"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."
...
For the sake of his unrequited love, his ex-girlfriend abandoned him at the altar, indirectly causing the death of his parents. Just when he thought his life was plunged into darkness, a clueless yet beautiful girl unexpectedly took him in. Looking back, he realized how many hidden gems had always been by his side. A childhood friend who had secretly loved him for over a decade, a stunning but socially clueless school beauty, a mischievous and playful girl who lived for chaos... His ex, filled with regret, pleaded: "I was wrong—can we go back to how things were?" Before he could respond, the girl stepped in front of Ye Shuang and coldly declared, "If you didn’t cherish him, then he’s mine now." Also known as: "After Losing My Job, I Was Picked Up by a Hidden Gem," "The School Beauty I Raised," and "Oh No, I’m Surrounded by Rich Girls."
] 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.
m back to his original world. In the end, he realized he had overthought things. [Hey, why is Shen Manni, the female lead, acting strange? Shouldn't she be fawning over the male lead at this point?] [Zhou Qiaoqiao, are you sick? Weren't you supposed to break off your engagement today?] [Damn it! An Youyi, please do your job as an undercover agent and sell my information to the protagonist, you idiot!] ... At this moment, Xu Mo himself didn't know that these female leads had already heard his inner thoughts. Then they decided not to play by the rules. Xu Mo: Please respect my profession as the big villain!
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'!"
