"You're right, but have some milk."
Su Cheng carried a steaming cup of milk over to Gu Ruoxue and handed it to her, continuing, "Books say milk contains tryptophan, which has a calming effect and helps with sleep at night."
Gu Ruoxue crossed her arms and studied the milk cup in front of her. The cup was mostly pink, with a panda-shaped rim and a logo featuring a fluffy pink bear—adorable, to say the least.
It was a souvenir from their last shopping trip.
"Thanks, but next time at this hour, I’d suggest warm water instead."
She picked up the cup and took a tentative sip. The milk was sweet and fragrant, leaving a lingering warmth in her stomach. The rich creaminess carried a faint hint of strawberry, a fitting match for the pink cup.
Then, cradling the cup in both hands, she turned her gaze to the window, her fingers lightly tracing the panda logo as a faint smile curved her lips. She really loved pandas.
"Why?"
"Because usually by this time, people have already brushed their teeth and are ready for bed."
"Oh, it’s already that late?"
Su Cheng stood beside her, looking out at the view outside.
Tonight’s sky was dark and desolate, devoid of even a single star, let alone the dazzling brilliance of distant suns.
It was nothing but gloom.
"The wind tonight is quite restless," Su Cheng suddenly remarked, a touch of melancholy in her voice. "And it almost sounds like it’s on the verge of weeping."
"If you’re out of words, you might as well go rest." Gu Ruoxue’s smile faded as she spoke seriously. "You’ve been running around all day—must be exhausting. Better sleep early and save me the worry."
"I was just trying to lighten the mood. Standing here like an idiot next to you is pretty awkward otherwise."
Su Cheng quickly waved her hands and added, "I wanted to say ‘the moon is beautiful,’ but there’s nothing out there tonight. Can’t just lie, right?"
As she spoke, she glanced out the window again, then instinctively pointed at the sky and gasped softly, "Ah, the moon’s out!"
Gu Ruoxue followed Su Cheng’s finger automatically, only to find the same pitch-black sky—no bright, round moon in sight, just a thick blanket of dark fog obscuring everything.
"If you’ve got nothing more meaningful to say, how about we each go to our rooms and sleep?"
Gu Ruoxue rolled her eyes in exasperation, but when she met Su Cheng’s unwavering gaze, realization dawned, and she shot her a mildly annoyed glare.
The implication was obvious.
She was the so-called moon.
"Ridiculous." Gu Ruoxue averted her eyes, focusing instead on the warm milk in her hands, sipping quietly as she stared blankly at the sky.
"But to me, you are my moon."
Unfazed, Su Cheng kept her eyes fixed on Gu Ruoxue and said earnestly, "So I can say it now. The night is truly beautiful~"
"I see you’re quite good at leveraging your current state. But haven’t you noticed how bizarre it sounds when you say these things without a hint of emotion?"
Hearing Su Cheng bring up the moon again, Gu Ruoxue couldn’t help but glance up at her.
"Bizarre?" Su Cheng tilted her head, puzzled. "Seems fine to me. What’s the issue?"
"That’s because they’re too blinded by their own biases to think critically, letting you get away with it." Gu Ruoxue shook her head and went back to her milk, muttering under her breath, "Honestly, you’re just plain weird."
Yet, Su Cheng fell silent at her words.
Gu Ruoxue couldn’t resist stealing another look.
Su Cheng was still staring straight at her.
With a long sigh, Gu Ruoxue said, "If you came here just to spout sweet nothings, please go back to your room and rest."
"There’s a lot I want to say. And a lot I want to ask." Su Cheng suddenly spoke softly, her voice laced with something complicated—low but sincere. "Calling you my moon is because, up till now, I’ve always relied on you. You’ve been like the moon, quietly watching over me, lighting my way..."
She paused briefly before continuing, "...So that’s why I described you that way. Might sound cheesy, but to me, it’s the truth."
