Winter had arrived.
When Xu Xi realized this, he was walking home through a stone-paved alley after buying groceries.
Leaves had withered, and snowflakes drifted down.
Looking up, one could see the swirling snowscape and the bare, skeletal branches of trees.
Those withered branches intertwined, fragmenting the white sky into a hazy, broken beauty—an incomplete yet mesmerizing sight.
"Winter…"
"Counting the time, this simulation has already lasted half a year."
Xu Xi gazed at the snow.
His breath mingled with the cold air, forming visible puffs of white mist.
After a moment of reflection, he quickened his pace, hoping to return home before the snowfall grew heavier.
Whoosh—
Whoosh—
The howling wind swept up flurries of snow, fiercer than a storm, swiftly dominating the world before his eyes.
A thin layer of white soon blanketed the path.
Someone shielded Xu Xi from the wind and snow.
"Brother."
A girl stood at the street corner, holding an oil-paper umbrella. She had been waiting for him and now hurried over, using the umbrella to block the biting gusts.
"Good thing I came."
Her tone carried a faint smugness. "Otherwise, Brother would surely catch a cold."
Xu Xi chuckled. "I underestimated the sudden snowfall. My oversight."
As he spoke, he took the umbrella from her.
With a slight tilt, the canopy blocked the drifting snowflakes at just the right angle.
Side by side, the two figures walked through the snow.
Their steps were slow and deliberate.
Soft and soundless.
Footprints marked their path, but fresh snow soon filled the gaps.
"We're home, Moli."
Five or six minutes later, the familiar outline of their house came into view.
Pushing the door open, Xu Xi closed the umbrella and left it by the entrance. He poured warm water for himself and his sister.
...
The doors and windows were shut tight, keeping the winter storm at bay.
Sipping the warm water, Xu Xi felt the heat seep through the cup into his stiff, chilled fingers.
"Gurgle, gurgle."
Xu Moli sat beside him, also drinking her water.
Together, they watched the world outside.
The wind raged like a beast, whipping the snow into swirling vortices that obscured the distant mountains and rivers of the mortal realm.
"Moli, don’t catch a chill."
When the girl seemed lost in thought, Xu Xi draped a robe over her shoulders.
"Thank you, Brother~"
She giggled, snuggling into the robe without hesitation. After finishing her water, she even leaned into Xu Xi’s arms, squirming slightly to find a comfortable position.
"...Where did you learn this?" Xu Xi sighed.
Xu Moli’s answer was predictable.
The same old book—108 Strategies to Capture a Man’s Heart.
The female disciples of the Heavenly Sword Sect’s Pill Hall were still at it!
"Stop reading that book. It’ll corrupt you," Xu Xi said, lightly tapping her forehead.
"I’m already an adult, Brother. I won’t be corrupted," Xu Moli retorted playfully.
She wasn’t being corrupted.
She was learning willingly.
Xu Xi saw through her little act and flicked her forehead again.
"Oww~"
The snowstorm stretched on, silent and vast.
The world was blanketed in pure white.
Endless snow stretched from one horizon to the other, merging seamlessly with the sky.
Sitting inside, Xu Xi gently combed his fingers through Xu Moli’s hair, brushing away the tiny snowflakes caught in her silken strands.
The tender motion was also a soothing reassurance—
A balm for the nonexistent pain.
"The snow is so heavy… Brother, I just remembered something."
"What is it?"
"Back in Blackstone City, you told me a story. You said children who wander outside get snatched by wild men—pointy heads, black teeth, and all."
Xu Xi remembered.
Early in the first simulation, before joining the Heavenly Sword Sect,
a young Xu Moli would often slip out of the house, searching for him.
So, back then,
Xu Xi spun a terrifying tale.
He warned that any child who left home would be captured and eaten.
Little Moli had believed every word, trembling in fear as she sobbed in his arms for what felt like an eternity.
"That was a long time ago," Xu Xi murmured, smoothing her hair until not a single snowflake remained.
But someone wasn’t ready to let go.
She caught his wrist, guiding his hand back to her hair, letting the warmth of his palm seep into her once more.
"Brother, liars have to make amends."
"What amends?"
"Hold me tighter as punishment."
"..."
Xu Xi hesitated, thoughts tangled.
A single idea flashed through his mind:
Just how many years of fire-tending should that Pill Hall disciple—the one who lent 108 Strategies—serve to atone for corrupting his sister?
A hundred million years?
Or eternity?
"Fine, I get it."
Xu Xi wrapped his arms around her, creating a snug little world just for her.
The girl smiled, brighter than ever before.
Happy.
Content.
Lost in the moment.
How wonderful…
Buried in Xu Xi’s embrace, she saw nothing but felt everything—wrapped in warmth, free from worry.
