Indeed, what you fear always comes to pass.
When the female voice echoed, Shen Yi immediately sensed a bad omen.
He peeked and saw it was indeed Shu Yunyi who had come.
Even though she was far away, her pale face, slender figure dressed in a light blue dress—Shen Yi was confident he wouldn't mistake her.
But that wasn't the worst of it. The most critical problem was that she had knocked on the wrong door.
Seeing Cheng Jun appear beside her, Shen Yi inhaled sharply.
"How did they meet each other...?"
His heart raced, even though he hadn't done anything, he felt like he was caught in the act.
"Is it not a good idea to show up now?"
Although he had reigned supreme in simulations, dealing with situations one-on-one, he lacked the experience of juggling multiple relationships.
He instinctively felt that appearing before both of them might not be appropriate.
"I need to get closer and listen to what they're saying..."
Shen Yi tiptoed forward a few steps and leaned around the corner, straining to hear.
The moment he heard their conversation, cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
Terms like "wife," "girlfriend," "cohabitation," and "bed" were thrown around without hesitation.
They mocked and taunted each other relentlessly, despite having never met before, both immediately regarding the other as a rival.
He patted his chest, feeling relieved he hadn't stepped out.
Both were cultured and composed; no matter how they felt inside, their behavior remained restrained on the surface. Their quarrel was nothing more than a heated argument, not yet reaching the level of a full-blown fight.
But Shen Yi guessed that if he appeared, things could escalate, and it might not just be verbal—a physical fight was entirely possible.
The thought of whom to defend and how to intervene made his head throb even more.
Could he just stand by and watch them pull each other's hair?
Due to his initial indecision, after this simulation, Shen Yi had been introspecting his true feelings.
Now that this situation had unfolded, his deepest thoughts naturally surfaced.
No one could evade their true desires—it was impossible.
The answer was clear: He didn’t want to make a choice.
Even a child could see through this situation’s arithmetic.
Was Shu Yunyi great? Extremely. Almost like a first love, beautiful, well-built, a teacher—best of all, she was a lifelong companion, deeply in love with him.
Now that she was upset, should he help her?
Absolutely. Shen Yi didn't even need to think; he would certainly step in.
Was Cheng Jun great too? Definitely. Surviving together during the apocalypse, her background and personality were top-notch. Her love for him was passionate yet reserved, and because of him, she endured half a year in the apocalyptic world alone.
Now that she was in a dispute, should he help her?
Of course. Shen Yi would unhesitatingly rush to assist.
But the dilemma was that their quarrel was due to him, and siding with one would inevitably harm the other.
Not to mention Fu Nanzhi was also involved.
If there were no emotional ties, it would be simple. But Shen Yi knew he wasn't the type to fall in love indiscriminately.
Since their affections were undeniable and each had reasons they couldn’t let go, even a cold stone would be warmed by such love. How could he, Shen Yi, remain unmoved?
Analyzing his inner self, Shen Yi gradually became resolute.
It was vulgar, selfish, yet realistic to desire them all. He didn’t want to let any of them go; he wanted them all.
An old friend, Dai, once said, "Hesitation only makes you seem indecisive."
"Die trying, but give it a shot."
Shen Yi muttered to himself.
He knew it would be challenging, but he wanted to try.
Not being responsible made one a playboy, but if he took responsibility for each and could convince them to accept it, wouldn’t that make him less of a playboy?
Despite the whirlwind of thoughts in his mind, Shen Yi didn’t forget to keep an eye on their movements.
Though he had decided not to show himself, if a real altercation broke out, he certainly wouldn’t stand idly by.
...
"Why should I tell you?"
Cheng Jun shut her down with a single sentence.
Shu Yunyi wasn't surprised; she wouldn't have told her either.
She took a deep breath and said,
"Then how about this? He does live here, right? Call him out, and I'll leave once I see him."
"Will that do?"
Cheng Jun simply shook her head, refusing outright.
"No."
She knew she couldn't summon him, and if she were to call, it would be to the opposite door.
Shu Yunyi frowned, sensing something was off since she arrived. Her doubts grew.
"Can't get him to come out, huh? Does he really live in this room?"
She tilted her head, trying to peek inside.
