"The way you'll look when you grow up..."
Little Bing turned her gaze to his chubby, baby-faced cheeks.
She furrowed her delicate brows, reached out to pinch his face, kneading and tugging at it, making Li Mo grimace in discomfort. Yet she pursed her lips, seemingly unsatisfied.
"Ouch... Don’t rush, I’ll draw it for you, and then you’ll see."
What should he draw himself as?
Little Painter Li fell into deep thought, lightly tapping his cheek with the end of his brush. After a moment of contemplation, his dark, gleaming eyes lit up.
That day, I was also painting.
And I accidentally smeared ink on my face...
Memories from another time, not belonging to this moment, gradually took shape on the paper.
Thus, the sunset from that day at Qiu Shui Pavilion illuminated today’s canvas.
In the painting, a young boy stood to the side, sketching a young girl, his bright and handsome face dotted with traces of ink...
"There’s a certain resemblance in the eyes and expression," Ying's mother nodded approvingly.
"What resemblance? Brother Li is rough and burly—Little Mo must’ve prettied himself up in the drawing."
Ying Xuliang clicked his tongue, his heart a mix of complicated emotions.
For some reason, seeing how the Li boy would look when grown up made him feel inexplicably more irritated.
"Boys take after their mothers when they grow older."
Ying's mother smiled gently, refusing to let her husband nitpick.
As the saying goes:
A father-in-law looks at his son-in-law and only grows angrier, while a mother-in-law looks at her son-in-law and only grows fonder...
Wait.
Were their emotions a bit misplaced? How old were these two children, really? Arranged marriages at this age...
"..."
The setting sun in the painting glowed, casting its light into Little Ying Bingbing’s mirror-like eyes, melting the frost within.
Unconsciously, she reached out, her fingertips lightly brushing the painted boy’s face, staining them with a trace of ink.
"So? Did I do well?"
Little Painter Li tilted his head up, a hint of pride in his expression.
Then, he felt a cool touch on his philtrum.
"?"
The small hand, now marked with ink, pressed against the spot between his nose and lips.
"Hmm, now you look more like the painting."
Little Ying Bing spoke softly, her voice light. She glanced at her parents chatting nearby, her clear gaze turning complicated.
"Dumplings are ready!"
The New Year’s Eve feast at Ying Family Manor was about to begin. After the meal, they would pay respects to their ancestors, recounting the year’s major events and seeking blessings for the coming year.
This tradition wasn’t much different from other families in Qinghe County.
Soon, the brightly lit ancestral hall bustled with activity. A large pot of dumplings bubbled under the open sky, the occasional crackle of firecrackers filling the air as the gray night was painted with festive warmth.
The Ying family was an established clan, their ancestors of no ordinary origin.
During the New Year’s banquet, neighbors and townsfolk were welcome to join in the celebration—a sign of prosperity.
Li Mo sat with a pout, watching the little ice block beside him.
Little Bing was still Little Bing, which meant this dream showed no signs of ending.
Little Ying Bing picked up a dumpling, her gaze distant as she took in the New Year’s scene at Ying Family Manor.
"Wife, where’s the vinegar? Dumplings without vinegar are no good."
Old man Ying Xuliang eyed the two children before turning to his wife for vinegar, intending to drench his dumplings in it.
"You... It’s a good thing Bing’er finally has a friend."
"I know, but I just feel like eating something sour."
"Fine, go ahead. I’ll go find a red envelope for Little Mo—we can’t be impolite."
Ying Xuliang munched on a dumpling. "Why hasn’t he gone home for his own New Year’s feast yet?"
"Don’t you remember? The Li family eats late," Ying's mother reminded him.
"Ah, right. Brother Li’s probably still out patrolling. If he passes by later..."
"Father, eat a dumpling."
A pair of chopsticks held a dumpling before him, gripped by a small hand.
Ying Xuliang’s eyes widened in shock, frozen for a long moment.
Bing’er?
The old father suddenly felt like crying. Bing’er had never been one for socializing, even with her parents. The county had its share of gossip, some even calling his daughter simple-minded.
But today, Bing’er seemed different.
"Good, delicious. These dumplings are amazing."
"Ah, Little Mo, you should eat too."
After a dazed pause, Ying Xuliang broke into a wide grin.
Ying's mother soon returned, holding two red envelopes:
"Happy New Year, Little Mo. Take these—make sure to play with Bing’er more often."
