"Picture one and picture four?!"
After Lin Yu made his choice, Chen Qimeng’s heart skipped a beat once more.
The princess carry from picture two—the one she imagined would be the easiest—wasn’t even among his selections?
Picture one involved sharing a bag of puffed snacks!
Picture four required their noses to touch!
Chen Qimeng opened her mouth, about to say something…
But then she reconsidered.
After all, it was she who had affectionately called him "honey" and left the decision to him.
If she objected now, especially with several staff members present…
Wouldn’t that embarrass Lin Yu?
She was the one who had handed him the reins, so she shouldn’t refuse his choice.
Still.
She couldn’t help but feel a flutter of nervousness and shyness.
Things had already veered completely off her initial expectations!
Lin Yu quickly added in a hushed voice,
"Auntie Qimeng, the other poses seemed a bit too… intimate."
"The ones I picked don’t involve much physical contact. They should be fine, right?"
Hearing this, what else could Chen Qimeng say?
So, Lin Yu had genuinely been considering her comfort.
With him being so straightforward, if she acted overly reserved, it would only create unnecessary distance.
"Alright, we’ll go with picture one and picture four, just as you said."
[Ding!]
[Masterful move—could this be the flutter of romance? The acting sect leader experiences her first genuine heartbeat of affection!]
[Reward: 20 spirit stones.]
After confirming with the saleswoman,
the two followed her to the designated photo area.
Before the shoot, Lin Yu quietly approached the saleswoman.
Noticing he had something to say, she politely leaned in to listen.
"Miss, actually, the ‘honey’ from earlier… we’re not officially a couple yet."
"I’m still pursuing her. Thank you for giving me this opportunity."
"I’m hoping these photos will bring us closer."
"Could you leave me your contact? If the pictures turn out well, I’d love to bring her to your studio next time."
A spark of understanding flashed in the saleswoman’s eyes.
She grabbed a promotional flyer from the table and scribbled down a number:
"Handsome, if you ever want couple photos—or even wedding photos—"
"just call this number. I’ll make sure you get the best photographer."
"May the two of you… find happiness together!"
"And during the shoot…"
She gave Lin Yu a knowing wink.
Lin Yu responded with an "Ok" gesture.
Communicating with someone sharp was always effortless.
…
After a few minutes of preparation,
Lin Yu and Chen Qimeng stood before a soft pink backdrop.
First up was picture one.
The staff handed them a breadstick, slightly longer than a middle finger.
Just as Chen Qimeng reached for it, the saleswoman suddenly—
"Ber~"
—snapped it cleanly in half.
Chen Qimeng: "???"
"Wh-what’s the meaning of this?"
The saleswoman smiled warmly.
"Miss, the full length wouldn’t photograph as well."
"This shorter size is perfect—just like in the sample photos."
Chen Qimeng hadn’t paid much attention to the samples earlier.
The mere thought of what came next had left her too flustered to focus.
Now, holding a breadstick shorter than her index finger, her heart leaped into her throat.
Approaching Lin Yu with the broken piece, she hesitantly raised it.
"It… she insisted on breaking it…"
Lin Yu scratched his head sheepishly.
"What can we do? You go first, honey. I’ll follow your lead."
Chen Qimeng: "…"
Click!
Lost in thought, she jumped at the sudden flash of the camera.
The photographer’s voice followed:
"We’re ready whenever you are. The lighting’s perfect."
Lin Yu took position at the center of the backdrop, motioning for Chen Qimeng to join him.
She stepped into place, her hand trembling slightly as she held the breadstick, her cheeks flushed.
"Relax. You’re only posing with me."
Lin Yu gently squeezed her shoulder, his voice soothing.
Physical touch was the best way to convey reassurance.
His words did ease her nerves a little.
She placed the breadstick between her lips, leaving just the tiniest bit exposed.
She wanted to leave enough length for Lin Yu to comfortably share.
"Haha, don’t be so stiff. Right now, I’m your boyfriend."
"With that expression, are you planning to eat me?"
Chen Qimeng exhaled, forcing her tense face to relax.
Still.
As Lin Yu’s face drew nearer, her eyes flickered uncontrollably.
For a fleeting moment,
she thought she glimpsed something tender in his gaze.
But then—
the gentle tug on the breadstick snapped her back to reality.
Wait…
Had Lin Yu taken too much?
They were so close now!
Their lips were practically… touching!
How much of the breadstick was left?
Before her thoughts could spiral further, the saleswoman swooped in with another perfectly timed nudge.
"Miss, you’re a bit too far back for the best shot."
"Try moving forward just a little—there’s plenty of room left."
Chen Qimeng: "!!!"
Closer?!
It already felt unbearably near.
Was she imagining things?
Well, since they’d come this far, she might as well commit.
Hesitantly, she inched her lips forward—just a tiny bit.
Noticing Lin Yu’s subtle thumbs-up, the saleswoman doubled down:
"Miss, it doesn’t look much different from before."
"Could you move a tad closer?"
"No need to be so shy with your boyfriend. Just relax!"
Chen Qimeng: "…"
At the same time,
Lin Yu’s hand slid around her waist.
A light, reassuring pat—as if encouraging her.
Not wanting to hold up the shoot or ruin Lin Yu’s budget-friendly plan,
Chen Qimeng mustered her courage and leaned in—properly this time.
Gasp.
In an instant,
softness met her lips, her wide eyes clearing in stunned realization.
Even with her limited romantic experience, she knew exactly what had just happened.
Click!
The camera flashed,
perfectly capturing the moment.
The saleswoman internally swooned:
Age-gap romance is just too addictive!
This bold young man—what a move!
If I had a handsome, forward guy like this around…
I wouldn’t even need him to chase me—I’d fold instantly!
] [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!"
't think I'm that capable, I'm just trying my best to stay alive. I've been kind all my life, never did anything bad, yet worldly suffering spared me not one bit. The human world is a nice place, but I won't come back in my next life. A kind young man, who wanted to just get by singing, but through repeated deceits and betrayals, has gone down an irredeemable path.
with countless casualties. As a top-tier gamer, Liu Xuan volunteered to join the fight, intending to dominate with his skills, but instead he obtained the hidden class: [Pacifist]. Unable to attack. Unable to use active skills. Fortunately, with each level gained, he acquired a new passive skill. And so, armed with a body full of passives, Liu Xuan slaughtered his way through the battlefield of ten thousand races! [You attacked Liu Xuan] [You gained the debuffs: 'Poison', 'Fear', 'Burning', 'Bleeding', 'Freeze', 'Silence', etc.] [Your attack speed has been reduced by 99%] [Your armor and magic resistance have been reduced by 99%] Warriors of the Ten Thousand Races: How the hell am I supposed to fight this?!
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)
