"Are you okay?"
Han Juyou was momentarily dazed when Liu Muye's gentle voice snapped her back to reality.
"Huh? I... I'm fine."
She shook her head lightly, her mesmerizing eyes—deep and mysterious like an abyss—locked onto Liu Muye's gaze, as if trying to uncover some hidden secret buried within him.
Liu Muye couldn’t handle the intensity of her stare. It felt like she could see right through him in an instant. His eyes darted away, avoiding her piercing gaze.
Noticing his evasion, Han Juyou finally looked away. "Why did you help me?"
Liu Muye chuckled. "I’m just a helpful guy. No need to thank me."
"Who said I was thanking you?" Han Juyou narrowed her eyes, glaring at him. "Why did you give that man money for me?"
"If I didn’t pay him off, he’d just keep harassing you."
"...People like him are bottomless pits. Once they get a taste, they’ll keep coming back for more." A trace of sorrow flickered in her eyes.
Liu Muye reassured her, "Don’t worry. He’ll never set foot in Siliya Academy again."
"Ugh..." Han Juyou sighed. "But I can’t just hide in the school forever, can I?"
Liu Muye’s expression turned serious as he spoke deliberately, "As long as I, Liu Muye, am still in Shangjing City, no one here will dare lay a finger on you."
"You... you... what exactly do you want from me?"
Han Juyou tensed up again, instinctively stepping back—but this time, she only retreated half a step before stopping, held in place by the sincerity in Liu Muye’s eyes.
"I... I..."
Liu Muye panicked. He knew Han Juyou was sharp—ordinary lies wouldn’t fool her. And now that she was questioning his motives, any slip-up could blow his cover.
"What about you?" Han Juyou pressed, brows furrowed. "Ever since my first day here, you’ve been unusually attentive. You expect me to believe you have no ulterior motives?"
"Come on, what could I possibly want from you?" Liu Muye shoved his hands into his pockets, feigning nonchalance as he mimicked Nangong Ye’s tone. "I’m the heir of the Liu conglomerate. What would I want with a scholarship student like you? Later!"
"Wait—!"
Afraid she’d catch on, Liu Muye tried to bolt, but Han Juyou grabbed his sleeve before he could turn away.
He spun back. "Y-yes? Something else?"
Han Juyou bit her lip lightly and murmured, "The money you gave my father... I’ll find a way to pay you back. And... thank you for today."
It was the first time she’d shown a hint of girlish shyness in front of him.
Liu Muye exhaled in relief and waved it off. "Don’t mention it. The money’s nothing—I’ve got plenty to spare."
"No." Han Juyou shook her head firmly. "I will repay you."
"We’ll see, we’ll see."
With that, Liu Muye pulled his sleeve free and practically fled from the girls’ dormitory.
A few thousand bucks meant nothing to him—he’d never intended for her to return it.
After all, to him now, money was just meaningless numbers and scraps of paper.
Han Juyou stood still, watching his retreating figure under the sunlight, his silhouette bathed in a golden glow, radiant and faintly mysterious.
"As long as I, Liu Muye, am still in Shangjing City, no one here will dare lay a finger on you!"
His words echoed in her mind, leaving her momentarily lost in thought. Unconsciously, the corners of her lips curled into a soft, captivating smile.
Then, limping slightly, she turned and headed back into the dorm.
......
[Novelists love crafting absurd, fantastical meet-cutes for their protagonists, but real-life first encounters are often even more illogical and surreal. —Liu Muye’s Notes]
......
"Why the rush? Running from ghosts?" Nangong Ye raised an eyebrow as Liu Muye barged into their dorm, panting.
"Pretty much. Thanks to printing your damn documents, I almost got caught by a fox spirit," Liu Muye grumbled, tossing the meeting files onto the table.
"A fox spirit?" Nangong Ye smirked. "You really are an interesting guy."
"Cut the crap." Liu Muye grabbed a soda from the fridge and flopped onto the couch across from him.
Nangong Ye pulled out a check from his pocket and handed it over. "Here."
"Huh?" Liu Muye took it—blank except for a signature and seal. "Why give me an empty check?"
"For your trouble." Nangong Ye pointed at it. "Fill in any amount. Cash it at Nangong Bank."
"Damn, that’s generous!"
Liu Muye immediately reached for a pen, then paused—wait, he was a rich heir now too.
He tossed the check back. "Don’t look down on me. I don’t need your pocket change."
Nangong Ye, as if triggered by a script, declared, "You’re the first man to refuse my check. You’ve successfully caught my—"
"Shut it!" Liu Muye cut him off. "We’re bros. Drop the act!"
"Uh... huh?" Nangong Ye blinked, mid-monologue.
Liu Muye squinted. "Why do you always spout these lines?"
"Dunno." Nangong Ye scratched his head, eyes brimming with pure, unfiltered cluelessness. "They just... come out."
"Right. My bad for asking." Liu Muye facepalmed, muttering to himself.
After a beat, he suddenly asked, "Hey, Ye-dàshǎo, do you just hand out checks to people for fun?"
"Sometimes cash. Want some?" Nangong Ye pulled out his wallet, dead serious.
"...No!" Liu Muye’s eye twitched.
Nangong Ye tilted his head. "Why don’t you call me ‘Young Master Nangong’?"
"Why should I?" Liu Muye shot back.
Nangong Ye pondered. "Because everyone else does."
"Well, I like being different. From now on, you’re ‘Ye-dàshǎo’ to me."
Nangong Ye nodded. "Fine. Then I’ll call you ‘Little Ye’."
"Hard pass." Liu Muye crossed his arms. "I may not be as loaded as your family, but I’m still a second-gen rich kid. At least call me ‘Ye-dàshǎo’."
"Ye-dàshǎo?" Nangong Ye considered it. "Sure. By the way, you’re the first peer I’ve ever addressed so formally."
Liu Muye stared at Nangong Ye, who exuded an indescribable air of foolishness, and suddenly realized a problem—when he had originally written the book, he’d been so focused on portraying the male lead as invincible that the real Nangong Ye now behaved like a child in front of others or when handling situations… Was he just too naive?
Aside from being naive, there were times when he was downright ridiculous.
…
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
with countless casualties. As a top-tier gamer, Liu Xuan volunteered to join the fight, intending to dominate with his skills, but instead he obtained the hidden class: [Pacifist]. Unable to attack. Unable to use active skills. Fortunately, with each level gained, he acquired a new passive skill. And so, armed with a body full of passives, Liu Xuan slaughtered his way through the battlefield of ten thousand races! [You attacked Liu Xuan] [You gained the debuffs: 'Poison', 'Fear', 'Burning', 'Bleeding', 'Freeze', 'Silence', etc.] [Your attack speed has been reduced by 99%] [Your armor and magic resistance have been reduced by 99%] Warriors of the Ten Thousand Races: How the hell am I supposed to fight this?!
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.
or! A blessing for those who struggle with love, a guidebook for dating novices. Quickly match with your dream goddess! Complete walkthroughs earn rewards, and perfect walkthroughs unlock limited achievements!】 Shen Yi, an ordinary office worker, accidentally downloads a mini-game called Dating Simulator. The mini-game is simple: randomly search for dating targets, simulate dates, and receive rewards upon successful confession. Rewards include but are not limited to money, attributes, and skills. The higher the evaluation, the better the rewards, with perfect ratings unlocking mysterious achievements. Shen Yi plans to use this mysterious mini-game to continuously pursue targets and improve himself, making his life better and better. ...... However, after several successful walkthroughs, Shen Yi suddenly notices something strange - the targets he previously simulated dating seem to be searching for him in real life?
