"What?!"
Su Cheng exclaimed in shock, "So that's what you meant? I completely misunderstood!"
"Have you been reading too many web novels?" Liu Qingyue rolled her eyes and sighed helplessly. "How could you come up with such a clichéd idea?"
"Then I’ll go back and clarify things with them." Su Cheng turned to leave but was stopped by Liu Qingyue.
"The more you explain, the more it looks like you’re trying to hide something. Just let things take their course." Liu Qingyue cleared her throat and averted her gaze before continuing, "Since things have come to this, we’ll have to go along with your plan. As long as you can convince the young mistress, I’ll play my part in this little act."
Su Cheng noticed Liu Qingyue’s unusual expression and hesitated before tentatively asking, "So… will the president agree?"
"Who knows?" Liu Qingyue turned back with a faint smile. "But now that I think about it, your idea is quite interesting. Haven’t you always wanted to prove yourself?"
"How does this prove anything?" Su Cheng blinked in confusion, completely unaware of what she was getting at.
"This idea of yours showcases your unique way of thinking and problem-solving. Neither the young mistress nor I would’ve come up with something like this. It just goes to show how special you are."
Liu Qingyue praised him deliberately, word by word. "You might as well go and enlighten the young mistress right now!"
As she spoke, she looked at him with admiration, as if his idea were some earth-shattering masterstroke.
"I don’t deserve such praise."
Su Cheng felt awkward under her fervent gaze and coughed awkwardly. "Well, honestly, this idea just popped into my head out of nowhere."
By the end, his expression turned sheepish. "It’s mostly because I misunderstood you. You’re the one who inspired me—I can’t take credit for any brilliance."
"Alright, no need to be so modest." Liu Qingyue shook her head and spoke earnestly. "The words are already out—there’s no taking them back now. I’m only agreeing to help you for the young mistress’s sake. So, you’d better make the most of this opportunity."
Su Cheng opened his mouth but hesitated.
Something felt off, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.
Finally, he sighed and said, "Fine."
"Mhm. In that case, club activities are about to start." Liu Qingyue glanced at her nonexistent watch and reminded him, "When you face the young mistress later, act confident. Don’t be nervous."
Seeing how serious she was, Su Cheng took a deep breath and nodded. "We’ll see how it goes."
After exchanging a few more words, Su Cheng immediately headed to the changing room to prepare for archery club.
Meanwhile, Liu Qingyue stood there, watching his retreating figure with a gleam of amusement in her eyes.
Giving advice to others was common, but giving advice to someone who thought they were a genius? That was a first. And she was looking forward to it.
………………
Archery Club
By a tea table.
Ji Qingyi and Su Cheng sat across from each other in silence, the air thick with the aroma of tea.
Another day of so-called "quiet contemplation."
"Is there something you want to say to me?" After a while, Ji Qingyi broke the silence.
She had noticed Su Cheng’s hesitation.
Clearly, he had something on his mind.
Su Cheng picked up his teacup, took a sip, and closed his eyes, savoring the lingering taste.
When he opened his eyes again, he looked at Ji Qingyi calmly and said, "I’ve given the matter of our engagement some thought."
Ji Qingyi raised an eyebrow, intrigued, but didn’t rush him to continue.
"I’ve come up with a better solution." Su Cheng took another sip of tea, his tone composed.
His demeanor carried an air of unshakable wisdom, so much so that Ji Qingyi couldn’t help but study him more closely, feeling a strange sense of déjà vu.
It was almost as if Su Cheng had regained his memories.
But upon closer inspection, his temperament and gaze remained unchanged—still the same silly, clueless Su Cheng.
However,
One thing was certain: Su Cheng was different today.
Ji Qingyi smiled faintly and stared at him for a long moment before leisurely asking, "A better solution?"
Su Cheng set down his cup and met her gaze steadily. "A win-win approach. One that not only gives me a legitimate identity without exposing the truth but also provides a valid reason to prevent complications."
Hearing this, Ji Qingyi fell into thought, as if pondering what this so-called "win-win approach" could possibly be.
Su Cheng, meanwhile, silently drank his tea, waiting patiently for her response.
After a long pause, Ji Qingyi finally spoke. "Oh? Then, pray tell, what exactly is this ‘win-win approach’ of yours?"
Su Cheng placed his teacup down and said calmly, "First, I must ask—does Liu Qingyue speak for you, President?"
At this, Ji Qingyi’s brows furrowed slightly, as if she had already guessed his so-called "solution." Her expression darkened as she said in a low voice, "You intend to involve her?"
Unaware of the icy undertone in her words, Su Cheng remained confidently composed, replying matter-of-factly, "Yes. We simply announce to the public that Liu Qingyue is my fiancée, making her my shield."
The moment these words left his mouth, the temperature in the room seemed to plummet. Though Ji Qingyi’s stunning face remained expressionless, an oppressive chill filled the air, making Su Cheng instinctively reach for his hot tea again.
Ji Qingyi was silent, but her silence was deafening.
"President, in my humble opinion,"
Still oblivious to the situation, Su Cheng assumed Ji Qingyi was simply awestruck by his genius plan. Smiling, he asked, "I believe this is feasible. What do you think?"
Ji Qingyi picked up her teacup, took a sip, and set it down with a sharp clink.
"Whose idea was this?"
Her tone carried a dangerous edge.
"Of course, it was mine." Su Cheng, still oblivious, puffed out his chest proudly. "If you agree, then it’s settled. After club activities, I’ll discuss it with Liu Qingyue."
Ji Qingyi fell silent again, but this silence was even more unsettling—like the calm before a storm.
Yet Su Cheng merely lowered his head bashfully, wearing the eager expression of a child waiting for praise.
Ji Qingyi turned her gaze to him, her face unreadable. Su Cheng looked back with hopeful eyes, seeking approval.
Their eyes locked.
Neither spoke.
The air grew heavier by the second.
"Get out."
"Huh?"
world slacker. But a genius female disciple just had to get clingy, insisting that he take her as a disciple. Not only that, she was always making advances on him, thoroughly disrupting his peaceful slacker life...
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.”
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."
] [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!"
