Fang Zhiyi looked at his dust-covered daughter with a strange expression.
"What's the rush?"
"Dad? What happened to our house?" Fang Xiaoyu glanced around in confusion.
Fang Zhiyi smiled and introduced, "Come, meet your uncle—he's also the village chief."
Fang Xiaoyu turned to the middle-aged man in bewilderment. The man nodded kindly at her. "Last time I saw you, you were just a little girl. Now you’ve grown into a young woman."
Fang Xiaoyu let out a sigh of relief. So, it wasn’t about the video thing?
Fang Zhiyi cleared his throat and raised his hand. "This concludes my summary of the path to prosperity. Everyone here has been so good to us, so I can’t keep secrets. But before we proceed, we need to do our best to beautify the village environment."
The village chief led the applause.
The villagers buzzed with discussion.
"I always knew Fang Zhiyi was a smart one."
"Before, I only heard about internet celebrities and videos. Today, I finally learned that our very own village has a big influencer."
Everyone turned to look at Fang Xiaoyu, who suddenly felt a little embarrassed.
The village chief cleared his throat. "Zhiyi already discussed this with me beforehand, so I’ve applied for a government support fund—and it’s been approved!"
The villagers cheered.
"Starting today, we’ll all follow Zhiyi’s lead. This is the road to prosperity for everyone. If anyone dares to oppose it, don’t blame me for being harsh!"
"If anyone messes with my brother, I’ll curse their whole family for three days and nights!" Aunt Zhang shouted, hands on her hips.
"Count me in," a burly man said firmly. Fang Xiaoyu remembered him—rumor had it he wasn’t someone to trifle with.
Fang Xiaoyu turned to her father in disbelief. Was his charisma always this strong? She’d never noticed before. In her memories, he was just an ordinary, hardworking man...
The village soon became a hive of activity. Every household was busy cleaning up, preparing for the upcoming renovations.
Fang Zhiyi himself was often nowhere to be seen, only occasionally appearing to film videos or help when Fang Xiaoyu needed to sell fruits and vegetables from her space.
Fang Xiaoyu was also swamped—one moment she was on the mountain, the next she was in her space. Thankfully, her father had hired a few villagers to assist, or she’d have collapsed from exhaustion. Before she knew it, the village had transformed. Nearly every house had been renovated in the same style as theirs. The roads were repaved, and even several recycling bins had appeared at the village entrance.
The feisty Aunt Zhang patrolled everywhere with a red armband—apparently, the village had assigned her the duty.
For the first time, Fang Xiaoyu stepped out of her own world and began to think. But she couldn’t figure out what her father was really planning, so she chose the simplest solution: asking him directly.
"Hmm? The village houses? They used our blueprints," Fang Zhiyi said, sprawled on a recliner. He’d been exhausted lately. Seeing Fang Xiaoyu’s puzzled look, he sat up.
"A tree that stands tall gets blown down by the wind. No one can live apart from society—where there are people, there’s conflict."
"Human nature is a strange thing, so let’s not dwell on it. After we renovated our house, at first it was fine, but over time, what would others think? Jealousy is a negative emotion everyone has. So, we had to find a way to raise the average standard," Fang Zhiyi explained calmly. "Then, with your influence, we could lift the whole village up. That’s how we make it work."
Fang Xiaoyu was stunned. "So you thought of this before we even renovated our house?"
"Of course," Fang Zhiyi replied, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "You just focus on what you love. Leave the rest to your old man."
Fang Xiaoyu paced around, studying her father. He felt unfamiliar—too unfamiliar. No wonder he’d returned to their hometown! This wasn’t just for her—it was for himself!
Fang Zhiyi’s plan succeeded brilliantly. During one of her shoots, the location was "accidentally" revealed, prompting a flood of netizens vowing to visit the picturesque place.
The very next day, the village welcomed its first wave of tourists. Thanks to a meeting Fang Zhiyi and the village chief had held the night before, the villagers were well-prepared.
"Hello, the flower fields are this way," someone directed, pointing toward the path leading to the fields where Fang Xiaoyu had transplanted flowers. Afterward, Fang Zhiyi had installed swings and benches there.
"Pick-your-own fruit is over here," another villager said, gesturing toward the local orchards. Fang Xiaoyu’s own orchard wasn’t open to the public yet.
"Fishing is available at the eastern pond."
Some visitors immediately asked about the internet celebrity Fang Xiaoyu.
Aunt Zhang narrowed her eyes and smiled. "Xiaoyu? She’s been busy planting flowers these days. She’ll probably be back in the afternoon."
