"Gurgle—" The kettle was making noises at this moment. A black-haired girl sat on the sofa, holding an oil cake she had just fried. It smelled delicious, with a toasted sesame aroma wafting from it.
"Crunch, crunch." Bai Qianshuang carefully placed a handkerchief on her slender legs before taking small, delicate bites.
After a few bites, her cheeks puffed up slightly as her gaze, tinged with confusion, shifted sideways—
Not far away, Ye Chuan sat there with a friendly smile.
Bai Qianshuang: "..."
Crunch, crunch. The only sound in the room was Bai Qianshuang quietly eating her cake. But when she accidentally looked up, she noticed Ye Chuan was still staring at her. As a cultivator at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, her spiritual senses were naturally sharp—how could she not notice such a gaze?
"..." After a long silence, she finally couldn’t hold back and spoke,
"Ye Chuan, why are you staring at me?"
As she spoke, she subconsciously touched around her lips, confirming there were no crumbs. This only deepened the confusion in her obsidian-black eyes beneath her bangs.
There was nothing unusual on her face—what was there to look at?
"Nothing, it’s just that you’ve been having nightmares lately. I’m just concerned about you," Ye Chuan said, moving to sit beside Bai Qianshuang. "Do you want me to keep watch for you tonight? I can even act as your guardian if needed."
"Or maybe we could sleep together?"
Bai Qianshuang’s face stiffened slightly. "If you’re thinking of that, there’s no need to beat around the bush. I’m willing to cultivate with you," she said flatly.
"I’m genuinely worried about you," Ye Chuan replied.
After all, Bai Qianshuang still had the memories of the Empress. If she awakened, he had no idea what might happen—what if she suddenly regained her memories mid-"cultivation"? Would she just slash him with a sword?
Ye Chuan couldn’t help but feel a chill run down his spine at the thought.
"It’s just a dream. Nothing serious," Bai Qianshuang said. Truthfully, since she began cultivating, she rarely slept properly. The only dreams she had were about the destruction of her sect—memories she couldn’t shake off.
"How about I take you out to relax?" Ye Chuan suddenly raised a finger. "Since it’s summer, why don’t we go to the beach?"
"The beach?" Bai Qianshuang lifted her gaze, not outright refusing.
But she couldn’t help feeling puzzled by Ye Chuan’s unusual suggestion. Still, she didn’t press further. "What preparations are needed for the beach?"
"Well, if we’re going to the beach, we’d need swimsuits, right?" Ye Chuan said.
"Swimsuits..."
"Yeah, like the bikinis I showed you last time—those kinds of outfits." Ye Chuan pulled out his phone and searched for some images to show her.
Bai Qianshuang: "?!"
"What’s the difference between this and wearing nothing?!" Pointing at the pictures on Ye Chuan’s phone, Bai Qianshuang finally recalled the swimwear photos she’d seen before. Her heart rebelled at the idea.
Especially since the fashion on the Tianxuan Continent was far more conservative.
"It’s not that bad. Isn’t this what people wear at the beach? Normal clothes would get soaked and uncomfortable, right?" Ye Chuan asked.
"I can use my spiritual energy to shield myself. Not a drop of seawater will touch me," Bai Qianshuang said coolly.
"Really not going to wear one?"
"No." Bai Qianshuang stood firm.
Just then, a head popped out from beside the wall. "Yoooooo~ What’re you guys talking about?"
Seeing Lan Xiaoke peeking from the corner, Ye Chuan explained, "Qianshuang’s been a bit stressed lately, so I thought taking her to the beach might help her unwind."
What if she turns into the Empress and cuts me down?
Given their past… ahem interactions, Ye Chuan couldn’t shake the feeling that Bai Qianshuang’s latent Empress memories were like a ticking time bomb. That was an Empress who had been betrayed—her fury was undoubtedly maxed out.
"Qianshuang doesn’t seem too fond of swimsuits," Ye Chuan added, though he had no intention of forcing her.
"Qianshuang, why won’t you wear one? You have to wear a swimsuit at the beach!" Lan Xiaoke chimed in.
"I don’t like them."
"Everyone has a first time! And you’ve got such a great figure—it’d be a waste not to show it off!" Lan Xiaoke grinned. "Besides, everyone wears them. If you don’t, you’ll just stand out more!"
"..." Bai Qianshuang seemed to waver. She hesitated before finally speaking again.
"Are these clothes… truly normal?"
"Totally normal! I’ll wear one with you—no big deal!" Lan Xiaoke hummed cheerfully. "Beach trip, beach trip! Swimsuits at the beach, yo~!"
Bai Qianshuang fell silent, her inner conflict evident.
"You’ll really wear one with me?" She needed confirmation.
"Of course! Why would I lie?" Lan Xiaoke said. "Silver Mountain Academy even has swimming classes in P.E. We all wear swimsuits there."
She then turned to Ye Chuan for backup. "Right?"
"True. If bikinis are too much, you could go for something more conservative, like a one-piece," Ye Chuan suggested, pulling up images of modest swimwear on his phone.
The girl took his phone, scrolling through the options. As she looked, her ears gradually turned red.
"Why is it acceptable at the beach? How is this any different from underwear?"
"It’s like eating when you’re hungry—you wouldn’t do it in the bathroom, right?"
Bai Qianshuang finally lowered her head, her resistance crumbling. "Mm..."
Seeing her blushing like this, Ye Chuan couldn’t help feeling a twinge of guilt—like he was pressuring her into something indecent.
"Alright, let’s go buy swimsuits first."
Still, he didn’t forget to inform Luo Xi about the plan. It’d be best if everyone went together.
As for Ke Ning, he wasn’t sure if she’d agree.
...
"I’ll go." Moments later, when Ye Chuan asked Ke Ning, her answer surprised him.
"I thought you’d refuse," he admitted, looking at the bespectacled girl.
He had been certain she’d say no.
"The ocean covers seventy percent of this planet’s surface. It’s the most critical ecosystem, and I’ve only seen it in databases," Ke Ning adjusted her glasses. "I’ll go."
"Hum, hum." The floating cube beside her spun in agreement.
"Got it."
As for Lilith, there was no need to ask—she was always part of the group. Whether the little lady would actually come out, though, wasn’t up to Ye Chuan.
By the afternoon, Ye Chuan had picked out a relatively modest swimsuit for Bai Qianshuang.
Even though the design was conservative, judging by her conflicted expression, accepting it would still take some time.
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.
【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.)
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!"
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
