"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!
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
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.
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
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)
