"W-who wants to look at you? W-wearing a mask, acting all mysterious, you're definitely an Ugly Freak." Saying so, Jiang Xinyao turned her head away.
However, her eyes couldn't help but steal a few glances in Qin Hao's direction. "What does he look like under that mask?"
Noticing Jiang Xinyao's little movements, Qin Hao gave a soft chuckle. He slowly walked up to her and asked:
"Hey, Little Stutterer, what are you doing here all alone?"
Qin Hao noted that this was just an ordinary forest, not the Jiang family's territory. Furthermore, before he arrived, Jiang Xinyao had been furious; the ground at her feet was littered with the corpses of demonic beasts, and a hundred miles of the surrounding forest had been reduced to ashes by her flames.
By the looks of it, she had encountered some trouble and ran here to vent her frustrations.
Jiang Xinyao gritted her teeth, clenched her fists, and fiercely punched Qin Hao's chest twice:
"I am not a stutterer! My name is Jiang Xinyao. What about you? What's your name?"
Just as Qin Hao was about to speak, Jiang Xinyao waved her hand and said, "Forget it, I don't care what your name is anyway. Wearing a mask and acting all mysterious, I'll just call you Ugly Freak."
After saying that, Jiang Xinyao sneaked a glance at Qin Hao. Seeing him frozen in place, a sly gleam flashed in her eyes. Hmph, since you keep calling me a stutterer, I'll call you an Ugly Freak.
Ugly Freak? Qin Hao didn't know whether to laugh or cry. The last person who called him an Ugly Freak had already completely succumbed to his handsome face.
Shaking his head with a light chuckle, Qin Hao said to Jiang Xinyao:
"Ye Hao. You can just call me Ye Hao."
At these words, Jiang Xinyao paused slightly, then looked Qin Hao up and down with a face full of suspicion:
"Is your name Ye Hao or Qin Hao?"
Hearing this, Qin Hao was full of surprise. Why ask that all of a sudden? Did she recognize me? She shouldn't have ever seen me before.
Thinking of this, Qin Hao braced himself and said, "Of course it's Ye Hao. Why would you ask that?"
Jiang Xinyao gave Qin Hao a deep look, then spoke up, "People from the Ancient Qin Family never use their real names when they stir up trouble outside. The surname they change to the most is Ye, which is exactly why the relationship between the Ye family and the Qin family has always been poor."
"With your profound strength, who else besides those Ancient Families could cultivate a supreme genius like you? You say your name is Ye Hao, but with the Qin family acting as the ultimate troublemakers among the Ancient Families, it really makes one wonder whether you are truly a member of the Ye family or actually from the Qin family."
Jiang Xinyao's words left Qin Hao speechless. Now that she mentioned it, it was true. Didn't his eldest nephew, Qin Zhongtian, go by the name Ye Zhongtian in the Xuantian Holy Land?
Thinking of this, Qin Hao couldn't help but stifle a laugh. It was over; the Qin family thought their disguises were flawless, but their true colors had already been completely exposed by the other major families. He would have to remind the Qin family when he got back.
Beside him, Jiang Xinyao kept muttering to herself, "Ye Hao, Qin Hao? Qin Hao?"
As she spoke, Jiang Xinyao suddenly stiffened. Wait, her fiancé from the Qin family was named Qin Hao, wasn't he?
Jiang Xinyao abruptly turned her head to look at Qin Hao, then gently shook her head:
"Impossible, this person can't be the Qin Hao I know. The destiny of the Qin family's Qin Hao was all borrowed by the Qin family's Immortal Emperor. His destiny can't even withstand his status as the Imperial Son of the Qin family. He will die a sudden death sooner or later, let alone possess such formidable strength."
Jiang Xinyao shook her head vigorously, tossing the unrealistic thought out of her mind. She glanced at Qin Hao, then said:
"Hey, Ye Hao, there's something I want to ask you."
Qin Hao raised an eyebrow slightly. "What is it?"
"Well, I have a fiancé, but I've never met him. I don't want to be tied to a stranger just because of a single word from my parents. So, I want to break off the engagement. Do you think I'm wrong for doing this?"
Qin Hao fell silent for a moment. He stared intently at Jiang Xinyao. Possessing Dual Pupils, he quickly noticed the confusion and struggle in her eyes.
"An engagement is the command of the elders, but your Dao path and your heart belong to you," Qin Hao slowly spoke, his voice deeper than usual, yet carrying a reassuring tone.
