his gaze back to the road with a faint smile. "Haha, nervous?"
"A little, but it’s fine. I just hope everything goes smoothly so I can get through this wedding without a hitch."
"Of course. Just relax. Want to try sleeping some more?"
"You think I can sleep right now? Heh, I already slept for three hours earlier. I’m good."
"Alright, then. If you get tired later, just close your eyes for a bit."
"Got it. Even though I’m a bit nervous, having you here somehow makes me feel at ease," Song Anquan grinned.
Su Yang tilted his head. "With me around, I’ll make sure you bring your bride home without a problem."
"By the way, have you two registered your marriage yet?"
Song Anquan nodded. "Last week."
"That’s good. How old is your fiancée?"
"Same age as me, two months younger."
"Nice. What’s her name?"
"Wang Xiaoyan."
"Wang Xiaoyan? Sounds like a kind and gentle girl."
Song Anquan chuckled. "Yeah, that’s one of the things I love about her."
"Just that?"
"Well… no, of course not. She’s also exactly my type, looks-wise," he added with a sheepish grin.
Su Yang scratched his brow, amused. "Seems like you two are the real deal."
"Absolutely. Otherwise, we probably would’ve broken up during the betrothal gift negotiations."
"Fair enough. Nothing else matters as long as you two love each other. Wishing you a lifetime of happiness and lots of kids."
"Okey-dokey! When we have kids, you’ll be their godfather."
The two chatted quietly, and before they knew it, two hours had passed.
A notification chimed from Song Anquan’s phone. He checked it and said, "Hey, the group chat says we should stop at the next service area—Zhangyuan. A bunch of people need to use the restroom."
Su Yang glanced at the dashboard screen. "Zhangyuan Service Area? We passed that half an hour ago."
"Ah, really? I’ll tell them to stop on their own then," Song Anquan replied, typing a message.
Su Yang checked the rearview mirror—Jiang Mengyun was fast asleep, while Chen Qi was scrolling through her phone.
He turned his head. "Do you guys need to go? If so, I’ll pull over at the next service area. I could use a smoke break too while we wait for them."
"I’m fine," Song Anquan said before looking back at Chen Qi. "Little Qi, do you need to go?"
Chen Qi glanced up with a smile. "I wouldn’t mind stopping."
"Then we’ll take a break at the next one."
Su Yang nodded. "Got it."
After driving another ten kilometers, Su Yang pulled into the Heling Service Area.
It was already 2:10 a.m., with 260 kilometers left to Hangzhou.
He parked near the restrooms and turned off the engine. "Let’s take a ten-minute break."
"Sure. Should we wake up Mengyun?"
Su Yang glanced at the sleeping Jiang Mengyun and lowered his voice. "Let her sleep."
"Alright."
The three stepped out to use the facilities. Once done, Su Yang lit a cigarette.
With two women in the car, he couldn’t smoke inside, so this was his only chance to unwind.
"Phew—"
He took a drag and exhaled upward, watching the smoke dissolve under the service area’s bright lights.
Heling Service Area was small and quiet at this hour. Only about a dozen cars were scattered across the parking lot, and most shops were closed except for a convenience store and a fast-food joint.
When Song Anquan and Chen Qi returned, Su Yang asked, "You guys hungry? Want to grab a bite?"
Song Anquan shook his head. "Nah, I’m good. Little Qi, you want anything? Maybe some fries?"
Chen Qi smiled. "I’m not hungry, Anquan. I’ll just grab some water for us."
She turned toward the store, but Song Anquan quickly followed. "I’ll get it. Don’t worry about it."
Su Yang watched them walk off together, amused.
Soon, they returned with a plastic bag. Song Anquan pulled out a Coke and handed it to Su Yang.
"Here you go, man."
Su Yang raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You remembered I like Coke?"
"Of course! There’s water too if you want it, plus some crackers and chips."
Su Yang twisted open the bottle and took a long swig.
"Ahhh—glug—glug—burp—damn, that hits the spot!"
"Heh, knew you’d love it," Song Anquan laughed, opening a water bottle for himself.
Su Yang flicked his cigarette butt into a nearby trash can. "You guys wanna stretch your legs or head back now?"
"Let’s walk a bit. My butt’s numb," Song Anquan said.
Chen Qi nodded. "Same here. I’ll stroll around."
"Alright, we’ll leave at 2:30."
"Sounds good. Hey, does your car need gas?"
"Running low. I’ll fill up before we go."
"Let me cover it."
Su Yang smirked. "This thing doesn’t take cheap fuel, you know."
"Come on, man. Since when do we split hairs over money? It’s just a tank of gas."
"I already got your red envelope earlier. Don’t worry about it."
"That’s separate. I’m paying for the gas—no arguments."
Su Yang sighed playfully. "Fine, fine. Have it your way."
After chatting near the entrance for a while, they returned to the car at exactly 2:30.
Su Yang pulled up to the gas station and called out to the attendant, "Hey, fill it up with 98, please."
"You got it, boss. Want some fuel additive too?"
Su Yang thought for a second. "Sure, throw in a bottle."
"Coming right up!"
Song Anquan checked the price—9.21 yuan per liter for premium.
"Hey, what’s your tank capacity?"
"100 liters."
"Wait, what?" Song Anquan blinked.
Su Yang grinned. "Told you it wouldn’t be cheap. I’ve got about 20 liters left, so we’re looking at 80. Do the math."
Song Anquan waved it off. "Doesn’t matter. I’m covering it no matter what."
"Fair enough."
Soon, the attendant approached the window. "All set, boss. 736 for the gas, plus the additive—834 total. WeChat or Alipay?"
"WeChat. I’ve got it," Song Anquan said, pulling out his phone to pay.
"Done! Drive safe, and have a smooth trip!"
Su Yang nodded, started the engine, and continued down the road.
"Let's go—this time, we're driving straight to Hangzhou in one go."
"Got it!"
......
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.
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]
his freshman year, Su Bai accidentally bound the "Indulgence Tycoon System." 【Sleeping in? Reward: +$1,000】 【Spent $288 at a street barbecue stall? Cashback: +$2,880】 【Dropped $14,396 on in-game skins? Special reward unlocked: A brand-new Porsche Panamera!】 Luxury cars, penthouses, corporate shares, financial empires… College life was all about living freely and doing whatever he pleased! … When the adorably naive academic genius faced family medical bills and financial struggles, Su Bai waved his hand dismissively: "Your future is on me." "Wuwu~ Big Brother is so good to me! I’ll become a scientist to repay you!" When the genius girl got bullied by a shady professor? Su Bai casually dropped a billion-dollar investment, forcing the university to grovel and beg for her return. A company’s funding chain collapsing? Su Bai smirked—cash was the one thing he’d never run out of. Years later, when people traced the rise of the AI prodigy beauty, who was the man behind her success? Not just that—Su Bai also became the tsundere campus belle’s unattainable dream, the contrast senior’s daily necessity, and the beautiful counselor’s emotional anchor…
to panic—he has a system. As long as an investment target dies, he can claim a reward. And since he is immortal, the one thing he has plenty of is time. ... Countless years later. “Immortal Emperor of Longevity? I invested in him.” “Supreme Celestial Venerable? I invested in him.” “Undying Empress? I invested in her.” “...” “Heh. Once they’ve all died, even the Heavenly Dao will have to kneel and call me Dad.”