Cheng Jun leaned on the doorframe, blocking her view, teasingly saying,
"Guess."
Shu Yunyi remained silent, staring at Cheng Jun, her suspicions seemingly confirmed.
Suddenly, without a word, she turned and started banging on the opposite door, calling out Shen Yi's name repeatedly.
Cheng Jun stood straight, watching her knock, her heart momentarily rising.
However, despite the persistent knocking, no one answered.
With a sigh of relief, Cheng Jun relaxed.
"Don't waste your effort; no one's home on the other side."
Shu Yunyi clenched her hand into a fist, ignoring Cheng Jun's provocation, deep in thought.
"Did I guess wrong?"
Cheng Jun concluded that Shen Yi must truly be absent, otherwise, he would have opened the door by now. So she jokingly said,
"Didn’t you say you two had a fight? Maybe one day he’ll cool off and come back on his own."
This was obviously a joke, aiming to expose the lie in Shu Yunyi's words.
With that, she picked up her coat by the door, slung her small bag over her shoulder, and prepared to lock up.
"Well, I’m off to work. If you’re keen, you can continue waiting here; maybe he’ll change his mind."
Shu Yunyi wasn't riled by Cheng Jun’s words but was reminded of something.
"Right, A Yi will come to me on his own; I don’t need to waste time here."
The root cause of this whole situation was Shu Yunyi's desperate desire to see Shen Yi, which clouded her judgment. In truth, all she needed to do was wait patiently at home.
Realizing this, Shu Yunyi shot Cheng Jun an expression of superiority.
She had the right to feel superior. Once she saw Shen Yi, she was confident she could win him over, ensuring that he would stay by her side.
Cheng Jun, in contrast, was a minor figure, destined to weep at her feet.
Cheng Jun feared Shu Yunyi might stubbornly wait at the door, but her previous words were a tactic to make her leave.
Seeing that Shu Yunyi seemed unaffected, she wondered what gave her confidence again.
However, Cheng Jun had one final ace up her sleeve. Before turning to leave and lock the door, she casually said,
"Don’t think you’ve won just yet."
"First, defeat the strongest one."
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!
e vast world of cultivation, where he becomes the master of the Heavenly Ruins Sacred Hall, a dying old man with barely a tenth of his former cultivation remaining. He is immediately confronted with a deadly crisis: his subordinates have rebelled, and his protectors are forcing him to abdicate. At the critical moment, the system descends from the heavens: [Ding! The host has been detected facing a life-or-death crisis. The system is now officially activated!] [As a gift, you have received the Supreme Beginner’s Pack and awakened the ultimate cheat: ten thousand years of pure cultivation essence every second!] Yin Tianjue: “Wait… ten thousand years of cultivation every second? That’s six hundred thousand years a minute, and in one day… I can’t even calculate it. Either way, I’m already invincible!” You’re a peerless prodigy rarely seen in ten thousand years? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. You’re an undying ancestor who has guarded a sacred land for countless ages? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. You’re the strongest chosen one, blessed with heaven-defying destiny? Sorry, I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. From this day forth, I have only one thing to say: “I gain ten thousand years of cultivation every second. Now, how exactly are you supposed to deal with that?”
s the Eldest Princess, renowned for her cold and aloof detachment, became the most docile of lambs, obeying his every command without question. But when the final move was played on the chessboard, as Gu Chenghan seized everything and ascended on the verge of apotheosis, that very Princess suddenly embraced him from behind, her tone carrying a dependence never heard before: "Wait... you haven't yet... commanded me to love you forever." Gu Chenghan froze abruptly. She... hadn't been hypnotized?! ... [The Eldest Princess's Diary] [When my soul was extracted, becoming the sole spectator outside my own shell] [At first, there was overwhelming fury, until I saw] [How he used my sword to effortlessly shatter my inescapable doom] [How he wielded my authority to eradicate fatal conspiracies I had never even detected] [Like a deity, he rescued me from the deep mire I was trapped in] [If not for those annoying vixens, he and I would be a match made in heaven] [I think I am ill, gravely ill] [My deity should belong to me alone] ... "Hypnosis? Oh, it succeeded, my dear Master." "Only this time, it's my turn to hypnotize you."
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.
