Cheng Jun's face flushed with a mix of embarrassment and annoyance as she stood up, reaching out to snatch Shen Yi's phone.
Shen Yi, of course, wouldn’t let her succeed. He raised his hand just out of her reach, leaving her helpless.
"Give it to me, give it to me..."
Cheng Jun rose onto her tiptoes, one hand braced against the table while the other stretched as far as she could.
Leaning sideways toward him, Shen Yi caught the faint scent of her shower gel.
Her collar shifted with the movement, offering glimpses of her light blue bra—something he couldn’t help but notice.
Seeing that the joke had gone far enough, Shen Yi decided to stop teasing her.
He lowered the phone with a grin.
"Just messing with you."
"I didn’t actually take any photos. Did you really believe me?"
Cheng Jun lowered her arm, studying his expression for signs of deceit before hesitantly asking,
"Really?"
"Of course."
Shen Yi unlocked his phone, swiping through his photo gallery in front of her.
"See for yourself—nothing there."
Then, feigning offense, he added,
"You were completely out of it last night. I barely managed to get you home."
"Gave you water, took off your shoes, wiped your face—I was too busy playing caretaker to even think about taking pictures."
Cheng Jun fell silent, realizing she’d caused him quite a bit of trouble. Her expression dimmed slightly.
"Sorry..."
"My bad for doubting you."
Noticing the shift in her mood, Shen Yi quickly lightened the tone.
"Just because I didn’t take photos doesn’t mean your sleeping face was anything to admire."
Cheng Jun’s momentary guilt evaporated.
"You—!"
Caught between irritation and amusement, she pointed at him, at a loss for words.
After the laughter died down, breakfast was finished.
Cheng Jun checked her phone—9:15 a.m. Time to head to the office.
She stood hesitantly. Her car was parked at work, leaving her without transportation.
She considered asking Shen Yi for a ride but couldn’t find the right words.
After a moment of hesitation, she sighed and opened her phone to book a ride.
Before she could tap the screen, Shen Yi spoke up.
"I need to head out anyway. I’ll be passing near the office."
"Want a lift?"
Cheng Jun’s heart lifted. She closed the app, pausing before replying.
"Sure. Saves me the trouble of calling a car."
She kept her tone casual, not wanting to seem too eager—as if she’d been waiting for this.
Shen Yi grabbed his keys, ready to leave.
As Cheng Jun picked up her jacket, she spotted the socks tucked underneath and quickly snatched them up.
Watching Shen Yi’s retreating back, she called out,
"Wait a second—I need to use the bathroom."
"Sure."
Girls needing a moment before heading out wasn’t unusual. Shen Yi leaned against the door, scrolling on his phone while he waited.
Cheng Jun slipped into the bathroom, finally seizing the chance to change into the stockings she’d been holding.
After a quick check in the mirror, she deemed herself presentable and stepped out.
They headed downstairs one after the other, got into the car, and left the neighborhood.
Once on the main road, Shen Yi turned right toward Tiancheng Corporation.
Cheng Jun pretended to focus on her phone while discreetly observing her surroundings.
He bought a new car?
Though she’d ridden in it the night before, she had no memory of it.
Now, seeing it properly for the first time, she noted the temporary license plate—proof it was a recent purchase.
This isn’t cheap. Didn’t he say his family was just average?
Her thoughts churned until an image surfaced in her mind, growing clearer.
Could it be...?
The possibility made her press her lips together, a sinking feeling taking hold.
No matter how she looked at it, she couldn’t find a flaw in herself—yet reality kept proving her wrong, with no hope of turning things around.
Soon, the car passed the mall they’d visited the night before and pulled up in front of Tiancheng Corporation.
Braking to a stop, Shen Yi turned to her.
"I’m not going into the office, so I won’t drop you at the parking garage."
"Mind walking the last bit?"
Cheng Jun snapped out of her thoughts, forcing a smile as she grabbed her handbag.
"No problem, it’s close enough."
"Go ahead with your errands. I’ll manage."
She stepped out, waving as he turned the car around.
Only once the taillights disappeared did she head inside.
Exchanging nods and light chatter with a few colleagues, she rode the elevator up with a small group.
The moment Shen Yi was out of sight, the ease between them vanished. No matter how she smiled or laughed, her emotions remained untouched.
Few things—or people—could stir her anymore.
Settling at her desk, she tossed her bag into a drawer and stared blankly at her computer.
Shen Yi’s driving had been smooth and direct, his pace unhurried—nothing like someone with urgent business. The realization made something click in her mind.
