The group of young men had somehow grown much quieter, especially after Ye Chuan finished grilling skewers and started chopping ingredients with a large kitchen knife. The rhythmic thuds of the blade against the cutting board seemed to reverberate deep in their hearts.
After taking turns sharing a slice of pork belly, some chives, and a sip of beer, they quickly settled the bill and hurried off.
"See you," Ye Chuan said indifferently as he saw them out, then returned to grilling.
A presence beside him caught his attention—Luo Xi had appeared at his side. "Put the ruined beer can on my tab," he said.
"Chuanchuan, were you doing that on purpose just now?" Luo Xi asked, hands clasped behind her back as she hopped closer playfully, her high ponytail bouncing with each movement.
"Don’t know what you mean," Ye Chuan replied lazily, only for Luo Xi to grab his hand. Her fingers gently kneaded his palm, checking for any cuts. Finding none, she tilted her head curiously.
"You’re so strong—what’s the trick?"
In Luo Xi’s mind, crushing a beer can with pure brute force was impossible. There had to be some technique involved.
Though, maybe someone with a particularly pointy head could manage it.
"Technique? I met a rich woman who cultivates immortality, and she gave me a 'Rich Woman System.' The starter pack included a Divine Strength Pill," Ye Chuan said with complete seriousness. "Once I start cultivating, I’ll take you with me."
"You should write a book," Luo Xi huffed, crossing her arms in mock annoyance. "So stingy."
Ye Chuan chuckled.
The flow of customers had dwindled, but the lively atmosphere of the food street showed no signs of fading. Later, another wave of patrons—mostly night-shift workers from nearby—would arrive for late-night snacks.
"Meow." A sound drew Ye Chuan and Luo Xi’s attention.
A stray white cat had wandered onto the grill stall’s territory, its fur stained with grime, making it look like it had just returned from a coal mine. It sniffed at the discarded skewers littering the ground, pawing at any with traces of meat, trying to scavenge a bite. But no matter how hard it tried, it couldn’t manage to eat anything.
"Come here, Hachimi~" Luo Xi called softly, then scooped some meat scraps into a plastic bag and placed it on the ground.
The cat eyed her warily but, sensing no malice, cautiously approached and began eating. Luo Xi longed to pet it but, mindful of hygiene, kept her distance and simply crouched to watch.
Stray animals were common in the food street. Since they could occasionally beg scraps from customers, they lingered—unlike most urban stragglers, who rarely found steady food sources and seldom lived beyond two years.
Birth in spring, death by winter—such was the norm. The number of strays in this steel jungle maintained a fragile equilibrium. Even if some kind soul fattened them up, others would poison them out of sheer cruelty.
"Hachimi~ Hachimi~" Luo Xi hummed cheerfully.
"'Hachimi' doesn’t actually mean 'cat,' you know," Ye Chuan remarked.
"Then why is 'Kun' a chicken?"
"Ugh." Ye Chuan had no rebuttal. For a moment, his brain spiraled into contemplating the laws of the universe.
No answers came.
"Words take on new meanings when enough people use them that way—sometimes even making it into dictionaries," Luo Xi said, standing and dusting her hands. "Chuanchuan, what does 'poverty-stricken couples suffer in all things' mean?"
"Testing me now?" Ye Chuan mused. "Couples with no money find everything goes wrong?"
"Actually, that line was written by Yuan Zhen to mourn his late wife. It describes the agony of parting for couples who’ve weathered hardships together—far worse than ordinary grief—not a complaint about marriage," Luo Xi explained. "But most people think it just means poor couples are miserable in every way."
"Now, many accept that interpretation, even if it’s not the original intent."
"Times change. Words and poems alike get repurposed."
"Whether it’s 'Hachimi' or 'Kun.'"
Ye Chuan nodded. "Like how I’m also your dad—just not in the traditional sense."
"You just love taking advantage," Luo Xi grumbled, smacking his arm repeatedly with her tiny hand.
"You two seem to be having fun," a voice chimed in from the stall’s front.
Ye Chuan and Luo Xi turned to see a bob-haired girl in a black hoodie, hands in pockets and a lollipop dangling from her lips.
