Lin Yu's eyes widened in shock as he exclaimed:
"Ying'er... is having dinner with us?"
Just the mention of Ying'er's name made Lin Yu's eyelid twitch involuntarily, as if conditioned by reflex.
Mo Shangying!
A girl three days older than him who insisted he call her "elder sister," and the legendary figure of their apartment complex.
She had dropped out after just half a year as a freshman and moved into the apartment.
Her reason? The university curriculum was too simplistic—attending classes was a waste of time.
And the major she had been enrolled in? Pingchuan University's flagship program: Computer Science!
Dropping out to mooch off her parents?
That concept didn't apply to Mo Shangying.
From what Lin Yu knew, she had become the financial backbone of her family the moment she turned eighteen.
That's right.
While others her age were still begging their parents for allowance, Mo Shangying was already giving back!
As for her income sources, in his younger years, Lin Yu had assumed she took on freelance cybersecurity gigs for pocket money.
It wasn't until years later, after entering the workforce and broadening his perspective, that he truly grasped the weight of her accomplishments:
Global hacking competition rankings, independently running a domestic tech forum, exposing security flaws in major corporations... and more.
Among everyone Lin Yu had encountered in his past life, Mo Shangying was undoubtedly the most elite, world-class talent—bar none.
Calling her a "genius hacker girl" almost felt like an insult, yet he couldn't think of a more fitting, grandiose term.
Of course, Lin Yu's reflexive tension had nothing to do with her genius or achievements.
It was simply because she was... weird.
In his past life, she was the girl he feared interacting with most in the entire apartment.
Fortunately, he was no longer the naive boy he once was.
Reborn into this life, he wouldn't let an eccentric girl manipulate him so easily again.
"Xiao Yu, remember when Auntie mentioned that website you could access through WeChat to place orders?"
"The platform fees were too high, so I quit."
"Ying'er was kind enough to make me a small website for free."
"Now lots of regular customers use it to order flowers from my shop—super convenient, and they keep sharing it with others."
"I tried giving her a red envelope, but she refused. After thinking it over, I decided inviting her for a meal would be the best way to sincerely thank her."
Chen Qimeng explained the reason behind preparing such a lavish meal.
"So that's what this is about. I'll go tell Ying'er to come down in an hour."
In his past life, Lin Yu had no memory of this gratitude dinner.
Most likely, he'd been too absorbed in heartache over his online girlfriend refusing to meet him and hadn't even been home.
Chen Qimeng glanced sideways at Lin Yu, who was helping wash vegetables, and carefully broached another topic:
"Xiao Yu, doesn't your major require a DSLR camera starting junior year?"
"I asked around—this year's latest 5D3 model with two lenses is very reasonably priced."
"And you'll need a computer for editing, right? I'm not familiar with those, but you can check at the mall or online. Take your time choosing one this week."
"Once I sign the contract next week, we'll get both for you."
Lin Yu: "!!!"
These were words he'd never heard in his past life.
That contract... wasn't that the catalyst for the tragedy?
So.
Chen Qimeng's urgency in finding "investors" stemmed from her desire to buy him a camera and computer!
The newly released 5D3 this January cost 20,000 yuan for just the body.
Add two lenses, and you're looking at nearly 30,000.
Plus a high-spec editing computer? That's almost 40,000 yuan.
For Chen Qimeng's current income, that sum was indeed unaffordable.
But he didn't need the latest, top-tier DSLR...
Nor such a professional, high-end computer...
Were these non-essentials worth sacrificing a lifetime over?
Watching Chen Qimeng's blissful smile, Lin Yu felt deeply moved.
He didn't want these things.
Yet she wanted to give them to him.
Pouring her utmost care into someone unrelated by blood.
Lin Yu didn't voice his refusal.
He knew no argument would sway Chen Qimeng—she'd only think he was trying to save her money.
It might even backfire.
Better to acquiesce for now and let her keep her plan.
Then...
In this life, he'd change everything through action!
Gently, Lin Yu tucked a loose strand of hair behind Chen Qimeng's ear.
Her smile brightened as she took the vegetables from his hands:
"I'll handle these. Xiao Yu, go tell Ying'er downstairs that dinner's in an hour."
......
Arriving at Room 301 on the third floor, Lin Yu knocked.
"Who is it?"
A languid voice drifted from inside.
"Ying'er, it's me, Lin Yu. I came to—"
From within: "Heh heh heh..."
Before seeing her, her eerie laughter reached him first.
Lin Yu knew full well that laugh was directed at him!
Buried memories viciously resurfaced.
Alongside his nervousness, he felt a faint anticipation toward that strange chuckle.
Click...
The door unlocked, cracking open just enough to reveal a sliver of darkness inside, intermittently lit by flickering blue and yellow lights.
Lin Yu recognized those colors—the glow from Mo Shangying's computer LED strips.
The only reason those lights were visible? The curtains were drawn shut.
Who keeps their curtains closed in broad daylight?!
"Ying'er, can I come in?"
Lin Yu leaned closer, about to push the door open—
Whoosh!
A pale, slender arm shot out from the darkness.
Before Lin Yu could react, it yanked him forcefully inside.
BANG!
Click-clack.
The girl at the door swiftly shut and locked it behind him, her movements practiced and seamless.
