Compared to the items in the room,
the things bought from the spiritual cuisine recipe category instantly seemed dull in comparison.
【Hundred Flowers Nectar (Fine Wine)】
【Description: A single drop warms the throat like fire, three drops leave the bones melting. No ordinary nectar from the celestial pools—a touch of crimson lips, a myriad of charms.】
Purchased goods were different indeed.
They came with clear labels like 【Fine Wine】.
While exploring Aunt Qimeng’s room, Lin Yu also acquired four bottles of 【Hundred Flowers Condensed Dew】.
The description on them was identical to 【Hundred Flowers Nectar】.
Could it be a difference in alcohol content?
Like strong liquor versus mild wine?
Now, the last item:
【Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix (Recipe)】
【Description: Spiritual grains as the base, essence of a hundred birds, the depth of heat hides spring’s passion. Even after the feast, the fragrance lingers on the lips; only by midnight does the flavor truly bloom.】
The recipe’s description was flowery and exaggerated.
Based on Lin Yu’s limited culinary skills,
he roughly deduced that, in the real world, this dish would be called… Braised Chicken Rice!
For now, rewards related to food and drink didn’t seem particularly useful.
But life was long—there would surely come a time when they’d come in handy.
……
A quiet moment in the apartment.
The long night stretched on.
The members of the Joyous Sect slept soundly.
All the lovely female disciples were deep in sweet slumber.
Except for one.
Even her dreams were sweet…
A scorching summer day by the sea.
A gentle ocean breeze brushed past the parasol,
caressing Ye Mengfu’s figure in her daring swimsuit.
This was her first time wearing one—she had never dressed so revealingly before.
But then again,
this beach had no onlookers.
Only Lin Yu, holding two glasses of orange juice, walking toward her under the sunlight.
The blinding rays gradually sharpened into focus as his tall figure approached.
Dressed only in swim trunks, Lin Yu once again showcased his impeccable physique.
Ye Mengfu instinctively lowered her gaze—only to see her own chest.
At the beach… by the sea…
Wasn’t this how everyone dressed?
There was no reason to be shy, especially with no one else around…
Ye Mengfu: “!!!”
Wait.
If Lin Yu saw her like this, wouldn’t that be just as bad?
This beach was truly magical.
The moment the thought crossed her mind,
a pristine white bath towel materialized in her hands.
Before Lin Yu reached her side, she quickly draped it over herself.
“Try it, it’s really good.”
Lin Yu sat down at the foot of her lounge chair,
gently handing her the orange juice.
His voice was tender—or was it teasing?—as he asked:
“I added ice. Is it okay for you to have cold drinks today?”
Ye Mengfu’s cheeks flushed crimson, her mind instantly wandering to… other implications.
She gave a slight nod,
desperately suppressing the forbidden knowledge she’d absorbed from all those manga.
Lin Yu was surely just asking out of concern.
There couldn’t possibly be any other meaning.
She mustn’t misunderstand him.
And yet…
After Ye Mengfu took the orange juice,
Lin Yu tugged lightly at the corner of her towel.
“Such perfect weather for sunbathing, Xiao Fu. Don’t waste it.”
“Let’s enjoy it together. Here, I’ll help you take this off.”
Ye Mengfu’s heart raced uncontrollably.
This situation felt far too intimate.
But under the warmth of Lin Yu’s voice, she couldn’t bring herself to refuse.
Or perhaps… she didn’t want to?
Ye Mengfu: “Mmm.”
With her permission, Lin Yu slowly pulled the towel away.
The soft fabric glided over her skin,
each inch revealing more of her body to the cool sea air.
As Lin Yu gazed at her with undisguised admiration,
Ye Mengfu averted her eyes, her face burning.
“Xiao Fu, this is the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen.”
Her heartbeat quickened even more.
“D-Don’t say things like that…”
Lin Yu affectionately ruffled her hair.
“I want to hear you call me that again.”
Ye Mengfu blinked in confusion. “L-Lin Yu?”
He shook his head. “Not my name.”
Realization dawned on her, and she shook her head slightly in protest.
Lin Yu’s fingers brushed against her again, gentle but insistent.
“It’s okay. There’s no one else here. This can be our little secret.”
After several hesitant attempts,
Ye Mengfu finally whispered:
“H-Husband…”
The moment the word left her lips,
Lin Yu swept her up into a princess carry.
The contact between their bodies felt electrifyingly real.
As Lin Yu leaned in,
Ye Mengfu knew exactly what was coming next…
……
Back in Ye Mengfu’s bedroom.
In the depths of sleep,
Ye Mengfu’s hands suddenly pushed against empty air.
“W-Wait… Lin…!”
The sensation of falling jolted her awake.
Her first instinct was to turn on the bedside lamp and throw off the covers,
checking if she was still in a swimsuit.
Confirming it was just pajamas,
she finally accepted that it had all been a dream…
Again!
Another impossibly vivid dream!
And this time… it had gone even further!
How could she have lost control like that?
Calling Lin Yu “husband” in her dream!
Even though Ying’er had already clarified that her relationship with Lin Yu was purely platonic—just roommates and master-disciple—
that didn’t explain why she kept dreaming about him!
Biting her lip in embarrassment,
Ye Mengfu felt an overwhelming urge to cry.
As an illustrator, she’d read countless manga—
many of them romantic stories about young love.
The way she was acting now…
Did it mean she had feelings for Lin Yu?
The moment the thought crossed her mind,
she shook her head violently.
No, no, absolutely not!
The world of men was terrifying—they were dangerous creatures!
Someone as timid as her would never dare approach such “hazardous material.”
And yet… Lin Yu didn’t seem so bad when they interacted…
No, no, absolutely not!
Another round of frantic head-shaking later,
the “genius” finally had an epiphany.
These dreams had started after Lin Yu gave her the “Wheel of Fortune” card.
Could it be that accepting his gift had subconsciously burdened her with a sense of indebtedness?
Yes!
That had to be it!
Because she hadn’t repaid his kindness,
her subconscious was manifesting these “weird” dreams about Lin Yu.
If she could just return the favor,
these troubling dreams would surely disappear.
Tomorrow—she’d do it tomorrow!
No matter what, she had to find a gift to give Lin Yu.
With her mind made up,
Ye Mengfu grabbed her phone without checking the time,
immediately starting her search…
……
【Ding!】
【Masterful move—a dream rendezvous leaves the Joyous Sect’s Talisman Mistress utterly smitten!】
【Reward: 20 Spirit Stones】
Lin Yu took a deep breath and reluctantly opened his eyes.
Every gain came with a cost.
The price of making Xiao Fu dream about him
was being prepared for an early “wake-up call.”
He checked his phone.
05:25!
Ten minutes earlier than yesterday.
Had tonight’s dream been that intense?
Couldn’t hold out any longer?
Just yesterday, he’d wondered
if he needed to keep visiting Ye Mengfu’s dreams for a full week.
Now, it seemed completely unnecessary.
Three days at most,
and this timid little introvert would be in complete disarray.
Lin Yu closed his eyes again,
settling back into sleep
until the real alarm at seven o’clock arrived.
【Ding!】
【Another day full of hope!】
"Please continue exploring Joy Boulevard, Host~ Strive to become the pillar of our sect!"
] [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!"
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?!
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!
lanned to earn money steadily and take life at a slower pace. But he never expected... his father's remarriage, and the stepmother bringing along a dependent, would completely disrupt his life's plans...