"An Shiyu? What are you doing here?" Ye Chuan was surprised. An Shiyu lived downtown—quite a distance away. If she wanted barbecue, she’d have plenty of options closer to home.
"We felt like grilled skewers. Why let outsiders profit when we can support you?" An Shiyu said.
We?
Only then did Ye Chuan and Luo Xi notice the four others behind her—five in total.
"Hi," the leader greeted with a smile. "I’m from Class B. We’ve seen you around."
"I recognize you—you’re the top student in our department," Luo Xi said, turning to Ye Chuan. "Chuanchuan, he’s amazing. He was first in his class all through high school too."
Ye Chuan: "Oh."
"Luo often ranks right behind me, though this is our first time meeting," the boy said, his gaze lingering on Luo Xi before shifting to Ye Chuan. "You must be Ye Chuan. Shiyu mentions you a lot."
"Why?" Ye Chuan shot An Shiyu a look.
"Just calling you a sneaky old six. Did you expect me to praise your looks?" An Shiyu deadpanned. "If you studied half as hard as Luo Xi, I’d have nicer things to say."
Luo Xi was the perpetual runner-up—diligent, yet never surpassing the undisputed top student.
"Since we’re all classmates, I’ll give you a discount," Ye Chuan said, waving them toward seats. "Take a seat."
"Thanks."
"Big spenders, huh?" Ye Chuan eyed the heaping red basket of skewers. They’d taken a lot—especially the quiet, long-haired girl who’d nearly emptied the beef skewers from the fridge. Whether she could actually eat that much or had just grabbed them impulsively was unclear.
Surveying the mountain of skewers, Ye Chuan glanced at Luo Xi. "Go ask if they can finish all that. They can eat some first, then grill the rest later."
Luo Xi, also worried about waste, went over.
She returned moments later, clutching a stack of red bills.
"Chuanchuan, one girl said money’s no issue. They’ll take leftovers home."
Ye Chuan: "..."
If only he could be that carefree with cash.
But then he remembered—waking up to 2,000 yuan every day wasn’t bad.
Hmm. Maybe he should go back and have another "chat" with Bai Qianshuang.
to panic—he has a system. As long as an investment target dies, he can claim a reward. And since he is immortal, the one thing he has plenty of is time. ... Countless years later. “Immortal Emperor of Longevity? I invested in him.” “Supreme Celestial Venerable? I invested in him.” “Undying Empress? I invested in her.” “...” “Heh. Once they’ve all died, even the Heavenly Dao will have to kneel and call me Dad.”
s the Eldest Princess, renowned for her cold and aloof detachment, became the most docile of lambs, obeying his every command without question. But when the final move was played on the chessboard, as Gu Chenghan seized everything and ascended on the verge of apotheosis, that very Princess suddenly embraced him from behind, her tone carrying a dependence never heard before: "Wait... you haven't yet... commanded me to love you forever." Gu Chenghan froze abruptly. She... hadn't been hypnotized?! ... [The Eldest Princess's Diary] [When my soul was extracted, becoming the sole spectator outside my own shell] [At first, there was overwhelming fury, until I saw] [How he used my sword to effortlessly shatter my inescapable doom] [How he wielded my authority to eradicate fatal conspiracies I had never even detected] [Like a deity, he rescued me from the deep mire I was trapped in] [If not for those annoying vixens, he and I would be a match made in heaven] [I think I am ill, gravely ill] [My deity should belong to me alone] ... "Hypnosis? Oh, it succeeded, my dear Master." "Only this time, it's my turn to hypnotize you."
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...
or! A blessing for those who struggle with love, a guidebook for dating novices. Quickly match with your dream goddess! Complete walkthroughs earn rewards, and perfect walkthroughs unlock limited achievements!】 Shen Yi, an ordinary office worker, accidentally downloads a mini-game called Dating Simulator. The mini-game is simple: randomly search for dating targets, simulate dates, and receive rewards upon successful confession. Rewards include but are not limited to money, attributes, and skills. The higher the evaluation, the better the rewards, with perfect ratings unlocking mysterious achievements. Shen Yi plans to use this mysterious mini-game to continuously pursue targets and improve himself, making his life better and better. ...... However, after several successful walkthroughs, Shen Yi suddenly notices something strange - the targets he previously simulated dating seem to be searching for him in real life?
