"Mm."
Xia Muzhu gave a slight nod, her gentle face forcing a somewhat stiff smile in response to Lin Yu's earlier greeting.
Compared to adults who were better at masking their emotions, Xia Yueshan had no such reservations.
His little face was dark with displeasure, his eyes glaring fiercely at Lin Yu, clearly broadcasting his resentment—how dare this guy wrong his sister?
Ignoring the meddlesome kid who understood little but interfered much, Lin Yu instead felt the weight of Tang Manman's questioning gaze beside him. The awkward tension in the air was palpable, so he tried to lighten the mood by introducing the two parties:
"Manman, this is Xia Muzhu—Sister Muzhu. She’s someone I know, a really kind person who’s helped me a lot before."
To his surprise, the introduction only made the atmosphere worse.
Tang Manman, arms full of plush toys, had lost her earlier cheerfulness, her usual liveliness replaced by silence.
Across from them, Xia Muzhu’s reaction was even more strained. When Lin Yu mentioned how much she’d helped him, her lips twitched visibly. Her gentle brows furrowed slightly, and the smile on her face grew increasingly forced—as if it took tremendous effort just to maintain that soft, polite expression.
Lin Yu had no idea what had gone wrong, but a sinking feeling told him he’d messed up. He licked his lips nervously, unsure how to salvage the situation.
Just as the awkwardness reached unbearable levels, Xia Yueshan suddenly spoke up:
"Why didn’t you introduce me to her?"
Lin Yu turned to the boy, a surge of gratitude welling up in his chest.
Good kid!
I haven’t spoiled you for nothing!
You actually stepped up to save your big bro from this mess.
I knew I could count on you!
Facing Tang Manman, whose smile had all but vanished, Lin Yu chuckled and said,
"This is Xia Yueshan, he’s—"
Seizing the moment, Xia Yueshan loudly cut in:
"I’m his brother-in-law!"
"Whoa—"
A wave of murmurs and gasps rippled through the cinema lobby. Moviegoers waiting to enter turned to each other, eyes alight with gossip, their excitement momentarily overshadowing the film they’d come to see.
Who needs scripted drama when you’ve got real-life entertainment like this?
Under the scrutiny of so many onlookers, Lin Yu burned with embarrassment and frustration—though a small part of him was weirdly envious.
Dammit.
Can I just sneak out and join them?
I love watching drama, but I don’t wanna be the drama!
Before Lin Yu could react, Xia Muzhu frowned and gently scolded her brother,
"Yueshan, stop talking nonsense."
Xia Yueshan pouted but didn’t push further.
"Kung Fu Panda 4, 11:30 screening—please proceed to the ticket counter if you haven’t checked in yet," a sweet-voiced staff member announced over the speakers.
But hardly anyone paid attention. All eyes remained fixed on the four figures by the claw machine.
Who cares about a movie when there’s juicy gossip unfolding right here?
Hearing the announcement, Xia Muzhu glanced at her ticket—the 11:30 showtime matched. She raised it slightly and waved at Lin Yu with a smile.
"The movie’s starting. We’ll head in first."
Lin Yu nodded eagerly.
"Sure. See you later, Sister Muzhu."
Then, his tone shifting from warm to thinly veiled menace, he added,
"And goodbye to you too, Xia Yueshan!"
Better hope I don’t catch you alone later.
Or you’re in for a world of trouble.
The last part went unspoken, simmering in Lin Yu’s thoughts.
As Xia Muzhu and her brother walked toward the ticket counter, Lin Yu checked his own ticket—also for the 11:30 screening.
After dropping off the plush toys at the storage counter and deliberately stalling to avoid another awkward encounter, he finally led Tang Manman toward the theater entrance, stopping first to buy popcorn and sodas for further delay.
While lining up, Lin Yu shot a grateful glance at the sweet-voiced staff member—only to notice she looked upset, her eyes reddened as if she’d been wronged.
Just as he wondered what happened, a middle-aged woman ahead snatched her ticket back rudely and grumbled,
"Terrible timing to speak up."
The girl’s face fell even further.
Ah. So that’s why.
Under her resentful stare, Lin Yu ducked his head, took their tickets, and hurried Tang Manman into the theater hallway.
