"Are you really only eating that little for dinner?" Liu Muye stared at Han Juyou's nearly empty plate, which, though slightly more substantial than lunch with a bit of meat, was still mostly vegetables. "Don’t hold back on my account—order whatever you want."
"No, I only eat this much at night," Han Juyou shook her head. "Eating too much will make me gain weight."
Liu Muye narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "You’re being so strict with your diet—are you plotting something?"
"Yep," Han Juyou grinned playfully. "I need to keep my figure in check so I can charm my way into a wealthy family and live the high life."
"That kind of gold-digging mentality is dangerous!" Liu Muye leaned in, whispering close to her ear, "You’re not aiming for Nangong Ye, are you? Let me tell you, as long as I’m around, your little scheme won’t work!"
As he spoke, his warm breath brushed against her ear, sending a tingling sensation down her spine.
Her face flushed as she pushed him away, glaring. "What does Nangong Ye have to do with this?"
Liu Muye shot back, "Didn’t you just say you wanted to marry into a rich family?"
Han Juyou countered, "The world doesn’t revolve around the Nangong family. Isn’t your Liu household loaded too? Why can’t I set my sights on you?"
With that, she arched an eyebrow, flashing a coquettish yet mischievous smile.
Liu Muye froze, momentarily stunned by her expression.
Whether Nangong Ye could resist Han Juyou’s advances was unclear, but if she ever turned her charms on him, he knew he’d be defenseless—having been single his whole life, he’d never been pursued by a girl before.
Dinner cost thirty in total—seventeen for Liu Muye, thirteen for Han Juyou.
Afterward, Liu Muye grabbed two milk teas from the drink stall.
Placing them on the table, he asked, "Coconut sago or mango sago—which one do you want?"
Han Juyou grumbled, "Twenty bucks for two drinks? That’s practically another meal."
"I told you, don’t worry about saving money for me."
"But—"
"Are you drinking it or not? If not, I’ll finish both!"
"Fine, fine! I’ll take the coconut one!"
Seeing Liu Muye about to jam both straws into his mouth, Han Juyou quickly snatched the coconut sago and took a sip.
Propping his chin on his hand, Liu Muye watched her sip daintily. "Good?"
"Mhm~"
Chewing the sago pearls, Han Juyou asked, "How did you know I like coconut-flavored stuff?"
"Huh? I didn’t," Liu Muye shrugged. "Just picked randomly."
Han Juyou tilted her head. "Well, no worries. Now you know."
"Pfft—"
Liu Muye chuckled at her cuteness before picking up his chopsticks to eat.
Han Juyou, however, didn’t touch her food. Instead, she announced, "I’m going to start writing a novel online!"
Liu Muye, gnawing on a chicken leg with zero decorum, said, "CEO romance novels are outdated. Give it up."
Han Juyou blinked. "How did you know I was writing a CEO romance?"
"Because I’m the worm in your stomach," he said between bites.
"Pfft, as if you know me that well. You probably just peeked at my notes," Han Juyou rolled her eyes. "And it’s not some cliché ‘rich CEO falls for a poor girl’ story."
"Then what is it?" Liu Muye set down the chicken leg, locking eyes with her. "Don’t tell me it’s a rich heiress disguising herself as a commoner, sneaking into an elite school, clashing with a domineering young master, and then they fall in love amid endless bickering—another overused, cheesy Mary Sue plot?"
...At another table nearby...
"Achoo!"
Shangguan Yurou suddenly sneezed.
"Are you okay?" Nangong Ye handed her a handkerchief. "Catching a cold?"
"No," she shook her head, dabbing her nose. "It’s only September—way too hot for that."
"Ah, right," Nangong Ye scratched his head awkwardly.
Shangguan Yurou eyed the now-soiled handkerchief. "Sorry, I’ll wash this and return it."
Nangong Ye smiled. "No need, just toss it."
"Alright then." Shangguan Yurou assumed he was just germaphobic.
Glancing at the handkerchief, she thought—What a considerate guy. Too bad he’s not into girls.
