"No way, absolutely no way!" Nangong Ye waved his hand dismissively. "I haven't done anything to provoke her. How could she suddenly like me? Give me a reason, please."
Liu Muye replied, "Does liking someone need a reason?"
"Doesn't it?"
"Does it?"
"Doesn't it?"
The two of them argued back and forth as they walked, eventually stepping into the classroom.
Shangguan Yurou, who was sharing breakfast with Han Juyou, saw this scene and immediately started overthinking again.
With her "shipping goggles" firmly in place, Shangguan Yurou's first thought was—Ah, couples fight sometimes. It’s totally normal.
Just as Shangguan Yurou was lost in her thoughts, Liu Muye suddenly approached, snapping her out of it.
"Shangguan, switch seats with me. I need to talk to her properly," Liu Muye said.
"Huh? Oh…"
Shangguan Yurou glanced at Han Juyou, then back at Liu Muye before nodding. "Alright."
So, Nangong Ye is upset because Liu Muye has been getting too close to Juyou, and now there’s tension between them? Shangguan Yurou mused internally. I should help clear things up.
If Liu Muye and Nangong Ye knew what Shangguan Yurou was thinking, they’d probably be furious!
Han Juyou quickly grabbed Shangguan Yurou’s hand. "Yurou, don’t move. Just stay here."
Shangguan Yurou waved her off. "It’s fine, Juyou. You talk things out with Liu Muye. I’ll go have a chat with Nangong Ye."
"Wait, Yurou—"
Without letting Han Juyou finish, Shangguan Yurou turned and headed to the back of the classroom, where Nangong Ye naturally took the seat beside her.
Liu Muye plopped down in Shangguan Yurou’s former spot and stared intently at Han Juyou.
Han Juyou wrinkled her nose, putting on a fierce expression as she glared back at him.
The two engaged in a silent staring contest for a while before Liu Muye finally broke the silence.
"Be honest with me—do you have feelings for someone?"
"!"
Han Juyou’s heart skipped a beat. Just a second ago, she had been telling herself to stay calm and rational, but now she was flustered.
"W-what nonsense are you spouting?" she stammered. "I don’t like—"
Noticing her odd reaction, Liu Muye cut her off, leaning closer. "You do like Nangong Ye, don’t you?"
"I don’t—huh? What?"
The blush on Han Juyou’s face instantly faded, replaced by a cold frown. "Are you out of your mind? Why on earth would I like Nangong Ye?"
"Then… why have you been ignoring me?" Liu Muye’s confidence wavered.
"What does me ignoring you have to do with Nangong Ye? What kind of logic is that?" Han Juyou snapped, annoyed.
Seeing her anger, Liu Muye shrank back slightly. "So… you really don’t like him?"
"Why would I like him for no reason?"
"Then… why have you been avoiding me?"
"I haven’t been avoiding you." Seeing Liu Muye’s dejected expression, Han Juyou almost laughed, her tone softening. "I just thought… it’s not good for us to be so close."
"Why not?"
Han Juyou hesitated for a few seconds before deciding to be honest. "Look, you’re Young Master Liu. The entire Siliya Academy belongs to you. I’m just a scholarship student from a humble background. The gap between us is huge. If we hang out too much, people will talk."
"Who dares talk about you?" Liu Muye propped his chin on his hand, resting his elbow on the desk. "Relax. No one will dare gossip about you if you’re with me. If anyone even tries, I’ll make sure they regret it."
"Pfft—"
Han Juyou burst out laughing. "What, are you some kind of gangster now? ‘Make them regret it’?"
Liu Muye grinned. "It’s called hyperbole—a literary device. Ever heard of it?"
"Hahaha!" Han Juyou covered her mouth, giggling. "You’re ridiculous."
Watching her laugh, Liu Muye suddenly recalled her subtle expression last night when she heard his funds had been unfrozen. Finally, he understood why she had been keeping her distance.
The realization made him smile inwardly.
Han Juyou, you’re such a strange girl. Everyone else clings to me the moment they find out who I am, desperate to latch onto my influence. But you? You run in the opposite direction.
And yet… this same strange girl is the one who later turns into a scheming, ruthless villain in the story, meeting a tragic end…
The thought made his heart ache for her even more.
"Han Juyou," he said suddenly.
"Hmm?" She looked at him curiously.
"Be my friend. Don’t overthink it."
"Really?"
"Of course." Liu Muye nodded firmly.
"Why, though?"
Her fox-like eyes, brimming with emotion, locked onto his.
"Because…"
He wanted to tell her—Because I’ve lived the same life as you. Because I understand what you’re going through. Because I want to help you, to change your fate.
But none of those words made it past his lips.
Instead, he said, "Because… I want to be your best friend."
"…"
Han Juyou’s lips parted slightly. A flicker of disappointment flashed in her eyes before she quickly masked it.
She smiled, meeting his gaze seriously. "You really mean that?"
"I mean it. Best friends."
Best friends…
Han Juyou comforted herself—Isn’t that good enough? At least he’s not just pitying me.
But then… why did her chest feel so tight?
When emotions took over, even the most rational girl could lose control.
Han Juyou lifted her head and suddenly realized just how close they were—close enough to feel each other’s breath.
Her cheeks burned, her thoughts scattering as she stumbled over her words. "Y-you… move back!"
"Not until you promise you won’t ignore me again!"
With Liu Muye’s face still inches from hers, Han Juyou’s rationality had long since fled. "I… I promise."
"That’s more like it."
Liu Muye finally leaned back, satisfied now that their misunderstanding was resolved.
As Han Juyou’s emotions settled, something suddenly occurred to her. "Liu Muye… I’m sorry, but you might be in for some trouble later."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
Liu Muye had just finished asking his question when Sun Zihan and Zhang Ning walked into the classroom, dressed in outrageously flashy outfits.
...
] [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!"
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.”
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.
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