Once inside, he scanned the crowd and sighed in relief—no sign of Xia Muzhu or her brother.
Turning to Tang Manman, who still seemed downcast, he hesitated before explaining,
"There’s nothing between me and Sister Muzhu."
"Her brother just likes stirring up trouble."
"He’s young and clueless, always playing matchmaker where there’s none."
"Don’t take it seriously, okay?"
At his words, Tang Manman lifted her head, her peach-blossom eyes brightening instantly, as if happiness had flooded back in a heartbeat.
Lin Yu was baffled—how is she this easy to cheer up?
But he didn’t dwell on it. As long as she was happy.
Clutching the popcorn buckets, he led the way, alternating between checking their ticket and squinting at the theater numbers overhead.
Behind him, Tang Manman followed obediently, a soda in each hand, her pretty eyes crinkling with joy.
He explained it to me~
He cares!
Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"
] This is a dark fantasy-themed dating simulation game. The main gameplay involves containing various monster girls and investigating the truth of a world shrouded in mist alongside your companions. However, due to his love for the dark and bizarre atmosphere, Luo Wei ended up turning a dating game into a detective mystery game. Women? Women only slow down his quickdraw! To Luo Wei, the female leads in the game are more like tools to perfectly clear levels and squeeze out rewards. For Luo Wei, flirting with every girl he meets and then discarding them is standard procedure. Worried about characters losing affection points? No need. With his maxed-out charm stat, Luo Wei is practically a "human incubus." A little psychological manipulation and those points come right back. It's a bit scummy, but the paper cutout heroines in the game won't actually come at him with real cleavers. However... Luo Wei has transmigrated. He's accidentally entered the second playthrough of this game. His past actions have caused all the girls to transform into terrifying yanderes. Due to the game's setting, most of the heroines he once contained are "troubled girls." Obsessive, twisted, mentally unstable, all aggressive yanderes... The type who will kill you if they can't have you... Luo Wei wants to cry but has no tears left. "I really just want to survive..." In short, this is a story of battling wits and engaging in a love-hate relationship with yanderes.
reezy rom-com) Good news: Jiang Liu is quite the ladies' man. Bad news: He’s lost his memory. Lying in a hospital bed, Jiang Liu listens to a parade of goddesses spouting "absurd claims," feeling like the world is one giant game of Werewolf. "Jiang Liu, I’m your first love." "Jiang Liu, you’re my boyfriend—she’s your ex." "Jiang Liu, we’re close friends who’ve shared a bed, remember?" "Jiang Liu, I want to have your baby." The now-lucid Jiang Liu is convinced this must be some elaborate scam... until someone drops the bombshell: "The day before you lost your memory, you confessed your feelings—and got into a relationship." Jiang Liu is utterly baffled. So... who the hell is his actual girlfriend?! ... Before recovering his memories, Jiang Liu must navigate this minefield of lies and sincerity, fighting to protect himself from these women’s schemes. But things spiral even further out of control as more people show up at his doorstep—each with increasingly unhinged antics. On the bright side, the memories he lost due to overwhelming trauma seem to be resurfacing. Great news, right? So why are they all panicking now?
th】 【No prior gaming knowledge required】【The First Cultivation + Game Design Novel on the Platform】 In a world where the righteous path dominates and crushes the demonic sects, Lu Ze unlocks the "Son of the Demon Path" system. Killing righteous cultivators now grants him power-ups. Wait—deaths in illusions count too? As a former game designer, Lu Ze decides to give the cultivators of this world a little—no, a massive—shock... Sect Elders: "What is this 'Escape from the Demon Sect' game? Why have all our disciples abandoned cultivation to play it??" Elite Disciples: "You're saying... mastering 'Demon Slayer' can help us counter demonic schemes?" Reclusive Masters: "Why did I leave seclusion? Ask that backstabbing rat who ambushed me in 'Eternal Strife' yesterday!" Rogue Cultivators & Civilians: "'Immortal Abyss Action' is addictive! You can even earn spirit stones by loot-running..." Sect Prodigy: "My Dao heart is unshakable... except for that cursed black hammer." Royal Scions: "Can skins have stat boosts? I’ll pay 10,000 spirit stones for one!!" Sect Leader: "WHO IS CORRUPTING MY DISCIPLES?!!!"