After listening, Gu Ruoxue thought for a moment before slightly furrowing her brows. "I suggest you be more direct. It’s the middle of the night—let’s not waste precious sleep time."
Su Cheng blinked. "Direct?"
"Yeah." Gu Ruoxue nodded firmly. "If you’ve got something to say or ask, just say it outright."
"Alright, then I’ll cut to the chase." Su Cheng nodded, adopting a composed tone as if trying to regain control of the situation. "Our relationship has always been nominal—not something that developed naturally from mutual feelings. Even if we use it as an excuse, it doesn’t hold up as a reason."
She stopped for a few seconds before adding, "I think you know what I’m getting at."
Gu Ruoxue frowned slightly, studying Su Cheng. So, after dancing around all night, she really wanted to settle their issues in one go.
She did understand what Su Cheng was asking.
Though they bore the label of a couple, they had never truly acted like one—no romantic progression, no intimacy beyond a hug.
They hadn’t even verbally acknowledged the relationship.
Even becoming a couple was because of the system.
Such a relationship could only be described as nominal.
"I want to hear your response."
Su Cheng pressed further, seizing the momentum. "To me, it’s very important."
"Given your current state, I don’t believe you haven’t already figured it out yourself."
Gu Ruoxue ran her fingers along the now-cooling cup, walked to the living room, and sat down, placing the cup on the table. Propping her chin on one hand, she glanced sideways at Su Cheng with a hint of amusement.
This matter was one of their key conflicts, but not the core one. In Gu Ruoxue’s eyes, Su Cheng bringing it up now was just a way to divert attention from the real issue.
"I know. But I want to hear it directly from you."
Su Cheng nodded, then looked up at the sky again. "No matter what, I know I’ve hurt you. But what I want most is for everyone to find happiness, so I have to be a little greedy here."
This time, her tone carried a sorrowful edge, casting a melancholic shadow over the already subdued atmosphere.
"Honestly, my requirements in this regard are clear—just match me in ability, ambition, and character."
Gu Ruoxue extended a hand, her fingers lightly tracing the panda design on the cup. Her gaze fixed on empty space, as if she had slipped into deep thought.
"Normally, a relationship should be established after mutual confirmation. But you barged in unexpectedly, and frankly, you don’t quite meet my expectations in many ways. The worst part is, it seems I can’t even return this uninvited gift."
At this point, Gu Ruoxue turned her head and shot Su Cheng a slightly reproachful glare. The person in question could only respond with a sheepish smile and a nod.
"But we have to be realistic. Since plans can’t keep up with changes, I suppose I’ll have to see if this heaven-sent ‘gift’ can be molded into what I hoped for. So far, it’s possible—but only just a little. Not only that, it’s also incredibly troublesome, always forcing me to expend a great deal of effort to clean up the mess. Truly a bad apple, don’t you agree?"
"Right, absolutely. A real bad apple."
Su Cheng readily admitted to it. After speaking so much, Gu Ruoxue felt her throat dry. She picked up the cup and drained the remaining milk. Though it had cooled almost to room temperature, the taste hadn’t changed much.
"Now, this bad apple isn’t just drifting further from the image I envisioned—it’s also eyeing what’s in the bowl while staring at the pot. That’s the one thing I can’t tolerate. So, until this troublemaker repents and makes a clear choice, I’ve decided we won’t take another step forward. Understood?"
"Seems I have no choice but to comply."
Su Cheng gave a bitter chuckle, stepped closer, and held out a hand in a silent demand.
Gu Ruoxue didn’t seem particularly surprised. Of course, she knew exactly what Su Cheng was asking for.
She reached into her collar and retrieved a ring necklace still warm from her body heat. For a moment, she gazed at it with a hint of nostalgia. After transferring a few personal items from the ring to the nearby sofa, she removed the necklace and placed it in Su Cheng’s palm.
"Now, we’re even."
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...
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
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?"
