"Sweet soda~"
"Sweet soda~"
"My ice-cold sweet soda~"
As soon as class ended, Lin Yu eagerly dashed downstairs to retrieve the carbonated drink she had hidden in a snow pile during the last break, hoping to cool off from the stifling heat.
No other choice.
The school’s heating system was just too efficient!
In the dead of winter, it was so warm that everyone had to crack open windows for fresh air!
At the stairwell landing, Lin Yu paused and waited, watching as Gu Yue excitedly appeared at her classroom door. Lin Yu quickly waved her over, signaling her to hurry—otherwise, someone might steal their hidden treasure!
Once reunited, the two hurried down the stairs, exited the building, and stopped under a leafy tree in front of the school. Crouching down, they began digging through the thick snow.
After just a few scoops, two emerald-green bottles emerged side by side from the snow.
Seeing their ice-cold drinks perfectly preserved, they exchanged a glance and grinned.
Pulling the bottles free, Lin Yu blew off the snowflakes clinging to them and handed one to Gu Yue. Standing up, she was about to twist off the cap and take a big swig when—
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a familiar figure.
Forgetting about the soda for a moment, Lin Yu instinctively turned her head. There, stepping out of the school building, was Tang Manman. Her fair cheeks were flushed pink, clearly suffering from the classroom’s relentless heat too.
Just as Lin Yu noticed her, Tang Manman seemed to sense the gaze. As if sharing the same thought, she turned and looked back.
Their eyes met, and for a second, both froze.
Lin Yu, ever the bold one, flashed a toothy grin and waved.
Tang Manman, however, reacted with shyness. Pressing her lips together, she offered a soft, delicate smile—her bright eyes sparkling with happiness, though she couldn’t quite hold Lin Yu’s gaze, her shyness making her glance away.
Noticing Tang Manman’s flushed face, Lin Yu seized the opportunity to avoid awkward silence. Without hesitation, she strode over, ice-cold drink in hand.
"Here, you take it."
She shoved the chilled bottle into Tang Manman’s grasp.
"Won’t you drink it?" Tang Manman held the bottle, looking up at Lin Yu with wide eyes. She clearly understood just how precious an ice-cold drink was in the sweltering classroom.
"Keep it. I’ll just buy another one and freeze it later."
Lin Yu waved a hand dismissively.
Tang Manman clutched the bottle, hesitating. Her gaze flickered briefly behind Lin Yu before returning, her delicate face breaking into a sweet, grateful smile.
"Thank you."
"No problem."
Lin Yu fought the urge to ruffle her hair, grinning instead.
Tang Manman had likely come downstairs to buy a drink herself. Now, with an unexpected ice-cold soda in hand, she turned and headed back inside.
Watching her go, Lin Yu felt a pang of loss—her long-awaited treat was gone—but her mood remained bright.
With that good cheer intact, she decided to head to the store and grab another soda to freeze for later.
Lin Yu turned around and looked at Gu Yue, the smile on his face quickly fading, replaced by a puzzled expression.
What was wrong with Gu Yue?
She looked like she had been wronged by someone.
Ignoring Gu Yue’s sudden and inexplicable sulkiness, Lin Yu decided to head to the supermarket to buy another bottle of water and chill it.
But soon, he realized it was already the break before the last class of the day. Once this final class ended, it would be time to leave school.
In that case, there was no point in buying and chilling a drink anymore.
Once he left school, wouldn’t the cold weather make him shiver anyway?
Who’d still want an ice-cold drink then?
With a faint sigh of regret, Lin Yu turned back toward the building. It was just one more class—he could tough it out.
As he stepped into the school building, he hadn’t gone far when he heard the sound of quick footsteps jogging up behind him.
Lin Yu could guess it was Gu Yue, so he didn’t bother looking.
Just as he expected, the footsteps stopped beside him, and a cool breeze carrying the soothing scent of lavender washed over him—Gu Yue’s perfume.
