That night, the clouds hung heavy in the sky.
It was an overcast day, and though the bright moon hung high, it remained veiled behind a gauzy shroud.
Cheng Jun, freshly showered, leaned against the balcony railing in her pajamas.
She tilted her head up, gazing at the moon hidden behind the gray clouds, her mind drifting back to her last casual conversation with Fu Nanzhi.
"Nanzhi-jie..."
Her phone screen lingered on a chat window, the words she typed deleted and rewritten over and over.
"Young miss, the weather’s turning cold—be careful not to catch a chill."
The voice from behind startled Cheng Jun. Instinctively, she turned off her screen and turned around with a smile.
"Alright, I understand, Auntie Zhang."
"Mhm."
Auntie Zhang acknowledged her and pointed to the water glass she’d placed by the bedside.
"I’ve left water for you here. It’s getting late—you should rest soon."
"Call me if you need anything."
Cheng Jun shook her head and stepped inside, drawing the curtains shut.
"I’m fine for now. Auntie, you should rest too—don’t overwork yourself."
"Alright, I’ll just tidy up a bit more and then I’m done."
With a few more murmurs, Auntie Zhang retreated, closing the door behind her.
Cheng Jun sighed softly and flopped onto the bed.
Opening her chat with Shen Yi, the last message was him praising the mooncakes she’d made. Her fingers hovered over the keypad, but she didn’t know where to begin.
The night stretched long, and sleep eluded her.
Cheng Jun was usually someone who couldn’t fall asleep before eleven, but tonight, for some reason, her eyelids grew heavy the moment she lay down.
Glancing at her phone, she saw it wasn’t even ten yet. She fought against the drowsiness for a while, but eventually succumbed.
The glowing phone slipped slowly from her grasp.
Some time later, Cheng Jun slowly opened her eyes.
She awoke in a void, surrounded by darkness, save for a distant glimmer of light.
Instinctively, she moved toward it, only to find a radiant door upon drawing closer.
Stepping through, her vision flooded with brightness, and the world around her transformed.
...
The moon, obscured by shifting clouds, cast alternating patches of light and shadow along the campus path.
Shu Yunyi walked back under the moonlight, the click-clack of her high heels echoing in the quiet.
She’d worked a little late today, so her return was delayed.
Dragging her weary body into the apartment, she tossed her bag onto the table and collapsed onto the sofa.
Her long legs curled up, and the slightest twitch of her toes sent waves of soreness through her feet.
At times like these, she missed Shen Yi’s massages—his strong hands working out the tension, leaving her refreshed and pain-free the next day.
With that thought, she picked up her phone, ready to video-call him and check in, making sure he was behaving.
Though Shen Yi had already updated her earlier, she’d been too busy to pay attention.
The call rang for a long while, unanswered. She huffed and sent two sharp messages instead.
Placing the phone on the coffee table, she muttered under her breath,
"If you don’t reply by the time I’m back, you’re dead."
With that, she gathered her long hair and headed to the bathroom.
Half an hour later, Shu Yunyi emerged from the steamy bathroom, wrapped in a towel.
She dried her hair, then picked up her phone—only to frown in irritation when she saw no response.
Retreating to the bedroom, she pulled the covers over herself and pouted as she dialed Shen Yi again.
The phone’s ringing buzzed in her ear, but exhaustion suddenly crashed over her.
Her eyelids grew heavy, and before she knew it, the sound of the dial tone lulled her into sleep.
When she opened her eyes again, she was no longer at home.
Shu Yunyi ignored the call still going, ignored the fact she was fully dressed, and simply stumbled toward the light in a daze.
The door loomed closer, its glow almost blinding.
Drawn by some unseen force, she stepped forward—and crossed the threshold.
...
Fu Nanzhi had gone to bed early.
Her hands rested atop the covers as she watched the full moon outside, repeatedly swallowed by clouds, its glow flickering in and out of view.
Her family had hosted guests for dinner, and at her mother Ji Shulan’s insistence, she’d stayed the night.
The door creaked open, and Ji Shulan entered.
Her hair was down, freshly moisturized skin carrying a faint floral scent as she settled onto the bed.
Fu Nanzhi scooted over to make room, and Ji Shulan slipped under the covers.
Mother and daughter planned to share a heart-to-heart tonight.
Once settled, Ji Shulan turned to her and asked,
"Nanzhi, how are things with Xiao Shen lately?"
Fu Nanzhi kept her eyes on the window and replied,
"Fine. Everything’s good."
Ji Shulan gave her a sidelong glance.
