Outside the furtively guarded bridal chamber stood two equally furtive figures.
"Huff... huff..."
Qin Yuzhi's eyes sparkled as she watched the two, her fists clenched and waving about, as if cheering someone on—though who exactly remained unclear.
For someone like her, the Sect Leader who had slumbered for millennia without even dreams to wander, this scene was pure, unfiltered sugar overload.
"But—"
"Shh! Not a sound!"
Shang Qinqing swiftly covered her mouth.
She had read enough romance novels to know the trope—just as the leads were about to kiss, someone would barge in and ruin the moment.
She refused to make such an amateur mistake. This was a professional shipper's creed!
Yet, as always, life had other plans.
The moon hanging high in the dreamscape suddenly blazed with radiant light, as if a pair of eyes from the heavens above were slowly opening.
'It' cast a silent, sovereign gaze upon the mortal realm.
Wherever that gaze fell, everything shattered into glistening fragments, illusions bursting like soap bubbles. The carefully crafted dreamscape crumbled at breakneck speed.
Like ink erased from rice paper, the world swiftly turned blank.
'Something is awakening.'
The thought struck both Shang Qinqing and Qin Yuzhi simultaneously.
"An intruder in Little Bing'er's dream?!"
Shang Qinqing's dreamy grin vanished, replaced by grave tension as she looked skyward.
Qin Yuzhi furrowed her thick brows. "Impossible. I govern the Dream Path. No one could infiltrate a dream without my notice, let alone wrest control from me. Unless..."
"Enough theorizing! Let’s take 'It' head-on!"
"Wait—this might not be an outsider..."
"My ship hasn’t sailed yet!"
"..."
After a heavy pause, Qin Yuzhi shook her head grimly. "I suspect this presence is rooted deep within Little Bing'er’s soul. Just like..."
She hesitated, then continued:
"...like Yun Mengxian, dormant within the depths of my soul."
Her words were succinct.
The one now gazing into the dream was that existence—the foremost of the Nine Heavens Immortals, the architect of Great Shang, the one who once remade the world.
The unparalleled, peerless sovereign of all time.
"Why would 'It' descend into the dream now?"
Shang Qinqing quietly retreated.
"Perhaps because Little Bing'er wove a dream of marriage—something 'It' would never do. Just like how I’d stop 'It' from reviving over a game of mahjong. Or maybe it’s something else entirely."
"But speculating about 'Its' motives is pointless. We need to leave. Now, while 'It' still permits it."
Qin Yuzhi took a deep breath.
When she turned, Shang Qinqing finally saw it—Qin Yuzhi’s face was scrunched up, the very picture of terror.
Shang Qinqing cast one last longing glance at the bridal chamber, pinching her own hand in frustration. If only she were invincible! Then she could ship to her heart’s content, in whatever configuration she pleased...
Meanwhile, Qin Yuzhi stole a fearful glance at the moon before quickly looking away.
Too terrifying. Too terrifying...
Were 'It' and Yun Mengxian even the same kind of "immortal"?
She used to think that, as fellow transcendents, the gap between them couldn’t be that vast.
Now she knew better.
The chasm between Yun Mengxian and 'It' was as wide as the one between herself and Yun Mengxian.
Even the Dream Path—her domain, her mastery—had slipped from her grasp, like a child abandoning a stepmother for its true parent.
...
With the dreamweavers gone, the dream spiraled off its intended course.
The moonlit palace, not yet real, collapsed inward, dissolving soundlessly from the edges.
Yet the dreamer remained oblivious.
That moon—cold, luminous, etched into the hearts of countless beings across the realms—had always been more dream than reality. Perhaps she had long blurred the line between the two.
Now she stood within reach, eyes shimmering, lips slightly pursed.
Li Mo once scoffed at legends of kings who ruined empires for love. Pathetic, he’d thought. Let me try—I’d never fail such a test.
But now, faced with Ying Bing...
He understood.
Especially when her usual icy aura cracked, revealing that hint of shyness. To hear her speak, he’d have set every beacon aflame if he were emperor.
"Annoying little brother."
"Not that."
