The night was dim in the small villa.
Due to concerns about the mutated plant, Shen Yi had shut down the basement generator to reduce noise.
To cut down on energy consumption, the usual bright lighting would no longer be seen.
Now they only had a camping lantern hanging overhead.
Dinner was prepared by Cheng Jun - her first time cooking here.
When Shen Yi offered to help, she shooed him away.
Now as she brought the plates to the table, he quickly took them from her, teasing,
"I must try this secret recipe of yours that you've been hiding from me."
Cheng Jun blushed, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear,
"Don't be silly. I can't cook Chinese food, I only made Western dishes at home. Just try it."
She hadn't let Shen Yi help because she was nervous - cooking was unfamiliar enough, and having him watch would only add to the pressure.
Dinner consisted of a steak and some pasta for each person, garnished with tomatoes and spinach.
Given their limited conditions and scarce ingredients, they had to make do with whatever could fill their stomachs.
The beef came from a cold storage facility Shen Yi had broken into earlier - they had stockpiled some meat.
Once the storage door was opened, the cold air kept escaping, and the meat would spoil if not eaten.
Under Cheng Jun's expectant gaze, Shen Yi cut off a small piece and chewed it.
It was a bit tough, and the piece Shen Yi cut had some burnt edges, probably due to the lack of proper pan and temperature control.
Shen Yi maintained a straight face as he swallowed and said:
"Not bad, there's room for improvement."
Cheng Jun didn't catch the underlying meaning and smiled, standing up,
"Really? This should be paired with red wine. I decanted some earlier - I'll go get it."
Shen Yi smiled watching her leave, quietly flipping the steak to hide the burnt side.
When he looked up, Cheng Jun was already returning with a large bowl.
"Couldn't find a decanter, so this will have to do."
"That's fine, it's all the same."
Cheng Jun busied herself getting wine glasses and pouring for both of them.
Shen Yi rarely drank and wasn't particular about such things - the wine didn't need decanting as far as he was concerned.
Though he didn't enjoy drinking, he had stockpiled some alcohol as it had other uses besides consumption.
"Cheers."
They clinked glasses.
Cheng Jun sniffed the wine before drinking.
Shen Yi was a simple man - honestly, he just found the taste smooth and drinkable.
As soon as she drank, Cheng Jun's face turned rosy.
She quickly cut a piece of meat to chase the wine.
The moment it entered her mouth, her face scrunched up like a dumpling,
"Ugh, it's bitter!"
After spitting out the meat, she suddenly realized and looked at Shen Yi, embarrassed:
"I'm sorry, I didn't control the heat well. Just throw it away - I'll make you some noodles instead."
Shen Yi waved his hand, showing no blame,
"It's fine, mine is good. Just cut away the burnt parts - throwing it all away would be too wasteful. No need for noodles, we have pasta here."
Cheng Jun hadn't expected to mess up her first time cooking, especially after planning it secretly for so long. At home, her cooking had always turned out well.
Shen Yi wasn't just being nice - he was used to eating whatever was edible, and as long as it was cooked through, it was fine by him.
After calming Cheng Jun down, they continued their earlier conversation over wine.
"Looking back, we're really lucky nothing happened during all that commotion we caused."
"Yes, though it's rooted in the city center, quite far from us."
The commotion referred to their previous search plan, driving around with loudspeakers - they'd been everywhere except near the city center.
"Shen Yi, do you think there are any other survivors besides us?"
With most of the wine gone, Cheng Jun twisted the stem of her wine glass, her voice low.
Previously they only had internal worries, but now external threats had appeared - she couldn't stay optimistic.
"There must be. Humanity isn't that easy to wipe out."
According to the system's introduction, it was nearly overrun but not completely - reinforcements could be hiding somewhere.
That was all Shen Yi could say.
Cheng Jun was noncommittal about this answer - what difference would finding others make?
She was an outsider, with no family or friends, waking up to only this ruined city.
She took another big drink as emotions welled up, slowly laying her head on the table, her eyes lost like a frightened deer, tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Why?"
"Why me?"
"Why am I here?"