"Having never met, lacking understanding, let alone affection, forcibly binding the fates of two strangers with a mere piece of paper is a shackle to both you and him."
Qin Hao's words were entirely his true thoughts. He and the system were going to team up to flirt with girls across the myriad heavens and realms; how could he be restrained by a mere marriage contract? So, break it off, hurry up and break it off.
Qin Hao paused, slowly walked up to Jiang Xinyao's side, placed his hand on her shoulder, and said with a serious expression, "Pursuing what you want and rejecting what you don't want is your right. What is wrong with that?"
A warm current surged through Jiang Xinyao's heart. She looked at Qin Hao; although the mask covered his face, his eyes were deep and clear. Jiang Xinyao instantly felt her mood improve significantly.
Just then, Qin Hao continued:
"You lost to me in our spar just now, and promised to grant me any one request. You haven't forgotten, have you?"
Qin Hao's palm ran through Jiang Xinyao's beautiful hair. This gesture made her tremble slightly, and she subconsciously took a step back, but an ancient tree blocked her path.
Qin Hao took a step forward, extending his arm past Jiang Xinyao's side to trap her against the ancient tree behind her.
Instantly, the distance between them closed to a hairsbreadth. The unique, crisp scent radiating from Qin Hao made Jiang Xinyao's heart skip a beat, and her cheeks began to burn uncontrollably.
"W-what does he want to do? Why bring up the condition now? What request does he want me to agree to?"
A trace of panic and bashful anger flashed through Jiang Xinyao's beautiful eyes. The spiritual energy in her body subconsciously circulated; if Qin Hao dared to cross the line even slightly, she would absolutely not hesitate to strike and heavily injure him.
Qin Hao leaned in close to Jiang Xinyao's ear. "Why aren't you speaking? Could the dignified Eldest Miss of the Jiang family be thinking of going back on her word?"
With Qin Hao's breath washing over her, Jiang Xinyao's face instantly flushed red to the tips of her ears. She wanted to push him away, but found that because they were so close, her body was turning soft, unable to muster any strength.
"I... I naturally won't go back on my word. B-but don't you dare indulge in wishful thinking."
Jiang Xinyao's heart leaped into her throat. The warmth she felt from Qin Hao's earlier validation was instantly replaced by tension. He was going to make his demand? What would it be? Was all his previous understanding just a disguise? Was he going to reveal his true colors now?
However, Qin Hao made no further moves. He merely maintained his posture against the tree, his eyes gazing at Jiang Xinyao with deep and focused affection. His clear eyes reflected her slightly panicked appearance.
Qin Hao gave a soft smile and spoke slowly, his voice deep and clear, each word striking straight into Jiang Xinyao's heart:
"My request of you is—"
Jiang Xinyao held her breath, her fingernails digging into her palms.
"From now on, just be yourself."
"Do not let yourself be shackled by your identity, and do not always live under the expectations and scrutiny of others. I hope you will laugh when you wish to laugh, and rage when you wish to rage. Follow your true heart, and pay no heed to the judgments of the world."
lity and could only live as an ordinary mortal. He only wished to live a peaceful life. Yet he didn't know— The dog he adopted, because it ate his food, became a legendary demon king. The kitchen knife he casually forged became a peerless divine weapon, causing numerous experts to fight desperately for it. The young disciple he took in became an immortal lord that led an era, due to cultivating the techniques Ye Feng taught him. Even the skeletons he looked down on the most were ominous demon kings that suppressed countless worlds. Many years later, looking at the void shattered with a punch, Ye Feng murmured to himself: It turns out the peerless kings were myself all along...
or! A blessing for those who struggle with love, a guidebook for dating novices. Quickly match with your dream goddess! Complete walkthroughs earn rewards, and perfect walkthroughs unlock limited achievements!】 Shen Yi, an ordinary office worker, accidentally downloads a mini-game called Dating Simulator. The mini-game is simple: randomly search for dating targets, simulate dates, and receive rewards upon successful confession. Rewards include but are not limited to money, attributes, and skills. The higher the evaluation, the better the rewards, with perfect ratings unlocking mysterious achievements. Shen Yi plans to use this mysterious mini-game to continuously pursue targets and improve himself, making his life better and better. ...... However, after several successful walkthroughs, Shen Yi suddenly notices something strange - the targets he previously simulated dating seem to be searching for him in real life?
] [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!"
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!
