After finishing a delicious hotpot meal, Lin Yu originally planned to head straight back home to get down to business.
But unexpectedly, Xia Muzhu was in high spirits and took the initiative to suggest:
"Let's go watch a movie."
"There's a really popular one playing right now that I've been wanting to see for a long time."
A glimmer of anticipation lit up Xia Muzhu's gentle eyes. Her smiling demeanor washed away some of her usual mature aura.
She looked a bit more playful and youthful.
Naturally, Lin Yu wasn't going to ruin her mood.
Lately, she had endured too much, and he owed her far too much.
"Sure."
"Let's go watch it."
Lin Yu agreed without hesitation.
Xia Muzhu smiled even more happily, her eyes curving into crescents.
She reached out and looped her arm through Lin Yu's. She often held his arm like this; she really liked doing it.
But today she was especially happy, leaning her entire body against his shoulder.
Feeling that softness pressing against him even through their thick clothing, Lin Yu felt wonderful, unable to suppress the grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.
Xia Muzhu usually drove herself, but considering that parking at the movie theater might be a hassle, the two decided to take a cab.
In the car, the two of them stayed glued to each other, acting as sweet and affectionate as a couple deeply in love.
Upon arriving at the theater, there was still some time before the movie started.
They sat on the waiting chairs, having bought their popcorn and cola in advance.
The two little gluttons couldn't resist and started snacking early.
Fortunately, they had bought a large bucket, so they wouldn't finish it anyway.
During this time, Xia Muzhu kept turning her head to look in a certain direction.
Curious about what she was looking at, Lin Yu followed her gaze.
Soon, Lin Yu saw a row of brightly lit claw machines.
Looking at these familiar machines, Lin Yu sniffled as some past memories surfaced in his mind.
He used to use these things quite often to coax girls and make them happy.
Gu Yue was one.
Tang Manman was another.
He remembered that when he was catching plushies with Tang Manman, they even ran into Xia Muzhu and Xia Yueshan.
Well then.
It seemed these claw machines were going to contribute to his cause once again today.
Lin Yu turned to Xia Muzhu and said:
"Let's go."
"I'll catch a few for you."
Xia Muzhu's eyes visibly brightened.
She didn't decline at all, happily nodding in agreement.
"Okay!"
Looking thrilled, Xia Muzhu walked up to the claw machines a step ahead of Lin Yu, picking out her favorite plushies through the glass.
Lin Yu intentionally walked a bit slower.
He originally wanted to find the front desk staff to help him adjust the win probability of the claw machine.
But when Lin Yu turned to look, he saw a somewhat familiar face.
After thinking for a moment, Lin Yu quickly realized that this was the same staff member who had adjusted the machines for him before.
Looking at him now, he was wearing a much more decent uniform; it seemed he had been promoted.
Without needing Lin Yu to say a word, the man quickly bent down and operated the computer behind the counter.
Then, he straightened up and secretly gave Lin Yu an OK hand gesture.
Seeing this, Lin Yu nodded in gratification. The boy was teachable indeed.
Lin Yu strode over to Xia Muzhu's side. Just as he was about to brag about how amazing he was, he suddenly felt a wave of unease.
He turned his head and looked around. After confirming there were no acquaintances nearby, Lin Yu relaxed.
"Come on."
"Which one caught your eye?"
"The God of Claw Machines will grant your wish!"
Xia Muzhu had already picked her target. She raised a slender finger and pointed at an ugly-cute pineapple plushie.
Lin Yu looked at the ugly-cute pineapple plushie, feeling that something was off about it the more he looked.
But Lin Yu didn't overthink it. If Xia Muzhu wanted it, he would just catch it for her.
Standing in front of the machine, Lin Yu made a few simple maneuvers. The claw successfully grabbed the plushie and dropped it down the chute.
Lin Yu crouched down, took the plushie out of the bin, and handed it to Xia Muzhu.
"Here."
"Aren't I awesome?"
Lin Yu tilted his chin up slightly, fully prepared to be showered with praise.
To his surprise, Xia Muzhu didn't say anything; she just stood there giggling.
"It looks a lot like the old you~"
Xia Muzhu held up the pineapple plushie. Using her finger, she swept the pineapple's edgy, long yellow hair to the left. Aside from the skin color, it was practically a living, chibi version of Lin Yu.
That yellow hair covering half of its face, combined with the cool yet cute expression on the pineapple, was simply too recognizable.
"This!"
"..."
Lin Yu instinctively wanted to retort. How could he possibly be this ugly thing?
But looking at the plushie's highly distinctive features, Lin Yu found himself speechless.
Son of a biscuit!
What unscrupulous manufacturer made this crappy toy?
Watch me sue them!
Seeing Lin Yu choking on his words, Xia Muzhu laughed even harder, shaking with mirth.
Lin Yu was originally a tiny bit annoyed.
But seeing Xia Muzhu laughing so happily, he felt it didn't matter. As long as she was happy, it was fine.
Lin Yu looked tenderly at Xia Muzhu, who was doubled over with laughter.
At that exact moment, for some unknown reason, he suddenly felt a tug in his chest and looked up toward the elevator.
The elevator doors were slowly opening. There weren't many people inside, only four or five.
Therefore, among those few people, the two pure and beautiful girls, who looked somewhat similar to each other, were especially eye-catching.
Lin Yu looked at Tang Manman.
Tang Manman looked at Lin Yu.
Lin Yu looked at Tang Qinqin beside her.
Tang Manman looked at Xia Muzhu beside him.
In a fraction of a second, their expressions mirrored each other, changing rapidly.
From initial shock, to terror, and finally freezing into sheer panic on their faces.
The next moment, both of them took action simultaneously, determined to prevent the impending tragedy.
Lin Yu grabbed Xia Muzhu's soft waist and steered her toward a claw machine in the corner.
"Look."
"This blue plushie is so cute."
Lin Yu pointed at the plushie in the machine, trying to focus Xia Muzhu's attention so she wouldn't notice the two girls behind her.
"It really is."
Xia Muzhu didn't suspect a thing. Following Lin Yu's lead, she put all her attention on the blue plushie inside the machine.
At the same time.
Tang Manman took a sudden step forward, turned around, and blocked her sister's view.
"What's wrong?"
Tang Qinqin shifted her attention away from her phone and looked up in confusion at her sister, who had suddenly become tense.
"Oh no!"
"I think I left my wallet at the dessert shop we were just at!"
"Let's hurry back and look for it!"
As she spoke, the other passengers in the elevator had already walked out, leaving only the two of them. Tang Manman began frantically pressing the close door button.
"Huh?"
"Really?"
"Then we need to go find it quickly."
A touch of anxiety colored Tang Qinqin's slightly childish face.
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.
u Chenyuan transmigrated into a female-oriented novel about a real and fake heiress, becoming the CEO elder brother of both. Unfortunately, the entire Lu family—including himself, the CEO—were mere cannon fodder in the story. Determined to save himself, Lu Chenyuan took action. The spoiled, attention-seeking fake heiress? Thrown into the harsh realities of the working class to learn humility. The love-struck real heiress? Pushed toward academic excellence, so lofty goals would blind her to trivial romances. As for the betrayed, vengeful arranged marriage wife… the plot hadn’t even begun yet. There was still time—if he couldn’t handle her, he could at least avoid her. "CEO Lu, are you avoiding me?" Mo Qingli fixed her gaze on Lu Chenyuan. For the first time, the shrewd and calculating Lu Chenyuan felt a flicker of unease.
lanned to earn money steadily and take life at a slower pace. But he never expected... his father's remarriage, and the stepmother bringing along a dependent, would completely disrupt his life's plans...
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.”
