The sound of gongs and drums filled the air.
Red silk ribbons danced in the wind.
A festive atmosphere permeated every corner.
In the outskirts of Yanshan City, within the settlement of the survivalist refugees,
the streets were lined with eaves adorned with rare red decorations, and oversized lanterns swayed gently in the spring breeze, impossible to miss.
"Niu, congratulations!"
"We always knew this lad would make something of himself!"
"Exactly, exactly!"
When Xu Xi arrived at the outskirts,
this was the scene that greeted him.
A simple, honest-faced man, clad in neat cloth garments and draped with a bright red silk sash,
stood at the center of the crowd, accepting well-wishes and laughter from his neighbors.
Every time someone teased him about marital matters, his sun-darkened face—hard as iron ore—would flush with embarrassment,
as if the sunlight were too intense, scorching his cheeks.
Just then,
Niu noticed Xu Xi's arrival.
"Brother Xu! Brother Xu!" he called out excitedly, waving like a child to welcome him.
All his unease and nervousness melted away in an instant.
The crowd tactfully dispersed,
leaving space for the esteemed "Mister Xu" and their humble "Little Niu" to speak.
"Niu, congratulations," Xu Xi said with a smile, taking a seat with Niu on two wooden chairs.
"From now on, you'll be the head of a household, with a family and a whole new life ahead of you. You must shoulder your responsibilities."
"Hehehe..."
The simple, good-natured man grew unusually shy at Xu Xi's words, scratching his head awkwardly.
"Ma says we owe everything we have today to you, Brother Xu."
"I think so too."
"I'm dumb, I'm slow, all I know is how to eat."
"But it’s you, Brother Xu, who kept me and Ma alive."
"I’ll listen to you, I won’t let Ma or Cui Er suffer!"
Cui Er was the name of the girl Niu was betrothed to.
Niu’s eyes were bright—so bright they seemed to glow. He rose from his chair and thumped his chest as he made his vow to Xu Xi,
his voice booming, swearing he would never let Xu Xi down.
Under the sunlight,
that earnest, grinning face gradually overlapped in Xu Xi’s memory with another—one drenched in the blood of demons.
"I believe in you, Niu."
"You’ll do just fine."
Xu Xi raised his head,
gazing toward the sun’s position. Wherever its light touched, lush green fields stretched flat and endless.
No Ten Thousand Mountains. No despair-filled demons.
People like Niu could finally live in true peace.
No more...
sacrifices.
"Niu, are you happy now?" Xu Xi asked, as if reliving a moment from the past.
Niu paused, then responded with an even brighter grin.
"I’m so happy!"
"Brother Xu, I’m really happy!"
Is that so...
Xu Xi smiled, standing up and giving Niu’s shoulder a gentle pat. "Then that’s all that matters."
"Niu, as long as you’re happy, it’s all meaningful."
"Yeah, I know!"
Niu replied with his usual guileless expression, though his face had grown red under the sun’s glare.
His eyes were the reddest of all.
"Brother Xu, the sand’s really stingin’ my eyes today," he muttered, rubbing at them with his arm as if clearing away dust.
The more he rubbed, the redder they became, his movements slowing, his voice growing hoarse—as if sand had crept into his throat too.
In the end, Niu could only force a smile through his swollen eyes and bid Xu Xi farewell.
"Brother Xu, I gotta go marry Cui Er now. You gotta watch me—I saved you a seat at the big red table!"
"Mm, I will."
Xu Xi’s expression softened as he nodded.
The reassured man then strode forward with newfound courage,
accompanied by the jubilant clamor of gongs and drums, stepping into his new life.
Xu Xi watched as that familiar figure dashed toward the sun, bathed in golden light, resolute and unwavering, forging a new path.
Not the path of "Little Niu,"
but the path of Zhang Tieniu.
What would happen to Niu in the future? What kind of man would he become?
Xu Xi didn’t know.
Because that simple, foolish man would never go cold or hungry again.
He had a new life now, new goals—a future so bright, Xu Xi couldn’t begin to imagine it.
How wonderful.
Watching Niu’s retreating figure, Xu Xi couldn’t help but let his lips curve upward.
...
The wedding ceremony officially began.
Most of the survivalist refugees came from harsh poverty, unused to extravagance or lavish celebrations.
But today was an exception.
Niu’s wedding was a joyous occasion.
People spontaneously pitched in—some offering money, others labor—to prepare a grand feast and assemble an impressive procession.
Even though the bride’s home was just a short walk away,
no effort was spared to make the event spectacular.
Xu Xi observed it all—watched as Niu welcomed his bride, greeting his father-in-law with a wide, clumsy grin.
Awkward, sincere, and endearingly funny.
"Sir, what are you doing?"
Someone squeezed through the crowd, edging closer until she was right beside Xu Xi.
It was Wu Yingxue, arriving fashionably late.
"Nothing much, Yingxue. Just thinking about Niu starting a family. It’s got me a little emotional."
Xu Xi glanced at her—then did a double take.
Today, Wu Yingxue wasn’t wearing her usual red-and-white martial attire.
Instead, she had donned a pale green dress, one he hadn’t seen in a long time.
"Yingxue, why are you—"
"Sir, I’m not that clueless."
Her slender fingers smoothed the tiny wrinkles along her collar.
"It’s a happy occasion. Of course I wouldn’t wear red."
Red was the color of celebration.
On a wedding day,
the groom and bride would be dressed in red or adorned with red accessories.
The young lady knew this well.
She had prepared this outfit in advance, choosing the soft green gown to avoid overshadowing the event.
"Sir, do I look nice?"
Her lively eyes blinked up at him.
"Yes, very nice."
"Yingxue, I remember you wearing this once before."
"You actually remember that, Sir..."
His answer seemed to surprise her.
In truth, it was precisely because Xu Xi had once complimented this dress during their third simulation that she’d chosen to wear it today.
If Sir praised it,
then it must be beautiful.
Wu Yingxue’s logic was just that simple.
"Of course I remember," Xu Xi nodded. "How could I forget something so lovely?"
His reply delighted the young noblewoman.
She grinned, though she restrained her usual exuberance to avoid tearing the delicate fabric.
Leaning in affectionately, she murmured, "Sir really does have good taste~~~"
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?
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!"
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.
ey change clothes. Li Chuan contributed all his possessions, only to find that things were not as they seemed. Almost a year after joining, he hadn’t managed to get a single Daoist consort. Thinking he had been deceived, he was approached by a stunning senior fellow disciple who asked if he would like to form a spiritual bond. For those who don’t practice cultivation, they might not know what “forming a spiritual bond” is. Let me put it this way: A long-term relationship is called a “Daoist consort,” while a short-term relationship is known as “forming a spiritual bond.” From then on, Li Chuan discovered the true way to interact with the Yin-Yang Sect’s Daoist consorts. As long as he had enough spirit stones, he could form a spiritual bond with anyone, Whether it’s Senior Sisters, aunts, Daoist consorts of aunts, female elders, Daoist consorts of elders, or even the Daoist consort of the sect leader, anyone can form a spiritual bond as long as there are enough spirit stones.” I've already joined the Yin-Yang Sect, and you're telling me to focus on cultivation? Do you even know what the Yin-Yang Sect is all about?