The room carried the pleasant fragrance of shower gel—she must have recently bathed.
Mo Shangying wore an oversized white T-shirt dress plastered with symbols and letters.
The loose collar slipped slightly, revealing delicate collarbones.
Damp strands of hair clung to her skin, exuding an air of lazy nonchalance.
Between those strands, her bright, clear eyes gleamed with excitement in the dimness.
Like... a hunter spotting prey.
Beside Mo Shangying, an information panel materialized:
[Mo Shangying]
[Age: 20]
[Sect Status: Elder of the Array Formation Hall, Traitor to the Celestial Secrets Pavilion]
[Host Intimacy Level: 41% (Fourth Realm, Silent Understanding)]
[Number of Dao Companions (Soul/Body Cultivation): (Insufficient intimacy with host, currently inaccessible)]
[Attributes/Skills: (Host's status too low, currently inaccessible)]
[Other Information: (Host's status too low, currently inaccessible)]
[Current Missions:]
[Array Formation Discourse (Urgent Mission): A worldly expert has invited this sect's Array Formation Elder to discuss the Dao. Whether to reveal her true identity is the Elder's greatest dilemma.]
[Divining Celestial Secrets (Daily Mission): Heaven's mysteries cannot be easily discerned. The Elder is lost in the fog of confusion. An outside perspective may enlighten her—help predict the next football match's outcome.]
Hidden Ailment (Daily Quest): The elder, whose cultivation posture has long been peculiar, rarely emerges from his hall. His body harbors a latent affliction, urgently requiring meridian massage therapy.
The genius hacker girl truly is extraordinary.
Even her identity comes in two versions!
The available quests aren’t as numerous as Chi Qingchi’s, but three isn’t a small number either.
What surprised Lin Yu the most was the intimacy level between the two of them.
Currently, it’s second only to his data with Auntie Chen Qimeng.
Was this level of closeness cultivated through trials of both mind and body?
The "Silent Understanding" intimacy realm isn’t low, though the number of dao companions remains temporarily hidden.
Whether Mo Shangying is Lin Yu’s online romance remains an open question—for now.
Then, right on cue,
the familiar "torment" session begins.
Mo Shangying’s voice drifts over, faint yet pointed:
"Little Yu, you’re truly a rebel~"
s + Rent Collection Wealth】 At the start, he inherited a rundown house in the urban village from his grandfather. The house had no tenants, but the moment he was diagnosed with a terminal illness, a self-proclaimed empress from the Tianxuan Continent arrived as his first tenant. Ye Chuan soon discovered that with every new tenant moving in, not only did he receive massive daily payments, but he also obtained unique items related to their backgrounds. 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Tiger Strength Pill—dramatically enhances physical power!】 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Deer Blood Pill—significantly boosts vitality!】 …… From that day on, all sorts of bizarre tenants began appearing in the house: the empress from Tianxuan Continent, an apocalyptic sorceress from the Magic Realm, a mysterious scientific girl who fell through a spacetime rift… Every single day, he received strange, powerful items and endless money. Then one day, he suddenly realized—he had become invincible. Enough, enough! Stop giving me more!
pression Bureau] Transported to a fantasy world overrun by demons and monsters, Gu Qingfeng becomes a jailer in the Demon Suppression Prison of the Great Yan Dynasty's Demon Suppression Bureau. From this point on, bizarre cases frequently occur in the Demon Suppression Prison, once known as hell on earth and infamous for its gloomy, terrifying atmosphere! Why do the demons and monsters in the prison wail miserably every night? Why has the corpse demon, capable of transforming into various beauties, donned black stockings and switched careers to become a foot massage therapist? Why has the eye demon, expert in soul-snatching and illusions, turned into a VR headset? Why is the fox spirit performing otaku dances? Are all these occurrences a twisted expression of demonic nature, or a descent into moral depravity? After peeling away layer upon layer of mystery, all clues ultimately point to a jailer named Gu Qingfeng. Gu Qingfeng: "Hehehe... My dear demons and monsters, whose card shall we flip today?"
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.
nd fell into a coma while saving his younger sister from an out-of-control car. He became a vegetable. No one knew that his consciousness had crossed into a world of cultivation. Over the course of sixty years, he began as the lowest kind of mine slave, struggling to survive amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. By sheer chance, he eventually obtained the complete memories of a fallen Immortal King. Alchemy, medicine, formations, feng shui, physiognomy, artifact forging… Every great inheritance of the cultivation world was now his. But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that ten full years had passed in the modern world. To pay for his treatment, his father had sold the family’s shop and house, leaving himself covered in lasting injuries and illness. His mother had cared for him day and night, and more than half of her hair had already turned white. His younger sister, who had been only fifteen back then, was now twenty-five. To help repay the family’s debts, she had been forced to lower her head and put on a smiling face in places of glittering lights and endless revelry. Only then did Chen Xuan understand that what he had lost was not merely ten years. He had lost the life his entire family was meant to have. The good news was that he had brought back the memories of an Immortal King’s entire lifetime. The bad news was that his soul had returned alone—his cultivation had not come with him. Spiritual energy was scarce, resources were depleted, and the modern world still had firearms, surveillance, capital, and laws. If he wanted to protect his family, break free from everyone’s control, and become truly invincible beneath the heavens, he would have to start all over again.