...Back to Liu Muye’s perspective...
Han Juyou gaped at him. "That’s the plot I spent all last night brainstorming! How did you guess?"
Of course he knew—he’d written that exact trope himself before becoming a failed author and getting sucked into this novel’s world.
But he couldn’t tell her that.
"Those clichés are everywhere online," Liu Muye scoffed. "Either the CEO falls for Cinderella, or he pretends to be poor to chase her, or she’s secretly rich, or they’re both in disguise, bickering until the big reveal—"
"Wait, hold on!" Han Juyou cut in. "How do you know CEO romance tropes so well?"
"Because I’m a web novel—"
Liu Muye nearly blurted out his secret but caught himself just in time.
Han Juyou frowned. "You stopped mid-sentence. You’re a web novel what?"
"I’m a web novel…" He paused, then recovered. "A web novel enthusiast. I’ve read tons—male leads, female leads, you name it. So I know all the tired old formulas."
"Really?" Her fox-like eyes gleamed with doubt.
"Obviously," Liu Muye nodded firmly. "Would I lie?"
Han Juyou gave a half-convinced hum. "Well, since you’re the expert, what’s a fresh, interesting twist for a CEO romance?"
Liu Muye didn’t mince words: "Writing CEO romances is a dead end!"
"Huh?" Han Juyou wrinkled her nose. "Why? Don’t most girls love reading about a hot, suit-clad billionaire obsessing over them?"
"No, no, no!" Liu Muye wagged a finger. "Times have changed. That stuff doesn’t sell anymore."
Han Juyou crossed her arms and looked at Liu Muye, asking, "Then tell me, if not domineering CEO stories, what should I write instead?"
Liu Muye held onto a chicken drumstick, pondering for a long while.
"If you really want to write, go for fluffy romance."
...
he colors of other people’s emotions. Light red meant anxiety. Gray meant exhaustion. Orange meant excitement. Yellow... meant repression. At the same time, he could gain unlimited control over one of those colors. Pale cyan: relaxation. Using this ability, he started offering “two-yuan hugs,” spending an afternoon exchanging emotional-color experiences with others. Then came his final female customer of the day— a girl whose emotional color was pure black... —— A week later, Xu Chuan had become skilled at using pale cyan—Relaxation—treating it like a bottle of menthol balm whenever he needed it. That was when he discovered he had unlocked another unlimited emotional color: Purple, the color of fear. So these emotional colors refresh every week? Fine, I take it back—I’ll never call you useless again... —— Much later, after Xu Chuan had accumulated countless emotional abilities, one night, he suddenly found himself inside someone else’s dream. There, he could use the emotional colors he possessed to paint. And in her dream, he painted her a shower of pink shooting stars, spreading across the depths of the night sky...
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
shall grant"] ["Inscribing the glory of our race upon tombstones"] ["All that is threatened, I shall protect"] How his younger sister sees her brother: A brother who only makes eye contact once a day, mostly fading into the background as he tinkers with who-knows-what in his room all day. Their life paths should have remained largely separate. Until one day. Su Qi created an equipment card for his never-met "online girlfriend." His sister fell into silent contemplation upon receiving the "white stockings." [Card can be upgraded] [Upgrade by fulfilling any of the following conditions] [Condition ①: Consume one hundred higher-tier cards] [Condition ②: Complete one 'Heart-Pounding Adventure'] What constitutes a Heart-Pounding Adventure? [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Beginner Level): Equip the card and invite 'Su Qi' to admire it.] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Easy Level): Equip the card, invite 'Su Qi' to touch it, and analyze the equipment's texture.] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Entry Level): Equip the card and invite 'Su Qi' to...] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Challenge Level): Freely combine the words 'Brother' 'Out' 'Brother' 'Me' 'Please' into a complete sentence...] "Please help me analyze both teams' mistakes in this match, brother..." His sister exhaled in relief—surely... surely there couldn't be anything more difficult? [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Suicide Mission Level): Sneak a peek at the names of the galgames in 'Su Qi's' hidden E-drive folder]