Cheng Jun had gritted her teeth through many hardships, but the doubts weighing on her heart remained unresolved.
In the third month after arriving in this apocalypse, she finally broke down crying.
Shen Yi put down his glass, walked to her side, and gently patted her shoulder, consoling her softly.
Cheng Jun suddenly raised her head and hugged his waist, tears in her eyes as she leaned against him,
"Shen Yi, I miss home..."
That confused, heartbroken look struck Shen Yi's heart hard, filling him with guilt, almost compelling him to tell her the truth.
This was essentially just a dream, a game, yet it had entangled an innocent soul like Cheng Jun.
Shen Yi knew it was a game, but Cheng Jun was an unwitting victim, not just a programmed NPC - the copied version of her was a living, breathing person.
With emotions, fears, joys, and sorrows - her embrace, body temperature, heartbeat, tears, everything was so real - how could he remain unmoved?
Stroking Cheng Jun's hair, Shen Yi spoke with unusual seriousness:
"Maybe this is just a dream?"
"Nightmares always end, and perhaps one day you'll open your eyes and be back home."
"Family, friends, warmth, peace - everything as it should be."
At this moment, he didn't care if this was a system projection - he was treating Cheng Jun as a person, not just a character to be conquered.
Perhaps Shen Yi's comfort worked, as Cheng Jun gradually stopped crying.
She looked up with red eyes, smoothing out the wrinkles in Shen Yi's clothes where her tears had left a large wet patch.
"Sorry, I'm better now."
Seeing her sit up straight, Shen Yi returned to his seat.
Cheng Jun refilled both their glasses and raised hers again.
Seeing her take another big drink, Shen Yi frowned and advised:
"You should drink less..."
He'd figured it out - Cheng Jun was the type who couldn't handle alcohol well but drank enthusiastically anyway.
Cheng Jun ignored him, taking another sip of wine before exhaling and comforting herself:
"You're right, maybe it is a dream."
"By the way, Shen Yi, I never asked where you're from."
Shen Yi put down his glass and casually replied,
"My hometown is a poor place called Linjiang County in Gusu Province, but I work in Jingyuan City."
Cheng Jun's eyes lit up unexpectedly,
"You're in Jingyuan City too? Me too! Which district?"
"Uh, Jianyuan District."
"What a coincidence! I live in Shangyang District, but I work in Jianyuan too, at Tiancheng Group - you know it?"
Cheng Jun hadn't expected they lived so close - it must be fate.
"Jianyuan... Tiancheng... Cheng Jun?"
Though spoken softly, the words thundered in Shen Yi's ears.
Wang Ru's words suddenly came back to him.
"The Administrative Department just got a new manager named Cheng Jun, a beauty with overseas education, daughter of a high-level executive."
It was her?!
Shen Yi finally understood why the name seemed familiar, as if he'd heard it before.
Then he mentally complained,
First Fu Nanzhi, now Cheng Jun.
Why does this damn system keep targeting the same people...
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.
] This is a dark fantasy-themed dating simulation game. The main gameplay involves containing various monster girls and investigating the truth of a world shrouded in mist alongside your companions. However, due to his love for the dark and bizarre atmosphere, Luo Wei ended up turning a dating game into a detective mystery game. Women? Women only slow down his quickdraw! To Luo Wei, the female leads in the game are more like tools to perfectly clear levels and squeeze out rewards. For Luo Wei, flirting with every girl he meets and then discarding them is standard procedure. Worried about characters losing affection points? No need. With his maxed-out charm stat, Luo Wei is practically a "human incubus." A little psychological manipulation and those points come right back. It's a bit scummy, but the paper cutout heroines in the game won't actually come at him with real cleavers. However... Luo Wei has transmigrated. He's accidentally entered the second playthrough of this game. His past actions have caused all the girls to transform into terrifying yanderes. Due to the game's setting, most of the heroines he once contained are "troubled girls." Obsessive, twisted, mentally unstable, all aggressive yanderes... The type who will kill you if they can't have you... Luo Wei wants to cry but has no tears left. "I really just want to survive..." In short, this is a story of battling wits and engaging in a love-hate relationship with yanderes.
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!
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?!