"...Brother."
"..."
The two syllables hit Li Mo like a tidal wave. His steadfast resolve trembled—but held.
Normally, he wouldn’t press like this.
But he thought this was his dream, that Ying Bing was just a figment.
If he couldn’t stand firm here, in his own imagination, what hope did he have in reality?
Li Mo dug in, unyielding.
"I see..."
Ying Bing’s cheeks flushed like dyed silk as she acquiesced softly.
Li Mo’s heart raced—until the world around them bleached into a sketch, lines simplifying by the second.
A familiar pressure weighed on his soul, like the sudden darkness during the Hidden Dragon Tournament.
"The dream’s ending?"
Li Mo could no longer hear anything.
Yet he saw Ying Bing’s lips move, so close...
...
Morning.
Sunlight pierced the clouds and windows, illuminating the bed in the Cloud-Stepping Tower.
Ying Bing awoke with a strange hollowness, as if her soul had slipped away.
Then she opened her eyes—
—and found Li Mo beside her, face frozen in a comical "Wait, Ziwei! Don’t go!" expression.
Just one night apart, yet seeing him again felt like a gift, a reunion, a recovery of something precious.
"Ying Bing, wait!"
Li Mo jolted awake, meeting her gaze—already fixed on him.
"What’s wrong?" Ying Bing asked.
"Uh... just a dream."
He stared blankly at the ceiling, his soul still adrift in the dreamscape.
"What dream?"
"You didn’t dream at all?"
Ying Bing shook her head.
So much for sharing a dream... Li Mo smacked his lips, sheepishly wiping drool from her robes while noting the lingering complexity in her expression.
Hmm?
Was there a chance... Ying Bing was lying?
"Ying Bing, call me something. Two syllables."
"Li Mo."
"Not that."
She paused. As her eyes flickered downward, Li Mo suddenly flopped onto her lap, forcing her to meet his burning stare.
"...Brother?"
"Ghk—!"
Li Mo didn’t get the answer he wanted—but he did remember something he’d forgotten.
Morning wood was a universal truth.
And his was... exceptional.
Calling him "brother" at this moment—wasn't that just adding fuel to the fire?
. As long as he maintains the villain image and follows the plot to the grand finale, he can obtain generous rewards and return to the real world. So Gu Chen'an entered the role and began to act as a scumbag villain, but who would have expected that the female leads could hear his inner thoughts. Miss Su from the Su family was shocked: "I originally thought Gu Chen'an was a scumbag, but I didn't expect he turned out to be a gentleman! What? You said I have to call off the engagement? I definitely won't, I'll piss you off!" Bai Yuan Tian was dumbfounded: "Young Master Gu is usually unreasonable and a complete brat, but he actually calls me little sweetie in his heart? What, Young Master Gu even said he likes me?" As the female leads' images collapsed more and more, the plot also collapsed with it. Gu Chen'an looked at all this chaos. "Ladies, don't aggro me, if you keep this up the male lead really will stab me, I still need to survive to the grand finale!"
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/...
Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"
reezy rom-com) Good news: Jiang Liu is quite the ladies' man. Bad news: He’s lost his memory. Lying in a hospital bed, Jiang Liu listens to a parade of goddesses spouting "absurd claims," feeling like the world is one giant game of Werewolf. "Jiang Liu, I’m your first love." "Jiang Liu, you’re my boyfriend—she’s your ex." "Jiang Liu, we’re close friends who’ve shared a bed, remember?" "Jiang Liu, I want to have your baby." The now-lucid Jiang Liu is convinced this must be some elaborate scam... until someone drops the bombshell: "The day before you lost your memory, you confessed your feelings—and got into a relationship." Jiang Liu is utterly baffled. So... who the hell is his actual girlfriend?! ... Before recovering his memories, Jiang Liu must navigate this minefield of lies and sincerity, fighting to protect himself from these women’s schemes. But things spiral even further out of control as more people show up at his doorstep—each with increasingly unhinged antics. On the bright side, the memories he lost due to overwhelming trauma seem to be resurfacing. Great news, right? So why are they all panicking now?
