Ten o'clock!
After her bath, the sight of the beauty fresh out of the shower left Cao Cheng momentarily dazed.
This girl really has no sense of caution.
Even if they're "siblings," they’ve only just met.
Does she know his temperament?
Does she understand his character?
And yet she dares to bathe so carelessly in his place?
Not to mention walking around in just a nightgown afterward?
Way too convenient, if you ask him.
"Stinky little brother."
"Where’s the hairdryer?"
Cao Cheng fetched it from the cabinet.
"Thanks, stinky little brother."
"Can you drop the 'stinky' part? How can 'thanks' and 'stinky' even go together?"
"You are a stinky little brother. Who told you to mess with my bedding? Hmph."
Ren Yuege gave a light humph, then added, "Oh, by the way, stinky little brother, could you check if the stuff in the washing machine is done? If it is, could you spin-dry it for me?"
"..."
Cao Cheng rolled his eyes.
She had bought several sets of bedsheets and covers.
Aside from one new set she was using, the rest needed washing.
They were supposed to be washed before use, but since there was nothing else available tonight, she had to make do with the freshly bought ones.
Tomorrow, once the newly washed sheets dried, she’d switch them out.
One night wouldn’t make much difference.
Soon,
the rumbling sound of the spin cycle came from the balcony on the left.
On the right, the whooshing of the hairdryer filled the air.
Somehow, the apartment now felt livelier.
Cao Cheng couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but it was different from when Old Cao was around.
Maybe it was because there was a woman in the house now.
For a fleeting moment, it felt like he had returned to a dream—back when he was 34, hastily married after a pregnancy scare, and the house had this same atmosphere.
Always a woman bustling about.
...
After Ren Yuege finished hanging the second load of laundry, she plopped onto the sofa, wiping a light sheen of sweat from her brow. "I’ll wash the rest tomorrow. There’s no more space on the balcony anyway."
"Oh, and some new clothes need to go to the dry cleaners tomorrow."
"Stinky little brother, where’s the nearest dry cleaner around here?"
Cao Cheng set down his teacup. "I’ll take you there tomorrow morning."
"Thanks, stinky little brother."
"..."
"Stinky little brother" this, "stinky little brother" that.
In just a few hours, Young Master Cao had already gotten used to it.
Cao Cheng had every reason to suspect this woman was a natural at PUA brainwashing—self-taught, no less.
Add to that her background, wealth, looks, figure, and personality...
Back in school, she probably had a whole pack of boys wrapped around her finger.
His gaze drifted to the fair legs beside him—pale as porcelain.
Well.
With assets like that, most guys would happily simp for her.
Some might even worry they wouldn’t get the chance to lick her boots.
This woman…
She’s unstoppable.
Ren Yuege noticed Cao Cheng’s stare and glanced down at her exposed calves.
"Stinky little brother, your eyes are being naughty!"
"It’s not like you’re doing anything with them. What’s the harm in letting me look?"
Ren Yuege laughed at his shameless reply and gave him a light slap.
Not hard.
If anything, it carried a hint of coquetry.
Then she lifted a leg, examining it from left to right, murmuring, "You know what? My legs are pretty nice, aren’t they?"
Cao Cheng grinned. "That’s what I was thinking. Wonder which lucky bastard’ll get to enjoy them someday."
"Right?!" Ren Yuege nodded emphatically.
For a moment, it was as if they’d found a kindred spirit.
Their eyes met briefly.
Ren Yuege chuckled. "Stinky little brother, no funny ideas. I’m exhausted—heading to bed. Goodnight!"
Watching her slender figure retreat, Cao Cheng sighed softly.
Honestly?
This girl was undeniably gorgeous, and her personality seemed decent, but he didn’t feel any real attraction.
Maybe it was the lingering wariness.
Or maybe…
He just couldn’t be bothered to put in the effort to win her over.
Some things were best when they happened naturally—mutual interest, then straight to business.
That was the easiest way.
But chasing someone?
Especially dragging it out just to earn their affection? That was exhausting.
After a century of life experience, Cao Cheng wasn’t some thrill-seeking kid anymore. He had no interest in jumping through hoops just for a shot at getting laid.
With that kind of time and energy,
wouldn’t making more money be a better use of it?
With enough cash,
you could find anyone you wanted.
...
Inside the bedroom,
Ren Yuege held her phone, typing out a message:
"I’m at his place now."
The reply came instantly: "Already? Didn’t you just get to Sanjiang?"
"Yep. Spent the day exploring, then showed up at his door after dark."
The other end typed: "Did he acknowledge you?"
Ren Yuege replied: "Not exactly, but he didn’t deny it either. Seems a little guarded, though. Oh, and he knows about you guys coming to Sanjiang before—and that you were tailing him."
Silence. Then, instead of texting back, the other party called.
Ren Yuege answered, keeping her voice low to avoid being overheard.
Third Sister Ren Yushang’s voice came through: "How could he possibly know? Did you tell him?"
"Why would I do that?"
"Then how? Second Sister was the one tracking him, and her surveillance skills are top-tier. No ordinary person could’ve spotted her."
Ren Yuege whispered, "No clue. I didn’t say a word. Out of nowhere, he just asked me, ‘Which sisters were those two women who followed me last time?’"
"..."
A pause. Then Ren Yushang asked, "So… you told him it was us?"
"Uh…"
Ren Yuege chuckled awkwardly. "Relax, he wasn’t mad."
Ren Yushang sighed. "Who wouldn’t be upset about being stalked? Still… this guy’s sharper than we thought."
No kidding.
Everyone knew how capable Second Sister was.
Her position as deputy squad leader in the criminal investigation unit wasn’t handed to her—she’d earned it.
Yet even with her skills,
this so-called "good-for-nothing" had detected her long-distance surveillance.
That alone proved he was anything but ordinary.
Ren Yuege nodded. "Definitely not what Second Sister described. Guess what happened today?"
"What?"
"A robbery."
"What?!" Ren Yushang’s voice sharpened. "Are you hurt?"
"Not me—him. He was at the square when a robber pulled a knife…"
Ren Yuege recounted everything she’d witnessed.
"Even though I was too far to see the details, there’s no way he’s some weak, fresh-out-of-college pushover. The way he moved, how he took down the robber—it was clean. You can tell when someone knows what they’re doing."
Ren Yushang mused, "Seems our little brother’s hiding quite a few cards."
Ren Yuege agreed. "That’s the vibe I got too. Especially after interacting with him—his presence doesn’t match a guy in his early twenties. His eyes… I can’t read them at all."
Ren Yushang lowered her voice. "Keep observing for now. I’ll keep your trip to Sanjiang under wraps."
"Got it! I’m hitting the sack—today wiped me out. Did two loads of laundry, too."
Third Sister looked astonished. "You can do housework now? Didn't he help you?"
"Hmph, don’t even get me started on that. That little brat not only didn’t help but also made a mess of things. I was so mad."
Ren Yuege recounted the incident with irritation: "I finally managed to make the bed myself, and before I could even admire my handiwork, he just yanked everything off… I nearly lost it right then and there."
"Ha ha ha ha…"
] [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!"
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)
world slacker. But a genius female disciple just had to get clingy, insisting that he take her as a disciple. Not only that, she was always making advances on him, thoroughly disrupting his peaceful slacker life...
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