The netizens had come hoping to see Fang Xiaoyu, but since that was the case, they figured they might as well enjoy themselves. And once they started exploring, they were amazed—the village was beautifully planned, with fresh air, idyllic scenery, and uniquely charming courtyards. Every angle was photo-ready!
Soon, videos and photos were posted online.
Some even shared snapshots in Fang Xiaoyu’s comment section.
This sent those who hadn’t visited into a frenzy.
"No way, I thought this was just another influencer marketing stunt, but it’s actually this gorgeous?"
"How come I’ve never heard of a place like this before?"
"I have to go. I absolutely have to!"
Then came photos of someone enjoying barbecue, captioned: "Authentic farm-raised pork—delicious and generous portions!"
The netizens’ attention shifted again.
"Whoa, look at that barbecue!"
"Did no one notice the fish that guy in the back is holding??"
"Of course the anglers would focus on that."
"No way that fish is real. It’s photoshopped!! Unless you give me the address."
"Some anglers need their eyes checked. The location tag is right there, and you still missed it."
"Hold on, guys. Let me scout it out first."
"Yeah, right. You just want it all to yourself."
By evening, Fang Xiaoyu finally descended from the mountain path, hoe in hand. She froze at the sight of the lively village but quickly remembered what her father had told her the day before. Though surprised, she thought it was a good thing.
"Look! It’s Fang Xiaoyu!" someone shouted.
"Wow! She looks exactly like in her videos!"
"Xiaoyu! Can we take a photo together?"
Fang Xiaoyu felt awkward. She’d known she was an internet celebrity, but she’d never considered how to face her "fans."
From the shadows, Fang Zhiyi watched his daughter pose for photos. Then his gaze shifted elsewhere.
The bait had been cast. He was certain the fish would bite.
"Alright, alright, our Xiaoyu has worked hard all day. Let her rest, won’t you?" Aunt Zhang pushed through the crowd.
Fang Xiaoyu smiled. "Feel free to visit again whenever you like."
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)
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
[Dao Companion Rental System]. By renting himself out as a temporary dao companion to daughters of destiny, Qin Hao could obtain generous rewards. His service philosophy was simple: play the role of the devoted lover, resolve their troubles, depart without a trace once the matter was settled, and absolutely avoid entangling karma. However, those daughters of destiny didn't see it that way. That night, all the major powers across the Three Realms and Nine Heavens jointly besieged the Qin Clan, plunging it into an unprecedented crisis. "It's Su Qingyue! The peerless sword immortal who attained the Dao and became an Immortal Emperor in a thousand years, the one who severed the River of Time with a single sword strike! When... when did our Qin Clan make an enemy of her?" Qin Hao stepped forward, clearing his throat lightly: "Ahem, Ancestors, don't panic. She's here for me. To be honest... she's my ex-girlfriend." From another direction, the newly ascended Empress of the Demon Realm arrived with ten thousand demons pressing on the border: "Qin Hao! Today, the entire Qin Clan shall be buried with you!" Hearing this, the Qin Clan ancestors all turned their eyes sharply towards Qin Hao. Qin Hao scratched his head somewhat sheepishly: "The Demon Empress... she's also my ex-girlfriend." Before the Qin ancestors could process this, an aloof figure traversed the River of Time: "The Qin Clan deserves annihilation!" Recognizing the newcomer, the Qin ancestors paled in terror: "It's her! Liu Ruyan, the Extinction Empress who ventured alone into the alien realm and suppressed it for an entire epoch! Didn't she vanish into the River of Time long ago? Why would she cross it just to target our clan?" Qin Hao scratched his head again, looking even more embarrassed: "My fault, my fault. She's an ex-girlfriend too." Watching countless celestial maidens descend, the Qin Clan ancestors were utterly astounded: "You scoundrel! Just... just how many women have you gotten involved with over the years?"
host is extracting the Celestial Bone of the Destiny's Female Lead! The Destiny's Great Villain System has successfully bound!] Mo Tianxiao: "Destiny's Great Villain? Me?" Looking at the radiant Celestial Bone in his hand and the beautiful woman lying on the bed, Mo Tianxiao felt somewhat confused. How could he, a law-abiding citizen, become a villain? Mo Tianxiao: "Fine, villain it is then. With the system here, even a Chosen One isn't unbeatable." [Ding! Detected 18,653 Chosen Ones in this world. Please seize the destiny of all protagonists to become the true Destiny's Great Villain!] Mo Tianxiao: "Seize how many?! What kind of lousy great villain is this? I'm a perfectly good citizen!"
