It was five in the afternoon. The lingering glow of the setting sun spilled over the eaves and streets of the ancient town, draping the rooftops in a thin, shimmering veil of light.
A sliver of that light fell on Ren Lingxi, making her deep brown hair glint and sparkle.
Su Yang followed slowly behind, intending to observe a while longer.
Walking one after the other, Ren Lingxi finished the hot dog in her hand and tossed the wooden skewer into a roadside trash bin.
Then she stood still, took a sip of water, wiped her mouth, and continued on her way.
After Su Yang had followed for about two minutes, he saw Ren Lingxi arrive at the front of a shop selling Jidou Liangfen (chickpea jelly).
"Boss, how much for this jelly?" Ren Lingxi asked, looking at a middle-aged man behind the stall.
The man replied with a beaming smile, "Eight yuan a bowl. You're here traveling, aren't you, miss? This Jidou Liangfen is a very famous snack in Licheng. Would you like to try a bowl?"
"Sure, I'll have one."
"Great! Eating here or taking away?"
"I'll eat here."
"Alright, miss, you can find a seat over there first. Any of these empty spots is fine."
"Okay, thanks~" Ren Lingxi replied with a smile and walked to sit at a wooden table beside the shop.
Su Yang, standing behind, thought to himself, 'She really loves to eat, even more than Qianyu.'
'Here's my chance. I'll go try some too.'
Su Yang smiled slightly and strode toward the shop.
Just then, the boss looked at Ren Lingxi and asked with a smile, "Miss, do you want more or less chili?"
"More, please."
"Coming right up!"
As they were talking, Su Yang also reached the front of the shop.
Noticing him, the boss inquired, "Young man, want a bowl of Jidou Liangfen? It's really delicious."
Su Yang looked down at the stall and smiled. "Alright, one bowl, please."
"Great! Just a moment, you can sit over there."
"Okay. Give me plenty of chili too."
"Oh, you like it spicy too, young man?"
"What do you mean, 'too'?" Su Yang asked deliberately.
The boss turned his head toward Ren Lingxi sitting nearby and chuckled, "This young lady here just asked for extra spice too."
Su Yang followed the boss's gaze and looked at Ren Lingxi.
At that moment, Ren Lingxi happened to be looking at him too, and their eyes met instantly.
Only now did Su Yang get a clear, detailed look at Ren Lingxi's face. To put it simply, her front view was even more beautiful than her profile, with not a single flaw visible—flawless from every angle.
Moreover, she wasn't wearing much makeup. Many beauties with meticulously applied makeup couldn't compare to her semi-natural look.
In short, she appeared sweet, sexy, and with a touch of cool elegance, like a fairy who had transcended the mundane world.
After two seconds of eye contact, they nodded and smiled at each other.
From that one look, Su Yang was already stunned by her beauty. He wondered if Ren Lingxi had noticed his appearance.
After the glance, Su Yang walked over and sat at a table next to Ren Lingxi's.
Although he acted casually, he kept scanning Ren Lingxi out of the corner of his eye.
Under his observation, Su Yang noticed that Ren Lingxi was also looking at him frequently.
Soon, their bowls of jelly were served one after the other.
Ren Lingxi stirred her bowl while looking up to examine Su Yang, who was sitting diagonally across from her.
Unconsciously, their eyes met again.
Su Yang smiled slightly and nodded politely once more.
Just then, Ren Lingxi picked up her bowl, stood up, and walked over to Su Yang's table.
Seeing this, Su Yang's heart raced for a second. He thought, 'Has my charm worked again?'
"Hi there," Ren Lingxi spoke first.
Su Yang looked up with a smile. "Hello, you..."
"Oh, the spot I was sitting in was getting a bit hot from the sun, so I moved over. Is that okay?"
"Of course, of course. Please, have a seat."
"Okay." Only after getting Su Yang's agreement did Ren Lingxi put down her bowl and chopsticks and sit properly.
They both stirred the jelly in their bowls. After finishing, Ren Lingxi took the lead, lowering her head to take a bite.
As she ate, she nodded. "Mmm, it's really good. You should try it."
"Oh? Really? Let me taste it then." Su Yang said, picking up some jelly with his chopsticks and putting it in his mouth.
He chewed while looking at Ren Lingxi and nodded with a smile. "Mmm, it really is good."
"Right? Hehe."
Su Yang turned to the boss and gave a thumbs-up. "Boss, your jelly is delicious!"
"Haha, it has to be! I've been selling this Jidou Liangfen in the ancient town for five years. My recipe is the most authentic around."
"It really is excellent. I'll bring friends to try it next time."
