Ye Chuan looked somewhat bewildered at the little girl standing before him, especially after hearing her words. For a moment, he didn’t know how to respond.
"So, last night when those female ghosts were screaming, you actually got curious and opened the door?"
"You really aren’t afraid of a jump scare right in your face, huh?"
Ye Chuan thought that if this were a horror movie, people like her would definitely be the first to die.
She looked like a naive, sweet little girl—the kind of cannon-fodder side character.
"So, what exactly are you trying to say?" Even though she had seen something unusual, Ye Chuan remained calm. He had never intended to hide anything in the first place.
It wasn’t important, nor was it necessary.
"I want you to protect me," the girl said, clasping her hands together and giving Ye Chuan a pitiful look, as if silently pleading, Don’t abandon me.
She resembled a stray kitten.
"I have no obligation to protect a stranger. And what can you offer me in return?" Ye Chuan shook his head. He wasn’t about to drag around deadweight for no reason—that would just be asking for trouble.
Hearing his words, the girl lowered her head. "I… I don’t have anything except cuteness and money."
Ye Chuan twitched his lips. This girl was cute, but also pretty full of herself.
However, at the mention of money, his ears perked up immediately.
"How much money do you have?" he asked.
"A lot. If you help me escape from here, I’ll give you half of the inheritance I’m supposed to receive in the future," the girl said.
"How much?" The word "inheritance" made Ye Chuan feel like this wasn’t something simple.
"About 300 million?" She counted on her fingers, sounding uncertain.
Ye Chuan was stunned.
How much?!
Even he couldn’t stay composed. How could this little girl casually drop a number like 300 million?
Are you sure you’re not talking about in-game currency?
But soon, Ye Chuan realized another problem—he himself had no idea how to leave this place.
This was just a holographic adventure for him, yet these people seemed to have been dragged into this world out of nowhere.
He didn’t even know if these people existed in reality.
After some thought, Ye Chuan decided to ask about her world. "Just out of curiosity, what year is it where you’re from? And which city?"
The girl blinked, confused by the sudden question. "It’s 1099 in the Blue Star calendar. I’m from City B."
Ye Chuan: "…"
What the hell?
"I’m from the year 2025," Ye Chuan said, which left the girl stunned for a few seconds. But she quickly pieced it together and hesitantly asked,
"Does that mean… we’re from different timelines?"
"Seems that way." Ye Chuan suddenly felt a sharp pang in his chest.
Damn it.
A golden goose worth 300 million—and she’s not even from his world!
He almost wanted to mimic Lan Xiaoke’s habit of scratching his head in frustration.
So frustrating. Ye Chuan felt like the king of impatience.
"Then… is this valuable to you?" The girl pulled a gold bar out of her small handbag.
"Oh?" Ye Chuan instinctively took it and felt its weight—it was solid.
"Got any more?" he asked. Gold prices had been skyrocketing lately, and this one bar alone was worth a fortune.
He could save it to make wedding jewelry for Luo Xi later.
"Just one more. I was originally going to give it to Laifu to make a gold pendant," the girl explained.
"Who’s Laifu?"
"A husky," she said, tilting her head and mimicking a dog’s paw. "Woof!"
Ye Chuan: "…"
Seeing his silence, she quickly waved her hands. "I-I didn’t mean to call you a dog!"
Though the loss of 300 million stung, Ye Chuan consoled himself by imagining it was Zimbabwean currency—different economies, different values.
Still, gold was gold, no matter the world.
"I’ll take the gold bar. In exchange, I’ll keep you safe for the next few days. Fair deal?" Ye Chuan asked.
The girl nodded eagerly, like a chick pecking at rice.
"What’s your name?"
"Tian Xiaotian."
"Then stick with me." As soon as Ye Chuan said this, Tian Xiaotian immediately sidled up to him, practically clinging to his arm.
"Too close," Ye Chuan said, giving her a sidelong glance. What was she doing, sticking to him in broad daylight? There weren’t even any ghosts around.
"Oh."
Now that he’d been paid, Ye Chuan didn’t mind having a little tagalong. As they walked, he chatted with Tian Xiaotian and learned that their worlds were actually quite similar.
Only minor historical details differed—basic knowledge and common sense were the same.
"Big Boss Ye Chuan, were you also pulled into this place while sleeping?" Tian Xiaotian asked curiously.
"I came here on purpose," Ye Chuan replied casually.
"On purpose?!" Tian Xiaotian was dumbfounded. Who in their right mind would willingly enter such a terrifying place?
Ye Chuan didn’t elaborate. "I’m interested in those ghosts, so of course I’d confront them at night… If you’re scared, don’t follow me."
"I’ll follow."
Tian Xiaotian wasn’t stupid. Almost everyone here was helpless against the ghosts, but this guy was hunting them. Of course she’d latch onto him.
"Everyone else seems to be scavenging for supplies. Shouldn’t we do that too, Boss?" Tian Xiaotian asked.