"Here, Long Ge, you can have it."
Lin Yu was surprised when he saw the drink Gu Yue was handing him.
Turning to look at her, he asked curiously,
"Aren’t you drinking it?"
Gu Yue shook her head, her pink lips slightly pouted in an unhappy expression.
"You take it."
Lin Yu didn’t immediately accept the ice-cold drink. Instead, he studied Gu Yue’s sullen face and asked again,
"What’s wrong with you?"
"Nothing."
Her voice was tinged with dejection. After a pause, she added,
"I’m not feeling well today. I can’t have anything cold. You drink it."
"Oh."
"So that’s how it is."
Lin Yu didn’t question it further and happily took the soda from Gu Yue, drinking it with relish.
"Long Ge..."
Gu Yue spoke in a soft, subdued voice.
"What’s up?"
Lin Yu turned to look at her.
Gu Yue lifted her face slightly, her eyes filled with a sorrow Lin Yu couldn’t decipher. She asked quietly,
"You… you and Tang Manman..."
"Adult matters are none of a kid’s business!"
Lin Yu glared at her fiercely, clearly unwilling to discuss the topic, and snapped irritably.
Gu Yue’s lips quivered, looking even more aggrieved.
The elevator doors slid open, and the two stepped inside. They rode silently to the eighth floor, then exited one after the other.
Inside the elevator, Gu Yue kept her head down, not saying a word. Even though Lin Yu wasn’t paying much attention to her, he couldn’t help but notice something was off.
Standing in the hallway, Lin Yu was about to ask her what was really going on today when a familiar wave of sourness filled the air. He looked ahead and saw the corridor packed with male students, all wearing expressions of bitter envy.
?
Seeing this all-too-familiar look on their faces, a question mark popped up in Lin Yu’s mind.
What was going on?
Usually, they only wore these jealous expressions when Qing Mo was waiting for him at the school gates in her sports car.
Had Qing Mo come again today?
That shouldn’t be the case.
Lin Yu frowned.
He and Qing Mo had already exchanged contact info. If she wanted him to do something, she could just message him directly.
Why would she go through the trouble of waiting outside the school again?
Was she just born with a servile personality?
...
...
Actually… maybe she was.
Lin Yu didn’t bother overthinking it. He walked to the window and looked outside.
Sure enough.
That flashy supercar was parked arrogantly at the school entrance, impossible to miss.
Damn it!
Why was this woman so insufferable?!
Lin Yu gritted his teeth in frustration, too agitated to care about anything else. He pulled out his phone and strode to the deserted end of the hallway before dialing Qing Mo.
After two short rings, the call connected, and Qing Mo’s cool, detached voice came through the receiver with a simple, "Hello."
Lin Yu had no patience for pleasantries. He snapped immediately:
"Who told you to park your car at the school gate again?"
"Get the hell out of here!"
"Stop embarrassing me in public!"
Qing Mo let out a mocking laugh, her tone dripping with sarcasm as she shot back:
"What’s wrong? Afraid your little girlfriend will find out about us?"
The jab hit its mark. Lin Yu’s temper flared instantly. Suppressing his voice to a furious hiss, he barked:
"Cut the crap!"
"Get lost, NOW!!!"
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.
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."
ing gift was a patch of barren land, and disciples were all picked up along the way. He spent fifty years diligently building three "ramshackle little sects," thinking he could finally live a carefree life relying on his disciples. But right at the fifty-year mark, he was suddenly swept away by a spatial rift and exiled to the Chaos Desolation, the Disorderly Ruins. There was no spiritual energy there, only slaughter. Relying on the cultivation feedback from his disciples, Gu Changyuan hacked his way through a sea of blood for eleven hundred years. When the system finally fished him back out, he discovered the ramshackle little sects he'd built back then had developed a rather... unusual style. Hold on... I vanished for a thousand years, so how did my ramshackle little sects become holy lands?!
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!