This was the sanctuary she had dreamed of.
The one place where they could rely on each other in the heart of winter.
She wished time would freeze.
Just like this.
Forever.
"Brother… do you ever feel bored? In a world like this…" Xu Moli shifted in his arms, meeting his gaze.
"No," Xu Xi answered softly, his voice as steady and comforting as she remembered.
"I think this is perfect. A peaceful life is priceless, especially with you here."
"Brother, you’re doing it again…"
"Doing what?"
"Thinking only of others, never yourself. That’s not good, Brother."
The one who wanted to stay in this world was never Xu Xi—it was Xu Moli.
She knew.
She had always known.
Xu Xi stayed only for her.
His kindness was boundless, selfless, pure.
"Brother, let’s go back," Xu Moli said, pulling away.
She was happy to have his warmth, but she refused to let herself become his shackles.
"Go back? So suddenly?"
Xu Xi was surprised.
The girl tapped her chin. "Didn’t Brother want to walk that path? The ten-thousand-day wait doesn’t count here."
"I’m not some wild, clingy person who’d waste Brother’s time."
"Besides…"
Her voice dropped to a murmur, and Xu Xi barely caught the words—
"Cutting in line," "getting impatient," "one against four."
m back to his original world. In the end, he realized he had overthought things. [Hey, why is Shen Manni, the female lead, acting strange? Shouldn't she be fawning over the male lead at this point?] [Zhou Qiaoqiao, are you sick? Weren't you supposed to break off your engagement today?] [Damn it! An Youyi, please do your job as an undercover agent and sell my information to the protagonist, you idiot!] ... At this moment, Xu Mo himself didn't know that these female leads had already heard his inner thoughts. Then they decided not to play by the rules. Xu Mo: Please respect my profession as the big villain!
d intelligence to keep the plot moving, and sometimes even the protagonists are forced into absurdly dumb decisions. Why does the A-list celebrity heroine in urban romance novels ditch the top-tier movie star and become a lovestruck fool for a pockmarked male lead? Why do the leads in historical tragedy novels keep dancing between love and death, only for the blind healer to end up suffering the most? And Gu Wei never expected that after finally landing a villain role to stir up trouble, she’d pick the wrong gender! No choice now—she’ll just have to crush the protagonists as a girl!
th】 【No prior gaming knowledge required】【The First Cultivation + Game Design Novel on the Platform】 In a world where the righteous path dominates and crushes the demonic sects, Lu Ze unlocks the "Son of the Demon Path" system. Killing righteous cultivators now grants him power-ups. Wait—deaths in illusions count too? As a former game designer, Lu Ze decides to give the cultivators of this world a little—no, a massive—shock... Sect Elders: "What is this 'Escape from the Demon Sect' game? Why have all our disciples abandoned cultivation to play it??" Elite Disciples: "You're saying... mastering 'Demon Slayer' can help us counter demonic schemes?" Reclusive Masters: "Why did I leave seclusion? Ask that backstabbing rat who ambushed me in 'Eternal Strife' yesterday!" Rogue Cultivators & Civilians: "'Immortal Abyss Action' is addictive! You can even earn spirit stones by loot-running..." Sect Prodigy: "My Dao heart is unshakable... except for that cursed black hammer." Royal Scions: "Can skins have stat boosts? I’ll pay 10,000 spirit stones for one!!" Sect Leader: "WHO IS CORRUPTING MY DISCIPLES?!!!"
+【Epic Battles!】 "Your Highness, they say Linxi Temple is miraculous. Won’t you make a wish?" "A wish? It should be making wishes to me." "That may be so, but since you’re already here..." "..." "Fine. Then grant this princess a consort to play with." "He must be obedient, devoted, and utterly infatuated with my body—so much so that he’d kneel and kiss my feet." "Your Highness, that’s not a consort. That’s a dog." "Then add clever, witty, heroic, ambitious yet pragmatic..." "Hmm, that’s enough for now. I’ll add more later." After tossing out these words half in jest, Princess Anle departed the temple—only to catch a fleeting glimpse of the Bodhisattva statue smiling at her. Meanwhile, Yang An, fresh out of university, was having a very bad day. Good news: He’d transmigrated into another world with a cheat granting tenfold combat power. Bad news: He’d immediately fallen into the clutches of a certain villainess. Good news: Said villainess possessed peerless beauty and royal status. Bad news: She was absolutely monstrous!!! In the frozen wilderness, Yang An knelt beneath Qin Guo’er’s feet, drenched in sweat despite the cold. Desperately clutching her porcelain-perfect foot—the very one poised to crush his throat—he could only think: How do I survive this?! Need answers NOW!