"Great! Then I thank you in advance, haha."
After saying that, Su Yang turned back and continued eating. Ren Lingxi ate while looking at Su Yang and asked, "Are you also traveling alone in Licheng?"
"No, I came with friends on a road trip."
"Then... why are you eating here alone?"
Hearing this, Su Yang thought to himself, 'Forget it, I'll just be direct. I thought about making up an excuse, but if she accepts the invitation and I get exposed later, it'll leave a bad impression.'
Su Yang lowered his head, took a bite of jelly, and then smiled. "It's like this. My friends and I plan to go play an escape room tonight, but you need more people to play. We have enough guys, but a few of the girls are too scared to go."
"The guys are really interested, so we agreed to each go find one more person to join our team tonight."
"Ohh~" Ren Lingxi nodded after listening.
"So, you all split up to find people?"
"Mmhmm." Su Yang smiled. "But I've been looking for over half an hour and couldn't find anyone willing to go. I got tired from walking and came here to grab a bite."
Ren Lingxi rolled her eyes playfully and smiled. "I thought you were trying to ask me."
"Huh?" Su Yang deliberately looked up, laughed, and played it off. "I actually really wanted to ask you, but I've been rejected seven or eight times already. I didn't quite know how to bring it up."
"What's there to worry about? I'm alone anyway. I'll go with you."
"You... are willing to go with me?"
"Sure, why not?"
Su Yang looked at Ren Lingxi with some surprise. "Maybe I should explain in detail first? After you hear it, you probably won't want to go."
"Is that so? Then tell me about it~" Ren Lingxi stared at Su Yang, the corners of her mouth lifting in a sweet smile, before lowering her head to continue eating.
Su Yang took a sip of water and continued, "The main reason I kept getting rejected is that the place isn't in the ancient town. It's a large-scale escape room made from a renovated abandoned factory in the suburbs."
As he spoke, Su Yang observed Ren Lingxi's expression, but it seemed completely unfazed. He couldn't tell what she was thinking.
Not overthinking it, he went on, "So the place sounds a bit scary just from the description. Everyone I asked earlier refused as soon as I mentioned it was out in the wilderness."
"True, that kind of place is quite remote. And since we're asking strangers, people we don't know, it's only natural to have reservations."
"That's pretty much it. On our side, including me, there are six guys. If each of us finds one teammate, that makes twelve people."
Su Yang paused here and glanced at Ren Lingxi, who was eating the noodles. Seeing that the other hadn't spoken, he also picked up his chopsticks and started eating again.
Ren Lingxi had finished by now. She took a tissue, wiped her mouth, looked up at Su Yang, and said with a smile, "That's it?"
"Huh? Yeah, that's all. I'm finished."
"Oh, I thought you were going to say more. Sorry for not replying right away."
"No problem, no problem."
"I'll go with you~" Ren Lingxi crumpled the tissue she used to wipe her mouth into a ball, tossed it into the trash bin on the floor, and said with a laugh.
......
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
ng to die together with you." Lin Xuan is dead, his body thrown into the river by his scumbag lover and her accomplice. She, the president of the Su Group, is decisive, ruthless, and ice-cold. For three days and three nights, she had his body fished out of the river, and without hesitation, she kissed the bloated corpse of Lin Xuan. She laid down beside him in a cold coffin, their fingers intertwined, a smile lingering on her lips as she closed her eyes. The noble and cold-hearted woman, only bending for one man—Lin Xuan. Lin Xuan, with his golden finger, is reborn and returns to the day of his wedding to the treacherous woman. Su Qiang comes to steal the bride. Lin Xuan's eyes light up, eager to pledge his loyalty on the spot, but instead, her kiss transfers a glass of drugged wine into his mouth, causing him to pass out... 【Male Protagonist with Single Female Lead】【Yandere Tycoon】【Action-Packed】【True vs. Fake Heir】
iemie, male, Race: Moon. Hobby: Collecting anomalies. At first, he thought he possessed two systems: the Crimson Rainbow Moon and the Clear Cold Frost Moon. One day, he discovered that he himself could also become a system for others, holding the chessboard of fate. The Eighth Epoch, also known as the Eternal Moon Epoch. Humans, witches, elves, bloodline descendants, specters, demons, and spirits together compose a new history. Walking the path on behalf of the moon, before he knew it, Chen Miemie's footsteps were followed by all manner of strange and wondrous anomalies. As time passed, many titles circulated about him—The King in Yellow, Lord of Anomalies, Heart of the Eternal Moon, and more. "Me? I'm just a traveler who enjoys collecting interesting creatures," Chen Miemie said.
