"Yingxue?"
The wooden door creaked open gently.
Contrary to Xu Xi's expectation of finding the girl diligently practicing calligraphy, the scene that greeted him was one of serene quietness.
A broad desk stood in the room, flanked by bronze candle holders on either side, their twin flames casting faint light into the chilly space.
The night breeze rushed in as Xu Xi pushed the door open.
The candle flames flickered wildly—now leaping high, now dipping low—dancing erratically.
Their wavering glow illuminated the sleeping face of the girl sprawled across the desk.
Her eyelashes trembled slightly, her expression peaceful, lost in sweet slumber.
"Asleep, huh…"
Xu Xi paused, then softened his expression, treading lightly as he approached the desk to avoid disturbing her.
Soon, as he drew closer, Wu Yingxue's sleeping form came fully into view.
She lay face-down on the dark brown desk, her head resting on her arm, which in turn pressed against a calligraphy practice sheet. A brush lay carelessly at the edge.
In one corner, several crumpled, discarded sheets were piled up.
Xu Xi picked one up and examined it briefly.
Each sheet was densely covered with her practice strokes.
"Not bad at all," Xu Xi chuckled, his praise genuine rather than polite.
Though Wu Yingxue had trained in martial arts since childhood, she had also received royal education in her younger years.
Her handwriting could never be called poor.
Xu Xi thought it was more than adequate, but the girl herself seemed dissatisfied, insisting she must master more elegant calligraphy to impress him.
"Hehe…"
"Hehe…"
"I’m not that amazing, Master…"
"~~~"
Her eyes lightly shut, her nose twitching slightly, the slumbering princess murmured incoherent dreams.
Xu Xi couldn’t help but smile.
This side of the princess was undeniably adorable.
Whoosh—
The night wind howled, making the wooden door sway faintly, its hinges creaking intermittently.
Xu Xi closed the door and draped a thin blanket over Wu Yingxue.
"This should keep her from catching a cold."
Standing beside the desk, he gazed at her peaceful face before turning his attention to the stack of calligraphy sheets. He picked up the topmost one—the one she had been working on before falling asleep.
The ink had long dried.
Mistakes were evident.
Two lines of identical characters were written side by side—one in Wu Yingxue’s original hand, the other her attempt to mimic a calligraphy master’s style.
"You’ve really been working hard…"
Xu Xi set the sheet down and picked up another, reviewing each of her practice sheets from the night.
Some had glaring errors.
Others were hastily scribbled.
Through these sheets, he could easily picture Wu Yingxue straining under the lamplight, exhausted yet persistent.
After a moment’s thought, Xu Xi picked up the brush lying scattered on the desk.
One by one, he corrected and annotated her mistakes, grading each sheet.
[Top Grade]
[Top Grade]
[Top Grade]
Not an evaluation of her calligraphy.
But of the girl herself.
Regardless of the elegance of her strokes, in Xu Xi’s eyes, Wu Yingxue had long since proven herself worthy.
He trusted and affirmed her growth.
"Sleep well."
Finally, he set down the brush and paper.
Ensuring the blanket wouldn’t slip, he retreated from the room as silently as he had entered.
The candle flames flickered gently, casting a soft glow.
The girl remained deep in sleep, murmuring words Xu Xi could no longer hear:
"Master… even if you scream… no one will come, hehe…"
"Come home with me, hehe…"
Before leaving, Xu Xi carefully shut the windows.
He didn’t want the harsh night wind to disturb his princess’s sweet dreams.
Yet a stray breeze slipped through the gap beneath the door, lifting a few strands of hair from her forehead.
Her sleeping face, caught in a silly, happy grin, was revealed.
Mumbling to herself, her hands flailed lightly across the desk as if grasping at something.
Only as time passed and she sank deeper into sleep did her movements still, leaving only the whisper of the wind.
The next morning.
The blazing sun rose from the horizon.
Wu Yingxue awoke slumped over the desk, rubbing her eyes and yawning.
"Fell asleep again?"
"No, no—if I keep this up, how will I ever impress Master?"
"Wu Yingxue, you can’t slack off anymore!"
Pumping herself up, she reached for the calligraphy sheets, ready to resume her efforts.
But soon, she noticed something amiss.
"This handwriting… Master’s?"
Wu Yingxue froze.
Before her eyes, sheet after sheet bore the same mark:
[Top Grade]
The ink was still slightly damp, the strokes gentle.
Like a silent embrace.
Speaking volumes without words.
"Does Master mean… I’ve already passed?"
Her hand brushed against the thin blanket draped over her shoulders—warm, tender.
In that moment, realization dawned on her.
She had sought Xu Xi’s approval through calligraphy, through the refined grace of a noble lady.
But that had been unnecessary.
Because all along, Xu Xi had been supporting her, affirming her, encouraging her to move forward—never once denying her.
"I’ve been such a fool…"
Leaning back in the wooden chair, Wu Yingxue stared at the ceiling, realizing how much time she had wasted—and how much she had worried Xu Xi.
The moon had always been there.
Unmoving.
It was the restless waters that had disturbed its reflection.
"Master, I’m sorry for making you worry."
At breakfast, before Xu Xi could speak, Wu Yingxue bowed her head in apology, guilt written across her face.
"It was my own matter, yet I kept you from resting."
"It’s alright, Yingxue."
"Eat up," Xu Xi replied gently, ruffling her hair reassuringly.
As for whether she would continue calligraphy, Xu Xi left the decision to her.
"Yingxue, whatever you choose to pursue, I’ll support you."
His voice was soft.
The choice was hers.
In the end, Wu Yingxue abandoned her calligraphy practice.
She had accepted that she lacked talent in this art. Rather than waste time, she would focus on what truly mattered.
"What truly matters?"
"Yes, Master."
Her answer carried a double meaning.
The morning breeze brushed her cheeks—ticklish, cool—its delicate touch grazing the corners of her eyes, making her instinctively tuck her hair behind her ear.
She looked up at the sky.
The spring sun was gentle, far from scorching.
"Master, will you leave this place with me?"
"I want to go to where the stars are closest in this world."
With that, Wu Yingxue turned a radiant smile toward Xu Xi.
Her eyes were the only stars in the daylight.
"Of course."
The moon accepted her invitation.
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
invincible power, Gu Changge transmigrates into a fantasy world, bound to a sign-in system that grants him cultivation rewards and various peerless treasures daily. While others struggle desperately to break through their cultivation realms, he has long since reached the pinnacle of the Great Dao, becoming a reclusive Emperor whose true strength even he himself cannot fathom. Originally planning to lie low and retire peacefully on Purple Bamboo Peak, the system suddenly issues a new task — take on disciples. With no other choice, Gu Changge casually picks up a few disciples: The eldest disciple, born with a War God Constitution, is thrown a copy of "War God Stratagems" by him, and ends up conquering the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, becoming a peerless War God who sweeps across the cosmos. The second disciple, possessing a Chaos Sword Body, can break all techniques with a single sword, his swordsmanship unmatched throughout history. He points his sword at the heavens: "My master said, the sword and the man stand together. If the sword perishes... my master will give me another one." The third disciple, a reborn Empress who returns to her throne, her elegance and grace overshadowing all beings. And without anyone noticing, his own sect, the Qingxuan Sect, has become the number one sect on the continent. Looking at these unbelievably formidable disciples, Gu Changge, holding the "Primordial Purple Qi" he just signed in for, falls into deep thought: — Wasn't this supposed to be a peaceful retirement? How did I become the ultimate master?!
] 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.
] [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!"
