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.
......

transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”

pression Bureau] Transported to a fantasy world overrun by demons and monsters, Gu Qingfeng becomes a jailer in the Demon Suppression Prison of the Great Yan Dynasty's Demon Suppression Bureau. From this point on, bizarre cases frequently occur in the Demon Suppression Prison, once known as hell on earth and infamous for its gloomy, terrifying atmosphere! Why do the demons and monsters in the prison wail miserably every night? Why has the corpse demon, capable of transforming into various beauties, donned black stockings and switched careers to become a foot massage therapist? Why has the eye demon, expert in soul-snatching and illusions, turned into a VR headset? Why is the fox spirit performing otaku dances? Are all these occurrences a twisted expression of demonic nature, or a descent into moral depravity? After peeling away layer upon layer of mystery, all clues ultimately point to a jailer named Gu Qingfeng. Gu Qingfeng: "Hehehe... My dear demons and monsters, whose card shall we flip today?"

for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?

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."