"Thank you, Auntie."
Li Mo carefully pocketed the red envelope, then glanced at Little Bing. She tucked hers into her clothes, a small, contented smile curling her lips.
"..."
Well.
Since this was just a dream, even if they encountered a disaster beast, it wouldn’t matter. Dying in a dream would only leave his spirit weakened for a while.
Why rush to wake up?
At least here, he could stay by Little Bing’s side and face the fears of her childhood. That was enough.
Some time later.
As the banquet wound down, the Ying family’s descendants gathered in the ancestral hall at the elders’ summons.
The night seemed to grow heavier.
At the center of the hall stood a large incense burner, thick as a child’s arm, its smoke curling around the ancestral tablets enshrined behind it.
Beyond the tablets, there was also a gilded statue of the Ying family’s founding ancestor—a woman, crafted with such skill that calling it divine work wouldn’t be an exaggeration.
"This statue is magnificent."
"Of course. Our ancestor’s likeness was sculpted by a renowned divine artisan."
Ying Xuliang looked up, pleased that Little Li Mo had an eye for quality.
"Divine artisan..."
Li Mo withdrew his gaze, thinking to himself that it was no wonder he sensed a faint aura of collective faith and divine essence emanating from it.
"Go offer incense."
Ying's mother handed them two sticks.
"Should I go too?"
"You’re here already—might as well."
Little Bing had never paid respects to the ancestors before. Ying’s parents hoped that with Li Mo leading the way, she might follow.
Li Mo nodded, taking the incense and looking at Little Bing.
"Let’s go?"
"..."
But Little Ying Bing seemed not to hear, her eyes fixed on the thick darkness beyond the ancestral hall.
Right.
Li Mo suddenly realized—when had the outside grown so silent? Not a sound remained.
Following Little Bing’s gaze, his pupils constricted.
There stood a pitch-black beast, four-legged, with obsidian horns and eyes like crimson lanterns. It bore some resemblance to the legendary qilin, yet carried none of its auspiciousness—only ugliness and menace.
Its massive, glowing eyes locked onto the two children.
No—more precisely, it was staring at Little Ying Bing.
"Heh heh heh... You’ve finally returned."
ng to die together with you." Lin Xuan is dead, his body thrown into the river by his scumbag lover and her accomplice. She, the president of the Su Group, is decisive, ruthless, and ice-cold. For three days and three nights, she had his body fished out of the river, and without hesitation, she kissed the bloated corpse of Lin Xuan. She laid down beside him in a cold coffin, their fingers intertwined, a smile lingering on her lips as she closed her eyes. The noble and cold-hearted woman, only bending for one man—Lin Xuan. Lin Xuan, with his golden finger, is reborn and returns to the day of his wedding to the treacherous woman. Su Qiang comes to steal the bride. Lin Xuan's eyes light up, eager to pledge his loyalty on the spot, but instead, her kiss transfers a glass of drugged wine into his mouth, causing him to pass out... 【Male Protagonist with Single Female Lead】【Yandere Tycoon】【Action-Packed】【True vs. Fake Heir】
] [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!"
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!
] This is a dark fantasy-themed dating simulation game. The main gameplay involves containing various monster girls and investigating the truth of a world shrouded in mist alongside your companions. However, due to his love for the dark and bizarre atmosphere, Luo Wei ended up turning a dating game into a detective mystery game. Women? Women only slow down his quickdraw! To Luo Wei, the female leads in the game are more like tools to perfectly clear levels and squeeze out rewards. For Luo Wei, flirting with every girl he meets and then discarding them is standard procedure. Worried about characters losing affection points? No need. With his maxed-out charm stat, Luo Wei is practically a "human incubus." A little psychological manipulation and those points come right back. It's a bit scummy, but the paper cutout heroines in the game won't actually come at him with real cleavers. However... Luo Wei has transmigrated. He's accidentally entered the second playthrough of this game. His past actions have caused all the girls to transform into terrifying yanderes. Due to the game's setting, most of the heroines he once contained are "troubled girls." Obsessive, twisted, mentally unstable, all aggressive yanderes... The type who will kill you if they can't have you... Luo Wei wants to cry but has no tears left. "I really just want to survive..." In short, this is a story of battling wits and engaging in a love-hate relationship with yanderes.