"What’s wrong? You don’t sound too excited. Did you two argue?"
"No, not at all."
Fu Nanzhi turned to meet her mother’s gaze.
"Oh..."
Ji Shulan relaxed slightly and continued,
"That’s good then..."
"Don’t misunderstand what your father meant at dinner. If you think it’s serious, bring him home to meet us."
"He’s just curious about this boyfriend you’re so protective of—too embarrassed to ask himself, so he had me bring it up."
Fu Nanzhi’s eyes curved into crescents, her voice brightening.
"Sure, but maybe not right away..."
"I don’t think he’s ready yet."
"Alright."
Ji Shulan didn’t press further. She’d met Shen Yi before.
From what she could tell, the two shared a natural chemistry—at the very least, marriage wouldn’t be fraught with conflict.
Her daughter was already in her mid-twenties; if she waited much longer, she’d be considered an old maid.
Curiosity piqued, Ji Shulan leaned in and whispered,
"Nanzhi, tell me—how did you two meet?"
Fu Nanzhi buried half her face in the blanket, her voice muffled.
"I’ve told you before—we met at work."
"Obviously."
Ji Shulan’s brows arched.
"I know it was at work. I meant the details—how it happened, understand?"
Fu Nanzhi’s eyes softened as she recalled the memory, warmth blooming in her chest.
"Back then, he handed me a contract..."
"......"
Ji Shulan waited, but no further explanation came. She turned sharply, only to nearly scoff in disbelief.
Fu Nanzhi’s eyes were closed, her breathing steady—she’d fallen asleep without warning.
"You little brat, pretending to sleep on me..."
She nudged Fu Nanzhi’s shoulder, convinced it was an act.
But Fu Nanzhi didn’t stir, her even breaths confirming she was truly asleep.
Ji Shulan’s expression softened, and she muttered,
"Guess she really is exhausted. Must’ve had a long day."
With a sigh, she tucked Fu Nanzhi’s arms under the blanket to keep her warm, smoothed the covers, and lay down herself.
Meanwhile, Fu Nanzhi, inexplicably drained, opened her eyes in the darkness.
Guided by a sliver of light, she approached the door—and without hesitation, stepped through.
In an instant, the scenery transformed.
She found herself in a spacious room enclosed by walls, with a floor-to-ceiling window directly ahead. The room was nearly empty, save for four chairs.
Fu Nanzhi, unsure of what was happening, moved forward cautiously and sat on one of the chairs, guided by instinct.
The next moment, the door swayed, and Cheng Jun stepped in, bathed in light.
“Zhuyun?”
o a martial world and obtained a system that allowed him to draw one entry per year. Unfortunately, all he drew were useless white-tier entries. The probability for high-quality entries was extremely low, with the highest-tier mythic entry having a mere 0.001% chance! To increase the probability, he had to improve his martial realm, but he lacked the innate talent for cultivation. At the age of eighteen, Chen Yi fell into the hands of a gang and was forced into hard labor. Just as his life seemed destined for a bleak end, on his 18th entry draw, he actually pulled a mythic entry—Simulator! In the simulation, he could also draw one entry every year that passed, and upon ending the simulation, he would inherit all entries and his martial realm! In his first simulation, Chen Yi struggled desperately just to survive, knowing that living one more year meant one more entry draw! Finally, with hair turned white, he drew the entry he had longed for—Low-Grade Innate Talent! "Hahaha! Don't bully the old and poor! Time to cultivate and inherit my cultivation base!" ... From then on, Chen Yi continuously simulated and drew entries, his martial realm soaring higher and higher! Epic, legendary, and even mythic entries were gathered into his collection one after another! "What demon race or devil race? What dark turmoil? I don't know anything about that. They just charged at me screaming 'How can you possibly ascend to immortality?!' and got stuck to my fists, unable to be shaken off. Blind spots, speed bumps... go talk to my simulator. We're all struggling to survive out here. I'm trying so hard, so how are they still alive?"
m back to his original world. In the end, he realized he had overthought things. [Hey, why is Shen Manni, the female lead, acting strange? Shouldn't she be fawning over the male lead at this point?] [Zhou Qiaoqiao, are you sick? Weren't you supposed to break off your engagement today?] [Damn it! An Youyi, please do your job as an undercover agent and sell my information to the protagonist, you idiot!] ... At this moment, Xu Mo himself didn't know that these female leads had already heard his inner thoughts. Then they decided not to play by the rules. Xu Mo: Please respect my profession as the big villain!
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."
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)