"What’s the point of scavenging?"
"Apparently, you can craft weapons and upgrade your dorm to defend against the ghosts," she said, checking messages in a group chat.
"If I just kill all the ghosts, problem solved, right?" Ye Chuan said.
Tian Xiaotian blinked. Huh… that does make sense.
A true boss—his way of thinking was on another level.
Unbeknownst to them, as Ye Chuan and Tian Xiaotian conversed, more eyes were watching him—
[This guy must be a high-level player. No idea how he got into this instance.]
[I don’t think so. I can’t see his level—might not even be a player.]
[Daytime content is so boring. Can we release a few ghosts to spice things up?]
[Better not. Last time we did that in the Ghost Dorm instance, not a single player survived.]
[Tsk. Wonder if he’ll slaughter all the ghosts again on the second night.]
Then, an administrator chimed in—
[Relax. I’ve unlocked special permissions—other high-level players can now enter this instance.]
[Hah, now it’s getting interesting. I love watching gladiator fights.]
[Can’t wait. I want to see bloodshed now.]
……
Ye Chuan and Tian Xiaotian explored every floor but found nothing noteworthy—except for a door on the first level. When Ye Chuan probed it with his senses, he detected only emptiness inside.
In short, there was nothing there.
"Hey, you two—have you joined any teams yet?" Just as they were walking, several people blocked their path.
"N-no?" Tian Xiaotian answered instinctively.
"So it's just the two of you? Then hand over all your supplies." Upon hearing that Ye Chuan and Tian Xiaotian had no team, the group exchanged glances and grinned.
It was as if they'd stumbled upon easy prey.
【Prologue: The Beginning of It All – Use holy water to heal the saintess tainted by demonic energy, then converse with her.】 Shen Nian stared at his older sister sipping yogurt, lost in thought. So you’re telling me my sister is the saintess, and yogurt is the holy water? 【Main Quest 1: Brave Youth, Become an Adventurer! Reward: Rookie Adventurer Title.】 【Side Quest 1: Find the Adorable Kitty! Reward: 1000 Gold Coins.】 Shen Nian: "Wait, I’m a high school senior here—did some guy who got isekai’d accidentally bind his system to me?" Hold on, completing quests gives gold rewards? Titles even boost stats? Is this for real? (A lighthearted, absurd campus comedy—not a revenge power fantasy.)
ial death, also known as "shè sǐ" in Chinese, generally refers to... well, never mind, it's not important. My name is Ye Cheng, and I'm about to experience social death firsthand. ... 【Host, your mission is to confess your love to the young lady of the Dongfang family, the current student council president, in a way that will be unforgettable for everyone at the freshman ceremony!】 【Host, assist the girl with a sprained ankle in front of you to reach the infirmary, and fulfill the wicked thoughts in your heart!】 【Host, act on your desires and punish the arrogant young lady before you mercilessly!】 【Host, follow your instincts—abandon shameful surrender, begging, or groveling, and ruthlessly criticize the domineering, ill-mannered young lady in front of you!】 【Host...】 Ye Cheng: "Here, here, you take this host role—I quit!" Wait, why is the girl with a sprained ankle the daughter of a mafia boss? And what kind of punishment method is this for the arrogant young lady? Also, who the heck said anything about wicked thoughts in my heart? Come out here, let’s settle this one-on-one!!! ... The haughty student council president, the scheming mafia princess, the fragile yandere young lady, the airheaded maid-in-waiting, the mixed-blood loli/...
lities. One day, Qi Yuan was buying groceries when he unfortunately came face-to-face with a monster. Just when he thought he was going to die on the spot, he suddenly heard the monster's thoughts... "This aura, he's definitely not an ordinary master!" "So terrifying, so terrifying." "A fight with my back against the wall, I can't take it anymore." Qi Yuan: Ah, no one told me that my awakened ability isn't telepathy, but rather the stronger my enemies imagine me to be, the stronger I truly become. PS: Zhou Hai in the first chapter is not the protagonist.
close your eyes and open them again, only to find yourself transmigrated into the role of a villainous male supporting character. Readers familiar with urban wish-fulfillment novels know that it is only through the relentless antics of the villainous male supporting character that the plot between the male and female leads can progress. As the villainous male supporting character, Long Aotian not only has to bully the female lead, harass the second female lead, and flirt with the third female lead, but he also has to go all out to antagonize the male lead. In the end, when his body is discovered, he is still clutching half a moldy fried dough stick in his hand. Fully aware of the plot, Long Aotian is determined to change his fate, starting with the female lead! In the beginning, the female lead lacks confidence: "Big brother, I hope I didn't scare you?" In the middle, the female lead treads carefully: "Brother Long, please don't hit me, okay?" Later on, the female lead becomes coquettishly clingy: "Aotian, it's time to pay the 'public grain' tonight." Long Aotian's legs go weak, and he feels like crying: "I taught you to be thick-skinned, not shameless!"