If you wanted to drive me, you could’ve just said so. Did you really need the excuse of ‘running errands’...?
The thought curled her lips upward.
Such a liar.
Whatever Shen Yi’s true intentions were, Cheng Jun decided to interpret them her way.
It was the best way to stay in good spirits.
Her mood lifted, and the morning passed quickly.
By afternoon tea, she’d already placed an order after confirming with Fu Nanzhi.
This time, she was the guest on the 13th floor, Fu Nanzhi’s domain.
Carrying two paper bags, she knocked and entered.
Fu Nanzhi was bent over her desk, scribbling something. Recognizing Cheng Jun, she smiled and gestured.
"Jun’er, take a seat."
"Just finishing up here."
Cheng Jun settled on the sofa, unpacking the bags onto the coffee table.
"No rush, Nanzhi-jie. Take your time."
"Join me for coffee when you’re done."
She arranged the cakes, pastries, and coffee, then leaned back with her phone, sipping her drink while scrolling.
Before long, Fu Nanzhi joined her, explaining,
"Sorry, they needed me to review a contract urgently."
Cheng Jun waved it off, nudging a dessert box toward her.
"Try these. I’ve ordered from this place before—they’re amazing."
"Really?"
Fu Nanzhi picked up a piece, taking a delicate bite.
Her eyes lit up after a few chews.
"Mmm, you’re right. Which shop is this?"
Cheng Jun took a bite herself, nodding.
"I’ll send you the link."
Fu Nanzhi sipped her coffee and asked casually,
"Shen Yi got you home safely last night?"
Cheng Jun’s gaze drifted away.
"Y-yeah."
"Though I was completely out of it. No idea how I even got back."
She pulled a face, adding,
"Next time, let’s not drink so much, Nanzhi-jie."
Fu Nanzhi covered a laugh with her hand.
"We were just having fun! I didn’t expect us to finish the whole bottle either."
Then she confessed,
"Honestly, Jun’er, I don’t even remember how I got home."
The two burst into laughter, sharing the same rueful understanding.
Amid laughter and chatter, the two of them polished off an entire box of pastries. Cheng Jun opened another box and slid it over, saying,
"Have some more, Nanzhi."
"No, I really shouldn't," Fu Nanzhi shook her head, patting her chest with a conflicted expression.
"My body is so weird—this area gains weight the moment I eat. You go ahead."
"Erm..."
Cheng Jun glanced at Fu Nanzhi's ample curves, then down at her own modest silhouette, and was instantly rendered speechless.
Once again, she had lost.
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
] [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!"
shall grant"] ["Inscribing the glory of our race upon tombstones"] ["All that is threatened, I shall protect"] How his younger sister sees her brother: A brother who only makes eye contact once a day, mostly fading into the background as he tinkers with who-knows-what in his room all day. Their life paths should have remained largely separate. Until one day. Su Qi created an equipment card for his never-met "online girlfriend." His sister fell into silent contemplation upon receiving the "white stockings." [Card can be upgraded] [Upgrade by fulfilling any of the following conditions] [Condition ①: Consume one hundred higher-tier cards] [Condition ②: Complete one 'Heart-Pounding Adventure'] What constitutes a Heart-Pounding Adventure? [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Beginner Level): Equip the card and invite 'Su Qi' to admire it.] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Easy Level): Equip the card, invite 'Su Qi' to touch it, and analyze the equipment's texture.] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Entry Level): Equip the card and invite 'Su Qi' to...] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Challenge Level): Freely combine the words 'Brother' 'Out' 'Brother' 'Me' 'Please' into a complete sentence...] "Please help me analyze both teams' mistakes in this match, brother..." His sister exhaled in relief—surely... surely there couldn't be anything more difficult? [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Suicide Mission Level): Sneak a peek at the names of the galgames in 'Su Qi's' hidden E-drive folder]
ing gift was a patch of barren land, and disciples were all picked up along the way. He spent fifty years diligently building three "ramshackle little sects," thinking he could finally live a carefree life relying on his disciples. But right at the fifty-year mark, he was suddenly swept away by a spatial rift and exiled to the Chaos Desolation, the Disorderly Ruins. There was no spiritual energy there, only slaughter. Relying on the cultivation feedback from his disciples, Gu Changyuan hacked his way through a sea of blood for eleven hundred years. When the system finally fished him back out, he discovered the ramshackle little sects he'd built back then had developed a rather... unusual style. Hold on... I vanished for a thousand years, so how did my ramshackle little sects become holy lands?!
