There's a saying in later generations:
If she's inexperienced in the world, take her to see its dazzling splendor.
If she's weathered life's storms, then take her for a ride on a merry-go-round!
Cao Cheng understood this principle well.
So,
If they were wealthy young women, he would take them to immerse in the raw, bustling charm of everyday life.
After breakfast—today it was noodles—
they headed to a large, chaotic, and somewhat grimy wet market.
The place was alive with noise and activity, a vibrant scene.
Neither of the sisters had ever experienced anything like this.
Everything felt fresh and exciting.
Though the filth was undeniable—black grime coating the ground, the mingled scents of blood and pungent odors—
neither of them was overly pampered. Despite occasional frowns or covering their noses, they refrained from uttering a single pretentious complaint.
This was already impressive.
Far exceeding Cao Cheng's expectations.
Before coming, he had half-expected Ren Yuege to start cursing.
To his surprise, she was the most enthusiastic.
And she adapted quickly—perhaps because of her outgoing nature. After watching Cao Cheng haggle a few times, she picked it up herself.
Half an hour later,
the three of them left the market, bags in hand.
Ren Yuege’s nose glistened with a faint sheen of sweat, but her eyes sparkled with excitement. "Did you see that? I haggled so much off the price! The vegetable vendor even said I was pretty and wanted to set me up with some guy. Hmph!"
She was bragging to Cao Cheng.
She never lacked suitors, and usually found such offers annoying.
But bargaining in the street, chatting with a stranger, being complimented, and even matchmade—it all felt thrillingly new.
However,
this taste of ordinary life was soon disrupted.
They had barely taken a few steps from the market
when four men suddenly appeared—burly, sunglasses-wearing, unmistakably bodyguards.
Their presence shattered the down-to-earth atmosphere like a boulder crashing into a still lake.
"Yushang, how could you come to such a filthy place? And carry your own groceries? This is unacceptable!"
Wang Haodong looked pained, even a little exasperated. "Let my bodyguards take those. What are you all standing around for? Take the bags!"
As the bodyguards stepped forward,
Ren Yuege hid the groceries behind her and snapped, "Wang Haodong, are you insane? What does our shopping have to do with you? Who asked for your help? Do you think we don’t have our own bodyguards? Oh, wait, you’re the only one who flaunts them?"
The sisters did have security when traveling far—just not as conspicuously as Wang Haodong.
Theirs were discreet.
Otherwise, the drive here wouldn’t have been safe.
Roadside robberies weren’t unheard of these days; many small gangs were getting bold.
Wang Haodong forced an awkward smile. "I just wanted to help."
"We don’t need it. Get lost—you’re embarrassing yourself." A small crowd was starting to gather, curious about the commotion.
The sisters, their hands full, couldn’t pull Cao Cheng along, so they nudged him with their elbows, urging him to move.
The three of them squeezed past the onlookers.
The sight of their closeness made Wang Haodong grit his teeth, but he still trailed after them.
"Yushang, let me carry those for you."
"No, thanks."
"Heh, no problem. I just don’t want you to tire yourself."
"…"
"Yuege, how about I take yours?"
"Get lost."
"I’m just worried you’ll strain yourself."
"!!"
"Hey, you—" Wang Haodong turned to Cao Cheng.
Cao Cheng held out a bag. "Want to carry this for me?"
Wang Haodong’s eye twitched, irritation flaring. "In your dreams."
"Then why’d you call me?" Cao Cheng asked, baffled.
"Who the hell do you think you are? Want me to beat you up? Bodyguards! Get over here—" Wang Haodong nearly hopped in rage.
Ren Yuege cut in sharply, "Wang Haodong, if you dare call them, I swear you’ll be carried to the hospital. Try me."
Wang Haodong faltered.
With a wave, he shooed the approaching bodyguards away. "Never mind. Scram."
The bodyguards cursed inwardly. This job was hell.
"Hey, hey!"
After a few steps, Wang Haodong flagged down his car. "Take the car! Why walk with all these heavy bags?"
Most of the groceries were in Cao Cheng’s hands; the sisters carried lighter items like vegetables and seasonings.
But they felt bad for Cao Cheng.
After a brief hesitation, they glanced at him.
Cao Cheng understood and nodded slightly.
A free ride? Why not?
Seeing no refusal, Wang Haodong brightened. He pulled open the van’s door with a flourish, tossing his hair back in what he thought was a dashing gesture. "After you!"
The three got in.
Ren Yuege held up a hand. "You stay out."
"??" Wang Haodong blinked. "This is my car!"
"Consider it rented. We’ll pay you back."
The door slid shut.
Wang Haodong yelped, "Do I look like I need money? Hey! Driver! You dare drive off? Who pays your salary?"
As the van rolled away, he scrambled for his bodyguards’ car. His butler hurried over.
"Young Master, why aren’t you in the car?"
"Are you blind? I got kicked out! That little bastard—I’ll kill him one day."
The butler sighed. "Young Master, didn’t we agree? Even if you can’t win them over, don’t make enemies. Brother-in-law and brother-in-law-to-be shouldn’t be at each other’s throats. Especially when you’re still trying to woo her."
"…"
Wang Haodong paused. "I forgot. But damn it, every time I see that smug face, I just want to punch him!"
"Young Master, patience."
"I’ll try."
He took deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down—until he pictured Cao Cheng’s infuriating smirk and how close he was with Ren Yushang and Ren Yuege. His temper flared again.
"Screw it. I’m going to beat him to a pulp one day."
The butler: "…"
Back at the apartment complex,
Ren Yuege tossed twenty yuan onto the seat—more than enough for the short ride.
Not a cent more.
As they got out,
Wang Haodong’s car pulled up right behind.
He jumped out, grinning obsequiously. "Let me carry these. The stairs are a pain."
"Wang Haodong…" Ren Yushang frowned, though her voice remained gentle.
He waved her off. "I know, I know. You’re rejecting me. But our families are old friends, right? Can’t friends help each other?"
Ren Yushang fell silent.
Ren Yuege, however, spoke up. "If you’re so eager, help my little brother here."
"…" Wang Haodong grimaced but swallowed his pride. "Fine. I’ll help our little brother."
Cao Cheng chuckled and handed over the bags of meat, poultry, and fish.
Wang Haodong staggered under the weight.
"Damn, this is heavy—!"
villain is the number one simp for the book's leading female protagonist, Shen Wan'er. As expected, he later becomes a tool for the main character to show off and slap faces, ultimately meeting a tragic end with his family ruined and his life in shambles. Fortunately, he awakens the [Universal Pure Love System], which allows him to earn points by performing acts of pure love. To change his fate, Gu Yan makes a decisive choice to seek warmth and companionship with the book's biggest villain—Cold Qingqiu. ........... My name is Leng Qingqiu. To find the murderer who killed my parents years ago, I deliberately blinded myself so that everyone would lower their guard around me. Just as I was secretly accumulating power and capital according to my initial plan, a man walked into my world. "Lengleng, Qingqing, Qiuqiu, which nickname do you prefer?" I don't like any of them. You'd better leave quickly! "Why aren't you saying anything? How about I call you my baby wife?" Leng Qingqiu thinks to herself, this man is truly annoying! (Stubborn pure love warrior + single female lead + true pure love + 1v1)
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)
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.
] [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!"
